#which u may just simply not expect to come out of him

[lifesver]

i think i've said before but leland has always been very emotionally intelligent. idt he thinks of himself as such or anything. but he can usually pick up a very solid read on people if he gets a little time to know them. he's just usually too polite to call people out on shit. it's usually more like... his patience can seem unusual bc of how he can process it like 'well they probably have a reason for how they responded like that.'

tho i think he also doubts himself sometimes and tries to give people the benefit of the doubt when possible. even if he has like, a gut feeling that something isn't right.

[heartshapedmisery]

𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩 | art donaldson

summary ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ art is your tennis coach, but after he tells you to "loosen up" a bit, you're not sure if your boundaries are strictly professional anymore.

warnings ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖  MINORS DNI ! ( 18+ ) | language, graphic smut, unprotected sex ( wrap it before u tap it y'all ), soft!dom!art, sub!reader, sexual tension, art gives reader a massage, praise kink, p in v sex, fingering, if i missed anything, please let me know!

word count ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ 3.2k +

pairing ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ standford!art donaldson x fem!stanford!reader

author’s note ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖  saw challengers the other day .... its all i can think about rn so i made a fic! hope u enjoy! also i know nothing about physical therapy so if this makes no sense I'm sorry

publishing date ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖  may 5th, 2024 | © HEARTSHAPEDMISERY

tags ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ @madnessandobsession @hashtagtobefuckinghonest @mitskilover23

A bead of sweat rolled down your temple as your feet carried you quickly across the tennis court, your eyes refusing to leave the bright yellow ball that was coming towards you from the opposite side of the net.

"Keep your eye on the ball, sweetheart!" Art barked, a few blonde strands of his hair falling in his eyes as he watched you simply miss the ball once again.

The nickname caught you off guard, dismantling your focus and causing you to falter your movements. Your arm swung out far enough, but your racket was just below the ball, allowing it to fly right over it and hit the concrete behind you. A tinge of pain seared through your right shoulder, making you wince.

"Shit!" You grumbled in annoyance, your eyes refusing to meet Art's since you knew he would scold you for your miss.

You threw the racket in your hand down at your feet, irritated that you hadn't kept the ball going back and forth between you and Art for more than 2 times in your last 5 tries.

Your mind was somewhere else; normally you were a beast on the court, dominating your competition (all thanks to Art). Today, not so much.

"What was that, the 6th time?" Art scoffed, waving his racket about in the air. "What's wrong with your shoulder?" he pointed his racket in your direction, a look of concern written on his face.

You didn't answer him, walking off the court over to the bench and grabbing your water bottle. He followed you, taking the bottle from your hand when you were done and squirting the liquid into his mouth. Your eyes watched him carefully, following the water droplets as a few fell from the corner of his mouth.

"You're tense, I can see it all over you when you're moving around out there," he said, motioning to your shoulders and neck. Your eyes caught the way his polo clung to his toned chest, sweat starting to seep through from his constant movement.

"I'm fine," you told him, shrugging his words off. "Just a little distracted, is all."

A lopsided grin cracked across his face, not buying your excuses.

"Come here," he motioned for you to move towards him, which you hesitantly responded to before walking to him. Carefully, his hands grabbed your shoulders and spun you around, your back meeting his front harsher than you had expected.

Your heartbeat quickly picked up, the feeling of his hands on your bare shoulders felt hot and heavy on your skin.

This wasn't the first time Art has caught you off guard like this. You had noticed over the past few months how touchy he could be, whether he was correcting your form or bidding you good job after a match with a rub on the back.

And no matter how much you denied it, you couldn't help but love every second of it. Despite being your coach, he had an effect on you that no one else did. He drove you wild, but of course, he never realized that.

At least, you thought he didn't.

"Your shoulders are very tight, especially your right one. That's why you're not getting a lot of movement," he spoke softly in your ear, his fingers running up the sides of your arms before finally gripping your shoulders. His fingers squeezed your flesh gently, burning against your skin enough to make you let out a sigh he undoubtedly heard.

"You need to loosen up a little bit, sweetheart. All this stress is messing you up, and we can't have that." his voice was smooth and sultry, a total contrast to what it had been only moments before on the court.

His fingers kneaded at the muscles at the top of your back, working out all of the kinks and knots that inhabited your shoulders. Your eyes quickly fell shut as you leaned into his touch, getting lost in the feeling of his hands on you.

"Ah," you breathed out, the feeling of his thumb reaching a spot that unraveled the tension in your right shoulder. "Right there."

You couldn't see it, but a wide smile bloomed across his face at your words, his thumb moving to massage the muscle deeper than before. You let out a breath groan, which (as much as he hated to admit it) indubitably went straight to his lower half.

He didn't expect you to be so responsive to his touch. It surprised him, but that didn't mean he was opposed to it.

"Yeah?" He breathed. "Does that feel better?"

He knew exactly what he was doing, even though you were so oblivious to his shenanigans.

"Yes," you groaned, allowing your head to fall back slightly. You breathed in deeply as he continued his work at your muscles, watching you revel in the relief at the top of your back.

To anyone else, his actions only looked like a coach helping his player work out an injury. But to you and Art, this was months of tension finally boiling over. The way his hands worked across your skin, the pleasurable sighs you let out. It was the two of you crossing a boundary you had never expected to abandon.

"Art!" a voice sounded from the opposite side of the court, making your eyes snap open. His hands stopped their movements, but he didn't remove them from your shoulders as he looked over his shoulder at whoever was trying to get his attention.

It was Mike, the Athletic Director at Stanford.

"Mike," he stated, greeting him with a nod. His voice almost sounded disappointed, not appreciating that he had interrupted the two of you. "What can I do you for?"

His hands finally left your shoulders, your skin feeling dull and light from their wake. You quickly snapped yourself back to reality, brushing away the hot feeling in your chest as you watched the exchange between Art and Mike.

"I just have some paperwork for you to fill out for the semester," he said, "Won't take long."

You watched Art's expression lighten, giving him a slight nod before agreeing to meet him in his office and Mike dismissing himself from the court.

Your gaze met Art's as he turned back to grab his gym bag off the bench and slung it over his shoulder. You watched him carefully, before taking your own bag off the bench.

"Put some ice on that shoulder," he pointed to your right side as he slipped his Ray Bans onto his face to shield his eyes from the sun. "I'll come check on it later, okay?"

You nodded, your mind already racing at the thought. You watched him as he walked away from your view, a feeling of excitement and confusion bubbling in your chest.

You didn't see him again until after lunch. You had been wandering around your small apartment in nothing but a tank top and pajama shorts (due to the blistering California heat outside) with a bag of ice taped around your shoulder, trying to keep your mind occupied until Art arrived.

Your afternoon classes had been canceled so you decided to take it easy at home, trying to keep your arm relaxed as much as possible.

When you heard a simple knock at your door, the feeling from earlier that morning had returned, rising in your chest and making your neck hot at the thought of him. He stood nonchalantly at your door when you swung it open, greeting him with a warm smile.

"Hey," you said, moving out of the way to let him in. He sent you a small smile back, following you into your tiny living room.

"How's the shoulder?" he rasped, taking a look at the ice pack on your arm that was starting to leak.

"Pretty good, hasn't really changed much. Still a little sore, though." you told him honestly, still confused as to why you had tweaked it so bad.

"Mind if I take a look at it?" he asked, gently running his hand up the side of your arm. The sensation sent chills down your spine as you nodded simply. He had to stop doing that or else you were going to go crazy.

"Here, sit down between my legs with your back towards me," he motioned to the couch, sitting behind you before moving to remove the athletic tape from the ice pack. You could feel his warmth behind you, his breath hot against your shoulder as he peered at your injury.

Your breath hitched as you felt his finger hook under the right strap of your tank top, your head turning slightly to catch his eye.

"Do you mind if I move this down?" he asked gently, eager to make sure you were okay with him touching you like this. You nodded, a little quicker than you had anticipated.

"Yeah, that's fine," you breathed, before turning back around. Carefully, he pulled the strap down, exposing your bare shoulder to him. Your eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of his calloused hands against your smooth skin, his fingers slowly beginning to knead at your muscles.

"I feel a lot of tension here still," he told you, his hand gently moving to raise your arm up slightly over your head. You felt a pop in your joints, an instant feeling of relief washing through your shoulder. A breathy moan escaped your lips at the movement, grateful that it felt better already.

"Shit," you breathed, thankful for his skillful hands. "That feels good."

Art let out a breathy laugh, making your heart swell. "Lean back against me, I want to try something."

You followed his instructions, your back meeting his toned chest, sinking into his embrace. The smell of his cologne invaded your senses, making you sigh.

Carefully, he wrapped his arm around your collarbone, his left hand laying flat against the front of your shoulder while his right hand gripped the back of your bicep where your arm met your shoulder.

His hands were slow and gentle but still had you unwinding more with each movement. His left hand gently pushed your shoulder back as his right pushed your arm forward, earning another pop in your joints.

"Oh my god," you groaned under your breath, your hand subconsciously moving to grip his muscular forearm without realizing it.

"That's it, sweetheart," he cooed in your ear as you let out a sigh of relief. "Does that feel better?"

'So much better," you told him honestly, still holding onto his arm. Your eyes quickly fell down to it, an idea circling in your mind before your hand slowly began to move. He watched you carefully, his eyes following your freshly manicured hand moved to settle over his, before carefully moving his hand down your chest.

"But I think I'm still a little tense, Art," you breathed, biting your lip as his fingers ghosted over your hardened nipple before you moved it down further to your abdomen. His mind finally caught on to what you were trying to get at, a sly smirk cracking across his face.

"Could you help me?" you whispered, settling his hand on your lower stomach, dangerously close to where you wanted him most.

He didn't respond, his hand simply moving from underneath yours and allowing his fingers to slip underneath the waistband of your skimpy shorts, your breath hitching. He moved his free hand from your arm and down to your thigh, gently spreading them apart.

You felt him exhale a deep breath, before finally answering your request. "Of course. Anything to help my star player."

His fingers broke the barrier of your panties just as the words left his mouth, dipping into your soaked core without warning. You let out a moan as his lips pressed gentle kisses to your bare shoulder before moving up your neck and settling just below your ear.

His middle and ring fingers played at your clit, rubbing it gently before dipping back into you, curling his fingers inside of you sweetly.

A moan sounded from your plump lips, your head falling back on his shoulder. Your hand gripped his bicep as he continued to give you what you wanted, writhing in pleasure at his movements.

You could feel his hard-on press into your back as you sunk into his embrace, turning you on even more.

"How does that feel, baby?" he rasped, kissing your temple as he could feel you beginning to unravel on his fingers. "Is this what you wanted?"

You whimpered, biting your lip as you nodded your head. "Yes!"

As his fingers moved quickly inside of you, you felt his free hand wrap around your torso before moving up to your chest, his fingers ghosting over your hardened nipple.

"Please, Art," you whimpered, so close to your high. He took your words as a sign to keep going and allowed his fingers to fondle your breast, which sent you over the edge.

"Fuck, I'm-" you whined, your words caught dead in your throat as your orgasm washed over you, a defeated moan sounding from your chest.

He was mesmerized as he watched you, the way your head kicked back against his chest and you gripped his thigh as you came down from your climax. The pure ecstasy was seeping from you, and it drove him wild that he brought you to this state.

Carefully, he removed his fingers from your soaked core, bringing them to his mouth before sucking them clean. Your head snapped around to watch him, going feral at the way he reveled at the taste of you. You couldn't tear your eyes away from him.

Your hands cupped the sides of his head, your fingers running through his blonde locks of hair. His eyes fell on your wet, plump lips before he smashed his own against them without warning.

A whine of approval sounded from the back of your throat, your body quickly crawling into his lap, straddling him as you sunk deeper into the kiss. His hands ran up the sides of your thighs before settling on the flesh of your ass, squeezing it as he held your core down against his hard-on.

His lips finally pulled away from yours, both of you out of breath as you met each other's gaze once again. He was quick to attack your neck, leaving sloppy and wet kisses all over your skin as he rocked your hips over his erection for any sort of release he could get.

Your fingers tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck, earning a low groan to sound from his chest, which went straight to your core. You were growing impatient, pulling away from him in order to tug your tank top over your head. His eyes fell to your bare chest, a look of pure lust haunting them.

You quickly stood up from his lap to remove your shorts along with your underwear, giving him the opportunity to rid himself of his clothes as well. Your eyes nearly bugged out of your head as his hard-on slapped against his lower stomach once he pulled his boxers off, his tip reddened and already leaking with precum.

"Come here, baby," he said soothingly, his hands pulling you back into his lap once more, your bare chest flush with his. Your faces were inches apart, your lips parted as you watched him reach between your bodies and grasp his cock, slowly giving it a few pumps before he aligned himself with your core.

You raised your hips a little, hovering over him to allow him to guide himself into you, a deep moan ripping from your chest when you finally sank down on him.

"Fuck," he groaned, the feeling of your wet core overriding his senses. You stretched around him so sweetly, taking him so well he couldn't help but moan.

Your hands settled comfortably on his shoulders, using them to help stabilize yourself as you began to rock your hips into a steady motion. You couldn't help but bite your lip, unable to keep your moans from falling out of your mouth.

He filled you to the brim, reaching a part of you deep inside that had never fully been satisfied. It made you ecstatic; you couldn't get enough of him.

"Fuck me, Art," you moaned, pulling at the hair at the nape of his neck. "Fuck me hard."

He let out a shaky breath at your bluntness but obeyed you nonetheless. His hands gripped your hips roughly before he began a steady pace of fucking up into you, making you reel your head back in pleasure.

"Look at you, taking me so well," he moaned in between whimpers of pleasure, gripping your hips harder as he quickened his thrusts. You were a blubbering mess at this point, your head falling to the crook of his shoulder to muffle your cries.

His arm wrapped around your torso to keep you steady, his free hand moving to rake through your hair and pull your head back up to meet his gaze. He watched you intently as tears formed in your eyes, your orgasm not too far away.

"So pretty," he cooed, cupping your face. "All for me, right?"

"I'm yours, Art," you whimpered, clawing at his bicep as you felt yourself tipping over the edge. "All yours. Fuck, I'm close!"

Your moans were like music to his ears, sounding so melodic as your eyes fluttered shut in lust. With a few quick final thrusts, your second orgasm washed over you, making you writhe with pleasure as a nearly pornographic moan ripped from your chest.

He gripped your hips as he stilled his movements, his eyes intently watching you as your face contorted with your climax. He nearly came at the sight, letting out a shaky moan as you slumped back against him, completely fucked out.

"Fuck," you breathed, looking up at him as he panted heavily, a lazy smile on his face.

Suddenly, you remembered he hadn't come yet, and your body was already sliding off of him and sinking to your knees between his legs before you could even think otherwise.

"Wait, no you don't have to-" he assured you as he sat up, but you were already shushing him and taking him into your hand, gently pumping him as you gripped his thigh for leverage.

His eyes were blown out with lust as he watched you jerk him off, relaxing into your touch as a whimper escaped his throat. You looked so sexy sitting in between his legs, so eager to help him reach his climax. It didn't take long before he was letting out a guttural groan and painting your chest with his release.

His chest heaved up and down as he pulled himself back together, taking in your appearance before him. He never wanted to forget you like this; your face flushed and dewey with sweat from the orgasm he had just given you.

"Sorry, baby," he breathed, sitting up to grab your tank top and wipe you clean with it. You sent him a small smile, thankful for the gesture before you got back on the couch next to him and curled into his side. He grabbed the blanket that was hanging over the back of the couch and laid it over the two of you, trying to make you as comfortable as possible.

The sudden realization that you had just fucked your tennis coach began to seep into your brain as you felt the warmth of his skin on yours, goosebumps running down your spine at the thought.

Fuck, this was going to make for an interesting practice tomorrow. . .

[yutarot]

IN PERFECT SYNC [j.jh smau]

twenty-six — however hard it may be. wc: 0.8k

(written section is below)

“i love this song!!!” jungwoo yells over the scream of ‘stereo love’ blasting from the speakers. you’d already been at the party for an hour, and jungwoo was still yelling ‘i love this song’ at every single damn one that played.

“honestly, one day, that man is gonna realise that haaland does not give a single shit about him.” yuta laughs, huddling into you, johnny and kazuha in order to speak quieter and you still hear him.

“he’s right, jungwoo really is trying wayyyy too hard” johnny says, and you turn to him with a dead expression, panning your eyes down to his ‘i love haaland’ t-shirt.

“righttt….” you reply, and johnny shrugs innocently. “i’m gonna go grab another drink. anyone want refills?” you ask.

before kazuha can reply to tell u she wants another, jungwoo comes charging through the middle of your group, arms drunkenly slinging over yours and yutas shoulders as he sings the words of ‘auld lang syne’, very wrong and very out of pitch.

“oh shittt.” jungwoo yells as he looks at you, his half drank cup of cherry vodka now decorating your very expensive and very white dress. “i’m so sorry!”

you laugh, telling him it’s okay and lying that you can simply wash it out, which eases his very incessantly loud yells of apology.

you wait for him to drag yuta, johnny and kazuha back up near the speakers before you silently slip away to the kitchen to grab a towel to dry yourself.

but your journey to haalands kitchen is short lived, as a hand clutches your arm, pulling you into what seems like a coat closet, the door closing behind you.

a very small, very dark, coat closet.

and there’s someone stood, very close to you.

“i was right. you do look beautiful.”

you recognise his voice immediately.

“it’s literally pitch black in here, jaehyun.” you bicker.

“i saw you earlier, before jungwoo spilt half a cup of cherry vodka down your dress.” he laughs at the mention, drawing your attention back to the wet fabric seeping into your skin and far from the thoughts you were having before.

you can’t see him, but you can feel him. his arms by his side, his chin just above your forehead and his eyes, baring into yours.

you’re very aware of where your bodies are. and you’re very aware when his hand begins to trace the curve of your jaw before pushing the loose strands of your hair from your face, gently brushing the nape of your neck as he moves your hair to the side.

his touch is barely there, but you feel it.

he clears his throat to speak, but there’s nothing he can say to define what this moment means to him.

but all you can think about is the nagging in your head.

speak to him, ask him, now.

“jaehyun?”

“hmm?”

“i need to ask you something.”

his hands drop from your hair, falling instead to the door handle.

your hand goes over his, “what are you doing?!” you whisper-yell.

he laughs. “chill out, yn, the kitchen is empty, we can talk there.”

you’re hesitant to comply, but you’d rather be in there than in the close proximity of that god-forsaken coat closet any longer, as much as the butterflies in your stomach wish for you to stay.

as you get to the kitchen, you finally find a towel, beginning to pat yourself down.

jaehyuns eyes are on you, full of amusement and something beyond.

something you are so incredibly unsure of.

you set down the towel. “you wanted to ask me something?” jaehyun asks.

“oh right.” you nod. “the way you feel about me, it’s not in a relationship kind of way, is it?”

he’s silent for a few moments, leaning back with his elbows on the counter, his fists clenching as he thinks of what to say next.

“no.” he replies.

so you were right.

he doesn’t want you, for you. he just wants to sleep with you.

you’re just another one of his one night stands.

you can’t say you expected this, all his struggle with telling you how he feels, all his words as Y.

and it was all just so he could sleep with you.

you don’t want him to elaborate, but he does. “i’m not ready for a relationship yet, yn. not just with you, but with anyone. you can’t be mad at that, can you?”

he’s right, you can’t. if he’s not ready, then he’s not ready.

but a pang in your heart is the only thing that follows.

and there is nothing that you can do.

nothing but the simple act of acceptance.

so, you accept it.

however hard it may be.

mlist — next

notes; sorry guys… pls don’t hate me…anyways! 4 chapters left im so sad i dont want it to end but i also can’t wait to start ride or die f1 jeno is actually killing me 😊😊 also the notes on that is insane thank u sm?????? i will NAWT let u guys down🙏

taglist — open; @https-yeonjun @chenlesfavorite @therealbobbyshloby @f6llsun @jkslvsnella @nanaxwi @cloudmrk @neocrashed @vernonburger @vividwritess @taeeflwrr @mmjhh1998 @cyjzzl @stareaa @minkyuncutie @mrkleelvr @dudekiss3r @nattan127 @slayhaechan @jaeveil @tynlvr @mslora @nosungluv @grassbutneo @dokyriu @girlz4jaem @axo-l0tl @yyangj3lly @solvrse @m1ng1swife @gentlepeach @xiuriii @soobinbunnie5 @tocupid @apolloxxivmin @ctrlstar @gyuguys @tokitosun @i-kai @flamingi @mrkleelvr @en-dream @queenrachelpink @ssweetreveries @swanyvess @flaminghotyourmom @hyuck-me @cryingforjae @hizhu @starfilledgaze

[tinydefector]

TURN BACK ANON MY ANONYMITY NOAAAAUUU /J

ive been thinking about this idea the whole day but imagine in human effects, a group of humans shamelessly talk about who they would bang bang in ll and them being superised that; minibots (cough swerve) are oddly popular because in the humans words 'thats probably the only size they can bear without being impaled to death', rung and ratchet is somehow in there because some have a preference for the old ladies (dilfs) etc etc

theyre talking thinking no ones listening since its a bar full of drunken bots but the fact is half of the bar is eavesdropping, esp after the events of the first human effect. some waiting for their names to be mentioned, some absolutely puzzled by their preferences, some fistpumping thinking they might have a chance (brainstorm HAHA)

u dont have to write anything if u dont want to!! love ur writting!! running away now!! have a good day slash night!!

Effects of Drinking

Word count:2.1k

Warnings: talking about sex, hookups, speculated workplace relationships.

Prev

Next

Human effects masterlist

I absolutely loved this idea and got to work on it the moment I read this. So enjoy another part of human effects.

___________________

The sound of Swerve is always loud with the mingling of bots and humans alike, the sound of laughter, crying and venting was a causal occurrence for the many drunk patrons that frequent the bar. But tonight It was bustling even more than it normally is. Swerve shakes his head in amusement as me brings a plate of drinks over for the human crew. Swerve whistled cheerily as he whisked through the busy bar, expertly weaving between crowds with overloaded trays of alcohol and snacks balanced expertly on his servos. The atmosphere pulsed with raucous revelry.

Setting down his latest platter of Human-sized drinks, he flashed the smaller patrons a dazzling smile. "Hope y'all're enjoyin' the party! What's the special occasion tonight, if I may ask?" His optics twinkled mischief. Leaning casually on the bar, taking care not to endanger any of the humans. Swerve propped his chin in his hands attentively. "Seems like a lively bunch are in to spill all the juicy deets. Come on, I'm all audials. what's worth celebrating tonight. 

Millian shoots Swerve a smile. "Oh it's gonna get messy tonight Swerve Taylor just had a break up" states which earns raised glasses from the other human crew mates. "To the shit show of a long distance relationship" Nadia calls out and she downs her first shot. "Fucking hell your an alcoholic" the Liason states to the rest of their the crew as they shoot Swerve another smile. "Thank you for the drinks, Swerve I'll try to keep this unruly lot under control, and hopefully Taylor and Nadia dont get to shit faced" they state to him. 

Swerve's optics gleamed with intrigue as the Crew shouted their toasts and explanations. "Oooooh, messy breakups and long-distance woes, huh? Been there, done that," he chuckled knowingly, a cheeky gleam in his optics. "Well hey, if Taylor needs a shoulder vents or an audial, you know where to find me," he offered with a friendly wink. "And as for the rest of you rowdy lot..." His vocalizer took on a playfully stern tone. "I expect nothin' but the finest conduct from representatives of our new friends on Cybertron. No pukin' in the vents, no startin' bar fights - at least, no winnin' any," he jested. 

Laughter fills the area as the two waves Swerve off back towards the bar. Nadia whistles softly as she watches Swerve walk off. "Careful now, don't let Taylor catch you drooling, she'll make you drink tequila with her" Millian teased softly, jostling Nadia's elbow with a grin. Her friend simply chuckled and took another sip of her drink, eyes still following Swerve's retreat fondly.

"Can you blame me? Those Mech's are something else," Nadia sighed, resting her chin on one hand dreamily. "Tall, strong... kind soul. If he was human, I'd be all over that bartender like rust on spoiled bolts." Millian shuddered as they pulled a face at Nadia. "Ugh, don't put images in my brain, thanks. I swear if I have to watch you flirt with another thousand-pound machine..." 

Nadia swatted at him playfully. "Oh hush, like you wouldn't ride Optimus Prime like a mechanical stallion given half the chance." It makes Kyle spit his own drink out as he laughs and chokes at the same time. “Shut the fuck up Kyle!” Millian hisses. The group's Ambassador rolls Their eyes. “Behave you two, God forbid I have to get Garry to drag you both back to your rooms later” they state with a smoke of Their head.  

Taylor begins pouring herself tequila shot after tequila which gets her a look from the others realising just how hard she was taking the breakup. As Taylor's shots began piling up at an alarming rate, concerned murmurs arose among the human crew. Millian shot Nadia a look across the table. "Woah there Tex, maybe ease up on the hard stuff for a bit, yeah?" They suggested gently, resting a hand on Taylor's wrist to still the next pour. 

 "Breakups suck shit, believe me - but that's what friends are for. No need giving yourself An alcohol coma!" Nadia nodded supportively. "Mil's right, T. We're here to help you forget that piece of shit, not drown yourself." She flashed Taylor a cajoling smirk. "And who knows, might find someone else worth your time out there. Wouldn't want to miss your chance at a rebound, all because you're too fucked to function!" 

The team's Ambassador shoots Taylor a look too Check on her. "We are here to try and make your night better without you drowning yourself Tay, plus I'm pretty sure Nadia is more interested in the 'eye candy' as she likes to put it" they tease back Which earns a snort from Kyle. “Yea seems ready to jump anything that looks her way” he states partly amused as he goes back to sipping his beer. Nervous laughter arose from the humans at their ambassador's gentle teasing of Nadia. She accepted it gracefully, raising her glass in cheerful concession. 

"You got me there, boss. What can I say - alien ships, alien bars, alien hotties. A girl's gotta have her fun!" Taylor managed a half-smile at her friend's antics, tension easing slightly as others diverted focus her way. "Thanks, everyone. I know you're just looking out for me. It's been a rough week… plus this on top of it" Her gaze softened gratefully. 

Nadia leans in to Taylor with a smile that could only spell touch. And both Kyle and the Ambassador know what's about to come out of her mouth. "Sooo.. who wants to play smash or pass?" Kyle and another one of the mechanics shoot her a look as if to go ‘really?’. 

In the background curious optics watch the rowdy group of humans, some ears dropping in on the conversation others only shooting looks over when one of them gets over vocal. 

"Ooh, I love this game!" Millian crowed, bouncing mischievously in his seat. "Lay it on us, Nads - who's first on the bot buffet?" 

Skids’ optics go wide from his own seat as he turns around to watch the commotion over at the other table, partially intrigued after the last late night bar conversation with some of the other mechs, he gives Hound a slight nudge as if to get him to look over at the other Table. 

Their ambassador sighed fondly. "As your head officer, I should discourage such fraternisation... but as your friend, please try not to get yourselves into trouble God forbid I have to do the sign off overbone of you trying to get cosy with the crew." Nadia cackled, unrepentantly salacious. "Hey, no kink shame in my smash or pass!”

They go around the table multiple times asking each person a bot to smash or pass little to their knowledge or drunken state had they realised quite a few of the bots listening in on their conversation.  "You lot are a bunch of menaces, I swear if I have to drag you out of the bed of one of these good mechs because you got to grabby I'm not going to be happy" they state in a playful tease as they begin drinking their own drink.

The humans cackled irreverently at their ambassador's mock threats. "Aw, don't be like that boss!" crowded Millian. "We're just havin' a little fun gettin' to know the local talent. No harm in window shoppin', right?"

"Speak for yourself," Nadia shot back with a wink. "Some of us plan to do more than just look. A girl's on a schedule, after all - and these mechs are some mighty fine cuts of steel!" 

Ratchet shoots the group A rather disapproving look knowing if anything happened he'd have to deal with the fallout. The ambassador shoots him a look with a shake of their head while sipping their drink. They knew their group weren't exactly being subtle about it. 

Kyle groaned and hid his face, though the tips of his ears still burned hot. Even Taylor was gradually relaxing into laughter again. Catching their ambassador's imploring gaze, Taylor smiled ruefully. "Don't worry boss - I'll make sure this lot don't embarrass us too badly, we don't want a redo of what happened with Kyle and David. And if anyone does end up, er, occupied for the night... Well, I'm sure security footage could be omitted from our reports. For diplomatic purposes."

“Oh my God, one time, I go to see Kyle one fuckin time” David huffs in embrassment while pressing his face into his hands. It's Millian who realises who the ambassador's eyes are lingering On before they make a sly comment about it. “Ohhh got eyes on the old medic?” They tease before Nadia speaks up. “Mmmm bet he'd have a lot of experience, bet he'd be real nice in bed” she purrs while her eyes dance across his plating. 

One of the Bluestreak begins choking on his drink of high grade earning him a laugh from a smokescreen who slaps him on the back. He curses as he tries to make it seem that he wasn't ears dropping on the conversation. Nadia's keen eyes noticed the bot choking on high grade at the adjacent table.  

She grinned, nudging her friends eagerly. "Hey, I think we've got an audience! That mech over there started glitching when talk turned to after-hours bump and grind."

Heads swivelled covertly, giggling and pointing out the bot now sporting a rather flustered frame as his companion gleefully slapped his plating while laughing at him. 

"My, seems our alien friends find human proclivities just as intriguing as we do theirs," Kyle noted dryly. 

Millian snickered into their drink. "Bet they've never met a crew so eager to sample the merchandise firsthand." 

Nadia stretched lavishly. "What can I say - we aim to broaden cultural exchange through... hands-on cooperation." Her grin turned downright feline.

“Not that type of hands on cooperation Nadia, but I do appreciate the enthusiasm of building decent relations with our crew” The Ambassador states as their comm link goes off with an incoming call, they sigh when they read the message that pings through. ‘Needed on command deck due to an incident involving Rodimus and Daniel’. The Ambassador sighs before getting up. "I've got head, got another Accident report I've got to go process due to our captain's Asteroid surfing again" they state while moving from the table, their attentions were diverted as their ambassador rose from the table with a resigned sigh. 

"Duty calls, it seems. You lot try and stay out of trouble while I'm gone, please? I'd hate to have to bail any of you out of the brig for 'cultural exchange' gone too far." They fixed Nadia with an arched brow ridge before departing with a chuckle. 

"Tch, spoilsport," Nadia huffed affectionately. "Care to place bets on how long it takes our ambassador to get sick of Roddy's scrap and maroon him for good?" Kyle scoffs as he takes a drink. "With the amount of times the Ambassador gets called away you'd think it's a cover up story" he states as the alcohol begins going to his head. David Shakes his head as leans against Kyle. 

Nadia's eyes gleamed deviously at Kyle's insinuation, while Millian and Taylor look at him with a shocked look. “No… you don't think..?” Taylor starts 

 "Oooh, sneaky! You may be onto something there, flyboy." Nadia tapped her chin thoughtfully. 

"Let's think - who've they been spending an awful lot of 'alone time' with lately..." 

"Rodimus is always dragging them to the bridge for 'meetings'," offered Millian with wiggle-voiced air quotes. 

Taylor giggled behind her hand. "I've seen Drift approach them in the halls an unusual number of times..." 

"Megatron's been having private strategy sessions, he says," mused Kyle slyly. 

Their giggling swelled into raucous laughter and speculation at the myriad possibilities. It's only when Swerve makes his way back over to ask if anyone else wants new drinks that the drunken lot of humans continue to giggle, laugh and speculate. 

Swerve's audials perked as he drew near the boisterous human table, curiosity piqued by their spirited discussion, he leaned in eagerly. 

"Oho, sounds like you cheeky fleshies are having all the fun over here! Care to let ol' Swerve in on the gossip?" He flashed a playfully pleading grin. "A bot's gotta live vicariously through someone, after all."

"Trust us, handsome, you don't wanna know," Nadia snickered salaciously, tossing back her last shot. David  smiles, swirling his drink. "We were just speculating on who might be keeping our dear ambassador... occupied during their frequent 'calls'." He made air quotes with his free hand. 

"Oooh!" Swerve's optics flashed with glee as implications dawned. He lowered his vocalizer conspiratorially. "Do tell! I love a good intra-ship romance." Quite a few bots seem to lean in and listen in hope that it might be their name that people speculated. 

___________

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[trancylovecraft]

(KNY) YANDERE PLATONIC! KOKUSHIBO x SISTER READER: You, Shibou. I, Kokoro.

YSIK Masterlist // Next chapter

A Cherry Blossom is a pretty flower, Blooming in the spring and representing renewal and joy. However it is quick to die out in the winter, Shrivelling up with it's beautiful colour following with it. Leaving the memory of it gone yet never forgotten.

The moon shun bright in the obsidian black sky.

The light that came down illuminated a small, yet well kept gravestone.

It was old, Ancient probably, Cracks were illustrated boldly into the corners and wrapped around the granite like spider webs. it seemed it was about to fall apart at the seams, yet held strong.

Flowers of all colour bustled around the bottom, Fresh, Newly planted.

A man sat on his knees in front of the stone, the only motion he made was the light breeze running through his hair, making his ponytail sway in the wind.

This was no man but instead a demon.

All six of his eyes lay transfixed on the carving written dead-centre on the tombstone, Carved with great care and precision to get it just right.

'[F/N] Tsugikuni'

The mans face was stoic and unreadable, but his eyes were filled with great sorrow and regret.

Kokushibo's arm reached out to the stone, Clawed hands tracing over the lettering carved out.

He asked himself

'How did it come to this?'

☆♡☆

"Michi-Nii!"

A young girl in a blue dragon-patterned haori called out from a distance, She could of only been about four or five yet her little legs were fast and let her catch up to her older brother.

Michikatsu turned around, Mildly surprised at his sister's sudden appearance he stopped in his tracks letting her finally reach him.

"[F/N]. I thought I told you to stay at home and help mother today, You know she needs someone to help her out." Michikatsu said, A little white lie.

His mother, While she wasn't in the best condition, Didn't currently need any help and even if she did little [F/N] would not of been able to do much about it. After all, She was still very young.

[F/N] heaved trying to catch her breath from all that running.

"I know Michi-Nii! but I wanted to come watch you fight!" [F/N] said excitedly, A big expecting smile on her face.

Michikatsu looked into [F/N]'s big puppy dog eyes and sighed. He just couldn't resist.

"..Well alright.. But for the record it's not 'fighting' it's sword training, I'm not fighting anyone, Just preparing for the day when I do, When I become a samurai!" Michikatsu said triumphantly.

[F/N] squealed.

"That's so cool! When I'm a big kid I wanna fight with swords and become a sam-u-mai!" She exclaimed.

"Samurai" Michikatsu corrected.

"Samai!" She responded.

"Samurai" Michikatsu said, Extra slowly so [F/N] could pick up the syllables.

"Samrai!" She said with complete confidence.

Michikatsu snorted and ruffled the girls hair, Who laughed in return.

"Nevermind, Let's get a move on then."

☆♡☆

The sun was high in the sky naming afternoon.

[F/N] sat on the grassy hill next to her brother, Yorichii.

They sat together watching Michikatsu over yonder train his sword swings by hitting dummies out in the field. She watched in wonder at his determination and focus to his craft

Yorichii was the middle child of the family, Michikatsu the oldest and [F/N] the youngest.

Yorichii was a mute. Never spoke or made any motion to communicate, However that never stopped [F/N]'s undying attempts of trying to.

This mostly just consisted of [F/N] following him around, Sleeping in his futon when she had a nightmare or just simply talking her little heart out to him, To which he'd always respond with a little smile and a nod, Showing that he was listening.

He was usually a daydreamer, But today he seemed just as transfixed as she was at their older brother's training.

"Yor-Nii, Where are you going?" [F/N] asked as she watched Yorichii wander down the hill towards Michikatsu.

As usual she got no answer, So she got up and followed him down.

Michikatsu was so fixated on his sword swings that he never noticed Yorichii standing behind him.

So when the physics of one of his sword slashes brought him back stumbling into Yorichii that snapped him out of his training fever.

"Yorichii? What is it?" Michikatsu said surprised. His brother had never interfered while he was training

Yorichii stood still and took in a deep breath, He clenched his fists as if bracing for impact. He opened his mouth.

"...I want to be a samurai like you!" Yorichii stammered not only in his speech but also in his stance.

Michikatsu's sword dropped to the ground with a clang!

A shockwave went through both Michikatsu and [F/N], Their brothers first words to them leaving them speechless.

[F/N] however was the first to speak up.

"Yor-Nii! You can speak! Now we can really talk to each other!" She proclaimed excitedly, Making Yorichii wobble when she jumped to hug him.

Michikatsu stood there, It was hard to tell whether he was shocked at Yorichii's sudden speech or the proclamation of his goal which happened to coincide with both his and [F/N]'s.

"Yorichii.." Michikatsu said just above a whisper.

Yorichii looked back at him with a shaky determination, it shook and swayed but despite the odds it stood strong.

Michikatsu's form deflated, Going back to his calm and stoic demeanour.

"Yorichii. You know what will happen when you're ten, Right?" He said quietly, Only hinting at Yorichii's fate as [F/N] had no idea.

Yorichii nodded. Only taking a glance down at [F/N].

"I know. But I still want to be a samurai, I want to be like you." Yorichii said, Still not given up.

[F/N] perked up.

"Me too! I wanna be a.. samurai too! Like Michi-Nii!" She said, Making sure to pronounce 'Samurai' slowly to pronounce the syllables.

"Hey, You got it right" Michikatsu pointed out, Mildly proud.

Yorichii looked down at [F/N] who still was hugging his waist, He smiled.

"Really? All of us want to be swordsmen?" Yorichii asked now a bit more reserved. He scratched the back of his head.

"Swordgirl!" [F/N] said confidently.

"Swordswoman" Both Yorichii and Michikatsu corrected at the same time.

"Swordgirl?"

This will take a while.

☆♡☆

A good few years have passed since then.

The five-year old little girl [F/N] had grown into a blossoming young woman and is now a little younger than her big brothers were back then.

She still wore a resized version of her blue dragon-patterned haori, The only thing that really stayed the same and came with her through her walk of life.

"You know [F/N], I could convince your father to buy you a new haori" Akeno Tsugikuni, Her mother said to her while running a needle through her haori, resizing the fabric to fit [F/N]'s bigger self.

"This is about the fifth time I've had to refit this old thing. I'm sure your dad would prefer you to have a new one, You are coming up on marriage age after all" She softly spoke to [F/N], But her eyes were fixed on the fabric, Stitching with care.

[F/N] shook her head nonchalantly.

"No, Mom. This was a gift from you, It was homemade. You can't just buy that kind of thing from a tailor." She huffed.

[F/N] sat on the edge of her mothers sick-bed, Her mother laid propped up so she could

Akeno smiled.

"Besides, I don't even think I'd want to get married. I like how my life is right now and you know I still want to be an onna-musha, right?" [F/N] said.

True, Even after all these years [F/N] still held onto the goal of becoming a Female samurai, An onna-musha.

However it seemed like a pipe-dream. With her father's influence and strength she had never picked up a sword, No matter how hard or surreptitiously tried to steal or borrow one of her brothers swords she was always caught in the end and given a right punishment for it.

Still, This never changed her mind on the matter.

"I see... Still haven't given up on that dream, have you?" She hummed.

"Well anyways, If you're so invested into my own sowing then maybe-" Akeno broke out into a fit of coughs, She dropped the needle in favour of covering her mouth.

[F/N] quickly rushed over to her side.

"Mom? Mom, Are you alright" She said, Lightly patting her mothers back.

Akeno stopped sputtering out coughs but still softly wheezed during breaths.

"I'm.. Fine, Sweetheart" She spoke, However her hoarse throat said otherwise.

"No, You're not! You don't need to fix my haori, We can continue later but right now you should lay down." [F/N] worried.

Akeno shook her head.

"I said I'm alright but.. could you go fetch me.. Some water?" She breathed heavily as if all the air around her had thinned.

[F/N] quickly nodded and rushed out the room to complete the task.

She swiftly opened the shoji doors to her house and made her way over to the water-well sat upon the hill. She hoped to the gods above that the well hadn't dried up in the early summer heat.

She reached the small little well and peered inside, The water in the well was plentiful. [F/N] sighed in relief and proceeded to wheel the bucket on the rope down the stony passageway.

CLASH!

[F/N] jumped at the sound, Letting the rope slip from her grasp she watched the bucket fall from its steady pace and hit the water with a loud splash!

"No!" [F/N] yelled. The well was too far down for her to reach the bucket. She cried out in frustration and looked over at the source of noise that dominoed the bucket falling.

Over in the valley beyond the hill was Michikatsu, Still out training with his sword. It was fairly early in the morning and judging by the sweat-beads on his face and the mess of his clothes [F/N] could tell he's been up training since six at least.

That's right, Along with her, Michikatsu had changed as well.

From the strong yet stoic young man that [F/N] had grown up with he had festered into a more strength obsessed yet quiet young man than what he had been before.

[F/N] knew the catalyst well, He was her brother after all.

Yorichii from that day he proclaimed his want to be a samurai, Had demonstrated an inhuman talent for the skill. A man who was working with their father had humoured Yorichii and decided to teach him a basic stance.

However to everyone's surprise, Yorichii had landed four blows on the man and swiftly defeated him. Which is something that Michikatsu never could.

From then on Michikatsu grew a bit darker, Maybe not noticeably. Not noticeable from her father, mother or even Yorichii. But [F/N] could tell.

She barely saw him anymore, Well it was more of she never talked to him anymore. She still watched him train, at least from afar.

An idea clicked in her head.

The bucket in the well was too far down for her to reach, Yes. However it wasn't too far for Michikatsu who was a foot taller than her.

She walked down the hill, Calling out for him.

"Michi-Nii!" She called out to him.

Michikatsu stopped swinging his sword and turned around to look at his little sister with an annoyed scowl on his face.

"What? Can't you see I'm a bit busy at the moment" Michikatsu hissed.

[F/N] froze for a moment.

"I just need a little help, the bucket in the well fell into the water" She explained softly, Scared to entice her brothers wrath.

Michikatsu groaned.

"Alright." He said simply and quickly headed over to the well. [F/N] followed after, Smiling.

"Thank you, Michi-Nii!" She said thankfully.

[F/N] grabbed onto his hand to hold it, But she was shaken off by Michikatsu.

"I told you to stop calling me that, It's stupid and childish" He said, grimacing.

[F/N]'s smile was put out like a light, But she nodded. Trying to respect his wishes.

They got to the well and Michikatsu fished out the bucket with ease and handed it over to [F/N] who bowed down in thanks but with much less emotion put into it.

With that, Michikatsu walked away without a goodbye. Off to go and continue training for the rest of the day and coming back home in the dead of night, Just to go to sleep and repeat the process over and over again.

[F/N] frowned but took the bucket of water back to the house.

Sliding open the Shoji doors she entered the house, remarkably more downtrodden than before.

As she walked the halls towards her mothers room she heard two voices arguing in a hushed tone.

"She doesn't want to get married."

"Too bad. She's coming upon marriage age and if she doesn't want to disrespect this family she will do as she's told and marry the man we've picked out for her"

The two voices, Her mother and father.

She slipped quietly behind the half-open shoji door, Intently listening in on their conversation

"She want's to be an onna-musha, You know." Her mother admitted.

"An onna-musha. Really." Her father responded, A tone full of disgusted shock ran through his voice.

"That girl is too weak to even tend to the horses. Not to mention the girl's only worth will be to marry her off to a nobleman. Her being a samurai along with the men would just be wrong" He said.

There was a silence not just between [F/N]'s parents, But her too.

She's known her father hadn't particularly paid attention to her nor did he show any affection but to think he thought this lowly of her was a gut punch to the stomach.

"Don't say that, Akuhei. She could be listening" Her mother said in a whisper.

"I hope she is. She needs to learn the truth sooner or later or she'll grow up and be delusional to the real world."

[F/N] let tears flow from her cheeks, Dripping down onto the floor.

If she couldn't even get a bucket out from a well, Could she really be a swordswoman?

☆♡☆

Something wasn't right.

It had been a good few hours after [F/N] had eavesdropped on her parents conversation and it had fallen into night-time.

[F/N] had long gone to bed but she wasn't able to fallen asleep easy. It was strange, No matter the situation she had always had no issue with falling into unconciousness.

She rolled and scuffled around on her futon uncomfortably. Could it of been the conversation earlier? No. Couldn't be that, It was something else.

[F/N] rubbed her eyes and got up from her futon. She shuffled on her sandals and quickly draped her newly-sized blue dragon haori around her figure for warmth.

She decided to go for a walk to clear her head.

[F/N] walked softly in the darkened hallways of her home, The soft moonlight illuminated her pathway through the house. She was lost in her own thoughts from the events of the day.

Her father's words, Michikatsu's attitude, Her mother's illness. It all swirled in her mind like a hurricane.

"..I like my life how it is right now"

The words she had told her mother. A lie.

She hated how everything was right now. Her dad saw her as an object to be bid on. Michikatsu acted like she was nothing but a burden to him and Yorichii was nowhere to be found.

Besides, Even if Yorichii and Michikatsu weren't talking either they were obviously the more important in the family.

They were the Sun and the Moon, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi.

[F/N] wasn't a celestial deity or a celestial body, She was just the terrestrial afterthought. Yorichii and Michikatsu were both skilled and talented in their own rights, They were fawned over by the girls and even some of the boys in the village. They were praised and respected.

[F/N] wasn't even allowed to leave the house.

Now that she thought about it, There was only was her and her mother.

Her mother.

While walking she had stopped in her tracks. Light shone in through the hallway from an open door.

Her mother's door.

[F/N]'s brow quirked. Was her mother up this late as well? She should be asleep, She was very ill after all.

[F/N] peeked through the doorway, Her eyes widened.

Yorichii stood over the bed, Her mother layed motionlessly on the bed.

"Yor-Nii?" [F/N] asked.

Yorichii turned around, A strained look in his eyes. His jaw stood locked tight as if there was something painful he had to say.

"Mother has passed on" Yorichii whispered.

What?

No, No. No no no no no. That couldn't be right, No. It couldn't be right.

[F/N] stumbled over to her mother, Shoving Yorichii out of the way to whom backed off.

"Mum, Mum. Wake up, Hey. Hey, Do you hear me?" [F/N] cried, She grasped onto her mother's limp hand, She shook it in futile attempt to wake her.

"Mum you can't, Mum please." Tears started rolling down her cheeks now, Her breathing laboured.

"Yorichii, Please did you try-"

She turned around, Yorichii was nowhere to be seen.

He had left.

He had left and hadn't even bothered to try and comfort her.

She stared in shock, Not believing her situation

She was brought back by a hand squeezing her own.

She snapped her head back down to her mother, Whose eyes lain weakly on [F/N]'s. A soft yet painful smile appeared on her face.

"Mum!" [F/N] choked.

"[F/N]..." Akeno whispered. "Come closer.."

[F/N] Nodded and leant down closer to her mother, Kneeling down now to listen closely. Her eyes never leaving her mothers

"I never wanted to be married... My father had sold me off at a young age as well." Akeno started.

"I had a chance.. Once.. To leave this place, To get out of my marriage but do you know what happened?" She asked, Looking mournfully into the eyes of her youngest, Who was now choking on her sobs and tears rushing out from her eyes.

Akeno didn't wait for an answer

"I didn't take it.. I was too afraid." A sad smile came upon her.

"My life had ended right there since I never took that chance.. And the only good thing to ever happen after that... were you three."

"[F/N].. Yorichii.. Michikatsu. My beautiful children" Akeno let tears roll down her face now, Reminiscing on her life that was flashing before her now.

"Please.. You now have a chance. Get away while you still can.." Her other hand wiped the tears off of [F/N]'s face weakly, However her hand started to fall.

"Run.. and I promise I will see you again, The kami will reunite us... I love you, [F/N]" She whispered, Her hand falling to her side and the others grip becoming limp. The light in her eyes fading.

"Mum... Mum! No! no no!" [F/N] sobbed, Shaking her mothers now lifeless corpse she collapsed to the floor and cried out for her mum to come back, to speak to her.

"Run, You still have your chance"

Her mothers voice rang in her head, It echoed throughout her entire being.

And with love and tears, She kissed her mother on the forehead and closed her dead eyes. Akeno's face displayed rest, peace.

She said her final goodbye's to her mother and left the room to go back to her own.

And with a heavy heart and a rucksack full of essentials, She climbed out her rooms window and left in the dead of night.

☆♡☆

[F/N] trudged through the woodlands.

It was now daybreak, The sun rose upon the distance and shown through cracks in the tree's.

Through all that time [F/N] never stopped walking, Never took a break. The only thing on her mind was escape to a better place.

It was only once she appeared upon a clearing did she stop walking.

In front of her was a rundown Shinto shrine placed upon the mountainy and rocky terrain of the woods.

It had obvious that people hadn't been here in decades by the dust, cobwebs and poor conditions of all the archways and cracked stone lanterns lining the pathway up to the shrine entrance.

Back in it's heyday it would of been grand. A massive shrine that could of held a good few hundred people, As there was a large amount of corridors and a second floor.

Not to mention the vast courtyard [F/N] now found herself standing in.

She breathed in the highland forest air, Took in the birds chirping and the warm light of the sun on her skin.

She looked upon the sign hanging from the archway.

"Inari Ōkami"

The kami of Foxes, Agriculture, Fertility, Tea, Sake and Swordsmiths.

[F/N] frowned at the state of the shrine, Thinking of it as a great disrespect to Inari.

Another thought ran through her mind.

Home. A rundown one for sure, But nothing she couldn't fix.

And that's what she did.

For the next ten years that's what [F/N] did. She fixed the Archways, Refilled the stone lamps, Rebuilt the structuring, Cleaned up the cobwebs and dust all until it looked newly built.

Everyday since she came across it she would give offerings to Inari Ōkami. Ranging from nuts and fruit she would pick up while scavenging to Flowers and pieces of jewellery.

She'd light candles in their honour, Pray to them not for good fortune but for the reformation of the shrine.

She'd grown attached to the shrine, So much so that she had completely forgotten her goal of becoming a swordswoman in favour of being the sole shrine-maiden.

And in that time she had finally bloomed into a beautiful young woman and if anyone should come across her they would describe her as such.

Not that anyone came along though, The shrine was in the middle of nowhere and [F/N] had seen no one in the past decade.

As [F/N] got up for another day to tend to the shrine she wondered what her brothers were doing now.

☆♡☆

[F/N] carried her basket full of fruits, Satisfied from a successful scavenge.

She headed back up towards the large archway that was there to greet people into the temple. It use to be covered in splintered wood but thanks to the efforts of [F/N] the archway was restored with a fresh coat of paint and smoothing of the wood.

When she got up there she stopped, Her eyes widened.

The massive wooden doors to the thick stone wall gate were left wide open.

She was sure she had closed them when she had left.

Her body stiffened and her palms became sweaty.

Who could be in her shrine? Nobody came up the mountains and the nearest village was a good few dozen kilometres away on the far other side of the forest. No one who was just wandering could come across the temple.

[F/N] slowly put the basket of fruit onto the ground, Making sure not to make a sound.

She unsheated her Kaiken from her obi and slowly made her way inside to the courtyard, Which seemed empty.

But she looked upon the main building and just like the gate doors the shoji to the main building were left wide open.

[F/N] confirmed her suspicions. Someone was definetly here.

She made her way inside, Checking the main hallways she found no one around however that never made [F/N] let down her guard.

THUMP!

[F/N] flinched. The sound of an object knocking over came from just down the hall she was facing. Gripping her Kaiken tighter she moved forward towards the sounds

As she got closer, She heard a duo of voices arguing.

"Stop moving, Brother."

"Argh, If you'd let me do it by myself this would go much faster."

"No. You're injured, let me do it."

Wait..

"I'm told you I'm fine. It's just a cut."

Those voices..

[F/N] lowered her Kaiken. She stood, legs shaking. Heart pounding as she slowly called out.

"Michi-Nii? Yori-Nii?"

A sudden shuffling was heard in the room across from her.

The semi-shut shoji doors slammed open and out first came Michikatsu, Who had a semi-wrapped bandage around his arm with Yorichii following close after.

They were in their twenties now and were much older and their faces had changed a lot. But no matter how much they had physically changed [F/N] recognised her brothers, Who both now had surprised yet unrecognisable expressions in their face.

[F/N]'s mouth was open, Her eyes wide and sparkling with recognition.

"[F/N]..." Yorichii said.

"Yori-Nii! Michi-Ni-" She was cut off by the sudden arms pulling her into a tight hug. Michikatsu had moved so fast that she didn't see him move.

"[F/N].." He stuttered, Swaying back and forth while hugging her.

"Nii-san.." [F/N] cried, Gripping the back of his purple hexagonal hakama tightly as she buried her head into the side of his neck.

"You've grown so much.. And look at that" [F/N] grazed the hilt of of his sword, taking in the craftsmenship.

"You've both become swordsmen. I'm so proud, I wish I could've been there to see your ceremony" She whispered.

Michikatsu never responded to her words, instead going into a speech of his own.

"[F/N].. I lost you. You disappeared out of nowhere.. I searched for you for years.." Michikatsu was lost for words. If [F/N] didn't know better she could of sworn he was crying.

"I'm sorry, Michi-Nii. I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I went" [F/N] whispered.

The bear hug grip on her got tighter.

"Never. And I mean never leave me again. You have no idea what you put me through... You better promise" He scolded. [F/N] nodded vigorously.

"I promise."

☆♡☆

"So this is where you've been living for the past ten years?" Michikatsu asked, Looking around the haiden.

The place was a massive hall dedicated to worship of Inari. at the very end was the main worship shrine, Which was bustling with hand-woven straw baskets filled with offerings and lit candles in Inari's honour.

"Yeah.. When I ran away ten years I came across this place and made it my home. Been like that ever since." [F/N] smiled, Proud of the hall.

It was indeed very pretty, The new refurbished decorations of flowers, candles and banner-work created a grandiose appearance. The wooden pillars supported the tall height of the room and had beams at the top connecting them all with baskets filled with flowers hanging from them.

The entire room looked like it was built and cared for by an entire team of shrine maidens, Not a single dust spot to be seen.

Yorichii and Michikatsu stared in awe at the work.

"And you maintained this place all by yourself?" Yorichii asked, Genuinely in wonder at the décor.

"Well.. Apart from the occasional seller I meet when I'm scavenging for food nearest the road.. They sell me candles, Banners and other things needed for maintenance.. It's all done by me." [F/N] explained.

"It's.. Impressive. To think how you learned all this.." Michikatsu said.

"I get all my information from the shrine's library, From then on you figure it out on the way." [F/N] responded, Completely humble to the praise she received.

She turned around to her brothers with a smile.

"What about you two? Tell me what's been happening, And how'd you get that cut?" She asked innocently, Pointing to Michikatsu's bandaged arms

The two twins looked at each other, Having a silent conversation with each other. Contemplating what they should tell. Both of them very apprehensive, they shared a knowing look between them.

[F/N] frowned.

"..Is it not something you want to tell me?" She asked.

"Well.. It's hard to believe but-" Yorichii started.

"It’s just a mistake from sword training. Don't you worry about it." Michikatsu finished.

Yorichii looked over at him, Surprised at his sudden interruption.

[F/N]'s eyes narrowed. She felt curious but decided to drop the subject.

"Well anyways.. I need to go retrieve my fruit basket from outside and do my morning rounds around the shrine. Feel free to have a look around, Just please don't touch anything " [F/N] said, bowing her head low and heading towards the exit.

"Hold on, I'll come with you" Michikatsu said, He went to follow after his sister but was stopped when a hand pulled him back.

"Go on ahead, [F/N]. Michikatsu-Nii will catch up." Yorichii said. [F/N] nodded.

She said goodbye in the form of a hug, Michikatsu then Yorichii.

Michikatsu shot Yorichii a scorning look.

"What do you want?" Michikatsu hissed, The usual irritation of his brother turned up a notch.

"We need to tell her, Nii-san. So we can help her set up wisteria around the place." Yorichii argued.

Michikatsu gritted his teeth.

"Wisteria would be a good idea. But we don't need to tell her about demons, I mean look at her! She's still young" Michikatsu said, exasperated.

"She's eighteen, Nii-san. More than old enough to know about demons, about how to protect herself." Yorichii countered.

"She won't need to learn how to protect herself If I'm there to do it for her" Michikatsu hissed.

Yorichii's face scrunched up. He took a step forward towards Michikatsu and stood steady.

"Nii-san, I know you and [F/N] were attached by the hip when she was young but you can't always be there for her, She's strong enough to survive on her own but not strong enough to survive a possible demon attack, So we need to inform her. She won't let us plant wisteria around the shrine without a very good reason " Yorichii argued, His point stood stronger than he did.

Michikatsu's teeth gritted and his face was a visage of concealed anger like they were standing in the eye of the storm waiting for the inevitable onslaught.

"You always need to know better, Don't you Yorichii?" Michikatsu spat in a low tone.

Yorichii was surprised at Michikatsu's sudden animosity towards him, He was confused. This had never happened before.

"What do you mean to imply by that, Nii-san?" Yorichii asked, Slight worry coming over him for his brother who seemed restless.

Michikatsu suddenly became aware of his sudden outburst, His shoulders dropped from their previously stiff position. He sighed.

"Nothing... I shouldn't of spoke out like that." Michikatsu said, Quickly bowing his head to Yorichii he began to leave the shrine hall.

"Where are you going?" Yorichii called after him.

"To go find [F/N]. And make sure she's alright" He responded, Leaving the hall in search of his little sister.

☆♡☆

Michikatsu looked around the shrine for [F/N].

He walked the halls, checked the empty rooms, searched the courtyard, looked around the perimeter of the shrine and scoured through the shrine's impressively large and overflowing gardens but turned up empty.

He was frustrated. Where could she be? The forest surrounding the temple was fairly thick and shading and who knows? A demon might of been able to cover itself in the foliage and maybe she had left the shrine to pick up her basket only to come face to face with the monster and-

Michikatsu couldn't think anymore about it.

Sweat beads started forming on his head, What if she ran away? She couldn't, she sworn to him that she'd never leave him again. She couldn't of done that to him! What if she wasn't happy to see him and took the chance to leave while he was being lectured by Yorichii?

Yorichii.

Did she favour him over Michikatsu? When you were hugging him to say goodbye he could of sworn you had hugged Yorichii just a little bit tighter than him, Smiled a little bigger, Looked a little happier.

As he searched the halls for a second time he felt another burst of envy rise up in him, Something that had been occurring more and more lately.

His thoughts stopped when he stepped on an uneven dip in the ground. He felt around with his foot and outlined a frame of sorts.

He looked down to see he was standing on a rug. He then looked up realising that he was at the end of the hallway.

He reached down and pulled away the rug revealing a trapdoor, Assumedly leading down to the basement of the shrine.

A basement? Shrines don't usually have basements, He thought to himself.

He noticed the padlock on the handle was unlocked It was also spotless without a trace of dust, Indicating that it was used often.

He opened the door with a small creak of the wood. It revealed a short stone staircase which lead down to a low-ceiling hallway.

Michikatsu raised an eyebrow. He looked left and right before going down the stairs slowly. One step at a time.

He got down to the bottom of the stairs. The ceiling was certainly low as it grazed the top of Michikatsu's head making him feel uncomfortable in the small passageway.

He walked along the tunnel, each of his footsteps producing a faint echo as he went along. The tunnel was comparably cold to the early summer heat from up top.

At the end of the passageway was a wooden door, It looked old and rigid. Looking at the rest of the shrine this was a surprise for Michikatsu as the rest of it was pristine and in perfect shape compared to the derelict looking door.

He reached the door which he now realised was opened just a slight amount.

He pressed his ear to the door, Listening intently.

The sound of cloth on metal sounded on the other side. It was a sound he recognised well, It was polishing of a sword.

He pushed the door open to find [F/N] sitting on her knees with a strange looking sword in hand, a dry cloth in the other.

"Michi-Nii!" [F/N] jumped in surprise and dropped the cloth.

She sat in a much wider room than the hallway. The stone walls were filled with holding frames and shelves, The majority of them empty but still a good few holding rather precious looking trinkets.

At the end of the room which was facing the door and [F/N] held a sort of table harbouring a headpiece stand, Which was obviously suppose to hold the sword in her hands. It was also home to a kitsune mask hanging above it with eyes that looked like it was staring right through him.

"How'd you find the room?" [F/N] said rather surprised.

"Never mind how I found it. Why are you here?" He asked sternly, As if he was scorning a misbehaving child.

"Why am I in a room inside my own shrine?" [F/N] scoffed lightly.

"More of why didn't you tell me where you were, I was worried and I couldn't find you anywhere." He asked more forceful in tone.

[F/N] seemed confused at his reasoning but chalked it up to him still being a little shaken by their reunion.

"...I'm sorry... Coming in here to tend to the artefacts here is apart of my weekly rounds." She explained. A meek look appearing on her face.

Michikatsu sighed.

"Alright then. But please, Tell me next time you wander off into some hidden basement." He said in a softer voice leading to [F/N] calming down.

"What is this room anyways?" Michikatsu asked, Examining the room.

[F/N] peaked up, A sparkle of excitement in her eyes.

"Oh! Well according to the blueprints and builders logs I've found in the library this room was specially built to hold the shrine's treasures. Oh! Wait, hold on!" [F/N] exclaimed.

She reached over to the table in front of her and pulled out a fairly tiny roll of parchment paper, Unfolding it she displayed it to Michikatsu who looked down reading it.

"Apparently one of the noble-clanswoman paying for the building of the shrine here had a really steamy affair with some hot-shot samurai who use to gift her a TON of gifts" [F/N] explained with a passion, Her eyes held a glint of story.

"So to hide them away from her husband she built this little hidey-hole so he wouldn't discover them" She finished.

"What happened to her?" Michikatsu asked, Entertaining her passion.

She only shrugged though.

"No clue, The rest of the parchment was torn and I haven't found the other half..." She said, Disappointment filling her voice.

Michikatsu nodded and looked towards the sword in [F/N]'s lap.

"I can understand the other little objects around here but a sword?" Michikatsu said dumfounded.

[F/N] shook her head.

"No! No. The only two items in the room that weren't a gift was this sword and the kitsune mask hanging over there" She said, Pointing towards the kitsune mask hung by rope.

"Then what are they doing here?"

"They're the shintai that were suppose to be worshipped here at the shrine." [F/N] stretched over and tugged the hanging mask off the rope and presented both it and the sword to Michikatsu, Signalling him to take it.

As he did she told him to be careful while holding them.

The sword was nothing similar to any Katana he's wielded, Nor was it like anything he'd seen in the country. Instead it was built like a very large medieval English sword with the only hint of Japanese influence being the blue hilt which resembled the typical katana.

One side of the sharpened blade was covered in a sort of second sharper metal which glimmered azure in the dim light of the room.

The mask however was oddly designed compared to the usual festival mask. It was made of porcelain and its eyes were carved in a sort of wide eyed stare, The whites of it being a dark black and the pupils sapphire.

Thick cerulean marks adorned the mask, Swirling around the mask and centring at the bullseye of the mask. Except for the ears which were deeply patterned with swirls and flower-esque designs culminating at the covered tips.

The two items radiated a sort of energy from both which Michikatsu couldn't place.

"They're twin artefacts. It's said in the shrines folklore that they belonged to Inari Okami themselves gifted to them by their father, Izanagi. And from the heavens above they dropped them on accident and both the sword and the mask fell to here, The mortal realm" She explained with low wonder.

"The sword is named very bluntly as "The Soul Sword". It's called that because it's said by the previous shrine maidens that when a person is killed by the blade the soul of the person is absorbed into it and prevented from passing onto the afterlife. An eternity in the blade." She told as if it was rehearsed, It probably was.

She pointed to the Mask

"The mask however isn't named but it's said to warp the body of the user to their desire, Disguising themselves completely." She said.

"And does it work?" Michikatsu asked, Studying the mask.

"Haven't tried. It's a sacred artefact of the shrine. It would be a disrespect to Inari if I did." She stated.

Michikatsu examined both of the artefacts as [F/N] rambled away on the tale of the two, They were very well kept.

"You really know a lot about this stuff. Don't you?" He said more of to himself.

[F/N] nodded.

"Yeah. I guess it's just something I'm passionate about" She muttered.

Suddenly, Their conversation was interrupted by a voice upstairs calling out.

"Nii-San! [F/N]!" Yorichii called out from up above them, Voice faint and muffled from the thick stone walls.

Michikatsu groaned being mildly annoyed at being interrupted by Yorichii. [F/N] perked up however.

"That's Yorichii. Better go see what he needs!" She said. [F/N] grabbed both the sword and the mask from Michikatsu's grasp and settling them back with care onto their designed positions, As well as rolling up the parchment paper and putting it under the table

She dusted off her beryl coloured haori and got up from the tatami mat she was sitting on.

"Come on, Better not keep him waiting!" [F/N] said making her way out without waiting for Michikatsu, Who quickly followed after.

They made their way back up the stairs to find Yorichii a few metre's down the hall. He was standing there watching them come up with an arm stretched out, A crow perched neatly on it with a small roll of parchment paper tied to its neck by a string.

"What is it, Yorichii?" Michikatsu asked eyeing the crow.

"Oyataka-sama has summoned us to the headquarters, Urgent meeting." Yorichii said, a tint of unhappiness in his voice.

Michikatsu's face scrunched up in resentment, Obviously not excited by the news.

[F/N] frowned.

"..You've got to leave?" She asked looking up at Michikatsu who looked back with her with an expression saying that he didn't want to. But Yorichii's voice maintained importance.

"..I suppose so.." He said reluctantly. Not wanting to leave his sister alone. His eyes expanded with an idea formed in his head.

"Why don't you come with us, [F/N]?" Michikatsu asked going to stand next to Yorichii. The crow once perched on his arm squawked once. And with a flap of its wings it took off out an ajar window.

[F/N]'s palms suddenly got sweaty at the thought. Her shoulders felt heavy and slumped down with her face portraying one of heavy adversion

She shook her head, Michikatsu's face fell.

"It's not a long trip if that's what you're worried about, If you get tired we can get a horse or I could carry you-" Michikatsu was cut off by [F/N]'s hum of disapproval.

"It's not the trip. It's just I really don't want to leave the shrine unattended y'know?" She asserted. Evidently after spending an entire decade in it's walls she had grown dependant and attached so much to the point she couldn't journey far out of it.

"You can leave the shrine for a few days. Just please come with us, It'll be fine." Michikatsu reasoned, a small ounce of anxiety rising up into his chest at the thought of her being left.

[F/N] shook her head again.

"No, I'm sorry. But it's not forever, You can still come visit!" She spouted in an asking tone, Waiting for him to confirm.

Michikatsu shared a look with Yorichii. Yorichii's look told him he agreed with their sister while Michikatsu's only told of aversion.

However feeling outnumbered in the situation he reluctantly sighed and agreed to [F/N]'s proposal.

With a heavy heart and bag of food [F/N] prepared for their journey, Michikatsu spared one last look to see her before heading out into the forest.

☆♡☆

In the five months that passed from that day forward were probably the happiest days of [F/N]'s life.

Every few days her brothers would come and visit her at the shrine after a mission and they'd stay for around two days before the crow came along and the process started all over again.

She'd even arranged them their own little rooms and the crow would come in advance to announce their arrival so she could prepare them food.

It was nice to be reunited with her family after a decade of solitude. The routine they got into was nice and became sort of domestic.

Though, Over the months [F/N] couldn't help but notice a sort of tension between Michikatsu and Yorichii however it was one-sided. Only Michikatsu initiated it while Yorichii was none the wiser.

It seemed more aggressive as the months went on. Michikatsu focused more on his training similar to what he did when they were younger. He'd have more hostility towards Yorichii and weirdest of all he seemed much more clingy and possessive towards her.

However [F/N] didn't like to think of it. While she knew it was there and she knew they'd have to talk about it at some point, She decided that it'd be better to wait for the right time to bring it up.

Everyday [F/N] would get up at around seven in the morning to do her rounds, Collect food and pray to Inari for an hour or two before going out to the main wooden shrine steps to sit and wait for her brothers to return.

When they did they would eat together, They'd tell stories of their mission no matter how surface level and vague they described it. They'd train outside in the courtyard while [F/N] watched from the steps in awe at their skill.

She recalled back to her childhood and her dream of becoming a samurai like her brothers, While it was true she now favoured the shrine over that old fairy-tale it didn't mean that she still didn't ponder over it often, Daydream while she brushed the floors, Envision the swing of a sword when she spun the brush around.

However of course, It was just a pipe dream. Just a silly pipe dream. But often she asked herself: Why not both?

[F/N] watched Michikatsu from the steps as he practiced sword swings in the shrine courtyard, Taking occasional glances at his sister to make sure she was watching him. The thought ran throughout her head. While she hadn't picked up a sword before other than The Soul Sword (Which at times, She lightly swung it around before setting it down. Then right after feeling ashamed for using a sacred artefact she proceeded to pray for forgiveness at the altar)

She was sure she could try.

While Michikatsu was swinging his sword she had got up from the step with a stumble. She wobbled a little and grabbed the handle bars to steady herself.

She took a deep breath and slowly walked down the stairs which suddenly seemed like a herculean task.

She set her sandal-covered feet onto the courtyard with an unnecessary effort and started walking towards Michikatsu who was only a few metre's ahead of her.

With every step she took her body seemed to get heavier. It felt like weights were being tied to her ankles every time she lifted her foot.

The distance seemed to widen between her and her brother. Her eyelids seemed to get heavier too.

And with another single undignified step her knees collapsed on her. She fell down to the floor with a thump! as her body relaxed and crumpled over on the ground.

Her eyes got blurry as she saw Michikatsu rush over to her tired body and listened to him shout out something she couldn't hear

She closed her eyes and untensed her body. Falling into the pitch black void of unconciousness.

☆♡☆

[F/N] lay motionless in her bed.

A wet cloth lay over her forehead and a light blanket was lain on top of her.

It was two months since that day she collapsed. She was carried by Michikatsu and was rushed to the nearest village where she was seen by a doctor who gave her the diagnosis.

It was her mothers illness, Turning out to be hereditary and passed down onto [F/N]. However this seemed to be more severe and had developed into later stages quickly.

The doctor had said that she should be put in bedrest but despite Michikatsu's yelling and paranoid yelling there was no cure.

The first few days consisted of Michikatsu being hunched over her bed refusing to leave her side. Over the two months he had grown even worse than he did before.

He was angry before. Competitive, Hostile, Aggressive you name it. But now?

Now he was paranoid, Jumpy, Clingy piled on with all of those traits before.

Yorichii couldn't get through to him, He didn't hide his ire towards Yorichii now and hissed insults at him whenever he tried to speak to Michikatsu.

The first month was Michikatsu searching for a cure. He'd travel from village to village trying to find a doctor who could cure [F/N]. He scoured the Shrine's libraries and had gone mad trying.

Four days ago he had told [F/N] that he was going out again and that she was not to leave her bed unless she was going to get food or do her prayers, Which [F/N] had begged to be allowed.

He had stocked up enough food and water in the pantry for his trip when he left.

He told her that he would be back in two days, It was four now. Yorichii had been with her the first month but after he was called out on a very important mission he never came back.

When she asked Michikatsu what happened to him, He wouldn't tell her.

To say [F/N] was worried was an understatement. Michikatsu was never late, He'd always sent his crow to let her know even if he was.

Suddenly she was aware of a loud creaking. The main shrine gates.

Michikatsu must be back, [F/N] thought. A rush of excitement ran through her and overpowered the cold sweat of her sickness.

She'd gotten up from her futon and wrapped herself in her blanket to prevent the cold winter air from bothering her too much.

It was snowing outside. A blizzard had grown strong while she had slept earlier. Before when she was well in the health department she had prepared well for the winter and could survive during it, Making the inside of the shrine warm all throughout the season.

Now however that she depended on her brothers who were nowhere to be found the cold permeated the hallways and stung the tips of her fingers and nose.

She shivered and slid open the shoji doors to hobble through the hallways towards the courtyard, Ready to greet Michikatsu.

However when she quietly opened the door she wasn't greeted by Michikatsu. But instead two strange men with swords standing in the snowstorm. who hadn't seem to notice her yet

"This is it? Seems rundown." One of the men said

"According to his crow this is where he has been staying for the past few months. He must be here, Someone must pay for what he did and hiding here won't prevent what's coming to him." The other growled, Anger etched onto his features.

[F/N], A little insulted at her shrine being called run down, Made herself known by letting out a loud cough.

"Who are you? And what are you doing at my shrine?" The girl asked

The two looked up at the source. Their hands jumped to their sheathed swords as they looked up at her in antagonism.

They slowly approached her, So much so that they were now standing under the wooden porch roof.

[F/N] stumbled back in a way of getting distance between her and the men.

The one that called her shrine rundown stepped forward. He bowed down in respect to her.

"Greetings there. We're sorry to trouble you but we're looking for a man. His name is Yorichii Tsugikuni. He wears hanafuda earing's and his hair in a ponytail. Have you seen him anywhere?" He said.

Swords. Right. These must be Yorichii's colleagues. [F/N] relaxed slightly.

"Oh, You two must be his co-workers!" She exclaimed, Relief flooding her system.

She curtsied in respect.

"My name is [F/N] Tsugikuni. I am his younger sister, Unfortunately I haven't seen him for a month or two and I don't know where he's been. Apologies." I sighed.

The two men looked at each other.

"Sister? You're his sister?" The angrier one said, A hint of hostility in his voice.

Suddenly a chill ran up her spine, Something was wrong.

"Uhm.. Yes." [F/N] said with caution. Though she was tempted to lie, It just wasn't in her nature.

The angrier man now referred to as Man A gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword tighter.

"Well. I don't know if you know this but two months ago your brother... Messed up, Per se. Causing a great loss towards the demon corps..." He said. His words implied something unknown to [F/N]. The corners of her lips twitched. Demon corps? Messed up? The meaning eluding her.

"A lot of people got hurt. Including our father." Man A sneered. His face the exact visage of vengeance.

Man B behind him wasn't as such but still held a face of stone.

The realisation of what was happening hit [F/N] like a freight train. Her hands grew sweaty as they quickly rushed the shoji doors.

"I... I am so sorry to hear that. B-But unfortunately my brother isn't here right now... I've got to go tend to the haiden. Please, Come back later." Her voice trembled and shook despite how much she tried to keep her tone steady and confident.

As her hands tried to quickly shut the shoji doors the metal of a sword stopped the doors from opening fully.

[F/N] yelped and stumbled back from the door. The two men forced their way into the shrine hallway. [F/N] felt her back hit the wall.

"I'm sorry about what is to happen. But Yorichii Tsugikuni needs to pay for what he did and the death of his sister will bring about our revenge. Please forgive us." Man B said finally unsheathing his sword.

Run.

[F/N]'s feet grew light as she took off down the shrine hall, The two men hot on her tail as she careened round the corners and throughout the shrine.

She felt her heart pound heavy in her chest. Both from the almost paralysing fear and the illness coursing throughout her system.

Her legs felt weak but carried on. Her pace just a little bit faster than the men behind her despite all odds, She unconsciously thanked the hours she spent out in the woods running around for resources.

Tears burst like a dam from her eyes and flew from her eyes as she sprinted. Choked sobs periodically interrupted the heavy breaths she took from running.

The faster she ran, The more corners she turned the more thoughts ran rampant throughout her head.

Exits? Only the main gate which she was currently running away from and were closed on the way in, It takes too much time to open those doors and the men would catch up to her in no time. Convince them to stop? Impossible. The men seemed determined in their goal and no amount of talking would change anything. The hidden room? On the other side of the shrine and she didn't have the key on her

[F/N] had gained a bit of distance from the men at this point, Having shook them off her trail for a very short amount of time.

She ran to where her heart took her, To the place she felt safest.

The offering hall which use to look bright and full of flowers, baskets of food and was spotless now was empty and cold. The candles went long unlit and a bit of dust built up and went into the air when she slammed open the doors, Making her cough.

[F/N] ran to the altar with her legs trembling. She fell to her knees in front of it crying her eyes out. Her body positioned into its usual prayer formation as she choked out her sobs.

"Please! Inari. I-I'm going to die... I haven't asked for anything from the day I've got here... Please spare my life.. L-Let me live! I don't want to die, Inari. Please.. Please.." [F/N] broke down in front of the altar as she chanted please over and over again like a sacred sutra.

She wailed quietly in front of the shrine letting all her emotions out from her eyes.

She never noticed the men standing behind her as she prayed. Their expressions serious and unaffected by the girl's unheard prayers.

Man A raised his katana. Holding it in his grasp he raised it high above his head.

And with a yell he swiftly brought it down.

Blood splattered the offerings room. Drenching the two men and the girl below, The blade going straight through her back.

☆♡☆

Cold.

It was so cold.

The men had left her there bleeding, How long ago she didn't know.

She had made her way out of the shrine. Past the main doors, Past the entrance gate and the pathway and out into the main part of the forest.

The blade had went right through her chest out the other side, She gripped it tightly while the blood stained her dragon-patterned haori colouring it crimson.

It was a miracle she had got this far out into the blizzard. The tip of her nose had frozen and her jaw chattered letting out cold air.

She weakly turtled into her haori for warmth however it proved futile.

The white snow behind her left a red trail as she walked.

Soon enough it was too much.

Soon enough, She collapsed.

☆♡☆

Quickly throughout the forest, Kokushibo ran quickly up the mountain through the unrelenting blizzard, Which never stung him in the slightest.

It had only been a few hours since he woke up from consuming that man's blood. His appearance now changed from the transformation which took three days to complete.

He carried a vial of that mans blood in one of his hands. He remembered the deal vividly in his mind.

Strength for him, A way to become stronger. Stronger than his brother. A way to avoid the eventual fate of all those who bore the demon slayer mark.

And a vial of that man's blood to save his dying sister.

He ran like hell. Snow crunching from the rapid footsteps behind him.

He stopped however, When the faintest scent of blood invaded his senses.

All three sets of his eyes widened.

He picked up his pace again. Now heading toward the smell.

His heartrate picked up. It couldn't be. It can't. [F/N] was alright. She was okay. Even now after becoming a demon, He still felt possessiveness affection towards his sister.

He came to a halt.

His heart dropped to his stomach as he tried to comprehend the sight in front of him. His eyes widened and his jaw slack open.

There in the snow, Lay a body curled up in a fetal position.

Snow had built up on it. It lay motionless buried in the snow.

He recognised it as [F/N].

"[F/N]!!" He yelled, running over to the body.

He fell to his knees in front of her and shoved off all the built up snow.

He pulled her body so her head was laying down on his lap. He shook her gently.

"...[F/N].. Wake up. Come on." He whispered. His shaking now growing more frantic to her lack of response.

He looked at the vial in his right hand.

Opening her mouth he popped open the seal and poured the red liquid into her mouth.

He watched it pour onto her tongue and down her throat. He waited for the reaction.

However, Nothing came.

He waited and waited. Nothing.

He felt his eyes water and flow out from them as the dawning realisation hit him.

He was holding his little sister's corpse in his arms.

He couldn't protect her. She had died and he wasn't there to protect her.

He yelled, Screamed and cried. In anger, Frustration, Sorrow, Guilt and mourning for his loss. He couldn't do anything.

However when he finally noticed the stab wound he realised this was murder. He could do something.

He carried his sister's body in his arms and pulled her close to his chest as he quietly grieved for her.

He brought her body back to her beloved shrine and set her down at the head of the shrine where she loved the most.

He'd deal with her body later. But for now he had to get revenge for the death of his little sister.

Using his blood demon art to make a sword he gripped it tight.

He set off into the blizzard already with a scent on the targets.

He looked back once at the shrine. The last remaining parts of his humanity dying in there with his sister

And with that he left. Never to look back again.

☆♡☆

It was five hundred years ago.

Kokushibo began reminiscing when he sat in front of her gravestone. What he did that night.

He had gotten his revenge, The two slayers slowly tortured and then eaten by him. Their screams and their pleads for mercy when they showed [F/N] none.

He had started with the fingers and toes, Then he moved up to the lower limbs, Slowly he ate them alive. He made one of them watch him while he ate, All before he moved onto them.

He made them confess who killed her to which after a little persuasion they admitted easily.

They got the worst of it, He didn't even eat him after the torture. Just left him pinned to a tree bleeding out. He had put him up high only giving him the options of freezing to death, bleeding out or dying from the fall.

The memories rewound in his head like a film. Flashing memories of when she was born and he got to cradle her in his arms. All the way up until he only held her lifeless corpse, Killed too soon.

He had mourned for a long time after that, Never really getting over her death, Not even now as he set down the new flowers on her grave built near the house they grew up in.

He couldn't bring himself to consume her body, He could never. It was too much.

He got up and dusted himself off, Just like she use to do.

He turned away and walked into the night, Melding into the shadows as he went off to find his next meal.

☆♡☆

The morning rays shun down on the Ubuyashiki Estate. Flowers in full bloom with wisteria ripe in the air.

Birds chirped and grasshoppers hummed in the bushes. The neatly trimmed and well kept garden a fit home for them

The Hashira had gathered and stood in front of the porch awaiting the arrival of their master. They talked amongst themselves in the meantime.

Mitsuri, The Love Hashira tugged on the hand of another. A soft smile gracing her face.

"Fujimori-san! You should really come out with me sometime, It's been ages since we've done something together!" Mitsuri teased lightly.

Fujimori laughed lightly from behind the kitsune mask with cerulean markings he (he?) wore. The medival english looking sword positioned in front of him pointing downward, His two hands gripping the katana-like hilt.

He was tall and muscular but had more of an athletic build. He had tattoo's from his neck to his lower arms describing pictures typically seen in shrine art.

His blue dragon-patterned haori that was draped around his lower arms lightly wove in the wind along with his [H/C] locks tied into a ponytail.

"What do you mean? We went on a mission together last week!" He chuckled.

Mitsuri huffed and lightly gripped his hand

"When I mean spend time together I mean like we should go to a hot spring or go out to eat together or-" Mitsuri continued rambling on as she listed off possible activities they could do together.

Fujimori, [F/N] listened intently onto her as she talked.

She (She? She.) however was only thinking of his visions: A sick woman, A woman with fox markings and a man in a purple hakama.

She'd need to figure it out later.

Next chapter

[hey-august]

August, if you ever wonder if some of your readership would like to hear your thoughts about Buggy and Reader in a poly relationship with either crossguild or Shuggy… WELP. There’s at least one.

I just want that clown to smooch me and also several other men who may or may not scare the shit out of him or incite deep feelings of rage in him. He’s very smoochable and I’m willing to share (and I just like to think about the added hilarity with any of these characters still in the picture)

omgggg yes!! I deeply adore the dynamics of all those relationships. The clown is just so...adaptable? Blendable? Sharable? Adorable.

I do have some Shanks x Buggy x Reader headcanons to share!

But first, for Cross Guild x Reader needs, I so strongly recommend @discordantwritings stories here (I'm pretty sure Our Precious Assistant Pt 2 changed my brain chemistry) and @turtletaubwrites' Numbers Game, which just started and is so good already. ❤️❤️❤️

Nowwww, let's talk Shuggy x Reader.

Word count: ~1.2k Warnings: NSFW, MDNI, shanks x buggy x GN!reader, mix of fluffy and smutty thoughts, teasing, oral reader + m receiving, insertion sex, threesome, some praise, sorry for anything that's extremely ooc

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Date Nights

The first time you had a planned date with Shanks, Buggy sailed away so “date night” became “date week.” Buggy was jealous and embarrassed, which you both expected. You were annoyed at first, because this had been planned and discussed, but talking with Shanks calmed you down. This was new territory for all of you and it would take time to navigate. So when Buggy came back, no one made a fuss about it. If anything, you and Shanks were a little softer and a little kinder with the clown. Buggy picked up on the acceptance in your actions and it made him feel better. This also kicked off weekend-long dates, which you all look forward to.

One of your favorite dates with Shanks was when he took you to a town he frequented. The afternoon was spent strolling Main Street and shopping, although that was more of an excuse for Shanks to show you off. The evening ended at a cozy pub where he regaled you with alluring tales. Even though you heard some of them before, listening to him talk puts stars in your eyes. An expression that simply melts him.

Your favorite Buggy date was actually a party on his ship. You two were inseparable the entire night and the highlight was singing along to music at the end of the night. “Singing.” You were both bottles deep and could hardly get full words out, but the (hazy) memory of laughing and giggling your ways through the inebriated performance while holding on to each other always makes you smile. Buggy often catches that particular goofy grin on your face and he just adores it.

Buggy and Shanks also spend time together, which is surprising-not surprising. Buggy might claim that he’s upset with Shanks and needs to go yell at him, or wants to gloat about something. Shanks tries to entice Buggy with the promise of shiny goodies and treasure. Everyone knows it’s a farce, but it’s how they show they care for each other. There’s no denying the sparks in their eyes afterwards.

Petty Arguments

When these two get together, their inner children teens come out in full swing. And so do the jokes and petty arguments.

Shanks messes with Buggy any chance he gets. Teasing comments, swapping his nearly empty drink with Buggy’s fuller glass, dumb jokes.

He’ll also tease you, but in the form of cheesy pick-up lines. “If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together.” “I was feeling a little off today, but you've turned me on again.” “Did you do something to my eyes? I can't seem to take them off you.”

Buggy can’t stand when your attention is on Shanks for too long, so he’ll try and out-do the other pirate. He has a repertoire of card drinks and sleight of hands, which often do the trick.

Shanks knows what Buggy is doing and teases him. “I know you’re a performer, but there’s no need to make a scene.” Buggy didn’t like that one.

There was the one time Buggy challenged Shanks to a juggling challenge. When Shanks declined, Buggy was ready with his own comeback. “It’s not because of the arm, it’s because he doesn’t have the balls.” Surprisingly, that spurred Shanks into joining the 2-man competition.

Speaking of being competitive…

Sex with them individually is nothing like having sex all together.

At first, you were often at the mercy of the two men who were intent on proving how well they could pleasure you. Once, they wanted to see who was better at oral and could make you cum the most times. The more orgasms you had, the less lucid you became and the competition turned into finding out who would you beg to fuck you. Even though the countless orgasms emptied your head, you remembered that this all started with oral and you didn’t want to mess with the rules of their contest. When they realized you were trying so hard not to whine and ask for their dicks, they started asking you. - “Baby, want me to fuck you? C’mon, don’t you want to feel this inside you?” - “You look so good on my tongue, but you’d look better on my cock. Tell me you want it.”

Unfortunately (fortunately?) there was no clear winner. Buggy was between your legs yet again, with your fingers entwined in his hair and your head was flopped to the side. You said “please, want you inside,” but they couldn’t agree on who you were talking to. Shanks is adamant that you were looking at him, but Buggy calls bullshit and claims you were talking to him because he was the one making you feel good.

There are sessions where you and Shanks focus more on Buggy. It took a lot of time for Buggy to feel relaxed enough to accept the attention, but you two wore him down and won him over. He’ll rarely admit it, but Buggy loves being sandwiched between you and Shanks. The feeling of sinking his cock into you while he’s stretched around Shanks is so overwhelmingly delicious that Buggy gets greedy. He can’t get enough of moving his hips so he can fuck you and fuck himself on Shanks’ cock. The sweet moans and whimpers he releases are intoxicating. Buggy’s often the first to cum in this position, but Shanks will continue to fuck you through Buggy, knowing how to maneuver Buggy’s hips and thrust until you climax.

In turn, there are the moments where you and Buggy cater to Shanks. He never gets tired of watching you and Buggy fight to suck his leaking cock. The way you struggle to throat his member while Buggy focuses on smearing his face paint on Shanks’ thighs and balls through sloppy kisses is a vision that gets Shanks hard at a moment’s notice. Buggy’s attention is fierce and demanding - he’s trying to unravel Shanks entirely. It's a power trip thing. Whereas you balance that heat with restrained touches. When Shanks cums in your mouth, you always share with Buggy and make sure to show Shanks that you both swallowed his entire load. Seeing you hold Buggy by his hair and squeezing the clown's cheeks to present his empty mouth is a sinfully beautiful encore.

Your favorite times are the ones where you get to spoil Shanks and Buggy. You tend and care to their needs. Your gentleness wipes away their fierce competitive streaks. You make sure that you give them both a surplus of attention and shower them with desire. If you’re riding or under one, your hands and eyes are on the other. You pour praise and compliments until they’re overflowing. And the way it overflows is music to your ears. They turn the praise to you and to each other. - “You look amazing on Buggy’s cock.” - “Get on Shanks and make him feel good, I wanna see that sweet face you make.” - “Pretty thing, you’re taking him so well.” - “Good job, you know how to make him moan so loud.” - “You’re going to make him cum, keep going.”

The cuddles after these sessions? Heavenly. Amazing. Buggy, who normally takes up the entire bed, sleeps so peacefully when you and Shanks are on either side of him. Sometimes, when Buggy passes out first, you’ll claim the middle spot and wake up to the two pirates wrapped around you. It’s a little sweaty and a lot comforting.

[anvznl]

S E C O N D • B E S T ☆

"To be loved is to be recognized as existing." However, what happens when the person you harbor feelings for reciprocates those feelings towards someone else? If you had known this would happened, would you have still loved them?

kind of inspired by: Second best — Laufey ♡

warning: may contain grammatical errors bc english is not my first language. ^^

ALSO, this has seb x abigail shit bc yk ahha unrequited love boombayah. this short fic is for my friend (yk who u are :3)

Settling in 'Pelican Town' was never in your bucket list, but since you wanted an escape from the good ol' Modern Life, you decided to live in this small town within the house and farm that your grandfather had left as a gift for you. All was well. Meeting everyone was definitely a joyous activity and something you will never regret doing.

Not until you met him—Sebastian. At first, you never expected much from him. He was constantly caught up in work which had led him to the point were he only leaves his house occasionally. Initially, you didn't mind it, considering you were also busy tending to your own set of duties.

Sam would sometimes ask you to hang out at the Saloon, along with Sebastian and Abigail. These get-togethers brought you all closer, and soon enough, the four of you became great friends.

But you just had to ruin it.

There is truth in the common saying: Friendships have the potential to evolve into something deeper, particularly when you have a friend who is consistently there for you.

And of course, your heart just had to choose Sebastian.

Perhaps it was due to his endearing moments, like his fondness for frogs and his desire to take a break from the town with his motorcycle. Or maybe it was the way he looked at you, the way his gaze instantly made you flushed.

Or maybe it was because of how he looked at ... Abigail.

During the time you've spent here, you couldn't help but notice how Sebastian shows a special kind of gentleness towards Abigail. Sometimes, he actively seeks her out, and other times, you catch him lost in his own thoughts, only to quickly come back to reality as soon as she enters the room.

You couldn't lie to yourself. Abigail was gorgeous. Maybe if it wasnt for her love of consuming rocks, she could've had anyone swooning for her.

A gamer girl. A drummer. The life of every party.

You couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. The way Sebastian tended to her, the way his cheeks flushed in her presence, it was all so noticeable. You couldn't do anything about it, though. If only he knew that you noticed every little detail, every subtle interaction between them.

If only he knew you like him.

"Do you like Abigail?" You asked abruptly.

You and Sebastian were currently at the beach, looking at the clouds looming over the sea. The moment felt so intimate, but you knew this feeling was one-sided.

Sebastian's cheeks turned a shade of red, and you couldn't help but feel a surge of desire to be the reason behind his blush. "Maybe," he simply replied.

As he uttered that single word, it felt like a blow to your heart, but you held back any tears that threatened to escape. Perhaps it was because he was standing right beside you, or maybe it was because you were so used to bottling your feelings up.

You knew deep down that Sebastian's answer meant a resounding "yes," and it took all your strength to force a smile. "I hope she likes you back," you said, noticing how he nervously played with the hem of his hoodie as if he had been caught. His heart was clearly racing, and you could tell he was feeling all kinds of jittery.

"Yeah, I hope so," he responded.

It felt like your heart shattered right then and there. He liked Abigail. Probably more than that. Why can't he notice the pain in your eyes? Why can't he notice you at all?

But then again, who were you to ask for such an impossible thing?

[lampiridaes]

HELLO!!! iys me again heheh, id like to request ermm.. tsukasa and minori, with a s/o that RARELY shows affection by physical touch, BUT gets really clingy when theyre half awake or when theyre sick,,, though when they fully regained their consciousness/health,, they get embarrassed about it? thank yew :3!!

♬ now playing: "suddenly clingy"

-> when you've got a partner as aloof and reserved as you, can you really blame them for being so surprised?

★ — chars ; tsukasa , minori

★ — notes ; MWEHEHE HELLO AGAIN LYN (i hope thats ur name and im not misreading anything somehow huhu)!!! another tsukasa and minori req... rlly love writing them so im always grateful :3 DID U KNOW I DREW MINORI FOR MY CLASS PIN THING!?!?! my teacher was nice enough to print it out for everyone hehe... still have yet to receive it bc of break but just a fun little thing that happened!! hope u enjoy <3

★ — warnings ; implied fem!reader for minori (implies that reader also attends miyamasuzaka) , otherwise none!

★ — taglist ; @akitosheart , @mintchocaur (tsukasa!!)

affiliated with @virtualbookstore ★

★ track #1: tenma tsukasa

to put it simply, tsukasa was really surprised! just the night before, you were so calm and reserved, maybe holding his hand a few times. even kissing his cheek once or twice.

... but right now? after you just woke up? you're all over him. literally. he doesn't mind, please don't get him wrong! tsukasa finds it endearing, if anything. it's just...

"tsukasa... love you..."

feeling your entire body cling onto his with such desperation... he wants to question it, but at the same time, it might risk embarrassing you and making you back away again, which isn't what he wants at all!

though the embarrassment was basically inevitable, as 20 minutes or so later, you're back to your usual self, just a little more shy this time.

"oh, goodness... tsukasa, i'm sorry, i didn't-"

"not to worry, [name]! i don't mind it one bit!"

he knows that you don't show a lot of affection normally for a reason. maybe you're too shy, maybe you're uncomfortable with it. as much as he loves it when you do, tsukasa doesn't force you to do anything! sure, he'll ask once or twice every once in a while, but he's very understanding if the answer is no.

... though, if you do it when you're fully awake for the first time... expect him to suddenly get all quiet and freeze up. it's a good thing, no worries.

★ track #2: hanasato minori

minori's way of showing her love for you is mostly words of affirmation or gift giving, so she doesn't mind that you aren't too keen on physical affection!

that doesn't mean anything bad, of course! it's not like she doesn't want to hug you, hold you, or kiss you, it's just that... she's a little shy about it. which means your lack of physical affection works out just fine.

so you can imagine how perplexed she was when you started begging for her attention, holding her hand and asking her to stay with you when you got sick.

"minori, stay a little longer... i'll feel so much better if you're here..."

minori may be an idol now, but hearing compliments from someone she truly holds near and dear to her heart... might give her a heart attack.

... but she also really adores it. after all, it makes her feel loved and special, more so since it's coming from you, of all people.

with all the training and practices she needs to attend to nowadays, minori makes sure to leave cute, handwritten notes or sweet text messages to check up on you! if you're allowed to use your phone when you're sick, that is.

when you finally recover and go back to school, it's absolutely over for the both of you. minori gets flustered easily on her own, but now that you've also lost your cool, getting all red alongside her? it's quite a cute scene from an outsider's perspective.

... the outsiders being the rest of more more jump, of course. as silly and clumsy the two of you can be, you're really the perfect pair for each other.

[justwritingscenarios]

Hey there, hope ur doing alright

May I please have Sir crocodile &/or Trafalgar Law for a scenario(ig it was numb 6 but I changed it a bit) in which they're mistaken as a couple so their *partner to be* says that they're not together, but they'll correct them by lowkey being protective and saying "well not yet" or sth like that

I'm not sure if ur ok with the changes or u do two seperate characters for one scenario, so feel free to ignore it

and that's it! Thank you.

Hello~ I prefer getting a character one by one. For creative reason, simpler working for one idea at a time. So I went for Law this time but you can still sent me the request for Crocodile ! :) I wish I understood your request well. - Lara

Scenario 2 : "no we are not together" "…at least not yet"

Trafalgar Law x GN! Mugiwara! Reader // Words : 750 // Warning : Law is a bit OC by being flirty. (no beta reader)

Luffy had once again emptied the food stock, earning a kick from Sanji, a punch from Nami and a death glare from Law. The Straw-hat boy was an expert to thwart Law’s plans. The Heart was getting used to it.

The Thousand Sunny and the Polar Tang berthed next to another on the big docks of White Castle, an island known for their marketplaces. It was the perfect place for Sanji to fill up the pantry and for everyone to do some purchases. Everyone was content with that unforeseen stop.

Law was leaning on the railings of the submarine, looking at the city.

“Are you really staying here sulking until the evening?”

He turned his head to you, standing on the quay, and smirked at your remark. “And who’s going to keep the sub if I’m leaving?”

“Close it? Moreover, Zoro’s keeping the Sunny, he can keep an eye on the Tang too. I’m suuure if there is a place you can find a medical book you don’t already have in your huge collection, it’s here.”

Law knew you were right. About Zoro. And about the book. And he found it entertaining to hang out with you. He already had before, during missions or free time on your both ships. You had many interests and hobbies, some he shared, which led you to lots of interesting conversations, sometimes with crewmates, others just the two of you. The man wasn’t naïve; he knew he had fall in love with you and that he couldn’t do anything against it but be there, enjoy your presence and protect you whenever you’d need it. And expect you feel the same. Because he wasn’t sure.

“Look, isn’t it the book you wanted the last time?” Law walked closer to you and watched the book you pointed to. You were right, he was looking for it. That was the kind of thing that made Law thought you could love him too. All those moments you would point out something he likes or wants; or despises, just to kid him with your mischievous smile.

“Yes, it is. Thanks (Name)-ya.”

Law kept looking at the medical section with you before going to the cheek out. The shop assistant registered it and asked him. “It is a gift for you (gender)friend? I can gift-wrap.” Law was wondering what made them think it would be a gift for you, that you answered. “We’re not together.” And Law, in a murmur, added “not yet”, without knowing you heard.

You went on and on with different kind of shops, through different marketplaces, until “I’m hungry.”

“Oh, so it was your tummy rumbling. I thought it was an earthquake.” You punched him lightly on the arm to which he responded with his signature smirk. “What about here?”

He showed a bakery a little forward. The both of you chose quickly and the waitress took your orders. You were still looking at the pastries in the window when she addressed Law: “We have tables for couple on first floor. It will be calmer.” “Thanks.” He simply answered before turning to your confused face. “What? You’re coming?” You nodded and followed him upstairs.

Law sat and looked around, waiting for your order to be brought. On your side, you watched him… It was the second time he implied you were a couple in the same afternoon. When he eventually looked at you, it was your turn to look around. He noticed and smirked silently, the waitress coming with your orders.

“Here. Ice teas. The tiramisu for…?”

“My boyfriend.”

Both the waitress and Law turned to you, surprised by your words. On the other hand, you were looking at him dead in the eyes; if you felt sure of yourself on the outside – which you highly doubted – you were freaking on the inside. The waitress giggled and left, with a low “thank you” from Law, that didn’t stop looking back at you.

He eventually unfreezed and let out a laugh.

“Hey, don’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not. I am not laughing at you. It’s just… Why?”

“I heard you at the book shop and that you didn’t correct her about us by a couple… So, I wanted to confirm something.” You took a sip of your drink, not seeing Law’s hand reaching for yours until he grabbed it.

“I wish your verification went well.” His thumb brushed the back of your hand, sending a shiver down your spine.

“It did.” You answered before intertwining your fingers with his.

[f1llory]

i know a lot of people think it's not that deep but idk, the constant desire for more gory stories of past hunger games rubs me the wrong way. don't get me wrong, i'm all for fanfics exploring that, but there's a reason there will never be novels detailing that.

the reason people want spinoffs for finnick and johanna is the fact that we love them. there is nothing that would be added to the universe if we had an official/canon account of their games. they're typical games and typical victors--which i think is the point of their character. they're different from each other in some ways, but their stories are so common among victors--because that's simply what the capitol does to people.

i'm not sure i agree with the people who think it's inherently bad for people to be interested in that. there's a reason people are interested in that. the characters and worldbuilding in the hunger games are so beautifully done that there's always something to notice, theorize about, explore, and expand on. i just think that having novels on things like this would be pointless--and detrimental to the message of the series. the point is not to show violence for violence's sake, the point is to show what it takes for people to become who they are, and how the choices they make can lead to either oppression or liberation. that being said, i'm all for exploring them in fanfic. i think fanfic is an incredible thing, i love reading and writing it, and there are so many things that fans of the series can explore and create.

i'm also all for new novels if they happen! i just think they would have to add a hell of a lot more to the world of panem than the gory details of a typical hunger games to satisfy people's curiosity. here's some things that i think would be cool to see:

-the life of an avox in the capitol. this would give a totally different outlook on life in the capitol, since we've only seen people who benefit from the system and not those who are punished by it. this could be some random unknown avox but because i'm me, i would LOVE to have a full pollux spinoff i'm literally in love with him

-a victor we've never seen and their life after the games. it could show their life after returning to their district, how they're viewed, how their view of their district has changed. this could also be an interesting way to see a little more of the mentoring process and the toll it takes

-something exploring life in any of the districts we haven't gotten to see. this could also be part of the previous idea, i just think it would be interesting since our knowledge of so many districts are limited. although maybe that's the point? all we know of panem is through the eyes of two deeply unreliable narrators

-the first rebellion, or anything set before the hunger games were created. how was panem different back then? and how did things get to the point of such a big rebellion?

-are there people living outside the bounds of the districts? obviously people like lavinia have been caught trying to escape, but there very well may be people living out there. i wonder what they'd think of what was going on, or if they'd come into contact with people escaping to district 13. and no i do not want this to involve lucy gray i never want confirmation on what happened to her

basically, there's so much more of panem i'd like to see explored, but there are some things that i don't want to see, or expect to see, in any offical continuation. i absolutely love fanfics exploring those things, or anything other fans find interesting. i just think that there are so many things that could be added to the canon and i don't understand the focus on the idea of novels that would really detract from the way suzanne collins approaches her work.

in conclusion i am simply losing my mind over tbosas and i’m using a blog i never use to yell into the void thank u for reading

[haruchuiyo]

Maddening

The man you’ve missed have been gone for what felt like eternities, is finally back.

content: angst + lots of conflicted feelings + fluff + s(u)ggestive + established friendship + implied int(o)xication + inspired by the recent events of jjk + hea + gojo satoru himself

wc: 2.9k+

modern au with ceo!satoru and fem!reader

istg if this app comm(u)nity labels this oh my gosh

—

At the company parking lot, you see a familiar back standing a few meters away from you. Hands in his front of pockets, fitted in a tight black shirt that enhances his back muscles and biceps and his usually well kept hair is tousled. Feeling your heart beat picking up its pace, you instantly turn and walk away, not expecting a voice you’ve grown to love speak out your name. He managed to discover you before you could walk away.

Taking a deep breath, you turn and see the man you haven’t seen for weeks which felt like centuries.

“Welcome back sir.” You managed to speak politely and flash him a polite smile as well. Gojo looked at you like he could see through your facade, hear your heartbeat racing from the distance he was at. You felt like going insane. You want to walk away and hide from this man from days to come.

“How have you been, doll?” His voice and nickname for you only adds onto your growing wanting of walking away. You give a small smile.

“I’ve been very well, now can I do anything for you?” Enough about you and more about him. That’s good enough for you.

“I’d like you to drive me home, after this meeting if it’s alright.” Gojo’s voice is so gentle and you hate it. You hate how it makes you feel, hate how your heart seems to swell and further expand in fondness for him. He looks irresistible and aggravating. You need to get away from here as soon as possible.

“Of course sir, what time do I pick you up?” You ask politely, seeming to look ahead of him and you see Gojo take a few steps towards you. Out of reflexes for your own feelings and thoughts, you took a step back and Gojo stopped walking towards you. He had a pained expression on his face and you felt guilty. You shouldn’t have taken that step back. But there’s nothing to be done about it.

“I send you a message when the meetings over.” He answers, his voice almost sad but the smile he gave you was nothing like it. Though, it seemed forced and not his usual genuine and endearing one.

“I be waiting for your message then. May I leave or do you need me for anything else, sir?” You ask, needing to get away from him as soon as possible. Just being in the same proximity as him has you wanting to be gone from that spot but also be with him, close to him.

“You may leave.”

“Thank you, sir.”

And you walked away as Gojo watches your figure disappear around the corner and his fingers twitches to hold you, to touch you. His body longs to be close to yours and his arms reaching around your smaller frame against him. He turns around in frustration and looks up at the parking lot ceiling, hating himself for clearly hurting you.

—

Standing in front of the car at the front of the entry to the company parking lot, you see Gojo appear from the automatic doors.

“Welcome back sir, did the meeting go well?” You ask as you open the door to the backseat for him. “It went well and I’d like to sit in the front today, if that’s okay.” You were stunned in silence at his words. You didn’t expect him to sit in the front with you after being gone for so long. And especially after the tense situation just hours earlier.

“Of course.” You say closing the door to the backseat and open the door to the passenger seat instead. “Thank you.” He says along with your name and you simply nod. You wouldn’t have come to work today if you knew he’d come back. That way you could prepare yourself to see him again. Should’ve realized that the headlines you saw outside about the most sought after bachelor and CEO in town, is now finally back, wasn’t a hallucination you just made up in your head. Realizing you’ve been standing for a few seconds too long, you close the passenger door and get to the drivers seat.

While sat, you turn on the engine and start driving. Usually, you’d start a conversation or Gojo would. But seems like it’s going to be different until he speaks up.

“Let’s go get something to eat.” He simply says and gives the name of a cafe you like. Your favorite and you nod your head and head towards that cafés direction.

Gojo watches your face through the entire drive and sees your tense expression. He sees your hands almost twitch at the steering wheel and he wants to comfort you. To assure you he was gone to fix a private matter, that he missed you a lot and he wants to apologize for disappearing without telling you.

“Are you upset with me?” He speaks up gently. “I want you to be honest, I know what I did wasn’t right and I want to know what you think and feel.” He adds on before you could speak and deny his question. He sees you simply look ahead, pursing your lips before letting out a low humourless chuckle.

“If you want me to be honest, yes I am upset with you.” You answer, Gojo sees tears welling up in your eyes and he wants to reach over and wipe them for you. “I’m very upset, actually. Very upset.” You emphasise on the ‘very’.

“I’m sorry.” His apology was genuine, you know it but can’t help but feel more upset over it. You had no privileges to speak like this towards your boss. “I really am sorry.”

“We have arrived sir.” You tell him as you park the car at the cafes parking lot. You exit the car and open the door for him. Before he walked away, you speak up again.

“I’m also upset that I’ve fallen in love with you, Satoru.“ The man himself feels his heart quicken at the way you used his given name, he have repeatedly told you to use it and absolutely adores it the few times you do. “I missed you a lot and I hope that despite where you’ve been, you were safe and unhurt.” You add on and Gojo takes a few steps towards you and gently grasps onto your hand. About to intertwine his hands with yours, his hands stills at your next words. You had a sad smile on your face as you look down at your hand held by Gojo. You look up and meet his eyes, eyes flickering all over his face.

“And I’ve asked for another driver to come and get you, so I’m leaving after dropping you off.” You simply say, letting go off Gojo’s hand before getting into the car and drive away, leaving the man you love standing at your favorite cafes spot alone.

Gojo watches the car get further away, with you in it. And he hates himself. He should’ve taken you with him. He would if he could. But where he had to go away to, he couldn’t take you with him. It’s no excuse to not tell you and be honest.

—

You’ve just finished taking a shower when you hear the doorbell. Quickly wrapping a towel around your body, you check the peephole to see who it is and immediately flinch back in surprise.

You didn’t expect to see Gojo outside just after your confession and you walking out on him despite him being your boss. If this was any other boss, you would’ve either gotten a warning or get fired.

You quickly lotion your body and dress into comfortable clothes before you check the peephole again and see Gojo still outside, now about to ring your doorbell again.

You take a breather before opening the door and as soon as you do, a pair of soft lips covers yours and you gasp into the kiss. Gojo pulls away and looks at you, his pupils moving in a haste as he breaths deeply while looking at you, he reaches his hands up to cup your neck and pulls you in closer. He places his forehead on top of yours and you’re shocked, not believing any of this is happening.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers, you feel his breath on your mouth and you simply slightly shake your head. “You’ve apologized a lot today.” Your chuckle seemed genuine, Gojo felt happy to see your happiness for just a second.

“I don’t know what you are thinking, Satoru. Why are you here?” You grab onto the front of his black shirt and fist it in your hands.

“I love you.” He announces gently. Out of breath. “I love you too.” He adds on and you feel your eyes getting wet.

“I love you so much. I’ve been a coward, a stupid coward to not say it to you and not tell you before I disappeared. Which felt like an eternity being away from you.” You feel one of his hands almost dig into the back of your head, the other trailing down to your lower back and you lean into him. You give a slight nod to your head.

“You are mean too. A mean stupid coward.” You remark as Gojo nods, agreeing with you before you cup his face, yank his face down to yours and place your lips on top of his. “I’m so sorry, angel. So sorry.” He mumbles against your mouth and you almost whimper into the kiss.

You trail your hands up his still tousled hair and fist it, wanting him to feel how upset you are with him and he certainly feels it by how he places both of his hands on the back of your thighs and hoists you up. He pins you firmly against the wall. His grip is strong and safe. You like it here, being held by him, kissed by him and loved by him.

His lips are almost chapped, but nonetheless smooth anyway, the kiss on the other hand — your heart aches and flutters at the same time. Tears finally spring free from your eyes as your lips slide against his, gentle and unrushed. Fingers strongly holds your thighs against him, almost tightening but his kiss are still gentle and he feels soft and safe against you.

You break off the kiss to breathe and Gojo doesn’t hesitate to surge forward to kiss away your tears on your eyes, cheeks, the corner of your nose. He managed to kiss and lick the tears that almost reaches your lips, tasting salty tang of the tear drops. Then he trails down and kisses away lingering teardrops on your jaw and softly nibbles there which has you letting out soft moans as you squeeze your thighs around his hips.

Your grip on his hair tightens the lower his lips reaches, his tongue — hot and wet — slides against the skin on your pulse point, going lower to the hollow base of your neck. He places a soft chaste kiss there before burying his face in the crook of your neck. His arms wrapping around your body and he holds you closer to him as he breaths in your scent.

“I love you so much.” He mumbles against your neck and you nod your head as you now run your fingers through his soft hair. “I love you.” You tell him back as you feel him kiss your neck before breathing you in again.

—

Laying on top of him on the couch, in his arms as you look down at his face, his eyes are almost dazzling as he looks up at you, touching your cheek with his one hand, rubbing his thumb on your skin.

“I missed you, you know.” He mutters softly as he softly rubs his thumb on the corner of your lips, to your jaw and pulse point. “Almost went insane the time I was without you.” He dryly chuckles as you genuinely let out a soft giggle.

“Insane? You’re already insane now.” You tease him. “Barging into my home and kiss me like we’ve done it before.” You reach your hands up to run them through his hair, loving the soft feeling in your hands. You feel his hands reach down your spine and hold you against him by your lower back.

“We did kiss once though.” He reaches his head up to brush his lips against yours softly. You yank his head back by his hair and he almost groans in pain. “We have? When? Why didn’t you tell me?” You fire out questions at a speed that has Gojo looking at you in amusement and think how cute you look with your eyes widened, how your grip on his hair tightens and how close your face is to his. He’d rather kiss you again than talk.

“Remember that day we went out, well I took you there, to a small bar.” He begins, telling how he ordered a cake that seemed harmless since you didn’t wanna drink because you’re driving and as soon as you ate that cake, it tasted delicious so you took more bites.

“The more you ate, I started noticing how you started getting tipsy. From a cake of all things. Turns out there was a lot of alcohol in it.” He grins at you and you try to remember everything only to get vague memories of it but remember fully of how delicious the cake tasted. It’s like the alcohol wasn’t even in it.

“Your tolerance is low, can’t believe you got drunk from a cake.” He almost laughs and you swat at his chest. “That doesn’t explain how we kissed.” You pout and Gojo only grins at you. You feel his hands reach below your shirt and softly circle his fingers on your skin by your hips.

“I was taking you home since you couldn’t drive, while in the car, you reached over, grabbed my face and kissed me. Hard.” His grin only widens as you feel your entire body heat up. Your heartbeats fast and you could only stare at him before gasping.

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not.” He says firmly before leaning his up head to cover your mouth with his, moving his lips against yours. You trail your hands down to his neck and almost push him down against the armrest of the couch. The kiss this time was different, he devours you, kisses you like he haven’t had enough. He delves his tongue into your mouth against yours hard before sinking his teeth on your lower lip. Tugging on it before nibbling on it, his hands pushes your hips against his own harder as you mewl into the kiss.

You feel his hand settle close to your ass, his fingertips close enough to dig into the skin before he settles to grab your ass over your sweatpants and squeeze you against him. Gasping into the kiss, Gojo lets out a low rough grunt as he loses himself in your taste and kissing you like he’s telling you everything he feels, that you’re his, he’s yours, he’s sorry and he loves you.

When Gojo feels you slightly grind against him, he breaks away with a groan, a string of saliva connecting you both before dissolving. Both of you are breathing hard.

“You’re maddening.” He breathes out as he kisses you all your face, down your jaw, below your earlobe at your sensitive spot. “You’re aggravating.” You sigh out in content as you arch against his chest, slightly grinding against him again. You hear Gojo soft low grunt again as he kisses on your neck, settling lower by your shoulder and sinks his teeth. Not deep enough to hurt you but enough to show just how maddening you are to him.

“Aggravating, hm?” He mumbles out against your shoulder as he pushes you into him again by your hips, manually grinding you against him again and again. The friction only adding onto your and his heightened sensations.

“Very aggravating.” You softly mutter back, relishing in the feeling of Gojo’s nibbles on the hollow base of your neck before you feel your worlds been turned. Gojo flipped you both on the couch so he’s the one hovering over you. Wrapping your legs around his hips, you pull him in closer.

“I want more of your kisses.” You slightly pout as Gojo grins, it’s amused and proud. Seems like your words just boosted his small ego a little bit.

“You want more of my aggravating kisses, don’t you?” He teases as he brushes his lips against your jaw, the corner of your lips and finally your mouth. “Very badly.” You mumble as it’s your turn to reach your hands down to his ass and pull him in closer. Gojo gasps in surprise when he feels you squeeze him and you could only flash him a proud smile before his lips are on yours again.

“Unbelievable.” He mutters against your lips. You giggle into the kiss when he gasps again when you squeeze him once more. “This feels kind of good.” He remarks honestly and you laugh into the kiss as you hear him chuckle. He softly kisses on your lower lip, before capturing your mouth again gently. The kiss is soft this time, gentle and lingering. You feel him slightly break away to kiss your cheek as you skim your nose across his temple, you feel him leave soft gentle kisses by your pulse point and neck. You reach your hands up to fist his shirt on his back as you squeeze your thighs around his body.

“I love you, toru.” You softly whisper as you feel his mouth widen against the skin of your neck. He’s smiling. “I love you too, angel.” He retorts back gently.

—

If you’ve come this far, a like and a reblog would be soo incredibly appreciated :3

[maxxmakes]

About the one time Error met Dream long enough to talk.

A short fic, set in Yet Another Battle's pre-fic world.

Error and Dream need to stop meeting like this.

Not ship whatsoever. Also, remember that Dream and Error's opinions are entirely biased. Some may argue that Ink's actions were justified considering Error's own actions.

Error laid on his side, looking bored as hell, staring straight ahead.

Ink had apparently "caught" him earlier, using creator-knows-what secret technique, tied him all up in black painted-on tape, and was called up in whatever other universe he was needed in. Of course, he'd hopped by the universe Dream was in, gave him a key and asked the star Sanses' golden boy to come look over his captive for him.

Unfortunately for Dream, he was interrupted mid-dinner, and had to excuse himself from Blue's company, who laughed and told him to take some food along as he went. So, here he was now, uncomfortable, staring at a man who was resolutely not staring back.

"WhY aRE yOu HerE.", he said, and it was almost like he was disappointed Ink wasn't here himself. Dream actually didn't really know what to answer to that.

"Uh...I guess because Ink asked me to?"

Those heterochromic eyes narrowed at nothing, and Error gave one of those mocking-yet-oddly-shaky grins only he could pull off.

"VoiD DAMn. InK MaKEs ChiLDren dO HiS DIrTY worK, nOw?"

"Wh- I'm not a child. I've just got....young-looking bones."

"AnD I'M a GOd. To EAch THeIr sTRUgGle."

In anyone else's mouth, that would've sounded like a joke, but Dream knew better. Error only joked around when he felt the need to throw witty one-liners at Ink during battle. He usually didn't even talk to the rest of them, just levelled a glare at them like they weren't even worth the effort of fighting them.

He gave a "tssk", and struggled (kind of like a worm, which was funny but Dream didn't laugh) to sit up.

"So. WhAT doEs He WAnT ThiS TimE?", Error asked, face straight, unbothered. "tO kILl Me?"

Dream sputtered in surprise, shaken by the very notion.

"What! of course not, we don't--we don't kill--!" The word even felt foreign on his tongue, and Dream couldn't help himself but to sadden. Of course Error would expect to be killed. He'd done so much evil himself, too.

What would be the alternative, though? To keep him like this, locked up, prisoner of a small room in Ink's currently chosen home? Forever? That was a fate Dream didn't even want to imagine, his compassionate soul whimpering a complaint at the mere notion. He shook his head, as Error continued.

"iT WouLDn'T BE thE FirST tIMe.", he said, detachedly, as though he'd watched that particular episode of his life on a TV. just, simply, a telenovella episode, with a gruesome end and more magic-blood budget than a stephen king movie adaptation. Dream choked on his words, plate sliding out of his grasp to tumble on the floor, smashing on impact.

But that...that didn't make any sense, did it?

Error narrowed his eyes, grinning. Guess the apple kid didn't exactly hear that part of the story.

....Ink did mention to Dream that Error was immortal, before. How would he have found out, if not by....trying? Eyeing the shattered plate, Error inched ever so closer to Dream (though he abhorred the thought of being even close.)

"guESs He dIDn'T TeLL yOu. YoU'Ve sEEn hOw HE geTS wiTh REd PaiNT?"

"yes, but! he wouldn't hurt anyone. Not really,", Dream insisted, tightening his empty hands and digging his fingertips into the soft fabric of his gloves. "Never enough to kill. Besides, you're still alive right now."

"I alREadY KnEw I CoULdn'T DiE PRoPERly. He DIdn'T. I brOKe His BrUSh, hE doWNed tHE boTTle."

Error, ever the smart cookie, set his hands on the ground. Hanging on his every words, Dream didn't exactly notice a piece of ceramic vanish into his palms.

"SmAShED mY fuCKiNG hEAd iN WiTH a ROck."

Color drained from Dream. He looked shocked, and utterly disgusted by the idea of such a thing happening. Well, Error could understand that, kind of. Dream had always held Ink in much too high a regard.

"He wouldn't," he insisted with a half-voice.

"iT DOesN't MAttEr wHAt yoU ThInK He wOUld anD WOulDN'T DO. You'Re a PAwn AnYwAYS. He dOEsn'T LOve YOu."

"No....no, you're wrong. It can't possibly--"

Dream never had a chance to finish his sentence, as blue strings erupted from Error's newly freed hands to loop around Dream. Error snickered as he left, leaving Dream tied up just like he was (after, of course, calling him a sucker and an idiot.) The problem being- Dream knew that if Ink remembered, he'd feel bad. But did Ink even apologize for that? Was there a universe where I'm sorry would fix this? Dream, slowly but surely- began doubting the skeleton who he thought was a hero. It didn't even matter if Error lied.

Thinking in absolutes was the one thing that would lead to Dream's downfall, eventually.

[jazzyspams]

Scared

pairing: aemond × fem!reader (afab, use of she/her)

rating: explicit. (18+. mdni.)

summary: “we’ll see who gets the last laugh princess.” he muttered low and dark. the feeling of his large hand gripping the back of your neck tight and holding you close made you ache. you ached for him, for his touch, his smell, everything. you hated him and he hated you which made you ache for him all the more

requested: yes

warnings: public sex, orgasm denial, overuse of the word slut, edging, degradation kink, jealousy, mentions of previous sexual activity, creampie, overstimulation, begging, multiple orgasms, dirty talk, sex with a tad bit of feelings, hair pulling, dom! aemond, rough sex

notes: i literally wrote this so fucking fast. i honestly wasn’t expecting for many people to read the last story but holy fuck you guys are sweet, it may not be a lot of you but u really do appreciate you guys. this is literally my motivation!! and also requests are opennnnn!!! love you all!!! and i didn’t reread lmfaoo im sorry i got lazy

part one

・★・

days had passed since your little encounter with aemond and fuck you regretted it

not really but really.

all the days that had passed you’d been avoiding him, pretending to be sick so you wouldn’t have to come out of your room for breakfast or supper

and even when you would see him for a short time, preparing to ride his dragon or even simply seeing him walking in the halls with the queen he would just walk right past you as if nothing had happened. you wanted to think maybe he just didn’t see you but he definitely did because you saw the quick and simple glances he gave you when he saw u in the halls

you weren’t expecting him to be at your feet begging you to stop avoiding him, but it was if he hadn’t even known of your absence or even cared and it made you feel somewhat sad

for gods sake he was in you, multiple times. you’d at least expected for there to be some sort of difference in the weird relationship between you both but there wasn’t.

you honestly didn’t know how to feel about this whole situation, angry or ashamed?

as you sat on your bed alone with your thoughts you heard a low knock and you looked up as your door opened, your knightsgaurd let down a low bow

“prince lucerys velaryon and prince jacaerys velaryon” he announced, moving to the side to allow jace and luke to walk in. as they walked in your knightsgaurd shut the door

luke slightly shouted your name as he walked towards you, opening his arms; going in for a hug. jace walking will him, rolling his eyes, disappointed at his brother’s manners

you smiled at your unexpected guests. happy that they came and surprised that they even thought of you, not really surprised but you really didn’t expect it

as luke hugged you tight jace quickly pointed out about how you’re “sick” and luke jumped up as his brother’s words and observed your face

“you quite honestly dont look sick at all” jace questioned with an eyebrow raise

luke nodded, agreeing to his brother’s word “yeah in fact you’re kind of glowing” luke added with the same curious look as his brother

you let out a awkward laugh knowing where that “glowing” look comes from.

“so… what brings you two here” you quickly said attempting to change the subject

“we just wanted to check up on you, its been days since we’ve seen you and everyone has been wondering where you’ve been”

you smiled at his warming words, you just couldn’t be in the same room with him for too long. it would be too embarrassing and awkward. and you had a bad habit of displaying your emotions on your face, thats what everyone tells you (mostly your father) which is not that surprising because you get it from him

“i know, i just-“ you stopped yourself letting out a deep breath, wanting to tell them what had happened or literally anybody. you needed to get this off your chest, you needed some advice but you couldn’t tell anyone. you had to deal with it by yourself because only the gods know what will happen if your secret is exposed

you cleared your throat, swallowing the words you so desperately needed to release “i haven’t been feeling all that well” you said with a low empty smile

luke made the most disbelieving face you had ever seen. it was as if he could see right through your lies. “right… well you look fine now, i think its time you got out of your chambers and come to supper tonight!” he yelped

you groaned “lukee,” you dramatically dragged his name “im still not feeling all that well”

he nodded at your words, you smiled thinking he finally let it go as him and jace walked towards the door

but luke turned around right before he opened the door “ill just bring the maester so we can see if you’re still sick” he said with a grin

no! you shouted quickly. a little too quickly.

you sighed “ill be at supper tonight”

lukes grin grew bigger, knowing he won “perfect!” he smiled, showing all his teeth. you rolled your eyes. is this what it is like to have a little brother?

~

you had just left the a small council meeting, you weren’t apart of the small council but they had discussed your touring and wanted you to be there. nothing had changed really they just discussed all the princes that you would meet, which quite honestly were a lot. but you were prepared thanks to rose

the queen said she was happy you were feeling better and said she was glad that you would be returning to the family supper’s and of course the whole council agreed with the queen

after the meeting the queen directed ser criston to escort you back to your chambers to prepare for supper

after a few moments in silence walking, ser criston finally spoke. “how are you feeling” he asked turning to you, as you both continued to walk

you smiled. he was the first person to ask you this in days.

“thank you for asking, i feel better but i would truly kill to get out of here. ive been in here for days, i want to explore the city, see the people and drink fresh wine. i just want a breath in fresh air” you let out. you thought you sounded like a crazy woman but ser criston just smiled at you

he let out a low laugh “i understand what you mean, it was like that for me when i first arrived here.”

“well how do i fix that desperate feeling” you asked turning to look at him as you made a complete stop

he looked around making sure no one was close enough to hear what he was about to say. “i got out. i snuck into the city and did what i wanted just for the night. and it was a night ill never forget for the rest of my days” he said with a low whisper

oh how heavenly that sounds. after days of just being in your chambers alone with your thoughts you knew this was the release you needed.

“would you ever consider taking me?” you slightly whispered

he shook his head “and risk the chance of getting the new princess caught escaping or even worse, getting hurt?”

you sucked your teeth “ser criston please, we wont get caught and you’ll be there protecting me”

“absolutely not” he whispered turning away, continuing to walk. you quickly followed behind him and grabbed his arm

“please ser criston, only just one time. im new to this whole thing and its been very hard” the desperation in your throat started to rise

he groaned, “alright but just once” he said putting up his index finger

you grabbed his face and slightly shook him as you said “thank ser criston! truly thank you! you are too good for me”

he smiled as you let go of his face, continuing to walk “oh and we need to stop by godswood, i need to get a couple of fresh flowers from there for my room”

the only flowers you have ever kept in your room were snapdragons, you especially took the ones from godswood because you knew how much aemond cared for them because they were his mothers but you honestly didn’t care if they were the queens i mean for gods sake she was the queen. she could get dozens of flowers

the queen has everything. so whats a couple of flowers you thought as you walked into godswood. you looked around, hoping aemond would be here but he wasn’t

a part of you wanted him to be here so he could watch you pick these flowers and realize you dont care about what he says

you walked behind the heart tree and grabbed a couple of flowers, not too many but just enough to put in a little jar in your room.

you kept your eyes on the beautiful pink flowers in your hand as you walked down the pathway heading towards the entrance where ser criston stood, waiting for you

you played with your mother’s necklace that dangled around your neck, trying to feel some sort of comfort and it worked until you hear ser criston yell, “my prince!” you quickly looked up and seen aemond, standing in front of ser criston, his large framing slightly towering over him

he stood tall and confident with his hands behind his back. you hated him but holy gods he was handsome. his eyes quickly snapped at you as you continued down the pathway

“and what do you think you’re doing with those” aemond asked, turning his eyes to the flowers in your hand

you looked around sarcastically trying to figure out who he was talking to, oh so he can speak when you have some stupid flowers in his hand but god forbid him even look at you after fucking you

“oh im sorry now you can speak?” you said with and unbelievable scoff

he laughed, shaking his head “i wont play these games with you. answer my question.” he demanded

oh, fuck him. you’re the one playing games when he can barely even fucking look at you? he wants to see you play games? okay.

“you still have one eye. its pretty obvious what i am doing” you turned your head slightly with a smirk. if he wants a game, he’ll get one

ser criston turned to you, eyes widened at your words. looking at you like you’ve just crossed the line

aemonds jaw clenched tight. “ser criston take your leave” he demanded as his voice turned dark. shivers roll down your spine; oh fuck. arousal hitting you slow at the darkness in his voice

you saw ser criston nod from the corner of your eye. “ser criston you will do no such thing” you quickly shouted, as you swallow, trying to make the arousal in your core go away as you kept your gaze on aemond

aemond razed his eyebrow as if your words meant anything “ser criston may i remind you who you serve?” he said, turning his gaze to ser criston, almost giving him a death stare

ser criston just sighed as if he knew something bad was going to happen, he let down a low bow to both of you before he look his leave

aemonds gaze stayed locked in with yours until ser cristons foot steps were gone

its silent for a little before he speaks

“dont you ever fucking disrespect me like that again” he snapped

you narrow your eyes “oh please you’re just mad i did it in front of ser criston” you snap back.

his eyebrows raise as if he just realized something “and you princess?” he laughs in a mocking manner

you raise your eyebrow, confused at his words

“dont act as if your not mad that i haven’t said not one word to you since that night, i may have one eye but fuck its clear as day how desperate you are for my attention,”

you feel your anger coming to the surface and tears of anger and somewhat embarrassment in your eyes (mostly anger) because to some degree he was right.

“taking these flowers? refusing to show up to any family gatherings for days? i dont know if you haven’t noticed but i dont fucking care about you princess” he finished, almost growling “and just because you cant stop thinking about the way i fucked you dumb doesn’t mean i owe you anything. not a dance, not wave, not even two fucking words.”

you stepped back at his words. your face burns. fuck him if he thinks you give two shits about him either. “i dont fucking care about you either and you’re far beyond delusional if you think for one moment i do”

“right” he laughs sarcastically

“i haven’t thought of it once. and i’d rather let ser criston fuck me in front of the whole red keep before i ever think of you” you whisper with a similar evil smirk he once gave you

he stepped closer to you, tilting his head down to stare directly in your eyes “and what makes you think he would want to fuck a slut like you”

his words sent shivers down your spine, chilling you. you could feel you nipples hardening under the thick dress you wore and you panties getting wet. “slut” the word replaying in your head

he smirked noticing what that did to you, seeing your body stiffen and tense up. you couldn’t let him think he won. you just couldn’t

you looked up at him “maybe the fact that he’s taking me out tonight and maybe ill let him fuck me in a brothel and maybe, just maybe after he’ll be a man and actually acknowledge it,”

this time his body stiffened at yours words and oh it felt good, seeing him speechless. you definitely couldn’t stop now

you placed your hand on his chest and stood up on your toes as you whispered in his ear “the fact that you cant even hold eye contact with me for five seconds or even speak two words is pathetic.”

you waited for him to say something literally anything but he didn’t. you just laughed. as you attempted to walk past him he grabbed you by the back of your neck pulling you in close, making you drop the flowers that were surprising still in your hand

your heart was beating fast at the reaction you weren’t expecting. you’d thought you had won but you were obviously wrong

“we’ll see who gets the last laugh princess.” he muttered low and dark. the feeling of his large hand gripping the back of your neck tight and holding you close made you ache. you ached for him, for his touch, his smell, everything. you hated him and he hated you which made you ache for him all the more

aemond knew what he was doing, even tho you haven’t known him for long he knew how to push your buttons in ways no other had but he also knew how to please you like no other.

this game you and aemond played was intoxicating. and fuck you lived for it

aemond released you from grip, turning away and leaving you standing there. speechless.

~

“ugh! i’ve been patiently waiting for this moment for ever!” rose yelps as she lays out three dresses on display for you to pick which one to wear to supper

you didn’t pay any attention to the designs of the dresses, just the colors. you turned your head to rose and looked at her like she was a crazy woman

green, black, and blue are the colors of each dress. green representing the queens side of the family and black representing your step mother’s, (the soon to be queen/ heir to the iron throne)

“rose have you lost your mind” you asked her, genuinely concerned. you might have been new to this whole royalty thing but you sure ass hell weren’t stupid. picking between the colors black or green was like picking which side you were on and you refused to do that.

“whatt?” she shrugged her shoulders innocently. you rolled your eye’s pointing your finger to the blue dress

she signed dramatically “yea…good choice, its really lightweight and easy to pull off and slip on”

“if you honestly think ill pick between those colors you have truly gone mad” you laughed as rose slipped you in the dress. rose walked towards you bedside table and looked in your jewelry box

you looked down at the dress and smiled at its simplicity. simple but beautiful nonetheless. the dress hung at your shoulders and had gold outlining

“hey…, where’s your mom’s necklace” rose yelled out. your hands flew to your neck but nothing was there, “are you sure it isn’t-“ you stopped yourself realizing you never put it in your jewelry box. the last time u remember having it at godswood

“fuck!” you stomped, picking up your dress and quickly running out of your chamber

fuck. fuck. fuck. you thought as you stormed towards godswood, you didn’t want to go back to godswood. ever. all of the two times youd been there it had been very bad and traumatizing experiences. quite literally.

you prayed to the seven gods that you would easily find your necklace and peacefully go to supper and go out to the city with ser criston and live happily ever after but of course the seven gods hated you and had to make your life difficult

you entered godswood and retraced your steps. first looking at the doorway where you stood with aemond and then looking up the pathway. you look behind the heart tree in the rows of snapdragons. you sigh realizing that you fucking lost your mothers necklace

you were so fucking busy playing a stupid back and forth game with aemond that you lost the one thing you needed most, the one thing you had left of your mother. you wanted to blame aemond so badly but it was you, you shouldn’t allow him to get under your skin the way he does

“have you come back for more?” you heard a voice you knew all too well call out from behind you. speaking of the literal devil

you turned around and seen him smirking as her leaned against the back of the tree. he wasn’t smirking how he usually does he was kind of smiling, like a bad child who had just done something they weren’t supposed to. you rolled your eyes but of course he’d think you came here for him; and why the hell is he always here

you furrowed your eyebrows. oh how u wanted to wipe that smirk of his face. forget him. you need to find the necklace you thought as you turned back around, looking in the same row of flowers but something hit you. you were sure you had the necklace right before aemond had grabbed you

you spun around quickly. a little too quick, feeling a bit dizzy. “you have it dont you” you asked as you slightly raised your voice

his smile growing “i have no idea what you speak of” his voice low and deep as his words came out smoothly

you walked towards him. you didn’t want to play these games anymore, you just wanted to get your necklace and go. but he just had to make that impossible. now that you stood in front of him in the dim moonlight, his features started to shine.

his hairstyle was different, still in it’s beautiful platinum white color but it was down; all of his hair down it middle part, it was slightly messy as if he’d been practicing. you remembered how he looked after practicing because that was the first time you met him and the sight was implanted in your mind forever

his scar that split his eyebrow and stopped at his cheekbone stood out mostly and shined the brightest in the moonlight. his strong and sharp jawline made him look so much more intimidating than he needed to be.

your took a deep breath, deciding to put your pride to the side “aemond…please just give it to me” you almost whined

you noticed your words did something to him as he bit his lower lip

there’s a tension that seems to always be lingering in the air whenever you two get around eachother, and it doesn’t get better as the seconds go by

you looked up at him, making sure the innocence in your eyes shined bright as you inched closer to him. you were so close to him now. the memories of what happened the last time you got this close flooding your mind. picturing how he took you in so many ways that night. a part of you wanting it again

your hands fell on his chest and you kept your eyes on him. as you looked at him you recognized the look he gave you. he wanted this; he wanted you. you wanted to touch his scar, outline it and tell him the scar was was beautiful and so was he but something stopped you.

you knew everyone wanted you to stay away from him but that just made you gravitate towards him more. he was hurt and misunderstood and you knew those two feelings all too well. so to some degree you understood him.

your gaze following your hands as you trail your hands down his chest, nice and slow until you reached his member. you only touched it a little bit but you would feel him hardening at your touch

you stop yourself, realizing what you’re doing and remembering the real reason why you came here. you open your mouth to apologize but nothing comes out. all you can do is turn around and suddenly aemonds large hand grips the back of your neck. he manhandles you and doesn’t feel bad about it one bit, ignoring the gasp that escapes your mouth as he shoves you against the tree

his voice, angry and aroused, “do you think you can come here and tease me, and then try to leave?” he questioned you

“aemond-“

“shut up. you don’t deserve to speak, the way you’ve been disrespecting me all day,” his voice demanding and angry. your stomach drops, the tug you feel below your stomach is heavy, causing your panties to dampen. him being angry shouldn’t turn you on the way it does.

aemonds free hand bunches up your thin, lightweight dress. you can feel his fingers trailing up your thigh as he pulls it over your ass. you tremble at his touch, his fingers cold and rough

“aemond someone can catch us” you breathe out and then gasp, you talking earns you a slap from behind. not stinging but hurting from the surprise of it

“did i tell you to speak?” he growls as he outlines the bottom of your panties, slipping a finger in the tight stretchy fabric; moving his fingertip along your ass. “you’d love it if someone caught us, risking the chance of someone knowing your pussy belongs to me. you’d love that. wouldn’t you?”

you whine, nodding your head slowly

“slut” he mumbles as he removes his finger from your ass quick , letting the fabric slap against your ass hard. he hooks his fingers at the top of your panties. yanking them down; letting them fall to your knees. you moan as the cool air hits your wet aching cunt

you’re breathing hard. you want to beg him for his touch but you know he’ll just spank you for just talking. you hated him for this, teasing you; out in the open. on full display, but only for aemonds touch.

he uses both of his hands to spread your asscheeks, admiring your went and slippery cunt. “me talking to you all dirty gets you this wet?” he asks in a mocking voice. you nod, not daring to speak. a dark laugh leaves his throat.

aemond brings his hand around to the front of your pussy and he leans in close. you can feel the warmth of his hard clothed cock against your back. he circle’s your clit slowly with his index and middle finger, using all the self control he had in his body from throwing you on the ground and fucking you relentlessly with no remorse. he wanted to show you a lesson for disrespecting him today; but he knew in order to do that he had to take his time, making you wait and beg

“does ser criston get you this wet?” he hissed, the speed of his fingers picking up. you shake your head quickly, hoping it will satisfy him. aemonds palm falls heavily against your ass and you jerk forward. “use your fucking words” his voice growing more hungry.

“f-fuck, no, he doesn’t” you barely get out as you dig you nails into the rough tree. the pleasure building in your core is hot and heavy. “you only get this wet for me, right?”

“j-just for you, o-only you aemond.” you almost scream as his thick long fingers enter you fast, your head shoots back on his shoulder; your neck now exposed, but not for long as aemond quickly noticed and sunk his face in your exposed neck, the feeling of his teeth grazing along the skin of your neck and the feeling of his rough fingers inside of you; almost sending you over the edge

you tried to muffle your moans but you couldn’t, the pleasure was unbearable; coming from different directions, you wanted everyone to know how good he made you feel in so many different ways. the slick, wet noise that came from between your legs filled the air.

you cant help the moan of his name that escapes your lips as he curls his fingers. the stretch of his thick fingers is nothing like the stretch of his cock but you’ll take whatever he gives, like a starved woman; and you were, starving for him. the tears of pleasure falling down your cheeks

you can feel yourself about to explode. youre clenching around him, almost reaching your high. he knows it and removes his fingers, removing his face from your neck; you almost drop at the empty feeling he leaves you with.

he grabs you by your cheeks hard, forcing your face to the side to look at him. his face is marked with anger. “did i say you could fucking cum?”. you shake your head “aemond please.” you beg; not knowing what it is you’re begging for

“shut the fuck up and get on your knees” he hissed. you comply, turning around and getting on your knees. you watch him remove the strings of his pants; your eyes glossy with sexual frustration. he pulls down his pants finally releasing his cock.

your tears drying slightly as you gulp, looking at his cock. fuck. did it get bigger? you could feel the somewhat dry dirt on your knees- the thin dress not helping much.

he stands tall before you. your mouth waters at the sight. he pumps it roughly, his tip a bright red color from arousal; the precum flowing lewdly. he places his thumb on your bottom lip, slipping it in your mouth, you don’t hesitate to suck on it; slowly moving your head back and forth. you could see the lust in eye as he watched you. he removed his thumb from your mouth and traced it along your lips.

“open” is the only word he mutters to make you open your mouth. the need to taste him, spurring you to lay your tongue out flat and wait patiently for him.

“whats pathetic,” he mocks your words from earlier, tapping your tongue with the weight of his length; the slapping sound, making you moan. he taps against you again “is watching you-“ he cuts himself off as he pushes a little bit of him in your mouth. “take whatever i give you, and beg for my cock” he groans as he stuffs the rest of his cock in your warm and tight throat

you gag immediately, his pace unforgiving as he fucks your throat rough. you try desperately to breathe out your nose, gagging as you feel him deep in your throat. another sweet groan leaving his mouth, biting his lip and nodding as he removes the hair from your face. you can feel your head hitting the back of the tree but your hair gives you some sort of protection from the rough bumpy surface. a few tears falling from your eyes as you choke, your lung’s gasping for air. he’s close. you can feel his veins moving to the top of his tip. you want him to explode in your mouth but he pulls away

you suck in the air your lungs so desperately needed with a strangled gasp, your saliva linking to his big cock is quickly broken as he lifts you up by your arms. your eyes hazy as you tried to catch your breath.

he snatched the dress off your body; finally exposing your full body, leaving the dress at you ankles. “since you love those flowers so much, im going to fuck you on them” he said as he unraveled the string of his shirt and nodded towards the flowers, signaling you to get on them. you stepped out of your dress and stood on top of the flowers; you sighed knowing the beautiful row of roses were going to be ruined. “ass up” he demanded as he finally freed himself from the shirt and his pants that stayed at his ankles. you did as he told you and bucked at the feeling of the cool air hitting your swollen pussy

he gets behind you, and you can feel the tension bubbling behind you. his hand falls hard against the skin of your ass, you whimper as you jerk forward “been disrespecting me all fucking day. say you’re sorry” he says sending another slap on your already abused ass, you let out a strangled yell

“g-gods im sorry” you let out as a strained whimper. “won’t do it again will you?” he said; the mockery in his voice rising. “n-no i swear it aemond” you almost cry

he gives no warning, no teasing, doesn’t say a word as he enters you, swiftly and hard. you scream. the quickness of him thrusting inside made you squeeze around him. he moaned and it was the most heavenly sound you had ever heard. “f-fuck, girl, you’re s-so fucking tight” he grunted

your mouth flew on you mouth as you felt him setting his pace. it took everything in you to refrain from screaming and moaning his name. you may have been behind the tree but you were still in a public place, all it took was for someone to walk up the pathway. you let out choked and muffled moans with every painful thrust, feeling his cock push against your g-spot with every thrust

he groans your name

his fingers digging deep in your ass, as he pounded in you. you couldn’t hold it anymore, his teasing from earlier making you near you edge faster than you had before. you moaned his name “may i please cum” you begged; so vulnerable and hopeless. “you love being my slut don’t you?” his fingers intertwining with your hair; twisting your hair into a ponytail and yanking you against him, making you slam against him, balls deep. you dont dare to hesitate “i love being your slut aemond” you babble as you slam into your orgasm, your fingers gripping the flowers under you, dirt under your nails but you didn’t care

you released your hands from the flowers trying to catch your breath. but he wasn’t done with you yet. he yanks you up by you hair; placing you in his lap. you hiss at the movement, realizing he was still inside of you.

weak with overstimulation “its too much, i don’t think i can take it” you cry. aemond grabs you by the side of your face, making you look at him “you can, we’ll go slow. just keep your eyes on me” he whispers, and it almost sounds sincere. you just nod; keeping your eyes on him

he moves your arms around his neck as he places his hand on your waist; you lean your neck back, resting it on his shoulder to keep your eyes on him. he pushes your waist down gently, you slowly start to grind against him. both of you still looking at eachother

hes so deep. you grasp his hair, as he slowly helps you pick up the pace as you ride him. he soon gets impatient- hands holding your hips as he soon starts to thrusting into you; you’re moaning at the overstimulation. you’re holding him tight as you feel him about to explode, you felt your second orgasm building in your core.

something different was in the air as you both looked at eachother, both could feel it. was is vulnerability? had you two finally put your hatred aside and decided to just enjoy this moment because you knew it wouldn’t last. you knew he’d just go back to ignoring you and he knew you’d go back to finding a husband

you didn’t know what you wanted with aemond but it surely wasn’t this. and you hated him for not helping you make up your mind.

“i hate you” you whisper in his ear, moaning lightly as he groans . tears of pleasure building in your eyes and you can feeling your legs start to shake. he pulls you close to him as his thrusts get slower and sloppier. “f-fuck. i know. i know you do baby.” he almost moans as you both chase your high together

still keeping you gazed locked and your sweaty bodies on eachother for just a moment before he pulls out of you- that empty feeling returning as he stood up and started putting on his clothes. all you could do is sit there; naked, sitting on top of his mother’s flowers.

“give me your hand” you heard him say; you snapped out of your daydreaming to see him standing in front of you fully clothed. you opened your hand and you could feel something cool fall into your hand. your necklace.

you could feel your face scrunching up as he lifted you up by your arms and helped you stand. your legs were weak and wobbly like jelly. he grabbed your dress and pulled it up over your body. he stares at you for a moment, before he mutters “have fun on your date with ser criston”, walking down the pathway and leaving.

you stand there looking at the ruined flowers and your ruined dress for a second, before you walk down the pathway; taking your leave as well.

・★・

tag list: @anehkael @goldyfishsstuff

[christophfanalways]

INTERVIEW from Dec. 2, 2023

Actor Christoph Waltz: “Anti-Semitism is a very deep disease in a society. But it's not a fact that you just have to accept."

In an exclusive interview with “NZZ am Sonntag”, the Austrian talks about opera, anti-Semitism in his childhood and neuroses as a family legacy.

Christoph Waltz, do you find films boring?

Christoph Waltz: How did you come up with the idea?

Because you started directing operas after over 120 films and two Oscars.

But not out of boredom! I have always found opera, a story embedded in music, to be extremely interesting. Of course I could pursue this medium at home on the couch with a textbook. But I'm always interested in the activity, the doing. That's why I'm not yet an opera director. There are plenty of great ones out there.

So why do you stage operas?

You always talk about intention and approach, but you also have to be given the chance to implement it. And Aviel Cahn, the director of the Grand Théâtre de Genève, was looking for someone who could tell a compelling story. He didn't ask me because he expected an incredibly innovative concept that would revolutionize opera.

In a conversation with Daniel Barenboim you described yourself as a “conservative fart”. Is this a good starting point for staging an opera in 2023?

I said that because I am following with some interest how a new convention has become established in the cultural world. Look, the iconoclasm has long since been done. All texts are deconstructed. In principle, almost all theoretical approaches have been exhausted. What are you doing now?

Tell us.

Anyone who claims to be iconoclastic or unconventional is simply conforming to this new convention. And as a viewer I'm disappointed because I already suspected that.

That doesn't sound conservative. By conservative I would imagine that you keep something as it is.

May I be very rude: That's just how you imagine it. Words are filled with meanings and we are attached to them.

How do you imagine it?

For me, a work does not have to be new in its form. It's about the viewer. The work is intended to enable him to find a small gap in his beautifully crafted imagination and to let a little light shine through there. I prefer to sit back and be served in the “Kronenhalle”, it costs just as much and takes just as long.

Christoph Waltz

The most elegant of all villains

Born in Vienna in 1956, Waltz grew up in a family of theater makers and psychoanalysts; he has the same stepfather as the director Michael Haneke. Waltz studied singing and acting. He won an Oscar each for “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained” by Quentin Tarantino. Since then he has been known as a cool, elegant villain.

Richard Strauss' “Rosenkavalier” moves in a time-schizophrenia. A past is imagined, but with waltz sounds that didn't exist back then, and it's about topics that are relevant today, such as #MeToo. What are you after?

I don't have to follow what's already in the story, it's there. And I wouldn't like to claim that I'm so much smarter than Hugo von Hofmannsthal or Richard Strauss that I have to help things along. Although when it comes to Hofmannsthal, I'm not what you would call a fan. The year in which “Rosenkavalier” was performed was the year in which Schönberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire” was written. Hofmannsthal indulged in Kakanien for a bit.

Christoph Waltz rehearsing “Rosenkavalier” at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Dougados Magali

In the k.-u.-k. During the monarchy, Vienna's cultural identity was very Jewish. It was the time of Sigmund Freud, Karl Kraus, Oskar Kokoschka, Joseph Roth. Did this mean there was less anti-Semitism in Vienna?

I'm not sure about this. I experienced anti-Semitic things myself as a school child in Vienna. But they weren't problematized in the 1960s. I had a teacher who told my best friend in geography class to stop making stupid Jewish jokes. Nobody was outraged back then. The teacher was just an old Nazi and an idiot, we knew that. My boyfriend didn't mind at all either. I was more itchy than him.

Because your own father's mother was Jewish?

No. Nobody has tied their identity to humiliation. It wasn't scratched.

How is identity determined? At the family? Your grandfather, Rudolf Urbantschitsch, was a psychoanalyst, your grandmother an actress.

A psyche, especially a child's psyche, is occupied with concepts that this brain did not produce on its own. This is inevitable. This is how we shape our personality and our identity. But this is different than one that is consciously and intentionally accepted due to external circumstances.

You need to explain this in a little more detail.

I mean, this identity politics today isn't really about identity. It is identity. I haven't thought this through carefully, but I'll say it anyway: it's more about an agenda than an identity.

Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict on October 7th, the German cultural scene has been forced to position itself.

This compulsion is akin to the formation of a new convention that we spoke about earlier. Nobody asks exactly, and nobody is interested in the facts. But everyone wants to represent something. Because they don't know exactly what, they just represent themselves. And since they don't have much to do with it, it's made all the more loud and extreme. This is a tragic development that can definitely be attributed to the decline in educational standards.

That's why you're worried about the state of our culture?

The viewer's judgment is hindered. We can only make progress through the judgment of the observer.

Her grandfather coined the phrase: “Neurosis is the emblem of culture.” Was he right?

I think this is a “sound bite” that was already used for marketing back then. This opinion puts me at odds with my siblings, who view the matter with more reverence. My grandfather sometimes formulated something cryptically, not least because he wanted to cover up his less-than-scientific approach.

Why do you view him critically?

That was his conflict with Freud. That Freud said he wasn't scientific. They were together in the Vienna Psychoanalytic Association. My grandfather was, in a sense, a student of Freud. But who wasn't in psychoanalysis at that time?

Was it and was it considered good manners in Vienna to be somewhat neurotic?

Can I say: There are more psychotherapists and psychoanalysts in Zurich than in Vienna. And significantly more.

But any amateur Freudian would be delighted with you because you first married a psychoanalyst and then a costume designer - which was your mother's job.

Yes. Of course all of this influenced me. That would have been the case if my grandfather had been a locksmith and my mother had been a physicist. Everything that has happened to you shapes you. So we all need to be a little more careful about what we do with it.

What do you mean?

Because we are not simply the victims of our conditioning. If we are interested in a particular matter, we must handle the matter responsibly. You have options for action. This also applies to anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is a very deep disease in a society. But that doesn't mean it's a fact that you just have to accept. Even if you are an anti-Semite yourself. You could also leave it be. This is available to you.

Don't you overestimate us humans?

The question would be: How can I, on my own initiative, decide that it would be much more beneficial not only for myself, but for the general public to let it go?

And how is that supposed to succeed?

No idea. It is the task of those who have already recognized this to show others these possibilities. And not as a moral obligation, but as a practical possibility. This is how cognitive behavioral therapy works. You don't say: You're bad. Because that is – speaking of childhood – the best way to create opposition and neuroses.

Art has to play a role here. The mass medium of film in particular has a very significant impact on young people. But when the threshold of shame falls and the level of education falls, what can art do?

I'm afraid art can't change much. And I fear something even worse: that's not what art is intended for.

Rather?

Art is a way into a dimension that we cannot reach any other way.

But something could happen to me there that reminds me: Be the individual you believe you are. And act accordingly instead of what a group tells you to do.

Of course, you are right. Art can open up a perspective on problematic topics. But she cannot agitate, i.e. reverse the dynamic and intervene didactically.

She could, but she shouldn't.

It can create nothing but vehement opposition if someone throws this thing in my face. Art can only invite me, as a viewer or listener, into this dimension, and I must also be able to venture into it. The change is up to the viewer. But the artist cannot force this on me.

As an actor, you have to trust that the finished film will open doors like that. It is, so to speak, beyond your responsibility how your role affects the audience.

But it is my responsibility to give you a response. Your own and not something I would ask of you. It is a great responsibility not to stand in front of the role and the story and say that you think I, Christoph, are great. But to make room – ultimately for you. But this is one thing that is currently not being taken care of.

So, is your defining characteristic as an actor and director is humility?

I almost said arrogance. But that's not it either. But it is by no means modest.

What then?

It's a completely different consideration: how I open the content. And how I invite you into the content.

You actually want to be repelled by the Bond villain Blofeld, who you played, but you can't. That's one such reaction.

Wondering why you can't manage to dislike the villain? I can't get any higher praise. Because you're asking yourself that, but not me.

They wouldn't even be able to answer it.

No, I don't know what brings you to this.

Why do you like playing these elegant, chilly villains so much?

I don't live out evil. If I played a murderer and wanted to live that out, I would have to go kill someone now. As an actor, I synchronize myself with a story, like you do when you read a novel, for example.

Christoph Waltz as a 20-year-old in the children's show “Amdamdes”

youtube

You studied singing, you can play the cello, piano, saxophone and guitar and you almost became a musician. Is the emotional, romantic opera your balance to your villain roles?

Already. But maybe not for the reasons you mentioned.

Then why?

Because of the music. What is inside her alone. It gives what is being told an additional dimension. Although in the case of “Rosenkavaliers” Strauss may not be at the top of his craft in terms of craftsmanship. The fans had condemned him for this work after his “Elektra”. It's too banal. Not that I have a bad conscience - but I ask myself: Can I really allow myself to talk about Strauss like that?

Why not? As a director, Strauss is your work material.

No, not material, but leadership.

This is too humble an attitude.

Well, I'll allow that, please. Thanks. I'll take advantage of that. This may pose a risk if I don't question the source. But I believe that just as I hinder your viewing when I stand in front of a role as an actor, I hinder your reception when I stand in front of a work as a director.

Are you against interpretation?

If I wanted to put a context on this that I claim I am the only one to recognize, and compel you to share that view, it would be for me as an old practitioner developing a worldview as if the horse was being bridled from the tail.

The music also provides a reading.

There are directors like Michael Haneke who reject music in their films because they say it is a rule for the viewer, a misdirection into emotionality. A film without music is still a film. If you take the music away from the opera, it's no longer opera.

In “Rosenkavalier” Baron Ochs is a terrible philanderer, but he sings very sweetly and naively.

Assuming that you are in a relationship, if you could sometimes smack your partner against the wall, would that mean you love them less at that moment? Definitely not. Conversely, it could be that you can't stand him right now, but in moments you are carried away by a reaction, a behavior. No person who wants to claim to be human consists of only one characteristic.

And you also find that in “Rosenkavalier”?

“Rosenkavalier” is such an incredibly psychologically nuanced piece that the whole Mozartkugel packaging in which we are always fobbed at it doesn’t come close to capturing the dimension of its humanity.

[icycoldninja]

Hi there! I was wondering if you could write a story about Nero and the Reader where the Reader has a terminal illness. Whatever the story is, the Reader spends their last time with Nero.

Thank u and have a nice day!

I will! You have a good one too!

Time (Nero x Reader angst)

Tw: terminal illness; death.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life had been nothing but a blur lately, which was odd, considering how little of it you had left. It started when the doctors entered your room, their gaunt faces cast even more in shadow. They spoke to you in soft, comforting tones, probably to try and ease the shock of it all when they told you that you had very little time left in this world.

You cried your heart out almost as soon as they left, and when Nero rocketed into your room with a huge bouquet of flowers and a "get well soon" card, you couldn't help but wail out the jarring news of your fate. The flowers hit the floor; the card drifted down to meet them, and the next thing you knew, you were being strangled with a hug.

From that moment onward, Nero hardly left your side. When he did, it was only because the nurses either forced him to leave by threatening him with security, or when a devil-related emergency arose. Otherwise, he'd be chained to your bedside, refusing to waste even a second.

Your morbid attitude was understandable for someone so close to death's door. Still, you felt that thinking this way--feeling this way--was wasting both your time and Nero's. You should be trying to enjoy what little time together you had left, instead of wallowing in self pity. But you har so many regrets, so many things you still wanted to do, so much life you wanted to live! Why did it all have to end now?! Why?! You wanted to stay a little longer!

"Babe," Nero began for the hundredth time that afternoon. "You alright? You spaced out again."

"I'm...fine," You lied, gripping the blankets tightly, desperately needing something to ground yourself with.

"I don't think that's true," Nero sighed, noticing your clenched fists. "Come on, get it off your chest, what's wrong?"

It took a great deal of effort to choke back the tears, but you managed, feeling the sorrow and anguish temporarily settle in your stomach, sure to bubble back up in a few moments.

"I...I don't want to die." You finally managed to squeak out. "I'm too young to die. I...want to keep living."

"I know," Nero replied, his voice brittle. "I don't want you to leave either. I'm...gonna...miss you. So fuckin' much."

At this point, all speech had left you, that clump of agony you swallowed earlier coming back to bite you sooner than you expected. You simply rested your head on Nero's warm shoulder and cried, taking solace in his comforting embrace, feeling just a little better now that you'd shared your anguish with someone.

"Shh," Nero consoled, pressing soft kisses to the top of your head, adjusting your pillow and helping you lie back down soon after. "I gotcha. I love you. I love you so much, more than you'll ever know."

"Love you too," You mumbled, as Nero pulled the covers up over your shoulders and planted another kiss on your lips.

"You should get some rest now," He suggested, brushing some of your hair away from your face. "I'll be right here when you wake up, don't worry," He added, when you opened your mouth to protest.

"Ok." You responded, obediently closing your eyes.

Nero chuckled to himself softly as he watched you drift off to sleep, admiring how content and relaxed you looked, the sorrow and anxiety of impending death now erased from your face. He hoped someday, preferably someday soon, you would wear that expression as you walked around Devil May Cry once again.

When the doctors told him the next morning that you'd passed away in your sleep, Nero was both devastated and thankful--thankful that at the very least, you died peacefully, free of any mental trouble, soothed in slumber.

[evilhasnever]

any mdzs thoughts for previous jobs u have held for an au? (badly worded ask for the specific au ask game)

Private University AU:

Lan Xichen is an art history professor as well as the Dean's nephew, and he relly wanted to be an artist fulltime but his family never allowed him to entertain the possibility. Now he paints and does little solo exhibitions as a side gig, but he does not have nearly enough time to dedicate to them and he is almost... embarrassed about doing art halfheartedly, or so he sees it. Fortunately, he likes people though his feelings on teaching are simply neutral. Also, he can see Meng Yao every day... he tries to stay positive!

Lan Wangji doesn't want to be a professor, and fully expected nobody to sign up for his music theory classes because, for the most part, he does not speak - he puts his slides up on the projector and then plays the music in question. He is both shocked and strangely pleased when students consistently show up - not many, but the same little group every time. He overhears in the corridor that they think he is "the coolest".

Wei Wuxian works at the university cafe. LWJ finds it infuriating that he has no interest in pursuing a PhD, because Wei Ying's thesis on the psychology of music changed his life. (the big reveal is that WWX is still working on his research, just on his own time and using uni credentials to access the library and borrow sources because they never revoked his student account). The university cafe is open to the public as well, and some kids from the nearby elementary school wander in sometimes because WWX gives them whatever pastries are left.

Meng Yao is an assistant language teacher working for a multinational dispatch company. He works part time, but spends pretty much his entire day at uni prepping materials and doing his own research. Lan Xichen makes a point to invite him to eat in the student cafeteria with him every day (the first time he asked, he mentioned taking him to a restaurant right outside campus where he often eats, but Meng Yao looked terrified at the prospect of leaving campus even for 30 minutes, so LXC course corrected!) JGS keeps saying the family visa will come through eventually, but in the meantime he needs to get by on a provisionary work visa which means he literally cannot quit his job at the dispatch company or he will be deported. Lan Xichen doesn't know this, and thank god, because otherwise he would immediately offer to marry him for a spouse visa and things would get even more awkward.

Nie Huaisang has been a student for six years and still hasn't finished his bachelor's degree. In fairness, it's because NMJ chose it for him and would not allow him to switch majors! NHS's idea of passive resistance is to do the bare minimum to stay in uni, but waste as much time (and money) as possible in doing so. He spends all of his time in the cafeteria playing geocaching games and swiping dating apps without doing anything about it. Sometimes he goes to classes that are entirely unrelated to his studies (like Lan Xichen's) just to hide away and people-watch, and because he knows LXC would never rat him out. Also he may be writing rpf of LXC and Meng Yao because he sucks. ;)