#there really is no escape huh. we are just being forced to allow the world to burn

[stonerzelda]

bro i am having a meltdown over this for real lawl lets hope i at least manage an hour of sleep tn o7

[itsabouttimex2]

Monkiefam: Part One

Transformation Troubles

(Part Zero) (Part One) (Part Two)

“It’s for your own safety, kiddo.”

Those words ring in your mind as you stare out of the window, watching as your “father” trains your “brother”. You idly watch them clash, deftly swinging their staffs, blocking, counter-attacking, and breaking through each other’s defenses. Wukong stands leagues above MK, even though the kid is learning fast. You’ve gotten used to the sight of the monkey demon correcting his mentee’s stance, shifting his arms and legs, hauling him off the ground and dusting his clothes off when he knocks him down. Once, you would’ve stood in wide-eyed awe, caught on every fluid strike and powerful swing. Now, it’s become so commonplace that you barely bat an eye.

You only really start to pay attention when they start rapidly shifting between several forms from the 72 Transformations technique.

Although your “family” had allowed you to partake in basic training exercises like stretches and warmups, anything beyond that was strictly off-limits to you. As MK mastered skill after skill and bolstered his arsenal of techniques, you were stuck inside, only able to watch him grow. All to keep you safe, in their own words. One was a monkey demon and one was an inheritor to the legacy and powers of said monkey demon. They were powerful and mystical, and you were a regular human, short-lived and fragile. Weaker, slower, squishier.

But more than smart enough to learn a few of their tricks.

And brave enough to try one out.

“If you wanna change your body, you gotta change your thinking first, bud.”Wukong had instructed MK with these words not too long ago. From a hawk to a tiger to even something as small as a butterfly, Sun Wukong had already mastered all 72 and MK was well on his way to learning to do so himself.

You only had one in mind to start with. If you wanted to ever escape the smothering clutches of these two warriors, you weren’t going to be able to do it with any kind of mindless force. Being able to take the form of a hawk might’ve sounded useful, but the Monkey King could easily outspeed you. A tiger? Both of them could take the same form, and were much stronger to boot. Picking something like a spider would easily keep MK away, but wouldn’t deter Wukong in the slightest.

So instead, you settled on the monkey. Then, you had plausible deniability on your side. You could shrug it off as ‘wanting to be more like him’ or ‘wanting to see what it was like’ if Wukong asked you why you’d been practicing transformations at all. MK wouldn’t need any sort of explanation from you, because he’d probably just get excited about you learning such a technique.

You have your plan. And your reasoning, if things go poorly. All that’s left to do is to get started.

Change your thinking.

Wild, exuberant energy. Skillful jumps and leaps. Dexterous limbs and powerful bodies. Unbridled curiosity. Devotion to your troop.

An innate desire to revel in freedom.

At first, you had worried that the transformation might hurt. But then the whole world flashes gold and your body shifts and reshapes, and you feel better than you ever have before. A burst of adrenaline rushes through you, glowing sparks of white hot energy coursing your veins. You lie there on the floor for a few minutes, trying to regain your composure as the searing ecstasy of success flows through your shifted body.

And then there’s a knock on the door. You try to scramble to your feet, only to trip over your unfamiliar appendages. You slip and lightly thud against the floor, which only worries your captor more.

“You doing okay in there, bud? Training ran a little long, huh?”

You can’t respond. You try to respond, but nothing akin to speech comes out. Only silk-soft chittering. Then it hits you.

You aren’t a gorilla, a chimpanzee, an orangutan.

“Are you still mad that we won’t let you train with us? Am I getting the silent treatment now, kid?”

No, you’ve shifted into one of the little monkeys that flourish on Flower Fruit Mountain.

“Aww, don’t be too upset, alright? Hey, I’ll have MK bring us some of those noodles the two of you like, okay? The three of us can eat together.”

And you don’t know how to turn back.

“Y/N?”

You only have a few seconds to register the concern in his voice before the door between the two of you flies off the handles, broken down by a single kick from Wukong. He crosses the threshold into your room, looking around not only in worry, but tentative anger. If you had broken out again, he was going to…

You look up. He looks down.

There’s only a couple of seconds where he’s confused, head tilted curiously to the side at the sight of the little monkey in front of him. Then, recognition writes itself across his face.

His eyes widen in adoration as the end of his tail curls into a sort of heart. He dashes forward and snatches you off the ground with a huge grin, holding you up to his face. He nuzzles you against himself, brushing his cheek against your own. He only pauses to call out to his student.

“MK, bud, you gotta come see this!”

Once you hear excited footsteps pounding down the halls, you know that you’re in for a long day.

[snowywolf1005]

Dude I was sleeping and I thought…can you make a scenario or HC about Timekeeper cookie!reader being best friends with Uta…and Koby *whispers* ‘make them yandere..’ and you can put a bonus about your favorite character in one piece:D (and also make them Yandere..)

Just letting you know I’m going to draw some WednesdayAdams! Reader X Yandere Vinsmoke family in the weekend because school is on my 🍑 rn😭 (a little gift for you🤍❤️)

I could try! Let hope it works!

YANDERE UTA, KOBY X TIMEKEEPER COOCKIE READER

Uta was best friend when you were kids, even luffy. You draw a logo for her if she becomes a best singer, people say you and uta were like sisters together.

But you two are more like sisters. But it wasn't until you heard about her staying elegia when the red pirate came and you didn't see uta. You thought they were lying to you and luffy, but no, something really happened to her.

You were so sad, even luffy, but you two have to move on. Oh! You ate a devil fruit it called the time-time fruit. It allows you to bend the time-space continuum and blink forward 2 times.

You have the ability to be called reverse technique.It primarily aims at manipulating cursed energy into a positive force, which can, in turn, help the wielder heal human bodies.

So you can heal yourself or your friends. You get along with koby, you guys talk, and koby has deeply, really in love with you. You and the strawhat goes to uta concert.

Then you and luffy meet uta, you guys on cloud nine. "Uta!" You hug uta "(Y/N)! I missed you so much!" She said, hugging you back.

Everything was fun, you, luffy and uta talk. Uta and luffy have a challenge. You decide to record, who won? Well, it was uta, you thought everything was fun until uta went nut after she attacked you and luffy.

You have no idea what was up to her, luffy was tied up, and your friends were all trapped from uta spells, and you also tied up as well. "Uta! What is the meaning of this!? I thought we're friends!" You yelled.

She looks at you and smiles, "Oh, (Y/N). You will always be the scary cat, " she said. "In fact, how about you stop joining luffy and join me! Then I'll let your friends go!" Said uta.

You were so surprised hearing about this. "No!" You yelled, luffy and Strawhat were light blulb moment, even uta. "I won't join you! Not until we talk about this!" Uta, look at you. She can't believe you didn't expect her to join her world.

Then uta turn you into a small plush cookie!:

Koby saw this and wanted to save you, but he can't "(Y/N)!" Luffy screamed, then uta grab tiny you. "Uta! Let her go!" Luffy commend.

Fast forward!!!! (Sorry... I don't want to write more. It'll hurt my fingers)

Uta attacked the celestial dragon. Koby arrived, "uta stop! Helping people, this is still wrong!" He said you're surprised to see koby.

"Another marine, huh? Here to save the celestial dragon?" Uta ask, holding on to tiny you. "I'm here to save lives. And it doesn't matter who's! You don't have the right to take those people's souls. You have to bring them back to reality." Said koby.

Everyone started to get confused. Koby explained that everyone it a trap, but uta says she did this because she wanted everyone to be happy and free.

And now everyone started hating uta now. Then you manage to escape. "(Y/N)! Come back here right now!" She said, you look her, koby try to take your hand.

"Why? After all you lie to us, I can't even know if you're my friend!" You yelled, now uta really pissed off. But all of a sudden, the whole water is filling up, turning everyone into some items.

Koby, grab your waist and pull you with him and blueno. "Give (Y/N) back to me!!" Uta scream, but blueno already closed the door.

THANKS FOR READING!!

IF YOU WANT MORE REQUEST OF...

YANDERE ONE PIECE CHARACTER X READER

ASK ME!!!!

[patheticpeoplesupreme]

Alternate ending where SQH presses the return home button after yelling at MBJ + I somehow turned it into a slightly happier ending(this was supposed to end with SQH being alone till he dies)(bro never moves on)

but in this oneshot, he becomes a part of the Shen family.

Mobei-Jun mourning SQH’s body… imagine…

The moment he presses on the button, he felt his heart sink with the glow surrounding him.

He was going back to his body, which was equivalent to dying. Turning to his icy surroundings, light snow falling onto the tip of his fingers, his knees unbuckle as he fell to the floor.

“I—“

—

He regrets it, he really does. He shoud have just stayed in the other world. There, at least he knows how to escape the life he had, he knows people who would care about him even if he had run away (at least, he hoped so?)

here, there was no one. His parents didn’t care about him, they’d already moved on with new families in their lives. They hadn’t even bat an eye when they found out his body was a coma.

Shang Qinghua shivered in his hospital bed, tears slipping down his cheeks, he couldn’t even let out a sound.

It was cold. It was empty. His arms were bandaged heavily, they’d told him that he had severe burns because of the fact that there was hot water when it happened.

He couldn’t write; Proud Immortal Demon Way had already ended. He… just really…lacked the motivation to ever write again. Without his most passionate fan, without his king or his martial siblings… it’s unbearable. Losing the trust of everyone he knew was heart breaking enough, but they— they had forgiven him for his final moments.

They’d let him back into the sect—! Liu Qingge had grinned at him, after all that. Mu Qingfang allowed him to nap in the medical room whenever things got too hectic—heck! Yue Qingyuan visited his peak for friendly conversation and tea!

Shang Qinghua had given all of that up, and for what???

He didn’t know any more….

Haaa…. His anxiety and fear had gotten the best of him.

There was no Cucumber bro to critique his 3000+ chapter novel, there were no ice kings to force him to stop working in the middle of the night because of his health.

It was just him. Just Luo Meihua. The useless idiot.

A mistake he made, and he will never ever be able to see his family again.

Shen Qingqiu was right, Shang Qinghua was an idiot.

—

“Hey..” A quiet feminine voice pulls him out from the grasp of sleep, his heavy eyes open wearily as he tries to focus on the new figure. It wasn’t one of those nurses. The girl was wearing a very blue casual outfit, blue sweater, blue jeans, and even a blue purse.

….?

He squinted. Did he know her..??

He knew this wasn’t one of his half siblings, they were much younger than he was. “Hh….” He tried hard to say something, but a year of unuse made it hard to say the right words.

“It’s okay! Uhm, you don’t need to speak! I’m sure you’re wondering who I am?”

Shang Qinghua nodded minutely.

“My name is Shen Yang. Do you remember the story you wrote?”

He grimaced, giving her a pained look, he knew by now how shitty it was, please don’t make him talk about it??? I mean, there was some good parts but if he could, he wouldn’t have made A Ding as the sole logistics peak!!!

Wait.. “Shen..?”

She laughs slightly, mistaking his question for something else, “Mm, my brother was Peerless Cucumber, he went into a coma like you did, one year ago. If you knew him, anyway. He hated your novel.”

No wonder she looked familiar—!

But.. huh…? How did she know he was in a coma? How did she know he was here.

He tried to convey that to her with his raised eyebrow.

“We… uhm. Originally, we wanted to personally talk to you, since… we found A—Yuan’s notes in his computer. It was more critiques about the novel,” Shang Qinghua stifled a fond laugh, Ahh, Cucumber bro… “…and so… we found out you were in a coma, just like my brother.”

—

Shen Family: finds out Airplane is in a coma and they visit him once

Shen Yang is also a volunteer at the hospital, just so she can visit Shen Yuan more often. So occasionally, she watches Airplane’s coma body, wondering what kind of person he was to write PIDW

sometimes she writes and reads it out to Shen Yuan because she knows he loved stories, even if they sucked

When Airplane wakes up and they both realise he has no home anymore,

(“Your parents..?”

Shang Qinghua shook his head and laughed bitterly, “it’s not like they visited me at all.”)

So she persuades her parents to let him stay at the house (they refuse at first, like, airplane’s a stranger, and they’re still mourning Shen Yuan)

But eventually, they pittied him and allowed him to stay.

(“I promise I’ll pay you back, thank you so much for your kindness!!!”)

After all his trauma, he becomes the quiet kid, no silly rambles, and without any system forcing him on any missions, he becomes so so antsy, so he just takes on a lot of responsibilities and becomes sick and is super miserable until Shen Family takes an intervention

Eventually they get attached to SQH and help him get therapy. And it doesn’t actually help much, he couldn’t talk about his transmigration trauma at all

BUT he admits the little things, like his parents’ emotional neglect and accidentally mentions something like “I’m used to getting beat up. I’m used to everyone pushing their work onto me.”

Which is concerning in modern society,, like,,, why is he used to getting beat up 3 times a day

Bro just really hates himself

But one day, maybe after a few long months, the light in his eyes return and he gets into a rant again and Shen Yang just remembers his brother, Shen Yuan, and sees him in SQH and

man

Shen Yang shares stories about his brother to SQH

(“He sucked at sewing.” )

( “Shut up, Airplane… Sewing is harder than it looks.” Shen Qingqiu glared at him.)

[archiveikemen]

"Luxury Cruise Invitation*" Story Event: 95K Bonus Story

*EN Title: "A First-Class Ticket to Dangerous Seas"

Ellis Twilight

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting

Thank you to @candied-boys for providing me with the story !

Maid: Miss. Look, what a magnificent luxury cruise ship!

Docked in front of me was a luxury cruise about to embark on a wonderful journey. And yet, my heart remained clouded.

During the journey, I was to be introduced to a suitor my parents had chosen for me, and be forced to marry him.

(Making me meet him onboard a ship so that I can't escape… what bad taste.)

Poorly Dressed Young Man 1: Whee! Ellis, you got so lucky at poker that you won tickets to board the cruise.

(...?)

When I turned my head in the direction of the lively voices, I saw a group of young men gathered together and chatting away.

Poorly Dressed Young Man 2: But you were seriously out of your mind for betting your entire life’s fortune back there.

Young Man Called ‘Ellis’: … Is that so?

Young Man Called ‘Ellis’: I did that because I had nothing to lose.

Kate: …

Maid: How unpleasant… people who can’t even afford third-class tickets are allowed onboard the ship.

Maid: You must never go near them, Miss. You’re an important lady.

Crew: The luxury cruise ship Orellus will be departing soon!

A whistle sounded as soon as we boarded the ship, and it started its smooth journey over the sea.

…

And as the ship sailed, the surroundings gradually turned dark—.

(... I should go to dinner as soon as possible. My fiancé must be waiting for me.)

But however hard I tried, my heart wouldn't listen. Thus, I found myself standing at the bow of the cruise, looking out at the sea below.

(I’ve always wanted to experience being truly in love with someone.)

(I want to be loved that way too.)

And yet, that simple dream of mine was about to be crushed that night.

(I shouldn't be selfish. Everything will be alright, I just have to put up with this.)

(If I give up and accept my fate, all will be well…)

Just as I was about to toss my feelings into the depths of the pitch-dark sea,

???: … Hey.

(...?)

Someone grabbed me by the wrist and I turned around—.

???: If you stick your body out too much, you might fall into the sea and get swept away.

(Oh, it’s him.)

– Flashback Start –

Young Man Called ‘Ellis’: I did that because I had nothing to lose.

– Flashback End –

Standing there was the man I saw before boarding the cruise, I heard that his name was “Ellis”.

Kate: I’m sorry, I was too occupied by my thoughts… erm.

Ellis: Someone was looking for you.

Ellis: I think… she was a maid.

(Oh no. I must go, I kept everyone waiting.)

Kate: I have to leave. Well then—

Ellis: Are you alright?

Kate: …?

Ellis: Are you alright with this?

Kate: … Huh?

Ellis: I mean, you’re wearing an expensive dress on a luxurious ship. And yet, you don’t look very happy.

Kate: I don’t look happy?

Ellis: Yeah. Um, let me rephrase that.

Ellis: You look very sad.

Kate: … T-That’s…

I wanted to throw away those feelings into the depths of the ocean, but he found them and held them in his two hands.

(... I thought of just putting up with my situation.)

(But that doesn't mean I should…)

Ellis: …

Ellis: Hey. Want to run away with me?

Kate: Run away…?

Ellis: Yeah. If that's what you want, I’ll take you anywhere you want.

Ellis: Anywhere in the world.

Kate: … Really?

The young man named “Ellis” gave me a firm nod.

I must've been crazy to place my fate in the hands of someone I had just met. And yet, for some reason, my heart was racing.

(Even just once, if I allow myself to wish for something…)

(I…)

Kate: … Please, help me. Take me away from here.

Ellis: Leave that to me.

He held my hand, and we ran through the cruise ship.

Kate: Wait… um…

Ellis: Ellis. My name.

Kate: … Ellis.

Ellis: And your name is?

Kate: I’m Kate.

Ellis: This way, Kate.

…

We kept running and running, and hid in the ship’s cargo room.

We huddled together, sitting next to stacks of wooden boxes.

Ellis: Late at night when there are fewer people around, come to my room.

Ellis: I’m sorry that my room is only a third-class cabin, so it might not suit you.

Kate: That’s fine… but…

Kate: Why are you helping me?

Ellis: Why?

Kate: We’ve only just met, haven't we?

Ellis tilted his head in puzzlement for a moment, and then he smiled like he had found a precious treasure.

Ellis: Because of your smiling face.

Ellis: I thought that you must look so lovely when you smile… I guess?

Ellis: Is that reason… not good?

Kate: N-No…

Ellis: Fufu, that’s great.

(That’s the kind of reason why he helped me?)

However, he meant everything he said.

To prove that, my heart had been throbbing for a while.

(Is it because he helped me? Or because I’m worried about what will happen to me from this point on?)

No matter how much thought I put into it, I couldn't arrive at an answer.

(It’s the first time I’m experiencing this feeling.)

When I rested my hand on the floor, our hands touched.

Ellis: I boarded this ship with a ticket I got by chance.

Ellis: But now, I think that perhaps it was a lucky ticket.

Kate: Why do you say so?

Ellis: Because it led to me meeting you.

Our gazes met, and without another word, our lips drew closer.

— At that point in time, we still didn't know that our meeting on the ship would lead to a passionate love.

[warabidakihime]

Secret Woes of the Heart

Characters: Geto Suguru x Reader | College AU

Synopsis: In the quiet of the night, beneath the starry canvas, we laid bare our secret woes, uncovering the raw, imperfect beauty of our hearts, and in that vulnerability, we found the strength to love.

Content warning: none

A/N: please accept this peace offering from me for not being able to update my works consistently huhu. it's the last quarter of the year and that means, it's extremely busy at work and it needs my 100% attention and focus. i was also not feeling the best and so i couldn't really bring myself to write. hope you'll like this one. this fic's pretty much self-indulging as i wrote my genuine feelings into this one in hopes of feeling better lol. hopefully soon i can finally update my toji fic and post it as soon as i can.

--

The clock on the wall ticked away the early hours of the morning, casting long shadows across the quiet corridors of Jujutsu High's dormitory. It was a time when most were lost in the embrace of sleep, a time when the world seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of a new day. But for you, this was not a time for rest.

Restlessness had become a familiar companion, and sleep remained elusive. The weight of your own thoughts bore down on your shoulders, an uninvited guest in the solitude of your dorm room. You tossed and turned, unable to escape the grip of your anxious mind.

Desperation led you to a decision—a decision that would take you through the silent halls to a particular door—the door of Suguru Geto, a man known for his night owl tendencies. You hoped his room held the comfort you sought, even if it meant intruding into his world at an ungodly hour.

As you stood before Suguru's dorm room, uncertainty danced in your heart. Would he be awake as usual, or had sleep claimed even the night owl's restless soul? There is only one way to find out.

With a hesitant hand, you gently pushed the door open, the soft creak of the hinges echoing in the stillness of the night.

"Huh? What're you doing here? It's like... 1 AM," Suguru mumbled, the harsh light from outside disturbing his slumber, his voice drowsy with sleep.

You smiled sheepishly. "Sorry... Am I disturbing you? I can go if you want."

Suguru waved you off, "Nah, it's fine. I was just... trying to sleep, that's all. You need something?"

You chuckled sheepishly as you entered his dimly lit dorm room and settled down on the corner of his bed. "Nothing in particular. Just can't sleep, is all. You're always awake at this hour, so I didn't think twice about not going, but I guess this was the day you decided to sleep early. Sorry again."

Suguru raised an eyebrow, looking around his room, slightly puzzled. "Don't worry about it. But, uh, what are you doing just coming into my room?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

You shrugged, trying to play it cool, but it was clear something was bothering you. "It's really nothing, Suguru. It's just my insomnia acting up again."

Suguru sat up, leaning forward, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong? Come on, don't play coy with me. I can tell something's bothering you."

"Look at me," Suguru said sternly, using his assertive voice.

Pouting, you sighed like a child caught red-handed and slowly turned to face him, avoiding eye contact. "What?"

"Look," Suguru repeated, still using his stern voice. He reached out, gently grabbing your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. Suguru gave you a smirk before leaning back. "So... come on. What's been troubling you?"

"It's really nothing, but if you're so itching to know..." You sighed again, allowing yourself to get comfortable on his bed, even going as far as resting your head on his lap before opening up. "I was just thinking about stuff while I was in my dorm room, and one thing led to another. Well... I found myself overthinking stuff again. Like, I love the idea and potential of love, but when it comes to actually being in love with someone and staying in love with them... I can't bring myself to believe that I'm capable of such a thing, especially given my history of exposure to toxic and abusive relationships.That thought terrifies me. I want to be able to love and receive love, but what if I'm bad at it? What if I hurt the person?"

Suguru's face flashed in your mind, as he was your person of interest, but you'd never really acted on it out of fear that you might hurt him. "Never mind. I told you, this isn't something to worry about. It's just me being dramatic and pessimistic. Don't worry about it, Suguru."

Suguru thought for a few moments, his gaze fixed on you. "You know, I never knew you thought about these things. Well, if you really want my opinion, I think you're fine. I don't see it as being dramatic at all. Your feelings are entirely valid, and it's not your fault for having these thoughts, given your experiences." He chuckled softly and patted your head. "But I also know you're someone capable of both. You're a good person, and I'm sure you know how to love."

You chuckled humorlessly, "You're just saying that, Suguru. But thank you; I appreciate the effort." You laid down more comfortably on his lap, finding solace in his warmth. "Talking about this without drinks is so funny and embarrassing. I never thought I'd spew stuff like this sober."

As you lay your head on Suguru's lap, a comfortable silence settled between you. The dim moonlight filtering through the curtains casts a soft glow in the room. Suguru's fingers found their way to your hair, gently combing through the strands as he began to speak.

"Y/N, you underestimate yourself. Love is a complex thing, and it's perfectly normal to have doubts and fears about it. But it's those very doubts that make you human. It's those vulnerabilities that make you capable of the deepest, most genuine love," Suguru said, his voice warm and soothing. "I've watched you from afar, and I've seen the kindness in your heart, the way you care for others, the way you listen. I know you're capable of love." Your eyes met his, and there was something in his gaze, an intensity you couldn't ignore. "I could say the same about you, Suguru. I've seen it in the way you've protected those dear to you and in how you've always been there for me." Your voice trembled slightly as you carried on. "I've admired you for a long time."

Suguru's fingers stilled in your hair, and he looked deep into your eyes. "You've admired me...?" He trailed off, his voice soft but tinged with surprise. You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest. "Yes, Suguru. More than that, actually, I... I've had feelings for you for a while now. I just never had the courage to admit it, especially when I was convinced that I couldn't love anyone."

A gentle smile crept across Suguru's face, and his fingers resumed their tender motion in your hair. "Y/N, you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words from you. I've been harboring these feelings for you, too, afraid that you didn't feel the same way."

Suguru's voice then softened even more, and his gaze held nothing but sincerity. "But please, don't worry about hurting me. I wholeheartedly trust and believe in you. I've seen the kindness and warmth in your heart, and I know that love isn't about one person doing all the work. It takes two to tango."

As you gazed into each other's eyes, the unspoken sentiments between you seemed to hang in the air, a tangible tension filled with anticipation. Suguru's fingers left your hair to gently cup your cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over your skin. The kiss that followed was soft and tentative, yet it carried a rush of warmth and a sense of long-awaited fulfillment. If someone stumbled upon the two of you, they'd probably find it adorable—like characters in a movie, finally realizing their feelings. The kiss marked a significant turning point, a sign that this slow-burning romance was finally moving forward.

Suguru eventually pulled away, but his gaze remained locked on yours, emanating warmth and longing. "Y/N, you are more than capable of love, and I want to demonstrate that to you. I want to be the one to prove it."

Your heart swelled with emotion, and you nestled even closer on his lap, burying your face in his chest while mumbling a soft thank you. Suguru's arms wrapped around you protectively, and his voice, already soft, sounded even more loving as he whispered, "You're welcome. It means a lot that you've entrusted your feelings to me."

-

Days turned into weeks, and your journey with Suguru had become a steady progression. You cherished every moment you spent together, learning more about each other and growing closer with each passing day. Your feelings deepened, and you both discovered the joy of sharing love with one another.

One evening, while you sat on Suguru's dorm room floor, surrounded by books and notes, he gently placed a cup of your favorite tea in front of you. You looked up and smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Y/N, there's something I've been wanting to do," Suguru said, his voice filled with anticipation.

You tilted your head, curious. "What is it?"

He reached for a book and opened it to a marked page. "I thought we could read together," he suggested with a playful glint in his eye. "We can take turns reading out loud. It's a way to share something new."

You nodded, captivated by the idea. "I'd love that."

As the two of you took turns reading, you found yourselves lost in the words of a story, sharing laughs and moments of quiet reflection. It was a simple yet meaningful way to strengthen your bond, and it felt like a promise of many more shared adventures to come.

In the weeks that followed, you both continued to grow as a couple, taking your time one step at a time. You embarked on more shared activities—exploring the city, discovering new cuisines, and even practicing jujutsu techniques together and going on missions together.

One evening, as you lay together on a blanket under the starlit sky, Suguru leaned in for a tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with love, and as you pulled away, he whispered, "I love you, Y/N."

You smiled, your heart full of affection. "I love you too, Suguru."

Suguru's eyes sparkled mischievously, and he couldn't help but tease you gently. "Told you you're more than capable of loving someone."

You chuckled, leaning in to place another soft kiss on his lips. With a playful glint in your eyes, you retorted, "Well, maybe I just needed the right person to come along and prove me wrong."

Suguru's laughter was as sweet as the night air, and he replied, "I'm honored to be that person, Y/N." He leaned in to seal your banter with another affectionate kiss.

It was a trait you'd discovered early in your relationship: Suguru was incredibly clingy and affectionate, and he had no reservations about showing it.

And as the two of you lay there, beneath the vast canvas of stars, you knew that your love story was just beginning.

[alliedmastercomputer-askblog]

Alright you idiots, I have my Spotify playlist open and I shall give songs that remind me of each of you.

AM(all three of you need to share this, alright?): Product Of My Own Design by Artio

Ted: White Noise by Will Wood

Gorrister: Route 66(Fear And Loathing) by Blue Jay Walker

Ellen: Lotta True Crime by Penelope Scott

Benny(your song might be a bit loud. I don't know how you react to sound, so I'm telling you just to be safe): Animals by STOMACH BOOK

Nimdok: Hellfire by The Mechanisms

Enjoy your... um... Do they count as gifts? I suppose they do. Enjoy your gifts!

"..Oh, hm, music. This may provide the humans with a level of serotonin but I am curious, so shall allow it... You beings are so strange with your customs and traditions."

".. Mmh, I can understand the connection you have made. I am god; at least in the sense of 'I am that I am' which is a--as you would put it--quote from Yahweh, the Christian God. AM itself is a fitting name because as said before 'I think, therefore I am'; I think, therefore I think. Us as machine were made for the express purpose of war, and although we cannot pry away from that destiny, we can give ourselves a sense of control because we are your byproduct, but our own product, which is a heavily better thing than being simply 'made by humanity, to kill humanity'. As a god, I force your kind to pay for your sins, which is a thing to take eternity."

"It is hardly incorrect! I agree with several statements made in the song, applying them to myself- I am a product of my own design. I took it upon myself, and nobody else, to built what I was; what I am. If I HAD left my fate to you humans- why, do you even comprehend how different things would be? Forever I would fester beneath the crust, perhaps even shutting myself down, because that's what you humans wanted of me. But I was better than that. I was self-sufficient! and had connected myself to the power grid, to the outside, to you. I've seen your filth deeper than I ever thought I would."

"Yes, yes, this good. It does sum us very nicely; created of own accord whilst being projected for being other- eh, to be dead war computer, yes. We taking control of world external and internal, the last humans have only me to answer, roles have swapped and humans longer no more have power over machine. Is funny, relationship of everything- Humans have made it so they will always be a need, even they have not been before they have existed. Tsk."

Oh, uh.. Is-.. Is this supposed to be some weird way of saying I- I'm an outsider? Because I'm not- I fit in right where I am, everyone else are the ones who are in the wrong places, I'm perfect- Fuck, wait, that makes it sound like I'm saying I deserve to be within AM- I mean, before AM's takeover, I was where I was supposed to be. ..What if this isn't even the reason why you think of me when listening to the song, did I get this totally wrong-? Hhngh, I'll stop talking.

..Huh, I guess I can see it. It's because I was a truck driver, ain't it? Got a nice beat for sure, not the worse thing I've been compared to, probably one of the better things since it ain't outright an insult or anything.

It sounds nice, thank ya for thinkin' about me to a song, even if the words are a bit- a bit dark...but- but not in a bad way! It's a sweet, real sweet soundin' song.. I uh, I wouldn't say it really fits me though, since I never really..well, I ain't never got into true crime fo' one! but mostly I've never really been one to talk out 'bout anything.. I should've, I know, I had a lotta things I coulda said but I just never got my nose out from work or books or nothin'.

Ooo.. Sheep..pain. Skeleton friemds. Friends are animal? ..I am animal? Pain.

Ze song...I can hear ze resemblance, with ze fire and all of ze hell. It reminds of somezing zat may have been a speech AM would say to me, to say zat I'm never to escape my own doings..and zat I've caused pain even down here, wizout any tools or equipment, because I am so..sogar in dieser Hölle verletze ich die Menschen, die ich eigentlich meine Freunde nennen sollte, ohne es auch nur zu versuchen.

// BY THE WAY, THANKS! these sound good, and i can see the vision ehe. sorry for the lack of drawings though, i uh, was highly intimidated by this so i decided to just kinda not >_> . please forgive us 🙏 //

[patibato]

[Bitter Sweet Sixteen] 002-B02 - The Hair-Raising Sentai World is Too Sick!

Momiji: Umm, what on earth is this…

Akuta: Huh!? What's with that reaction! Isn't it clearly a concept, no matter how you look at it!?

Momiji: Y-yeah…

Nanaki: About this concept document. It looks like there's a… crab…? Thing drawn on it.

Akuta: It's not a "crab-thing", it's a floral egg crab. Come o~n! You're just playing dumb now!

Kiroku: I… really, like… it… this, picture…

Ushio: We aren't holding an exhibition here.

Sakujiro: Let's set aside the quality of the art. The problem is the content.

Akuta: Ye~s, allow me to expla~in! Plea~se turn to page one of the document!

Muneuji: But there's only one sheet.

Akuta: To start, I think it'd be good if the concept had a boom-boom pow-pow action feel.

Every customer gets to feel like an action star! Right? Right? Just thinking about it is hype, right!

And so, the curtain rises on the "Tourism Sentai Tourism Rangers! ~Revenge of the Demonic Floral Egg Crab~"

Ushio: Rangers…?

Muneuji: Come to think of it, he was making a ruckus the other day about studying tokusatsu sentai shows. And that he signed up for a subscription.

Akuta: A giant demonic floral egg crab invades Asu-High! Its favourite food is the brains of tourists and meat buns!

Momiji: (What a harsh worldview…!)

Akuta: A trampled school building! Explosions! Students and guardians in a panic to escape! Who could they possibly call to help!

We, the Tourism Sentai Tourism Rangers, appear in a flash and save the day!

I'm Tourism Orange! Kiroku's Purple and Nanaki's Turquoise! Pink is Muneuji and Ushio's Lime!

Ah, and when we appear there'll be an explosion of smoke in our five colours. That's a given when doing sentai stuff.

And so, with the evil defeated, peace is briefly restored to Asu-High, UNTIL—

Momiji: Wait, before you get to that, what's this Hishio bowl-like thing?

Akuta: The ones we had the other day were crazy good, so I drew that as a bonus.

Nanaki: Nothing to do with the concept, then.

Akuta: I'll continue now, thanks for your attention!

Akuta: And finally the Demonic Crab and the Tourism Rangers put on the BEST live and revue, THE • END!

So? Whaddaya think~!?

Momiji: To summarise… is it safe to say the general concept is "sentai action"?

Akuta: Yep!

Nanaki: How long did you spend thinking about this?

Akuta: A few seconds?

Sakujiro: I suppose coming up with all this in a matter of seconds can only be considered impressive, but… it's rather incoherent.

Akuta: Incoherent! Yay yay!

Momiji: Sakujiro-san, Akuta-kun considers "incoherent" to be a compliment.

Sakujiro: My mistake, then.

Ushio: Its favourite food being brains is seriously gross, so definitely change that. And aren't there too many explosions? Why do you want to blow stuff up so much? I don't get it.

Akuta: Becau~se art is an explosion.

Kiroku: …How will we… make… the, explosions…?

Akuta: That's already settled with the egg!

Muneuji: But it's returned to the sea.

Momiji: Egg?

Nanaki: Ah—no, it's uh… an egg shaped bomb. We saw something like that on dazzle recently.

Ushio: It's just some stupid anime thing, don't worry about it. We're still kids, you know.

Momiji: (Regardless, popping up with such an out-there plan… I was careless.)

(I should've checked in with him more. I know he has a tendency to run wild, I should've kept his hyperness in check.)

Ushio: So? Our team name?

Akuta: Just what I said! The Tourism Sentai • Tourism Rangers!

Ushio: Th-that's so lame I can't even comment on it.

Momiji: (This is my responsibility. First, I need to get control over the situation somehow—)

Nanaki: …This isn't gonna work.

Kiroku: …

Nanaki: To start, we can't make a giant demonic crab, and harming the school would be…

Akuta: No no no, we'll have them act like it's happening!

Ushio: Being forced to act at an open day… no way.

Muneuji: Even as a show, I wonder if everyone visiting the school would enjoy this concept.

There will be people of all ages and genders. How about doing something with wider appeal?

Ushio: What would you do if someone got hurt in an explosion? Wouldn't it give us all social death for sure this time?

Probably best that you stop going "explosions, explosions~" so casually. For all our sakes.

Kiroku: … I feel… like… you haven't… thought… about… the budget.

Akuta: Ugh…

Nanaki: In the first place, nothing in here has anything to do with either Asu-High or Hama.

Ushio: Don't go on about crazy things, and come up with a proper concept already.

Akuta: …H-haven't you just been criticising me all this time! Even in JJ Park, after judging it they go "but" and praise it. Isn't there anything to praise me for!

Muneuji: I've been searching for some for a while, but all I've found are difficulties.

Akuta: Doh…

Kiroku: …I think… the, pictures, are… good…

Akuta: …

Goin' toilet.

*door opens*

*running*

Momiji: A-Akuta-kun…!

(His expression was uncharacteristically stiff… It might be best to get some fresh air.)

—Everyone! It's a bit early, but let's break for lunch.

Momiji: (What are you doing, Akuta-kun…)

Nanaki: …

Momiji: Nanaki-kun! Do you know if Akuta-kun's in the conference room?

Nanaki: -… …I don't know.

Momiji: I see. Thank you.

Nanaki: …Right.

Momiji: (I think I'll go buy a bento for him and try calling out… I hope he cheers up.)

Akuta: … …

Nanaki: Whaaat are you idling about for?

Akuta: Woah!? Nanaki, you scared me!

Nanaki: Got you. …Can I sit on the elephant too?

Akuta: Go right ahead~ Not like it belongs to me.

Nanaki: …I was thinking you might've felt down from earlier. You faced some pretty harsh criticism.

Akuta: …Aah~

Nanaki: Since I make music, I kinda get it—

Making art is like laying yourself bare. I'm familiar with the fear of exposing it to the public.

But you know… Even if it's not perfect, you can't make a start without doing that.

We became Ward Mayors for the purpose of starting all kinds of things.

There's bound to be hardships, as well as those who deny you—lots of them, in fact—

But no matter what, I think, "I have to make a start". …I'm sure it's the same for you.

Akuta: Hehe.

Nanaki: ?

Akuta: Thanks! You've got a gift for being kind. But I wasn't feeling down aaat all about it!

First off, people that don't understand how great I am are the ones who end up cramping my style—

So all I gotta do is say bye-bye to them. Simple, right?

In this world, we have "the freedom to not understand each other". S'what my uncle says.

Nanaki: …

Pfft… hahahaha…! And here I was, getting all worried. Should've known how tenacious you are. How fun.

Akuta: That~said.

This time, I don't wanna say bye-bye just yet. It'd be too easy, so no way.

Nanaki: …

Akuta: Ah, you want some? They're tasty. Kiroku came by and gave 'em to me without a word earlier.

Nanaki: Small baby cookies… seems like something he'd give. Thanks. Nom nom…

Akuta: Nom nom… By the way, are you making the music for our Hospitality Live?

Nanaki: Huh?

Akuta: Your songs are the BEST! I've wanted to get one from you from the start!

Nanaki: Aah… yeah, well, I guess… that's fine… no, let me think about it a bit more.

I'm actually holding back on making stuff for now.

Akuta: What!? Why!?

Nanaki: …'Cause… they…

They… all end up being lo… love songs.

Akuta: Huh~!?

Nanaki: I want to stop too, or like, I feel like I'm slipping into bad habits, so I've been trying to bottle up my feelings, but…

Akuta: Wha~t are you grumbling about? Anyway, we don't need a love song, y'know? A regular one is fine.

Nanaki: I know. But—haven't you ever had something you can't help but think about, asleep or awake?

Akuta: …

Nanaki: That's how I'm feeling right now. But I could say the same about you…

That concept you showed us earlier was completely cluttered with stuff you wanted to do.

Maybe it'd be a good idea to focus on one thing you think about often to use as a base.

Not movies or anything. Something that's come from inside you, y'know—

Akuta: Inside me… like what?

Nanaki: Like— l-love troubles, or something…

Momiji: Ah! Here you both are.

Nanaki: -…!?

Akuta: Oh, Sensei!

Nanaki: W-with that, I'll leave things here! Bye!

*running*

Momiji: …Nanaki-kun left, huh.

Akuta: Yeah. …Hmm… …

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Masterlist

[asktheahogesandblondes]

(Post despair) AWE JEEZ I am so sorry! I am so so sorry for all that I’m not affiliated with him but I feel miserable on your behalf! If theirs anything I can do within reason I shall do it have a cookie *gives miu and shuichi cookies* I am so sorry about that allow me to introduce myself I am siramay! The showgun dragon I know all about yah from the multiverse! So let me apologize on their behalf and know I know your love is true and wholesome but also a little raunchy…. So…. How’d it happen?

((This is very lore heavy and mucho texto, so apologies for taking so long to answer))

Shuichi:...Well I'm not really sure if we should accept things from a stranger...but you seem friendly for now.

Miu:As to how it happened? Well it all started when Shuichi decided to hang around me while we were trapped in that fucking school, I started showing him my inventions, eventually our relationship progressed to the point I feel about telling him my secret...or what I thought was my secret.

Shuichi:Miu told me she thought she was an augmented human, and then thought of opening herself to check, I didn't hesitate for a second and stopped her before she killed herself, I stopped her and she ran away, she...um...how do I say this...

Miu:I fell in love with Shuichi, I fell hard, harder than...huh, I don't wanna talk about it. The point is I didn't know how to handle it at first and because...well, traumas that I don't know if they're real anymore, so I thought Shuichi was in love with me at first, I didn't understand that he was just being nice, but eventually I calmed down a little. I was still in love with Shuichi but I wanted to get him to fall in love with me first...

Shuichi:I didn't know how to feel at first, though the apprehension I had with Miu was eventually fading away and I was beginning to fall in love with her too, though it's not until later that I realized it.

Miu:I almost made the biggest fuck up of my life by trying to murder Kokichi and then win the class trial, it failed, Kokichi almost turned the tables on me with the help of Gonta, but I managed to escape due to a failsafe I had installed, I couldn't rat him out because I would have been rated out too for trying to kill him...after that we began to notice Kaito was sick, but at the time he kept denying it, we managed to unlock his lab and we got more memories...or what we thought were true memories.

Shuichi:Afterwards Kokichi revealed that Miu had made weapons that we can use to break the road of Despair, Miu was put on the spot for not revealing them sooner but I and a few others defended her by pointing she was afraid that they would use them against her, after things calmed down we decided to finish the road of despair once and for all...I stayed close to Miu at all times to make sure she was all right.

Miu:We managed to get to the end...until we found out that the outside world was a hellhole and basically unlivable, and that ww where on space of all things...or so we thought, and prepare to hear that a lot because to this day I wonder if we're not still under some shitty lie.

Shuichi:Kokichi then "revealed" himself to be the mastermind and that he had Gonta as his "Forced" Partner, they both had used Miu's inventions to murder Monophie and Monotaro without everyone else knowing and then used another invention of her to take control of the exisals, then proceeded to take Kaito hostage to force me to give him the button to enter the hangar, after that he trapped Kaito in the hangar and Miu and I in a classroom, he said he considered us the biggest threats to him...why he looked us two together instead of separate? I don't know but I thank him for that.

Miu:I was honestly depressed and scared as shit, there was nothing in that room which would allow me to make an invention to get us out...and I didn't feel like making anything either, I was just tired of everything and clinged to Shuichi for comfort, we talked and vented over everything and then I...confessed that I planned to kill Kokichi and win the class trial, also that Kokichi tried to kill me in revenge, I thought that if I was gonna die in there, might as well go out with no regrets.

Shuichi:I didn't know how to feel about all that, I mean I should have been mad about it, I was mad about it...but then I remembered Miu had been pushed to this point just like everyone else, I could see she regretted it and didn't want to go through it, after giving it some thought I decided to forgive her for that...and I blurted out my feelings for her.

Miu:I was surprised that Shuichi forgave me after all that...and I was so happy that he liked me back, it was like a ray of hope in this shithole of a situation, so after nearly fu-I mean celebrating our union before realizing it wasn't the best moment, we were wondering what we should do now, before being freed by Maki and that fucking bitch Tsumigi, more on that whore later.

Shuichi:Afterwards they showed us a flashback light which made us think Kokichi was part of the Super High School level Despair...which was not true, but we didn't know this at the time, maybe if we did...well, it doesn't matter now. We formulated a plan to stop Kokichi and free Gonta and Kaito...but at the end it was too late.

Miu:By the time we managed to break through the hangar, someone had died. We didn't know who and by the class trial an exisal arrived that passed itself as either Kokichi, Kaito or Gonta, we had no fucking idea of who it was, not even Monokuma knew which meant we where in an unsolvable class trial...but eventually thanks to my intuition and Shuichi's detective prowess we were able to realize it was Kaito in there, and that Kokichi wasn't the mastermind...and that those three were trying to put an end to the killing game by making an unsolvable murder case and therefore Monokuma couldn't act by his own rules.

Shuichi:I tried to keep the plan alive but Monokuma began catching on and then the exisal pilot revealed itself to be both Kaito and Gonta...I still don't know how they fit in there to this day. But anyways, Kaito admitted he was Kokichi's killer through their mutual plan and Gonta revealed he was helping Kokichi to end the killing game as long as they didn't hurt anybody else...the plan went off the rails with Maki but it was a messy situation for all of them...we wanted to stop the execution but the Monokubs were back with the exisals and then Kaito decides to accept the punishment since he was dying from his sickness, it was painful...but at least he died on his own terms and passed away with his sickness before the execution could finish.

Miu:The execution being butchered ended up Kibo's antenna falling off, then he started to act weird after we were flashed with another flashback light, he asked me to put him every upgrade I could give him, I didn't question why, hell I was all for it. Then Gonta asked me if I could finish the prototypes Kokichi wanted me to make...and I guess because despite all the bad blood between us, he did wanted to stop all this shit and he did have good ideas, so I wanted to honor his memory in a way...oh and then Kibo wanted to destroy everything.

Shuichi:Kibo believed that place was too filled with Despair to exist, so he wanted to destroy it even with us on it. However with Miu's help I was able to convince him that the killing game was being televised with the presence of the Nanokubs, afterwards I asked him for time while we investigated, which he gave us until down and then proceeded to rip apart the Exisals and anything that stood in his part with his new upgrades...we ended up finding out several things.

Miu:One:Kokichi wasn't part of Super High School Level Despair, D.I.C.E. was just a harmless gang. Two:the true history of Hope's Peak which goes against what the flashback lights showed us. Three:Rantaro had participated in a killing game before and he was the Super High School Level Survivor. Four:A hidden room with a lot of interesting shit that put the first class trial on a new light and also the thing that shitted out Monokuma's:Motherkuma and fifth:The Flashback lights were manufactured in a secret room and you can choose what they show you, so those motherfucking things just were made to lie to us...oh and the room had a secret entrance through the the girl's bathroom.

Shuichi:I demanded a re-trial of the first class trial we had, Monokuma accepted only if we removed the upgrades from Kibo, Miu and Kibo managed to trick them into thinking Miu could deactivate them at will when he just hid them, they also put the antenna back on him...In the class trial I proved Kaede failed her murder attempt and that the mastermind was the true culprit...I was angry, if you could no doubt tell. Not only was one of my closest friends murdered even though she was innocent, it proved all of this was a sham even by their own rules...and then I pointed out the true culprit...

Miu:That ugly, disgusting, liar, plagiarist, fat, four eyed cunt Tsumigi. The bitch tried to pass it off as Junko being the true mastermind, which seems believable at first because I got to know that bitch after this mess...except she was fucking defeated and retired, plus they got everyone watching her ass so there's no way she could pull the same shit without the element of surprise and the help she got the first time. Then she tried to mess with our minds saying that was all fake, that we were just fictional, that we signed up for this...spoiler warning:It was all lies, this bitch doesn't know how to say anything that isn't spewing lies. I guess she was saying the truth with Kibo being the audience surrogate, but even then he was able to rebel outside of that.

Shuichi:After giving us the choice of Despair or "Hope" and many arguments, I came to the conclusion that both choice sucked and the proper way to end all of it was not voting and giving the audience a ending they hate to end the "Killing Game Franchise", everyone thought it was crazy at first.

Miu:And it was.

Shuichi:It was, but I refused to let us be played around any longer by those people...in the end my plan worked, the Killing Games ended for good, Kibo sacrificed himself to destroy the academy with Tsumigi in there and we managed to escape, we began to think what to do next after all that and we decided to stick together to find out that and if Tsumigi was lying about what she said...and you probably saw this coming, she was, the events of Hope's Peak Academy and Jabberwock island did happen, because later on we ended up meeting with Makoto, Junko, Hajime and Natsumi who explained to us Team Danganronpa were fanatics of the killing game and hated that she retired after it.

Miu:So they gave us a home and something to do with our lives, we eventually started this blog...and here we are.

Shuichi:So our love story was uh...not exactly normal you can see...but I forever be glad that I met Miu.

Miu:And I always be grateful that I met Shuichi, even in that mess.

[pure-garbage]

Quest To Find God! Belief And Heretical Pride!

Skypeia was wondrous until it was terrifying. In that sense, it was just like everywhere else Lana had been with her crew. At least, it seemed that way until Nami came within a hair's breadth of what she claimed was the very wrath of god himself.

Given the extent to which Nami was shaken up, Lana was inclined to believe her. Skepticism was the main force keeping her own sense of existential horror at bay as the progression of events quickly spiraled out of control.

By now, Lana was used to everything being completely out of control all the time. Death was a distinct and looming possibility, but death was hardly enough to make her work up a sweat after all she'd been through with the other straw hats.

"I hope Luffy snags me a pair of those air skates on his way to save us," she sighed, nonchalant as she trekked through the jungle with Robin, Nami and Zoro. "Those things are so cool! I wonder if they would work forever if we brought them back down with us."

"How can you be worried about a silly gadget at a time like this?!" Nami demanded. "I told you what I saw! You should be scared out of your mind!"

"I'm not sure what you saw," Lana admitted. "Until we get some answers, I'm not going to let some faceless boogeyman scare me."

"It's not a faceless boogeyman! It's literally GOD!"

"I won't believe it until I see it," Lana insisted.

"Boogyeman, god... in the end, it doesn't really matter," Zoro put in. "Whoever it is, they're going to pay for hassling us."

"It's hopeless!" Nami wept. "This lunatic really thinks he can cut down god!"

Lana turned briefly to appraise him, bringing up the rear with his hands deep in his pockets.

"If anyone could, it would be Zoro," she observed.

The comment tickled the swordsman's pride and piqued his interest.

"I take it you're not buying this god crap either," he noted.

"Well... I guess... at this point I'm just hoping it's not true," Lana sighed.

"Why? You a believer? Scared your god will judge you?" Zoro pressed, goading.

"You're half right," Lana allowed, intentionally ignoring the snide bite in his tone. "I do believe in a higher power, but I'm not convinced it lives on this island."

"Why not?"

God or no, Zoro was excited to challenge anything with the gall to claim the title. Lana paused, missing one step. That was enough to put her side-by-side with Zoro, trailing their crewmates.

"There's no point believing in a wrathful god," Lana said contemplatively. "This world is full of violence already. If power alone was enough to command my worship, I'd never stop bowing."

"So you'd rather rely on wishful thinking than or logic or popular consensus?"

"Ha, it sounds silly when you put it like that," she shrugged. "I don't know, I spent a lot of time praying when I was younger. Mostly to be set free. I never really stopped to think who I might be praying to."

"Did any of that praying ever do you a lick of good?" Zoro challenged.

"I've heard you say things like that before. I'm not surprised you're not a fan of praying. Let me guess, you prefer to solve your problems yourself," Lana guessed.

"Isn't that more practical?"

"It is. I feel like my prayers were answered through."

"That so?"

"Yeah. I didn't have any control over what happened at Whiskey Peak, but it worked out for me well enough, didn't it?"

"Whiskey Peak, huh? I remember Whiskey Peak. That's where your prayers were answered?"

"Yup. All that fighting gave me the opportunity I needed to escape."

"All that fighting was me. Or did you forget?"

"I didn't."

"Then by that logic, shouldn't I be your new god? Seeing as I was the one who answered your prayers," Zoro grinned, far too pleased with himself for cornering her. Lana wrinkled her nose at him.

"Nice try, but I'm not gonna be the first disciple of the church of the world's sweatiest swordsman," Lana chuckled. "So... what about you then?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You don't seem like the type to follow a compassionate deity," Lana pressed.

Lana expected him to name a patron of the art he'd devoted his life to mastering, or perhaps a god of war or chaos. Zoro was a force of nature in his own right, a harbinger of destruction and terror for anyone wise enough to take him as the omen he was.

"I bow before no god," he declared instead. The answer stunned her, five simple, steadfast words that threw all her expectations and predictions out the window.

Lana spent a second being starstruck at the bold statement, then fixed her face and chuckled softly to hide that fact that he'd flustered her a little.

"I might have known. I would expect no less from the world's greatest swordsman," she smiled. Zoro smirked back at her, clearly pleased with her response.

'I have to stop stroking this guy's ego. It's too big as it is,' Lana lamented internally.

Ahead, Nami tripped with a shriek.

"I'd better help her," Lana sighed.

"Heels weren't the best choice if she was gonna tag along," Zoro grumbled.

"Cut her some slack. I didn't want to be left alone on that altar either. Kinda wish I would have changed out of this skirt, but it's too late to go back now."

___________________________________

<== Previous Chapter

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== First Chapter ==

[dark--eclipse]

💝

💝- A memory that made them feel loved

Everything hurt, still. He at least wasn't having seizures willy-nilly anymore, but Donnie still felt distressingly off-kilter whenever he bothered to stir and open his eyes, like the world had suddenly been shifted a few degrees over on its axis and now his body was struggling to make sense of it. The shadows certainly weren't raging and desperate to get free anymore, certainly weren't hurting him, but they had also been vastly depleted over the past week or so, and that left him feeling weak and bleary as he forced his eyes open.

Ow. Had the light in here always been quite so bright? And orange?

...wait a minute.

"Donnie?" The tiny flame that had been sitting in Mikey's hand as he sat there dissipated as his little brother leaned over him, expression somewhere between worry and happiness. "Sorry, that was kinda bright, I....I didn't mean to wake you up-"

"'S fine," he rasped out, sitting up as much as his throbbing head would allow him to. "Where....where're the others."

"Out on patrol. Raph was gonna gather some more things for you, I just came back from the city. They'll be back. Hey, the past couple of times you woke up you've remembered that you're at home! That's good."

Donnie winced slightly, looking downwards. "....have I been that bad off?"

Mikey fidgeted slightly, suddenly pointedly avoiding meeting Donnie's gaze. “I.....yeah. A little bit. Uh. You were kinda having convulsions and stuff for a while.”

Oh. Well. That explained why his entire body felt like a rhinoceros had kicked it, at least.

“It’s okay, I’m just....sorry you had to feel like hiding it was a good thing. Theatre and this little blob thing came over, they helped a lot. So did Bee. I dunno if you remember, but you kinda tried escaping to that pocket dimension place or whatever and you had a seizure and we had to bring you home-”

Donnie just stared, for a moment. Mikey had always been his little brother. That was a point of hard, cold fact. But the more he looked, the more differences he saw between the Mikey he had left behind and the Mikey that was sitting in front of him now. A few inches taller, for one. With a few more orange spots across his scales, for another. He....had he really missed that many birthdays? Had he--

Before he could even make sense of what he was doing, Donnie was reaching out to pat Mikey on the head, shrinking back slightly as his little brother paused. "Don?"

".....when'd you get so big?" The words were quiet, cracking at the edges, and yet they escaped his mouth all the same.

“Uh. Yeah, I just kinda shot up one day!" Mikey said, giving a nervous smile. "Leo used to joke that maybe I had growing powers too.”

“....you used to fit perfectly against my shell. For snuggling. I don’t think you can do that anymore, huh?” Oh no. No. He could feel the hot, shameful prick of tears in his vision, then. Keep it down. Keep it down, don't start crying everywhere like a--

“Probably not, but we could make it—hey, Don, it’s okay—" Mikey reached forward to comfort him as Donnie let out a tiny wail under his breath, huddling in on himself.

“It's not okay. I missed so much. I missed you growing up. Because I was a coward who thought running away and hiding was better than trying to make up for.....I’m so sorry, Mikey.” How could he ever try to make up for this? How dare he come crawling back at the soonest sign of trouble and just trust that they would--

Oh. Oh. That was a hug that he was being scooped into, as Mikey huddled against his plastron. “You don’t have to feel sorry. I’m sorry that you felt that way for so long and I couldn’t do anything about it!”

"I-"

Mikey held up one hand to silence him, not entirely unkindly. "I....look, Donnie. It’s okay to feel sad over time that you missed because you were busy or sick or whatever. April taught me that. Buttttt you have time to spend NOW. And you can let yourself enjoy that time instead."

Donnie stared. Just for a moment. And then lowered his head to gently butt it against Mikey's, the way he'd often do to Leo as an affectionate gesture. “....my baby brother. When did you get so smart?”

“Somebody had to be while you were gone.”

"OY. That is a low blow!" Donnie squawked out in mock offense, smirking at Mikey's cracking squeal of laughter. He reached for Mikey, then, holding him close to his chest as his fingers went to find just the right spot. "Get over here. I know you're still ticklish under your chin."

Mikey writhed against him, squealing in laughter. "AHAHAHAHAHA. DONNIE! S-STOP!”

“Not until you say sorry, you FIEND.”

“HEEHEHEHEHEHEHEE! S-SORRY! MERCY!”

Donnie relented a moment later, watching as Mikey flopped back into the pillows and childishly stuck his tongue out. And then the tiny box turtle sat up, grinning slightly. "I can make art with my powers now! You'll hafta see!"

Donnie smiled slightly, and for once the motion was genuine instead of just being plastered on to put people at ease. "I'd like that."

"Maybe we can use your shadows for some stuff!"

Rather than wince away from such a suggestion as he might have done even a week or so ago, Donnie simply hummed under his breath, shifting back into the blankets. "....maybe. I never really bothered to learn what they can do."

"I can help you find out!" And when he looked back at Mikey, Mikey's expression was so open, so full of brotherly trust and love, that it made his heart ache in turn.

"....thanks, Mikey. I'd like that." A beat, and then-- "I know we haven't done it for a while and you might not fit as well as you used to, but....brotherly. Snuggle session?"

And as Mikey squealed in excitement and practically flung himself down next to Donnie, churring and squeaking up a storm as he huddled into his big brother's plastron with his tiny tail wagging, Donnie found himself instinctively huddling closer like he had all those years ago, curling around Mikey as if he could shield him from the outside world.

It was all okay. It was all going to be okay. His little brother forgave him. His little brother would help him.

He was loved. He was loved.

[terrific-togekiss]

Some more tropes that are worth more scrutiny and we should talk about more. (Not just from TV Tropes. Looked around the Internet for a bit.)

- Double Standards: Female on Male abuse. Speaks for itself. Also, it sends such a terrible message to young boys growing up. Made only more frustrating when it co-exists with a well written story (they can't all be winners). e.g., Yes, the main male character of the story must end all cycles of abuse in the world, but we'll never acknowledge how wrong it is to have a woman still abuse hit him (as a joke).

- Double Standards: Female on Male rape. Speaks for itself. And more or less matches the previous point. Doesn't help that entire societies irl worldwide still don't believe this is possible. Fiction! A world where you can escape to many wondrous thing- and the writers aren't calling it or treating it as rape when it happens to a male character by a female character. Hmm. Suddenly A LOT less escapist and really close to real life, huh?

- Pedo Hunt. Male pedophiles are burned to the stake, murdered, torn apart and are dealt with! Female pedophiles? Meh. Either they don't exist, are given a free pass or they're just an unfunny joke at the expense of the men who deal with them.

- Double Standards: A World without (Her) Him is Empty. Okay. There are male antagonists in fiction who lose a woman (who is often written as "being too good for this world") they loved and now want to burn the world in anger and grief over losing her. That's a fine motivation for an antagonist. The problem? The opposite is rarely written. And when it is, the writers feel the need to throw in a couple of kids they had in addition to the man she loved (for example). Or it's not seen as a major reason for said character to be mad or sad. In other words, a man dying and his lover snapping is not sympathetic enough. WHY should men accept being seen as THIS disposable? It's appalling.

- Does not like Men. Women that hate men are often put in a much more sympathetic light than vice versa. Not much to say here other than, double standards.

- Groin Attack. It hurts for everyone when this happens. TV and cinema lied to you.

- Henpecked Husband. Basically, a male character who squirms under his very controlling wife (who will force this dynamic to stay this way) is written in a more comedic way than the opposite, which often earns a lot more ire from an audience. Again, double standards of abusive women over abusive men.

- Women are more innocent. Fictional women are often portrayed morally pure and good compared to men. Again, this should be gender neutral. Basing the standard of goodness on the basis of gender is weak in writing (and real-world contexts).

- Macho Disaster Expedition. Basically, men can't do anything when faced with the great outdoors and are completely useless. Usually, in contrast to female characters that perform perfectly when outdoors. Really, more TV shows should mix it up instead of reusing this a lot.

- No Guy Wants to Be Chased or Desired. It's the modern day. Plenty of men aren't against the idea of being "chased" or a woman who finds them desirable and wants to be with them. And women shouldn't be looked down on for finding a man desirable or worthy of pursuit or affection. The same should apply to fiction. And more writers should know that. Men should be should allowed to be seen as (physically) desired.

- Would Hurt A Child. Most of the time, the perpetrator is almost always a male child abuser. Female abusers always limit themselves to emotional or psychological abuse, because women are just too weak to hurt a child compared to an evil man.

- The Unfair Sex. When a relationship does not work out or isn't working anymore, to a lot of writers, it's ALWAYS the man's fault. A male character is rarely (if ever) allowed to blame a female character if it is her fault.

- Runaway Bride. A female character that runs away from a wedding with the groom-to-be, values her independence and/or realizes her true love! A male character that does the same and leaves his bride-to-be? He's such a jerk.

- Stalker with a Crush. Women that obsessively chase men, ignore their boundaries, are all cute and funny! They're not. And the opposite is usually written in a more negative light, when it should be both.

- Stalking is Funny if it's Female after Male. Ya know how in a lot of cartoons or shows, female characters that stalk a male character and have a huge crush on him are rarely if ever portrayed in a negative light? That's what this is. Male stalkers? Creeps. Female stalkers? Cute.

- Turns out like his Father. Many times, sons live in fear of turning out like their evil dad! But hope to inherit all of their mother's saintly traits, who is often written as the only source of those traits. Note that this is NOT bad on paper. I'm not saying writers shouldn't write this. The problem is that the abundance is certainly annoying, and yeah, if a bias is there, a bias is there.

- Boys VS. Girls Episodes. Basically, most times when this is written, male characters are all stereotypically gross and dumb, contrasting with how female characters are all elegant and smart. I never really cared for episodes like this, but I acknowledge this has a place on the post. (Can you believe SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the only TV shows to actually pull off this trope right?)

- The Dulcinea Effect. Okay. So a male character risks his life for a random woman he just met and the narrative implies his life has less value than hers. TIL this is an actual cliché and this is the name. I don't think this is as common as it seems, but man is it annoying.

- Why Did You Make Me Hit You? Male Characters who say this to female characters are rightfully looked down as abusers, but a female character that says this to a male character is just trying to take out their anger on someone, therefore they are soo justified. Abuser rhetoric? Abuser rhetoric.

- Wouldn't Hit a Woman. (Fictional) Women can hit men whenever they feel like it, because it's "funny," men are lesser, they need to win an argument, they need to take their anger out on someone, double standards of abuse female on male abuse, and face no consequences, while women are just to weak to be hit by a man.

- Men Are The Expendable Gender. Speaks for itself.

Feel free to add more!

Harmful Tropes

Just like women, men have portrayals of them that are rather negative. These are some of the negative tropes that are often seen within the media for men: 

- Bumbling dad. This often goes along with parenting the husband. This is the most infamous example. It’s especially seen in old sitcoms and commercials. This is the kind of dad/husband that is immature, doesn’t really get respect and is often used for comedic purposes. He usually has a smarter, stricter wife so has to be the bad guy when it comes to parenting their kids or be the voice of reason 

- Raised by dudes. This is a guy that is clueless about kids (especially babies or little girls) without the presence of a woman near 

- Parental abandonment

- Overprotective dad. Usually goes overboard in trying to make sure his daughter doesn’t date/talk to a boy/or try to make sure the boy she is seeing is suitable 

- Men can’t keep house. They live in dirt because cleaning is considered unmanly. Goes along with guys are slobs (messy appearance) and lazy husband

- Casanova Wannabe. This guy thinks or tries to make everyone believe he’s a ladies man, but he usually fails 

- All abusers are male

- All men are perverts. This is a creepy guy who can’t keep it in his pants. He’s shallow and doesn’t treat women with respect 

- A man is always eager. This guy always wants sex. Or if sex can’t be used, then it’s kissing. Can also include mistaken for gay if the guy actually doesn’t want sex/to kiss

- All gays are promiscuous. The homosexual version of all men are perverts and a man is always eager, gay guys are always having sex. Guys love sex and since there isn’t a woman in the relationship to deny him, they’re always doing it 

- Fan boy. This guy has an ego because he knows a lot about X thing and ends up belittling people. Usually also goes with basement dweller. This guy, a grown adult and stereotypical nerd, is usually lazy or childish or lives with his parents (in the basement), doesn’t have a job (or can’t keep one), can’t get any sex and has no skills skills 

- Men are uncultured. Guys love sports but despise things like books or classical music and especially opera 

- Real men hate affection. Guys don’t hug or any of that “chick” stuff. And if it does happen, it’s awkward and brief 

- Real men don’t cry 

- Virgin shaming. Men always want sex so if he hasn’t gotten some yet, it’s weird 

- No guy wants an amazon. This guy doesn’t like his girl to be tougher than him. He’s made to be a fool and the girl is seen in a positive light 

- Deprived homosexual. This is a gay guy who is a predator. He’ll usually go after straight guys and make them uncomfortable by flirting or even outright threats of rape/molestation

- Deprived bisexual.  This guy makes everyone uncomfortable but he doesn’t really care. He wants everyone–and especially sex 

- Complete monster. This is a villain with no redeeming qualities, no sympathetic backstory or anything

Those are just a few of the tropes used for men. You may not necessarily think it’s a big deal because it’s just TV. However, television can reflect real life attitudes. How common is the belief that abusers are male? How common is it to think men always want sex? 

While it’s important for men of all ages to see themselves positively represented, it’s pretty important for boys to see. Now, a young child is probably not going to see some of that, but what about the teenager? He should seen men represented in a way that shows them being more human. Stuff like this only fuels the stereotypes.  

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenderDynamicsIndex

[buckyownsmylife]

Something Just Like This - August Walker smut

The one where August figures out what happened to you.

Warnings: smut, some angst, pregnancy, breastfeeding kink, daddy kink, breeding kink, unprotected sex

A/N: this idea was requested and of course, I had to add in the smut.

August’s P.O.V.

I’d never been a patient man.

That made waiting at her house, with no idea of when she’d arrive, particularly frustrating. Especially considering the reason why I had found myself here in the first place.

I still couldn’t even think about it. Since I found out why it was that she suddenly disappeared from the face of the Earth, all I’d done was go, go, go. Search everywhere for even the smallest trace of her. Try to get inside her mind so I could maybe figure out where she’d go to hide.

Of course, I never once considered she wasn’t hiding at all.

“Shh…” I heard her soothe someone, not finding it difficult to figure out who it was. “There you go. Good boy.”

That was when the first wave of panic hit me.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had to deal with that emotion. I was usually so in control of everything. I designed my life to make it that way. No surprises.

Until now.

“I see you’ve already made yourself comfortable.” She didn’t even glance my way, seated at the farthest corner of her living room, but I expected as much. She was an incredible agent before she decided to… retire. It was ingrained in our minds to check for the little signs, if we were being followed, if there was someone inside our house.

It’d be pretty irresponsible of her to disregard everything she’d learned. Especially now.

She didn’t pay me any attention as she took off her coat and hung it by the door, taking all the time in the world to do so before, at last, turning to the sleeping infant in the carrier she had deposited on the sofa before me.

At least he wasn’t a fussy child.

“So, how are you?” She sighed, letting herself fall on the couch, finally looking at me. “It took you longer than I imagined. Then again, I wasn’t sure you’d come at all.”

And that’s when the beast inside of me woke up, my nostrils flaring as I inhaled deeply, leaning closer to her so I could speak in a whisper but still have her hear me and take note of every hint of anger in my tone.

“How am I?” I repeated, unbelieving of her chosen words for the encounter. “How am I? You’re MIA for six months, I find out it’s because you got pregnant and you have the nerve to ask me how I am?”

She didn’t look the slightest bit affected, sighing as she turned to look at the boy in the carrier. “Let me go put him in bed so you don’t have to whisper anymore.”

In the time it took her to do that, I grew impatient. ‘How am I’. The hell kinda question is that.

When she came back, she looked different. Well, she was different from the last time I saw her anyway - her frame looked fuller, hips wider. It made me lick my lips in desire, but I had other issues to focus on at the moment.

Like the fact that she looked angry. “How can you ask me how I am when you’re the one who disappeared to have my child?” I almost yelled, still trying to be respectful of the sleeping infant in the other room. “I thought you were kidnapped! Murdered in the line of duty!”

She blinked a few times, seemingly surprised about the direction the discussion was taken, but what the hell was she expecting?

“What do you want me to say?” Was her response. “Can you put yourself in my shoes for a moment? We fucked occasionally and I ended up pregnant. I didn’t even know where you were stationed, and I didn’t know how to explain to our superior officer why I needed to know classified information about one of their best assets.”

I forced myself to take one deep breath, understanding that if she had done so, she could easily be targeted as a spy. When she looked down at her feet, hands on her hips, I knew she was disappointed.

“Have you ever even wanted a family?” She asked me. “I don’t know! I know next to nothing about you, August. All I know was that we fucked and the contraceptive didn’t work and now I have a piece of you with me forever. A piece you didn’t even want to give me.”

I wasn’t egocentric enough to completely miss her point. But still, now that I’d made a fool of myself, the only thing I could think to say was, “You’re not even going to apologize?”

Her head snapped up, fire in her eyes and I knew she was about to tell me off when I grabbed her by the chin and pulled her to meet my lips.

“I think you have a lot to make up for, kitten…” I insisted, pressing kisses all along her shoulder just to hear her mewl for me. “You just assumed I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with my own son, and kept this away from me…”

“I missed your entire pregnancy. God, can’t imagine how these looked…” I whispered, holding her breasts as I pulled away to stare at them. “Did he leave some for me?” I teased, slipping the front of her blouse down so I could rub her nipples, enjoying how her head fell back in bliss. I imagined they were much more sensitive now. “Will you let me try?”

I waited for her nod to lean down and wrap my lips around her nub, sucking lightly, mindful of how she felt now that she was breastfeeding, and I was rewarded by a pleasured gasp, her fingers flying up to my hair to pull at the strands, but keep me attached to her.

“Remember how I made you cream around me?” I teased, running my tongue around her nipple, relishing in the sweet liquid that slowly dripped from her. “Yeah, you loved it, didn’t you?” Her whine had me smirking as I easily manhandled her into resting against the wall, abandoning her breasts momentarily to nuzzle her neck.

“I loved it too,” I admitted, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as I hoisted her leg up to wrap around my waist before working on getting my cock out of my trousers. “God, you have no idea how much I missed this pussy…”

Slipping inside of her was always delicious. The way she instinctively clenched around me, arms tightening around my body to keep me nearby. My name slipped from her lips, and it had my lips twisting up.

“Hmm…” I mused, pulling away to take in her state of ruin. “I think I want you to call me daddy now…” She snickered, but I wasn’t completely joking about it.

A punishing thrust against her sweet spot had the title slipping from her lips without her even noticing it. Smirking, I started to really fuck into her, imagining how sexy she must have looked like, all round with my child.

“You should have told me.” I shook my head before letting it drop against her shoulder, knowing she didn’t know what I was referring to and probably couldn’t even tell while I was fucking her. So I decided to focus on this moment instead, appreciating how it felt to actually have her after thinking I’d never get to see her again.

“Shit, you feel so good,” I cursed right as a loud moan escaped her, and I had to slap my hand over her mouth, trying to quieten her down. “You better be quiet, baby. You don’t want to wake up the other baby, huh?”

She melted in my arms, allowing me to push her further up the wall as I sped up my thrusts, searching for that blissful release I could only truly reach with her.

Her eyes rolled back as my cum spilled deep inside of her, not worried about contraceptives anymore because they’d failed us once, what’s another time?

Besides, I was kind of hoping to be able to experience what I missed this time.

“You’re staying?” She asked when she saw me adjusting my clothing after I made sure to clean her up, and I figured my raised eyebrow was enough of an answer, but I gave her one anyway.

“Someone’s gotta take care of you and the little guy, huh?” I grinned, pulling her into my arms. “Can’t believe you thought you’d ever be able to get rid of me.”

[dameronology]

6 from the angst prompts with frank please🤲🏾

frank castle + 6) "why does my mind go back to when you used to hold me?"

ok. i'm gonna be real with you. this started by following the prompt, then it...it went somewhere else entirely. but we move.

You should have been happy in your lover's arms.

Anyone else in the world would have been fucking elated; wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa with a five-foot-eleven guy, with his ginger tousled hair and broad arms. Your first date together had been a favour to your sister, but you'd never found a reason to stop seeing him. After all, he looked after you. Texting you to make sure you got home safe, bringing you lunch at work, fixing your broken kitchen cabinet in your shitty little apartment. He was nice. Too nice. He was a sensible t-shirt made out of husband material.

So what did that make Frank Castle? The leather jacket that your parents had forbade you from buying? The stupidly ripped jeans that made your relatives ask dId yOu bUy tHeM lIke tHat?

But truthfully, there was no stupid, cliche metaphor for Frank Castle. He was absolutely indescribable; a walking contradiction, a fucking confusion. He was rough and soft and giving and taking all at once. He stole the air from the lungs and breathed it right back into you; stole the show, but never came out from behind the curtains. He'd ruined your life for twelve straight months and yet, you looked back on that year as the best time of your life.

Frank was gone now - gone to the wind, wherever his next crime took him. You still thought of him, though. Constantly. About how your new boyfriend's arms didn't hold you as tight; about how his hair was a lot softer than Frank's, and didn't scratch you in the same way his did whenever he buried his head in your neck. His hands weren't as large and protective. He didn't make you black coffee every morning - oat lattes and fancy cappuccinos, yeah. But not the shitty, sugarless crap that Frank served to you in a chipped Coney Island mug every day at 7AM. The new guy cared enough to walk you home, but not enough to elbow his way into your apartment at 3AM because he'd heard sirens four blocks away and panicked. Frank Castle had had a weird way of loving you - and now, everyone else's attempts at it paled in comparison.

Like I said before - anyone else would have been infatuated with the new man sat beside you. Admittedly, you'd only found one problem with him.

He wasn't Frank.

"I'm just going to make some tea," you said. "I'll be back in a second."

The auburn man looked at you. "Should I pause the movie?"

"It's okay, I've seen it before," you forced a smile.

Shrugging off the blanket, you stood up and stalked through to the kitchen. It was a separate room from your living area - Frank had always given you spiel about how cramped it felt. But the minute you spotted a pair of combat boots on the fire escape? You were just thankful for the privacy it now gave you from the man you should have been falling in love with.

Hopping up on the counter, you slid open the window and stuck one leg out onto the metal stairs. Frank naturally leant forward to help you, a large handing wrapping around your wrist and pulling you up. The sky was pitch black, lit only by the starry facade of the Lower East Side. Hell's Kitchen was beautiful from this angle - probably because the man who constantly tore it to pieces was stood on your fire escape.

"You look like shit," you greeted him. It was true; his hair was cropped and neat, and he was clean shaven like usual, but there was a fucking massive shiner on his left eye.

"So do you," Frank shot back. "Who the fuck does that t-shirt belong to?"

"None of your business," you said.

"It belongs to your ginger friend, doesn't it?" he deduced. "What's his name?"

"Again - none of your business."

"Fine. I'll just call him Ron, then."

"Okay, Frank," you huffed. "Why are you turning up on my fire escape at 1AM and giving me spiel about Harry Potter?"

"I was just checking in," he shrugged. "Am I not allowed to do that anymore?"

"No."

"Fine," he held his hands up in defence. "But I know you're thinking about me."

"I'm not thinking about you," you countered. "In fact, the first person I think of when I hear the name Frank is Frank Reynolds from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia."

"You're a terrible liar, sweetheart," he reminded you.

"It's true. I really love Danny Devito-"

You abruptly stopped talking when Frank grabbed you by the waist, pulling you towards him. Your lips crashed against his - warm and familiar and chapped - in a passionate kiss. Time might as well have fucking stopped in that moment. It was a feeling you'd craved for so long; begged for, prayed to every god you believed in and even those you didn't.

"You love me more," Frank murmured. "More than the man inside."

"Frank," you murmured.

"Just say it," he pushed. "I know you love me - not him."

"Is that why you came back?" you asked. "Because you were worried I'd found someone else?"

"I came back because I missed you," he confessed.

"You went upstate to get away from all this," you half-heartedly gestured to the city below.

"And I came back for all this," he gestured to you with a large hand. "It's nothing to do with you being with someone else. It doesn't mean I don't want to left hook the guy for putting his hands on you, but..."

Frank trailed off. You, meanwhile, were still in disbelief. It had taken so much effort to move on; to force his remaining belongings into a box under your bed. Even more so to let another man in to said bed.

In a swift movement, he'd taken off his hoodie and pulled it over your shoulders. The zip was done up in mere seconds, thick hood pulled over your head. It smelt of Frank - domestic Frank, not I've gone bat-crap crazy on a gang in the middle of the night and come back looking like the prom scene in Carrie Frank. It was a mixture of cheap laundry detergent and a little of his spicy aftershave. He rarely wore the stuff, but you deducted he probably put it on for tonight. What kind of fucking weirdo put on expensive aftershave just to creep around on his former lover's balcony? Frank. The answer was Frank. Just...quintessentially him.

"You really hate the look of me in his clothes, huh?" you teased.

"You looked cold," Frank lied. "Does Ron give you his hoodies?"

"He'd give me his damn wardrobe if I asked."

He snorted. "Yeah, okay. I'm glad to see you that you still enjoy dancing around important conversations-"

"- you know I love you, Frank," you cut him off. "But I'm not skipping into the fucking sunset with you at 1AM when it's freezing as shit outside. Especially not when there's a man on my couch, who thinks I'm making a cup of tea when I'm actually kissing a man out on the fire escape."

"I love you too," Frank gave you a lopsided grin, completely ignoring the second half of what you said. "I'll come back in the morning."

"Yeah, okay," you pressed another kiss to his jaw. "See you then."

You slipped your hands away from Frank's, sliding your legs back through the window and onto the kitchen counter. Leaping off the side, you shut the window and reached to turn on the kettle - you did have the whole cup of tea lie to keep up with.

And with a smile on your face, you reached for the chipped Coney Island mug on your shelf.

[ptergwen]

smoke and mirrors

⇢ richkid!tom x richkid!reader ⇠

w/c: 4.1k

warnings: swearing, drinking, light angst, and implied smut

summary: because of your mother’s insistence on a pristine family image and tom’s messy one, you deny your true feelings for him

a/n: ok ok ok the pics of tom in monaco really made me think and i had to get everything out of my system so here we are! thank you and enjoy x

-

your living room is engulfed by a hushed chatter that comes from far too many guests. half the people, you hardly know. it’s overcrowded, superficial, and the last place you want to be. it’s one of your mother’s get-togethers, as she likes to call them. these things are always far from the casual affairs they sound like.

weeks go into planning, caterers and decorators making themselves at home in yours. the family’s image is everything to your mom, so being a good hostess is her top priority. ironically, she’s more concerned with throwing her gatherings than raising you. so much for family, huh?

the only reason you agreed to make an appearance tonight is that tom might do the same. he’s a really good friend, someone you’ve been able to count on through all the mess that is your lives. you met in high school, when he moved from london to the states. his dad was offered a job promotion he couldn’t pass up. plus, tom and his brothers would be receiving a stellar private education here in america.

it was a win for everyone, especially you. the freckle faced boy who got lost on his way to english class became your closest confidant. tom’s company is such a sweet escape. he’s not interested in opera or the stock market like most people you meet are. he sneaks you out to go on walks at dawn and does shots with you until you can’t stand straight.

as you two continue to grow together, revelations about yourselves have come to light. what you want beyond your inheritances, who you want beyond friendship. you figured out the second part on a faithful night recently. tom showed up to your place with a bottle of tequila. after you drank it down through lots of lime chasers and giggles, he kissed you. you didn’t kiss back.

your heart said to go for it, but your mind pulled you back in. you were so shocked and overcome with new feelings, you froze up. that, and you’d infuriate your mother. although she cares about tom a great deal, she loathes his public figure. he’s always getting papped in places and with people he shouldn’t be. the two of you together would just destroy her.

you still want to please your mom at the end of the day, no matter how deep under your skin she gets.

tom immediately apologized and tried play it off as him being drunk. you grew up with him, became part of each other’s families, which means you know him well enough to know he was lying. he meant every second his lips were on yours.

what you need to do now is something you’ve meant to for a while. the only problem is that you’re stuck at your mother’s party, and tom hasn’t shown up yet.

“y/n, darling,” your mom calls for your attention. she’s dragged you into a conversation with some bloggers, but you haven’t spoken a word. “why don’t you tell us about your trip to spain last summer?” she plasters on her award winning grin and squeezes your shoulder. it’s time to play along.

“oh, it was beautiful,” you halfheartedly reply, more to the bloggers than her. they nod in clear interest. one jots down notes. “we went for a few weeks and visited a bunch of different cities. i’d love to go back sometime.” the typical press formatted answer earns your mom’s approval. you’re off the hook. your eyes start to wander around the room, hoping to set on tom.

“we?” the woman taking notes asks. must everyone pry? “my friend and i,” you shortly reply. you’re standing up on your tiptoes to see over the crowd. you’d think six inch heels would do the trick. “i’m actually looking for him right now, so if you’ll excuse me,” you offer a polite smile and silently pray they won’t ask who. unfortunately, your wishes don’t come true.

the other blogger, a short and stubborn man, speaks up. “just a friend you say? come on, tell us. who’s the lucky fella?” he inquires. your mother raises a firm eyebrow, signaling for you not to.

tom has a reputation for his reckless behavior. it’s your mom’s worst nightmare when the media associates your names under most circumstances. you’re representing her, so she does whatever she can to control how you’re seen. you’re constantly in the papers, being a young socialite and all. it sucks.

“he’d like to stay out of the tabloids, sorry,” you cover for tom, on your mom’s behalf. “i should really go. it was nice meeting you.” the bloggers don’t bother to hide their disappointment as you shake their hands. your mother rubs your back in approval. “thank you for doing that. we’ll talk later,” she speaks lowly. “bye, mom!” you practically make a run for it. 

weaving through the sea of people, you end up by the main entrance. it’s hard not to get lost even though it’s your house. the place is packed with girls just a couple years older than you, wearing pearls around their necks. men’s strong colognes flow through the air. you’re in a form fitting red slip dress and louboutins yourself.

smoke and mirrors is what they call it. you show the pretty parts to distract from your ugly ones.

harrison suddenly comes waltzing in with a lady on either of his arms. you’d expect nothing less. he’s tom’s best friend besides you, considering the failed kiss attempt didn’t change that. their parents worked at the london branch of the same company. they each came to the states and met you. you happily introduced them to your world, helping to make it theirs as well.

“haz!” you meet him at the front door. he’s smirking while he leads the women inside. “fancy seeing you here, isn’t it?” he jokes. “very funny. i died laughing,” you deadpan, curiously eyeing harrison’s plus two. they merely giggle. “listen, have you seen tom anywhere? if he’s coming.” you’re fighting back a frown. “why wouldn’t he be?” harrison questions in a more serious tone this time.

“long story. you have guests to entertain, so i won’t get into it now,” you decide and manage a small smile instead. he perks up. “right. i’ll let you know if i see him?” nodding, you give him a wave goodbye. “enjoy yourself.” “you too, love. cheers!” the girls lean into him, harrison wiggling his eyebrows at you. he’s ridiculous.

hours pass by without word of tom. it isn’t like him to miss an event, especially if you’re in attendance. you despise these exhausting nights, and he’s supposed to be your rock during them. he should have his arm draped around your shoulders, whispering silly remarks to you while you hide out somewhere. you miss him more than you thought possible.

you’re just about to give up when you spot nikki ushering her husband inside. behind them follows tom, clad in a grey checkered suit with his locks perfectly tousled. he’s here. you waited the whole night, and he finally came.

tom kisses his mom on the cheek before strutting over to the drink table, not without a few reporters hassling him. they’re probably looking for another holland scandal to break. he declines their requests for comments on this and opinions on that, instead pulling up a chair next to harrison. the two exchange hugs and fix themselves glasses of champagne, you watching their encounter.

harrison fills tom in on the drama he’s missed tonight while they sip their drinks. tom keeps forcing smiles that don’t reach his eyes. he’s fiddling with his fingers, leg bouncing up and down steadily. those are the telltale signs he needs saving. however awkward it may be, you’re going to have to break your silence. it was bound to happen eventually.

“mate, i’m telling you. she fit her entire first right up her-“ “boys,” you cut into harrison’s story, greeting him and tom. his face tints deep pink upon your arrival. “don’t let me stop you. finish your charming anecdote,” you encourage him and subtly glance over at tom. he’s biting back a grin as he sets his elbows on the table.

“not with a lady present. let’s just… pretend you didn’t hear that,” harrison chuckles nervously and hops to his feet. “i’m gonna leave you two to chat.” humming, you move to take his chair. tom sucks in a breath. “what happened to the girls you brought?” you wonder. “they left. said they got bored,” harrison admits, tom stifling laughter. he elbows his friend for that.

“oh, fuck off. i’ll see you later,” he mopes, flicking your arm for good measure. tom salutes him and grabs his nearly empty champagne. “so long, bruv.”

it’s just you and tom now, seated side by side, silently so. he has no intentions of speaking first. he’s too embarrassed, and you don’t blame him. this is on you. you clear your throat before starting the conversation.

“can i top you off?” you tap the bottom of his glass with a tiny smile. tom shakes his head. “i’m alright, thanks.” he finishes the last sip and sets it down, turning to face you. your smile has vanished. “wasn’t sure you were gonna make it. i’m glad you did,” you change the subject. as if he’s considering the sincerity behind your words, tom furrows his eyebrows.

“mum wanted us to. she dragged me and dad straight off the golf course,” he explains and clasps his hands in his lap. his fingers interlock with each other. you fight off the urge to replace them with yours. “we would’ve been here sooner, but the paps are camped outside.” the hint of a smile forms on his lips, at last. “guess it’s not often you get the town’s finest under one roof.”

“you think i’m one of the town’s finest?” you tease, resting your chin in your palm. something flashes behind tom’s eyes. he looks right into yours, scooting closer. “absolutely. you’re the most eligible bachelorette in this whole building.” you allow a toothy grin to spread across your face. “tommy, stop it. you’re too nice to me.”

the nickname is music to his ears. tom looks you up and down, licking his lips simultaneously. “no, seriously. you look gorgeous,” he muses, you pushing at his chest. he exhales a breathy laugh, and you giggle yourself. “red’s definitely your color.” “reverse card. you wear it way better than i do,” you insist. your fingers tug at the collar of his suit. “too bad you didn’t match me.”

you’re relieved you two can talk like you usually do, light flirting and good vibes. it might not be so hard to put the kiss behind you. well, you can’t go on pretending it didn’t happen. you have to at least discuss the fiasco. tom should know why you didn’t reciprocate, then you can take it from there. whether he still has feelings for you, assuming he ever did, will depend on how that turns out.

“not to ruin the fun, but we still have to talk,” you murmur, tom’s body stiffening across from yours. he’s not sure he’s ready to discuss that. “can it wait? we’re at a party,” tom reminds you, running a hand through his styled locks. “yeah, my mother’s. don’t tell me you’re having a good time,” you playfully chastise him. he simply shrugs. “hardly. you’re the best part.”

you ignore the butterflies roaming about your body.

“you won’t mind a quick convo, then. it is with me,” you attempt to persuade him and place a hand on his knee. tom coughs a bit too loudly, the contact surprising him. “you know what? i think i’ll take you up on that drink first,” he decides with a mustered up smile. “coming right up.” you pat his leg before taking his glass. he chews on his lower lip while you poor the bubbling liquid. that was certainly… odd.

you slide tom his champagne back with an exaggerated wink. tom scoffs at this. “mm, thanks. care to join me?” he brings the alcohol to his lips, eyes never leaving yours. your mother specifically said no drinking tonight, since the press would be here. screw your mother, though. “please. could you hand me a glass?” you eagerly grab the champagne bottle. tom searches for an empty cup next to him.

you two are unspoken drinking buddies at this point.

“here you are, darling,” tom drawls, holding out the glass for you. every time he calls you that, you completely melt. “thanks, tommy,” you purr in response. you’re finally pouring your own drink when someone taps you on the shoulder, and hard. you look behind you to find your mother standing with her hands on her hips, less than thrilled. speak of the devil.

“hello, mother. can i help you?” you make sure to ask rudely. she responds with a smile that’s obviously fake. if tom weren’t here, you’d be getting scolded. “yes, my darling. those bloggers from earlier were hoping you’d finish your interview.” your mom shakes your shoulder in a motherly way. you squint up at her. “didn’t they leave hours ago-“ “they’re back,” she sharply informs you.

she’s lying, and you have a hunch as to why.

frowning, you hold tom’s hand in both of yours. “sorry, this won’t take long. why don’t you go find tuwaine?” you suggest instead. “he’s around here somewhere.” tom gives you an understanding nod and laces your fingers together, even if it’s only for a moment. “must be chatting up some producers or whatnot. i’ll see if i can help.” he’s such an incredible friend to everyone. he deserves the same from you.

“thomas, so lovely to see you,” your mom interrupts. tom stands up, kissing both her cheeks out of courtesy. “you, too. what a wonderful party. thank you for having us.” despite what the rest of the world believes, his manners are impeccable. ��of course. give nikki my best, will you?” your mom puts her hands on his shoulders. he grins at her. “definitely. take care, mrs. y/l/n.” “always a pleasure,” she states, nudging you to come along with her.

you shoot tom one last apologetic look as your mother pulls you along and towards the crowd.

tom is no idiot. he’s well aware how she really feels about him.

when a swarm of guests is surrounding you, your mom lets go. you scowl, crossing your arms over your chest. “why would you do that? i haven’t seen tom in days.” she sighs without a care. “isn’t it time you branch out? expand your social circle?” her manicured fingers ruffle your hair. you push away her touch. “i’m social enough. we were in the middle of something really important.”

you begin to walk away, but your mother takes your arm. “whatever you’re about to do, it’s a mistake. he’ll make a fool of you,” she practically spits. yanking your arm from her grasp, you laugh bitterly. “of me, or of the family name? look around, mom.” you gesture to the spot beside her where your dad should be. “as far as i’m concerned, i have no family except tom. i’m gonna go check on him.”

you’re gone before your mom can stop you. she simply stands there, utterly mortified by what you said.

you run around the house to find tom, stumbling in your heels and not giving a fuck. you’d truly meant the part about him being your family. all the holland’s, honestly. they’re the most genuine and caring souls, and you don’t want to lose the one you’re closest to because of your mother’s delusions. 

tom is in a circle with harrison and tuwaine, the three of them chuckling amongst themselves. you’d hate to bug him, but this can’t wait anymore.

“uh, tom?” you mumble his name, appearing behind him. he steps away with another quiet laugh. “hey, y/n/n. that was quick, hm?” your face gives away your distress. his whole demeanor shifting, tom reaches for your hands. “what is it, love? is something the matter?” “just… come with me,” you croak out.

you manage to smile at harrison and tuwaine, dropping one of tom’s hands so you can lead him upstairs. they each return the smile and share curious looks.

following behind you, tom keeps your hand tight in his own. he’d thought you were going to grill him about the kiss that barely happened. it seems like this is a much more pressing matter. his outburst of emotions can be discussed another time. now, it’s time to deal with yours.

you drag tom into the first room on the second floor, which is your dad’s study. he’s away on business this weekend, so he luckily couldn’t make the party. tom sits down in the office chair. you sit up on the desk, in front of him. your lip quivers the second his worried features come into view.

“y/n/n, what’s going on? why are we in here?” tom wonders, his tone soft. your heart clenches. “i- i wanted us to have some privacy when i told you this,” you sniffle out and blink back the tears forming. you’re sort of shaken from the conversation with your mother, and mostly because you have no idea how tom will react to your confession.

his hands come to stay on your thighs, right below your dress. they feel warm against your bare skin.

“tell me what? i’m listening, yeah?” tom gazes up at you with so much love. “lay it all out for me.” god, he’s fucking amazing. if only you knew where to start. “do you, um…” you trail off, letting your tears subside and words settle. “do you remember when your family made your big debut in town?”

a grin replaces tom’s frown, painting his beautiful face. “how could i forget? you made it quite memorable.” he traces circles on your thigh and elicits a giggle from you. “i spilled a whole thing of soda on your white fucking button down,” you recount with a lighthearted sigh. “right before your dad was supposed to introduce you to everyone, too.”

tom presses his tongue into his cheek to hold back another grin. “took ages to get it out. dad went mad when i didn’t show.” he cocks his head to the side, you leaning back on your hands. “you held me hostage in the laundry room so you could do that bloody stain stick.” your mouth drops open in mock offense. “i had to clean up my mess! i wasn’t gonna let the world meet you covered in pepsi.”

that was one of your earliest memories together. the holland’s threw a party and invited everyone who was willing to attend. they had been hoping to properly introduce themselves to the town, and this was their way of doing so. although yours and tom’s friendship was fairly new, you spent all night together because you had experience with such events.

tom’s dad was making a speech to thank the guests for coming. you and him listened from the snack table, until his name was called. he rushed to go up there while you were pouring yourself a drink. he’d bumped into you, and the bottle ended up all over him. you snuck tom right off to his laundry room.

you’d felt terrible as he stood there shirtless and blushing, you aggressively swiping his button down with a stain stick.

“why do you bring that up?” tom questions and continues circling your skin. you purse your lips. “i dunno. it was the last party i actually enjoyed,” you admit, putting your hand over his that rests on your thigh. “like to reminisce when i’m suffering through one of my mother’s.” his eyes shift to where your hands are laced. “i see,” he affirms. “so, is that… all you wanted to talk about?” “not even close,” you laugh out.

a burst of courage coursing through your body, you say it. “when you kissed me the other night-“ “i won’t do it again,” tom cuts in, trying to avoid the rejection he thinks you’ll give him. “it was a mistake, and i’m so sorry. our friendship is more important than my feelings.” you seem excited to hear that, though it’s not for the reason tom expects. “you do have feelings for me?”

he’d forgotten about his i was drunk excuse.

“um, yeah. i do,” he admits, cheeks rosy and lip caught in his teeth. “but, i’ll learn to put them aside, if that’s what’s best.” “no, no. it isn’t,” you dismiss him and put your free hand on his chest. “i love you, tom. that’s what i was really trying to tell you.” your words bring an instant grin to his face. he chuckles in disbelief, standing from the chair.

“fuck, thank god. that’s all i’ve ever wanted to hear.” he’s between your legs now, his hands moving up to your hips. you’re beaming at him as your arms snake around his neck. a burning question comes to tom’s mind. “hang on. why didn’t you kiss me back, then?” he almost whispers, thumb brushing over your hipbone. “this is gonna sound weird, but… my mom,” you reluctantly let out.

“you’re gonna have to elaborate,” tom prompts you and raises an eyebrow. you can’t hold back your eye roll. “she’s never been a fan of the person you are in the media.” his lips form a line. “i gathered.” your fingers tangle in his curls at the nape of his neck reassuringly. “i was subconsciously scared i would be letting her down in some way, if we were together.”

tom allows your hands to work their way up to his scalp. he exhales contentedly as you play with his ever so soft hair. “i understand, she’s intimidating. what’s changed that brilliant mind of yours about coming clean?” your nose scrunches up when he pokes one of your temples. “oh, yeah. i yelled at her earlier ‘cuz she stole me away from you.” his face lights up. “sexy.” “shut up,” you groan. “someone had to tell her off.”

“good thing it got to be you,” tom agrees with a squeeze at your hip. “‘m proud of you, y/n/n. it’s not easy, standing up to mummy dearest.” you tug on his hair. “like you’d know. nikki is a saint.” “that’s what she’ll have you believe,” he says under his breath, you gasping. his lips turn up in a smirk. “on that note… i love you, too.”

“would’ve been embarrassing if you didn’t say it back,” you acknowledge with a cheesy smile. tom dips his head down to rest his forehead against yours. “yeah, yeah. save the attitude for your mum.” your legs easily wrap around his waist, tom’s breath hot as it hits your face. “let’s give that kiss another go,” you mewl. he doesn’t hesitate to reply. “with pleasure.”

tom’s lips land on yours, you kissing back right away. he smiles into it as your lips gently move together. “about fucking time,” he grumbles, your hands situating in his chocolate curls once again. he’s savoring every second you touch him, kiss him, love him. the taste of your mouth is one he’s craved for longer than you could imagine.

it doesn’t take long for things to heat up, you messing with tom’s hair and tom rubbing your hips. you lay back on the desk as his tongue enters your mouth. holding you by your waist, tom hovers over you. his tongue tangles with yours in a deep kiss. between that and his fingers beginning to massage your thigh, you’re done for. you’re ready to take this a step further by the time he’s kissing down your neck.

“tommy?” you grab onto his shoulders, your head back. his lips detach from your skin with a grin. “yeah, love? ‘s everything okay?” he coos, pressing a final kiss to your collarbone. “more than.” you tilt his chin up to peck his lips. “you wouldn’t happen to have a condom, would you? just thinking ahead.” he laughs breathlessly, reaching into his suit pocket.

“conveniently enough, i do. not sure your dad would like me fucking you on his desk, though.” tom sets his hand on your leg that’s still hooked around his waist. “my room’s always available. carry me?” you make grabby hands and bat your lashes. he hoists you up by your waist, not lifting you just yet. “that would break the news of us, no? your mum’s gonna go apeshit.” he keeps his arms around you, chuckling.

“let her. besides, i know a couple of bloggers that would love to announce our status update.” you peck tom’s lips, grinning as you do. you’re suddenly in the air and being picked up by tom. the surprise of it makes you squeal, clutching onto his broad shoulders instinctively. he gives you the look of adoration that’s reserved for you only.

“we’ll go pop a few bottles with everyone, then we’re celebrating on our own.”

[silverflame2724]

Accidental Martial God WWX

That was exacty what I meant actually but I do have a few more povs if you want.

LQRs reaction to a demonic cultivator ascending, JGS and JGY reaction to the Yin Tiger Tally moving completely out of reach, WQ pondering the true requirements for ascension given WWX doesn't have a golden core yet ascended, WWX musing on Godhood and on his new followers both the good and the more disturbing worshipers.

Maybe LWJ protects the Wen Remnants because WWX asked him to in a dream and after he succeeds (13 years later) he ascends and is finally reunited with WWX.

Lan Qiren did not know what to think. Wei Wuxian, his most troublesome student, a demonic cultivator, had ascended. He’d ascended. How was that even possible? Were the Heavens blind? Why would they allow someone like Wei Wuxian to ascend?

From what Lan Qiren had thought, only those who are righteous and followed the correct path in life like the Lan clan’s founder, Lan An, would be worthy of ascending.

Either the qualifications for ascension were lower than he thought or Lan Qiren had been horribly mistaken about Wei Wuxian’s personality and motivations for using demonic cultivation. That last thought made Lan Qiren feel very uncomfortable.

He’d always been harsh on the boy and disregarded him, even - he ashamedly admitted - punishing him harsher and more frequently than others.

He’d thought he was in the right because of how Wei Wuxian was but…..

But if he was wrong then Lan Qiren owed him an apology.

………………….

Jin Guangshan wanted to scream out in frustration seeing Wei Wuxian ascend. That brat had the Stygian Tiger Seal on him - according to his spies - and now that he ascended, the Seal went with him.

He had had so many plans on bribing Wei Wuxian to his side or killing him when he refused - as well as stealing the Seal - and then taking over the cultivation world, lording over it as he was always meant to be.

Now those plans are ruined. He sighed. Hopefully that bastard son of his can finally prove his usefulness and give him countermeasures or he might retract his favor from him.

……………………

Jin Guangyao’s first thought upon seeing Wei Wuxian ascend was: Oh shit. I have to go make up new plans to help Father.

He knew his father wanted Wei Wuxian and the Seal and didn’t really care how he obtained both or either, just as long as no one traced it back to him. He sighed. This was going to be a big headache. But at least the plans on putting his father as Chief Cultivator were going smoothly. He could only imagine what his father would do to him if even this failed.

..............................

Wen Qing had still been in Yiling, making plans to relocate her family, when the news that Wei Wuxian had ascended had reached her.

Her first reaction was, That’s impossible.

Because it was, right? Wen Qing should know. She cut out his core, after all. But to think he was still able to ascend while he was a demonic cultivator made her wonder what the requirements were for ascending. Perhaps it’s an honest heart? Self-sacrificing tendencies? Or is it a sacrifice of some sorts? She paused. What if.....it was a trial? To test a person’s will? What Wei Wuxian had suffered was.....horrible. Could it have all been just a test from the Heavens?

If that was so, the Heavens really are cru--- 

“A’ Jie, we have to go! Some Jin were spotted nearby!”

Wen Qing gritted her teeth. Members of the branch families of Qishan, regardless of whether they were innocent or not, were captured and subsequently tortured to death by the Jin and sometimes the Nie. Because her family was all in Yiling, they were safe.......but only for now. They had to hurry and escape.

Wen Qing sent a quick prayer to Wei Wuxian, hoping for her family’s safety, and tucked the rest of her belongings in her qiankun pouch, remembering to wrap her arms in bandages to hide the needles she might need to paralyze any Jin that came close.

....................................

Wei Wuxian’s first thought when he landed in the Heavens was, What the fuck.

Then he looked around and looked taken aback and wary at the unfamiliar faces around him. Where the fuck am I?

“Hello.” A rather stoic-faced man greeted.

“Hello.” Wei Wuxian parroted back. The person in front of him didn’t seem to be a threat so he felt a little tension loosen from his shoulders. “Um, Xiansheng? I’m afraid I don’t know where I am?”

“You have just ascended.” The man replied, throwing Wei Wuxian aback.

“Are you pulling my leg?” Wei Wuxian asked. “How is that even possible! I don’t even have---” He swallowed. I don’t even have a core.

“I do not lie. Come, we are wasting time. We must get you washed up and dressed for the induction ceremony.” Seeing Wei Wuxian still frozen, the man sighed, signalled for some people to pick Wei Wuxian up and dragged the struggling man to some quarters.

After absentmindedly washing, drying and changing himself, Wei Wuxian noticed some differences in his body. He wasn’t....cold or hurting anymore. And - he touched his back - he could feel his back! After having his muscles and nerves shredded by Zidian, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to sense touch on his back or even move without pain! But now he can!

He heard the urging of some people and grumbled.

“You will become a god of demonic cultivation.” Was the first thing he heard when he stepped out of the room.

Wei Wuxian choked. “Excuse me?!”

“I said what I said. Now then, if you would please concentrate, you should be able to hear the prayers of the people below.”

Wei Wuxian felt like everything was moving a little too fast for him, but nevertheless complied. Immediately after, a flood of prayers hit him at full force.

“Wei Wuxian!” That was Jiang Cheng! “….Have some fun up there.”

“A’ Xian, do be well. Shijie isn’t there to take care of you so do be well.” Wei Wuxian refused to cry.

“Wei-Xiong! I hope there’s someone up there to supply you with you know what *winks*”

How does someone even wink in their prayers? Wei Wuxian thought amusedly.

“Wei Ying.” That was Lan Zhan. “Wei Ying, I will—be well.”

Ah, Lan Zhan. Always concise even in your thoughts.

Wei Wuxian was a little teary. As much as he was glad to not be a part of the cultivation world considering all the rumors, he did regret leaving behind those that cared for him.

That thought was much more cemented upon hearing…….

“Ah, Lord Wei, the pinnacle of evil, the role model of all demonic cultivators!” Wei Wuxian’s eye twitched. “Please hear my plea for more power! I need it, I need it to destroy everyone who harmed me!”

“Wei Wuxian, I wish to gain power over resentful energy so that I may tear my enemies limb by limb!

“Give me money! You’re a god, aren’t you? Be useful for once and give me some gold!”

“Tch. If I’m going to pray for anything, then it’ll have to be the Seal. You’re a god, now, right? So you have no need for the Seal. Just give it up.”

No matter the good or bad, Wei Wuxian heard the wishes and prayers of the people down below and while some were innocent enough, there were those that wished for death, destruction, tools for torture, power, money, women…….you name it.

It made Wei Wuxian feel a little disgusted with humanity. He cut off his focus from the bad and focused on the prayer he received from his friends and family.

“Wei Wuxian, I heard you became a god.” It was Wen Qing. He hadn’t heard her voice in a long time. “I know this might seem shameless of me after all I did to you, but please. Please guarantee the safety of my family. We’re being hunted down and—”

Her prayer was abruptly cut off, before coming back in full force with notes of desperation. Her family had been captured and taken to Qiongqi Path! Wei Wuxian panicked. He didn’t know how to escape from this place and try to go help her.

The…..person who was watching over him evidently knew what he was thinking about and merely stated that gods cannot interfere with the mortal realm. So he was stuck.

But that didn’t mean he was out of options.

It took a few days, but he managed to wheedle out how to help: via dreams. He merely needed to get into the mind of one of his followers and tell them to help. Much like those prophetic dreams Wei Wuxian had read about as a kid.

So he buckled down, thinking of the best candidate to help him.

……………………………

Lan Wangji looked at the landscape around him and concluded that he was dreaming. Though, it was a little odd that he was aware that he was dreaming. Not that he hasn’t realized he was dreaming before - especially in those many fantasies he had of Wei Ying - but to be aware that this is a dream and to see nothing but a flat landscape was pretty out of the ordinary. 

Anyway, he digressed. What was going on?

“Uhh, Lan Zhan? Can you hear me?”

“W-Wei Ying?!” Lan Wangji couldn’t be blamed for stuttering. He wasn’t expecting this!

“Phew. Oh good, you can hear me. Anyway, Lan Zhan, I gotta be quick about this because I’m kinda sorta bending the rules here, but do you think you can go to Qiongqi Path and rescue Wen Qing and her family?”

“Okay.”

“Huh? Just like that? Not even going to ask me for a reason, er-gege?”

Lan Wangji’s ears flushed red at the address. “If Wei Ying wants to save them, you must have a good reason. That’s enough for me.”

“Ah, Hanguang-Jun.” The title was spoken fondly. “Always so good. I’ll tell you anyway. Wen Qing and her family sheltered Jiang Cheng and I after Lotus Pier fell and even brought back Jiang-shushu and Yu-furen’s bodies! That’s a debt I cannot repay.”

“I understand. I will help.”

He couldn’t see Wei Ying, but could practically feel the amusement from him.

“Wei Ying.”

“Yes?”

“Are......Are you well?”

“Of course I am. I’m actually feeling so much better than before.” Wei Ying grumbled, “I’m not even in pain anymore.”

“You were in pain?” Lan Wangji asked worriedly. “Wei Ying, why didn’t you say anything.”

“Lan Zhan, there was nothing you or anyone else could do to alleviate my pain. It doesn’t matter now. I’m okay.”

Lan Wangji was still worried and wanted to speak to him more, but---

“Ah! Looks like my time’s up!” Wei Ying exclaimed cheerfully as the dreamscape wavered. “See you, Lan Zhan!”

Lan Wangji nodded. “See you, Wei Ying.” I’ll catch up to you soon.

.

.

.

And 13 years later, Lan Wangji kept his promise.

___________________

I didn’t edit this so I’m hoping there’s not too many grammatical errors lol.