#this is so funny. i would NOT trust this dialogue to be in the actual game but in my heart kokichi would 100% say this

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

*When asked about Sonic*

Chaos Sonic: Hah. So we're still talking about that blue pitstain? Whatever. He can be fun to toy with, sure, but he's old news. Last year's model. A failure of a friend and a passable hero. Nine wants him alive for "some reason"—that involves his "intense attachment"—so I won't kill him or anything. I'll leave him alone in a room with Nine over my dead body—or my best friend's wishes, since I cannot bear to refuse him. If I could, though, I'd love the chance to "play" with him some, "rough him up" a little as payback for how he treated my best friend.

Alpha Grim Sonic (answering via writing it down, sign language, transmission, whatever because he's mute): You refer to the blue hedgehog. Once upon a time, my master, Nine, seemed to be troubled when thinking of him. There was a time when Sonic brought a fight to our doorstep, but no matter how Sonic may have hurt him in the past, he has chosen to preserve my master's life. Nine seems to trust him, and Sonic has not threatened his life. So, as I do not have the capacity to experience such things as "emotions", and they would not matter even if I did have the ability, I do not mind if my master associates with Sonic the Hedgehog. If Nine is happy, and the hedgehog does not intend harm upon him, then all is well.

ㅤ

*When asked about Shadow*

Chaos Sonic: Oh, he's that black hedgehog, right?! Seems cool! I'd love to race him sometime. Of course, I'll fight him too if he intends to lay a finger on my best buddy, but all is well if he plays nice.

Alpha Grim Sonic (answering not by speaking, because he is mute): Shadow the Hedgehog. You do refer to the black hedgehog, do you not? If he intends to bring harm upon my master again, I will not hesitate in removing him. He has not received forgiveness for trying to kill my master during the war. Nine surely allows him to live because he is gracious, but if he so commanded me to I would rip the hedgehog him limb from limb. It is my duty to do what my master commands, and I will be ready should the hedgehog try anything or should my master finally revoke his trust in him.

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬?) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

(  various  dialogue  prompts  to  send  to  your  worst  enemy  (affectionate).  feel  free  to  change  how  you  seem  fit.  )

❛ oh great, it's you again. ❜

❛ you? kill me? that's funny. ❜

❛ for being someone you hate, i'm sure on your mind a lot. ❜

❛ you're the last person i wanted to see, actually. ❜

❛ do us both a favor. stay away from me. ❜

❛ you really are an asshole, you know that? ❜

❛ i'm the asshole? what does that make you then? ❜

❛ sometimes i think you must hate me. ❜

❛ i thought you said you never wanted to see me again. ❜

❛ if you want me to go, then you have to tell me to leave. ❜

❛ well, someone's cranky today. ❜

❛ well, someone needs to shut the fuck up. ❜

❛ just stay out of my way. ❜

❛ of all the idiots in the world, i'm stuck with you. ❜

❛ what is it you want this time? ❜

❛ sometimes i wonder if you're in love with me. ❜

❛ do you honestly think this is easy for me? ❜

❛ why would i ever want to be friends with you? ❜

❛ can we please just talk? ❜

❛ there is nothing for us to talk about. ❜

❛ you can yell at me later. just let me help you. ❜

❛ touch me, and you're dead. ❜

❛ oh, so now you care? ❜

❛ there is something deeply wrong with you. ❜

❛ i know i'm the last person you probably want to see, but... ❜

❛ you don't think we could be friends, do you? ❜

❛ i'm tired of fighting against you. ❜

❛ don't pretend you give a shit about me. ❜

❛ you're an idiot, but... i trust you. ❜

❛ oh, don't be cute. ❜

❛ wait, did you just say that i'm cute? ❜

❛ we're not good for each other. ❜

❛ if i say yes, will you shut up? ❜

❛ don't you have to be stupid somewhere else? ❜

❛ maybe we should kiss just to break the tension. ❜

❛ i'm sorry i can't turn off my feelings as easily as you. ❜

❛ maybe there's a universe out there where we're friends. ❜

❛ how can you be so smart yet so dumb at the same time? ❜

❛ don't think this changes anything between us. ❜

❛ you look ridiculous in that outfit, by the way. ❜

❛ if you die, i'll kill you. ❜

❛ is that a challenge? ❜

❛ ah, so you're not heartless after all. ❜

❛ i don't think i've ever seen you smile. ❜

❛ you never cared about me, so why now? ❜

❛ why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? ❜

❛ i don't even remember why we started fighting. ❜

❛ i don't have time for distractions right now. ❜

❛ you're not as bad as everyone says you are. ❜

❛ enemies make the best lovers, you know. ❜

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM NORMAL PEOPLE *  assorted dialogue from the book by sally rooney, some lines slightly changed to suit a roleplay format, adjust as necessary

i'm not a religious person, but i do sometimes think god made you from me.

i have a sense that real life is happening somewhere far away, happening without me, and i don't know if i will ever found out where it is or become part of it.

no one can be independent of other people completely.

life offers up these moments of joy despite everything.

he probably won't come back.

what we have now, we can never have back again.

for me, the pain of loneliness will be nothing to the pain i used to feel, of being unworthy.

we've done a lot of good for each other.

people can really change one another.

you should go. i'll always be here. you know that.

generally i find men are a lot more concerned with limiting the freedoms of women than exercising personal freedom for themselves.

most people go through their whole lives without ever really feeling that close with anyone.

life is the thing you bring with you inside your own head.

even in memory, i will always find that moment unbearably intense.

i have never believed i'm fit to be loved by any person.

yes. that was it. the beginning of my life.

it's funny the decisions you make because you like someone.

your whole life is different.

i think we're at that weird age where life can change a lot from small decisions.

if people appear to behave pointlessly in grief, it's only because human life is pointless, and this is the truth that grief revealed.

i don't know what's wrong with me.

i don't know why i can't be like normal people.

it feels powerful to put an experience down in words.

people are a lot more knowable than they think they are.

there's always been something inside me that men have wanted to dominate.

i want my life to mean something.

a lot of the literary people in college see books primarily as a way of appearing cultured.

that's the only part of myself i want to protect, the part that exists inside you.

there's something so corrupt and sexy about it.

i wish you didn't have to go.

i wish you could stay the night.

life offers up these moments of joy despite everything.

literature moves me.

it almost sounds sexual.

you learn nothing very profound about yourself simply by being bullied.

it's time you'll never get back.

time is real. the money is also real.

we've done a lot of good for each other.

the snow keeps falling.

hopefully i have changed, you know, as a person. but honestly, if i have, it's because of you.

he does have immaculate taste.

it's not like this with other people.

[name], would you ever fuck off?

you lean in expecting resistance, and everything just falls away in front of you.

i would lie down and die for you at any minute.

sometimes, someone will make eye contact with me, like a bus conductor or a person looking for change, and i'll feel shocked that anyone can actually see me.

we could be in a room full of people and my eyes would always meet yours, just to find that you had already been looking.

there's something comforting about it, something good about feeling sort of numb, detached from it all.

it was different with you, didn't have to play any games with you. it was just real.

no one is ever gonna hurt you like that again. everything's gonna be all right. trust me.

i love you, and i'm not gonna let anything like that happen to you again.

we have done so much good for one another.

[deerspherestudios]

i just finished day 3 and i am LOSINNNGGGG ITT genuinely my favorite indie vn FOR SURE! i have so many things to say but i don’t want to overwhelm you so i’ll keep it brief(er than i could), i promise!

after finishing day 3 i found out september is national mushroom month and WOWW THE UNIVERSE LOVES YOU IT IS ON YOUR SIDE AS A DEV

i played the first 2 days again and your improvement is so noticeable even though you were already so good ahdhjdjsjd—my favorite vn i’ll say it again—the slow burn and character development is SO SO IMPRESSIVE FOR THE SCOPE OF THIS! and the lore you drop based on different dialogue options is amazing. just so amazing…im in love with you /j

now that day 3 is posted… can we get an update on the meter of mycheal’s feelings for the player? for community discussion!! (do you remember that did i explain that well?)

GRAH IM NOT KEEPING IT AS BRIEF AS I THOUGHT I WOULD BUT I PROMISE YOU SHOULD BE IMPRESSED WITH THIS BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH MORE I WANT TO SAY! but i’ll let day 3 simmer for a bit before i let people see the foam in my mouth and steam in my racing brain. im so excited to see everyone’s thoughts, reactions, and content for this *sobs*

A a a tysm for the enthusiasm , ,, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!! I actually got your other ask which I'll respond to as well because it was so sweet but without further ado:

1. I GENUINELY didn't mean to release the new update on National Mushroom Month that was completely a coincidence hahaha! Plenty remember I promised to release it sometime in August but it really was a funny coincidence.

2. Oh my god it's funny you mentioned that; looking back at the backgrounds I did in Day 1 I really couldn't keep my artstyle consistent for the life of me 😭But I'm flattered you've noticed the improvement! And yes! I definitely wanted to make each choice worth choosing in terms of lore, with a few flavor texts thrown in for personalization.

3. I definitely remember! I'm surprised the community remembers pfbt. Trust me, I've gotten a bunch of asks about and here it is-

Oh.

Hm.

Seems like you've gotten him confused,,,

Edit: If the chart seems confusing, here's the explanation!

[morallygreychaoticneutral]

"If a night of passion is on offer.." It's ok to take it.

I think some passion flower would do nicely for this pot of thought. Does Astarion really want a night of passion or is he people pleasing? Lets steep on it.

WARNING: Game spoilers and talk of S.A..

Hmmm...to be randy or not to be randy. That is the conundrum.

This is not fact, is just opinion based off my own and game experience. As always, how anybody cannons their relationships or behaviors is perfectly right! No blame, no shame, it's your game!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have seen a lot of comments expressing anxiety about whether or not Tav should accept Astarion's proposal for sex in the grave yard.

"Given his past, I'm just not sure he really wants it."

"Is he just doing it because now that Caza..MF is dead he thinks I will leave now that the task is done?"

"Is he feeling insecure in his new freedom?"

"Is it too soon for him to be sexual after so much trauma for so long?"

"Does he mean what he is saying? Or is he being funny?"

I was one of those people. But now that iv had time to ponder it..

One thing to keep in mind is that most (I wont say all) S.A victims can, in time, start to enjoy sex again in safe, secure situations.

Treating them like they are fragile and tip toeing around them isn't fair. It doesn't help them build resilience or help them find a way back to a healthier relationship with sex.

If they are offering, trust them to make that choice.

Lets say you had a bad experience with swimming. You are scared of the water now, but you still love the ocean. You could forsake the water forever, and some do and that's a perfectly right choice, or you find small ways back to it.

Sit by the edge and watch the tide. Chase the tide out then let it chase you back in. Dip just your toes in the water. Then your hands, then your legs etc etc . Until one day you are back in the ocean.

It's the same with sexual interaction. Small steps to build your emotional strength back up.

That's not to say they wont still have pre or postcoital dysphoria from time to time, (fear of drowning) but it does get easier as time goes on. The more the experiences end in happy memories instead of tragic ones, the easier it gets.

So, does it show a lack of empathy to sleep with Astarion in the grave yard?

Nope. I think he actually does want to connect with you sexually.

Why?

Because of the dialogue you have regarding offering him the Astral-Touched tadpole. He says no. Then says...

"I had nothing for so long. Nothing. Not even my own body. I will NOT give it up, now it's mine again."

His face is one of complete conviction. He alone, controls what happens to his body. Who gets to use it, what happens to it, when it happens, where it happens and why it happens. Period.

This happens before you reach the city. Which means se has already regained the ability to say "no" long before graveyard.

Even if you chose to convince him to sleep with you after he asks you not to in his confession, he still asserts the boundary. It may be after the fact, and he leaves you, but it's still there.

So it wouldn't make much sense for him to suddenly back track and start offering sex as a means to manipulate Tav now.

Also, he is not using his "I'm lying out my fangs" face or his "I'm gong to literally seduce the pants off of you" face.

Mask of Lies Mask of Seduction

So, with those two things in mind, and I'm sure there are more, fast forward to that fateful night in the cemetery where he says he wants you to seduce him and...* insert suspenseful music*

BEHOLD!

When he says "If a night of passion is on offer, I could be persuaded" his face is almost exactly the same as when he says "I love you, I love this. And I want it all".

(and there was much rejoicing)

He is not pulling the faces that he uses when he lies or seduces. Which means the offer is sincere. You have, through repetition and consistency, proven to him that you care about him because of who he is to you. Not because of what he can do for you. Which was what he wanted. You are a safe space. "I feel safe with you. Seen." And for our affection starved elf, that's got to be a total turn on.

Also, with Cazador dead, he can let go of the subconscious fear of you being destroyed in some way if he sleeps with you.

He can make love to you with all the feelings he's ever had to repress involved. And for the first time in 200 years, not have the fear of it being ripped away any second, or being punished for it, by that monster or himself.

Here, on his new birthday, where his new life starts, he choses to experience you.

So put the doubt down and go get some grave dirt in places it shouldn't be.

And get some saucy elf in places you want him to be.

But, a graveyard? Really?

Why not? Where else would be more appropriate to have a "little death" with someone? *wink*

Or it could be that fact that your bedroom has more people in it than a clown car. Needs must..

Oh, but do keep a look out for Gracie, the grave yard guard. She has a low tolerance for mischief.

[timeslipcamp]

thoughts on episode 16

vibrating in my seat over a new sinostra chapter I CANT WAIT

typing this as i read it so let's go live reaction!!!

spoilers for episode 16

first of all taiga in a crop top is something i didn't know i needed but now it's all i'm gonna be thinking about forever thanks

SHO BRINGING US LUNCH right off the bat we are truly blessed to see him right away. where's that bingo sheet someone made cross off vagastrom cameo. sho is such a sweetheart ugh. interesting that he encourages us not to talk too much in front of the teachers.

hodge and podge have animations now!! good for them!! however that was completely overshadowed by this lil tidbit

only three months??? thats WAY less time than i thought we had. is the game moving in real time then? or are we going to get back to the loop that much sooner? also i love that the dialogue mentions different things and events that happen off screen. maybe we'll see them in the time loop. shoutout for the warding card though love that

how DID they see us alone in the infirmary? 👀 perhaps a clue as to why hyde's eyes are covered, he can see everything?

also quick shout out to my favorite thing romeo's ever said

lawyers or the yakuza aka ritsu or taiga

WAIT WE'RE GOING TO DIONYSIA????? oh i'm screaming actually i can't be doing this at work

a burglary? the same person who broke into jabberwock maybe?

ITS A FUCKING FREAKY CARNIVAL????

okay this place sucks but i'm kicking my feet and blushing at walking around with the janitor. i don't trust him AT ALL but he's hot idc

interesting that it's only been abandoned for six months, but we've been on campus for nine, and the clash was presumably just a few months before that. also double confirmation that the janitor is elias HELL YEAH. but wtf haru

DIONYSIA HARU holy shit not what i expected. he would be a little circus freak wouldn't he? ngl when they brought up romeo's family i was like "if they mention a sister istg..." but do you think taiga actually hasn't returned haru's calls? or was this him playing up the act again?

dude wait wtf is the winchester mansion doing here hahaha this is so funny. actually no the US branch being incompetent is funny too i like this.

history moment - for those who don't know, the winchester mansion is a real place in california. this mansion was built by sarah winchester and construction continued on the house all the way up until she died. popular myth says she was compelled by spirits to continue working on the house forever. she was plagued with crazy bad luck (family members dying, random tragedies) and another popular myth states that she was cursed because her family created the winchester rifle, and her bad karma was to repay for all the deaths the rifles caused. if you're in cali, highly recommend a visit, this place is huge and SO insane, there's hundreds of rooms. love what they did with this location in the story. might do a whole post on this mansion here later.

anyways

MC responding on reflex to kitten GIRL GET YOURSELF TOGETHER me too though me too...

ritsu is so fucking funny i love this nerd. i missed sinostra man. i do enjoy the brief cameos of other students though. lyca saying "ok bye" was so funny i love that guy

the sinostra turf war was killing me. living in this house would be so exhausting. at least ritsu has the hague convention agreements memorized too 😭

genuinely having the hardest time focusing on the story when this is on screen. wait hold on does taiga have a fake ponytail on lmao. HARD CUT AFTER YOU CHOOSE WHO YOURE ROOMING WITH????

i actually just went back and did that chapter three times so see all the options and they are exactly what you would expect. taigas gonna kill me. ugh

lyca calls him harurin because of rui 😭😭 bro ill cry STOP lyca youre so good bb

taiga im gonna strangle you--are you feeding into my time loop theory or are you just so apathetic that it bleeds into everything???? i doubt that, especially considering evetything this episode points to him knowing more than he's letting on, but he really has been apathetic about everything. ugh

also romeo being pegged as the villain by the hundun....... 👀 inchresting

nvm we literally almost got set on fire

i bet it's after taiga but because of his weird lucky precog thing it keepa avoiding him. god i need to know what his stigma is so bad. "it changed again" he and i are gonna fight istg

hot ritsu moment congrats ritsu stans

hey hold on

this sounds a lot like. the faculty....

the campus was almost destroyed by the ghouls and now theyre being super strict and using severe discipline to keep them in line...

that might be a reach but that felt poignant. hm

also idk if this is important to note or not but ritsu basically has the opposite stigma as haru. makes him harder/heavier while harus makes him faster/lighter/more fragile

anyways the END OF THE EPISODE UGGHHH

literally five hundred thousand thoughts running through my head at the end of that. elias definitely heard and he's about to go tell someone. LOVE sinostra those some ride or dies (heavy emphasis on the die). fuck you hyde i wanna know what you're planning. UGH such a good episode i wish it was 900 hours longer

gonna take an hour to collect my thoughts and then i'll be back with more. love you taiga fuck u

asks and dms always open!!

[thottythoughtdaughter]

"Taking Care of Your Sick Alpha Werewolf" Script w/ Angel dialogue!!

( a little project i thought would be fun, writing in angel's lines for this transcript! hope you enjoy, lmk if there are any other videos you'd want me to do! )

DAVID'S LINES BELONG TO REDACTED AUDIO !! they are erik's original work! ANGEL'S LINES ARE CREATED BY ME as a fun lil bit

slight nsfw!!

[stirring sound]

DAVID: Mmm.

ANGEL: [sleepily] Hi baby

DAVID: What time is it?

ANGEL: Eight... thirty?

DAVID: Oh god. I don’t think I got more than an hour of sleep in a row.

ANGEL: You didn't go back to bed?

DAVID: No. No, I couldn’t stay asleep. Too hot, too cold, too sweaty, too achy.

ANGEL: Baby...

DAVID: It’s been a revolving door all night. I’m surprised I didn’t keep you up too.

ANGEL: [soft laugh] To be fully honest I did not hear a thing.

DAVID: Well, I guess I’m not surprised, actually, you could sleep through a foghorn. [weak laugh]

ANGEL: Jerk.

DAVID: Hey, it’s a superpower. Be proud of it. I wish that was my problem.

ANGEL: You sound bad. And not sexy bad. What do you think you have?

DAVID: I don’t know. I don’t know what kinda sick this is. I was really hoping it was just a tickle in the throat yesterday. I shoulda known it was more by the time we were going to bed. It’s doing a number on me, I know that much.

ANGEL: So... we're staying in bed, right? No smoking the proverbial opium that, for you, is work?

DAVID: No, trust me, I will not be trying to work today. We don’t have a gig for this weekend, and any paperwork can wait.

ANGEL: Praise the Lord. He finally sees sense!

DAVID: [chuckles] Well, that’s you rubbing off on me finally, I guess.

ANGEL: [teasing] Oh, I've definitely rubbed one off on you.

DAVID: [snort] First of all, you’re a perv for that little joke and--

ANGEL: Little--

DAVID: [overlapping] --don’t now make a joke about ‘little’, I know you, I know how your perverse brain works before you can even get the words out [laughs]

ANGEL: [giggles]

DAVID: And secondly, yes, I’ve finally learned how to give myself a little grace when I’m feeling under the weather, feel free to gloat accordingly.

ANGEL: [chuckle]

DAVID: Meanwhile, I’m gonna bury my face in this pillow. Mmff. Never mind. That makes my eyes hurt. Fuck, how do my eyes ache? This is some bullshit.

ANGEL: You really do sound horrible, baby. Do you want some medicine or something?

DAVID: Mmm. I sound worse than I feel. Honestly the worst of it seems to have worked itself out overnight, at least in terms of fever, hot-cold shit.

ANGEL: Mhm.

DAVID: Now it’s leftover aches. And more than anything, I’m just tired from the shit sleep.

ANGEL: You wanna try to sleep more?

DAVID: [sigh] I mean, I can try. I probably should. Maybe I will. But I’m bad at sleeping during the day. Which is kind of funny, since when I was a kid I had such a hard time falling asleep at night. But now I can’t do the opposite. I’m no good at naps anymore.

ANGEL: This isn't even napping, it's just sleeping. And you're good at sleeping!

DAVID: [laughing] If you get up and then go back to sleep later, it’s still a nap. That’s the definition of a nap.

ANGEL: Says... who, exactly?

DAVID: Says me.

ANGEL: Oh, cuz you're the expert on napping.

DAVID: Well, I’m sick, that means I’m right.

ANGEL: Now that's some bullshit.

DAVID: That’s what you said when you were sick, so the road’s gotta go both ways.

ANGEL: Mm... nah. You're still wrong.

DAVID: [scoff] Menace.

ANGEL: You thirsty? Want some water? I can get--

DAVID: No, I’m good, I’ll get it. I’m gonna get up. I—oof. [ANGEL tackles DAVID] What—what is this?

ANGEL: [muffled in his waist] The people are rioting.

DAVID: [chuckle] Not more of the mutiny.

ANGEL: Viva la revolucion, baby.

DAVID: I got my fill last time.

ANGEL: Do not get up, you're sick.

DAVID: This is different, Angel. I’m not getting up to go do work or something, I’m getting up to get myself some water.

ANGEL: No. No dice. You're staying here.

DAVID: Angel, I’m sick, it’s not like my legs are broken, I can take care of my own water.

ANGEL: No. I can do it. You're sick.

DAVID: [laughs] You’re ridiculous, you know that?

ANGEL: Mhm... [leans in for a kiss]

DAVID: I��would not recommend kissing me right now, I’m gross.

ANGEL: Can I kiss here?

DAVID: [sigh] Yes, you can kiss my head, you goof.

ANGEL: [loudly] MWAH!

DAVID: Thank you. Now can I get my own water?

ANGEL: Really, Davey, just let me do it!

DAVID: [sigh] Fine. I’m staying put. You got me.

ANGEL: Yayy.

DAVID: Then hurry back.

[fade out/in]

ANGEL: Well, well, well. You're still here!

DAVID: Mmhmm. Right where you left me. I can occasionally be coerced to follow instructions other than my own.

ANGEL: [teasing] I don't have to coerce you to do anything. You're just so well behaved.

DAVID: Oh is that what you think?

ANGEL: [smug] mmmhmmm.

DAVID: [laughs] You really looking to test your ability to keep me in place? I wouldn’t recommend your usual tactic when I’m half drowning in snot and phlegm.

ANGEL: [hands DAVID the water, climbs back into bed]

DAVID: I’d hate to give you less than my best. And I’m on the wrong side of no sleep and a low grade fever to give you that. Much to both of our chagrins.

ANGEL: [loud, long sigh] Alas.

DAVID: Yeah, yours most of all.

ANGEL: Can't blame me for trying!

DAVID: Insatiable.

ANGEL: Well if you didn't have such a big dick--

DAVID: [snort] Don’t you try to pin that on me. You are the stuff of legends and you know it.

ANGEL: [fluffs hair] Maybe.

DAVID: At this point I think most of the rest of the pack knows said legends.

ANGEL: Nuh-uh. I'm a perfect angel around them!

DAVID: Oh yeah? What about last solstice?

ANGEL: We just got married they've got to excuse that--

DAVID: And the one before that?

ANGEL: Well I--

DAVID: And the one before that?

ANGEL: So... you know what... [laughs] Fuck you.

DAVID: Mmhmm. That’s what I thought. [laughs]

DAVID: [deep breath, sick sounds]

ANGEL: My poor baby. You okay?

DAVID: Yeah, being sick sucks. But it's all good. I mean, it’s not, I feel like crap, there’s not much good about that. But there’s also not much to be done about it either, other than taking it easy.

ANGEL: Yeah, cuz you're so good at that, too.

DAVID: Hey, I’ve gotten better at taking it easy over the years.

ANGEL: [disbelieving] Mmhmm.

DAVID: I’m at least familiar with the concept at this point. Even if just in theory. I’ve been known to relax on occasion. Does it usually take sickness or threats of mutiny from the rest of the pack, sure. But I’m learning.

ANGEL: [scoffs]

DAVID: Slowly.

[they both laugh]

DAVID: [groans] I think I should get up.

ANGEL: Ah- [points finger]

DAVID: Hey. Hey—hear me out before you jump me again, Angel. I think standing up and walking around a bit will help work some of this crud out of my nose and throat.

ANGEL: Hm.

DAVID: Especially if it includes a shower. I also need to brush my teeth, because my mouth feels like death. And I should eat something.

ANGEL: [teasing] Yeah, you're really grasping for straws now. How'm I s'posed to look after you if you're wandering about?

DAVID: [scoff] I’m not grasping straws, I’m giving a comprehensive list.

ANGEL: A comprehensive list to rob me of my nursing duties!

DAVID: How about this: after eating something, brushing my teeth, and showering, if and let’s be honest, when, I still feel shitty, I then go back to bed, hmm? Or at least to some other horizontal surface, like the couch. And then if you still wanna look after me so bad, you can to your heart’s content.

ANGEL: Yeah, but you're just gonna be grumpy about it.

DAVID: [chuckle] Of course I’ll be grumpy about it. It’s what I do best.

ANGEL: [laughs, cuddles into DAVID]

DAVID: Mm. You look cute.

ANGEL: Shut up I do not.

DAVID: [chuckle] Yes you do. I’d give you a kiss if I could.

ANGEL: You couull--

DAVID: No, not with me like this I won’t. You can wait.

ANGEL: [pouts] Boo.

DAVID: My lips aren’t going anywhere. You’ve already got them for the long haul, you know that.

ANGEL: Awww.

DAVID: Later. Take it up with my immune system. Though it’s a little busy right now.

ANGEL: Dork.

DAVID: [laughs] I’m getting up now. [ANGEL tries to protest] And I’m grabbing some food and I’m brushing my teeth and I’m showering, and then I will submit to your authoritarian care regime, all right? Deal?

ANGEL: Fine. Deal.

DAVID: Jokes aside, thank you for looking after me, baby.

ANGEL: I love you, silly.

DAVID: I love you too, Angel. Now scoot [laughs]

[bookished]

( a collection of friends to enemies dialogue prompts. adjust phrasing as necessary.) feel free to make edits to better suit your muse, but please don’t edit or add on to the original post 🤍 if you like, please consider supporting me through tips, it's highly appreciated.

“How could you throw away everything we’ve been through for this?”

“You betrayed me. I’ll never forgive you for that.”

“I never thought it’d be you standing in my way.”

“After everything I did for you, this is how you repay me?”

“I should’ve known better than to trust someone like you.”

“You used me, and I was too blind to see it until now.”

“Funny how you only care when it benefits you.”

“I supported you when no one else would, and you didn’t even hesitate to stab me in the back.”

“I’ve done nothing but clean up your messes, and I’m sick of it.”

“I didn’t want it to come to this, but you’ve left me no choice.”

“I should’ve seen it coming. You were never really on my side, were you?”

“You always needed to be the hero, didn’t you? Well, congratulations—you’re my villain now.”

“I stood by you when everyone else walked away, and now I see why they did.”

“You played the victim so well, I actually believed you.”

“You always knew how to hurt me, and now you’ve finally succeeded.”

"Your last act of friendship was stabbing me in the back." "No. That was my first act of honesty."

"I know every dark thing you've ever done." "And I know why you helped me do them." "That's the difference between us. I can live with my sins." "No. The difference is I stopped pretending mine were justified."

"How many others before me?"

[muletia]

Slut!Reader is having a blast having nearly every mech wrapped around their little finger. But sometimes the overbearing overprotectiveness from the Autobots and repetitive kidnappings from the Deceptions are both amusing and exhausting. Sometimes Reader needs a break from destroying desperate mechs in bed. That’s where Shockwave comes in, he was the only bot to not have an unhealthy infatuation with them, and since he was so bluntly logical, he was so easy to talk to.

It began when he was forced to watch over you while Megatron was busy with urgent duties. At first he tried to ignore you and continue with his experiments. He couldn’t exactly tell you he couldn’t care less about you when his master trusted your life in his care.

But you kept trying to pry him open with your questions about who he is and was before the war. Shockwave was greatly annoyed with you, but soon he began to indulge you in conversations about him and his masters plans to rule the galaxy. You just nodded and smiled like he didn’t tell you of all the disturbing war crimes he committed for Megatron.

Soon, because your visits on the Nemesis are frequent, dialogue with you has become bearable to the point where Shockwave was actually looking forward to seeing you. Thus, began your peculiar friendship with the mad scientist. But just because Shockwave tolerates you, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t waste a chance to dissect you if given the chance. The only force holding him back was Megatron. Instead he studies you from afar as well as asking a few detailed questions of his own.

Reader has it good. A haram of hot mechs, riches from jewels in energon mines, and now an insane scientist bestie :D (dang this was long 😅)

this is such a fun dynamic!! you cooked a deli shoes meal right here

I like the fact that the bestie part is mostly one-sided, because let's be real, it would (ouch) but me thinks Shockwave would develop a soft spot for you when he notices that you just don't give a single fuck about anything, desensitized after all the kidnapping and possessiveness bullshit you have been put through, so he can just yap about all of his previous experiments with gruesome detail

also, it would be really funny if reader asked shockwave if it was possible for a bot to get pregnant lmao, for scientific reasons of course

[summerwasjuly]

— i know no one asked for this, but im gonna do it anyway,,LIKE i love-hate achilles. he's literally the perfect character, flawed in a seriously compelling way. i'm not a deep reader of greek mythology, especially the trojan war (i'm planning to be), and i've only read three or four books, i think. when i first read the song of achilles, i initially loved them both, but when i read the iliad, their characters were a great contrast. he was NOT what i expected. patroclus wasn't a trustworthy narrator, though that makes sense because achilles was narrated by his lover, so it would make sense for patroclus to see achilles' good qualities but not his flaws.now, back to achilles: i love-hate this character because...no way. he's literally hated by half – i mean, all – of the greek mythology enthusiasts. 😪👎 but from my perspective, he's supposed to be that way. i think they're just afraid to see a character depicted as a human being is, humans are vile, ruthless, and awful, but also capable of kindness and love. what i love about achilles is that he's depicted as a monster, a beast, death incarnate on the field, but the only human thing about him is patroclus. it shows perfectly how a human can be: no matter how terrible a person you are, there's always a weakness within you. now, back to patroclus and achilles' relationship: honestly, wow. they weren't perfect; their relationship was toxic but also romantic??? i vaguely remember book 18 or 19 of the iliad (not sure). achilles calls patroclus names, but there's a dialogue where he compares patroclus to a young girl in distress, crying for her mother, waiting to be cradled, when patroclus was just worried for him. then, two or three books later, he's literally weeping for patroclus, cradling his DEAD corpse???? achilles' rage at hector for patroclus' death wasn't simply fueled by love, though that certainly played a part. a deeper understanding reveals a potent sense of responsibility. patroclus was more than a lover; he was the one person who truly accepted achilles, flaws and all. this acceptance was crucial to achilles' self-worth, making patroclus' death a profound betrayal of that trust and a shattering of achilles' already fragile sense of self. the loss wasn't just romantic; it was the severing of the only genuine connection achilles had, leaving him vulnerable and alone. his rage, therefore, was a ferocious reaction to this profound loss and the realization of his own vulnerability, a vulnerability he fiercely guarded and desperately tried to hide behind his monstrous persona. achilles could live a thousand lives and never deserve that boy. seriously, i love them so much! it's not even funny i'm super fixated on them, especially neoptolemus, achilles' son. guys, i love them so much 😭😭🙁 also regarding on the neomachus fic im doing, I SWEAR IM STILL GONNA DO IT, its just that i am actually so busy on school right now, and we still have recognition (and i was kinda in it too because you know, honor thingy) but i think, yeah, im sure i can post the first chapter on maybe wednesday or tuesday.. i just dont where tho, cuz i havent got my account on ao3 yet, it is so damn long to wait..! AND i still dont know what to name the fic because i actually never written a fanfic story before, oneshots maybe but not a whole damn story.. hehe thank you chat 🦚🦚

[on-a-lucky-tide]

I ken she isn't a character you typically focus on, but my curiosity is biting ma baws so I may as well ask just in case.

What do you think of the dynamic between Kate and John? And possibly the dynamic between her and Nikolai. Apologies, I ken there's about a bawhair of dialogue to work with on Kate and Nik but you're smart and I'd trust that if you do have an answer, then it'd intrigue me.

If you don't, fair enough, I completely get why. I'm just, to my core, a nosey bugger. And I fear an obvious one because Christ, the way I type isn't subtle and it really fucks the anonymity bit of this, I just cannae be fucked asking on my main blog.

I think their dynamic is pretty great but obviously complicated by the fact they're working for, and loyal to, different nations. Until very recently, UK and US geopolitics has been pretty aligned. I think John and Kate, if they existed today, would be struggling like fuck with how the rest of the world is turning its back on the US. All of Kate's avenues of information are being cut, MI5 and MI6 view the US as a liability, etc.

But, anyways, in fiction! First meeting and I think Kate probably thought "aw an upstart baby", because Baby Price with his shaven chin and serious eyes probably looked comical to someone who had a twelve year headstart on him. And then he proved himself to be a truly formidable operator, she realised she needed to build a strong link; he was clearly brilliantly intelligent and also gay as fuck ("aw repressed gay murder kitten").

It started off as a relationship of necessity. Then they shared a whiskey and a smoke after a particularly grizzly op, and it snowballed into actual friendship. John did wacky shit like use a gorilla costume as a decoy, and wasn't afraid to bend, and sometimes completely break, the rules. She liked that. He's smart, witty, funny, and so is she. If he was a woman, he'd be her wife. Luckily, she found someone just as good, but without John's temper and fixation on duty (read: someone healthier), so he gets "best friend" instead.

It's still characterised by their roles though. Sometimes Kate has to keep things from John and she hates it. But it's just the way it is. She hates it when their mission objectives don't align, she hates it when she can't provide him all the intel because she just doesn't know, and the fact that he'll go in anyway... Sometimes she wants to choke him with her bare hands. She'll take his growls and his snarls when he's frustrated because she knows it's coming from a place of deeply seated duty, an honour code that pushes him constantly forwards.

John is loyal to Laswell as much as you can be to a foreign agent; again, there are just some things he needs to keep to himself. He'll go in and risk his neck to save her arse. He respects her highly, would follow her into the maw of hell if needed. Over the years, he's started to see her and her wife as part of his extended family. I think he's probably slept on their couch while injured a few times. I wrote "Kicked Into Touch" initially because I wanted to write that domestic time between them. John values Laswell's opinion of him and he enjoys sharing hobbies/time with her outside of work. He's been to BBQs, the occasional family function; she'll likely officiate his wedding to Nikolai.

Speaking of Nik, I think Laswell adores him and him her, even though he finds her exasperating. "Why do you want to go there you crazy woman, what is--fine." He doesn't understand the American mind, probably finds it more than occasionally frustrating, but he knows Laswell is good and just, working within a straight jacket as best she can. She's not your standard, cookie cutter capitalist. She finds him eccentric but brilliant. She knows she can count on him to achieve the impossible in most situations; acquiring specific weapons, flying into hostile territory, accessing the inaccessible meetings and gangs. Nik is one of her greatest assets.

It was Laswell that gave MI6 the idea to use John to get Nik to turn. She had known Nik for a while by that point as a potential informant but her guys had failed to entice him over. Their offers just weren't hitting the mark; he didn't trust them. She had enough intel to know he was gay, and in an exceptionally vulnerable situation, so she had to play it carefully. Honeypotting him outright was cruel and it would only damage the working relationship later on. She needed someone that sat in the niche of hot and interesting, but not a blatant appeal to his prick.

She told MI6 to put Baby Blue himself right in Nik's path; intense, honest, brave and handsome in a unique, roguish kind of way. Laswell knew the way John spoke, the way he carried himself, his expressive face, would hook their Russian in. So when Price turned to Nik in the bar and said, "Come work with me, Nikolai. We'll change the world", Nik damn well believed him.

[gemsofthegalaxy]

On Arcane and Dialogue - The Prison Cell Scene

one of the criticisms I've seen crop up in a few ways is that there should have been more talking in Arcane. More characters should have had conversations that touched on past issues, reconciled more directly, explanations should have been given for character's actions presumably by way of some type of exposition.

I don't... really agree with that for the most part.

Now, talking is great. I actually adore dialogue. As a fic writer it's one of my biggest strengths. But that's one of the funny things of the interplay between canon and transformative fiction- the less characters' say directly in canon, the more space I have to figure out "what would make them finally pony up and say this, though?". What situations can I put them in to speak their mind, or how else can they say this in a way that's not really saying it.

Obviously, that's not everyone's relationship to media and stories. So, I don't begrudge people wanting more dialogue or clearer explanations in general. I just don't think Arcane was ever a show that was going to prioritize speaking when showing felt like it would be enough to them.

To explore this a bit further, I'm looking at the scene where Vi and Caitlyn meet in the jail cell. I was shocked for a few seconds when I first watched it. That was really all they said, and then they were jumping each other's bones?

And then I watched it again.

It begins with Vi asking Caitlyn to say "I told you so" because she's still in the mindset that Caitlyn is working against her, does not agree with her, does not align with her values or trust her, or trust Jinx. Vi beats herself up about "choosing the wrong person", because she thinks that having gone against Caitlyn to free Jinx (and having Jinx run away from her) means she's already lost Cait again.

Side note- for the majority of this show past S1E3, Jinx has pit herself against Caitlyn by acting like Vi had to pick one of them because she was threatened by Cait at first, and then because y'know, she murdered Cait's mother. She thinks it's impossible for both her and Caitlyn to be in Vi's life at the same time. Vi, as evidenced by her saying she "chose wrong" seems to believe this, too.

Vi fully thinks she's lost both Cait and Jinx.

Caitlyn doesn't say "No, that's not true, you still have me." she could! she could have said that. But... Caitlyn is a very action oriented person, and so is Vi. Vi is incredibly protective and she does everything for other people. We see what she's like she doesn't have someone to fight for or with, or someone to search for; she's depressed, overdrinking, fighting in the pit in an aimless way because she doesn't have anything to orient herself. Is this healthy? Nah. but it's who Vi is.

Caitlyn, instead of saying "You have me", reveals that not only does Vi still have her, but, she orchestrated Vi's whole ability to get in and release Jinx by diverting the guards to the Hexgate. She's also revealing how well she knows Vi, and flirts with her by saying she's "predictable", to exhibit this.

in this moment, Vi's whole understanding of her situation shifts cataclysmically. Not only does she still have Caitlyn on her side, Caitlyn has decided that she can be in Vi's life at the same time as Jinx. Vi, the person who can't conceive of her life if she doesn't have someone to protect and do things for, had someone do something monumental for her. Caitlyn knows her, Caitlyn loves her, is willing to bend the law for her benefit, to put aside her hatred of Jinx and whatever complicated emotions she has for the woman who kidnapped her and killed her mother, to allow Jinx to walk free solely for Vi's benefit and literally no other reason.

that is why Vi is so overcome with emotion. So much so she doesn't want to waste time talking, she can only show her love and gratitude physically. She's had a rough go of it, lately, with only a few bright spots with Jinx and Vander and previously Caitlyn herself to really speak of. Has she really ever had someone stick their neck out like that for her?

Respectfully, I don't think this scene needs more talking. Vi's always been a punch first ask questions later (or while punching) person, she's always been oriented towards actions and not words. I think it totally adds up that Caitlyn's rather large gesture is accepted as is, what's an "i'm sorry" in the face of allowing her criminal sister to walk free just because Vi wants her to?

I think the minimal dialogue here is good, that that much can be revealed in a few simple lines because of the build up these characters have is actually a great feat of writing.

[feukt-42]

The most interesting part with Leda for me, is that for all of the murder she does, she doesnt seem to enjoy it in any way. When she fights Ansbach, the Hornsent, Thiollier or you, she always seems to express some form of regret at having to kill you. Of course, she doesnt actually have to kill anyone, she is just very quick to use murder as a solution, but it doesnt seem to stem from a desire to hurt others, it feels like she genuinely believes this is the only way forward.

She says she is mistrustful of others, and while that convo is kinda funny, it really does feel like she has lost all trust in mankind. In the dialogue about Hornsent's crusade, while most people remember the "they were never saints" part, I mostly remember "Man is by nature a creature of conquest". It really does speak to how she views people, and it seems like she believes Miquella's forced age of compassion is the only way to change things for the better, that without his control, everyone would just constantly be at each other's throats. It almost makes me wonder about the needle kights. Did she kill them for the same reason ? Were they actually disloyal to Miquella ? Was there already infighting before she came along ? Whatever the case, Leda is now utterly convinced of Miquella's cause, and is ready to do anything to bring him to power.

It's a very interesting dynamic with Miquella, who is always portrayed as a very hopeful figure, always trying to create a kind and compassionate world, while Leda is a very pessimistic one. She seems to almost embody his "through whatever means necessary" philosophy. Had Miquella succeeded, i could almost see her taking on a role similar to the one Messmer took for Marika, an enforcer, someone who does the dirty jobs so their god can keep their hands clean. Hell, she's almost started to do it by herself, Miquella wouldn't even need to ask her.

[dancing-dawn]

(yes i had fun with the title card)

The time has come to complete my legacy.

First off, I highly recommend stopping by the list I made some time ago, because those turned out to be timeless classics, must-reads: clicky here click. Special thanks to @beegowhoosh and @mikayuumouse for inspiring me to update this one! If that list feels overwhelming, my personal favourites are: All The Memories Of You by collectingblues, waiting room by srxlee and enshroud me by @lost--dimension; my silly words are just not enough to recommend those enough, truly changed my brain chemistry.

yokohama bay hotel by spirallings [Words: 9.5k | Chapters: 1/1 | T]

Honestly, inject this fic in my bloodstream, I got emotional just opening it and rereading the first line to write this review. Social media AU with vlogger Aku who one day finds Atsushi’s music channel, reaches out to him to express his highest admirations, and the rest is a beautiful story of building trust, friendship and falling in love. Immaculate narration, easy flowing and so heartfelt, had me smiling (and crying but shh) throughout the whole thing. A unique storytelling style through the occasional tweets, texts, emails and subtle descriptions of the scene, mixed with classic narration, strikingly in-character dialogue and songs. Just open it to see what I mean, it is genuinely like nothing I’ve read before and I hold this story very close to my heart. There is also a 150 songs playlist that goes with the fic, def some bangers in there.

and the funny thing is i would have married you (if you had stuck around) by cheezee [Words: 11k | Chapters: 1/1 | T]

Time travel and reincarnation, a tragic (but hopeful nonetheless) story following Akutagawa’s death on that ship and Atsushi traversing space and time to find him again, and again… and again… with the cursed fate taking his love away from him. It’s an emotional ride of happiness and melancholy, hope and despair, broken promises and lost memories. This reads as a classic tale of love, personally reminds me of a greek tragedy, and the writing is impressively poetic, simply pulling on the heartstrings.

...I wanna be next to you by Iyrs [Words: 2k | Chapters: 1/1 | G]

(i am definitely not biased because I made art for this, no sir) Wonderfully tasteful narration and the softest words of comfort, beautifully showing how much their relationship has progressed, the trust and ease and emotional vulnerability. There is one particular most domestic scene that lives in my mind rent-free, trust me and give this a quick read.

the plan (YOUR FINGERS) by lizandre [Words: 5k | Chapters: 1/1 | T]

I’m gonna struggle a lot to explain this one lol (if the trust me bro argument is not enough). I could personally not find a better word to describe the style of writing than simply genius. If I may quote the author from the summary, this is a story of how “Akutagawa Ryunosuke loses it entirely.” It has the humor, it has the pain, it has the classic psychoanalysis that every good fic has of course. Basically Aku not realizing the emotional turmoil he’s experiencing is not being possessed or mind controlled or going mad, but simply falling in love. And Atsushi being the voice and hand of reason to get him out of his madness. Aku here is as unapologetically dramatic as any theatre kid could be, 10/10, not even trying. Just straight up check everything this person has written imao, this fic is just one of many masterpieces.

Safe Underground by forget_me_nots [Words: 25k | Chapters: 5/5 | M (Violence, Main Character Death)]

This one is a hidden gem, severely underrated, criminally low exposure. It is an AU based on the videogame Lobotomy Corporation (that I actually had no knowledge of, but you don’t need to know it to enjoy the fic at all). Horror, gore and panic with close to zero comfort, grief of death and living nightmares. The style of writing is extremely skillful, with meaningful repeating motifs and metaphors. All of the characters are incredibly well-written and the growing friendship between our main duo in circumstances of utter tragedy is as enjoyable to read as ever. Pay attention to the coffee.

Moonlit Resurrection by june_berry [Words: 143k | Chapters: 16/? | E (Violence, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat)]

And while we’re on the theme of madness! I need to take a deep breath for this one. Incredibly depressing story on existentialism, trauma and self-destruction, told by poetic writing like no other. To quote the author: “Atsushi is hit by an ability that sends him spiraling. Forced to confront his traumatic past or die in two weeks, Atsushi begrudgingly teams up with the man he hasn’t seen in years: Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.” The highlight of this fic is honestly the narration style itself, it delves deep into Atsushi’s and Akutagawa’s minds and perfectly encapsulates their own deteriorating psyche. Deeply introspective. This was, strangely enough and despite the lack of comfort, a healing experience for me, basically a "Hey you see what happens to Atsushi when he got depressed, maybe don't do that." Worked wonders, truly. But be careful if you’re not in a good state of mind because it may have the opposite effect. Also cannot forget to give fair credit to @the-bengali-diva for incidentally introducing me to this one, they’ve even made paintings for the fic! Thank you truly, I would have never found this masterpiece alone!

Of Monsters and Men by Mississippi_moon [Words: 32k | Chapters: 18/18 | T]

On a brighter note! Mercenary Akutagawa failing to assassinate Atsushi, the Prince of Yokohama (and of course slowly falls in love with him instead). Made me smile and laugh and clutch my chest so many times, I just couldn’t put it down [also kindly named my google docs analysis for this “the royal dopamine injection*, i hope that says something on its own]. Very good humor mixed with equally good torture and suffering (and fluff and comfort!). The progression of sskk’s relationship is fantastic. Oh and Atsushi is a badass, that’s very important, long live Boldsushi.

Ma meilleure ennemie by @falloutjuli [Words: 13k | Chapters: 1/1 | M]

I swear I keep stumbling upon this author by accident without realizing I know them and I keep being blown away by their work. If the Arcane reference title is not enough for you, this is a little story about Aku and Atsu being thrown into an unforeseen Parisian vacation, where they dance and get that 'oh, oh' moment. Absolutely perfectly in-character dialogue, with many funny and even more heartfelt moments, all spiced up with the classic sskk banter.

So let us stop talkin' falsely now, The hour's getting late by FallOutJuli (again) [Words: 17k | Chapters: 1/1 | T]

This story made me so happy, an instant fix for a bad day at work that I still remember and am grateful for. Slow burn 1920s AU with reporter Atsushi and singer Akutagawa, great banter and even greater collaboration between those two, gradually growing closer and learning they can trust and be good for each other, both finding a muse in the other.

all is finally quiet by @aurorahrt [Words: 2.5k | Chapters: 1/1 | M]

“Did you,” Akutagawa breathes, gasping as Atsushi presses the palms of his hands into Akutagawa’s shoulders, “know you were going to live?” “No,” Atsushi whispers, leaning close, eyes sharp. “I had a feeling, but… no. Did-,” “No.”

There is simply no better collection of words to express my feelings than this quote. Please read this if you need something to soothe your heart after chapter 121.5, or just in general for an introspective character study focused on the ever so complicated relationship of sskk, flourished with beautifully written domestic fluff, anxieties and quiet comfort, soft kisses and even softer words of reassurance. I am almost tearing up again just writing this silly tiny review, those two have my heart and more.

And that’s a wrap, see you in another half year when I possibly sort through 100 fics more! All of the above mean a lot to me, so please check them out if anything from my passionate ramblings catches your eye. And go give the authors some love, they’re doing god’s work here <3

[base0h]

HOW DO YOU NOT EVEN KNOW?

he said something awful, something he should’ve never said or thought about saying. but he said it, and now the damage was done. and he didn’t even know what he’d done, leaving you alone to reflect on the damage (feat. inarizaki! thank you for requesting this anon :)) kori, your best friend was always a mediator, but even this time she knew that you were the victim, and he was the bad guy (I get confused whenever I start using too many y/f/n and stuff like that so I just stuck my oc in here instead ✌️)

warnings ⚠️ - g/n reader, s/o reader, angst, this does not have a happy ending with comfort sorry, your dialogue is in white, kori’s dialogue is in purple, kori is an oc not a canon character (click here for more info abt her)

You knew Atsumu was popular, that wasn’t a surprise. He was good looking, a talented volleyball player, and he was charismatic. What was there not to like about him?

But still. Why did it still hurt and make you agitated whenever other students would fawn over him? You knew it was bound to happen, hell— you fawn over him too as your boyfriend.

If you had to hear one more deafening squeal of his name, you’d probably lose your mind.

“Miya-kun!!”

“Miya-senpai!”

The worst part was that he always stopped and made time for them. Even when he was with you. You couldn’t lie to yourself, it hurt everytime you saw him smiling at the fans and giving them his time and attention when he probably should be giving it to you, his actual s/o.

You voiced your worries and concerns to your friend who always listened and lended her ears to you.

“I probably shouldn’t be feeling like this.. I mean he loves me right? Not the fans.” You said softly, but your tone was uncertain, you honestly weren’t sure what you were saying was true or not, and that scared you even more.

“No I think it’s pretty valid to feel like that. It ain’t fair for him to do that in front of you especially if you’re on an actual date. He should be paying attention to you, not some random fangirls or fanboys.” Kori replied, scribbling away on her tablet as she sketched and drew as she was listening and talking. Kori always drew when listening, she had a way with multitasking.

You found it funny that Kori offered such sage wisdom and support despite the girl never having been in a relationship nor having a crush on anyone. “Kori how do you always know about relationship stuff when you’ve never even been in one before?”

Kori looked up from her tablet with a slightly hurt expression. “I really didn’t need that stray comment—?”

You giggled, snickering to yourself as you reassured your friend that you were just teasing and joking around. You knew Kori was one of the sweetest human beings on earth, and you trusted her to have your back when you needed her to.

“But seriously though, you should tell him what you’re feeling. He’s so dense that I don’t think bro would know unless you tell him directly.” Kori suggested, going back to drawing. She was right, Atsumu was quite oblivious, and probably thought nothing of what he was doing since he was so used to the attention.

So you decided to gather your courage to speak to the blonde twin about your concerns. You thought that it’d go ok, maybe he’d be a bit confused, but he would comply and maybe give you a hug or a couple kisses to reassure you.

“Huh? Whaddya talkin’ about babe?”

…

What did he mean, “whaddya talkin’ about”?

You thought you worded yourself quite clearly for him to understand, you knew he wasn’t stupid or anything— at least not THAT stupid.

“So yer worried about all the other people talkin’ to me? Babe don’t worry, it ain’t like I’m kissin’ ‘em or anything.”

You felt your heart twist. Did he just— not get it? Or did he not care? Did he care about you and everyone else the same? No. That can’t be right, you were catastrophizing things.

“No that’s not— I’m just— Atsumu wait. Please listen for a second—“ you tried grabbing his arm, but he immediately pulled it away.

“I gotta go to practice y/n, ok? Can it wait till after?”

he used your name instead of a nickname.

“It’ll take like five seconds for me to explain—“

“Just leave me be y/n! Yer insecurities can’t get in the way of my practicing, nationals are coming up and you’re tellin’ me yer worried about other students talkin’ to me? Yer just as annoying and as distracting as them at this point!”

“you’re just as annoying and as distracting as them”

That sentence echoed over and over again in your mind. He didn’t really mean that right? He was just stressed because of nationals? He’d certainly apologize right?

But all you heard were his quick receding footsteps that disappeared as he walked into the gym, closing the door behind him. You were frozen there for god knows how long. It felt like a few seconds, but to bystanders and other students walking by, you looked like you’d passed out standing up.

“Uh— y/n…? You good?” A familiar voice asked, tapping your shoulder lightly. You snapped out of your daze and looked to your side where your friend Kori was, looking at you with concern and slight worry in her sleepy golden amber eyes.

You hadn’t even realized tears had pricked your eyes, which earned a silent gasp from your friend. “Whoa what happened? Did you get hurt or something??” She asked worriedly, her eyes scanning your body for any injuries. Your breath trembled as you just slumped over into Kori’s shoulder, letting out a choked sob that you didn’t know you were holding in.

Kori’s eyes were wide with concern as she hesitantly pat your back, returning the hug. She didn’t say anything or press you to explain the situation yet, she just let you cry for as long as you needed, offering tissues and water to help you calm down a bit.

After you had managed to explain what happened, Kori sighed knowingly, as if she wasn’t surprised he’d say that. “He was never the nicest dude around y/n. I’m sorry he said that to you that’s wrong.” Her tone was empathetic and gentle, and she tried her best to avoid saying anything bad about the blonde. You knew him and her weren’t on the best of terms for some reason, reasons unknown even to Kori, Atsumu just didn’t like her for some reason.

Kori did her best to try and at least distract you. You went over to her house after school and she did whatever you felt like doing. Watching TV, studying, playing games, listening to music, honestly anything she’d do to help you at least a little. You couldn’t lie it did help to distract yourself, it felt good to not think about Atsumu. It felt— freeing.

You hadn’t felt this free and light in a while. You didn’t even realize how much your worries and concerns about Atsumu’s loyalty had weighed down on you.

Ding, ding

Your phone chimed, a new text message incoming. You hoped, hoped that it would be from Atsumu. Why did you hope for that? You felt so free when you weren’t thinking about him, why did you want him to text you? Why did you still want him to be with you and spend time with you despite what he did, and how he dressed you out?

You peeked at your notifications, and sure enough, it was from him. You saw his profile picture at the beginning of the textbox, a funny weird picture which was most likely taken by Suna as he was fighting with his other half.

“Is it him?” Kori’s voice made you jump, you could never get used to how deep it was, it was kind of scary whenever she’d talk out of nowhere. You nodded, opening up your messages to see what he had said.

Tsumu: Hey where are u? Didn’t you have club today? It’s Wednesday I always meet you after school to walk you home.

Should you answer? Honestly you didn’t want to. You didn’t want to act like everything was fine. It wasn’t fine. You closed your phone, just leaving him on read as you went back to watching the TV in front of you. It was playing your favorite anime, and Kori was drawing as per usual right next to you.

“What did tweedledum say?” Kori asked curiously, her Apple Pencil scribbling and scraping against her iPad screen in a precise, sharp manner. You couldn’t help but crack a smile at Kori’s nickname for Atsumu. Kori called the twins “tweedledee and tweedledum”. You weren’t sure if she even knew their actual names still. Of course she gave Atsumu the tweedledum name because he was indeed dum(b) about 90% of the time.

“He just asked where I was. I usually stay late for club which ends at the same time as his practice so we usually walked home together. But I skipped today.” You explained as Kori hummed softly in response. Kori didn’t pry or try to bring up the subject again for the rest of the time you were at her house. She thought it would be better to just— let you not think about it too much.

She offered for you to stay over for the night, but you said no to that. But Kori was worried for you, she wanted to make sure you were ok—so she said she could walk you home at least, but you shook your head, you couldn’t make her walk you home too after all she’d done for you already. So you waved goodbye to her, saying goodbye to her mom that had just pulled in from work as well with a soft smile that was half genuine, and half fake.

One half was genuinely happy after Kori helped you out, but the other half was still stuck on that dumb blonde. You’d gotten several messages from him on both Snapchat and text.

Tsumu: hello?? Don’t just leave me on read babe wth??

Tsumu: where even are you? Are you at someone’s house??

You then jumped, shit. Your Snapchat location. You almost forgot to turn it off. You quickly opened the app and turned off your location sharing before shoving your phone back into your pocket, putting on your headphones to try and focus on something different. You blasted music on your walk home, listening to anything your shuffled playlist would give you.

It was like your playlist knew. It kept playing these sad angsty songs that you liked listening to during late nights where sleep just couldn’t find you. For the second time that day, you cried, letting out choked and uneven sobs that you once again did not know you were holding onto. You didn’t even know why you were so hurt by what he said, it’s not like he broke up with you or anything. But still— why did it hurt like he just shot you four times straight through your heart and soul?

It was as if the bullets remained, not exiting your body, but lodging themselves deeper into your torn up heart, digging deeper and farther inside of you, not having any plans of leaving you.

The only thing comforting you now were the snug fit of the soft foam ears of your headphones, and your long sleeves that couldn’t reach past your wrists, staying at an uncomfortably short length that only made you feel worse. Any little thing made everything worse. Everything was just too much. Some part of you thought maybe it would’ve been better to stay at Kori’s like she’d offered before. But you were already too far away to turn back now, you’d just have to hope that the comfort of your own home would suffice.

Osamu wasn’t as popular as his twin brother Atsumu. But that didn’t mean he was unpopular. He was just overshadowed by his twin, or as he called it, his “better half”.

It was annoying how they’d all gather around his brother, he too found it kind of disturbing and weird. However of course he felt a bit envious, insecure about his own likability and looks. Did people find his brother more attractive despite them being identical twins? But why? Was it just him?

You’d been friends with the twins for a long while now, ever since middle school, even before they had their distinguishing dyed hair. You liked Osamu better the minute you met them both. Atsumu was so brazen and confident, and he wasn’t afraid to express his high standards of his fellow players, even upperclassmen.

You found it off putting how offensive the blonde could be to people. It was irritating to be around him. Osamu was different. He was pleasant to be around. He had a sense of humor, was laid back, reserved, and friendly for the most part.

He loved food, you knew that from the first time you sat with him in middle school for lunch recess. His droopy tired eyes would widen and sparkle whenever he saw food in front of him, specifically onigiri. It was cute to you, how he’d light up and become a completely different looking person at the sight of some simple, but satiating food. It was one of the many reasons why you chose him and not anyone else.

You felt so confused and baffled that Osamu didn’t see himself the same way you did. You saw someone special, he saw someone that was second best.

You tried. You really did.

Tried to make him see that he was perfect in his own way, perfect in your eyes, perfect for you.

But there was only so much you could do. Only so much you could say. He had to choose to believe your words, and do the rest on his own. It was called self confidence for a reason after all.

Your anniversary was coming up, it’d been 2 years since you two started dating officially. You took this as an opportunity to plan something special for you and your boyfriend this year. You knew he’d been stressed lately because of the upcoming tournaments, and because his twin was putting more pressure on him than ever. You couldn’t count the amount of times you’d seen Atsumu chewing him out for accidentally missing a serve, a block, a receive, or a spike.

Every mistake he made, every single hesitation, his brother caught it and made sure Osamu knew exactly what he did wrong despite the poor gray haired twin already being well aware about what he’d done wrong. Having someone rub everything in his face was degrading and mentally exhausting.

Osamu was usually patient, you commended him for being as patient as he was with his brother. But it was taking a toll on his self esteem that was already fragile. Atsumu was basically hitting him in the same spot over and over again, not allowing the previous bruises heal before making a new one in the same area, eventually leaving a mark that won’t ever heal nor fully fade away.

But next week will be different. You’d make sure of it. You even enlisted the help from your friend to help you figure out some nice plans or ideas of what you could do with Osamu. However you knew at some point you’d have to overcome your beef with Atsumu for a moment, and ask him his thoughts. He was Osamu’s twin brother after all, he knew him better than anyone, maybe even better than you.

“You sure you gotta ask him?” Kori asked. Ugh, you didn’t want to of course. But yes, you’d have to put your dislike for his horrid personality aside for your boyfriend’s sake. You wanted your anniversary to be perfect after all.

“Can you come with me to ask him please?” You asked Kori, looking at her with pleading eyes, clasping your hands together. Kori looked at you, putting her pencil down as she sighed.

“Yeah no sorry you’re on your own.” Kori said with an apologetic expression. You let out a small groan, you knew Atsumu had some sort of beef with Kori, and Kori didn’t want to deal with a beef she didn’t even know was from.

“Oh come on please??”

“…Y/n you already know what will happen if I go with you.”

“Please Yoyo you’re my best friend—“ You tried using the nickname that usually got Kori’s attention, holding your friend’s hands with pleading eyes. If Kori went with you, you could make her ask instead of you, and if he got too exasperating to stand any longer, you’d have an excuse to leave.

Kori looked at you with a narrow and skeptical squint when you used that nickname on her.

“Don’t use that—“

“What, you don’t like it Yoyo-chan?”

“Bro.”

“I’ll stop if you come with me.”

“Nice try.”

You pouted and slapped her shoulder playfully with feigned anger as you crossed your arms over your chest with a sigh. But it couldn’t be helped, it wouldn’t be too horrible right?

“Huh? Yer asking me for help? That’s a new one.”

Ugh. It was horrible.

You covered your perturbed expression, but you couldn’t hide the sharp glare of your eyes as you tried to “fake it till you make it” as they say, and act cordial. But god, you wanted to tear off that smug looking grin off his face so badly. The tone he used was so condescending and belittling, it made you want to crush him with your bare hands, but you honestly couldn’t tell if that was just his normal tone of voice or if he was trying to sound like an egotistical asshole all the time.

Because if he was trying? He was doing an absolutely stupendous job.

“I just wanted to know— what are some of Osamu’s favorite things to do? I mean— I know what he likes but you’re his brother.. So I thought you’d know better than me.” You said, reluctantly swallowing a snarky insult you were about to accidentally say without thinking.

Atsumu scoffed and grinned at you, and you were expecting him to tease you which might’ve been your last straw, but surprisingly, he didn’t.

“Aw that’s sweet actually. I see why he loves ya so much.” You looked at him, expecting to maybe see some kind of smirk or malicious glint in his eyes, but no, he was genuinely saying that. You were pleasantly surprised, maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all.

You felt yourself smile at the fact that Osamu had made it clear to his brother of his love for you. If even someone as dense and emotionally oblivious as Atsumu could tell, then Osamu must’ve talked about you a lot. The thought of him talking about you so much made your heart flutter, sending a rush of joy and warmth through your veins, fueling your excitement and determination to plan the upcoming special day.

As you two talked, your excitement grew with each suggestion Atsumu made. Your smile was spread wide across your face, filled with genuine adoration and anticipation from how excited you were to surprise your beloved.

However, you failed to realize that Osamu might’ve gotten spoiled early. Spoiled about the wrong thing.

He saw you, chatting with his twin with your beautiful sweet smile that melted his heart to a puddle whenever you showed him. It absolutely destroyed him to see you blessing his brother with the sight instead of him.

Osamu knew you weren’t super close with him, but it’d always been in the back of his mind.

Is he better than me? He’s probably more fun.

Am I too boring?

Am I less good looking?

Am I always gonna be known as “Atsumu’s twin brother”?

He cursed and muttered painfully to himself as he walked off, he couldn’t watch you continue smiling and talking with his better half so cheerfully. Oh if only he had heard what you were talking about, then he would understand everything.

But he left, his fragile heart and self esteem shattered to unmendable pieces of a jigsaw that would never fit back together because of its missing piece.

He felt like a waste. He truly did.

Oh but no it was the opposite of what he thought.. You were only talking to his brother so enthusiastically because you were planning something special for him.

However, things get lost in translation. Misconceptions cause one person to become blind to the truth, quick to catastrophize, making haste to blame and lock away their feelings to try and preserve what they have left to spare. For Osamu? This was probably the worst misunderstanding, worse than any other situation you’d hear about. This was worse.

Oh this was bad. You just kept smiling and talking eagerly with his brother from a distance, that's all Osamu could see. His mind made up the subject of the conversation he thought you were having with Atsumu, his mind immediately jumping to conclusions that were incorrect. Yet there you were, blissfully unaware of the accidental turmoil you’d caused your boyfriend to suffocate in. Alone. Basking with his old friend, second place.

It was the day, finally it had arrived— your anniversary! You had so many things rushing through your buzzing mind, your heart racing with the good kind of anxiety and anticipation of the day ahead. You absolutely couldn’t wait to see Osamu, you could barely contain yourself from excitement.

You found this restaurant with Kori by researching online. It was a place that specialized in making onigiri, which was an establishment run by an old married couple that had been working there for generations. Kori had said that usually these types of places had the best food, and she was certainly not wrong about that.

You knew it was his favorite, so you thought it would for sure make him happy if you took him there, right?

You were expecting to wake up with a message from Osamu, but weirdly, he didn’t, your notifications were as empty as you left them last night. You thought nothing of it, maybe he’d just been too busy this morning to text you, he’d probably just tell you in person.

With a slight skip in your step, you walked up the stairs of Inarizaki, the familiar chatter and buzzing of fellow students’ varying footsteps echoing throughout the long hallways filled with people. Your gaze searched each head, each person’s hair color registering in your mind as you scanned the area. You were searching for one with a certain shade of gray…

There he was, the one with gray hair by the lockers!

You had to push your way through some students who didn’t seem to understand that perhaps having a conversation in the middle of the hallway was inconvenient for everyone around them. But that didn’t matter right now, all that mattered was getting to your boyfriend.

“Samu! I found this super cute place that’s run by this family and they specialize in onigiri— I wanna take you there after school today ok?” Your vice was so chipper and enthusiastic, filled with adoration and love as he shut his locker door slightly harsher than normal. His gaze looked over to you, and you were immediately silenced by how cold it was. It was sharp, razor sharp, and frigid like a blizzard was raging in his dark irises.

You were confused— maybe he was just tired.. Yeah, that was probably it.

“…You ok Samu? We don’t have to go if you don’t want to I just thought that maybe you’d—“

“Why don’t ya go with Atsumu? You seemed awfully chummy with him earlier, so just go with him.” He snapped coldly. But his eyes, they looked so pained, hurt, and somber, not cold and apathetic like his tone.

And with that, he left you to drown in his quicksand-like words, his footsteps receding as he disappeared in the crowd of countless students.

If his words weren’t already enough, you were hit with the sudden realization that he had forgotten about your anniversary, the entire reason behind why you’d asked him to go with you.

What did he mean “you seemed awfully chummy with him earlier”?? What was he— oh.

Oh no.

No no no— he completely misunderstood!

You were talking with Atsumu about today and what you were planning on doing with HIM! It had nothing to do with Atsumu in the slightest!

But you knew Osamu. Too well at that. You knew that he’d be avoiding you now, avoiding you like the plague. He acted petty like that, just like his brother whom he refuses to admit is very similar to him in certain ways.

You knew he wouldn’t let you explain. But what really tore at your soul was that he didn’t even remember today was your anniversary. You had thought that maybe his lack of a “happy anniversary” message in the morning was a fluke, that he was just trying to hurry out the door to make it to school on time.

Now you knew he’d actually completely forgotten. Your throat felt so tight, your stomach hurt from guilt, but also betrayal.

Some part of you, some part of you knew this was going to happen. Or some form of this exact situation at least. You knew he felt inferior to his brother, and that it killed him inside. You’d tried your very hardest to make it so he knew you loved him and you always would choose him and no one else. But what could you do if he just wouldn’t believe your words, let alone believe in himself?

You, his s/o who he’s supposed to confide in, to trust in, to take your word over anyone else’s, didn’t trust your own words that you’d repeated so many times that you felt like a broken record.

He said he did understand and believe it, but he really didn’t. All those nods and silent “mhms” were all fake, he was never really listening. What occurred just moments ago that left you suffocating in pained silence was proof enough of that.

How many times did you have to fucking say it to him? Why were you the one that had to fix his insecurities? They were his insecurities, not yours. It’s self esteem, not your esteem. He was acting petty and jealous, and it was honestly starting to wear your patience thin.

Now that you were reflecting truthfully, you couldn’t remember the last time he’d talked to you about anything other than his stresses at practice, or his brother. It was always something negative.. you hadn’t realized how bad it wore you down.

You were constantly dumped with negative emotions, and honestly, it could be called trauma dumping at this point. It was mentally exhausting. Having to reassure him every single day of something you tried so hard to get him to believe in.

But if he still wouldn’t trust your word, why were you wasting your energy and devotion on his irreversible immaturity? Why did you have to do all the work only to receive bad news all the time and be expected to make him feel better about himself? It was making you feel bad about yourself. It was taking a toll on you.

You were basically being the positive energy for two people when it was already exhausting enough to be your own supporter.

You let out a sigh of relief, exhaling tension you didn’t know you truly had. Your mind had decided it was time for you to move on, time for you to make him figure it out on his own. He was a 2nd year student for god's sake, he was damn well old enough to fix his own issues.

However with the exhale, you felt your eyes prick with tears of hurt and betrayal from his carelessness, from his complete lack of regard for your own feelings. He had forgotten your 2 year anniversary, it wasn’t like it was on leap year or something! It was an easy date to remember!

But you assumed that he was so self consumed that perhaps his mind thought it was meaningless to remember. That you and your words were not memorable enough, nor important enough to form a lasting memory.

He was everything to you, and you were everything to him too. So why was he like this? Why was he so insecure and petty? Why didn’t he believe in what you were telling him so adamantly?

He only believed his own thoughts, his word came first. You loved him so much, but it was getting more and increasingly difficult to keep loving him unconditionally. It was an uphill battle.

And you were miserably losing.

You had no chance against his own self being the enemy. You would come in second place no matter how hard you fought because there was no first place for you to take.

You knew he wasn’t the sweetest guy around. He just wasn’t a warm and fuzzy type of person. But that didn’t mean he didn’t care about you, of course he did. You were the only one he didn’t actively search for dirt to use as blackmail material later.

He wasn’t the most warm and fuzzy person that’s for sure, but you loved him anyway. His fox-like eyes, his quiet and stoic demeanor, his tall stature, and his funny hobby of filming the twins fighting or bickering with each other to save for future references and laughs.

The team often wondered how he ended up making you, a kind, friendly, and sincere person, fall in love with him, the opposite of you. He thought about this as well, and sometimes felt guilty about the way he acted, how he was so detached and cold sometimes. Your love language being physical affection and touch combined with being Suna’s s/o was not a good synergy because he wasn’t the biggest fan of too much affection. Of course hugs, cuddles, kisses are all things he loves to give and receive. But in moderation. He got tired of it after too much.

However you did not. You could be pressed against him all day, in fact, holding his hand or being in contact every second you were with him sounded like the perfect scenario to you.

He never admitted it out loud, and didn’t plan to, but your hugs from behind his chair as he’s working on homework or studying were his favorite. The feeling of your arms wrapped around him from behind which allowed him to continue working on what was in front of him, but still allowing you to be near him, for your comforting presence be as close as possible.

Lately he’d gotten a lot of those, courtesy of the upcoming midterms. Now whenever you came over, he was always studying or working on schoolwork with his headphones on, his head leaning over and close to his desk as he worked countless hours and days, including nights. You were straying to get worried by the amount of empty energy drink cans that had accumulated on his desk, even on the top of his dresser. It was so bad that you could notice it while FaceTiming him. Not to mention the trash can underneath his desk was most likely full of them as well, just hidden from the view of the camera.

This was surely not good for him. At all.

Your mind was filled with concerned thoughts of him, worry swirling in your mind, distracting you from your own midterms that you had to study for as well. You suddenly had an idea during the peak of boredom during your math class.

You could go over to Suna’s after school, and buy you both some sort of bento box to eat. You knew Suna probably hadn’t eaten a real meal other than ice pops in days. He kept failing to realize that frozen fruity ice water in the shape of a flattened cylinder wasn’t exactly full of nutrients. Then you two could study together afterwards. Two minds working in tandem were better than two on their own. Or that’s what you thought at least.

Pulling out your phone discreetly, you texted Suna to let him know you were coming over, knowing that he probably would be on his phone right about now.

You: Hey I’m gonna come over today after school with some snacks and food, maybe we can study together?

….

Suna: yeah sure. I can’t text rn I gotta pay attention

You: oh my bad, I’ll see you after school

read at 3:32pm

You were a bit surprised that he was actively paying attention during class, especially since right about now he was most likely in AP world history. His tone even through text sounded stressed and a bit more harsh and cold than usual, but you knew he was anxious and worked up about the midterms which was absolutely valid and normal. But still, it lacked the usual hint of warmth that his texts usually had, regardless of his word choice.

You couldn’t take your eyes off of the clock, your gaze intently focused on each centimeter the second hand moved, slowly making its way around the entire circular clock on the wall, rotation after rotation. You swore the second hand moved backwards a couple times, as if time were quite literally reversing as you stared at the clock.

Your teacher’s lecture was essentially gibberish, your brain couldn’t focus on anything but the thought of going home to study and take care of your boyfriend who obviously needed the help. You were probably going to need help too from the looks of it, seeing as how you didn’t remember a single thing nor comprehend anything your teacher was saying.

RING RING

You practically fell out of your seat at the piercing ringing of the school dismissal bell. You sprung to your feet, as did everyone else, and as you were packing up your things, your teacher suddenly shouted something, his voice shouting over the commotion that had started from the bell’s relieving cry.

“Excuse me? The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I do!”

Oh for god's sakes— you wanted to take the damn bell and smack his head with it for saying that. Everyone audibly groaned, sitting back down with a synced chorus of irritated and grumpy sighs.

“Ok the homework is just studying and reviewing the accumulated material for the midterm on Thursday. You’re dismissed.”

…Are you serious?

That was it?

That was what he made you all stay for?

Oh nah god give you strength to not clock this bald, old, bitter ass, Walmart bill nye in the face with your textbook. You thought about it, seriously debating whether or not it’d be worth it. But you walked past him, deciding it wasn’t worth your time. You took a deep breath in and out, exhaling the pain of that math class as you walked with a determined look in your eyes. You had a plan.

You’d hit the convenience store on the way to Suna’s house, buy some food for the two of you, and then go over to his house to help him actually eat a normal meal, maybe clean up a bit, and then study of course.

With a fast and brisk pace, you walked into the store with a singular goal in mind, quickly picking out a couple of bentos for the both of you. Exiting the store right after you walked in, your quick pace never wavered as you made your way towards your boyfriend’s house, the plastic bag full of the food and snacks in your left hand, your bag in your right, determination in your eyes, and compassion in your heart.

As you knocked on the door, you saw the familiar face of his mom who immediately smiled upon seeing and recognizing you.

“Ah y/n, I’m so glad you’re here actually. Rintaro just got home— he’s been so quiet lately. He’s been locked up in his room everyday after school and on the weekends.. I think he’s studying but I’m a bit worried that it’s too much. The boy won’t listen to me either about drinking all those energy drinks.. maybe you’ll have better luck?”

His mom looked at you with hopeful eyes, and you smiled, nodding and reassuring her you’d try your best to help. His mom thanked you with a grateful smile, nodding as you walked up the stairs, down the familiar hallway to your boyfriend’s room.

You thought about knocking first. Should you? He was your boyfriend.. Did you really need to knock? Well it was courteous to knock before entering anyone’s do—

And suddenly the door opened for you, revealing the tall figure of Suna in front of you. His narrow, fox-like eyes droopy, tired, and strained from staring at a laptop for too long, or reading in the dark. He had faint dark circles underneath his hazel green eyes, and his hands were a bit shaky, just barely noticeable, probably from the obscene amount of caffeine he’d consumed these past few days to stay up and study. You showed him the bag full of various snacks and food with a little smile before he stepped aside, opening the for further for you to come into his room.

Your eyes widened slightly, but you stayed silent as you took in the whirlwind of disarray that was your boyfriend’s room. It looked like hurricane Katrina had ravaged his room. Empty cans everywhere, wrappers from countless ice pops, pencil and eraser shavings, crumpled up pieces of paper, and dirty clothes. It didn’t smell wonderful, that's for sure.

You saw just how exhausted he looked, how stressed and anxious he was. He never usually studied this hard for school, in fact— you’d never really seen him studying much at all. Midterms plus the stress of the upcoming volleyball qualifying tournaments were probably weighing down on him more than he could handle. You looked at him with a worried and sorry look on your face as you watched him eat his bento in silence.

He did not utter a single word, not a hello, not a how are you, just nothing but the silence and the sounds of chewing. It was awkward for you to say the least. So you decided to break this uncomfortable silence, trying to bring up a more light hearted topic to hopefully bring some light to his dark room.

“So.. Anything new and funny happen with the twins?”

You knew he liked to leave the twins to fight and bicker without stopping them because it was fun to film their brawls. He could care less about them hurting each other by accident, it was entertaining to watch them fight. He didn’t respond, he simply kept chewing, his eyes lost in thought as they stared at the ground with nothing but a vacant empty iris with no color or hue. It was like all the color was sucked out of his eyes, and it was starting to take his skin too. He was getting paler as you sat and stared at him!

Maybe he didn’t hear you, so you repeated yourself a second time, not noticing how the moment you started speaking, his fists clenched and trembled as he gripped his pant legs.

“Rin?? Can you hear m—“

“God y/n can you shut the hell up please?!” He snapped, his fist slamming against the hardwood floor, making the house shake just slightly, making you jump in surprise and shock. Your eyes were wide, searching his gaze for a hint of guilt or remorse, maybe he was just stressed and overstimulated?

But his eyes were ice cold, filled with irritation and frustration, not a hint of remorse in them. Did.. did he really mean that?

Surely he didn’t.

No he didn’t, right?

…Right?

“S-sorry..” You couldn’t help but stutter a bit, taken aback by his sudden outburst. He continued eating in silence, you could practically feel his frustration and stress seething off of him like smoke. You purse your lips together, struggling to not release your tears.

You knew it wasn’t all that bad, but still, it hurt to hear him say that to you. You knew it wasn’t supposed to make you feel this horrible, but it did. No amount of convincing yourself it wasn’t that bad of a sentence would take away or lessen the pain it gave you.

About 39 minutes of dead silence followed, and you got up, taking all the empty cans and containers scattered across his room and sticking it all into a trash bag, tying it up and leaving it by his door for him to take out later. You decided that maybe it would be best to leave him alone, and grabbed your things, opening the door to leave, glancing back at your boyfriend who was studying, wearing his headphones. You wanted to say goodbye, you wanted to say you loved him and to not push itself too far. Most of all, you wanted to hear him say that he loved you. But judging from earlier, he probably wouldn’t even want to hear your voice at all.

“See you later Suna.” You muttered under your breath, closing the door behind you as you left. Did he even realize you were leaving? He didn’t even look up from his desk. He didn’t thank you for the food. He didn’t thank you for cleaning up. He didn’t thank you for trying to help him. Nothing you did was acknowledged. You went out of your way to help him, and it appeared that maybe that wasn’t the right thing to do.

You quietly walked down the steps, opening the front door and closing it behind you.

With your back against the wall, hidden from Suna’s family, that’s when you began to feel tears welling up in your eyes, falling down your cheeks as you hid your face in your sleeves. Why were you crying? Was the stress of the midterms catching up to you too? Or was it purely because of his outburst?

You didn’t know. Hell— you didn’t know anything did you? Obviously not it seemed.

a/n - idk why but I’m in a very angsty mood 😂 I’m sorry for hurting you guys I really am 😭😭😭

[serpentface]

What do Brakul and Janeys see in each other?

(I wrote some of this in quasi-character voice/pov on impulse (in brackets), though don't take it as actual dialogue. They wouldn't outright say most of this.)

WHAT JANEYS SEES IN BRAKUL:

-[He is just objectively beautiful. There's no way around it, this is just a material fact. He has the prettiest brown eyes and a cute gap in his teeth and he's 6'2'' and he's big and strong and hairy and well endowed (balls) and sooo virile and 6'2''. This is the ideal male body at peak performance so it's just inevitable to be wildly, painfully attracted to it. There's probably tons of other people who want to shove their face into his armpits.]

[But they don't get to.]

-Janeys is significantly more at ease with him than almost anyone else. He doesn't feel such an acute need to posture and put on performances, or as devastating shame when the performance 'fails'. The psychological factors that motivate this to begin with don't just like, magically go away, but they're much less acute. He feels like he can just Exist around him. It's nice.

-Thinks he's a really funny, smart and interesting person general. Very pleasant to talk and amicably argue with. Janeys finds a lot of things he never would have given a shit about suddenly very interesting because it's coming from him. Like 'yeah he's not EDUCATED per se but he has a fascinating repository of knowledge about like, cheesemaking and birds and freakish snow vampires and the many nuances of highland seasonal transhumance.'

-Janeys sees a lot of things in Brakul that he finds lacking in himself, and experiences a sense of being more complete, better, stronger, via this partnership (somewhat literally, sharing blood Is sharing spirit). He feels genuinely more confident around him, not just in his typical "I'm Confident that my family name and Odonii bloodkin status can force some deference out of you" way but like legit confidence. Not the healthiest way to develop self esteem and not put to the best uses but it is what it is.

-Matches his freak and exceeds it in strange and compelling ways

-Meshes Fairly well with his clingy attachment style (it causes friction sometimes though) and meets his substantial needs for physical affection and casual intimacy (at least in private).

-[He's a really, really, really good kisser]

-[He is my closest and most trusted friend, my brother. He's like how the most florid love poets describe their wives, except if a wife was a man and wasn't someone you had to marry. No one has ever loved a man like I have. No one has shared a spirit like I have. The concept of life without him is no longer imaginable, he is carved into my very skin, he's in my veins, mouth, hands. He is my natural compliment and easiest companion. My beloved, my heart, my blood, my other face.]

-[He's 6'2'']

---

WHAT BRAKUL SEES IN JANEYS:

-[He's very good looking, in kind of a subtle way. Like you don't necessarily notice at first, but he's got this sort of... sturdy yet gracile handsomeness to him? Like a deer, or a small to mid-sized bird of prey. Except attractive and a man. Very attractive. He has such a nice smile and the most gorgeous legs, and a cute little trail of hair up his stomach. Nice hands. And feet. Sturdy. Lovely hair. His eyes are just kind of scary but, otherwise.]

-[He's actually soooo nice when you get to know him. He is one of the sweetest and most caring people I've ever met, actually.]

[Sure he's kind of an asshole. To most people. On most occasions. But have you considered that THEIR vibes are, very often, simply bad and offputting, and maybe it's sometimes their faults for being irritating? Yeah. Think a little.]

-Brakul distinctly likes being one of few people Janeys likes and one of much fewer that he actually chills out around. He likes that he gets to see sides of him that are almost completely reserved for himself. He feels special.

-Overall sees him as someone who is often difficult and frustrating but ultimately deeply lovable. He finds him to be very caring, admirably loyal, genuine, and funny. Good to talk to, and good to sit in comfortable silence with. He sees him as a very different person but someone who compliments him well. Natural choice of companion.

-Has a generally realistic outlook on Janeys' abilities but considers him to be more capable than most people think and fairly talented in some respects. He would note him as skilled with the spear, pretty decent with the lyre, a good dancer and very beautiful singer.

-He absolutely likes that one of Janeys' 'love languages' is giving him gifts. He loves being the spoiled male wife of a nobleman. He was made for this shit. The gift-giving on Janeys' part initially made him nervous (on the presumption that it was indebting or otherwise transactional) but he is LONG since over it.

[Everyone was always saying, "Brakul you're kinda lazy and annoying, you lost all your mother's cattle in a really pathetic way, you strained the alliances between multiple clans to a breaking point by being a fuckup, you abandoned your firstborn," etc etc but look at me now. I'm so loved and I have 200 cattle and 12 khait and eat meat every day of my life.]

-Doesn't Fully match his freak, but does where it matters most. Sub/switch masochist for a dom/switch sadomasochist. Peace and love.

-Easily flustered in a way he finds cute/hot.

-Really likes his intense and earnest enthusiasm for physical affection/intimacy. The other people Brakul has had romantic/sexual experiences with in the past have been substantially less touchy-feely, and he prefers being able to show affection this way. Expressing this shit verbally can be difficult (with or without having to translate), it always feels a little insufficient. Lengthy and complicated sessions of making out/cutting each other/blood consumption/frotting/doing weird shit with cum/still vaguely sexual wound cleaning with vinegar/cuddling/etc have turned out to feel like a more comprehensive form of romantic expression. And not a lot of people are into that kinda thing, so this is pretty special.

-[He makes me happy. Sometimes I'll look at him while he's asleep or just sitting next to me or whatever, and still get hit with that new love, 'I'm going to throw up but in a good way' feeling, even after all this time. I'm glad to have found him. I'm glad to share my life with him. I'm glad we belong to each other. I've never found an adequate describe it, 'brother' is easy but completely wrong. It just is what it is. I love him.]

-[He does some crazy shit with his mouth]