#then worked leisurely on a case i thought was gonna be simple and easy

[biblicalhorror]

Second worst Halloween of my life tbh

[americxn]

congratulations on 240 you deserve millions ♡ ! i was wondering if i could request please one where kit insists on teaching the reader self-defense given to the "dangers of the outside" but they end up wrestling playful and maybe things get a little spicy-smutty? it's totally okay if not and thank u so much for your writing ♡

wordcount: 2k warnings: smut @kitwalkerangel I hope this is okay ! tysm for requesting and I’m sorry it took me a while to get this done

“I wanna teach you something.” Kit spoke from behind where you lay face-down on your shared bed, your boredom having reduced you to a groaning lump atop the covers. You perked up instantly, pushing yourself up to your knees and turning to stare at Kit eagerly, silently urging him to go on. “I had a weird dream last night.” He began, taking a step into the room. “Well, kinda a nightmare actually.” He muttered thoughtfully, causing you to to frown. You thought he had slept peacefully as he always did. “No, it’s fine,” he hurried on at the concern on your face. “I just wanted to... I don’t know this will probably sound weird.” He finished quietly, his hand lifting to rub the back of his neck as his cheeks tinged slightly pink. “Kit,” you began, crawling to the edge of the bed and hopping off it. “I hope you realise that there really isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for you, no matter how ‘weird’ or stupid it is.” He looked at you as you approached him eagerly. “And besides, I’m bored shitless. Please give me something to do.” You reached for his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “Okay,” he said with a wry smile, dragging you by the hand out of the room and down the hall.

Twenty minutes later, you stood in the middle of your living room floor with your feet braced apart and your hands raised in fists before your face, Kit mirroring your stance. Kit had claimed that he wanted to teach you some self-defence so that you could protect yourself against the ‘dangers of the outside world’. He had hurriedly explained to you that it wasn’t just because of the whole alien thing; he was genuinely terrified of the thought of any harm befalling you, especially after witnessing firsthand at Briarcliff just how cruel and monstrous some people could be.   Your heart had ached at the genuine fear on his face as he explained this to you, so of course you agreed to oblige him. “So, you always wanna keep one arm raised to block any punches. Never leave your face, or anywhere for that matter, unguarded.” You nodded, watching as he demonstrated how to throw a strong punch whilst keeping one arm raised to shield your face. “And where did you learn all this from, Mr. Walker?” You said in slight awe, impressed by his knowledge of self-defence. “Well, I’ve gotten into a few fights in my time.” He replied with a playful wink. “Oh, of course.” You nodded, stepping forwards and raising your arms, throwing a few over-exaggerated punches his way. His giggled, one of his hands shooting out to grasp your wrist as you threw another weak punch into the air. You gasped as he pulled you to him by your wrist, his other hand coming to the small of your back to hold your body to his. “Get me off.” He whispered, his nose almost touching yours. You tried to pull away, squirming around in an attempt to shake his grip from you. He chuckled lightly, his breath tickling your face. You pulled away with renewed vigour at his amusement, but his grip was just too strong. You sighed, meeting his intense gaze. “Are you gonna teach me how to get you off, or...?” You trailed off as Kit grinned at you, shaking his head slowly. “No. I like having you this close to me.” You swallowed as his voice dropped an octave, his eyes flicking to you lips. You carefully shifted your weight as you blinked at Kit, quietly moving your foot to plant it behind his own, your ankle pressing against his. You gave his chest a hard shove, Kit trying to step back to regain his balance, but when his foot met yours he teetered, falling to the floor and taking you with him. You laughed triumphantly, using his chest to push yourself up so that you were sat upright, straddling his hips. His hand stayed pressed against your lower back as the corners of his mouth curved upwards. “Impressive.” He commented, causing you to grin brightly down at him. “Thank you. I would say that I learnt from the best but you didn’t really teach me anything.” You teased, watching gleefully as Kit’s eyebrows shot up. In an instant, Kit sat up suddenly against you, the world tilting as he moved his hips, his hands coming to support your fall as he flipped you over. Your smirk was quickly replaced by a scowl as Kit settled his weight carefully onto you. “Asshole.” You grunted, a smile hidden in your tone. Your legs rose up, your knees pressing into Kit’s back in a vain attempt to push him off. He reached for your face, unfazed by your efforts, his fingertips cold as he brushed the hair that had fallen onto your forehead back into place. His eyes were soft as he giggled down at your hopeless expression. “I thought you were supposed to be teaching me?” You huffed, your hands slamming slightly into his chest. “Okay. Plant your feet on the floor.” You did as he instructed. “Then lift your hips up suddenly, as far up as they can go.” Following his instruction, you thrusted your hips up quickly, watching as Kit was thrown slightly off your body. But it only took him a second to regain his balance and settle himself back onto you again. "See?” He said. You blinked at him. “Yeah, but I didn’t actually get you off though.” “No, but if you can disable them, you would probably be able to flip them off.” At your thoughtful nod, he leant forwards, you going still as his fingers gently traced the shell of your ear. “Just a tip,” he began, his finger looping over the top of your ear. “An ear is actually kinda easy to rip off.” He stated nonchalantly. You shuddered as he pulled down on your ear slightly in emphasis. “If you can get your finger hooked over someone’s ear, all you’ve got to do pull down on it suddenly. Pull hard enough and it’ll tear.” “Ew.” You scrunched your nose up in disgust, though you tucked that piece of information into the corner of your mind, just in case. Kit threw one of his legs off you, his weight lifting from you as he rolled off your body. You took your chance, your arms flinging around his neck as you sat up abruptly. The two of you clumsily wrestled with one another and you were finally able to push Kit back down again with a laugh. He looked up at you, blinking in question. You giggled. “And I didn’t even have to rip your ear off.” You said triumphantly. “I was getting off you anyway-” You cut him off by placing your finger on his lips. Kit’s head fell back onto the floor beneath him in exasperation as you leant forwards, your hands braced on his chest. You closed the distance between your faces, your lips meeting his momentarily. Kit lifted his head slightly for you as you hummed happily onto his mouth, his hands snaking onto your hips. You pulled away as he tried to deepen the kiss, causing him to scowl. “I’m on top.” You insisted, pushing his head lightly by the forehead so that it was once again rested on the floor. “So?” He questioned, his voice turning suddenly idle as his hands roved from your hips to your lower back, his fingertips cold as they ventured under the back of your shirt, his nails scraping against your skin tantalisingly. “I don’t need to be on top of you to be in control.” He explained lowly. You opened you mouth to question him further when his hips rolled once beneath you, his body lifting in just the right spot and rubbing against you. The words fell from your lips at that single electrifying touch, a low groan working its way up from inside you instead. Kit smirked beneath you, his hands abandoning your back and instead coming to clasp your thighs. His grip was strong as he pushed you slightly further down his body, his arms flexing and his semi-hardened dick eager to brush against you once more. Pulling you forward slightly, his hands held firmly onto your thighs as he used your body to rub against him, your own excitement mounting each time he pushed you back over his steadily hardening cock. It didn’t take long before you began to timidly recuperate the action, moving softly against him as he lazily pushed and pulled you over him, the rough material of his pants tormenting you as it scraped against the softness of your centre again and again. “God,” he mumbled, his voice steady as he repeated his ministrations once more. “I can feel how wet and hot you are even through my pants.” You hummed in agreement, your head tipping back and your fingers weaving into the fabric of the shirt on his chest. “Are you gonna help me out with that?” You questioned, your voice slightly shaky as he stopped moving beneath you. “Well,” he began in contemplation. “I think you’ve done well today. So yes.” You groaned at his words, his hands wrapping underneath your thighs and tapping them. You did as he silently ordered, shifting forwards onto your knees and lifting you ass off Kit’s hips. The sudden loss of contact was almost painful but you didn’t utter a sound as Kit shimmied his body beneath you, maneuvering himself quickly so that his face was lined up with your clothed pussy. You ached to lower yourself to his face but you didn’t dare move as his hands slowly began to trace from your ankles, up your calves and to your thighs, scared that he would suddenly change his mind and leave you aching for him. You exhaled as his fingers suddenly found the material covering your pussy, deftly moving both your pajama shorts and panties aside. The cool air as Kit finally exposed your centre made you shudder. He blew softly onto you, watching intently as his simple action coaxed even more wetness to gather and glisten on your folds an inch from his lips. At your desperate wiggle of your hips, Kit connected his tongue to your slit, drawing a leisurely line from you opening to your clit. His touch was painfully light and you strained against your own want to collapse fully onto his face and deepen his touch. He repeated this simple motion again and again until your hissed his name in desperation. His responding chuckle rumbled through you and he finally dove fully into pleasing you, his nose pressing into your wetness as he worked his tongue thoroughly, dipping inside of you and roving around your folds with such vigour that your knees began to tremble. Your hands found his hair, your fingers gripping onto the soft strands and pulling persistently in a way that made Kit groan against you. You pulled more harshly in an attempt to spur him into exploring you deeper, a series of high-pitched gasps and grunts falling from your mouth in quick succession as the familiar ball of warmth began to grow in your abdomen. Suddenly, Kit’s tongue left your pussy and you were thrown to the side with a grunt. The world flipped once more and you blinked at the ceiling as Kit shuffled over to you, trying to make coherent sense of what was happening in the sudden loss of pleasure, Kit’s weight once again settling onto your hips. His face appeared above your, a little smile of his lips, your wetness shining on his chin. You threw your head back with a groan, trying to wiggle your hips in order to gain some friction from his body above yours, desperate for release. “Kit.” You whined in frustration, meeting his self-satisfied gaze. “Throw me off again, and I’ll consider letting you cum.”

[themadlostgirl]

Abandoned (2)

*Doubt comes in*

~~~

It felt like I was walking into a trap as I ventured into the jungle in search of the music. For days it had been calling out to me, bidding me to follow it. Now here I was doing just that. I tell myself I’m doing this to end the music. If I stop the music then I’ll stop forgetting. Simple as that.

The deeper into the forest I went though the more my confidence wavered. The music was getting steadily louder and more hypnotizing. My steadfast march turned idle like I was taking a leisurely walk. The grip on my sword slackening. I hadn’t even realized I sheathed it again until the music suddenly stopped.

My senses started to return and panic began to set in. I was in the middle of the jungle in the dead of night with no recollection of how I got there or how to get back to my hut. How could I be so careless? I’m smarter than this! Okay. Deep breath. Don’t panic. All I needed to do was start backtracking. I must have left a trail, I just needed to find it.

If I did that though then what would have been the point of me coming out here in the first place? I came out here to stop the music for good. It must have stopped because I was close. I needed to keep going. With a deep breath I turned back around and searched high and low for anything or anyone that could be playing the music. Not exactly easy since everything was shadows.

“There in the field stood a flower rare. Its petals bright with beauteous flair. Along came a bee buzzing through the air. And sat on the flower without a care.” A voice in the shadows spoke and from them emerged Pan, “Then the flower closed and became a snare. The moral of this story I now will share. Even pretty things can cause a scare.”

“Aren’t we a little old for nursery rhymes?” I wrapped my hand around the hilt of my sword.

“Never.” He grinned.

“Is it you?” I asked, “Are you the one that makes the music every night?”

“Oh, so you can hear it. Good. You never moved from your camp on the beach so I was wandering if you could yet. How long have you been able to hear it?”

“A few weeks. Why?”

“And you held out this long. Gotta say, I’m impressed.” He pulled a set of pan pipes off his belt. “These are enchanted. Only certain people can hear the music when I play it. The music itself has interesting side effects.”

“What people? What side effects?”

He brought the pipes up to his lips and played a short tune. Immediately the melody wrapped around my brain and the world around me softened out of focus. When he stopped I blinked as if waking from a daydream. He smiled at me.

“The music attracts those that feel unloved and unwanted. It softens the heartache of such a sad life, erases all the bad memories. All you have to do is let it in.”

“But I--I’m not--I’m not unloved or unwanted! I don’t want my memories erased!”

“If you can hear the music then I have to say different. Ever since your father left you’ve been spiraling further and further down. Wondering when he’s gonna come for you. Holding onto a useless hope that you’re ever gonna see him again. But you know the truth, don’t you? All the evidence adds up but you’d rather hold onto a childish hope than accept it.” He circled me like a beast of pray. Even in the dim light of my lantern I could make out the wheels turning in his head. “You’re lost, spitfire. So helplessly lost.”

The flame of my lantern blew out casting everything into darkness. I drew my sword listening for any snap of a twig or breath of air that indicated he was near.

“Boo.” His voice whispered in my ear.

“Raaah!” I swung and my blade hit another. Pan had blocked the hit with a dagger.

“Quick reflexes, swordfish. But mine are quicker.” He disappeared again.

“Come on out and face me like a man you codfish!” I shouted.

“Who wants to be a man? Grown ups have such little fun.” I tried to pinpoint his voice but it seemed to echo from all directions. “But us, the young blood, we can make games out of anything. Just like we are now.”

“This isn’t a game, Pan.” I growled. “If I get the chance I’ll run you through.”

“No you won’t. Want to know why?” My lamp flickered back to life and Pan stood before me just inches away from the tip of my blade. “Because you’re having fun.”

I lunged the sword at him and he side-stepped it with ease making me stumble forward.

“There is such fire and fight in you. It’s been bottled up and suffocating on that ship. Now you’re free.” He kicked me to the ground. “Free as you are, you still don’t know what to do with yourself. My poor little Lost Girl.”

“I’d rather tie boulders to my bootstraps and throw myself into the mermaid lagoon before I became part of your dumb crew.” I spat, shooting back to my feet. “I came here to stop that infernal music and I plan to just do that. Either by destroying those pipes or by killing you. I don’t care which.”

“The only way you’ll destroy these pipes is if you pry them from my cold dead hands.”

“Then I guess that only leaves us with one option.”

“I suppose it does.” He grinned wider. Like the prospect of dying was thrilling to him. “To die would be an awfully big adventure. I look forward to it. The first move is yours, swordfish.”

With that he was gone.

That bilge-sucking, arrogant, underhanded, codfish! This was not some game! What was it going to take to get that through his thick skull?! Maybe a knife to the eyesocket. I gathered my lantern from the ground and turned around. The path I had taken here was much clearer than it had been earlier.

Another trick of Pan’s.

I came here to stop the music and I think I may have just made things between Pan and I worse. Before he left me alone but now he thought there was fun to be had with me. A part of me wanted to continue my mission and charge further into the jungle until I hunted down Pan again and fight till the last breath. The more rational part of me told me to pick my battles carefully.

I turned around and took the path back to my camp. I would deal with Pan tomorrow after I had devised a new plan.

Storming his camp wasn’t a good idea for multiple reasons. One, I didn’t know where it was. Two, even if I did know where it was the Lost Boys would outnumber me twenty to one. My only hope was to get him alone but I didn’t know when that could be. The only time I’ve met him alone is when it was on his terms. He had either drawn me in or showed up on his own. If I wanted the upper hand I’d have to take him alone and by surprise.

For that to work though I’d have to know his pattern of movement. He has to have one. There’s no way he’s around Lost Boys all the time. But to learn his patterns I’d have to track him down and try not to be detected while I spied on him. That in itself was another headache seeing as how he could appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. I could be tracking him for hours and then he’d blink away to the other half of the island and I’d have to track him down again.

Maybe a betrayal? Pretend to want to be part of his camp and get him when his guard is down. No, that wouldn’t work either. Not only would Pan’s trust take too long to obtain but if I started acting nice now he’d know I was planning something. What am I supposed to do?

At the very least I should find out where his camp is. I don’t know if he moves it but I can’t see why he would since there are no enemies on the island. None except for me. I don’t see him moving his entire camp because I came upon it though.

In the morning as the first light of the sun started to creep up over the horizon I gathered my things and ventured into the jungle. I had no idea how long it may take but I wanted as much time as possible before any of the Lost Boys woke up. I didn’t know a lot about Pan and his Lost Boys outside of what papa and the crew mentioned but I did know that they stayed up very late. So early morning was probably not their friend.

I was hiking through the jungle for maybe a good two hours before I noticed paths naturally leveling out around me. Well worn, some even had fresh tracks in them. I was getting close to the camp. I followed along the path until I noticed a break in the dense forest of trees. Sticking to the morning shadows and creeping as quietly as I could I got closer. I stepped over a tripline and scanned the ground for any other traps or alerts that may have been set up.

This was it, Pan’s camp. Lost Boys were abundant and all soundly asleep either in tents, swinging in hammocks, or passed out on the ground. The remains of what looked to be a bon fire sat in the middle of the camp. I crept around the perimeter searching the faces for Pan’s but I couldn’t spot him. Was he in one of the tents?

Best not to go looking. I knew where the camp was now, that was enough for today. I should get out of here before the boys wake up. I made not of the way to get back as I retreated to my own camp on the beach. Maybe if I can find Pan while he and the boys are asleep then I could get him. It was bad form to attack someone while they’re sleeping but this boy had already taken so much from me. I didn’t care about bad form anymore.

I hunted down some breakfast on my way back to my camp and sat down to relax. I stared out over the ocean praying that I would see the Jolly Roger come sailing out over the horizon. As long as I watched though it remained the same.

I pulled out my pocketwatch and clicked it open again, listening to the metronomic ticking sound it issued. He has to be coming for me. He has to.

The next few days I spent getting up early before any of the boys awakened and hiking back to scope out the camp. No matter how many times I went or how hard I looked I could never spot Pan among them. Did he sleep somewhere else? Why? Wouldn’t he want to be with his camp in case of an emergency?

This was useless. I wasn’t gaining any new information and it was clear that Pan wasn’t here. I’d have to think of something else or else try to find where he does rest his head if not in his camp. With a sigh I turned around back towards my own camp and check the traps I set. I never had much use for snares on a ship but I was thankful that papa taught me now. Not a whole lot of wildlife was on the island outside of birds, frogs, snakes, and a whole lot of bugs. There were some boar but they were very inland so most of my food came from fishing. Hopefully something good had taken the bait I put out.

I checked the traps and felt my stomach constrict when they turned up empty. I guess it was berries for breakfast...again. I never thought I would miss cook’s dried herring jerky so much.

I grabbed a pouch and wandered back into the jungle. I was trying to forage for more than a handful of berries when I felt a small chill go up my spine. Someone was watching me. I slowly reached for my dagger and turned around.

Pan was standing behind me looking bored. “Really?” He gestured to the dagger I had aimed at him, “Aren’t we past this yet?”

“What do you want?”

“Hungry?” He held up an apple. “Probably more filling than a handful of berries.”

“And the price?” I raised an eyebrow.

“No price.” He tossed me the apple and I caught it. “I figured you might be hungry.”

“What brought on this unexpected generosity?” I cut off a slice with my dagger. “Hoping to get on my good side?”

“What if I am?” He pulled out another apple for himself. “Would that be so terrible?”

“Wasn’t it a couple of nights ago that you looked forward to me trying to kill you? Why would you want on my good side? Doesn’t that ruin your little game?”

“Can’t play the game if you die of starvation.” He shrugged. He knelt down next to me studying me from a distance. “Also, seeing as how you won’t make a move in this game I’m getting bored.”

“You don’t know what I may be planning, Pan.” I don’t even know what I’m planning.

“Oh no, I know what you’re planning. Isn’t it bad form, even for a pirate, to do someone in while they’re sleeping? Very bad form, Lady Jones. I’m a little disappointed really.”

“I--” There’s no way he could know that! “How did--”

“You’re up at the crack of dawn every day scoping my camp. You’re more than welcome to come by at a normal time for people to be awake if you’d like. We have plenty of food to share.”

“You knew?!” I fumed. I thought I had been so quiet and clever! No one had ever spotted me. No one had ever been awake. How could he have possibly have known unless... “The reason I never saw you sleeping…”

“If it makes you feel any better it was an accident that I came upon you that first day. I woke up earlier than I expected and saw you skirting the perimeter of the camp. I thought about scaring you or something like that but I wanted to see what you would do. Then you didn’t do anything and that was boring.” He groaned with a great roll of his eyes, “The next day and the day after that you kept coming back and not doing anything. I left out food close to the perimeter to see if you’d try snagging it but you didn’t. I never would have thought the daughter of pirates would be so frustratingly cautious. Shouldn’t recklessness be part of your blood or something?”

“I’m not dumb enough to charge into situations and conflicts blind. Reflexes and being able to adapt to a tough situation are one thing, researching and planning is another. I’m not in an immediate life and death situation so I prefer to be methodical.”

“Life and death, huh?” He turned the apple core over in his hands. “Let’s test that, shall we?” He chucked the apple core at my head. I ducked out of the way just in time.

“What was--” He charged at me with his dagger and I rolled out of the way. It was too early for this!

“Come now, spitfire!” He grinned like the devil, “Life and death situation, what are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to kill you is what!” I pushed to my feet and unsheathed my sword.

“Sword versus a dagger?” He asked as I took a swing at him, “Isn’t that a little unfair?”

“Coming from the boy with magic.”

“I’m not using magic now.” He teleported behind me and prodded his dagger at my back, “But thank you for reminding me.”

“Don’t.” I thrust my blade behind me making Pan jump out of the way. “You know if any real harm comes to me then my father will have your head.”

“I doubt that.” He scoffed. The dagger in his hands grew until it was a sword the same size as mine. “Do you still believe he’s coming for you?”

“I know he is.” We moved over the terrain of the jungle fighting blade to blade. The metallic sound echoing over the otherwise quiet island. The area around us grew more open and the ground softer as we stepped out onto the beach. My footing was less sure here but then Pan’s had to be too.

“You really do not want to face the truth do you?” Pan sighed. “He left you, swordfish. Your rum drunk father left you here to rot.”

“No! You’re lying!” I let my anger fuel me as I started to regain ground and go on the offensive.

“I’m not.” Pan blocked my attacks with a frustrating ease, “You wanna know how I know that he isn’t coming back for you? How I know he abandoned you here?” He twisted my blade around and knocked it from my hands. “He left because I told him to.”

“What?” I stared down the sheen of the blade he had pointed at me.

“I told him that if he abandoned you here on the island then him and the rest of his crew could go free.” Pan said.

“No.” I shook my head, “It’s another lie. You’re trying to trick me.”

“No tricks here, swordfish.” He held up his hands and the sword shrunk back to that of a dagger that he put on his hip, “I swear on my life. I came to him with an offer. A trade: you for freedom.”

I tried to go for my sword but Pan kicked it further away. My hands fisted into the sand. “Even if you are telling the truth why would you want me?” I demanded “You could have asked for anything. Why me?”

“Well at first it was because I thought that it would be funny. Hook giving up his precious daughter would cause him the most pain after all.” Pan chuckled, “But then I imagined how much fun it would be having you around. I only ever got to meet you once but you had such fire in you. Needless to say I was not disappointed. I am having so much fun with you.”

“Cause that’s what it always comes down to with you.” I said, “Everything is a fun game. You might think that but I sure don’t! These mind games you play are not fun and I will not give into them. You really think I would believe that my own father would trade me away to someone like you?”

“You should. Cause he did.” Pan looked past me further down the beach where my camp was set up. “I never thought that he’d actually do it but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Adults are so disappointing, especially parents. Selfish enough to sell their own children off to make their lives easier.”

He spoke with a malice that bordered on vengeful. I think that was the first time I had ever seen him look truly angry. As quickly as it came upon him it left to be replaced with his cocky smile. “Consider yourself lucky. You could have ended up somewhere much worse than here.”

He waved his hand and a sack was now in his hands. He tossed me it and I almost fell back with the weight. Inside was a variety of food. “Since you’re too stubborn to come to the camp for food this should last you a couple of days. Have a nice morning, Lady Jones, think about what I’ve said.”

Then he was gone again.

I took the sack of food back to my camp and happily munched on some boar jerky within. I looked around at my camp with a growing sense of doubt. Papa...he wouldn’t trade me for freedom. He wouldn’t.

Would he?

---

(Previous) (Next)

[melioramercy]

i didn’t mean to, but i know it still hurts

spencer reid x nonbinary partner (afab) (they/them/theirs)

in which spencer accidentally misgenders his partner

this is my first fic ! how groovy is that ?

note: misgendering is defined as the following: [to] refer to (someone, especially a transgender person) using a word, especially a pronoun or form of address, that does not correctly reflect the gender with which they identify.

if you’d like to chat about gender (respectfully) my asks are open xx ruby

dating spencer reid was wonderful. truly, you had no idea how you’d gotten so lucky. he was kind without trying, attentive to your needs, and would never do anything to hurt your feelings. not on purpose, anyway. but when he did, he was quick to apologise, curling up on the couch with you and kissing your head. he knew you typically brooded in silence, choosing to let what was bothering you wash over you in full before attempting to sort anything out. this way, you didn’t say anything you didn’t mean. you two always sorted out conflicts peacefully, and only ended up crying because you loved each other so much and you never wanted to be mad at the other. because of this, he was more than happy to sit with you in silence, weathering your storm together.

spencer didn’t know you were nonbinary when you first met. that was ten months ago, back when you only knew him as the cute, clumsy guy who frequented the same park as you. he liked to play chess, you learned, while he noticed you practicing complex yoga poses just a stone’s throw past him. the two of you maintained a respectful distance from one another, though you snuck glances at him, admiring the way his tongue poked out between his lips, and how quickly his hands darted around the board. he never noticed you staring, the same way you didn’t notice his eyes bashfully skating over your figure, sucking in a breath as your shirt rode up, revealing your colourful sports bra and soft tummy.  

you’d existed in the same space, bearing witness to one another’s leisure activities for nearly four months before you interacted beyond a slight smile or shy wave. some days, he sat propped against a tree, reading a thick book or sketching. you were physically closer than ever when he sat under the tree, but you couldn’t have felt further apart. on the days he had a notebook in front of him, pencil sliding across the paper, his gaze never wavered, and you couldn't help but secretly hope he was drawing a portrait of you. spurred on by your daydream, you decided to try out more skillful poses, subconsciously trying to break his concentration, but no dice.  

it wasn’t until you fell out of a handstand and face-planted that the force field between you two broke. he jumped up from his spot under the tree and ran over to you, wiping dirt off your forehead and holding your face as he checked for any scrapes or bruises. you hoped his warm hands couldn’t feel the way your cheeks burned as he scrutinized you. you let out a breathy laugh mixed with a gasp as you realized how close he was. from here, you could see the green around his pupils, blooming into a gorgeous hazel. the wind teased the curls you’d longed to run your hands through. as if jolted by an unseen presence, he realized how close he was to you, quickly dropping his hands from your face and pulling away.

“uh, sorry,” he said, brushing off his pants as he stood.

“no, no, really, it’s okay. thank you. i usually practice my handstands at home, with lots of cushions around.” damn, he was so cute. you tugged your shirt down, suddenly feeling self-conscious in your tight, printed leggings, toes wriggling into the grass.

you stared at each other, unsure of what to say. was it wrong to want his hands back on your face, kissing you like his life depended on it?

“i’m y/n,” you offered.

“spencer.”

“well, it’s lovely to meet you, spencer. thank you again.” shit, was this really going to end here?

“yeah, uhm, you too. y/n.” the words brought a smile to your face, and you loved the way your name fit in his mouth.

he rocked on his feet, as if he were working up the courage to say something.

“okay... bye.” and just like that, he turned to leave. no, no no no no. fuck, think, y/n, think!

“hey!” you shouted, loud enough to startle him. as soon as he turned around, you were blurting out, “do you wanna go out sometime?”

***

you told spencer about your pronouns, along with your gender identity, on the date you’d scheduled for the following weekend, pending his schedule didn’t change. he didn’t offer up any information about his job, or what made his schedule so wonky, and you didn’t ask. you wanted to know anything you could about the man you’d seen at the park so many times, but you didn't want to push him.

you’d agreed to take a walk in the park before heading to a nearby restaurant for dinner. you wanted to give him an easy out, in case he changed his mind about you. you wore a simple top with linen pants and sandals, while he wore a more casual version of what you’d seen him wearing before. slacks, a button-down sans sweater vest, and converse. you met up at the tree you’d seen him reading under before, savouring the way he complimented you. beginning to walk the path, you worked up the nerve to confess your truth.

“so,” you began. “i’ve gotta get something out of the way.” you saw a flash of panic in his eyes, opting to continue before he could ask any questions.

“i’m nonbinary.”

he stopped walking, letting out a breath before turning to you. fuck, you thought. this is it. he’s gonna be scared off just like everyone else before him. considering how long you'd hoped for this moment, this would be the hardest loss of them all. but you couldn't compromise yourself, in the same way you wouldn't be able to change his mind if he thought your gender identity was too much baggage.

you were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn’t see the smile on his face. you also realized neither of you had said anything since your initial admission.

“spencer?” his name sounded like a plea, with a tinge of hope lining your voice.

“okay.”

“okay?” that’s it?

“what pronouns would you like me to refer to you with?”

the question was one you’d heard before, but it sounded so much... better coming from him. you felt a flutter in your heart, a smile budding on your face as he slipped his hand into yours.

“y/n," you reintroduced yourself. "they/them/theirs.”

he nodded at that, beginning to walk again. you didn’t expect him to speak again, and you definitely weren't expecting what he said next.

“spencer,” he said. “he/him/his.”

you squeezed his hand, the flutter in your heart replaced with something different, something... warm. you really hoped this would last.

***  

ten months later, you were sat at the kitchen table, having breakfast for dinner, with your boyfriend recalling some conversation he’d had with the team.

“and i told morgan, y/n always stays up waiting for me on the couch, but sometimes she falls asleep and-”

he immediately froze, not missing the way you flinched behind your coffee mug. for a second, he thought he should’ve just kept talking, quickly correcting himself and continuing with the story. he knew you disliked when people made a big deal out of messing up your pronouns, but he couldn’t help himself.

“y/n, i-”

you were quick to cut him off.

“spence, it’s okay. it was an accident.” your voice didn’t reveal your hurt, but spencer didn't miss the look in your eyes, the way your brow furrowed as you tried to keep his slip up from getting to you. it wasn't personal. it was an accident. but it still hurt.

“y/n, i’m sorry. i’m so sorry.” he started rambling, leaving you no room to interrupt. “i’m sorry, i know your pronouns. i would never misgender you on purpose or do anything to hurt you.” he reached across the table, grabbing your hands and squeezing them tightly. “you’re my y/n/n, my beanie. i love you so much. i’m sorry.”

he'd started weeping at the initial mess up, but now he was fully crying, harder than you'd ever seen. it scared you more than it confused you. why was he so upset?  

“spence, baby, it’s okay,” you begged him to believe you, but he only dropped his head against your hands, his tears wetting your skin. “spencer,” you said, more insistently. 

you sighed, realizing he wasn’t letting up. you pulled your hands out from under his head, hoping he’d look up at you, but he dropped his head onto the table instead. what was up with him? seriously, people called you “she” all the time, and it was rarely malicious. you were used to it, but he was always bothered, correcting people so you didn’t have to. he really was the perfect boyfriend.  

abruptly, you stood up, grabbing his arm and pulling with all your weight. he gave in, letting you drag him to the couch. you sat down, the worn leather squeaking as you tucked your feet under yourself. you tugged him down to sit next to you, cradling his head against your chest like he'd done with you so many times before when you were upset. you kissed his forehead and stroked his hair until his breathing slowed down.

“you okay, baby?” your words were met with a murmur, but it was better than nothing. “spence?”

you tilted his head so you could look each other in the eye.

“what’s going on, lovey?”

it was his turn to sigh, his nostrils flaring as his big ole brain searched for the right words.

“i’m sorry.”

you didn’t say anything, waiting for him to continue.

“i’m sorry. i didn’t mean it, but i know it still hurts. your pronouns are part of you, and i’ve seen first-hand how much it bugs you when someone refers to you as ‘she’ or ‘her.’ i know you take it personally, and i don't blame you. i know i'll never understand how much it affects you, or why, and i never, ever, want to be the person who makes you feel that way.”

“i know, spence, it’s okay.”

“but it’s not, y/n!” his words were frantic, but he took a deep breath to try and calm himself. “i’m sorry. i just, i’ve never messed up before.”

so that’s what is was. god, on the one hand, you were grateful he took it so... personally? no. you couldn’t put your finger on it, but the fact that he cared so much made you feel loved, and seen. he knew how much it hurt you, and it hurt him just as much.

“baby, thank you.”

he looked you right in the eye, confused as to why you were thanking him.

“thank you, for loving me. for being you. spence, i... i’ve never had anyone who’s cared so much. you’re right, it does hurt, but i love you. i know you didn’t mean any harm, and i know you would never do it on purpose. you don’t have to beat yourself up, okay?”

he still seemed upset, so you reached around, hooking your pinky with his. his lip quirked up at that, and he adjusted so he could press his palm to yours, entwining your fingers.

“i love you, beanie.”

“i love you, too, baby. so so much.”

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Dino Albani Card story “Lend us your wisdom♪”

Translation of Dino Albani’s 4* “Sweet Chocolate Spell” card story from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’.

Dino: ~~~♪

Dino: (I’ve been all over the place preparing for Valentine’s and Faith’s birthday party, but that doesn’t mean I should slack off with training.)

Dino: (I’ve been eating chocolate non-stop because of the ‘En Ciel’ collaboration too, gotta work out and burn some fat off.)

Oscar: Huff.. huff….

Dino: Oh! Encountered a wild Oscar♪

Oscar: Dino-san. Good work today, are you here to train too?

Dino: Yup yup. ….Ah, sorry for interrupting you though

Oscar: Not at all. I am finishing up my routine right now.

Dino: Right, good work then…. man, your muscles never fail to impress me

Dino: I’m gonna be doing a bunch of training too but mine get nowhere close to that…. In the end it boils down to how everyone’s different, right

Oscar: Indeed. It depends on one’s physical constitution, as well as differences in one’s lifestyle.

Oscar: I’m impressed by how you’re able to eat as much pizza as you want and maintain your physique, Dino-san.

Dino: Really? I never paid attention to how much pizza I eat though?

Oscar: Ah…. That reminds me, may I ask something?

Dino: What’s up?

Oscar: You see…. it’s Faith-san’s birthday on the 14th of February, right? Has your team planned to do anything as a celebration?

Dino: Of course♪ The LOM’s on the same day as Valentine’s but we thought of surprising him after it’s done

Dino: Which is why we’re preparing life sized chocolate as a big surprise for him

Oscar: L-life sized chocolate…..

Dino: Anyway, what about Faith’s birthday?

Oscar: Ah…. Actually, I’ve been thinking of wanting to celebrate it too….

Oscar: I suppose I should keep my distance on the day itself after all…. When I had asked Faith-san about it, he told me that there are no plans.

Dino: Eh, really?

Oscar: He hadn’t mentioned the LOM either, perhaps he thought it’d be troublesome

Oscar: There’s a possibility he was on guard in case Brad-sama would get brought up….

Dino: Oooh, you wanted to get Brad involved too, huh

Oscar: Of course. Both of them don’t quite meet eye to eye unless there’s an opportunity like this one. 

Dino: Right. The only way to get them near each other is when others make it happen, eh….

Dino: Oh, hold on. If you guys are up for it, wanna come to the birthday party?

Oscar: Eh… I mean, it is something that your team has arranged….

Dino: It’s all good. The more the merrier, as they say

Oscar: I-if it would be fine….

Oscar: However, in the worst case, something could happen between Brad-sama and Faith-san which could ruin the mood.

Oscar: Rather than just for me, it’d end up being an inconvenience for everyone present, and Brad-sama would take it into consideration.

Dino: Huum, yeaaah, that’s not easy….

Oscar: Indeed….

Dino & Oscar: Hmmmmm……

???: Oi, you two. The hell are you mumbling around for. Get outta my way

Dino & Oscar: !! Asch…!

Asch: Goddamnit…. you know we're in a gym here? If you ain’t here to train then fuck off

Dino: Perfect timing, Asch

Asch: Haaah?

Dino: Why don’t you give us your opinion as an outsider?

Dino: It’s something Brad said back when we were rookies. “With three you’ll have the wisdom of Monju”, a saying that comes from Japan.

Oscar: …..Monju ?

Dino: Yes! On your own you won’t be able to think of a solution, however with three people then it could work out… kinda like that.

Dino: I remember how Brad found out about it from a book, and at the time happily told me about how it was perfectly fitting for the three of us.

Dino: And considering the situation now, it’s perfect for us now too right? C’mon Asch, lend us your wisdom!

Asch: ……What?

------

Oscar: ----And that concludes it. I’m troubled over how I should celebrate Faith-san’s birthday.

Dino: But I think it’d be okay to just join us with celebrating it….What do you think, Asch?

Asch: Dumbasses...

Dino & Oscar: !?

Asch: Your brains are miserably tiny. Man, I swear these simple minded people…. 

Asch: Basically, you have planned a party but you’re worried about stirring trouble due involving others, right.

Asch: The fuck’s all of this…. You know you can also hold one the next day?

Oscar: ….The next day?

Oscar: But wouldn’t it be tiring for Faith-san to have parties back to back...

Asch: Tiring? What the hell kinda parties are you commoners holding...

Asch: Spending money, eating and drinking as much as you want, doing whatever you want… If it ain’t making you feel refreshed, can you really call it a party?

Asch: Well, sometimes there’s some idiot that can’t take a hint and it’s a nuisance, but you can throw them out or make ‘em a target for darts, whichever works. Heh… 

Dino: What the hell kind of parties are you holding, Asch?

Dino: But, maybe you have a point there….

Dino: There’s no need to force yourself to go out of your way on the day itself, if someone were to celebrate my birthday the day after too I’d still be super happy♪

Asch: Exactly. Holding parties every night is the way to go about it.

Oscar: I see…. Then perhaps that’s how it should be taken care of.

Oscar: Seems that I was being a bit narrow-minded. I’m glad you told us what you thought, Asch. You have my gratitude.

Asch: ...Hmph, more than your brain it’s the damn path that’s narrow. You standing doing jackshit is blocking my way, piss off

Oscar: Oh, sorry…

Dino: Amazing! Monju’s wisdom did come through!

Asch: …..What?

Dino: It’s great that as soon as Asch showed up we we’re able to get our answer but… If anything, I’m more happy about how we solved it all together

Dino: Alright, Asch, Oscar! Let’s hold a pizza party as a commemoration! 

Asch: Wha….

Dino: It dawned on me that we haven’t held a pizza party with the three of us yet. And I always wanted to do it with you guys

Oscar: That’d be nice. I had thought of how I wanted to sit down and leisurely talk with you since your return, Dino-san

Asch: Oi stop, why the hell are you telling me what to do. I’m gonna be training now-------

Dino: I’m going to train too, so around after we’re done… what about gathering at the lounge in about an hour?

Oscar: Very well.

Asch: Gh, I said that I’m-

Dino: Asch, it’s what you mentioned earlier though? Like, holding parties every night is the way to go about it♪

Asch: !?

Dino: Your favourite’s fried chicken, right. It’s on the side-menu so order lots of it

Oscar: I’ll be taking care of the orders, both of you please focus on your training. Now then, I’ll be seeing you two in an hour again.

Asch: Gah, wait Oscar! I ain’t gonna forgive you for this------

Dino: Nihi, looks like we’re gonna have fun tonight♪

-

Notes:

About Monju, copy pasted from wikipedia: Mañjuśrī is a bodhisattva associated with prajñā (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit (...). This bodhisattva is known as “Monju Bosatsu“ in Japanese. The saying in Japanese goes as “三人寄ればモンジャの知恵“, which comes down on “two heads better than one”. Shout out to this website for having a literal translation because without it, it’d be stuck on figuring out how to say it haha

[arknights-imagines]

Good Day! Love the work you put into the blog :D it fills up my need for shipping all the beautiful operators. I want to ask for maybe an imagine for one of the trust lines ambriel has (I love her so much

Hi anon!! 🥺✨ Tysm for your compliments wgshgsgs 😭 💕 I've been meaning to write something for Ambriel since I love her a lot and she's a bit of a comfort character for me 👉👈 she seems like she'd be a lot of fun to be around lolol!! 🤣🥺 Anywho, I tried my best with this and I hope I did her justice 🌸

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

Sneaking Off

Imagine format; From the perspective of the Operator for majority

Contains: Ambriel, gender neutral Doctor, sort of implied established relationship, mention of side characters and other locations outside R.I, lots of playful softness at the end 🥺

Word count: lil over 1.5k!

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

‘Hmph, what a pain.’ Ambriel yawned, following the other Operators of the Sniper team as they all hopped off the back of the military truck tasked with making sure they returned to the Rhodes Island camp safely.

Her and the rest of the Operators who specialized in long-ranged support had been assigned with a task somewhere at the outskirts further away toward Kazdel - travelling using the Rhodes Island landship wouldn't have been inconspicuous enough, so all the staff and Operators had to stay at the camp set up by Amiya and the Doctor for now. If she was honest, all Ambriel wanted to do was finish the assignment up and go back to Rhodes Island where she could be more at ease, but sadly, duty called.

Arms stretched over her head, Ambriel headed toward the dormitory tent, lining up with the other Operators and showing her card of identification to the person with a tablet at the entrance when it was her turn - “Welcome back Ambriel; how’d the mission go?” The Sankta sighed, “Pretty good, not a single shot wasted.” With a small nod, the staff member then let her through.

Inside, exhausted Sniper Operators were practically dragging themselves to their cots; unlike them, Ambriel wasted no time, nonchalantly strolling over and throwing her bags and heavy coat on the bed she was occupying for now. After ridding herself of anything that would be too much of a hassle, she turned right around headed over to exit the tent through the flap at the back.

A voice caught her, “Going somewhere, Ambriel?” With a lifted brow, another Sniper Operator piped up as they saw Sankta taking her leave; “Hehe, I’m off to go find the Doctor. Err, if anyone comes looking for me tell them I went to practice my shooting.” And with that Ambriel left with haste, not pausing to hear the Operators response - which was probably for the better.

When she finally stepped outside and into the heart of the camp, a sigh left her lips and she shook her hair out. The Sankta had been dying to be free of work since the morning; sure, she much preferred working for Rhodes Island over serving the Pontifica Cohors Lateran or the Lateranian Notarial Hall, but for Ambriel, more time for oneself was always in high demand.

However, when she noticed a familiar jacket-clad person leaving a tend nearby, she had a feeling her day was about to get much better. Ambriel's lips pulled into a grin, shoulders rolling back as she took off toward them.

“Yo, Doctor~!!” Bright hair flowed buoyantly behind her as the Sankta quickly made her way over, feeling a little brighter than she was just a few seconds ago. Turning around, the Doctor grinned at her and spared her a small wave, “Ambriel, I’m glad you made it back safe and sound.” They motioned toward the path you were just about to walk down, “Walk with me?”

At the offer, Ambriel’s lips pulled into a smile, “You got it.” Happily, she hooked her arm with theirs as the Doctor spoke up, “How did the mission go?” The Sankta sighed softly, “They weren't good at hiding, I can tell you that. Felt like kind of a waste of ammo to be completely honest.” Her hand reached up and tapped their cheek a few times, a smile on her lips, “I’m pretty happy I got back by sundown to see you.” The Doctor returned her grin, expressing that they too were glad to see her.

The Sniper Operator quirked a brow up, papers in their hand catching her eye, “Hmm, you still have work you gotta do around the camp?” The Doctor nodded, using their free hand to unearth more papers they had tucked into their coat, “Amiya asked me to check on some things with other Operators.” The Sankta huffed a little, propping her chin on their shoulder to peek at the sheets of paper, “You should learn to relax a little; after all, Amiya said we’d all be stationed here for a little while, didn't she?”

The Doctor sighed, going on to explain as they led Ambriel toward the communications tent where their next task was, “Yes, but the success of the Operation relies a lot on keeping everything in order.” Rolling her eyes a little, the Sniper Operator decided to drop the topic; there wasn't really any point arguing with them, not to mention it had obviously been a long day for the both of them.

Watching carefully, Ambriel stayed with the Doctor as they began talking to the staff within the comms tent - all of it was nonsense to her, but the Sankta figured she’d hang around considering she really didn't have anywhere to be. When the Doctor noticed her sitting herself atop an empty desk while popping open a box of chocolate sticks to snack on, they lifted a brow up, “Ambriel, you don't have to stay. I might be a while.”

The Sniper Operator shrugged, placing one of the chocolate snacks between her lips, “Oh, I might as well stay until you finish up - I did come looking for you. But you know, “ She propped her chin in her hand, “If it isn't urgent, you should really just reschedule it for a later date.”

The Doctor spared her a smile, “Well if you really want to stay, I won’t stop you. Just stay out of trouble.” Ambriel rolled her eyes, biting back a teasing grin, “Oh please, you won’t even know I’m here~.”

The Sankta obeyed them - watching them attend their business while eating her chocolate sticks; and after some time, the Doctor finally returned to her, causing her to hop off the desk with obvious eagerness. “You’re finally finished?” The Sniper Operator dusted the crumbs from her snack off herself as the Doctor shook their head, “I have to wait for some more papers to finish processing, and then I’ll be done for the day.”

Ambriel blinked, expression baffled, “Huh? You can just wait for them and come back another time, right?” The Doctor shrugged a little, “I was told to get them sent off ASAP-” “That's ridiculous, whatever you need them for can get pushed back.”

Attitude now more assertive, Ambriel locked their arms with hers, practically yanked them out of the tent - the Doctor blinked, eyebrows furrowing together in confusion, “Hey, Ambriel-” “You promised me a movie a while back, didn't you Doctor?”

Oh, well, they had done that; it was less of a promise and more of agreement in the Sankta’s suggestion, but a movie with her didn't sound unpleasant at all. The Doctor just wasn't sure that a camp in the middle of nowhere was the best place for a date.

“I’ve been carrying that hard drive with the movie we picked out on it for forever.” As she exited the tent, dragging the Doctor with her, Ambriel’s voice lowered, “And I know about a TV in one of the little tents near where the elite Operators usually work.” Just as the Doctor opened their mouth to speak, she shushed them with a finger to their lips, “Oh, I know it's for communications or whatever, but who’s gonna notice us using it?”

The Doctor downcasted their gaze; it had in fact been a long time since their last break, and an even longer time since they had been able to spend time with the Sankta. On top of that, Ambriel presented a good point; the movie would only take an hour, no one would come looking for them if they went missing for such a short period of time.

“...hm.” They sighed, and Ambriel watched them with rapt attention. Then, they reached down and laced their fingers with hers, a bright smile painting their lips, “You’re right, let's go watch that movie.”

With her own lips pulling into a grin, she squeezed their hand back - “See? I knew you’d come around.” The Sankta snickered, “Hehe, if anyone catches us, we were watching battle records, not slacking off~.” Considering this was Ambriel, the Doctor wasn't surprised she was ready with some kind of an excuse, but even though it was childish it made the smile on their face light up further.

Ambriel; she found importance in practicality and living leisurely - the Sankta could have honestly cared less about protecting the glory of Laterano or becoming a hero to those at Rhodes Island. All she wanted was to be able to relax with the Doctor at the end of every day, and she dearly hoped that they enjoyed it just as much as she did. A simple person she was indeed; as long as she had the Doctor, she had everything she wanted.

Breaking from her thoughts, Ambriel lowered her voice again, “I know we’re supposed to be taking it easy, but just in case that white-haired elite Sankta from the Notarial Hall spots me, start planning a better plan of escape, got it?” The Doctor chimed with a laugh at her antics, “Got it, Ambriel. You can count on me.”

Little did she know; the Doctor loved sneaking off with her maybe even more than she, herself enjoyed it.

[smolbeandrabbles]

Trade Off - Andrew ‘Pope’ Cody x Reader (Animal Kingdom)

@wltz-bby​ @happyskywhale​

@mandy23b​ - in advance please forgive this ridiculous little AU.🙈 GIF CREDIT: X

Author’s Note: Look - it’s my favourite scene in the whole movie, OK? Let me have this slight AU!  But we all know in the happy universe in my head it all worked out after this right?

Also, for those unaware, yes... you can sing about stock trading! Imagine how happy I was to find fitting lyrics!

Disclaimer: AK has nothing to do with me /  I really tried to gloss over/layman's terms stock trading... I don’t know if I did a good job / Lyrics & gifs not mine.

Premise: After Baz pitches to Andrew the idea of stock trading it’s clear his friend is fairly dismissive. Baz enlists your help to follow through...

Words: 4126

Warnings: Swearing / brief mention of drugs / Slight AU

_____

Your gonna break my bank before too long I'm taking out a loan But when you turn your kind of lovin' on Honey I just can't say no, no no no no no no

Your gonna break my bank before too long I'm running out of dough But when you turn your kind of magic on Honey I just can't say no, no no no

Maybe I'll play the stock market Put some money in my pocket Ain't no telling what your gonna need next I need to steal a Sherman tank Just to break into a bank All my buddies think it's funny 'Cause I'm spending all my money On some honey like there's something to prove 'Cause for a little of your lovin' There ain't nothing much that I wouldn't do It's a business doing pleasure, a business doing pleasure with you

---

With the amount of time Andrew and yourself seemed to be spending around each other these days, you weren’t sure why one of you hadn’t taken up permanent residence in the others home. That deduction wasn’t exactly fair – he was with you to hide from the police for yet another thing he’d gone and done (that you didn’t want to know about), and he wasn’t about to leave the house you’d just pulled up at. Maybe Baz would eventually be able to persuade him that living with you was the good idea, but you weren’t sure you’d be able to do it alone. Of course without Baz you wouldn’t be here right now with all your gear – but you understood why this wasn’t a conversation that could come through Andrew. He’d never talk about it, maybe bury it in the back of his mind and forget the discussion ever happened with his friend. Baz had got home and immediately called you, to try and keep the idea on the table. By involving you Baz would create two fronts for the same goal; perhaps you’d be able to collectively persuade something out of Andrew yet – out of this house and out of this life… You weren’t about to hold your breath. But you’d take anything as a start. When you reached the front door and knocked, you were surprised for it not to be opened by your partner (or his partner in crime). Andrew usually headed you off at the sound of your engine, instead you came face to face with a teen you didn’t recognise. He also clearly had no idea who you were, by the fact that he stood there blinking with a blank expression. You took a step back and surveyed the driveway; okay, one car was missing but you doubted that absolutely everyone was out at once. You wouldn’t expect Andrew to venture out under anything but the cover of midnight with the cops probably still out there looking for him… having said that, apparently the lead up conversation had happened in a supermarket, so what did you know. “Uh,” You turned back to him, looking super awkward and not at all a part of the house he was standing in, “hey. Are the guys in?” He straightened a little, “Uhm, some of them are y-yeah, would you like me to get them? I mean I can-” He pointed back, then squinted at you, trying to recall if he had ever seen your face and if there were a name to go with it. Concluding the answer was no, he asked the question; “Uhm, who..?” “Y/N.” Your eyes flicked behind him, “Though you can also hold that thought.” “I’ll take it from here, mate.” The teen turned to Andrew, a few steps behind him up the corridor, and also who you were now staring at. “Oh, sure.” His back up against the wall already let you know what the power play was. “Hey-!” You stopped him before he left, “What’s your name?” “…Jay.” “Jay? Jay… Jay…” You pondered for a second, because Andrew had mentioned this before, “Oh! Julia’s son! Yes! It’s nice to meet you, Jay!” and with a smile on your face, to Jay it was almost startling that anyone to do with this family – Andrew in particular - would give him such a thing. “You too, Y/N.” Andrew shot him a look that seemed to suggest he forget your name in the next 3 seconds or face consequences, before turning those blue eyes on you. “What are you doing here?” You kept your reply level to his blunt question. “You just left. Which I expected, but you left some stuff. Not why I’m here, though.” You indicated to the house, “May I enter?” Andrew took a step back and nodded, beckoning you forward. You looked left and right with an affirming nod that you weren’t followed and hopped inside, arms winding around him immediately. “Oh my god, Andrew, are you okay?” “Fine.” You closed your eyes, burying your face in his shoulder, waiting patiently until he returned your embrace, “I know it’s stupid,” you mumbled, “but every time I hear sirens, I…” “Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself.” He only murmured it, hand to the back of your head, “…Why did you come?” “Oh, well-” You didn’t want to pull away but you wished to explain, moving your laptop case around, “I hear you don’t have a computer – and failing that, I do have every decent stock trading newspaper you could possibly hope for!” Andrew blinked slowly a few times, bemused by your encouraging grin, “Baz.” It wasn’t a question. “Mhm!” “You’re both crazy.” You weren’t about to let him dismiss this, and followed him into the back of the house – by the looks of it only he and Jay were in, “Wait-! I thought it was a good shout! Will you at least hear us out?” “No. It’s ridiculous.” “Andrew…” He paused and turned to your defeated tone, “Humour me.” He sighed heavily at the look on your face, “Okay. Fine…” He held his hand out for yours, and you linked your fingers with a gentle smile, it was a start. Hopefully Andrew would be receptive to the rest of the information you had to impart. ***

You slid your laptop out of its bag and powered it on, Andrew sat tentatively next to you, clearly unsure about the whole thing. You were certain that by the time you’d talked him through this, and made it so easy for him to understand what to do, with Baz’s help you could turn the tables. You didn’t think this was going to be an overnight miracle, but if it did anything at all that would be an achievement.

As you waited for your own profile to load, you opened today’s selection of newspapers to the trading pages and lay them out in front of him. Right now they looked like a bunch of funny letters with green, red or black numbers. And occasionally a confusing looking graph. It wouldn’t be long before Andrew Cody was reading these like a pro. “Woah.” Andrew’s eyes flicked from the papers to your screen, and he jabbed the number in the top right, “What is that?!” You supposed to him ‘that’ was an eye watering amount of Australian dollars. “That’s how much my portfolio is worth right now. It’ll fluctuate but it’s always somewhere around there. I always tend to go safe - but that means buying high and usually they stay high. You can buy low and have something grow exponentially, but also risk investments blowing up in your face. As you’re starting, maybe you’d like to invest in a bit of both. It’s all a guessing game Andrew, so there’s no wrong answers. If I set you up a profile and get you started, you can do it at your leisure. If you don’t want the hassle of a computer, then it’s as easy as collecting a paper, I can manage your portfolio for you. Or you can go the other way and pay someone else to do it. And if you trust them, then it’s as simple as giving them your money and they make the trades for you. But that’s maybe not so much fun if you’re looking to make a living out of this, which you certainly can. It’ll give you something to do, at least.” “Yeah, but how does that work? How do you make money?” You supposed you were happy that he had questions, and was cutting straight to it. You’d expect nothing less from this Cody. “Two ways. Your shares pay out dividends to you – i.e. a share of company profits - a few times a year, best to spread your portfolio over companies that pay out in different months to have a steadier income! Or you buy low, sell high as you can, or buy high sell even higher and make money like that. Then you keep the money or invest it, so on and so forth.” Baz had explained to you that he'd put thousands into this and was making good money and that he’d mentioned this to Andrew, met only with confusion. It was your job to untangle that.

You pointed to the number he was still staring at, “If I sell everything I have right now, I can have that in the bank, right? Instead I get paid steadily throughout the year. If you’re gonna make a living out of this,” you made sure to give him a look that would get Andrew’s stare back on you, because you meant it, “you’ll probably want to do a bit of both.” “Where am I getting the money for this, exactly?” You folded your arms, he surely had money of his own but you wanted all this to be as clean as possible, “If you’re prepared to take this seriously, I’m prepared to front you the money. I can make recommendations too if you want that. But I was gonna help you pick a few out for yourself...” “I don’t even know where to start.” Andrew’s voice strained for a second as he ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. “Baby, baby...” The last thing you needed was for him to start winding up on you, you took his hand “that’s why I’m here. We do this together, slow or fast as you like, okay? Let’s see what you like the look of, alright?” “...I- I don’t know...” “Andrew.” You moved your hands to his thighs, face close to his, “This is yours, you’re not expected to be an expert overnight, but you have help now. This is a real chance for you... and I know that counts for something. You can’t want to spend the rest of your life like you have the past few months?” You didn’t want him to either, and as he turned from you again you scraped your nails through his hair, as if to tuck it back behind his ear. Andrew’s blue eyes searched your screen for an answer, hand laying on top of yours, not holding you, but still there. “Hey, maybe you and Baz can go into trading together.” You thought that might have been Baz’s idea and motivation anyway, and if Andrew had someone to do this with, in times that you weren’t around, that might help his desire to be involved. His eyes returned to yours, this look hard and piercing, like you were insane. Andrew instantly began to set you straight: “You really think this is just gonna end?” “No.” And that was the truth. You knew better. “But I’m optimistic that it would wind down and you can change.” “It’s too late for that.” “No. It isn’t. Andrew you can’t write yourself off. No one else has - we’re here and we believe in you.” Baz and yourself, your family… The people that really mattered, the people who would actually support him. This time you linked his fingers with yours, “Baby, I want a future with you... I’m scared that one day someone is going to turn up at my door and tell me you’re dead.” It was obvious how serious you were by the tone of your voice, that little waiver you weren’t holding back. “Y/N...” “Andrew, I will beg you... please just- have a go and think about it, and I just- I don’t want to lose you.” He looked back to your portfolio - as if a bunch of numbers and charts and virtual money was going to give him all the answers. But how could it? How could this be the key to the way out of the life he was living? He didn’t see it - and yet you and Baz so desperately believed in this. Andrew didn’t want to let you both down, and yet maybe he could get a kick out of proving you both wrong. Crime was the only way... but crime isn’t the only way... Heck you already had tried labouring the point that drugs wasn’t going to cut it with you. But there were track marks still in his skin, weren’t there. You couldn’t save him, but you tried so hard... you probably deserved him trying. “Okay.” His voice was quiet, but he looked back to you with a nod, “Show me.” You explained it all in as basic layman’s terms; most important to you was that he didn’t have any excuses for not being able to follow though once you left. You taught him how to read the numbers and exchange names in the paper first, green up, red down, black unchanged. That as long as he had noted what he bought them at he could always make sure to sell at profit. Then you spent a little while setting up his profile on your website and Andrew began trying to figure out where he wanted to invest the money you were saying you’d front him. You had a lot of fun watching him scrunch his face in concentration and try to reason out why he should invest in this particular thing. Some of it was way off, but you guided him - he’d get it, of that you were certain. Andrew was sharp, this was all new. You wouldn’t be surprised if later tonight you got a call: Y/N, I can’t sleep but I’ve been thinking about these investments and... You kept flicking back to your own to show him that he could start with what looked small and yet end up with something like this relatively easily, and you knew Andrew was starting to get it when he could interpret a graph without you telling him what it meant. And there was a hint of enjoyment on his face when you would smile and nod and say, “Yes exactly!”

The next time you heard footsteps, Baz was the one waltzing into the room. “Ahhh! Jay told me you two would be hiding someplace and HOLY SHIT-! Is that an investment portfolio!?!” He jogged his friend’s shoulder, “Oh, so it’s hard if I ask, but when your girlfriend pulls up you can put one together, huh!?” Andrew tipped his head, pushing Baz back, “You’re in this together, don’t give me that bullshit.” Baz cackled and hugged you, “Ah! That’s my girl-! You got him invested in you yet?!” “No, that could go wrong, very wrong. I didn’t even mention my company.” Andrew’s eyes flicked between you, causing Baz to smirk, “There you go Pope, you can get your criminal activity in there instead-! Invest and break the law! And you don’t even have to go outside to do it!” “Don’t encourage him!” You folded your arms, mouth open in disbelief - the goal of this was the complete opposite! This was Baz’s big plan, what was he doing!? “What?” “Insider trading.” You turned to Andrew, “Like, buy shares of my company and, as CIO, I tell you when you buy or sell depending on what we’re up to that will have the stock market value pushed up or down.” “Oh, you can do that?” And then at the look on your face Andrew changed track, “But it would be illegal. I get it. Can I invest in your company though?” “Knock yourself out, but I’m not telling you anything!” “This is your chance to have her never talk about work to you ever again, Pope! I’d take it!” “Shut up!” But there was even a small amused smile on Andrew’s face as Baz laughed this time around. “See all you need is to know some people within companies and you can do insider trading all over your portfolio!!” “I thought we were getting out of crime not getting you in more trouble!” “I’m trying to encourage him!” “Can’t believe I’m about to say it’s better than drugs, but we are not starting with insider trading! Oh my god-!” “Ah! But it is better than pushing drugs! Right Andrew?” Andrew looked to you, and you dare him to say it, “She thinks anything is better than drugs.” “I cannot believe you two.” You turned back to Baz, “Leave right now-! Before he latches onto this...!” “I was only kidding!” But he motioned to leave anyway, grabbing Andrew’s shoulders again, “I know she’s joking but seriously no insider trading, mate, you’ll lose her!” “I’ll lose my job too probably!” “Ah-! Yeah, definitely not-!” Baz waved, “See you later, happy investing!” Then turned back, “Oh yeah! Pope, remember to make sure that portfolio also supports your uptown girls’ lavish lifestyle!” He looked directly at you, tongue in cheek. “WHAT?!” “Gotta cost to run a Lamborghini everywhere in your designer heels and purse, darlin’.” You let Baz know you were not impressed, but that only made him laugh as he started back down the stairs. Andrew watched him go with a shake of his head; “He’s a fucking moron.” “His heart is in the right place.” You mused, turning back to your partner, “Yours is sometimes, too.”

**

Before long Andrew was leaning on his arms staring at your computer screen with a blank look on his face. You thought that meant that his interested attention on this was just about over. You made sure your movement was slow as you ran your hand up his arm and shoulder, stroking his back gently before sifting your fingers through his hair. Andrew’s eyes remained on your screen as he blinked slow, but the quiet hum you pulled from him was enough; he was content. When you moved to shut everything down, he simply nodded and let you continue to stroke his back for a few minutes; he closed his eyes, moving his head to rest across his arms and you knew Andrew felt safe, he trusted you enough to simply do that. Baz gave you a general call soon after: “Kids! We’re eating if you wanna come grab something.” Andrew was slow off the mark, wanting to stay with just you for a little while longer, but when he followed you downstairs, Baz and Jay were out of the way of the main room and kitchen. You sat yourself up on the counter as you both continued your conversation, sometimes with words and sometimes in silence but fluid, there was no break in communication, not even once. Andrew remained as close to you as possible and you ate in comfortable silence, still content to sit up on the counter. He seemed a little too into touching you today, nearly always keeping a hand on one part of you – you were prepared to call him possessive; it was surely Jay’s presence making him do this. If not you’d welcome a change up, but you highly doubted that after all this time Andrew would do such a thing. You let him if only to revel in the attention, making sure to afford him affection back, hand over his, or touching him in the same place. All very delicate – and yet kissing you was a step too far, no matter how close he got. You’d persuade one out of him eventually, you were sure… You spent a little time after that talking with Jay and Baz, glad that the other three weren’t present. Although not entirely sure why, also not eager to find out. Andrew’s participation in the conversation barely registered, attention on you the whole time. Today not hard to keep, and very much wanted. If only you could guarantee such a thing more regularly… and yet maybe if Baz and yourself managed to achieve something, and start something here, perhaps you really could. Eventually your mobile rudely interrupted you. “What? No! Stay!” Baz protested. “Much as I would love to,” you glanced to Andrew, “and I really would – David’s in town so I gotta go meet him.” “David?” “Brother.” Andrew answered for you. You noticed how it never quite got back to his family that your foster brother also happened to be a cop. Long may it remain that way. “Aw, bring him here!” “Uh. NO.” You waved that one off quickly, “It was lovely to meet you Jay! Baz, a pleasure as always!” “No worries – I’ll call you later this week, yeah?” “You may.” You gave him a wink, as if he needed your permission, and collected your bag before Andrew walked you to the door. “If you need me to get you a computer-” He made a sound of discontent, “Let’s just- see how it goes. Okay?” “Alright, but I’m here for you, you know that, right?” “Of course I do.” He gave a nod, “I said I’d try. I’m not breaking a promise to you.” Try was a big word, Andrew was always trying for you… You just wanted something to stick now. You prayed it would be this. His hand remained in yours until you got to the outside door, where you swivelled back to him, gathering his other hand. “Thank you, for hearing us out on this.” “Save that for more than day one.” “But there’s a day one!” You beamed, “That already means more to me than you can imagine.” Andrew gave a nonchalant shrug, but he could imagine, quite clearly. You pulled yourself into him, brushing your lips gently to his. As he wasn’t being so generous with his kisses today, you were content to leave it as just that. Instead Andrew let your hands go and locked his arms behind your shoulders; keeping you against his lips, Andrew’s kiss became fierce. Oh, you’ll kiss me like this now your nephew isn’t in sight, huh?! But you wanted it; pushing your body up against his you wound your arms around him, fingers tangling back in his hair as he coaxed a gentle groan from you. Of course that was what Andrew wanted, by the way he smirked into the kiss. He pulled back, leaving you a little wide eyed and whiney, automatically craving more than that – and trying to catch your breath without panting too hard. By the way his eyes were studying your face (and liking what he saw), Andrew was clearly going to leave it there and took a step back as if to prove it. “Will I see you later?” It took a moment for what he’d said to register, “Uh, I… We’re having dinner, but as far as I know he’s driving back. Do you want me back… here?” “Call me when you’re done. I’ll see where I’m at.” “O-Okay…” Your head was still swimming from the kiss, and he shook his head slowly at you, granting you a single chaste one for balance, and as a mercy. You almost verbally thanked him. You took Andrew’s hand back in yours to walk those final two steps out of the house and the door, before turning to say your final goodbyes. Probably not for the day, maybe you’d get to see him later on. Hopefully he’d make good on that kiss – there’s no way Andrew didn’t know you didn’t want to leave him now. As you walked towards your car he couldn’t resist calling after you: “Don’t forget to keep me up to date on what you’re doing before you report to the street!” You couldn’t help but burst out laughing as you slid into your car, “Hell no, Andrew Cody! We aren’t doing that!” As you buckled up and started your engine he strolled over, so you wound your window down, “What?” He leant on your car door, “I did want to thank you for coming up. On account of everything else you do. Take care of yourself.” You rubbed his hands affectionately with a small smile, “You don’t have to thank me verbally.” Evidence, that’s what you really wanted. “I will, make sure you do too. No insider trading! I’m serious!” “No promises. Say hi to David.” You rolled your eyes, “Yeah, he’s exactly the kind of person who’d pick you up on it… Stay safe, at least until I call you again.” Andrew gave a nod, but it wouldn’t surprise you if his fingers were crossed behind his back as he stepped away from your car, hand raised. You waved back, taking a deep breath. One step at a time… You could do this, the three of you could do this if you worked together… It would be worth it; the road might be long but the destination was worth getting to. If Andrew could see that. He will, one day he will… You smiled as you pulled from the curb, you had faith, you believed in him. You had a future. There was nothing else worth believing in.

---

Thank you for reading! 😘😘😘

[multisfabulis]

Land’s Trust in Light

Arrival in Thornewind (Chapter 1/6)

Word Count: 4090

Oh, look, a new Corona's Shadow entry that doesn't feature Verreth? That's possible?!

I kid but it honestly feels good to not be writing Verreth for CS for a little bit. CS was never meant to be a Verreth love story, it only ended up like that because I went straight into writing "The Road to Forgiveness Be Damned" after finishing "A Single Ray of Light in a Sea of Darkness" because I simply wanted to write more Ven and I started to regret my decision around the time I wrote the rough version of the third chapter. Obviously, I stuck with that decision to the end but it was throughout that time I had wants to write Verreth and I wrote those as well. However, all the Verreth segments are what I consider to be side stories, which I know may be hard to believe but trust me, because Ven and Ferreth are not the main protagonists of CS. Eric, if anyone remembers him, is. The Verreth segments were only added to the CS series because I didn't want to make a whole new series entirely focused on Verreth and take them out of something they are main characters of.

Does this mean I'm done writing Verreth? For now, yes. Outside of occasional updates to "Only Through Acceptance Will Love Find Us", I wanna focus on both this and other smaller projects, like RLD and fanfics. Just in case anyone's lost hope, the next big project is Verreth-related, with Ferreth taking the protag role a la TRFBD. Let's just say we're finally getting a look at his backstory and a reason as to why he has self-worth issues.

God, it feels great to be writing in Eric's POV again. It's been over 2 years since I finished ASRLSD so I am making the most of this!

Surprisingly enough, there wasn't much change during the transition from rough draft to publication, which actually made this harder to write. I'm so used to there being at least one major change that I got tripped up by this. The only major change here is the addition of descriptors and needed elaboration and those, I feel like, are key to "beautifying" writing so I don't count those.

One last thing is the "flirting" present in here. I honestly don't know if that can be considered flirting because I'm not someone who flirts or is flirted with on a daily basis. I'm pretty much the dense harem anime protagonist so please forgive me for the terrible flirting.

Read on AO3 | Read on DA | Support me on Ko-fi!

     Thornewind was gorgeous. Sure, Eric was looking at it from a distance atop Asha, but it made one hell of a good first impression. Thornewind seemed colorful and vibrant and he wanted to explore every last inch of it. He gently kicked Asha’s side and she began walking at a slow, leisurely pace.

     Thornewind was a town nestled in the mountains north of Aurora Zenith. The tiny glimpse he saw of it left him awestruck, from its tall, rich buildings packed closely together to its bright windmills scattered across its many open fields. Then there was the sight that awaited him over the ridge, stealing his breath away.

     There were tulips that stretched as far as the eye could see. A sea of blue, red, orange, pink, and yellow blossoms swayed in the summery breeze. It was strange how all these tulips were in bloom when Augvesta had just rolled around but he didn’t put much thought into it. Botany was more of Ven’s expertise and she would be positively thrilled upon seeing this.

     It was soon after crossing the garden he arrived at the entrance. It surprised him to see how lax security was if they let a complete stranger in without so much as a request for papers. He didn’t mind it, though; it just struck him as odd since no one was allowed entry if they weren’t deemed trustworthy back in his childhood home. He and Asha passed through the threshold and was rendered speechless.

     Towering brick buildings loomed over him while a rainbow of others stood further ahead of him. Paths of smooth stone ran in every direction, the opposite of Aurora Zenith’s dirt roads that swept up dust with enough energy behind it. He could hear the tinkling of wind chimes and the fervor of voices all around him. Thornewind certainly had Brinegarde beat in its lively atmosphere.

     He hopped off Asha, making sure to keep the reins in a firm grip. Her deep brown eyes met his as he slowly put a hand on her face and stroked. She didn’t flinch, which was a good sign of progress.

     “You’re such a good girl, Asha,” he murmured, moving his hand down to stroke her neck. “Let’s find a place for you to rest, hmm?”

     It didn’t take long to find a stable. He led her into one of the empty stalls and fed her a couple sugar cubes as a reward for all the hard work she’d done over the past two weeks. The last thing he did was tell the stableman how to care for her during her stay and that he’d be checking up on her daily. Waving goodbye to Asha, it was time to explore Thornewind.

     With it being mid-afternoon, it was pleasantly warm as people crowded the streets on their day-to-day routine. The sound of the wind chimes grew louder and the scent of delicious meals made his mouth water in anticipation. Thank god his anxiety wasn’t ruining this for him. He could hardly contain the bounce in his step as he excitedly toured around the busy thoroughfares. It was rare for him to see and visit new places so he wanted to make the most of this trip.

     There were two things he noticed. First was that most of the people he saw weren’t humans nor were they elves. Their ears were similar to Ven’s and they had what seemed to be like fangs sticking out from their upper lips. What really threw him off, though, were their sizes. Many of them were easily a foot or so taller than him just from a distance and were definitely well-built. Whatever these people were, they’ve caught his eye and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enticed.

     Then there were the stares. He initially thought they were wondering what a human was doing here till he realized it was what he wore. It wasn’t like he was wearing an extravagant suit but he still clearly looked like a noble, or so he assumed. He wasn’t trying to show people up. He was just taught to always dress his best for important events and he considered his reason for being here to be one such.

     Now came the realization he was lost. He had become so engrossed in his surroundings, an hour flew by without him noticing. He needed to find the lord of this town and talk with them about the relationship between them and Aurora Zenith. Allies were essential in political affairs, after all. The bad part was, he had no idea on where to start looking.

     Well, as much as he hated to, he had to ask someone for directions. It couldn’t be that hard, right? All he’d have to do is go up to a random person, ask them on how to get to the lord’s house, and that’d be it. Simple and easy!

     He felt a hand touch his shoulder and heard a voice ask, “Hey, are you okay?”

     He let out a startled shriek and turned to face the stranger. There was a man in front of him with his hands up in a conciliatory manner towards him. One of the first things he noticed was just how big he was.

     He’d never seen anyone taller than Alek before and it honestly unnerved him. The man had the same pointed ears and fangs as everyone else so he must’ve been one of the not-human, not-elf people. He had dark brown skin, messy brown hair with a small braid that reached his shoulders, and bright green eyes. What was really peculiar about him were the bandages starting from the middle of his arms and ending all the way down to his fingertips. He was definitely hiding something underneath those but Eric could care less about what right now.

     “Hey, hey, hey, calm down, okay?” the man said in a soothing tone. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

     “I would hope not!” Eric breathed in, placed a hand on his chest, and breathed out. “It’s not every day some random stranger walks up, claps a hand on my shoulder, and asks if I’m okay right in my ear.”

     “Well, you seemed troubled so I thought you might’ve needed help,” the man replied, putting his hands down.

     Feeling rather embarrassed with himself for that pathetic display, he cleared his throat and asked, “As a matter of fact, I do. Could you please tell me where the lord of this town is, I need to speak with them right away.”

     “You wanna talk to Bris?”

     “If that’s their name, then yes. I have some important business to discuss with them.”

     “He’s not far from here, I can take you to him if you want.”

     That would probably be the best course of action. He was never good at memorizing directions and reciting them to himself only confused him more. He had no one to blame but himself for being in this situation to begin with so…

     “Sure, that’d be great,” Eric conceded. At least this guy was kind and generous enough to show him the way there.

     “All right, let’s make our way over there.” The two men began walking down a street that wasn’t as busy as before. “By the way, my name’s Ferreth.”

     “I’m Eric, it’s nice to meet you,” he said, flashing him a friendly smile.

     “So what brings someone like you to our fair town of Thornewind?” Ferreth asked. “I thought I’d recognized all our visitors since those don’t come by very often.”

     “It’s as I said. I’ve traveled a long way to see Bris in the hopes of discussing important business with him.”

     “What kind of business? Are you an important person?”

     “I’d say being lord counts as pretty important. I’ve come all the way from Aurora Zenith to see if our two towns could potentially become allies.”

     “Oh, wow. I, uh, didn’t think someone as cute as you could be lord.”

     He tilted his head in both curiosity and confusion. “I don’t see what my appearance has to do with anything but I can assure you I wasn’t lying.”

     “I didn’t think you were. I just wasn’t expecting a man in your position to be so…good-looking.”

     “So what were you expecting?”

     “You know, somebody the complete opposite. I mean, I’m figuring you’re, like, smart, charismatic, kind, and everything else Bris is like.”

     Ah, that’s what was happening here. He had an inkling of it the first time Ferreth mentioned his appearance but now he was sure. Alek had never done it with him and there wasn’t really a need for him to. As flattered as he was by it, his heart was and always will be Alek’s.

     Chuckling, he said, “Well, I think my boyfriend would agree with you on some of those things but I’m more modest about them.”

     “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Ferreth had a defeated smile on his face, gracefully accepting his loss. Eric liked how easygoing he was.

     “So what’s your relationship with Bris like?” he asked.

     “Oh, me and him are best friends. We’ve known each other since childhood but I’d say we’re more like brothers than friends by this point.”

     “Sounds like you get along with him really well.”

     “Don’t get me wrong, Bris and I have had our fair share of arguments but what friendship hasn’t? We have each others’ backs and no fight’s ever gonna change that.”

     Ferreth had a certain fondness in his voice when he spoke about Bris. It was easy to see the love and devotion he held for Bris and it warmed Eric’s heart. He was admittedly envious of their friendship. He never had any friends as a child aside from Alek and, while Alek’s irreplaceable, he wished he was able to make some back then. At least that seemed to be changing with him befriending Ven during his trip to Brinegarde so maybe he still had a chance to form everlasting relationships.

     “Here we are!”

     The two stopped before a giant windmill. Dark red brick made up the exterior and the blades turned gently in the breeze, creaking ever so slightly. There were hardly any windows aside from the two in front and there was a wraparound balcony set up just below the wooden roof. Eric didn’t know windmills could be habitable, which made him want to live here if only a little.

     “Wow…”

     “Let’s go on up, shall we?”

     They climbed up the stone steps leading to the front door. It was a tall, dark wooden door stretching up towards the wraparound balcony, with a black, wrought iron ring on the side as its knocker. Before he could think of a script in his head, Ferreth grabbed the ring and hit it against the door a few times.

     Almost immediately after, a woman answered. She wasn’t much taller than him, though he figured the top of his head would be just scraping her chin, and the slim blue dress she wore did little to hide her defined muscles. She had porcelain skin, long, wavy rose pink hair flowing down to her waist, and sandy brown eyes, reminding him of the shores of Aurora Zenith’s beaches. She was stunningly beautiful and his throat felt suddenly dry.

     “Ah, Ferreth, are you here to see Master Brirsyrun today?” she asked. Her voice sounded soft and airy like a lovely breeze.

     “Hey, Aissyl, I’m actually here because my new friend wanted to speak with Bris regarding some important matters, right?” Ferreth put a hand squarely on Eric’s back and pushed him forward slightly.

     “Oh, uh, yes!” he spoke quickly. “My name is Eric Travere and I’m the lord of Aurora Zenith. I’m here today because I needed to talk to Brirsyrun about improving the relationship between our two towns.”

     “I see. I shall ask Master Brirsyrun if he’ll see you now, please wait a moment.” She closed the door.

     That could have gone a little better, he thought as he released a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in. He heard Ferreth trying to stifle a laugh from beside him and promptly wanted to die. Guess he wasn’t the only one she had that effect on, if this has happened before.

     “She’s pretty, isn’t she?” Ferreth asked, pretending like he didn’t know the answer.

     “Yes, well, I can’t deny that she’s quite beautiful,” he replied, clearing his throat. “Have you tried anything with her?”

     “When I first met her, yeah, and she swiftly turned me down.” He clicked his tongue, as if remembering the memory wasn’t pleasant. “Let’s just say she’s not interested in men like us. Or any man, really.”

     Before he could say any more, the woman known as Aissyl opened the door and invited them inside. The room he entered seemed to be what he’d liken to a waiting room or lounge. What little of the walls he saw that weren’t decorated in exquisite murals were painted a warm honey color. There were a couple of cushioned chairs sitting by the small window and a low table set in front of them. He didn’t have time to check out much more before Aissyl led them through an arched threshold into another room he presumed to be Bris’ office.

     It wasn’t terribly big but it worked fine for its purpose. Unlike the lounge, the walls were a cerulean blue, similar to the sky at dawn before the sunrise. There were tall bookcases standing on one side of the room and a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor on the other. A leather chair sat behind a pine desk atop a nondescript forest green rug. He figured the unusual empty space in front of the desk was for additional chairs if they had guests over. They must not get many of them if they hadn’t gotten a chair specifically for this room. A man was sitting at the desk when he looked up and Eric believed him to be Bris.

     The first thing he noticed was the cream-colored scarf worn around his neck, which he found odd since it was late summer. He looked to have a lean yet muscled body and, when he stood up, seemed to be just shy of Aissyl’s height. He had sun-kissed skin, cropped blond hair, and cloudy gray eyes. A smile broke out across his face upon seeing Ferreth and he walked around his desk.

     “Hey, I was wondering when I’d see you,” said Bris.

     “Well, I was planning on coming by here anyway but my new friend here--” Ferreth wrapped an arm around Eric’s shoulders, making him jump slightly-- “needed help finding you so why not save a trip?”

     “Right.” Bris walked up and offered a hand. “I’m Brirsyrun, son of Nulzrot and Tallo of the air.”

     That was a…unique way of introducing himself, he thought curiously as he put his hand in Bris’ and said, “I’m Eric Travere, lord of Aurora Zenith.”

     “Aissyl said you had some important matters to discuss?”

     “Yes, well, I wanted to talk with you regarding the relationship between Thornewind and Aurora Zenith.” He took a step forward, shrugging off Ferreth’s arm. “You see, I’m planning on going to the rest of the major cities and asking them for their cooperation. In simpler terms, I’m in want of allies. I already have the town of Brinegarde as one so Thornewind’s my second stop.”

     “I see. Well, I’d like to talk more of this tomorrow morning because I have some things that need attending to today. Will that be all right with you?”

     “No, that’s good, that’s great! I’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

     Wow, a guaranteed meeting? No waiting for someone because they were fooling around instead of doing work in their office? This trip was already leagues better than Brinegarde’s and it was all due to Bris being a responsible adult. That pompous jackass Lianthorne could take some pointers.

     “I think, with that being settled, we’re done here.” Bris gestured towards Ferreth. “Ferr, could you show Eric to the Dravitae Inn so he’ll have a place to stay during his time here?”

     “Of course, my lord,” Ferreth replied with a joking smile.

     “Don’t call me that, even if it’s a joke,” Bris protested, despite his own grin.

     Aissyl led the two men outside with Bris following behind. Eric and Ferreth gave a short wave goodbye and they were off. He made sure to remember any and all distinctive markers on the roads as they walked. He didn’t want to be late for the meeting tomorrow because he was lost again.

     “So, how was your first impression of Bris?” Ferreth asked, folding his hands behind his head. “Pretty nice guy, right?”

     “Yeah, he seems like a really decent person--” he let out a chuckle before sighing wearily-- “which is a lot more than I can say about Brinegarde’s lord.”

     “I’m guessing they weren’t as nice.”

     “God, you would not believe. They’re probably the most arrogant and pretentious asshole I’ve ever met.”

     “At least Bris isn’t like that, thankfully.”

     “Yeah, thank god.”

     Despite his complaining of it, he didn’t regret his trip to Brinegarde. It was a beautiful town, like many other coastal towns, and the sweets were to die for. Meeting and becoming friends with Ven, however, was easily the best part of that trip. No beauty or tasty treats will come close to the joy having her in his life brought. She was Brinegarde’s saving grace.

     “You know, I’m curious…” He put a finger to his chin as if thinking about something before continuing. “What do you do around here, Ferreth? It must be a job that gives you a lot of free time if you’re allowed to cart me around all day.”

     “Oh, I guess I’m what you’d call a handyman,” Ferreth replied. “I do general repairs wherever they’re needed and I basically do work people don’t wanna do themselves.”

     “So it’s like you’re an errand boy, then?”

     “I’d say handyman’s an upgrade from that but yeah. It may not be the most ideal job but it lets me help people and it doesn’t pay so bad, either.”

     “No offense and all but…isn’t there something you’d rather be doing than being a handyman? I mean, I guess I don’t really understand it but still… Do you have something to aspire to?”

     He swore he saw him tense up and a glimmer of something he couldn’t quite detect before it disappeared as he answered with, “Not really.”

     That was most definitely a lie. He couldn’t figure out why Ferreth would lie to him over an innocent question like that but it was none of his business. There might’ve been more going on underneath the surface and they had only just met earlier today. No sane person tells a complete stranger their entire life story hours after meeting them. He was entitled to his secrets, as was he.

     It was soon after they arrived at the Dravitae Inn. It was a simple four-story building, with pale green walls, a dark red shingled roof, a pair of large double doors serving as the entrance, and windows on either side that allowed passersby a peek inside the establishment. On the corner was a hanging metal sign that had the name of the inn inscribed on it with a sleeping dragon below. It seemed like a good enough place to stay in during his visit.

     “Here we are.” Ferreth turned towards him. “You gonna need help getting to Bris’ tomorrow?”

     “No, I should be good. Besides--” he placed a finger to his temple-- “I have a pretty good memory so I think I have the path there memorized.”

     “All right, well, good luck tomorrow,” he said, gesturing his hand in a motion reminiscent of a salute. “Enjoy the rest of your stay.”

     He began walking back the way they came. Eric watched his figure shrink smaller and smaller before he was out of sight completely. He hoped he’d have a chance to talk with him more throughout his stay here in Thornewind. He had questions he wanted answers to, such as the nature of the people here and what he was like. For now, though, it was time to check in.

     A quick chat with the innkeeper later and he had his room. It was slightly smaller than his room back at home but it brought some comfort. A queen-sized bed sat on the right side of the room and an average cupboard opposite it. The armoire was tucked away into the upper left-hand corner while a small table and chairs were in the upper right-hand corner. A single window was set at the back, which gave him a decent view of Thornewind in the late afternoon.

     He set his bag and key down on the table before flopping onto the bed. God, he wanted nothing more than to lay there for a minute or hour. He still wasn’t used to walking and talking by himself so he was thankful for the short rest. Hey, maybe by the time he goes to Emberranth, he’ll have the skills of a functioning human being and not that of an introverted shut-in.

     He sat up, reached into his pocket, and took out his pendant. The crystal inside the bottle glinted slightly upon being held up to the light. He smiled as he brought it close to his chest, hoping his mother was watching over him.

     Tomorrow was his meeting with Bris. Other than that, he had a few days to spend time doing whatever he wanted. Sightseeing, buying souvenirs, trying out Thornewind’s cuisine, he may as well treat himself as a tourist more than a visitor. He never got to do these things before now so he wanted to make the most of it.

     May he leave Thornewind with an unforgettable experience.

[rdrthingies]

Charles and Tayen’s first robbery

this is their first robbery with the gang, featuring Arthur

hope you enjoy!

Tayen and Charles had been with the gang for close to a week now, “members” but haven’t yet been welcomed as one, as they haven’t been taken on a job so someone can see how they work.

While Charles was happy to wait, doing chores around camp as needed, slowly getting acquainted with everyone, Tayen was quite the opposite. Almost every day she would go to Hosea or Dutch, “Found a lead yet?” And every day they would smile and laugh and shake their head, saying her time to shine would come soon.

That time finally came when Arthur came back to camp after first meeting them, telling Dutch about a stage coach of a wealthy oil man making his way West. 

“Good,” Dutch nods with a smile. “Take the two new ones with you: Charles and Tayen.” Arthur gives Dutch a two finger salute and walks off to gather the other two.

He finds them at the campfire, tending to their weapons, idly passing the time. He approaches the two and calls out, “Mr. and Miss Smith! We got a job for you.”

“WOOHOO!” Tayen leaps up with a cheer, quickly putting away her knife and getting her other things ready. “What is it? Where is it? Oh! Do I get to sneak into a house-”

“Easy woman, Jesus.” Arthur holds his hands out like he’s trying to calm a spooked horse, but there’s laughter bubbling in his chest. “Just a stage coach headin’ West. Some rich oil guy.” But Tayen did not seem put off by that, nearly vibrating with excitement as she eagerly awaited her brother who got ready much more leisurely and carefully.

“So we’ll take ‘em at night?” Charles asks as he walks up, holstering his sawed off.

Arthur begins walking to the horses, the other two following. “Yeah, from what I heard he wanna ride through the night, so we’ll take ‘em on the road.”

Arthur strokes Boadicea’s nose, waiting for the two to tack up and get up. Their horses matched their personalities: Taima calm, munching on a carrot Charles had given her. Whereas Inola was nearly prancing in place, head bobbing up and down, Tayen having to work to get the bit in.

He waited for the two to mount up before he mounted Boadicea, “Alrigh’, we’ll stake out on the cliff overlookin’’ New Austin. Wait for ‘em to ride down, then follow.” He turns Boadicea, bringing her into a trot, they had hours to get there after all.

Only Tayen and Inola races past him, cheering and calling out. “Keep up old men!” Arthur could hear Charles’ sigh from his spot, but Arthur only gives him an amused smile.

“She always like this?” Arthur questions, Charles looking to the man for a moment, a small smile forming.

“Normally not this... excited. Think she’s just antsy to show off what she can do.”

“Well, ‘m sure you two’ll be fine.” And Arthur meant it: they were clearly competent at nearly everything they do, working very well together despite their clear differences. But that’s how family is, Arthur thinks, briefly reminiscing on him and John’s jobs, back when they were close Brothers.

Arthur and Charles ride in relative silence, not awkward silence, but silence of two companions simply taking a ride.

They reach the cliff just as the sun begins to set, catching Inola off to the side grazing, but his rider nowhere to be seen. Arthur looks around, not freaking out... yet, but certainly a little on edge.

“Tayen? Where are ya?” He calls out, noticing Charles leisurely riding up to the cliff without a care.

“Up here!” Her face suddenly appears beneath the foliage of the tree, upside down with her braids dangling. “Nearly fell asleep waitin’ on you old ladies!”

“Simply not wanting to push our horses,” Charles answers back as he dismounts. “Now come be helpful.” Tayen groans and Arthur swears he can hear Tayen give a little mocked copy of Charles’ order before flipping off down the tree.

Being “helpful” included taking care of the horses and handing Arthur some salted meats and water, which Arthur took generously, giving his thanks.

The three waited as the sun set and the stars began coming out, a waning crescent moon slowly making its way in the sky. They didn’t talk much, but Arthur still seemed to learn more about the two.

Charles was always doing something productive, whether that was fletching arrows or cleaning his gun or even sharpening his knife and axe. Hands always busy.

Tayen seemed to always do things as well, but in a different way. She’d touch up the paints on her face, putting the paint on confidently without a mirror. She’d sometimes flap her hands or pull her braids, but seemed to stop herself after a while, sitting on them. She’d even call out different animal calls, saying what the animal was and maybe even a fact about them. Arthur caught her a couple times softly hooting like an owl, a very convincing owl, he thought one had perched up at the tree before realizing it was her.

By the time they heard the coach, Arthur had finished sketching the two around the fire, Charles hunched over an arrow and Tayen smiling with a hand on her braid.

“Alrigh’, bet that’s them.” He called out, and just like that it was like they were brought back to life. Tayen leaping up and jumping up onto Inola, and even Charles hurried a little to Taima. The three rode to the cliff edge, watching the stage coach make its way down the cliff edge. A single lantern illuminates the front of the coach where they see the driver and a shotgun driver.

Arthur takes out his binoculars, conveying the rest of the information. “Shotgun driver with two riders in the back. Think the Rich Man’s got a wife wit’ ‘em as well.” He puts away the binoculars, sniffing, thinking.

“Alright,” He looks to the other two. “Charles, yer gonna ride ahead an’ stop the coach. Do your best not to shoot anyone but the shotgun does look experienced, so might need a bullet in the arm.” He nods, face stone. “Tayen, you an’ I are gonna take out the guns, like I said I wanna try to avoid killin anyone, but we might have to take out the guard.”

“Not a problem for me!” She grins crookedly.

Arthur laughs, pulling up his bandanna. “Didn’t think it would be.” He looks as the two pulls their own bandanna up: Charles a simple black like his own, but longer, covering his entire neck. While Tayen had a black bandanna that was also painted: a grinning animal with sharp teeth, wolf maybe.

“Alright, let’s go.” He turns his horse, trotting off with Tayen as Charles is the one this time to ride ahead.

The two follow behind him, not the silence like from earlier that day, but one of seriousness, of two people preparing for a job. They stay behind Charles but not too far behind, watching him easily catch up to the coach from a distance, keeping away from the coach to catch them off guard.

The driver was just beginning a turn when Charles cuts in, pulling Taima right to the front of the wagon with his sawed off aimed, the driver pulling on the reins hard, the horses snorting as they skid to a stop.

“Drop it.” Charles orders the shotgun driver, and even from the distance, Arthur could hear the pure intimidation in his voice, and the lack of a shot ringing out proves that he is good at that sort of thing.

Now it was their turn, the two riders readying themselves to take Charles out, but they aim their own guns and Arthur grunts out this time. “Don’t even think ‘bout it, partner.” The two guards look over their shoulder, catching the two guns to them, and they sigh heavily as they raise their hands in surrender.

“Drop the guns, all of ‘em.” Tayen orders and Arthur doesn’t miss the blink in surprise from them as they realize one of their assailants is a woman. But they do comply, dropping their repeaters and taking off their gun belt slowly.

By this time Charles was by the side of the coach, the gun the shotgun had was tossed to the side.

“Watch these two,” Arthur orders Tayen, pointing to the two guards as he dismounts and meets up with Charles. He goes to the door and knocks harshly, “C’mon. Money, valuables, all out ‘ere. Sooner you do it the sooner you can be on yer way.” There was hushed talking on the other side, and Arthur was worried they were up to something.

But then the door opened and a stack of money, a coin purse, and several jewelry hit the dirt at his feet.

“Thank ya kindly,” Arthur charms as he picks it up, trusting Charles to watch his back. He counted the money: a good three hundred dollars plus the jewelry. Not a bad take. He pocketed their take and was ready to head back when suddenly Tayen called out.

“Hold up,” Tayen dismounts, ignoring the guards as she approaches the coach, eyeing it. “This is a personally owned coach.”

Arthur shrugged, “So?”

“So personal coaches tend to have secret stashes. In case something like this were to happen.” Tayen informs, her smile growing. “I bet they’ve got somethin’ hidin’ in there. Arthur scratches his chin, it was a good observation, but he wasn’t sure if it was true.

“That true?” Charles now calls out. “You got more hiding away?” 

There was silence on the other side, so Arthur banged his hand on the door again. “Hey! Answer the damn question!”

“Yes!” A shrill cry of a woman came from inside. “T-there’s a hidden compartment beneath the dashboard.” Charles went to the front of the wagon, watching the driver and shotgun carefully as he felt around, finding a latch and breaking it open with the hilt of his sawed off.

Arthur is watching Charles work, making sure he didn’t run into any trouble, and Tayen was bouncing on her toes, excited that her hunch worked out.

But that meant none were watching the two guards behind them: where one was slowly dismounting, reaching for his handgun.

But Inola saw, and Inola was already skittish. He stomped his hooves, giving a high-pitched cry. Tayen turned to see what was wrong, only to see the man cocking his gun.

“SHIT!” She shouted and instinct took over before Arthur could even draw his gun. But even his instincts were too slow for the woman: with her left hand she took her tomahawk at her side and threw it sideways, a dull thunk sounding as it split into the man's forehead. Arthur shot the other guard who was now trying to reach his gun now, a bullet to his chest and he quickly dropped dead.

“Damn fools,” Arthur sighed and holstered his gun, turning to Charles. “Got it?”

Charles nodded, tossing the extra take to him: five hundred dollars.

Arthur shoves the money into his satchel and marches up to the driver, eyes hard as he ordered. “Now you two are gonna close yer eyes and count to sixty. When you do you, you can open ‘em an’ be on yer way. Got it?” The two men nodded, gulping, very much not wanting to be shot.

The three mounted their horses and quickly rode off, kicking up dust as they raced through the silvery moonlight.

Arthur finally slowed them down once they were back up the cliff and well into West Elizabeth, putting down his bandanna. “Think we’re good.”

The two slowed and followed suit, and Tayen was quick to speak. “Sorry for not watching those guards... didn’t think they’d try shit.” Arthur turned, seeing genuine guilt in her eyes, it caused Arthur to smile.

“Naw yer good, Tayen.” He chuckled. “No one got hurt an’ you’ve got some good reflexes on ya. Just stay focus next time.”

“Will do!” She straightens, guilt suddenly gone in favor of a broad smile.

“You both did good,” Arthur compliments, looking to Charles and nodding to him. “You work well together an’ are good with orders. More than I can say for most in the gang,” he can’t help but add at the end. “Once I fence the jewelry I’ll split the cut. ‘Member, half goes to camp, the rest is split between us. ‘Cause this is your Welcome Robbery as Dutch likes to put it: you get more of the cut.”

The two nodded in agreement and they rode back in relative silence: Tayen popping up every now and then to share a story or to simply make her owl noises.

Yeah, Arthur thought. These two will be a good fit. 

[avisteliterature]

Friend’s Trust | Claude von Riegan x Reader

RATING: General ◇ GENRE: Fluff/ Friendship/ Hurt/ Comfort ◇ 1,051 words SUMMARY: Claude approaches you when you’re stressed out about the upcoming exam. NOTE: Please keep in mind that this fic was written before the game’s release, and I forgot to upload it here. The relationship between Claude and Reader can be read as platonically or romantically.

Fishing really isn't your forte, you realize. With the all too important exam coming up, you've been feeling understandably stressed and ready to break down at a moment's notice. People always say that fishing is a relaxing hobby, so you figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, and you ended up renting a pole and some bait to use. The other students in the area were more than willing to help a beginner such as yourself out and offer you a quick tutorial and rundown of sorts before going back to their own little thing.

You don't know how long you've been sitting there now, but none of the fish were biting, and you were increasingly getting more and more annoyed and impatient at the stretched out silence. You thought fishing was supposed to help soothe the soul or something, but if anything, it just put you in an even worse mood than before you started out. You can't even feel bothered to hide the scowl on your face.

A cheerful laugh rings out to your side. "You'll scare all the fish away if you continue glaring like that."

You turn your attention away from the water and towards the newcomer, your expression letting up by the slightest amount when you see who it is. "Claude... You seem awfully carefree for someone who had to stay behind for extra lessons."

The man grins, not even bothered by a fraction at your teasing prod, and he casually shrugs his shoulders. "There's no shame in admitting you aren't perfect and asking somebody else for help when you need it."

You offer a thoughtful hum in response as you turn your head back to the body of water in front of you. "Hm, I suppose..." you answer in a distracted manner.

"So!" Claude claps his hands together before making his way over to sit beside you, his shoulder brushing against yours. His presence is a warm comfort, and you find yourself leaning closer to him. "What do you need help with?" He asks you.

Claude is a cheerful and kind man, and you've lost track as to how many times he has extended that kindness towards you. You drop your gaze, the grip on your fishing pole becoming a bit tighter as you try to figure out the words to say. You don't want to bother Claude with your worries, but at the same time, there was something about him that made you let down your guard and want to confine in him. You trust him.

"I guess..." you start with a whispered tone. "I'm a bit wound up because of the upcoming exam and everything."

It wasn't that you were a perfectionist of sorts, but you wanted to give it your best, and yet, in the back of your mind, it feels like your best might not be enough. Although you can understand the professor's lessons clearly while in class, reviewing the material in your spare time and trying to make them stick just didn't seem to work in your favour. You let out an undignified groan of defeat and bury your head into between your knees.

A firm pat on your shoulder stops you from further wallowing into your self-pity. "Hey, lighten up," Claude tries to assure you. "It's not like it's gonna be the end of the world if you fail."

You huff in slight irritation, lifting your head a bit and turning it to glare at the man. Easy for him to say. For someone like you in your position, how well you do in your studies plays a big part in how well your future prospects will be. You're not sure if Claude understands that, but you know full well that his encouragement had no sarcasm or ill intent. He truly does want to cheer you up, and you're unable to stay angry at him for long.

"It's not that simple," you argue with slumped shoulders. "It's an important exam."

"And your physical and emotional well-being is just as important," Claude shoots back without missing a beat. "Life's too short to worry so much about such things."

You end up pursing your lips into a slight pout. What Claude says is right, but it doesn't make you feel any more satisfied nor lessen the burden on your mind. You figure you spent more than enough time here already, so you start packing things up, Claude trailing behind you as you offer your unused bait to another student before proceeding to return your rented fishing pole.

"What are you gonna do now?" The Riegan heir asks, sparing you a sideglance as he rests his hands behind his head, taking a leisurely pace by your side.

"Don't know," you answer casually, staring straight ahead of you with no set destination in mind. Maybe a stroll around the Academy and taking in some of the sights might help alleviate the anxiety that weighs on your chest. Really, at this point, you'll do just about anything so long as it'll help you lift your spirits.

"In that case..."

A questioning look crosses over your features, and it turns to one of confused surprise when Claude unreservedly grabs your wrist and begins to gently tug you into a specific direction. "Come with me!" He suggests, but with his solid grip on you, it doesn't seem like he's going to give you any say on the matter. "I think I know juuust the thing that might help you!"

"I'm wary," you confess with a deadpan look, but despite your words and expression, there is a hint of excited curiosity in the back of your mind as to what your friend might possibly be thinking.

Claude feigns exaggerated hurt, speaking dramatically. "Oh, you wound me! Do I not have your trust?"

You can't help but playfully roll your eyes at the man's antics. In the end, you decide to humour him. Maybe he really does know what you need. Despite his usual behaviour, he can be quite perceptive towards other people. "Alright, fine. Lead the way, kind sir."

Claude grins from ear to ear, a wonderful laugh naturally falling from his lips as he eases his hold on you before practically dragging you away to who knows where. "I promise you won't regret it!"

[square-enix-headcanons]

How about a child nobody s/o (I suppose that a child CAN become a Nobody, like Ienzo/Zexion) is found by a member of the Organization XIII and the kid, looking at them, calls them "mom/dad"? What is their reaction? (Hope I was clear ;;w;;)

Yep, it was clear! ^^ (Though I’m still not used to seeing S/O used in a non-romantic context, but I’ll get used to it at some point xD)

Xemnas

When the news about a new Nobody reached him, Xemnas decided to go himself

He tried to explain the Organization in simpler words, and the kid just looked up at him and said “Okay dad.”

Xemnas was stunned for a moment, then decided, all right, that works

So he picks up the kid and teleports back to the Castle

He thinks that he shouldn’t care about the kid; he’s not supposed to have feelings, and even his memories are hazy at best

And yet

There’s just something that makes Xemnas care

The child is allowed to just barge into Xemnas’s room without getting into trouble, and they use that privilege, a lot

Xemnas doesn’t actively go to spend time with the kid, but well, the two still end up spending a lot of time together

Since the kid isn’t sent on missions, they usually sit on Xemnas’s lap while he works

Xigbar

He sees the kid while he’s out on a mission, and pretty quickly figures out they’re a Nobody

So he takes care of the mission first, then comes back for the kid

This wasn’t part of any plan, as far as he’s aware, but oh well. More Nobodies for the Organization can’t be too bad, worst case scenario he has to take them back

Xigbar gives the kid a quick rundown of the situation - They’re a Nobody now, which means they have no Heart and no feelings, Xigbar’s the same, and he’ll take them to a place for Nobodies - then picks the kid up and RTC’s

Right as he the portal opens, the kid says “Thanks Dad”

!!!!!!

Something just clicks, and Xigbar is instantly way more protective; this kid’s not just gonna be dropped off afterwards

Outwardly, he doesn’t show it; just chuckles and says “Heh, you could do better than me, kiddo.”

Internally, very flattered tbh

He goes immediately to Xemnas’s room with them, and quickly explains why he brought a kid

Xemnas decides that if Xigbar thinks the kid might turn out to be useful, they can stay for now; however, if it turns out they aren’t, XIgbar will have to take them back to their world

Xaldin

Xaldin was taking one last look around after a mission when a kid tugs at his coat and asks, very puzzled, “Dad?”

At first, Xaldin is pretty abrasive. “I’m not your father, child.”

But then he looks down at the kid who looks completely lost

Fine then; he finished more quickly than expected, anyway, so he might as well help.

The kid pretty much follows him around town, but none of the people there seem to be his parents

But during their time together, Xaldin starts noticing signs about the kid being a Nobody

After a while, Xaldin starts asking questions to confirm his suspicion, and yep, kid seems to be Nobody

He thinks for a while, then decides that a random child having a Heart strong enough to end up as a Nobody - And one like him, too, not just a Dusk! - is something special

So he decides to take them with him to the Organization, where he explains to Xemnas why he decided to do so

Xemnas listens, then agrees that this would be a rare occurence; the child is allowed to stay

Xaldin shows the kid around, but doesn’t really plan on being around them much

However, the kid very much plans on being around Xaldin

He just… Accepts that, and ends up spending quite a bit of time with the kid

Vexen

He heard some rumors about a weird child and went to investigate, since it sounded like the kid might be a Nobody

After all, Vexen knows what Zexion was like as a kid Nobody, so it’s easy for him to figure it out, especially once he sees the kid

He’s curious about whether Nobody kids grow up as differently as Somebody kids; he’s talked about it with Xemnas beforehand, and Xemnas allowed him to take the kid with him should they truly be a Nobody

Under the condition that Vexen is the one to take care of them, of course

He may have experience with kids, but Vexen is still kinda awkward with them tbh

The kid doesn’t care; they just hug Vexen and ask “Can we go home, dad?”

Vexen is stunned for a second, then just says yes and takes the kid to the castle

He finds himself unable to treat them as just a research object, though; he knows he shouldn’t care about them - No feelings and all that - but somehow he does

And it’s not like anyone’s checking what exactly he’s doing anyway, so he’s free to treat the kid however he likes

Vexen likes to get the kid science book. He may even allow the kid to “help” in some very simple experiments; they’re not quite as interested in it as Ienzo was, but it’s still kinda fun for them

(Also, it’s one of the rather few ways Vexen knows how to be affectionate)

The kid being there also helps Vexen figure out that Nobodies can, in fact, have feelings

It may go againt what he thought was true, but Vexen is a scientist, and that’s the only explanation that makes sense

Lexaeus

Lexaeus was just finishing up with a different mission when he noticed the kid, and immediately noticed that something was off about them

Didn’t take him long to figure out the kid was a Nobody

Now, technically, their Organization was only supposed to have 13 members - But that was broken anyway with Xion

Still, Lex first tries to find out if the kid has any caregivers, figuring it’d be safer if he just left the kid with them

But the kid says they don’t

And, well, Lex isn’t about to abandon a little kid, so he takes them to the Castle

He immediately goes to report to Xemnas, and asks for the child to be allowed to stay

Xemnas agrees; if nothing else, it’d be interesting to see whether they’ll develop similarly to Zexion

One day, when Lex was just about to leave for a mission, the kid hangs on to his sleeve

“Please don’t go, dad!”

Lexaues stops dead in his tracks cause?? Dad??

He gently explains the child that he has to leave, but that he’ll be back soon. Until then, Uncle Xaldin will take care of them

The child (and Xaldin) isn’t too happy with it, but accepts it

They call Lex “Dad” more often after that, and it makes Lexaeus feel all warm and fuzzy every time

Zexion

Zexion notices the child on a mission; he normally wouldn’t care about them, but he could instantly sense that they were lacking a Heart

As cynical as he might be now, he’s still very curious, so he decides to watch them for a bit

And in a way, Zexion also wonders if they’ll react like he did; he is the only one he knows who turned into a Nobody that young, after all. Roxas and Xion might also be kids, but they’re far older than Zexion was when he lost his Heart. The kid is around the same age he was.

He doesn’t plan on talking to them; after watching them for a while, Zexion finishes his mission and just reports the kid to Xemnas, asking for permission to continue watching them

However, it doesn’t take long until the kid notices him and asks what he’s doing

Zexion explains the whole thing. About Nobodies, Hearts, etc.

The kid suggests that Zexion could just spend time with him. They’re kind of bored, and it’d be much easier to collect data that way.

It doesn’t take long before Zexion grows fond of the kid. He likes to bring along some books, and either read them together or just hand some of them to the kid and talk about them later on

At some point, the kid actually asks Zexion “Hi Dad, did you bring any more books?”

Zexion freezes for a moment because. He? A father??

He tries to just shrug it off and continue hanging out with the kid the same way he did before

However, he does end up telling Lexaeus about it in the evening, still a bit bewildered by the idea

Lex offers to tell him what he knows about child rearing, but Zexion declines

Saix

He was sent to take a look at the rumors surrounding a suspected child Nobody

The kid’s world isn’t in such a great stat tbh, thanks to the Heartless, but as the kid just turned into a Nobody and thus has no regrown Heart, they leave them alone

With that proof, Saix just takes the kid and brings them back to the castle; kid doesn’t even know what’s going on until they’re there

Saix starts out pretty strict with the kid; pretty much how he treats most people in the Organization. The child doesn’t go on missions, but they do get chores inside the castle

At some point, the kid gets somewhat annoyed with it, rolls their eyes and says something like “Yeah yeah, whatever you say dad.”

Saix is just… Kinda startled

And due to that, forgets to give the kid the rest of the chores they were supposed to do today

Because? Dad??

Axel is the one for picking up stray puppies!

Plus, for some reason, it actually bothers Saix that the kid is annoyed by him. It shouldn’t, Demyx is always annoyed too, but it kinda does

Saix gets a bit less harsh with the kid - Not even planned, he barely even notices

The kid still has to do chores, but as time goes on, Saix gets less and less strict, and instead starts spending some leisure time with the kid

Axel kinda mocks him about it, considering Saix criticized him for being like that with Roxas and Xion

Axel

Axel sees the kid sit in a corner just staring into space

He hesitates, then goes up to ask what’s wrong. He can’t just leave the kid there

From what the kid says, he figures out they’ve ended up a Nobody, and Axel decides to take them to the Castle. It’s the place for Nobodies anyway, right?

Saix sees him come back with the child and does a double take

Axel just says the kid is gonna live here now. He doesn’t ask, it’s just a statement

He doesn’t even go to report it to the Superior, though he might include it in the mission report, like “Also, I found a kid Nobody and took them with me.”

A few days later, the kid comes up to Axel to ask him a question, and calls him dad

Error: Axel.exe has stopped responding

He just stares for a moment, and the kid actually has to repeat their question before Axel answers

Internally, Axel has decided that this kid is precious and that he will not let ANY harm come to them. Which naturally means they’ll have to stay in the Castle, because else who’s gonna watch over them?

He completely ignores Saix when he tries to reason with him

“Dammit Axel stop picking up stray puppies”

Demyx

The kid came up to him while Demyx was slacking off taking a break during a mission and playing his sitar

It takes Demyx quite a bit to even notice the kid, since he’s so caught up in his music

So afterwards he’s like “???? Who’re you? When did you get here?”

Kid just shrugs. “I dunno. Just followed the music.”

They pretty much just hang out for a while before Demyx remembers that maybe he should take care of his mission at some point

The kid hangs on to his sleeve “Don’t leave me alone, dad”

“WHAT?!”

Demyx pretty much jumps back, might even fall to the ground out of sheer surprise

He gets up pretty quickly though. “Uhm, uh, sure. I’ll, uh, okay I need to finish something, and then I‘ll come back, okay?”

He’s very distracted during the missions because? Can he take the kid with him?? Will Saix and Xemnas get mad?? What do???

He was not trained for this!

He pretty much ends up trying to hide the kid in his room so none of the others notice them

You know those movies where kids try to hide a dog or a cat from their parents? Yeah, like that.

It works for about two days

Demyx gets scolded viciously by Saix, and then he and the kid are taken to Xemnas

Xemnas is the one to notice that, surprise, the kid is a Nobody!

“Soooo, if they’re a Nobody, that means they get to stay, riiight?”

Saix talks about it with Xemnas, and they suggest a deal: The kid gets to stay if Demyx slacks off at least 50% less

Demyx isn’t happy about it, but he actually manages to do so, at least for long enough that the other members have grown fond of the kid, too

Luxord

Luxord finds the kid in the middle of a mission, fighting against Heartless

And he’s at first just very confused, cause, why isn’t the child running away?

He takes care of the Heartless in the vicinity before turning to the kid and asking exactly that

Kid shrugs. “I wasn’t scared.” Then tilts his head to the side and looks up at Luxord. “Dad, why wasn’t I scared?”

(Kid looks even more confused afterwards, they didn’t plan on calling Luxord Dad, but oh well)

Luxord asks a few more questions - Some of the black monsters attacked, and then their parents were gone and they were left

It doesn’t take him long to figure out that the child’s a Nobody

The odds would be against the kid if he left them here, so he decides to take them in, if the Organization allows it

He explains it to Saix, who doesn’t look too thrilled, but accepts Luxord’s explanation: People with such strong Hearts are exceedingly rare, and the child may eventually turn out to be an asset for the Organization

He teaches the kid loads of games, especially ones with cards or dice. Easy ones like Yahtzee and Mau-Mau first, more complicated ones like Rummy or Poker later on

Marluxia

He’s tending to his garden when he notices a kid in there, looking at the flowers

He considers just leaving them there, but… Somehow, he can’t

The kid was looking at a strelitzia plant. Might have had something to do with it; not that Marly knows

So he just watches the kid for a while. It takes him some time to notice that something’s off about them, but he does

Curious, he decides to go and talk to the kid. After all, they’re in his garden

And once they talk, it’s pretty obvious to him that the kid is a Nobody

He thinks about telling the Superior, but decides against it. If anything, a new Nobody they know nothing about could be an asset for his coup

He tells the kid to come back tomorrow, and he’ll tell them some more about the flowers; their names, what they mean, what they’re used for, etc

The next day, the kid just points at one of them and asks “Hey, Dad, what kind of flower is that?”

Marluxia is less taken aback than he’d have expected; if anything, he’s surprised by his lack of surprise

He and the kid spend quite a bit of time together in the garden, and the kid continues calling him dad

Marly kind of wonders why taking care of a kid feels so vaguely familiar

Larxene

Larxene was directly sent to pick the kid up, since the Organization found out about a child Nobody

She pretty much just grabs them, picks them up, and brings them back

But when she tries to leave them with Saix, the kid hugs her and says “Stay here mommy!”

Aw hell no

She just got out of babysitting Roxas!

But somehow, she can’t bring herself to just pry off the kid’s arms, either. “Fine.”

For a while, Larxene tries to stay as far away from the kid as possible, while the kid tries to spend as much time with Larxene as possible

Then she tries to basically hand them over to Marluxia, but the kid is having none of that (And Marluxia just chuckles and leaves Larxene to it)

She does warm up to them over time though

After a few weeks, Larxene actually goes to check up on the kid every now and then. She still has no idea how to actually handle a child, but she kinda likes them

She definitely gives everyone who’s mean to the kid at least a verbal, possibly also a phyiscal beatdown

Roxas

Roxas was just about to RTC when a kid tugs at his sleeve

The kid says they’re lost, and ask if Roxas can help them find back home

Roxas knows he isn’t supposed to be talking to people, but now the kid is talking to him anyway, so it should be fine, right?

He tries to get some more info, but the kid has no idea how they ended up there. One moment, they were playing in the garden when suddenly some black things showed up, the next they wake up in front of some weird mansion

Roxas is probably just as confused as the kid

“Uhhh… Wait here for a moment.”

He goes to get Axel, and Axel pretty quickly figures out the kid’s a Nobody

The kid grabs Roxas’s hand. “If you can’t take me to my home, can you take me to yours, dad?”

Axel starts laughing about it

Roxas is just ??????

Axel decides, sure, they can see whether the Organization can use another Nobody

Roxas with the kid looks adorable tbh, cause the height different between them and Roxas is smaller than the one between Roxas and most of the other members

Axel has to do a lot of convincing, but he manages well enough that the kid is allowed to stay

They don’t go on missions, but when Roxas is in the Castle, they pretty much follow him around like a puppy

Xion

Xion was just waiting up on the clock tower; she finished early with her mission, but Axel and Roxas weren’t done yet

And the kid comes up and just sits down next to her

Xion is… Surprised. And asks the kid what they’re doing there

The kid shrugs and answers “What are you doing here?”

They kinda end up talking a bit until Roxas and Axel come along

They’re surprised by the random kid, but accept them being there

Afterwards, Axel tells Xion the kid is probably a Nobody; he says they could take them to the Organization, but the trio decides against it, since the kid seems to have a home of some sort in Twilight Town

Xion starts visiting the kid from time to time, and brings them seashells; at some point, the kid takes them with a “Thanks mom!”

Xion is a bit confused, but just giggles. “I don’t think I’m old enough to be your mom.”

She does, however, ends up as the kids honorary big sister, and they tend to ask her for help with basically everything from bullies to homework

Especially in the case of homework, Xion usually goes to get Axel. She’s never had any schooling, she doesn’t exactly know how to help with homework!

[askmerriauthor]

Pokemon SwSh Thoughts - Post Game

So I’ve finished Pokemon Sword’s primary content.  All that’s left is to finish up the PokeDex and drive myself insane trying to whip up all the variations of Alcremie.  That, and delaying buying an online subscription for as long as possible before I bother with trading to get the other game’s exclusives.  Here’s some thoughts on the game after the fact:

Pokemon SwSh really needed to come out in late 2020, period.  I’ve enjoyed the game so far, but I’ve played it for about a week without putting in too much time/effort grinding and I’ve already done pretty much everything there is to do.  I had my Starter leveled up to 100 before I even left the Wild Area for the very first time.  The pacing and content depth of this game are pretty much non-existent, whereas the majority of the effort has clearly been put toward refining the competitive combat development.  That’s great for those players who really like the battle system, but not so much for those of us who like story and broader gameplay elements.

Pro - Streamlined Gameplay One thing I’ve wanted in Pokemon for ages has been the ability to skip tutorials.  I understand the necessity of having them, as every game that comes out is going to be some player’s first and their presence is for that player.  But at least having the option to skip them for us old hats would be nice.  SwSh does that!  I was delighted to discover that the game allows you to bypass tutorials with a simple yes/no prompt when a new element is introduced.  How to catch Pokemon, type match-ups, how to heal at Pokemon Centers, and so forth - all the stuff previous games led us through by the nose has been made optional this time around.

I’ve seen some people saying that this game holds the player’s hand too much as it leads us from one gameplay element to the next and doesn’t let us progress at our own leisure.  To some degree this is true, but it’s far less egregious than in previous games, such as SuMo.  There’s yet to be a good balance between giving the player free reign and giving them enough guidance to ensure we never feel lost, but this has been an inoffensive example as far as I’m concerned.  The game does end up feeling rather railroaded, but I don’t necessarily consider that a fault of hand-holding. I’ll get to this matter later on.

Pro - The Style Galar is a very pretty region and the game makes good use of the Switch’s higher capacity to produce excellent backdrops for the player to explore.  Many of the Pokemon have charming animations (Falinks is my favorite on this respect).  The towns are all really well-designed in terms of visuals, especially compared to the bare-bones looks of older generations.  I feel like there could have been more, but what we got is still great.

Pro - Implications in Lore Those of you who know me know how much I love lore and world building.  Pokemon, as a franchise, is ripe with opportunity to examine its lore to the most tiny and obscure detail, so any new addition to the franchise is welcome on that front.  Galar has some pretty fascinating nuggets to contribute.

I love that the League in Galar, as well as competitive Pokemon Training in general, is treated like a career sport.  In specific, I love that this view and practice is exclusive to Galar - I wouldn’t like it at all if the entire franchise shifted to this angle, but it works great for a one-off region.  I like that Kabu specifically relocated himself from Hoenn to join the sports league as it doesn’t exist in his home region.  The Champion being a sort of major celebrity/superhero, the way Gym Leaders can recruit proteges or even inheritors of their rank from among contenders, the sort of clique all the Gym Leaders have with one another - it’s a really neat dynamic.  I also like the notion that actually completing the Gym Challenge isn’t something common and most Trainers who try rarely make it even halfway through.  That’s an interesting contrast to other regions where collecting Gym Badges seems almost as a given and the League itself is considered the real challenge, or where the whole endeavor is designed to be finished as a matter of course, like in Alola.

There’s also some really neat additions to the overall lore brought in from the Pokemon Masters mobile game.  While its place in canon is questionable, it does specifically mention Galar in a few places.  The idea that Pokemon who do not appear in the current Dex are banned from Galar by customs (perhaps identified as potentially dangerous/invasive species) is an interesting one.  So is the claim that Iris - the Champion of Unova in BW2 - is a cousin of Leon and Hop.  I love it when there are connections amid titles like that as it really helps build a more unified setting.

-Edit-: Darn, apparently those screenshots were fakes.  Strike that positive from the list, I suppose.

Mixed Pro/Con - The Availability of Pokemon and the Wild Area I’m not talking about Dexit - I have my own thoughts on that explained elsewhere and frankly don’t think it’s going to end up as bad as everyone is fretting over in the long run.  No, in this particular case I’m focused on the availability of Pokemon that are in the game itself.

To put it simply... it’s too easy.  I know that filling out the PokeDex isn’t supposed to be a huge challenge, but I’ve gotten the majority of it done - evolved forms, item-reliant forms, gender/size/color variations included - with pretty much no effort whatsoever.  I like the idea of the Wild Area in principle but what it ends up being in practice is lacking.  It’s too easy to just hoover up Pokemon at a breakneck pace, which leads to other zones and the Wild Area itself becoming pretty much immediately obsolete.  I have no need to return to them once I’ve gotten everything I need and there’s not enough general content to urge me to visit again.

The Wild Area itself is a big open sandbox that you can roam around in, which is nice compared to more linear zones in past games.  Galar has its railroad routes, but they’re brief (aside from the obligatory overlong water route, which even then is still quite a lot smaller than other regions’ have been).  However, it’s just that - a big open sandbox.  You can wander through it very easily and even traipse into the “high level” zones without fear because you can see all the Pokemon coming and give them a wide berth to avoid them.  There aren’t any obstacles or challenges within the Wild Area itself, and the game makes it supremely easy to find Pokemon even under specific weather/time conditions, which I feel is a missed opportunity.  I would have rather the Wild Area been MUCH bigger and more involved, full of places to explore and puzzles to solve.  Similarly, I would rather that Pokemon were more difficult to come by as well - that a greater deal of effort would have been put toward tracking and discovering certain harder-to-find Pokemon, with more in-game detective work to find your prize.

Mixed Pro/Con - The Characters The ensemble cast of new Gym Leaders are great - I enjoy the majority of them and frankly want more interactions, more encounters, just more in general.  That’s sort of the problem though - I want more.  The game itself criminally under-utilizes these characters, especially compared to how much more involved and explored Gym Leaders have been in recent games.  There is precious little content using the Gym Leaders here in Galar as it stands and I constantly found myself wanting them to hang out longer and have the chance to learn more about them.  Their League Cards are a neat little addition full of interesting tidbits about their histories, natures, and relationships with each other, but I would MUCH rather have gotten to see all that play out in the game itself rather than read it as a flavor blurb.

On the con side of this, however, is the fact that all of the characters are extremely one-dimensional.  We’ve been seeing a steady increase in the depth and development of supporting characters in the games since BW onward, with SuMo arguably having the most to date.  The overall characterization in SwSh is incredibly lacking by comparison as we don’t get nearly enough time to be with the cast, nor is the cast given the chance to present more than one note per.  Nobody has any sort of emotional growth or development.  The closest thing to a character arc in the game is Hop’s acceptance of the idea that he’s not going to be the Champion, but it doesn’t have anywhere near as much punch as it could and is over in the blink of an eye compared to how he spends THE ENTIRE GAME repeating the same “I’m gonna be the Champion/Hokage/Pirate King!” spiel every time he’s on screen.

Con - Dynamaxing and Max Raid Battles I’m not really on board with the whole “Mega-Evolution is best! No more gimmicks!” train because that’s just silly to me.  Every game has its gimmick and the way Pokemon gradually picks up tricks and traits from its past versions to consolidate into newer titles is one of its strengths.  That said, Dynamaxing is worthless and a pointless addition to the game, both in presentation and practice.

The visual of a Pokemon going kaiju is a neat concept and one I was initially intrigued by, but in practice it falls flat because it’s as thin as cardboard.  It’s just Mega-Evolution and Z-Moves smooshed together with an additional 3 round time limit tacked on.  All it functionally does is buff your Pokemon’s HP pool and add additional weather/status effects to certain attacks, but in some cases the Dynamax versions of attacks are actually weaker/less useful than their base form.  In Gym Battles all the way through the final League fight with Leon, I didn’t bother with Dynamaxing because my Pokemon were strong enough to not need it.  I could one-shot Dynamaxed Pokemon with ease using a non-Dynamaxed Pokemon and that really shows a flaw in the design if ever there was one.  Dynamaxing doesn’t add or improve anything vital to gameplay - it’s just fluff.

Max Raid Battles as found in the Wild Area are even worse.  For those of you who don’t know, these are instanced battles against a Dynamaxed/Gigantamaxed wild Pokemon where you team up with three other players/NPCs.  If you win, you get a bunch of useful items and have the chance to catch the wild Pokemon as well, which is the only way you can get certain Gigantamax-capable Pokemon reliably.

The issue with these Max Raid Battles is that they’re an absolute slog.  In the early stages of the game they’re all super easy to the point that I could solo them and thus gathered mountains of EXP-boosting candies, which let me overlevel my Pokemon beyond reason.  Since the whole “your Pokemon is too high level and won’t listen to you” thing apparently doesn’t apply to Starters and special Event Pokemon, I was able to max-level and run rampant across all opposition with my Starter and my special “thanks for buying early” Meowth.  HOWEVER.  The difficulty scale of the Max Raid Battles increases with your game progress, so by the time I finished the game and went back into the Wild Area, the Max Raid Battles’ difficulty had ramped up.  That’s an okay compromise on its face, but the manner in which the difficulty has increased is poor game design.  The battles aren’t any harder, they just take longer - the wild Pokemon has more HP,  tosses up a few rounds of shields to soak damage at the start and again halfway through the fight, and purges stat boosts from the player and party throughout the battle.  It just makes the fights a pain in the ass to get through rather than making them more challenging or fun, and it’s gotten to the point that I don’t even bother with them anymore.  They’re just not worth the trouble, not even for the sake of trying to farm EXP candies because, at this point in the game, all Pokemon in the Wild Area scale up to level 60+ and thus are perfectly serviceable as EXP farming fodder themselves.

On a lore side of things, Dynamaxing is really confusing.  There’s the whole visual aspect of the Pokemon growing to giant sizes and sometimes changing their appearances, and there’s these massive arenas built to facilitate the whole thing.  But the game itself goes out of its way to impress the fact that the Pokemon aren’t actually getting bigger.  They just appear to grow in size and haven’t actually physically changed themselves so Dynamaxing is more like a giant hard light holographic projection than anything else?  It’s just a really weird design choice to have made and I don’t understand why it was included.

Con - The Writing So, writing is very important to me.  It’s literally been my job for the past decade with various game studios.  I don’t consider myself any sort of literary snob as I feel there’s a place for schlock right alongside masterpieces - they all serve a specific purpose and fulfill a particular hunger the reader would like satisfied.

That said, SwSh’s writing is abysmal.

Right on the face, there’s not enough of it.  The game is criminally short and light on content, which directly impacts its pacing.  Remember earlier when I mentioned that things felt railroaded?  That’s because there’s not enough story to rest on - it all flies by as fast as can be, forcing the player along a very narrow and brief chain of events that don’t feel consequential at all.  Further, the player has no agency in events whatsoever.  It’s not the player’s story - it’s Hop’s story.  We’re the supporting role to his journey, shallow as that arc may be.  Hop is the one who initiates the events of the game without our input as a character and then we spend the entire game following him around, or being pushed into the next event by other characters who are facilitating Hop.  At no point is the player ever given the chance to express their own characterization, motivation, or even opinions.  Nearly every two-choice dialogue option that appears boils down to “Yes” or “Slightly More/Less Enthusiastic Yes”, which is a huge downgrade from the genuine negative responses and NPC reactions that were present in SuMo.

In terms of overall plot, SwSh has pretty much the same level of depth and complexity as the original Red/Blue titles, and that is as scathing a criticism in this modern age as I can possibly imagine.  The whole story is “run in a circle, collect badges, fight vaguely present villainous threat, fight league.”  We are actively forced from one gym fight to the next with no time to breathe, no story-focused events in between, and not even any chance to appreciate the gym, its leader, or even the towns they take place in.  It’s one and done - once you’ve got the badge there’s no reason to hang around and the story shuffles us along quickly as can be.  I mean that literally in some cases - there are hints of a greater plot at hand with Sonia investigating the history of Galar’s legends and the potential machinations of mega-corporate mogul Chairman Rose.  But each time those are broached in game play, the game pushes the player off-screen and says “Well, that’s not something you need to worry about.  Go get another badge!”  I mean, LITERALLY!  There’s a point where The Plot begins to kick in where Pokemon begin to spontaneously Dynamax and cause havoc, which is the narrative queue for the player to become involved and for the story to reveal a new facet.  But when that happens, Leon LITERALLY says “leave this to the adults, you just focus on your Gym Challenge” and runs off-screen to handle it himself.  It would be a good narrative subversion if it led up to things eventually getting out of hand and the player getting roped into things, or the player having the ability to defy such warnings and interject themselves into danger.  But that doesn’t happen - the game just forces us to focus on the Gym Challenge alone and keeps all the actual plot of the game off-screen away from us.  This is very poor narrative design and game design alike, and it all comes to nothing because we’re forced to clean up everything in the end anyway by battling the villain and legendaries as per usual.

Though I should also point out that there’s no villain in this game.

But what about Team Yell and Chairman Rose, I hear you ask?  They’re not villains, both literally and figuratively respectively.  Team Yell never really does anything other than act as brief gate locking elements throughout the game until you finish the Gym you’re at, then they bounce off to the next part of the route they’re set to block.  They don’t do anything bad and, as it’s later revealed, they’re actually just a bunch of Spikemuth Gym staffers who are posing as hooligans to support Marnie.  They’re literally not villains and, once you beat the Spikemuth Gym, they actually become supporting characters who cheer for the player character and help out against the actual supposed villain of the game.

The actual “villain” of the game is Chairman Rose and his assistant Oleana.  However, they’re only villains because the script says they are.  They don’t actually do anything bad throughout the entire game nor is there any indication that they have some sort of grand master plan.  The most we get is some unusual happenings like small quakes and explosions in the distance, but the game never allows us any chance to investigate - we’re just shoved off toward the next Gym each time.  So when Chairman Rose is finally revealed to be the Big Bad, it comes completely out of left field and seems to happen for no reason whatsoever.  Further, IT IS FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.  Chairman Rose’s plan and goal is never explained in depth - all we get is the vague indication that he believes that Galar isn’t sustainable and there will be an inevitable energy crisis in about 1,000 years, and somehow his EVIL SCHEME will fix it.  But, like, even Leon flat-out says “I understand your concern but you’re being hasty, this doesn’t need to be rushed, chill out for five seconds and let’s figure this out reasonably”.  Instead Rose interrupts the Champion match and announces his EVIL SCHEME on global broadcast for literally no good reason.  There was no dire immediacy that required him to do it right then and there, or in that manner, but the plot needed to move us along so that’s how it goes.

It really doesn’t help that, prior to all this, there’s absolutely no indication at all that Rose nor Oleana are bad guys.  They’re just business folk who appear to have nothing but good intentions and support for Leon, with the other adults of the cast all happily trusting them.  There is nothing to make them seem suspicious in practice and they offer no reason to doubt them at all, so them suddenly being the bad guys is just confusing.  Further, how the player is first introduced to the concept of them being antagonists is easily the most ridiculous logic jump and overreaction I’ve seen since the old Adam West Batman television show.  So get this: after a battle, Leon says he’ll meet Player and Hop for dinner to celebrate.  Player and Hop wait for Leon, but he never shows up.  Another NPC explains that Leon was called in for a last-minute meeting by Chairman Rose (who is his boss and has made such requests of Leon’s time throughout the game, as I feel is important to point out) and apologizes for having to miss the dinner plans.  Simple enough sort of situation, right?  The sort of thing that any reasonable person would shrug and say “Well, that sucks but okay, let’s go eat on our own then” to, right?  So what happens here instead?

The Player, Hop, Marnie, and her Gym Leader brother GATHER A SMALL MOB AND STORM CHAIRMAN ROSE’S BUSINESS HQ, FIGHTING THEIR WAY THROUGH SECURITY.

I mean, escalation much?  We all have smartphones - just send Leon a text, for goodness’ sake.  I’m playing through these events constantly going “why the hell are we doing this and why is everyone acting like it’s some sort of dire emergency?”.  And do you know what happens when we finally kick down the doors to Chairman Rose’s office?  We find Chairman Rose and Leon quietly having a peaceful chat, after which Leon apologizes for having to cancel the dinner plans and we all walk out together like nothing happened.  It was just this huge, needless overreaction that has no consequence and that neither Rose nor Leon even bat an eye at.  We, as the players, learn absolutely nothing of importance and are back on the Gym Challenge immediately with no functional changes to the narrative.

Like... what was the point of that?!  How was that the best option to try and put Chairman Rose and his underlings into the role of antagonists for us to oppose?

So what is Chairman Rose’s EVIL SCHEME anyway?  Basically he wants to provide Galar with renewable clean energy which... uh... is bad?  Somehow?  Apparently he plans to use a Legendary Pokemon called Eternatus - apparently the source of Dynamaxing - which is literally never mentioned at any point in the game except precisely when it’s time to fight/capture it, nor does fighting/capturing it have any impact on the story or setting.  You would think that the player being in control of a massive Eldritch horror that has UNLIMITED POWER at its disposal would be something of a sticking point somewhere in the story, but no.  Eternatus and Rose’s plan are never mentioned until precisely the time you need to deal with them, and once that’s done they’re both never mentioned again.  Done and done all in one.  No gradual seeding of information, no hints and clues throughout the game, no development of lore - just wham, bam, thank you ma’am and off we go.

Y’know, call me silly but in a game that has undertones referencing climate change, extinction of animal species, and criticisms against capitalism run amok, is it really a good idea to depict the guy advocating for clean energy to be bad?  That feels like a missed mark to me.

The post-game plot, should one bother to call it that, is just inane.  It basically boils down to a pair of one-shot baddies who show up and say “Ha ha! We’re rich and that means we’re better than everyone! Watch as we cause trouble for vague reasons, get hoist by our own petard, and then fuck off forever! Byeeeee~!”  The post-game is completely pointless and doesn’t add anything of value at all.  Which, again, compare to older games like ORAS’ post-game expansion content and it’s nothing but a damn shame.

SwSh’s writing is shallow and limited at best, with one-dimensional characters, no genuine conflict or resolution, terrible pacing, and repetitive elements that boomerang around over and over and over again to the point of annoyance.  Compared to what we’ve seen Pokemon achieve in earlier titles like BW, ORAS, and SuMo, it makes it all the more obvious that SwSh was not given ANYWHERE near the time and love it needed in development and is a massive downgrade in that respect.

Con - Lots of Style, No Substance To wrap all this up - I enjoyed playing SwSh as much as I did any other early Pokemon game.  I think that, as a first installment on a new system, it’s fine.  That’s all - it’s just fine.  It’s serviceable as a means of establishing the franchise onto the Switch and completing its move off purely-mobile mediums like the Gameboy and 3DS.  It’s pretty to look at and has a superficial level of engagement, but its prettiness and level of content very quickly reveal themselves to be only skin deep.  Once you get past the initial gloss there’s really nothing to this game compared to the content, involvement, and writing quality displayed in past titles on lesser-powered systems.  The towns are all pretty but there’s nothing to do in any of them aside from a Gym battle - there’s no additional fun to be had in each location, making them little more than set pieces.  The characters have initial appeal and potential for more, but the game never explores them at all.  There’s room for a bigger narrative and interesting story with the elements presented, but no opportunity to actually see them fleshed out.  The Wild Area seems big and involved at first, but as soon as you’ve gone around its loop once or twice you suddenly realize how small and compartmentalized it really is, and it lacks any reason to revisit in the end game.  The major game play function - Dynamaxing/Gigantamaxing - is little more than a novelty that is basically irrelevant to gameplay itself and, in an absolutely baffling decision by the folk behind the official competitive scene, is actually somehow banned from being used in competitions?  Like, not even “we’ve disabled the Dynamax button in online” but rather “if the competitive Pokemon you’ve spent so much time perfectly constructing has a Gigantamax form, it will not even be allowed access at all, so you better have an identical non-Gigantamax version on hand if you want to play”.  So, what exactly is the point of even having Gigantamax Pokemon then?

Everything about SwSh seems half-baked.  The ideas are there but they aren’t finished.  It should have been given much more development time and, having been in the position of the creative/dev team under demands from the shareholders, I completely sympathize with Game Freak’s devs in all this.  SwSh is ultimately a weak product but one with a lot of good ideas that weren’t given the chance to really shine.  As such, I’ve got rather high hopes for the next installment to improve on the unfortunately thin foundation SwSh has set.  Game Freak’s team has given us some amazing Pokemon games in the past and, assuming they’re given sufficient time and resources to make a title to their satisfaction, I have every confidence they’ll do so again.

[askthedespairkids]

Chapter 2: Lost in Sacrificial Fate ~Daily Life, Part 2~

//Here it is! The second part and the conclusion to the daily life of chapter 2, hope you guys continue to enjoy this little series. Not much to say this time around so I’ll just let you read.

-Chapter 2 Daily Life, Preparations Begin!-

 “Alrighty everyone! Welcome to the first meeting of our amazingly awesome talent show! I’ve already written up a schedule and posted it around the campus, so make sure you read it when you get the chance!” Irunami-san announced.

 “The important thing right now is that we all divide up the workload. There’s a lot of set-up that’ll be important to the success of the talent show, and I expect everyone to take it seriously. There are three job groups we’re gonna focus on. Tech Crew, Costume & Props, and Special Effects.” Shinko-san pulled out a clipboard with a piece of paper stuck to it.

 “Listen up, the tech crew will consist of Graves, Okanaya, Kurohiko, Kurosaki, and Yokozawa. Costume and props will be Ram, Asano, Kurohiko, and Nagata. Special Effects will be Hachi, Ishikawa, Sly, Okanaya, and myself.” Shinko-san read the names off.

 “H-hold on, why am I in two groups?! And why was Irunami-san not included?!” Kurohiko-san complained.

 “I have to focus on my performance. I got a lot of super dangerous stuff lined up so if I don’t keep practicing, I’ll probably screw it up!” Irunami-san explained.

 “Plus, Okanaya-kun is also taking two roles. You shouldn’t complain so much.” Yokozawa-san said. “More importantly, would special effects usually come under the tech crew?”

 “Some things are gonna be very lighting-based. So, we decided to split up the lighting team from the special effects team, but I’ll go into detail with that group myself. Leave it to me!” Hachi-san gave a thumbs up.

 “Then for now let’s begin working on the show. Good luck to everyone, let’s do our best!” Irunami-san said.

 We all split into our groups and began working on our different tasks. Irunami-san stopped by to tell our group what we would need to make for the talent show. Asano-san and Ram-san both have experience with sewing so that certainly makes them the costume heads. Whilst Kurohiko-san and I were left with creating and gathering props.

 As we worked throughout the day, I managed to find myself enjoying this odd sense of unity among the group. Even though we all barely knew each other, we were working to one goal together. Hopefully we can continue to stay like this until we find a way to escape.

 -Chapter 2 Daily Life, Bonus: The secrets of the pool-

 “Haaaaah…” Amaterasu-san sighed deeply. Huh? It wasn’t like her to look so down…I wonder if something happened?

 “Amaterasu-san, are you okay? It’s not like you to look so down.” Or look anything other than bored. Amaterasu-san pouted a little before she spoke.

 “Toson-chan’s really been working the performers to their limits…I don’t know how much more of this I can take before I snap. I can’t just drop out the talent show though…I think I just need to find a way to relax.”

 “That might be hard. There isn’t much to do around here.” I murmured.

 “Yeah. That’s the big issue. I suppose there’s that swimming pool in the leisure building, but I dunno…”

 “What if you invited a bunch of other people to join you? You could go swimming as a group?” I suggested. Amaterasu-san stared at me for a few moments before nodding slightly.

 “Yeah okay. I’ll see you there then.”

 “H-huh? Me?”

 “Yeah. You came up with the idea, so you should be one of the people there. I’ll figure out who else to invite, so I’ll meet you there later.” Without listening to any reply, Amaterasu-san walked away. Geez, I just can’t get a word in when it matters most…

 -----

 “Nagata-san, you got invited too, huh…?” When I arrived at the pool, Kurohiko-san was already by the poolside, kicking his legs in the water. He was in his swimming trunks, and he kind of proved just how scrawny he actually is. Not that I can really say anything.

 “Yeah, I was the one who came up with the idea. How did you manage to get here first?” I asked. Kurohiko-san’s expression seemed to darken.

 “When Amaterasu-san gave me the invitation, I think I blacked out from shock. By the time I came around I was already changed and here. I don’t really know what happened in between then and now.” Geez, this guy is something else. “B-but it’s cool that I’m not the only guy here. Who else was invited, do you think?”

 “No clue. It’s hard to understand Amaterasu-san’s thought process. The only we’ll find out if seeing who’ll turn up.” I said, sitting down next to Kurohiko-san. The pool was kind of cold, but not so bad that anyone would recoil from the first touch.

 “Ah…I’m so nervous. D-do you think Amaterasu-san’s the type to wear a bikini? Or a one-piece?” Kurohiko-san asked, his face slightly flushed.

 “Does it matter…?” I raised an eyebrow.

 “N-no, I guess not. Amaterasu-san has the type of figure that allows her to look good in whatever, not to say the other girls have bad figures or anything, they all look really pretty but they’re all different kinds of pretty, y’know? Like how Ishikawa-san is very gothic in her look, but it suits her, y’know? That kind of vibe works for her-“

 Kurohiko-san finally stopped rambling when the door to one of the changing rooms opened up. “Uwah! I wasn’t the first one!” Graves-san whined. She was dressed in a pair of neon blue swimming shorts and a black baggy t-shirt, her hat still atop her head.

 “So, Graves-san was invited too, huh? I suppose Amaterasu-san is really hoping for a party.” Kurohiko-san laughed awkwardly.

 “When Ammy told me about the swimming thingy, I couldn’t help but get excited! I’ve never went swimming with people my age…well, outside of training, anyway.” Graves-san said. Man…being a secret agent must have seriously been tough.

 “Um, Graves-san…what’s with that outfit? Are you planning to swim in that?” I asked. Graves-san blinked and looked at her outfit.

 “Were you expecting a bikini? Are you a pervert, Ryuu? I just find this more comfortable to wear, it might be weird here but plenty of people wear this to swim in Canada.” Right. Graves-san isn’t Japanese. I don’t know how I keep forgetting that.

 “That’s not it. Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” I sighed. Arguing with Graves-san is probably a losing fight anyway. Quickly after, the door opened, this time it was the boy’s changing room.

 “Yo! Nice to see some others here!” Okanaya-san grinned.

 “S-seriously, what’s with that outfit?!” Kurohiko-san said with surprise. I have to admire Okanaya-san’s confidence to come here only wearing a dark blue speedo. This guy is full of surprises, I can’t believe it sometimes.

 “Eh? What’s wrong with it? It’s got speed in the name, and we’re racing today so I wanna go as fast as possible.” Racing? What? Is he seriously so simple? “Plus, you can’t say I don’t look good.”

 “Dude, you’re ripped as fuck!” Graves-san exclaimed. Yeah, it was true. Okanaya-san was pretty muscular, though his usual outfit made him look pretty average. No wonder he’s got confidence in his looks.

 “You know we haven’t been invited to race, right? It’s just, like…a pool party.” Kurohiko-san said. Okanaya-san frowned with disappointment. “Geez, you’re something else. You hear one thing and assume the other half.”

 “I-is there something wrong with that?! I’ll beat the crap outta you if you got a problem with me!” Okanaya-san cracked his knuckles.

 “H-hey now!” I calmed him down quickly before anything got out of hand. A few moments later, the door opened from the female changing room.

 “Oh, what a wonderful gathering. Amaterasu-sama has picked a rather interesting group for this event.” By the words alone it was obvious that Ishikawa-san had arrived. Though her outfit…a black bikini with a bow and ruffled skirt. I was a little taken aback with the difference between her usual gothic attire.

 “H-hey, Nagata-san…Ishikawa-san…she’s, um…her body is a lot different than I expected.” Kurohiko-san mumbled.

 “Oh? Do I appear odd in this outfit? It was the only swimming outfit that was in my size.” Ishikawa-san explained.

 “No, you look fine. He’s just being a dork.” Graves-san assured her.

 “Do not worry, Kurohiko-sama. You are a teenaged male, if you are embarrassed by girls in swimsuits, you are not alone. You should enjoy your life before the eternal slumber comes for you.” Ishikawa-san smiled.

 “Wh-why am I being called out like that?!” Kurohiko-san’s face flushed.

 “You make it way too easy, dude.” Okanaya-san snickered.

 “Oh, has the event started already?” We all looked over at Asano-san who was approaching us. Instead of being in a swimsuit though, she was in a pastel pink Lolita dress and was carrying a matching parasol.

 “Asano-sama? You do not plan on swimming?” Ishikawa-san frowned.

 “I am not allowed to get wet. Strict instructions from my parents that I cannot go against, I am afraid.” Asano-san explained. Seriously? Why did she even bother coming if that’s the case…? No, that’s a little harsh. “I will happily watch the rest of you though. I’m sure it will still be an enjoyable time.”

 “It’s a little hard to believe that, but if you say so.” Kurohiko-san sighed.

 “Is this everyone, aside from Amaterasu-sama?” Ishikawa-san asked. There was a good number here, so Amaterasu-san will probably appear soon.

 “Once she’s here, I’m gonna challenge her to a race! I’ll definitely beat Amaterasu!” Okanaya-san hit his knuckles together and grinned. “Nagata, you’ll race too, right?”

 “H-huh, me?!”

 “You could use the exercise, by the looks of it.” Gee, thanks. You shouldn’t be saying that with such a carefree smile.

 “Cool. Everyone’s here.” Amaterasu-san’s voice echoed into the room.

 “Ah, Amaterasu-san glad you’re he-GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! A-Amaterasu-san!?” Kurohiko-san’s face went beet red, not that I can blame him. Amaterasu-san was standing there with her usual neutral expression though she wasn’t wearing a swimsuit. In fact, she wasn’t wearing��anything. “C-cover up! Cover yourself up right now!” Kurohiko-san covered his eyes.

 “Ryuu, look away!” Graves-san suddenly turned and pushed me away, I felt my footing disappear and hearing the sound of a splash. Did Graves-san really need to push me in the pool?! “Crap, sorry about that!”

 “What’s the big deal?” Okanaya-san raised an eyebrow. “If I didn’t wanna go fast, I would’a came in the buff too.”

 “Th-that’s a completely separate issue in itself…” Kurohiko-san side-glared him.

 “Ah, are we all wearing swimsuits? Sorry, didn’t realise it was that kind of party.” Amaterasu-san said. Thank god for her hair being as long as it is.  “I’ll go find a swimsuit. I’m sure there’s one in the changing room somewhere.” Amaterasu-san turned and walked back into the changing rooms.

 “S-seriously…! Is anyone normal in this place?!” Kurohiko-san cried. “N-not to say deviation from the norm is bad, but, y’know-“

 “I’m just gonna stop you before you go any further.” Graves-san cut him off. When Amaterasu-san came back, now dressed for swimming, we all began to enjoy our time at the pool. Amaterasu-san and Okanaya-san had their swimming matches though Amaterasu-san would come out on top each time, much to Okanaya-san’s annoyance.

 Ishikawa-san and Asano-san sat on the bleachers at the side. Ishikawa-san said she didn’t want to risk her flesh peeling or something grotesque like that, but I think she just didn’t want Asano-san to be sitting by herself the whole time.

 Kurohiko-san mostly stayed on the pool’s perimeter acting almost like a lifeguard. Amaterasu-san was pretty rowdy in the pool, so he had to act like animal control for her. Though the bright atmosphere even made me smile and I even raced Okanaya-san once, though it’s obvious I lost.

 I forgot how much I actually loved swimming with friends.

 -Chapter 2 Daily Life, The Talent Show-

 After the days of work, we finally managed to finish off the preparations for the talent show. The lighting was set up and majority of the group was sat in the audience. Though because some of the stunts are a little dangerous, a first few rows were left empty. It was a little harder to see the stage, but it was fine overall.

 “Alrighty everybody! Welcome to the talent show!” Hachi-san announced. I looked around the audience and saw that not quite everyone was present yet. The performers were probably backstage getting ready, but Okanaya-san was missing too. Kurohiko-san too. “I just want to thank everybody for helping make this whole thing a reality, we couldn’t have done it without all of you! Without any further ado, let’s enjoy the show!”

 There were a few cheers from the audience.

 “Let’s kick this off with our talented death-defying duo! Yuuki Kurosaki, and Doi Kurohiko!” We clapped as Hachi-san skipped off stage. Kurosaki-san walked on stage first, a paled Kurohiko-san following hesitantly behind.

 “For our act, get ready for…” Yuuki produced a selection of different sized daggers, “my amazing knife-throwing skills!”

 “Wh-why am I still being forced into this?!” Kurohiko-san complained.

 “Hush now, if you die then they’ll all know I’m the killer so there’s nothing to worry about~!” Kurosaki-san clapped, pushing Kurohiko-san against a wooden board and position him to stand straight.

 “There’s a bigger issue than that!” Kurohiko-san said.

 Luckily for everybody, the knife throwing act went without any problems. Thank god. Kurosaki-san bowed and thanked the audience and carried off a wobbly Kurohiko-san. Poor guy is always getting dragged into this sort of stuff.

 Next on was Shinko-san who was showing off a short film he shot the past few days. It was about a young girl played by Ishikawa-san who was best friends with this girl, played by Asano-san. Her friend would go about killing other students in her school though at the end it’s revealed that Ishikawa-san’s character was actually the killer and she killed everyone who tried to break her fantasy world that she created Asano-san’s character in. Though the suspense made it hard for me stomach, yet I couldn’t turn away. Shinko-san really deserved his title, there’s no doubt in my mind.

 Next was Irunami-san’s routine. From the wings, fog started to fill the stage on both sides. A lot of fog, actually. I guess Irunami-san was gonna do a bit more than a typical hypnosis routine.

 “Man, it’s kinda hard to see.” Graves-san commented.

 “Herr Okanaya must’ve turned the fog machines on early.” Kurosaki-san sighed. He and Shinko-san had joined the audience after their sets were finished. So Okanaya-san is helping backstage? I was wondering where he was.

 “Hopefully it won’t throw off Irunami-kun.” Ram-san said with a frown. A few moments later, Irunami-san walked on stage and faced the audience.

 “Alrighty, let’s see what we’ve got! Hmm…okay, I guess I should start it off like this, shouldn’t I?” Irunami-san began talking to himself. Geez, is this guy even prepared? “Oh, I’ll start like that! Then I’ll need a volunteer…hmm…Shin-chan! You come here and help me out!”

 “Ehhh? Again?” Shinko-san growled, getting up from his seat.

 “Ah, where is he?” Irunami-san asked, probably trying to peer through the fog.

 “Yeah yeah! I’m right here, keep your head on!” Shinko-san made his way towards the stage.

 That’s when it happened.

 There was the sound of something snapping and before you could even blink, the lighting rig above the stage came crashing down onto the stage. It was so unexpected, Shinko-san fell back into his backside. We all stood up from the audience in shock. “H-holy shit, what the fuck?!” Shinko-san exclaimed. “Th-that c-could’ve hit me…!”

 “Hit you…?” Ishikawa-san repeated slowly, her expression became grave. The fog had been cleared a little because of the lighting rig falling, so the stage was slightly clearer. “I-Irunami-sama?!” Ishikawa-san ran towards the stage. When she called out his name, it all dawned on the rest of us.

 “Irunami-kun!” Hachi-san’s voice came from behind me, as they darted past me and towards the stage. Shouldn’t they have been backstage getting ready?! I couldn’t think straight right now, I just felt my legs move automatically as I ran up the steps to the stage. Standing in the wing I saw Okanaya-san staring at the stage, completely pale, his fists balled up at his side.

 Then I saw the scene. The world came to a sudden halt.

 As the fog continued to clear further, the body of Sadao Irunami, the Ultimate Hypnotist became visible to the rest of us. He was laying on his stomach, blood was sticky in his hair and matting it, a broken stage light cracked next to his body.

 “Wh…o-oh my god…” Yokozawa-san covered his mouth, looking ready to vomit. “H-how could this happen…? A-an accident…?” An accident? The lighting rig just fell without warning, was this really a freak accident?

 ~Ding Dong, Bing bong~

 The monitors turned on and displayed Monokuma sitting on his throne. “A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, a class trial shall be held! Better get investigating!” The monitors turned off.

 “The body discovery announcement…?” I murmured. If that’s the case…

 “Accident or not, if the body discovery announcement played then one of us is accountable for Irunami’s death.” Sly-san said, a piercing glare focused on Kurosaki-san. Kurosaki-san’s face was completely blank though.

 “Th…that can’t be right though…” Hachi-san spoke weakly. “Wh-why…? This is just a big trick. Part of the show…right? So, get up Irunami-kun…because there’s no way he could be dead.” Hachi-san gripped the sides of their head and let out a scream. “WHY IS IRUNAMI-KUN DEAD?!!”

[justjen523]

Let Me Show You

Zyglavis, Scorpio

     What they didn’t know about the real Zyglavis has Scorpio in a world he never expected as Zig takes him out for the time of his life. Inspired by the screenshot post where Scorpio refers to Zig as a closet perv.

Scorpio POV

     Everything worked like clockwork around here as Zyglavis was a stickler for order and timeliness. Not that that shit mattered to that goddamn fish. He was always causn’ me and Zig headaches. Everyone else fell in line the majority of the time makn’ our jobs a hell of a lot easier. 

     Every day before my shift ended I met up with Zig and discussed any cases that needed discuss’n. Today was no different. I made my way down the corridor and turned a blind eye to Partheno makn’ out with some trampy goddess behind one of the pillars. Krioff was still hard at work but he never stopped. Zig loved that shit, I thought it was just plain stupid. I had no idea where Dui and the problem child were but if they were together chances were somethn’ stupid was gonna happen and I’d be the one clean’n it up even if I was off duty. Lucky for me I managed to get my shit done early so I could take some time to myself for once.

     As I rounded the corner Zig’s room came into view, door open as it always was during work hours. When I peered inside there was no one home. Zig must have had a meeting or some shit at the last minute. I decided to wait for him and made myself comfortable. 

     I must have dozed off out of sheer boredom waitn’ on his ass to return. When I opened my eyes I nearly jumped out of my skin. Zig’s face was so close to mine our noses were practically touchn’. 

     “Jesus Zig! The fuck is wrong with you?! You tryn’ to kill me or somethn’?” 

     “Pffft. Says the man fast asleep on my bed. Suppose someone other than myself found you in this predicament. The rumors alone of you asleep in my bed would be enough entertainment to last that rabid Lion an eon.”

     “Hey, it ain’t my fault you took your sweet ass time gettn’ back. The fuck else was I supposed to do?”

     “Try reading a book.” He teased, that smirk only a sparse few ever saw. Zig was an uptight bastard at work and the man was rarely ever off the clock, but every once in a great while he’d let his guard down and be himself around me. There were many things no one knew about the Minister of Punishments that I was privy to. Like for starters, he hid it well with his holier than thou routine. That man could feign innocence better than a goddamn virgin yet he was as sexual a being as Partheno. Probably just as perverted too though that was definitely something I didn’t want to know about. The less I knew about that shit the better.

     Still sprawled out on the bed like I owned the place I watched as Zig removed his uniform jacket and hung it up neatly followed by his tie. He had his door closed which meant he was absolutely done with work for the day and he had a day off tomorrow. 

     “You wanna hear my reports or....?”

     “Not really. I know my Vice Minister is reliable and capable of exceeding my expectations.”

     “You got plans or somethn’?”

     “Not particularly, why? Do you have something in mind?”

     “Me? Pffft Yeah right. As if I could go far. Someone’s gotta stick around and keep an eye on those assholes. Fuck only knows what that goddamn fish has up his sleeve.”

     “Scorpio, you must learn to balance work and leisure.”

     “Says the “stick-up-his-ass” Minister of Punishments.” Zig has his back to me as he changes clothes. Another sign he has absolutely no intention of doing anything work related. He pulls his hair from his ponytail and brushes it out while turning to face me with that dark grin. 

     “Come now, you know better.” He’s in nothing but his pants as he slowly pulls the bristles through his hair. I ain’t into men but I can definitely see why the goddesses lose their shit over him. 

     “I’ve decided you are to take the day off tomorrow.”

     “What the fuck for?”

     “Because I said so that’s why.” Well this isn’t anything good. When Zig makes up his mind he won’t budge. He’s the stubbornest bastard I know. Leaving his hair down he changes into a black button up shirt with a black tie and black slacks. He looks nothing like the Zyglavis everyone thinks they know so well. With a single snap I am in matching attire. What the fuck is he scheming...  

     “I’m taking you out, it would seem you need a little excitement.”

     “Where we goin’?”

     “You’ll see.” There it is, that smirk means it’s definitely nothin’ good.

     “Let us just say, I like a good thrill.” A moment later I find myself in a human contraption called a car. It’s pretty nice inside for a metal death trap. 

     “Buckle up, you’re going to need it.” As I do as I’m told I eye him suspiciously.

     “Are we on Earth? What the fuck are you plann’n Zig?!” He doesn’t answer with words, he just smirks before shifting the gears and taking off like a bat outta hell.

     “W-WHAT?! SLOW DOWN ARE YOU FUCKN’ CRAZY?!” He laughs manically as we fly at goddamn light speed down a road. He weaves through traffic like it ain’t a big deal while I’m grippn’ my seat so tight my knuckles are turn’n white. We were definitely break’n some human laws.

     “H-Hey Zig! Y-You know this is against the law here right?!”

     “Oh come now, relax. We’re just having a little fun that’s all.”

     “Easy for you to say, I ain’t havn’ fun at all, this is fuckn’ nuts!”

     “That’s because the real fun hasn’t begun yet.” He chuckles darkly and now I’m fuckn’ regretting ever going to his room to begin with. He looks in the mirror and grins.

     “Right on schedule.” Knowing damn well what was gonna happen I can’t believe this is Zig I’m sittn’ next to as the siren’s blare behind us.

     “W-What now goddammit?!”

     “Now we run.”

     “The fuck?! You serious?!”

     “Of course I am, does it look like I am not?”

     “B-But what’s the fuckn’ point?!”

     “It’s simple. I like to go fast. We don’t have anything like this in the Heaven’s.”

     “Y-Yeah okay but why are we break’n the law? Couldn’t you have picked somewhere where there wouldn’t be anyone else?”

     “Pffft. Where’s the fun in that?”

     “Z-Zig....this ain’t like you.”

     “Sure it is, you just didn’t know.” He slams on the gas and I swear the petal must be to the floor as we fly down the freeway. We’re goin’ so goddamn fast everything outside is a blur. 

     “There are a great many things you do not know about me Scorpio. Tonight however, you are going to learn many of them.”

[ichigopanhpff]

Ignis x Reader Insert One-shot: The Crossing

10,000 years later...

Here’s the story! Enjoy :D

Tagging @nifwrites @chocobrowrangler

“No. Absolutely not.”

The stern advisor to Crown Prince Noctis, Ignis Scientia, firmly declared and adjusted his falling spectacles.

“Whaaat?! C’mon. Ig.”

“(Y/N), you know I can’t,” the mousy brown haired man reiterated.

“Can’t or won’t?” she challenged and placed a hand on her hip. “You’re dressed for the part already. May as well play along.”

“I’m not wearing this of my own volition...” he trailed off and tried adjusting the loosely draped fabric around his chest for the umpteenth time in hopes of covering more.

Never in his life had he felt so exposed…

“I dunno ‘bout you, but I’ve never felt more like myself,” (Y/N) drolled and did a little spin in her Master Assassin robes with the hood on in case anyone recognized her.

“That’s also because your family’s in the business,” Ignis pointed out in a hushed voice.

She quickly turned around to face Ignis and shot a small glare.

“Not by choice. It was a matter of self-preservation and overthrowing the government back in the day. Anyway, back to the business at hand...”

(Y/N) gently grabbed Ignis’ arm and turned him around. She pointed up at the sky where several Assassin’s Festival goers were trying their hand at The Crossing. The task was simple: walk across one of the thick pipes of Lestallum in one go without falling.

“You’re doing it.” “I already said–” “Yeah and I’m callin’ you out on your bullshit.”

Ignis lightly pursed his lips at his childhood friend now girlfriend’s potty mouth.

“Noct and Prompto will need my help in–”

“Oh for crap’s sakes, Ig, they’re grown,” (Y/N) rolled her eyes and tiredly pointed out. “They can handle themselves and will ask for your help when they need it. And Tiny’s out chasing every skirt he can find, so relax and have a bit of fun tonight.”

“Kind of hard to do that considering Niflheim’s MTs are on every corner,” he spoke softly and furrowed his brows. His emerald green eyes quickly darted cautiously to one in his peripheral.

“Yeah well, they’re gonna be everywhere we go,” she shot back with disregard. “Are you gonna let them ruin every aspect of your life now?”

The tall spiky haired man let out a long sigh, knowing when he’s lost an argument against (Y/N).

“Maybe if I just watch them long enough...” “Watching and doing are two different things. You need muscle memory and instincts when you’re up there,” she noted. “C’mon. We’ll start off easy.”

(Y/N) took Ignis by the hand and weaved through the crowds of Lestallum with raucous sounds of cheers and laughter into a quieter alleyway; several couples could be found in secluded corners whispering things to one another. Finally finding an area big enough, she took two cinder blocks laying nearby and set them on each side. After looking for a short amount of time, she found a piece of thick PVC piping long enough to bridge the two stones. To prevent the pipe from rolling off, she placed a few pieces of broken up blocks inside the pipe for stability.

“Okay,” she huffed and dusted her hands off on each other, analyzing her handiwork. “That should be just about the right distance of the pipes. ”So what now?” Ignis asked and crossed his arms. “You walk across it. Like so.”

As if like air, (Y/N) hopped on top of the pipe and practically glided across it without hesitation; her feet barely pattered! As expected of someone of her skill and lineage, he thought. Reaching the other end of the pipe, she hopped off like a child in a playground.

“Easy peasy,” she remarked with a grin. “Any advice?” “Don’t hesitate.”

Sucking in an uneasy breath, Ignis stepped up to the plate and stared down his current enemy in the form of a dirty PVC pipe. Puffing out a tense gush of air from his lips, he gingerly took a step on the pipe. Feeling nervous perspiration pool at the crown of his hair and upper lip, he swallowed what was left of his hesitation and went for it. Gradually picking up speed, the King’s Advisor fell off of the pipe halfway across and landed on his side, kicking up dust from the ground.

Groaning loudly, he gingerly rolled to his other side and saw (Y/N)’s hand reached out to pull him back up. He dusted off the side he fell on the moment his feet firmly planted on the ground again. With a sense of determination lit up inside, Ignis kept on trying, only to fall off time and time again.

“What am I doing wrong?” he groaned out as he cleaned himself off for the ninth time. “You anticipate the fall.” “How–” “Your footing,” she noted. “You set yourself up for failure.” “Show me again,” he stated with seriousness. “Show me how you go across.”

With a small sigh, (Y/N) hopped back onto the pipe and practically went across it at a leisurely pace.

“It’s not all about speed, Ig,” she began and stood at the middle of the pipe with perfect balance. (Y/N) then turned to face Ignis and crossed her arms. “You’re overthinking it. Just see this for what it is in front of you.”

She hopped off and walked up to Ignis before taking his turn again. Placing a firm hand on his broad shoulder, (Y/N) leaned into his ear like a lover whispering naughty things.

“Take a deep breath,” she advised in an almost seductive-like hushed voice. “And let it go all at once.” “Is that supposed to mean something now, dear?” “It means whatever you want it to be, darling,” she cheekily replied with a smirk and cocked eyebrow as she sauntered off to the side.

Ignis gave his companion a curious gaze before attempting the mini-crossing again. Huffing out a short breath of air, the spectacled man stepped up to the highest stacked cinder block. Whether it was from (Y/N)’s advice or assistance from the Six, he finally managed to get across without faltering.

Ignis Scientia figured out the mechanics in dominating The Crossing.

“Again,” his companion encouraged and crossed her arms atop her chest. “Drill this feeling into your body.”

Over and over, he had done so and only stumbled once, with each time building his confidence trial after trial.

“Good. Let’s go.” “Right now?” he exclaimed. “I mean… it’s right there,” (Y/N) commented and pointed at the general direction of the obstacle course. “No time like the present.”

The tall brown haired man inhaled an uneasy breath, to which his companion walked over and held his hand.

“I’ll do it with you,” she suggested. “Would that ease your nerves?”

“No. You’ll do it flawlessly and show off by doing a few backflips like you’re on a balance beam,” he noted as a matter of factly and adjusted his spectacles.

“I was gonna try a full twist with a back handspring, actually,” she quipped with a matching smirk. Ignis let out a light chuckle.

“I think I’ll be fine by myself.” “When you pull it off, you can rub it in the Prince’s face,” (Y/N) added. “Let him get some FOMO to motivate him in taking down the Niffs faster.” “That… may actually work.” “After that, we can do the Leap of Faith.” “We–Wha–” “C’mon! To the pipes!”

(Y/N) quickly dragged the mousy brown haired man to his date with the pipe before she let him finish his thought process. Ignis Scientia inwardly prayed to the Six to keep watch of him.

And perhaps, find a way to distract his girlfriend from dragging him to the Leap of Faith.

There is nothing out there that could prepare him for a fall like that.

[gattius-starfrost]

Unexpectedly Expecting

Gattius’ old bedroom had changed over the last few weeks. The bed no longer saw many sleeping patrons, instead serving now as an exam bench of sorts. Free closet space opened up room for books, notes, and all manner of medical supplies. He had moved his leisurely items out as well, clearing his desk space for a laboratory expansion. It was an idea he had for some time, but never enacted because there was never room for it. At least, not any room he had access to. The basement would’ve worked well, but Tannis locked it away before his passing. Just as well - from what he’d been told, the basement housed nothing but knicknacks and junk. Typical for a basement. Still, Gattius wondered why Tannis never thought to set up at least one room in his manor as a small exam room. Perhaps he didn’t care to bring his work home with him. Either way, Gattius saw the merit of it. And now that he’d moved in with Syrielle, it was the perfect opportunity to turn his old room into a makeshift infirmary, right here on the Manor grounds!

‘I don’t know why yer botherin’, lad.’ Alteris chuckled, leaning idly up against one of the bookshelves as he sharpened his blade. ‘What else could it be?’

By some miracle, Gattius managed to pull a blood sample from Syrielle just a day prior. She hated needles; there was no way she’d let him take a blood sample, even if it were to test her for biological anomalies. Specifically, in this case… pregnancy.

“Could be a dozen things, Alt.” Gattius replied aloud to his imaginary friend. “Still could be mana deficiency. Or some kind of virus she picked up on Argus. Hell, it could be a stomach ulcer, blood sugar deficiency, abnormal menopause, or even a parasite.”

‘It’s a parasite, alright - one you put in ‘er!’ Alteris laughed.

“Bah, shut up! We’ll know soon enough.”

The beakers were set, mixtures stable. Carefully, he pulled the syringe of Syrielle’s blood out from his medical pack. There was enough, thankfully, to conduct three conservative tests. The first, obviously, would be a pregnancy test. But the results of it would take longer to manifest. So while he waited, he decided to do two more - a standard, wide-spectrum wellness check, and a cell/mana-cohesion test to indicate if her body retained the same magical potential it always had. Thankfully, he had a pretty extensive medical record on Syrielle for comparison. He rationed out the blood samples, and got to work. Each mixture was set relatively easy. Now, all he had to do was wait.

‘Still can’t believe she lied to you about those herbs…’

“I’m sure she didn’t.” Gattius frowned. “They’re not one-hundred percent effective.”

‘Aye, unless you take ‘em, they’re ZERO percent effective!’ another boisterous laugh.

Gattius sighed, shaking his head. A part of him did worry that perhaps Syrielle wasn’t entirely truthful with him. He never verified, that first time or any subsequent time. More often than not, he’d just assume. But she wouldn’t lie about something like that… with all the partners she’s had over the years, and no children to show for it… surely she took precautions. What if she forgot one time? Or maybe a lingering effect of the curse caused her to believe she had?

‘What if her contraceptive plan was entirely post-conception?’

Gattius frowned deeper. That’d be horribly irresponsible. There were ways, of course. But like many other things, it was much easier and safer to prevent than to treat. Syrielle wouldn’t be so cavalier with her body like that…

“... Would she?” he asked himself, with a sigh.

‘It’d be a simple thing for a mage, lad. Abra-cadabra, Fetus Deletus!’ Alteris proclaimed, waving his dagger around as if it were a wand.

“--Not Syrie!” Gattius barked. “She knows better. Dr. Starfrost must’ve had dozens of talks about this with her, all growing up. I incited a few of them, myself, with all the little pranks I’d pull on her. She wouldn’t use such a dangerous method.”

He turned, seeing one of the tests conclude. The beaker of solution bubbled for a moment, before calming - the mixture turning a clear pinkish hue. He nodded, smiling, as he flipped open his notepad.

“Patient’s wide-spectrum returned no abnormalities…” he said aloud, as he normally did conducting such tests. “Traces of hormone supplements manifested. So there - she is taking the herbs.”

He smiled proudly, writings filling the page with additional details such as time, date, and others. A good start, at least. She was healthy, using the right methods, and most importantly, telling the truth. Of course, that meant it was either mana deficiency, or…

‘Fine, so she was takin’ them.’ Alteris conceded. ‘Could somethin’ counteract them? Undo them, y’know?’

“Hm…” Gattius hadn’t considered that. “It’s possible. The herbs and teas increase hormone levels to close off the uterus. That prevents the pregnancy. But… it’s possible something she ate or drank could counteract those effects.”

‘Somethin’ on Argus, perhaps?’

Gattius shook his head.

“No, no, the only thing there would be fel contaminant. That doesn’t affect hormone levels. And even if it did, I--”

A thought struck him; a medical procedure he’d use to mend biological anomalies. Something standard practice for him when tending patients. Something he’d employed for recreational use…

“... The Light.” he gasped. “When I used the Light on her… it would’ve reset her biological systems to their natural state. And using it so close to her uterus… must’ve reopened it.”

‘So yer lil’ Light-show foreplay undid her contraceptives?’ Alteris grinned.

Gattius swallowed hard. “... I think maybe it did.”

Alteris erupted, laughing hysterically. Gattius, however, did NOT find it funny in the least! ...Well, perhaps a little funny. His efforts to bring a little more excitement to the bedroom had backfired. He brought his hands to his face, and groaned. A bubbling hiss interrupted his dreaded moping, however - the second test was complete. He sat up, and inspected the second sample. The liquid sparked, this time, turning a deep blue - as deep a blue as he’d ever seen!

“--Well… her cell/mana cohesion’s as strong as ever.” he sighed, picking up his notebook again. “Patient exhibits exceptional cell/mana potential. No depreciation of Arcane affinity.”

‘Doesn’t leave much else it could be, eh?’ Alteris grinned.

Gattius sighed. Signs pointed more and more to Syrielle being pregnant. And to make it worse, he was pretty sure it was all his fault. He watched the pregnancy test, anxiously waiting out the last few minutes before it would either confirm or disprove his hypothesis. Most likely confirm.

‘What’re you gonna tell her, lad?’

“I don’t know…” Gattius sighed. “What should I tell her? She’ll find out I took a blood sample, first of all. Can’t imagine she’ll be thrilled about that. Then I have to tell her I unwittingly cancelled out her tried-and-true contraceptive method… and got her pregnant!”

He collapsed back into his chair with a sigh, throwing his head back against the headrest. What a mess.

‘... Well…’ Alteris began, stepping off from the bookshelf. ‘Is it really so bad, this?’

“What do you mean? Of course it’s bad!” Gattius frowned deeper. “We didn’t plan for this. We’re not ready for this. Fuck, I haven’t even proposed to her yet!”

‘Folks have kids together out of marriage all the time, lad.’

“I don’t know if she’s ready! I don’t know if I’m ready! This is a huge deal, Alt!”

‘Oh, get it together, you drama whore!’ Alteris scolded him. ‘Worst case, you terminate it and learn a valuable lesson about gettin’ kinky with the Light!’

Gattius sat up, brow raised at Alteris as he spoke.

‘Best case… she’s thrilled about it. You two get married, spawn the youngling, live that happy, picturesque life y’ve always wanted.’

The last vial fizzed, indicating it was done. Gattius turned quick, and watched in eager anticipation. The liquids continued to fizz, mellowed out, and turned bright yellow. Tentatively, Gattius reached for the vial, and gave it a light swirl. The color remained. There was no doubt about it now.

“... She’s pregnant.”

‘Told yeh.’

Gattius opened his notes, and jotted down the results.

“Patient… is shown to be with child.” he said aloud, before pausing.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Despite the headache, heartache, or great confusion this could easily cause him… he made a person with the woman he loved. And try as he did, he couldn’t be entirely upset about it. He gave in, grinning as he finished his notes.

“I, uh… I’m gonna go tell her, yeah?” he said.

‘Think you ought to, lad. I’ll wait here.’ Alteris joked.

Gattius rose from his seat, and headed out the door. His stomach churned, from excitement and dread both. He walked down the hall, and towards the bedroom where Syrielle was. Stopping just shy of the door, he took a deep breath.

“Here goes…”