#the loud clashing of it all is an expression in its own right

[gaydogmarriage]

i'm going to say something bold today. i think tighnari's incoherent mess of a color palette is actually a defensible and character-essential design choice

[fandomfucker]

can I request a poly!judgement day x fem!reader, where she get stressed out and cooks and bakes as a stress response?

Baker-Poly!TJD x Fem!Reader

A/N: I’m sorry I’ve kinda disappeared lately, I’m dealing with a lot of mental issues on top of school and work but I’m jotting down ideas when I can, just don’t expect anything regularly😓

Word Count: 1,383

The sickly sweet smell of vanilla filled the kitchen, spilling out into the rest of the house. The harsh tempo of a metal song reverberated throughout the house, originating from the kitchen. Clanging noises emerged as various cooking utensils clashed against metal bowls. Hurried footsteps paced back and forth on the warm-tiled-floors. 

In the kitchen, pacing in front of the untidy countertops, covered in various spilled ingredients, was Y/n. She cradled a metal mixing bowl to her chest as she used a whisk and beat the dry ingredients laid in the bowl.

Small puffs of powder flew up as the whisk repeatedly hit the side of the bowl, coating Y/n’s ‘Kiss the cook’ apron as well as her face. She blew small streams of air out the corner of her mouth, fluttering strands of hair that had fallen from its updo. 

Her hips swayed gently to the beat of the music, the chilling voice of Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills floated around the room. “Now I’m lost on my own, in search of something real.” She sang along. 

Lately, her partners, all four members of The Judgment Day, had all been on the road for almost a week now and for Y/n, work had been unbelievably stressful, what with the giant company-wide project she’d been leading. And when she’s stressed (which had gotten to be more often than not lately) she bakes. So, her partners had had her own pantry built with every possible ingredient for whatever she wanted, whenever. 

The four members of The Judgment Day were scheduled to return home tonight but their flight had been delayed, prolonging Y/n’s stress baking.

There was already an apple pie and pumpkin brownies baking in the oven, and a batch of chocolate chip cookies cooling on the counter. Even though it seemed like an absurd amount of sweets, she knew that whatever she and her partners couldn’t eat or didn’t want would go to either co-workers (the other wrestlers loved her and her diet-breaking-treats) or to some of the neighborhood kids to take home.

Her brows, furrowed in concentration, straightened shot up in excitement as she heard the telltale signs of her favorite song “THIS IS MY BRUTALITY!”. She began bumping along to the rhythm of the metal music. 

“Hey Siri, turn the volume up!” She half-shouted to be heard. The music got louder, now as loud as it could possibly go as Y/n finally began to loosen up. Jumping around the kitchen, mixing her wet and dry ingredients, she paid no mind to anything else around her. Not even the sound of the front door opening as her partners all walked in.

The four of them stood, shocked in a huddle just inside the door as they watched their partner belt out the lyrics to Rhea’s theme song. A favorite partner was never and never would be a thing between the group, however a favorite theme song was totally different. 

Rhea’s baffled expression slowly grew into a smug smirk, as she watched her girlfriend sing and dance along to her song.

It took entirely too long for Y/n to notice that other people had even entered the house, not to mention were right behind her, watching.

“The demon in your dreams, now hear me in your scr-AHHH.” Her timing was impeccable. 

Y/n bent over, one hand on her knee as the other clutched her chest, breathing heavily while her heart raced. “Holy shit, you guys scared me.”

Rhea grinned as she stepped forward, grabbing the back of Y/n’s neck, her fingers gripping her baby hairs, and gently pulling her upright as she kissed her forehead smugly. “Sorry, love.” She laughed.

Y/n all but collapsed against Rhea, laying her head against her chest, wrapping her arms around her waist tightly while Rhea held her waist with one arm, cradling her head in the other, snorting with laughter.

Y/n’s cheeks heated at the laughter, causing her to bury her face even further into Rhea until a beeping noise, one of the several timers Y/n had set, went off. 

Y/n practically threw herself away from Rhea, keeping her head down as she slid on her purple monster oven mitts and grabbed the pumpkin brownies out of the oven, leaving the pie in there for a few more minutes.

The end of Rhea’s song finally came around, much to Y/n’s delight. 

Until she remembered that she’d put the song on repeat to play again and the starting lyric had her partners doubled over in laughter again, much to her chagrin.

Shamefully, she walked over to her phone and took it off of repeat, skipping the song just before she turned off her phone and put it back on the counter.

Only for the next song to play to be Dominik’s theme song.

All four members of the Judgment Day were actively laying on the floor dying with laughter at this point. Finn began coughing uncontrollably in an effort to not throw up while Rhea tried not to piss herself.

Rolling her eyes, Y/n crossed her arms as she watched her partners squirm around on the ground. “Alright, guys. We get it. I like your theme music. Big whup.”

She turned back to the counter, laying out the dough she’d just mixed as she began to knead it against the flour-covered counter.

“Hey,” Damian’s hands gripped her waist from behind as he held her to him. There was still a bit of laughter in his voice but Y/n could tell he meant what he was saying. “We think it’s very endearing, muñeca. Nothing to be embarrassed about.” He kissed her temple lovingly as the other three finally peeled themselves up off the floor.

“Aht!” She yelled, almost as a reflex when she swatted Dominik’s wandering hand towards the still cooling cookies on the counter next to her.

His big brown eyes showed the hurt of a kicked puppy as he looked at her in betrayal,

“First of all, all four of you need to take a shower. Then we’re going to have dinner, then you can have a cookie. Okay?” Y/n explained, waddling towards Dominik, Damian’s hands still firm on her waist causing her to drag him along heftily.

Dominik nodded sadly, perking up significantly when Y/n placed her hands on his cheeks, bringing his face up to give him a quick peck on the lips. Sounds of protest came from around the room from the other three who had yet to receive a kiss.

“Hey!” Y/n silenced the four of them, staring into Dom’s big brown eyes. “We can have so many cuddles and kisses after dinner and showers, okay? We’ll watch a movie and have cookies, and brownies,and pie and make-outs. But after.” She bent his head down to kiss his forehead before gently pushing him away.

Prying Damian’s fingers from her waist, Y/n turned around to face him, gently pushing his chest as well in the direction of the stairs, gesturing with her finger for him to go up there.

“Dibs on the master shower! By myself,” Rhea added at the shared lewd looks from the boys.

Y/n laughed at the boys’ obvious pouting but they all made their way past her towards the stairs to use the guest bathroom upstairs, which was really about the same size as the master. 

As Finn passed Y/n, he lightly squeezed her waist and gave her a small peck on the cheek. “Your secret’s safe with us, love.” He laughed.

Y/n just grumbled in response as she went back to her dough. 

Rhea smirked as she got an idea, and walked behind Y/n to get to the stairs. She smacked her ass on the way, grinning wickedly at the gasp that Y/n let out. 

“Rhea!” She exclaimed, trying to contain her laughter as she held her stinging flesh. 

“Sorry, babe! I just couldn’t help myself!” Rhea giddily bounded up the stairs.

A small smile graced Y/n’s features as she went back to her baking. She was still stressed but now that her partners were home, they could help to carry some of the load. She didn’t have to do it alone.

[biolumien]

hi hi!!! i love ur hoshina fics so much wooaagh you write him so well and each fic has me thinking !!!! i like how characterized him here!!!!

this one doesnt have to be an x reader but fans self Wuah id like to ask hoshina + kaiju no. 10 with like a symbiote sorta deal with the combat suit ?! i was rereading the bit when he got deployed with the suit for the first time and their dynamics clashing was so wuoaah and im jus a sucker for vice captain and how cool he is in his suit kw

notes: wahhh!! thank you so much... i have often thought about kaiju no 10 and hoshina as well... i hope this is what you were looking for....!

with 10

not quite an x reader. a reader is barely mentioned... hm. there's a bit of phrasing that can come off as ideation kaiju no 8 spoilers, too! word count: 911

there’s something different about you.

hoshina’s brow furrows when he hears the voice of kaiju no. 10 sneering in his head. as he grew to synchronize with the suit more and more, he found that the suit almost seemed to sink into his skin, form a secondary membrane around him, the almost scorpion-like tail as natural as anything. 

“i don’t know what you mean.”

you know exactly what i mean.

back when you fought me last, you were just like me.

swept up in it all.

hoshina remembers. fighting kaiju no. 10 was difficult, brutalizing–horrible. out loud, he’d said he’d never want to fight a numbered kaiju like that one-on-one again. but, in his head–it was exhilarating in a way that he’d never be able to describe in words without sounding insane. it was the adrenaline, right? it was the adrenaline, the blood-pumping feeling of finally being alive in a fight.

no. 10 had been right.

there was nothing quite like fighting an enemy that was just as powerful as you–or possibly more powerful, even by a fraction. it was that constant back and forth that got the blood pumping, made you feel truly alive. hoshina knew it well. every fight he lunged into against a bigger, tougher kaiju was him throwing all his chips onto the betting table, a smile on his face as he declared himself all in.

he’d said he’d never do it again.

and yet he’d donned kaiju no.10 like this for the express purpose of fighting more numbered kaiju. 

and it was horrifying how comfortable the suit was. how in sync he could be with kaiju no. 10. he focuses, commanding kaiju no. 10 to coalesce around his hands–and the suit responds, shifting across his body to form concentrated, claw-like shapes. it felt right, like he and kaiju no. 10 were always the same person.

he laughs.

he’d be just like kafka if he thought that.

“i can still be swept up in all of it.”

hoshina’s voice wavers at the last second, and he winces. 

you lie.

kaiju no. 10 doesn’t sound angry.

it was cliche to say it sounded disappointed, but that’s what it seemed to be. quietly, quietly disappointed. as quiet as an angry, speaking kaiju could be. the kaiju’s intent pulsed across his arms, and hoshina watches as his hand moves upwards, flexing his fingers for him. he can hear kaiju no. 10’s quiet displeasure.

hoshina should be terrified that kaiju no. 10 had such control over his body like this–two beings sharing the same body, practically, each fighting for control of his form. 

but he was calm. all too calm. 

there’s something else in your heart now. it’s not the thrill of the fight anymore. 

you didn’t care about anything else before.

but now you’re worried. you’re worried about coming out of this alive.

“you’re saying i can’t value my life?” hoshina draws his katana, feeling the weight of it. it almost feels alive in his palms, humming with electricity as the suit responds, pulsing with power. he can almost feel kaiju no. 10 burying its way deeper into him, pulling into his chest, trying to find the thing that’d make him tick. and he watches as his hand does the same, moving towards his chest.

you don’t value your own life.

kaiju no. 10’s voice was frank.

i felt that. your revulsion at me saying the truth. but it’s true. you don’t value your own life. why else would you search so fucking desperately for something that proved you alive? you swing the sword because you know it’s fun. because it makes the blood run through your muscles, expands your lungs. it’s as easy as the most fun breath you can take.

but that’s not my point.

kaiju no. 10–soshiro hoshina’s–hand presses at his chest.

something else beats here.

you want to live. not because you think you need to.

but because you don’t want to hurt the one person you love more than anything else.

“...”

you’d even give up fighting for them. isn’t that so?

“that’s not true.”

but it is.

hoshina’s heart pounds.

it was true. when he thought of fighting, he thought of your face. he’d wonder what you’d say if he showed up in front of you littered with wounds, and the terrifying thought of appearing as an unmarked corpse in front of you terrified him beyond all words.

but mark my words, hoshina. you and i are the same. so believe me when i say, you’d find a white-picket fence life boring. devoid of all value and color.

but i’m fucking stuck with you.

kaiju no. 10’s voice is venomous.

“hoshina.”

okonogi’s voice sounds in his ear.

“you’re deploying.”

“you hear that?” hoshina says to kaiju no. 10, trying to keep the panic out of his voice–the utter and sheer panic that he had been found out completely, all his secrets laid bare and open for the taking. “we’re going.”

fine.

hoshina couldn’t get used to it, kaiju no. 10’s form rippling across his, lines of muscle and sinew forming atop his own arms, crawling across his torso. it was like diving underwater–but not into a pool, where you could at least see the bottom–no. this was diving right into an ocean canyon, only being able to trust your own strength to pull yourself back out. 

but someday you’re going to come back to this conversation.

and you’re going to realize that i’m right.

[moonstruck-poet]

For All Time

Pairing - Loki x fem!reader

Summary - the reader was Loki's bestfriend since childhood until teenage and he was in love with her but maybe they were just never meant to be.

Warnings - death

Requested by - @akshinayak I reaally hope it was good enough and tysm for the request!

They say breaking up with your partner hurts the most. That's not true, Loki thought to himself. They say falling out of love hurts the most. That's not true, he thought.

"What really hurt-" he whispered to himself and clenched his jaw. His crown of long, black horns feeling a lot burdensome. "-Is knowing that you would've had a chance, would've had a future together. But you didn't. All because of your own selfish reasons and insecurities".

He scoffed, leaning back onto his new throne, one that he ironically had no intentions of wanting and gripped the handle.

The frustration about himself melting away to make way for deep, agonizing pain and heartbreak as he caught onto a thread of your lifeline.

Loki's lips were tightly pressed together when he decided to watch over you, something that he had done last night itself. He couldn't help himself, seeing as your condition was deteriorating day by day.

With a deep sigh leaving his lungs, he closed his eyes, head leaning back against the throne as a certain memory drifted into focus. Putting everything else on hold.

"Fancy any one of them, do you?" Your playful voice asked when he looked at various pictures of princesses.

"Absolutely not," he slammed the last one on the table.

"Pity. I would've loved to see my best friend getting married".

Best Friend. He gritted his teeth, running a hand through the long locks and looking out of the window. That's all he would ever be. A best friend. Nothing more. Never.

Despite being able to sense emotions and read people well, the God of Mischief failed to recognise your feelings. He somehow never took notice of your lingering touches, of your constant staring and looking at him as though he had hung the stars."

Do you have anyone in your mind Loki?" You asked quietly and stood next to him. His emerald irises clashing against your golden-brown ones. "You can tell me, you know?"

You. Its always been you.

He wanted to scream it out loud, wanted to yell and make the whole world know the fact that it was you whom he had fallen for.

"There's no one," he answered abruptly and completely avoided your gaze, and in the meanwhile also not noticing the way your eyes seemed to dull.

He had loathed himself for every passing second after that incident. How different would life have been had he confessed his feelings right then?

He would still have to go through everything, but at least he could've had you right by his side. And that alone would've made all the difference in the world.

He swallowed the misery before regaining control and finally looking at you from high above. But in an instant his facade broke, face contorting in pain upon seeing your weak and frail body. A startling contrast to the strong and regal woman that you had once been.

"Oh my love," he whispered to himself, his eyes raking over every little change that had taken place in the short course of twenty four hours.

You had injured yourself, heavily. A group of oursiders had somehow managed to invade your territory, catching everyone off guard and naturally you had taken the lead.

Fighting alongside Lady Sif and your husband, Alvis.

Another painful wound struck his heart when he saw the said person entering your room, his face drowned in sorrow and desperation.

"How are you, my queen?" Alvis sat down next to her.. Next to his queen, Loki said in his mind.

"I am fine," you smiled back, your expression the epitome of exhaustion.

"Rest, yes?" He said and took her hands in his, caressing the skin. "I will be back soon enough, have to go through some work".

Loki watched as you barely managed to nod, he watched as your loving husband pressed a kiss on your forehead, something that he was supposed to do.

A harsh breath escaped his throat and he let go of the branch, his heart not being able to see its other half being in immense pain.

He had no rights, absolutely none to want himself to be in the place of your husband. He was selfish, arrogant, entitled, pessimistic whereas Alvis was the complete opposite.

You had found yourself a man who loved and worshipped you exactly the way you were supposed to be. He could've never been able to do that. You deserved someone so much better than him. Always.

"Would it be so bad, hmm?" You questioned softly, searching his eyes for an answer.

"I fail to understand what you are talking about," he muttered and looked anywhere but at you.

"I think you understand perfectly enough".

He didn't answer and walked away, because what else was he supposed to do?

"Is the idea how us getting merried so bad that you can't even look at me?" You asked, a small smile on your face.

"I did not say that".

"You surely implied that".

"I-" he cut himself off and turned to face you, his expression holding anger. "I do not wish to get married," he stated, his eyes glaring into yours but you were barely fazed.

"Okay," was all you could say and Loki immediately noticed the way your face changed drastically. You tried to offer him a smile, but for once he saw right through that.

"Okay," you repeated again, backing away from him, taking one step at a time which lead to a huge barrier between the two.

He merely watched you leave, rooted the spot. He probably didn't know it, but he had lost you at that moment. Not as friends no, you would always continue being friends. No one in the universe could possibly break one of the strongest bonds between two people.

"I love you," he whispered to the now empty room, falling down to his knees as a lone tear slipped down his cheek. "Always".

Loki let out a bitter laugh at the memories. Out of all the things he could've said, he uttered the most bitter lies.

He was a changed man now. He replayed all those moments in his head, being able to see all the chances that he had lost. Seeing just how hurt you had been from every selfish comment he had made.

What would he give to go back and change everything instantly.

It was unfathomable, the amount of love his entire being held for simply one person. Nobody ever came close, and never would. He may have been a narcissist, an arrogant liar, a tricking asshole.

But there was one thing that nobody else could do other than him. And that was to love you, adore you in such a way that a mere hiccup in your life caused him pain. To care for you like you held his lifeline in your rough, scarred, but soft hands. To want you in a way that nobody had done before.

Because that's how Loki has. If he loved someone, he loved them enough to terrify himself about the lengths he would go for, namely for the person's happiness.

He had done so countless of times for you, and unknown to him, you had cherished every single minute of those special occasions. Keeping them so close to your heart that they bloomed whenever you were happy and blocked your breathing when you were devastated.

He was lost in thought, but a sudden tug in his chest pulled him out. Loki frowned at the strange feeeling, his intuiton telling him something terrible had happened.

His breathing quickened as he gripped the branch, your branch, noticing the fading green light causing sweat to erupt on his forehead and neck.

"No, no no no," he chanted, feeling as though the world had collapsed upon seeing the scene in front of him. "No," he whispered, heart slowly but surely shattering.

He watched Alvis, tapping your cheek frantically and gently shaking your body as he yelled for the doctors to be brought. "Stay with me, my queen. The doctors are coming, please, stay with me!"

Sif was on your other side, holding one of your hand in hers, pressing the back to her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered in between tears as her body shook.

Your face, Loki saw and swallowed. It was still as beautiful as ever. Those golden-brown eyes that made him catch his breath everytime he glanced your way, those sharp eyebrows arching whenever you narrowed your eyes playfully and that gorgeous smile that you presently held.

"I'm okay," you croaked out, "I'm alright".

The two people surrounding you simply cried harder at that, bowing their heads and pressing the back of your hand to their temple. Their way of paying respect to the bravest warrior they'd seen.

Loki's chest felt empty, as though his heart too was slowly dying, following his soulmate to the afterlife. Silent tears were flowing down his cheeks without a halt. There was only one thing he could think of to do now and he did just that.

Your eyes were half open, understanding that your end was nearing soon and you didn't have any regrets. You had lived a beautiful life inspite of the hardships.

But then a sudden warmth made you open your eyes completely for one last time. Your head tilted to see the rays of light gushing in through the open window, bathing your entire body in its glow.

You didn't fail to notice the green tint that was present and your heart skipped a beat, despite already being in a fragile state. "Loki," you whispered, your voice barely audible but the one who needed to hear it heard his name clearly.

And you took your final breath, a content smile on your face as your eyes closed.

His soul shattered next, everything suddenly feeling cold all of a sudden as he slumped back in his throne, breathing heavily and swallowing harshly.

"Rest easy, my love. I will love you, for all time, always," he said to the skies.

===============================

[sil-writes-fiction-too]

A Moment of Distraction

Gale x OC!Tav

Genre: hurt/comfort with just a dash of angst

CW: bodily harm, injury, blood, gore

A/N Here's June of Doom, Day 5! This time with the "It's not as bad as it looks." prompt paired with the "Bite" and "Swelling" prompts. Just some delicious battle aftermath for Gale and Summer this time around (there's plenty of time for more heart-wrenching angst). @juneofdoom . Also don't call out my absolutely wrong use of the Infernal language, I kinda have my own tweaked version of it so if it doesn't check out that's why.

The stench of blood and guts hangs heavy in the air. Summer once heard someone say that one never really grows accustomed to this scent but she is starting to doubt the truth of that statement. By now this smell accompanies their little ragtag group's everyday endeavors. The sticky, slimy sensation on their skins, the taste of copper in their mouths, the red staining their vision...

Luckily, they seem to be competent enough to ensure that most of it doesn't belong to them. In the beginning, Arwen had expressed with Summer her worries over taking in so many strangers. She was fully convinced the two of them would have to pull all of the weight and babysit a bunch of stumbling, incompetent fools, before being stabbed in the back by at least one of them (to be completely fair Astarion didn't make such a good first impression)... but she was wrong.

Sure, some of them aren't really physically strong, but not one of their new companions is a damsel in distress, that's for sure. It's been a while since Summer's last felt like this. Confident in her allies' ability, not having to constantly keep an eye on them for fear of having to rescue them while she tries to fend off the enemies. The fight is getting to her head, she is entering that particular mind space where everything blends together in one seamless dance. The crushing of bones, the slicing of skin, the stabbing of bodies and the clashing of metal all together in one blurry cacophony. Summer would like to think of herself as a good person, but it's at times like this when she has doubts. No matter how many people call her a hero, a friend, a good fucking person... she likes all this. Likes the fighting, the warm splash of blood on her face, her claws ripping through flesh and the smell of burning skin... her enemies falling at her feet as she triumphs. She wonders if this is Doskan's doing, or if she is just a fucked up person deep underneath. The heat of the fire and the raging inferno inside of her soul makes her hope the former explanation is more accurate than the latter.

Maybe it's this freedom to slash and bash without fear, or her ever-present internal crisis that dulls her perception, but the core of the matter is that all of a sudden something heavy smashes into her, throwing her to the ground with a fierce, deranged growl. A sharp pain explodes in her left shoulder, spreading through her arm and chest, and more warm and sticky blood pours onto her red skin. Her blood. Goddamn gnolls.

She finds herself wrestling with the beast, gripping at its muzzle to try and pry its maws from her poor shoulder. She manages, and the rest of her efforts are spent trying to push the snarling creature off of her, but the pain shooting through her shoulder makes it impossible for her to put her whole strength into it. She sees herself getting a faceful of sharp teeth, but before her grotesque imagination can become a reality, a bright, blue and purple light flashes from somewhere at her right, followed by a loud boom, and the ferocious gnoll is blasted away with a yelp. It crashes into a nearby rock wall and then limply falls to the ground. Dead.

"Summer!!" Gale's frightened voice reaches her ears even through the ringing in her head. Fuck, that was loud. She sits up with a groan, grimacing at the painful sensation now spreading through the entire left side of her body. "Ffitch", she curses when she sees the gaping wound in her flesh that's dripping blood and soaking her clothes. Great.

"By Mystra's mantle, what happened back there??" he exclaims as he wraps an arm around Summer's back in order to keep her propped up. "Ah, I guess I slipped up" she says sheepishly, grinning at him through the pain. "It's not funny!" he bites back with a surprising amount of anger, catching her off guard.

"Woah, Gale, I'm fine. See? Still breathing, still here among mortals-". He shakes his head in disapproval at her words, urging Wyll over so he may help him lift her up to her feet. The last gnoll has just been slayed, and now everyone is gathering around with varying degrees of worry plastered on their faces.

"Oh come on guys, don't look at me like that..." she looks around with a dash of confusion and perhaps even a little bit of annoyance. She's not annoyed at them, in truth, but at herself for being such a klutz in the middle of a battle.

"Okay, don't just stand there like a bunch of idiots. Let's find a place to camp and get Summer the help she needs." Arwen's harsh voice is the first to cut through the awkward silence and the uncertain shuffling of hands and feet. After that they all act swiftly, camp is set up rather quick and Summer finds herself laying down in her tent with Gale and Shadowheart sitting at her side. The cleric is in dire need of rest and that becomes apparent when her attempt at healing Summer's wound fails miserably. Unfortunately all the group has left is a small potion of healing so... traditional medicine it is!

"Go and take a rest Shadowheart, I can perfectly manage to tend to Summer's wound on my own this time around." Says the wizard as he grabs the healing kit from Shadowheart's hands. She'd insist on helping, but right now she feels like she'd best leave these two alone or Gale will have a nervous meltdown. "Very well, but Arwen will punch you in the face if you mess it up. No pressure." She says with her snarky smile before getting up to leave the tent. Her little quip would usually pull at least an amused smile from him, but not this time.

Silence falls between Summer and Gale, and it's definitely not the usual, comfortable quiet that comes between them whenever words are no longer necessary.

"I need you to take your shirt off" he say with a sigh, his hands tightening into fists in his lap. She'd normally crack a flirty joke at him for saying something like that, but for some reason she feels like that might not be the best idea right now, so she does as she is told, unfastening her corset and pulling her blood-stained shirt off of herself. At least it didn't get stuck in her horns, she thinks. That would be embarrassing.

It's subtle, but she hears Gale's breath hitching in his throat as soon as her wound is uncovered. She notices the tension in his body and how his agitated expression turns into one of pure worry. Summer is quick to look down at her shoulder and then back up at him again.

"It's not as bad as it looks" she says softly, propping herself up on her elbows. Gale's eyes snap to her face at her words and he opens his mouth in what she can only assume to be bewilderment.

"Not as bad as it looks?? Look at it!" he gestures to her shoulder with wide eyes, flabbergasted by her behaviour. A full bite mark is embedded in the flesh of her shoulder. Even though the blood has stopped flowing, the wound is of a dark crimson color that somehow looks even more sickening on her naturally red skin. Had the gnoll gotten a better grip on her, a good chunk of her flesh would be missing right now. As if that wasn't enough, the skin around the wound is swelling and getting irritated. It ain't pretty.

She huffs a little in exasperation, but doesn't find it in herself to actually be annoyed at him. Actually she is quite endeared, but she'd better not say it out loud right now.

"I mean to say that I am okay. I mean, it hurts like a bitch, but I've definitely had worse before. This is nothing compared to other things that happened to me." She tries to smile reassuringly at him, but he definitely misses it as he's already fully focused on treating her wound.

"You're not okay. You're hurt. And I, for one, fail to see why you would be so reckless in front of a pack of gnolls! I expected better from you Summer! It was right there, you couldn't have possibly missed it! Honestly! What if you- you...! What if you didn't-" he stumbles over his words, suddenly failing to find what he wants to say to her, and Summer feels his hands tremble while he patches her up. Before Gale knows it, she is grabbing one of his hands and bringing it up to her lips, then down to press against her chest. Right there, her heart beats strongly in her ribcage. "I am okay." She repeats with more sincerity in her voice, staring right into his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize what it must have looked like to you when it happened. I didn't mean to scare you".

A trembly sigh falls from his lips and he slowly relaxes, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. "Just... please be more careful next time. I saw you, you were... absent." This time it's her turn to sigh, perhaps to gather the courage to acknowledge his correct observation. "I was. I'm sorry. I promise I'm not trying to be so reckless while we fight." She smiles at him, and this time he returns the smile, even if wearily.

"Gods, don't do that to me..." He leans his forehead against hers. "My heart can't take losing you. Hells, even seeing you hurt proves to be too much sometimes." She answers with a small, breathy laugh, her eyes shut in contentment at the contact with him. "I know. But I hope you know that the only thing stronger than my will to live is my will to come back to you at the end of the day, no matter how gruesome the battles become. You won't get rid of me so easily, Gale of Waterdeep." She grins at him with that sparkle in her eyes that simply makes him melt like butter in the sun.

"I couldn't ask for anything better." His smile turns warmer as he cups her cheek in his large hand. She leans her face against the warmth of his palm, sighing softly. Then, her eyes crinkle again and another grin curls her black lips. "That was an impressive rescue by the way... got me all hot and bothered." She jokingly wiggles her eyebrows at him and he huffs in amusement, leaning back as his eyes roll in exasperation. "Of course."

Her contagious laughter can be heard even from outside the tent, much to the group's relief.

[yingren]

your lover going to walk away, but you grab them and pull them back in for a kiss before they go. ( 👀👀 me pretending i'm not online or enabling any demons. feel free to make up any context, or change au, etc. )

kissing prompts .

you owe me a coffee. that’s how it started, right? yeah, it must’ve been something like that, some random nonsense ren decided to throw out there for no real reason. nothing was wrong with the brew dan heng had made that one time, just like there hasn’t been anything outwardly wrong between them since they were forced to work together. well, that’s not entirely true. there’s been something off, a gnawing unease, something that feels fundamentally wrong but not in the way it used to be—not like bloodshed, clashing weapons, or the threat of ending a life. no, things have been strangely abnormal, almost irritatingly good. it’s like trying to smooth out the wrinkles on a canvas with restless hands, and ren’s working harder than ever to keep his composure. the worst part? it feels almost too easy.

you owe me a story. that one came out of nowhere again—ren had shared something about himself entirely on his own, unprompted. not like dan heng had asked ( he most definitely hadn’t ) , but ren had felt compelled to answer anyway. it had come naturally that day. he doesn’t recall the details of the conversation, though it was probably in the middle of dan heng telling him to stop being antagonistic, to which ren, of course, denied doing anything of the sort. dan heng’s dry response had been something along the lines of “you need a new hobby.” that’s when ren had casually mentioned an old hobby he once had, sharing a story about how he tried to pick it up again—and failed. at the time, he was grateful they weren’t face-to-face, thankful for the distance and the device that hid the brief, solemn look on his face, just as he was glad not to see dan heng’s reaction.

that was then. now? it feels like a lifetime ago.

“ i owe you an apology. i’m sorry. ” words he never thought he’d say out loud, least of all to dan heng. ren’s gaze fixates on the shallow cut across the other man’s wrist, a wound that, though minor, is unmistakable. an accident. he isn’t entirely sure how it happened—everything unfolded so quickly. dan heng must have extended his hand at just the wrong moment. it took less than a second: ren, holding cloudpiercer for the first time in what felt like ages, had been testing its weight, spinning and twirling it in his hands, moving just a fraction too fast. the blade barely grazed dan heng, yet it left a small but undeniable mark etched into his skin.

dan heng is clearly about to leave, though ren can’t quite tell if he’s upset. if there’s any subtle change in his expression, ren misses it, too focused on the reddened scratch across dan heng’s skin. the realization comes slowly, that this might not be the first time dan heng has been hurt because of him, but it is the first time ren actually feels guilty about it. and that guilt is suffocating, like a tight knot forming in his chest, gnawing at him with an intensity that feels both ugly and infuriating. a few steps forward, and ren reaches out, grabbing dan heng’s wrist to pull him back. he lifts the injured hand, studying the scratch more closely, though his gaze briefly flickers to dan heng’s face. without giving room for protest, ren presses his lips to the bruised wrist. the kiss is fleeting, but for a moment, he swears he feels a warm pulse beneath his lips. he lets the hand fall, stepping closer still, eyes dropping as he leans in, tension still clinging to the air between them.

“ there, that’s better. ” the stupid grin is back, beaming with pride and contentment. “ you owe me a kiss now. ”

[chivgf]

Ihy (pt. 1?)

riri x reader & shuri x reader

warnings: cheating, angst, fluff

inspo?? - @s0lam33y @inmyheadimobsessed @prettymrswright & more

•••

You paced back and forth around the kitchen. “When were you gonna tell me? I mean, were you even fucking planning to?”

You finally stopped at the counter and let your elbows rest firmly on top of it. “I'm telling you nothing happened, what the fuck are you always trippin' for?” Riri sank in her chair and shook her head like you were the one in the wrong. “Then what was she doing here, Ri? And why was she in our bed?”

“Oh, so I can't have friends over no more?”

“That is not true and you know it.”

“Ion know what the fuck is true, y/n! Lately you been nitpicking at any excuse to be mad. You finally found one and don't know how to act, huh?”

“Don't know how to act, Riri? Are you playin' right now? There was another female in our fucking bed. I'm not allowed to feel any sort of way about that?”

“Baby, ain't shit happen, she was just chillin. You have Mylah over all the fucking time, all up in our bed.”

You scoffed in disbelief and struggled to find words to express how idiotic she sounded at the moment. “I've known Mylah since diapers, she was the literal first person I introduced you to! Ion even recognize that bitch's face, Ri.”

Her eyes wandered, almost as if she was ignoring you. Because she always did that when you were right. Pretended not to understand it, because all her life she'd grown up the genius. You didn't get it, and you voiced that, and whenever you did she brought up a girl who always got it. You hated hearing her name; picturing her face, though you'd only seen it a few times here and there. Even thinking about her made your skin crawl. You'd like to think it was just a dislike. Everyone gets bad vibes from certain people, but this was much more. Every time she spoke of the name, jealousy seeped through your teeth, and it ended one of you spending the night on the couch, in the cold living room. You didn't wanna say the words, but you couldn't force them back into your mouth after they tumbled out.

“I don't get it, Ri. Why don't you just accept that you're in the wrong? I know you wanna be the smart one all the time, but you be on fuck shit and never own up to it.”

“You always saying you don't understand me. Fuck, you never just let a nigga make a fucking mistake and let the shit go.”

She walked to the fridge and placed a hand on the door before speaking again. “Ion like being wrong, y/n, you know that. Everybody know that. That's why I clash with niggas, especially you and Shuri.”

There was that name. The pounding heart inside of your chest seemed to be moving your entire body with every beat. The silence.. it was ringing in your ears and deafening you. Your lips had already decided to part, and your tongue started to move in your dry mouth to form a sentence of which your pain made your verbal decisions instead of your mind. “Why you gotta bring her up all the time?”

Riri's digging in the fridge came to a sudden halt. She peaked her head up from the door. “What?”

“Everytime you mad,” you started, you could feel your breathing pick up as you realized you were digging yourself a seemingly inescapable hole. “you bring up Shuri like I'm supposed to compare to her or some shit.”

The thought was in your mind already, and it had been for weeks, but speaking the words out loud, and to your girlfriend's face of steel, made your heart crumble slowly. This is real, you're genuinely upset with one another, and its all coming out. Riri seemed offended, as if you were accusing her of something (which you weren't). “Bro, don't do this shit tonight.”

What the fuck? Bro? You were Bro now? A tight and stinging knot formed in your throat.

“Oh,” you replied, fighting the urge to break down in front of her then and there. But the urge overtook you, and you lost the fight to your heart. Riri's mood shifted as you turned around to face the window and hide your pathetic tears. You heard her footsteps trailing the floor and making their way behind you, slowly but surely. “Look, baby,” she whispered into your skin as she wrapped her strong arms around your waist. “I'm sorry.”

The air she carried over to you smelled thickly of the perfume you gifted her for her birthday. She still wears it, and every time she runs out, she begs and pleads for you to find it again on that expensive website.

“Sometimes sorry ain't good enough, Ri.”

Your assumption that this comment would make her angry was proven false by her calm tone and non-hesitant response.

“I know, but just know, I don't expect nothing of you that you can't fulfill, okay? Especially anything that gotta do with Shuri.”

“And what about the girl?” you added. She gave you a subtle squeeze. Her hold was slightly tighter, and more promising. “Nothing happened with her. I guess I got too comfortable and let her make herself at home without meeting you first. It ain't gon' happen again baby, I promise.”

“And no feelings whatsoever for Shuri? No unfinished business I should look out for?” you joked, releasing some of the apologetic tension in the room. She turned you around to face her. Her big brown eyes were so sincere. “None,” she responded as she leaned in to kiss your cheek.

“Pinky promise?” you said as you stuck your pinky out to Riri. “Pinky promise,” she replied, locking her pinky with yours.

A pinky promise is childish, stupid, and means nothing to most. But to you and Riri, it meant that this promise was not meant to be broken. Ever. It's so sweet and innocent, only a monster could break it without guilt.

•••

Your cat Sylas jumping onto your bed woke you straight out of your sleep. Your breathing was panicked. “Shit,” you semi-screamed as you exhaled sharply. A glance beside you reminded you that Riri was still asleep, and you cupped your hand over your loud mouth. After shooing Sylas off of your bed and kissing a sleeping Riri on her forehead, you grabbed your phone off of the charger and crept out of the door and into the hall, where you rubbed the tired off of your eyes and cracked your stiff joints. Your head still throbbing from Sylas’ scare, you checked your phone.

4:28am, & a missed call from Mom. What is she calling me this early for? Matter of fact, why is she calling at all?

You pressed the call back button in anticipation.

“What?” she said rudely, that singular word slicing you like butter.

“You called me earlier?”

She groaned. “Don't make shit up, y/n.”

“I'm not making nothing up though. I can literally send you a screenshot.”

“No need. Just stop calling my phone.”

The phone beeped before you could further defend yourself. Your relationship with your mother was complicated. You two traveled a lot so you only had each other. You were her girl all your life up until highschool, when you finally settled down, and when you started to explore your sexuality more. When you told her you liked boys and girls, she ripped and ran through the house like a chicken who'd lost its head, and cursed the whole way. Senior year, you had completely cut boys out of the picture. You brought “friends” in and out of the house, and one day she started to notice how close you and a certain friend-- friend obviously being Riri-- got. She kicked her out and she bombarded you with questions. She would send a Bible verse to your phone every morning before your day started, and every night before you went to bed. Once you became an official adult and decided it was time to make your own decisions, she lost her mind to see you and Riri on your social media. It only took one more petty argument (started by her of course) to cut the very last tiny thread piecing your relationship together. Since then, communication has been scarce. One thing you do know for sure though: she absolutely hates Riri.

You stood in the bathroom mirror for a moment and looked at yourself. Sometimes you just couldn't understand what was wrong with you. Your mother despises you. You're not much of a talker, so friends barely come around to make plans. The one person who loved you better than you loved yourself confused you. What does she even see in you?

You're a flawed girl, that's for sure. Nothing about you is perfect. Everything about Riri, from her head to her toes, is perfect. So why you? Pondering can wait though. You needed a shower to clear your head. You pulled your eyes away from the mirror slowly. Turning the water to a fair temperature and removing your clothes, you stepped into the shower and closed your tired eyes.

The water trickled down your back and sent a satisfied shiver down your spine. It fell on your hair, your neck, and trailed down your arms as well. You felt lost, but not a bad lost. Like your body felt the warm droplets from the showerhead, but your mind was elsewhere. Perhaps somewhere frolicking in the rain. You squeezed your eyes together tighter and thought about all of the places you'd rather be than Chicago. Rio, or maybe even Brazil. Maybe France? Or is that too cliche? Everyone wants to go to France. Riri says it's overrated, and there are nature-based places all over the world that hold much more beauty. As your thoughts raced further and further into this new reality, you twisted & turned the temperature knob up a bit higher. Click, the notch went. You allowed your hand to linger on the knob as the temperature wasn't warm enough for you. Aggressively, you twisted again, and again, and again, until the notch wouldn't budge anymore. Your breathing picked up and your imagination turned into an anger. A void felt like it was closing in on you, swallowing your entire being. Your life was a cage unwilling to grant you freedom. There was the opportunity to see a million things, even if it meant living out of a suitcase with your mother, but you threw the adventurous life you feel you so deserve right out of the window for what? For a girl? You stood idle in the shower for a good chunk of time letting your negative thoughts flood your brain before realizing that the water was scorching.

“Ahh, Fuck!” you winced, quickly turning the knob completely off. Your skin felt like it had been boiled. Shaking in pain, you stepped out of the shower and wrapped yourself in your towel.

Riri was already up by the time you went back to your room to get dressed for the day. “Morning baby,” she said in that sleepy voice, slipping a baggy red shirt over her head. “Hey.” Your towel still fell around your shoulders, covering your body.

Her tiredness wore off quickly from that response. She studied you to see what was wrong before asking. Your eye bags had eye bags, and you were still shaking from the burn in the shower. You weren't okay, and she knew it. “Did you get any sleep last night?” she asked first. She walked over and placed her hands on your face and rubbed your temples gently to soothe you. “Yeah, Sylas just woke me up a little early, I'm fine,” you partially lied, laying your hands on top of Riri's to imply that everything was alright.

Sylas did wake you up, but you barely got any sleep as is. You'd been tossing and turning all night.

“This is why I said we should get a dog, but you'n like to listen.”

She made you smile for a split second before the burn started to sting again. “Ah-” you cut yourself off. You couldn't let her see you like this. “Hey baby, could you give me a sec to change?” Riri raised and eyebrow at you, offended. “You act like I ain't never seen you naked before,” she laughed. You didn't laugh back, though. “Damn,” she threw her hands up jokingly. “I'ma go get started on some breakfast then.”

She shut the door and you lagged over to your bed, barely able to move. The most intense part of the burn was on your chest, which would be easy to hide. You rummaged through you and Riri's drawers until you found a comfy dark brown hoodie and threw it on. You put on Riri's shorts as well and headed out to meet her in the kitchen.

“You want eggs?”

You watched from behind as she stood at the stove, hands gripping the spatula as she flipped a singular pancake. Her muscles pulsed the harder she held onto the pan handle. Ri was ethereal. She glowed in the darkest places.

“If that's a no then everything is ready.”

She set down three plates down on the table before you. “Who's the third one for?” you asked, digging into your pancakes.

“Oh, I invited somebody. But before you freak out, hear me out.”

You dropped your fork and straightened yourself up. “Invited who?”

“Listen,” she said, holding your hands in hers. “I invited Shuri to hang out for a lil bit. But, while she here y'all can talk it out or some shit.”

You slid your hands out from under her hold. “Say sike right now,” you hissed. You pushed yourself up from the table and stormed off to your room. Footsteps behind you didn't surprise you. “I don't have the fucking mental capacity for this shit right now Riri.”

“C'mon, she's my friend baby. And I haven't seen her in forever, play nice just this once?”

Another eye roll cause her to beg even further. She had a knack for getting her way every time. “Please? A couple hours, just us three. For me, baby?”

“Fine.”

•••

It didn't take long at all for Shuri to make her appearance at your door, and--just your luck--Ri was in the bathroom. You had to answer. You were hesitant to open the door, and tried to hold off until Riri came out of the bathroom, but the knocking became louder.

“Hellooo? Let me in. It's fucking cold.”

Turning the lock and jerking back the door handle, you looked out in awe. She looked different from when you last saw her.

“Where's Riri?”

“Bathroom.”

You stood at the door staring at one another. “So are you gonna let me inside or what?” she shuddered.

“Uh.. Yeah,” you said as you moved out of the way to let her in. There was a clear path to enter, but she still made it her mission to push past you. Sylas pranced about as you shut the door.

The tension in the room was thick. Shuri sat across from you with Sylas in her lap while you pretended to text someone on your phone.

“You sure know how to treat a guest,” she teased.

“You ain't a guest, you've been here before.”

“Mm, more times than you know.” She shot you a disrespectful wink before getting up and heading to the kitchen. Rummaging through your fridge was her specialty. “Ouu, I'm taking this home,” she mumbled to herself, her head buried in your refrigerator. “Excuse me?” you said.

“Hmm?”

“You said ‘more times than I know’?”

Sylas purred and rubbed himself up against Shuri like she was his mother. Reaching down to scoop him up, Shuri whispered, “You hungry, Sy?”

You watched from your planted position on the floor as Shuri located his food almost immediately and poured it into his dish. She ran her fingers through his slick fur and watched him eat up. Her eyes softened when we dealt with him, like her hard front cracked when she was near him. It was kinda.. cute?

After a minute of you admiring Shuri's delicate handling of Sylas, the bathroom door suddenly flung open and, for a while, you waited impatiently for Riri to actually come out.

It was like a movie, and Riri was making her grand appearance. As she stepped out, you noticed a different scent pouring out from the bathroom, it wasn't the perfume you'd gifted her, not this time. Odd.

Shuri stood up, walked over, and embraced her, and to you, it lasted forever. You watched closely as Shuri loomed over Riri like a tower, one hand around Riri's waist, and the other caressing her cheek softly. You felt the urgent need to speak, or clear your throat, or do anything to remind them of your existence, but you couldn't even bring yourself to break this force. They were in their own world, they were floating. One body, one heart, one breath. And you couldn't do anything about it. Maybe this friendship is deeper than you thought. Riri doesn't even hug you like that. Before you could snap yourself out of this terrifying trance of thought on your own, Shuri and your girlfriend had come back down to earth, back down to you.

Your eyes wandered from the floor and back to them. They were finally out of each other's skin, but their gazes were communicating things words couldn't. You just couldn't decipher what they meant. You finally reached the point where you felt completely invisible, and had to say something.

You cleared your throat before opening your dry mouth. “Been a while, huh?”

Riri broke from the spell and nodded. “Hell yes.”

Shuri laughed as she made her way beside you and slid an arm over your shoulder. You looked at her in a mix of confusion and disgust, itching to jerk away from her, but you promised Riri you would “play nice”. Shuri glanced back down at you, her smirk unphased by your dirty looks. “So, plans for this lovely day?” Shuri said, playfully squeezing you in tighter to her. Her scent was already strong and intoxicating, and being this close to her wasn't helping your lungs function any better. Riri seemed to have no problems with this, her oblivious toothy smile reminding you to force one yourself. You swallowed your pride and gave Shuri a friendly pat on the back.

“I was thinkin' Netflix and doordash unless anybody else got a better idea,” Riri said, walking over to the couch and plopping down. “Booo! Lame. Let's go somewhere,” Shuri replied. She glanced down at you once again. “Don't you think we should go somewhere fun, y/n?”

The last thing you wanted to be was a bummer, so you looked up at her to match her confidence and spoke as if you were sure of yourself. “We should.”

When getting ready, you and Riri were polar opposites. Riri always planned her outfits beforehand, and was ready within 15-30 minutes. Shuri was already ready when she stepped out of her own house, which just left the both of them sitting waiting for you to figure something out. Riri sat back on the bed scrolling on her phone with her hand supporting her chin. Shuri, on the other hand, was closely observing and giving feedback to everything you threw on, and you couldn't tell if it was speeding up the process or making it slower and more grueling.

“You look idiotic," Shuri scoffed, chewing obnoxiously on her gum. “Take that off.”

You rolled your eyes and let out a sharp huff. “Then what the fuck do you suppose I wear, Miss ‘Monochrome Tracksuit’? You aint got no style originality, ion wanna hear it.”

Your comment mixed with Shuri's melodic laughter caused Riri to glance up from her device for a moment, but you weren't looking back at her.

“Ouu, ouch,” Shuri said, grabbing her chest in a dramatic manner. She stood up and made her way beside you in the closet, picking up hangers and studying how the clothes on them would look on you. “Hmm, I like this green on you,” she muttered in an almost whisper,

For the first time, you'd heard Shuri say something genuinely nice to you. You looked up at her, then down at the long dark green skirt she had held up to your waist. “Okay...”

You searched through your drawers and after some criticism from Shuri, found simple white lace tank top. “Oh yeah, that's the one,” she nodded. “Shows off that cool birth mark, too.” It was the burn from earlier, not a birth mark, but you could work with that. You leaned to the side so that your girlfriend was now in your line of vision. “What do you think, Ri?”

It took her a while to realize you were trying to talk to her. Her eyes were glued to her phone and a goofy smile was plastered on her face. You stood pathetically waiting for her to notice you. Shuri watched from beside you as you were just blatantly being ignored by your own girlfriend. She cleared her throat to get her attention for you; no response. A tinge of anger flickered across Shuri's face for a split second, which made you furrow your brow. “Riri," she said firmly.

At this point, it seemed like it was almost on purpose. Riri was apparently deaf once again and laughed softly at something on her phone, flipping a switch in Shuri's brain. She immediately legged it over to Riri and snatched the phone out of her hands.

“What could possibly be so distracting?” Shuri mumbled through her teeth at Riri.

“Give me my shit back, Shuri.”

“You could at least pay attention to your girl? Look at how good she looks.”

Shuri motioned to you, then tossed Riri's phone back at her.

Riri shut off her phone and laid it face down on the nightstand. “You look good baby,” she said grinning and studying your body. “Where the rest of the shirt at though?” she joked, staring at your bare belly and the dangling chain hanging from your piercing. You smiled slightly, still thrown off by the way she had ignored you before. “Thanks, Ri.”

“She's right,” Shuri butted in. “That skirt compliments you very well.”

Your smile only got wider. Shuri was different than when you last saw her. Personality wise of course, because you and her were never really fond of each other at the beginning of you and Riri's relationship, but she also looked a bit different. She had an unfamiliar glow to her this time around. You saw a glimmer in her eye, a kinder and more welcoming one. She was still a little crude and excessively playful, but she was definitely easing up on you, and pretty quick.

•••

You found yourself squeezed in the back of Riri's small red Volkswagen Beetle with Shuri, because Riri absolutely refused to ride out in her dad's car. “Mhm, well yall gon sit here and not do shit or y'all gon get in the car,” she said before swerving off with you two. And there you two were, practically on top of each other. “God, Shuri, your cologne is so fucking strong,” you groaned, pushing against her firm body. “You're fine, just hold your breath,” she replied as she rolled her eyes. You leaned forward in between the two front seats so that Riri could see you better. “How much longer until some fresh air?” you asked, peeking over her shoulder. She was looking at a text on her phone before quickly turning it off and stuffing it back in her pocket. “A few minutes.”

You raised your eyebrow at her jumpiness regarding her phone, but pushed it aside and leaned back into the cushions. The few minutes she promised were going by painfully slow, and you were starting to get an ache in your lower back from the way you were sitting. Shuri noticed your discomfort and maneuvered her body into a criss-cross position, allowing you to rest your back up against her. “Comfortable?”

That singular word made your ears perk up like a dog. You nodded, smiling softly.

Riri adjusted the rear view mirror so that she could see the both of you nice and clear. She cleared her throat.

“Ya'll been getting along well,” she said.

Shuri turned to you, an amused look on her face. You weren't going to laugh, but the way she was looking at you would've made everything in the world funny. A chuckle escaped your lips before you playfully shoved Shuri, then turned your attention back to your girlfriend. “What's that supposed to mean, Ri?”

“Nothin', I'm glad.”

Her eyes were practically burning holes into you. “We're here.”

You pulled up in front of a old-school type club. You saw out of the window of the car that smoke was pouring out of the doors as the bouncer opened them to let people in. “Ouu, I love this place,” Shuri giggled. “Wait,” you announced as Shuri hopped out of the car and left the door open so you could exit. “I don't have my ID.”

[sonicboomseason3]

🐚🎹🎮

The whole gang :D (Sonic, tails, knuckles, Amy, sticks, shadow)

ask game: send me AT LEAST 3 emojis (the more random the better) and AT LEAST 2 characters from sonic boom and i’ll come up with a little drabble mini story in response!

On this particular Friday night, Team Sonic and Shadow for some reason are all sitting around Amy's house playing a kart racing game on her television. Given that the game only allows for a maximum of four players at once, Sonic, Tails, Sticks, and Shadow are currently in possession of the controllers, while Amy sits off to the side watching the race unfold in earnest. Knuckles, meanwhile, has opted to leave his place on the couch to play Für Princess Elise on Amy's piano to pass the time. And to provide some horribly unfitting background music that clashes heavily with the game's OST.

"I still don't understand why you lot are forcing me to play this pathetic game alongside you," Shadow says as he passes Sonic, much to the latter's frustration.

Sonic groans at both the loss of his spot in first place and Shadow's obstinacy. "Shadow, for the last time, us asking if you wanted to join us for Game Night, and you saying you had a million better things to do before showing up anyway isn't called forcing you. Now quit making stuff up."

"Yeah, not cool, Shadow!" Knuckles calls out from his place at the piano as he continues playing. "I bet you're the type who makes fake callouts for people on social media!"

"Not surprising. I'm telling you guys he's secretly some alien-hedgehog hybrid thing bent on ruining the rest of us in every way imaginable, starting with our online reputations," Sticks remarks as she picks up an item box. She grins maniacally when she realizes which power-up she now has at her disposal. "And someone like that doesn't deserve to be in first place! Take this, ya filthy stinker!"

Shadow snarls when the spiny blue shell comes down on his motorbike, stunning his character long enough for the other three to overtake him and then some. He barely even notices Knuckles abruptly playing an off-key scare chord before resuming his classical music without missing a beat. "I will personally make sure your end is slow and agonizing, waste of space masquerading as a badger."

"Wow. Barely three hundred words in and Shadow's already threatening to kill off one of my teammates," Sonic deadpans, picking up an item box. "Why are our fans so hung up on him becoming our sixth member again?"

"Sonic, don't pretend like you haven't thought about it yourself," Amy reprimands. "You said once, and I quote, 'He'd make a great addition to Team Sonic.'"

"Amy, why would you say that out loud when he's right here?!" Sonic complains. The sound of Shadow's derisive snort is all it takes for him to toss his red shell behind him, hoping that it makes its way past Tails and Sticks and hits this jerk in his (character's) dumb face. "I said he'd be good if he wasn't such a hard case!"

"I'm not a hard case, Blue Boy. I simply find no merit in joining a team named after you. Makes me sick just thinking about it."

"The fact that you can't even admit that you're here right now out of your own free will is literally the definition of being a hard case, dude."

"Whatever. Once I defeat you at this wretched excuse of a racing game—" Sonic's red shell finally comes around the corner, and Shadow expertly dodges it. "—I will ensure the same fate befalls you in real life."

"Yeah, maybe say that when you're not in sixth place and I'm not in first."

Shadow's expression darkens again at the reminder of his current placement and the reason behind it. "That is not my fault. It's your idiot badger friend's for unleashing her equally idiot shell on me."

Sticks huffs. "Rude. What was I supposed to do with it then, not use it?"

"Ignore him, Sticks. He's only salty because he just found out that he's bad at gaming."

"Ooh, here we go," Knuckles mutters under his breath as he switches from Beetleoven to some generic tense-sounding music. You know, the kind that plays when a fight is about to break out.

Small cracks begin forming at the edges of the buttons of Shadow's controller as he begins to press them a little too hard. "Huh? Care to run that by me aga—"

"Okay, we're not doing this. You guys stop it right now," Amy commands, a certain edge creeping into her voice. Sonic and Shadow will not be ruining Game Night… or her house. "That includes you, Knuckles."

Knuckles immediately goes back to what he was playing before. "Sorry."

To Sonic and Shadow's (especially Shadow's) credit, they both fall silent. No one says anything as the race moves on to the final lap. Shadow passes the two NPCs in front of him. Sonic maintains his lead. Shadow picks up an item box as he passes Sticks. So does Sticks as she falls into fourth. Sonic continues to maintain his lead. And then—

"Sonic, I'm making you pay for your disrespect by crushing the annoying fox into the dirt."

Right as Shadow is about to pass Tails, he activates his Mega Mushroom power-up, making his character grow three sizes bigger. He stays true to his word and runs over Tails's kart, settling into his newly obtained spot in second place.

Knuckles plays another scare chord to punctuate Shadow's hit-and-run.

"Oh, come on, I've been minding my own business all race!" Tails shouts, dismayed at his reduced speed. "Why am I getting punished for what Sonic said?!"

"Seriously, Shadow, can you stop taking your anger out on my friends every time you have beef with me? It's not fair, clever, or even funny—"

"Heads up, Sonic!"

Sonic's jaw drops when Sticks ambushes him with another blue shell right when he's about to cross the finish line.

Scare chord.

"Sticks, how in the heck are you getting all these blue shells?!" he demands to know, feeling utterly betrayed as Shadow zooms right by him and even more so when he cinches his victory on that stupid bike of his.

"I dunno!" Sticks says cheerfully over Shadow's laughter. She passes the still flattened Tails and immobile Sonic within seconds of each other, effectively nabbing the runner-up spot. "I just didn't want Shadow to stay mad at me."

"Great, you guys are just about done! Perfect timing, too," Knuckles says as he finishes his song, standing up and walking over. "Finish the race and gimme the controller, Tails."

Tails and Sonic exchange a look as they finally recover and pass the finish line, getting third and fourth respectively. Sonic slumps in his seat and holds his controller out for Amy to take. Tails sighs and hands his over to Knuckles.

"Oh, don't be so upset, Sonic," Shadow says smugly. "No one can help it if you're bad at gaming."

Shadow is so not invited back next time.

[kitkatt0430]

Hi, unpopular/popular opinion time they should have made Hartley's personality more comics accurate before the final season. Really curious!

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

Absolutely.

They reintroduced Hartley as a high-end thief in S6, first stealing diamonds and later having a hideout with artwork and other expensive items stowed away... making Hartley a rather stereotypical thief. And, once again, revisiting the events of The Sound and the Fury.

But that was the opportune time to retcon Hartley to more comics accurate. After all, they were already retconning him pretty heavily. Why not make him more recognizably the character everyone loves from the comics so much? Instead of giving him his new sonic shriek - which was barely utilized - the show gives him his flute. Not mind control, but a form of hypnosis that he'd developed to make his social justice related vigilantism more easily executed.

Because here Hartley's not so much a thief as he is a vigilante in his own right - which makes Barry reaching out to him in this new timeline make more sense and doesn't retcon Barry into having put someone into an awful coma-like state that he then just... never helped do anything for until he needed Hartley's help.

I do like that Barry trusts Hartley in S6 because he knows Hartley's capable of choosing to be a better person. To be a hero, since Hartley had saved his life in a previous timeline - along with Cisco and Caitlin's lives as well. That he believes in Hartley when Hartley struggles to believe in himself. But Hartley having reformed post S1 and become a fellow vigilante, if not directly affiliated with Team Flash, is a narrative that much more closely follows his comics arc. Then, instead of Hartley having a second redemption arc, we get to see him helping people in ways that Team Flash doesn't. And in ways that sometimes clash with Team Flash, for all that they're still allies when its important.

It would have given show Hartley some much needed character growth, too. His petty behavior with Cisco from S1 having become a mutual understanding over how Eobard used them both for terrible ends. S1 Hartley was a bit of a classist brat, having him grow out of that and having become a loud voice for overturning unjust laws that serve only to unnecessarily persecute the poor and the homeless - that's the Pied Piper that would have been truly interesting to see on screen.

I do enjoy the show's version of Hartley. Andy Mientus does a great job with what he was given and he's very expressive. But I do have to wonder how much better his performance could have been if the character he'd been given more closely resembled the comics character over time.

[arcanaaa]

COOL MOONLIGHT BATHED HER SKIN, WHILE THE NIGHT'S QUIET SOUNDS TRILLED AND CHIRPED ON GENTLY IN AN ENDLESS SUCCESSION. It was this night that the Seer sought a calm moment to spend alone with her own thoughts and Cana had stepped outside the bar-- a quick mention to Loke and Gray for fresh air, her hands waving away their insistence to join her: "Nah s'alright, just gonna clear my head, don't wait up--"

Don't let the good times stop on her account.

It wasn't a lie. Or at least the words were made as truth after she leaned against the building. Everything felt like too much. Too much noise-- the laughter and shouts, too many lights hurting her eyes, the cloying smell of wine, smoke, and perfume from the waitresses flirting too close to their table. That was expected. It couldn't be avoided. It didn't mean she couldn't be annoyed.

Best to swallow the envy and bite back the grimace as the bitterness clashed with the festive mood. This wasn't right. The feelings that Cana had kept buried were starting to seep beneath the cracks-- she could see Gray's silent expression communicate more than what a brief conversation could ever pass.

Leave it alone snowman. It's fine.

I'll deal with it.

The last thing either Gray or Cana needed to discuss was what was on her mind. She knew he meant well, but there was no way he would be able to untangle the clusterfuck of emotions that knotted inside her heart. Only one solution would resolve the chaos, and it required something that Cana did not currently possess: bravery.

CANA FLED THE WARMTH OF THE BAR AND GOOD COMPANY TO HIDE IN THE DARK ALLEY LIKE A COWARD. Because she was not brave enough to say what she wanted to say: that she needed him. Those were the words that grew heavier with each passing moment. The more that she spent time together, whether as partners or in the same company as Gray, every moment made their bond grow ever stronger. That was the simple truth of the matter, a truth that was undeniable even if she wouldn't say it out loud. Couldn't say it. Yet another confession kept inside her chest, another weight over her heart. But this was a burden that was easier to carry, one that she regarded in a fond manner.

She should know by now that she couldn't stop change, even if she could predict it. All she could do was accept it and brace for the aftermath. Though she tried to peer into her own future, the visions that reflected back taunted her with brief snapshots of scenes that were beyond her understanding. Even now she tried to focus, her eyes sliding shut, her breathing evening out and slow, her senses became refined while everything fell outside her scope--

--running, frantic, desperate, sick, and terrified, the ice mage's admission echoing in her head, he left he left he left why why did he leave did I do something was is something I said something I did I thought we could start over please tell me is it my fault oh God did something happen why didn't I see this why why stupid useless, where is he don't leave don't leave please don't go don't leave don't leave me--

❝ --na! Cana! ❞

A SHATTERED GASP, SENSES SCATTERING WILD AND CONFUSED AS SHE FOUGHT TO BRING HER HEARTBEAT UNDER CONTROL FROM ITS QUICK GALLOP. Another vision faced alone. Sweat dotted her brow despite the cool air. She felt turned inside out, her nerves too tight and yet not, hot yet cold, dizzy but still. A vision always left her on the cusp of sickness, and often she isolated herself to deal with the effects by herself.

Fortunately, her boys never indulged in her pride.

❝ M'fine, ❞ She would always say quietly, her assurances so much smaller than herself. ❝ It's fine, s'not that bad-- ❞

❝ Shut up. ❞ Gruff, quick to the cut was Gray, ever the charmer. ❝ Stop trying to do this alone. You know we'll always be here for you, okay? So stop trying to hide. ❞

He would stand just within arms reach, back facing her while he stood to guard her. Gray reflected much of his aspect and magic that he commanded, yet she saw beneath the curt frost of his demeanor. The Seer would shift her body to reach out her hand, only to topple forward as numbness settled over her limbs and left her weak--

❝ Now normally I'm not opposed to sweeping women off their feet, ❞ Loke would intone mildly, yet his gaze was piercing despite how gently he held her in his arms ( oh it was bad when she didn't register her center of gravity was altered ). ❝ But it doesn't sit well with me when my partner leaves to deal with this alone. ❞

The usual protests that bubbled in her throat died as her strength all but failed her. This moment of familiarity and intimacy would normally drive the card mage to shake out of his hold and reestablish herself as her own pillar of strength. It was what she needed to be, what she trained for, what he would expect her to be. But the truth was that she was tired. For so long Cana had so much to prove: to herself, to her peers and rivals, to her father-- but how long before the pressure of her own expectations would collapse on top of her and cause her to fall? Would that strength alone she carried help her?

THE ANSWER WAS RIGHT BEFORE HER, IN TWO DISTINCT FORMS THAT PROVED SHE WOULD NEVER RETURN TO HERSELF ALONE. It was in the steady, gentle silence between the ice mage and the ring mage. Their presence stood as her foundation to weather the storm that would always seek to render her helpless and weak. Cana was not someone who was easily moved by sentimentality. But knowing that her partners-- her boys-- refused to allow her self-isolation when the worst of her abilities revealed itself moved her.

Affection from the Seer was not dispensed frivolously, even when she wasn't sober. But allowances could be made, especially when concern over her wellbeing was at the forefront of their action.

So Cana did the unthinkable: she cried.

Naturally, the reception was met with varying reactions of alarm.

Later, when everything was calm and her emotions weren't so strung out and wrung, she would laugh at this whole affair as another humorous tale to recount. But the present moment was fragile and raw, and all Cana wanted in this moment was to be shown comfort. A sob rippled, causing both men to respond in varying degrees to her distress, yet Cana reached out and gathered them close to her side. One hand reached out and tugged her kin beside her so that her arm could wrap around his neck. Meanwhile, the other held tight to her mentor and partner, never letting go despite the awkward manner that which she was held.

Whatever their hang-ups were about expressing emotions or receiving affection didn't matter to Cana: right now, she needed them to know how much she appreciated them both.

❝ Don't go, ❞ She cried. ❝ I'm-- I'll be okay in a sec, I promise...just...please...don't go...please stay with me....please... ❞

( Now who could say no to that request? )

'Please don't leave me.' Was the echo. 'Don't leave me alone. Please love me. Even if I'm weak, even if I'm lost, even if I'm pathetic, even if I'm wretched and despicable. Stay. Please.'

❝ I'm sorry. I'm sorry... ❞

❝ Shh. ❞ A hand to her head, the gesture so tender that her heart swelled until it was fit to burst. ❝ It's okay Cana. We'll stay. I-- We promise. ❞

❝ Yeah, ❞ The admission of the ice mage was soft-spoken, almost hushed, as if responding any louder would break the fragile moment between the three of them. ❝ It's alright Cana. We got you. ❞

The sheer relief made her body sag-- as if the entire world rolled off her shoulders and fell into the void beneath her feet. That was all she wanted to hear-- that was all she needed to hear. Hearing such affirming words of devotion, of loyalty, of love brought such a cathartic release for the Seer that time fell off the wayside for the three mages.

Eventually, Cana stopped crying, but her grip over them did not cease. It was a tie over who she wanted to hide herself against, tucking her face into the space of their neck for comfort but the contender that she settled for was Loke. Even still, Cana did not relinquish her hold over her brother, instead compromising with contending to hold Gray's hand. As much as Cana complained prior about the cold, Gray's abilities never brought her discomfort. If it meant that he would stay by her side, she would hold him always.

It was the same for Loke too; where Gray embodied ice, Loke brought boundless warmth to surround her. She would know him in darkness, even when hope was gone and her shadows threatened to close around her, he was her light that blazed, triumphant, and gloriously.

Her Loke. Her Gray. Her boys. Her partners. Hers.

They were hers. And should the world stand against them, she would rip the fabric of fate at the very seams and render reality into spools of thread if it would protect them. Save them.

And heaven help anyone who would do ill unto her boys.

[monterraverde]

PWT Deadpool: Rika V. Koga

(Theme for maximum immersion)

When you have everything to lose, put into a corner, desperation drives a person to do miraculous things.

Taking the pitch again for the deadpool round, she found herself face to face with the Ninja she'd spent so much time reading about back home. Atticus' spitting image... or was it the other way around? Regardless, hands in her pockets, she stood firm, planting her feet on her side of the field.

The sight of this place still left a sour taste in her mouth, that visage of Fafnir falling to the blue flames of the mega charizard riding heavy on her heart... But she steels her expression, levelling Koga with a look of sheer determination, and enough gusto to not let herself falter a second time.

One of an ego scarred, and a lesson learned.

"Koga, yeah? I was hoping to meet you in happier circumstances, you're quite the talk of the academy over in Paldea. But I don't intend to lose here- Not again. I didn't come all the way here just to crumble under the weight of the world on my shoulders. So forgive me, but I'm taking the gloves off."

And she does take the gloves off- Literally, the black gloves with the Paldea leagues logo on it are taken off and pocketed. After that, she stomps her foot down, the Stadium rocking and a harsh wind blowing upward, tossing her hair around in a wild, playful whip as rocks and dirt appeared beneath her... Endless badlands... A desert.

Oh, she summoned home.

A light sandstorm kicked up across the battlefield, one could swear they were hearing the faint guitar twangs of an orrean saloon to accentuate to setting… But she’d never felt more at home- More in touch with the earth then she did right now. If she lost here, she’d never forgive herself…

Time to act.

The battle begins, and Gliscor and Victreebel are out first, Gremlin cackling as it zoomed ahead, flying circles around the plant and slashing at it with its thin yet sturdy wings. They come to blows multiple times, to the point they reset back on their sides of the field, and then charge at each other a second time, bashing their heads together as Gremlin kicked up some sand and tossed it into Victreebells eyes before delivering a harsh final blow. The gliscor cackled with glee before returning to Rikas side, proud that it managed to claim a victory finally, and the excitement on her face matched her pokemons infections smile.

Next was Fafnir against Blissey. The Tyranitar- and Rika herself- Were incredibly surprised to see such a pink and fluffy pokemon on such a hardened ninjas team... And it quickly proved why it had earned its place there, double slapping the snot out of the poor Tyranitar, much to her dismay... Oh, Fafnir, you young adorable fool, one day you'll get a win under your belt.

Next was Kamina against Kogas Scizor, a powerful steel type that Kamina was glad to engage with. It's a close match, both pokemons claws clashing with loud 'clangs' and sparks flying with every strike. Despite how close the battle was, the Scizor proved stronger, dropping Kamina after a hard fought battle.

After that was Gastrodon vs. Krookodile. The squishy slug took the Krookodiles strikes like a champ, slapping back with Surfs and Muddy waters until it forced a reset, both pokemon returning to their respective sides of the field, only for the Krookodile to rush back in and try to crunch down on the Gastrodons back- “SMUDGE! HARDEN!” She cries, and the Gastrodon draws in its head, steeling itself for the hit as the Krookodiles teeth sunk into its rubbery flesh… and making use of its long neck, it buried itself in the Krookodiles core and let loose a furious Hydro pump, blasting the creature back to its own side of the field and into the arms of a Total Knock out.

Out next was a battle of the aces, Clodsire and Crobat- What a battle hardened creature the other had, the sign of a pokemon well loved and trained. But her best friend was just as wild, pure and free, and with a quick tap of the keystone, the rainbow light erupted again, Bappy’s spines growing into a literal crown of barbs as it roared, and the battle commenced. Claws clashed with gnashing teeth, trying desperately to get a hit on one another, and just when she thought all was lost, Bappy noticed the other about to swoop right over his head, and thrust his head back, pushing his body up with all his newly acquired might to shove the largest barb into the crobats wing, injuring it quite heavily as it brought the Crobat back down for a quick poison jab to finish it. She was almost shocked at the intense and vicious anger that Bappy was showing, but they were no longer on the back foot, and her eyes focused down Koga once more. Bappy’s mega evolution faded, and he was quickly returned to his ball.

The finale was Adniel against Kogas Dragalge… A welcome sight- a Pokemon she actually knew… Until it wasn’t. That same Rainbow light she had just used now used against her as the thing Mega evolved… Beautiful, in all the terrifyingly awful ways. Adniel looked back at her, the look of determination on his face steeling her own resolve… She’d never felt this in sync with him, so much so their movements almost mirrored each other, Rika issuing only one command- Punching her fist down toward the ground as Adniel roared and leapt into battle. The clash of the titans was felt with every strike causing shockwaves to rock the arena, Adniel snarling as he made every attempt possible to land his dragon claws, but the Dragalges lithe and wispy body made such a feat difficult… Until he managed to find the soft underbelly, and wasted no time and thrusting his claw upward in a harsh uppercut to destabilize it.

“We cant lose, Adniel! Stay strong and finish it!! EARTHQUAKE!!” Rika commands while thrustjng her fists down at her side, practically screaming to the heavens.

Suffering from poison, it cried out in a desperate rage as an earthquake rocked the pitch, threatening to bury the Dragalge if it continued… But as soon as Adniel noticed the transformation cease, and the pokemon returned, he paused, the roar of the crowd now the only thing either he or Rika could hear.

And she gasped when she saw it go down, her lip quirking in a smile of disbelief, and she heard the Paldeans start to chant in the stands- That familiar song that she heard at every sanctioned gym battle… It’d been a long few years since she heard it being sung for her. Rushing out onto the court, she jumped onto her Garchomp with an excited laugh, hugging the pokemon close- And immediately regretting the action because of its rough skin, her cheek now bleeding a little from the scrape- But it was fine! She had bigger things to think about! They won!! THEY FINALLY WON!!

Returning Adniel to his ball, She turns, approaching Koga as she extended her hand to shake. “Thank you for that absolute thrill of a battle, you’re absolutely as tough as they say. Maybe we could battle again sometime? Next time im in Kanto, at least.” She smiles, laughing faintly…

Oh she was going to be riding high for a WHILE after this one- Wait… This meant she had to fight Duo next…

Oh no…

[ivy-elle]

Carry the Moon / Part 1

Xiangli Yao x Reader

Part 1 ~~~ Part 2 ~~~ Part 3

Summary: From first meetings to searching your voice in every room, how very intriguing you’ve become to him.

As a spirited adventurer, you’re used to a life of action and impulse, having little interest left for the world of data and deduction. But when you stumble upon a rare mineral, you find yourself drawn to the unexpected warm soul that resides within the logic-stricken researcher Xiangli Yao. And as your practical instincts clash with his world of science, sparks fly in more ways than one.

“I would advise against entering that room if your life is dear to you.”

The sudden voice yanks you out of your thoughts and you tense up.

Shit. There goes the plan of being quick and sneaky.

You let your hand slide down from the door handle while trying to come up with a plausible excuse. Not that the truth isn’t plausible on its own, it's just… more on the embarrassing note.

Your grip tightens around your bag as you turn around slowly, a careful neutral expression on. Only to come face-to-face with the Xiangli Yao himself.

‘Thank you, universe,’ you think dryly to yourself.

“I can assure you; it won’t be a pleasant experience to try and sneak into the room,” Xiangli Yao continues. “For neither of us, if I might be honest. Mortefi likes to protect his personal office quite well and I’d be the one having to drag your unconscious body to the infirmary.”

He says all this with a measured calmness and poise you wouldn’t exactly expect from him under these circumstances. After all, if you were to find a stranger lurking around the sacred workshops of Huaxu Academy in the dead of night it wouldn’t exactly offer the picture of the most good-natured intentions.

‘Oh, just why did you have to procrastinate this task out of all?’ You scold yourself. Explosives, my ass. Then you speak out loud, giving him a sidelong glance. “You’re bluffing.”

The renowned Researcher crosses his arms, a challenging quirk to his brow. “Am I?”

“You’re Xiangli Yao.” Since when do researcher have that much sass? You shift slightly, the bag in your hands has gotten uncomfortably cold by now.

“Positive.” His eyes flicker down to your bag, before they return back to you, studying your reaction carefully. “And who are you, if I might ask? I can’t recall you being one of the students, right?”

“I’m here to drop this off at Mr. Mortefi’s office,” you explain and gesture to the bag hanging from your arm.

“At this time of the night?”

“You’re also still here.”

“I am a researcher.”

“And I’m a commissioned Questor,” you dart back. “And these Glacio herbs need to get into a cool environment before they freeze off my pouch entirely.” Then you point towards Mortefi’s office door with a deadpan expression, not buying his ‘warnings’. “But apparently it seems I might explode upon entering. So, I’m in a bit of a dilemma.”

Instead of the expected annoyance you are used to from members of the academy there is an amused glimmer in Xiangli Yao’s eyes. “Indeed, security got extra tight lately.” He studies you for a moment, as if searching for a reason to alarm security.

You hold his gaze, even if his calculating expressions make you feel sort of bare, like he was aiming to make an X-ray of your mind.

Then, finally, he relaxes his stance and steps closer, a key glistening in his hand.

“Allow me.” There is a click and Yao steps inside, holding the door open for you.

When the room in fact does not get blown up and also no alarm goes off, do you actually enter the room, but that doesn’t keep you from frowning anyway, “You’re just letting me in without further evidence? Perhaps the security isn’t as tight as you said, and you guys do need some explosives around here.”

You hear him huff in amusement as he follows you further into the neat and spacious workshop. “As you mentioned, these Gravedos need to be preserved in suitable temperatures as soon as possible.”

You feel his eyes on you as you enter Mortefi’s en suite refrigerator room and search for an adequate location for your gathered herbs.

“Besides, I was aware that we were expecting a delivery of Gravedos. Although Mortefi hinted at it being supposed to arrive last evening.”

You grimace. A fracture of you had hoped, your overdue delivery could’ve been missed. But of course not, given you’re surrounded by a bunch of nerdy researchers and scientists. When you turn back around, you find Xiangli Yao leaning against the door, his keen eyes observing you. Again, you shift slightly under his gaze, a bit of embarrassment creeping into you.

“Well, yeah, about that… I ran into some trouble on the way there. I hope none of your research or important projects will suffer too big of a loss because of that,” you half-ass an apology and can’t help but cringe a bit at the mocking tone in your voice.

But against your expectations, the wariness in Xiangli Yao’s eyes melts away and he shakes his head. “Personally, it won’t trouble me. Mortefi on the other hand is quite strict on his schedule as you might have noticed. But do not worry, he’ll be fine. Eventually.”

You nod, rummaging around the pockets of your bag. “Fortunately for my head, he paid me in advance so I can avoid him in the next couple of days. Unfortunately, though…” You find what you’ve been searching for and display the materials on a table. “I was planning to ask Motefi if there’s anything that could be of value or interest for ‘the science’ or for him personally here, but… perhaps you could help me out instead?”

As you look up, you find Yao already stepping closer as well, taking in the various items and minerals spread across the table. You watch as he quietly studies them with an intrigued expression. Then his eyes suddenly narrow, before they widen once again. “Is that…?” He reaches for a blue crystal-like mineral that reflects in the artificial light of the room. His movement halters before his fingers can graze the stone's surface.

“You recognise it?”

“I do. And yet it should be nearly impossible. I didn’t dare to hope that this would find its way into the academy anytime soon.” He looks up and meets your eyes. “If I may ask – where exactly did you find them?”

“The sea of flames. It was more of a coincidence that I stumbled across them.”

Xiangli Yao’s eyebrows rise. “That’s quite the treacherous region. Incredible.”

“Then they must be worth something, right? Do you have any use for it?” You lean back against the desk, eyes shifting between him and the crystals. Might not hurt to try and catch an idea of their market’s price around here. Who knows, maybe this guy would be willing to make a good offer. He is the principal investigator after all, if you remember correctly.

Yao picks up one of those blue crystals and turns it between his fingers with a pensive expression. “They are called Ardores Lapis. Sometime after I built my robot Patty I searched for various ways to modefy its abilities and also combine some techniques in my mecha arm. That’s when I came across this mineral in my research. Ardores Lapis is a wide-ranging phenomenon as its mere existence contradicts many common beliefs in science. It should not exist and yet…”

His eyes gleam with quiet wonder. Or rather not so quiet…

You blink a few times, pulling yourself together as you realise how you’ve drowned in his nerdy yet concise explanation. So, in the heat of the moment, you answer impulsively, “Keep it then.”

At this Yao’s eyes dart to you, clearly taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“I mean it,” you reply sincerely. “I won’t charge you until I figure out what this bad boy is actually worth. Until then, you might as well use it for your… experiments.”

He shakes his head, placing the Ardores Lapis carefully back on the table. “No, that’s not right. You initially wanted to bring these to Mortefi. It’s meant for him to test and decide what to do with it.”

“Maybe. But it didn't come to that. I mean, look at it this way.” You make a point of adding a touch of dramatic element to your facial expressions as you tap your finger on the table. “Fate wanted me to be late on my deadline, missing Mortefi's open-office-time only for you to stumble upon me and just like chess-pieces falling into place, it all aligned so this ends up in your blessed hands.”

Amusement and mirth twinkle in his eyes. “You certainly have a knack for using verbal theatrics, do you not?”

You shake your head, a smile grazing your lips. “Listen, back in the sea of flames there were a whole lot of these. I’ll head back there first thing tomorrow morning and bring some more. Delivery for you and for Mortefi.” You lift your thumb to emphasise your affirmation and also because you really, really want to just leave already and get at least a few hours of sleep in from this night. And like, that would mean even more of a higher payment for you anyway.

Fortunately, Yao must’ve come to the same conclusion as he inclines his head in gratitude. “Then please, accept my payment as of now at least. Give me a price, money is no problem.”

Oh, that guy is loaded, loaded. You sure are gonna eat good this month.

“While I appreciate the gesture, I can’t give you a proper sum without knowing the full extent of its worth. I might need some… research time.” Great, so the academy's air is starting to rub off on you, huh? “Besides I trust you’re the only one at the moment with the knowledge on how to properly take care of the minerals before they wither away, correct? So do it for the big science, or whatever you guys use as motivational speech."

Yao hesitates, debating his morals, which no doubt are on the right side of his heart. Then he nods. “Alright, then.” Reluctantly, but without any further protest, Yao accepts the minerals you hand out. 

“I - you have my deepest gratitude.”

“Careful, if I return empty-handed tomorrow, Mortefi might try to duel you for their return.” You retort with a teasing glint in your eyes.

Yao laughs under his breath, the sound warm in contrast to the cool room. “Yes, he might be prone to do that.”

As you’re ready to leave you reach for your bag and gather your belongings, Yao tilts his head, as if realising something.

“You still haven’t told me your name.”

You stop by the door frame and turn back around to him for a moment. “Maybe next time then, pretty boy.” Something in you (probably the lack of sleep) spurs you on to even wink at him as you quickly hurry away before the last ounce of self-reverence leaves you entirely

Part 1 ~~~ Part 2 ~~~ Part 3

Thank you so much for reading! Comments and reblogs are so appreciated

[bllsbailey]

American 'Influencer' Goes to West Bank, Interviews Residents on Support for Hamas, Gets Rude Awakening

While the term "influencer" is generally associated with vapid young women playing on their looks and scanty clothing to draw attention, once in a while one person claiming to be an "influencer" does some actual journalism. On Tuesday, such an example arose in the case of one Zach Sage Fox,

a Jewish American who passed himself off as an Italian to enter the West Bank and survey the residents as to the level of support for Hamas. What he found was shocking, but not really surprising.

Fox, a "loud and proud" Jewish American, was in Israel to create content when a member of his production team offered him the opportunity to enter the West Bank alongside a Muslim producer and cameraman. Fox knew it could be a dangerous project but was interested because American journalists are rarely able to secure unfettered access to Palestinians.   "Israelis are literally not allowed into Palestine; they're not allowed into the West Bank. However, I'm not Israeli, I'm an American Jew, and it doesn't say ‘Jew’ on my passport. So, I was told, ‘As long as you don't say you're Jewish, you know, they're not going to kill you on the spot,’" Fox told Fox News Digital. 

That's taking managing expectations to the next level; that much is certain. Fox was able to pass himself off as Italian in ancestry and entered the West Bank to speak to locals and gauge the actual level of support for Hamas and, presumably, Hamas's actions against Israel.

Fox began his time in the West Bank with a prearranged interview with a man who was described to him by his Muslim producer as a "very smart and civil," "somewhat moderate" thinker who holds a Master’s degree and speaks good English. They sat down at a coffee shop in Ramallah, the Palestinian "capital" located near Jerusalem. The man denied that "innocent Israelis" were killed during the attacks of October 7, expressed support for Hamas and suggested rape never occurred during the barbaric attacks.  "I realized quickly, if this is someone being presented to me as one of the more educated people, I might be in for a real shock," Fox said. 

He was in for a real shock, as Americans have been in for some real shocks at just what these people are willing to do - and how many young American skulls full of mush are willing to support them.

See Related: Understaffed Park Service Left on Its Own As Pro-Hamas Protesters Trash DC- 'We've Just Been Neglected'

Israel Strikes Hezbollah After Rocket Attack On Soccer Field as Many Fear a New War Is Imminent

Fortunately, Fox's cover, namely that he was of Italian, not Jewish descent, held, or he would likely not been allowed to leave the West Bank; indeed, he may well have suffered the same fate as some of the Oct 7 hostages.

It got worse when Fox attempted to interview a woman.

This young man doesn't lack for courage, we have to give him that; while he styles himself as a "social media influencer," in this exercise he has earned himself the title of journalist, and showed some stones in the doing. And what he has revealed is notable. The people he interviewed, and most especially the mob that surrounded him when he attempted to interview a woman, are not civilized people. Civilized people don't wish death on their neighbors. Civilized people don't support barbarians who commit atrocities on the innocent. Civilized people don't deny those atrocities when they occur - and most of all, civilized people don't support people who commit mass rape, mass murder, and put babies in ovens.

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the U.S. Capitol last week, he described this conflict as a clash between civilization and barbarity. He was right, and nothing illustrates that more clearly than the account of Zach Sage Fox's foray into the West Bank.

[mozak-hh]

Genshin impact Headcanon:

When they have a nightmare:

Rating: angst, fluff, sfw

Featuring: Xiao, Kaeya, Childe, Diluc

Xiao:

You could hear it, the sharp painful grunts that escaped Xiao's mouth. 

it was in the dead of night. You decided it would be a good idea to spend the night with Xiao at Wangshu inn. However, you did not realise how difficult it was for him to sleep. With his past, you should have guessed it. 

As if writhing in pain, Xiao clenches his fists and turns his head. Sputtering whimpers of desperate pleas and utter nonsense.

“Wait! no.. take me.. instead...” Sweat runs down his forehead. 

“Xiao,” You lightly shake him, moving closer to his side. 

“Doesn’t... deserve- take me... Please!” he jolts, scrunching his face in agony. 

“Xiao!” You slap him hard across the face, becoming more urgent to wake him up. As soo as your palm leave his cheek his eyes flash straight open. Something in them doesn’t seem right.. 

A quick force shoves you into the sheets, tight hands wrapping around your delicate throat. Xiao’s eyes gleam with crazed panic. His grip is too strong, and your shrieks don’t reach his ears. 

Only after he notices that it’s you, and not some intruder, does he take his hands back as if he’s burnt them. Letting tears fall down his cheeks as he rests his head on your abdomen, legs kneeling on each side of your body, arms pulled into his chest tightly. 

“I didn't.. no-” he flinches when you bring your hand to run through his hair. Your soft touch brings more tears to his eyes. He leans into your hand, almost purring at the relief of knowing you aren’t hurt. 

“Take it slow Xiao. Things will get better, I promise.” You sit up in the bed, causing Xiao to shift his weight, sitting in front of you. You lift your pinkie finger and whisper another “I promise” until he wraps his own pinkie around yours. Kissing you deeply in the process. 

Childe:

Spending the night in Childe’s bed was not out of the ordinary. The ginger-haired fellow seemed enlightened in the fact that he could wrap his arms around you and rest. 

But Childe would often have nightmares. Blood curdling agonies of the events he faced in the abyss. 

It was in the early hours of the morning when you could hear hard thumps coming from the other side of the house. The other side of the bed completely empty save the thrown about linen, damp with sweat. 

You leapt out of bed at the sound of metal clashing against metal.  a thunderous clap ringing in your ears. Fetching the pointed dagger from your bed side table, you sprint towards the entrance to the training room. Perhaps there may have been a break in?

A stupid question. As soon as you round the corner you bare witness to a dishevelled harbinger. Hair tossed about and slick with sweat, eyes peeled towards the training dummy sat pathetically in the centre of the room. 

Childe pants hard, centring him balance before hacking away at the dummy’s torso with a sharpened blade. Thinning its waist before it almost comes clean off. 

But not before a smaller blade shoots out from its chest. You poke your head out from behind the dummy, giving Childe a winning smile. 

“What am I gonna do with you,” you cross your arms. Seeing the way his eyes darken at remembrance has you frowning. 

He steps back from you, gesturing towards his trembling build. Tall and strong, but tired. “didn’t think you’d see me like this,” he says. His smile doesn't reach his eyes. 

“Nothing a cup of tea cant fix. Besides, we promised to take care of each other right? I’m not leaving your side tonight babe,” you wink at him jokingly.

Childe breathes a sigh of relief before following you to the kitchen. You knew just what to say…

Kaeya

Kaeya never liked to cry in front of anyone. Well, no one really knew what to say when he did. He was always so cunning and joyful, why would he ever cry?

It was one of those nights. Kaeya leapt out of bed after shaking himself from his night terrors. Trying not to wake you up, he crept from the bedroom before falling to his knees in the study. Furiously wiping his tears and internally kicking himself for being so weak.

“Kaeya…?” Shit. You woke up shortly after he’d left. Knocking quietly on the door while waiting for him to open it.

You could hear a fumbling of things and silent muffles before seeing a very worn kaeya open the door. He was smiling, but you couldn’t tell if it was a smile or a grimace.

“Hey pretty lady, up quite late aren’t you? Let’s go back to bed shall we?” He tries to lead you back to the bedroom. What takes him by surprise however, is when you wrap you arms around his back and embrace him.

“Don’t try and hide it… I love you, so let me take care of you,” he never knew words could break his walls down so easily.

Kaeya looked at you from a split moment before balling into the crook of your neck. Returning your embrace and locking his arms around you waist. You could feel your shirt getting damp from his tears.

You two shared this moment for some time. Kaeya sobbing while you stroked his long hair. It was when his sobs had turning into quiet sniffles that you started to speak.

“Let’s get you fixed up big fella,” you say softly. Holding his hand as you walk him to the bathroom. His face was red and eyes wet. Hair in a dishevelled way. Once you two each the bathroom, you wash his face in a wet cloth before starting to do his hair.

You put it into once long braid, and when your done you take his face in you hands, cupping his cheeks. You smile and chuckle quietly,

“Petty boy,” he leans his head on your chest. Breathing in your scent before leaving a tender kiss on your collarbone, eyes fixated on you with love.

“Oh how could I not adore you?” He kisses you on the lips this time.

Diluc:

Diluc didn’t hate anyone more than himself. That was a fact. The thing he said to his brother and the actions he’d done to shut people out haunted his dreams. Regret always lingering in the back of his mind.

One of these terrible dreams had diluc walking outside the winery late at night. Tears silently rolling down his cheeks while gazing at the sky. Cursing the stars at his misfortune.

His steps slowed down at the sight of the lights being turned on at the mansion. Hearing a loud bang of the front doors being flung open before seeing you scramble out the house. Bunching your night gown to make sure you don’t trip. Hair flowing in the wind behind you as you looks around.

Your eyes look with him, and you race towards him. But seeing his face raw with emotion has you stopping just a few meters in front of him.

“What’s wrong? God you scared the shit out of me,” you breath heavily. You weren’t even wearing shoes, diluc thought.

He looks at you meekly before whispering, “why is it always me?” More tears falling from his eyes.

Your sad expression and you open arms has him racing towards you instead. Picking you up and holding you in his arms, face nestled in the crook of your neck. He slowly puts you back down as he cries silently.

“Oh Diluc, sweetheart..” your words only make him cry harder. “Let’s go sit”

You gesture him towards the river, and the two of you sit on grass and sit in comfortable silence. Rubbing his hand with you thumb, you let him wrap his arms around you, making you sit in between his legs.

Diluc kisses your head. Silently worshipping your body as if this is your last night together. Slowly rocking you and pressing your bodies as close together as possible. His tears keep flowing, but he’s content. Being with you is all he needs right now.

Hope you enjoyed lovelies xx

By me a coffee? ❤️

[suna-reversed]

Icarus’ Irony ☀️

Toji Fushiguro x Fem! Reader

alternative title: “but I crumble completely when you cry”

2k+ words

Minors DNI‼️

A/N: if you haven’t already seen this cosplay, go get some Toji brainrot

Warnings/Tags: mentions of violence, manhandling, dacryphilia, mild dub-con, fingering, mating press, cum play, breeding kink, size difference, cheating, smoking/alcohol, shotgunning, degradation, slight praise, angstt, hurt/comfort

“Do you know of how Icarus fell?”

His question snapped you out of your post orgasm daze. You looked up at him from where your head rested on his bare chest, thighs straddling his lap, quivering a little as you pulled away to look at his face in the moonlight.

“He flew too close to the sun?”

Toji looked deep in thought as you answered, nodding his head slightly,

“Ah yes, he did…”

You almost purred as his warm hand slid up your thigh, kneading the sore-marked flesh,

“ ...but that wasn’t what what damned him”

He paused again, dangling the lit cigarette held in between the index and middle finger of his other hand, the same fingers that were buried deep inside of you not too long ago,

“...his ruination came with his desire. The closer he got, the more he craved. His delusion didn’t even let him feel the searing heat that burned through his flesh. He was too lost in thought of the eternal glory he believed he’d found.”

Toji adjusted his gaze to meet your eyes, the acrid scent of smoke hitting you as he leaned forward. His actions seemed slowed and you found it hard to differentiate the golden aura around his silhouette from his actual self. Has he always been so ethereal? 

“Do you think he smiled?” 

“Huh?” you mumbled out drowsily, your head falling back on his chest, breathing in his intoxicating scent. night-chilled mist and cedar. His hoarse chuckle sent shivers down your spine. 

“I asked, do you think he smiled...knowing he was the only one to ever get that close to the sun, even if it destroyed him in the end?”

You heard Toji take a puff out of his cigarette and your breath hitched as a hand came to your jaw, tilting your head up as he exhaled out the smoke in between your parted lips.

How had he stayed this long tonight? Usually, you’d be cleaning yourself up by this time, no trace left of the man who had been whispering sultry words into your ear while pounding into you from behind moments ago. He was never this talkative afterwards either. 

“Why are you asking me this?”

He leaned back, turning his head away from you. The slightest of change could be sensed in his posture as you hesitantly brought your fingers up to trace the scar next to his lips. He’d grabbed onto your wrist halfway before it could reach his mouth everytime that you had tried it before, growling a low “wanna try that again?”, that usually led to you being stuffed full of him once more. Perhaps he was too high to care tonight?

“Why am I asking you this?” A dry laugh left his throat as he finally looked back at you, still making no attempts to pull your hand away from his face. 

“because I think you’re flying dangerously close; whether for warmth, for lust, for love; whatever it is, I have a feeling you’ll go down smiling even when the light sets you aflame.”

You were too lost in his eyes, your mind clouded by the feel of his unclothed skin against yours. How did he get the scar? Had he ever told you? Did she know about it? A burning sensation formed in the pit of your chest as your eyes slid to the gold band kept neatly on the nightstand. He removes it every single time; right before he sinks to his knees with a moan, saying his prayers in between your thighs as your heels dig into his spine. 

You couldn't register his words anymore. It all sounded like incoherent gibberish, perhaps that's what it all was. Perhaps, that’s all everything he’s ever said was. 

“I only stay with her because of my son” 

“I’ll get a divorce soon enough” 

“She wont let me live in peace if she finds out-”

All gibberish. Garbage. Empty promises. Lies. Words that held no meaning.  

His lips were still moving, but all you could hear was the loud ringing in your ears. Suddenly, the sensation of his flesh against yours felt like too much. You couldn't breathe as bile rose up to the back of your throat. You pulled your head away from his chest, but the warmth wouldn’t leave you, the wet feeling on your cheeks worsening the burning of your skin. 

Why was he still speaking? Could he not see that you were dying?

Shut up, shut up, shut up-

You found your lips moving out of their own accord 

“Leave-leave me alone I hate you”

The sob that ripped from your throat made you feel like you had just been pushed off from a skyscraper, feeling the end nearing, but it never quite seemed to come. 

Your incoherent pleas of being left alone continued as you felt muscular arms wrap around your figure; your sobs getting louder as you felt yourself being picked up, and then laid down on the plush mattress that still held the remnants of your previous feat with the man above you. 

You didn't realise you had been thrashing until a hand grabbed onto your wrists, bringing them together as Toji used his weight to pin your struggling body down, his other arm coming around to pull you into his chest, effectively muffling out your screams. 

Your sobs took a while to die out; leaving your eyes burning, throat dry, and the throbbing pain in your head worsening by the second as you continued to stare at the chipped ceiling past his shoulder. The same ceiling you had stared up at as he had ruthlessly rutted into your cunt, calling you “his obedient little slut”- “his cumdump”. 

That’s what you’ll always be, isn't it? 

You felt the grip around your body loosen, the weight lifting off of you slightly as your eyes came in level with his face. He held an unreadable expression like always. A bitter laugh escaped your throat as you looked back on all the times you had dreamed of the scar next to his lip twitching up, only for you. 

“Stop it.” His voice was smooth, your body instinctively reacting to his command. You hated it. But you still did have control over your words, 

“Fuck off” 

You saw his eyes darken, his hand moving up to grab your jaw harshly, 

“What was that?”

Smack!

Your palm burned as it landed, the skin of his cheek already tinting a deeper shade of crimson. 

Heavy silence hung in the room.

You gasped in shock as you felt a pair of lips crash down onto yours, Toji’s tongue making its way into your mouth as you groaned. You contemplated biting his tongue, but the rational part of your brain seemed to be dulling out more and more the longer that his tongue remained clashing with yours, his hands moving up your abdomen to grope your chest, pinching and tugging at your sensitive nipples. 

You shut your legs together as his hand tried to slither in between, but your efforts were to no avail as he grabbed onto your thigh, holding it away, not even wasting a second to dip his fingers into your heat. You felt your face heat up at the wetness he found there. Toji moved back to sit on his knees, thumb circling your clit as you tried not to let out any more sounds of pleasure. 

“You hate me huh? Then what’s this?” His fingers pumped in faster inside of you making you arch your back, a cry of shame leaving your mouth. 

Toji grabbed onto your thighs to push them up to your chest, throwing your legs over his shoulders and biting at the tender skin he found. A loud moan left you as you felt him line up with your entrance, the tip already making you feel the stretch of his huge girth. 

You opened your eyes, only to be met with the same chipped ceiling once again. Tears welled up in your eyes, making your vision blurry as you felt a sob bubbling in your chest, pitying your own resolve for breaking so soon. 

But then you felt something rub against your cheek. A calloused thumb brushing away the tears as a forehead came down to press against yours, and you found your orbs locked onto the malicious ones of the man you had wrecked your sanity for. 

“You are…” he sighs out, and you grunt as he slides deeper into you, “...the only thought that plagues my mind.”

His lips meld with yours once more as he finishes his sentence, both of your moans being muffled against each other’s mouth. 

“...all-the-damn-fucking-time” he thrusts into you in between words. It's the closest he’s come to being gentle as his strokes, though slow, still hit deep inside of your dripping cunt. His hips jut into you more intensely as you bite his lip, hands moving up to entangle themselves into his dark locks.

You were crying and moaning and screaming all at the same time as his cock hit all the right spots, the pain of his huge member still being evident even after it had fucked out your pussy countless times. But it was drowned out by the pleasure as his fingers found your clit once more, hastily rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves as he picked up his pace. You found your face contorting in pleasure soon enough, hips bucking up to meet his thrusts as you felt your climax coming. 

“C’mon, go ahead, cream all around my cock like the good girl you are.” He grunted, voice deep and dripping in honey.

The coil in the pit of your stomach snapped as his tongue licked its way up from your neck to your jaw. Toji continued fucking into you as you rode out your orgasm, your body spasming from the overstimulation as you felt your insides being filled with thick spurts of cum. Toji groaned, pulling back to look at the sight of your cum-filled cunt, collecting the slickness that had dripped out of your hole with his thumb, only to push it back inside.

You were too tired to move a muscle, too tired to cry or curse him as he got up, walking out the bedroom door. The hollow feeling once again flooded your chest as you shut your eyes, hoping to wake up from this endless nightmare. 

Your body jerked awake as you felt something cool slide against your thigh. You snapped your eyes open, lifting your head, only to find the man you had just cussed out a thousand different ways sitting on the edge of the bed, a wet cloth in his hand. You were too stunned to say anything, staring at him as he inched forward, continuing his task of cleaning up the mess. 

You let your head fall back against the mattress, sighing as the conflicting thoughts in your mind continued to race on. You found yourself being lifted, a blanket being put over you before your head was pulled into a warm chest, arms wrapping around you as a hand cradled the back of your head. Your thoughts all disappeared away, the familiarity of his body becoming almost cozy as sleep took over your senses. You thought you heard him mutter something, but then again, you might as well have dreamt it.

----------

Toji found his hand lingering over the door handle as he glanced at your slumbering figure. Sighing, he walked back over to cover you with the blanket that you had kicked off. 

He found his own mind flooded with conflicting feelings as he walked out of your building. He had never stayed the night before. Moreover, he was trying to find a justification for the three cursed words he had muttered last night.

He decided to blame it on the nicotine that was clogging his system. Even though he had felt his high clearing as soon as he had seen you sobbing and moving away from him, your face filled with disgust. He never wanted to see you feel that way about him again. 

He looked down at the golden band clutched tightly in his palm. The metal was starting to rust. He was surprised your curious little mind didn’t notice, didn't ask him why - because real gold didn’t rust. He found his mind flashing back to the first time you had asked him,

“Are you...seeing someone?” 

He hadn’t known you for too long then, but the tug in his chest each time you were around made him want to disappear out of existence. 

You made him want to lose all restraint, and what would the man be if he lost his sense of identity, the only armour he harboured; his rigid demeanour. 

The lie had rolled off his tongue easily enough, switching over the band on his index finger to his ring finger under the table. Lifting it up for you to see, he had felt his heart clench at the flicker of sadness in your eyes. But that seemed to work as even more proof for why he had to draw a boundary around himself.

You burned like a thousand fires, your brightness blinding, your warmth creeping up to thaw the ice around his heart.

It terrified him.

How he always ended up coming back for more, how he ended up breaking a little more each time his name slipped past your sweet lips, how he’d vowed to destroy anything that dared cause you agony. Even if it meant destroying himself. 

Toji Fushiguro finally knew the answer to his question. 

He too, would go down with a smile if it was you lighting the match to his pyre, if it was you ripping the wings off his back.

After all you were the only light in his life, his precious sun.

How does it matter if he burns himself out trying to get closer to you?

© suna-reversed — all rights reserved. please refrain from modifying, translating, reposting of any kind. plagiarism will NOT be tolerated.

[ammonitetheseaserpent]

Heeeey. Next chapter of TOTM is here. 👀

Tide of Tied Minds

Chapter 2: God-Children 101

Summary: Our rebels set out to stop the Day of Unity in its tracks, and King keeps a promise that has not been kept in a while.

Chapter Word Count: 1,401

Trigger Warnings: Out-of-body experience (again, just in case), character injury, character death, character near-death (strangulation)

Oohhh yeah, action is happening.

Here we gooo!

-

It’s been a while, but now he’s back.

With very inopportune timing.

The first tell: he and his current allies are on their way to stop Kikimora from unknowingly delivering his older sister and friend Luz into the hands of the feared Emperor Belos, right on the brink of the Day of Unity.

The second tell: he’s arrived right in the middle of a conversation.

“But- but you said - you said you’d let me out!” The Collector’s voice rings out, an irritated edge to it. “I hate it here!”

“Just a little longer,” a second, much more methodical voice states - Emperor Belos, King realizes with a jolt. “We have to wait till after the Draining Spell.”

“You better not be fibbin’,” the cosmic being mutters, voice dark with impatience. “You pinkie swore me.”

“Patience, Collector. You can trust me.” Belos soothes.

Ha! As if. King rolls his eyes - and lets slip a scoff.

At once, Belos is gone and the Collector whirls toward the source of the noise. “Who- wh… oh.”

The Collector falls into an awkward silence, glancing everywhere except directly at King. They don’t speak, but he can guess what they want to say.

I’m scared to admit this, but you might have been right.

-

Scenes and voices swirl as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

Alador holding back his own Abomatons.

Gus sitting right in front of him, expressing concern.

Willow and Amity kneeling before a limp, disheveled Eda.

The Collector’s presence and muffled voice poking the back of his mind, waiting there each time he blacks out.

A dimmed sky and a flock of friends on their staffs.

They’re all flying.

King blinks awake, wincing at the pain in his skull.

They’re flying toward the end of the line.

-

Gus edges his way around the carnage with King in his arms, before gently placing the young Titan under the safety of one of the palace’s pillars. “Buddy, it’s about to get real scary - you stay here,” he instructs.

“But- I can help!” King protests, reaching out to latch back onto Gus - before he’s knocked back by a sudden tremor.

“Gus!” Willow’s voice calls out above the clash.

“On it!” Gus calls back, rushing over to lend a hand. King stays back, doing what he can to keep himself from falling off the quaking ledge.

I have to help.

One way or another.

King closes his eyes, puts one paw on either side of his skull, and mentally cries out to the Collector with all the volume he can manage.

At once he feels a tug, a rush, as if a pair of hands are pulling him through space and time itself to bring him into another realm.

When King opens his eyes again, the Collector is curled slightly inward, arms crossed, one index finger tapping against the opposing arm - and looking at him with thinly veiled irritation.

“Fiiinaaalllyyyyyyyyyy!” the imprisoned entity bursts out, slumping forward dramatically. “Where were you? I tried calling and reaching and nothing worked and I could feel you right at the edge but you were barely there-” A loud, long sigh-growl escapes them. “I wish I could’ve dragged that big stupid foppish fibber in here, just to make something interesting happen.”

During their rant, King detects something… different about the Collector. His voice has a slight raw quality to it, and he seems more tired than usual - they suddenly look like a being who’s older than the Isles themselves.

“Are y- I mean, did… are you okay?”

“Noooo. You were right; he wasn’t gonna free me at all.” They narrow their eyes wearily. “What, do you wanna gloat? Or are you gonna break your promise, too?”

My promise.

Right. Back on track.

“No, I’m going to free you. I just have one thing to ask in return - please, if you can, help us stop the Draining Spell-“

This seems to perk them right back up. “Put a stop to Philip’s life’s work? Oooohhh-ho-hooo, yeeeessss. Consider it done.”

“Alright, um…” King fidgets. “How- how do I do this? Could I free you from here, or…?”

“You’re a Titan, King! It doesn’t really matter how exactly you do it.”

Well, in that case…

King allows himself to lift off the precipice, studying the cosmic bubble. “You might want to cover your ears - I’m not sure how this is gonna work.”

The Collector complies with a quick, nervous nod.

The young Titan pulls as much air into his lungs as he can, then-

“WEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH!”

He just barely sees the orb begin to distort, then crumble.

Everything in his field of vision dissolves into white.

…

Spots.

Fuzziness.

Headache.

His ears are ringing.

Wait… where are my ears?

He can barely make out his surroundings, save for two glowing orbs of green. He squints, trying to focus, and things do become clearer - a point at which he realizes the formerly human emperor of the Boiling Isles is prowling toward him, and the green dots are his eyes, boring into King.

Oh, no…

Belos lumbers closer and closer until he towers over his quarry.

King frantically tries to scramble away, but his head is spinning and his limbs are tripping each other up.

No, no, no-

The decrepit witch hunter speaks, in a slow, hissing voice that seems to reverberate through his entire form. “Titan…” he whispers, sending a chill up King’s spine. He sounds almost… giddy. “What a stroke of luck.”

One of Belos’s arms, a massive tentacle of muddy flesh, launches toward King and ensnares him. The tendrils coil tighter by the second until spots flash once more in the young Titan’s vision, contrasting with the two bright green spots that are the emperor’s eyes. His monstrous teeth bare in a menacing grin that gives King a sudden impression that he’s doomed, that he won’t get out of this, oh Titan, I’m gonna die, and everyone else is gonna die and it’s gonna be mY FAULT-

“Hey, King! You wanna see something cool?”

Before King can process what he’s just heard, a loud thud explodes right in front of him, and he’s jostled sharply out of Belos’s death grip. Once upon the floor, he lies there gasping for air, before managing to right himself and look around. The first thing he sees is a small figure in lavender and blue-violet pajamas standing over Belos, a tentacled arm in their grasp. There’s a massive gash trailing across the tyrant’s shoulder all the way to his torso, and he’s cowering before the smaller entity.

“Collector…” Belos rasps under his breath, voice hushed with fear.

The Collector simply smiles. “Hey there, pal!” He lowers the former human’s arm and peeks at him over it. “Stars above, am I happy to see you!”

“A-are you? Why so?”

“Well, see, I’ve got something I wanna show you all…” they gesture around the space with their free arm, “and I just couldn’t go through with it without giving you the best view!” With that, the mysterious child releases Belos’s arm, steps back, and strolls over to one of the Titan’s eyes to peer out of it.

Everyone waits with baited breath as the Collector scans the goings-on outside, leaning casually over the wall.

Finally, he gives a small noise of delight and stands up straight, then raises a finger and nudges the moon aside with blood-numbing ease.

Pure despair dawns in everyone’s faces under the sudden brightness of the uncovered sun.

Belos seems especially taken aback. “Y- a- you can’t-” he croaks out.

“Can’t what?” the Collector interrupts, the same light, playful grin on their face. “Stop the thing you’ve waited your whole entire life to do?” They give a little shrug. “You’re the one who threw me off a bridge. I’m just evening things out!” He steps closer to the bedraggled monster-human in a slow, leisurely manner. “You’re gonna break our promise just like that, and then bore us all with a spiel about how we have no business getting in the way of your plans?” The Collector raises a hand as if giving a “stop” gesture. “Pssssshhhhhhh, nah.”

The Collector punctuates his dismissive comment by swiping their hand forward - and swatting Belos on the forehead, causing the larger entity to rocket backward and splatter into a massive, muddy green stain above the door to his throne room.

Belos is gone.