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unseededtoast · 1 year ago

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Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Part 6/37 | Part Five, Part Seven

Summary: I've lived every day for the past five years looking over my shoulder. I knew they'd come for me, it was inevitable. I was foolish to think I could outrun my past. It's followed me everywhere I go, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Never would I have anticipated that the shadows would lead me to the light.

Bucky Barnes x OC

Series Warnings: Discussion of human trafficking, alcohol consumption, graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

a/n: Hi everyone, thank you for checking this out, I appreciate any and all support! This series is also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad if you prefer those formats/platforms! This is a completed series, and it's going to take some time for me to transfer it to Tumblr, so please bear with me!

"He used us both as pawns to get more money and power"

"Respectfully, I disagree." I listen to Director Fury shoot down my request to let Bucky out of the glass cage as he tries to walk past me. I fight the urge to roll my eyes and decide to try and reason with him some more.

Steve and I came up with our plan last night and decided to wait until the morning to find Director Fury and ask. According to Steve, asking Fury in the morning would be the best strategic move because it's, "likely someone hasn't completely pissed him off yet". Though this encounter is making me doubt the accuracy of Steve's statement.

"Sir, being trapped in a cage is inhumane and would be bad for anyone's mental health. He will still remain in the room, just not bound by the restraints. Please, Director, I know what I am doing I was his handler for many years and it's the reason I'm here." I block his walking path and force him to stop, which probably wasn't the smartest move. He looks down at me with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Fine, you can release the restraints. But if anything happens and he gets out or someone gets hurt, you will be held responsible." Fury sidesteps me and continues walking.

I sigh a breath of relief and walk towards the dining area of base. That could've gone smoother but I got the answer I was looking for, so I'm counting it as a win. I stand in line and gather some breakfast foods on the metal tray before heading down to see Bucky. I don't know where Steve is, he never met up with me this morning to ask Fury, but I figure he'll know where to find me whenever he wants. I wasn't about to waste time waiting around for Steve when I can be helping Bucky. Though I think it would've been helpful if he were there with me.

Once I reach Bucky's room, I open the door and set the tray of food down on the table located on the left hand side of the room. I'm assuming the table is here for interrogations based on the metal fixtures on the top. I turn to face Bucky and smile warmly as I approach the glass cage he's being imprisoned in. He watches me with confusion on his face.

"Good news, I brought breakfast and Director Fury is allowing me to let you out of the cage." I say and begin undoing the restraints on his wrists as he watches my every move. Undoing the restraints brings back familiar and unwelcome memories, but I hope that this will be the last time he's bound like a prisoner.

His skin is warm, and I can see where his right wrist has been worn by the restraints, the other is metal which obviously shows no wear or tear. My heart breaks a little seeing the irritated skin, there is no reason he should've been kept in this condition for so long. Suppressing my anger, I undo the last restraint and Bucky stands. He rubs the sensitive skin on his wrist and then stretches. I can't imagine how freeing that feels. I take a few steps back to give him space and watch as he enjoys being free from the cage. It's a new experience seeing him just be himself, and it warms my heart. Just as I remember, Bucky stands about six inches taller than me. I walk over to the tray of food and pull a chair out for him.

"Care to join me for breakfast?" He looks at me from across the room and makes his way over slowly. I grab an orange off the tray and begin peeling it, hoping that by being relaxed he also feels relaxed. I have to admit I am a little nervous. I've never interacted with him in this way, it's all uncharted territory for us both. It's definitely going to be an adjustment but it's one I welcome with open arms.

The sweet citrus smell fills the air and I eat a piece of the orange, placing the peel on the table. Bucky sits and looks over the food on the tray and looks up to me.

"Help yourself, take whatever you want." I say with a small nod, encouraging him. My plan is to use this time to get him comfortable in his surroundings and around me. There is no pressure, I want to work on our foundation of trust. Bucky takes a piece of toast as I eat another piece of orange. I sense he's feeling a little apprehensive about everything, which is to be expected considering the circumstances.

I catch another glimpse at his wrist and see there is dried blood. He must've fought the restraints hard. I'll clean that up before I go and make sure it isn't at risk of becoming infected. We sit comfortably in silence as we finish up the food and I push the tray away from us.

"How are you feeling today?" I ask and watch his body language closely. I can tell from his rigid movements and the way he keeps looking around the room that he's uncomfortable and paranoid.

"I'm alright. Thank you for letting me out by the way." He gives me a quick, small smile and I nod my head. He quickly breaks our eye contact and looks down at the table, messing with the orange peel I had laid there.

"Of course, there was no reason for you to be kept in there like that." I answer him and he shrugs.

"It's not the worst thing I've been through." I bite the inside of my cheek, knowing he's right.

"You'll never have to go through that again, I promise." I say and he just stares back at me with an unreadable expression. His expression suddenly takes on a look of confusion,

"You said something similar to that the last time I saw you." He states, and I try to remember back to that day. I can't quite recall my exact words, everything was quite chaotic. He clears his throat,

"You said, 'They'll never be able to do this to you again, not if I can help it.'" He recalls the incident. I'm both surprised and intrigued that he remembers my exact words and decide to push him a little more to see the full extent of what he is remembering.

"Do you remember anything else?" I ask, also curious about how quickly and frequently his memories are coming back, and if they seem to be aided by triggers or prompts. He nods his head,

"Yeah. Some things are clearer than others." He doesn't offer up any more information and the room falls silent.

I don't want to be overly pushy and demand he shares what he remembers, I'll be able to get my answers in time there's no need to rush anything. When he's comfortable and trusts me, he will tell me if he wishes to. He looks down at the table and seems to be in deep thought. I hear the metal plates of his arm adjust, a sound I haven't heard in years.

"You know, every time Dane reprogrammed me the last thing I would remember was your face. Things got a lot worse once you left, Adalyn, and not just for me." He makes eye contact with me, and I see the pain in his blue eyes. My heart sinks to my stomach,

"I am so sorry, I don't think I'll ever find the words to express to you how sorry I am." I say quietly, knowing that within my heart I'll never be able to forgive myself, especially now considering he suffered even more drastically after I defected.

"Don't be sorry. You were forced to do things you didn't want to. When I saw you walk in the other day for the first time, the one thing that came to mind was you pushing the button to scramble my brain. But then later I started remembering more things, it would just come to me out of nowhere." He says and I make a mental note of what he's describing. I nod my head, encouraging him to keep talking. He's being more forthcoming with information than I thought he would be considering how apprehensive he was yesterday.

"I remembered you on the stage, the first time you programmed me. I was strapped to the chair in the middle. Before you pushed the button I remember you leaned down and told me you were sorry, and then.." He trails off, recalling a night I remember all too well for all the wrong reasons.

"Right before I went out there my father told me I needed to make him proud. The entire thing was just a big production to show investors what he was capable of creating. He used us both as pawns to get more money and power. That's all he ever cared about." I say recalling that dreadful day. I remember it all too well.

"I'm glad you made it out. I wasn't sure if you lived or not, I never really knew what happened." He says quietly,

"I'm glad you made it out too." I smile. Bucky has a kind and forgiving soul. He easily could hold a grudge for all eternity against me for what I did to him, but he's not. I hold out my hand and look to his wrist.

"Can I see?" I ask and he puts his hand in mine so I can look at the damage. There are small cuts all over, though they're not actively bleeding. His skin is indented from the restraints, with purple bruising all over. He watches me as I examine him, I can feel his eyes on my face the entire time.

"I'll be right back, I'll find some things to clean this up." I say and grab the tray we used for breakfast. I nod to him as I leave the room and see Steve standing in the hall with his arms crossed. The door closes behind me and I stand next to Steve, observing Bucky.

"How long have you been here?" I ask, curious as to how much he heard.

"About half an hour or so, I'm sorry I didn't meet up this morning I had something else that needed tending to. But I see you got Fury's approval. Gotta say, I was a little surprised you went without me, seeing as how you've only been here for a few days." He faces me and I break my gaze from Bucky to focus on Steve.

"Well, Bucky's wellbeing was on the line and I figured you'd end up here sooner or later." I smile, feeling more comfortable around Steve. There's just something about him that just lets me be relaxed.

"You know, he's only talked about Hydra memories, he hasn't mentioned anything about me, or his life before Hydra." Steve's face is full of concern and worry.

"I think that's because I was closely associated with Hydra, so all of those memories are coming back first, plus they're the freshest memories he has. I think in a few days he'll be okay to see you. I want to give him some time to adjust and make sure he's handling everything alright. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon." I pat Steve's shoulder to reassure him and he nods, perking up at the mention of seeing Bucky. But before Steve corners me with a bunch of questions about it, I change the subject.

"Hey could you help me find some things to treat Bucky's wrist? It's damaged from fighting the restraints." Steve nods and leads me through the halls to the infirmary. The lady at the desk is sweet and retrieves the things Steve asks for.

We make a pit stop to drop off the breakfast tray, and I grab some dinner things for him. I want to make him as comfortable as I possibly can, it'll be beneficial for the entire process of getting his true self back along with getting him to trust me. Although I'm not only doing this to build trust, I want to do it for him. I care about him deeply and want to know he's being taken proper care of.

I walk into his room again and see Bucky pacing around, probably starting to go stir crazy from being in here though he's only been out of the cage for a short period of time. I smile at him as I set the tray and supplies down. Steve is watching from the other side of the glass, anxious to see if Bucky remembers anything pertaining to him I'm sure. As I open a bottle of hydrogen peroxide Bucky makes his way over to me and takes a seat. I wet a cotton ball with the peroxide and hold out my hand so I can see his wrist.

He gently lays his hand in mine and I start cleaning the damaged skin. I'm careful to not be rough, and to take my time. The cotton ball cleans off the dried blood, staining the white cotton a brownish red color. I put the cotton ball down and reach for the antibacterial ointment. I spread the white cream over the small cuts, glancing up at his face every few seconds to make sure I'm not hurting him. Once his cuts are covered I put cotton balls over them and I unravel some light gauze, wrapping it around his wrist.

"Keep this on until the morning, I'll take another look when I come." I say and give his hand a light pat as I let it go. I sit next to him so he doesn't have to eat dinner alone. He starts eating and I look around the room. It's blank and devoid of anything.

"Do you like to read?" I ask Bucky and he scrunches his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I think I like reading." He says and takes another bite. I'll do my best to find some books to bring him so he has something to occupy the time I'm not here. I wish I could spend all my time here with him, but I know I have to work in the lab sometime as well if we ever want a chance to undo the programming. He finishes his food quickly and I feel guilty that I'll have to leave him here tonight.

"I'll be back first thing in the morning. I'm going to try to get someone to bring some furniture for you, and I'll try to find some good books for you to dig into." I say and he smiles sweetly.

"Thank you, Adalyn." I grab the tray from the table and nod,

"Of course, it's the least I can do. Goodnight, Bucky." I say and go to leave the room. He gives a small wave as I open the door. Just as expected, Steve is still here.

"We'll definitely get some furniture down here for him." He nods his head, watching Bucky stand up from the table.

"We're making progress, slowly but surely. To be honest, he's already a lot more open than I thought he was going to be. But for him to be released from this room he's going to have to undergo stress tests. I think he'll be ready for that in about two or three weeks if he keeps this pace of remembering and staying stable." I talk as we both go back up to the main floor of the base.

"What kind of stress tests?" Steve questions.

"It'll have to do with seeing how he reacts when confronted with loud sounds, flashing lights, that sort of thing. It's just to make sure he can maintain his composure." I assure Steve as we walk towards our rooms.

"He'll be okay though, right?" Steve worries.

"Yes, he will be okay. I won't put him through something I don't think he's ready for. He may be strong but he needs to be cared for gently for the time being. His mind extremely fragile right now, and I bet he's terrified, though he likely won't show it. Earlier today he said memories come out of nowhere and I can't imagine that's easy to deal with." I say as we stop in front of our doors. Steve's face is riddled with concern. I put my hand on his shoulder,

"Steve, get some rest. Bucky will be okay and he'll need you to be at your best when you see him again." I say and he nods, turning the knob of his door. I go into my room as well and kick off my shoes. I get ready for bed as my mind races with thoughts about how well today went.

I think Bucky's making phenomenal progress in a short amount of time, and I hope his progress doesn't plateau anytime soon. Introducing Steve once he's shown he can handle Hydra memories is likely to induce further memory recollection. At some point, I'll need to get him up to the lab to run some tests, and I already know that conversation with Fury is going to be a nightmare. Although, Bucky's not a huge threat. I'm almost certain that nobody on this base except me knows how to activate the Soldier, meaning he's practically harmless.

However, I want to see how he's progressing each day and take it one step at a time. I don't want to rush his progress and I don't want to overwhelm him. It's a delicate balance that I'll have to manage. But I'm remaining hopeful.

#bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x oc #james bucky barnes #winter soldier #steve rogers #hydra #marvel #shield

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lunaskyknight · 1 year ago

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Iris, Tiefling Warlock with Pact of the Chain, Level 4.

Iris is a character I have played in 2 different DnD campaigns, and she is a little different each time. In Baulders Gate 3 she has a Chaotic Neutral alignment, she wants to do good but isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty to achieve her goals. So far we were able to save her tiefling people and the druids, but we did kill the druid leader Kharga with a lot of planning and formation.

We have a party of 4; Astarion the vampire Rogue, Gale the cursed wizard, and Shadowheart the afflicted Cleric. We all have very good relationships, especially with Gale and Shadowheart. Astarion is up there with a fair relationship, but he prefers more bloodshed than i’d like. I do however sate his needs by letting him feed on anybody who is in our way or has to go down, and we joke around plenty. I did have to have several talks with him to make sure he absolutely would not feed on myself or the party members, he almost killed me at the last feeding.

One thing we did that may not have been in our alignment, was slaughter every single goblin/ogre/bugbear/gnoll we could find in the goblin camp and surrounding area. They were teasing and hurting an owlbear cub, I had previously met this cub and their mother. With animal speak I was able to convince the mother to not kill me while i took treasure from her cave, but the goblins attacked their cave after I left. They killed the mother and stole the cub for their entertainment. I was real upset, I tried to win back the owlbear cub in their goblin games. They said no despite my win. I spoke to the owlbear cub and it was scared and hungry and had no where to run. I asked it to come to my camp, but wouldn’t unless the goblins were “taken care of”. So, while I watched the goblins chase the owlbear around their camp drunk and laughing, I set up a massive attack.

Stealing many oil barrels I attracted large groups of them and then blew up the barrels with firebolt, which also created a temporary fire barrier around us. With this tactic I was able to kill every single creature in each area, and using firebolt to destroy their war drums prevented them from calling for help. It was high key a murder spree of rage.

Now, the goblin lords are dead, and the tiefling people may travel onwards to Baulders Gate. We had a celebration at my camp to cheer for the free tieflings and the riddance of the goblins. I actually snuck off with Astarion as well, and we had sex in the woods after the party was over. I told him his back scars are actually written in Infernal, which surprised him but he wasn’t very concerned.

Now we move on, and will be trying to find the Nightsong as well as moving onwards into late Act 1 and early Act 2. Its been fun and crazy and dramatic so far, I’ll keep the stories of our wild ass deeds on tumblr.

Oh P.S. Gale keeps saying he is gonna blow up like a nuke, and Ive given him 3 magical items to eat because he is cursed. I hope he doesn’t blow up, I don’t want to die lol

#baulders gate 3 #dnd campaign #tiefling #warlock #murder spree #chaotic neutral #astarion #gale of waterdeep

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faiienlucifer · 1 month ago

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In this case specifically (because I know we all know how Marvel is like), I think it's different. It just isn't the same. It's not about being a "happy ending", I missed prefer bittersweet or tragedy and I think most people here wouldn't mind either..

But this, it felt kind of anti-climactic after episode 7 specifically. It went down hill. I was really expecting a more agatha focused finale and I fully understand they ran out of time ane everything but the only time we ever saw Rio (who was a clearly big part in Agatha's life) being at the river and during the present time didn't feel right. But that I could excuse bc time and budget.. but the kiss, I get it fully. It was ultimately a great ending because Agatha will definitely not admit she was wrong after just fully accepting it not so long ago. Would ultimately do something so impulsive just to spite Rio, just to rub it in one last while also showing that affection she still clearly held for her.. While I wished for at least a few more words or scenes I ultimately understand..

But.. her being a ghost is what truly bugs me the most about the ending. It feels.. unsatisfying. All she ever wanted was to see her son. From beginning til end. It's why she blamed her lover because she had no one to blame for her grief. She lost herself in the process of grieving the incomprehensible loss of her son. Her Nicholas Scratch.. "Not able to face him" just felt like such a cheap excuse to keep her connected to Billy and continue his story. And I see it yes but I feel like her need to see him again would win over the guilt for ruining their song in the haze of grief.. it just seems so out of character. Like they're just using her (frankly extremely interesting and wonderful) story and character as little push for Billy's storyline. It just rubs me and other people the wrong way. We only want a satisfying ending (seeing her son again, full circle moment) because it's ultimately her amazing and wonderful character and her show. Even if it was on screen for like 1 minute, it would've been something.

But now I'm just yapping but those are my thoughts on the topic. I think that's the true reason people find the last episode so unsatisfying.. and also because of the beast of an episode that was ep 7. That felt more satisfying than anything in the show, great ending for a great character even if it wasn't "happy".

(sorry for any typos or weird formats, I'm a tumblr newbie still 😭)

Edit: Omg my dumbass forgot to add but just their story in general! What we could've had. A witch and death herself? The witch, cursed with a power she thinks is a curse to kill everyone around her, a poison, disease.. and death.. growing a heart for the only mortal that grieved enough to fill whole eons of time. So many times. Faulted herself for it and only found comfort in death herself because she's everything that surrounded her, the only thing that was permanent. Something grounded and forever there for her.. How amazing is that story? I feel like it (partially) wasn't satisfying because that dynamic seems so poetic and beautiful and like a joy to explore from a writer's standpoint. I wanted more, we all did because they were so interesting. So poetic. Intertwined in the most tragic way because that's the only way their story could ever go..

It's Greek Tragedy level beautiful.

..and we all wanted more.

Honestly, I don't understand the people who are bitter about the way Agatha All Along ended. I thought it was freaking amazing.

Agatha and Rio got to be angry and in love and epically drawn to each other. And petty as all hell.

We got a kiss (and Rio's face those seconds before Agatha kissed her and she felt it coming). We got to see the wounds Agatha left in Death. We got to see a moment where Agatha essentially forgave Death (even if she wouldn't acknowledge it to Rio). We watched Rio cover her grave in the color that meant most to Agatha. We watched how Rio gave Agatha the time to love her son (because even if the older Agatha refused to see it - because it hurt too much - she would clearly have taken that gift a second time if she found herself back in that moment).

And it wasn't even the end of them, because if you don't think Rio is going to keep pursuing Agatha's soul now that she's floating around as a ghost instead of coming home to her, you're wrong (you're just... wrong).

It might not have been a "happy ending" but it was freaking glorious.

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deathbysatellite · 11 months ago

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Singles Household: Week 1 - Part 1

Trying a new format since Tumblr got rid of Legacy Posts, limiting me to 30 images per post

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Right off the bat, Chloe makes her feelings about the whole roomate situation known by repeatedly poking poor Erin (don't worry, Erin starts to get her revenge later).

Lola and Kristen at least seem to be getting along. And I ended up having to distract Chloe, because in the background there she is literally following Erin into the house to continue poking her.

Erin, whose Lifetime Want is to Have 20 Pet Best Friends, later greets a little stray dog named Pepper. Pepper on the other hand isn't interested in making friends.

But she eventually warms up to Erin.

The welcome wagon shows up (much earlier than it did for Ajay), consisting of Chasity Gere from Belladonna Cove, and Ripp and Buck Grunt.

Fed up with Chloe constantly jabbing her finger at her, Erin retaliates by shoving her, only to get shoved back.

While Kristen was getting along pretty well with Chastity, she's trying a little too hard to become friends, as Chastity awkwardly turns down a hug from her.

While watching the dance channel on TV, Lola discovers her love of music & dance.

I genuinely did not know Sims could discover their preferred hobby through the TV, unless it was film & literature.

Chloe gets mad about an invisible object, and I interrupt by gameplay for half an hour to watch a video about squiggly lines. As you do.

Two simultaneous games of catch, between Erin and Ripp, and Kristen and Chastity.

It is such a pain trying to deal with four household members plus guests in this tiny living room. Especially with three exterior doors.

Erin gets a call from her boyfriend, Ajay, and looks utterly bored by the conversation. She does this every time she's on the phone with him.

Not even half a day in, and these two have already broken out into a fight. I don't even remember who started it, but Erin wins it.

Well, I guess we know who the bigger Sim is.

That phone call was actually to invite everyone downtown, bringing along Ripp, Opal Contrary, Meadow Pederson, and Camryn Lee.

Chloe rolled a Want to slow dance with somebody. Why not dance with Karl Jordan, aka Mr. Big?

Lola's having the time of her life at the karaoke machine.

Erin and Chloe set aside their difference for now, but it's really not gonna last.

Chloe then goes right back to picking up Karl, who is very receptive.

Kristen and Ajay get engaged.

What's up Denise? It's been a few household since we last saw you.

Exhausted, everyone heads home, and Lola decides that right next to the bed is close enough to the bed to fall asleep.

I think Kristen may be talking about Erin.

Eager to get closer, Chloe chats on the phone with Karl.

Yeah, I knew that truce wasn't going to last.

Lola congratulates her sister on a fight she won against Erin while I apparently wasn't looking.

#sims 2 #ts2 #gameplay #ts2 uberhood #long post

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crqelsummer · 2 years ago

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I want to hear more about Yuelle/Lightthief

i want to clarify before i even start that these two are both idiots.

edit: ok wtf is this formatting tumblr

elle is the most oblivious girl ever -- she didnt pick up on the fact that yuto was actually interested in her until halfway through their second term of first year.

yuto, is also the most indirect guy ever. his love language is quality time, so inviting elle to hang out with him was meant to be romantic! he even brought her snacks and helped her with her homework. elle didn't know this, she just thought he was being nice (her love language is acts of service)

(she calls him 'sweet!' all the time and yuto is DYING)

their friends figured it out a long time ago (moriko and rin have a betting pool going for the class, seiji and daisuke are winning)

he confessed to her on valentine's day with chocolate and she was a bit bewildered. and then gave him some french chocolate she had from winter break on white day. yuto has never heard of this brand. he is cherishing it nonetheless.

however! they do work together really well! yuto's learning to use the binding cloth well enough to save her if she ever gets caught, and her effective flashbangs keep people off of them pretty well. her blinding means he can usually steal people's quirks pretty easily because they're more likely to answer him.

theyre really good friends!! they started out as friends on both sides, yuto just fell head over heels after he saw elle do what she did best and elle pretty soon after their finals before summer break. still, they joke together and annoy one another just as much as anyone else

they hang into in the bottom five of the class for most of the year just because neither of them are super strong students. they gotta fight for it and adapt as necessary. in the academic rankings though, they compete there too. yuto's a little ahead bc he's like. native japanese speaker v. elle only started learning three or four years ago to attend UA in high school.

yuto is a pretty stoic guy, it takes a lot to shake him. elle is not, she is the most emotional person just about ever. they clash sometimes because elle will get really emotionally invested in something and forget to really think. yuto will occasionally only ever look at a situation through logic and forget about how his interactions are affecting other people.

elle is a really touchy feely girl too. once she and yuto start dating shes always got a pinky wrapped around his, bumps into him on purpose, rests her head on his shoulder, etc etc. yuto is only a bit taller than she is (5'5" to his 5'7") but she can and will try and climb him. like full, limbs wrapped around him like a spider monkey kind of climb lmao. yuto finds this odd at first but kinda just lets her at it. he prefers to just be around her, but this works too.

neito finds out bc aiko mentions it offhandedly to him, who then tells hitoshi who then brings it up during dinner. yuto is losing it.

yuga is actually pleasantly surprised that elle found someone she cares for dearly. monica thinks hes cute, to her chagrin.

theres a box of french cheese in the mail within the week

BONUS:

If Elle ever got into trouble Yuto is NOT responsible for how he responds to whoever knocked his girlfriend out. He almost choked a villain out once and will do it again.

Elle's hands can get hot enough to burn with her Light Quirk, and if anyone ever hurt Yuto she's using that to her advantage because goddammit you do not lay a HAND on him.

#oc: aoyama elle #oc: shinso yuto #oc #original character #au: our hero academia #ship: yuelle #ship: lightthief

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rykno-gs · 3 years ago

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Snalentines - 2022

well i dont actually have a title for this fic, but if i had to give one, ild say its smth like: sniffles and cuddles

anyway this is 1.8k words of a tartali snz fic i wrote for my assigned buddy, @bubblemudkips

hope its okay that i @-ed you

hope i did ok and enjoy :> (its abit suggestive but otherwise sfw)

It was late when Zhongli finally heard the jingle of keys from the front door. Childe has been due to come back more than four hours ago. Outside, he could see the shadows of the already rising sun, indicating just how late his partner was.

Appearing by the front door in seconds, Zhongli waited for the sound of locks turning, the door sliding open before he tackled the man behind it. Being the taller of the two, Zhongli’s chin naturally rested atop the head of messy orange hair, which he realised seconds later, felt warmer than usual.

Childe was also seemingly avoiding eye contact.

“Xiansheng.. I’m home!” The voice coming from under him sounded tired, relieved, like he had ran a marathon. But the Northland bank wasn’t that far away from their shared apartment, was it?

Zhongli shook his head, leading Childe into the house. “Welcome home, dear. How was work today?”

Childe breathed a sigh. Good, he didn’t notice.

“It was f- fine. Just some letters I needed to w- write. Documents to fill up, you know? Those kept me u- up all day.” Childe replied, still not willing to look Zhongli in the eye.

He knew if he did, he’d get seen right through -- the wastebasket full of used tissues that still sat in his office was much more of an indication than anything else. But as long as he plays it smart, Childe thinks, he’d be able to fool the other.

He received a small hum in reply as the front door was re-locked. “Are you hungry then? There is food leftover from dinner.”

Childe nodded, raising his fist to hide a sniffle as he sat on the couch. Now that he wasn’t hunched over his desk with a pen in hand, exhaustion was starting to catch up. Smiling as he watched Zhongli head to the kitchen to heat up the food, he closed his eyes for a moment, thinking a light rest won’t hurt.

Zhongli knew something was wrong. How could ne have missed it? The way CHilde refused to look at him, the way Childe had not kissed him the second he came home, and the subtle sniffing that came from the couch. It was pretty obvious, if not confirmed when--

“Het- sHhw! HaHh- NgHt’ sh!”

-- he heard a restrained double coming from the living room, followed by a sigh and a wet sniffle. Maybe heating up leftover dinner wouldn’t be such a good idea..

Opening the fridge, Zhongli took out some herbs and chicken, beginning to make a dish he hasn’t put together in years, tweaking it a little to suit Childe’s taste.

It was a little nudge that woke the sleeping one up. Stirring, Childe let out a stuffy sniffle, blinking his eyes against the sunlight. “Huh..? It’s mo’ning already?” He mumbled, voice thick with congestion. He shuffled between the couch cushions, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. His eyes focused on Zhongli “H- How long was I out fore?”

“Not too long.” The warm reply came. “You came home really late today, so the sun is already starting to rise.”

“Ouh..” Childe’s eyes shifted to the bowl being pushed towards him. It was then he remembered that Zhongli was going to heat up some food for him. It looked like soup, liquidy and steaming. At that moment, Childe realised just how hungry he really was.

“C’mere, I’lll feed you.” Zhongli said, bringing a steady spoon up to the other’s lips. “Careful, it’s a little hot.”

Trembling lips wrapped around the ceramic spoon as Childe tried the food. He wasn’t going to admit it, but the warmth of the dish was exactly what he had been craving for the whole day. And despite how numb his tastebuds were, he could still tell it was really good.

A sniffle. “Xiansheng.. this is delicious! Where did you buy it from? ..snf- Chef Mao’s new recipe maybe? It’d tastes r’ly.. snf..��good!”

Shit. He needed to blow his nose badly. It was going to start dripping if he didn’t.

Zhongli laughed softly, noticing Childe’s twitching nose but chose not to comment on it. (He wanted to see how long his darling could hold for). “Really Childe. Can’t even recognise your own boyfriend’s cooking,” he smirked, eyeing the other. “Something wrong with your sense of taste maybe..?”

He was replied with a little choke. “No..! Of course not, hahhha, my.. snff- senses work just fine! Heh- say, Xiansheng, how come you never.. snf- cooked this b’fore?” it was getting harder and harder to contain the dribble he could feel coming out of his nostril. It wasn’t quite showing right now, but it would if he continued to do nothing about it.

A quick swipe of his glove to the nose seemed to do the trick, but as Childe quickly realised seconds later, that came with its own drawbacks..

“Hh.. hEh- shHNght! Haah- sHXgnTt!!” He could feel the slight spray upon the uncovered part of his wrist. Childe cringed, but prepared himself for another -- “Hihh- nGHxt! Hh.. hih! ..snf.. s- Hah- HheH! HAhh- ShXnHT- ‘iiew!!” the last one, uncontained and a little louder than he had hoped.

Zhongli watched on in slight amusement. He never really had a thing for mortal illnesses, but seeing Childe in such a state made him feel very interested indeed. But his needs could wait. Childe should, and would, always come first.

“Bless you.” He answered carefully. “Well, the reason why i do not cook this dish often is because its ingredients contain many herbs that have medicinal properties.” he looked at Childe meaningfully. “Meant to treat common colds or a slight flu.”

The other instantly blushed, looking away. “I.. I don’t see w- why I would need that.. I’m fine.. really..”

“Oh? Then what were those sneezes just now?”

Hearing the question made Childe feel called-out, as if he had got caught doing a bad thing, but he shook his head. “T- Those? Ahahh, those were just my uh.. my.. a- allergies, yeah..”

Zhongli’s eyes widened with false surprise. “Allergies?” He said, amused. “Whatever are you allergic to?”

“I uh..” Childe hadn’t thought his lie would get to this point. Panicking, his mind whizzed with excuses and things to get himself scott free. Then, he remembers-- “Silk flowers! I’m allergic to s.. Sehh- eh..sHshew!!.. snf- silk flowers.. yeah!”

“Hm?” Zhongli raised an eyebrow, willing to play along. “You might not know this, baobei, but the daily perfume that I spray on has a strong extract of silk flower essence in it. From the way you cuddle and nuzzle at me all day, why are your ‘allergies’ only acting up now?”

Childe’s eyes fill with panic. “Oh! Is that s- so..? Hhaha, I must’ve mixed up my f- flowers! heh.. it’s.. it’s Gaze lilies! Yeah, I’m hella allergic to t- tHho- hAh.. SscH’iew!! snf- srry..”

“Gaze lilies?” Zhongli asked, a small smile on his face. “I remember very clearly that we once went on a date to a place with many gaze lilies, you were even the one who suggested that we go there-”

“It’s Qingxin! I remember now! There, I’m allergic to Qinxin flowers!” Childe interrupted, proud that he had finally found a-

“But Qinxins are awfully far from Liyue Harbour itself, Childe. Surely if you had stayed in your office all day like you claimed..”

His face falls. He’s been caught. Dragged up and backed into a corner by Zhongli. He knows it. There was no escape now. He might as well surrender himself into the arms of his partner.

Deep down inside, Childe had been craving to be cared by Zhongli when his cold had started catching up to him. Stifling into tissues within the cold walls of his office, suffering all alone. But it was.. embarrassing.. to say the least, being so vulnerable in front of anyone.

But he wasn’t with just anyone. He knew Zhongli would take special care of him until he was better. Weighing his chances, he figures it won’t hurt to just..

“Fine.” Childe said with a pathetic sniffle. “I’m sick, not feeling well, whatever..”

“No need to be so shy about it beloved..” Zhongli cooed, happy that his partner was finally willing to give himself up. “I’ll take good care of you alright? I promise.. Now come sit on my lap.. I’ll help you finish the soup I made.”

An hour and a dozen sneezes later, the both of them lay on their shared bed, huddled together, Childe’s overused nose pressed up against Zhongli’s warm body. They had long ran out of tissues, with the way Childe was going through them, sneeze after sneeze.

“Ssnuff.. ugh- what did you do again..?”

“Rub mint on my chest.”

“Mmh.. snff- than’k you.”

“Welcome..” Zhongli whispered, trailing soft, comforting kisses down Childe’s neck. He pecked once at Childe’s warm forehead, and once on his flushed cheek. And with a cheeky smile, grazed his lips upon the other’s bright crimson nose.

The response was immediate.

“Ack! Hh- Zhongli! Wha- hIH- ssHie’w!! WHatcha do thaA- hh.. snGH- iew!! -that for?!” Childe pressed his nose into the crook of Zhongli’s shoulder, the sneezes breaking his sentence and frame.

“Just kissing the places I love kissing you the most..” Zhongli mumbled, a dumb smile on his face when he felt the strong, wet impact upon his shoulder as Childe let out a few rather.. unrestrained sneezes.

“Oh.. hh.. Hah- sHIEW!! ..ugh.. snuff- ..so’ srry Xiansheng.. I’m.. snf- being so g’ross..”

“You’re not.” Zhongli replied with a well-hidden shudder.

“Snf.. alright.. if you say so.. ahh.. Aw shit.. you’re gonna catch m.. my.. Hih- XxNghtt!! - cold.. snf..” This time, Childe directed the spray to the back of his hands, eyes squeezed shut and nose scrunched up.

“I w- won’t mind that..” Zhongli breathed, his wavering voice betraying some of his inner feelings.

Childe stared at his partner carefully, seeing an expression that Zhongli barely wore on his face-- a look of soft lust. Ah.. Zhongli.. of all people.. who would’ve thought.. a new excitement ran through his body. Maybe.. he’d be able to uncover a hidden part of Zhongli that only he would ever see..

One step at a time..

He began with a sniffle. “So.. Xiansheng.. I couldn’t help but notice you missed a spot just now.” Seeing his lover’s confused face, he continued. “You know? When you were kissing my cheeks and neck, and.. nose..” From the corner of his eye, Childe saw Zhongli blush slightly. So he continued. “You missed a spot.”

“...? “

“Between my legs..”

“Ajax!!” Zhongli choked out, face as flushed as Childe’s (except he didn’t have a fever). “I.. I.. wHat?!”

Childe bursts out laughing, burying his face into the folds of the other’s clothes, breathing in the soft scent of silk flowers. “I’m joking Zhongli! Well.. half-joking. We can make out when I’m better. Or..” He throws a sideways glance.

“Or..?”

“Or unless you’d want to make out when I.. Hh- hIH.. hAH- ZCHh’ HuU! ugh.. snff.. when I’m still sn- Hh.. sneezing non-stop..”

“A.. Ajax!”

“Hahhahh, Your choice!”

- end -

hppy valentines everybodyy :D

#genshins impak #zhwonkli #chield #snz #snz fic #HAPPY VALENTINES DAY #hope this was ok hhh #i was deciding whether to type on google docs or here #tumblr win because i prefer the formating #:D #for mudkip #tartatatali #mywritting #ryk.fic

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kissmypoets-hp · 1 month ago

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@oknowkiss asked me fantastic question — what drarry fics would you recommend to your boss?

and i took that SERIOUSLY... literally thought about this the entire day and i have some Answers

first of all, i feel like i need to clarify that my boss is not much older than i am, haha!! sorry if any of you thought i suddenly found myself in the presence of a legendary fandom elder who participated in paving the way for today’s fandom — though she is a legend in her own right, of course: her vibe is very much 🎀✨put-together corporate tech girlie 🎀✨(the kind with impeccable taste in fashion, kitchen knives, and interior design) .... at this point in time, everybody’s got fannish hobbies, and i already knew we both grew up on the internet and liked YA during its prime, but not everybody writes fanfic and actually posts it online, which is why i was literally so floored at this REVELATION i immediately logged into tumblr and had to Post about it….

that being said, she is STILL my boss and i’m pretty sure she hasn’t thought about the hp fandom in a long time, so. if i were to HYPOTHETICALLY give my boss a drarry fic rec list, i would start off with something relatively family-friendly 🤣 (also i apologize in advance for inconsistent link formatting)

first off: Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi.... this is actually the first drarry fic i read, ever, so i’m being Nostalgic and biased because this is the fic that convinced me back then. but i think this as a first rec works, too, because she was a dramione shipper, and hermione and draco are here, too (only, what if hermione was lowkey a fujoshi instead....)

since i’d HYPOTHETICALLY be trying to Win Over somebody already familiar with the hp books + the fandom — i feel like i’d have to start with fics that confront canon first, whether it means addressing plot holes or flaws in jkr’s writing and then subverting the shitty parts (the epilogue… lol) OR fics that are deeply rooted in the source material, so reading them would be like a refresher course on the hp world while also proving how compatible drarry are together in Situations, lol

i would also recommend Heal Thyself by astolat … in no particular order, some more classics: Dwelling by aideomai…. Away Childish Things / By the Grace by lettered… What We Pretend We Can’t See by gyzym… Running on Air, of course (the drarry fandom classics)… as visual people i truly think she would be charmed by dustmouth’s comics — i’d start with Going Postal and Harry Potter Gets a Job …

so okay let’s say she’s getting convinced and i can now branch out to fics that are more TARGETED towards her specifically… i’ve never actually talked to her about fandom/trope preferences or fanfic prior to this day so i am definitely playing it safe ahahaha BUT we have bonded over rom-coms, coming-of-age stories, and lorde’s discography and email newsletters…. here are fics that give off That specific feeling to me:

Harry Potter and the Future He Doesn't Really Want, Thanks. (this was actually the first fic i thought of recommending tbh... something about loneliness in the city, hanging out with friends, it's time to play Ribs... HYPOTHETICALLY i wouldn't lead with a rated E fic though 🤣 also, as mentioned, i have a Strategy)

Faint Indiscretions by ignatiustrout

before a fall by eleadore

fics with rom-com references!!

you’ve got mail: Pages of You by wolfpants

mamma mia: if you’ve changed your mind by warmfoothills (orphan_account)

jane austen-esque references: amid this warm and steady sweetness by warmfoothills (orphan_account)

no specific rom-com as it's technically disney, but in here THE KIDS PUT ON A PLAY and it’s hercules…. we both enjoy musicals so this goes on the drarry syllabus: Falling for a Golden Boy by OTPShipper98

clueless au: Tis a Far Better Thing by The_Sinking_Ship

other recommendations i would give if i were able to successfully sell drarry to her:

Can I Tell You Something…? by Gallaplacidia (as drag race fans…)

we’re both designers who loved art first, so i NEED to recommend Truth to Materials by toomuchplor and lately. it's my duty

kylie minogue shade… the premise reminds me of an inside joke so INSTANT RECOMMENDATION: moonflower_rose’s Nothing But You On My Mind

fanfiction that would be appreciated by somebody who stanned one d*rect*on during their peak in the 2010s + the height of 1/D, 5sos fics on wattpad: Star Quality by who_la_hoop / Rich Friend by iota

fun fact, though: i roped another friend with very little prior knowledge of hp (apart from a few movies) into becoming a drarry shipper 🤣 so the moral of the story is there is a drarry fic for EVERYBODY even the non-believers… and drarry writers are so TALENTED they can convince just about anyone to come to their side...

this is so fucking wordy and self-indulgent!!! i took this WAY too seriously but i feel like tumblr is THE platform for long text posts anyway, lol. now if you've made it this far, i need to know: what drarry fics would you recommend to your boss?

just finished my 1:1 chat with my manager at work and i just found out she used to write DRAMIONE FANFICTION omg…. i wonder if i can get her to read drarry fanfiction in the year of our lord 2024…

#treating this question like i’m in the miss universe beauty pageant and i'm in it to WIN #get ready for: Fanfic Classics — Fics I Would Recommend to My Boss Edition (Vol. 01)#100 likes and i will send her recommendations... just kidding lol... unless?#also she mentioned this fanfic concept (for a different fandom) and i was SO INTRIGUED i kind of need to see it idk.....#okay GOOD NIGHT #drarry fic recs #kiss and tell

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dangerousenemies · 3 years ago

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IDEALS. pt. 5 - matter.

Ingo had been torn away from his home not once, but twice. He wanted to return, one day. That was his end goal. His terminus. But he wanted it to be along his own terms. He was certain he would see them all again. That he could not have been so lost within time, that wherever he did end up - there was always going to be a choice. An option. He did not like parting ways. He did not want to live with a foot in two worlds. To forget one in favour of the other.

Ingo has been returned from his unexpected time in Hisui, found by Clay just outside route six by Driftveil city. Sorry, I don’t know how to format fics onto Tumblr!

> 7,123 words. Enjoy !

"How do we feel about coffee?" Skyla asked, her fingers interlaced with Elesa's as the trio walked the Nimbasa riverfront. It was cold out, despite how the Sun shined against the rain soaked pavement. Thankfully not humid, leaving his lungs unburdened by heavy air besides the usual shoddy air quality. That was home.

Coffee … That sounded good. He could go for a warm cup of coffee to rejuvenate himself. His eyes still felt rather heavy, even with the extra few hours of sleep – which to be quite honest, probably just made him sleepier. It was like he had Crustle lying atop him, limbs felt so heavy that he didn't even bring them into the usual pace he would take up, instead allowing him to jot alongside the two leaders. They were on the right street to head just down the road and pop into their preferred coffee shop.

Both Emmet and Elesa caught each other's eyes.

An expression of 'You need it' was sent her way, met in response with a glare of 'Be normal' .

She looked dreadfully exhausted since she got to his apartment, and he had a bit of a tendency to be unpredictable when he got his hands on caffeine. Though it mostly just made him a bit more chatty. There's a snicker from Emmet as he wraps his arm around Elesa's, linking them together as he smiled, pressing the sides of their heads together.

"Sounds great!" He chirps, answering for both of them. Elesa's hand released from Skyla's to press it against his face, smushing his grin. He squawks indignantly, nearly tipping off his feet.

"You are tired!" His voice was bordering on unintelligible as her palm still hadn't retracted from his jaw as he swatted the air by her hand.

"And you're not much better!"

Touché . A finger grazed his lips. Emmet leans forward to bite it. Elesa reels away with a shout of disgust. A snicker bubbled up from his chest, leaving his hands flapping.

"You're actually so gross!" Elesa wipes her hand off on her jacket, making a far quieter faux-disgusted noise. Emmet grins triumphantly, placing his hands on his hips beaming. A hand yanked at his pocket, pulling out a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

"You owe me." She says, pointing it at him before spritzing some on her hands, clicking her tongue. "Ugh."

He rolls his eyes, he hadn't even actually bit her. "You retreated, therefore , I win." He beams. There was another look from her, as if to say 'It wasn't a competition', but let it slip as he continued. " And , I got you to smile. That makes us both winners."

Elesa elbows him. Emmet grunts as it jabs under his gut. "You're such a dork." The smile on her face still didn't falter, which Emmet took as a personal victory.

Something had been bothering her just an hour ago, though he attributed that to a bit of sleep deprivation. The storm had been verrry noisy, which neither of them dealt well with. Maybe he should have invited her over? Then they could have hung out without him having to make a stressful phone call.

He hums, quietly, twisting his fingers together.

Even if her eyes still hung heavy, and her posture wasn't the best, especially for her – a smile was a smile! She was, hopefully, having fun now even if things didn't go exactly to plan. And if she continued to not feel well, Emmet would drag her home and make her get some sleep, yup! He was very good at convincing her to rest because she did the same for him. They looked out for one another, that is what family does! Maybe their four car train had become three, but that did not mean they had to become uncoupled.

Elesa wrapped an arm around both him and Skyla as if reading his mind, squeezing them tight. Emmet smiled wider, and Skyla leaned her head against Elesa's shoulder. "I love you guys."

Emmet practically melted into the affection, but decided on simply patting the spot Elesa held him by.

"Not as much as I love you." Said Skyla, shutting her eyes as Elesa guided them along, hed by the waist.

"You are pretty alright."

" Emmet ." A bubbling laugh escaped him, hands flapping at his sides. "I love you, too! I love you verrry much." He corrects himself, swinging on his feet to walk in front of both of the ladies, walking backwards with practiced motion. "I am Emmet, you know I am teasing." He says, flapping a hand at his chest.

"I do." Elesa says with a fake sigh, running a hand over her clothed cheek. Faux hurt across the part of her face they could see. Skyla giggled. "You wound me. I thought you loved me."

Emmet threw her a smug little smile as he tucked his hands in his pockets. "You thought verrry wrong. I do not love anyone, I am incapable." He taps his forehead, then snickers. Elesa flicks his head, making him dissolve into laughter.

"So the usuals, right?" Skyla asked, "Or should we try something different today?"

"We both know Emmet's just going to get a black coffee, so we might as well do something fun." The Subway Boss sneered at the comment, placing himself back beside Elesa who shot him an equally amused glance. "We could do something with whipped cream?"

Skyla " Ooh'd. " at the suggestion. "Like one of those little lattes with the chocolate shavings and cinnamon?" She asks, shaking her fists excitedly.

"Yeah!" Elesa grins, nodding her head.

Emmet tuned them out, drawing his hand from his pocket to turn his Xtransceiver on, flicking to his emails.

His nose scrunched up in the way it did when he was preoccupied. There were plenty of emails from the weekend conductors and engineers who ran the non-battle lines. Apparently some Drilbur had been causing issues, but they were dispersing them as easily as they could. No lasting damage, thankfully. Little victories!

A few from the depot crew, mostly regarding shift changes or a notice about needing to swap out a teammate for another. One email about a passenger being banned after starting a fight, resulting in a broken nose. Something like that could get messy. He silently hopes a lawsuit doesn't ensue.

Before he can open the most recent email of the bunch, something about energy efficiency, a finger pressed onto his Xtransceiver, pushing his hand down. "We're supposed to be enjoying our off hours, remember?"

Grey eyes meet sky blue, his gaze failing with a nervous smile. Right, right. No work.

Emmet tucks his hand into his pocket against his better judgement, sinking into the collar of his jacket a little ashamed. A hand sweeps over the brim of his cap, drawing it over his eyes. He simply nods, eyes averted to the ground in front of them. " Verrry sorry." He says, kicking at the puddle in front of him, thankful he wasn't in uniform. That would stain horribly. "It is habit."

"No need to be." Emmet didn't agree, but also didn't fight it. There was no point in making a fuss about something he had agreed to.

Instead he fishes out a pen from his pocket, clicking away at it as the trio made their way to the little coffee shop around the corner. Skyla didn't seem to mind the noise, or at least didn't show it, thankfully, as she went back to chattering between her and Elesa.

[ ◇ ]

"Y'know, you'd think out of the two of you that Ingo would be the one to like black coffee." Said Skyla, watching Emmet as he sipped his drink.

He eyes her with a snort, taking a firm sip before placing it onto the table. Hands still cupped around it letting the sides of the drink warm them through his gloves.

"Y'know, cause," She grabs the collar of her own jacket, before letting it drop. "Sorry, that's… That's Insensitive."

"I know what you meant." They tended to be opposites where people did not expect. Though he was certain Skyla had meant because of the incorrectly stern air people thought followed his brother.

"Filling half of the cup with milk does not make it coffee. It makes it milk with a splash of beans." He says, lifting the cup to his lips, but peeking an eye at the pilot.

She snickered, leaning back to peek at Elesa who was still inside, filling her own cup with cream. The trio had opted to sit outside, since the building seemed to be busy. It was much too loud, and the seats got particularly packed in such a small building. Elesa had one of her twin Emolga resting over her shoulder, nibbling away at a baked treat. He smiles.

Emmet sets the cup onto the table, his hand over the lid as he hums. "Besides, it will make me ill." He says, prying off the lid, waving away the steam that poured out. Too hot .

She eyed him, leaning back towards Emmet. Her elbows placed squarely onto the table, leaning forward as she catches her straw, sipping a fruity drink she had bought rather than coffee. Skyla clicked her tongue quietly, placing her head atop her knuckles. "Yet you still eat ice cream?" She tilts her head, amused. "I thought you were lactose intolerant.

"Yes? I do not see the correlation." Emmet makes a face.

Skyla stares at him blankly. "What?" She sighs, shaking her head with a big smile.

"Nothing, nothing." She preoccupies herself with her drink. Never would he understand, it seemed.

Emmet pats at his left pocket, dragging out an ultra ball & a dusk ball. He settles them both on the table with a moment's deliberation. They were both rather large, and Chandelure had a tendency to accidentally scare people. Not sure how, but sure.

It should be fine to release them here . Emmet taps his knuckles against the table, thinking. It isn't a facility that outright bans them, and we're outdoors. We should be fine.

They were well behaved, registered pokemon (with permits!) that could be withdrawn at a moment's notice. There was nothing against it, so he saw no reason not to allow his companions some leg room. Okay, sure. He tosses the ultra ball up on second nature, before he could even realize what he was doing.

"Shit – " Emmet stumbled back to catch the ball as it came back down, clasping it between two hands with a grateful exhale.

Archeops appeared beside him, squawking at his sudden, new surroundings. His winged arms flapped nervously. Claws clacked and splashed against faintly wet pavement, clicking as he stared at Emmet. "Hello, Whistle." He says, hand placed to his chest. "I apologize for the abrupt change in destination. However…"

He nods his head towards Skyla, smiling knowingly.

The flying-leader's eyes were practically heart shaped as she leaned down to press her hands to either side of his head. Archeops squawked and squealed at her attention,

He clambered to seat himself atop the bench next to her, practically crawling into Skyla's lap, met by coos of "Hi handsome, aren't you so pretty?" that Archeops ate up, flapping his wings excitedly, chirping away like his namesake.

"Safety first." Emmet chides, and the bird's wings slowed to a far more reasonable, steady pace. Claws no longer threatening to tear up the poor woman's legs. A low warble escaped the bird, leaning his head over Skyla's shoulder, pressing his full weight against her.

Emmet smiled softly, although not without a roll of his eyes, drawing the dusk ball from the table. It was with far more care he pressed down on the clasp of the ball, watching it erupt into a shower of red and lavender.

Chandelure appeared before him, flames dancing in trails as she twirled through the air. Her trills warbled through the air, unable to keep up with her dance.

"It is verrry good to see you, too. We are having coffee." Emmet says, as if she couldn't see that. "I did not get you anything, would you like me to?"

There was a tilt of her little frame. Silence.

It was a bit of a habit to spoil the little ghost when she got out and about with him. She deserves nice things, especially seeing as though she was the only one who seemingly couldn't move on. Ironic, maybe. Material things weren't ever going to cure the aching loneliness he knew she felt, he understood, really. But he supplied in other areas when the situation called, making sure to see that she was healthy despite the sudden detour in her life.

Emmet took her silence as a no, letting her simply float alongside him.

"Just these two for today, huh?" Asked Skyla, gently scritching under Archeops' beak. She loved seeing the raptor, and he loved attention. It was a fair trade.

"Archeops wanted to come along, and Chandelure needs sunlight, yup!" The ghost whistled a broken note at him, evidently annoyed at the comment. He snickers, watching her flames erupt and swirl with more magenta than lavender.

"I am correct." He says, drink brought half way to his lips.

The ghost hovered over his shoulders, drenching his peripherals with a warm glow as she scowled at him.

"Yes, yes. Verrry scary ghost." He leans back, smiling up at her as he places his drink between his hands. Emmet raises a hand to her, cupping the side of her glass. "You do not get out much." He pats the spot he held her by softly. "It is good for you."

"You're one to talk." Emmet felt his ears burn as he heard Elesa sit opposite to him, shooing Archeops playfully to Emmet's side of the table. His head leans forward again, with a smile. Elesa gave him a weary grin, Emolga nestled into her jacket collar.

She settles her drink and a small snack onto the table, protected by only a napkin. His nose wrinkled at the thought of the sanitary concern. "When's the last time you got out in the past two weeks?" Elesa asked, placing the lid of her drink back on.

"All week!" His tone was indignant, placing his hands on the edge of the table. Chandelure whistled a tone that mocked him. Heat burned at his face. She was a known snitch when Emmet was doing his worst, but he wasn't sure where this was coming from. He sends a chipper but cold smile at the ghost trying to sell him out when he did nothing wrong. Archeops' head pops up from between seat & table, and warbles. "I did!"

Elesa takes a long sip of her frou-frou drink, then cocked an eyebrow. " Besides working, or going to the grocery store?"

Emmet shuts his mouth, visibly thinking for a moment. What have I been doing?

There hadn't been much to do besides work or grab food for himself and the team. He didn't really go out to exercise like Drayden and Skyla suggested, but that was never really in his wheelhouse anyways. But he also hadn't found much time to get himself out on any walks like he usually would. There was when he took Klinklang – no that was last week. The only things he really recalled doing was … working.

A sheepish blush rushed across his face. "... Todaaay ?" He confessed, toying with his gloves to avoid their looks of disappointment.

" Emmet… " His face darkened at Skyla's tone, and Elesa groans, kicking one leg over the other as she got comfortable. "You're insufferable."

I am doing my best. Emmet pops the lid of his drink back on, blowing air out his nose as he knew they were both looking at him.

"I am Emmet, I am keeping things on schedule." He says, fidgeting his fingers over the lid of his drink. Falling into a line of dialogue he has practiced time and time again over the past four and a half years. "I am a Subway Boss, but I do not work more than I need to. I am doing my best, despite the change in course —"

Elesa held up a hand.

"I know, Em." Her tone was a little sad. A little somber, as she took a long sip of her drink through a straw to avoid elaborating. After a moment, she leaned into her hands with a distant look, even if her tone evened out. "You don't have to justify yourself to me, sweetie."

Justify? I'm not… He supposed that was what he was doing, but really it was just the first thing that sprung to his mind at the comment. It was easier to run through words he already knew, than try to form something new to fill in the blanks. Why did she look so sad? Why did she sound so sad?

Things had been a little weird since she texted him last night, that much was true.

And he was certain she hadn't slept a wink since. Not even all the make-up in the world, or half-smiles could hide the fact something was hurting her. She was one to talk, pointing out how he hadn't gotten out – It wasn't as bad as lying straight to their faces. It made his chest ache to think Elesa thought she couldn't talk to them. That she had to put on a charade just to make Skyla and him feel better, even if she was hurting.

"You… Are sad." Emmet starts, slowly. Skyla didn't stop him this time, as he looks to her for confirmation. "Not tired. What is wrong?"

Elesa stared at him, and Emmet met her eyes. It held for nearly four seconds, before they both averted them in a draw.

"We can both tell. Why don't you talk about it? Neither of us'll judge." Skyla adds, gently wrapping her arm around her, placing her head against her partner's shoulder. "You know that."

Elesa was silent, biting down on the straw of her drink to avoid talking. Audibly sipping at her drink, eyes downturned towards Archeops who was politely snoozing under the table.

You are never like this. What aren't you telling us? Emmet reaches his hands across the table, gently placing his hands on either side of the cup.

"Don't be me." He chides. She relents, letting him pluck the drink out of her hands, setting it onto the table. "You would be verrry upset if I, or Skyla , avoided the question."

Parading herself as alright when she was clearly not alright was not going to happen under his watch.

"Guys –" She's looking between the two of them. "Why all the fuss?" She asks, looking down at Skyla. Her eyes were wide with worry, which made Elesa's own water. "It's nothing, really ."

"You do not like my stubbornness, and yet?" Elesa shot him a glare, but immediately softened as she felt mascara dripping from her cheek, drenching her left side with an awful stain of black.

"You, Elesa, have not attended to your own wellbeing, but fret over ours." Emmet fishes a napkin out from a little container in the centre of the table, and offers it to her. "You have failed personal safety. You are allowed to be sad. Please talk to us."

There was silence as she pats at her eye, trying her hardest not to smear her makeup more than she had. "I don't… Know how or where to even start." She says, setting aside the napkin in a crumpled heap. "It's been eating away at me all night, and I don't want to hurt you, too."

Skyla sat up, she tilted her head, taking her hand in hers. "If it's hurting you, we wanna know how to help. Y'know? Even if it hurts us, it means you aren't suffering alone."

Emmet hums in agreement. " Verrry well spoken."

"I – Well. I made a promise not to say anything until …" She trailed off, and Skyla squeezed her hand comfortingly. Emolga nuzzled her cheek.

"Till what?" She asked.

"I don't… Want to talk about this anymore." Her voice cracked.

It was at that Emmet scowled. Elesa, who was staring at him, broke. It sounded like something inside her had died as she buried her head in Skyla's shoulder.

He hadn't heard her cry like that since… since. Emmet goes to stand, but Skyla motions for him to sit. "Elesa? I am verrry sorry if I –" Did he… remind her?

His heart shattered upon hearing the hiccup of a sob that escaped Elesa, fingers wringing through the back of Skyla's jacket. Skyla curls her arms around either side of her, shushing her quietly, drawing the two of them into a tight embrace. "It's not your fault." Skyla says, stroking her hair. " Shh… Shh . Breathe with me, okay?"

Elesa bobbed her head slowly, a gasp escaping her. Skyla began, a slow but steady pace, taking the lead with an example. Elesa followed.

Chandelure nudged herself gently against Emmet's side. A slow, haunting tune escaped her. Like a broken little lullaby. "Not now." He murmurs, raising a hand to stroke her glass despite himself.

The ghost nudges herself closer to him, warm against his side. Archeops was watching from his spot under the table, knowing he was better off allowing everything to blow over. His head resting over his claws, blinking up at him sadly. Emmet slowly drew his ball back out from his pocket. Sorry, the rainwater is not good for you . He returned him. Chandelure eyed him. Emmet shook his head. She could stay, unless something came up.

"I can't, not yet." He heard Elesa whisper. "I promised. I promised . I owe him that."

"And you promised me, too. Remember?" Skyla replied, holding her by her arms. "You don't have to go back on it, but…"

"I guess I did." She's rubbing at her eyes now, make-up be damned. Skyla thumbs over her tears, making Elesa laugh, faintly. "I know I sound crazy – but I'm happy. I'm really happy, actually. I promise." Elesa's twisting her hand through her hair, catching herself before she gnawed on it nervously. "I promised both of you – And, and I get it, if neither of you never want to talk to me again… " Her voice broke.

"Pull the brakes." Emmet's voice was quiet, but firm. There were very few things that could pit a wedge between them. "We are best friends. She is your partner. Do not worry for our sake."

"I …" Elesa swallows hard, hands stroking Emolga's cheek who now rested between the two women. " Emmet –"

"Yes?" He tilts his head, crossing his arms with a smile. "Try me. There are verrry few things that can come between us."

"Ingo." She falters.

“No, I am Emmet.” He says, gesturing to himself, as if by second nature. What about Ingo? She took a shaky, deep breath settling her nerves before she continued. "No – Emmet. He's alive. He's... He's in Driftveil. He's alive ."

[ ◇ ]

The gym opened in just thirty or so minutes. It was Saturday, so the later time was nothing out of the ordinary. 7AM to 9PM on weekdays, 11AM to 8PM on weekends.

Iris was lounging on the couch, watching TV with her Hydreigon, munching away on what was left of her lunch. The two were watching some loud replays of a tournament match from over in Sinnoh. Sounded like it was a past play-by-play from the Battle Frontier, if his ears weren't deceiving him. The sounds of a Milotic clued him in to believe it was against Palmer himself, or even the previous champion, though he couldn’t be certain. He peers over from where he was to see a Torterra looking worse for wear, & shook his head slightly. Someone must be on their final pokemon, or mixed up their teammate. That was just a wretched type match up.

An interesting choice in tournaments, Iris didn’t ever seem very interested in any from outside the surrounding regions. Seemed she finally got bored enough to reach out & find new matches to watch. It was always good to see how others do things differently than you might. He supposed Kanto, Johto, Hoenn & Sinnoh matches were the next best option if Iris fully wanted to watch tournaments she could understand.

He hums in recognition, setting aside some silverware he had been drying, noting to put those away all at once.

The Milotic served as a reminder to the back of his mind, the Champion of Sinnoh had recently reappeared after a six month long disappearance. Just a week ago, to the day.

Rowan had called him on Wednesday about the situation, though seemingly just to settle his own nerves. He was frantic, Drayden could tell, even if he tried to come off as collected. Seemed like they were in all sorts of a mess over there. It was good the situation was being sorted. A fifteen year old vanishing into thin air is no joke, they'd better be taking the case seriously.

The Elite Four themselves had put a lot of blame onto themselves for their disappearance. It had cut through the Four for those weeks, as if they failed their obligations to look after the young one.

There had been plenty of public conferences, one of which he recalls one of them leaving early under his own stress. Plenty of social media backlash towards the Four for not trying harder. It was easier to point blame at faces you know the names of, than to the hired security that should have been doing their jobs. Seemed like everyone in the country had been out looking for him, not just in the region.

Drayden had even gone over to lend his aid himself, under the request of Rowan.

Iris had stayed home with her brother, which he was certain enjoyed the company. He was glad the two of them got along, especially after everything. Not to mention Iris was considerably younger than Emmet, which he was worried would drive a wedge between the two, but they seemed to share just about every interest besides trains.

Missing person’s cases seemed to be becoming more, & more prevalent. To hear this one had a happy ending gave him a small glimmer of hope. Six months was different than four years or six years, he reminded himself.

Drayden mentally kicked himself as he picked up a pot from breakfast to wash it.

Their own Champion, prior to Iris that was, hadn't even returned. Left in a rush, & hadn't been heard from since. Deemed a stale case once it was presumed she was in hiding. Her note told that she had left on her own accord, though the question of if she had been put up to writing it was always on the table. He felt a soft pang of familiarity in his heart to the girl's family. It was almost seven years at this point. Hilda would be declared legally dead this year, if she wasn’t found. She would be an adult by now, wouldn't she? He remembers seeing her, bright eyed & ready to challenge him with her own team. A spunky teenager, full of vigor & with an Emboar who sent Haxorus for the hills. He mused with a small smile. That was back when Team Plasma was still running amok… She had left, running after that boy who had shown back up. But no sign of her. Only fourteen, & suddenly gone.

Drayden reeled at the feeling of soap staining his hand, not realizing how much pressure he had been putting against the pot. He pulls his hand back, turning on the tap to rinse his hand of suds.

"Your Kantoan lessons going over that well?" He asked, over his shoulder trying to ignore the thought as turned his attention to spray the pan clean. "I didn't think you watched battles from outside Unova or Galar. Language barrier & all.”

"Yeah! Professor's been really helpful with it, too!" Iris chirped from her spot, eyes not moving from the screen. "I'm not exactly fluent, but I got the gist of what they're saying. Plus, context clues!"

Drayden hums in acknowledgment, eyes returned to spray the pot clean.

Rowan had encouraged her to learn the language after they had learned of her roots in Galar & Sinnoh. It'd been some years ago, Iris had been wanting to learn about her ancestry. Turns out his daughter was the great, great grandchild of some old Professor who helped found Sinnoh itself. First recorded Pokedex in the region, if his memory served him right. It was a good idea to look into her roots, here or there. There was no reason not to which Iris had agreed with, wanting to know more about herself. He smiled in amusement, thinking about Iris as a Professor. That was never, ever going to happen if he knew her.

"Laventon" was the surname they had found to be the connecting link, it was the one Iris had been adopted with. She had asked to take his own last name as she got older, to which he obliged after a small back & forth on whether she was certain. It was a big step, & he didn’t want to impose anything she didn’t want for herself. But she had insisted, stating that no matter what he was her father. That was a good day. Now that she was sixteen, almost seventeen , he thought wearily, she had gotten personally keen on learning about her Galarian & Sinnoan roots. There was really no harm in it, really.

They had already known about her ties to the Champion of the Galar region, & his little brother during a time when they, too were looking for missing relatives in their family tree. Though that seemed to be from a sibling of the famed Professor, rather than his own children. It made them distant cousins.

Drayden sets the now dry pan atop the stove, taking a dry hand towel to dry his hands.

A particularly loud Dragon Pulse rung out across the room from the TV. He turned to satiate his curiosity, watching alongside Iris. She was lying back on the couch, knees to her chest with her plate atop them as she leaned against Hydreigon. The dragon had her main head lying atop Iris'. Her other heads rested on either side of her. Both were focused on the TV, enjoying the match. Seemed like Milotic had managed to knock out the poor Torterra.

Drayden smiles again, nodding his head as he turns to grab his coat. He peers over again. Yes, it certainly was Palmer. He remembers that Rhyperior. It was the Dragonite they had a rivalry over. "Good match?"

"Oh! Yeah!" She looks over at him with a grin, fork still in her mouth. "Palmer's Rhyperior VS a Snorlax!"

"Battle for the ages." He mused, pulling a sleeve over his arm. "Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Iris made a face. Drayden ignored it. She set her fork aside to smile again, leaning back & cupping Hydreigon’s face in her hands. The dragon responded by sticking her tongue out. Drayden smiled back, pulling the coat over his shoulders. “You alright with it just being you & your team here today?"

"Yeah, I'll be OK." She says, looking over. “Do you really gotta work today, though? Come on - It's Saturday!"

Drayden sighs softly, knowing she’d prefer he stay home & spend the day together. Frankly he'd prefer it, too. He tried to take every other Saturday off, since Iris would be home those days. But the gym needed to be run, even as he got perhaps a little too old to keep up with it. He runs a hand through his hair, with a quiet sigh. Alright. He heads back for the kitchen, fetching his keys off the wall with a hum. "It is Saturday. Which means I've got to attend to the gym, you know that. We'll go out for dinner when I get home, does that sound fun?"

"Ooo." Iris thought on that as she offered Hydreigon a scrap of bacon. "OK, sure!"

Drayden smiles. That seemed to be enough to keep her happy, & he certainly wouldn’t be opposed to not cooking tonight. It would be a good bit of father-daughter time, & they didn't go out for dinner as often as they did when she was younger. "We'll make plans when I get home? Figure out what you want before five, I'll be home around eight."

"Will do!"

Drayden waves to Iris softly, the girl quick to wave back, "See you!"

"See you at 8. Lunch is in the fridge."

"Thanks, Dad!"

A buzz on the table reminded him he needed his phone.

"Ah–" He turns, headed back to the table to scoop it up. Curious. Drayden's eyes stared, long & hard with a curiosity he didn't feel often. His phone read Clay's full name, & he had no clue what he could possibly want. He knew better than to call while he was working at the gym - it was his destress time, away from his responsibilities as mayor of Opelucid.

He hadn't left yet, caught in the knick of time, so he supposed this could be fine. He'd talk on his way to the gym, that would be that. It's not everyday Clay, Clay calls someone unless it's important. Reclusive was definitely the right word for him.

So Drayden answers the call, catching it just on its last ring watching Iris' curious glance. "Who's calling?" She asked.

Drayden signed 'Clay' , placing the phone between his jaw & shoulder. Though, more literally, he signed 'Leader Ground' , but it got the point across. She'd gone & learned USL ever since Emmet had become more & more verbally-adverse. He leans against the doorway, pulling his gloves from his pockets.

"Hello? Is something the matter, Clay?" His voice was firm as he traded his keys for his gloves, slipping one on. They weren't close, whatsoever, so for Clay to be calling had to be something out of the ordinary. They knew each other, of course. They had to for their line of work, but it didn't make this any more odd. There was silence for a few moments.

" Hello ? Clay?" He asked, a slight antsiness growing in his tone. A bit annoyed. No, that wasn't right. His patience was wearing thin however. Iris sat her food aside, head tilting to the side at his change in expression. His hand rested on the doorknob, about to twist it open, giving Iris a small wave.

"Howdy, Drayden. I uh," his voice trails away. Weird. "You might wanna sit down."

That caught him off guard. "...I'll be fine." Drayden opts to stay a few minutes longer, turning to place his back to the door. "What's the matter?"

"If yer certain..." Clay paused. He sounded rather nervous, which was odd for him. "I… Found yer nephew."

What? What was that supposed to mean.

"What?"

Ingo.

They found Ingo .

This wasn’t about Emmet – Clay wouldn’t have phrased it like that if it was anything else. Of course Clay would find him. Drayden pressed the back of his trembling hand to his mouth, holding back whatever threatened to come out. Closure. They could have closure.

"Dad?" Iris stood up. He held a single finger out, asking her to wait. Drayden took a long deep breath.

"Where was he?" He drew his shoulders back, trying to keep his composure for her sake. He could hear Clay hesitate on the other end of the receiver. "Please."

"Chargestone Cave.”

Oh . Drayden covered his face, ignoring the rush of emotions that came to him. That wasn’t particularly where he had expected. But it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities. There were a plethora of tunnels that connected the two cavern systems together eventually. He knew that because of his boys – they practically lived in that cave as children. The Subway had to be careful not to build into any connecting caverns, long before either of the twins started the battle half of the subway. They should have looked there first . Why didn't they look there first? Why didn't they look harder? How could they fail him like that?

“What was…?” Left . He began, his voice was small despite himself. He cleared his throat, pulling on his collar. "What did you find?" He needed to be strong.

"Drayden – " Oh, Emmet. Emmet was going to be devastated – he’d been holding onto hope.

He couldn't even look Iris in the eye as she stood next to him, his own eyes welling up with tears. He never cried. Especially in front of her.

He reached his hand out, cupping Iris' face with a tender, if melancholy smile. She placed her hands atop his own with furrowed brows. "Are you okay, Dad?"

He hesitated. Drayden blinked a few times sadly, before simply drawing his daughter into his arms.

"Drayden?"

"Yes?" Tears threatened to stream down his face. Iris didn't move, squeezing him tighter. Drayden let his head lean back, taking a long, deep breath, not allowing himself to crack. He wasn’t the type to cry. It was unbecoming.

"Yer not listening to me." It was true. He wasn't. He wasn't listening, even as Clay talked in his ear. He had been talking the whole time, probably explaining some awful truth he didn’t want to hear.

"He's alive , Drayden."

Iris looked up at him gawking. She was close enough to hear the other end. "Who… are you talking about? Alive? Dad?"

Drayden placed the back of his hand over his mouth, taking a long deep breath. Alive. The word felt like it was practically buzzing inside his skull. "Alive." He breathes. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

"... Is it Ingo?" Iris asked. Drayden slowly nodded his head. Iris stared up at him, tears welling in her eyes. Drayden opened his arms again, letting the young girl hide her face in his side. He rubs the top of her head knowingly, whispering a quiet apology.

"We'll talk after this call, okay?" He whispers, pressing a gentle kiss atop her head. Iris nodded her head, wiping her eyes as she stepped back. Iris took a few steps away, and buried her face in Hydreigon's side. The dragon snorts, lying her main head atop hers.

"...Where – What happened to him? How is he? Is he okay?" Why didn't you start with that?

"He's gotten some rest, he needed it long before he went makin any calls. He's got some nasty lookin' bruises."

"I do not… Believe I broke anything, however." Ingo. That was Ingo. Drayden felt the smile that broke across his face as he sat himself down at the kitchen table. Clay hums in agreement, taking a deep breath. "We got some bad news, though. Do y'wunna break it to 'em or me?"

Ingo was silent. Drayden despised that. It sounded like a silent deliberation went on between the two, before Clay spoke again.

"I can take it." Drayden says. Anything was better than dead.

"Drayden, yer boy…" Clay sounded hesitant.

"Yes?"

"He… Does not remember much of anythin' from before he went missin'. Family, friends. It's all gone, nothin' but the last four years."

Drayden went silent. It felt like his voice had dropped out of his throat. His gaze cast to Iris who was hidden under Hydreigon's wings, seemingly tapping away on her phone. He really hoped she wasn't telling Emmet too preemptively.

"He has amnesia?" He whispers, placing a hand by his mouth, so the teen wouldn't hear.

"That he does. An … Plenty of stories t' tell…" Clay trailed off into silence. "I found him last night. It was damn near two in the mornin'. He's been tryna get comfortable enough t' call. Practically collapsed before we could do anythin' to get ahold of y’all.” Ingo had been found hours ago. He doesn't remember anything. Ingo is alive . He should be grateful for that, instead of tying himself up on the details. "Let me talk to him. If he’s okay with that.”

"Ingo? You uh – y'ready?" There was a voice from Clay's side. It sounded like an affirmative yes. Drayden could hear the phone be passed between the two. His breathing held still, waiting to hear his nephew's voice clearly on the other end.

"...Hello?" That sounded like his Ingo. Loud, & clear. But not excited, or panicked. Just Ingo. Just as he should be. "Clay tells me you are my Uncle. That you are Drayden. And that I am your nephew. I never knew I had a family." His voice went quiet. "Not until today, that is."

Was he lost in the caves for all these years? Hit his head & got himself lost? No, there was no way. He wouldn't have left Chandelure behind if it was that easy. She would have followed him to the ends of the Earth if it meant she never left his side. Drayden took a deep breath to recuperate himself.

"Hello, Ingo." I've missed you, so, so much. It's so good to hear your voice. Drayden looked back at Iris, watching her staring from under Hydreigon's wings. "We've been looking for you for quite a long time. It's good to hear your voice again." Drayden was not about to cry. Maybe he was. Just a little. "How're you feeling?

"...I see." He clears his throat. "A little lost. I have been very disoriented since my arrival here. I did not intend to depart without making my loved ones aware. But it seems… I have found my way back. And that is what is important.”

"Arrival?" Found his way back?

Ingo was silent. Drayden hated that. Ingo was always the talkative type, even when he was stressed. In fact, he talked more when he was under stress. "Ingo? What do you mean by arrival?"

"I am sorry, sir - I did not know how to… form the words.” Sir? Drayden’s heart sank at the feeling that any familiarity he had with him had been lost. How was he going to even begin to explain to Emmet? Iris… He cast a meek smile to her, but it quickly fell flat as the girl watched from under her three headed sentinel timidly.

“Ingo, would you rather I come to Clay’s home to speak with you? I would like to see you again.” And he knew how much Ingo hated phone calls, now that he thought about it. That might explain the quietness. Calls stressed him out, he was unable to read the other person by their gestures & expressions that he relied on unlike his brother. "Your sister would like to see you, too."

“Would that be… possible?” He sounded as if he was asking Clay. “Drayden would like to know if he could join us. Here. Okay. Clay says that will do. I will explain my untimely detour when you arrive then, it seems."

Drayden needed to wake up Flygon.

#enemiesfic #idealsfic #pokemon #subway boss emmet #gym leader elesa #gym leader skyla #gym leader clay #gym leader drayden #champion iris #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon black and white

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ceramicdove · 2 years ago

Note

🔥 enstars preferably some obscure shit on top of that

[SPACE JAM ANNOUNCER VOICE] Ladies And Gentlemen, Welcome. To The Main Event. Leeet's Get Ready To Ruuuumbleeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I know I put off these asks last night because I was tired, but I didn't forget about them. note that my responses are not going to be clearly formatted nor will they be extraordinarily intelligent, well-written thinkpieces. think of it as me unleashing the autism beasts, and good luck in advance!

I've talked about this previously, but since tempest just dropped on engstars I am seeing people discoursing and vocalising this specific take in real time, so I feel like it's a wonderful time to reiterate because it made me laugh and also made me sad. this isn't exactly a controversial opinion here on my insular tumblr community, but it'd definitely start shit on twitter.

I love the eccentrics as much as the next person and I love to see people produce them and make content of them, but a very notable chunk of eccentricsP (especially wataru-focused producers) loudly hate eichi or discredit his role in the story and those people will forever be a weak link in my eyes: this would seem petty to an outsider who would assume I must just hate anybody who hates my favourite characters, but I have my reasoning here.

eichi's presence is inextricable to the story of the eccentrics for better or for worse depending on how you look at things. that much is known by everybody. I think it's normal to have confusing or conflicting feelings on him particularly as somebody who is new to the story: I'm not going to drag people (especially not new players) to hell for having complex and mutable feelings on an antagonistic character. but I will have qualms if you refuse to even understand his narrative role at an entry level and offer his character any amount of sympathy, not even out of my own personal leverage, but because objectively, your misunderstanding of eichi will warp your understanding of the focal war/(!) narrative at its core. and these people are a wonderful example of that warped narrative.

I've oftentimes seen these people set up the story that eichi is irredeemable or insufferable, that the eccentrics were tragic kindred soulmate spirits who were torn apart by him but are bound to get back together and get their revenge through the Power Of Friendship, that wataru's character was butchered by having him fall in love with eichi, that he's a victim who fell prey to an abuser, or simply that his love for eichi is not genuine but is the long-winded set-up for a backstab. some people just think "this is the ultimatum", this is the real narrative of love in enstars. eichi loses, wataru escapes him, the eccentrics win, and it's love and it's beautiful and revolutionary!

you are waiting for a non-existent shoe to drop.

there is already a carefully-woven narrative about love right in your face: it has been there for years. and it's not only wataru's, but also eichi's. you cannot split them apart from each other in that regard, they are conjoined. a careful and sympathetic reader will know that. people do not see it exclusively and precisely because they shot themselves in the foot the moment they decided to actively hate and begrudge eichi, and they are now stuck angry and unsatisfied that the writer could do such a terrible thing to their sad, sopping wet, pathetic hibiki and his best friends.

→ the act of claiming that wataru is a victim whose character was butchered at the expense of loving eichi is, ironically enough, the biggest act of butchering his character. (and it's a very funny paradox.) wataru is a beautiful character, but his philosophy and presentation is fickle, vague, contradicting or difficult to grasp at times. a lot of information on him is debatable or downright missing, and that causes a lot of discrepancies among fanon interpretations of him: this is expected. but if there is one thing that should be clearly defined even without too deep of an outlook on the details of his story, it's that wataru controlled and chose his turn of events. wataru is smart. he chose to deny natsume's plan and play into his own execution because he saw through eichi and understood his intentions. this is presented in element and confirmed in neverland through nagisa's musings: "foolish, mighty monster who read us like an open book, yet willingly lay down to serve as a foundation. the present has been built atop your sacrifices. we alone will never forget that". he chose to join fine at his own volition and out of his own interests, and most of all he joined solely for eichi, not because his hand was forced. this is confirmed in flower festival. he chose to stay by eichi's side in the end because he fell in love with him: that's the pivotal moment of ep:link, and it is one of the moments that effectively defines the entire narrative. "we are living human beings, so we change, and we grow to love and admire people and such. that is precisely what the answer is — love is precisely what the answer is. i love you, and that is why i'll continue to be with you from now on." these choices were made out of the consciousness and love he holds in and for the story. these choices, his speeches, his extravagant nature, it's all in the name of love, love that he is trying to show to you, the audience. there is never a point at which he regrets this. you know what makes this all funnier? akin to all the comments and wishful theories that wataru must clearly wish to leave eichi in favour of his old friends, in sanctuary, even eichi, in a volatile and insecure state, tells him for a second time "i thought you had finally lost interest in me as a character in your play. [...] i thought you'd finally ran out of patience and given up on me [...] as if i were shocked to discover the person i love actually hated me in return". and wataru immediately denies this, tells eichi that in his eyes he's the protagonist, he muses on how he was misinterpreted, but most of all, a line that stuck to me was "what a shame, that people don't believe me when i reveal my true feelings!" because that's exactly what this all is! it's a shame that people won't believe his true feelings! it's a massive disservice to his character, to his emotions and intentions. it's turning a beautiful and intentional character into a cardboard cutout caricature of a victim that doesn't exist. if you want to feel pity for wataru, feel it for his childhood, for his loneliness and isolation, for many other things, but not for this. you are not rightfully defending him and his role, you are doing a disservice to his autonomy in the narrative. the eccentrics are a beautiful, fascinating, tragic group of characters: they deserve their own spotlight, their recovery, and the right to having their perspectives and traumas that stemmed from the war be valued by other characters and readers alike. but I just don't think this is the right way to go about it.

#🕊️📬#this is like my crash course for babies. would you still love me if i was insane

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actualbird · 3 years ago

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n/s//f///w text ahead and also so much stupid, get out while u can

context because god, all of this needs context or else you'll think im nuts (or, well, more nuts than you guys already surely think i am):

kay so on twitter i was talking with BecktheBeetle and ilong_musk about marius thirst and we somehow got to discussing subby marius. which! i am very much into and i replied with, and i quote "my problem is i want him subby for everybody but also i love luke subby for everybody as well. so i have to like...have a hierarchy. marius bottoms for all nxx except for luke, where suddenly his top vibes activate."

to which BecktheBeetle replied with "I’ll need this in a 1k word essay format complete with diagrams please" possibly in a facetious nature but i love writing 1k word things and making diagrams

which is why this post (probably the dumbest but also the funnest thing ive ever done) happened

my unholy nxx polycule sex hierarchy dynamics hc

wc: 1.5k (1.4k if not including flimsy context above to justify all this)

disclaimers: dont take this seriously. i didnt. definitely do not expect any character analysis rationale in this either, this is wholly just my own self indulgent preferences for the characters. also, this is mostly for the laughs and i feel the need to state the obvious that theres no hard and fast "rule" and definitely no "hierarchy" for how sex dynamics must work. switching is a thing, power isnt a requirement, and yadda yadda, pls dont take sex lessons from ppl online, especially not me, is what im tryna say

anyway, before i talk about bottoms or subs or sex in relation to the tot characters

i first have to explain to you a boardgame called Game Of The Generals

Game Of The Generals (GG) is a filipino board game and im so sorry i had to use it for this but it's the most fitting framework my brain could figure out and i Needed A Framework.

this boardgame is like chess in the sense that theres two sides and one side is tryna defeat a key piece (for GG, it's the flag) to win. unlike chess tho, the pieces have ranks, these ranks determine the pieces that piece can defeat, and the player can only see the ranks of their own pieces (thus necessitating a 3rd party called an adjutant (JUST REALIZED THATS BASICALLY AN ADJUDICATOR OMG, HI VYN) who is not on either side and whose purpose is just to check which piece wins when one piece goes into the box of another piece)

but the ranks r whats most important to this deranged ramble.

the picture above lists all 15 ranks (which i hope tumblr lets u see clearly). the ones at the top are the strongest and can eliminate everything under it EXCEPT when you get to the Private and Spy. the Spy is supposedly the strongest piece because it can defeat Literally Everything

except for the Private. which is the 2nd weakest piece on the board (1st weakest being the flag). it's horrendously weak but its wildcard power is that it is the ONLY PIECE OF ANOTHER RANK that can defeat the Spy.

i say "of another rank" because in GG, if two pieces of the same rank try to challenge each other, the one who attacks first is the one who wins. EDIT: WOKE UP IN A DAZE AND REALIZED I MISREMEMBERED THIS. IF TWO PIECES ATTACK, BOTH OF THEM ARE ELIMINATED. first strike wins only applies to flag vs flag. i can fix this still

got all that? cool. im now taking that list of GG ranks and pieces and condensing it and editing it for my terrible mission

LET ME BREAK THIS DOWN

"eliminate" in this sex ramble now becomes "im the one with the reins" which can either mean topping or being dominant cuz a person can totally have a dick in them and still be steering the show

the Private rank now has two special variants: "with rights" and "without" rights and this is in regards to how they can eliminate the Spy and i swear to god i'll explain that more in detail later, trust me. still, the original rule of "if two pieces of the same rank fight, the one who makes the first move eliminates the other" still applies even among these variants. so if Private Without Rights attacks first at Private With Rights, Private Without Rights eliminates the other

EDIT: so same rank actually means both ranks lose. so both Privates get eliminated. this can still work in my favor tho, trust me

note that for both Privates, i say that there is only the capability to eliminate the Spy. meaning that theres still a possibility they themselves can be eliminated by the Spy

i say this in the beginning of the post but i'll say it again: dont take this seriously. i certainly am not.

with these new pieces in place, i now put forth my hc via assigning a piece to each member of the nxx investigation team

from this alone, i think a good chunk of my thoughts are expressed, but lemme walk through them so you appreciate my hardship

mc is the most powerful. she can rail the hell outta everybody (including both privates but not always. but i'll get to that later) and they will say "thank you" with hearts in their eyes (and come just all over their body)

vyn and artem are in the middle of this insane sex sandwich with vyn just one star more powerful than artem. which means that vyn can bend artem over the desk in his dumbass minimalist study in his apartment but should mc want to give vyn the strap not even 5 minutes after that (or, hell, even during), hes happy to oblige.

marius and luke are at the bottom of the this horny power ladder and i realize, fuck, i rlly should have formatted the above image in a line but it's too late to turn back now. anyway, MARIUS AND LUKE ARE THE BOTTOMEST OF BOTTOMS, THE SUBBIEST OF SUBS. they are getting fucked and pushed around sexily so so much and are having a blast

to visualize, heres a chart. red arrows are the straightforward ones. the place where the red arrow originates from is The One Who Fucks and the place where the red arrow points to is The One Who Gets Fucked. orange lines are a bit more nuanced because i messed with the Private rank

but yea, thats it!

now that thats been said, i will explain wtf ive done with the Private rank

see, i wanted mc to be a Spy because while shes the most powerful, theres still one piece she can fall at the hands (or dick) of. and in my mind, the one she hands the reins over to easiest and happiest is Luke Pearce.

because i know in my heart that luke fucks like a one man demolition squad (linked is a meme visualizing this)

so i knew luke had to be a private. but then i go back to what i said that started this whole thing: i want luke to be the one getting fucked if hes with marius. but i also want marius to be a bottom, just not with luke where i want him to top. but i dont wanna rank marius higher because i think the brat doesnt deserve it (i say this affectionately) but i couldnt rank luke lower to be the flag cuz then thatd mean he loses the capability to top mc.

i was in a conundrum! i wanted all these things but the pieces of GG didnt allow me to do this!

so my solution is to deviate from GG a little bit

i split the Private rank into two variants to compensate how pathetic (affectionate, horny) i find marius von hagen to be while still keeping his dick advantage with luke.

see, when luke and marius (same rank) are going into the same square (//waggles eyebrows), i remind you about the rule concerning same ranked pieces facing off: the one who attacks first eliminates the other. and in my mind marius, more often than not, is the one pouncing on luke.

so by sheer virtue of speed caused impatient desperation and incessantly whorish vibes, marius wins.

EDIT: due to my oversight on same ranked pieces, the edited rationale is now that luke is bottoming physically but because of luke's inherent genuine tenderness present at all times, marius, even when topping, is still bottoming emotionally. at the end of the day tho after the Feels, marius still feels smug superior cuz at least He Made The Move First. which luke thinks is super dumb but he got great cummies out of it so fine. he'll let it pass. told ya i could make it work

OK LASTLY....LASTLY....THE LAST THING I HAVE TO EXPLAIN: the whole "capability" thing i invented for the Private variants

luke, a Private With Rights, gets to top mc basically whenever she wants him to. which is probably more of a service top situation but from time to time she Does wanna have a go with Agent Raven and maybe play a very coy target he has to sexy threaten honeypot. when mc is not in the mood for luke going that route, luke always surrenders because for him, it is an absolute joy

marius, a Private Without Rights, is submitting because he wants to and enjoys it but also he makes it such an Ordeal. if luke is obedient even if he really really wants to come and always says "please" like a good boy, marius is Not That.

marius is whining, marius is on purpose riling people up cuz it's gonna get him one hard fucking, marius is misbehaving so that somebody will set him straight (ha! as if!)

so mc is kjsdfkJBKJ NOT GIVING HIM THE SATISFACTION SO EASILY!! hes such a brat!!! so he has a much more difficult time winning in the whole rank business because shes being rightfully stubborn against him being Like That

however, she will give him a reward if he earns it

and the process of earning it is just a long grocery list of being everybody else's boytoy for a Long While.

im suddenly now angry because i designed all this to put marius at a disadvantage but......if hes getting fucked on the reg by the team, hes winning anyway. i was tricked. fooled. BAMBOOZLED!

curse you, marius von hagen!!!!!!!!!!

#tears of themis #tears of themis headcanons #just take this as it is HAHAKJDSFDKHGBSD. GNIGHT LMAO #tears of themis crack

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sauriansolutions · 1 year ago

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@hungry-eel did the thing! And now, it's my turn! Insert evil laughter!

I'm going to be answering for Twst characters only... and, for sake of simplicity and other stuff, I'm also going to avoid teachers, non-NRC students, Grim, Yuu, and Ortho.

Ok, also, for real... I'm going to try really really hard to just answer the things. Succinctly. And not write an entire thesis statement about which character I think would do x and why.

If I fail, I give everyone who sees this post permission to make fun of me as much as they want.

Yes, I'm aware I'm dooming myself, also I'm new to tumblr so if this post looks horrendous it's not my fault. This is a WEIRD FORMAT in general, y'all.

A. Tummy Traits

If all the characters stuffed themselves to maximum capacity, who would’ve eaten the most?

- Since "maximum capacity" is the operative, I'm going to say Jade, with Jack as a close second. Moray eels are absolutely ravenous monsters and I love them. They can swallow prey larger than their own head, and eat 3x their body weight per month. Wolves have a similar "feast and famine" approach, and are capable of eating 20 lbs of meat in one sitting, then can go without eating for weeks.

Who is most likely to actually eat until they’re that stuffed?

- Considering NRC provides regular access to food, Jack probably wouldn't eat to maximum capacity if he didn't need to. Jade totally would, though. For no other reason than that he'd enjoy testing his limits.

Who is most prone to tummy noises?

- I'm gonna say Ruggie. While I think Jade's capacity is the highest, hyenas' digestive systems are even more OP than moray eels... and that's saying something. Hyenas can digest every part of their prey except for hooves and hair.

That's impressive.

Whose stomach gets the most swollen when stuffed?

- Azul. I think at this point in his life, he would only ever rarely stuff himself. It would be unintentional, and he'd deny it up and down. But nobody is perfect, not even Azul, (much as he might beg to differ). He probably cheats on his diet occasionally. And then suffers for it (likely at the hands of whoever coaxed him into it-- insert preferred toxic Azul ship here!)

Who has the most sensitive stomach?

- Riddle. Poor guy spent his whole life having his mom micro-manage his diet. And (with the exception of Mandatory Tea Parties), Riddle seems like he still eats the same things, at the same times, following The Rules rigidly. He probably can't handle anything richer, sweeter, saltier, fattier, etc than what he's used to.

B. Tummy Troubles

Who’s most likely to get a stomachache from overeating?

- Deuce. I love Deuce, but he's a sweet, dumb, impulsive puppy dog of a man. I think Deuce not only has eyes bigger than his stomach, but he's weak to peer pressure (Ace being the ringleader of course), and can easily be goaded into ill- advised, "food challenges." Which, even when he wins... he loses.

Who’s most likely to stuff themselves to the point of feeling nauseous?

- Kalim. Because--and don't get me wrong, I love Kalim!-- but he's even dumber than Deuce. You wouldn't even have to goad him into a "food challenge." Kalim is such a bona fide party boy, he probably regularly dooms himself like, "Heyyy who wants to see me chug this entire bottle of chili sauce?"

Who’s most likely to get burpy?

- Floyd. I hc that he's not as ravenous as Jade, but he can and will eat an entire buffet if given the chance. And he has no shame. When Floyd belches like a monster during class, he's not even necessarily trying to be irreverent, he's just completely casual and practical about getting that excess air out, esp if it means making room for more food. It totally doesn't help that Floyd thinks burping in public is funny, and likes to annoy others with how loud and gross he can be.

Who’s most prone to fits of hiccups?

- Ace. Ace gets the cutest, high-pitched, uncontrollable hiccups when he overdoes it. But don't dare suggest it's cute, unless you want to see him get extremely tsundere about it (and inadvertently become even cuter!) Ace's occasional hiccup fits provide a rare chance for Deuce to be the one that gets to make fun of him, instead of vice versa.

Who’s most likely to need to undo a button or two?

- Silver, for efficiency. He prefers to eat as quickly and methodically as possible, ensuring he has an appropriate amount of fuel for his training. He's learned quite a few (somewhat unfortunate) eating habits from having Lilia as a dad :')

- Even though NRC provides regular access to food that is edible--even sometimes delicious! (still lmao abt the Mushroom Risotto Incident)-- Silver is still in the habit of inhaling his food in order to clean his plate and get back to training as quickly as humanly possible.

C. Comfort and Care

Who is most likely to seek out tummy rubs when they’re stuffed?

- Floyd. 1000% Floyd. He's a thirsty, ridiculous attention whore of an eel, and will intentionally stuff himself and/or eat things that he knows aren't food in order to beg his faves for belly rubs. He has no common sense about this whatsoever. In highkey drama queen fashion, Floyd will flop exaggeratedly on the floor, clutching his poor tummy and moaning that he's going to die unless someone gives him belly rubs, pronto.

Who’s most likely to quietly slip off and take medicine or make a cup of tea?

- Vil. Though I don't think Vil ever stuffs himself, he's still a human being, and despite his dedication to an extremely healthy and "clean" diet, he still gets tummy aches from time to time. He's got hiding any discomfort he may feel down to an art. Vil is very good at making his own potions for gas, bloating, indigestion, etc., and taking care of himself. Sevens help his dignity if Rook ever catches him at this, though. You can no doubt imagine how well Rook is able to keep his hands off the goods and maintain appropriate boundaries (approximately 0%, it's Rook for crying out loud).

Who is the fussiest when a friend is down with a tummyache?

- Jamil. I think I'd have to answer virtually any Twst question starting with, "who is the fussiest?" with, Jamil. That goes double... triple! Quadruple!... if said ailing friend happens to be Kalim. Yes, even post-overblot. Maybe even especially so, though Jamil will be especially angsty and in denial about it.

- This would also be true in reverse, if Jamil happens to be the friend with a tummyache. Though, while Jamil will fuss productively, Kalim will just run around screaming for help, and/or attempting to help but ultimately making a nuisance of himself. The boy is all heart and no brain cells.

Who is most likely to affectionately tease an overstuffed friend?

- Jade. I think I'd have to answer virtually any Twst question starting with, "who is the most likely to affectionately tease...?" with, Jade. That goes double... triple! Quadruple!... if said ailing friend happens to be Azul. Never mind the fact that, if Azul ever ends up overstuffed, Jade undoubtedly had a hand in this.

Who is the best at giving belly rubs?

- Rook. I hc that Rook and Trey are the freaks of NRC, sort of just barely hiding behind facades of normality. But they're both not just into their own weird shit, they'll also indulge others' weird shit. And thoroughly enjoy it. Honestly, they probably bond over this at Science Club, though while Rook will be openly weird in front of Trey, Trey continues to insist he's, "just a normal, average, everyday student!" No matter how red his cheeks get.

- Rook has some sort of insane plot armor that makes him the best at everything, especially if it's a skill others would consider degenerate. Sadly no one trusts Rook (for understandable reasons), so his "special skills" are woefully underutilized.

D. Stuffed Scenarios

Who is most likely to…

accidentally stuff themselves because they were not paying attention to how full their tummy was getting?

- Idia. I believe this poor man-child/ depression-gremlin is just... disassociated most of the time. He survives on candy, soda, and junk food ;_; Because, imo, his depression leaves him too unmotivated to learn to cook. His anxiety ensures he won't go outside--and risk unscripted interactions with irl people!?--to get actual groceries. And to top it all off, he has sensory issues that make eating anything with novel tastes/smells/textures a kind of torture. If this leaves Idia subsisting on potato chips dipped in cold refried beans from a can, washed down with some overly caffeinated energy drink?

- that's fine

- he's fine

- (oops might've projected a bit there, hehe don't look at me)

continue to eat on a stuffed belly because they’re enjoying the food so much?

- Jade. I don't think Jade understands the concept off "too much," or that there can be such a thing as, "too full." My understanding of predatory creatures like morays (I'm a hardcore reptile/aquarium enthusiast), makes me suspect that Jade is, literally never not hungry. He's obviously one of the most intelligent members of the cast, if the way he seems to have cultivated his personality in order to maximally troll and screw with others is anything to go by. But I think all of Jade's layers upon layers of masks, politeness, and deception, come down when he's presented with an opportunity to eat until he physically can't move.

- He goes into a fugue state, eventually. It's both erotic and terrifying, percentages dependent on audience. (Though really, Jade would probably very rarely have an audience... and, if he does, percentages that they might become part of the meal are high.)

wind up overstuffed because they hate to waste food and are determined to finish up all the leftovers?

- Ruggie. Ruggie. When it comes to a character who hates to waste food, Ruggie takes the cake. And the leftover cake crumbs. And that little smear of frosting that's still on your plate-- are you going to eat that?

- In the rare circumstances where Ruggie doesn't happen to have aluminum foil, saran wrap, or plastic containers at his disposal (basically, if he wasn't aware that there was going to be food at an event he's attending--rare circumstances indeed), Ruggie will take it upon himself to eat everything.

- And I do mean everything. Remember what I said about hyena's digestive abilities earlier? Use your imagination.

stress-eat to the point of discomfort?

- Malleus, re: the Entire Cake Incident. POOR MAL. I love this dragon doofus. I love that he made himself sick eating an entire birthday cake out of anger after nobody showed up to his party. I love that the fact that his least favorite food is "whole cakes," implying that he's done this more than once. BABY.

stuff themselves so much they have a hard time moving?

- It's legitimately hard to pick a character who exemplifies this, because. Have you seen these boys? Have you seen them? Sorry friends, this one's gonna have to be a multiple choice answer. Floyd, or at least he'll play it up for attention. Leona, or at least he'll play it up, because he didn't want to move anyway. Ruggie... because he's just a lil guy, but you better believe you can count on him to clear out ALL the leftovers about to go off in your fridge. Ace and Deuce... because they're idiots, especially when you get them together.

- Seriously, idk... everybody? Is it everybody?

- let's just move on...

E. Food Preferences

Which character would be most likely to wind up stuffed...

Attending a potluck with a wide array of home-cooked comfort foods?

- Sebek. Sebek would be in heaven. Of course he'd bring something he'd meticulously cooked himself, a traditional repast of the ancient and venerable Briar Valley! He'll spend the first half of the potluck bragging to everybody about how he's one of The Great Malleus' retainers, and a half-fae himself, and therefore more noble and better than all of them!

- Sebek will then spend the second half incongruously sobbing as he eats every single thing everybody else brought, listening to their stories about where the dish originated, why they decided to cook it, etc.

- He will vigorously deny that any of this happened the next day.

Picking ripe fruit straight from garden and eating it as they go?

- Epel. As a farmboy, I can't help but think he's gotten so thoroughly in the habit of "grazing," that he doesn't think twice about plucking apples to snack on from the trees of the NRC courtyard. Gathering berries when he notices them ripening in the woods, which end up forming unfortunately resistant stains on his Pomfiore gown's sleeves. Epel and Ruggie would probably team up to harvest chickweed, dandelions, and dock from the NRC sports field during gym class, to the amused confusion of anyone watching. Except for Vil and Coach Vargas, who'd probably team up to give them a hard time about it.

Indulging on freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, soft and gooey out of the oven?

- Anyone and everyone Trey can get his hands on. Not that he has any difficulty finding hungry boys anytime he's baking something. :p I hc Trey as a Feeder with a Capitol F, as in, he definitely has an Interest with a Capitol I that goes above and beyond s regular, innocent caretaking instinct. But Trey's clever enough to be plausibly in denial about it. As far as almost everybody is concerned, Trey's just this nice, wholesome big-brother figure who loves to bake, and is happy to have people who enjoy his creations.

- Those in the know, just figure, whatever. It's harmless enough. After all, there are much bigger problems at NRC than the Cookie Man. Right?

Savoring a fancy multiple-course meal complete with wine, appetizers, a cheeseboard, and dessert?

- Vil. "Savoring" being the key word. Vil prefers to only eat things that are healthy, high-class, and of course aesthetically pleasing, so something like a charcuterie would be right up his alley. I think he'd also appreciate the fact that he'd have the ability to enjoy these fine foods very slowly, not being expected to finish anything too large, rich, or overly filling.

- This might actually be a scenario where Vil could, accidentally, overindulge...

Munching on salty snacks like chips and pretzels while multitasking?

- Cater. He canonically dislikes sweets... though, I think he probably fakes it for the sake of being trendy on Magicam, and to appease Riddle during Heartslabyul's many Mandatory Tea Parties.

- When not being perceived, I think Cater's a sweatpants/sloppy ponytail/salty snacks kinda guy. I like to think that Cater prefers comfort over cam-ability, while he does his daily social media management (and/or studying, haha). He probably puts on his favorite music, and lets himself get in the zone, singing along off-key to music in his headphones, stuffing handfuls of Twst-brand cheddar crackers in his mouth without a care in the world for the crumbs around his mouth.

- Like a lot of the less insane, more relatably human characters in Twst, I've developed a soft spot for Cater. ◇

Bonus, sleepiness:

Who tends to get the sleepiest after overindulging? After just... eating food, in general? After doing literally anything, at all, in any way, at any time?

- It's Leona. Leona has the much-coveted, seemingly-magical skill of falling asleep, anywhere, in whatever weird, boneless position you can imagine, no matter what else is going on around him.

- No matter how silly he looks, though... don't poke Leona while he's sleeping. Don't draw on Leona's face. Don't play with Leona's tail. Do you want to lose a finger? Right, I didn't think so.

Stuffing Asks replies (Twst edition)

So I was tagged by one of my friends to a stuffing asks thread, and as I looked through the different questions and scenarios, I thought it would be so fun to try out and see how it goes! I could honestly use almost any series that I enjoy for this, but since I am the most familiar with twisted wonderland, I might as well start off with that, but if this does well enough and I enjoy it, maybe I can try another one of these with a different series! ^^

A. Tummy Traits

If all the characters stuffed themselves to maximum capacity, who would’ve eaten the most? I believe it would most likely be either Sebek or Jade, they would be competing for how much they eat the most. I don't even know yet if these two were even shown to have a maximum capacity, they could go infinitely if they wanted to.

Who is most likely to actually eat until they’re that stuffed? If we are talking in a sense that they will try and continue eating after in their max capacity, persisting through the pain, I would say Ruggie for sure. If we are talking about the character immediately stopping after reaching that point, I would say Kalim.

Who is most prone to tummy noises? Most likely Kalim

Whose stomach gets the most swollen when stuffed? I would honestly like to headcanon Jade because with how much this eel eats, I won't be surprised if he eats so much his stomach becomes extremely swollen as a result. More realistically though, I think Ruggie and Azul would be the more likely.

Who has the most sensitive stomach? If it was a non-foodie character, I would say Cater. If it was a foodie character, I would say Kalim.

B. Tummy Troubles

Who’s most likely to get a stomachache from overeating? Most definitely Ruggie, but like I said last time, he would persist through the pain, just so he can eat as much as possible.

Who’s most likely to stuff themselves to the point of feeling nauseous? If I could make an assumption probably Kalim.

Who’s most likely to get burpy? I think that would most likely happen with Ruggie.

Who’s most prone to fits of hiccups? Riddle and Jade would honestly make some really cute hiccups.

Who’s most likely to need to undo a button or two? Jade, definitely Jade! (Reggie's clothes would be too loose for that)

C. Comfort and Care

Who is most likely to seek out tummy rubs when they’re stuffed? I may not be too sure, but I am thinking most likely Jade or Ruggie. Someone like Sebek doesn't seem like someone who wants or likes to be touched in general.

Who’s most likely to quietly slip off and take medicine or make a cup of tea? Jade, what else am I going to say.

Who is the fussiest when a friend is down with a tummyache? Ace and Floyd

Who is most likely to affectionately tease an overstuffed friend? Also Ace and Floyd

Who is the best at giving belly rubs? This one was honestly one of the toughest ones to answer, but to be honest, I feel like Trey and Rook would be the biggest enablers of this.

D. Stuffed Scenarios

Who is most likely to…

accidentally stuff themselves because they were not paying attention to how full their tummy was getting? Sebek and Jade.

continue to eat on a stuffed belly because they’re enjoying the food so much? Also Sebek and Jade (Jade would be the kind where he doesn't even realize how much he is even eating and is so much in the moment that once he finally pauses for a brief moment and notices that he has eaten so much that he has a visible food baby, he just laughs it off with a satisfied grin)

wind up overstuffed because they hate to waste food and are determined to finish up all the leftovers? Ruggie, since it makes too much sense with his character, personality, and background.

stress-eat to the point of discomfort? Azul, and then by the end would complain about potentially being fat. I can also see Jamil in this situation, he has to put up with a lot as it is.

stuff themselves so much they have a hard time moving? This one fits Ruggie as well, especially since realistically, hyenas can eat so much to the point they can't move anymore.

E. Food Preferences

Which character would be most likely to wind up stuffed…

Attending a potluck with a wide array of home-cooked comfort foods? The big three: Jade, Ruggie, and Sebek! If there is ever any kind of big event that involves a ton of food, you can guarantee at least one of these three will come in to consume the whole venue.

Picking ripe fruit straight from garden and eating it as they go? In terms of something like that, most likely anyone in either Heartslybul or Pomefiore, more specifically Riddle, Trey, Deuce, Ace, Vil, or Rook.

Indulging on freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, soft and gooey out of the oven? Probably either Riddle, Trey or Ace

Savoring a fancy multiple-course meal complete with wine, appetizers, a cheeseboard, and dessert? At this point you already expect me to say Jade, but honestly I think this can apply to all of Octavinelle in general.

Munching on salty snacks like chips and pretzels while multitasking? Floyd actually since he likes to hoard snacks and eat them as he goes. Idia could also apply to this pretty well as well.

Last thing I want to mention is that there are some characters that are just as much as big eaters and foodies as the other twst characters I had mentioned in these scenarios such as Grim, Malleus, Epel, and Jack to name a few, but either because I forgot to mention them, or I just simply couldn't think of them in any of the scenarios, I didn't mention them, but here they are as honorable mentions!

Credits

Thank you to @sauriansolutions for sharing this with me so I can do this. The original belongs to @ginger-and-mint you can look and reply to the original here

#twst headcanons #stuffing #belly kink #foodie #big eater #twisted wonderland #I love them all they're all the worst #in their own special ways #I can and will rant about all of them forever #give me an excuse #i'm too tired to tag

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mklt · 3 years ago

Text

Just random thoughts about mikami and light

it’s kinda long and so messy -w-

idk how to write long post on tumblr with good layout lol i got burnout from irl problems rly bad and it's already 3.30am here ;w;

(mostly from my random threads on twitter (hence the weird formatting) and i try to tl-ed from my main language to english (with the help of google translation lol)

These are just my imagination and maybe personal preference (?) please don’t take it personally

Thread 1: 17th march 2022

this is so random but when i re-read death note manga again i can’t get rly emotional with mikami’s backstory i wonder why? Is it because I'm so weak seeing a kid being bullied? I don’t really like looking at child being abused too haha (but i remember someone said mikami’s backstory is like redditor sobstory WWWWWWWWWW sorry

i don't know but i'm so weak with characters who have been bullied alskdal like im sad i don't want to see a little kid being bullied :(((((((((( let's focus on him (mikami) bein a kira simp

just the idea of him trying to open up with light about his mom and his sad past is a bit painful for me aksdjaskl and i don't have any idea for light’s response too.. :( maybe mikami looks indifferent when he tried to explain it surely mikami said “that's why i'm thankful there's Kira” ? (i’m not rly sure about this)

but light is like (??? at that time, there is not kira yet) so i think it continues to be like a one-sided delusion from mikami wwwww

hmm, even if they won, I think Light will randomly get quiet when he becomes tired from work (kira work??) (daydreaming?) and then suddenly when asked why by mikami, he randomly blurts "it’s my late father’s bday today" What will you respond???????? alsdkal it seems like this could be the time where Mikami starts to talk about his mother too?

i dunno but if it's mikalight au I think Light actually wants to say he misses his father but he doesn't want to say that he misses and loves his father (so much) idk?? maybe he doesn't want to look vulnerable in front of mikami because he still has to act to be a strong role model for mikami

It's so hard for me to imagine them just blissfully being happy, i definitely remember this and the emotional baggage sucks Moreover, when people who like to write about light who still can't move on about L Gosh thinking about it is really heavy haha

i dunno but in my headcanon for my kira wins au light is reluctant to meet with sachiko/sayu because it seems like he still can't move on with soichiro’s dead (and because he doesn't have the heart to see sayu who’s still recovering from trauma) that’s why he likes to find reasons so he can't go home

i’m not trying to justify that light is a SaD boi But to me, the only redeeming quality about him is he really loves his family so much (www luv u light So I like to imagine him hating himself because of his father’s death. But he likes to think that my father died like this because I have to sacrifice for a more peaceful world That's why when his father died, light is really conflicted

but light bein light I'm sure he'll change his mindset after that “my father is not good because he doesn't believe kira, he is a good person but he’s not on Kira's side” (which in his heart he is still very hurt thinkin about soichiro)

Thread 2 : 8th February 2022

... I'm looking for drawing ref, then reread DN again and again (yes I know— It’s kinda endearing when mikami in front of ppl he looks so cold and mean but if with God His demeanor is like that >>>>

not uwu but like its funny… he's scawy–! Suddenly he’s become kinda nervous? Less hostile?? Hm but i also think that when he finds out Light is a False God maybe he explodes and got mad-! btoom! And i was like oh yea thats our mkm alright haha

idk maybe i'm just making an excuse but from the manga’s scenes mk/lt is like.. master/disciple but not as maniac in anime? I really like when the disciple, who's scary outside but he's obsessed with his master! Maybe he will become a softie?!! I like the silent yandere type! And i think i f they have an argument mikami won't be hysterical or something >_>

Even if they had direct contact (not by takada) Light will tell mikami (about mikami killing lazy people) "I don't like how you do things stop it." then maybe mikami looks a bit shocked and i think ofc he will say my bad- LOL but i'm also sure he's the type who asked for an explanation why because he's not that stupid ahaha im sad

Even if it's been explained, I'm sure Light will complain directly to mikami "I don't believe you can still ask me back."

Thread 3 : 9th march 2022 (AU)

If mkm and light live together, does light live in kyoto or mkm in tokyo? But when you think about canon it means they are in long distance relationship :0

Yes, but if the train is 2 hours fast, just the idea of them being willing to live alone is a bit complicated??

I think if Mikami’s position is high enough-- he can go to Tokyo and pretend to visit Light at the NPA office (then when he arrived Lighto isn't there (..........)

Because lighto is busy? And because of his work is that he is more in a private room (because he is more into intelligence / hacking role etc.)

Maybe Mikami can go to Tokyo because there is a case that he should discuss with the police (¿) if the case is serious enough hooho

Maybe they will meet at the rooftop (?) Mikami eats alone ? but maybe his assistants from kyoto office tag along too) then Light just finished with the other team. But mikami can only stare at light because they don't want to be exposed if they are acquaintances (bc for identity of Kira)

Jabsjadsbsh what if someone is trying to introduce them ?? Mikami and Lighto pretending to “get to know better

when they shake hands… Mikami held Lighto's hand tighter and maybe light playing with his finger on Mikami's wrist (trying to be subtle-subtle---) "Nice to meet you– Teru-san" “Nice to meet you,”

#mikalaiiiiiii #text postan #mklt thoughts

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raxistaicho · 3 years ago

Text

Returning to Thales’s claim

Wow, this one’s getting a lot of attention :)

@dragon-people-rule replied directly to me this time (usually Edelgard’s detractors here on Tumblr just talk amongst themselves about my posts without naming me) so I’ll be replying. I’m just doing it in a different chain because it’s in two parts and also I prefer not making huge threads.

Okay a couple things, first off it’s very much possible to not appreciate something while still profiting off the result. Edelgard may not have asked for the Tragedy to occur and even voice her displeasure, but that doesn’t mean that she didn’t benefit from it. And she did; if the Tragedy didn’t happen, Lambert would’ve still been alive and it would’ve been much harder for Edelgard and Cornelia to take over Faerghus after she launches her conquest.

It’s hard to say for sure. Given that Kingdom nobility were complicit in regicide, they would have been just as willing to throw their lots in with Cornelia before the war began. In any case, whether or not it helped Edelgard is a moot point since it wasn’t done for her. Everything done by the Agarthans is done for the Agarthans as part of their centuries-spanning plot for revenge.

By the logical track that Edelgard is culpable then suggests that Loog is also culpable for any harm caused as a result of the formation of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus since he was their patsy during the War of the Eagle and Lion as part of their plan to weaken the Empire.

And I know what you’re going to say: well Kleiman was involved too along with a couple of adjacent houses so the Tragedy would’ve still happened even if Thales wasn’t involved and that’s up to debate whether it would’ve succeeded or not - personally I’d say no - but that doesn’t absolve Thales and co of their involvement and there’s no in game text or evidence that says Thales and co weren’t involved at all.

Oh, woah, no I’d never suggest the Agarthans weren’t involved entirely. I’m only saying that the involvement of the Agarthans does not cleanse the Kingdom nobility of their guilt in the framing of the people of Duscur, nor does it absolve the Kingdom itself of the genocide of the people of Duscur afterward.

Thales says that it was done for her benefit and he’s no master of deception considering he couldn’t even keep up with Arundel’s contributions to the church after killing him and taking his disguise.

This is part of a bigger thing, but that’s really not the smoking gun you or Dimitri think it is. I’ll get into it later since Dimitri comes up again near the end, but the tl;dr is that Dimitri calling it right by pinning the blame on Arundel is little more than blind luck on his part since the evidence he comes up with is incredibly weak.

If she wasn’t willing to expose him, regardless of her excuse, and is associating herself with him and his flunkies, then she is hiding him and thus his involvement. And if your argument is “well if she exposed him, she would’ve been killed.” maybe she shouldn’t have worked with him in the first place. Not to mention, I don’t buy even for a second that Edelgard is afraid of Thales considering she talks back at him and can defy him like during the Western Church incident, and killing off Kronya and Solon.

Edelgard really didn’t “choose” to work with the Agarthans; they’re her bosses. They empowered her and gave her the army she uses in White Clouds (she’s powerless before chapter 11, where the hell did her Flame Emperor Army soldiers come from if not loaned to her by Arundel?) with the expectation she’ll start a war. Here’s where you might say, “but Edelgard says she’s only using their power because she needs it to win,” but that doesn’t suggest that the option to turn on them exists. She’s merely rationalizing a productive use of a bad situation.

As for the latter, when she fights Kronya and Solon she’s doing it under orders from the church, granting her plausible deniability if called to account on it. And as for defying him, this has been addressed many times; it’s empty bluster on her part. Thales doesn’t even bother dignifying her backtalk with a serious response because he knows he has the power in their relationship at that point. Do you think he’d seriously act so calm at being told to his face that his people will have no salvation if he believed Edelgard had any capacity to make good on that threat?

As for what she should’ve said to Catherine during the Lonato rebellion, she could have just said “That was when the King of Faerghus and some of his men were killed.” and left it at that.

I already mentioned this in the original thread; that’d be a lie by omission because she didn’t divulge who did the killing, and you and her detractors would still call her out on it. If anything, spinning a new narrative that gets no closer to the truth would have been actually duplicitous since that would require more scheming on her part than just reciting the official story on the event. Not to mention Catherine would by narrative necessity have to fill in the missing parts of the story for the benefit of the player, which Edelgard would then go on to not correct, being a second lie by omission.

Anyways, there’s a little bit more;

Oh and one last thing cause this also needs to be said, your argument is “no one would believe her if she said Thales was responsible”. Well I’ll tell you someone who would believe her if she just told them before the Holy Tomb incident: Dimitri.

So now we get back to Dimitri, and slam head-first into Fourth Wall Myopia. Essentially, you are blaming Edelgard for not knowing what the audience knows. Prior to chapter 11, Dimitri only admits his quest for revenge to Byleth, and only in Azure Moon, which means Byleth has no ties to Edelgard at all. How public Dimitri was with his protests that the people of Duscur didn’t commit the Tragedy is unclear, but given the vast majority of people in Fodlan believe that the people of Duscur did it despite his claims to the contrary, it’s likely that his pleas are not well-known. I don’t even recall members of the Blue Lions mentioning Dimitri’s attempts to vouch for the innocence of the people of Duscur.

Edelgard doesn’t know Dimitri and she has no reason to trust him.

He already doesn’t believe the people of Duscur were responsible for what happened to his family and friends and was already doing some research on Arundel during Chapter 6.

And also... his investigation sucks.

Dimitri correctly pins the blame on Arundel purely on blind luck. In his all-consuming need for a target upon whom he can take revenge, he makes the recurring mistake of hyper-focusing on the first suspicious person he can find and working backward from there, leading the evidence instead of being led by it. He does it more obviously with the Flame Emperor, with whom he so badly needs them to be the culprit that he decides Thales must serve the Flame Emperor based on... no reasoning at all.

With Arundel, Dimitir narrowed it down to the first vaguely-suspicious person he could recognize and began searching for evidence that would support his own suspicions. He wouldn’t have just been randomly searching Church records on donations if he didn’t already suspect Arundel.

His so-called smoking gun, that Arundel had stopped donating to the church, occurred a full two years before the Tragedy, and could easily be explained in that Arundel had just spent the last three years embroiled in the Insurrection of the Seven and his financial situation could no longer support giving donations. Not to mention that there’s no logical link between ceasing donations to the church and involvement in a tragedy that took place in an entirely different country.

Edelgard and Dimitri approaching authority figures with, “He told me he did it in private but I can’t actually support my accusation,” and “he stopped donating to the church two years beforehand,” wouldn’t convince anybody. It would look like Edelgard was trying to eliminate a political rival and would just look plain irrational on Dimitri’s part.

Also, you wanna change both “rule” and “drool” to singular. As-is, your Tumblr user name is an example of pluralses.

#Fire Emblem Three Houses #edelgard von hresvelg #edelgard positive #edelgard discourse

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