#this is not my best piece but. i like it enough anyways

[chaoticbardlady99]

Echo (Sylus x F!Reader)

Synopsis: Sylus would do just about anything to make you happy- even going as far as trying his hand at arts and crafts. Thankfully, the Tour has the perfect gift for him to make and he takes a moment to reflect on all he has shared with you- both in this life and the last.

“He loves me, he loves me not…”

CW: Mentions of Sylus’ lore (mentions of violence, grief), uhhh shouldn’t be anything else, FLUFF

Author Note: I really loved the last card and wanted to write a little blurb from Sylus’ perspective of making the Echo Bottle 🐦‍⬛❤️💋 all comments, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated :) pic above belongs to me.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from LADS or anything mentioned from that game. I do not give permission for AI to use my content and I do not use AI- uhhh I think that’s all?

*I’m a goofy person so my characters are a bit eccentric

******************************

Sylus is a man of good taste, but he wouldn’t consider himself an arts and crafts master. He wouldn’t consider himself gentle enough to even be able to create something as simple as an Echo Bottle. However, when it comes to you, it seems to come to him naturally.

He isn’t entirely sure how he is going to hide the fact that he made the damn thing- shimmering red sparkles are coating his hair like snowflakes and he still can’t get this stupid craft feather off of him. It’s clinging tighter to him than you do when you’re cold at night.

It will be worth it to see you so happy though.

With a sigh of relief, he finally rolls up the tiny piece of paper and puts it into the bottle. The paper feels as delicate as the words written on it.

Sylus has so many moments- from when you named him, those imaginary moments in the black church, and the pretend final kiss in the field of Datura flowers. Every single place you conquered together and all the acts of terror you would probably be horrified to know you committed.

And now? Well now, you have somehow fallen in love with him, ‘monster’ and all, again. He could never begin to describe to you how every second of domestic bliss and love from you makes up for all those centuries of feeling lonely, misunderstood, and incapable of experiencing love, both given and returned.

Every Plushie that lays haphazardly around his base(s) is just another memory and moment of gratefulness. Silly games and your ridiculous cartoon drawings of Mephisto litter his home so carelessly and openly- it’s so nice to have you home again.

However- while there are many similar memories- the memories in the black Church are littered with grief and horror. It wasn’t real- it was merely an illusion whereas tidying up with you, picking out decorations with you, and slowly building a home together is very real and a very happy memory.

So instead he settled on a memory in both lifetimes that brings him nothing but peace now- memories that don’t wake him up in a panic and call you just to make sure you’re alive, still here, and he is still truly yours again.

Some things never change. Much like you have always been his treasure, your singing voice is his favorite too. It was naturally the best option to pick- nothing tainted or upsetting about either.

The first time I heard you sing.

You were the first voice to sing in his presence. It soothed his entire soul and then when he was able to sing Karaoke with you? Sylus is aware he isn’t very good, but he was way more focused on listening to you anyway and you have been on many fun little karaoke dates since. Your hair has changed, your eyes have changed, but your voice remains the same in that it is a balm for his soul.

The benefit of this sentence is that it’s broad enough that only he really knows the hidden memory behind it. There’s no grief or heartbreak for you to experience- just a fun memory and another moment he was thankful to steal of your time. It was one of the first real chances you ever gave him (twice really, if he thinks about it) and he will cherish those two moments for as long as you shall allow him to live.

Sylus’ thoughts are broken by two pink gloved hands covering his eyes- he briefly used his Evol to hide the Echo Bottle in his coat pocket.

“Guess who!”

“Guess who?”

“Yes! Guess who!”

“Why?”

“I-“ you pause, “I’m not sure, but I’m committed to the bit now and I never intended for you to begin asking too many questions!

“Now, then,” you clear your throat dramatically, “guess who!”

He chuckles- your silliness and games are a major improvement to being poked in the side. He should probably reward this good behavior to avoid that.

“Is it my favorite sleepy kitten?”

“Sleepy and grumpy!” You correct as you hop over and sit on the left of the bench, “I woke up and was dreadfully cold without my personal space heater beside me.”

He takes your chin between his thumb and index finger before he leaves a deep, chaste kiss on your lips, “I’m so sorry, kitten. How can I atone for my crimes?”

You tap your chin while reaching for something in your pocket.

“Well- I could use your help answering a question for me,” you pull out a flower with a single petal on it, “I’ve been seeing this guy lately and I think I want to-“ you look around as if it’s top secret, “drop the ‘L’ word- if you know what I mean.”

Sylus has to hold back the stupid grin that threatens to split his face open. He’s going to let you do your thing because he’s quite interested now, he’s been wanting to say it for a long time now (arguably way too long).

“I see,” he muses, “and what is it that you need me to do?”

You are slowly turning more and more flushed by the second and he is swept up in how wonderfully adorable you are. Sylus really really hopes you like your gift from him- you are everything to him and he loves to see you happy.

“I need you to pull off the last petal,” you say slowly, “but I want to know- does Sylus love me or does he love me not?”

Whether you realize it or not- he can feel your heartbeat thundering in your chest as if it was his own. All the blood rushing in your ears- you just told him you love him and yet he’s still nervous you may reject him and it’s all been some massive dream.

Sylus gently plucks the petal and looks at you- his eyes staring into yours in hopes that you will see how much he truly means his next sentence.

“I love you. kitten.”

There’s that wonderful smile again and his most favorite gift from you- a kiss on both sides of his face, one on the tip of his nose, and the last on his lips before you rest your forehead against his.

“I love you too, Sylus.”

And he couldn’t be more grateful that he has more time to make first time memories with you than he did before.

[do-androids-dream-ao3acc]

They say a meteor is going to crash into Texas. Buck turns away from the TV – not even Taylor can deliver such news without a shocked face – only to be met with a satisfied expression on Gerrard's face.

“God’s punishment,” says the interim captain.

Unfortunately, he doesn't mean himself, because if you ask Buck, Gerrard is definitely a punishment from God. Bobby has to undergo what is supposedly a routine operation, and as if that weren't stressful enough – for Buck –, Gerrard has once again taken over the helm. Is that guy really the only available fire captain in the whole LAFD?

“We're far enough away from Texas, don't wet your pants, Buckley,” he says, patting Buck’s shoulder before he leaves to annoy somebody else. 

It's hard to escape such news, though. It seems to be the talk of the town; most of the people they're helping today seem eager to be putting their pain and problems on hold for a moment. 

“There's always someone who's worse off,” says Hen, ”it helps people to relax.”

“Sure, I'd rather be in a car accident than be squashed by a meteor,” Chimney remarks.

Buck doesn't want to imagine it, which is why his thoughts go into overdrive, and he's still somewhat agitated in the evening.

“Statistically, around 20,000 meteorites fall to Earth every year,” he explains to Tommy while they’re preparing dinner. 

“You mean those that are bigger than 3.5 ounces,” says Tommy casually, peeling the carrots. “Small ones happen almost every day, but you don't notice them. And big ones are rare anyway.”

Buck, who shouldn't be surprised by anything Tommy does, almost cuts his finger and puts his knife down.

“How do you know?”

“You think I haven't seen the news?”

Popping a slice of carrot into his mouth, Tommy grins. “A meteoroid is a piece of rock that is usually knocked out of an asteroid by a collision. When the meteoroid enters the atmosphere, it sometimes causes a luminous phenomenon, a meteor. And only when it touches ground it’s a meteorite.” 

“Y-you looked that up because you knew I was watching the news.” A somewhat embarrassed expression crosses Tommy’s face, scrunching his nose in that adorable way. 

“Too much?” he asks.

“What? No! You knew I'd spiral over the news, and…”

“Just because you have a very compassionate heart,” says Tommy with a wink, taking his hand. 

“Right,” Buck huffs in amusement. 

“Of course,” Tommy replies, while his hand squeezes Buck's, ”it's certainly not because you're worried about Bobby, or because Gerrard is constantly breathing down your neck, or because everyone has probably told you that a meteor will definitely not hit L.A.”

Maybe the man is a clairvoyant. Or maybe he just knows him too well by now, which is a much more heartwarming explanation. Because in fact, it wasn't just Chimney who – with the best of intentions – told him that an earthquake is statistically more likely than a meteor strike. 

“You're right,” says Buck, wrapping his arms around Tommy, ”but do you know what actually fueled my anxiety? One more natural disaster, what does it matter?”

Tommy raises a brow, but he doesn’t object. Because that’s another thing he knows by now: when it’s necessary to speak up (oh, they’ve worked on this, together), and also when it’s better to remain silent. 

“I was thinking about where I would want to be when something like that happens. I was thinking of all the people who’d not be able to make it to their loved ones in time, who would have to say goodbye over the phone. I couldn't help but think of those who would lose everything, not just their own lives.”

“That's dark,” Tommy breathes into Buck’s hair. 

“Maybe. But it was also somehow reassuring, because I knew where I wanted to be.”

“Right here,” Tommy says, holding him close. 

“Right here. And do you want to know something else?”

“Hmmm?” 

“The fact that you learned all this facts for me is extremely sexy.”

Tommy looks at him, “Oh?”

“Yes, oh,” Buck replies, laughing. “Disasters can wait, kiss me.”

[zooterscooter]

the people have spoken :) 7am ramble under cut tee hee

thoughts came to me while making this piece !! made coherent by a day of writing and rewriting my ideas

not entirely sure how to start this and i really hope it’s cohesive LMAO i’m really sorry if this is borderline unreadable i can’t tell

but anyway. i’ve been seeing a lot of art and thoughts about click clack and what he has under his literal and metaphorical mask and i want to throw my hat in the ring as well

firstly i think it’s a pretty clear take on masking who you are, right. as an editor you’re always cutting things out and making things better and more consumable for others to enjoy. but it makes me wonder where the story editing ends and where the self editing starts and continues ? in canon, he’s cutting out the romance from “oh partner mine!” because he can’t stand to face his own feelings for thespius, but that makes me question how much more “editing” he does on himself and his life ? even beyond his love life, his relationship with thespius ?

i think that he’s scared, obviously. along with being scared of love, i think there’s a real high possibility that he’s scared of the responsibility of being a god, even years after being one. see- he might think he has to be perfect for his followers and always have this perfect persona for them to follow, putting himself on a pedestal. being the best at what he does, making himself out to be something great- always talking about how amazing and handsome he is- but beneath that i think there’s a bunch of insecurity. it’s like.. man cmon there’s no way you’re actually like this..

i think he might choose to not deal with it- “i have issues but i also have people to watch over so idrgaf about that rn” style. even before the whole canon thing with the letters happened i think there was a high possibility that he still carried a lot of his insecurities and kept emotions from being mortal, not finding any time (or maybe any reason) to pick apart these things and grow from it.

he might think that he, as a god, cannot POSSIBLY be struggling with anything. gods aren’t supposed to feel things like that. gods don’t have to deal with things like identity issues and human emotions. something must me wrong with him and he can’t tell anyone or else they’ll think he’s unfit to be in his position. maybe thinking that if he shows even the slightest hint of not being what he pretends to be, he’ll be outed and shunned, or the . ggg equivalent of that. yknow.

but yknow going back to the original point- how much more can he do this, put on a front, repress everything that doesn’t fit this image of himself he’s created for others (that he’s now starting to believe he has to be), change who he is- how long can he continue on with this all before it gets to be too much to handle ? too much to keep track of ? what would his breaking point have been, if it weren’t for the canon events ?

who is he really, and does he even know himself ? sure, he can control what others see with both the literal and metaphorical mask, but what’s he like with all that taken away ? there’s of course a little bit of either in the other, but i feel like the lines blur so much that it’s hard for him to pick apart what is what.

i do think after the events in game, he would probably work through his. problems. with the help of thespius, the other gods etc etc. he was vulnerable enough to finally accept his feelings for thespius, so i think he might eventually get comfortable enough with it all to go through the more sinister things, especially after the whole “communication with loved ones is good and healthy actually” message of the game. recovery is sweeter with the company of those who care,,

another, less heavy idea i had about the mask was that maybe he wears it as a way to hide himself away from the spotlight partially. being an editor always meant being behind the scenes, right. so maybe he uses it as a way to have some familiarity, some anonymity. or perhaps- as a friend offered while reading this over- as a thing to hide behind looks wise. maybe be was just self conscious of his god form but then the mask is what made his brand or something and he just kept it on for those reasons.

however i had that thought a month ago and now have some other ideas. maybe that started OUT as his plan, just to use it as a way to keep his public and private life separate, or as a crutch for his self consciousness- but then he realized that with the mask he could be whatever he wanted to be, whenever he wanted. and then it went downhill from there, turning into a long and emotional wreck that would haunt him for years and years and years and years-

as a closing note !! i also think this could be taken as a transgender thing, as well as an autism thing, perhaps even both, and quite possibly all three. idk stay tuned if people like this insight i might work with it more.

but yeah anyways !! i had a lot of fun thinking about this and its has been sitting in my head for a week or so… i finally got around to making that art, which kickstarted people’s interest in this, which was nice. i’ll definitely be making more art for this all and PLEASE let me know your insight on this if you have any,,, im all ears

also obligatory “this is just what i think it’s most definitely not anywhere near canon pls be nice 💔” bc im an anxious man about to go to bed

[wynnshxfts]

ֺ ۪ 　　𝜗𝜚⠀　and give me just one more chance, one more glance ..

━ a reupload of an old storytime !

Let me start by saying I didn't have a set dr in mind when I shifted. I absolutely hate scripting. Cannot sit through it. I go where the wind takes me lol. So keeping this in mind, I go to a lot of unscripted dr's - random places. Random times.

Now that I've got that out of the way, let's begin.

ֺ ۪ The students all lived in dorms. These dorms spanned on for a while, as it was suited for the entire school rather than just the hero course. You could choose to live in them - or not. This takes place after the war, so living in dorms was no longer mandatory.

ֺ ۪ Students were chatting in the common area. I shared a dorm (Yes, joint dorms) with a gen ed student who very much did .. not like me. I will not blame them tbh, they had their reasons. But that is for another storytime.

ֺ ۪ The campus was huge, not even exaggerating. The school was not only tall, but wider. It looked intimidating, tbh. I'm not too sure on how the schedules worked now since my memory is off, but I know by the time I got there it was about time to go to class 2-A.

ֺ ۪ I was actually so embarrassing. I was walking through the halls and saw Bakugou with a student. Foolishly, I waved my arms around and drew attention to myself while I called for him and said hey.

ֺ ۪ He was not a fan, and continued to actively ignore me while he continued to talk to this student - who will be mentioned later.

ֺ ۪ When we got to the ,, wtf are they called?? Training Fields?? Anyways when we got to our little activity - Aizawa explained that someone would be joining us and using a classmate of his to use his quirk on! The rules were that the chosen person wasn't allowed to use their quirk while chosen - having to rely on what they were given - and everyone else had to find a way to immobilize the chosen one. Simple enough!

ֺ ۪ QUIRK : TITAN ... This user has the ability to shift between a 'titan' form, sort of similar to Mt. Lady and her gigantification. Of course, they could turn others into a titan as well. Drawbacks are that this quirk can be pretty hard to use - you can unintentionally hurt people, and cause a lot of property damage. Adding onto this for later that this worked very similarly to the Titan power from AOT, if it wasn't blaringly obvious enough. To disable someone's titan form, you have to slice a chunk from their neck or somehow free them from the back of the neck area. Due to the titan form being more of a puppet than them, they don't get any physical injuries on their real body. Oh, and about the student - he really hates the hero course. Of course, this may be because he didn't get in.

ֺ ۪ ...Did I say simple? Yeah, anyways.. imagine our horror when he chose Bakugou (putting the pieces together - they plotted this when I ran into them in the hall)

ֺ ۪ We all did our best to immobilize or even just .. get him to stop moving for a second - but he was so HUGE. We didn't wanna get crushed or anything. Also the added fact that no one knew about the neck thing that disables the titan form. Thanks, Aizawa.

ֺ ۪ At this point, people were giving up. Aizawa was watching from a high building, most likely as annoyed as everyone else. People were joining him up there, admitting defeat.. except for Midoriya.

ֺ ۪ Did I mention this is after the events of the manga? Midoriya didn't have a quirk, and here he was - running laps around Bakugou. We (Me, Sato, Sero.. some others) tried to get Shinso to restrain him before he could hurt himself, but Shinso went on to explain to us on what he was doing:

ֺ ۪ He was trying to get Bakugou to trip! It's so hard to explain without visuals, so hopefully words are enough. Bakugou was still trying to get him even so. Midoriya was working with a student from class 2-B as well (did I say this was a joint activity?) Their quirk? cement. I know someone already has that quirk. Don't ask me anything, I'm as confused as you are.

ֺ ۪ The cement student was building a path for Midoriya to run along as he spiraled around Bakugou. At one point, the walls could no longer reach the height he was at. They started to crumble the higher he got.

ֺ ۪ Before you ask where Aizawa was - this all happened very fast.

ֺ ۪ Midoriya tripped off the rocky path. In what I assume was worry, Bakugou reached out to catch him. As he did, the walls around him caused him to fall. They started falling together.

ֺ ۪ Everyone got knocked out from Bakugou's impact. All those who tried to help were covered in rubble, on the floor - hurt.

ֺ ۪ At this point, teacher's and medical assistance had stepped in. Midoriya kept going, crawling from Bakugou's hand to his neck. He tore at it with the last of his strength, and in the end? Won. He got Bakugou out.

ֺ ۪ After that I knocked the hell out. The story time WOULD end here.. but I recently shifted back for closure. Midoriya had gotten in trouble and explained that he saw Bakugou wasn't safe in that state, as he had analyzed this quirk and it often caused others to act reckless, like they couldn't think properly. The student had apparently kept that part of their quirk to themselves. The media also went crazy on the situation because someone snitched about what happened. UA got a lot of backlash. It also wasn't Aizawa's idea. I actually have no clue on who thought of that exercise.

ֺ ۪ That's the end :) my final thoughts are just.. wow. Midoriya reallyh is the worlds greatest hero. He's so smart, kind. Determined and strong even without his quirk. He doesn't let anything stop him. Personally, I always think about this story. Missing him.

That's all! For anyone who read this far, I hope you have a good day or night!

[sukisuna]

Whatever it takes

Suna Rintarou x Fem!reader

wc :3.2k college!au. party setting, frat boy vibes- asshole!atsumu, loser!suna

this is my first full piece of writing on this blog, so i’m very rusty, i hope it’s enjoyed- i can make a taglist if enough people want to be on it but comments and suggestions are welcomed!

part 1 - part 2 (coming soon)

“God, why the fuck is she here?” He groans, lazily draped on the crowded couch. You know the sound of that whiney voice anywhere, if not too well.

“Who cares, she’s fucking hot.” Comes as the reply, you don’t know who said it but your eye twitches.

Miya Atsumu, you already knew who had said it. You’re currently standing near the kitchen island, you’ve got Kuroo on your left and to your right is Bokuto. You’ve been here a little over an hour, you’re laughing with them as they talk to Hinata. The music is blaring and there’s unattended drinks and bottles scattered everywhere.

You’re far enough away from the group of friends sitting around the couches near the living room, but not too far to where you can’t hear their conversation as you inconspicuously slightly tune out the group you came with to the party.

“ I mean, come on dude-“ Astumu whines to nobody in particular. “She comes to every single party, hottest chick on campus, and not a single person has gotten in her pants- what a waste.”

You can feel your eyebrow raise, it pisses you off but it’s true. You’re popular, very much more than to your liking. People gravitate towards you and can’t seem to understand why yourself, but you’re sweet to everyone and never hesitate to help someone to study or grab them a coffee when they look too worn out. You’re a music major for crying out loud, nothing grand about it. You make silly sounds by pulling your fingers against strings attached to some carved wood.

It’s not that impressive, at least that’s what you think. You’re not sure why you’re always around people, having conversations that you never start but always indulge yourself in, but that’s how it’s been the whole time you’ve been studying here.

You met Bokuto and Kuroo in the first semester, somehow managing to get lost yet again on your way to the music rooms, you had peeked your head through some double doors when you found a volleyball being hurled through the air towards your face. But it never reached, a massive hand sprawled out in front of your face shields the impact. silver and grey hair inches from your eyes frantically making sure you weren’t hurt and tall black-raven hair sprinting towards you to apologize profusely. That’s how you had met your current 2 best friends, the gist of it anyway. And they had dragged you off to every party that their college volleyball team held since.

You continue to listen as the conversation draws out. “I know what I’m doing tonight boys, I’m hitting that- whatever it takes.” A few amused laughs echo.

You don’t even need to be looking in their direction but the proclamation makes your blood boil. Whatever it takes? You could definitely be throwing your head back and laughing at that one later over tomorrow morning's debriefing with your 2 best friends, while you’re all sprawled over your apartment floor with greasy breakfast sandwiches between you 3.

You finally turn your head to look over at the group all gathered around the couches, you see some familiar faces. Most of them from the volleyball team, laughing and joking amongst each other.

One face sticks out in particular, sitting opposite from the couch where you had heard that familiar irritating voice of Astumu earlier.

Longer swooping tufts of hair that dangle around his face, narrowing eyes and expression of absolute disinterest.

His eyes slowly trace around the large open space, until they finally and slightly surprisingly meet yours. To anyone who’s not paying close attention, there’s no shift in his expression as his eyes bore towards yours across the room. His golden eyes slowly shift downward to back up to yours, eyebrows raising just the tiniest bit. His red solo cup perched against the corner of his mouth from where he holds it, the tiniest smirk shifts his lips upward for a split second before he finally takes a sip from his drink.

Ah, Suna Rintarou.

Yeah, you think you do know what you’re doing tonight. Whatever it takes, right Miya?

It’s been a while since you've made a move on anyone, not bothering since mostly focusing on your studies and not letting anyone distract you from your music mostly. There've been a few people that have caught your eye but none who have tried to really get to know you, so you have cut your losses and moved on. Bokuto and Kuroo have also kept you very busy and it's been a godsend, never letting you spend more than a day to yourself before you find yourself out at volleyball practices or all crowded around the local coffee shop’s tiny tables to study together.

A large heavy arm swings around your shoulder, heavy thick muscle pressing into your side. The motion pulls your attention from staring into your empty cup. “So, (Y/N)” it draws out, “Can i get ya a refill?” It’s Astumu, you already know that, not even bothering to turn your head to meet his eyes focused on yours. Audibly sighing, you pass your empty cup towards his opposite hand that rests on the edge of the counter. “I suppose you could” you answer, he chuckles in response. “Now I wouldn't be much of a good host if I didn't make sure every cup is full now would i?” You can just imagine the playful smirk that's cast upon his features as he squeezes you quickly with the arm that's draped over your shoulder.

The heat disappears from your side as he drags himself to the opposite side of the kitchen to skim the bottles laid along the counter, raising your head to look around the kitchen. Bokuto is standing next to Hinata while leaning against the large fridge, while the two of them are already making conversation with Astumu. Kuroo stands over near the hallway talking to a girl you don’t quite recognize, but she's cute you think. His face turns to yours meeting your eye, he raises an eyebrow as his face shifts slightly. You know it's his way of saying “everything good or you need a save?”

You've seen that expression almost a million times at one of these parties. Your eyes shift back to the girl thats standing beside him, you're not sure what they're talking about but there's a slight blush on her cheeks as he looks back down to her for a second, her head lowers for a minute as her hand tucks some of her hair behind her ear. Kuroo looks back at you quickly, you raise an eyebrow at him and give him a subtle thumbs up. It's your response as a “i'm good here, do your thing.” 

You look quickly back to Astumu, he’s completely immersed in his conversation with Hinata and Bokuto. You notice another figure standing with them, Osamu. Astsumu’s twin brother, you had forgotten they are twins, you definitely don't see him around these parties as much. He must be the busier and more tame twin. 

You take the opportunity to slip away from the kitchen island, making your way through the heavy crowd of people as the music blares much closer to the living room. You spot Kita, Akaashi and Suna on the couch together, you make your way towards around the back of the couch the 3 of them are perched on. Your hands place on the back of the couch as you lean forward in between Suna and Akaashi, as you shift your weight placing your elbows in between them on the back of the couch instead of your hands. 

“Is this the anti-social drinking club?” the two of them flinch before whipping their heads towards you on the back of the couch. “Didn't notice you there” Akaashi mumbles, his voice barely caught over the music. “Room for one more? The kitchen is a bit too crowded for me” you chuckle towards Akaashi, his eyebrows raise in response. “Yeah sure, you can have my spot. I was gonna go find Bokuto anyways.” His arm lands on the side of the couch as he gets up, looking towards Suna and makes eye contact with him before he turns to navigate through the crowd of people. 

You take the opportunity to lift your weight and hop over the back of the couch and land beside Suna and settle in beside him, you look around slightly before turning back to him. “Figured you weren’t gonna make a move, so thought i'd come to you.” you say to him and smirk slightly. His eyes widen a bit before he tilts his head to look at you fully, his hand coming up to bring the cup towards his lips before he speaks. “What if I didn't want to make a move?” his voice deep and words drawn out as he says it before taking a swig from his cup. You narrow your eyes at him, holding eye contact with him as you shrug. “Maybe you didn't or maybe you did, but I'm making mine. So, are you gonna let me down tonight?” 

He chokes lightly on the sip of his drink, before bringing it away from his mouth and raising his other hand to hit his chest once before he coughs a few times. He takes a few seconds before he responds. “You know, Astumu was making his move on you tonight. So what about him?”

You tilt your head and roll your eyes at Suna, “And, what about him?” you ask before continuing. “What about what I want, What if I don't want him?” He chuckles a bit before turning his body towards you more and draping his free hand over the back of the couch. “He’d be pretty upset at me, he wants to talk you pretty badly”

“Oh please” You sigh in response. “I heard his speech earlier, he's not interested in talking to me” 

Suna narrows his golden eyes towards yours again, brows furrowing. “And you think that I do?” his voice lowers as he leans towards you the tiniest bit. 

“I think you're more worried about him than whatever it is that you want” You raise a hand to curl your fingers and poke him in the chest once with your pointer finger. Before you raise your hand to take the cup he's been holding, raising it to your lips take a small sip before holding it as you watch his expression- his eyes watching your movements before they flick back up to yours as you push the cup back into the shape his fingers still have of the cup that was previously there.

He doesn't respond for a few moments before he says “Maybe I just don't want to deal with the tantrum he throws at me later for it.” his hand comes off the back of the couch as he brings it to his hair and pushes his fingers back through the dark strands of hair before putting back to its spot over the back of the couch. 

You huff a breath for a moment before pushing your lips into a tiny pout for a second, his eyes scanning your face. He sighs, he's known the whole time he’s wanted to talk to you but he's not exactly lying about Astumu throwing a fit about it later, he’d be pissed at him. And he's not exactly giving into himself, trying to push you away lightly with a smug attitude because he’d figure he wouldn't get a chance to talk to you, so he didn't bother to get his hopes up tonight. But, you're here tonight and you sought him out. Pushing Akaashi out of the spot he sat in previously beside him. 

His head turns scanning the crowd of people before he spots Akaashi in the kitchen, standing beside Bokuto, the two of them standing across from Astumu, Hinata and Osamu. He makes eye contact with Akaashi and his eyebrows raise back at Suna. Suna’s eyes flicker to Atsumu and back to Akaashi with a nod of his head. He can see the gears turning in his friend's head, before he gets a smirk in return and a head nod from Akaashi. The way of saying ‘I got you man’. He watches Akaashi sling an arm over Atsumu and turn his attention back towards the kitchen counter motioning back to all the bottles. He makes a mental note that he owes his dark haired friend big time later.

Suna turns his attention back to you, you're watching him, waiting. 

You huff a breath at him, thinking it's time to cut your losses before you embarrass yourself further, reminding yourself why you don't bother to put yourself out there.

“Well I'll take it that you're not interested so I'll probably head out then, guess I'm getting let down tonight” you chuckle lightly, shrinking into yourself a bit as you move to turn yourself away from him. “I'm sorry i bothered you” you say as you raise an arm to the back of your neck and sigh. You place your hands on the armrest of the couch and begin to slowly push your weight off the couch. 

As you turned away, you miss the expression that spreads across Suna’s face. His eyebrows shoot up, gold eyes wide open as he processes your words, he sees the way your face falls as you turn away from him. Shit, he really did push you away too much, all because of worry about Atsumu’s attitude later.

As you finally stand from the couch you don't take another look towards him. In the middle of your first step away from the couch, his body shoots forward. “Fuck” he mutters. His arm stretches out and his fingers dropping the cup he was previously holding falls towards the floor, he's not sure where it lands and he doesn't care. His long fingers snake around your wrist and grips tightly before he even processes the motion.

Your head whips around at the contact on your wrist, startling you. Your expression of shock meets Suna as your eyes trail from your wrist up to the arm that's outstretched.

“Fuck- I, I’m sorry” He pleads. He looks up at you, eyes wide and brows raised. You don’t think you’ve ever seen his face so expressive. You stare at him for a few seconds before you respond, “For what? I got shot down, it's cool” You chuckle lightly and your voice trails off. You give him a half light smile, your tone a little different from what it was before, he's not sure what it is but he doesn't like it.

“I did though” he pauses for a second before continuing on, trying to find the words. “I wanted to talk to you so bad, i have for so long but i didn’t want to get shot down by you, because you never seem interested in anyone so i didn’t want to waste your time because i’m really fucking boring and don’t know how to talk to people” he rambles on, he looks down slightly, he’s not sure what came over him but he feels like he just completely ruined any chance to talk to you further and you’ll probably completely avoid him after tonight.

His grip loosens off your wrist and he lets his arm fall down, he looks back up to you. You're staring back at him, still in shock. You smile at him, “well, what if i like boring?” his eyes widened again. He grabs your wrist again, and pulls you back towards him. You stand in between his legs as he relaxes back into his seat on the couch, he places his hands around the back of your thighs. “So, you're not gonna let me down again this time right?” you laugh while looking down at him. “That would be an astronomical fumble for me, I'd have to be an idiot to let that happen again.”

A hand grasps your shoulder, “well, what do we have here?” Astumu’s voice is cold behind you, you tense at the presence behind you. Your neck cranes to the side to peer up at him. His brown eyes narrowed and staring into yours. His jaw twitches with the strain of him clenching it together tight. You've never seen Atsumu this angry, you've seen his fits on the court but at this tension, you feel like prey under his piercing gaze directed into your widened eyes. Suna could feel the moment your body tensed together, his hands around the back of your thighs. He lightly rubs both of his thumbs along the fabric of the leggings you wore, in a small soothing motion. It's a reminder, he's here, he knows and can feel how nervous you feel. 

“I got your drink for you princess, but you ran away from me” 

Atsumu brings his other hand around and holds a cup in front of you, it's slightly indented with the force he holds it with. “That wasn’t very nice of you, when the host offers you a drink” you feel frozen with the way his words feel so heavy, like they slice through your skin, he holds an overwhelming intimidating presence standing over you.

Suna doesn’t even know what to say, if he even should. He's never seen his friend like this, so much anger locked in his jaw. He definitely doesn't want to provoke him, but he can feel your trembling under his hands, he hasn't moved an inch either. 

Your fingers twitch slightly as you raise a hand to reach the cup, Atsumu moves it slightly when you reach for it. Your eyes dart down from his to the movement of his hand, you can feel the eyes on you as your eyes dart around the room, a few people close to you are staring at the tension they most likely could almost feel over them as well.

Your eyes flick around the faces closest to you, desperately searching for Bokuto or Kuroo or anyone close enough, you can't see them anywhere close to you. It makes you even more nervous, you don't know what to do.

Suna’s voice finally cuts the silence, “Atsumu man, we were just talking. S’nothin man”

Atsumu’s gaze turns to him, voice taunting him “Just talking to the chick i just happened to be talking about earlier?” his head tilts and his grip on your shoulder gets slightly tighter, forcing you to wince, Suna’s eyes drift towards the grip Atsumu has on your shoulder then back to your eyes. “C’mon man, you're hurting her. Just let go of her.” 

“What, so you can swoop in and be the nice guy? Payback for all the times I've bagged chicks you wanted to talk to and slept with them huh?”

Suna’s head retracts for a second in shock before his eyes narrow and his brow pinches together tightly. What the hell? He doesn't think that would have taken him by shock as much as it did, he gets undertones that isn’t just about you but about him too, and he's not sure why.

“Atsumu man, if you have a problem with me man we can talk about it. You don't have to drag her into it, S’nothin to do with her.”

Suna tries hard to lightly defuse his best friend, he doesn't want to be too forward for how it might drag you farther into it, especially with how hard Atsumu is grasping your shoulder. But he doesn't understand why Atsumu is so angry about him talking to you. If he all wanted to just sleep with you then toss you aside like every other girl?

Right?

thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed:”)

[ilovelumity3000]

Dandadan reallly reminds me, in a weird way, of one piece, especially when OP was in its infancy

they both take over 100 chapters for the plot to actually start moving, focusing early on a "villain of the week" format rather then grand overrarching narrative - it takes 120 chapters for the first major big bad of dandadan to be introduced, and 163 chapters for us to learn that dandadan isnt just a random sound tatsu thought was funny

theyre both very zany, wacky and extremely creative from arc-to-arc basis

despite their infamous reputation for being horny and problematic, they both contain some pretty anti-establishment and even progressive elements/themes, especially for a big mainstream battle shonen

the backstories in both can hit you like a fucking truck, in the best way possible

and lastly, this is pure speculation on my part, since idk exact creative proccess of DDD's mangaka, but... i have a feeling in regards to the first point, that Tatsu has a) enough creativity and ideas in him for the story to go on for years and years to come b) he plans a lot more then anyone is really giving him credit for...

anyway, read DanDaDan, its really good

[moon-child-goddess]

Stay

Mattheo X Fem Gryffindor reader

Summary: After a night together, reader goes on with her life thinking that’s what playboy Mattheo wants.  

Warnings: Mentions of sexual content, all characters are 18 plus, mentions of drinking, mentions of longish hair (Like enough to be thrown over a shoulder),

A/N: Guys I have no idea what this is. I am hormonal and can’t function lmao. There is so much kissing for such a short thing... Anyway enjoy.

A warm hand rested around my waist, holding me close. Under any other circumstance, it might have felt reassuring— but not this. No not this.

“Stay.” He had murmured before drifting off to sleep. His voice had been low and soft. But I couldn't. There was no way he could have meant it.

Mattheo’s grip was loose, just light enough that I could slip out without waking him. As carefully as I could I lifted his arm and wiggled away from him. I squeezed my eyes when he squirmed, but he moved to lay on his back taking his hand with him.

I perched on the edge of the bed, fumbling with the clasp of my bra. One of the bands was twisted. I didn’t have the energy to fix it. It didn’t matter anyway. I just needed to get out of here.

Mattheo was sprawled out on his side of the bed, utterly peaceful, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Soft snores escaped him. He looked so serene. The scowl he usually wore was gone.

This was such a mistake. A Gryffindor hooking up with a Slytherin? We were supposed to be enemies. It was a drunken mistake. That’s right this was all just a slightly drunken mistake. Even though we both maybe had one drink a piece so I don’t know how drunk I could claim we were. No matter how many stolen glances we’d shared across the Great Hall, no matter how often I’d caught myself wondering what it would be like to touch him, this wasn’t supposed to happen.

I wasn’t even entirely sure how we’d ended up here. One moment we were at that Hufflepuff party, and the next... his room.

The room was dim, lit only by the faint flicker of a few candles. Finding my clothes in the murky lighting felt impossible.  I crawled on my hands and knees patting the floor for my silky dress. When I did find it I threw the thing on inside out.

I needed to get out of here before he woke up. My shoes were scattered one by the dresser and the other at the edge of the bed. Grabbing them both, I padded softly to the exit.

The door wasn’t budging, it seemed to be stuck in the doorway. I had to put some force behind my yanking to get it to move. I sucked in a sharp breath, wincing at the faint creak that broke the silence.  

I glanced back one last time. Mattheo hadn’t stirred. He was still sound asleep; the soft snores had stopped.

This was for the best. He would ignore me come Monday, just like he did with all the others. Mattheo hooked up with half the girls at Hogwarts. Ok, that was an exaggeration, but still it was a fair amount. I was just another notch in his belt.

The stone floor of the castle was cold as I ran to my room.

Saturday morning, Mattheo spent all of breakfast glaring at me. His sharp gaze burned holes into me, making my skin prickle with unease. I tried to ignore him. But it was nerve wrecking. Was he mad that he slept with me the enemy? Maybe he saw it as a mistake, just like I thought he would.  I didn’t regret it and was willing to move on from it. We were humans with needs, and we gave into those needs. It was ok.

Maybe we should have stayed one-sided longing. That would have been way simpler. I expected for him to be colder during Herbology tomorrow. And since he was my desk mate that thought made my stomach churn.

By Sunday night, I was heading back to my common room when something soft hit me in the face. I caught it instinctively. It was my cardigan I must have forgotten it in Mattheo’s room.

I turned to see him leaning casually against the wall a nonchalant look on his face. But there was tension in his shoulder betraying his calm persona.

“Why did you throw this at me?” I asked, slipping it over the dress I was wearing.

The thing smelled like him.

“Why did you leave?”  His voice was tight, and jaw clenched like he was trying to keep himself under control.

“I figured you would want me gone in the morning,” I avoided his gaze “Act like it never happened.”

“Why?” he pressed.

“Because I know your reputation.” I muttered shrugging before adding. “I Know how you are.”

His gaze hardened. Without any warning he grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer.

 “And what is it you think you know, then?” His voice was calm, but the tension in his words rippled through the air.

I sighed narrowing my eyes at him. I had no idea what he was up to.

“I know enough. Enough to know how this goes.”

I yanked my wrist free, but he took a deliberate step forward. Closing the gap, I tried to make between us.

“Enough?”

“You only sleep with girls once and want them gone as soon as possible,” I whispered. “So, I left. Its ok everyone has needs, and their boundaries. I knew that before we ended up in your bed.”

A smirk tugged at Mattheo’s lips; it didn’t reach his eyes. He tilted his head, his brown eyes studying me with a mix of amusement and frustration.

“Is that so? I just toss people aside?” He raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t know me at all, do you?”

“You don’t keep people around,” I snapped, my voice rising. “You just use them, then forget about them.”

I sounded like a jealous girlfriend. And that was the last thing I was. I knew how he was and respected that, and I wasn’t about to cling on to a boy who didn’t care. So, what the hell was his problem. Most guys would be content with my actions.

 “Maybe you’ve got it all wrong,” he said quietly, his tone soft. “Maybe... I don’t want you to be just another girl.”

I stiffened. “I have never seen you with the same girl twice. Like I said it’s fine.”

Mattheo’s lips pressed into a tight line as he stared at me, his expression unreadable. We stared at each other in silence for what must have been a minute. I rolled my eyes and turned to leave. This conversation was going nowhere. His hand caught my wrist again, halting my steps.

“You can pretend to know me all you want, but I don’t think you do. Because I don’t let go of what I want. And right now... I want you.”  he murmured against the shell of my ear, his voice a low growl.

“We are supposed to be enemies.” I whispered staring at the brick wall in front of me.

His fingers danced lightly across my neck, brushing my hair over to one shoulder. “I suppose we are.” He leaned in.

I gasped softly when he pressed his lips against my neck, warm and deliberate. He was playing dirty, and he knew it. “You are a Slytherin, and I am a Gryffin-“

My words dissolved into a sharp intake of breath when his teeth grazed my sensitive skin. My pulse began to quicken.

“Semantics.”  He muttered.

He trailed kisses up and down the curve of my neck, each one more calculated then the last, as if he knew exactly how to unravel me. My eyes fluttered shut and I tilted my head giving him more access.

“You stubborn girl.”  he whispered against my pulse, before placing another kiss. “I said I don’t want you to be just another girl”

“Mattheo.” I breathed out.

My words died on my lips when he nipped at my skin. I almost let out a moan.

I leaned back into him, feeling one of his arms snaking around my stomach, pulling me flush against his chest. I heard an atta girl murmured so low. His lips ghosted over my shoulder as he shifted my sweater aside, placing tender kisses on the exposed skin.

He knew he had me.

His hand tilted my face slightly, forcing me to meet his gaze from the side. His fingers brushed lightly along my jawline, sending shivers through me.

“Do you want me?”

It was such a simple question, with a heavy answer.

“I think so.” I mumbled, a blush rising on my cheeks.

A cheeky smile tugged at his lips. “Then its settled.”

Before I could ask what, he meant, his lips met mine. The angle was awkward, but the kiss was nothing short of intoxicating. It was hungry and passionate. Very different from the kiss we shared Friday. It left me breathless.

When he pulled away the arm still across my stomach spun me, so I was facing him. Mattheo rested his forehead against mine, his hands settling on my hips. The air between us was still charged. His eyes searched mine, as though he was trying to say something he couldn’t find the words for.

“Mattheo.” I said once I caught my breath. “What happens now?”

His lips quirked into the faintest of smiles, though his gaze remained serious. “That depends on you, I’ve already decided what I want.”

I swallowed hard, pulling my head back. This wasn’t supposed to happen—not like this. We weren’t supposed to be here, tangled together like we belonged.

“But we’re...” I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. I was sounding like a robot.

“House Enemies?” he asked, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. “You think that matters? You think I care about some stupid rivalry when it’s you I can’t stop thinking about?”

My breath hitched, and he took that moment to tilt my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“You want this too,” he said, his voice assertive. “I know you do. So, stop running, stop overthinking, and just—”

He paused, his thumb brushing my cheek. “Stay.”

An ok was all I could muster.

His expression softened. A flicker of relief crossed his face, so fleeting that if I blinked, I might have missed it.

“Okay?” he repeated in a teasing whisper.

I nodded, my hands instinctively finding their way to his chest. His heart was pounding just as wildly as mine, a steady rhythm beneath my fingertips.

Then, slowly, he closed the gap between us, his lips brushing mine again with a tenderness that stole the air from my lungs instantly. This kiss was careful, deliberate.

When he pulled back, his hands still cradled my face. “We’ll figure it out. One step at a time.”

I wanted to believe him. But the part of me that always played it safe knew that this wasn’t going to be easy.

“Mattheo,” I said hesitantly. “What if this doesn’t work?”

His lips quirked into a smirk, though his eyes held a warmth that made my chest ache. “It’ll work,” he said simply. “Because I’m not letting you go. Not now. Not ever.”

The conviction in his words sent a shiver down my spine, and before I could respond with doubt, he kissed me again, this time with a hunger that made my knees weak.

“Is this going to be your solution for everything? Kiss me every time I hesitate?” I asked when he pulled away.

Mattheo’s hand slid down to intertwine with mine, his thumb brushing soothing circles against my skin.

“Yes, because you can’t tell me you don’t feel we are right for each other.”

I bit my lip and sent him a shy smile.

“Come on,” he said, his voice lighter now, almost teasing. “Let’s get you back to your common room before you change your mind and start overthinking again.”

I laughed softly despite myself, shaking my head. “You’re insane.”

“And you’re stubborn,” he shot back, grinning. “Guess we make a good match, don’t we?”

[zeroskiis]

What type of demons are Kong/Natasha/Deniz and others are in your au?

Omg sorry for not answering earlier! I'm sick with a fever and a really bad headache and I'm not sure if ya'll can make out what I'm gonna be trying to explain here, but I'll try my best!

So! Kong for starters is a shapeshifting demon! I've mentioned this before also but asking is alright! :3 He can shapeshift into any living being, be it a human, animal or other, as long as there is some sort of life sustaining organs, so objects aren't really possible. Also an transformation is more likely to fail if highly emotional or distressed, when rational thinking is hard, and when one is out of energy and exhausted.

I'd like to think that Natasha is also a shapeshifting demon, and that's the reason she has managed to avoid being caught for so long.

Deniz isn't really a demon. He's just cursed. Though if the curse goes far enough he would be a wild demon. One that has the basic understanding level of an animal and no special power beyond physical form. One that only hunts and works off instincts, basically losing all humanity, becoming just a reflection of what he used to be. That is why it is a curse.

The blue eyed one, (still don't know what name to use so I'll just call him blue or bluey) the power is a bit hard for me to explain but I'll try my best! (Yes I need the pictures to even try to do this-)

So his power is like this thing where he can twist a humans flesh into an image of what he wants through touch. (Does that make sense?) He generally thinks that humans are toys to be played with, or food. You could say he was "blessed" with a dangerous power. I don't really know what to call this type of a demon, but I wanted his power to be this.

He could twist one into being a servant, a mindless puppet. The one that has been turned is fully conscious inside and most likely in a lot of pain, but their mind is no longer controlled by them. It is controlled, by him.

Other options include becoming just a mere pile of flesh with no purpose. (I feel like that sometimes. Anyways-) Or his next art project!

Or you could become decor or furniture. A very fleshy and wailing piece of one that nobody probably wouldn't be comfortable having around, but decor/furniture nonethless!

If you're lucky he just eats you and saves you the pain of being trapped in a vessel of a body that you no longer control. :3

I'll write more later of others like Michi and the rest of his gang and stuff because I feel like I've been rambling way too long and I need to get a grip on reality. I hope this satisfies you and answered your questions atleast a tiny bit 🙏

[dusty-daydreams]

I wonder how much of this influenced Thomas’s decision to leave in da2

Like this is totally my headcannon because Julian clearly has never given that much in-depth thought to it - but I think that the way the family treats Thomas as not the real butler in DA1 informs his decision to take the big risk of accepting Guy’s work/pseudo-marriage proposal

Thomas has been wanting to get away from Downton and service since almost the moment we meet him, but for a variety of reasons both his own actions and the actions of others he keeps getting pulled back to the house. (I once saw a post that described Downton as a happy house for everyone else but a haunted one for Thomas that has its hooks in him and keeps dragging him back in.) At the end of the tv show he ends up back at Downton and it’s like the world has conspired to convince him that this is the best his life is going to be. Stuck in service, but at least in a house where everyone is either friendly or at least tolerant of him, and he might not have a partner but at least he isn’t alone. And even if he never got out of service - got out of the power dynamics that force him to scrape and serve people that benevolent or not see him primarily as a piece of furniture, at least he has reached the pinnacle of his career. Gone are the days of him desperately trying to claw up the ladder from footman to valet, he is the butler now. He makes the decisions, he is the head of the household that while still under the family, is also the one working with them to make important decisions.

Except a few years(?) later he is shown irrefutable proof that his employers don’t think of him as a skilled professional but rather as a stand in for lack of someone better for the old butler whose Ill health has forced him to retire. A man who everyone but him loves. A man who has been violently homophobic towards him (even though he wouldn’t have those words for his experience). A man who at the first opportunity his employers, especially the young one - the one who he is going to have to work for and with for the majority of his career - pass him over in favour of.

No wonder when a handsome Hollywood movie star comes along, flirts with him, shows Thomas his soft, silly, vulnerable side, makes him feel desired both as a human and as a skilled worker, and offers him a new professional opportunity with the chance of true companionship Thomas jumps at the chance.

Despite years of efforts people trying to convince him that downtown is the best he can get what does it truly offer - friendship - yes but conditional friendship from people that used to despise him (validly or not) but not companionship. Not professional respect - after all his employers don’t even respect him enough to let him do his job without inviting his predecessor to meddle. (After all they have taken his predecessor with them to assess the new house in the south of France - which is just more reinforcement that Thomas is never truly going to be the butler while Carson is still around asking how high when the family asks him to jump)

Guy Dexter is a charming man who Thomas is attracted too, but he also offers Thomas what he has wanted from the beginning a position of respect. (After all it’s clear that Guy Dexter needs a bit of looking after and Thomas has been managing staff and schedules and budgets and logistics for years at this point - it’s clear to me at least that Thomas is going to be more PA and manager than ‘dresser’)

Anyway didn’t mean to hijack your post with this long rant - it’s just the way they pass him over in DA1 pisses me off too and I think it directly informs his decision to make the big career move and relationship risk he makes in DA2

Ugh

I still get angry when watching Downton 1 bc what do you mean Mary thinks it's alright to replace Thomas with Carson just bc SHE thinks he's overwhelmed with the whole ordeal

[onyourowndaisymae]

strawberries

mammon hears you're missing something from the human world. so, he decides to fetch it for you.

content + warnings: just some cute (implied) x reader, can be read as platonic, normal mammon tsundere shenanigans, fluff

word count: 952

[longer oc version coming soon?]

mammon doesn't particularly think he's a nosy person. if you're having a conversation within earshot, then surely you're comfortable with someone nearby listening in. and when it comes to matters involving you-- well, surely your first man deserves to know more about you than anyone else, right?

while casually "passing by" (and definitely not stopping outside the door to the kitchen to listen in when he hears your voice get all soft and sentimental), mammon hears you talking to beel. you're talking about something you used to eat as a kid, laughing as you share how you used to make yourself sick on summer nights eating your fill. you paint a picture with your words of yourself several decades previous, with sweet red juice dripping down your chin, leafy tops discarded in the yard as you played long into the sunset. beel eventually has to ask you to stop-- he's actively eating his own meal, but your descriptions are so colorful that his stomach howls with want anyways.

mammon's lost in thought by the time he wanders off. what were these splendorous fruits you spoke so highly of? did they have a devildom equivalent? he didn't even catch its name...

part of him wants to grab these magical fruits and use them to turn a profit. since the exchange program had been initially proposed, a small but growing faction of demons had become obsessed with anything relating to the human realm. food, clothes, entertainment, etc-- all of it was heralded as exciting and mystifying. but the other part of him wants to see if you really liked them as much as you said. he wants to hear the stories directly from you, not overheard in the hallway, on how much you loved these little fruits.

a plan begins to form in his head. he'd be flying by the seat of his pants, but...

"they're a summer-y red human fruit. y'know, with the juice that gets all over ya?"

two teenage employees stare at mammon, trying to understand what the hell he's describing. he's speaking cryptically, like he doesn't even know what he's looking for.

"sir, can you be more specific?" the employee with flaming red hair asks.

"you said a summer fruit?" the other employee, an older blonde girl, asks. "like, maybe... watermelon chunks?"

"I don't know, maybe?" mammon's face is just as befuddled as before.

"here," the ginger proposes. "how about we go get some samples and have him taste everything? maybe he'll be able to figure it out then."

mammon is left standing alone as the young girls dart off towards another market stall, whispering and plotting as they scurry together. he feels like an idiot, truly. damn you. damn you and your pretty words, your smile, the way you make him feel so in love with you that he's willing to brave a human world market by himself on a busy sunday just to make you happy. his cheeks feel warm just thinking about it.

the girls return as quick at they left, a little basket of fruit donated by some nearby stalls to help the poor confused man nearby find fruit for his beloved (a bit dramatic of a marketing pitch-- but they're not exactly wrong). they eagerly beckon him to try all of what they brought. after all, helping someone is much more interesting than, say, doing the more boring tasks in their job description.

watermelon are nice, but the moment he see the actual size of the whole fruit, he knows he's got the wrong one. cherries are too tart. he can't imagine you gleefully popping them into mouth as a child without choking and dying on a pit (humans are so fragile). raspberries are close, but he isn't quite convinced...

then he sees them pull out a fruit with the leafy green top-- if only he'd remembered that earlier-- and he knows he's found what he needed.

"what are these called?" he asks.

"strawberries?"

there's a sense of awe in your voice as you look down at the little container. your favorite childhood snack is staring back at you, and they look just as wonderful as ever. mammon's face is red as he shrugs noncommittally.

"yeah, well, whatever. those lousy witches gave 'em to me while i was up in the human realm. i figured you'd know what to do with 'em."

he's lying. you could tell he would before he even opened his mouth, but you don't mind. the berries are vibrant and pretty under the kitchen lights.

"would you like to share them with me?"

"huh?"

his confusion only makes you laugh. you take your time washing them off, telling him the stories of how much you loved eating strawberries and running around your back yard at night. you have a feeling he knows these already. but he listens intently, arms crossed as he leans back against the counter and watches you, sprinkling in some commentary now and again about how human children are strange. there's a soft look on his face as he watches you work.

finally, you back to the counter and sprinkle a light dusting of sugar on the strawberry, then hold it up for him to try. his fingers brush against yours, but you make a noise and open your mouth-- you want him to do the same. he gets red again, eyes darting around for a good several moments, before hesitantly leaning in to take a bite.

a dribble of juice trails from the corner of his lips. you smile, chest warm, and thank him for caring so much about you. his sheepish smile only makes the strawberry taste that much sweeter as you take a bite yourself.

[joshuamj]

In Time and Stars

[gunstellations]

double trouble

[reddevilmcnt]

As Ross speaks, Maksim fixes him with a long, thoughtful look, tinged with only the faintest whiff of condescension. It’s the kind of stare that suggests he’s still piecing together the puzzle of this boy, this young man, this tiny mortal. So far, the picture's looking clear enough: Ross isn’t worse than most of his kind. In fact, he might be slightly better, if only because he seems to go out of his way to do good deeds. Maksim couldn't help remembering that it was precisely this sort, the well-meaning, unsuspecting ones, that he and his kind also hunted freely, like they were a casual meal for the pack. They’d toy with their food, play the part of carnivorous predator in full, before tearing them apart. The thought makes him pause, makes him wonder------- about himself, about the life he’s led, and about Ross. What would Ross do if he knew? If he truly understood the monster sitting across from him? What he is. What he’s done. What he’s bound to do again. A vague, infinitesimal part of Maksim doesn’t want to hurt Ross, at least... not much. He doesn’t even want to fully silence him, though the urge to tell him to shut up comes often enough. "I don’t like clubs either," Maksim speaks up after a moment, "Not because I’m a stick in the mud like you. It just isn't…" He hesitates, nearly saying safe. "...smart, for me or my people to be there around drunken idiots with no control or filter. Always makes the night end badly." Only for said idiots, of course. Nevertheless, Maksim’s pack has always been infamous for their bar crawls and club hunts, as crowded spaces packed with sweat-slick bodies, pulsing with heat and life, remained easy pickings.

Since Ross had surprisingly decided to play the attentive host, Maksim followed his lead, settling at the wide island counter and pouring cherry vodka into sparkling glasses. "But don’t be too embarrassed," Maksim teased. "I’m better than you at the whole drinking thing, and you probably shouldn’t drink too much anyway. Who knows how you’d act if you overdid it." Wolves, of course, didn’t face such limitations. Their rapid metabolisms made drunkenness impossible, though they could still savor the luxurious warmth and light buzz after consuming a significant amount. It was the best balance, blissful indulgence without the harmful side effects.

Maksim began pulling out the containers from their bags, setting down scrumptious tacos, tailored to both his and Ross's specific tastes, alongside a mixed seafood platter filled with fish, shrimp, and calamari, plus a heap of loaded nachos. Had he thought Ross was actually flirting with him (which, to be fair, the ever so prickly human most likely was not) Maksim might have paused, reacted, or at least given a confused look in response to his questions. Yet he figured it was just playful banter, even though he'd once heard Ross's blood pumping harder after he'd dropped his towel in the middle of the kitchen that one time, Maksim didn't think anything of it. There was no way he was anywhere near Ross's type, and the feeling was mutual. Ross was into the human, the normal, the non-creepy. Meanwhile, Maksim had always viewed humanity in its worst light, but when it came to Ross specifically? Their differences were all too apparent. Maksim was violent, bloodthirsty, wild------- traits he proudly embraced and refused to tone down simply because humanity insisted on labeling werewolves as 'monsters.' The truth was, they were only monsters because they refused to bow down to anyone else or let themselves be trampled beneath someone else's feet.

"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you? So you can pester me all day like the nagging little wife that you are," Maksim muttered with a snicker, his deeply captivating, frenzied blues glinting rather playfully as they flicked up to meet Ross's gaze, only to drop back down as he began arranging the tacos onto large plates. "You really should get yourself a boyfriend, though. Someone to take care of you, since you're obviously bad at it." He paused for a beat, then added, "You know, my family wants to try setting me up with someone. You ever do that blind dating shit?" If he thought it might actually work, he might go along with it. But he hated the idea of being pushed into a match------- bonding with a mate should come instinctively, not out of some forced obligation.

"once again, i am not a kindergarten teacher." he has almost been a kindergarten teacher, the decision to switch over to middle school a very last minute one right along with the decision to pick up and move halfway across the country. he doesn't think too much about it, about all the things that set his life on this particular crash course right into a shitty apartment, across the country from his family, away from all the friends he used to talk to about everything, but it's always lingering there, somewhere in the background.

but right now, those thoughts are distant, out of the way, and he's moving around his apartment, into the kitchen to grab plates, quickly gathering up papers and shuffling them into the folder to set off to the side and out of sight. he has time to worry about grading the rest later, and after reading the first few, he certainly isn't excited to continue reading what a bunch of 13 year olds think about one of his favorite books.

instead, he has to be a good host now. grab glasses, pull the bottles of water out of the fridge to set on the counter beside the empty plates, fill the glasses with ice. he's moving around like he's having a dinner party, not just letting one (admittedly handsome) stranger into his home for dinner. "also, i have gummies if i really want to sleep, i don't need to drink. and i do drink. in the comfort of my own home, not out at bars or clubs, because i like being able to drive myself home at the end of the night." along with whoever else has dragged him out. the real truth is, he's just not very social, hasn't found his people here yet.

a few moments of flurried activity, and he quickly stops in his track, hands resting against the countertop between the kitchen and the living room, eyes on maksim as he blinks a couple of times. "also, if you're one of my supposed boyfriends, is this our first date or our second? are we counting the breakfast after i saved your ass from the gutter, or was that a fluke?" his smirk returns with a vengence at the words, head tilting in a way that he's been told a hundred times before makes him look a bit like a puppy.

[stoopidstapler]

AIGHT. its the last day of the year so its 2 0 2 4 AR T SUMMARY TIME FELLAS <- hasnt posted any of these. but like. why not post the summary anyways. with that said. MAY THIS NE W YEAR BE GOOD TO YA ALL

[thecrowsart]

He likes cats, after all.

[sundial-bee-scribbles]

meow〜