#until then many shenanigans ensue

[novakiart]

you guys the problem is he won't let HIMSELF rest

[zara-renata]

Hello and good morning~ I was listening to RED by taylor swift while working and suddenly ALL I could think of was the Sylus series (and how MC thinks she was rejected). 💙❤️ Think this song fits them so well

I have been meaning to answer this ask since you sent it, but it gave me a little Scenario that I had to carry around in my head until I could figure out how to work it into a story. Your ask, in combination with a post by @leaderincrows about wanting to see Sylus collared and gasping pathetically, led to this story. I hope the result is enjoyable. Thanks so much for sending this ask, and I'm sorry it took 8 million years to answer!

Goodcat code, or how you learned to care for your catboy | ao3 | masterlist

Summary: Your crimelord boyfriend disappears for a week, you make yourself sad listening to breakup songs, you learn that he got turned into a catboy, you get assigned a mission on the worst cruise ship ever, undercover shenanigans ensue. Loosely based on the Sylus memory Goodcat Code.

Notes: Sylus x gn reader, sylus x mc, second person POV, some Sylus POV MC is referred to by they/them pronouns, intended as a placeholder for your preferred pronouns. Established relationship, can be read as a standalone. This story contains: profanity, activities of a sexual nature, violence, probably too much internal monologue and not enough action, too many feelings and not enough sexual activity, inappropriate use of a tail, an argument with your boyfriend, a happy ending.

You wonder if it’s because you trounced him in kitty cards the last time you played.

The silence. 

For the past week, your phone has been pinging with constant notifications but none with My Sy listed as the sender. Just work, spam, Xavier asking if you want to go to the bookstore the next time you’re both free, Tara spamming you with pleas to go to some shitty club where her latest favorite indie EDM DJ is playing—why she thinks that her insistence that “He looks just like Skye, I promise!” is enough incentive for you to wade through loud, sweaty, touch-feely dancers as you can’t help constantly checking the exits, while simultaneously making sure a molly-rolling Tara doesn’t abscond to the bathroom with a mistake waiting to happen, while being subjected to mediocre beats from her artist-of-the week, is beyond you. “Skye” is gorgeous, yes, but you’d rather admire the real thing up close than squint through a fog-machine haze to look at a cheap knock-off.

Maybe Sylus’s snobbery is rubbing off on you.

Then again, Tara doesn’t know how up close you get to examine Skye on a regular basis, so perhaps you’re being unfair, because you’re in a terrible mood, because you haven’t heard from him for a week now.

Because maybe you won’t have the chance to see “Skye” up close ever again. Because all you have is a deafening silence from him, and it started the day after you wiped the floor with him at the kitty cafe playing kitty cards.

Could something so petty cause him to finally lose interest in you, the way you've feared ever since you allowed yourself to consider the possibility that Sylus may be romantically interested in you?

It’s not your fault that the longer you spend time with him, the more you have unraveled his mysteries. If he doesn’t want to be so easy to beat, he needs to try harder to be less predictable. You never would have thought, when you first met him, that you’d ever think the words “predictable” and “Sylus” in the same sentence, but the mercurial man is like clockwork when it comes to kitty cards.

He always, always offers you the chance to go first. Why on earth would you say no, and then lose the chance to play your inevitably shitty, low-value cards in the matching colored cups, just to prevent him from playing one of his inevitably high valued cards in the matching cup?

He grumbles, tries to give “helpful” advice about being patient and gambling on drawing a higher value card instead, all the while doing the exact same thing when it’s his turn and he has a shit hand. The condescending hypocrite. You stew a bit thinking about it.

And then, you’ve long since learned that the arrogant bastard is cheating while you play. He somehow marks the cards—you don’t know how. Something to do with his evol? He refuses to admit it outright, so you doubt you’ll ever know. But what you first thought was a generous habit of offering to give you two  of his cards for one of yours, actually turns out to be an opportunity for him to offload his low value cards and give himself a chance to poach your higher value cards. You refuse his offers now.

And lastly, you’ve figured out that for all of Sylus’s skill, brilliant brain, and talent at strategy, the man has a few weaknesses that you are ruthlessly willing to exploit to gain the upper hand to beat him despite all of his dirty tricks.

Namely, he’s easily distracted by a few very specific things.

Your mouth being one of them.

So last week, you went first, played your shit cards in the colored cups, refused his offers to trade, and ordered a strawberry shortcake with extra whipped cream to enjoy while you played.

He leaned back in his seat at the kitty cafe where he was sitting across from you, manspreading as usual, arms casually draped over the back of the booth, the picture of casual, smug confidence. The dictionary definition of winner. 

“Do you really have the luxury of splitting your focus between the game and your dessert, kitten? It looks like you need all of your concentration just to keep up, let alone win this round,” he drawled, secure in his five point lead over you. It was his turn, and yet he had time to taunt you.

You just shrugged, holding your cards fanned in one hand, dipping your finger in the whipped cream with your other. You brought it to your lips, pretending to think very hard about which card you’d play next when all of them were crap, and rubbed the cream over your bottom lip.

You heard a sharp inhale from the other side of the table, but ignored it. You “absentmindedly” flicked your tongue out, gathering the cream there before swallowing and biting your lip pensively.

“It’s good,” you murmured, not taking your eyes off your cards. “Not too sweet.”

Silence. It took all of your willpower not to look up to see what his face was doing.  But you heard him place a kitty in a cup, its cute little meow signaling the start of your turn.

You let your gaze flick back and forth between the board and your cards. Good. It was working. He played a low value card in a white cup instead of drawing a new card like he should have.

You put your crap sage card in the last sage-colored cup. Sylus tsked and drew a new card.

This time, you picked up one of the glazed strawberries adorning the shortcake and placed it between your lips, sucking on it gently as you “thought.”

The groan coming from across the table was so low that you almost didn’t hear it over the sounds of the cafe—other players chatting, the meows of the kitties, the clink of cutlery and tableware. But you heard it, even through your tinnitus.

You played another low value card in a matching cup—the last one. Unless he had a six, this round is yours.

You finally dared to look up and find Sylus glaring at you, all while petting a beautiful, tawny colored cafe cat that had apparently settled in his lap while you were busy trying to distract him and beat his ass at this ridiculous game.

“Sy, you know the rules of the cafe—no petting the cats unless we pay extra!” You looked around furtively, forgetting the game, worried that the staff were going to get mad and kick you both out for this breach of etiquette. You pay first, then pet!

“I can’t help it if, unlike some, this particular kitty is straightforward enough to ask for pets from me,” he said pointedly. “Who am I to deny its desires?” 

In response, you popped the strawberry fully into your mouth, closed your eyes, and bit down, letting out a genuine little sound of appreciation for the sweet fruit.

Suddenly there was a disgruntled mewl from across the table. You opened your eyes and saw Sylus with a death grip on the cat where he was previously petting it gently. The cat squirmed, trying to get off of his lap. He blinked and let go of the cat, which then bolted off of his lap like he had just yanked its tail—which he hadn’t, but Sylus’s grip was no joke. You would know.

He watched the cat, a rare apologetic look on his face, before turning to glare at you again. “If we get kicked out, it will be your fault,” he accused.

You just looked back at him innocently. “What on earth did I do?”

“Maybe I’ve been too soft with you, and you’ve gotten too comfortable with me—you grow more cunning by the day,” he said softly, almost like a threat, but he looked… pleased.

“Still have no idea what you’re talking about,” you hummed, taking a big forkful of the shortcake and shoving it in your mouth. 

Sylus just groaned again. He lost every game the two of you played the rest of the evening.

When you parted ways with him, heading back home to sleep while he was heading to a meeting, he pulled you into his arms as you stood by your motorcycle. He breathed in your hair and sighed, and then pulled away, turning on his heel, and walking away without a backwards glance.

And that’s the last you heard from him since that night.

You sit at your kitchen table, staring glumly out into the chill fall night. Your phone lights up, but it’s just Rafayel sending a photo of a little crab brandishing a plastic spork captioned Lol littering humans suck but at least this trash is useful for this lil guy he’s got a sword now

You often wonder why both Rafayel and Sylus sometimes refer to humans as if they themselves are not also human. You text back.

You: he just needs a shield. give him a bottle cap and he can fight wanderers with me 

Fried Shrimp: nope he’s my new bodyguard because you suck too and have been too busy lately to guard my body like you promised

You: you’re perfectly capable of guarding yourself you pyromaniac

Rafayel just responds with a poop emoji.

You consider his text. Rafayel may have a point for once—you have been spending every free moment that you're not working with Sylus lately.

Which is bad. You don’t want him to take over your life. You want to maintain a balanced, a healthy relationship with him, if possible. It would be so easy to let yourself be consumed by his charismatic, overwhelming presence in your life. But what happens when he disappears as quickly as he appeared?

You don’t want to think about it. But that point may have already arrived. You stare at your dark phone again.

You could… call him first. Or send a text. But you’re not to the point where you can bring yourself to contact him first. If he wants to talk to you, he isn’t shy about reaching out for your attention. He calls almost every day. To tell you that you need to expect a package. To complain about his bad luck at a poker game with business rivals. To pester you about when you’ll come visit him again. Mephisto hasn’t seen your face for two days, he’s starting to pout. The twins brought home ten different flavors of syrup for the espresso machine, look at what you’re doing to them, they’re going to get diabetes at this rate.

You don’t think you’re to the point of being able to handle being left on read by this man if you send a text first and he doesn’t answer.

It’s time to wallow. You reach for your phone, pull up your music app, and put Taylor Swift’s RED on repeat.

You’ll give it a few more days, and then you’ll put on Olivia Rodrigo. After another week, it will be Sabrina Carpenter, because you’ll probably have entered the anger stage of grief by then. After that, it will be Hozier, when you finally accept that Sylus will never be calling again and try to find the beauty in everything you’ve lost.

***

“Status report?” Sylus growls into the phone. 

“Boss, I really think that you should reconsider this course of action,” Kieran’s voice is just loud enough for Sylus to be able to hear over the absolute cacophony of the closed cat cafe, which is considerable, even with his double, hypersensitive hearing due to his current… condition.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, I asked for a status update,” Sylus hisses, and then clears his throat. He totally meant to hiss just then. His hissing has nothing to do with his current affliction.

“But I really must insist—” Kieran tries to argue, but he’s drowned out by the cat cafe’s OTTO.

“Caracal Butler! May I remind you that not only is your customer satisfaction rating in the negatives, but you are also not allowed to make personal phone calls on the kitties’ time!” The OTTO hovers menacingly in front of him.

“Oh, I’m so scared,” he responds, voice dripping with sarcasm. Even the robot should be able to discern his disdain.

“You should be,” it says, threateningly.

“Oh? And what are the kitties going to do that’s worse than what they’ve already done.” He flicks some cat hair off of his bespoke tuxedo. The fact that he’s going to have to get it de-haired and dry cleaned if he ever wants to wear it again just adds insult to injury, as he had been hoping to wear it with you to a Linkon City Symphony Orchestra’s performance soon. He had a matching outfit tailored for you at the same time he ordered this tux, so he has resigned himself to getting the damn thing cleaned when this... ordeal is over.

The OTTO jerks him out of his irritation with its nagging voice module. “It is protocol for this kitty cafe to act as a responsible caretaker for the kitties under our care. We require spaying and neutering of all kitties under this roof. You have not yet received such care.”

The threat in response to his sarcasm could not be clearer.

He narrows his eyes at the OTTO and feels his tail swish menacingly as his ears press flat to his hair.

“Come anywhere near my balls and I’ll fill this cat cafe with so many cat toys of the loud, exploding variety that there will be nothing left of either it, the cats, or you except a smoking crater.”

The OTTO flits backwards out of Sylus’s reach.

“Perhaps Caracal Butler may be allowed a limited number of private phone calls on the kitties’ time without repercussions,” it says, tone placating as it drifts quickly to the other side of the room.

“That’s what I thought,” Sylus growls again, and not because he’s been stripped of his evol and cursed with two fucking cat ears and a tail that betrays his emotions no matter how much self control he tries to exert, but because he meant to growl.

He returns his attention back to the phone as his patience wears ever thinner. “Status. Report.”

“Boss, I really must insist—” Kieran tries again, tone incredibly concerned, before being interrupted by Luke.

“Your hunter is listening to breakup songs and mopily staring at their phone every spare moment they get.”

Sylus’s ears swivel around to full attention and his tail thwacks a kitty climbing tower so hard it’s almost knocked off its base.

“Breakup songs? Why—”

“They obviously think you’ve ghosted them,” Luke continues. “Keep this up and you’re gonna lose them.”

Sylus tilts his head. Could you really believe that he’s capable of ever leaving your side before you tell him to leave and mean it? What an absolutely ridiculous notion. His tail swishes thoughtfully. He did not want you to see him like this—stripped of his power, kneeling to these demanding cats like a… well. Like a fucking catboy butler. He has his pride, after all. He was hoping that the curse would fade quickly and you’d be too busy with work and your social life to notice that he has been absent for a little while. And you hadn’t reached out to him either, during this time. He runs his gloved hand along his bottom lip before realizing that he’s been touching cats all day, makes a disgusted face, and taps his temple instead. Why hadn’t you reached out to him? His mind drifts over memories of all of your interactions with him when you are apart and he's been forced to make do with communicating to you via phone and text.

This is not the first time that it occurs to him that you have never, not once, reached out to him first. He is always the one calling you, texting you, sending you packages.

He stops, tail and ears still. He has noticed it, but he hasn't thought about it deeply. He's willing to chase you to the end of time, after all. But now, he wonders what he's missing. He is almost entirely sure that you miss him as much as he misses you when you’re apart. You always pick up the phone. You always respond to texts. As for sending packages, you've grumbled about not knowing what to gift a man who has everything, but he always reassures you that he already has everything he wants, as long as you’re there.

So why is it that you have never reached out to him first? He flicks his ears. It would be nice, if you reached out first, every once in a while. He doesn't require it. But it would be nice. He tucks that thought away for further analysis after the current problem is fixed.

Time to assess the damage, and then engage in damage control.

“What kind of breakup songs?” he asks.

“Currently listening to RED by Taylor Swift.”

Sylus considers. Taylor Swift isn’t as bad as Sabrina Carpenter, or Hozier. Once you start with Hozier, Sylus will really be worried.

“Are you gonna stop being a big scaredy-cat and contact your hunter now?” Luke demands, sounding absolutely done with his ridiculous boss and his equally ridiculous partner.

Sylus values the intel they just provided, so he lets the insubordination slide. This time.

“I will remedy the situation. You’re dismissed from hunter observation detail.”

All he hears are twinned sighs of relief and then the phone disconnecting. He stares at it. What impudent henchmen.

He turns and wades through the meandering cats to the OTTO.

“I’m leaving, but I will be back to fulfill my contract once a personal emergency has been resolved.”

The OTTO, with his previous threats clearly still fresh in its memory, meekly allows him to pass without any fuss.

He steps out into the cold winter evening, the street lights and bright advertisements of Linkon City temporarily blinding him. Normally he would just teleport along rooftops to get to you as quickly as possible in such an emergency, but with this fucking curse, he has to make his way to your home like a regular human. His lip curls in disgust, but then he schools his face into its customary blank, intimidating expression as he notices people passing by gawking at his swishing tail and his cat ears. He’s drawing enough attention to himself without looking threatening while doing it. He quickly strides to where he parked his motorcycle, jams his helmet on his head, and breaks six different traffic laws trying to get to your place as quickly as possible.

***

You’re trying to wallow, snuggled into your bedding with a tray of some sad soup heated up from a can and a chunk of stale bread, when your hunter watch pings. You flick through the new assignment. Some asshole smuggler in biologically modified wanderers code-named “Snowy Owl” apparently needs to be brought down. You slurp some soup while you try to formulate a plan of action for snaring this new target, who has in turn snared many innocent wanderers to then sell them to shady collectors with who knows what kind of intentions for them. 

This is just the sort of thing that you’ve all too easily grown accustomed to discussing with Sylus, due to his spiderweb of connections through the underworld. But isn’t that part of the problem? Where before you would rely on yourself and Association resources to arrange a mission of this kind, now you’re all too comfortable relying on Sylus for help. That sort of sloppiness is unacceptable, and the gaping absence he’s left behind in the last week only serves to drive that point home. You cannot let the blade of your skills dull because of reliance on your all-too-willing-to-help boyfriend. Maybe ex-boyfriend, you think miserably.

You sigh, leaning back, turning up the music that you had previously turned down to focus on the mission details. You’re trying to drown out all thoughts of the man who you need to get out of your head, only to find yourself yelping in surprise and flinging the tray with the soup at the tall intruder who has just silently appeared at the side of your bed—who you hadn’t heard at all, as if they had entered on padded cat paws.

Only to realize halfway through the soup’s trajectory that the intruder is Sylus and he’s wearing a very fancy suit.

All the previous times you have flung tableware containing hot liquid at him, Sylus has been able to dodge the container, if not its contents, because of his evol. But this time he’s struck square in the chest by both the soup and the soup bowl. It hits one big pec with a dull thud and then crashes to your floor. He stands there, dripping soup, looking down at his dress shoes.

“The fuck, Sylus,” you breathe, not because he appeared out of nowhere in your home, again, but because you can clearly see two twitching, incredibly real-looking cat ears—tawny, fuzzy on the insides, coming to a beautiful, regal black point at the top—swiveling through his gorgeous silver hair. As your eyes travel down his long, lovely body, they catch on a flicking cat-tail with the same coloring as his ears. Something about the fur strikes you as familiar, but you can’t quite figure out why.

“Darling. Dearest to my heart. My heart, in fact, beating within the safety of my ribcage. Could you, perhaps, in the future, try to refrain from assaulting me with molten liquid when I surprise you in your home.” His tail swishes, swishes, swishes behind him, and you’re utterly mesmerized. It takes a moment for it to sink in that Sylus is actually here. You want to scramble off the bed, climb him like a tree, the dripping soup be damned, and just hug him. Now that you’re seeing him in person for the first time in a whole week, you are able to actually feel how much you’ve missed him, instead of suppressing, repressing, pretending that the unending ache didn’t hurt so terribly much.

You’re about to launch yourself at him when you remember why you had been feeling this way all week. Where the hell has he been? And why does he have cat attributes now? Well, more than he already had to begin with, you snicker internally, until you remember that you’re still feeling heartbroken and wary of why he has shown up now after ghosting you all week. Are you being melodramatic? Are you being immature? Are you being unfair? Could you have called him to check in, when he didn’t? You eye his ears. His tail. Yes to all of the above, but it doesn’t change how you simply can’t bring yourself to go to him, and instead draw further back, away from him, on the bed.

He apparently doesn’t miss your movement, as his ears swivel forward as you move, and then flatten onto the top of his head as he assumes an aggressively bored expression on his face.

“Not going to answer me?” he growls. Actually growls, like a cat warning a naughty kitten.

You can’t help yourself. “Who’s actually the kitten now, Sylus?”

His tail flicks violently behind him.

“Careful, kitten. Perhaps you’ve forgotten in the past week that this cat has claws,” he says, low and menacing.

You just laugh at him.

“Mmmm, yes, your oh-so-so sharp claws, which are now covered in soup. What are you doing here?”

He narrows his eyes at your unimpressed reaction to his empty threat. “Do I need a reason to visit my heart?”

The more he acts like nothing has changed, as if he didn’t just disappear on you without a word for a week, the more wound up and jittery you feel. “What heart?” you ask, a little petulantly.

He lifts an eyebrow. “You know the answer to that question.”

“Do I? Not a very important organ, if you can survive a week without it,” you grumble.

His ears swivel forward, and his tail starts to… wag, but his facial expression doesn’t change.

You immediately regret revealing so much.

“Ah,” is all he says, but he sounds pleased. 

You look away, out the window. But all you see is Sylus in the reflection, and the dark night beyond. You’ve said too much already. 

“I’m going to change. And then we’re going to talk,” he announces, and it sounds like a purr.

You feel silly as you realize that Taylor Swift is still warbling loudly in your bedroom about loving him but losing him so suddenly, trying to stop when you’re already in free fall, loving him being like the colors in autumn, so bright, just before they lose it all. You flick off the music.

He’s here again. He’s here again, but for how long?

You hear water running in the bathroom as you go to the kitchen to grab some towels and return to your bedroom to mop up the soup, tidying your embarrassingly messy flat along the way. You return to bed and wait for him.

After a few minutes, Sylus emerges from your bathroom clad in one of the soft sweaters and silk sleep pants he keeps in your closet. You can’t help yourself again—you stare at where his tail emerges from under the sweater. The flexible waistband of the pants must have been pushed down a little over his ass to accommodate where his tail emerges. 

He strides to the bed and pauses next to it. “May I?” he asks, tail flicking, ears twitching.

You nod, and he prowls onto your duvet on his hands and knees. Before settling next to you, however, he turns in a circle, once, twice, three times, before sinking down and pulling you into his arms, your back to his chest, curling around you. You let him, feeling the flood of safety and sense of wholeness that you always get when Sylus is touching you. You sigh. All of your worries seem so trite now. Why didn’t you just text him first? Why did you wait for him to reach out first? Why are you like this?

As if reading your mind, Sylus says, “Were you worried this week?”

His arms are wrapped tightly around you, he has one leg shoved between yours, and you feel his tail curl around your bare ankle. Its fur is so, so soft.

You nod.

“Why didn’t you call me, then?”

You don’t want to tell him how afraid you are of him finally not answering. Of him finally losing interest. It sounds so pathetic to even think it, let alone say it out loud.

“I’m sorry about your fancy suit,” is all you can say.

He hums, and his tail wraps tighter around your ankle. “It’s a tuxedo. And it can be cleaned.”

“Fancy suit, tuxedo—pretentious, overpriced pieces of fabric,” you tease him.

“My heart is a heathen,” he sighs into your hair. “It’s a tux that matches pretentious, overpriced pieces of fabric that happen to fit your body perfectly.”

“What use do I have for such fabric?” you ask, turning in his arms, lulled by his familiar humor, his still-unexplained tail wrapped around your ankle. You lie on your side, facing him. His ears twitch in your direction.

“There's a ticket to the Linkon City Symphony Orchestra with your name on it. You should note the date in your agenda.”

“What if my agenda is already full? I haven’t heard from you for a week.”

His ears flatten in his hair. “You’d replace me in just a week?”

You hum a little, reaching up to run a finger along one cat ear. He makes a purring sound, deep in his throat, closing his lovely eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replace you, even if I wanted to,” you murmur, lost in his presence again, feeling safe now that he’s here again. But the week was long, and you really were afraid he’d left for good, no matter how silly it seems now. “But maybe I thought you had replaced me,”  you admit, marveling at how soft the ear is, how good it feels to caress it between your forefinger and thumb. You want to kiss it, rub your face all over it. You lift your other hand and fondle his other ear.

His tail loosens on your ankle and begins drifting up your bare leg, the fur caressing your skin so gently, until it curls around one thigh and squeezes between your legs, right below where your thighs meet. You shiver at the sensation and forget to pet him for a moment.

“You should have more faith in your pet. Sometimes cats have business in the neighborhood that keeps them away for a few days, but they always come back home.”

“Did your ‘business’ have anything to do with your new accessories?”

He leans, shoving his head against your hands to remind you to keep petting him, and his tail drifts up, up, until it’s nudging between your legs. You gasp softly at the delicious pressure, but have enough presence of mind to keep massaging his ears.

“Yes,” he murmurs, a little breathless. “Like that.” You continue, and he continues teasing you with his tail. It’s not enough. You want more of him.

“How did you get the cat ears and tail, Sy?” you ask, trying to remain focused. 

The tail nudges you a little harder—you can’t help the jerk of your hips which sends you rocking into him, where you’re met with his hard dick under the fabric of his pants. The sensation of his hardness against your front and his tail at your back is almost overwhelming.

“Your fault, kitten. You and that fucking strawberry last week,” he growls again, flexes his hips into yours. “That cat I was petting was unhappy with how roughly I handled it while you cockteased me with your cake,” he gasps as you grind back into him, as you widen your legs to let his tail do whatever it wants, restricted only by your sleep shorts. “The evol kitties cursed me for petting without paying, and for roughing up the cat.”

You can’t help it. Even through the pleasure, you burst out laughing.

“They cursed you with a tail and ears, and that’s why you avoided me all week?” It’s absurd. All that worry, thinking that he’d finally grown bored with you, because he was too, what? Embarrassed? to reveal that he’d been given such adorable attributes. “You mean we could have been doing this all week?” you ask, incredulous, as his tail rubs against your sensitive spots through your shorts, as it nudges you again and again, as Sylus loudly purrs from the pleasure you rubbing his ears and the friction against his big dick is bringing him.

He opens his eyes, half-lidded, lips parted, panting. One of his hands drifts down your back and takes a handful of your ass, pulling, bringing your hips against his cock again. He grinds you on himself, leans forward, licks a swipe up the side of your face.

“The biological markers that were affected by the ears and tail are tied to my own evol—I don’t have my ability to manipulate energy so long as this curse lasts,” he says, breath hitching with the movement of your bodies.

You lean forward, press your forehead against his, share his panting breath. “What does that have to do with not calling me?” you manage, even though all you want to do is rip his pants down, shove down your own shorts, and impale yourself on him.

“Didn’t want you to see me as weak,” he admits. He opens his eyes, looks into yours. He then kisses you with his full lips, soft, slow, in contrast to his tail still nudging you through your shorts at a steady rhythm, teasing, teasing, teasing.

You pull back from his kiss, catch his gaze again. “Even without your evol, you’re still one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” you whisper.

He pauses, his ears flattening again. “Just ‘one of’ the strongest people you've met?”

You laugh. “I know a lot of strong people Sy. And your new bits are cute, just like you.” His tail firmly nudges you again, once, as if to warn you. “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” you tease him.

He just groans and kisses you again, his tongue slipping between your lips, his big hands moving to shove down your shorts. “I don’t make threats,” he says, low, smug. “I make promises.”

You roll your eyes, but neither of you talk any more after that.

***

Much, much later, after you’re thoroughly fucked out, muscles pleasantly sore, as Sylus purrs beside you in sleep, one arm flung over you, you lie awake thinking about his admission of worrying about being 'weak' in front of you. Of the vulnerability in his questions—why didn’t you call him if you were worried? Would you really replace him within a week? 

You’ve been so wrapped up in your own insecurities, so busy trying to protect yourself from what you think is the inevitable pain of being abandoned, that you’ve never stopped to consider what Sylus may worry about. What his insecurities may be. He has always seemed so larger than life to you, from the very beginning. Invincible. Solitary and strong. But as you’ve gotten to know him, you’ve also had glimpses of his own tender heart, the same tender heart he warns you about having—a liability in his vicious world. The care he shows the twins, who he insists are just his henchmen but clearly love him like family. His meticulous maintenance of Mephisto, whenever the bird needs parts switched out, cleaning, or upgrades. His habit of masking his true feelings by maintaining a look of boredom, as if revealing such feelings is a vulnerability that even those closest to him could exploit. Even his tendency to cheat at kitty cards—his luck is so bad, and he works so hard to compensate for it in the best way that his brutal life has taught him. In the end, Sylus is just a person, like anyone else. Complicated. Layered. Strong and vulnerable, cruel and kind. You’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about him as something you crave, something you adore, as well as something you fear, a threat to your heart. Not always as just a person, with feelings of his own.

Feelings that include feelings for you, specifically. He has never hidden his care for you, not since those first days of knowing him. Even if he looks indifferent, the words coming out of his mouth are always achingly straightforward, and sweet in a way that sounds sarcastic but you have learned is actually simply the unvarnished truth. His actions—his gifts, his texting, calling, physical clinginess when you’re with him—in the quiet dark, with Sylus’s soft snores next to you, his cat ears twitching even in sleep, you realize how utterly unfair you’ve been to him. How one-sided this relationship has been up until now in a lot of ways.

You’re suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to show him how much you care about him too. How safe he is with you, just as he makes you feel safe whenever you’re together. You recognize that you need to do some work on yourself. That it’s not normal to go through life terrified of being abandoned. That the past does not predict the future. You can’t spend the rest of your relationship with Sylus, no matter how long or short it lasts, punishing him for the pain others have caused you.

You roll over in the dark and pepper his face with soft kisses, each one a silent apology for not calling him this week, when he probably needed to be reassured that you still care for the version of him with ears and a tail and stripped of his god-like abilities. How worried must he still be, moving through the world without such abilities, without his customary armor against a hostile world that wants him caged or dead?

As you lean over him, trailing your lips along his skin, his arms snake around you and pull you closer.

“Tell me what I did to deserve this, so I can do it again,” he says, voice raspy from sleep. His tail wraps around your waist.

“I’m afraid I can’t,” you whisper between kisses.

“A hunter’s trade secret?” You can hear his smile in the dark.

“A lover’s inability to properly articulate that all you have to do is continue being you.”

His tail tightens around you, and its end wildly thwacks your back. “That sounded pretty articulate to me. Your words are honeyed—is there a catch?”

You kiss him on his soft lips. His hands run along your hair, down your back.

“Only one way to find out,” you tease.

“I see you’re done pouting. Do I get any other rewards for just being me?” he asks, sly.

“Only one way to find out,” you repeat, nudging his nose with yours.

“Oh, I like surprises.”

“I know,” you say, because you do know that. You know so much about this man already.

He pauses, catches your gaze. “Keep it a secret, okay?”

Yet again, he’s showing you his weakness. Reminding you that he’s taking a risk by being here with you at all, just like you are risking your heart, and everything else, by being here with him. “Your secrets are safe with me, Sy.”

He holds you tighter in response, and you fall asleep in his arms. You don’t dream about anything at all.

***

In the morning, after you’ve made him coffee, after you’ve eaten breakfast and you’ve lounged on the couch with him, watching something stupid on tv while he browses online auctions, you tell him about your Snowy Owl mission. He’s heard of this person, but they’re not colleagues or rivals, moving in different circles. But he knows where to locate them, and you form a plan, inspired by Snowy Owl’s interest in modified wanderers and humans, and Sylus’s twitching ears.

“You want me to act as your catboy butler.” He says it flatly. “Boring.”

You nod. “And I’ll be your owner, willing to sell you to the highest bidder.”

His ears flatten against his hair, despite his bored expression, and his tail whips back and forth, back and forth, slowly. He really hates the idea.

“Do you have a better plan?” you ask.

“Better than you selling me off to someone else? I can think of a few. A carefully placed bomb on the cruise ship, for one.” At your look of discomfort, he continues. “You don’t even have to come. Just check off the mission as accomplished on your little Association to-do list.”

You scowl at him. “I’m supposed to bring Snowy Owl in, not assassinate them.”

“Boring,” he repeats.

“I’m not actually selling you to anyone, Sy. I just need a small distraction, much smaller than a bomb,” you cut him off as he opens his mouth. “While I plant a tracking device with them, once we pinpoint who they are.”

He leans over, rubs his cheek against yours. “What’s my reward for considering this utterly boring plan?” He drags your hand to the base of his tail.

You take the hint, grasping his tail firmly, and he groans. You pull a little, and he lets you, rolling onto his stomach on the couch. You straddle the back of his big, meaty thighs and begin palming his tail, starting at the base where it meets the skin of his lower back, circling your thumb and forefinger around it even though it’s thick enough that your fingers don’t meet. You pull, and pet, over and over again, and his purrs are so loud they start to vibrate the couch.

“Say yes,” you demand. “Put that tux and your new parts to good use before the concert.”

“Fine,” he gasps, as his hips jerk a little, pressing himself into the couch.

“Excellent!” You spring to your feet, heading to the shower. There’s not a moment to waste if you’re going to get this mission over with before his tail and ears disappear.

“Stingy!” he yowls. Literally yowls, like a big tomcat thwarted in his attempt at mating by a mean owner yanking him into the house from the alley where his would-be mate was waiting.

“Consider that the down payment. Upon delivery of your promise, you’ll get the rest,” you say in a sing-song voice, just to further annoy him.

“I want double!” he yowls again, but anything else he might be whining about is cut off when you let the bathroom door close behind you.

***

Sylus has been impeccable for the duration of your agreed-upon mission. Poised, elegant, obedient. He has tolerated you treating him like an object to be admired and dismissed on a whim, even when people approached you not just to express interest in your catboy butler up for bidding, but also when they showed interest in getting to know the mysterious owner of said catboy butler more intimately.

The only indication that he was perhaps not entirely pleased with his code name was a flick of his cat ears and one hard thwack of his tail against the rail of the cruise ship when you first said, “Please fetch me more of the strata, Mister Whiskers,” in front of the other guests on the dining deck.

Furthermore, he only tried to attack and eat one person’s pet parrot, and he dropped the seagulls he kept catching at each ordered “Drop it, Mister Whiskers!” from you every time.

All in all, you think that you’re having a harder time than he is. High tea is over, seagulls have been caught and released, and you’ve already collected a number of business cards and varying degrees of subtle invitations to further discuss your catboy butler. You’ve navigated each diplomatically, and are rather proud of yourself, but your own patience is wearing thin as you stand at a luxurious bar in a small lounge on one of the upper decks of the cruise ship. The floor to ceiling windows give a lovely view of the blood-red sunset over the water—it reminds you of Sylus’s eyes. The evening, and therefore the black market trading, is about to begin in earnest. You’re waiting for a mocktail—you’re on the job, and you are a professional after all—when yet another person sidles up to you. Sylus, who has been standing at a respectable distance from you at relaxed attention, hands crossed behind his back, looking coolly over the people scattered at elegant standing tables, ears swiveling at constant alert, looks toward the newcomer, but he makes no move to come closer to you. It occurs to you that one of the reasons you are feeling increasingly off-kilter is that you are so used to Sylus touching you, draping himself over you, maintaining at least a sliver of contact at all times, that this respectful distance makes you feel like he’s standing on the other side of a great canyon.

You turn to the person who is trying to join you at the bar. He’s handsome. Tall, muscular. Dressed nicely, with subtle style. Nothing like your boyfriend’s flashy jeweled necklaces and bold colors. His blue eyes are startling in contrast to his black hair.

“Hi,” he says, smiling a little ruefully, like he wanted to open with something better, but this is all he could think of. He knows that he’s handsome and can skate by on the bare minimum.

You smile faintly back at him, despite wishing Sylus would come closer. “Hi,” you say. You’re not going to do all the work, dammit. This guy wants something from you, not the other way around.

“You’ve caused quite a stir tonight with your… companion,” he says, dark eyebrows lifting, gaze darting to Sylus and back to you again. “It’s made for more entertainment than usual on nights like these.”

You lift an eyebrow in response. “Oh? How so?”

“Watching the sharks circling and getting into tussles about who will ultimately have your pet.”

Your stomach twists at hearing someone other than Sylus calling him a pet. He’s not your pet. He’s your partner. He’s a whole person—a complicated, vicious, funny, cruel, gentle man. You suddenly hate the appraising look this asshole is giving him. But you’re a professional, damn it. You smile wider, going for seductive, amused, haughty.

“No need to tussle,” you tilt your head. “It’s simple. Offer the highest bid, and congratulations, you’re the owner of a new, obedient, exotic pet.”

The fuckhead eyeing Sylus chuckles heartily, as if what you said isn’t disgusting but the height of rich-asshole humor.

“I like the idea of owning the obedience of such a big, powerful creature. Is he willing to do anything you ask?”

The way his gaze keeps flicking to Sylus, as if he can’t help himself, makes you want to remove his eyes with one of your knives and wear them as a warning to anyone else who dares look at Sylus with such depraved, cruel desire.

“Place the winning bid and maybe you’ll find out,” you say coyly, somehow controlling your homicidal urges. Barely.

“Something to consider.” He shakes his head, as if trying to break the spell Sylus seems to have over him. “In any case, after a while, all these events start blurring together. May I buy you a drink, to thank you for dumping new blood in the water?”

This guy is the pinnacle of rich guy ennui. He probably would enjoy dog fights or hunting other people for sport, anything to break through his privileged, seen-it-all, can-buy-it-all numbness. Despite sharing the same status of filthy rich elite, this piece of shit is everything that Sylus isn’t. You want to hunt him for sport. Your nerves are fraying, and it’s getting harder and harder to maintain your composure.

“Shame, I just ordered a drink.”

He leans closer, invades your space.

“Why not indulge? You can have two drinks. And after, perhaps you’d like to show me just what your cat can do… a sort of preview, if you will.” He leans even closer, tilts his head as if a new thought has just occurred to him. “Is there perhaps a possibility of bidding for the pair, instead of just the butler?”

You realize that he’s propositioning you as well as your catboy butler, but the fury you feel at the idea of using Sylus for this fuckhead’s viewing pleasure overrides even your indignation at the insinuation that you, too, are for sale.

Suddenly Sylus’s warmth is at your back and the effect is immediate. Your murderous rage settles inside of you. You turn to him, lift an eyebrow like the imperious owner you’re supposed to be, slightly irritated at your servant’s interruption of… whatever this asshole at the bar thinks he’s getting away with. “Speak,” you command, imitating the most imperious man you know. Sylus, as he has done the entire duration of your appearance in public on this ship, does not react at all to your obvious inside joke.

“My owner,” he purrs deferentially, dipping his head. “You asked that I escort you back to your cabin at 21:00 in order to properly prepare for the bidding.”

The asshole’s gaze drifts from Sylus to you and back again. “A possessive cat, I see. What will he do, when his owner abandons him to another?”

You shrug, as if you don’t want to pull this guy’s tongue out of his mouth and garrotte him with it.

“As I said, buy him and find out,” you breathe through the nausea, trying desperately to stay in character—you are the same ilk as this guy, here to pawn your broken, loyal manservant onto anyone who can afford him. “But he’s right. Thank you for the interesting … offer, but the auction is about to begin. Tick tock, tick tock.”

“You’re a very good salesperson,” he smirks, as if pleased with the idea of depriving Sylus of his beloved owner and seeing if he can bend him to his will. You can’t see why you ever thought him handsome at all. “A raincheck, then, on the drink, and perhaps your own company.”

You just lower your head slightly, barely suppressing the urge to put this man on the ground and punch his smug smile until he is permanently unrecognizable, and the intensity of your renewed desire to hurt him for daring to even look at Sylus has you reaching for Sylus’s arm for support. He tucks your hand into his elbow and leads you out of the lounge.

When you finally reach your first class cabin on this pretentious floating black market, however, you see the strain that his flawless behavior has placed on your miscreant boyfriend.

As soon as the door closes behind you, he growls, deep in his throat, and spins, grabbing your wrist. He pulls you more roughly than usual through the elegant sitting room—the place looks like the interior designer was trying to recreate the staterooms of the Titanic—to the bedroom. Without letting go of your wrist, he yanks the scarlet velvet duvet and crisp white sheets from the bed and dumps them on the floor. The ocean glitters under the bright moonlight outside the bedroom’s window, the salt scent strong. The bed successfully stripped, Sylus now tries to jerk you onto the mattress, but you dig your heels into the plush carpet, feet dragging because despite your own strength, you can’t match his. You jerk your wrist from his grasp and whirl on him. You are willing to die for him, but you aren’t going to let him manhandle you like this.

“What is wrong with you?” you demand, rubbing your wrist.

“If I still had my evol, you’d be on the bed.” His voice is still calm, but his tail flicks angrily.

“If you still had your evol, I hope you wouldn’t use it on me when you’re this upset,” you glare at him.

He doesn’t respond, just begins to pace. Around the bed. Back into the sitting room. He veers into the bathroom and then returns to the bedroom. The anxious energy he’s giving off is palpable—you’ve never seen him this agitated in the entire time you’ve known him.

The longer he’s quiet, the more concerned you become. 

“Sylus?” you ask, softly. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m Sylus again? Not Mister fucking Whiskers?”

You stare at him. Your boyfriend, who is always up for teasing pet names and playful banter, is looking at you like he’s genuinely angry about the silly code name.

“Sylus—?”

His tail is thrashing back and forth as he continues to pace, ears flat against his hair. “Are you sure you’re interested in hearing how Mister Whiskers is doing now? You didn’t seem to be too interested when you were being fawned over by your suitors.”

You stare at him. At the tension he’s holding in his body, the wild movements of his tail.

“Sylus—”

“This was a boring plan to begin with, and now it’s even less interesting. You already have a mountain of gifts from my bidders—leave. Go through them to see if Snowy Owl has taken the bait so we can get this charade over with,” he snaps, effectively dismissing you. He sits on the side of the bed and puts his head in his hands.

With each harsh word, you feel your insides folding in on themselves. He hasn’t spoken to you like this since he held you captive when you first met. He promised he’d never treat you like that again, but you realize he never promised to never speak to you like that again.

Normally, how he’s talking to you—if it were any other person, you’d be out the door. Gone, ghosted. You speak to yourself cruelly enough every day in your own head, you don’t need that shit from other people. You’re even more shocked that it’s coming from Sylus, of all people. The Sylus who has cared for you so patiently, through all the time you’ve been together since that first auction. Who kills with his bare hands, but touches you with those same hands as if you’re made of glass. Until tonight.

You are tempted to run as the betrayal, confusion, and fear of the inevitable end course through you. To just stuff the gifts waiting for you on the sitting room’s coffee table into one of the big duffels you brought, move to another room, and wing the rest of the operation without Sylus. You can pose as a fucking waiter once you figure out Snowy Owl’s identity. You don’t need him for this mission. And you don’t need him in your fucking life, if this is his true self.

As you’re almost to the door leading to the hallway, reaching for the handle, you suddenly remember your promise to yourself, just a few nights ago—the night Sylus came to your place and you learned why he had gone silent for a whole week.

Your resolution that you wouldn’t give in to your fear at his expense anymore, that you would show him you care for him, just as he has done so for you through all of your time together. Even when he witnessed your worst moments, he did not walk away from you. He stayed, even as you pushed him away.

You think about how he was afraid for you to see him stripped of his power, as if you’d ever think him weak, and think less of him for something outside of his control. If I still had my evol, you’d be on the bed. How unnerving must it be for him to be in this shark’s tank without his ability to protect himself beyond his own body? It suddenly occurs to you that if he gets injured while his power is suppressed, he won’t heal like he normally does. The idea that he could get seriously hurt while here, helping you on a mission that has nothing to do with him, hurts a hundred times worse than the words he just snapped at you.

Weren’t you just furious with that fuck from the cocktail lounge for talking about Sylus like he was an object, instead of a person? Sylus is a human being. He’s not a god. He’s not perfect. He’s just a complicated man, a complicated man who hurt you with his harsh words tonight, but who has steadfastly shown how much he cares for you in the best way he knows how. Who could be expected to act normally, to be their best self, if one were to find oneself fundamentally changed, stripped of a lifetime of skill and ability, experiencing strange new urges, and to top it all off, thrown into a dangerous situation? 

You turn and walk back through the sitting room, to the bedroom where he’s sitting, head still in his hands. You stand in front of him.

“Sylus.”

He doesn’t respond. You reach out, gently grip his chin, and lift his face.

He lets you, docile. His cat ears are drooping.

“Tell me,” you order.

He refuses to look at you. His tail swishes petulantly behind him. 

“Tell. Me.” You tighten your hold on his jaw.

His eyes flick to yours, but he keeps his face turned away. “Caracal’s hate water.”

You gaze into his beautiful eyes, fire-lit gems. “And a caracal is the type of cat that you’ve partly mutated into?”

He nods, just a little movement of his head.

“And I brought you onto a boat, surrounded by water.”

He finally turns his head to face  you, gazing at you but not responding.

“What else?” You relax your hold on his jaw, moving your palm to cup his cheek and bring up your other hand into his hair, running your fingers through the soft strands.

“Each person who shook your hand, who handed you their business card, who leaned too close to you… their stench is all over you.”

You run your fingers through his hair until you reach one of his cat ears and gently begin to rub it. He closes his eyes and he leans into your touch.

“What else?”

“If this plan goes sideways, I won’t be able to protect you.”

With each admission, his shoulders relax. His face softens. But there’s still something bothering him. You search his beautiful face. His tail flicks, flicks, flicks.

“What else, Sy?” You lean down, rest your cheek against his soft hair. His ears are velvet against your skin.

He reaches out and clasps the backs of your thighs to pull you closer to him and rests his forehead against your chest. “Even if it’s just for the mission, are you really okay with letting someone else have me?”

It takes you a moment, but when you realize what he’s saying, you’re floored. 

Sylus has spent the whole evening watching you laugh off multiple peoples’ offers to take over ownership of your catboy butler. He watched you tell that little bitch at the bar, more than once, to buy Sylus to find out how obedient he is, how he’ll react to being parted from his beloved owner. Each time, you responded in character, like the idea didn’t bother you at all. Because that’s what the mission required. 

You realize that this entire ordeal has made him insecure. He wants you to be jealous. He wants you to be possessive of him. The thought never once crossed your mind that he would be bothered by the cover you planned for this mission. He is always so self-assured, only hinting at flashes of jealousy in playful, dismissive terms. And yet he doesn’t want you to be okay with the idea of him being possessed by another, no matter how briefly, no matter how falsely.

You continue to pet him as you let everything he just admitted sink in. The water, other peoples’ scents on your body, his lack of power at the moment, your lack of jealousy at the mere idea that another would have him.

After all the times Sylus has comforted you, cared for you, solved problems for you, it’s now your turn to do the same for him.

You drop your hands and he looks back up at you with such raw longing that you almost can’t step away. But you must.

“Would you like to abort the mission?”

He looks at you in confusion. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is your job.”

You smile down at him helplessly. “Don’t you realize by now that you’re more important to me than my job?”

He sucks in a breath.

“How else could I be with the most wanted man on the planet?”

“The only reason I have been able to repress my instincts through this whole shitshow is reminding myself how important this mission is to you,” he breathes, closing his eyes.

“Your instincts?”

“You have no idea,” he says through clenched teeth. His tail is violently flicking again. You can’t bear to see him so distressed.

“Yes or no. Forget what you think I want. If it’s too much, we leave right now.”

Eyes still closed, ears still flattened to his head, he shakes his head no.

“Okay.” You turn, but he reaches out and grabs your wrist to stop you leaving. You put your hand over his. “Since I can’t remove the ship from the water, I’m just closing the window and the curtains so you don’t have to see it.”

He reluctantly releases your wrist. You do as you promised, and when you’re done you return to stand between his legs.

“What do you need to do about how I smell?”

You don’t have to repeat yourself. He grasps your wrist again, pulling your closer. He grabs the hem of your outfit and pulls, tugging it over your head, lifting your legs one by one to tear off your shoes, tossing everything into the farthest corner of the room, until you’re standing in front of him in your underwear. He then pulls you down onto the bed with him, rolling you under him. He presses his face into your neck and rubs, rubs, his tail wagging behind him, his ears brushing against your skin again, their softness making you want to grab them and pull, pull, the cuteness aggression difficult to contain. You satisfy yourself by running your hands through his hair, gripping slightly, tugging, releasing.

As he rubs his cheeks all over you, he pauses to lick your skin, runs his hands along your shoulders, your arms, your waist.

After a long time, his manic movements slow and he inhales deeply. “You have no idea how hard it was to resist the urge to piss on your shoes while you were talking to that bastard in the cocktail lounge.”

You freeze. “Piss… on my shoes?”

“Didn’t you know? Cats urinate to mark their territory,” he licks your skin again, purrs. “And you’re my territory, sweetheart.”

You don’t even know how to feel about his admission. “Well… I might be willing to die for you, but I draw the line at letting you pee on me. So thank you, for not giving in to your caracal urges.”

He pauses, lifts his head. “Don’t fucking say you’ll die, ever again,” he growls. “I forbid it.”

You laugh, a little breathlessly. You decide it’s not a good time to point out that you will, in fact, someday die. Probably sooner than the average human, with your job. So you just say “Okay.”

He looks mollified and his tail begins to swish playfully again. “So that’s a no on watersports, in the future?”

You scowl at him. “Just try to piss on me and see what happens.”

“That sounds like a challenge. And you know that’s like catnip to this big cat. Are you sure you aren’t actually interested in golden showers?”

All you can do is laugh, and pull him down to you, and kiss him so he’ll shut the fuck up about peeing on you.

After a few minutes of mauling him, you groan and pull away.

“If we don’t want this entire thing to be a waste, we need to check the contacts we made today and finish the mission before the auction is over.”

He rests his head against your shoulder. “I know, but I don’t want to get off you. No one can hurt you as long as you’re under me,” he grumbles.

You stare at the ceiling and run your hands through his hair again, fondling his cat ears. “I survived before I met you, because I’m a fucking badass. I’m strong enough for the both of us, especially for a covert mission like this. We go through the business cards and gifts, pinpoint Snowy Owl’s room, you distract them for ten minutes while I plant surveillance, we get the fuck out before the auction’s over.”

“You and I both know how quickly plans get fucked,” he murmurs into your skin.

“And you and I both know that I am skilled enough to unfuck it. And with you here, even without your evol, it’s going to be okay.”

His tail lifts, curls up your leg.

“Fine.” He rolls off of you reluctantly, and you immediately miss his weight. “But the reward for going along with your plan is now tripled.”

“You can have anything you want, when this is over,” you promise, sliding off the bed and gathering your clothes from the floor.

“Even a golden shower?”

You throw your shoe at him. He just catches it and laughs, relaxed again.

After you’re dressed, the two of you tear into the gifts people sent hoping to gain your favor and therefore an advantage in the auction for your catboy butler. Sylus, the spoiled creature that he is, tosses multiple priceless trinkets aside like they’re trash, complaining about being bored out of his mind. However, he bats at a feathered butt plug before realizing what he’s doing and then tosses it as well. The only other thing he expresses even a passing interest in is a little spray can with DOCTOR SLEEPYTIME printed on the side, with the caption reading, “A stalker’s new best friend! Never worry about your target waking up too early again! Ten fewer side effects than chloroform!” You squint at it. The legal disclaimers are a solid block of text underneath the caption. Apparently, one of the side effects that it still shares with chloroform is death. You don’t comment when you see Sylus slip it into the breast pocket of his tux, not even wanting to know what he has planned for it. Finally, you open a small box and realize that the weird little thing inside matches the description the Association provided you of Snowy Owl’s calling card.

“Got you,” you whisper triumphantly, pawing through the packaging to figure out which room it came from.

Sylus stands, prepared to play his part in this little ruse, but you stop him before he opens the door. “Wait a second,” you say, running to the bedroom, throwing open your luggage in the cabin’s closet, and pulling out what you had hastily prepared in anticipation of this mission.

You return to Sylus with the item hidden behind your back.

“You asked if I’m really okay with the idea of sending you to someone else.”

He just watches you in silence, ears twitching in curiosity, tail swishing behind him.

“Of course I’m not. You don’t know how badly I wanted to slit that fucker’s throat who talked about you like you’re not even a person. I feel sick at the idea of anyone else looking at you with anything less than respect and admiration, let alone as some kind of object to be owned. I can’t even stand the thought that I own you. You are wholly your own person, and I’m just happy that you want me by your side, and allow me to adore you.”

His tail swishes faster the longer you speak, but stills at your last sentence. “But you do own me. Body and soul.”

You swallow through the thickness in your throat. You’re not going to cry at his absurd, devoted answer.

“Then perhaps you will do me the honor of wearing this while we’re apart.” You show him the soft black leather collar. “It can only be placed on you, and taken off you, by a person whose pheromones match those of your owner. Your true owner.”

“So this was your trump card,” he murmurs, tail thwacking against the door so hard that the door vibrates.

You shrug. “You don’t have to wear it.”

He flattens his ears against his head. “Nonsense. Put it on me,” he commands imperiously.

You try to hide your smile, but probably fail. “In that case, I hope it will remind you that I am definitely not okay with sending you to someone else. But none of this is real, and when we’re off this boat, I’m never going to ask you to do something like this again.”

He reaches out and wraps his hand around your wrist. “How many times must we go over this? You can ask anything of me.”

“Just because I can, doesn’t mean I want to.”

Without waiting for his answer, you unclasp the collar and lift onto your tiptoes to thread it around his neck. He growls softly, in annoyance or exasperation, and sinks to his knees in front of you.

As always when Sylus kneels before you, you’re overcome with a sense of wrongness. But he seems to want to give this to you, to drive home the point that anything he has is yours for the taking. You can’t find it in yourself to refuse him by insisting that you could have reached his neck just fine without him having to kneel.

You lay the collar against his neck, thread the end through the buckle, and tighten it. His eyes are half-lidded, the glow of his irises spilling from between his eyelashes. He seems to be enjoying this so much that you tighten it just a little bit beyond what is necessary, just to see his reaction. He lets out a pathetic little gasp, and you loosen it, worried you’ve hurt him. But his chest expands and his ears droop, almost as if he’s disappointed. So you tighten it again. “Yes,” he breathes. 

You stand there, with this gorgeous, half-feral man at your feet, fingering the pendant of the collar. You couldn’t afford the platinum that you think Sylus deserves, so silver had to do. But you did splurge a little to have your initials engraved on the inner side of the pendant, so that it’s pressed against his skin where no one else can see it. Your little secret against his pulse.

“We need to get moving, Sy,” you whisper, regretfully.

He rises gracefully to his feet.

“If you want it taken off, just ask.”

He gives you a disdainful look, his only response a tsking sound on his tongue. He leans down, kisses you, once, hard, and then straightens. He turns, throws open the door, and disappears down the hallway.

The rest of the mission goes off without a hitch. When you arrive at Snowy Owl’s door, you pick the lock easily, slip into the empty room, leave a variety of tracking devices in their possessions, and slip out again unseen.

You return to your room, prepared to wait for Sylus, trying to suppress the worry that he’ll have to put up with yet another handsy asshole all because he doesn't want to jeopardize your mission.

However, when you open the door, you find your big, beautiful cat already lounging on one of the sitting room’s ornate love seats, examining his nails and humming leisurely.

At his feet is the asshole from the cocktail lounge,  bound, gagged, and clearly roughed up, his bloody nose dripping into the fabric of his mouth gag.

“The fuck, Sylus?” you ask.

Sylus rolls his head to look at you, lovely eyes glowing in the light of the tiffany lamps on the tables on either side of the love seat.

“I brought a gift for my owner,” he says, ears twitching between you and the asshole who started to struggle at your entrance, making little pleading whimpering noises. “I could tell how much you hated this waste of oxygen the whole time you had to endure his attention at the bar.”

“A… gift?” you repeat.

“You have no idea the self control it took to suppress the instinct to bring him to you as a corpse, as nature intended, when I was done playing with him. But I assumed that would make my owner mad,” he says languidly, but his tail is flicking in agitation.

“Okay,” you draw out the word, trying to process this… gift. “And Snowy Owl?”

“Passed out in a janitor’s closet in the ship’s casino,” he shrugs. “Doctor Sleepytime is true to its claims. A great improvement over chloroform,” he drawls. “I’ll have to leave a good review on their website.”

Relief floods through you. You’re done. The mission is almost complete. All that’s left is to get the fuck off this floating cesspool.

“Thank you,” you murmur. But you’re still left with the problem of what to do with Sylus’s ‘gift.’ “But Sy, what the fuck am I supposed to with… this.” You can’t help but sneer a little at the asshole still struggling on the ground.

“Whatever you want, my heart,” Sylus responds. “He’s wanted in Linkon City by at least three different agencies. But we could just dump him over the railing and be done with it. In fact, I’d prefer that,” he says, perking up.

You march over to him and slip a finger under his collar.

“No! Bad kitty,” you scold, pulling a little on the leather, intending to simply tease him for his outrageous suggestion.

Sylus just gasps, eyes going half lidded again. You stop in surprise at the clear pleasure your rough treatment is causing him, but he wraps his hand around your wrist and moves your hand again, tightening the collar against his neck once more.

“If I’m a bad kitty, you better keep a tight hold on me to make sure I don’t drag home any other unwelcome surprises,” he says, voice low and rough.

“Oh?” You marvel at how lovely he looks, cheeks flushed, mouth slightly open, breathing hard. “Maybe my bad kitty needs to be punished, so he stops suggesting I murder wanted criminals instead of bringing them to justice like a professional.”

The man on the floor who is forced to witness this flirtation struggles harder, his whimpers ranging from disgusted to terrified. You ignore him.

“Oh nooo,” Sylus says, voice dripping with sarcasm. Then he narrows his eyes. “You better make good on your promise. Or are you just full of empty threats?”

You lean down and press the heel of your hand onto his hard cock straining against his zipper, hard. He moans, eyelashes fluttering.

“Get us to the getaway boat without causing a scene and you’ll find out what I’m full of. Or what I’m about to be full of, if you’re a good kitty for me,” you breathe into his ear.

The man on the floor gags a little.

Sylus stands, lifting you in one arm, grabbing a full duffel bag you hadn’t noticed with the other.

“What’s that?”

“Your bad kitty helped himself to a cat treat,” he purrs.

“What kind of souvenir?”

“The loud, prone-to-exploding-if-you-shake-it-too-hard-kind.” He grins at you, canines flashing.

You can’t help yourself. You burst out laughing.

It may have started with trouncing your crimelord boyfriend at kitty cards, but it ended with you learning how to better care for your catboy boyfriend. It also ended with the arrest of both Snowy Owl and the poor bastard who had to listen to you 'punish' said boyfriend from inside the duffel bag that he was stuffed in after Sylus cut the engine of the getaway boat halfway to your destination, too impatient to wait till you both got home to claim part of his reward for being such a good, good kitty.

[gingernut1314]

Turkey and Cheese ch. 2

Summary: On the run from enforcers, you collide straight into someone in your rush. Someone whose seafoam eyes take your breath away and all you want to do is spend a little bit more time with him.

Content: female reader x Silco, pre-season 1 arcane, first meeting, gendered terms, reader has water manipulation powers, young Silco, young reader, you share a stolen sandwich with Silco, slight Arcane season 2/League of Legends spoiler (Janna)

Word Count: 2.7K

A/N: The characters will age up, but the plan I have set up is reader meets Silco and the others when they are all still teens so there is only going to be like...one or two more chapters as teens and then we're getting aged up. I hope you all enjoy!!

↞ to The Water's Cold Embrace Masterlist | Arcane Masterlist | Request Rules | Blog Navigation ↠

You got too much joy picking on the Enforcers that hang around the bridge that separated the shining city of Piltover and the not-so-bright Undercity. You stole their lunches and their coin, called them every name under the sun, and threw rocks at them from dark corners. 

It pissed them the fuck off making it prime entertainment for you.

Your guardian, Janna, disapproved of your shenanigans. The lectures were too long whenever you were caught. Lectures about reasonability and grace and blah, blah, blah . 

So, to avoid such mind-numbing lectures, you waited until Janna disappeared for days on end to let chaos ensue.

And this fog-heavy day was one of those days.

Your stomach growled, clenching and twisting in hunger as you knelt on top of one of the run-down tenement houses near the bridge. You watched four Enforcers walk out of the broader toll house, switching posts with the other four Enforcers standing before the bridge. 

You had been watching them for most of the night, counting and double counting how many Enforcers were on duty. You counted nine in total, which was one less than there had been last time you’d done this. 

Someone must be sick or had been fired or, maybe, they were dead. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter one bit to you. All you cared about now was earning a few coins and getting a homemade meal from someone's spouse for a late dinner.

You rushed into action after one last scan of the area, before rushing across the roofs. When you came to the end of this line of tenements, you hopped down onto the fire escape below, a small grunt escaping your lips before starting down the rusting stairs. 

Once on the ground, you yanked your hood up and shoved your hands into the pockets of your jacket, trying to keep a low profile as you walked the short distance across the recently redone cobblestoned road. You disappeared into the large shadows the street lamps cast, walking along the smooth wall of the tollhouse.

“Beth just got accepted into that fancy college she wanted.” A gruff voice filtered out from a small, open window. 

“Well, shit--” Was the last of that conversation you heard as you climbed up a ladder around the back of the building. 

You stayed crouched low as you made way to the vent in the center of the roof. You had used this vent for years, but, as you quietly pulled the metal covering off and lowered yourself into the vent system, found it might be one of your last times. 

You were getting too big to fit in the vent.

This was a child's game, as unfortunate as it was to admit, and at the ripe age of fourteen, you were no child anymore. 

“We’ve been saving up--” And blah, blah, blaaahhhh . 

Enforcers rarely had anything exciting to talk about. It was always about someone's family or about whatever game they had gone to watch. It had nearly sent you into tears as you crawled through the vents. 

Where was the excitement? The danger? 

Didn’t Encforcer beat Undercityians up for fun? 

You finally made it to the vent in the locker room area. It was bland and hardly fit hardly enough lockers for every enforcer stationed here, but to you, it was a gold mine. 

You opened the vent, placing it slowly on the other side of the vent shaft, and hopped into the room, hitting the ground on near-silent feet and a held-in grunt. You waited a few seconds to see if anyone had heard you before starting on opening each locker and taking as many coin potches as you could find. The only good thing the last locker had to offer was a piece of gum instantly shoved into your mouth. 

Just as you opened the fridge and grabbed someone's paper bag lunch, the door opened. 

Your blood went cold. You've been caught one too many times over the years, but each time it happened it never helped ease your nerves. 

A younger-looking Enforcer saw you instantly, his eyes narrowing in something like confusion. You didn’t recognize this Enforcer from past interactions, so you assumed he was new. 

“Hey! Who the hell are you?” 

“No one.” You pulled on the most innocent look you could muster, hiding the lunch behind your back. “I think I might have taken a wrong turn.” 

“A wrong--” The Enforcer then saw the open and ransacked lockers. It clicked then, what had happened here right under his nose. 

Before the Enforcer had time to speak, you pushed past him into the small hallway. 

“Hey!” He shouted after you but you were already booking it into the office area where six enforcers sat. They noticed you almost instantly, rising from their seats in the blink of an eye. One tried to grab you, but you twisted out of his way and dodged another on-coming man. 

The front door open with a bang and all but threw yourself into the street, your gum falling from your mouth in the process. 

“Grab her!” One of the enforcers shouted, singling the four others standing before the bridge. Those four were too far away to do any grabbing, so you didn’t feel the need to be worried about them. 

You ran downwards, toward the looming city you called home. As you ran closer and closer, the air seemed to get thicker-- dirtier than that of the air by the bridge. This wasn’t anything new to you, your throat and lungs taking less than a second to adjust to the polluted air. 

The continuous shouting from behind let you know that the Enforcers were still hot on your tail. You would either lose them eventually in this maze of run-down buildings and streets or they would give up, finding they didn’t want to venture as far into the city as you were going to take them. 

Time would only tell which it would be, so you pushed yourself harder. 

You made the first sharp turn into a familiar alleyway, an enforcer that had been getting too close to you tripping and falling into a couple of barrels full of fish. You gave a sharp laugh, looking over your shoulder to watch that scene unfold in your utter glee.

And just as you made to turn back around, you collided into something solid and bony.

You and the person you’d just hit at full speed went tumbling to the ground, each giving own round of curses. 

A pair of blue-green eyes halted your escape. A pair of eyes that took your breath away…well, maybe it had been from the impact but your breath was differently stolen and these eyes--eyes like seafoam weren’t helping.

The blue-green eyes were attached to a thin, sharp face covered in skin that looked like it hardly got out in the sun. 

Though everyone down here always had that “hardly seen the sun” look about them. 

This guy was very attractive. Too attractive some might say. 

So attractive it almost had you forgetting about the four enforcers running after you. 

 The blue-green eyes narrowed up at you, completely pissed off. 

“Get the hell off--” 

 “She’s in there!” The enforcer that had just fallen into fish guts shouted to his coworkers. The boy’s eyes widened and he looked past you to find what you already knew was coming into the alley. 

“Do you have a canteen?” The boy snapped back to you, anger written clear on his face. 

“What? No--” You gave him an eye roll. 

Who didn't carry a water canteen with them? 

Well…you didn’t, but that was beside the point. 

“A flask?” You tried again.

“You ran into me and brought enforcers with you and you're asking me if I have a--” He gave a startled sort of sound as you began patting him down. You’d grown tired of his rambling. You found a flask in his jacket in an inner pocket and gave a little sound of triumph. 

“Thank you!” You sweetly spoke, pushing yourself off the guy who looked so bewildered by you it was cute . You turned your attention back onto the four enforcers blocking the exit. 

“Thought you could get away with it this time, girl .” One of them hissed through his mask. You recognized this man to be Rufus, an Enforcer that had been stationed on the bridge the longest. 

“But whatever did I do, sir? ” He gave a growl, taking a step forward that was meant to be threatening. 

“Give it back and we’ll forget this ever happened.” You knew that was a lie. As soon as you got close enough, they’d grab you and throw you in jail. 

“Promise?” Rufus was growing impatient, you could see it in his brown, tired eyes.

“ Promise .” He grit out. This made you smile. 

“Alright, mister.” You pulled the flask out from behind your back then. “Catch!” And the flask was tossed Rufus’s way. 

You let your magic flow through your veins and felt for the water in the alcohol. 

Rufus caught the flask with ease. He looked from it to you. 

“What is--” With great effort, you made the little bit of water in the alcohol explode. The flask broke into pieces, shooting up into his eyes. He gave a scream and that was your queue to leave. 

You snapped around, finding the boy standing there, shock on his face. He had a lean build and was very, very tall. It just added to his overall attractiveness. 

Focus!  

“Time to go!” You swiped the fallen lunch off the ground and grabbed for the boy in one go, pulling him further down the alley.

It only took the boy a moment to regain his right mind and in a split second, he was the one pulling you along.

You followed the boy, climbing up on top of the dumper closest to the broken fire escape. You let go of his arm so he could launch himself at the escape, slamming into the railing with a bang. Once he was over the rusting railing, you were quick to jump and slam into the escape.

The boy grabbed your wrist once your two feet were safely on the other side of the railing before continuing to drag you up stair after stair until you made it to the roof, which someone had been trying to grow some kind of plants on. Just with a quick glance at the spotting plant, you could tell it wasn’t going very well. 

Shouting from the enforcers below had you wiggling out of the boy's grip and looking over the edge, finding one had climbed up onto the dumpster while the others looked defeated. 

“If it's any consolation, you’ll be feeding a poor underling for a day or so.” You shouted down to them, waving the bag mockingly.

“Don’t think this is over, girl!” Rufus spat. You only gave him a cheeky smile. 

“Tell your wife she makes the best turkey and cheese sandwiches. I’ve been looking forward to it all month.” Rufus gave a growl before storming out of the alley. Slowly, the other enforcers followed after him, throwing you dirty looks as they left.  

The boy grabbed you then, whipping you around to face him. 

You weren’t always the best at figuring out how people were feeling, mainly thanks to being raised by a seemingly emotionless wind spirit, but you could tell in a moment this guy was angry. 

“If this is about your flask, I’m--” The guy was quick to not let you finish. 

“What the hell were you thinking, bringing enforcers to the Lanes?” He snapped. You merely gave him a very slow blink.

“I’m fully prepared to buy you a new one.” You finished, earning a frustrated growl from the guy. 

You liked what he had going on--this uptight, angry, authoritative thing. You liked it so much it made you want to tease him to no end. 

“Why I’m trying to get a child to see reason--” 

“Whoa there.” You held a hand up, further cutting him off. “You’re like--what, a year older than me?” He narrowed his seafoam blue eyes at you once more.

“You can’t be older than twelve.” 

“Nope! Fourteen.” The guy rolled his eyes.

“A child.” 

“Alright, mister-high-and-mighty. How old are you then?” 

“It hardly matters.” Your mouth fell open in disbelief, but before you could nag him anymore, he continued. “You realize they will be back.” You pulled out of the guy's grip again and began walking across the roof. 

To your surprise, the boy followed. 

“The reason I pick on those buffoons at the bridge is because I know their threats are empty.” You opened the brown paper bag and rummaged around until you found a foil-wrapped sandwich your stomach had been growling to get a bite out of. “Especially Rufus.” You took one of the halves out and extended it to the boy. “Want some? It’s the good stuff.” He looked it over for a moment, eyes still narrowed. 

You could tell he didn’t want to take it from you, not when he still looked so annoyed at you…so you gave it a little wiggle that pulled a sigh from his mouth. 

“Thank you.” He took it from you, his eyes finally softening. His fingers brushed the tiniest bit against yours, but it was enough to send sparks running through your every last nerve. 

You watched the boy as he took a bite from the sandwich. Watched as his eyes widened the slightest bit. It was so slight most wouldn’t have noticed, but you had been watching him too intently. 

“Right? It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” You gave him a bright smile. One you rarely ever gave--one that was genuine --before chomping down into your own half.

You hopped up on the edge of the roof, which overlooked the whole of the Lanes. From up here, you could spot the tops of the highest buildings and the smoke billowing up from the mines beneath the city. Smoke that danced and twirled upward, illuminating the lights shining from across the city. In the day, the smoke would cast the sky in murky shades of gray, depending on how bright the sun was shining. 

It was quite beautiful, despite its run-down and polluted nature. 

It was still your home. 

“I didn’t mean to bring the enforcers here…but maybe I gave someone the chance to get across that golden bridge--for them to seek their fortune or a fresh start.” You looked back to the boy who had jumped up onto the edge with you. He turned his gaze towards you, scanning you over with seemingly all-seeing eyes. Eyes that made your skin seem to burn.

“Is that what you want?” The question shocked you.

In The Lanes, most didn’t get too close to one another. Not unless they had to. It was a very lonely world, but you endured.

“No,” You scoffingly said. You wouldn’t even last a day over there. You were too wild, too much a part of the Undercity. You gave the boy a look over of your own, though much less all-seeing as his had been. 

“What about you?” You cautiously asked. Though you didn’t at all mind sharing things about yourself, you didn’t know how this guy was. All you knew is you enjoyed his company….and you didn’t want to be alone all over again quite yet. 

“No,” He replayed, looking back over the city. “There’s too much potential here.” 

You liked that. You liked that a lot . 

You took another big bite from your sandwich, letting the night air fill the quiet between you two. 

You swallowed, glancing back over him as you worked up the courage to speak again. 

And once that small bit of courage was wrestled up, you told him your name.

The boy turned his eyes back on you, his longish brown hair blowing slightly in the breeze. He seemed to hesitate too for a moment.

“Silco.” He spoke before finishing off his half of the sandwich. 

You liked his name. You liked it almost as much as you liked his face. 

“How did you manage to make my flask to explode?” You smirked, turning away from the boy, Silco , once more. 

“A lady never reveals her secrets.” Silco gave a laugh. It was a tiny huffing one, but a laugh nonetheless. 

You liked his laugh. You liked more than his name and face.

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[tulip-room]

•.¸♡ Sweet Treats♡¸.•

A/N: Hello!!! So I’m branching out a little bit and writing for some more fandoms! This is going to be a collection of oneshots that are purely selfish because I’m about to go to pastry school and want more content for Baker! Readers. That being said I hope you enjoy this little thing <3 the taglist for all of these are open currently so reply in the comments of this post for which ones you want to be tagged for <3 I’ll stop yapping now and list the stories <333

Haikyu!!

Straw”Berry” happy to see you -> Osamu orders a cake for Suna’s birthday and when he goes to pick it up falls head over heels for the cute owner so he becomes a regular. (Osamu x reader)

Whisk You Away -> Ushijima swears by your sweets so when Tendo visits he of course has to try one. He wasn’t expecting the owner to be so cute and makes it his mission to “Whisk you away” on a date. (Tendo x reader)

Slice of Your Heart -> Atsumu really does try to follow his diet but how can he when the bakery owner who lives next door is so irresistible? (Atsumu x reader)

Cavity -> Oikawa thinks you’re too sweet and will give him a cavity (Oikawa x reader)

Heart Shaped Cookies -> You make the best healthy cookies and when delivering them to the team Ushijima is surprised to see…only his are heart shaped? (Ushijima x reader)

Cheat Day ->  Sakusa forgets his lunch at home and you bring it to him. One problem, you guys forgot to tell his friends you were dating. (Sakusa x reader)

Blueberry milk cookies? -> Although sweet treats don’t usually catch his eye when Kageyama learns that one might be inspired by him he has to try one for himself. (Kageyama x reader)

Excuses -> Suna’s little sister loves your sweet treats. That’s definitely why he’s in there so often (Suna x reader)

JJK

Crusts -> Nanami never thought much about the crusts on sandwiches until you start making them for him and you never leave them on. (Nanami x reader)

Warm -> Gojo isn’t sure how you always smell like fresh baked cookies (Gojo x reader)

Sweet Tooth -> Megumi didn’t know he had a sweet tooth until he tasted your kisses (Megumi x reader)

Sugar Sweet -> You and Geto make some sweet treats with the girls and start a food fight which ends in a bath and many sugary kisses (Geto x reader)

Written in Icing -> Inumaki gets a little insecure that he can’t communicate the same way everyone else can. So, he writes his feelings in icing on a cake to confess to his crush. (Inumaki x reader)

Blue Lock

Citrus -> You make a new dessert and Rin taste tests it (Rin x reader)

Cupcake -> Bachira helps you make cupcakes and shenanigans ensue (Bachira x reader)

Some of these characters I’ve never written for so I’m sorry if they’re a little ooc! These are Works In Progress currently! This is just a list to see who all wants to see it and to help me keep myself organized!!! If you want to check out any of my other works though feel free to do so! My asks are also open if you want to request anything ^-^

masterlist

[fanaticsnail]

Straw-Hat Masterlist

Navigation Masterlist Here

Art link.

Monkey D. Luffy:

Bachata (Dance Series) (one-shot)

Gyrating, thrusting, swaying and grinding. Where did the straw-hat captain learn to dance in this way? The crew, holding many a whispered conversation regarding the captain's sultry movements, finally is approached head-on by the quartermaster of the Going Merry. Flushed cheeks, gasped breaths and soft smiles ensue as the captain aims to teach her a few of his moves.

Run Away With Me (one-shot)

After being left after a night of passion by her marine lover, sorrow eclipsed the hardening heart of the owner of the library. The librarian, after swearing off sea-baring men, is physically swept off her feet by a mischievous, straw-hat wearing captain who woos her with his undivided support of her dreams of romance.

Australian Luffy (HC Drabbles)

Just some silly dialogue with Aussie slang from Monkey D "Loz"

Ravenous (NSFW one-shot)

Luffy is hungry, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He doesn’t care where it happens, how it happens, or what exactly happens - all he cares about is the who and when. The who is you, and the when is right now and until his hunger is fully satisfied.

Roronoa Zoro:

Blade Song(Dance Series) (one-shot)

The Straw-Hat pirate crew finds themselves amongst a fire-side, sea-front celebration. Swaying, gyrating and twirling occurs with all but one of the crew. The swordsman, never truly learning how to dance in such a way, regrets his miseducation as soon as he sees the object of his pining dancing within the arms of the blonde chef.

Flowers (one-shot)

Men are known to only receive flowers once in their lifetimes, and they are not even able to see them. The Straw-Hat botanist desires to rectify this for one member of the Straw-Hat pirates, the tri-sword wielding First Mate.

Gua-Sha (one-shot)

Slightly fixated by the dragging of the smooth rock against his crewmen's cheeks and jaw, Zoro immediately pipes up and welcomes the opportunity to have his face massaged to relieve any built up tension and pressure behind it. Pining always from afar, Zoro hopes this small moment would bring the two closer together.

Something Like That (request) (one-shot)

A traveler finds themselves accidentally crashing an exclusive event at Baratie, celebrating a foreign holiday with unusual customs. Pulling you away from your evening meal, your eyes met with the hazelnut gaze of a green-haired swordsman. A sprig of emerald leaves, pearls of flowers and a ribbon hung above your heads - what is this? why is he leaning down to press his lips atop your own?

You Deserve Better (Pollen!One-Shot NSFW)

Zoro has inhaled pollen while lost and away from his crew. His crew return from a day of celebration and tease him for is senseless navigational skills. But you notice something's wrong with him. He's hot. So, so hot. And he needs your help to combat his illness. You want to help him so badly, why won't he let you get Chopper? And why was he holding you like that?

I Don't Sound Like That (request) (one-shot)

You and Zoro have grown closer over the past few weeks. Being invited to rest and study beside him in his hammock, you reflect on your journey travelling with your crew aboard the Going Merry.

Close To You (One-Shot)

Zoro has been wanting to train with you in hand to hand combat far more often than usual. You begin to suspect that there is more behind his intentions than meets the eye.

Blackleg Sanji:

Bar Shift (4/4 Series)

An all-rounder, front of house manager finally acquires the first day off she's had in a very long time. Sanji, the ever faithful "work-husband" makes her breakfast just in time for Patty to break the news to her that her peaceful day off is to come to an end. Covering the bar shift for one of her staff members, shenanigans and mutual pining ensues.

Waltz (Dance Series) (one-shot)

The chief negotiator and relations expert of the Straw-Hat pirates attempts to teach her captain how to perform a waltz to woo the upper class in a formal setting. She finds joy in movement, but Luffy himself was found to be truly incapable of performing the dance to an adequate level. At lunch, she notices how Sanji holds himself; his posture strong and rigid as he effortlessly glides around the table. She asks him to dance, and he truly surprises her.

3, 2, 1 (request) (3/3 Series)

Sanji notices some interesting etchings against the Going Merry's Chronicler's Journal. Questioning her, she informs him the 'x's and numbers are indicating his amount of cigarette breaks per day and the duration they are taken.Brainstorming ideas on how to achieve the same rush of adrenaline, endorphins and breath control in a healthier way than nicatine addiction; the chronicler, in her genius, suggests they share kisses and bold embraces for the duration of his many breaks: all kept under the strict limit of the egg-shaped timer.

"Someone. Someone Help Me" (NSFW Pollen!Drabble)

"Thank You" (NSFW Pollen!One-Shot)

Sanji has inhaled pollen. There is nobody around to help him and he is a desperate, pleading, subby mess.

Your Flirty Chef (one-shot)

Sanji has been working hard lately, your flirty chef no longer as present as you’d like him to be. You both have some unspoken flirtation between you, hopefully something to shatter by moulding him beneath the touch of your hands.

Kiss the Cook (one-shot)

Sanji was gifted an apron from Nami after returning back from town. Every member of the crew aside from Zoro and you have followed the embroidered instructions written on his chest, and he wasn't happy about the lack of kisses from you. You finally relent and give him what he wants.

By feel (one-shot)

You challenge Sanji to demonstrate his impressive knife skills for you by chopping up vegetables while blindfolded. He becomes flustered by the amount of attention you give to him.

Chef's Cure Gone Wrong (drabble)

A small anecdote about Sanji's ailment at Baratie. Chafing is a chef's worst nightmare.

Food Preferences (drabble)

Sanji x Reader x Zoro:

Sanji caters to suit your personal food preferences, and it hurts him to learn of how truly picky you were with your food. He lives to serve, but his background as a great cook leaves him with a bruised ego to dull down his extravagant meals. (Tw: eating disorder hinted)

Limits (One-Shot)

Baratie has been overbooked, and the tension in the kitchen has been overwhelming. Being a hard-working kitchen hand, you have been covering far too many shifts. Sensing the overwhelm, your coworker attempts to aid you through your emotions.

Eyes Meeting (NSFW part 1)

Lips Brushing (NSFW part 2)

Sanji is in a relationship with the ships chronicler. Zoro accidentally stumbles across them engaging together in intimacy. As soon as his eyes meet with the chronicler's, he is enchanted by their beauty in their bliss.

Soul King Brook:

Parts You Left Behind (one-shot)

You are the ship’s counselor aboard the Polar Tang. Giving your captain the permission he desires to behave idiotically with the two Nakama captains, you give yourself permission to behave with similar unbridled stupidity. The Soul-King Brook has your romantic attention: you love his energy and decide to reciprocate his flirtations, no matter how crass and distasteful they come across.

Misc and Multiples:

Get Well Soon (Drabble one-shot)

You're sick, and they do their best to support you through it. Zoro, Sanji, Mihawk

Mistletoe (one-shot) (Straw-Hat holiday special)

The botanist aboard the Going Merry shares a cultural tradition with her crew; introducing them and reeducating them on the importance of mistletoe and the mischievousness of her playful lips. Every single member receives a kiss from the botanist; all welcome to her sharing her culture with them.

The Selkie and the Sailor: Mini Fic Drabble (One-Shot)

A mythical creature has rescued the captain of the straw-hat pirates from drowning in the sea. As her eyes meet with the crew, she is immediately taken with one of the sailors: Zoro, Sanji, Luffy

Kiss their cheek (Drabble one-shot)

It was a simple reaction, an impulse you felt organic and out of your control. Their cheek was right there, and the swell in your chest and spike of adrenaline prompted you to lunge forward and capture their cheek beneath your lips. How do they react to such a soft touch? Do they shy away, or do they respond in kind? Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, Law, Kid

Recovery (one-shot)

You are in a recovery cot in a hospital willing to accommodate you, resting as your body heals from your latest battle. Expecting to recover alone, you are pleasantly surprised to find yourself within the company of the person you craved the most. Zoro, Sanji

Competency, Stupidity, Duality (One-Shot)

They can't help what attracted them to you. No matter what you did, they simply couldn't get enough of you. Their emotions finally catch up with them, and they confess their adoration for you. Kid, Zoro, Killer.

Zosan / Acesan Drabble (anon ask)

Angst, pining, grieving

[peaxhxhair]

Hello!😁

Can i request Lucifer with a male!reader s/o that had a bad encounter while being out and about, exploring the pride ring? Like when male s/o arrives home he acts all gloomy until bedtime where lucifer tries to comfort and cheer him up, peppering him with kisses and hugs until it suddenly turns a little bit too-heated and then smutty shenanigans ensues👀

A/n: HELLO!! Thank you SO much for the request! This is my first time writing a kinda smutty fanfic so PLEASE forgive me if it's shit 😭 lmk if you want a part two!

Pairing: Lucifer x Male!Reader

Warning: NSFW CONTENT, Handjob, Cuz (idk what else to put here I cant lie 😭)

Navigation

Hazbin hotel - MASTERLIST

Kofi <3

The pride ring was your favourite place. It was just so… interesting to you. There was something about the blood splattered streets of hell that made you want to explore every inch of it. Your partner thought it was a bad idea for you to go out alone - especially around the likes of cannibal town.

You knew that Lucifer just wanted to keep you safe, but you were a grown man - fully capable of protecting yourself. He, of course, would rather protect you himself, but you couldn’t rely on him for everything.

It was near noon when you reached the entrance to cannibal town. You knew to avoid the people, to avoid being eaten alive or something. So, you slithered around the outskirts of the town, looking through all the alleyways before facing the open areas. You were a little surprised by how many corpses you found in each alley. Though, it was more so about how they had left anything at all.

Your face scrunched at the thought of their final moments, continuing down the street. Well, that was until you were knocked off your feet. You stumble, face colliding with the floor as you struggle to recover from being knocked over. You’re quick to pick yourself up, only to be knocked over again - landing on your ass this time.

Now looking up at whoever was knocking you around, the club in his hand drew your attention - along with the butcher’s uniform. Shit. Maybe bringing Lucifer was actually a good idea…Too late now…

You could clobber this guy if you wanted to, but was it really worth it? You could just run away. *Smack*

Oh yeah it’s definitely worth it.

—

“Fuckin’ piece of shit” You grumble as you push open the front door to your house. Your left hand was holding your nose as it poured with blood - an attempt to keep any from getting on your clothes, until you can find a tissue or something. You slam the front door behind you.

You hobble into the kitchen, shoving your bloody hands under the sink after it was turned on. Once your hands were clean, you splashed your face with water, grumbling as it just spread blood around your face instead of getting rid of it.

“Love, is that you?” Lucifer calls from upstairs. It was surprising that he actually heard you come in, considering he was usually hidden away in his office.

You chose not to answer him. It wasn’t long before he poked his head through the kitchen door, noticing your rough appearance. “What happened?” His voice was immediately filled with concern, rushing to your side. He takes your face into his hands, eyes staring into yours.

“Some butcher wanted me for lunch” You answer, and his eyebrows furrow. You look away, already knowing what he wanted to say. Instead, he just sighs.

“Did you win?” You were surprised by his question, but nodded.

“Fuck yeah I did” The grin that grows on his face was so pure - like he was so proud of you. Even if he had seen you beat someone in a fight before. He leans up to kiss your cheeks, peppering your face with kisses until you let out a chuckle. Even with his lips all over your face, he had neglected your lips entirely.

“You gonna kiss me for real or not?” You joke, before his lips finally meet yours.

-----------— 18+ MINORS DNI—-----------

His hands are on your ass in an instant - yours moving into his hair. Your teeth clash together as his tongue invades your mouth, pushing your bodies closer together. He pushes you against the counter, lifting you so you are sat on top of it.

“Sure you’re tall enough for this?” You chuckle as you pull away from his lips, he scoffs.

“You’re a real piece of work, Y'know that?” He grumbles, moving to attack your neck. You gasp at the feeling of his teeth against your skin, tugging at his hair.

His hands move to undo your belt, discarding it onto the floor before taking off his own. You begin to lift your shirt, but he doesn’t let you - his lips connected to your neck, almost like a leech. You push him off by tugging on his hair again. A groan leaves his throat - guttural.

“Take it off” you point to his shirt, and he nods - obeying. You take off your own as he turns to discard the clothing, much like he had the belts.

You gaze at his chest and he flexes as you admire him. He chuckles for a moment, before his hands return to your body, trailing down your stomach until his thumbs graze the top of your pants. He gives you a look, and you nod in return - consenting.

His hands move into your trousers, caressing your thighs as he lifts you - taking the chance to rid you of the garment. He palms you through your underwear and your whole body twitches, a needy whine leaving your lips.

“You look so pretty under me, baby” he says, and you gasp as he pushes your underwear down - your cock springing free of its constraints.

“My beautiful boy” A choked moan emits from your mouth as his fingers wrap around your length - your back arching. He attaches his lips to your chest - sloppily leaving hickey around your nipples.

He begins to stroke your cock, applying pressure to your tip with his thumb. You twitch in his hand, moaning as you squirm under him. He uses his free hand to hold your hips down - forcing you to feel everything.

“Ah~ Luci~..Please~” You whine, and he laughs. He laughs as he watches you beg and plead for him, squeezing your cock as you writhed under him.

“Please what baby? Use your words” his face creeps closer to yours, and when you lean to kiss him, he pulls away - denying you.

You stutter, struggling to find the words as his hands pleasured you. You couldn’t keep yourself from coming undone, your head surging forward as your orgasm hits you. “Aah~ Please~” You groan again as your mum paints his hand, dripping down his arm. Your head rests against his shoulder as you attempt to catch your breath.

He plants a kiss on the top of your head, and you grunt in recognition. “We’re not done yet, love” He whispers into your hair, before picking you up and carrying you up the stairs and into your bedroom.

[meo-eiru]

Nyello meru, hope you're having a great day! Not a request by any means, just an idea that popped into my head...

First, I'd like to clarify that Micah scares the life out of me. But I can't help but think of Micah as an antique doll (like one of those really creepy ones). Imagine an antique shop owner that proudly sells anything in their shop at a high price bcs they're rare or smthg, but the one thing they are willing to let go at any price (yes, even the low low price of 1 cent if that's what the buyer wants!) or even for free is the Micah doll. Just take that creepy doll away already!!!

Then like cue the reader (or anyone really) that is super into dolls especially creepy ones. The shop owner gives it to the reader at whatever price they want, but there's a catch: the reader cannot return the Micah doll under any circumstances, unless the doll is just not creepy enough for them.

Then many many shenanigans ensue (idk maybe like feeling the doll's eyes on you when you have your back turned on them, leaving the doll sitting down but coming back to the room to see it in another position, classic doll horror stuff) but it's just not creepy enough. I can kinda imagine the horror on the shop owner's face if the reader returns it and showing absolutely no sign of being horrified.

Sorry for the long text! You can ignore this if you want. Hope you have a good day/night/rest of the week ♥️

Oh that would be such a fun AU!

Haunted antique doll Micah x Reader who bought him for funsies

Since he's very white if you mess his hair a bit too he'd look perfect as a ghost. He's very manipulative so I imagine he'd slowly ruin your life, scaring people away from you, killing them if he has to, making misfortune after misfortune happen to you until you can't take it anymore.

And when you are at your lowest he would appear in front of you like a savior

[teecupangel]

Hi teecup, I hope ur having a great day/noon/night!

Forgive me if the things i'm about to say don't make much sense. It's been a vey, very, very, difficult time for me and my countrymen here, and my ability to make coherent sentences have declined drastically. So, yeah... BUT! That doesn't matter haha.

Anyways, I had a thought. And i'm not even sure how or why i got it but.... hear me out now...

Our boy, Desmond, gets thrown back in time as usual, same old same old, right? Exept, this time he doesn't end up in the Big Three™'s time-line. He ends up in Al-Mualim's time. *insert mind-blown emoji here cuz i can't find it rn*

And ik that i'm not a certified AC Expert like u and many others, and i haven't really finished any of the AC games yet (i've only seen bits of AC III and have only started AC 2, I also haven't finished AC 1)

But I do know that he wasn't really that creepy and evil in his youth/ b4 he became The Old Man of the Moutain, so i was thinking maybe Desmond ends up in that era of Al Mualim or is it Rashid al-Din Sinan? I know that he's based on a real historical figure but i'm not so sure if he's called that in-game?

And knowing Desmond, he'd probably get the urge to kill Rashid (i hope i'm using the name correctly) the time he figures shit out and connect that dots. But he would end up not doing that, cuz u know, it might fuck up the time-line and Altaïr might end up not being born, creating a domino-effect.

I want Desmond to meet Rashid before he starts to becom the Al Mualim we know today, so that Desmond can see how he was b4 the evants of AC 1.

Maybe Rashid's an arrogant ass, or a nerdy loser, or a popular assassin- who knows! The possibilites are endless!! (or maybe he's an obsessive bastard who gets obsessed with Desmond cuz he's just full of mysteries and wonders :Dc )

And blah blah blah, plot here, plot there, Isu-bullshit this, time shenanigans that, and BOOM they meet.

And romance ensues? :3 (romace wil absolutely ensue :}}} )

NOW, BEFORE- BEFORE YOU TIE ME TO A STAKE AND BURN ME ALIVE FOR THIS- i think it'd be a cute idea, and who knows? maybe Rashid was hot in his prime *insert lenny face cuz even after all these years i still don't know how to type it and is too lazy to cop paste it* and maybe he liked to solve mysteries and had a thing for the unexplainable. And Desmond is the most unexplainable, most bizarre thing to have graced the earth :33333.

Now that i've got this idea out of my system i'm gonna go pray for the down fall of my coutry's shit for brain, good for nothing military government/hj.

bye! *evaporates*

I hope you’re doing alright and I’m sorry that it took two months before I could answer your ask TTATT

As far as I know, he was only called Al Mualim because of legal reasons but Rashid ad-Din Sinan was the leader of the Assassins in Masyaf during 1191 so it’s safe to assume Al Mualim is AC’s version of Rashid (historically he died in 1193, not 1191.

.

Okay. We can make this work.

We put Desmond at around the same time he’s the recruit and we make it hard for him to realize he’s Al Mualim until it’s too late by doing one simple thing:

Desmond doesn’t know Al Mualim’s real name.

He always knew it as Al Mualim. As far as he knew, Al Mualim was his actual name.

Then he remembered that Al Mualim can mean mentor and bangs his head on the nearest flat surface.

His mission has been clear from the start.

Become an Assassin, take out Al Mualim before he does shit, find Umar and adopt him then play matchmaker so Altaïr would be born.

And no.

Desmond wasn’t going to think about the whole “can you truly be sure that the person who will be born will be Altaïr if you change the circumstances of his conception?”

Yeah.

His head hurts just thinking about it so he won’t.

For now, he’ll focus on his training while keeping a look out for anyone who gives of Al Mualim vibes.

What’s the Al Mualim vibes?

Manipulative old man vibes.

The problem is…

Rashid is one of the recruits in the same batch as Desmond and he becomes Desmond’s closest friend.

And there was no way Desmond would ever be friends with a future power hungry asshole like Al Mualim.

No way.

.

The way their relationship becomes romantic really depends on the kind of personality young Rashid would have.

A nerdy loser who starts making a name for himself because of his intelligence and tactical mind would start off as the kid Desmond sorta looks after. When he starts to show that his strength lies in making plans and quick judgments, he becomes the man whispering on Desmond’s ear. Providing plans and suggestions while giving Desmond a heads up on the less savory words people say about him. Desmond would never think this Rashid is Al Mualim because he’s nice and truly do want to help Desmond. This is also how Rashid would show his love for Desmond and, really, Desmond would think they’re bros and when he realizes that Rashid actually loves him, he’d think “oh, I am Ezio’s descendant”

An arrogant ass Rashid would butt heads with Desmond but Desmond would find himself fond of the man because he reminds him of AC1 Altaïr. This is the Rashid who would definitely be counted as a tsundere and their relationship would start when Rashid just flatout tells Desmond that he wants to do unspeakable things to him while they’re arguing. Desmond is offended because “tugging on my pigtails doesn’t work in real life, dumbass!” and Rashid is just “???” because what the fuck are pigtails??? Lots of awkwardness until Desmond realize that butting heads with Rashid is really how they flirt.

Now. Popular Assassin Rashid is more on the side of polite but is absolutely Desmond’s rival. Whatever it is, the two of them are always competing. Unlike the arrogant ass version, this Rashid is always nice to Desmond. The whole “no hard feelings” and pure competitiveness are what drives their relationship. This is the one where the two of them spar privately one time and things happen. They would try to distant themselves from one another for a bit until they finally talk it out. Rashid honestly didn’t think he loved Desmond until the whole ‘after-sparring’ thing.

Whichever you pick as Rashid’s background, he will become obsessed with Desmond but it’s more on the side of “I will do everything to make Desmond happy” which is good for Desmond but not really good for anyone against him.

.

Desmond is the one who adopts Umar in this one and Umar imprints on him like a baby duckling to a mama duckling. Everyone actually assumed Umar is his bastard son. Desmond ignores it even though he’s only like… a decade and a half older than Umar.

Rashid definitely treats him like Desmond’s son. He’s Umar’s favorite of all of Desmond’s friends.

And really, Desmond should have seen that as a hint of Rashid’s ‘future’.

Speaking of the future.

He’s been looking for Al Mualim this entire time and he has his suspects (Rashid, however, is not on the list) but honestly?

He’s just waiting for the person who would be picked as the one to lead the expansion to Masyaf since that would be Al Mualim.

Desmond has, unfortunately, fucked up the timeline so badly that the person chosen to lead the expansion?

It was Desmond.

.

Sidebar: Faheem would be that cute younger brother who turns grumpy when he grows up. Desmond will forever grieve the lost of little cute Faheem. Faheem is always embarrassed when Desmond talked about his ‘past’.

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Recs 75

I watched Deadpool & Wolverine this weekend and fell down the Poolverine fic rabbit hole, so there will be a few of those recs on here. But never fear! There are still the usual Superbat and Batfam fics as well :)

Also! There is a little less than a month to go for @superbatweek2024 ! I am so excited to see what every has created :D

Anyway, on to the fics!

Batnesia by Qui - Superbat, complete. Not quite done with this fic, but I will be by the end of the weekend. Bruce gets amnesia from fighting a bad guy and thinks he and Clark are dating. Shenanigans ensue.

Star Tied by Imagine_sleeping - Superbat, complete. Yayy!! This superbat soulmates fic is complete! If you've been waiting to read it until it was finished NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!

we shall be free; we shall find peace by mediant @blorb-el - Superbat, wip. More of the rhubarb Clark fic. Clark is gently questioned by Wonder Woman and Batman and meets a few Robins. Uhhhggggg, I had so many feels while reading this chapter, especially with Clark's concern and worry for Kon, Bruce reading his body language, and the Robins over reacting. Such a good chapter and I am excited for the next!

extortion by pomeloquat @pomeloquat - Superbat, complete. A fic where Bruce and Clark role play Clark blackmailing Bruce to sleep with him (while Bruce is dating the beloved superhero Superman).

Caught and Kept by TiniestGoblin @sing-a-sirensong - Superbat, complete. Another fic where Bruce and Clark role play, but this time where evil alien overlord Superman has capture Batman.

riding the blues by TheResurrectionist @frownyalfred - Batfam, complete. An outsider POV where an Uber driver picks up Dick and dives him to Bludhaven. A conversation about parents and how they show their love ensues.

I'm Down on My Knees (I Wanna Take You There) by ephemeralbaby - Poolverine, complete. Car sex, but not in the one you were expecting.

obsessed by seitti - Poolverine, complete. A smutty 5+1 fic :)

your fool in this game for two by abillionstars - Poolverine, complete. I am IN LOVE with this fic. It's has everything I want, friends to lovers, they were roommates, and being domestic together. It's perfect!

Please Please Please (don't prove I'm right) by thebitchywitcher - Poolverine, complete. Another 5+1 fic, but with Wade praising Logan.

Happy reading!

[marinerendevouz]

enemies to lovers with fine + switch !

ft. eichi tenshouin, yuzuru fushimi, tori himemiya, wataru hibiki & natsume sakasaki, tsumugi aoba, sora harukawa

eichi tenshouin

• listen. hear me out here. being the younger sibling of rei and ritsu.

• SO many opportunities for silly shenanigans to ensue

• i can imagine eichi being the one to attempt (keyword: attempt) to court you first

• which obviously, considering his history with rei, is honestly REALLY WEIRD?

• you’re just like . What the fuck are you doing while eichi like . Winks at you or something

• seriously so awkward. you hate his guts tbh and are planning on his downfall together with rei

• ritsu finds it so So stupid. probably gossips ? gossipED ? about you with eichi at tea club . eichi was kicking his feet and giggling the entire time

• part of him doesn’t believe his crush is genuine at first. he thinks that it’s amusing, obviously, but real feelings ? he is simply not allowed to feel those…

• until now that is !

• he thinks your snarky remarks and nonchalant gaze are enrapturing

• meanwhile, you: (ʘ言ʘ╬)

• you accompany rei and ritsu to ensemble square quite often, which means you are (unfortunately) greeted by the presence of eichi almost Daily. A Nightmare for sure

• as time goes on, you see how hardworking and charismatic eichi is while performing his duties as executive for starmaker productions and well. even You can’t deny it’s a little attractive. ONLY a little (a lot)

• once eichi catches on to you reciprocating his feelings, he is SO ANNOYING!!!

• teasing gets way wayyy worse. honestly it’s over for you, personally i would have kms by that point

• and once rei notices your banter with eichi turning into FLIRTING? it is joever for you

• half of him is extremely disgusted . he is clinging to his beloved ritsu to console him . the other half is impressed somehow

• “ah, of all people, it had to be him?” “listen i didn’t want this either, rei” - you

• to see your hatred of what eichi did turn into understanding… really even you’re impressed with yourself

• and eichi is Actively trying to be better . he is a little fucked up but it’s okay you can fix him (and also make him worse)

• also i think it’s so funny to imagine eichi’s pale ass figure visit the dark, brooding, gothic sakuma estate. Family dinner visit !

• rei does not give his approval. he almost throws a plate at eichi

• ritsu just gives you two a thumbs up

• a happy family for sure ❤️

yuzuru fushimi

• as the best friend of tori, you have personal beef with his butler

• WHY is he always with tori. how are you two meant to get up to mischief with him constantly Watching. Always Watching.

• and yuzuru thinks you are a horrible influence on his young master

• an OUTRAGEOUS CLAIM which you are ready to fistfight him for . you exude nothing but purity, innocence and charm

• tori is somewhere between amused by your hatred for yuzuru and tired of hearing you talk about him ALL THE TIME

• “and why does he have to constantly be watching you? seriously, he should get a hobby. he’s an idol, too, right? actually i can kind of see why, he definitely has the looks to make it in the industry. anyway—” “OH MY GOD SHUT UP (Y/N)”

• tori doesn’t understand why you’re so Oblivious and so Dumb . he cries to eichi-sama about it who is too busy . idk watching wataru turn into a bird

• yuzuru just watches you with that type of . Evil and Scary closed eye smile that he is a pro at

• honestly? you’re quivering in your boots. but also admiring his smile. his smile is really pretty. Wait a minute.

• the complaining turns into swooning ! who would have guessed (tori) (he guessed) (he knew) (and now he has to listen to you talk about yuzuru 25/7)

• you clean up your act in order to impress him. No More late night snack runs with tori. you are a SAINT

• yuzuru finds it endearing and honestly quite entertaining

• soon enough, he finds himself completely charmed by your. erm. really strange(?) behaviour

• he, himself, is also a strange individual so there’s no surprise there

• tori sets up tea dates for the both of you as well awwww. What a good friend (he invites you over for tea with him then runs away when yuzuru comes to serve you tea. it is a Kind Of tea date)

• honestly you scored a 10/10 baddie GOOD FOR YOU

tori himemiya

• ok i know i have done the sibling ones So often already but. tsukasa’s sibling. YOU being tsukasa’s sibling that is.

• you and tsukasa are constantly discussing how tori has Wronged you everyday

• tori just looks at you both and calls you a fugly pair of siblings

• “listen i’m not saying we bring a lighter to the next fine concert But”

• “that is not appropriate at all… that being said i am not discarding the idea”

• dw about tori he has his own personal bodyguard (yuzuru) to ward off predators (you and tsukasa)

• how is he so much cuter, more successful, prettier, funnier, cuter—

• you know that type of jealousy and hatred that you realise is actually. Much deeper feelings. Yeah. it’s that

• tori gets a lot busier with idol work and that’s when you realise you miss going to the student council office just to banter with him.

• it is so so lonely and so so cold… (2 hours no tori)

• head on the desk. you feel yourself drifting further and further away…

• “hey, what’s up loser”

• RAGE. tori himemiya.

• half play fighting half unbridled rage . its like a pair of kittens toppling over and hissing

• tori also (maybe) (kind of) missed you too. he complained. Loudly. to yuzuru who was like Alright we are going to see them then!

• eventually the teasing insults and fighting turns into the type of fighting that you do as a couple. idk it just KIND OF HAPPENS?

• tsukasa is like. Well i do not approve but at least it’ll be good for our family business

• a good end. a happy end. eichi and wataru have adopted the two of you as their own

• “AMAZING! when is the wedding” “NEVER SHUT UP”

• you buy matching, cutesey couple items and then fight over them

• really what’s a good relationship without a few death threats here and there

wataru hibiki

• i really cannot imagine wataru having an enemy. SURE he has a lot of haters (tomoya) (hokuto) but even then it is done so in an affectionate manner. There is simply No hatred in his heart. only silliness

• so unfortunately your hatred of him is one-sided ! enemy to lovers part 2

• being a rival actor to THE wataru hibiki is certainly a predicament. i mean he has sentient hair is there anything he can’t do

• and it pisses you off. Majorly. who does this absolute clown think he is

• you try your hardest at Every show, you sing your heart out, put the most effort in

• and then there’s wataru. who is Equally as hardworking but somehow 10x more charismatic

• even eichi tenshouin is his biggest fan . he has capitalism on his side

• so you have a burning jealousy and hatred for this man . Well until he offers to do a show WITH you

• you just give him the blankest stare . What are you on about

• while he’s laughing to himself and monologuing on how you two would make the perfect lead roles

• ????? SERIOUSLY

• that’s how you get roped into performing with him and a bunch of idols in dramatica . And well they are certainly an interesting bunch

• as you prepare for the (romantic btw) musical you convince yourself the warmth you feel in your cheeks at his love proclamations is just Method Acting

• IT IS NOT!!!! no one can resist his charm

• you also see how well respected he is as an actor and his true talent on stage

• like . He was one of the eccentrics for a reason. he is stupidly good at acting

• jealousy turns to admiration and well. yeah you guessed it ! admiration turns into an intolerable crush

• wataru, similarly, is impressed at your prowess for acting and shows no signs of being quiet about it. he is yelling how talented you are every 5 seconds and joking how he may Really fall for you

• spoiler warning: he does

• flash forward 6 months . Time for the play

• at the kiss scene it all really comes together . it is a sincerely romantic and genuine kiss

• the crowd is going WILD (except eichi) (he’s jealous) (“i wish that was me fr”)

• backstage, you may just pass out

• but of course wataru is there to lift you up and be a shoulder you can lean on

• And that’s how you scored a date with THE wataru hibiki . he is everyone’s wataru but especially yours

• absolute 10/10 power couple watch out hollywood (and eichi)

• tomoya is just hoping you can tame him or something

natsume sakasaki

• i am so normal over him guys trust (lie) (such a lie)

• he is the perfect candidate for enemies to lovers . something about him just screams ‘i love you in a way that is so painful and so mean’

• anyways . being the apprentice of wataru after natsume stops being his apprentice

• I AM SO SANE OVER THIS CONCEPT

• obviously you were Not Really involved in the war so you’re pretty clueless as to natsume’s former relationship with wataru

• which makes you question why he is such an asshole to you. LIKE he does not take your magic seriously at all

• he thinks that you are not qualified which is . so stupid like you cannot gatekeep being an evil wizard okay that title is for anyone

• in reality… he is a tiny bit insecure that you’re good enough at magic to be wataru’s apprentice

• magic and alchemy has always been something that his character is largely based on and for someone to take over that role so quickly ?!?&:!

• so he Pretends that whenever wataru is telling him about your latest experiments and tricks that he is Not impressed .

• he's basically the yawns . sloppy. boring. lazy .

• he actually really wants to discuss magic with you but every time you meet he just scowls and acts like a bitch. in usual natsume ‘i hate being vulnerable or showing any feelings’ agenda

• so that means you’re going to have to make the first move. otherwise the enemies to lovers slowburn 100k words pining fic ends HERE

• if you ask him for help with magic he is going to be so smug

• like “hM, i figured the likes of you would need help from me afterALL”

• just try not to punch him in the face it will be WORTH IT OKAY!!!

• his hands are actually really shaky the whole time and he is trying his hardest not to mess up it’s actually So so cute

• and natsume gets to assess your magic prowess too (he’s impressed btw. he wouldn’t tell you that so i’m passing on the message. he's falling in love so quick but don’t tell him i told you ok)

• and so you meet up at his secret room regularly ! and with sora too who you become apprentice buddies with ^_^ so joyous

• listen i wasn’t going to include the love potion natsume trope in this but these headcanons are tropey enough let me have this

• you confess by making a love potion together with him PLEASE HEAR ME OUT

• anyways you are the best most magical couple in all of ensemble stars . you create tricky little spells to foil your enemies (eichi tenshouin) and then kiss wearing witch’s hats . the end

tsumugi aoba

• another good enemies to lovers candidate but in a More pathetic way i think

• you’re the producer for past fine. please hear me out on this concept

• i think your beef would be similar to eichi and hiyori . like divorced couple type romance

• you are regretful of the war and find the memories to be bittersweet. then you talk to tsumugi and he’s like Yeah haha i would probably do it again

• HE HAS ISSUES

• and yet he’s still one of the only people who truly understands and unconditionally supports you… this is a sick and twisted world

• i think tsumugi is too moe kyaah anime girl to have any hatred towards you so the enemies to lovers will (once again) be one sided

• he brings up your time as second years and you feel the need to throttle him

• yet you know him so well too, especially how he overworks himself

• and as an ensemble square producer you have to take care of his soggy pathetic self. Sorry

• that one romance trope of the person bandaging the wounds of the love interest . that’s you two except it’s you dragging his ass to bed at 3am

• he will complain . so you have to compromise on letting him cuddle you

• everyone notices how close you two are btw . sora is that one image that’s like ‘hey why does senpai call you babygirl’ ‘how about we stop talking for a little while’

• you Deny all the outrageous claims that you CARE??? for him and say it is rather your past together that makes you feel obligated but it was like two? three? years ago mostly everyone has moved on. stop lying to yourself

• you two have healed Together… and that is what makes your love so raw and vulnerable and eughhsjk this is so sappy and cute. Throws up

• hiyori and nagisa are both so happy that you two are together and finally found peace (sort of)

• eichi is like Hm. interesting . this is awkward

• but it’s okay . because everything is fine (haha get it) now and you and tsumugi are (past) war criminals together ^_^

sora harukawa

• sora is too full of JOY and HAPPINESS to be enemies with anyone . So we are going a bit off script you are rivals in this scenario

• video game rivals to be precise ! i feel like the 🤓 typing this but it’s CUTESEY I PROMISE

• mostly you two play multiplayer games together and get a teensy bit competitive . in the video game club of Course which means we get natsume to be the (totally unbiased) judge

• sora is realllyyy good at video games which means you frequently lose . this is why you have waged war on him

• you will not STOP until the ultimate gamer title becomes yours

• sora is just ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ he’s happy to indulge and play games with you because your colour is always so bright and vibrant when you do !

• little does he know you are plotting his Demise. his demise on little big planet or something

• days, nights, weeks, months you train to beat him. and you never do

• he keeps winning everytime and always acts so modest about it which is even WORSE!!! you can't even get mad when he’s so polite about beating you

• once sora notices your colour becoming more dull because of how demotivated you are he gets really worried (◞‸◟；) he loves playing games but loves spending time with you more…

• once you admit that you’re upset about being worse at games he thinks of a quick solution ! play games together instead of against each other and he can teach you all his tricks

• (natsume offers to help too but he's Not important and he is an asshole . Do not trust)

• so your weekly gaming tournaments basically turn into gaming dates ft thirdwheel natsume and sometimes tsumugi

• cutest CUTEST couple 10/10 i love

• natsume approves too btw . 10/10

• tsumugi is a Little confused but he has the spirit (he also rates 10/10)

• (rinne will not be Making an appearance in fear of shu finding out but he also rates 10/10. Save him from shu)

OKAY KIND OF IMPORTANT MESSAGE SO PLEASE READ!!!

i would have made a separate post for this but i feel like no one would read it so. i’m finally back after um. 10 months. i was super busy and kind of lost interest in enstars and other things so i pretty much abandoned this blog… BUT I HAVE RETURNED! i’m going to try posting every so often and interacting more with you guys on here ^_^ i cleared out my inbox (sorry to anyone who sent things in, it was cluttered and stressing me out haha) so feel free to send me any asks! i will NOT be opening specific requests, but you can feel free to send suggestions for prompts, scenarios or characters you want me to make headcanons for and i’ll try my best!! i also want to try out writing proper fics alongside the silly hc posts, but i might mostly post those on ao3, though i would like a nice balance between silly and serious(ish). i will also try writing for other fandoms like mhyk, twst and pjsekai since i am heavily in those as well but yeah!! my official comeback methinks. hope to chat more with everyone! ♡

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week (2024): Day 1

Prompts: Oneshots/Ninja! (Keeping it a little short today since I'm LATE but here's a lists of oneshot starring the Ninja!)

Ninja Oneshots:

A Little More Than Sixteen Candles: My self-rec for this list! A story about Kai celebrating his birthday with the Ninja for the very first time...and the fact they don't actually know how old he is. Shenanigans ensue <3

Unfortunately, You're Amazing: I've been slacking on reading Jay fics lately (A CRIME) but this one's a classic favorite of mine! Deals with Jay and his lamentable fascination with Samurai X and their mech—though, maybe the unexpected friendship may led tot something better later on?

Adjusting: Heard there was an outcry for some Pre-Pilot fics, so what better one than this story about Cole?? Cole attempts to make friends with the bizarre newfound members of this so-called team, but he has some trouble...adjusting (OOOH TITLE DROP!!!)

My Battery is Low (And it's Getting Dark): Always a must-recommend from me, this Zane-centric tale chronicles his time alone in the Never-Realm through a video diary that breaks down his feelings on the other Ninja, his attempts at dealing with his situation...and his own spiraling doubts and loneliness until suddenly he doesn't

D is For Don't Drop Kick Metal Helmets Unless You're Wearing Shoes: Gotta be logged into Ao3 for this one mmmBUT it's a fun little story focusing on Nya, her time as Samurai X, and bits of her and Cole's dynamic! Really great character voice in this one, along with many funny and charming moments!

Some Burn Hot, Some Burn Cold: A Lloyd story that have served as a great inspiration to me along with being an all-around fascinating look into how Lloyd deals with his emotions, especially compared to everyone else. Love me some Lloyd confronting emotions *-*)9

[strawburry01]

Let's Dance

Summary: Y/N and Angus at a frat party. Shenanigans ensue.

Word Count: 4k

MDNI because of directions this will go in the future.

Authors Note: This will probably start a wee series of college age Angus and Y/N having some classic college adventures. Also was really hard to figure out what fraternity I don't HATE based on irl experiences. DU is fine but on god fuck Delta Chi and fuck SNU. That's all <3 hope you enjoy. (also I said I'd get this out today and I still got 30 minutes to spare! go me)

Down the hall you heard your friend, Abby, shriek as another girl cackled at her misfortune. You simply shook your head at yourself and continued to try and get the perfect curl in your hair without burning it all off in the process. It was the second Friday of the Fall term which meant the honorable men of Delta Upsilon invited your, and many other, sororities to their house for their yearly toga party. It was how they properly introduced their newest men to everyone. You had found a pale yellow sheet in the bottom of your suitcase that you definitely hadn’t been saving just for this occasion, even since you heard about it last year. You weren’t one for attention, especially from fraternity brothers, but so what, you wanted to look good if you were going to look silly at the same time. 

“Y/N please you’ve been in there for an hour, let’s go,” Abby whined through the door following it with some demonic scraping from her nails. You laughed and set your curling iron down, deciding this would just have to be good enough. You opened the door to see her nearly tumble in after leaning on the door to wait for you.

“Oh come on it wasn’t that long,” you laughed as you gently pushed her arm. 

“You’re right it’s actually been five hours. For fucks sake all the cute boys will be gone by the time we get there!” she groaned, throwing her hand against her forehead dramatically. You scoffed and rolled your eyes as you walked into your room to grab your bag and coat. 

“They’re frat brothers, you aren’t missing out I promise,” you mutter as you throw your keys and lipgloss into your bag. You hesitate before admittedly throwing a condom into your bag, trying to do so out of view of Abby before she crucified you for just calling the boys unworthy. 

“But Jake was so nice to me during football season last week,” Abby continued as she flopped onto your bed.

“What were you wearing?” you asked, putting your arms carefully into your coat to try and avoid running your perfect knots keeping the sheet up and over you. 

“My cheerleading uniform but I hardly see how that’s relevant,” she answered, raising an eyebrow as she lifted her head. You zipped up your jacket and shrugged.

“ ‘M just saying there may have been some ulterior motives,”. She threw a pillow from your bed at you which you laughed at and dodged before it thunked to the floor. “Alright sleepyhead let’s go I hear we’re late,” you said as you turned out the door. She quickly jumped up and trailed close behind you. 

Abby was a year younger than you, it was her first year in college and you had been trying to keep a close, but not too close eye on her. There were certain mistakes everyone in college had to make once, just to learn how to be a human, but there were other ones you figured you could save her from. One of these being, frat boys. 

You two walked down the cold Boston suburban-esque street, her bouncing off the sidewalk beside you listing off everyone she’d gotten to know this week. You could only nod and laugh as you tried to figure out how she wasn’t freezing. It was a Friday night so you could hear music and shouts coming from several of the houses you passed, but it wasn’t until you got to Greek row it got real rambunctious. Even outside of the Sigma Tau Epsilon house, a large horde of white toga-ed folks were forming. Part of you just wanted to scurry back home and call it a night, but you knew once you were a few drinks in you’d warm up to the idea of socializing. It was just going to be a grin-and-bear-it situation until then. Before you could even track her down, Abby had started talking to a tall blonde guy who was certainly a fifth year. You grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from him. 

“At least talk to someone reasonable for your age,” you chided her. 

“Oh come on mom,” she whined, but happily followed you dragging her inside. Inside was thick with the waft of alcohol, cigarettes, weed, and BO. As expected of course. You dragged her inside and threw your bag into a safe looking corner and draped your coat over it. People didn’t usually take shit unless it looked valuable. 

“Okay- you ready for this?” you asked, turning to your bright-eyed and optimistic friend. She eagerly nodded. You couldn’t help but smile at her. You were in her shoes only a year ago. The two of you wander into the kitchen area to try and steal some drinks from the coolers before any of the boys could catch you. You tossed your friend a Coor’s and cracked open your own before weaving between the robed frat boys and girls to try and nudge your way to the basement where the music was thumping from. It was Marvin Gaye incredibly, and impressively loud.

You start to make your way down the stairs before you realized Abby wasn’t trailing behind you. Your head snapped back and found her somehow talking to the Jake boy. How she did that was beyond you, but you did have to admit Jake wasn’t terrible looking. At least if she was going to be infatuated he was going to be cute. Her hand touched his bicep as she laughed at his joke, making eye contact with you and shooting you a wink. Okay, she was fine. You raised your drink in silent cheers before continuing down the stairs. 

If upstairs was hot, the basement was hellish. You could feel the speakers in your bones as everyone stood dancing and gyrating around each other in the middle of the basement. Maybe it was good it was a toga party, less clothes to stink up the place. Most of the girls seemed to at least figure to wear a bra underneath. Others seemed to be a little less fortunate as they tried to cover themselves and retie their sheets. You find yourself pressed up to the side of the basement, enjoying the coolness of the wall, albeit fleeting. You nodded your head to the music as you sipped the beer. It wasn’t great, but it would get the job done to get your guard down a little. 

“Hey,”.

You nearly jump out of your skin as the new presence beside you scares the living shit out of you. Even though it was a crowded basement, someone standing specifically besides you really snapped you out of your wallflower state. You nearly spit out your beer but manage to keep it in as a last ditch at saving grace.

You’re glad you did as you look over to see who so rudely scared you. He was tall with a disheveled and sweaty mess of curly brown hair that stuck to his forehead and the side of his face. Precariously perched on top of the nest of hair was a wreath of (spray painted) gold laurels, an attempt to stick to the theme with the white bed sheet that hung off his lanky frame. He was looking down at you with a smirk plastered to the left corner of his face. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he laughed with a raspy-esque voice, no doubt from yelling over music. He didn’t look like the other frat boys you were so used to.

“ ‘S alright,” you say as you instinctively tuck some of your loose hair behind your ear as a nervous habit, looking up at him. He leaned against the wall and cocked his head to the side.

“What’s your name?” he asked. You felt your stomach flip again, cursing the fact that you were just so critical of Abby falling head over heels in a single conversation. It was something about him that wasn’t like other frat boys you’d met. He wasn’t groping you or slurring his words. He was startlingly present. He also looked like a pipe cleaner compared to the jocks that usually joined greek life. It intrigued you. 

“Y/N, what about you?” you answered, leaning forward on your heels a little. You could blame the noise. He nodded, and kept staring into your eyes, like he was analyzing everything about you.

“Angus,” he said, leaning his head forward a little. Definitely because of the noise. “Do we have Greco Literature together?” he asked, “ you look insanely familiar”. You felt your face heat up a little as you realized you totally did have class with him, and had just never noticed him.

“At 10:00am? With Dr. Moreland?” you asked as you copied him and leaned against the wall on your side now. He nodded, his eyes not leaving you.

“Really interesting stuff huh?” he said. You couldn’t tell if he was joking and you raised an eyebrow before he laughed. “I’m fucking with you, that man teaches with a stick up his ass,”. You chuckled as you took another sip of your drink before offering Angus some. He took a long swig before handing it back to you. 

“What the hell man you drank it all,” you fakely scoffed as you felt how light the can was now. He grinned mischievously,

“Don’t act like you didn’t steal that from here,” he said as he returned your raised eyebrow. You couldn’t help but bite the inside of your lip as he looked at you like that. Maybe you had a weakness for brown eyes.

“You DU’s are all the same,” you said, intrigued to see how he’d react. His face didn’t move an inch.

“Generalizations? Really? You seemed so smart for a sorority girl,” he remarked, pouting his lips. You opened your mouth to protest before realizing he was pulling your leg. You hit his arm instead.

“You’re just waiting for this all to become an orgy down here with all these bed sheets,” you said, leaning in again, looking up at Angus through your eyelashes.

“It’s not gonna be an orgy, it’s a toga party,” he said, drawing out the words, moving his head only to a few inches from yours, that fucking know it all smirk back on his face. “Yours looks nice though,” he added on, as he held some of the fabric between his long fingers. You tried not to overthink it. 

“Thank you. I came to last years and learned my lesson,” you said as you heard another scream from a poor girl losing their top. He laughed as he turned towards the scream.

“So you’re a sophomore huh?” he asked, turning his attention back to you.

“Don’t tell me you’re a freshman,” you said, faking that you were aghast at the idea. He rolled his eyes at your dramatics.

“Yeah, but only because my prep school wouldn’t let me graduate on time. I’m 20 next month,” he explained, obviously not wanting to get anything misunderstood. As long as he wasn’t 18 you’d be able to be at peace with yourself. He opened his mouth to add something before one of his frat brothers grabbed him and quickly whispered something in his ear, you awkwardly looked back to the mass of dancing limbs, trying not to notice Angus watching you as he listened to his friend. He firmly punched his friend in the side as he laughed off nearly tripping over his own feet, but not without leaving Angus with a bottle of Double Diamond which he somehow expertly struck against the wall to pop the cap off of. You kept how impressed you were on the inside as you watched him quickly try to consume all the beer before it foamed out the top. You tried not to watch his Adam’s apple bob as he somehow drank it all in one go. Was it weird if you said you were impressed and slightly turned on by it? 

The piano of Louie Louie distracted you. Angus gingerly set the bottle on the ground and grabbed your hand. 

“Dance with me?” he asked, cheeks rosy from chugging the beer. You couldn’t help but nod and smile as he pulled you into the crowd. Before you tumbled to the floor at the pull he placed a hand on your hip to steady you before quickly removing it. He mouthed the word sorry to you. God dammit could he try to be unlikable.

You laughed as you began to move your body in rhythm with the music, raising your arms above your head both for effect and also because there was simply no space. You felt Angus’s hands return to your hips as he moved in sync with you, but kept his distance away from you still. It only was until after the song and you draped your arms around the back of his neck and moved yourself closer so you were pressed up against each other. He looked down at you again with that smirk but it didn’t seem judgemental this time. 

“You dance with all the girls like this?” you said/shouted into his ears, on your toes to reach his ear. 

“Only the ones I like,” he said back into your ear, shivers running down your spine feeling his breath. You laughed and blushed as you tilted your head back so you were looking right up at him. You hand behind his neck ruffled his hair which admittedly did feel sweaty and sticky at this point, but you were over it.

“I like your hair,” you said-shout, still feeling confident and oddly optimistic about this one. He smiled and carefully wound the golden crown that was now flaking off gold specks, out of his hair and placed it gently on top of your head. He looked down at you like you were the only person in the basement and lifted his hand to hold your chin before making eye contact with you for a second. “Are you really a frat brother?” you asked/shouted, locking eyes with him. The familiar mischievous look was back in his eyes as he bit his bottom lip and shook his head no.

“Hope that’s not a dealbreaker,” he said with a flitting wink, leaning closer. You closed the space between you two and sloppily pushed your lips together. Angus’s hands moved to hold both sides of your face as you two continued to kiss in the middle of everything around you. You could taste the beer on his tongue and lips as you continued to push yourself closer against him, feeling him getting hard between you and the bedsheet. 

You pulled back for air and couldn’t help but sheepishly laugh as you laid your head on his chest. You felt his hands holding the middle and small of your back as he looked over the crowd, using his height. 

“Care to move this elsewhere Y/N, I think my secret’s getting out,” he said into your ear as he tightened his grip around your waist. You can only nod as he grabs your hand and slightly ducks as he tries to blend in with the rest of the crowd. You hold onto the crown with your other hand as you continue laughing, it only getting drowned out by the music. Angus throws a look over his shoulder before speeding his way up the stairs, taking two at a time which causes him to nearly drag you up the stairs as you can’t keep up. 

“Y/N?” Abby yells at you from the kitchen, now sitting on the counter with now a swarm of frat boys to her sides talking to her. They all turn to stare at you and Angus.

“Who the hell are you?” one of them yells at Angus as he starts to move. Without a moment wait Angus pulls you again out of the kitchen starting to pick up the pace.

“Get home safe Abby!” you shouted over your shoulder as you followed after Angus, his hand squeezing yours as he navigated the cramped hallway full of couples making out at this point. “I need my bag!” you shouted to Angus as you tried to move towards the living room. 

“For God’s sake woman,” he huffed as he looked back at you, letting your hand go so you could run to grab your stuff. Nearly stumbling into a pile of vomit you reach over and grab your coat and bag before rushing back to Angus who is anxiously checking for any peeved frat boys. You shuffle your coat on as he pushes you out the door hearing the kitchen erupt in, “where the fuck did he go?”. The lawn has substantially cleared out by now and the two of you hurry down the steps hand-in-hand again and pick up the pace again as you hear the door slam open.

“YOU’VE BOTH BEEN BLACKLISTED FROM DELTA UPSILON! DON’T EVEN THINK OF COMING BACK YOU LITTLE FREAK,” one of the frat boys yell to you two as you stand across the road on the other side of the street. Instinctively you chuckle again as you wrap your arms around Angus’s side as he places an arm over you and delivers a swift middle finger back to the house.

“Wouldn’t have even wanted to!” he shouted back, “oh fuck okay I think we should run now,” he quickly added as he saw more frat boys start forming in the doorway, once again grabbing your hand and quickly walking down the block to try and put some distance between you all. Once you’re about a block away he finally slows down and you’re able to keep pace with him. He drapes and arm around you and pulls you closer to him. You slide an arm around the back of his waist. 

“So what’s the truth? Is your name even Angus?” you asked, looking up at him. He snorted and glanced over at you.

“That’s the truth. The only thing that wasn’t the truth is me being in a fraternity. Seems stupid to me, but y’know-” he trailed off trying to think of the right word, “I can see some of the benefits,” he said as he pulled you a little closer. You sarcastically rolled your eyes, with a grin on your face. 

“You just snuck in?” you asked. That took some balls. He coolly shrugged and rolled his head back to look up at the unimpressive overcast night sky.

“Everyone knows about the toga party, all you have to do is dress the part and act like one of em’. Most of ‘em are too drunk to realize they don’t know you,” he explained, using his free hand to gesture into the air. He paused and turned you towards him in the middle of an empty road before pressing his lips against yours to which you hummed happily against his. 

“What was that for?” you asked once you two pulled back. He shrugged and looked back to the road, resuming his hold around your shoulder.

“Making sure you’re real,” he said, as if it was obvious. You could’ve melted right on the spot, but your legs were so tired at this point in your shoes you knew you would’ve never stood up. Your face heated up though as you leaned your head against the side of his chest.

“Do you know what way you’re walking?” you asked once you regained your senses. 

“No clue,” he admitted without breaking stride. 

“I’m in Tri Delta. Walk me back home,” you say to which he dutifully nods. The rest of the walk back to your sorority house consists mostly of you two talking about how terrible your class that you share is and how you promise to sit by each other to keep each other awake. The two of you leaning into each other, bed sheets still wrapped around in loosening knots. Eventually you both stop outside of your sorority house. Angus turns you so you’re facing him and places a hand on each of your shoulders.

“I can’t come in I suppose can I?” he asks. You shake your head no.

“No boys in the rooms,” you say. 

“Figures. It’s how you keep these looking so…nice,” he says, looking at your house.

“I also don’t just go sleeping around with anyone,” you add, pointing into his chest with your index finger. 

“But I’m not just anyone Y/N, we’re accomplices now, we’re wanted criminals, we’re-” he continues as he gently shakes your shoulders to prove his point, but you cut him off with a kiss before pulling back. He drops his hands and moves to put them in coat pockets he realizes he doesn’t have. He folds his arms instead. “Can I take you out for coffee on Monday? After class?” he asks, finally sounding genuine for the first time tonight, his voice finally sounding earnest. You scrunch up your face as you put a hand to your chin acting like you’re giving it immense thought. “Oh come on, that was a fun night, imagine what we can do when we aren’t in bed sheets,” he says to which you slap his arm at. “Not like that you perv oh my god I just mean-” he stammers over his words realizing his mistake.

“Angus, I’d love to,” you answer before the poor boy runs out of words. You quickly give him a kiss on his cheek before turning to go inside your house. Before you take another step he grabs your waist and spins you back into his lips as you throw your arms back behind his neck, deepening the kiss, feeling his tongue meet with yours.

“I can’t believe you’re just leaving me with that,” he grumbles as you step apart. 

“Hush you horn dog,” you say as you shoo him off, “I’ll see you Monday, get home safe,”. He stretches his arms above his head as he prepares for his walk back.

“Fineeee,” he dramatically sighs, “now get inside so I can leave,”. You chuckle and turn away to the door before waving as you step inside. He waves back and starts walking down the street as you close the door behind you. 

At least he wasn’t really a frat boy.

A/N : don’t worry, Jake walks Abby home and lets her wear his coat

[thesoftboiledegg]

After last week's brutal episode, "Rickfending Your Mort" was pure silly fun. I love the lore episodes, but serialized shows that grow increasingly dark get exhausting after a while.

While many shows (Breaking Bad, The Sopranos) grow darker until the last season is pitch black, Rick and Morty has lightened up a tad. That sounds bizarre after the last episode featured Rick beating the man who killed his wife and daughter to an unrecognizable pulp, but it's lighter in the sense that Rick's growing up and abandoning his need to be the world's smartest edgelord.

Similar episodes, such as "Total Rickall" and "Morty's Mindblowers," show Rick at his worst. Here, Rick isn't exactly at his best, but most of the scenes lean away from "cruel" and more toward "dumb and goofy."

Plus, he and Morty have some genuine bonding moments. "I don't like that he's talking down to you!" "Thank you."

Rick and Morty might have disliked the Observer, but he cracked me up. His voice, his pettiness, the fact that he hovered outside the house to antagonize them--and his design is great, too. Rick's a man who collects crystals every third episode, so I don't know why he had a problem being surrounded by crystals and geodes.

"Rickfending Your Mort" had a few cameos for long-term fans. I'm glad that Space Beth's still hanging around, and her clip showed that she really is her father's daughter. Jerry's reaction to his clip reiterated that he's the most shameless person in the family. Rick acts like he is, but nah--he gets embarrassed.

On another note, this episode surprised me because I totally thought that the final scene was the beginning of another episode: Morty encourages Rick to get out of the house, and shenanigans ensue.

The title reveal showed a picture of Blips and Chitz, leading people to speculate that "Rickfending Your Mort" was a follow-up to "Rick: A Mort Well Lived." Honestly, I think that was a one-off. Morty's already recovered from Marta's absence; he argues with Rick, challenges him and calls him out instead of rolling over and doing whatever he wants.

Morty even took initiative here, which is refreshing because earlier episodes made him a glorified side character. He saw first-hand what killing Prime did to Rick and wants to cheer him up in a language that Rick understands: wild adventures.

Rick doesn't know how good he's got it. "Unmorticken" made it pretty clear what happened when another Morty found his Rick drunk on the garage floor.

Talking to Dr. Wong must be helping because Rick was able to bounce back from this one. Morty had to nudge him out of it, but minutes after the Observer arrived, Rick was his usual snarky self and hanging out with his grandson again.

Letting go isn't Rick's strong suit, but Prime Rick and his original wife and daughter are gone forever. He needs to be here for the family that he has now. Morty and Summer are basically his kids. He has three girls that he can't say no to. Even he and his Jerry are close.

And now that he's endured a clip show with the most annoying geode in the universe, maybe he can stop watching his life and start living it.

[sleepy-writes-stuff]

DP X DC WRITING PROMPT #13

(I've been kicking this idea around for a while, so here's this.)

✦

Mistaken Species

Phantom gets mistaken for a greater ice demon by a wannabe wizard going on a "gotta catch'em all" spree, and is subsequently sealed inside said wizard's book of magic as a potential binding summons/familiar. Danny goes missing for months? Years? Regardless of how long, somehow, someway, the book falls into Constantine's hands --He probably stole it in a game of poker. Yes, stole.-- then he pretty much just stashes it in the House of Mystery for safekeeping like all the other magic items that have been confiscated by the JLD.

It isn't until a world ending heat related threat appears, that he excavates the book and proceeds to make a familiar's contract with what he thinks is a powerful ice demon. What he gets instead is a very confused, very scared, and very exhausted Danny. Unfortunately for both of them, the familiar's contract still binds despite Danny being the wrong species of supernatural creature it was intended for. They are now stuck with each other for an indefinite amount of time.

Luckily, on the other hand, Phantom is still suited to handling the task he was summoned for and whoops ass and saves the day with his ice powers in little to no time at all. The Justice League are shocked by how quickly and efficiently the kid handled everything where they struggled in comparison.

Constantine has to explain the mix up to both the Justice League and to Danny--hes still very confused, not so much scared, and very tired--and how this ghost child is now stuck being around Constantine, and subsequently the Justice League Dark/Justice League whenever he's called in to help.

Shenanigans ensue as well as the majority of the JL trying to make his stay as comfortable as possible. Danny keeps dropping info bombs on how screwed up his human/hero life and his relationship with his parents is, and eventually help him contact his friends and sister, who have been worried sick about him over the years he'd been missing.

This is how the Justice League learn about what a dead zone (ha) Amity Park is and then step up to handle situation with the guidance of Phantom himself.

✦

Notes:

The amount of time Danny's been missing, as well as the guidelines of the familiar/summons contract are up to you to decide!

(Do I use Constantine too much for these prompts? He just fits so well in so many different au scenarios, it's kinda hard not to keep throwing him into the story.)

[leenfiend]

ok first of all i remembered that if I like a character dynamic that doesn't exist i can literally just make it

so open for my long winded OC rant

i don't have long. a work task awaits me. literally have to pause my music to focus in on this. starting off we have daniel.

these were first outfit explorations for him before I decided that I didn't want a modern normal story so disregard the fits but the attitude is there. Daniel works at like a tavern in this small town. He probably had dreams of bigger things at some point, but life is pretty chill how it is and he has his best friend Josie, so what more could he want?

Okay well he does want to date Josie but, he's willing to take his time on that. They've been best friends for like, ever. Surely she's going nowhere and doing nothing that doesn't involve him.

This is Josie, who wants to go anywhere else and do everything. I think she knows Daniel likes her but she's relatively aromantic is my thought. She literally just wants to go out into the world and do shit. Fight, steal, adventure, whatever it is. People from their village don't really tend to do much besides farm and drink beer so she's your typical "I gotta get out of this place" kinda girl. Good for her.

I don't have as many drawings of this guy but this is Victor, leader of the village gang or vigilante group or whatever. They think they're tough shit but they deal with the goofiest small town crimes ever like, making sure the river isn't over fished. Or threatening the baker when he stops making cinnamon raisin bread. Josie joins up with them in the hopes of finding adventure. Daniel is supremely displeased. Victor and Daniel hate each other immediately (big surprise) and Victor constantly flirts with Josie to annoy Daniel. Josie literally does not gaf. She pushes the vigilante group to try something bigger than they have before, or something. I'm still brewing. But long story short they try robbing a carriage passing through town. Turns out the carriage is driven by this crazy powerful wizard. The wizard poofs Josie away, kidnapping her and telling the group they'll never see her again or something. But the real kicker is none of them even knew magic was real before this. We were inside a normal ass medieval town until just then. Shenanigans ensue. Victor and Daniel must team up to find Josie, taking on the big world and discovering the existence of the supernatural and strange along the way etc etc.

here's a comic page of Daniel and Josie talking and some more random sketches. I'll probably delete this at some point in case I want to make the whole story LOL but there you have it. kind of. very half baked rn.

[babywitchofthesouth-responds]

The Ultimate Miraculous Ladybug Fic Rec List

Ft. 97 of the best Miraculous Ladybug fics (imo) >>>

A Miraculous Square Dance by ChatNoirLuvr

Marinette intends to finally confess her feelings to Adrien, but an Akuma forces it early— while she’s still Ladybug! As exciting as it is to become Adrien’s new celebrity girlfriend, the secrets required of a Ladrian romance make it too unsustainable. Until the heartbreak paves way for a right-old square dance (MariChat!) where they find each other again. At the exact right time.

Tell Me Why You Love Me by linnieluna

Now 22 and working full-time, Marinette and Adrien seem to be getting busier and busier, which means fewer opportunities to keep track of akumas and show up on time. With the idea of using a messaging app to communicate with each other without revealing their identities, their lives immediately grew to be easier... until it wasn't.

Can I Date You(r Character) by midnightstarlightwrites *

When Adrien's character falls in love with Marinette's, they decided to date in-game. What could go wrong?

[Note: this one seems discontinued but I loved it so much]

As Soon As I Belong by crazykotyara

Marinette likes Adrien. Adrien would prefer if she liked Chat Noir. That leads to an absolute mess of a relationship, which includes a weird game of Truth or Dare, identity shenanigans, and Adrien, figuring out some really important stuff.

Knock Knock by DorothyGale123

After an akuma targets Marinette, a certain cat jumps to her rescue! Unfortunately, he fails to knock before jumping into his classmate's room. Chaos ensues. What follows is an awkward apology, way too many coincidences, and some realizations on both sides that the person they used to think of as a friend might be more than meets the eye. Will these dorks finally realize what's been in front of them the entire time? Will they ever stop being so oblivious? And what happens when you throw a scheming Hawk Moth into the mix?

A dozen roses by IlioneThe3rd

When Marinette finds a pink rose on her desk, she suspects that her secret admirer is Chat Noir. After all, who else would leave a rose just inside a 5th floor window? But why would Chat Noir give roses to a girl he barely knows when he’s supposed to be in love with Ladybug?

As the dust settles by Pengirl91

After Ladybug lost everything and yet her partner stood by her, she realized what she had been trying to lie to herself about for months. She is undoubtedly in love with him. The only problem is that she's terrified of what that could lead to and there's a monumental task ahead of them before it might be safe to act on her feelings for him... more than she already has.

lovers who hesitate by momochai

Marinette is Adrien's Secret Santa and she's got this in the bag. Really!

Perfectly Platonic (Unless...) by frostedpuffs

After accidentally revealing their identities in less than ideal circumstances, Adrien and Marinette must navigate their newfound relationship as both partners and friends. Becoming best friends was a quick process, but when romantic feelings begin to bleed into what's supposed to be a platonic connection, their friendship starts to change in more ways than one. Surely it can't be that hard to hide their feelings from their best friend?

once more, with feeling by zimtlein

When an unfortunate incident causes both her and her sworn enemy to detransform in front of each other, Marinette knows she is screwed. Because even though Chat Noir turns out to be her former polite classmate, it doesn’t mean that he stops being an asshole to her. So it’s no wonder he starts toying with her like the manipulative bastard he is. The only solution? Take his Miraculous and be done with him forever. And never forget that he’s no more than her enemy. Never.

[Note: this one was FANTASTIC]

The Closest Thing to Love by jennagrins

When Gabriel tells Adrien it’s time for him to learn about the brand internationally, Adrien knows he can’t leave Paris - or Marinette. The two concoct a plan to allow Adrien to stay and finally achieve his independence from his father. They’ll just get married. The only problem is...they’re not actually dating. But that won’t cause any issues. After all, they’re just friends, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Unraveling by InkyCoffee

She felt the desire to prattle all but tear at her throat, and clamped her mouth and then her eyes shut tight, willing the babble back, waiting for the blow. A love confession gets rejected, leading to a reveal - and for a while there it feels like everything starts unraveling.

seven is my lucky number by MiaBrown

post-reveal pre-relationship roommates. but is it really pre-relationship if they are fake-dating?

Five Times The Love-Square Watched ‘Solitude’ (And One Time They Didn’t) by MiaBrown

According to Adrien, ‘Solitude’ was a very rare and special movie. Marinette wasn’t so sure about the first, but she was indeed certain about the second. This film was extraordinary, life-changingly so.

don't ask questions you don't wanna know by MiaBrown

Chat Noir’s plan of asking out his classmate, only so the girl could turn him down and offer to be ‘just friends’ instead was ridiculous. Too bad there wasn’t a sensible girl who would have rejected him. Ladybug was so sure of this, she dared to bet on it. And when the next day Adrien Agreste asked the same question from Marinette… Well, she wasn’t trying to prove herself wrong.

Ladybee by SailorChibi

Chloé didn't know what to do when Chat Noir and Marinette showed up on her doorstep. Marinette made Chat the guardian so she's forgotten everything; the Miracle Box is locked and no one knows the combination; and Chat is barely holding it together with the revelation that Marinette is both Ladybug and his soulmate. Time for a Bee to do what she does best: hold the hive together.

lonely girl (you are my world) by etherealme

Marinette is fine with her life. She’s fine with not knowing anything about Chat Noir, and she is completely okay with not doing anything about the growing feelings she has for him. But, when they’re sent on a road trip across continents, it gets harder and harder to avoid the lingering question: are Chat Noir’s feelings as unrequited as she’s led him to believe?

you give me thoughts of a prince and palace by Yilena

As the reclusive princess of her kingdom, Marinette's face isn't known to the public. Posing as a commoner, she runs away with her friend to another country for a holiday and accidentally seduces the prince. AU.

[Note: this one had me hooked on royalty AUs]

The Red Thread by Jheqia

When Marinette kisses Cat Noir during an akuma attack, it creates a connection between them that leads to some interesting... problems.

Soulmate Tropes by ggomo_springtime

An akuma makes soulmate tropes a reality.

Careful Stitches by Ashes555

Marinette still didn't know what happened, but whatever it was turned the moment that should have been her greatest victory into something that might haunt her for the rest of her life. Instead of helping her partner defeat Shadow Moth, she got a note. And then he was gone. Marinette thought that life would be perfect, but it never could be when Chat Noir was missing.

Revelations by Mindell

Dreaming of the day when he would finally discover Ladybug's identity had long been one of Adrien's favourite activities. Would she tell him her secret during a conversation? Would she transform in front of him? Would she reveal her identity once her mission was accomplished, when they would give their miraculous back? But never, never had he dreamed of a shy "I am Ladybug" confessed by one of his classmates, in the middle of their classroom and in front of all the other students.

L'Instant Présent by Yilena

A Marinette with no knowledge of being Ladybug manages to be useless fighting crime for her first time, and carelessly reveals her identity to her oblivious partner when they're alone. AU.

Sewing Sentiments by frostedpuffs

Fed up with her miserable job at a fabric store, Marinette decides it's finally time to quit and move on...until she's tasked with training a new employee whose golden hair and gorgeous green eyes have her feeling a certain way. Torn between leaving her job and staying for Adrien's sake, Marinette decides to stick by his side, enjoying her new co-worker's company far more than she had ever expected.But there's something about him she can't quite place—a certain sadness in his eyes that, despite only knowing him for a short time, has Marinette wondering about his past and what exactly he's running from.

One Thing After Another by SKayLanphear

Marinette notices that, sometimes, Adrien acts a little out of the ordinary--like the time he stood in a cardboard box for no reason, or when he actually hissed at Nino. It's only when she starts to notice the similarities between Adrien and a certain feline that she begins to get suspicious. Basically, Adrien acts like a cat when he probably shouldn't.

[Note: this author write some fantastic stuff and this is one of them]

tell me something i don't know by carpisuns

The odds of having a soulmate are about negative one billion (or something like that). But somehow, like they always have, Marinette and Chat Noir find themselves together. They’re ready to finally tell each other everything, but it turns out that even soulmates have to keep secrets, and they can only be together if they vow never to touch.

Pick-Up and Chase by SKayLanphear

After she accidentally trips into Adrien and apologizes about "falling for him," Marinette learns that he's no match for cheesy pick-up lines--whether they were unintended or not. And while she finds it flattering that he turns into a flustered mess with only a few words, Marinette comes to regret making him uncomfortable. That is, until she learns he's Chat Noir. At which point the phrase "just deserts" becomes a permanent fixture in her everyday plans. A story in which Adrien is flustered, Marinette is smooth as glass at dropping lines, and Chat Noir gets the romance he was always asking for--even if he doesn't quite know how to handle it.

Tents and Cuddly Cats by SKayLanphear

[Note: this one isn't showing up anymore for some reason]

Serendipitous Fate by SKayLanphear

Adrien is excited to reveal his true identity, while Marinette is terrified. But Master Fu says they can't afford to be distant any longer. Chat Noir and Ladybug are meant to work in tandem both in and out of uniform, their strength stemming from the bond created between them. Yet, teenagers are sometimes better at dancing blind than running with wide open eyes, even with the steps laid out before them. Steps in the path of an expanding world. Apart, they'll flounder. But together, they might just stand a chance.

Wish Upon a Star-crossed Love by Aepyceros

Wherein a series of encounters lead to gradual realizations and revelations.

Gabriel gets used to... (Adrien having a Girlfriend) by Mystic_Raven20

Gabriel Agreste… The man; the myth, the legend; the grumpy old man who wouldn’t know love if it kicked him hard and straight up the hiney. Gabriel had a number of issues in his life, but the worst one goes by the name Marinette Dupain-Cheng; his son's girlfriend and the younger Agreste’s self claimed ‘love of his life’. In Gabriel’s eyes Marinette has a mission, and that mission is to take everything the Agreste’s have worked hard for. One thing was for certain, he wasn’t going down without a fight; and if his ship did finally sink he was dragging Marinette down with him.

come sleep with me by treasuredgem

Where Ladybug and Chat Noir try taking as many naps as possible because Hawkmoth doesn't sleep either.

Between a Rock and A Hard Place by P_Artsypants

During a class field trip to a natural cavern, Marinette and Adrien get trapped in an elevator…trapped in a cave. Such close proximity means that secrets don’t stay secrets for long… Can the two escape their iron prison, much less their glass cage of emotions? Or will teenage hormones be their undoing?

Where There's Smoke There's... A Smoker by Talik_Sanis

Marinette is smoking! It's a filthy, dangerous habit that could do terrible things to her, leading to truancy and missed homework assignments, and- and who knows what other horrible fates (certainly not Adrien, as he's too sheltered to even guess) for the dear sweet girl too pure for this world! Adrien Agreste has to save his very good friend from her smoking addiction! Basically, Marinette lies about smoking to cover for her detransformation in an alley. Things go south from there. All the things.

Cobblestone Streets by girlsivebeen

Adrien Agreste just wants to go skateboarding in Paris. All he needs is a disguise right?Marinette Dupain-Cheng can likely spot her partner anywhere, whether he's in a banana suit on a scooter, or attempting to successfully skate over the cobblestone streets of Paris with a motorcycle helmet on his head.

See You See Me by SomberSecrets

Chat Noir had found his new favourite past time-- staring at the pictures of Adrien Agreste on Marinette’s wall… walls. There were a lot of them.

To Know by mildswearingat4am

Cat is a little more observant when he talks to a certain plucky classmate in Evillustrator and sees something he was never supposed to see. Friendship, puns, anxiety, romance, and an even more convoluted love square ensue.

basically, I wish that you loved me by sagansjagger

Adrien and Ladybug have made a mistake. They've been caught by Alya making out and now the rest of the world thinks they're dating, despite their objections on social media. Alya, thinking that Chat and Marinette are devastated by their crushes' apparent relationship, tries to set them up with each other. Marinette and Chat, being the savvy duo that they are, mutually decide that they'll fake date in order to get Alya off their collective backs. This, naturally, blows up in their faces...

Following A New Fel(ix)low In Class by DevoTea

Felix starts going to Francois-Dupont. Marinette is not about to let him back into their school without some explanation though. He is a very suspicious individual, maybe she should follow him around some more. You know, just to make sure that he's not up to making someone akumatised or something.

Felinette Soulmate AU by San_fics

Now it made sense why she behaved so protective of Adrien that day, given the fact that his soulmate had a crush on the model. For some reason Felix didn’t like this idea at all. Shouldn’t there be some rule, forbidding your soulmate to fall for a wrong guy, even if he looked just like you?..

Inky Blue by soarbytheocean

Félix had always gone on a pre-determined path, precise and detailed. A person who had always maintained a stolidly calm surface, the waters of his ocean were never turbulent. So, when he collided with the serene forests of Marinette, the havoc that his ocean went through was hard to describe.

Rhythms and Rainstorms by SultannaMajor

They didn't need to speak to communicate. And that's a fact that she always found amazing. They understood each other in a way that no one else can. They danced around her kitchen like they were born to do it. MariCha

Birthday Surprises by brbcommittingason

Adrien has been seeking solace with Marinette, using her as a way to escape from his daily life. Or at least, that's how it started. As the months continued onwards, he didn't just go there for a source of comfort, but also just to be her friend. He was head over heels, he knew that, and maybe that's why it was so easy for Plagg to convince him to wear a hoodie (a generic one that could have been passed off as a regular black one) that she made him. Chat Noir, him. And Plagg might just be the reason his life is a million times better.

My Sweetest Princess by LadyKae

When the unthinkable happens, we're often left picking up the pieces and trying to move on. No one has learned that lesson harder than Marinette, and Adrien wants to be there with her for every step of the way. When his feelings for Marinette grow stronger, Adrien finds himself holding back for her sake. Join our favorite heroes as they navigate the paths of healing and finding love at the end of a long road.

moonlight epiphany by ohlittlebarchie

Sometimes, you are blinded by sunlight so bright that you’re left stumbling in the dark. And then you miss that the best thing you could ever have was right in front of you all along - come nightfall, you forget that the moon reflects the light of the sun. Maybe Adrien Agreste is the sun. And maybe Chat Noir, suddenly, unexpectedly, crept into her heart like a sliver of moonlight.

Breaking Free (Isn't free) by RachelLyseBrook

Papillon has discovered Chat Noir's secret identity. By sheer luck, Adrien manages to escape the mansion and akumatization, Plagg providing him an out while snatching up something precious to Gabriel Agreste. Adrien crashes onto a familiar balcony and begs Marinette for help, almost revealing his identity in the process. Distraught over her partner's predicament, Marinette swears that Chat won't be alone in this. That she will move heaven and earth to keep him safe. But neither of them realize just how difficult Papillon was going to make this for them.

When Bunnyx Brings a Baby by Druwho

Marinette thought she was up to any challenge. She was Ladybug after all! But when Bunnyx arrives with a baby in her arms asking her to babysit, Marinette quickly learns that Akuma battles are easy compared to taking care of a baby. A baby that seems to know her and for some strange reason... Adrien?

The Five Minute Adventures of Snake Noir by Kasienda

After Ladybug admits to Chat Noir that she told someone her identity, she insists that he do the same. He wants it to be her. She insists it has to be anyone else. He suggests they use the snake. She finds this to be a reasonable compromise. After many heartfelt five minute conversations that Ladybug doesn't remember, she decides he should keep the snake. That way he can always confide in her if he needs to. He also realizes it means he can talk to anyone… for five minutes... on repeat. 

You, Me & A Little Bit of the Future by joonapeach

Marinette expects some disaster on her first outing alone with Adrien. She just doesn't expect that disaster to be her future self passing off a baby for her to take care of with Adrien.

Infinite Us by Leda (Represent)

Ladybug has five minutes left with Chat Noir, and she isn't ready to give them up.

A Major Test of Strength by nemali

There is only one thing in Paris hated as much as the akumas: Ladybug herself. In an effort to help the Savior of Paris, Adrien winds up on the wrong end of an akuma attack — only to find himself stuck reliving the same day. With enough time, anyone can be a hero, and as he continues dying over and over, he is forced to confront the idea that these loops may be just as much of a blessing as they are a curse.

Breaking Free by UpTooLateArt

Marinette has failed as the Guardian. Shadow Moth stole the miraculous, and now it's down to her and Cat Noir to recover them, before it's too late. Just one problem - Cat Noir's father is their sworn enemy...and he's decided it's high time for some father-son bonding. As Adrien is drawn into his father's world, secrets will finally surface - and our beloved heroes will be faced with the biggest decision of their lives.

A Hundred Thursdays by Midnight Musume (Peas)

Marinette is stuck repeating the same day over and over. Her friends (and especially Chat Noir) help her cope.

Spots and Shades by DearLittleRobin

While trying to prevent a bad future, Marinette walks straight into another one. Adrien can't handle any more secrets, but realizes knowing things comes with a price. Time travel is as weird as everyone thought it would be

Revealed in Time by WhitleyMiranda

Marinette is sent 8 years in the future by an akuma. While there she discovers a grown up Chat Noir and more about her future than she could have ever imagined.

Maintaining a Professional Distance by buggachat

Ladybug and Chat Noir receive a hotel room from the city, which they most certainly will not use. After all, that wouldn't be very professional, would it?

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by Inkkerfuffle

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Radio Silence by Eevee

When an inexplicable change between Marinette and Adrien brings the two closer than ever, Alya is left on the outside of a secret too confounding to be about cheesemaking or puppy love.

do you think i have forgotten about you by augustrose77

Memory Loss. Told in alternating time lines, one leading up to and one dealing with the aftermath of Marinette relinquishing the Miracle Box and the guardianship. Marinette struggles with her life after losing her memory, though there is a persistent voice that calls to her that always seems just out of reach in her memory.

Chat Noir's White French Man Hit List for Feminist Purposes by peachcitt

adrien agreste who is also chat noir absolutely chugs his respect women juice

Not a Monster at All by book_sandwich

Adrien Agreste overhears a conversation he shouldn't, and a revelation sends him falling onto the terrace of the only person he can trust: his good friend (?) Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ball by TheChatatonicOne

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris's town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore... but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

Dearly Despised, (I love you) by snacc_noir

Marinette could go on about why she hated Adrien Agreste—from his unfunny pranks to his ineffable attractiveness—ever since he had the audacity that day with the umbrella. And yet, here she was fake-dating him while in love with a superhero.

Disrespectfully Yours, Marinette Dupain-Cheng by fettuccine (LFA)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is top of the class. Straight A's, perfect attendance, and editor-in-chief of her university's premiere fashion magazine. Or... she would be top of the class, if it weren't for her academic rival Adrien Agreste. They've been competing for everything since their freshman year of college. If Marinette gets a 99, he gets a 100. If she gets an internship, he gets a better one. Now in their senior year of college, they're ready to fight it out one more time to win student journalist of the year — and the scholarship that comes with it. But when a semester-long project forces them to team up, everything changes. If they want to remain in consideration for the award, they'll have to figure out how to work together. Because in the cutthroat world of academia — and journalism — failure is not an option.

Lightning and Thunder by The_Rabbit42

While out for an evening run, Chat Noir gets caught in a thunderstorm and struck by lightning. He's fine! He ends up recovering/hanging out with Marinette. What ensues is a night full of conversation and commiseration, arguing and affection.

daydream by a_miiraculer

In which Adrien finds out Ladybug is Marinette, and beats the 'this is fine' dog at his own game.

the wonderful part of the mess that we made by heresie_irisee

They knew. They knew, and there would be no magical reset button for the memories they'd made today. She'd have to see him at school every day, and she'd see the Chat in him, as surely as he'd see the Ladybug in her.

Bakery "Enemies" [COMIC] by buggachat

After the defeat of Gabriel Agreste and the disappearance of the mysterious peacock miraculous user, Marinette is left to try her best as Guardian and pick up the pieces. With the kwamis left in hibernation, no leads on the missing peacock miraculous, and no way to contact her beloved partner, she's left to her wit's end on where to proceed. That is, until the prime suspect of the peacock wielder coincidentally takes up an apprenticeship at her parents' bakery. Adrien Agreste, son of Hawkmoth, has seemingly planted his roots in her home while Marinette was away for an apprenticeship. This could either be a disaster in the making, or the perfect opportunity to retrieve the missing miraculous... either way, it's war. At least, it would be, if the gosh darn villain weren't so sweet!

metamorphosis by peachcitt

Three years after hawkmoth's defeat, marinette is still trying to figure out her version of normal. there's also sleepovers.

[Note: brought me to tears. unrelated but Landing Feet First by Bayside is my unofficial anthem for this fic]

A Royal Thief by meeble

Marinette couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a bad day. Running late and accidentally dropping her father’s freshly baked bread was one thing, but telling off the prince of the kingdom and subsequently being kidnapped by said prince was something else entirely.

Love Doth Ran Smooth by Dpanda_17

When Nino had told Adrien he’d find love, Adrien didn’t expect to find his true love the next day. And for her to greet him the pleasant way she did.

Trolling Alya by SailorChibi

It was just one of those things that didn't have a simple explanation. As surely as the sun rose in the east, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was going to marry Adrien Agreste. That was a fact that Ladybug knew in her heart, and she knew that Chat knew it too. The unspoken acknowledgement surrounded the two of them like a warm, cozy blanket. There was really no need to rush to dating because that next step was always going to be there; they had all the time in the world. And in the meantime, torturing Alya was really fun.

electrify me, i’m dying to burn by Anonymous

Adrien and Marinette are best friends and partners—they can talk about anything. Even the hypothetical situation in which they’re dating.

cause our hearts are locked forever by SailorChibi

Ladybug and Chat Noir are not okay. Years of fighting akumas have taken a serious toll. The only comfort they have is in each other, and, when the pain of separation becomes too much, Marinette figures out a way to circumvent her promise to not tell Chat who she is.

1 step forward, 3 steps back. by agnes_writes

In which Adrien switches targets to Marinette, and everything goes wrong before it goes right.

Seven Seconds by alvares715

Adrien finds a lost video on his phone.

œuf ouch owie by miraculousunflower (ominousunflower)

Chat Noir enlists Rena Rouge's help to create an Aspik illusion. Absolutely nothing goes wrong.

Stray Chat by Pozolegirl

Adrien wants to be friends with Marinette but...it's hard to be friends with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and not have both parties become a little tongue tied around each other. So Chat Noir attempts to make friends with Marinette with the aid of his mask instead. Following problems at home however, Chat Noir suddenly becomes Marinette's roommate! Now they're both keeping secrets...

Always Welcome Here by gay_english_nerd

Adrien is forced on an extremely repressive diet and it makes heroing much harder. Marinette has lots of food and a very kind heart. What will happen when the meetups become regular? Maybe some... Marichat?

heartstrings by taylortot

one of marinette’s rare unlucky days turns into something treacherous. thanks to a certain cat, the real danger passes, but there are other things to be more afraid of. her heart, for example, might be one of them.

The New Guardian Is... Multimouse? by The_Rabbit42

During the events of Miracle Queen, Master Fu passes on the role of guardian to a surprising successor... Multimouse! Marinette is frustrated, Alya is confused, and Chat Noir is oddly pleased. How will this affect Marinette's friendships and partnership on both sides of her identity? How will this affect Adrien's view of the girls in his life? And how long will they keep it together?

keep me in your thoughts by LilaacStars

Love is messy enough by itself, but it's worse when you don't know if you love your classmate, your superhero partner or the boy that has been talking and dreaming inside your mind since the moment you were born.

Sommeil by Bronte

She'd noticed the bags beneath his eyes even with the mask over his skin and had asked occasionally how he was feeling and it was always the same response. ‘I'm fine,’ he'd say, ‘I just didn't sleep much,’ he'd say, ‘I'm just such a party animal,’ he’d say. She'd always let it slide in the past because she's his partner and friend, not his mother, but it’s kind of getting to the point where something has to be done. He yawns too often to be sleeping properly. He smiles too much to be happy.

Worthy Opponent by Soap_Lady

Felix Graham de Vanily is back! Not to cause trouble, at least not if no one crosses him. After discovering the last script his father ever wrote, he decides to honor his father (and make his directorial debut) by producing the movie. It has everything he likes; adventure, well-rounded teenaged characters, complex villains and witty dialog. The only problem is that it's set in Paris and there's only so much CGI can do. So he, his mother, and his group of friends who call themselves the Quantic Kids head to Paris to cast the rest of the characters. Marinette Dupain-Cheng has just finished her first year of lycee and though Lila is still around, her influence over Marinette's friends has waned, partly because they're on different academic tracks and have drifted a bit. She's not worried about that, she's decided to spend her summer as an intern in Graham Film's Wardrobe Department. It'll be valuable experience and with luck, she'll never even see Felix. Too bad she makes a wrong turn on her first day.

Passionfruit by SailorChibi

Marinette and Adrien are soulmates, and have known that since before they got their miraculous. They can’t not know who the other is. The solution? Keep on hiding the fact that they’re soulmates from even Tikki and Plagg, of course!

when you're near by buggachat

When Ladybug and Chat Noir were together, dancing across rooftops and kissing under the moonlit sky, Ladybug loved her boyfriend. But when the masks fell and all that was left was Marinette, she hated her boyfriend. She hated the lonesome afternoons, the third wheeling, the way his name wasn't in her contacts... She knows their identities are secret for a reason, and she tells herself she'd do anything to protect that— but when Marinette hears Chat Noir's voice coming from the boy sitting behind her in a coffee shop, she can't help but wonder if it's really worth not having him in her life.

Don't Let Me Let You Go by SailorChibi

When Marinette's parents find out and forbid her from continuing as Ladybug, Plagg comes up with what he considers to be the obvious answer.

Fireflies by sevendeadlyseas

When Ladybug and Chat Noir face their deadliest akuma, they both lose more than ever could have expected, and nearly fall apart trying to keep it together. Hawkmoth's identity is revealed and everyone's personal lives go to shit.

Slowly but Surely by San_fics

There was something Freudian in this, but Felix had a weak spot for women like his mother — outwardly soft and gentle, but strong and hard on the inside. And it was exactly the impression Ladybug left him with. Felix was smart enough to put two and two together. Maybe he still needed some proves, that would confirm his suspicions for 100%. Like the proves he needed to make sure Gabriel was Shadow Moth. But Felix used to trust his intuition and logic, so at this moment he was almost sure: the Marinette-girl was Ladybug.

a cat, confronted with the unknown, will respond not with fear, but with curiosity by LordKaladin

Chat Noir finally meets the mysterious Guardian his new teammates all talk about.

48 Hours To Make You Love Me by Mystic_Raven20

When two heroes miss the minibus for their winter get away with the gang they have no other choice but to make their way to the resort by themselves. After avoiding their feelings for years, a freak snow storm makes them reconsider more than just whether to carry on driving. Luckily, they find a quaint little bed and breakfast where suddenly they’re thrown into a situation where their feelings can no longer be held back; but, is it too late? The interference of an elderly couple after an eavesdropping accident helps both Adrien and Marinette come to terms with their feelings and their actions. Through movies, hot chocolates and snuggling to keep warm, Marinette wonders if it’s possible to make Adrien love her again, and more so can she do it by the time they need to leave their little sanctuary?

The Ladybugs and The Bees by BullySquadess

AKA the early-fandom Ladynoir puberty fic that spiraled waaaaay out of proportion.

Remember That Time When... by mostlovedgirl

Twenty-two-year-old Marinette Agreste was looking forward to the anniversary trip she would be taking with her husband Adrien that weekend. Those plans are derailed when she wakes up in her old bedroom... and she’s seventeen again.

Build You Up by CoffeeBanana

After the events of Risk and Strike Back, showing up to school and acting like nothing had changed feels wrong. Adrien doesn't want to be there, listening to the fears and criticisms of his classmates. Worrying about Ladybug. Trying not to let his doubts consume him. But it turns out there's someone else who might want to be there even less than him. And maybe the answer to his problems has been sitting behind him in class all along.

Can't Fool Me by CoffeeBanana

Marinette and Adrien both have the same plan: to impersonate their superhero partner for April Fools' Day. But when they both get a little too into character, well...what could possibly go wrong?

You and Me by 11JJ11

Marinette tries to find ways to let Adrien knows how much she cares, even if their relationship must stay a secret.

Forget me not (because I will) by Bluestpaw

Being a guardian is hard. Forgetting to be one is even harder.