#they are perfect example of darkness and sunshine

[fionnalovesanimeboysandholo]

My new ship I am totally obsessed with

[jambalaya-enthusiast]

The way the Crew members wear their uniforms/accessorize themselves tells a lot about their character.

Thanks to @verdantwyrm for the ref sheets!

Under the cut!

Let's start off with Curly.

The "Perfect Captain"™.

His uniform is the most perfect out of the whole crew,from the Pony Express T-shirt down to the pants. The only customisation,if you can even call it that are his fancy belt,and cowboy boots. Which are also, incredibly classy btw.

This is a direct reflection of his character,how he is the most dedicated and hardworking employee,the flawless captain who always gets it job done to the dot. A perfectionist.

Next we have Swansea

Not exactly the neatest but he's there.

Pretty standard uniform,just his jacket is missing.

He inculcates his sneaker head hobby into his uniform.

It tells you about even if he's not the most pleasant to be around, he's got his own little quirks.

Next we have the sunshine boy,Daisuke.

I couldn't even notice the pony express logo the first time.

Not very professional looking,which is very fitting.

His floral jacket reflects on the type of person he is,carefree, jolly, innocent.

His uniform is a perfect example 'im just here for the vibes'.

Sweetheart Anya.

Anya incorporates a turtleneck beneath her work jacket,which is weird.... considering the fact that if she's gonna wear the jacket buttoned up anyway,what's the point in not wearing the pony express T-shirt?

Well,this is kind of dark,but maybe the turtleneck was to help her hide her bruises.

Anya wears socks under her sandals,which can imply a sense of comfort. When she's far away from home.

Jim.

Jimmy's uniform has absolutely no hint of personal significance.

His jacket is half-sleeved,and he wears a full sleeved T-shirt underneath,other than that he wears no customised belt, nor are his shoes any special.

His uniform is a reflection of himself,no intent of finding or making one's own joy.

'accesories are for people who can afford them'.

hc that he self harms,hence the long sleeves always.

His uniform can also be metaphorically seen as "a wolf in sheep's clothing". He is wearing his work overalls alright,but deep within he is something completely else.

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

What I Mean When I Say, "I Ship Huskerdust"

When I say, "I ship Huskerdust," I don't mean that I think it would be a perfect example of a healthy relationship. Because it wouldn't be.

They've both got issues that they would need to work through if they wanted their relationship to succeed.

On Angel's side, there's the fact that his prior interactions with Husk basically consisted of him flirting with Husk, and Husk making it clear that he wasn't interested, and Angel ignoring that and doing it again. That's harassment.

Yes, Angel stops doing it after Episode 4, but he never explicitly apologises for it. That was a missed opportunity, in my opinion. It was a change for the show to say loudly and clearly, "Hey, trauma sucks, we get that, but it's not an excuse to treat people badly yourself. You grow by owning up to your mistakes and trying to be better than the person who hurt you."

Speaking of trauma...

Angel is being abused by Valentino and exploited in the porn industry. That's not a personal failing. It's not Angel's fault. But it has affected him deeply, and it's something that he and Husk would need to work through.

It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Angel will cry, Angel will get angry, Angel will lash out. He will behave inappropriately, and he will keep being hypersexual because he knows how to do it and sometimes it feels like the safest option. And he will have no idea how to just rest with a loved one and trust them. So Husk will need to be the bigger person and take all the ups and downs and keep loving Angel through the dark days.

But I don't know if Husk has what it takes to do that.

That leads me nicely onto the issues on Husk's side. For starters, there's his judgemental attitude. He's a gambler, and therefore believes he can read people and know everything about them. Angel's "It's not an act!" outburst shakes Husk and makes him realise that he didn't really know what was going on.

But even after that, Husk is still judging Angel. It happens in Episode 6, when Angel is offered drugs by Cherri Bomb and Husk says, "Look, you wanna fuck up all your progress, be my guest. I just ... I just thought you were better than that."

Addicts can relapse if they go back to their old environments and old relationships. It happens. And it's probably not a good idea to be so condemnatory about it.

Can you imagine what Husk's reaction would be if Angel really did relapse? Would Angel feel safe opening up to Husk again if he knew how badly Husk could take it?

Sometimes, it seems as though Husk puts Angel on a pedestal. In Episode 8, when he tells Angel, "I guess you have changed," Angel doesn't look convinced, instead changing the subject. Husk sees Angel as better than Angel thinks he is.

And that goes hand-in-hand with when he was judging Angel more harshly in earlier episodes. Husk applies higher standards to Angel.

I think part of the reason why Husk is so hard on Angel is because Husk sees something in Angel that he doesn't see in himself - youth and potential. Husk has made it clear that he isn't trying to get into Heaven. He probably doesn't think he deserves it. That's why he told Angel not to look for answers to problems at the bottom of a bottle, but continued to drink himself.

My theory is that Husk is working on Angel because he finds it easier than working on himself.

It's much easier to judge and boss around others than to acknowledge and rectify your own flaws. To borrow a metaphor from Jesus Christ himself, Husk is trying to take specks of sawdust out of Angel's eye while he's still got plenty of planks in his own eye.

One of those planks being his complicity in the Overlord system.

Yes, I should probably mention that Husk used to be an Overlord. He used to participate in the very system that is now trapping and torturing Angel.

And he gambled with the souls that he owned! He put their afterlives at stake! Can you imagine being owned by Husk, thinking you knew where you stood, and then waking up one day to be told that you were now owned by someone else? Potentially someone as bad as Valentino?

(Now, I don't think Husk ever actually played a game with Valentino, given that he can't seem to remember Val's name in Episode 6, but still, the implications are horrifying.)

Angel didn't have too big a reaction when Husk opened up about his past. But that's probably because he was still reeling a bit from his own outburst. Once it had sunk in, how did he feel?

How can Angel feel safe and loved around someone who used to own souls and gamble with them carelessly? Someone who apparently still has his Overlord powers? Someone who could turn into yet another Valentino in the wrong circumstances?

How can a romance work?

Can a romance work?

Despite all of that?!

No, when I say, "I ship Huskerdust," I don't mean, "I think they're fluffy and adorable and 100% unproblematic." I mean, "Huskerdust contains interesting dynamics that are fun to explore." There's something about their interactions that I enjoy.

And Huskerdust could be a good way for the cartoon to dive into its themes of redemption and second changes.

Husk could change Angel for the better. We can see that, after Episode 4, Angel is willing to be more honest about what he's going through. He actually tells Niffty about the gruelling 16-hour shift Valentino put him through, instead of trying to pretend he's been all right.

If they became an official couple, Husk could show Angel what it's like to have someone genuinely care for him and his wellbeing, not just use him for money-making or self-gratification. Since Husk isn't interested in Angel's hypersexual porn star persona, it would be a chance for Angel to take the time to figure out who he (Anthony?) really is.

Angel could change Husk for the better, too. Other Tumblr bloggers have pointed out that Husk seemed to be drinking a little less after Episode 4. Perhaps watching Angel attempting self-improvement encouraged Husk to give it a go as well, albeit in a more low-key way.

And if Husk was the one who got Angel out of his contract with Valentino, that would be a great culmination of his character arc. It would be his own personal redemption for participating in the cruel Overlord system, because he'd be freeing someone from an Overlord's control. He'd be correcting his past mistakes. I for one would love to see that in a future season.

That is what I mean when I say "I ship Huskerdust."

TL;DR Angel and Husk are not perfect people, not by a long shot - but they could be perfect for each other.

[xxchaosjojoxx]

Hi :)

I have always loved law since his first appearance in the anime.

May I ask for a law x Reader but reader is an absolute GREAT at lying. Like they lie all the time and no one would know it was a lie due to specific things that aren't exactly related to the lie but was somehow a "proof" that it was believable. It even fooled Law himself.

Reader is always so happy, like always smiling and cheerful and everything. But with a really constructed lie, a smile isn't always real.

You get what I mean?

Most lies I was talking about was:

"I ate dinner" for example.

Reader didn't actually eat but can be proven to because 1, reader could have planned to "eat" later due to "work" when in reality, they just planned to go inside the lunch room for a few moments and made sure someone saw so they'd have an alibi.

So basically, it's based on alibis and statements that make said lie true.

A/N: Thanks so much for your request. I had an idea in my mind and suddenly it went dark/angst. I hope it is still to your liking and I’m not sure if I should do a second part to add some fluff like I had originally planned.

Lies

You were the sunshine on and inside the Polar Tang. With your bright smile, you could earn a lot of happy smiles and joyful words whenever you enter a room. No one would ever think that this was a facade. That all of this would be a lie. Even your captain would call anyone crazy who would think not of a bunch of sunshine whenever you are around.

Your skills as a thief back in the day are kinda handsy. You are quick and precise when it comes to battle. With your radiant presence and this bright smile paired with those big soft eyes it was easy to gain a lot of free supplies and goodies, whenever your duty was to go shopping. You joined the Heart pirates after stealing some things from Penguin and Shachi nearly 4 months ago. Sadly you couldn’t escape the blue orb nor the teleportation as this man, now your captain, Trafalgar Law was grabbing you with a smirk on his face. You had skill, this might come in handy for sure. That was his reason to let you join his crew. The fact that you would probably lose your head was not an option back there. He was intimidating but handsome. You would be a fool to not follow an attractive man.

The life you had back there was a life you wished to erase forever.

As a foster kid some adults used you for stealing. Kids are small, they can hide better, right?

Over the years you could perfect your stealing skills and one more skill. To lie. Whenever you trembled, whenever you where crying or doing not exactly what they told you, they would hurt you, torture you. You had to learn to lie, because you needed to survive. You had to lie to yourself, that all of this wouldn’t be your whole life. That you would find something better for sure someday. Then you met the heart pirates, they all welcomed you like a family. And even though you showed them your brightest smile, your happiest face, the loudest laugh, you were still aware of them. This is not real. They will use you when they get a chance. Don’t trust them. All of this was repeating in your head every now and then. No one knew what you were hiding because no one suspected anything.

The first time Law suspected something was not too long ago. He worked a lot today and went to the kitchen, to get a snack as he passed you. “You ok, y/n-ya? You look pale? Did you eat anything?”

You were looking at him, giving him a bright smile. “Hey Captain. Of course. I ate dinner already. I just ate too much, maybe that’s why.”

He looked at you with a stern look. “Ok don’t overwork yourself.”

“Aye aye Captain.” and with that you left him. Only after he entered the kitchen and saw the dish, he knew something was off.

Law saw Shachi and Penguin sitting at the table, talking and laughing. “Was Y/N in here?”

They looked at him. “Yeah, she just left with a plate in her hand. She has too much work to do, so she wanted to eat in her room.” The red haired said and Law tilted his head in confusion. “I just saw her, and she didn’t even have a plate in her hand.”

Bepo entered the kitchen from behind. “Oh she gave me the plate earlier. Said I should eat it. She had too much earlier and put way more on the plate for her to finish.”

“I see.” With this Law grabbed a snack and returned to his office with a bad feeling.

He was reading some paperwork as he took a bite from his snack. His mind was wandering back to you. It felt off. Did you really have dinner? The fact that you filled your plate with food and the fact why you didn’t have it when he met you earlier, it all was reasonable. But something was still weird. Would you lie to him? You had no reason for it. But remembering the food, he knew that Shachi was in charge of cooking today and he also knew that Shachi used some spices especially one you didn’t even like. There was no way you wouldn’t notice it and there was also no way that you would eat it to the point you would grab another plate. He hid his face in his hands and was remembering every situation with you in it since you joined. There was never an occasion that he would feel like this. Without even realizing he went towards the storage room, knowing you were on duty today, to write down what else you would need when you dock on the next island.

You stand there with a pencil and a little book in your hands, taking notes. As you felt his presence you turned around to see your captain and smiled at him. “Hey Captain. Can I help you with something?”

“Yeah, can you give me your hand for a second please? I need to confirm something.”

With a confused look you reached your right hand towards him, his warm hands were cupping your own and you could feel a light blush on your face.

“What exactly do you confirm?” You gulped and were looking at him.

“I thought I saw something earlier.” He had not enough time to think of anything clever.

“Do you feel better now? You know because of your second plate of food today.”

He had to concentrate on your heartbeat, on your pulse.

You were looking at him even more confused. “Yes, thank you.”

He squeezed your hand a little tighter. If people lie, their heartbeat, pulse and the breath would give them away, but everything was normal. Not even a slight change. But he knew that you didn’t have another plate. You gave it to Bepo. “Didn’t you give it to Bepo?”

He was staring at you. You felt a little shiver as he was staring at you with this cold look.

"Yeah, I did. I thought I could eat more, but then I felt sick so I gave it to Bepo instead.” Again you were smiling. You didn’t even have to think long enough or even stutter. Your answer was way too perfect. Even if you were telling him the truth, you wouldn’t answer as fast as possible.

“Did you ever lie to us?”

You shook your head and your eyes were wide. “What? No, why should I?”

“Tell me the truth.”

“I do. I never lied to you or anyone else on this ship.”

You were looking at him in determination and in this moment knew, he wouldn’t get the answer out of you.

He knew something was off but he couldn’t prove it. Just his gut feeling wouldn’t be enough.

He let go of your hand. “I’m sorry. I'll let you finish your work.” Law was about to leave the room as he turned his head towards you.

“You can trust us, you know? I know that your past was hard, but you are safe now. If you wanna talk with anyone about anything, do it please.”

Law could see a small nod coming from you. “Of course I do, captain. I already trust you. Thanks for checking on me.” You showed him a big grin and Law couldn’t help but feel this bad feeling inside him to blossom. Now that he felt off he couldn’t help but wonder, if those smiles of yours and your shining personalities are fake. What about you is real? What is a lie? He was determined to find the truth from this day on.

[silentglassbreak]

Fragmented

Noah Sebastian x OFC

I’M BACK BABY.

You didn’t actually think I wasn’t going to write Noah and Leena’s wedding, did you?! What kind of monster do you think I am?? LOL I hope you enjoy.

Taglist: @flowery-mess @lma1986 @myownthoughts12 @poisongirl616 @missduffsblog @reidsblessing @malerieee @jilliemiw86 @thisbicc @xx-like-a-villian-xx @diabolicdiatonics

Epilogue

Who decides what a flower is named? Who looked at a flower and said ‘rose’, or ‘tulip’, or ‘daisy’? Whoever was in charge of that was a strange individual.

These thoughts ran through my mind as I stared at a bundle of black pansies. Thats what I mean; who the fuck named these flowers?!

It was easier to think about that, than feeling the pitting fear in my gut. The last six months had been dream-like. Leena agreeing to marry me, and being over the moon and showing her ring off to everyone. She had been so busy during this time, planning and preparing for Laura to have the baby (which she did last month), I felt as though I only saw her in blurs.

She was always running, but what made it acceptable was that she was no longer running away from me. When the days finally relaxed, that’s when she found her way home, into bed, where no one else had her attention but me. She spent her free time gushing about the wedding plans, and making sure everything was perfect.

She had near complete creative control over the wedding, given that was her day anyway. I just wanted full planning control over the honeymoon. She had hesitantly agreed, but I knew she wouldn’t be disappointed.

We would spend a week in a cabin in Denali, AK, during the season where there is just enough sunshine to melt the snow. We would do whatever she wanted while we were there, but the cabin would be fully stocked in case we didn’t plan to leave. Isolated. Off the grid. A whole week, buried in the woods with her. Hiding from the rest of the world.

It sounded surreal. Like the best case scenario I could ever dream of.

Addie would stay with her Dad for the week in Seattle. The only part I had to really play was completed and set, so I felt a small lift of relief.

That is, until I realized it wasn’t the only part I still had to play.

There were no second thoughts or concerns. My feet were as warm as they could possibly be, and everyone knew that. I wavered none.

Mileena was my endgame. She was everything I would ever need. The woman had me so far under a spell of need and desire - pure unfiltered love and devotion. It was supernatural. A phenomenon very few get to experience in their lifetime. I would do whatever I could to ensure she was mine until our last breaths.

My nerves, however, persisted through the excitement and set in a deep-rooted anxiety. What if I screwed up? What if I still wasn’t good enough? What if she realized that a pathetic, unstable, foolish wretch like myself had captured her light, and ran?

I’m no fool; I know I’m a good man. I just know that she’s better, and that’s terrifying.

I was pulled from my thoughts when a large hand clapped me on the shoulder.

“You alright over here, mate?” I turned to see the long, dark-haired Brit staring at me, a contagious smile on his face.

It was ironic, given that I was once foolish enough to be concerned and jealous of him.

“Hey Oli.” I gave him a calm smile. “I’m good, just a little anxious.”

He nodded, his eyes crinkling at the edges.

“Well, fuck yeah you should be! You’re getting married!”

Letting out a hard breath, my eyes glanced around the room. People were filing into their seats and stopping to say hello to me and the guys, who were properly lined up behind me.

I looked back at Oliver, taking note of his black, jeweled suit. “I’m glad you came, man.”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

“I wouldn’t miss it, brother. You and Mileena are the closest example of real love I’ve seen in a while. You’re a lucky man.”

This made my teeth show with how wide my smile stretched. “You’re absolutely right.”

“I’ll see you after the ceremony, alright? Just breathe, remember your lines, and cry if you fucking can, man. They love that shit.”

I cackled, slapping his arm. “Will do.”

-

Every passing second was painful. We were lined up, ready and willing as ever to witness her show her face. My palms were dampening at an alarming rate, and I continued to swipe them across the thigh of my tuxedo.

“Calm down, Noah. It’s almost time.” Nick’s voice directly behind me whispered, and I felt the lump in my throat form. “You’ve got this.”

My eyes looked down at my shoes, shiny and black, exactly how they should be. The carpet I stood on was a deep crimson, off-setting the white accented patterns everywhere.

The first notes began to play, and my eyes squeezed shut.

This was it. This was where we finished it. This was forever.

First, Laura came down, Addison’s small body in her arms. Her beautiful, tiny black dress flowed, her hair braided and adorned with deep red roses. Laura approached, bringing Addie to me so I could kiss her cheek and give her a quick nuzzle to her nose. She smiled brightly at me, few teeth shining. An unbelievable image of her mother.

Taking her place on the other side of the altar, the music quickly changed, and I watched as Angel, black bow tie on his collar, came down with a white felted box in his teeth.

Uniform as ever, he marched proudly between the rows of seats, and came directly to Nick as he called. My best man took the box, and sat Angel directly next to him. He took a quick second to remove both rings, and stepped across the stage to hand Laura hers. He placed a swift peck on her lips, and patted Addie on the head.

Then, the Officiant stepped forward.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the bride.”

Standing quickly, everyone’s heads turned toward the end of the aisle, and my eyes instinctively dropped to the floor. I had to breathe. I had to keep my composure. I couldn’t slip now. It was fucking showtime, and I never got nervous.

Hearing the crowd gasping and cooing signaled she was coming, and I couldn’t fuck this up now.

Taking a half of a second to will my breathing to steady, I swallowed my stress, and glanced upward, hands tucked neatly behind my back, and legs shoulder width apart. I was ready.

Except that when my eyes caught her, I almost toppled right then and there.

Make no mistakes, Mileena was stunning in every form; made up, dressed down, straight out of a shower or sick as a dog. Didn’t matter. She was breathtaking - always.

But right here, in this very moment, my knees were going to buckle at the sheer sight of her.

Long, midnight hair hung in large, loose curls down her shoulders. Slender streaks of deep red strands hid within the curls. That was new. The stark white dress she wore flowed loosely below her hips, but was impossibly tight around her rib cage, black lace wrapping her midsection in a harsh corset. Her dress was modest, a high neckline coming to wrap around her throat. Lace black sleeves covered the length of her arms, and in her hands she held a variety of black pansies and roses.

All that was lovely, but what made the air rush from my lungs was her eyes. Staring directly at me.

These people, the nearly one hundred bodies all staring at her as she flowed effortlessly down the aisle, holding her Dad’s arm for support, were lost on her.

She could only see me.

Mileena’s eyes were not what I expected. Fear? Nerves? Second thoughts?

None.

They were sure. They were steady. They were all for me.

My chest began tingling, my hands beginning to fidget in anticipation. I wanted to get my hands on her. I wanted to touch her face, feel she was real.

“Who gives this woman to this man?”

Her dad squeezed her hand, smiling down at her.

“I do.”

He kissed the back of her hand before giving me one last, stern look. Taking his seat, I took her fingers in mine and led her up to me. Her lips were turned up in a smile that I had never seen. I couldn’t place what it was, but it was blinding.

The words being spoken about our gathering, and why we were here were mute to me. I couldn’t stop looking at her, hands in mine, and admiring how absolutely perfect she was. No flaws. No hesitation.

How the fuck did I manage this? How did I get this fucking lucky?

“Noah, your vows?”

It occurred to me that I was being spoken to, and I had to pull myself from the bubble I had built around her and I.

Realizing what was expected, I smirked, nodding my head. “Right, sorry.”

There were small giggles in the crowd.

I cleared my throat, and regained eye contact with her.

“Mileena Jane,” Her face softened, fingers squeezing mine. “You would think that given my profession, I’d be good at this kind of thing.” She raised an eyebrow. “But I’m not, so please, forgive me if it’s awful.”

Rolling her eyes playfully, she squeezed m my hands again encouragingly.

“I met you during the darkest time of my existence. I was a drunk, disgusting mess when you found me. Although I had never expected anyone to be willing to put up with me long enough to fix me, you still picked me up, and put me back together.”

Her expression turned to some kind of surprise. I kept breathing, working my way through it.

“You’ve given me everything I could ever ask for, and I admit, I’m greedy enough to accept all that I can. You are my absolute light.”

Her eyes were welling up, and I felt slightly proud.

“So, today, I make these vows to you. I vow to protect you at any and all possible consequence. I vow to be faithful, to be fair, and to always bear the weight of our burdens. I vow to never let anyone or anything come between this love we’ve found.”

The tears began slipping down her face.

“I vow to be yours, until the last breath I take…” I let a smirk pull my lips. “even if you’re the one taking it, because I forgot to switch over the laundry.”

A harsh laugh choked out of her, and she brought one hand to her lips.

It took her a moment to compose before the Officiant turned to her.

“Mileena?”

She was wiping a single tear from her eye, working hard to not smear her makeup. She giggled.

“I should’ve gone first, because I straight up do not know how to follow that.”

The crowd laughed, and I grinned brightly at her. Her hand rejoined mine and she sighed loudly.

“Oh Noah,” She shook her head lightly, a knowing look on her face. “I don’t think, throughout this time we’ve spent together, you really understand how much you’ve healed me. Having our love, and this life we built, is the only reason I breathe. The only reason I am here today, is because you busted your way into my life, and pulled me from the reclusive shell I had hid in for years. For that, you will never understand how grateful I am.”

The familiar sting began in my eyes, and I remembered Oli’s words. I would let them fall. She deserved to see every last vulnerable second.

“Noah Sebastian Davis,” I inhaled, waiting. “today I make these vows to you. I vow to be your rock. Your ground. The voice that brings you down when the fame goes to your head.” She smirked at me, and the crowd laughed. The first tear fell from my eyes.

“I vow to be your absolute peace. I vow to be steady, never wavering from this place as your partner. I vow to do my best to keep you sane, despite the way I know you’ll fight me.” I squeezed her hands, tears now streaming. “I vow to always be yours, and nothing less. Until my dying day, I vow my life to you.”

-

We had less than five minutes until the reception started, and we had to make a grand entrance. However, Leena had plans that had to be attended to before we could go anywhere.

She had me pinned up against the wall behind the door of the reception hall, lips attached to mine in a passionate, heated kiss. Her hands were gripping the lapels of my tux in a death grip. My arms were wrapped around her waist, savoring the feeling of her body pressed against mine.

“Do we skip out and head to the hotel? I need you so fucking bad.” Her mouth breathed against my neck as she spoke.

As much as my cock loved that idea, stirring from its place inside my boxers, I gripped her arms, separating us slightly.

“How badly I wish we could, my love. But Laura will murder us both if she doesn’t get to make her speech.”

She groaned, pressing my leg between hers.

“Worth it?”

I chuckled, brushing a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

“Let’s go, baby. I promise, it’ll be worth it.”

Making our way into the reception, guests applauded as we walked to our table.

The speeches were first. The champagne toast (sparkling water for Leena and I), was complete, and we gave our own speeches seamlessly.

It was time for the first dance, and I smiled at Mileena.

“Ready?”

Her eyes scanned the small stage. “I am, but where’s the DJ?”

The stage was vacated, only a few stray instruments laying across it.

Mileena had planned for our first dance to be set to ‘If I’m There’, played by the DJ. However, unbeknownst to her, I had other plans.

“Oh, he’s on a break. I asked someone else to help us out.”

She raised her eyebrows at me, clearly annoyed that I had changed the plan without her knowledge.

“Where’s my happy couple?” The accented voice rang through the speakers, and her head snapped over to see Oliver stood on stage, suit jacket discarded, and smiling at us. “Ready for your first dance, love?”

Her mouth fell agape.

Nick, Jolly, and Folio climbed the stage, grabbing their respective instruments.

“What is this?”

“I thought you’d like to dance to your real favorite song.”

She was stunned. “What do you mean? If I’m There is my favorite.”

I grabbed her hand, leading her out of her chair. “It’s your favorite Omens song. It’s not your favorite song of all time.”

I could see the gears turning in her head.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you for the first time, Mr. And Mrs. Davis!” Oli’s voice rang out and the guests cheered.

I pulled her onto the floor, and I could see the look of adoration on her face as the guys began the opening chords, Oliver’s voice melodic as ever.

“My head is haunting me, and my heart feels like a ghost. I need to feel something, cause I’m still so far from home.”

When recognition hit her face, her eyes teared up again. Wild of her to think I didn’t know her favorite song.

I pulled her body in close to mine, eyes meeting hers, and smiled warmly.

“Cross your heart and hope to die. Promise me you’ll never leave my side.”

She sniffled. “Noah, I can’t believe you did this.”

“Show me what I can’t see when the spark in my eyes is gone. You got me on my knees. I’m your one man cult.”

Leaning down to speak directly into her ear, I whispered. “I would do anything for you.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die. Promise you I’ll never leave your side.”

She swayed with me, eyes glancing over to Oliver every so often. Her own private performance entrancing her.

“Cause I’m telling you, you’re all I need. I promise you, you’re all I see.”

Leena’s Dad lead Laura out onto the floor. Andy pulled Juliet. Matt pulled his girlfriend Sarah. All of the couples beginning to join us.

“Cause I’m telling you, you’re all I need. I’ll never leave.”

A fierce smile broke out onto her face as the song crescendoed.

“So you could drag me through hell, if it meant I could hold your hand.”

Our bodies kept up with the tempo.

“I will follow you, cause I’m under your spell. And you can throw me to the flames.”

“I will follow you. I will follow you.”

Her head came to rest on my chest, breathing into the side of my neck.

“I love you so much, Noah.”

I smiled, leaning my cheek against her head.

“I love you too, Mileena.”

So you can drag me through hell, if it meant I could hold your hand.

I will follow you, cause I’m under your spell.

And you can throw me to the flames.

I will follow you.

I will follow you.

[darkbluekies]

What are the yanderes favourite seasons? Or favourite kind of weather? What your favourite season, Blue? :D

I personally love calm rainy weathers :3 perfect to sit on the balcony, sipping tea and reading something while listening to the rain dropping on leaves ^^

Silas: since he is from Greece I feel like he's a summer person. I feel like he wants a reason to show off his muscles. And he does not like being crammed in a winter jacket. Sunny, hot and warm breeze<3

Dr Kry: spring!! Life is starting to come back after a long winter, and he is fascinated by how the greeney is coming back to life. He starts his gardening and gets his will to live back. Sunny, not too hot and crisp air<3

King Edmund: probably autumn? Hard to say. I think he likes the atmosphere of autumn. He likes the smell of the forest after rain, the fact that he doesn't sweat his ass off anymore and likes the look of leaves in the wind. Sunny, crisp air, after it has just been raining<3

Jerry: this girl likes spring. I feel like she secretly likes to see the flowers and definitely likes warmer weather. Summer is also nice for her, but I feel like she isn't that big of a fan of sunshine. Cloudy, warm breeze<3

Hedwig: summer!!!!!!!!!! This girl will not stay in England once she becomes a real adult because she can't stand the weather!!!!! She loves to be by the pool, to wear summer dresses etc. Loves summer. Sunny, warm wind, extremely hot<3

And yours truly, I love all seasons, honestly. I think that autumn might be my favorite because of the atmosphere. I get all good book ideas in fall (example being the "story 1" of my private ones i showed a while ago lol) and I just love the look of the leaves and fog and such.

But my ABSOLUTE favorite weather is during the summer, when the sky is so unbelievably dark that there's a dark hue over the world, just before the rain starts. NOTHING gives me inspiration to write like that!!!

My favorite season to run is in winter because I don't sweat, it's dark early and the snow is fun to run in + everything is beautiful<333

[internet1girl]

Chapter 2: Behind the Ice.

Pairing: Johnny Cage x Fem!Reader

Summary: A large and empty pyramid in a large and empty desert await both you and Johnny, what will happen now that the two of you are alone?

Word count: 10k Warnings/Notices: named!reader, angst, johnny being annoying, violence, gore depicted, reader is rude and mean, a few curse words here and there, flirty johnny, sexually suggestive

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A/N: y’all I’m so sorry this has been sitting in my notes for weeks 😭 i’m such a procrastinator

Morning has descended onto Outworld. Gentle rays of sunlight illuminate the land below, casting out the darkness of the night. Birds from outside can be heard tweeting and chirping, a celebration of the moon handing over control to its solar counterpart.

The carriage is still continuing its journey towards the mission site, the two of you are now almost there.

Inside, you’re still fast asleep. Lost in the world of dreams, light snores can be heard slipping out of your parted lips. Johnny, however, has been awake for sometime. He was propped up in his seat, lazily scrolling through social media and letting out the occasional yawn as his body was ridding itself of the last vestiges of his fatigue.

He glanced up from his phone and took a look at you, still asleep and snoring lightly. A smirk graced his features. He had to admit, you looked rather cute while you were sleeping. Those light, barely audible snores coming from you made him chuckle, there was something so adorably funny about it.

Sunlight was streaming into the carriage. With the angle the vehicle was situated on, a ray of light fell right upon your sleeping body, specifically your face. The light of the ray gave your skin a lovely glow, almost as if it was emanating light itself.

Johnny couldn't help but admire you in this state. The way your skin shined and how the sunlight contrasted with your hair made you even more attractive in his eyes. You looked so pretty, a near-perfect example of a sleeping beauty.

Women like you were his weakness.

After a few moments of this, he sighed, a long and breathy exhale coming from him. Shaking whatever inappropriate thoughts he had out of his head, he leaned over you and lightly shook your arm, making sure to speak in a low voice.

"Wake up, sweet cheeks."

You were pulled from unconsciousness. The sudden transition from asleep to awake left you riddled with confusion. Your voice comes out slurred and slow as you begin to speak to him.

“Wha...Johnny? What are you..."

The sight of you like this drew a chuckle out of Johnny. That groggy and confused look on your face was so adorable to him, he really couldn’t resist the urge to taunt you a bit.

"Good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"

"...Would've slept better if I wasn't woken up in the middle of the night..." You mutter, yawning loudly as you push your body up. You were awake for the day now, there was no going back to sleep. 

"Have you woken me up because you're bored again?”

Johnny smiled at how groggy and dazed you sounded, not-so-subtly staring as you sit up and stretch out your limbs. The yawn you let out was quite loud, it got a small laugh out of him. Leaning back in his seat and shaking his head slightly, he spoke up and answered you.

"Believe it or not, no. I didn't wake you up 'cause I'm bored. I just thought you should be awake when we arrive at our destination."

"We're here?!" You’re rather alert now, you practically splutter out your words as you shoot up in your seat.

Johnny let out another laugh at your rather hyper response. Your slightly messy hair, the bags under your eyes, your bewildered yet alert expression, it was such a sight for him. You’re like a cute little raccoon, he loved it!

"Not quite. We're pretty close though." He pointed out of the window at the now different scenery. "We should be there in a few minutes or so."

"Oh..." You slump back down in your seat, a sigh coming from you as the adrenaline starts to leave your system. You stretch a little and wipe the sleep in your eyes away with your finger. Surprisingly, you actually don’t look that messy for someone who slept in a literal box.

After another loud yawn, you turn to Johnny, your vision still slightly blurry. "How did you sleep?"

"Eh, fine. A little uncomfortable, but I've slept in worse places than this." He shrugged ever so casually, not at all showing concern about the day ahead of him.

“We have a big day ahead of us. I hope you actually did sleep."

Johnny chuckled heartily at your comment, amused that you appeared to be concerned about his sleeping habits. 

"Oh, I slept just fine, darlin'. You're worrying too much about me."

You scoff at his reply, a little baffled by his assumption. This man was so incredibly self-centred, it was all parts amusing and irritating.

"I am not worried about you. I only ask because I am concerned about how you will perform on this mission. I do not wish to mess this up for Liu Kang."

He smirked at you in response. You tried to claim that you weren’t worried for him, how cute! Though the truth, he didn’t buy your words. His ego was that large that the concept of anyone being anything less than obsessed with him was merely a fantasy.

"Aw, come on now. I'm the greatest damn fighter Earthrealm's got! You really think that the great Johnny Cage is gonna mess up an important mission like this?"

"If you're the greatest fighter Earthrealm has, then why was Raiden selected to represent us in the Mortal Kombat tournament?" You inquire with a slight snark in your voice, raising an eyebrow as you await an answer.

Johnny opened and then closed his mouth, both dumbfounded and speechless for the first time in a while. Your sudden comment about the tournament and how Raiden was Earthrealm's champion, rather than him, caught the man off guard entirely. He tried to come up with some quip to use against you, wanting to keep up his usual cocky demeanour, but he remained speechless.

A sly grin grew across your face, the sight before you was almost too good to be true. You prop your legs up on the seat adjacent and you cross your arms to your chest. To see this man, who normally couldn't stop talking, finally be rendered speechless and put in his place pleased you more than it should've.

"Yes... as I remember, you lost the first fight out of the five of us. Raiden bested you, didn't he?" 

You knew what you were doing. Smugness was practically dripping from your voice as you inspected your nails, still awaiting a response. To him, it was like you were pouring salt on a wound. It was like you were kicking him when he was already down.

He couldn't handle the taste of his own medicine.

Johnny closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, his jaw clenched tightly as your words rang in his mind. After all these months, he was admittedly still a little salty about how Raiden kicked his ass in the first round, it was still a bit of a sore spot for him. The great Johnny Cage loosing to some…farm boy. At times, he still couldn’t believe that it was real.

He could practically feel the smugness that was dripping from your words as you spoke of his defeat. Not to mention that you were now gloating about how he was beaten in the first round, too. How humiliating.

You start quietly snickering to yourself, the grin on your lips was growing wider by the second as you observed how pissy Johnny got when his ego was bruised.

"Lighten up, Cage. I'm only joking around."

Johnny narrowed his eyes at the sight of you and that smug grin of yours. Yeah, you were just messing around, he knew that. That was why he didn’t completely lost his cool on you. But that didn't mean that your words didn't bother him.

He clenched his jaw again before speaking in a rather terse tone.

"Yeah, yeah, joke all you like, princess."

You scoff and roll your eyes, brushing off his grumbly mood. The fact that Johnny could give but not take isn't your problem. No, not when you two have somewhere to investigate.

"We should be arriving soon. Stop sulking and focus on the task at hand."

Johnny grumbled slightly, he knew that you were correct about focusing on this mission. He had to swallow his pride and focus on the task at hand, despite how frustrated he was. He leaned back in his seat again and looked out of the windows, his expression remaining tense.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever.”

There's a silence between the two of you for a few minutes, only the trundle of the carriage being audible. You’re occupying yourself by looking out of the carriage window, staring at the outside world. Johnny had his gaze pointed downwards, fiddling with his hands and grumbling incomprehension under his breath. That fight was totally rigged, Liu Kang is LYING.

Suddenly, without warning, the carriage stopped. You and Johnny were both visibly caught off guard by this. Footsteps can be heard making their way from the front of the vehicle to the its interior's door. As suddenly as the carriage stopped, the door swung open.

You and Johnny hastily shield your eyes from the sudden onslaught of bright light. As both of your visions adjust to the light of the sun, your sight finally focuses on Geras in the doorway, now with the hood of his cloak down. His sepia skin looked smooth, like marble. His eyes were... a glowing blue?

He began to speak to you confused two in that same usual rough and raspy, yet comforting voice.

“Jade. Johnny. Good morning. We have arrived at your destination.”

Johnny perked up upon hearing that he’s finally here, after all this time. He laughed a little, cracking his knuckles and shaking his legs in preparation.

"Alright, sweet! We can stretch our legs now."

He turned to you, his tone is soft and his voice cheerful.

"You ready?"

"...Yes, I am." Your voice carried a hint of uncertainty to it but you nod in response, confirming that you’re good to go.

With that being said, the two of you exited the carriage. Geras graciously stood to the side as Johnny clambered out first, wildly rocking the vehicle in the process. Once he was on his own two feet, he loudly yawned and stretched his limbs out. He spent such a long time in those cramped confinements, he was grateful to be standing again.

Like the gentleman that he is, he turned around and dramatically bowed down, offering a hand out to you like a chauffeur would do to a starlet. And they say romance is dead!

Unfortunately for him, you didn't see it that way. No, instead of leaping into his arms like this was one of his movies, you simply suck your teeth and swat his hand away, giving him the stink eye as you walk down the steps of the carriage.

Johnny's attempt to be charming and act like the kind gentlemen he did back home was completely foiled by your brush-off. His hand hovered by his side for a brief moment. He looked over at you, a mixture of annoyance and slight confusion plastered over his face. He wanted to impress you, to show how nice and chivalrous he is, but instead he was greeted with a dismissive swat and a nasty glare? Ah, you must still be a little tired.

He sighed in defeat and muttered something under his breath, a bit more to himself than to you.

"Jeez...can't even try to be nice..."

You heard what he had to say, staring him down like you were looking at a bug. You didn’t respond, though. He wasn’t worth the waste of energy. Why focus on him when you have a mission at hand? Speaking of, now that you were finally out of the carriage, you look around and start to take in your new surroundings. 

It was hot, very hot. You could see the way sights in the distance had a little wave to them, it was that warm. A vast, barren desert with nothing but dry ground and sand in sight met the both of you. Dry ground, and a massive, ancient pyramid ahead up ahead.

Johnny was buzzing with anticipation. The sight before him was truly impressive, he couldn't help the tingle of excitement threading its way through his being. It was a chance for an actual adventure, like something he'd star in, and he was going to relish every minute of it.

However…the same couldn’t be said of you. The sight of that massive structure in the distance, looming over the horizon and sticking out like a sore thumb, sent a chill down your spine. It looked…terrifying. All dark and eerie. A small part of you did wish that Liu Kang had selected someone else for this. Better they meet a grim fate than you.

As you and Johnny both stood in awe of your new environment, Geras stepped away from the horses and walked into view.

"The source of this disturbance has been traced to this pyramid in the distance. When you are ready to leave, I shall be here. I wish the both of you luck."

Johnny turned to face Geras, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment. He was so incredibly excited, he was bouncing around on his feet as he struggled to contain the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Thanks, Geras. We got this."

You also turn to Geras and nodded your head, calmly expressing your gratitude.

"Thank you, Geras."

You turn back to Johnny, the neutral expression on your face contrasted his jovial one. He looked like a kid in a toy store whilst you looked like you were going to war.

"Well...let's go.”

Johnny's excitement was only further fuelled by your calm but ready demeanour. He returned your stern face with a wide grin and an enthusiastic nod.

"Yeah, let’s go! Let's kick some ass and end whatever's happening!"

He started forward, his pace brisk as he began to jog to the imposing structure up ahead. Sighing, you took off as well, not before waving goodbye to Geras.

You walked quickly to catch up to Johnny, not thinking it wise to let him run off on his own. Just what have you gotten yourself into?

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You catch up to Johnny, slowing your pace as you take your place beside him. He couldn't deny slightly feeling a small tingle of something at the sight of you next to him. The way the accents on your uniform gleamed in the sunlight made you look even more breathtaking, the need to get a little closer to you started to gnaw at him.

He took the chance to get chatty, wanting to fill the silence with something. And what better way than something flirtatious?

"Hey, Jade. Can I ask you something real quick?"

"Ask." You didn’t even turn to face him as you responded, not considering it worth the effort.

Johnny slowed his pace ever so slightly as to keep you closer to him. Truth be told, he didn’t actually have a question in mind. He just wanted to hear your sweet voice, even if it was chastising him.

He took a second to generate an think of an actual question, his brown eyes flickering with speculation before finally landing on something. His voice was casual and his tone a bit cocky, but there was a small hint of genuine curiosity behind his words.

"So...you ever had a boyfriend?"

You turn to Johnny to give him a disapproving look, a scowl gracing your features.

"That is none of your business, Cage."

Johnny chuckled softly, his confident and casual demeanour failed to falter. Your cold response did nothing to deter him. If anything, he found it endearing how annoyed you got at him.

"Oh, come on, princess. I'm just tryna get to know you better, that's all."

You don’t say anything, instead you suck your teeth in irritation. The desert heat, as well as Johnny Cage in general, was evidently starting to get to you.

To Johnny, this was just too damn easy. You were all the entertainment he needed on this mission. The way your face screwed up whenever he said something stupid was money. You were just so cute!

He glanced to the side, finally taking note of the dry and hot atmosphere surrounding, and how uncomfortable it was getting. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down the nape of his neck, the inside of his uniform was starting to cling and stick to his heated skin.

"Damn...don't know about you, but it's getting hot out here."

"I'm aware..." You wipe the brewing sweat off of your forehead, mentally cursing yourself for not bringing any drinking water with you.

Johnny laughed a little at your slightly grumpy reply, he was amused by how stuffy and uncomfortable you looked in the moment. He could tell the heat of the desert was getting to you, and, as always, he found your growing irritation to be pretty damn cute.

'What, princess? Can't handle the heat?"

You brush a loose strand of hair out of your face, not responding to him.

He merely chuckled again in response to your silence, your lack of response did nothing to deter this little pest. That sly smirk remained on his face as he continued to tease you in the same mocking tone as before.

"Oh, c'mon now. Not gonna give me a witty comeback, darlin'?"

"How is it that you have a man's body but a boy's mind?" You turn to face him, finally replying. Your eyes were narrowed, your voice laced with irritation. 

In contrast, Johnny burst into a round of laughter. He liked the response he got, maybe a little too much. A small part of him did feel a little flustered that you were so observant about him, but he didn’t let this show. He stopped walking to catch his breath, managing to speak through his bouts of laughter.

"Oh, nice one, princess! l love a woman who can give as good as she gets."

You too stop walking, pausing your pace to look down at him with your arms crossed. Disdain darkened your eyes, you look at him like a parent about to scold this misbehaving child.

“Tch, imbecile…”

Johnny took a moment to compose himself before he stood back up and bounced around a little bit, still laughing a little.

"What can I say? I'm gifted, in many different ways." 

"Gods above, you're gross..." You mutter as you pick your stride back up and walk past him, the back of you hiding the nastiest of scowls forming on your face. The way he put emphasis on the word “many” made it painfully obvious what this devil was implying.

Johnny continued to laugh for a few more seconds before recovering from his little fit. He watched you walk past him, shamelessly drinking in the view that was the back of you.

He did eventually managed to calm himself down, though. Jogging a bit to catch up to you, he was walking by your side once more, en route to the massive imposing structure in the distance.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

After walking for about a mile more, the two of you finally reached the pyramid. Now standing outside the main entrance, you both look up at the gigantic building, taking all of the massive sight in.

The pyramid was a tall, imposing, ominous and incredibly ancient building.

Having been long since abandoned, it was now in a state of decay. The paved floor of the main entrance was cracked, debris and rubble scattered all around the courtyard. The once pristine sandstone bricks were now green with mold and overgrown vegetation. A large, wide shadow was cast in the part of the desert it was situated in. not even the local wildlife dared to venture near this building.

Both you and Johnny were equally starstruck by the sheer presence of the pyramid. Neither of you had ever seen anything like this in your lives. You both couldn't help but stare up at the massive structure in awe. It was absolutely enormous and more than a little intimidating to look at. Despite its decay, it was still very impressively built, withstanding the test of time.

You two were stood right at the base, each of your gazes focused on the top of the building. The ominous darkness of the inside, where it was void of sunlight, was strangely captivating.

Johnny’s voice finally spoke, his tone soft and surprised.

"Damn...it's impressive. Creepy...but impressive."

"Indeed..." You mindlessly agree because yeah, he’s pretty much correct.

You stop ogling the massive structure and turn to the side to face Johnny, your facial expression and tone now deadly serious.

"We don't know what we're walking into, we must be ready for anything. If you need to take a minute to prepare yourself, that's fine. Let me know when you're ready to enter."

Johnny tore his eyes away from the structure to look at you, taking note of how serious you looked, a lot more than usual. It was a far cry from the annoyed and frustrated expressions that he had been working so hard to bring out just minutes ago. He found himself having to adjust to the sudden shift in atmosphere.

He nodded his head slowly, his own expression now also much more focused and serious.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm good."

He folded his hands together, cracking his knuckles before speaking again.

"Let's do this."

You nod your head at him, acknowledging his conformation. The tiniest of smiles graced your features.

The two of you make your way to and through the entrance of the pyramid, stepping over debris, overgrown vegetation and the bones of ancient corpses. Such a charming setting.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The pyramid interior was what would be expected of such a building. Dark, unclean, creepy and with a musty smell in the air. Both the interior and exterior of the building were equal in the amount of eerie and ominous vibes that they emitted. Johnny felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of his new surroundings, but he ignored it in an attempt to remain as calm as possible.

Thankfully, Liu Kang provided the pair of you with torches to combat the pyramid's darkness. Flicking them on and using the light streams to scan around the massive space, you and Johnny start to examine your surroundings.

You both slowly and carefully walk forward, keeping alert and on guard in case anything jumps out. The semi-flickering light of the torch seemed to throw shadows all over the place, which really didn’t ease the creepy atmosphere.

Johnny spoke up after a moment, his voice still calm despite the dark surroundings.

"Sure is...charming in here."

You didn’t respond, you were busy shaking off the remnants of a cobweb that you accidentally stepped on, quietly wincing as you shake the string off of your boot. You can’t stand insects, and the realisation that this old pyramid was most likely full of them sent a shiver down your spine.

…Not that you want Johnny to know that. Why give him one more thing to tease you about?

Well, unfortunately for you, Johnny did indeed take notice of your shaking off the cobwebs, and you wincing in slight disgust. He laughed quietly to himself, the sight of a big bad assassin being shaken by some tiny bugs was amusing to him. A taunt slipped out, in a rather mocking manner. He really couldn't help himself.

"Pffft…you afraid of some little bugs, princess?"

“…No." A lie. An unconvincing one at that.

Whatever, though. You have bigger fish to fry. After throughly shaking your boot clean, you make your way over to Johnny, standing by his side as you pull out a supposed map of the temple given to you by Liu Kang.

"Let's see...we should be right...here."

Johnny glanced over the map, checking for his current location. A sly smirk on his face, he was tempted to tease you further about your arachnophobia but he very maturely decided to stop. He is on a mission, after all.

Speaking of, when you pointed it out your current location, he nodded his head and looked over at you in acknowledgment.

"Yeah...got it. Looks like we're right on track."

You begin explaining the plan you thought up, solely focusing on the map in your hands as well as the potential layout of the pyramid interior. Johnny, however, lost focus pretty much immediately. Instead, he switched his attention over to your lovely self, starting to blatantly check you out. He was shamelessly looking at your body, his gaze roaming all over. You were so close to him, he even caught a faint scent of your perfume. All of your words were going in one ear and out the other as you were diligently explaining your plan.

That was, until you snapped him back to reality.

"...So do you understand?"

Uh oh.

Johnny was too preoccupied with…assessing you to even have the faintest idea about what you were saying. It wasn't until you had asked if he understood the plan that he snapped out of his trance. He was so distracted by your…features that he had lost count of how long he had been staring at your body instead of the map in your hands.

He snapped his focus back to you, hoping his ogling hadn't been too obvious.

"...Huh?"

You frowned.

"And you weren't listening. Great." You sarcastically muttered, irritation starting to simmer inside of you.

Johnny mentally berated himself for getting too sidetracked by “analysing” your form instead of listening to a word of the plan. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to look apologetic.

"Uh...sorry, I was a bit..."

He stopped himself before he said he was too busy checking you out. That would make things worse.

"…Distracted. Got a little...distracted, looking at you."

Ugh, was he serious?

You were pissed, of course, but you couldn’t say that you weren’t somewhat expecting this. After all, this is Johnny "hi i'm a notorious womaniser" Cage you’re with.

You can’t be bothered to repeat your whole plan again, you only sigh and give him a disapproving look before carrying on.

"Right, you know what? It doesn't matter. Just...follow me."

You turn around and advance further within the building, slightly slamming down the soles of your boots on the hard floor as you make your way down a staircase.

Johnny could tell how annoyed and angry you were at his lack of attention. He really couldn't blame you, this was kinda his fault. He internally scolded himself not only for not listening but also for being shameless enough to be ogling you so blatantly to the point of being distracted.

He followed behind you in silence, the echoes of your boots against the stone floor being the only sound between you two as the both of you ventured down the staircase. He winced at your rather hard steps, knowing that they were a sign that you were rightfully pissed at him.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

So there the two of you were. Venturing down a staircase that led to the rest of the pyramid. You were in front, leading both yourself and Johnny further through the building. He was behind you, his focus solely on the darkness in front of him...

And also on your ass.

Well, he really was trying hard to focus on the task at hand and not get sidetracked once again, honest! But… it was proving difficult to do so. His eyes involuntarily found themselves roaming all over your back view, it was taking every bit of effort to keep them on the darkness ahead instead of your…features. Gods, the way your hips swayed with every step you took…

Thankfully for him, you didn’t notice his staring. Instead, you stopped walking and waved Johnny over, pulling out the pyramid map from your back pocket. You wanted to suggest where in the pyramid to head for. The innermost chamber, the near centre of the building, would be a good start in finding the origin of this disturbance, you thought.

You took a step towards him. The two of you were now close enough to the point where your shoulders were touching. Noticing this, he grinned at you, shooting you a wink to go with it. You don’t reciprocate his advances, you only roll your eyes in response, muttering under your breath about how much of a dog he is.

Johnny chuckled to himself upon seeing your beautiful eyes roll yet again. He really got a kick out of your annoyed reactions, finding them strangely cute in a way.

Focusing back on the map, you point to where the innermost chamber was depicted.

"I think we should head...here. This should be a good start in looking for whatever the source is."

He actually did try to focus on the map this time instead of you once again, but the two of you were so close that Johnny couldn’t help not saying something. His eyes flickered mischievously, and he started to whisper something into your ear.

"You know, Jade...you're really cute."

"You know, Johnny...you're really annoying." You banter back with him, but not in any way that suggests you share the same interest he has in you. Very much the opposite. 

"Ha! Oh, come on. You know you like it.”

Johnny’s tone had that cockiness to it that you couldn’t stand, he didn’t miss a beat and completely unfazed by how irritated you were with him. He nudged you slightly with his shoulder, a cheeky smirk plastered on his face as he did so.

"Ugh..." You roll your eyes again and let out a groan. His relentlessness astounds. 

"Annoying AND self-deluded..."

Johnny continued to smirk at you, the look in his eyes hungry. He was more than used to the your pissed off and frustrated reactions. That’s why he did what he did. You’re just so damn cute!

He leaned in closer with a smug expression, speaking in a low, sultry tone.

"But you know you love it when I get on your nerves, princess."

His everlasting pursuit of you, coupled with that sickly sultry voice, sent a feeling of disgust through your body. Rage was starting to simmer within your being.

You take a couple of steps back from Johnny, not wishing to be this close to this man-child anymore.

"Some may swoon for you, but I will not." Your tone was firm, unwavering. You weren’t going to fall for this womaniser’s tricks.

Johnny's smirk widened into a grin. He stepped forward again to close the newly established distance between the two of you, getting right back in your personal space.

"What, you think you're too good for me? Too good to flirt with little ol' me?”

He flashed you his pearly teeth for a second. His voice was cocky and arrogant, he leaned in towards you as he spoke next.

“C'mon... you know I can make you change your mind."

Of course, he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was only pissing you off more. Or maybe he wasn’t, and this was all just a game to him. But, once again, he got a little too close for comfort. You did nothing in order to stop him, though. A strong death glare was aimed right at him as the man smirked in your face.

Johnny snickered softly at your expression, the scrunchy look on your face was oh so strangely attractive to him. He closed in the distance a little further, noses only a few inches apart. He leaned in so that he could whisper something to you.

"You're so damn cute when you're angry, sweetheart."

You started to respond, but then you suddenly stop. Taking your attention off of Johnny, you whip your head to the right, looking at the darkness ahead.

There was a noise coming from ahead of you. It almost sounded like...footsteps? No, this couldn't be. The pyramid was supposed to be completely deserted, void of life. And yet... this mysterious sound still persisted. Cutting through the silence, this was something that sent a chill down the spine of both you and Johnny.

You push Johnny away by a couple of meters, looking at him with worry awash all over your face.

"Stop." You push Johnny away by a couple of meters, looking at him with worry awash all over your face. "Did you hear that?"

Johnny felt a pang of...something when you suddenly pushed him away. But whatever it was it quickly vanished from his mind when he heard an unexplained noise coming from the dark corridor.

"Yeah...l heard it."

He took a moment to compose himself, very subtly readjusting his pants before turning his attention on the darkness ahead.

"It seems to be coming from right... there."

When Johnny shined his flashlight in the perceived direction of the noise, a person came into view.

This person was tall, well built and clad in spiky, metallic, bone-like armour, complete with a skull shaped helmet. An appearance fitting of one of the soldiers who work under the infamous disgraced warlord, General Shao.

You and Johnny stood there in shock. Your eyes only widened when the whole area around you lit up. The sudden influx of light revealed that the two of you were standing in the entrance of a large room. Two more men were across from you guys, having just lit the sconces on the wall and illuminating a guard post/camp of sorts.

It's almost impossible to read Johnny's expression as he stares down at the men in front of him, his mind moving a mile a minute. His body language indicates that he is confused, curious, and also slightly on edge.

Finally, he spoke up in a stern, but playful tone. His eyes remain glued to the first man, the torchlight illuminating his body.

“…And just who might you be?"

“GET THEM!”

The first man was the one to bellow out, ordering his fellow soldiers to attack. His voice raw and deep, loud enough to shake your very bones. The other men grabbed their weapons and began to charge at you two, yelling out battle cries as they did so.

Before you could even react, Johnny immediately rushed forward and started to...fight them? Not only that, it seemed like he was actually winning. By a landslide, too. One unarmed Earthrealmer against three of General Shao's armed soldiers and yet... he was holding his own very well. Not just very well, extremely well.

You were shocked, utterly. Your expression was similar to that of someone witnessing something entirely fanatical. You knew that he was a martial arts star, yes. You also knew that he was one of Earthrealm's champions, of course. But, you had never actually seen him in action before. Well, real action.

Up until now, you were admittedly puzzled as to why Liu Kang was so keen on keeping Johnny around, and now you saw why. As he battled with General Shao's men, laughing to himself and letting out witty one-liners the whole time, you stood and watched, in pure disbelief.

A couple more minutes of this pass. By the time the fight was over, your jaw hung wide open. 

The three men were now dead, their bodies a mess of blood, guts and bone all strewn out on the floor. Johnny was now covered in their blood. 

He had a few bruises and cuts here and there, but overall he was fine.

Whilst he stood up and began to sort himself out, you start to speak.

"Johnny, what the fuck was that?!"

…Is what you would've said. However, because you were in such a state of shock, partially due to seeing three men brutally killed in front of you and partially due to seeing what Johnny was actually capable of, you weren’t even able to form a proper sentence. So, instead, you sounded more like:

"Wha...you just...how..."

Johnny turned to you and let out a laugh. He saw how you were staring at him, that utterly baffled expression all over your face. It was really cute to him that you were seemingly unable to form a coherent sentence. He slowly walked over , planting his hands on his hips as he spoke in an all-too-smug tone.

"Impressed yet, princess?"

"You...you just...how did you..."

You were still at a loss of words. This man who had the maturity of a child, this man who never took anything seriously, this man that she had always disliked from day one, just took down three large soldiers. Not only that, but like it was easy as well.

What was this?

Johnny’s grin persisted as he stopped in-front of you, clearly taking great pleasure in how amazed and dumbfounded you were. That agape mouth of yours made him snicker to himself, it was so funny!

"What? Surprised I know how to fight? You thought I was just some pretty boy who wouldn't last a round in a real fight?"

Minus the "pretty" part, yeah, that's exactly what you thought of him. Ever since the day you two met, you never pictured Johnny Cage as a skilled fighter that’s capable of besting literal soldiers.

To be proved wrong like this was a wild experience.

You, still completely starstruck, let out the breath that you didn't know you were holding on to. Whilst it was…something to see Johnny's true power, you were still on a mission. You need to concentrate.

"...Well done, Cage." You dryly and semi-reluctantly congratulated him, finding interacting with Johnny in any other way that wasn't belittlement to be extremely hard.

"You handled yourself well. Good…” This is so incredibly painful. ”…good job."

Johnny simply chuckled at your somewhat begrudged compliment, obviously taking great pleasure in your adverse reaction. He smirked, a gleam of arrogance filling his brown eyes as he spoke.

"Good? Really? That's all you can say? C’mon, admit it. You were blown away by those moves, weren't you?"

You chuckle dryly and half-heartedly, still in a state of shock. Composing yourself, you walk past him and over to one of the camps the men had set up, in hopes of finding some information. The splatters of blood that were now covering some of the furniture really weren’t helping your mood at all.

Thankfully, Johnny didn't see you mouth a "What the fuck?" When your back was turned to him. He didn't need another ego boost right now.

He was about to say something snide to you, but he noticed the serious air in your walk as you made your way over to one of the tables where the men had been stationed. Curious, he decided to follow you over, following behind and leaning back on the free spot next to you.

"Whatcha looking for, princess? Some sort of...info on why they're here?"

You ignore him. Not because you feel like being mean, but because you were still processing the bloodbath that you had just witnessed. Your mind was going at a mile a minute, you were still processing the fact that all of your assumptions about Johnny were wrong.

You rummage through the formerly alive men's possessions, their notes and their encampment. You were hunting for some sort of information about the pyramid and why Shao's men were here.

Johnny watched as you rummaged through the dead men's belongings, a sly little grin on his face. He was still taking a little too much joy in your baffled and dispirited state of mind after that little skirmish. He waited for you to either find something or get bored and move on, not saying a word the whole time. He didn’t show it, but a part of him also felt a spark of intrigue as to why these men were here.

And then you found it. Plans. Plans on some sort of magical machine and how it worked. You pretty quickly sum up that this machine was most likely the source of the disturbance. But just why were General Shao's men here in the first place? This can't be just a mere coincidence.

"Cage!"

You spin around to face Johnny with the notes still in your hand. Your eyes were wide with anticipation, you were eager to tell him about all that you had found out in just a few minutes.

“I…you...this pyramid…a machine...Shao..."

Maybe a little too eager. You were still so shaken up by Johnny's 3v1 fight that you found it hard to string a sentence together. All of your thoughts were coming out completely jumbled.

Johnny pushed himself off the table and turned his whole body to face you. He truly wanted to laugh again, your persisting bewilderment and shock was still so funny to him. He had no idea that you’d be this easy to impress! But, he pushed down the desire to ridicule you upon seeing the pieces of paper in your hand. 

"Woah, woah. Slow down. Take a deep breath and tell me what you found."

He gently placed his hands around your wrists. Surprisingly, this was effective in calming you down. You took a deep breath in, temporarily clearing and calming the raging storm in your mind to inform Johnny of your findings.

"These are plans. Drawings. Drawings of some sort of machine. These notes indicate that the machine is in the centre of the pyramid, where the innermost chamber is. Why it's there and what it does, I don't know. And why Shao's men were seemingly guarding this place, l also don't know..."

You start to falter a little, your thoughts start to get a little sidetracked. When Johnny saw this, his hands trailed up a little and gave your own a light squeeze, a strangely kind gesture that helped you carry on.

"...But, I believe we'll find answers if we keep searching this pyramid. There has to be at least something in this place."

Johnny listened intently as you spoke, his hands still over yours and his demeanour now serious, admittedly a weird sight to see.

"Then that's what we'll do. We'll scour this place, find answers and figure out why Shao's men here."

He released his grasp on you and walked forward, through the pyramid. Over his shoulder, his hand shot up, gesturing for you to follow.

"Come on."

First he just killed 3 of Shao's formidable soldiers, and now he was actually taking this mission seriously?!

Was this real?

You were still shocked by this sudden development. You stood there for a few seconds, watching Johnny walk away. Only then did you realise that you also must follow him, further into the pyramid. 

However, as you walked to catch up with him, something began to form within you. A feeling, small but still present, started to grow in your brain that would forever change the way you viewed Johnny Cage.

You were beginning to respect him.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

As the two of you silently walk through the pyramid, Johnny couldn’t help but notice your continued shock.

He turned to you and flashed a grin, finding it amusing that you’re still so visibly caught off guard. He nudged your shoulder and spoke up, his tone a lot more playful than before.

"What's got you so shook, Jade?"

His shone his torch on you, taking the chance to subtly check you out and run his eyes over every curve of your uniformed body.

Johnny’s sudden question had you realising that you were still in a state of shock. You quickly compose yourself. The back of your fingers brush a loose strand of hair away from your face, you clear your throat before responding next.

"How did you do that? Back there, with those men?”

"What? Fight those three?"

Johnny let out a small laugh when you questioned him. You were just so funny to him, even if it was unintentional. He grinned at you in an arrogant manner and shrugged his shoulders, torchlight illuminated the drying blood stains on his arms.

"Years of practice."

Your interest was officially piqued. Now, you were actually starting to somewhat take an interest in him. It dawned on you in this moment how little you knew about Johnny as a person. Just where did he learn to fight so well?

"Practice, you say?"

You smile at him slightly, for the first time in like, ever. The corners of your lips curl upward, the disdain you held for him starting to dissipate in the moment.

"Where have you trained?”

Johnny chuckled once more. A part of him was impressed that you were finally actually taking an interest in him.

“Well, princess, I’ve trained in a lot of places. There’s some Hollywood stuntman training. Various martial arts schools in loads of different countries. Oh! And, of course, I can’t forget the monks back at the Wu Shi!”

He was starting to get a little hyperactive, his steps now had a slight bounce to them. How could he not? He was talking about his favourite topic; himself!

You could sense that Johnny was gearing up to launch himself into a long tirade, but you did nothing to intervene. This time, you actually wanted to hear what he had to say.

He turned to face you again, a large smile on his face.

"Where did ya think I learned to fight, sweetheart?"

“I don’t know. Honestly, I never realised that you were that skilled."

Johnny heartily laughed, slowing his pace a little. That smug demeanour of his started to come back in full force.

"Yeah, I know. Everyone's so distracted by this...”

He gestured towards his face, indicating his good looks.

“…They don't even notice that I'm also packing this."

He clenched his fingers into a fist this time, the gesture referring to his fighting skills.

You actually spare a chuckle a little at his humour, looking down as you crack a small smile. This man is so unbelievably ridiculous, despite how talented of a fighter he is.

Your efforts to conceal your reaction were ultimately pointless seeing as Johnny still saw the way that small smile graced your lips. He smiled too, he was actually pleased that you genuinely laughed with him. Usually, you either roll your eyes or scowl at him when he cracks a joke. To see you actually respond positively, even if you tried to conceal it, was…something!

He decided to push his luck a little and say something a bit more...flirtatious. He slowed his pace a bit more, his smile turning a bit more cheeky.

"You know... I'm also packing something else too."

Alright. Johnny had pushed his luck a little too far now. Your subtle smile quickly morphed into a scowl, your face slightly contorted in irritation. He just couldn't resist making some sort of sexual joke for five minutes, could he?

"By the Gods..." You groan, quickening your pace so that you were now ahead of him, leading the way further into the pyramid.

He didn’t take offence, though, Instead, Johnny just chuckled at your annoyed reaction. He always found you to be so cute when you got all irritated by him. Of course he called out as you stomped off, he couldn’t help it.

"What’s wrong? Not interested in finding out what I'm packing?"

The smirk on his face was wiped off by another sudden noise. Interrupting the silence, the sound of people running could be heard from the floor above. By now, Shao's forces that were stationed inside the pyramid were probably aware that they weren't the only people in the building. As such, each station around the site gradually started to mobilise in preparation, for possible confrontation with the intruders.

You were visibly caught off guard by the movement above, stopping dead in your tracks and looking up at the ceiling. After a few seconds, you turn to back Johnny, fear and dread darkening your face.

“Did you hear that? There's people above us."

Johnny walked over to you, slowly and quietly in order to overhear the running above. Gone was his usual cocky demeanour from seconds before, a much more serious one has taken it’s place.

"Yeah, I heard them. Sounds like there's a lot of them, too."

He turned to look at you, breath hitched and eyes darkening slightly.

"Think they've caught on that we're here?"

Your voice lowered to a whisper, the sudden pseudo presence of Shao’s men making you hyper-aware of your movements and surroundings.

"...If we’re quiet enough and stick to the shadows, then we should be able to reach the center of the pyramid without giving ourselves away to anymore of Shao's men. Got that?"

Johnny nodded in agreement, a small and determined smile gracing his features. Working under pressure like this was exciting for him, he felt like a ninja or some sort of action icon he would portray. There was something so childishly fun about this all.

"Yeah, I got it. Lead the way, princess." 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Over the next few hours, the two of you made your way through the pyramid, as silently and stealthily as possible. You, specifically, were extra careful to not alert anymore of Shao's men to your presence, lest you and Johnny be forced to fight and meet an untimely fate.

This pyramid was such a large structure that by the afternoon, despite all their progress, you and Johnny weren't even halfway to the innermost chamber. However, sticking to the shadows did actually give you an opportunity to overhear Shao's forces discussing amongst themselves.

Piecing together what could be overheard so far, you gathered that the source of this particular disturbance was indeed the mysterious machine depicted in the notes you found, located right in the center of the pyramid. It seemed to be powered by some sort of rock or stone… though you unfortunately couldn’t pick up on anything else. Why General Shao's men were guarding this machine and why this machine was even there in the first place was still a mystery to you. Maybe, if you and Johnny keep advancing deeper into the structure, you would find more answers.

By now, the two of you were resting in a small, hidden room that had been found. Using your flashlights as a source of illumination, the both of you laid back against the walls and sought some rest for a little while.

Johnny let out a small sigh, stretching his legs out and resting his arms behind his head. The events of the day so far weighed heavy on his mind. From the long journey just to get here to spending all day sneaking around this dark and dusty pyramid, not to mention having to do all of this with you of all people… it was a lot. No offence, of course.

He glanced over at you, brushing the stray hairs out of your face whilst you rest against the wall adjacent to him. His eyes discreetly roamed over your tired form for a moment before he spoke.

"How much farther do you think we have left to go?"

"We are doing well. We get closer to the innermost chamber by every step. If we keep this up, we should reach our destination undetected."

You sighed, partially letting go of the stress that was weighing on your shoulders. You were committed to this mission, sure. But, it felt really good to let your guard down a little and take a break after hours of being on your feet. This was tiring work.

Johnny nodded in agreement, his eyes roaming over you once more. You didn’t notice how his gaze lingered on you a little longer than what was necessary. He couldn’t help it, the sight of your body was near-addicting to him.

"Yeah, but it's a lot of sneaking around. I'm tired of having to sneak around like a damn mouse. Wouldn't it be faster if we just kicked some ass and fought our way through?"

"That would be unwise. We would risk grievous injury, or worse. Sticking to the shadows is our best option."

Johnny chuckled, his lips stretching into a small smile. This was such a “you” response, always wanting to do the sensible thing and never daring to take risks.

"Yeah, sure sure. I get what you're saying. Sensible and safe. But don't you get tired of it? Don't you just want to let loose a little and be a bit reckless for once?"

"No." You reply bluntly, looking over at him with a disciplinary look. You would never dare admit it, but a part of you found it a little comical how immature Johnny was. You still can’t really believe that this was the same man that bested 3 of Shao's soldiers all by himself.

“Ah, you’re so stubborn, Jade…” A weak smile was on his face as he shook his head a little and turned away, losing himself in his own thoughts for a bit. A deep, breathy sigh escaped him as he turned to look at you once more.

"So, I'm guessing it's a “no” to being a little reckless and fun?"

You wordlessly scoff at his question, slowly shaking your head in disbelief.

A few moments of silence followed next. Seeing as there was not much to do, you allowed yourself to take note of how exhausted Johnny across from you looked. The fact that he still looked decently attractive after spending a whole day sneaking around an ancient structure didn't elude you, the slight softening of your facial features showed this. The dried blood stains littering his uniform actually complemented his appearance, in a weird way.

Did he always have such picturesque features?

A part of you did start to harbour some concern for the man, although you didn't let this show. Nevertheless, something in you was still promoted to ask him if he was alright.

"Are you...alright, Cage?"

Johnny's eyes widened a little in surprise, your mild display of concern for him took him off guard. This was so out of character for you, he really didn’t expect you to ask such a thing. He stared at you for a moment, studying your awaiting expression, He let out a small laugh.

"I'm fine, just a little tired, is all."

He gave you a small, tired grin, which was a little less cocky than the ones he usually gave. Exhaustion was shining through his slick face. You smiled back at him a little in response. Your nerves are eased knowing that there wasn't actually anything wrong with your companion. Only simple fatigue.

"I'm tired too. This is nothing some rest can't solve."

You quietly exhale and slumped your body down a little, the feeling of comfort starting to overtake you. Your eyes close, but you do’t fall asleep. The darkness of the back of your eyelids eased in clearing your mind.

Johnny, too. shifted his body a little to grow more comfortable again. 

He couldn't help but notice how...calm you seemed right now. It was a nice change from your usual serious and stoic demeanour, and admittedly, he found it to be pleasing. That smile of yours made you look even more beautiful in his eyes. ”She looks so… pretty when she's not glaring at me.”

After a few minutes of silence, your eyes open and you prop yourself back up. Your eyes settled back onto Johnny across from you, a thought coming to mind. You did hesitate, but eventually you gave in and took the first step in cracking the ice between the two of you.

"You know, Cage… my brother is actually a fan of yours..."

"Oh yeah?" The mention of your brother perked Johnny up a little. He chuckled, leaning forward slightly and resting one of his forearms against his knees, a silent invitation for you to carry on. He was quite intrigued to hear about your brother being a fan of his. He was actually a little more intrigued to hear that you have a brother at all.

Your smile returns. A tiny, breathy laugh slips past your lips before you speak next.

"Yes...he really likes that little film of yours. Ninja Mine, I believe it's called..?"

Johnny let out an exaggerated, and mock-offended scoff, pretending to be insulted that you were referring to his best work, or just any movie of his, as "little”.

"Ninja Mime. Please tell me you’ve not forgotten the name of one of the greatest movies in history."

You scoff, but not in a way that indicates that you’re annoyed. No, Johnny’s arrogance actually got a genuine laugh out of you this time. Good on him.

"Yes, Ninja Mime." 

Your smile broadened a little before continuing.

“…Years ago, on one Halloween night, he was dressed up as your character. His whole face was covered in white paint, he ran around our home town in a karate uniform and a beret, yelling out “I am the Ninja Mine!”, so eager to get as much candy as possible..."

Your smile grew again, you were practically beaming now. The fond memories of your dear brother warmed your heart. Gone was that usual stoic expression, you were genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

Your recollection actually drew a genuine, hearty laugh out of Johnny. Picturing your brother running around on Halloween, dressed up like all him, made the man laugh more than he'd care to admit. Hearing that he made other people happy with his work brought joy to him, this was one of the main reasons he entered the entertainment industry.

"Really? Your brother sounds like a pretty cool guy."

Johnny sat up, now fully invested in this conversation. He rested both of his elbows on his knees, leaning forward with a smile. It was actually really nice to hear about your life like this, and have some sort of positive interaction with you at the same time.

"What's his name?"

"His name is Hiroshi..."

The mention of your brother's name shifted your demeanour in a way that was very slight, but very noticeable. The bright twinkle in your eyes turned into a sliver of sadness. Your small smile morphed into a slight frown. Your gaze lowered itself to the floor as your nostalgia turned from sweet joy to bitter sadness.

There was so much underlying emotional baggage when it came to you and your kin, however that is not for Johnny to know yet.

He noticed all of this, raising an eyebrow as his expression changed also. That sudden sad look on your face was weird to him, Johnny couldn’t help but wonder if this was his fault. Did he say something wrong?

"…You alright there, Jade?"

His tone was light and cocky like usual, but this time it carried a hint of genuine concern. He made sure to be more careful with his actions now, looking over at you and reaching his hand out slowly, like he didn’t want to startle you.

You don’t respond, you’re too lost in your silent sulking as you lay back against the wall. Once joyful a few minutes ago, you were now drowning in remorse as the memories of your family were playing in your head. A small tear pooled from your eye and ran down your cheek, you were zoned out and became enthralled in the past.

After a few moments had passed, you realised what you’re doing. Your usual cold, laser-focused demeanour was slipping, you can’t allow that. Especially in-front of Johnny. 

You compose yourself, sitting up and wiping the tear off of your face, taking a sharp inhale in the process. You look up and dismiss Johnny, your tone now cold again.

"...Alright, enough nostalgia for one day. We should get a move on. Come on."

Your announcement was abrupt, just like your exit. You swiftly make your way out of the secret room, leaving Johnny all alone and confused. He was caught completely off guard by your sudden departure, and all the varying events that have happened in the past few minutes. He slowly rose to his feet, taking a moment to stand there in dumbfounded silence.

He looked around the room a little and he shook his head, shoving his queries to the back of his mind before he quickly followed suit and made his way out.

A/N: thank you for reading!! this was a big one, i know. i had no idea this would be ten thousand words omg 😭 again, neither the story nor the actual roleplay is nowhere near done. i’m so excited to share the rest of it to tumblr :)

[ravens-two]

PICK A CARD reading

What do you need to work on?

Pile 1 -> Pile 2

Pile 3 -> Pile 4

Deck used: Dark Wood Tarot

TIPS | BOOK A READING WITH ME | PATREON | LINKTREE | SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC

Pile 1

2 of Pentacles

"We've been breathing underwater no we don't know how/ Time will keep us moving so don't turn back now" Closer every day - Chris Malinchak, Stealth

Hi, pile 1, I think it's really interesting that you picked an illustration with a person almost drowning and then this song came up. I feel like things have been difficult lately, it might be that you've been feeling like you're barely been able to keep up with everything that's going on in your life. With the 2 of Pentacles thrown in here as well, you may have been in a situation where you're trying to deal with two big things at once. Like, say for example, you're dealing with your own problems and a helping a friend deal with their problems as well. The first message that is coming for you pile 1 is that you need to prioritize because you won't be able to keep every ball in the air.

Now onto what you need to work on. The 2 of Pentacles is a card of duality and flexibility, of making space for a little bit of everything. For me this means that you need to work on not seeing things so black and white. I think that the people in this pile either have a bit of a fatalistic view of things or are super happy go lucky with no in-between. Spirit is asking you to try and look at things in a different way. Maybe things aren't all terrible - or maybe they aren't perfect. You need to recognize the good, the bad and the neutral in every situation. Also, you don't need to have a super strong and unchangeable opinion on everything. It's okay to change your mind as you grow and learn, and sometimes you won't have an opinion at all - and that is perfectly fine.

Going back to this difficult situation that you have been going through, maybe take a little bit to think about it and try to see it from a different angle. Has anything good come out of it? What is a simple thing that you could do that would make this situation better? Try to keep it as simple as possible, sometimes our fears and worries make our problems seem more monstrous than they truly are. As a last little message: be brave and keep going! You're so so strong and as your song says you're getting closer every day. Don't give up now!

Pile 2

The Sun

"Wake me when I fall" Wake me - Messages To Bears

Hey there, pile 2! First of all let me ask, how are you? Are you okay? This may not be for everyone, but I am getting deep sadness and depression vibes from this pile. There's almost a sense of mourning here. You may have recently lost someone or something that was very important to you. Some of you may have never even had this thing to begin with - like you wanted to get into a certain college but you didn't make it. Honestly the vibe here is like seeing the first rays of sunlight, but not being entirely convinced yet that it will rise indeed. I have this feeling that despite this loss and this longing you want to be hopeful, but you're not seeing enough proof that everything will be alright yet.

With the Sun card here more than working towards something (even though yes you do have to work for it) I think that what you need is reassurance. And I really want to give it to you pile 2. Yes, everything will be okay. No, the future won't undo what has been taken from you and it won't erase the pain you have been and you are going through. But you will laugh again, you will feel the sunshine on your skin again and you will feel happy and content. This was not the end. Your future is still being built and it wants to tell you that you will be alright. Side note, but the song "A quarter past five" by Avi Kaplan just came to mind because he sings something like "It turns out fine". And yeah pile 2 it does turn out fine.

Your life is currently in expansion, maybe it's really hard to see it yet, but it is. You will be safe, healthy and happy. The only thing that Spirit wants you to do is to hold on. Keep being hopeful, keep one foot after the other and you will get there. There isn't a future without pain, that's just impossible, but there is a future filled with joy and contentment ready for you.

Pile 3

The Tower

"Have I found you, flightless bird? / Or lost you, American mouth?" Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine

Pile 3, the Tower is the card of destruction, but in your reading, rather than predict disaster this card is asking you to evaluate your behaviors. Have you been unnecessarily aggressive lately? Have you been lashing out at the people who love you? Even if you don't necessarily mean to, mean words may have been quick on your tongue lately. Spirit wants you to think about these misplaced aggressions. Who are you really angry with? or What are you really angry about? There are other, healthier, ways to use this anger. Art or sports could be a way to channel this aggression in a way that would make you feel better and that wouldn't hurt your loved ones. The most important thing to realize though is that misplacing your anger/taking it out on others doesn't make you a bad person. Realizing that you're doing it and not making an effort to change though, does.

This isn't necessarily the case for everyone though. I feel like some of you are taking it out on yourselves instead of other people. Simple thoughts like "oh you're so stupid" or "you screw everything up" are signs of self-aggression. Just like the others, I ask you to stop and to think what is causing that anger and why are you taking it out on yourself. Why do you feel that you deserve bad things? This is difficult work, but that will make you feel so much better.

Others of you may be trying to make trouble on purpose as a way to gain attention. This could be literal trouble, like stealing or cheating, or it could be a more subtle form like provoking someone into a fight. Again, we make no judgments here. But ask yourself why do you feel like you can't just ask other people for their attention? What or Who is making you feel unseen? You deserve to be loved just as you are pile 3 and you don't need to be perfect or to cause trouble to deserve other's attention.

Pile 4

7 of Pentacles

"I don't love very often when I do I love too hard" Stupid Boys - Cassidi

Pile 4, according to Sasha Graham (the creator of the Dark Wood Tarot) the 7 of Pentacles is a card of slumber. For you, the work you have to do is subtle in a way, because it's hard to realize all the small little things that we do and that hurt us in the long run. Constantly and without us realizing we continue to hurt ourselves until it's hard to understand where our problems are coming from. You need to wake up pile 4. I know that there are times when we just want to curl up into a ball and daydream our days away, but what you need to do right now is the opposite of that. You need to gather your courage and wake up. Go slowly at first, just watching, paying attention to yourself. What opportunities are you losing without even noticing, because you're afraid? These could be really "simple", like being invited to go out with a group of friends and refusing because you've been anxious. You think that going out will be worse for your anxiety, but the more that you keep refusing these outings the more your anxiety grows. You are giving it power, essentially. This is just an example, but some of you might actually have anxiety (also I also have it and I know that it's really easy to talk, but very hard to actually to take action).

Another big thing that you need to face is fear. What are you afraid of? What is fear taking from you? What would be the worst possible outcome of something? And then I need you to realize something, you are the one in control here, not your fears. They might freak you out, but they are not in control. Let's imagine that you're in a car with your fears, you're the one driving not them. They might try to grab the steering wheel, they may scream at you to slow down, they may be annoying as shit, but you're still the one driving. You get to decide your path, not your fears.

Ultimately, pile 4 there are big opportunities ahead of you, but you need to wake up, be brave and grab them.

[pruneunfair]

My feelings on cry or better yet beg and the utter wasted potential for a psychological tragedy of the imbalance of relationships between noblemen and their mistresses

First off, if I was told I could only kill off one male lead, it'd be him

Lot of people rn especially on tik-tok probably would flame me for this with the "at least he loves Layla! He's so protective of her!"

"it's a dark romance! It won't be sunshine and rainbows you snowflake!"

"He just doesnt know how to express his emotions because he's so sheltered!"

No, just no, I don't care how "hot" he is, I don't care if he's your protective little bad boy. I don't care about his supposed character development, That's a straight up abuser who started off killing birds knowing it would damage to Layla to straight up assaulting her. (I don't know if that will stay in the webtoon, but it was in the novel) no character development can make me like a fucking rapist

Like how in the hell is Claudine considered worse than Mathhias, sure she isn't so peachy herself but goddammit to think of the fiance who if anything would be supported had she been the main protagonist, yes she's pretty demeaning, a bit shallow, and only views Matthias as the perfect Duke, but at least she's not going around mentally torturing a boy who can't do anything against her. I haven't gotten to her ending yet but from what I hear, it isn't a good one. She such a wasted opportunity since she is such a perfect example of a woman prepped and groomed to just be a Dukes wife would come out feeling that her worth only comes her husband.

Justice for Claudine, I just know there's a fanfic out there where you get with Riette, grow as your own person, and live a pleasant life.

You wanna know what really hurts me about this manhwa though? The fact that's it's so unintentionally accurate to how horrible it truly is to be a mistress in an era where women, especially women with no royal titles or status, were often treated by rich and powerful men. They would mostly have no right to say no to a man who decides he wants her, Layla romanticizing her abuse is not just heartbreaking but also unfortunately realistic as it's a coping mechanism for those who had endured nothing but abuse their whole life so they tend to shove their feelings in a box and pretend everything is okay (obviously this isn't the same for all victims of abuse, it's one of the many coping mechanisms people could develop)

In a lot of historical manhwa, there's usually the obligatory mistress character designed to be a dumb trashy bimbo to uplift the lead. Most of the time, the mistress in question is either a daughter of minor nobility that was chosen by a Emperor, crown prince, or Duke, or the mistress lived her life as a poor farm girl and in some situations lived a life where no one cared about her and was likely abused, the latter is often rare for these mistress characters since authors of those stories only want you sympathizing with the leads but in rare cases, the mistress did have a hard life but it ends up being undermined to further damage the mistress as torture/revenge porn or in Laylas case: used as an explanation to give a disturbing reason to why she ends up falling in love with Matthias which wouldn't be wrong if the story was written in a way that was a tragic one, not a romantic one.

you would think this kind of glamorouzation of abuse would only exist in the authors mindset and the degeneracy that is a junior high girls mind, but no, the ides that Layla is somehow the one in the wrong for her own abuse and reluctance of Matthias and there is even an Instagram post claiming she has BPD for being too "difficult" they sound like those 1950s doctors that find any reason to lobotomize a patient.

Laylas character does open the truths of what it's truly like to be practically owned by a nobleman, she's not like Rashta or Aisha from divorcing my tyrant husband where she's portrayed as a silly and cute strumpet with ulterior motives, she is genuinely upset but she can't do anything about it so all she can do is convince herself that Matthias loves her so she can keep her sanity, but where it goes wrong is that instead of portraying this as an unhealthy yet sole coping mechanism for an abusive relationship, the story just chalks it down to "silly Layla! You'll see that he's just misunderstood and you really do love him deep down!" Its frankly atrocious that the one time a story has a realistic pair of the typical women in this trope, the first wife who is classy and refined and the mistress who is young and free spirited ends ultimately destroyed yet again with a case black and white writting. One woman must be good and the other woman must be bad.

Frankly these characters are well written for the most part and until I realized I supposed to see Matthias as the love interest and not Kyle, I was fine with who Matthias was since he was presented more so as a villain, the art is also one of the prettiest cottagecore artstyles I've ever seen to the point where the 3D models look really good since it blends in perfectly, it's just sad that cry or better yet beg is a sick twisted tale equivalent to the average Colleen Hoover book.

[theheirofthesharingan]

How do you honestly feel about konoha/the shinobi system in general?

Shinobi world is a fantastic fictional world with an ancient history that gives depth to its existence. But it's not perfect, because of all the practices that go on in it. The world is dark and mysterious and has a history that is as old as time.

But it is also a broken system of child soldiers, where children killing children or even adults taking advantage of children isn't seen as a bad thing. And that's why Naruto, the main character, exists, who acknowledges how messed up the system is and how hate and love are tied together and he is too naive to understand a lot of things.

We also see the other, darker side of the Shinobi world and Konoha, both, through Sasuke and Itachi. While Naruto's world is all sunshine and green and he learns through his experiences, Itachi has already seen the worst, has done the worst, and faced their consequences. Sasuke, much like him, although in ignorance, has experienced similar things and the way he responds to injustice against himself is a reflection of how violence is embedded in the system of its people, no matter how kind and gentle they otherwise are.

Many people criticise Sasuke for wanting revenge against Konoha, but "revenge" is also the reaction of Shikamaru and Naruto and they're expected to train and kill who killed their masters.

In their world, people not only are more violent to each other than an average person, but also have a higher pain tolerance. And since the ninja world is a place everyone is trying to survive, it's not a place to find out your heroes.

The good people here will have some kind of corruption in them and the bad people will have some kind of goodness to them. And at one point there are no lines because they're all so miserable and broken that one side can do anything whether it's morally right or not.

I feel majority of the fandom uses the real world as a kind of reference to analyse and assess the Shinobi world, which is unlikely to give you a clear image, because what the author is telling you is that the world he created has no heroes. If you're going to use your own personal moral lense to view the Shinobi world and judge characters based on what you approve or disapprove, you're not going to get a clear picture of it. IMO, this is the reason there are such hypocritical takes on the characters like Sasuke and Itachi and other morally ambiguous characters.

Konoha is the same. Since it's the village we spend most time with and the narrative never acknowledgew its system is wrong, it's easier to fall in love with it. Konoha isn't worse or better than the others, in my opinion. It's just that everyone in it sounds like a hypocrite. Kakashi, for example, tells Zabuza they're better people for not making kids kill each other, but then we're introduced to the Chunin exams. We have the venerated second Hokage who experimented with the dead bodies. Hyuuga clan practices slavery. And so on.

Konoha is more powerful than the other nations because they have the right strategy and the strongest tailed beast. And they manage to hide the genocide of its people, blame the victims, driving one away to death and blaming the other for wanting justice (while advocating the same ideals for others, as I mentioned above).

It's awful to see that Koshimoto leaves the darkness of his world unattended. It could be because he needs Boruto to run, so the issues Naruto promised Sasuke would get resolved are never actually resolved. He's probably uninterested. It should probably frustrate me more, but I think when I finished Naruto, I had expected this more or less. And it's been a long time since Manga ended (even it's been long enough for anime), so frustration isn't going to change anything.

[celaenaeiln]

what are your thoughts on the rumors that the next robert pattinson batman movie might introduce robin? like i’ve seen people say that it won’t work but i’m a firm believer of “batman needs robin, batman needs dick grayson”

It absolutely will work, because Batman does need Dick Grayson. That couldn't be clearer because Dick Grayson actually worries about Bruce Wayne. For him Bruce isn't just a crime fighter or someone he has to team up with, Dick loves the man behind the mask.

I know you've most likely already read this but for those who haven't - my why Bruce Wayne needs Dick Grayson post

So Bruce comes back from an argument with Ghostmaker and punches the console so hard it shatters so Dick pauses, considers him, and plans out his next move. He makes a light opening comment about how Alfred will have Bruce fix it himself. This tactic worked and so Bruce opens up to him about his history with the enemy.

Long story short, it's so emotionally packed-

He takes the time to understand and validate Bruce and his feelings which is one of the reasons why Bruce loves, respects, and needs Dick so much.

Battinson in the perfect example of Batman at the beginning. He was depressed, sad, and struggling. I don't think he even smiled in the pre-batman to pre-robin days. In the Batman comics, Bruce name-cites Dick's existence for being the reason he didn't fall into darkness so having a Dick come in as robin would be the perfect continuation of the movie series.

So I absolutely believe we should have Dick in the next movie. Also Robert Pattinson being awkward and depressed around a tiny sunshine incarnate would be so cute!!!! Like imagine a low, gravely voice rumbling in the dark of the abandoned warehouse going, "Stop." And then a small, high-pitched one who's barely holding back giggles going,"-in the name of Justice!"

So cute!! and funny!

But I am worried about who they're going to cast for it. Dick was 8 years old when he became Robin so hopefully they cast someone young enough for the role. Aside from the age, I don't have any opinion on who they should choose because in my mind no one can play robin except for Burt Ward.

But it's not like we can de-age him to play Robin again, can we.

...

Can we?

[izzysillyhandsy]

I sometimes wonder if the Izzy hate would have reached those dizzying heights if S1 had ended on episode 9.

Izzy would still have done almost all the bad things: making Ed unhappy, duelling Stede and wanting him gone, the deal with the English, his past with Ed/Blackbeard - except for hurting and threatening Ed after the breakup.

And even though all of this can be seen from different angles, it is possible to interpret it from the most damning perspective - and that should be enough to hate him, right?

But Ed wouldn't have turned into the Kraken, he wouldn't have killed Lucius, marooned half of the crew and cut off Izzy's toe.

And I am almost 100% sure that most of the Izzy hate comes from seeing Ed's drastic change in episode 10. Without it, sure, some people might have found Izzy unsympathetic or just unimportant, or a little shit. But that level of hate?

I guess what I'm saying is that a lot of the Izzy hate comes from "what Izzy made Ed do" and not from "what Izzy did to Ed".

Also, it is a way of dealing with the shock/cognitive dissonance of seeing a very beloved character turn "evil" after 9 episodes of being a gentle and misunderstood guy who is a pirate, yes, but who's fundamentally non-violent and good. How can you reconcile this with Ed suddenly killing a beloved (and completely innocent) character? And the extreme violence of the toe-cutting? (And yes, I know Ed burned people alive before, pirate-typical violence etc. But we didn't know these people and we didn't see them in close-up.)

But to blame Izzy for everything and to make him this evil part of Blackbeard - completely separate of "true Ed" of course - lets Ed still be the same gentle soul that loves a fine fabric, fell in love with Stede in the sweetest way and, although traumatized by his childhood, is at his core an innocent person that can be saved by removing the rotten influence of Izzy Hands - without confronting the self-hatred, self-centeredness, mistrust of others and tendency to violence that might be a part of "true Ed" as well.

And of course, if a group of fans started liking Izzy and maybe even defended/found understanding for his actions to a degree - where would that leave Ed? Is it really justifiable to fly into a murderous rage because your heart was broken (by a man you've known for a few weeks), because you're deeply unhappy and you've outgrown your pirate persona?

If Ed wasn't mentally abused by Izzy for decades, if it wasn't Izzy alone that drove Stede away, if Izzy hadn't duelled Stede out of the evilness of his heart, if Ed didn't desperately want to leave but Izzy forced him to stay in their toxic relationship, if it wasn't just Izzy and his hurtful words that drove Ed to become the Kraken...

...then maybe Ed wouldn't be an innocent babygirl anymore, and it would be much more difficult to see Ed/Stede as this perfect, unproblematic and sunshine-y couple.

It seems to me that seeing Izzy as "The Worst" and casting him in the role of the villain behind every bad thing Ed ever did is a quick and painless way to make Ed loveable without actually putting the work in (and the show actually avoided that up unto the death scene - one example is Izzy leaving in S1E4 and Ed manipulating him to stay; there are countless others).

I sometimes have the feeling that the hate for Izzy grows exponentially with more and more of Ed's darker side coming through in the show. And I don't get it - maybe because I am drawn to darker, fucked up characters and relationships. Give Ed his agency back and let him be cruel! Let Ed and Izzy have their mutually destructive, weird but intense dynamic!

Let Ed be a fascinating, loveable character with a (very) dark side - exactly like his partner for decades, Izzy - and you'll actually get a better character, and an additional fascinating relationship - as well as a more interesting story.

[laguezze]

PAC: Characteristics of your FS

This is for or all the people with intention to marry or have a long term relationship. Next up will be a soulmate characteristic PAC. I decided to split it in two to get more details!

Now onto the PAC!

Here are the piles!

Pile 1

Pile 2

Pile 3

Pile 4

Ready? Let's go!

Pile 1

This person is a rebel. Might be a bit hypocritical about it. Like they might come from money but decide to live out their best broke musician dreams while still living in their rich dad's apartment that he bought for them. That's just one case example, take it as it resonates.

This person loves to keep appearances, they love to be in control of how people perceive them. I'm seeing they want to be taken seriously.

Long, messy, brown, curly hair. Middle part is possible.

North America, Australia, Oceania, Hawaii, UK.

Dainty eyes?, Blue eyes, light eyes.

Not too defined features but also not ugly. Might be what people call "medium ugly" for some of you. Nothing too shocking about their features.

Musician, plays guitar, indie music taste, 420 friendly? Nirvana (the band), big social life, plaid shirts, leather jackets, bad boy persona, baddie aesthetic, motorbike, cigarette, old school lover, 70s aesthetic and fashion.

Pile 2

This person is very much hypocritical, they don't know what they want in life. Very much lost with their career and family life. You might help guide them.

They definitely have unconventional dreams like opening up a tea shop, or flower shop. Which is fine, but I'm seeing they want to do that for the wrong reasons. Very easily manipulated person, it'll be frustrating for you to see. But they'll get better with your help probably.

Probably from any capitalist country. Take that as you will.

Light eyes or medium eyes but not dark. Downturned eyes.

Short hair, pixie cut, wolf cut.

Wears bandanas, baggy clothes, long skirts, hippie style, boho aesthetic, activist. Necklaces and bracelets, lots of jewelery in general.

(sorry it's a bit short, your person wasn't too specific with the looks but rather with the personality)

Pile 3

You guys got yourselves a romantic, old school, kinda person. They probably listen to music from the 50s and 60s and jazz, lots of jazz. Might love to take things slow and smooth. Doesn't like running late to things and is always calm and early. Very collected person, never a hair out of place. Always is composed. They might have been different before they met you. They probably were chaotic and funny before they met you but something happened that made them this sophisticated, chic person. You might need to bring the fun in them back, I'm hearing. Might be a judgy individual.

Latinx, Hispanic, Southern Europe, North America (East Coast)

Brown eyes, very deep set eyes, intense gaze

Short hair, very short for men, curly hair, either Brown or dirty blonde.

Long eyelashes, very pretty features. Either small nose or large nose, no in between; defined face, high cheekbones.

Medium height, slightly muscular.

60s, 50s music and fashion, coffee and tea lover, might be a cook or love to do it, kitchen lover, architecture fanatic, probably loves house decor and renovation, secretive, mysterious, romantic, candle collector.

Pile 4

(idk i swear this is not Hozier themed, there's just something about him present here)

"imagine being loved by me"

This persoooon omg. So pure hearted. Truly has the best intentions at heart. They literally are sunshine personified. They radiate light, like their smile lights up a room and they always look clean and cheerful. The type of person everyone likes. No one ever dares say anything negative about them and if they do, it's because of jealousy.

They might have a lot of pretty privilege that makes this effect happen. Like if this person was a 6/10 (conventional attractiveness scale) their personality wouldn't be as appreciated. But because they're so beautiful inside and out, it shines through. I'm getting they realize this privilege and it rubs them the wrong way sometimes but they won't fight against it because it's helping them with their goals.

North America, Sweden, Finland, etc, Northern Europe and UK.

Blonde hair, short hair, curly hair, honey hair.

blue eyes, light eyes, almond shaped eyes

Bunny pretty (that one TikTok trend ifykyk), slim, short, cherubin look (if you don't know what that is, think cupid angel type of beauty), white clothes, flowy dresses, short eyelashes, defined jawline, big smile, straight teeth, bunny teeth, cardigans.

Hope it resonates for all of you!!! 💕

[moonchild-in-blue]

gonna ask 'cause this is such a specific combination of things- if you could pick one sleep token song to rec to each bts member, what would you choose (and why, if you're up for it)?

Oh my goodness, this may the best question I have ever received ever in my whole life. THANK YOU SO MUCH WOW, YOUR BRAIN AMAZES ME 💙 Sleep Token ARMYS, what a powerful combo 💜

It really is such a niche combination!! I took this SO SERIOUSLY too 💀 Let me know what you think!! Also, who's your bias? Mine's Hoseok 🥹🌈💚🌞

(Under the cut because long!)

Okay, so I chose these based off what they are usually into, and their vibes (does that make sense?). Some of them were very difficult to nail down (Hoseok and Jimin especially), but I think this is fine.

Namjoon - Take Aim / Vore / High Water

Okay, this eas actually the last one I did, but I'm putting them in oficial order. These three songs are WILDLY different, yes, and don't look very "Namjoon", sure, but! Hear me out!

Lyrically-wise, I believe Namjoon would absolutely LOVE these. The man is a poet, cmon now. These have some gorgeous lyricism and symbolism that I think he'd really appreciate. Sound-wise they are also very unique, but somehow feel like him?

Out of the 7, Joon is the one that has put out the most solo music (including collabs) and the most varied too (in comparison with Yoongi for example, who has also put out A LOT of music, but has a very distinct sound - especially under the Agust D name), so the variety in sound feels right.

Honourable mention to Give because YEAH, it feels like something straight out of Mono.

Jin - Euclid / TNDNBTG

Do you see the vision? I'm thinking about Epiphany and lowkey it fits? The piano, the kinda-hopeful-kinda-melancholic themes? There's something very angelic about it that just fits him so so well.

I actually almost went with Telomeres for him too so there's that.

Yoongi - Bloodsport / Ascensionism / Atlantic

If there's anyone who would be into Sleep Token is Yoongi. Him and Vessel are basically the same person in different fonts. But these three are the most "Yoongi-coded" to me. Gorgeous piano? Check. Interesting song changes/rap? Double check. Heartbreaking sad wet cat lyrics? Triple check. Ascensionism especially is very Agust D, don't you think?

Honourable mention to the Hey-Ya cover and Drag Me Under because those are so so Yoongi to me.

Hoseok - Granite / DYWTYLM

No because I KNOW my man would be shaking his non-existent ass to Granite (Dark Signs too actually). If there's a nice beat, he's all over it. And DYWTYLM - not only is it funky musically-speaking (which is a j-hope staple), I quite like the interpretation of Vessel singing this to himself (in a mirror).

That duality of "Smile back at me // My reflection won't smile back at me like i know it should" SCREAMS Hoseok to me (especially after Jack In The Box came out). We're so used to referring to him as the sunshine boy, and seeing him all smiles and brighter than the sun itself, when in reality there's a lot more in there. We've finally began to see more of him, and I think that inner monologue is just perfect for him.

(can you tell I'm biased? Lmaooo)

Jimin - Sugar / The Summoning

Tell me Sugar isn't such a Jimin song. Think about Lie and Filter and Muse and TELL ME Sugar isn't made for Jimin. I dare you. The Summoning too, it's a bit out of pocket but it feels right somehow? Yeah.

Taehyung - When The Bough Breaks / Aqua Regia

Here's the thing. We know Tae likes jazz, and music that is soulful, smooth, nostalgic. And both of these seem right up his alley. I believe he'd really like the Aqua Regia piano.

Jungkook - Missing Limbs / Like That

He's always been the hopeless romantic boy 🥹 All the ballads he has covered?? Yeah, I think Missing Limbs would be a nice song for him. Alternatively, Fields of Elation would be good too? Idk, something about baby Vessel's voice back then that reminds me of JK. The falsettos probably.

(I just remembered and actually - Like That is fire and it feels like something he'd like).

[hellboundwrites]

GHOULS HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Halloween season has arrived, and I've decided to note some of the headcanons that I've had in mind for the ghouls recently.

Here are my favorite ghouls / by elements

🪐Omega = he's not really a Halloween guy. I mean, they already wear costumes. He can't be bothered to put effort into it. Just to fit in, and because it makes his companions happy, he'll dress up as an alternative version of ghouls. He might come out of the abbey in his true form because it's the perfect opportunity for it, or just add something to his usual look that enhances the "infernal" aesthetic. In the end, he's the one ghoul that actually scares people away, even without trying.

🪐Aether = always wears handmade costumes. It's elaborated with a lot of details but comfy. Halloween is for him the best opportunity to create a look for himself that he usually wouldn't have the courage to wear daily. He might cosplay as a 70-80's rockstar for example, and you'd recognize who he's supposed to be from miles away. Also more importantly, he's the costume-nurse. He always makes sure his costume has an integrated bag or pockets for glue and stitches. Last year for example, he was a jedi, and he was very happy about being able to wear a discreet tool belt.

🪐Phantom = of course, a vampire. But he'll only wear something dark and classic. Think old horror movies. He'll have his hair pull back, very bad fake fangs, red contacts, a cape… He'll also be fully invested in his role all night, so expect to hear some old English come out of his mouth at all times. Just call him by his character's name exclusively !

⛈Zephyr = loves having costumes that include his disabilities. Although he can walk just fine, going trick-or-treating is very long and difficult for him. He decorated his wheelchair as the Scooby-Doo van last year. He's done a lot of physical therapy this year though and feels excited about trying canes instead.

⛈Cirrus = she likes opening to kids that trick-or-treat at the Abbey's doors. In consequence, she will usually wear something that'll be easy to understand for them. Can be a simple witch, Morticia, Emily from the Corpse Bride… Last year she was Maleficient. Her costumes are never modest, though. She puts a lot of work into looking believable. It's a lot of organization and stress, but she always cherishes the kids' reaction in the end.

⛈Cumulus = She's always something evil. She doesn't cosplay as anyone in particular, and only makes her own looks. She loves elaborated makeup. She can paint her whole body if she desires too. Don't ask her who she's supposed to look like, this is always an original from her collection. She's here to impress.

🌿Mountain. Mountain... = he always fails his costumes. Nothing fits him. He never plans long enough in advance for it to work. He's disappointed about it every year, and still can't manage to fix it. This year though, he finally gathered the courage to ask for help. He'll have Sunshine to help him find clothes, and Cumulus for the hair and makeup. He'd like to be a hobbit, but he's starting to think he'll be more believable if he cosplays Gandalf - of course, he's not really hobbit-sized. If he can have an excuse to smoke all night, well...

🔮Sunshine = she doesn't have time for costumes. Her main concern is to be the party's organiser. Before she joined the Project, the ghouls had never planned any kind of gathering together for Halloween. She wants to be with her family and that's the only thing that counts. She'll just put something a bit festive, do her hair and put on some "scary" makeup, (which for her is dark shadow and eyeliner). Maybe washable dye or glitter in her hair this time around ? Nothing that can make dancing and running around uncomfortable !

🔮Swiss = is there a better opportunity to be naked ? On Halloween, his sole missions are to 1.be sexy 2.dance. Whatever year it is, his shirt is always wide open and tucked in his pants to enhance his tight waist, his chest always exposed, and his feet always moving... He doesn't mind any addition of costume or makeup that will make him prettier, but never purposefully goes that way by himself. 🔮Aurora = absolutely has the most feminine costume you'll see the entire night. She cannot not be hot, but maybe not as intensely as Swiss. She's the girl that wears the bunny outfit, the Barbie outfit, the Tinkerbell or Daphne outfit... The hair is down and the skirt is mini. Her only rule is : sexy but always secure. She has to wear warm tights and good shoes. Being pretty shouldn't stop you from running, jumping, and staying up all night. Special mention : this year, since it's their first Halloween together, they want to do a hot-couple-costume.

🌊Rain = has the boring but cute costume. If you don't know him, you can't really see how it's a costume most of the time - to be honest he always looks like that. He just genuinely doesn't need more material than what he already has. He thinks dressing up is cool but hates having to spend his whole night adjusting his costume or being careful with it. Last year he was the Phantom of the Opera, but he found the mask restraining. This year he's thinking about maybe a proper suit, a hat, his usual jewels and a bit of makeup. With some luck it'll pass as a period costume.

🌊 Mist = will always hide herself under her costume. You can never recognize her. The only thing she cares about, is surprising others. If she dresses as a character, it'll be a slay version of them. This year she's doing the Grinch, so expect green manucure, a pink dress and fake eyelashes on that green fursuit. Count on her to wear bad bald caps and colored paint all over her body. She doesn't take herself too seriously and is only here to have fun.

🔥Alpha = much like Omega, doesn't care about Halloween. You'll find him doing his actual job in the Abbey, at the yearly ritual that none of the new ghouls have the decency to assist. Traditions are really lost with the young generations...

🔥Ifrit = was, is, and will always be the guy who shows his muscles. He's into action movies and old rockstars, so it's only ordinary that he dresses as such. He'll be Han Solo, or Freddy Mercury, or Wolverine. Ifrit has the softest heart out there, but he's peak masculinity when it comes to looks, and he cares about his heroes. Right now, he's into 00's sci-fi/horror and still searching for some cool costume that will stick to his skin just *right*.

🔥Finally, Dewdrop = Don't ask stupid questions. Don't joke about Halloween with him. Don't even make suggestions. He has already had everything planned since November 1st. He has notebooks full of dark designs for corpse paint that involve fake (or real ?) blood, and a wide range of colored face paints in his drawer just for that event. He'll spend his afternoon looking for the perfect color, and he'll do intricate designs with extremely thin brushes on his face before the night starts. Dewdrop needs to look like he just sacrificed something in an old forest and burnt a church. He loves the theatrics of wearing long dark robes and being covered in blood. Halloween truly is his way to express himself and explore his own graphic world.

If you come across this post and see your fave missing, feel free to add your headcanon for them.

[cyanidas]

WOOHOO!! It’s all done!! A race guide for my Yogscraft fanlore stuff!!

ALT Text/Transcription Below Cut;

FIRST SLIDE:

This slide shows examples of different features for each of my headcanons for different races within my Yogscast and Minecraft fan-lore. There are six primary races; Human, Lumian, Villager, Fae (subcategories being Seelie and Unseelie), Angel, and Demon. The features shown are; Eyes, Ears, Noses, Mouth and Teeth, and Hands.

Humans are what we’re familiar with, and serve as a comparison so we can know what is typical for humans in my art style.

A quick note for Lumians; the example blood color is green, but there are different colors - more information is on Slide Three. Lumians have smaller pupils than humans by about half our pupil sizes. They have pointed ears, and when flushed, their blood color shows through much like human ears do. Their tongues are closer to their blood color, and front teeth are smaller and pointed. Most of their teeth are pointed like Human canines, except for their canines, which are thinner, like a blade. Their hands are slightly larger and they sport clawlike nails.

Villagers have square or slightly rectangular eyes. Their ears are more concave, like a cow’s or a mouse’s ears, and can have a dark blue fur or blush on the outer part of the flaps. Their noses are similar to a dog’s or koala’s nose, and a navy teal color. Their teeth are larger and entirely stubby with no canines, and they have dark blue mouths with lighter navy tongues. Their hands have dark blue, stubby, round nails, with a couple big, hardened, dark blue pads on the backs of their hands in round, bean-like shapes. They also have these pads on each of their second knuckles.

The Fae are split into two categories; Seelie and Unseelie. - First listed are Seelie. Seelie have an outer iris ring extending their irises to a larger size, with pointed, catlike pupils. Their longer pointed ears concave on each side toward the base, similar to a bat’s or cat’s ears. They can have any shape of nose, depending on how humanoid they are, with humanoid noses being indistinguishable from ours. Their mouths are a more saturated shade of pink, and they sport two canines, replacing the secondary front, top row teeth. Their hands are a wide variety, but if humanoid, they typically have longer fingers. - Second, we have Unseelie. Unseelie Fae eyes are larger, and only have one color, with colored catlike pupils. Their ears are similar to Seelie, but are typically larger at the base and point more upward, instead of outward. Their noses are the same as Seelie’s noses. Their mouths are usually a duller, darker shade of purple or pink, and their primary fangs are double the size or length as a Seelie’s fangs. Their hands are similar to Seelie’s, but their fingers are more often clawed.

Angel’s skin shimmers with sunny luster. Angel eyes have very large, glowing, white-to-yellow irises, with colored pupils. Their ears can be round or pointed, but have feathers of any color lining the outermost edges. Their noses are similar to ours, but usually have slotted and/or outwardly pointed nostrils, and the noses can be very flat to the face, even nonexistent. Their mouths are golden with sunshine-colored tongues and perfect rows of completely straight, rounded teeth. Their fingers are all the same length and have totally opaque nails.

Demon’s skin burns bright or saturated shades of red. Demon eyes are completely black, with very small glowing irises and no pupils. Their ears are pointed and lined with small, sharp hornlike growths. Their noses can be nearly any shape with a flat face, similar to moles, pigs, bats, or even a lizard’s. Their mouths are double the size, can unhinge and mold to different shapes, and have very large, sharp teeth all throughout. The inner color of their mouths are deep red to oily black, and their snake tongues are bright red. Their hands are very large, with very long fingers and very sharp, dark claws.

SECOND SLIDE;

This slide is titled “Notes on Humans”. The text is as follows;

Humans may exhibit signs of deific influence after an extended period of time, depending on whose realm they reside under - such as; -faint glowing, dependent on deity's colors -impulses and urges related to deity's influence -affinity for items, places, concepts, and ideas related to deity's influence

The vibes are contagious! Humans have a passive minor influence over the feeling, thinking, and experiences of other creatures and races due to their natural pack bond mentality.

THIRD SLIDE;

This slide is titled “Notes on Lumians”. The text is as follows;

What Lumians lack in creativity, they make up for in leadership prowess, tactical approach, and clinical or scientific understanding. Their society is raised supporting only academic and physical studies with no care put into the arts. As a result, although very bright and quick-witted, Lumians are notoriously high-strung, prone to trauma, and bleak or dry-humored.

Lumian blood color ranges ass wide as the visible spectrum! Green is the most common. Blood color matters as much as a horoscope. Which is to say, not a lot.

Lumina, the Lumian home planet, is home to massive insects. (Lumian) teeth are built to chew the bugs' super tough meat.

Lumians are also all born with glowing freckles and eyes. Freckle patterns vary from light to heavy, and are most commonly on the face and back. Places where freckles are found to be the most are also a folkish indicator of personality and fortune telling.

FOURTH SLIDE;

This slide is titled “Notes on Villagers”. The text is as follows;

Villagers initially evolved from a world of violence and chaos, descended from a species of mammal unseen in anywhere else in the universe. This ancestor, a bovine-apelike hybrid, survived drought, famine, war, disaster, and sickness. They grew horns, cloven claws, bladelike teeth, and thick backs.

Since Kirin's awakening, however, they were blessed and all their troubles washed away. So, over time, the complacent Villagers of today have evolved away from the features of their ancestors, with small, nubby horns, rounder teeth, and softer bodies.

It's said that their religious affiliation (to Kirin) and communal practices discouraging change is what has contributed to their "domestication", as some put it. However, in recent years, it seems that has begun to change in certain rebellious individuals.

FIFTH SLIDE;

This slide is titled “Notes on Fae”. The text is as follows;

The Fae are intelligent, social creatures and humanoids of various differring races, having evolved under their creator, the deity of the mind and soul.

It's due to the crowning of Queen Nyxamenia after her Revolt against said creator, that the Fae split into two factions; Seelie (those of Rule) and Unseelie (those of Anarchy). Upon the Unseelie revering her as their Goddess, they began to take on new forms, evolving into "cursed" or "trickster" versions of Seelie Fae.

Seelie Fae rely on contracts, mutually agreed rules, tried and true methods, tradition, laws of the land, fairness, and strict moral code.

Unseelie Fae rely on "playing by ear", improvisation, "street rules", dirty games and trickery, blood oaths, high wit, intense emotion, and mind games.

SIXTH SLIDE;

This slide is titled “Notes on Angels”. The text is as follows;

Angels were a species initially forged without Kirin, the deity of Heart and Emotion, as theoretically immortal helper-workers around Limbo (the Sun, and where souls pass through when they die).

(wings are transparent)

As intelligent and magical creatures, they cannot survive outside of The Aether (the paradise within Limbo) for longer than a few years to a decade.

However, since the banishment of Lucifer and The Virtues, many Angels have self-exiled and escaped the safety of The Aether to other places, knowing they will someday perish with no hope for reincarnation, simply hoping to live the rest of their days in peace.

(Angels can also survive outer space!)

They are capable of few "miracles" (1-3 typically), great healing magic (physical bodies only), speaking to and seeing spectres, and generate intense or calming auras. They're also capable of flight!

SEVENTH SLIDE;

This slide is titled “Notes on Demons”. The text is as follows;

Demons were created with very little in the way of physical bodies to cling to, with their lifeforce instead clinging to magic, items, ashen waste, insects, and fire or lava. Power usually correlates to a Demon's age.

A weak Demon will be an invisible force, possessing others in lieu of having a physical body - whereas a powerful Demon will be able to generate a physical form through ability alone. Demons can gain power over time by making Blood Oaths with mortals, or possession leading to the mortal's demise.

Much like Angels, Demons can't reside outside of The Nether for very long. It's very, very rare for Demons and Angels to meet in person.

Demons often choose very dense, sharp bodies with horns, pointed teeth, spiked tails, and bladed claws, to evoke a predator-prey reaction in mortals, and to show off their power to other Demons.

EIGHTH SLIDE;

Anything can breed with Anything. Hybrids can happen, and have happened. Though, they are pretty rare.

A Human-Demon hybrid is referred to as a "Wraith", and are seen as bad omens.

Hybrid Angels are very rarely able to perform one miracle, and are seen as good luck.

Hybridized Lineages of Humans and Villagers exist across Craftia in small tribes, and (their groups) often go by different names, usually a family name. They're fairly new to the scene.

Fae Hybrids are the most common type, sometimes resulting in an entirely new (sub)race of Fae.

Some Unseelie, like the Vampire and Werewolf, have the ability to "infect" or "turn" other mortals, effectively changing (metamorphosizing) their species into one of them.

The Trueblood are Fae who have been born as the species which infects.

The Afflicted are (other) mortals who have been "turned" directly by a Fae.

The Kindred and Kindred lineages are descendants of an Afflicted.

Miracles for Angels and Hybrids are "per person", and do not regenerate (after use). Angels know their miracle limit - however, hybrids do not.

Angels and Demons can shift their forms, but not totally shapeshift, unless they're incredible powerful.

Ravagers and Villagers/Illagers share a common ancestor.

Villager teeth are bigger and thicker than a Human's, so their verbal communication isn't quite the same. They prefer to speak less, and dislike that Humans talk "too much". Some Villagers can (learn to) speak Human languages, however.

The Human ability to generate a "mob mentality" among other species usually works out in their benefit, except on Craftia, where most things can become hostile toward them. It seems their influences have an opposing effect on certain species and in certain locations. Why this is, no one knows.