#the other 10% is very funny though. like it's still bad but in a funny way

[xjulixred45x]

I just need to say that I LOVE your work, especially the ones that can be read as platonic.

So as an inverse of the parent Yuu post, let me suggest a child!Yuu, you can decide the age, but I was thinking like under 10 because

1. It is very funny to imagine a kid being involved in all the teenager drama.

The way that thing would go is just so funny. I am a pacifist, guilty, fan of Papa Crowley, but imagine him as a person who still would give Kid!Yuu the tasks as the original one is hilarious.

3. Platonic twist boys, my beloveds.

And I think that Kid!Yuu could be those kids who are a little up on the time; ngl, I like neglect Reader/Mc/Yuu content a lot so lets put a little a bit of it too.

I guess this is it; it sounds more like me divagating than anything else, but okay. Remember to eat something, stay hydrated, and keep up the good work.

-🐦‍⬛✨

Aww, thank you so much! I love the platonic content in any series, but especially in Twisted Wonderland because I relate to many of the characters' struggles (I had a really difficult period of depression as a teenager, among other things), so part of me just wants to go and give them a hug.

Technically, I already have a series of posts as Child! Yuu, but I understand what you're saying and I like it!

Probably Child! Yuu did something rash like letting go of their parents' hands while crossing the street and was hit by the black carriage and transported to TWST. Either way, at first they didn't see the gravity of the situation, precisely because of the childlike mentality of now being in their own version of Alice in Wonderland (not in those exact words, but definitely with that train of thought).

In this way, they quickly becomes friends with Ace, Deuce, and Grim. After all, there isn't much to do while Crowley tries to "bring them back home." So they tries to have fun however they wants, without worrying about anything until the incident with the monster in the mine (perhaps it happens slightly differently here, but with the same essence and result). It's from this point on that Child! Yuu is generally more protected by Deuce, Ace and Grim.

Crowley lets Yuu live within the institution instead of Ramshackle, and is surprisingly present when it comes to the little child from another world. It's not uncommon to see Yuu sleeping in his office, stealing his hat, or even tucked into his coat when there's nothing else to do. When they ask Crowley about it, he simply says he allows them this kind of closeness because he's "very kind," but the truth is everyone can see the clear favoritism (which is why, if any student breaks something, they blame Yuu directly, knowing it will simply be swept under the rug. If it were any other student, it would be an instant detention).

Riddle is sincerely concerned that Ace and Deuce will be bad influences on Yuu, so he lets them know that he won't tolerate any out-of-character behavior with such a young child present (things like rude gestures, swearing, obscene signs, as he says, will be severely punished even without Yuu's presence). However, he also has his restrictions for Yuu, such as a limited amount of candy (he doesn't want the kid to get cavities so early in life), they can only play with the hedgehogs for the same amount of time they studies/reads a book, etc.

Riddle post-Overblot is much softer on Yuu as a child, especially if Yuu themself has a history of neglect from their family in their world. Riddle himself has fresh childhood wounds, so he doesn't want this GOOD child to end up swallowed up by pain and trauma the same way he was. If he can contribute to making Yuu's childhood happier, then he'll gladly do so.

Leona doesn't like children; I think we can consider that a universal truth. At least not loud and nosy children, and Yuu initially counted as loud and nosy, though one thing Leona found funny about them was that the child acted much older than they actually was, as if they could do something to him. Yuu isn't scary, not one bit, but they're not afraid of anything, so Leona respects their courage.

There are some things Yuu says that show they didn't have a good upbringing in their world, and that leads to something new: sympathy. Leona isn't easy on the kid, obviously, but he doesn't leave them to fate (whether it's sending Jack to make sure the kid stays alive or Ruggie to bring em something extra). Let's just say that Yuu and Leona, in a weird way, understand each other.

Azul definitely tries to take advantage of Crowley's favoritism toward Yuu to get him to make a deal with him, but fortunately Yuu understands the concept of "stranger danger" and avoids him at all costs. After Book 3, however, Yuu started stopping by Octavinelle if he wanted something better than cafeteria food (or the food Crowley gave them). Floyd especially loves to play (non-lethal way) with Yuu; it's not uncommon to see him running around campus with Yuu on his shoulders (usually screaming, either from happiness or fear, that is the question).

I don't think Child!Yuu can join the first-year classes for obvious reasons, but Azul is quite willing to give them private lessons so they doesn't stagnate in their education (with a small fee that Crowley has to pay, of course). Though sometimes it seems like it's just an excuse for Yuu to come to Octavinelle when they're too overwhelmed by Crowley's disasters.

Kalim finds Yuu adorable! He has some trouble taking his hands off them—he just wants to squeeze their face, hug them, and GHAAAAA! He totally has bouts of cute aggression. With Kalim's massive amount of siblings, you can expect him to be especially empathetic and protective of younger Yuu; he can't help but see them as his little sibilings.

Kalim gets really sad whenever Yuu mentions anything that implies they didn't have loving parents or a happy childhood in general, which can lead to a cuddle session on his part, assuring Yuu that they'll never want for anything while in Scarabia (and Kalim makes sure he lives up to that promise). If it weren't for Crowley (and his age), Kalim would have already adopted Yuu as a little sibiling.

By the events of Book 5, Yuu is already showing more signs of nostalgia and missing their world than before, even to the point of changing attitude. Vil is probably one of the people who notices this change when he sees them interacting with Ace and Deuce (during their time in Ramshackle). Vil isn't gentle with anyone under any circumstances, but it worries him a little to see this normally cheerful and energetic child suddenly so downcast and sad. That doesn't look good, honey. No child should look so broken.

Vil is probably the only one of the dorm leaders who goes directly to Crowley with his concerns. Even if he takes the director's promises with a grain of salt, he does make it his mission to make sure Yuu is okay, both physically and psychologically. This includes using an outing or event as an excuse for Yuu to have fun, or even turning a blind eye to things he normally wouldn't allow (eating sweets or junk food, getting dirty while playing, etc.).

Idia knew about Yuu from the rumors surrounding them, but he didn't really think they'd ever really interact until the events of Book 6. After that, there's a good chance Ortho and Yuu became good friends (being the closest in age to Yuu), so Idia went from never seeing Yuu to seeing them a few times on an average day. Sometimes the older brother instinct extends to Yuu too (maybe because they reminds him of Ortho in a way), in things like keeping Yuu from touching things they shouldn't, patting them on the head when they gets an answer right, etc.

Idia is...awkward for comfort, but he tries, genuinely tries. Besides, it's very likely that he himself is looking for a way to get Yuu back home, not only because he KNOWS Crowley isn't doing shit, but because there are surely people going crazy looking for Yuu in their world (maybe not the parents, but another family member must surely be very worried about them).

Malleus was always curious about the human child who unexpectedly arrived in his life. Not only was they not afraid of him, but they saw him in a way that Malleus could only describe as fascination and curiosity, something truly incredible to him. For this reason, Malleus constantly followed Yuu, whether to prevent the kid from hurting themself or being hurt by others, but he also ended up enjoying their company, their simple way of seeing the world, even seeing him.

For this reason, Malleus quickly noticed when his young friend began to become more discouraged, struggling to keep up with the tasks the adults assigned them (quite irresponsibly, he could say). Malleus understands to a certain extent (he compares this to how he used to miss Lilia when he went on trips), so if Yuu needs someone to listen to them the way they listens to others, Malleus has his arms open.

________

(ESPAÑOL)

Awwww muchas gracias! Amo el contenido platónico de cualquier serie, pero especialmente en Twisted Wonderland porque me identifico con muchas de las luchas de los personajes (tuve una etapa depresiva muy difícil en la adolescencia, entre otras cosas), por lo que una parte de mí solo quiere ir y darles un abrazo.

Ya tengo técnicamente una serie de posts como Child! Yuu, pero entiendo lo que dices ¡y me gusta!

Probablemente Child!Yuu hizo algo precipitado como soltarse de la mano de sus padres al cruzar la calle y fue golpeado por el carruaje negro y transportado a TWST. De cualquier manera, al principio no veían la gravedad de la situación, justamente por la mentalidad infantil de ahora estar en su propia versión de Alicia en el país de las maravillas (no con esas palabras exactas, pero definitivamente con ese tren de pensamiento).

De esa forma se hace amigo de Ace, Deuce y Grim bastante rápido, después de todo no hay mucho que hacer mientras Crowley trata de “regresarlo a casa”, asi que trata de divertirse como quiera, sin preocuparse por nada hasta el incidente con el monstruo en la mina (talvez aquí pasa de forma ligeramente diferente, pero con la misma esencia y resultado). Es a partir de aquí que Child!Yuu es mas resguardado por Adeuce y Grim en general.

Crowley deja que Yuu viva dentro de la institución en vez de ramshackle, y es sorprendentemente presente cuando se trata del pequeño niño de otro mundo. No es raro ver a Yuu durmiendo en su oficina, robando su sombrero o incluso metido en su abrigo cuando no hay nada que hacer. Cuando le preguntan a Crowley al respecto, el simplemente dice que le permite este tipo de cercanía porque es “muy amable” pero la verdad todos pueden ver que hay un claro favoritismo (por lo mismo, si algún estudiante rompe algo, directamente culpan a Yuu, porque saben que entonces simplemente será barrido bajo la alfombra. Si fuera cualquier otro estudiante seria detención instantánea).

Riddle sinceramente está preocupado de que Ace y Deuce sean unas malas influencias en Yuu, por lo que les hace saber que no va a tolerar ningún comportamiento fuera de lugar con un niño tan joven presente (cosas como gestos groseros, malas palabras, signos obscenos, como él dice, serán severamente castigados incluso sin la presencia de Yuu), sin embargo, también tiene sus restricciones para Yuu, como un número limitado de dulces (no quiere que el nene tenga caries tan temprano en la vida), solo puede jugar con los erizos el mismo tiempo que estudio/leyó un lbro, etc.

Riddle post Overblot es mucho más blando con Yuu niño y más si el propio Yuu tiene un historial de negligencia por parte de su familia en su mundo. Riddle mismo tiene heridas de la infancia frescas, por lo que no quiere que este niño BUENO termine absorbido por el dolor y trauma de la misma forma que él lo hizo, si él puede contribuir que la infancia de Yuu sea más feliz, entonces lo hará encantado.

Leona no le gustan los niños, creo que podemos considerar eso una verdad universal. Al menos los niños ruidosos y entrometidos, y Yuu al principio contaba como ruidoso y entrometido, aunque algo que Leona encontraba gracioso de él es que el niño actuaba como si fuera mucho más grande de lo que realmente era, como si pudiera hacer algo contra EL. Yuu no asusta, ni un poco, pero no le tiene miedo a nada, por lo que Leona respeta sus agallas.

Hay algunas cosas que Yuu dice que dejan ver que no tuvo una buena crianza en su mundo, y eso lleva a algo nuevo, simpatía. Leona no es suave con el niño, obviamente, pero no lo deja a su suerte (ya sea mandando a Jack para asegurarse de que el niño siga vivo o Ruggie para llevarle algo extra). Digamos que Yuu y Leona, de una forma rara, se entienden.

Azul definitivamente trata de aprovecharse del favoritismo de Crowley hacia Yuu para que asi haga un trato con él, pero afortunadamente Yuu conoce el concepto de “peligro extraño” y lo evitaba a cualquier costa. Después del libro 3, sin embargo, Yuu empezó a pasar por Octavinelle si quería algo mejor que la comida de la cafetería (o la comida que le daba Crowley). Floyd especialmente le encanta jugar (de forma no letal) con Yuu, no es raro verlo correr por el campus con Yuu en sus hombros (normalmente gritando, de felicidad o de miedo, esa es la cuestión).

No creo que Child!Yuu pueda unirse a las clases de los de primer año por obvias razones, pero Azul esta bastante dispuesto a darle clases particulares para que no se estanque en su educación (con una pequeña cuota que Crowley tiene que pagar por supuesto). Aunque a veces parece que es solo una excusa para que Yuu venga a Octavinelle cuando esta muy sobrecargado de los desastres de Crowley.

Kalim encuentra a Yuu adorable! Tiene ciertos problemas en quitarle las manos encima ¡simplemente quiere apretarle la cara, abrazarlo y GHAAAAA! Completamente tiene ataques de cute agression. Con la cantidad masiva de hermanos que tiene Kalim, puedes esperar que sea especialmente empático y protector con un Yuu más joven, no puede evitar ver en ellos a sus hermanos pequeños.

Kalim se siente muy mal cada vez que Yuu menciona algo que denota que no tuvo padres amorosos o una infancia feliz en general, lo que puede llevar a una sesión de abrazos por su parte y asegurarle a Yuu que nunca le faltara nada estando en Scarabia (y vaya que Kalim se asegura de cumplir esa parte). Si no fuera por Crowley (y su edad), Kalim ya habría adoptado a Yuu como hermanito.

Para los eventos del libro 5, Yuu ya empieza a tener mas signos de nostalgia y de extrañar su mundo que antes, incluso llegando a cambiar de actitud, y probablemente una de las personas que se da cuenta de este cambio es Vil cuando le ve interactuar con Ace y Deuce (durante el tiempo que estuvieron en ramshackle). Vil no es suave con nadie bajo ninguna circunstancia, pero le preocupa un poco mucho ver a este niño normalmente alegre y enérgico, de la nada, tan desplomado y triste. Eso no se ve bien, cariño, ningún niño debería verse tan acabado.

Vil es probablemente el único de los líderes de dormitorio que va directamente con Crowley con sus preocupaciones, aun si toma con un gran gramo de sal las promesas del director, lo toma en sus manos asegurarse de que Yuu esté bien, tanto física como psicológicamente, ya sea usando de excusa alguna salida o evento para que Yuu se divierta, incluso haciendo la vista gorda de cosas que normalmente no le permitiría (comer dulces o comida chatarra, ensuciarse al jugar, etc.)

Idia sabia de Yuu por los rumores que había a su alrededor, pero realmente no pensó que llegarían a interactuar de verdad hasta los eventos del libro 6. Después de eso, hay una buena posibilidad de que Ortho y Yuu se hicieran buenos amigos (al ser lo más cercano en edad a Yuu), por lo que Idia paso de no ver nunca a Yuu a verle unas cuantas veces en un dia promedio. a veces el instinto de hermano mayor también se extiende a Yuu (talvez porque le recuerda de cierta forma a Ortho), en cosas como evitar que Yuu toque cosas que no debe, darle palmadas en la cabeza cuando dice bien una respuesta, etc.

Idia es…incómodo para el confort, pero lo intenta, genuinamente lo intenta. Además, es muy probable que el mismo este buscando una forma de regresar a Yuu a su casa no solo porque él SABE que Crowley no hace una mierda, sino porque de seguro hay gente que está perdiendo la cabeza buscando a Yuu en su mundo (talvez no sus padres, pero otra familia de seguro debe estar muy preocupada por ellos).

Malleus siempre sintió curiosidad por el niño humano que llego de forma inesperada a su vida, no solo no le tenía miedo, sino que lo veía de una forma que Malleus solo podía decir que era fascinación y curiosidad, algo verdaderamente increíble para él. Por lo mismo, Malleus seguía constantemente a Yuu, ya fuera para evitar que el niño se lastimara o que lo lastimaran, pero también termino disfrutando de su compañía, de su forma simple de ver el mundo, de verlo a él incluso.

Por lo mismo, Malleus noto rápidamente cuando su joven amigo empezó a estar más desanimado, a tener problemas para estar a la altura de las tareas que le dejaban los adultos (de forma bastante irresponsable, podía decir). Malleus entiende hasta cierto punto (compara esto con como el solia extrañar a Lilia cuando se iba de viaje), por lo que, si Yuu necesita a alguien que le escuche de la misma forma que el escucha a los demás, Malleus tiene los brazos abiertos.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[assassinregrets]

.

[ckret2]

So a while ago some friends were talking about fans who claim the Same Coin theory is canon. And I made the mistake of saying:

Do you know who also has tons in common with Bill? Mabel. Yet nobody claims Bill reincarnated as Mabel. …wait now I want a "same coin but it's Mabel" AU. Funniest Bill reincarnation option. The all-seeing arsonist is making macaroni glitter art. The omnipotent tyrant is crying because a unicorn called her a bad person.

And then I overthought it for two months.

So—AU where after death, Bill's soul shoots 13 years into the past and reincarnates as Mabel. I'll call it ✨ Sparkly Coin AU ✨

Don't leave yet. Lemme show you why it works. Behold the eerie amount of parallels in their personalities, dialogue, behavior, mannerisms, tastes...

I could have kept going but my attention span ran out. All right, we all on board now? Convinced we could segue from one personality into the other? Great. Now here's why you should be interested: the juicy post-Weirdmageddon angst potential.

As long as a small fringe of the fandom still thinks Weirdmageddon is Mabel's fault, why not amp that up x100 and have some fun with it?

Is everyone sold now? Great. Let's get into the details. I've got 8 more pieces of art under the read more.

So the AU starts the instant Bill dies. Thanks to invoking his deal with the Axolotl—one way to absolve his crime, a different form, a different time—the Axolotl gives him a new shape and shoots him thirteen years into the past. Apparently, the Axolotl thought it would be very funny to stick Bill in the family that defeated him.

Which probably made for a jarring transition.

(It's fine, she's like 10 minutes old, she probably can't even tell who she's looking at. Not being able to tell who she was looking at is what got her into this situation ayyyy)

When Dipper & Mabel come back from Gravity Falls complaining about this triangular jerk Bill, their parents mention that Dipper's name was nearly Bill. See, after they knew they were going to have a boy, one night their mom dreamed about a visitor—some kind of magic pink salamander??—calling her child "BILL." Then at the next sonogram they found out they were having twins, the girl must've been hidden at a weird angle the first time, and they wanted matching names, so they thought, Bill and Bell. But they didn't really like Bell; but eventually they stumbled on Mabel, so to keep the names matching they switched from Bill to Mason. Isn't that the darnedest thing?

(Of course, Mabel and Dipper assume Bill harassed their parents to try to trick them into naming a kid after him. To be a jerk.)

When Bill meets Mabel, he's unaware that she's his future self—Bill's notably bad at doing things like, say, double-checking to see whether he's going to die anytime soon—but like... he can tell something's up.

Naturally, before visiting Gravity Falls, there were echoes of who Mabel used to be—but nothing anyone would be able to identify without context. All her Bill-ish quirks either smoothed out with time (see: how between second grade and fourth grade Mabel went from being the "freak" to the popular girl in class), or else they were accepted by her family as Mabel-ish quirks.

After they meet (and kill) Bill, they have the context to understand some of Mabel's behaviors... and unfortunately, some of Mabel's latent Bill-ness starts surfacing after she's been directly exposed to her prior incarnation.

The part of the Pines family familiar with Bill thinks the worst case scenario is that maybe Bill's survived and is slowly possessing Mabel; but far more likely, they think this is just some weird way of trying to subconsciously process last summer. Mabel doesn't think she's being weird, you guys are being weird, stop giving her weird looks. They get attacked by one triangle and now she can't wear yellow or pick up macrame as a hobby??

(It's not all red flags and uncomfortable triangle imagery, though. When Stan asks her what she'd like as a gift for some important event, she shyly admits that she thinks she's starting to outgrow her plastic gem jewelry and maybe she's old enough to get her first piece of real gold jewelry, if that's not too expensive? And Stan's never been so proud of her. Thirteen years old and already thinking about buying gold!)

But of course, the real fun starts when Mabel finds out.

That's the face of a girl who's just discovered that she tortured her great uncle. Now imagine running into the brother she possessed.

But I've already spent a million words and thirteen images on this post. If enough folks are interested in the AU maybe I'll expand on it later. Let me know what y'all think.

[ddarker-dreams]

lock's otome game recs

i received some asks indicating an interest in a compilation of my favorite otome games, so i decided to go for it!! i've played about fourteen otome games, but of those fourteen, only these six left a lasting impression on me. there are still some that i intend to check out, so the rankings may update in the future. i'll give a very general overview of each game and how i'd score the categories that i find the most important in an otome game — the heroine, story, art, enjoyability, along with the characters i liked the most.

number 6 - piofiore fated memories.

heroine: 6/10 story: 6.5/10 characters: 7/10 art: 10/10 enjoyability: 8/10 favorite characters: dante (ishikawa kaito), nicola (kimura ryouhei) and yang (okamoto nobuhiko)

this game centers around the heroine, with the default name liliana adornato, who finds herself entangled in the politics of the region's three most prominent crime organizations. the game has an italian backdrop and iirc, takes place in the 1930s.

the overarching narrative, while it has its fair share of intrigue, isn't the game's strongest point. it's the interactions with the characters themselves that made the game feel worthwhile. each love interest has more to them than what meets the eye, so it's satisfying to watch the relationship between them and the heroine develop.

the heroine takes a passive role throughout much of the game, events sorta just happen to her. still, she has a kind disposition that makes her likable and doesn't make stupid decisions that has you wanting to fling your console across the room. her characterization changes slightly depending on the route. for instance, without getting into spoilers, she's more assertive throughout yang's route. the resulting dynamic made yang's route the most memorable, even if he's my third favorite character from the bunch.

what feels unique to this game is the effort put into the bad endings. in most visual novels, bad endings can feel like gimmicks. you make one or two wrong decisions and you're rewarded with a few paragraphs. the downward spiral of the characters in the bad endings are decently fleshed out and you can see how they arrived at this 'worst' version of themselves. they're suitably dark and it shouldn't come as a surprise that i enjoyed them because of that 😭

then there's the art. it's stunning, the details in each CG are mindboggling. the heroine gets to wear a variety of pretty outfits which is something i like to see. even in the story's weaker moments, a stunning CG would pop up that had me forgiving everything. i still glance through the gallery to this day.

number five - cupid parasite.

heroine: 9.5/10 story: 7/10 characters: 7/10 art: 9/10 enjoyability: 9/10 favorite characters: ryuki keisaiin (junya enoki) & gill lovecraft (kimura ryouhei)

iconic. showstopping. a little bit camp.

cupid parasite stars one of my favorite heroines, lynette. she works as a bridal advisor whose ambition is to ensure everyone finds their soulmate. in actuality, she's the goddess cupid, who left her post in celestia to better understand humanity and create lasting pairs. she's a delight to play as.

this game's presentation and overall aesthetic is the most distinct from any otome game i've played. aside from the presentation, the story itself is unlike any of the others on this list. when it comes to romance, i typically prefer them to be dark and mature. this game opts for a more lighthearted approach. it vacillates between being a romcom and dipping into the absurdist genre. there were times i was literally left speechless (glances at gill's route)... but it makes for an entertaining experience. the game's plenty funny as well.

personally, i enjoyed the more grounded moments when the mythological elements remained in the background. because of this, the true ending doesn't do it for me as much as they do in other games. as with anything, this is a personal preference though. i liked all of the routes and found the game handles the development of each love interest well. we're introduced to these men at their most pathetic and get to help them become a little more well-adjusted. lowering the cringe meter, if you will. it makes their growth all the most satisfying as the narrative progresses.

number four - even if tempest.

heroine: 9/10 story: 8.5/10 characters: 8/10 art: 6/10 enjoyability: 9/10 favorite characters: the heroine herself, tyril i lister (noriaki sugiyama), crius castlerock (makoto furukawa) and lucien neuschburn (kaito ishikawa)

right from the get-go, this game's premise had me hooked. it features the heroine, anastasia (<3!), who leads an incredibly tragic life. she's bestowed the ability to reverse time following each of her deaths and uses this to unravel a mess of mysteries the world's setting is tangled in.

this game is absolutely anastasia's story. without spoiling anything, i loved the approach they took with the time rewinding ability. how it's incorporated is unique to an otome game, which they take full advantage of to amplify the tragic romances. on that note, the romance itself occasionally takes a backseat to the narrative as a whole. personally, i didn't mind this in the moment, since i found the story so interesting. in retrospect, i do wish that we got more moments between the heroine and each love interest, especially in the true ending.

there are more gameplay elements here as well. you have to conduct investigations, gather evidence, and apply what you've learned during these trial segments. when i first read about this, i thought it'd be a gimmick, but i liked playing through them. it incentivizes you to pay extra close attention to the world.

while i liked the narrative as a whole, i do wish we got more worldbuilding. there are hints of political subterfuge and religious oligarchy that, while touched upon, could've been leaned into more to give the setting a distinct feeling.

number three - olympia soiree

heroine: 8/10 story: 8/10 characters: 8/10 art: 10/10 enjoyability: 10/10 favorite characters: akaza (yoshitsugu matsuoka), himuka (shun horie), and yosuga (yuma uchida)

in olympia soirée, the eponymous heroine, olympia, lives in a society divided into castes based on colors. she is the last surviving member of a clan that can perform rituals to keep the sun aglow. this game is a lengthier title, i believe i clocked in around 25 ish hours (i don't use auto-play so that sheds some time). the story benefits from this, as olympia has rich worldbuilding and lore that's revealed throughout the route's progression.

we get to see the consequences of this caste system and olympia's growth as she becomes determined to realize a better future for the islands. this makes the heroine someone that you want to root for. personally, i'm a sucker for stories that center around a sheltered individual being forced to face the harsh realities of the world and maturing in their own way. this, paired with the struggles specific to this setting, make for a gripping backdrop for the character's routes. all the love interests have problems of their own that they need to address.

this is certainly a mature title, there's plenty of steamy scenes featuring gorgeous artwork. seriously... all the pretty CGs are absolute eye candy. i enjoyed the balance between the main narrative and the development of the romantic relationships, i don't remember ever feeling bored.

ironically enough, i think this is the darkest game from the bunch listed here, surpassing the game with actual horror elements. there's a whole litany of trigger warnings to be mindful of when going through the game's bad ends. they are, as the term suggests, Bad. not light or humorous in the slightest. the poor heroine goes through it. please be mindful of these more touchy subjects.

number two - 9 r.i.p

heroine: 8/10 story: 8/10 characters: 9/10 art: 10/10 enjoyability: 10/10 favorite characters: minami (nobuhiko okamoto), hibiki (shunichi toki), kureha (toshiki masuda), and koyo (ryota suzuki)

i was looking forward to the english localization of this game before it was even announced ... i'd been wanting an otome game with this vibe for ages. and it didn't disappoint! there are four different overarching story sections, with two characters each having their routes fall under them. this makes it difficult to give a summary since each route has a vastly different feel. some routes lean heavy into supernatural horror (such as hibiki and kureha), whereas others are just... supernatural (like with yukimaro and koharu).

the basic premise is that the main character, misa, is a high school girl burdened with her career survey. she's uncertain what she wants for the future and is being pressured by his mother to pursue a career in medicine. in one way or another, depending on the story section, she comes into contact with the afterlife and those who inhabit it.

i loved this game, i couldn't put it down. the routes that leaned heavy into horror were my favorites, which shouldn't be a surprise lol. i do feel some love interests were given preferential treatment of others, i wanted more from sena's storyline in particular, since he's voiced by one of my favorite VAs (tetsuya kakihara, the voice of scaramouche) 😭... apparently this game is receiving a fandisc, so hopefully they'll remedy that in the future.

minami stole the show for me. from what i've gauged online, he's a divisive character, you either find him grating or love him (like i do). i'm biased but i do think he has the most interesting and well-written story out of the love interests, i've played through it three times already. i just adored the dynamic between him and the heroine. he's petulant, selfish, and a bit immature, yet he goes to extremes for her as he realizes his unhinged feelings.

hibiki is a close second. the most yandere-coded of the bunch, he's soft-spoken and polite, but that exterior hides a creepy personality. like all of the characters in this game, there's a tragic element to him. i was worried about the role the heroine would play in helping him 'overcome' this, but i think they handled it well. it doesn't feel like the heroine's fixing him so much as she's helping him have a different perspective on certain events.

yeah i'm not normal about this game, i cannot recommend it enough. it would've taken the top slot if some of the routes were a bit more polished. i didn't care for yukimaro's at all, for example. routes like minami's, hibiki's, and koyo's more than make up for it though.

number one - collar x malice

heroine: 10/10 story: 10/10 characters: 10/10 art: 10/10 enjoyability: 10/10 favorite characters: takeru sasazuka (daisuke namikawa), kei okazaki (yuki kaji), and aiji yanagi (masakazu morita)

the holy grail. the otome games that died for our sins. this isn't just a good otome game, it's an excellent story, with a very human cast, commentary on issues like the nature of crime, and you're left wanting to solve the various mysterious as much as the heroine does. speaking of the heroine, miss hoshino ichika is my all-time favorite heroine. she's clever, resolute, compassionate, and you can't help but fall in love with her a little yourself 😭😭

i'm not sure if this makes sense, but the world feels very... full? you get this sense that ichika exists outside just interacting with the love interests. she has her career, friends, and her younger brother that act as more than passing NPCs. the writers ensured all the characters with portraits are given some level of depth. i left caring about more characters than the heroine and love interests.

each route is dedicated to working through a certain case, which keeps the story intriguing as you progress. finally, all of the little hints that have been littered throughout coalesce into the 'true' route, where questions you've had since the first chapter are given satisfactory conclusions. at the same time, you're left wondering about a few things, such as the complete philosophy of the main antagonist.

ichika's relationship with each of the love interests develops alongside the case they're investigating, which almost always have connections or parallels to the LI's past. this helped ground them in reality and flesh them out into dynamic characters. you come to care deeply about them alongside ichika. the romance feels earned and doesn't come on too fast, which some otome games suffer from.

if you like otome games and haven't played collar x malice yet, i fully recommend it!!!!!!!! it's the strongest title from what i've played so far.

[httpsleclerc]

somewhere in switzerland

synopsis: Mick Schumacher is down sososo bad for his girlfriend and everything she does!

warnings: none I don't think?? maybe pregnancy !

a/n: Mick and Vettel!reader my babies <33 also!! they're parents here because I said so and I am SO AWARE that Sebastian and Hanna's ages do not match up but that is not my problem right now!

word count: 2k words !

my masterlist!

No one had ever known why, but everywhere you went, everyone loved you. Maybe it was because you were the carbon copy of your dad, a positive ray of sunshine which broke up the heaviest of clouds on the darkest and rainiest of days, it was like you were an angel on earth, and Mick Schumacher kissed the very ground you walked on. It would have been impossible for him to not fall in love with you, you were so genuine, so kind - He couldn't point his finger on why, but something about you made him want to wrap you up in bubble wrap and protect your precious attitude from the big, bad harsh world, even though you were well acquainted with just how cruel the world could be. 

You grew up with as minimal spotlight on your childhood as Sebastian and Hanna could protect you from, but it wasn't always possible for them to be around and protect you 24/7 - The pressure was sometimes unbearable, you were expected to want to follow down the same career path as your father, which you did, but you wanted to do it on your own accord because this was your passion as well as his, you could make a name for yourself without needing much assistance from your dad and Sebastian made sure that you knew you could do this for yourself. Your parents knew that you wanted this so badly, but because you were a girl, you would face so many more hurdles than a male would trying to get into this sport, all because you were a girl. However, all the hardships you faced on your route to formula one did not deter your infectious, positive spirit - As seen by how the entire grid almost worshipped the ground you walked on. 

I mean, how could you not?

You, Y/N Vettel, the paddock princess, the golden shilling of Red Bull Racing when it came to performance, despite your treatment from your team principal and your teammates father - It never deterred you from being the kindest soul to grace the earth. Even in your current championship battle with Max, you both held enormous amounts of respect for each other, having almost grown up together. 

And that was what made Mick Schumacher the luckiest man alive. He was lucky, and he knew it - Lucky to be on this earth at the same time as you, lucky to have met you while your fathers competed together, lucky to have told you that he loved you at the age of 14, and here you were over 10 years later, still as in love as ever.

somewhere in Switzerland.

Mick smiled to himself as he woke up, the gentle shine of the sun peeking through the curtains of your bedroom, casting a beautiful light across your face. He turned on his side as he got comfy again, looking at you beside him, sleeping peacefully - He knew that it would be considered odd, but he could watch you sleep forever. 

"I know you're staring, Micki," You grumbled, shuffling closer to him for warmth. Mick blushed as he tried not to laugh, knowing that he had been caught by you. "Stop looking at me, I look gross this early in the morning." You said, voice muffled as you hid your face in his chest. He grinned as he wrapped his strong arms around you, pulling you around so you were laying on top of him.

"You never look gross, my love," He smiled, placing a small, gentle kiss on your lips. You groaned as you sat up, placing your hands on Mick's chest to balance yourself. "Oh, I think I like where this is going." Mick tried not to laugh at the corniness of his tone, but burst out laughing as you rolled your eyes.

"You are so not funny, Mick," You deadpanned, watching as his face faltered at your unamused tone. "I'm kidding!" You laughed at the instant relief on your boyfriend's face as you watched him realise that you weren't actually mad at him.  The two of you were too caught up in your little interaction, that you missed the patter of two sets of little feet coming down the hallway, their small voices whispering in a quiet hush.

"Mama?" You turned your head to the bedroom door to see your son standing there, your small daughter behind him. Felix, your son, had been a surprise. You had never expected to fall pregnant at the age of 19, and telling your dad, who you knew had been working tirelessly to get you that red bull seat, made you feel even more ill.

"Mick, I think I'm going to throw up again, he's going to kill me," You sat in your car with your boyfriend, parked outside of your parents house, building up the courage to walk in and tell them that you wouldn't be racing next season because you were pregnant. Mick reached over to hold your hand, a gesture he had been showing a lot as of late - He wasn't sure on how to try and comfort you other than being there for you and telling you how well you were doing.

"He's not, love. Your dad loves you and wants what's best for you, he'll know sitting next season out is what's best for you, and plus, you're already 12 weeks so maybe you can get some free practice laps in in the car at the end of the season," he explained to you, hoping it would provide you with some sense of reassurance. "No matter what happens, you know you have my support, I love you and I love our baby." He placed a small yet reassuring kiss on your cheek, knowing that if he kissed you on the lips you'd probably throw up.

You let out a deep sigh as you realised that it would soon get to the point where you couldn't hide it from your parents anymore, and you had to tell them. "Mick?" he hummed in response, looking over at you, nothing but love and admiration for you in his baby blues. "Can you still hold my hand?" He smiled, nodding and raising your hand up to his lips, pressing a small kiss onto it.

"I'll always hold your hand, my love."

Your daughter, Freja, had been less of a surprise, with you and Mick having received Felix's Christmas list, in which he had asked Father Christmas for a new baby sibling - Thanks to the fact that your parents were still somehow popping out siblings for you, and that Felix was older than your youngest brother. It had worked out that you were out of a seat for the next season, and this may be your only chance to have your next baby.

When you told Mick that you were happy to try for another baby, it didn't take him long to get you pregnant again.

It was after Freja that you told Mick no more babies, not at least until you retired - Which you claimed to be at least another 4 years away.

"Hey you two, you okay?" You quickly got off of Mick's lap, and made your way over to your two small children, with Freja immediately holding her arms up for you to carry her. "You're getting heavy, baby girl." You joked, tickling your daughter's tummy and smiling as you heard her giggle and cuddle you as much as she could with her little arms. You held Freja at one side, bending down to pick Felix up on the other side and holding him close to you.

From your bed, Mick smiled at the sight of you with your two children. He knew how hard you found it when you were gone, how much you missed your little ones and how much it broke your heart to hear either of them crying, asking their dad when you would be back home with them. With your two children in your arms, you made your way over to yours and Mick's bed, handing him over your son as Freja had been going through her velcro baby phase - Although you did think it would have ended when she at least turned two, but now you just had a clingy 3 year old - However you didn't mind, Felix was the same, and you knew that neither of them would be this small and dependent on you again.

You sighed contentedly as you lay in bed with your family, mulling over your next thought before you said it out loud, chewing on the inside of your cheek as you considered it.

"You okay love?..You seem...distracted," Mick noticed how deep in thought you were, almost having zoned out where it not for the noise the toddler in your arms was making.

"...If I win the championship this year, I'm retiring after Abu Dhabi," You told him, remaining serious so this time he knew that you weren't joking. "I want to see them grow up but I want to see them be kids too, I can't do that from halfway across the world." You spoke, smoothing the mop of curly hair on Freja's head as well as you could.

"Oh...have you spoken to your dad?" You nodded, a small smile on your face as you leaned in closer to him with your daughter still clinging to you.

"Yeah, he was the first person I told, he spoke to Horner too...he wants you to do some testing to maybe take over my seat." You told him, watching as a small sheepish smile graced his face, he had been struggling to get a seat in F1, having to resort to a reserve driver at both Alpine and Mercedes, but never getting the chance to get a drive.

"Y/N.." 

"I know, I know, you don't have to take it Mick, but think about it, okay?"

sometime later, Abu Dhabi

With the German national anthem blaring in your ears, Max and Charles on a podium at either side of you, you burst into tears. You had won your championship, made your country, your parents, your love, and your children proud. But this was also your last formula one podium. Your last national anthem. Your last champagne pop. The last spray with your race engineer.

This was it.

But this was also it! You were going home, you were going to be with your children, to be a constant in their lives. You knew that your replacement would be up to the job, anyone that came to red bull after yourself or Max had huge shoes to fill, but your replacement had champions blood in him, he would also bring your country pride.

more time later, Abu Dhabi 

You stood down at the gates, looking up as you saw Mick up the top step of the podium, having dazzled Red Bull and winning the championship on his first run with the team. Tears sprung to your eyes, you didn't bother to wipe them as your hands were occupied between holding Felix and Freja's smaller ones.

With your mom at your side, you rested your head on her shoulder, pride swelling in your chest at just how well your successor had done at replacing you.

"Y/N, are you sure you don't want to go and sit in the garage?" Hanna asked you, looking at you with concern - Despite having 2, soon to be 3, kids of your own, you were still your mom's baby. You sniffled as you shook your head, smiling up at Mick as he stepped down from the top podium and waved to the 4 of your, winking at you before popping the champagne and spraying Lando and Oscar. 

[mykaelaaa]

detour that lingered

✰ helly r x fem!reader // 4k

✰helly's fed up with lumon and needs a distraction. that makes the two of you.

clicks.

so. many. clicks.

thousands of them made in the past five minutes. maybe more.

you're not really sure. all done by your work colleagues while your hands rested on the desk. cold and almost lifeless. work-wise speaking, anyway.

wide, luminous square of light above you started producing annoying buzz-like hum three weeks ago, exactly on tuesday at 10:03 a.m.

it's drilling in your head but somehow, no one else seems to be bothered. you did report the issue. and in return got million-dollar response from the multimillion-dollar company saying:

"thank you for reporting the malfunction. we will do our very best to make sure your surroundings are as comfortable and enjoyable as we can. but remember, be grateful for what you have, because Lumon has your back."

milchick's refined words, of course.

delivered with his wide smile that fools concerningly big amount of people. well, minus the one if you think more thorough.

time passes agonizingly slow here.

staring at the screen and scattered numbers that still, after months in here, don't really seem to make sense.

you glance down at the bracelet on your wrist. you don't know anything about it. nor the clothes you bought, or where. or how come you picked just this color of the shirt but not a different one. why does your pen holder keep moving even though you swear you put it somewhere else. who in the right mind decided forest and football field green was the office aesthetic?

it's trapping.

sometimes, when you are bored out of your mind, which happens way too often, the green of the desks and flooring all morph into one big green blob, obscuring your vision and you don't know how it happens except blink a few times until it disappears. but lately it stopped.

and you know who's to blame, partially that is. for snatching a few seconds of so rare and precious serenity away.

ever since helly replaced petey, red came into the picture and it was no longer monotonous green.

it's always peeking in the corner of your eyes. one minute it looks like she just left the photoshoot for whatever fancy office magazine out there. the next, it's ruffled by her hands and she's two numbers away from losing her sanity.

but you like her. as a coworker, obviously. well, okay. a bit more than that. but that's debatable and confined deep inside of you for now.

it's just extremely refreshing another person recognizes the deranged, whatever the fuck this is, going on in the building. and they don't only nod along and go chase numbers on autopilot.

she's funny, terribly sarcastic, talented at giving you side eye when something stands out—most importantly, biggest Lumon hater next to you.

others are okay. to put it plainly.

dylan is funny on occasions but too hooked about reaching 100% for some reason. at times it makes you feel bad. to each their own.

irv is undeniably a wise, old guy outside the work. the one that knows a little bit of everything about, well everything. and he loves art.

mark is mark. sometimes there, sometimes lost in thought. carrying that specific and awkward type of humor that makes you feel like you should laugh but also unsure if it was a joke or just a remark that sounded like one. but you're more than welcome for anything that stands out in these four walls.

but helly? she actually asks things.

your first interaction with her was a disaster. which is amazing, by the way. she reminded you of yourself on the first day. a shitty attempt at escaping you did, running in circles and stuck in a loop of doors and hallways. each leading to nowhere hopeful.

you sat back and waited, watching it unfold. feeling slight remorse of how good it felt, knowing she will realize there's no way out. that will make the two of you.

that was helly's first warm welcome here and you couldn't relate more.

by the time milchick caught up with her, you were sure you still hold a record of how many times you saw mr. milchick in one shift. about twenty three.

you should ask helly how many times she ran into him that day.

a day after, you saw her hand pulling the divider down, scooching forwards a bit. a sweet, covert whisper reached you.

"do you know what the fuck is going on here?" heavy emphasis on 'what the fuck'.

you had to just stare at her frozen, caught between "oh my god finally" and "wait, will it be worth it?" and then, since it was the best thing that has happened since you got here, you grinned like an idiot. thanking kier internally.

but also, you felt pity for her. you tried, you complained, oh so many times but met a dead end street. you know milchick hates to see your head tilted and eyes narrowed. forming an actual smart question that throws the unusual work conditions in the spotlight. milchick being milchick, just gives you his programmed response.

if she keeps this up, you owe her a drink.

somehow. if lumon introduces alcohol.

"what you thinking about?"

her voice dragged you back to reality. you blink, shifting your focus off the screen where number 6 is floating like it's waiting for you to do something about it.

helly's watching you, head propped on one hand, looking amused. her eyes—lumon's os standard shade of whatever blue—should blend perfectly into the dullness of this place.

but they don't. somehow they don't.

you grew fond of it. maybe.

you shift in your seat. recalling what have you been truly been dozing off about. but it's a failed attempt.

"just your usual, loyal mdr employee stuff. thriving to reach 100."

she snorts, quietly. and your chest feels weirdly warm. it's been happening a lot lately. since you cracked the code of her sarcasm.

god. you're really starting to pick up mark's jokes.

"hmmm." she draws it out like she's considering something. "shame. i thought you had some mastermind prison break plan in the making."

you smirk, letting your eyes glaze over her features just a little. "maybe i do?"

helly raises a brow. "that so?"

"you know, almost a year here does wonders to your imagination. maybe my outtie is married to a drug lord with, like, fifteen escape routes if we get ambushed. therefore my talent."

you sigh and add, "but instead i'm stuck here. like a bird in a cage, forgetting what flying is like."

she narrows her eyes like she's analyzing you. but it feels different than when milchick does it. better. "oh, wow. that's the most poetic thing you ever said."

"you haven't been here long enough then."

she clicked her tongue smoothly, "gotta make sure to use most of my time on that then."

irving's head peeks out from the green barrier. "ladies. more work, less talk."

helly throws you the 'how the hell did he even hear?' look. you just shrug.

"breaks soon anyway, irv." mark chimes in, though he sounds disinterested about the idea of break. you get him. not much opportunities to get your mind to shut off besides the vending machine.

"yes i know, mark. that doesn't mean we can all chit-chat."

"are you trying to be the good guy here just because she's new?" dylan said, leaning back in his chair that made a screeching sound. he turned his attention to helly, dead serious. "don't listen to him. his bathroom breaks? he's been sneaking off to see some guy from—"

"dylan, that's irrelevant—"

"no it's not, irving." dylan keeps going but you were too busy being overwhelmed with helly jabbing you in the ribs.

you flinch. "what?"

helly, still pressed lightly your side, doesn't even look guilty about it. she's close. close enough her knee is barely brushing against yours. enough that the space left is borderline nonexistent but you can feel it anyway. and it feels like there's a heavy boulder on your back.

it's new. but it feels nice.

when and why did she get so close without you noticing?

she tilts her head a bit and you can feel her hair enveloping your shoulder. it sounds ridiculous but it feels like it's burning straight to your shirt.

"come with me to the supply room."

it's not a question but more of a silent order. your throat dries up and it feels burning. you shift and your hands, like they got a mind on their own, latched onto the nearest thing it landed which was your shirt. you smooth it out for no apparent reason.

"for what?"

"i don't know. office supplies?" she deadpans like it should've been obvious. it is obvious. you just couldn't focus.

you quickly dissect the desk. there are more than enough pens in the holder. sticky notes are untouched and started to collect dust. two hundred and thirty eight of yellow notes last time you counted. judging the way helly's desk is the same, you catch on it.

yeah. this is not about the damn supplies.

helly wheels back out of the way, making room. still waiting on you get along with the idea.

so you push your chair like it's an announcement. irving gave you a quick, iffy look like he saw this as an opportunity to get dylan off his back and shift the topic on you two. but before he could, you stretch your arms out like you're letting out the negative energy of intense, office labor.

"gonna grab some stuff," you claim, standing. "ms. helly, you coming?"

she's already up, rolling her eyes. "obviously."

dylan just snickers, mark doesn't even bother giving a second glance.

the pair footsteps barely make a sound against the tedious green carpet. competing with the noise of the ever buzzing lights.

you wonder if the redhead next to you, who's on a very serious mission to reach the supply closet, ever noticed those little things. and it's not like you're in a rush to get back to the desk either.

when you reach the room she wastes no time. helly briefly stepped aside to let you enter first before following behind. the second you stepped in, discerning same smell of paper and metal hit you.

helly swings the door shut behind you with more force than needed.

she exhales. loudly. did it echo that much or helly r. just pulls you into different realm by doing frankly anything?

you catch her breath hitch for a split second. it looks like she craved this. this getaway or whatever you name it. her shoulders relax against the wall and you feel weirdly happy for her. you would like to be the reason she feels at ease, but you can't just self proclaim the title "i made helly feel good" without her approval.

that sounds wrong the more you repeat it in your head.

"finally," she mutters under her breath, sinking in the surface deeper before pushing off.

"one more minute there and i'd throw myself in the printer or something and hoped for the best."

you huff a quiet laugh, adding, "tried and it didn't work."

helly smiles, one corner of her lips tugging up. and you should probably not stare for too long. it's inappropriate. that's what they say. i mean, it's logical. so you look around the room and—wow.

nothing changed. dry and uninspiring as always—stacks of papers fanatically sorted by colors, and too many cardboard boxes with useless serial numbers.

"so," you start, not knowing what is it that you're about to say. or why does your mouth run faster than the brain. and why does the room feel smaller, like someone turned the heat up.

and why is helly, now on the opposite side of the room, suddenly so engrossed in a shelf of supplies she's seen a thousand times—so engaged it feels like she's not here for a moment.

you sigh, slow and even. "what do we need?"

helly smirks like she was waiting for you to ask. "nothing really."

"i figured."

helly watched you for a second more before grabbing a pack of staplers off the shelf. not really doing anything worthwhile with it—just to keep her hands busy. her fingers tap against the box restlessly, spinning it around, shaking it, repeating the cycle. like she desperately wants to be occupied, and it made you anxious.

"needed an excuse," she admits, voice just a bit hushed but not unheard.

"for?"

she shrugs, giving the box one last twirl before setting it down. her mouth twitches like she's holding a grin from escaping, eyes tracing from the shelves to the floor, to the lonely chair in the corner meant for short employees, and then you.

her lower lip disappears between her teeth, careful not to ruin the lipstick. she leans back against the closet, hands slipping and intertwining behind her. the distance between is only a few steps away but it felt like she's a scorching furnace right in front of you.

"maybe to get the fuck away from that desk and pretending like any of this shit is normal," she dips in the closet even further, voice laced with a raw honesty. "i mean, who the fuck hunts scary looking numbers for a job?" helly snorts, openly fed up with it all.

she expects you to understand. and you do. of course you do.

"and, like… you're pretty much the only one that gets it." helly adds softly and again, the thing in your stomach twists, turns and before you know it, she had you smiling.

you shift your weight, mirroring her stance without meaning to. it's the most natural thing you've done since carving out fruit in shape of kier's face and putting an x sign over it of for some useless lumon anniversary thing.

"alright then, miss helly r. tell me everything."

her eyes flicker with curiosity, and maybe slight suspicion—but she grins anyway. "everything?"

"yeah. i can't team up with someone who's also really keen on burning this shithole down without knowing them."

helly scoffs, crossing her arms but there's amusement behind that. "we are severed, you know. think we're kinda missing 90% of the lore here."

"no, not like that." you explain, taking a break to think. "tell me…tell me who do you think is the worst dressed here? or who's outtie has a dungeon in their basement?"

her lips quirk and it feels like a veil of something unspoken just fell over your figures—the realization, maybe a relief, a shimmer of whatever the third option may be.

helly tilts her head and considers, "worst dressed? gotta be milchick."

you raise a brow playfully, "milchick? really?"

"yes, like a hundred percent." she lazily slumps forward and shakes her head, "that man looks like he lost a bet and has to walk around like that. and the moustache?"

you let out a laugh, staring down at the floor. clutching your shirt with one hand dramatically. "you don't like a moustache? helly r?"

helly rolls her eyes, giving you a look before pointing at you. "okay, your turn. dungeon."

"mark."

"no fucking way."

"it's always the quiet and normal ones you least expect."

she clicks her tongue in denial, "he's too stuck up for that. but hear me out," she leans as if she's about to reveal mindblowing rumour, "dylan."

there's not much you can disagree with to be honest. "well—fine, i can see it." you take in a deep breath, same smell of stale paper hanging in the air.

"who's the best looking around here?"

"wow, i met like less than ten people."

"that's more than plenty."

helly exhaled sharply, eyes wandering everywhere but at your direction. "well," she dragged out, "definitely not cobel. unless you're into having affair with your boss that's thirty years older than you."

now, that made you dwell on it in silence more than helly would like. to the point her expression started to transform into a concerning one.

you found it amusing, although it's better to start explaining yourself.

"i can look past that if it means i can get out of here." nice save. holds bit truth to it.

redhead was still worried, wheels turning in her head and she nodded in flimsy approval. "you know what? i like how determined you are to the point you'd get with our boss."

helly laughed. and for the first time in ages she felt okay.

okay. safe. distracted. something she thought was impossible ever since she got here. it wouldn't be a stretch for her to say it's addicting. you're addicting and this impromptu trip to get away. she'd rather stay here and count papers one by one with you than be in the office, divided by desks.

she scratches her head in thought and clears her throat. "milchick can look charming but he would just turn out to be an ass."

"and the moustache."

"dealbreaker. immediate."

"and mdr candidates?"

the silence eats her alive and she wonders if you can see it. she supposes you wait for her to continue. but it feels like someone drove nails in her shoes and wrapped chains around her. she fixes her posture. paces in place for a moment, aware there's nothing more comfortable to lean on in here anyway. but she knows better than not to speak what's on her mind.

"i guess it's you." man. straight to the point.

not mark? isn't that a delight. "me? really?"

you watch her furrow her brows and swear she looks offended. "yeah, what? who do you think i was gonna say? irv—"

"—i don't know." helly watched your short lived and secretly nervous detour, dragging your shoulder against the closets that stopped once you faced her. arm length of distance. "maybe mark. you hesitated." your finger pointing at her made her feel like a kid sent into a corner.

"i was thinking."

"about mark?"

she glares at you, but it lacks any real malice. helly stays there. she doesn't move or back away. and you start to notice things that you have noticed before, but it feels almost privileged and paralyzing.

yes, she always smelled memorable—you realized that on the very first day she arrived because it was new and not industrial-made air freshener. her perfume lingered in the elevator at the beginning and end of every shift, right now it's seizing every sense you have. and you let it, like it's a matter of life or death.

before you can be smarter about this—not that you want to—your eyes dart over her face. the maroon of her hair catches the white glow of the room like copper. there's a faint scar near her temple, scarcely hidden under the strands. familiar dips of her smile lines are harder to make out, replaced by lips set firm—but not too firm. like they want to say something. but they never do.

no voices, no music, no window that casts wind and traffic, yet it feels like your breaths would suppress all of it if given.

on paper, this looks like a terrible idea. but in practice? it's rare and tempting. especially for a lumon employee.

you reach out to put one hand on the nape of her neck, hesitating halfway. helly took it as a implied question of yes or no. she could tell that much. instead of saying it with fear her voice might fail her, she decided to suck it up and take your hand and guide it where you wished. fingers nearly intertwining like you've both done this hundred of times before, creating a habit.

helly was never this close to someone. physically and mentally.

she doesn't know what her outtie does, with who, how or when. does she have a spouse? kids? is she widowed or divorced? will her outtie ever run into you and remember? any of this?

a brisk worry that you should be getting back to the office dashed through your mind. but it was discarded as quickly as it came.

"listen—i," helly whispered. there was everything and nothing in her head at the same time. exhausted of this job and every day being the same as the one before.

she swallowed harshly, "i know we can't be doing this by—by some dumb company rules but it…"

"it's okay if—"

"no. i mean, it feels right," she nods carefully, like she's convincing both of you. "it feels nice."

neither of you know how to do this properly. or if there's a way to do so. there's a general idea of it. kissing, sex, intimacy and all that comes along.

after all, lumon didn't pass a rule forbidding such profane acts for no reason.

helly smiles faintly, delicately putting her hands on your waist and tugging you closer. fingers dancing on your hips. it was all done in a tender manner, making you wonder she pulled out this sudden confidence out of her pocket while you were daydreaming.

perhaps she was always like this. just another thing to uncover about helly r. amongst many.

it was mutual, bound to happen and next to world ending.

your heads tilted in sync, felt her hands froze on your waist and yours were trapped under her hair upon contact. helly's nose bumped against your cheek along with her bangs tickling your forehead. her lips were lightly chapped, inviting you in. deeper and deeper for more without knowing what that 'more' signifies.

helly backed away and it took her absurd amount of willpower to do so. she rested her forehead against yours. breaths combining together, fast paced like you've both been running down the hallway from entirety of lumon.

"i don't know how to do this," you barely made it sound coherent.

she chuckled, and for this newfound proximity, it ringed in your ears differently. "me neither but it's good."

with no effort helly reeled you back in, fingers brought back in life—now gripping at your clothes. it was more eager and natural. her lips chased yours and she let low groans sneak past her. it was a new sound to you, that caused you to lose control over your own hands too. tangled in her hair that was unsurprisingly soft. you tried to pull her even closer but it was nearing the impossible.

do you even have the right to do all of these things right now?

your back hit the closet. making the irrelevant boxes shake, threatening to fall down. helly's hot breath was all that you could feel as it slid down your cheek, to the jaw and up to your ear. making you shudder. she didn't give one single shit about the cameras and mics.

"how—how far can i-we go?"

seriously? she slightly winced when you tugged her by the roots just to see her better. she looked down at you with some feral look you haven't seen before. panting and gasping. hair disheveled by your fault.

"i don't know helly. all the way."

she doesn't know either. she has faint idea that will involve bunch of improvising but she doesn't care. if needed, she can survive off doing just this.

before you could react, she grasped your jaw gently. forcing you to tear your eyes away from her and be taken care of.

helly settled between your neck, leaving kisses on your collarbone and what's exposed. you smell of something so sweet and distinctive it's like a drug to her. waiting on your reactions because she can't be too greedy. even if she wants to.

"fuck—helly," it was overwhelming. and hearing you, all torn apart, made her weak of all sorts. making her moan near your ear, which was like a last straw of the day.

"helly…i-just…"

"i know," helly breathed out. she feels it too, if not twice as intense than you. but she can't compete right now.

her hands travelled down, lower and lower and you bucked your hips into nothing. she let you guide her lips back, cupping her face. she registers no one in the whole fucking department ever handled her with such care. she allows herself to sink in your touch.

and before you reconnected, your noses bump again. uneven breaths and surrendering knees and—

"so, uh—break is like, almost finished. hope you're all good in there."

mark.

helly hoped she will never hear any of them again.

"is he fucking with us right now?" she speaks with eyes still closed. either in disbelief and let-down or to get back together.

"yeah-yeah, some stuff kinda—fell off the shelves so we had to clean up." you yell out. holding onto helly's shoulders for support.

"oh. yeah, happened to me month ago or so. just uh, try to get it cleaned up in five minutes."

you looked back at the redhead that stared like she had received a letter from lumon saying they approved of her quitting the job.

"what?"

"this is not finished. it's not over, we ain't done, we—"

"—okay, okay. you had your chances to get me in the supply room before and now you want to make up for all of them. i don't think so." you teased like you don't wanna stay here forever. hoping the handle broke or something so you're caged in.

"yes and no. i didn't know what i was missing out."

if someone was to tell helly you have some magnetic superpower in you, she would have believed it. she doesn't want to remove her hands off you, or let the heat you two created go back to usual lumon's cold, or see you in the office hunting numbers rather than her lips.

but she has to adapt and get her way somehow. and she will. win both you and that 'leave' letter.

[martian-astro10]

Arudha lagna in signs (sidereal chart, whole signs)- Part 2

- part 1 is here

AL in LIBRA - like Leo, people may see you as someone who has many secret admirers. You may also be the mediator in your friend group. People may see you as someone who is very social and charming but also clever and cunning. You guys may want to maintain a good bond with everyone and this is why your stance on a lot of things is neutral. With this, people definitely think you are beautiful. You guys can come across as really manipulative though and this may cause many people to hate you. People can perceive you as a superficial person, they might think that you care more about appearances. You may victimise yourself a lot, like, having everything that a person could ask for but still whining about little things. I have noticed that these people end up making a lot of enemies, and most of the times it's unintentional. I really don't know why though. You know those politicians who are just as bad as the others but people think they're nice because they're good looking and "sweet", (Justin Trudeau 👀) that would be you guys. If it's more positively aspected then people will see the positives of the sign in you and vice versa.

AL in SCORPIO - my mom and my mom's younger brother who stole all the inheritance, both have this placement 😭. I feel like I've seen both the best and the worst parts of this one. People definitely see you as cunning and strategic, they may think that you'll go to any lengths to be successful. Many people don't actually know what to perceive you as, they think that your personality constantly changes, depending on who you are with. You can also be seen as a great business person, despite having many failed ventures. People may want to be your close friend so they can benefit from the power that you have. You may have trouble opening up to people and that's why you come across as secretive, but I feel like you guys actually just don't know how to be expressive, it's not intentional. You guys may have a lot of broken relationships because of your trust issues and controlling nature, but also because you have such high standards which no human being can reach because nobody is perfect. I feel like men with this placement can't keep it in their pants 😭. You can also be destructive leaders. You are also extremely adventurous, more than Aries or Sagittarius, you'll do ANYTHING as long as you think that the reward is worth it. If it's more positively aspected then people will see the positives of the sign in you and vice versa.

AL in SAGITTARIUS - love these people tbh, you can be seen as the epitome of the "chill guy" meme. But you can also be serious when the situation calls for it. My mom's older brother has this, he's a Libra ascendant but has all the traits of a Sagittarius. People may love spending time with you because of how funny and playful you are. You come across as a very charming person but unlike leo and Libra, it's your personality rather than your face. You can be seen as kind of impulsive though, like, you know those guys who do stupid stuff like standing on a bike while riding it but still come out alive, that's you. Since it's ruled by Jupiter, you are very much seen as someone philosophical, the type of person who constantly acts like a preacher (can be annoying sometimes). You can be seen as someone who holds a grudge for a LOOONG time, a person might have said something to you when you were 10 and you'll still refuse to talk to them or let them know what they did whenever you see them. You also hate it when people call you out on your shit because in your mind, you're the most intelligent and only your views matter. People view you as extremely childish. If it's more positively aspected then people will see the positives of the sign in you and vice versa.

AL in CAPRICORN - (I HAVE THIS), you are seen as someone who is mature for their age. People may think that you're very disciplined, responsible and like to follow a set routine. So many of my classmates have told me that they think I'm all of the above because I live alone. You can also be seen as ambitious and hardworking. People may think that you are very much focused on materialistic things and you may come across as someone who is not good at making emotional connections. Also, i don't know if it's just me but people have told me that I look sad all the time....i remember this one time a guy said "why do you always have a rainy cloud on top of your head"...yeah. You can be intolerant of others opinions and can be overly critical of others. People may also think that you are condescending (which you are not btw, everyone around you is just stupid). I feel like you may be more into tough love, and want people to be more practical and this can make them not like you because a lot of times, all that people want is a hug. You hate slow people and want everything to be done ASAP. You look annoyed all the time. People may also think that you're intimidating. If it's more positively aspected then people will see the positives of the sign in you and vice versa.

AL in AQUARIUS - I have many friends with this and if there's one thing that I can say with complete confidence, it's that, people definitely see you as a progressive person. Everyone i know with this is so outspoken about LGBTQ, feminist, and wars and issues like these. People may think that you have a strong sense of justice and want to make this world a better place for everyone. Your actions are guided by compassion. People may love your ideas as they're always so unique and easy to implement. Similar to Capricorn, you guys can be condescending as well, and may have a "my way or the highway" attitude. It's like, you believe in things so strongly that it pisses you off when others don't do the same. You guys can be unreliable friends, you expect people to be there for you but won't do the same for others. You are also be prone to ghosting people. People may not like how overconfident you are, you think you know everything, you have certain opinions and you'll not change them no matter what happens. It's like, all your knowledge comes from books and not real life experience, so you can come across as naive, kind of like, keyboard warriors. If it's more positively aspected then people will see the positives of the sign in you and vice versa.

AL in PISCES - I know a few people with this and they all look like pushovers, I'm sorry 😭. People see them as a creative person and then they think of ways to take advantage of that creativity. You may be perceived as someone who is always "lost", you just have this aloof expression on your face. I feel like these people need a good, strong companion so that their more positive traits come out. They look like they won't be able to function alone. Unlike Aquarius, your compassion comes from real life experiences. I honestly see these people going to dangerous areas and helping people. As much as I love them, I wouldn't want to be very close to them. People may think that you're very moody and can react in a sort of dangerous way if someone rejects you, it's like when pearl says "NO! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME IF I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, I THOUGHT YOU LIKED ME!" You may be prone to overthinking as well, and then become very clingy which turns people off. You might be bad at communication and not tell people what's wrong which again leads them to see you as closed off. If it's more positively aspected then people will see the positives of the sign in you and vice versa.

© martian-astro All rights reserved, 2024

[deadlysoupy]

my take on who gets most props with caterina in a romance with lucanis, based on rook's faction. (rook de riva gets a free pass, at least she'd be familiar with their family members, but any other rook? there's going to be... some friction) (open to discussion! i have not played many factions i'm just basing this on my experiences)

gray warden rook might not be too bad. i think she'd respect someone in their position, constantly facing death and fighting against evil. it'd be a little bit too "knight in shining armour" for her and she'd still be sceptical, but they'd be off the hook for now. tolerable

shadow dragons aren't too fucked either since minrathous' been taken over by venatori, i'd say she'd even sympathise with them. same goal. raised by the military? also not bad, probably knows discipline

mourn watch rook is also an interesting case. sure, they're freaky, necromancy is definitely not caterina's soft spot, nor is any mage business, and this is where the tables start to flip. they aren't from a noble house, (i think) they don't have much to their name, they're a Crypt Baby, which is very funny but also so unapproachable to caterina. if they're sophisticated and smooth like emmrich, though, i could see her warming up to the idea. very slowly

veil jumpers??? whoo boy let's go into an uncharted territory. dealing with anything magic- or fade-related would probably set her off so much, i think it would take years, if not decades, for caterina to come to terms with that. they're an enigma she can't figure out. their job is dangerous, but they do it for free?? what is it that they even do??? 3\10 she wouldn't recommend

(my personal favourite) lords of fortune come last. where do i even fucking START. she would be absolutely FURIOUS to find out her beloved grandson thrashed in bed with rook laidir. are you kidding me. those no-good treasure hunters? i wouldn't be surprised if one of them stole something from the crows, possibly even house dellamorte. they have no privileges, they have no estate, they're a pirate, their leader is Isabela, for Maker's sake, they collect gold because Shiny, they killed a noble for threatening to take over the country. there's no winning here. no matter how you look at it lof rook would be her least favourite. i think they'd get a lot of support from teia and viago (well, more teia) but it still wouldn't win them a lot of favours. she might even try to separate them at some point. imagine the drama

[strawberrystepmom]

bakugou x f!reader. part 2 of a mini series called by heart. part 1 can be found here. cw: mentions of alcohol, implied sexual content, weddings. | word count: 1.7k, reading time: ~10 minutes

The welcome dinner went off without a hitch. The bride and groom sat next to each other, glowing and in love and sneaking glances the entire evening. Several other bridal party members and assorted early arrivals joined the soon to be newlyweds, yourself, and a very frosty Katsuki. You pushed bangs belonging to a very drunk Shinsou Hitoshi off of his face to help him see and sent him off to the elevator safely. That call a member of the bridal party very nearly made to her ex while she was kind of drunk and missing him? Thwarted thanks to the communal pep talk she was given before you took her up to her room.

There will always be small dramas whenever the entirety of your group of friends is in one room, usually ones that everyone communally knows about. The issue is that nobody knows about what happened between you and Katsuki so the tension seems kind of out of nowhere.

“You were like all over him the last time, what happened?” Ashido asked you with a sigh while you waved her off and opted to remove the heat from yourself by asking her about her relationship status. 

If she’s noticed you know it’s going to become an unavoidable issue if the two of you cannot talk it out. The need to just get past it influenced your decision to invite him into the hotel bar with you to start with, as bad of an idea as it’s proving to be. Public is probably not the best venue to have a personal conversation but you know he doesn’t want you in his room and you definitely don’t want him back in yours and this bar is just intimate enough it’s unlikely anyone will overhear unless they’re trying very hard. 

“Are you going to actually talk or are we going to sit here and watch each other drink all night?”

Despite yourself, you laugh at his annoyance. It’s funny that he thinks he has the right to be at all when he’s the one who created this shitstorm to begin with. 

“If anyone should start us off, it should be you. You’re the one who left.”

Groaning, he opens his mouth to speak. You stop him, putting your hand out, suddenly feeling emboldened enough to make the first move despite the pit it creates in your gut.

“I never thought you were that type of person. Every other man, of course because that’s just how men behave. You, though?”

With a head shake, you lift your glass and tilt until the rim is almost fully touching your mouth to truly pull every last bit of vodka from the bottom of it. 

You won’t let him see how much what you’ve perceived as his rejection has affected you. It’s the mantra you’ve been repeating since boarding your flight this morning even though you did cry on the way to the airport, silently and alone.

It’s stupid to cry or be upset at all but it could be that a bit of you hoped that he saw you as special and still does to this day. Unfortunately him coming as close as he’s ever come to fucking you and subsequently running pretty much convinced you the opposite is true. So you’ve cried and asked your friend who is set to be a beautiful bride in two days what she thinks and she’s told you that you need to be the one to talk to him about it and you’ve been stubborn and she’s been irritated and now you’re here, using sheer will to keep yourself from crying and poorly attempting to lap up severely watered down vodka to make up for the courage you naturally lack.

Sliding your glass onto the bar, you place your elbow atop the counter as well and rest your chin against your balled fist. 

“Not you, Katsuki. And I guess it could really be that I never knew you at all so feel free to tell me I’ve always been wrong at any time – it just kind of feels like shit to uh, get played by the one guy you hope won’t do it.”

Averting your eyes, you keep them toward the back of the bar. You really don’t want to look at him right now, aware of what that pitiful look on his face that he keeps trying to hide with a grimace will do if you look at it for too long. You aren’t world class when it comes to being a boundary enforcer and it would take very, very, very little for him to get back into your good graces. 

Something like a tiny, little, so minute and small you can barely picture it…

“I’m sorry.”

Exhaling loudly through your nose when he says the very small words you’ve been hoping to hear, you now are left considering how to accept them gracefully. It would be a lie to tell him you haven’t been aching and lying is something you aren’t in the business of doing very often so you don’t want to let him off the hook that easily. 

You open your mouth to speak and he stops you this time, raising his free hand while he cradles his half drained glass in the other.

“This makes no sense and I’m not sure how to say it but I feel like I forget how to act when you’re around.”

Tilting your head to the side curiously, you look at his glass and then back at him but he only harrumphs at your insinuation. 

“I’m not drunk right now, this is barely even a drink to begin with,” he swings his crystal glass around with a frown. “Every time we’re together I feel like someone else. You keep me up all night talking and I never tell you to stop or that I don’t care because for some inexplicable reason, I do give a shit even if this is the only time we see each other. And my god you do this fucking thing…”

He trails off, setting his glass down on the bar beside yours to try and contort his face into the best version of yours that he can. There’s something uniquely hilarious about seeing such a stoic man forcefully widen his eyes, looking around the mostly empty bar coquettishly and blinking. Pressing your palm over your mouth to stifle a cackle, you shake your head and he throws his hands up and leans in, the tip of his nose shockingly close to yours while his expression falls back into its natural state.

“I don’t speak eye contact. What the hell does that mean? What do you want from me?”

Your head remains tilted but the lightness in your expression falls, your eyebrows furrowing.

“I mean, what I want from you is friendship? Someone to talk to and hang out with outside of these shitty, hectic wedding weekends?” Scoffing, you desperately look around the bar to locate the tender and order another drink. “God, is that really what you wanted to say to make this whole thing right?”

The man sighs, defeatedly.

“No and if you’d listen to me you would know it.”

All you do is shrug, blink wildly, and lean in his direction to emphasize how ridiculous you find what he’s saying. 

”Okay awesome, well I am listening and now all I know is that I make you late for bedtime when we hang out. That still doesn’t tell me why you left that night.” 

Pinned by his inability to say the find even a slightly right thing to say, he recalls why he didn’t want to have this conversation with you at all and originally planned to dodge and avoid as much as possible over the course of the weekend. Granted he has had over a year to come up with a decent lie and hasn’t. He could also pretend to be the asshole everyone seems to think he is and just brush it off. Something keeps him from veering into flippant behavior and it’s an urge to protect your feelings as a means to say thank you for the good memories even if the two of you do not make a single one to add to the scrapbook during your best friends’ shared wedding. 

Finally convinced that you’ve intimidated him enough, you lean back against the chair and cast a glance that screams ‘your move’ so loudly the childish version of him that still lingers in the back of his head on occasion wants to scream it right back. Blessedly, he’s more in control of himself and chooses instead to say what has been heavy on his heart since the early morning hours he left your side knowing he’d be hurting someone he cares about in the process.

“Because if I stayed we would have probably ended up going all the way and I didn’t want us to do that while we were drunk, alright?” Setting his glass down with a thud, he rises from the barstool. “You can believe me or not if you want to but I'm done talking about it. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. Have a good night.”

You watch his every move despite remaining practically stuck to your chair and inside your feelings, his thick fingers digging into his pocket for his wallet to slap a few paper bills down onto the bar in an effort to continue behaving like the man you used to assume he is. 

None of what he said explains why he jumped to the nuclear option of leaving yet there would be no reason for him to lie about something so significant when you’re already pissed off. Even your instincts are telling you that this is the honesty you’ve been hoping to eventually receive. 

“Katsuki.” He looks up from his hands when you say his name, eyebrows raised and mouth drawn into an unamused line. “I believe you.”

He nods though it doesn’t seem like he necessarily believes you and turns to exit, leaving you with little besides more questions.

For instance: has he thought about what it would be like to have sex with you sober before? 

It’s the most insufferably shallow thing to take away from what was said, barebones as it was and truthfully it’s less about what his words were and more about the uncharacteristically sheepish and hurried manner in which he spoke them - like he was making a confession and not an apology.

Shaking your head, you rise just as he did and toss your own cash down on the bar. At bare minimum you can say that the mutual axe sharpening appears to have ceased for now.

[spock-adoodledoo]

relevant again

also i originally tagged this with #hawkejfkwljrhugiljwfe I want to translate my wife to show him to everyone..... i do not want to TL the 39 comics before he appears again and ngl I don't even remember which strip this was or even who this was about but still what a mood

readers (I guess): translate strips in order or draw 25

me:

[igotanidea]

Strictly professional: Peter Sutherland x reader

A/N: I am so - so - SO sorry for not writing the previous request, but this story has been stuck in my head since I've finished reading "the night agent" book and since I've had a literal dream about as follows!

***

He had read the case.

He had memorised the whole case, letter by letter.

And what was nothing short of shocking was that nowhere in the whole file appeared the name of the person who he was assigned to protect.

Being thorough as he always was, Peter immediately started thinking that this was suspicious, but despite his better judgement, decided to let it go. At least for the moment.

For the very short moment that took getting from the office to the so-called crime scene.

And then it all became painfully clear.

They knew.

Of course they knew.

That was why they wiped out even the single letter of her name from the documents.

Y/N.

Never in his wildest dreams, he wouldn't think that such a blessing (or a curse, or maybe both) will happen to him.

Y/N. his Y/N. The one who got away. Or - more likely - the one he let slip through his fingers despite having such intense emotions about.

Sitting in the ambulance, shaking a little from the shock, with a blanket on her shoulders and being tended to by the paramedics.

Peter was rooted to the ground, keeping the distance until he would be able to keep things professional, but even from afar he could see the scope of her injuries.

Bruises on the cheek, a shot wound to her shoulder, scratches on her arms and some cuts and minor bleedings on her legs.

At that moment, agent Peter Sutherland stopped being a pacifist.

Though he could not stand in the bushes forever.

"Agent Peter Sutherland. I will take it from here." he flashed his badge towards the paramedic but truly, it did not make the impression he was hoping for. At least not with the medic.

"Peter?"

"Y/N."

"Didn't know you''d be here."

"Well me neither. Funny huh?" it sounded way harsher than intended, definitely lacking the humor, and he flinched involuntarity as a flash of hurt reflected in her eyes. She's been through hell and he was acting like an asshole.

"Well, let the record show I did not do this to get your attention." Despite the circumstances she was still able to produce a sarcastic joke.

Peter cracked a crooked half-smile.

"It's good to see you though. In spite of -" she didn;t have to finish that sentence, and to be honest, neither of them wanted to hear the other half of it.

"How bad does it hurt?" he kneeled in front of her, cupping her chin to take a close look at her face, using one of manipulating skills to prevent her from trying to fool him. She was capable of messing around with people's heads, but he was the exception to the rule.

"I've had worse-"

"Y/N."

"I'll live."

"Not what I asked about."

"God, you didn;t change a single thing. still so dramatic--"

"How bad?"

"6/10."

"You're coming with me."

"What-- wait, what?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but we are not done with --" the paramedic tried to intervene but his will of fight suddenly decreased when Peter stood up towering over the little man.

"From what I see, she is all patched up. And from what I can judge, the last thing she needs is a fuss being made over her. I'm taking her with me."

"Peter, what-"

"Seriously, Y/n/n, we don;t have time for this. Now, are you coming or would you rather expose yourself to the FBI vultures who are just waiting to pounce on you asking for details of the events?"

"Aren;t you the FBI vulture as well?"

"No."

"No? So you won;t be asking me every detail I might have noticed?"

"I will. But with me, you won;t be locked in the deposition room."

"Tempting."

Peter barely held back from rolling his eyes.

"Ok, enough, you jokester. Up."

"You cannot command me and - Peter!"

"Sir! Careful! her injuries-"

"I got her."

He picked her up effortlessly, like a kid and carried back to the black SUV, placing on the passenger seat, fastening the belts, letting his fingers linger by her waist for a moment too long.

"So much for being discreet, right?"

Peter did not respond, taking the driver's seat and kicking the engine. His eyes were focused on the road and the surroundings making sure that whoever hurt her - whoever stalked her - was not in sight. The only sign of emotions buzzing in him were slightly clenched jaw and hands squeezing the steering wheel.

"Peter-"

"Don't.

She sighed. So many unspoken words were filling the space between them that it became almost crowded.

But what was to say?

Nice to see you? I missed you? We made a mistake?

God knows they both did miss each other, but admitting that out loud was way too dangerous given the circumstances.

It was like giving the greatest asset out to the enemy, whoever the enemy may be.

"Where are we going?"

"My place."

"Your place?!"

Mistake. Her little outburst made him turn his eyes on her and just for a second she saw a little too much than needed and wanted. Just for a brief moment, before his eyes lost the vulnerable, adoring gleam and became sharp and focused again.

"Yes. You got something against it?"

"What? No, no, not a single thing. Good as any other place, right?"

It wasn't like every square inch of this apartment was filled with memories of them.

This was going to be a long, long night.

And a long, long time since this case would be over.

but this was not a romcom.

It was scrictly professional, with no feelings involved.

At all.

to be continued

[popponn]

(some) bllk boys as cuddling partner — a rating list.

bachira — best cuddler/10. big spoon? he loves hugging you! little spoon? he loves being hugged by you! embracing each other, lying side by side while the two of you share whispers and quiet giggles? baby, he could do that all day. if he could, this guy would probably hold your hand or hug you all the time while dribbling a soccer ball. be thankful that's physically impossible because if it isn't nothing stops this bee from doing what he loves. honestly, the champion in this department. go home everyone. when he feels happy it's hug time when he is sad it's also hug time.

rin — if you guys just started out, 2/10. 1 point bonus because he is so stiff it's funny—the best deal you can get is him being a big spoon while sitting and doing something else. if he is focused on just cuddling you it will forgo being awkward to straight up comedic. but once he gets used to it, 7/10. his pride won't let him small spoon but he is a good big spoon. very relaxed around you, hand around your hips, head perched on your shoulder, and so on. the worst part of this is not even bad since it's just him getting the clingier, touch-starved part of him out so yeah. at least have 3 hours reserved for cuddles.

isagi — 10/10 no bias except this one is self-aware. 3/10 when starting out and that's like a bonus point for effort. when it's a short casual hug, it's easy and sweet for him. then put in private space, his shyness that wow turns out is still kinda there when it comes to you, and prolonged hug that becomes his main focus for an extended period then you get a statue instead of a bf. but get him comfy and it's instant 8/10 — is way too insistent and determined on "he needs to see your face :((" sometimes because yes he is accomodating 101 but this is egoist. but very clingy, very soft, very warm, very cuddly, very bf.

sae — when he is napping? you are his hug pillow. but even that is 6/10 because his hold on you is ironclad. and as his hug mostly comes in the form of a backhug—because cool fridge guy thing probably—he is trained to make you comfy. but yeah no escaping this guy. when he is awake though, getting him to cuddle or reciprocate your hug (in public, especially) is already a miracle. when you do though, 4/10 because at least he won't throw you like he will do to everyone else. just accept his fate as your doll. while sighing or flatly glare at anyone who dares to comment.

nagi — the runner-up!!! simply because that's like his natural habitat there. 9/10, minus 1 point because on lazy days, if he doesn't get his cuddle he will whine and become annoying. grubby hand is cute, a giant creature made of muscle putting all of his weight on your back while you try to move around doing your business is not. but other than that, really good as both a little spoon and big spoon. just hold him or let him hold you. he likes you enough that there is 50/50 chance of him completely forgetting his game to cuddle you how downbad is that.

[imahinatjon]

SNOW DAY!

It snowed where I live and I'm just a little bit exited. (Yes, This is infact my view)

Dazai, Ranpo + Fyodor

It's been a while. Let's hope this is okay

Dazai

• Dazai was up all night watching the snow fall.

• He would've woken you up, had you not looked so peaceful.

• Besides, you'd get to see it when it had settled in the morning.

• When the morning did come, he insisted you both go walking out in the snow.

• He just wanted to walk, thought it would be pleasant.

• He wouldn't complain much, but if you did...

• "My hands are kind of cold..."

• "You should have brought some gloves then"

• And he proceeds to tease you by showing off how warm his own gloves are.

• He does eventually give it up though and pull your own gloves out of his pocket.

• (He saw you forgot them before leaving)

• He takes you to the park, and you sit, just enjoying the scenery for a while.

• And on the way back, he pushes you over into a particularly large pile of fluffy snow.

• Pull him in too, would you?

Ranpo

• He didn't know it was snowing! Not at first anyway.

• You wake up before him, you always do, and when you spotted the fresh layer of snow on the ground outside, you tried to wake him up.

• But he swatted you away asking for 5 more minutes

• 30 minutes later, he's rushing into the front room asking why you didn't tell him it had snowed.

• 🙄

• It only takes him 10 minutes to get ready to go out in it, and he's rushing you to get ready too.

• He's exited. And you probably are too. It's snow afterall!

• He wants to build a sculpture of you out of snow, and you both go to the agency rooftop so he can. (What if they need him for a hard case or something? It's good to be close by)

• He does make the 'sculpture', though... it doesn't look like you, or anything at all really.

• Still, you tell him how wonderful it is (its the thought that counts, right?)

• He knows your lying, but doesn't mind it any, he still had fun.

• He asks you to make snowangels with him next, and in the little snow left on the rooftop (the rest having already been used) you make a pair of snow angels, before going back inside.

• It was too cold to stay out much longer, and your sure that had you not said anything, he would have stayed outside and frozen.

• It's a good job your there to stop that from happening.

Fyodor

• Your going to take him out in the snow? Really? No.

• Fyodor would much rather stay inside when it's snowing, where he's warm and comfortable.

• Though, if you want to head on outside and enjoy yourself, he won't stop you - infact, he encourages it!

• But you come inside and tell him your gonna go skating on the Frozen lake with Nikolai?

• Wait for him, he just needs to put his boots on and he'll be joining you.

• Not that he doesn't trust Nikolai - but he doesn't Trust him.

• You going with that clown to a frozen lake can only end one very bad way.

• Maybe he wouldn't do it intentionally, but he'd still do it - get you in some trouble that is.

• Fyodor knows how much you enjoy the snow and (in a rare show of kindness) doesn't want to take that away.

• So his only option is to accompany you.

• He doesn't like going out in the snow, finding no interest in snowball fights, building snowmen or other sculptures.

• It's also far too cold.

• But it's somewhat nice seeing you enjoy yourself, and funny watching you land a large snowball right in Nikolai's face.

• By the time you get home, he's ready for a long rest, making a beeline straight for the chair or bed.

• This is your chance to cuddle him as much as you want!

• I mean. You can do that anyway, but... it's nice to sit snuggled together watching the snow out the window with a warm drink sometimes.

---------------------------------------------------

I've beeb focused on a lot of different things recently, so I've been just a little distracted with a small case of writers block. But the snow outside was the perfect opportunity to try again!

♡

Masterlist :3

[master-muffinn]

Asking the scavengers to hold your drink

Misfire

Not a good idea. He goes like, "yeah, sure!" but the moment you are gone he'll drink it. He does it on purpose with no regrets. What did you expect? He's a glutton and he steals food all the time, even from friends! And he won't buy you a new one either. "Sorry y/n i don't have any money on me right now"

Misfire: 0/10 trustworthy drink holder.

Spinister

He will also say 'yes'. But you shouldn't take too long, it gotta be quick! It could go two ways; either he gets distracted and forgets about your drink and you won't find it. Or the longer he looks at the drink the more suspicious it looks. "It looking at me funny, I think I will shoot it"

"NO!"

Spinister: 2/10

Grimlock

He will just stand there, holding your glass. Not knowing exactly what to do. Looking around and then on the drink without moving and looking confused. If it was Grimlock with better mentally health, then he would be the same but more protective and more confident and looking like a bodyguard.

"Nobody touch y/n drink on my watch!”

Grimlock: 8/10

Nickel

Honesty, she doesn't really want to, but she holds the glass anyway if it isn't too big. Don't expect her to hold your drink multiple times though or you will get the: “Why are you asking me all the time? Can't you just hold your own drink or ask someone else?” 😑 We know she was reliable with the D.J.D and it’s the same with you and your drink as well. The way you left your drink with her is the same way you get it back.

Nickel: 9/10

Fulcrum

"Oh okay". It's not a bad idea to ask Fulcrum. He will hold the drink with no problems…until he starts to second ask himself and overthink the situation. What if ‘someone’ he doesn't know approaches him with bad intentions and wants your drink? If that happens he will give the drink and run away. Hopefully he hasn't been shaking while thinking about it or the liquid in your glass will be less than when you left it.

Fulcrum: 5/10

Krok

Is the most ‘normal’ about it. He just holds it for you and still does what he is doing. Doesn't do anything weird with it, no drinking, just holding it. He doesn't bother asking what took you so long, unless you completely forgot about it.

However, he expects you to say ‘thank you’, or he won't do it the next time. (Krok deserves at least some appreciation).

Krok: 10/10

Crankcase

It depends. You most likely get a no, but if you ask again nicely, he'll might say yes. If he still says no, then it's better to ask someone else or he will be irritated and complaining. But if he says yes, he'll most likely just be sitting down and drinking his own drink in the other hand and looking grumpy around until you come back. If you take too long he is going to complain. "What took you so long?”

Crankcase: 6/10

Bonus: I can see Crankcase as the typical grandpa sitting in the corner of a party drinking beer and judging/watching people making fools of themselves on the dance floor and then use it against them later.

Thank you for reading! Have a good day! ^^ Reblogs are very appreciated 🥰

Post made by @master-muffinn

[xaeyrnofnbe]

i think spuffy can be broken up into 5 main stages, and each stage manages to have entirely different reasons for being extremely compelling. it's like 5 different ships between the same 2 characters. it's awesome

stage 1: enemies. they both want to kill each other. there's some mutual respect what with them being pretty equally matched in combat, but otherwise they are literally just each other's natural predator. they put this aside briefly to defeat angelus, but they're still very deep in stage 1 for that. overall there's a ton of tension and chemistry and punching. very good

stage 2: chipped. a pretty short stage, but still worth being separated from stage 3 i think. starts when spike gets chipped and ends when he realizes he can't kill buffy. they still don't like each other, but now they're in close proximity all the time so they're constantly pissing each other off. Something Blue occurs in this stage, which is funny. and spike is just kinda the gross pathetic stray cat that the scoobies are just barely putting up with. he's in love with buffy already he just doesn't know it yet.

stage 3: pining. spike wants buffy, buffy does NOT want spike. but it's during this stage that spike gradually makes himself more and more useful, eventually earning buffy's trust. he's in love with her. she thinks he's weird and creepy and annoying but shit keeps going wrong and he's kinda starting to be the most reliable person in her life. this stage lasts all the way into a bit of season 6. i really really dig this stage tbh. might be my favorite. it's about the unwavering devotion.

stage 4: sleeping together. ok 'sleeping together' is maybe not the best description since this stage starts when buffy kisses him at the end of Once More With Feeling, but i think the sex was the most defining detail of this stage. all of buffy's friends suck so so bad during this stage except for spike, who is a vampire. which is both funny and severely fucked up. she's taking advantage of his love for her because she wants to feel something, to be distracted from how awful life is, and he lets her. even though it's changing both of them for the worse. but this is also kinda when buffy starts falling for him, even though she won't know that until the next stage. whole lotta repression going on here. ends with spike getting his soul.

stage 5: whatever the hell it was they had going on in s7. spike is all sad and guilty but buffy is like sooo invested in what he has going on. she knows she has feelings for him but it's all so damn COMPLICATED now. they do a lot of concerned frowning at each other in this stage. spike becomes a bit of a damsel in distress while also simultaneously being buffy's pet attack dog, like he was in stage 3. they are both each other's #1 priority which is extremely awkward for everyone else in the vicinity, because they're INTENSE about it. but they never kiss. some destiel vibes in this stage if i'm being honest.

BONUS STAGE: comics. in seasons 10-11 they are normal and in love. so normal it's almost boring. but they have some very fun moments regardless.

[tigersharkapologist]

Caracalla was, understandably, simply having a mental attack because the people were calling for their heads—but I like the little detail that Caracalla literally cannot think of one bad thing his brother did to him other than “trying to strangle him in the womb” lol. Which implies that Geta was that good of a brother to him.

_______________________________________________

bonus because I think there’s way more to it than just being Ha Ha Funny Gag to Lighten Tension and because I have a hyperanalyzation for hyperfixations problem:

TW: mentions of physical and emotional abuse, child abuse, bullying and murder

That or the darker undertone being that he cannot remember anything bad Geta did because of his memory loss from neurosyphilis (a disease that can cause memory loss). Which also implies that he probably doesn’t remember any of the crude specifics of the abuse they had to undergo in their childhood—only how it made him feel. Which is why, if you look really closely at his facial expressions during his episode, he hesitated only a little at the mention of that, but still didn’t falter entirely.

An even darker undertone being that he was experiencing so much of a specific kind of stress that his brain assumed it was being attacked by the same assailant that he had dealt with as a kid, Septimius Severus. So much so that it went into fight or flight. Caracalla was shouting “you lie!! You always lie!!” at his brother. From what we can tell with the little screentime we got of them, Geta has never shown to have any malicious intentions towards his brother, he had quite the opposite actually. He never lied to him. Like ever. But you know who probably DID lie to them constantly?

Their. Despicable. Sleazebag. Narcissistic. No show. Parents.

What if the neurosyphilis combined with the onslaught of the immense stress he was experiencing (so much so that it threw him into a fight response) made him believe Geta was Septimius? Think about it. Caracalla is under the full influence of an injured brain, and that same brain is being influenced by a hyper aggressive disease; neurosyphilis. What if he was so affected by the lies told to him in his childhood, that the minute he figures out something is a lie, or suspects of lying, it causes him to snap. Look at how he got with Acacius when he found out that his loyalty was basically a lie.

Lies cause him that much stress, they have to be connected with abuse. Look at him!! Lies are definitely his PTSD trigger.

Roping it back to Geta’s death. ,, Caracalla’s amnesia and panic response from his PTSD very well could have made him confuse Geta with their father. Though not all, it is not unheard of that survivors of immense physical abuse (in Caracalla’s case—being constantly punched and beaten up by a grown man when he was like?? 10??) attack someone close who they’ve confused with their abuser when an episode strikes. (keep in mind these are rarer cases but Caracalla is a rare and extreme case himself). It could be a huge possibility that Caracalla mistook Geta as their father and, he (understandably sick of Geta standing in between his father and taking those blows for him) decided to take his father head on and strike back—ultimately killing who his brain confused as Septimius. Another reason I believe this is because he literally reverted back to childlike tendencies and hid under the table when he felt this stress. Trembling, crying, whimpering, a very sore sight. It was as if he was taken back to the time where he felt this kind of fear before-- because that's literally what happened. I genuinely do not think Caracalla would ever kill Geta, his brother, his closest and only real friend. Even if he wasn’t in his right mind. Those two have lived through hell together, those trauma bonds are the strongest bonds Ive ever seen. They could fight, they could get real disgusting towards eachother, but I know nothing could break that sibling trauma bond, and I speak from experience. You could hate that man but he will always be your ride or die. Geta and Caracalla were TIGHT. He had to have confused him with his father during his PTSD episode. I highly doubt thats what the directors were going for but UHH idc lol that's what aus are for.

I want to know more about Septimius Severus. Was it just beating up his kids? I'm not undermining the grotesqueness of those actions, I want to know what else he did. It was clear he was a liar, it was clear he was a physically abusive "father” (he doesn't even deserve that title), but if it was so easy for him to hit his kids, than that opens up a whole new possibility of things he did. Like if it was so easy for him to punch a child, what else was easy for him? Did he refuse to feed them? Did he refuse to give them any gifts or luxuries? Is that why the twins are overindulgent to the point they suffer from it? Did he lock them out of the house to freeze in order to assert dominance? Did he publicly shame them as punishment? Did he shame them for the way they looked? How they were an embarrassment to the family name because of their appearance being too similar to the barbaric northern tribes they were conquering? Were plates thrown at them? Were they bullied by other children in their age group for having unloving parents? Did anyone worry for them? Did any bystander care? Did anyone ever intervene? Did they cower in fear of facing that same wrath that those children were forced to endure? What was the twins reaction to the death of their father? Were they overjoyed? Were they hollow? Were they, in a twist, mournful? Did they ever have real friends? Like friends that they didn't need to change themselves to feel accepted?

_____________________________________________

To pivot off that last sentence (not really related to the main point at all but I NEED to say it),

I don’t think so on that last one. I think they had to change themselves entirely and put on this fake persona in fear of being disliked. They did everything to follow the Patrician crowd, everything that made their lives even worse. And I bet you they thought they were making friends.

Nah. They were making temporary fragile alliances. For every 10 “friends” they’d make, 1000 enemies would be formed. And I bet you further that the Patrician didn’t respect them at all. Those blue bloods know when there’s blood in the water and they know that the two changed and rewired themselves just for acceptance. In their eyes, Caracalla and Geta are weak emperors (unfortunately they are. Conquesting counts do not equal to strength in oneself); easily replaced. And if Macrinus was thinking it, you can count on the rest of them, too. Remember in that deleted scene where Caracalla forgot he killed his brother? EVERYBODY knew about the murder but him and NOBODY batted an eye. Either they were scared of Macrinus (which I doubt they even knew he was apart of said murder) or they DEAD AHH DID NOT CARE ABOUT GETA LIKE AT ALL. THEY DIDNT LOOK EVEN SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE BRO 😭🙏. It was the SENATORS. SENATORS. That looked shocked. They weren’t even going to say “ave Dondas” out of pure shock until Macrinus said it first to pressure them.

Enough of my prattling. In conclusion, Caracalla is so far off the deep end he literally thought his own brother was his father DURING the height of his episode let me be clear (which isnt really the biggest stretch to be dead honest—it’s caracalla bless him my poor baby), is pretty much permanently ruined and scarred because nobody is going to help him—no one cared enough, and he is never EVER going to live a normal happy life. Geta tried so, so very hard to give him that, but in the end, the two were born hated, born broken, and the world reminded them that until both of their untimely ends.