#yes I know it grows that’s why I don’t care if it’s shorter than usual

[roguelov]

I think I might shave my head again for all the wrong reasons

[starkeyslibrary]

Exile

Inspired by the song Exile by Taylor Swift

pairing: you x drew starkey

The café was quiet, save for the hum of soft jazz filtering through the speakers and the clinking of cups against saucers. You sat in a booth by the window, fingers wrapped around a mug of now-lukewarm coffee. The cloudy skies outside mirrored the storm brewing inside you. Drew was late—again.

You sighed, glancing at the empty chair across from you. The weight in your chest grew heavier with every tick of the clock. This wasn’t the first time he’d kept you waiting, but it felt different today. He’d been distant for weeks, his texts growing shorter, his excuses more frequent. It was as though he was drifting away, and you were powerless to stop it.

The door chimed, and there he was. Drew Starkey, with his messy hair, sharp jawline, and the same leather jacket he wore on your first date. He looked like a dream. He always did. But the tired look in his eyes and the hesitation in his step turned your stomach. He spotted you, offering a small, tentative smile as he walked over.

“Hey,” he said, sliding into the seat across from you.

“Hey,” you replied, your voice quieter than you intended. You watched as he fidgeted with the hem of his jacket, avoiding your gaze. The silence stretched between you, heavy and uncomfortable. Finally, you couldn’t take it anymore. “Drew, what’s going on?”

His head snapped up, and for a second, he looked startled. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.” Your voice was steady, but your hands trembled slightly as you set your mug down. “You’ve been... distant. Different. And I feel like I don’t know where I stand with you anymore.”

He sighed, leaning back in his seat. His hands rubbed his face, and you could see the exhaustion etched into every line of his expression. “I’ve been busy,” he said finally, his voice devoid of its usual warmth. “Work’s been insane, and... I don’t know. It’s not you.”

“It’s not me,” you repeated, bitterness creeping into your tone. “That’s all you’ve got?”

“What do you want me to say?” he snapped, his voice rising slightly. “That I’ve been overwhelmed? That I don’t know how to balance everything right now? Because I don’t.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me that?” you asked, your voice cracking. “Why did you just... shut me out instead?”

Drew looked away, his jaw clenching. “Because it’s easier that way.”

“Easier for who?” you demanded. “Because it sure as hell hasn’t been easy for me, Drew. I’ve been sitting here, trying to figure out what I did wrong. What I could’ve done differently. And you didn’t even give me the chance to fix it.”

“There’s nothing to fix!” he said, his frustration spilling over. “Don’t you get it? Sometimes, things just... fall apart.”

The words hit you like a punch to the gut. You stared at him, your eyes stinging with unshed tears. “So that’s it?” you whispered. “You’re just giving up?”

“I’m not giving up,” he said, but his voice lacked conviction. “I’m being realistic.”

“Realistic,” you repeated, your voice trembling. “No, Drew. What you’re being is a coward.”

His eyes snapped to yours, anger flashing across his face. “A coward? Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously,” you said, leaning forward. “You’re running away because it’s easier than staying and fighting for what we have. And you know what? Maybe that’s on me for believing in us more than you did.”

“That’s not fair,” he said, his voice low. “You think this is easy for me? You think I don’t care?”

“I don’t know, Drew,” you said, throwing your hands up. “Because you won’t tell me anything! You won’t let me in!”

He fell silent, his fists clenching on the table. The air between you was charged, the weight of all the unsaid words pressing down on both of you. Finally, he looked at you, his blue eyes filled with something you couldn’t quite name—regret, maybe. Or guilt.

“I tried,” he said quietly. “I really did. But we’re just... we’re not on the same page anymore.”

You felt the tears spill over now, hot and unrelenting. “So, what?” you said, your voice breaking. “You’re just going to walk away? After everything?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” he admitted, his voice thick. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“You don’t even want to try,” you said, shaking your head. “You’ve already made up your mind.”

He didn’t deny it. And that hurt more than anything he could’ve said.

The drive home was a blur, the world outside your window smeared with rain and tears. By the time you reached your apartment, the ache in your chest had settled into something deeper, heavier. You kicked off your shoes and sank onto the couch, burying your face in your hands.

Your phone buzzed on the coffee table. For a moment, you considered ignoring it. But when you saw Drew’s name on the screen, your heart clenched. You hesitated before opening the message.

“I’m sorry for tonight. I never wanted to hurt you.”

You stared at the words, the hollow apology doing little to ease the pain. You wanted to reply, to tell him how much he’d broken you, but what was the point? He’d already decided it was over.

Instead, you turned off your phone and curled up on the couch, letting the darkness swallow you whole.

The next week was a blur of numbness and routine. You went to work, smiled when you had to, and avoided any place where you might run into Drew. The ghost of him lingered everywhere—in the smell of coffee, in the playlists you couldn’t bring yourself to delete, in the way your chest tightened every time you passed his favorite bar.

One night, you found yourself sitting on your bed, staring at an old photo of the two of you. It was from last summer, at a carnival. Drew had his arm slung around your shoulders, his smile wide and carefree. You looked so happy, so full of hope.

That girl felt like a stranger now.

With a trembling hand, you placed the photo facedown on the nightstand. You couldn’t bring yourself to throw it away—not yet. Maybe not ever.

A month later, you saw him.

You were at a mutual friend’s party, a moment of weakness convincing you to show up despite your better judgment. And there he was, standing across the room with a beer in hand, laughing at something someone had said.

For a moment, he looked up, his eyes meeting yours. The room seemed to freeze. Neither of you moved, but the weight of that gaze was enough to shatter you all over again.

You turned and left before he could say a word.

—

The story of you and Drew didn’t end with fireworks or closure. It ended in silence, in the spaces between what was said and what was left unsaid. And as much as it hurt, you knew deep down that some stories aren’t meant to have happy endings. Some are just meant to teach you how to let go.

And so you did.

Eventually.

[spoilmesweetieforficssake]

Eating Out Of The Palm Of Her Hand

So I'm pretty sure this little idea came about as a result of a conversation with @bigolgay (but there's every chance I'm wrong)

Anyway, it's brief, peppered with mild angst and a tiny bit of Gary bashing (only because it fitted the idea and not because I hate him)

~*~

“Shoot.”

Barb looks up at her friend across their shared table with concern.

“I forgot about that tasting night I signed up for, back when, you know,” mumbled the red head.  She had been trying to expand Gary’s culinary knowledge in a way that didn’t solely involve her cooking.  Not that she didn’t enjoy cooking, but she didn’t like it when it was just expected.  Nor when her suggestions for dinner were shot down and he would suggest bad takeaway pizza and beer.  “You fancy it?”

“Sorry girl, but Taylor is in town and we have plans this Friday,” apologises the kindergarten teacher.  She nudges her friend, however, and nods in your direction. 

Melissa raises an eyebrow at her friend who it seems is forever keen to push her in your direction.  Still, she fathoms, it’s not exactly a bad solution.  You’ve been out together a few times outside of school and are always good company.  And just because it’s a couples thing, well, that’s more of an insignificant detail, she reasons.  “Hey, half pint?  What you doing this Friday?”

You look over as you hear the nickname the red head often uses for you, despite the fact you’re only a couple of inches shorter than she is.  “Nothing why?”

“You fancy this?”  She waves her phone at you and you push yourself up out of your chair to take a closer look.

“Tasting delicious things and drinking wine with you, where do I sign up?”

She smirks.  “You don’t need to sign up.  Just turn up.”

*

You make an effort for the evening.  The e-mail made the event look pretty classy and you were being seen out with Melissa, who never looked less than a million bucks in your book, so if you spent a little more time than usual putting on your make up and taming your hair, well, it was only because you didn’t want to show her up.

Despite the fact that you’d dressed up, you weren’t quite prepared for Melissa doing the same.  Yes, you’ve seen her most days for nigh on a year now, but you rarely get to see her like this.  “Fuck…”  It’s not quite the hello you’d intended, but then again, you were pretty sure it was criminal in some states to look that good. 

“What?  Something wrong with it?” asks Melissa, looking down at herself at your greeting. 

“No!  No definitely not!” you quickly reassure her.  “It’s just…” 

She smirks.  “Words, kid.  Come on, you got this.”

Your cheeks flame red.  “I know I see you every day, but I guess I just wasn’t ready for…” you trail off, gesturing vaguely at her. 

Her smirk only grows more devious.  “Don’t look so bad yourself,” she quips before heading inside, giving you a glorious view of the back of the outfit and suddenly making it rather difficult to breathe.

*

It immediately becomes apparent that tonight’s event is a couples event.  The chirpy receptionist that greets you both takes Melissa’s name and checks her off on her list, wishing her and ‘her partner’, who is apparently you, a lovely evening. 

The red head, however, seems not to care and you can do nothing but follow her lead.  As you settle in at your assigned table, you both share polite smiles and easy conversation with the other couples sitting close by.  They also assume that you’re together, and again, Melissa doesn’t correct them. 

You know you could clear up the situation with a few words, but it just feels easier to go with the flow.  Afterall, it doesn’t seem to bother Melissa, so the only real harm is to your own heart.  It’s something you’re learning to live with.  At this point, you can’t quite recall a time when you weren’t in love with the red head. 

As the evening progresses, it’s enough that even you forget for a while.  Her enthusiasm and passion are things you love about her, and when it comes to food, they shine through.  She knows her stuff and engages with the producers and chefs that have put tonight’s menu together.  You, meanwhile, are drinking her in just as much as the wine on offer. 

You know that part of her being so vocal about tonight’s offerings is down to her finding this an easier way to digest the information than reading the leaflets that have been left on your table.  Meanwhile, you take note of the things she’s been particularly keen on, tucking away the associated pamphlets and business cards into your bag to help jog her memory later if she wants to track any of them down. 

Each time there’s a new offering, you prompt Melissa to taste them first.  It’s not that you don’t like trying new things, but you like to have an idea of what you’re letting yourself in for first and you’ve found observing Melissa’s facial expressions to be both a reliable and enjoyable way to do so.  When she comes across something she thinks you’ll like she’s immediately reaching out to feed you the delicious morsels of food, and it’s not until you catch yourself thinking that she has you literally eating out of the palm of her hand that you realise you’re in dangerous territory. 

This is just how Melissa is, you remind yourself.  How she always is with you.  It’s not the red head’s fault that you want to read further into it.

*

At the end of the night, you’re both pleasantly buzzed.  You walk a little, agreeing to find somewhere for one final glass of wine before heading home for the evening.  That’s how you end up side by side on a small couch in a dimly lit wine bar. 

You’re not quite sure how it happens, but one moment Melissa is talking about new recipe ideas she has, and the next she’s leaning in, her intentions unmistakable. 

You pull back, one hand resting on her shoulder to keep a distance between you.  The hurt expression that crosses her face doesn’t escape your attention.  “Sorry, I just…”

She shakes her head.  “No.  No, it’s fine.  I just thought, we were having a good night, you seemed to be enjoying it, you thought I was hot.”

“I was.  I do,” you tell her.  As awkward as this situation may be, you owe it to her to be honest.  You’re well aware she doesn’t make friends easily, but she let you in, and for that alone, you refuse to let this moment go without making it clear why you’re refusing her.  “I think you’re beautiful,” you tell her.  “Beautiful, stunning, gorgeous.  Take your pick or take all three.  I think you’re amazing, and that’s why I can’t.”

She frowns, not understanding.  The whole evening had gone better than she had ever hoped it might.  Rendering you speechless before you’d even made it in the building had given her the confidence boost she’d needed to believe that Barb’s hunch that you liked her might just be true.  Then there was way you responded to her flirting, and now your words? 

“I can’t be someone who helps you scratch and itch, or fulfil some curiosity,” you say, smiling sadly.  “I can either have you as my friend or my everything, Melissa.  I won’t survive some middle ground.”

At this, she sits back, looking at you.  Really looking at you as your words sink in. 

“I’m sorry,” you sigh, ducking you head.  “I just…needed you to know.  I didn’t mean to ruin tonight or for things to get so heavy.”

“No, don’t apologise,” breathes the red head, scooting closer.  She reaches out, gently cupping your cheek.

“Melissa.”  Your tone is a warning.  One you hope she heeds. 

“I’ve never been someone’s everything.”

You look up at the quietly spoken words to see Melissa smiling shyly at you.  Your breath catches in your throat at the realisation that you hadn’t been reading too much into tonight.  It had felt like a date because it had been.  “Then maybe it’s about time you let someone show you how it feels,” you whisper in reply, closing the distance between you.

[bow-of-aros]

Day Five: Boo!

Summary: Charles is really excited about Halloween.

Like. REALLY excited.

-

Hey folks! I had to go to a funeral today so today's fic is shorter than usual. Honestly I should be writing shorter fics anyways or I'm gonna burn out REAL fast. Hope that y'all enjoy my favourite dead boys and have a great night <33

-

“Edwin. Hey Edwin.”

Charles has been like this ever since October began. Yes, he’d told Edwin that his favourite holiday was Halloween, but Edwin hadn’t exactly thought that favourite was equal to dedicating every waking moment since midnight on October 1st to Halloween-themed activities.

Obviously, he had been mistaken.

The past few days had been spent decorating the office in the finest Halloween ornamentations Charles could convince Edwin to allow him to steal. Edwin could not take a step without bumping into a plastic skeleton or getting tangled up in fake cobwebs.

Edwin thought that it was a bit ridiculous, but the look on Charles’ face when he’d finally deemed it finished had been marvellous. The sheer joy radiating from him had made every moment worth it.

But this? This seemed a little excessive.

“Edwiiiiiiinnnn.”

“Yes, Charles?” Edwin marks his place in his book and sets it down on the couch beside him. He has a feeling that this may take a while.

“I figured out what I’m going to be for Halloween!”

Charles is hiding in one of the adjoining rooms, so Edwin cannot see it, but he’s sure that a childlike grin currently adorns his face.

He’s not ashamed to admit that the image brings a small smile to his lips as well.

“Oh, have you? Don’t keep me in suspense, what is it?”

“Close your eyes.”

Edwin’s grin slips into something a little more fond as he lets his eyes flutter shut.

Silence reigns for a moment before, “Are they closed?”

Oh, right.

“Yes, Charles. My eyes are closed. You may execute whatever plot you have concocted.”

“Brills!”

Edwin hears the door open, which he knows is purely for his benefit, as Charles makes his way toward him. Charles always takes care to make noise as he moves, especially so if he is out of Edwin’s line of sight. It’s that extra bit of effort to ensure Edwin is at ease that warms him to his very core.

“Alright,” Charles’ voice is significantly closer than it was a few moments ago, “You can look.”

As he opens his eyes, Edwin braces himself for an extravagant costume depicting some ghastly beast. Instead, he’s faced with,

“Are you seriously going as—”

“A ghost! Boo!”

Charles does a twirl in the middle of the office, the plain white bedsheet flaring out around him as he comes to a stop, facing Edwin once more. There are two big circles cut out for the eyes, and as Edwin’s meet Charles’ he finds himself growing more and more attached to Halloween.

Still, this is something that Edwin can’t not comment on.

“Charles, you cannot be a ghost for Halloween.”

The mock-offended gasp apparently required the entire body to move, as the bedsheet flailed around Charles’ person.

“What?! Why not?”

“…Because you are already a ghost, Charles!”

The bedsheet slides off at that, and Charles stands in front of him with hair that is a complete and utter disaster at this point. He’s trying to look upset and not doing a particularly good job of it due to the mischievous spark that’s found its way into his eyes.

“Alright, fine. I’ll be a different kind of monster for Halloween, yeah?”

Charles is inching towards him, and Edwin is almost afraid to ask.

“What monster?” Not afraid enough, apparently.

Edwin finds himself knocked back into the couch as Charles pounces on him and triumphantly exclaims,

“THE TICKLE MONSTER!!!!!”

And latched on to Edwin’s sides before attacking him ruthlessly.

“Wait! Wahahait Chahahaharles! Off you fiehehehend!”

Maybe going as a ghost wasn’t so bad after all.

[lamb-writes]

NON-SHIP BOTTLES HEADCANONS !

pairing: n/a

content: slice of life, very light angst. 

word count: 0.4k

a/n: it’s my blog and i get to write as much bottles content as i please

He knows a ridiculous amount of random trivia. Since he was stuck at home a lot when he was a kid, he had a lot of time to comb through every book in the house and memorize the shows on the few channels they had. 

Not exactly a headcanon, but Bottles is a huge dog person. If his daily schedule wasn’t so hectic and irregular, he’d definitely have at least two. 

Bottles is really into music. He thinks he likes it as much as everyone else does. He doesn’t. His room is filled with CDs, vinyl records, and tour posters. There’s a guitar collecting dust in his closet that he taught himself to play when he was a teenager. He’s mainly into indie rock and R&B. 

The highlights at the ends of his hair are from bleaching it years back. He used to keep his hair shorter, but he’s been trying to grow it out to get rid of the lighter parts. 

He used to live somewhere much colder, so a majority of his wardrobe is still hoodies, sweaters, and button-ups. He usually doesn’t like to wear short sleeves around the club because it exposes more of his hands than he’d like. Bottles knows they don’t care, but it’s a habit at this point. 

Speaking of where he’s from, Bottles’ lost contact with most of his family when he moved to California. 

Bottles idolizes EZ a lot. He doesn’t bring it up to anyone since it’s kind of lame but knowing that EZ was a prospect just a few years ago and was promoted to Presidente so quickly makes it a little easier for him to get through what he does as a prospect himself every day. 

A big part of why Bottles joined the club is so he could be a part of a family of sorts that truly see him as one of their own. To be a part of something that was bigger than him. In his hometown, he was always seen as the “weird” or “loner” kid by others. Even if it was by doing something illegal, being given a chance to prove himself just like everyone else was a welcome change of pace to Bottles. 

His glasses are so big because they’re from when he was younger. His parents said he would grow into them. He didn’t. No, his eyes haven’t gotten better since then. Yes, he’s upset about it. 

One of the few club members that showers on a mostly regular basis.

[mapplesand]

Gender Chart with Marco/Tristan (AU)

this post is going to be LONG because I autismed too close to the sun, just click on the "see more" if you actually want to dive with me in madness and gender

what I mean by gender chart is, well, exactly what it means actually, I just took every option (except non binary because i couldn't think of anything) and I just dive into how the dynamics would play out with my ocs ! it's just me being autistic

tw for internalized transphobia in a lot of these

this is the gender chart that i actually didnt take the time to edit any more than that because i expended too much lol

Cis Marco/cis girl Tristan

if cis girl Tristan is a lesbian than this is hilarious because Marco would get hit by the reality that he will never be with a woman ever

if somehow girl Tristan isn’t a lesbian you might think that this is just a boring het couple now and just giving Marco an easy win with getting the girl while being the most unhinged guy ever about women

well this is underestimating the power of Tristan and autism, and also judging Marco a bit too quick

first of all whatever gender Tristan is, just know that he’s always going to be taller than Marco so cis girl Tristan is a giant weird autistic girl who’s very oblivious to the world around her and Marco’s attempts at flirting are just flying over her head

I also think that Marco would be caught in the paradox of unhinged behaviors and then remembering he’s supposed to make himself look good and he starts to panic because he doesn’t know how to behave like a normal person in front of a girl

Tiphaine (Tristan’s girl name lol) wouldnt care at all how he acts, actually she thinks it’s funny when he’s making a fool out of himself

the more their friendship grows the more he stops to act like girls are a different species and get as comfortable as he would be in canon with Tristan which means Tiphaine gets these kind of texts out of nowhere

Marco : yeah I mean the porn I’m watching isnt doing for me it’s boring as fuck it’s actually funny

Tiphaine : huh

Tiphaine : you’re watching porn AND talking to me ?

Marco : …

Marco : FUCK

Marco : it was a joke don’t take it seriously

Tiphaine : I mean you would do that that’s why I’m asking

Marco : you’re making me sound like a pervert now

Tiphaine : but YOU ARE

Marco : THATS NOT THE POINT SHUT UP

you know what maybe they’ll get together because they’re stupid, because Marco can’t keep his mouth shut and even if he often forget that Tiphaine is a girl he has a crush on, she’s still a girl he has a crush on

and Tiphaine probably likes the attention just like Tristan did in the canon storyline, it’s all about being oblivious until Marco is really fucking stupid about it and you can’t really ignore it anymore but you don’t say anything about it, not because you’re uncomfortable but because someone is being stupid because they like you (that’s just how Tristan works in canon)

they probably get together at the end of sophomore year/during the summer break, would Marco use the same “I wonder how kissing feels like” tactics ? Yes, yes he would, would Tiphaine pretends to fall for that ? Yeah, she would

Marco probably feels embarrassed that he’s shorter than his girlfriend and then he remembers that he’s at boobs height and actually, it’s not so bad, also they’re both aware that Marco’s type usually have bigger chest but in the end, boobs are boobs so he doesn’t care

also Marco gets pegged, I’m trying not to get too suggestive with all of them but sometimes you have to say it

Cis Tristan/cis girl Marco

I mean Tristan is still gay so they would just be friends or something like that, girl Marco would definitely think Tristan is flirting with her tho lol, girl is still desperate

She would probably do very stupid things because she wants his attention and doesn’t realize she’s crushing on a GAY MAN, then she would be very embarrassed over everything and flop on her bed face down and lay there for one hour while Tristan tries to laugh it off

they give off a very Tyler and Carmen energy in this one tbh, unhinged girl and autistic boy

Marcy, contemplating life : why are all the good men gay

Tristan : why do you sound like an incel

Marcy : no I’m a femcel

-

Tristan : listen... i have something to tell you

Marcy : (oh my god he's gonna finally confess)

Tristan : i'm gay

Marcy : ....WHAT

-

Marcy : but we cuddled on my bed so much how is that even possible

Tristan : we're just touch starved Marcy

Marcy : BUT I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU THATS NOT FAIR

Tristan : I KNOW I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU WITHOUT CRUSHING YOUR DREAMS AND MAKING THINGS AWKWARD

also yeah, there’s some timeline where they don’t always end up together, but I think it’s funnier this way, I mean, femcel and gay best friend is peak

Cis girl Marco/cis girl Tristan

this one is great because I don’t think being cis girls would change them that much so you just have to imagine an equally deranged Marcy (girl Marco) I think she tries really hard to be not like others girls because she always failed to be the perfect daughter so she’s not bothering anymore

Tiphaine thinks she’s being really good at not showing she’s a lesbian and then she’ll stare at Marcy’s boobs for the entire conversation and wanting so bad to recreate the meme “this looks heavy let me help you”

they get together the same way they do in canon which means they get drunk and Marcy asks Tiphaine if she can kiss her to see if she likes girls and Tiphaine is more than happy to help

again Marcy is at boobs height, the hugs are great she’s in heaven, I also think they’re both checking each others out in absolutely 0 subtle way, Tiphaine has a flat chest but it won’t stop Marcy from staring at it

I think for the rest it’s like their canon selves, just make it weird smelly girls edition

Cis Marco/transmasc Tristan

Marco thinking he finally got a girlfriend and then Tristan comes out as a man

he’s probably confused and it takes some key elements to understand trans identity because cis Marco doesn’t know anything about LGBT issues, he probably says a bunch of dumb stuff because he doesn’t really understand what Tristan feels but he wouldn’t say anything hurtful on purpose, Tristan probably calls him out on the bullshit and Marco just shut up about it

the rest is pretty much the same as in canon but Marco is stuck in the paradox of wanting to touch Tristan’s boobs and the fact that he doesn’t want to be weird about it so you just have to imagine him sit on the edge of the bed while Tristan takes off his shirt

Marco : huh tell me if it sounds weird as fuck but, will you ever get like, top surgery or something ?

Tristan : I don’t know, they’re not bothering me that much they’re just chilling you know, plus it’s expensive as fuck I think there’s more important stuff like, taxes

Marco : yeah okay, that’s fair, yeah

Tristan : you know you can just tell me if you’re worrying about the fact that you keep using them like a stress ball and that if I get rid of them you wouldn’t be able to do that anymore

Marco : THATS WASNT ABOUT THAT AT ALL I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR WELLBEING

I also think that Tristan being who he is would randomly points out how funny it is that they’re both men with boobs but Marco is cis and Marco starts yelling at him that his boobs are pecs and that he’s totally manly okay ? Let’s just ignore the fact that cis marco has bigger boobs than any version of Tristan who can grow boobs in all these alternate universe

Cis Marco/transfem Tristan

Tristan “oh my god I was actually a straight woman all along” and Marco “this relationship is gay af even if it’s straight this is very different from what I imagined when I said I wanted a girlfriend”

I’m not sure what name she would chose in this one, it’s not going to be Tiphaine but it might be Angèle just like the french singer (and also it’s close to the word angel so yeah)

like the one about transmasc Tristan, Marco really doesn’t know anything, he will say stupid shit but on the other hand the more they grow in the relationship the more likely Marco is to use a lot of petnames either to annoy her or to be flirty, various things like my angel to babe (which she doesn’t like because it truly feels way to cishet couple for her) or he’ll throw a “hey gorgeous” out of nowhere, probably tries to call her french pet names and fails because he can’t pronounce any of them

Marco : hey mon… (look at his phone) cuoeure ?

Angèle : … coeur ? Like heart ? Is that what you’re trying to say ?

Marco : yeah that

from Marco accidentally being transphobic and still having to deal with his toxic masculinity towards how he views their relationship to Marco being the biggest simp ever

Angèle starting hormones in near the end of high school and suddenly Marco gets really invested in it because he realizes he’s gonna win a tall girlfriend with boobs, it’s always about boobs with him because he doesn’t get to touch boobs in the canon so he has to fulfill this dream in the others timelines somehow

monthly boobs check up together which is totally not an excuses for anything devious on anyone behalf okay

Marco : dumb question, how much oestrogen can make your boobs grow ?

Angèle : since I’m super skinny I don’t think I’ll have enough fat in my body to have much going on, so huh, I don’t really know

Marco : okay so now we’re gonna fix that eating habits AND make you grow boobs, alright let me order something really filthy

when she walks around in one of his shirt (despite being way taller than Marco, all version of Tristan are floating in his shirt because they’re just that skinny) and when she leans over it exposes literally everything and that’s how Marco will die probably

Cis Tristan/transmasc Marco

to be honest in the early concept of the story, Marco was a trans man so it would have been the same without the cis men shenanigans from him

I think Marco was too focused on socially transitioning and being bullied in his freshman year to actually think about other people but definitely had an eye on Tristan this whole time, he starts hormones in his sophomore which gives him enough confidence to talk to him but he’s also probably dealing with lots of dysphoria and just you know, his usual bad self esteem

they get together at the end of sophomore but Marco was probably beating himself up on his stupid “girl crush” and that Tristan would never date a trans man because he’s gay and Tristan is just like “I can’t believe I’m pulling a beautiful fat man that is exactly my type maybe this is a crazy dream that I’m having”

Marco : this is stupid why would you be attracted to me this body is all awful and nothing’s right with it, you’ll probably be better off with a real man with a dick or something

Tristan : okay how should I prove to you that I’m attracted to you, I’ll do anything you want me to do (he said that genuinely without any flirting intention behind)

Marco completely shifting his mood and smiling like the bastard he is : ...anything ?

Cis Tristan/transfem Marco

this would only happen if those two are together because Tristan is the one leading more healthy thinking to Marco until well the egg crack and they both stare at the ceiling wondering what’s this supposed to mean for them

complete silence until Tristan exclaim something like “does that mean I’m straight now ?”

I don’t think they would breakup, it would however lead to a lot of confusion and questioning for both of these dumbasses lol

in this case I don’t think her name would be Marcy and I think Tristan would help her chose a name because she keeps insisting that (random anime girl from her waifu list) is a good name (Tristan : no you cannot call yourself after a danganronpa character please just let me scroll through baby name site I’m begging you)

she would only start to try and transition in college tho, the egg probably cracked in junior year but she’s the type to only tell one person and never talk about it ever again

Tristan : I mean, I think sexually is as fluid as gender so it doesn’t really matter to me if you’re a girl now, I still think you’re pretty and that won’t change

Marco (whatever her chosen name would be there) : I’ll still call you a fag so don’t even try running away from that gay boy

Tristan : okay now that’s just rude I was trying to be a supportive boyfriend there

Cis girl Tristan/transmasc Marco

they probably starts off as friend, Marco is already out but tries too hard to be a macho man and to impress her just for Tiphaine to bluntly be like “what the hell are you doing”

lots of height dysphoria again, did I mention he’s at boobs height, yeah… at least he gets to act like a cis men about boobs, that’s just Marco, he loves boobs in every timeline and this whole post is making me sound insane because I just know the word count for the word boobs is INSANE I’m sorry about that, this is a post about boobs

just like canon Tristan, Tiphaine is fascinated by anatomy so huh let’s just say they explore each others body but in ways that Marco wasnt really thinking about and he gets to hear her rant about anatomy and how cool the human body and how hormones truly are a powerful things

Cis girl Tristan/transfem Marco

one autistic bitch will crack your egg in several timeline to make you realize you’re a woman, bonus point if lesbian relationship ensues

Tristan is truly bringing the best out of Marco in every timeline lol, there’s probably a lot of emotional turmoil because transfem Marco is always devastating to me (/pos)

Tiphaine probably isnt good at makeup but she’ll look at tutorial on youtube just to help her girlfriend, similarly to cis Tristan/transfem Marco, she’ll probably help her pick a new name, probably Marcy for this timeline because Tiphaine’s big brain is like okay but what if we call you Marceline like the vampire, because you’re always biting me, like a vampire, get it, and I get to be princess bubblegum, and then we both kiss

Transmasc Marco/transmasc Tristan

transmasc Marco would probably deal with a lot of dysphoria and internalized transphobia, heavy on transmed take and bad take in general that probably make him feel miserable about himself, like in the cis Tristan/transmasc Marco one, he probably starts taking testosterone in his sophomore year and probably gets top surgery as soon as he’s 18 with the help of his own money from jobs, his mother’s and a gofundme

and then there’s Tristan, androgynous he/they who doesn’t really care about how he looks, doesn’t use a binder, doesn’t plan on having top surgery either, man is chilling and that’s infuriating for Marco

honestly, Marco probably dislike him heavily throughout high school for being such a “pussy” and being quiet about his transition, and just, being way too chill about it

they probably only start talking when they realize they’re both going to the same college and have to share their dorms, Marco probably realize that Tristan is actually a pretty nice guy but he’s still very jealous because Tristan is a white skinny dude with a small chest who doesn’t care while Marco is the fat filipino guy who couldn’t look at himself in the mirror because he was nowhere near the perfect idea of being a man and even with top surgery he still feels like there’s too much going on

idk how they get together but you know they were roommates you know how it goes

you just have to imagine Marco ranting about how weird people who don’t bind or don’t want top surgery are and Tristan being like “okay then I’ll keep my shirt on for everything now” and Marco panicking “wait no not you, please your manly boobs are the only thing keeping me alive rn”

Tristan has to fuck the bad takes out of him, literally, I’m sorry, that’s how it goes sometimes, he has to realize that he can’t hate the people he wants in his bed because Tristan isnt taking shit anyway

Transfem Marco/transfem Tristan

what if we cracked each other egg and we were both girls and kissing

it’s probably one of these AU where they start talking near the end of high school where Tristan is already out and hanging out with each others makes Marco be like damn you know what I might be a woman too…

they start taking oestrogen around the same time and the world is beautiful

and I'm missing some because I'm really struggling with how they would play out so maybe i'll update later for them :

Cis girl Marco/transmasc Tristan

Cis girl Marco/transfem Tristan

Transmasc Marco/transfem Tristan

Transfem Marco/transmasc Tristan

anyway sorry I went overboard with this

[speckostardust]

@heropartnerweek Day 6 - Alone

A kind of prologue to a story I’m writing. It’s pretty long, and also made my beta reader cry a little at points. Have fun!

(Lore note before we start! When you aren’t particularly close to a Pokémon, you call them by their species name. It’s kind of like calling people by their last name in east asian countries or calling someone Mr., Ms., or Mx., but everybody already knows their last name.)

(also I guess this is kind of four stories but shhhh.)

His Brother Is Here For Him

Caterpie knew it was one of those days. Just by the way Charles, the town's resident hero, walked through the center. 

He knew by the way the Charmeleon's shoulders sagged, how his gaze was a couple degrees lower than normal, how his scarf was tied off-center, how his mouth wasn’t smiling or frowning, stuck in neutral, how the flame on his tail was dimmer, how it was a shade of red instead of a bright orange, bordering on white, like how it was before, how he could clearly see the blue-tipped tail his family was known for through the flame.

And worst of all, how his eyes were devoid of that clear and powerful determination Caterpie came to associate with him. 

As Charles passed by the bank, he saw Charizard, the one from Team ACT (Charles’ brother, Caterpie reminds himself), notice the depressed lizard going by, and turns to him, eyes full of concern. Caterpie doesn’t want to intrude on their conversation, but he’s too close to the salamander brothers he can't help but overhear.

“Hey, Charles, you doing alright today?” Charizard asks his brother, his deep baritone voice shining with worry. 

“I’m fine, Seymour,” Charles replies way too fast. “I’m just… going to get some work.”

“It’s okay to not be fine, Charles.” The Charizard slowly reaches out to him with one hand, the other on his chest. “You can tell me these things. I love you, you know.”

The smallest, faintest of smiles crosses the Charmeleon’s snout. “I know. I do too.”

Charizard’s grin grows. “C’mon, say it back.”

Charles’ smile grows just a bit more. “Love you too.”

Grinning even wider (Caterpie doesn’t know how he smiles so wide, it’s pretty much his entire face), Charizard takes his brother into an embrace, which the shorter one accepts and hugs back. 

Letting go of the Charmeleon, Charizard pats him on the shoulder. “Hey, why don’t we go out on a job together today? Just me and you. No Ashford, no Sadie.”

The two are silent for a second. “I’d like that,” Charles says after a second.

The two of them start walking towards the post office again, Charizard bidding farewell to his usual teammates. “It’ll be just like old times! Like when we were still kids and playing Rescue Team in the street!”

“Yeah,” Charles says, a smile actually appearing on his face.

“Whoah, don’t get too excited now! We’ve still got a job to do!” Charizard says, laughing as the two get further down the road, out of Caterpie’s hearing range. 

Caterpie knows what happened. He knows that Charles’ partner Sam, the Psy-Raichu that used to be a human, mysteriously disappeared one day, and how he couldn’t stop thinking about it some days, like today. But Caterpie sincerely hopes that he knows there are other people that care about him too.

---------

His Daughter Is Here For Him

(TW: copious drinking, alcoholism as an escape)

Spinda was very concerned by one of his customers today.

The Grovyle had come in right at opening time, 1:30 in the afternoon, and claimed a table by himself near the corner, but close enough to the bar. He had ordered a Grass Gummy “Juice” (yes it is in quotations, Spinda knows what it is, everyone who orders it does, it’s on the secret menu) and Spinda couldn’t even get a word out before the Grovyle’s ID was out and shown to him. Of course, it was just a formality, as Spinda had known Grovyle would come in with his partner, a Riolu, often. But this was the first time he had gotten a good look at his ID, and he knew his name was Jax now. 

He had always, and Spinda means always, come in with his partner Riolu before. He had never seen the two apart, even in the mornings outside of the bar. 

It was past closing now, 2:26 in the morning, and the Grovyle (Jax, Spinda reminds himself) had now had over ten servings of “Juice” (way more than he’s ever had before, Spinda notes), and had his head down on the table, his entire body shaking, the occasional sob loud enough to be heard.

Spinda cleared and cleaned the tables starting at the farthest away from Jax, not wanting to kick out the miserable looking Pokémon, while Wobbuffet and Wynaut cleaned up their recycling service. Eventually though, Spinda had cleaned all the tables except for one, arriving at the Grovyle’s table at exactly 2:41:24.

He looked down at the sobbing Pokémon. Gently, he placed his paw on his shoulder. “Hey buddy,” he says softly, but still loud enough so he knows the Grovyle can hear him. “We’re closed. Ya gotta go home now.”

With a sniffle, the Grovyle picks up his head, and nods. His eyes are bloodshot from crying, and tears stain his cheeks. “M’kay.”

As he attempts to stand, his legs start to wobble uncontrollably. His chair, already pushed out from under him, does nothing to keep him from falling to the floor. 

Quickly dropping down to help him up, Spinda wraps his arm around his own neck, helping the man to his feet. “Y’alright, Grovyle?”

The sobbings from the reptile grow louder. “I’m sorry,” he says between sobs. “I’m… I’m useless, I can’t do anything right.”

Spinda starts to tear up himself, listening to Jax’s self-deprecating words, unable to say anything. He helps him get to the door, while Jax continues apologizing.

“I-I-I don’t know why N l-l-left,” the Grovyle says. “H-h-he just disappeared, and, and, he left his stuff, and, and I hope he’s okay, he would never leave me alone on purpose, something must've happened, he wouldn't leave, but I’m, I’m too stupid to know what happen…”

Spinda keeps his mouth shut. He didn’t know what to say, he was never good in situations like this. 

"I-I-I wish I w-w-w-was…" Jax breaks out in loud sobs, openly weeping as they emerge at the crossroads.

"Dad!" a shout calls. Running from Treasure Town's entrance is a small blue Pokémon, about as tall as Spinda himself, with feelers on their head and a watery look to them. In all his years, Spinda's never even seen a Pokémon like this. "I'm so sorry, I'm Manaphy, this is my dad, I'm really sorry you had to carry him, I can take him here, I'm really sorry," they say hurriedly, all in one breath.

"It's quite alright," Spinda says as Manaphy slips under Jax’s other arm. "I was planning to carry him to wherever he needed to be. It's no problem."

Manaphy attempts to bow, but with her father on her shoulder, she finds it difficult. "Thank you so much for taking him out here. Umm… goodbye, I guess. Thanks."

Spinda watches as the father-child duo walk away towards Treasure Town. He hopes that Jax knows that he has people that care about him. 

He also hopes that he doesn't come back until he can control his drinking problem.

---------

Her Friend Is Here For Her

Quagsire was heartbroken over the entire thing. He loved watching Toki and Nara walking past his little booth everyday, going out for jobs. The Tepig and Oshawott were always talking, hmm? Well, it was more like Toki was talking to Nara, and Nara added something in occasionally. It was charming.

Then the split happened. Well, that’s what Quagsire was calling it. Catchy, hmm? It was when Toki had suddenly disappeared one morning, with no witnesses seeing her leave. Nor had she told anyone she was going anywhere. Nor had she brought any of her supplies with her. It was very strange, mmm, for Toki to leave Nara and the Paradise so suddenly like that. Was she carried off into the night by some kind of mysterious force, that may or may not even be a Pokémon itself?

Mmm, speculation, Quagsire thinks.

The Oshawott herself walks by Quagsire’s assembly, dragging her feet through the dirt. Nara’s eyes were dead to the outside world, and she was mumbling something to herself.

“Nara!” he calls out. “Nara dear! Could you come over here for a moment?”

After a moment, Nara turns towards Quagsire. She waddles over to him. “Mm,” she mumbles. Quagsire’s plan step one complete.

“Nara, would you, hmm, come with me for the day? I’m sure you could skip work for the day.” Nara looks at Quagsire, and he looks back at the absence of light in them. “Please?” he adds.

Almost reluctantly, Oshawott slowly nods her head. Taking the confirmation, Quagsire steps out of the doorway of his tent and gestures for Nara to go in. She does so slowly, and Quagsire follows her in, letting the door flap down. Quagsire plan step two complete.

Time to get the girl to talk, hmm?

“Take a seat, mmm, on the couch, would you?” he says, sitting on the adjacent chair. 

A moment passes in silence, as Nara sits. “What’re… you doing?”

“I am, mm, simply here for you to talk to. Vent. Feel free to talk about anything on your mind. I am a great listener, hmm?”

Quagsire’s plan step three, get Nara to do therapy, in progress.

Nara stares at him blankly.

Seconds pass, mmm, and then minutes.

“I miss her,” she finally says, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I really, really miss Toki. She was my best friend ever, but then she disappeared.”

Quagsire watches on, waiting for the Oshawott to continue.

“I just…” she stops for another pause, putting her thoughts into words. “I don’t know why she left. Why? Why did she leave?”

Another pause, hmm, as Quagsire waits again.

“I am… I’ll… I’ve searched the entire continent, just looking for her.” She puts her head in her paws. “And there’s nothing. No trace of her. Like she just… disappeared off the planet, like after we stopped the Bittercold.”

She pauses again. 

“I just…” the tears start to leak from her eyes. “I really miss her.”

The little Oshawott breaks into uncontrolled sobs, finally letting out all the built up emotions. She lays back into the small couch as Quagsire walks over to hug her.

Hmmm, new Quagsire plan step four: get Nara an actual therapist.

---------

His Father Is Here For Him

(TW: self harm, cutting, mental breakdowns, self-deprecation, suicidal ideation)

Nuzleaf knows his adopted son was always quiet. It was just his personality. He very rarely spoke over twenty words in a day, never any more than three words at a time. He had preferred to speak in sign language, though he was never the best at it. But when Champ stopped communicating completely, Nuzleaf noticed.

Champ’s best friend and Expedition Team partner, a Piplup named Fin, had strangely disappeared about a month ago. After days of searching (and skipping school, but Nuzleaf doesn’t really care for that) and no progress, the Chespin had all but locked himself in his room. He only left to eat, only a couple berries at a time, and spent his time curled up in a ball on his bed, crying. 

So many of his other friends from school came by to try and talk to him. Even the members of the Expedition Society came to Nuzleaf’s front door.

Still, Champ hadn’t spoken, or signed, or even reacted to their presence. 

It was late at night when Nuzleaf heard it. He had woken up to get some water. But when he got to the kitchen itself…

He heard a quiet, but intense sobbing coming from Champ’s room.

He quickly made his way to the room, as silently as he could, and peered in. Sitting on his bed was the Chespin, a half-eaten oran berry next to him, slouched down and facing away from the door, but still tilted towards it so Nuzleaf could see his face, with a harvesting knife in his right hand and his left arm decorated with varying levels of cuts.

Nuzleaf, startled, inhales sharply, and his adoptive son hears it, snapping his head in Nuzleaf’s direction. Champ, also startled, hastily throws the knife into his bag, and hides his wounded arm behind his back, picking the oran berry up with his other. Tears leak from his eyes as he trembles, seemingly terrified that Nuzleaf found him doing this.

Nuzleaf takes a tentative step towards his son. Champ flinches, the grassy quills on his head shaking. “I’m… not mad,” Nuzleaf says tentatively. “I’m not angry… I’m not… I just want to know why. I just want to understand.”

The Chespin, still trembling, slowly raises both of his hands, dropping the oran berry. Nuzleaf can clearly see the cuts on the boy’s arm. Oh Arceus, he thinks, none of that was there this morning, has he been healing his cuts everyday with oran berries? All the scars on his arms, he assumed they came from his adventuring, are they from this?

I, Champ starts, but pauses, thinking of his next words, cut myself. He flinches, physically startled by his own silent words. I… if I can’t keep one friend, one person close to me, just… He signs so fast that Nuzleaf can’t keep up with it, then he throws his hands to his sides. He picks them back up and starts to sign again. I don’t deserve to be happy. I should be by myself. Alone. Like how I should be.

Nuzleaf can feel the tears on his cheeks. Slowly he makes his way to the broken child. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m sorry Champ. Ya shouldn’t be feeling like this. Nobody should. You’ve saved so many people, you have so many friends. Yer friend, I’m sure, is just missing, and she wants to come back, I know it. Both of you know each other almost if not as well as you know yerselves. You are… You are worth it. You are worth caring for, worrying for, crying for. You are not a burden. People care about you and worry for you because they want to, because you make them happy. You are not alone.”

Champ tears up, swinging his arms around his father and bawling into his chest. He makes some attempts at speaking, but Nuzleaf pats his back, letting him know it’s okay for him to not speak right now.

The two stay in their embrace until the sun threatens to come in through the window. Nuzleaf is the first to stand up.

“Let’s go get those cuts healed, Champ,” he says, taking his son’s hand. Champ shakily nods as he uses Nuzleaf to stand. “We should… probably get you a professional therapist too, huh?”

Hesitantly, Champ nods, taking the first step on a new journey.

[dianneking]

hey love

how ya going?

can i ask some advice? (you can get others advice on this too, but i’m happy with anything really)

i had long hair last year, cut it to a bob, and i loved it. so i let it grow out (unintentionally i just couldn’t be f’ed going to the hair dressers) (also side note, apologises if i swear, it’s just i swear like there’s no tomorrow 😬), and a couple months ago, i cut it to a really short bob again, and it gave me such a confidence boost. i felt like a god, made me feel more masculine. i hated my long hair. it made me feel disgusting and i despised it. and so i tend to dress more masculine, than feminine, as i just like how i feel in it. and last night, was talking to my cousin, and she was showing me photos of people who had shorter bobs than myself, and she said that mine was bad, at an awkward angle and doesn’t suit me and that i should either shave it off or grow it long because it doesn’t suit me and i look too masculine in it (she knows i’m a raging lesbian), but her comment hurt a little bit, and people are saying i dress too “manly” and it makes me feel horrible about myself, like physically, body issue kinda thing. honestly i forgot what my question was, but like how do i overcome this, because as of recently, i’ve always been a more femme presenting person, and i don’t like myself that way anymore, and it’s just hard for me to adjust to all the comments about me presenting more masc and it’s throwing me out of wack about all of this stuff

- 🦂 (can i be this anon if it hasn’t been taken xo)

Hello dear🦂, first of all, thank you for choosing to ask me for advice <3 I hope I can be of as much help as possible. (Sorry for the cut, but long answer ahead, read at your own risk lol!)

Honestly? My knee-jerk reaction is fuck them. You like the way your hair looks when it's cut in a bob? Have it cut precisely how you like. You hate your hair when it's long? Cut it short.

People - yes, even people who are close to you - have no right telling you what to do and how to express yourself. They can offer you advice (ideally if and only if you ask for it) but need to accept that sometimes you might not take that advice.

If there are small, controllable things that make you happy, do them, because life is already a fucking dumpster fire most of the time (oh, btw don't worry about swearing, I uhm might be a serial swearer as well, as you can see) so you need to take care of yourself and your happiness as much as possible.

Second point. Masc vs fem. How do I put it? It's a lie. Ok, maybe that's extreme, but really, it is nothing more than an arbitrary decision that a group of people have agreed on for the here and now. It changes and it fluctuates with time and different cultures. What makes something masculine? What makes something feminine? Colors? Shapes? Textures? Why does it have to be one versus the other and not both or neither? It's a waste of time trying to put things into boxes that make only a small fraction of the population happy.

What's really important? That you feel good in what you choose to wear. That you look at yourself in the mirror and think "I am proud of the person I am becoming". That you try stuff out and see what works for you.

My usual addendum to this: it's okay for things to change. I have been physically unable to have my hair reach even my ears for a long time, and now I am so happy it's almost down to my shoulders. It doesn't change who I am. It doesn't change that some days I feel more masc and other days more femme. It's just how I feel like having my hair at the moment. Might shave it all off in a month, who knows?

You are valid, always.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

246 of 2023

What’s the latest youtube channel you’ve discovered and binge-watched?  

Long time ago, Molly Burke and Nik Nocturnal. Also some local, Dutch language channels.

What’s one thing that makes your shoulders hurt? 

Sleeping on the wrong pillow.

Does it snow where you live?

Rarely. We’re usually above zero, so even if it snows, it doesn’t stay for long.

Do you think your hair looks better long or short?

I don’t care, I prefer it short now. I used to have long hair in the past.

Do you look best with or without bangs?  

Lol. No bangs for a guy okay?

What stereotype would you say you fit the most?  

None. I’m a bit of hip hop, a bit of metalhead, a bit of goth. It’s hard to say, there’s alwaqys a twist.

Do you enjoy editing photos on your phone?

No, I have a proper computer software for that.

What’s your favorite thing to do on your phone? 

Browsing the internet, but even this is better on the computer.

Which season do you wish would last longer?  

Summer, definitely.

Do you like the name Eliana?  

I prefer Elaine.

Do you know anyone named Claire? Veronica? Cescily? Marcella? Miranda?  

I used to attend kindergarten with Veronique, but not any others.

Haw many outdoor birthday parties have you had? 

One, I think.

How much taller or shorter are you than your mom? 

10 cm taller.

Who is your favorite sibling?

My sister by default, I don’t have any other siblings.

Do you have neat handwriting?

Not really, but at least it’s legible.

Do you enjoy journaling?

I do. I love making handwritten notes and writing important dates and events in the calendar.

What is your most recent new favorite food you’ve discovered?

I can’t remember. I usually stick to the same foods. But I’d go with mini pizzas/mini burgers from Lidl.

Do you like sushi? 

Yes, I do. Too bad it’s that expensive :(

Have you ever tried seaweed?

I think so, in sushi.

How often do you wash your hair?  

Every two dayds. Washing hair every day is not healthy.

Do you have an actual pig-shaped piggy bank? 

No, and I never did. They’re so tacky.

Would you rather hike a mountain or dive into the sea?  

Dive into the sea.

Would you rather grow wings or a tail?

Lol no, thanks.

Which Barbie doll was your favorite?

I’m a guy lol.

Do you prefer cheetah or zebra print? chevron or polka dots? paisleys or plaid? stripes or stars?

Jeez, this all is so tacky. I would never wear it, even if I was a woman.

Do you like your natural hair color?

Nope, it’s so boring.

What is your natural hair color? 

Brown.

Did you dream of becoming famous as a kid?

Kind of, but as I was growing up, I liked the idea less and less.

What show did you want to be on?

None.

Have you ever been to a gynecologist?

Is there any reason why a person who is male should go to one?

Do you use the Bitmoji app on your phone?

No, I don’t even know what it is.

Do you get on facebook every day?

I don’t even have Facebook and I don’t intend to have.

What is your Instagram screenname?

Here you go.

Do you remember the very first episode of Spongebob when it first came out?

I’ve never watched this shit.

Did you watch the Kids Choice Awards when you were a kid? 

No, I had better things to do.

What was your favorite girl group when you were growing up?

None.

Would you ever consider naming a child after a family member?

I was kinda named after my grandpa, so I like the idea, but there’s one problem, I don’t want to have kids.

List three names that sound similar to your name. 

Can’t think of any, except for alternative spellings of my own name.

List three spelling of your name that you are glad you don’t have.

Lol at this survey. One thing is certain, I’m glad to be Joeri.

What were you almost named? 

Joris. It’s actually the other version of my name (and that’s what my grandpa was named), and I like it as much as *my* version.

Do you like your name?  

Very much so. Even though it’s very common where I live.

What are your top three favorite girl’s names? boy names?

Laura, Sylvie, Monica; Joris, Adriaan, Damiaan. (all the Dutch spelling)

What is something you always wanted to do that your parents never let you?

Go to parties. I was going anyway.

Do you have any symptoms of COVID-19 right now?

No, and Europe doesn’t give a shit anymore. Our lives came back to normal.

Have you made your own mask to help prevent the spread of the virus? 

Does anyone still believe in this bullshit?

Do you know anyone who has the virus?

Plenty of people, even my husband. Spoiler alert: none of them died. Only two were in the hospital. 95% had minor symptoms resembling cold. At this moment, no one has it. But as I said, Europe doesn’t care anymore.

What was the last grocery store you shopped at? 

Albert Heijn.

Name three countries you would like to visit.

Finland, Sweden, Spain.

What does your name mean?

It’s a variant of George, so look it up.

Are you proud to be an American? (if applicable) -

Thankfully I’m not American, and if I was, I’d be rather ashamed.

What countries have you visited?

Belgium (lol), Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland.

Do you have any regrets?

No, it’s pointless. The past is the past.

Do you ever wish you had someone to hug? 

I do have someone to hug.

Do you ever sleep on your bedroom floor? 

Why would I? Our bed occupies all the space.

[melting-tofu]

S/o saying "I love you" for the first time - ft. Chongyun, Xiao, Xingqiu, Zhongli and Childe/Tartaglia

[ Anon requested: The Genshin Boys hearing reader say ‘i love you’ for the first time but the reader is asleep when it happens? ]

I don't think I can write for all the boys, so I now do Liyue boys first, and if I will have the mood I will make part 2 for Mondstadt ones! [Currently playable characters only]

Include Childe because he is still in the Liyue character section on the official Genshin page lol

To be honest, I can't usually write for this many characters at once

I have some more requests in my inbox, as I prior by time from oldest first to newest so you don't have to worry about yours!

Note: Gender-neutral reader, reader is the traveler

---------

Childe:

。He once confessed to you before, but you didn't clearly hear it

。He intended to make you figure it yourself and would not repeat until you tell him the same

。One night he finds you sleeping peacefully under a tree near Liyue Harbor, still holding a sword in your hand

。He tries his best not to disturb because your sleeping face is so cute ngl

。Then Childe notices some calla lily spilled from your bag, his eyes lit up in awe

。He instantly realizes that you made your way all back to Mondstadt to get them for him because you knew he liked calla lily soup <3

。Sits down next to you as quiet as he can so he doesn't wake you up

。Suddenly you shift and hold the sword closer, murmuring something?

。"Childe... I love..."

。Then you completely rest your head on his shoulder without knowing

。"...you." you finish, still sleeping of course

。His eyes widen for a moment, but then a soft smile appears as he whispers

。"I love you too."

Chongyun:

。After a day of helping him finding evil spirits tho none appeared, you two decide to rest

。And you sit next to each other

。He doesn't seem like he needs some sleep, but you are too tired that your eyes close without realizing

。He feels like you both are in middle of nowhere, hostile beings can appear anytime so he guards you (aww)

。Chongyun may put his guard off for a while for his ice cream, then your sudden move catches his attention

。You squeeze his hand and whisper his name which confuses him

。But you are still sleeping so he thinks it's normal and doesn't mind

。Until an "I love you" slip out, he silently panics

。You surely don't mean him, or at least that's what he thinks...

。But you did say his name right?

。He takes a moment to register his thoughts then starts to blush madly

。Of course he does love you too! He was too shy to tell you all this time, his heart is about to explode of happiness

。Probably won't directly let you know this when you wake up, but he will imply by growing affectionate from time to time

Xiao:

。It is a night after he saved you from whatever enemies because you had overworked and were too tired to fight

。Because of your state he doesn't dare to leave you by yourself

。So he takes you back to Wangshuu Inn with him

。He seems annoyed by how you fall asleep in his arms (but he really isn't)

。Gently puts you in the bed without waking you up

。When he stands up, you mindlessly cling onto his arm, a sign of "Don't go", and he doesn't understand why but he doesn't want to refuse

。So he stays and watches you sleep, how cute

。Xiao ponders for a moment for why he doesn't hate this way of contact, then suddenly you call his name

。But your eyes are still closed, he assumes you're still sleeping

。He stares, confused, until he hears the next words

。"...I love you" as you squeeze his arm a little tighter

。How could someone say such a thing in their sleep? He asks himself, but he believes you really mean it

。"I don't need you to remember my words, but just for you to know, that I love you too" he will softly whisper and kiss your forehead

Xingqiu:

。Imagine!! that you two are in a library then you actually drift off

。Of course you aren't officially dating, you only went here to "keep him company" (what a bad lie because you do have feelings for him)

。He didn't notice at first because he was too tied to reading

。When he turns to you to ask something, you're already asleep

。He thinks himself is a bad person for not watching you carefully

。His frown quickly shifts into a smile as he admires your sleeping figure

。"Did I bore you that much, (Name)?"

。He thinks you're so cute like this <3

。So he completely forgets about reading and just watches you

。"Xing..qiu... I love you, but why... don't you..." you murmur in your sleep, you'll probably get embarrased when you wake up if you know about this

。Xingqiu's eyes widen, he just got to hear the thing he wanted to hear the most!!

。He chuckles, then slowly leans closer to peck your lips without hesitating

。If you won't wake up shortly, he will carry you on his back and leave the library with a mischievous smile

Zhongli:

。So, you fall asleep at the middle of his "speech"

。He was telling lots of stories and you weren't bored by them but for some reasons you still drifted off

。He immediately notices when you stop moving so often

。Much like Xiao, Zhongli isn't bothered by this at all

。He will walk around to make your seat as comfortable as possible for your sleep then go back to his (which is next to yours) and silently watches you

。He does it extremely careful not to disturb you

。Slowly, your head falls on his shoulder

。He already knew this would happens so he bent down a little to make it easier for you if you are shorter than him

。You look so peaceful he doesn't dare to stand up

。So you two just stay this way, with you sleeping and him fully awake looking after

。A couple of moments passed, your sleep-talking finally breaks the silence

。"I love you..."

。Zhongli blinks twice and stares, did he hear it right? If yes, he is 100% sure that was for him judging by your action, he will smile warmly before returning the same words, still quiet not to wake you but enough for you to remember when you do

[damonjuicyscock]

Pictures of you-Chapter 15 (90's Liam Gallagher X Reader)

Pairing: 90's Liam Gallagher X Reader

Warnings: fluff AF, language, maybe a few spelling mistakes. (smut back in the next chapter guys ;) )

Words: 1194

Summary: Take a look into Y/N and Liam's new fatherhood and motherhood.

A/N: Hey guys ! Here's chapter 15 ! It's shorter than usual. I decided to talk about something important in some motherhoods which is the baby blues, but don't worry, this chapter is still cute. See you on Wednesday for our weekly oneshot !

(THIS IS SO CUUUUTE)

September 1999- London:

After giving birth to Lennon, I was exhausted, so the thing I was doing the most was sleeping. But there was something else. I had a growing ache.

I just thought that my bipolar disorder’s depression was coming back, but it was different, and felt worse but wasn’t.

Liam was often going out for fresh air with our son in the baby carrier.

Paparazzi were here to take pictures, but happily, baby Lennon was well hidden.

He was sitting on one special bench, opposite to a little lake where ducks were bathing.

Baby Lennon was sleeping with his head against his father’s torso. He was so peaceful.

Liam had found its other strength.

He was kissing his head, hugging him, staying there for about 45 minutes before coming home and putting our son to bed.

Then he come to our bedroom to hug me.

Hello sweetheart.

Mmmh…

Wakey wakey!

Liam…

Ye sleep too much.

I need to, I’m exhausted.

The more ye sleep, the more ye’ll feel exhausted.

I carried your child for 9 months; I’m going to need 9 months of recovery.

I’m going to prepare something to eat. What do ye say about some nice pastas with a pesto rosso sauce?

I’m not hungry.

Ye don’t eat anything…C’mon Y/N, ye need to be healthy. Fer ye and fer Lennon. He needs good milk to feed him.

He’s got you, you can feed him. Bottle-feed him and let me sleep.

Y/N, our son needs ye. Ye haven’t touched him since he was born, what’s happening to ye?

And I started crying uncontrollably. I, myself didn’t know what was happening to me.

I’m not good enough to be a mother Liam, I don’t deserve to be his mother, he needs a better one. I won’t get better I know it, I feel it.

Liam felt powerless. He took me in his arms as I sobbed uncontrollably.

Me love, what’s happening to ye? He said, panicked

I grabbed his armpit and squeezed it as he kissed my head.

*

Liam took the phone and called to his brother’s place. It wasn’t Supernova Heights anymore; Meg and Noel had moved since then to welcome their daughter somewhere else.

As Lennon was born only a few days before, Peggy was still staying at Noel’s.

What’s up our kid? Noel said, answering the phone

Hi Noel, can I talk to mam please?

Noel went to call Peggy.

Liam?

Hi mam, can ye come over? I need ye.

Is everything alright?

No.

Tell me, what’s happening me boy?

It’s Y/N, she’s not doing fine, that’s why I need ye to come over. I also called her therapist.

Okay, I’m coming, I’ll be there in a few.

Peggy arrived at the moment my therapist was about to leave.

What’s happening? Liam asked

Your wife suffers from a baby blues.

Oh dear… Peggy answered, worried about me

What’s that exactly? Liam pursued

Don’t worry, it’s not unusual, it’s not a big deal. 30 to 80% of new moms suffer from this. It won’t last, but if it lasts call me and take her to me. How long has she been like this?

Since we came home. How can I act on this?

Just stay with her, show empathy, be patient, be kind, listen to her, compliment her new role as a mom. Within a few days, she will get better. Or even tomorrow, who knows?

I’ll make her something to eat. Liam, let me talk to her. We will understand each other between mothers. Peggy said

Alright mam. I trust ye. I hope she’ll get better soon. I love her. I fucking love her beyond everything mam.

I know.

*

The morning after, after Peggy talked to me and after Liam took great care of me, I woke up to the sound of my son, crying his room, through the baby phone.

Liam, not knowing I was awake, got up and went to Lennon’s bedroom.

Hey, what’s up little man? Ye hungry? Yous nappy full? Let me check that. Oh yeah, yous nappy’s full, without a doubt. Shit, it stinks!

I laughed to myself.

I heard my husband sing him a lullaby, but it didn’t stop Lennon from crying. Then he started singing I am the walrus. And this time, it worked.

Ye like it? Ye like it when I sing The Beatles to ye, John Lennon Gallagher?

I chuckled to myself.

It’s only Lennon Gallagher. I murmured

Alright, yer all-clean mate, let’s go see yer mam now, don’t ye think it’s a good idea?

Liam came back with our son in his arms in our bedroom.

He laid him in the middle of the bed, between us two.

I turned around and finally opened my eyes, smiling. This day was a better one.

Hey, say hello to yer mam.

Good morning! I said

My son was awake and looking at me, his tongue poking out from time to time.

I put my little finger between his lips, and he suckled it.

I think he might be hungry.

Yeah, I think you’re right.

I sat and raised my tee, which was soaked with milk, by the fact I didn’t touch my son since we came back from the hospital.

I took him in my arms and fed him. Liam caressed our son’s head.

Are ye okay? He asked, looking at us two

Yeah. Are you?

Tired but okay.

A silence took place, but it was soon interrupted by my dear husband.

Thank ye Y/N.

For what?

Fer giving me what I never hoped fer. Ye gave me a fucking wonderful life. And I’m soz I’ve been mean to ye at the beginning and I fucked up these past two years. I love ye Y/N. I fucking love ye. Ye gave me everything I wanted. And ye made me a better man.

I smiled

I love you too Liam.

We kissed and I looked at Lennon who had fell asleep.

Take him in your arms, lay him on your torso but only skin on skin. I want to do something.

He executed himself and I took my camera.

I sat next to the bed.

Now look at me.

He did, and I took the picture.

I showed it to him after.

It’s a dead good picture me love.

I’ll have it printed. It’s a good picture indeed. A very beautiful one, with my two favourite people in the whole universe. Now I’m gonna take a good and needed bath.

I prefer to see ye like this, me.

It’s us now Liam. We’re a family. And I want to fight for it to work. I want to fight all my problems, these fucking illnesses, for you, and for Lennon. For our family. It will make me, it will make us stronger. You are my strengths.

[coolest-in-chaldea]

hello! im quite excited for this blog fate fic blogs are quite hard to find may i have some headcanons of merlin realizing he has fallen in love and what a relationship would be like hopefully thats okay good luck with the blog!

Merlin Realizing He’s In Love Headcanons

note: hi! thanks so much for being the first request ever sent in!! Sorry this took so long to get to, I’ve been swamped with school and grinding on f/go for daysssss, 90 saint quartz but no 4 or 5 stars 😔💔 also I finally got on my laptop so anon is an option now for anyone wanting to request :D

- Merlin’s vast knowledge of pretty much everything happening at any given time is a little scary, so I don’t think he’s really the type to be dense. I think he’s more likely to pace around and talk to himself for a day or so while ‘deducing’ that his racing heart and flushed face are in fact indicative of falling in love. He’s not super serious like some of the other genius servants, he’s more-so just really awkward at handling social situations since he spent most of his life pretty isolated in his tower.

- Meanwhile, everyone else in chaldea are holding their breaths because the lack of Merlin shenanigans is starting to get suspicious..you and the Camelot servants especially are going ‘awww shit here we go again’ as you anticipate an elaborate scheme to come.

- Merlin definitely isn’t insecure, but I don’t think he’d have any plans of confessing at first because he’s never seriously imagined himself in a relationship. He’s perceptive enough to know that he likes you, but he doesn’t see any significance to it until it starts to get distracting!

- When he eventually starts interacting with you again, he’s 1000% more of a hassle than he usually is. He’s like that one kid in elementary school who just constantly bothers his crush. It doesn’t take long for you to grow tired of Merlin’s 24/7 bs, and when you finally retire to your room for the night you have a frustrated ‘why me?!’ moment. Tbh you’re just trying to figure out what you could’ve possibly done to prompt Merlin’s wrath, but the knights of the round table are painfully aware of why Merlin’s been constantly targeting you.

- Merlin’s an extremely talented mage, and I’m sure he’d switch around or transform some of your things, but I could also see him pulling some of the classic childhood pranks on you with the assistance of magic.

- You’re having a lovely conversation sitting across from Artoria, but when you get up to leave, you immediately trip and faceplant onto the floor. A very concerned Artoria asks if you’re ill and, trying not to lose your cool, you have to explain to her that SOMEONE apparently tied your shoelaces together with an elaborate series of knots in the shape of a flower. There wasn’t anyone else near you, but you both exchange an exasperated look as you know exactly who the culprit is.

- Merlin's flirting is still totally focused on annoying you and/or pissing you off. what can I say? it's just his favorite hobby! He's the type to believe than any attention from you is good attention, so he's more than happy to provoke you in order to put your focus on him. He's not that awful though, and he sticks to being a general nuisance and causing mild inconveniences as opposed to actually harming anyone. He does care a lot about you if he has feelings for you after all, he just has a...funny way of showing it.

- You will constantly be asking yourself 'is Merlin antagonizing me or flirting with me??' (the answer is both btw)

- If you're shorter than Merlin, he always interrupts your conversations by strolling over and using your head as an armrest. If you aren't, sike yes you are actually because the cheeky wizard is now floating to be taller than you >:)

- Merlin has literally zero chill and I think he'd continue to be chaotic af whether he's just crushing on you or you've been dating for years. He probably does like physical contact and cuddling, but he refuses to initiate it like a normal person. He'll eventually get comfortable enough to where he doesn't have to be affectionate via pranks, but don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that Merlin ever gets calm or discreet about it.

- Any time you're sitting on a couch, chair, the floor, or your bed, regardless of what you're doing, he will just come stand next to you and very dramatically fall on top of you (secretly careful not to hurt you of course) and just chill there sprawled over you in whatever ridiculous position you ended up in. If you adjust him to a more comfortable position (his favorites are sitting with his back to your chest and your arms holding him or vice versa and sitting tucked into your side with one of your arms around him and his around your waist) he'll be more than happy to comply, but how you deal with your beloved needy wizard is up to you!

- Tbh I could see a confession going one of two ways, both extremes on opposite ends of a spectrum with no in between. Either

A.) he never officially confesses, but you get the idea and you both come to an agreement of being exclusive to each other (or having communication as partners if you're polyamorous) as well as comfortably doing everything a couple would, just with an official label OR

B.) He's a total showoff and performs the most absurd, elaborate and extreme confession with magic the world has ever seen. I cannot get the thought of those brilliant wizard pronoun images made by iguanamouth out of my head-

I'm imagining THIS but it's a confession like those 'will you be my date to prom?' signs people make 😳

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Azula’s favourite friend who she recruits first. The two of you have always had an unspoken attraction which neither of you were brave enough to acknoweldge...until you save her life and Azula decides to reward you

Background

You and Azula attended the academy together and had initially started as rivals. You were an above-average fire bender and because she didn’t know you Azula saw that as a threat. So she made it her mission to ruin your life when one day she found you arguing with Zuko. You didn’t hesitate to yell at him or point out his faults and from that moment on Azula knew she’d misjudged you. Azula be-friended you and you became a part of her group. Over time you became her favourite. She trusted you and could feel your loyalty to her, which was something she grew to respect more and more as Mai was compromised by Zuko and Ty lee became even more whimsical. You soon became inseparable and as the friendship grew it began to feel like more...you realised you liked Azula as more than a friend. You enjoyed every second you spent together and thought she felt the same. The tension between you grew and although Azula would grow flustered around you when you flirted with her she never reciprocated your feelings openly. You were heartbroken but understood that falling for the princess of the fire nation hadn’t been a very smart decision on your part. So needing some space to mend as soon as you graduated from the academy you joined the army. It hurt to be around Azula every day and to know you could be something great together if only your nation was more progressive. So you ran away from the situation and didn’t see Azula for years. You managed to stop thinking about her constantly after a few weeks and soon your heart didn’t feel as broken anymore...but you knew deep down you still cared about her. The princess would always be your first love. 

Your POV

The army was tougher than the fire nation academy for many reasons. For one your name, reputation and grades didn’t matter once you passed through the doors. They didn’t care if you'd sparred with the best fire benders or got the highest grades in combat skills for ten years, you were reduced to a number and treated as one. You hated every second of it but the alternative was to return to your family and you’d take anything over that so you stuck it out. 

One day all the recruits were ordered to wear their best clothes and report to the large training hall which could only mean one thing. Someone wanted to buy troops. High ranking generals or rich businessmen could hire trainees for missions or any jobs they needed completing. The buyer could choose who they wanted after watching you all in training and you would then decide if to accept or not. You took every opportunity you could and so stared straight ahead for inspection, trying your best to look hirable when a voice broke your resolve. "I’m looking for something in particular" Azula told your trainer and you only just managed to keep your head forward but a small smirk broke out on your face. Azula spotted you and walked down the line slowly before stopping in front of you. "Well, well who do we have here?" she asked. You looked up at her and matched her smile "long time no see huh?". Your trainer was horrified at the way you addressed the princess and rushed to yell at you when Azula cut him off with a laugh. She took your arm and you hugged her tightly. Your stomach exploded in butterflies and you clutched her tightly, you’d missed Azula dearly. "Your highness i don’t know what...i’m sorry for this one’s behaviour" the trainer started obliviously and Azula rolled her eyes "are they all as dumb as you? Obviously i know y/n". You smirked and Azula was spurred on by that beautiful expression she’d missed. "You really have no idea who she is?" Azula asked laughing "this is y/n l/n, her father is friends with my father and she is a personal friend to the royal family. To hear you haven’t treated her appropriately is very displeasing" Azula frowned and you smiled as your usually cruel and horrible trainer shook. "I’m sorry we had no idea who she was! We will treat her better, promote her actually" he babbled. "No that won’t do" Azula said "and that wont be necessary, y/n will be leaving with me for a job and won’t be coming back here". The guard hesitated "i...you can’t just take a recruit". "I’m not but i could" Azula growled "i think you’ll find it’s more y/n quits". "She can’t quit" the guard replied “she made an oath” and Azula raised an eyebrow in response "are you tell me what i can do? Are you telling a noblewoman what she can do? Any debt she owes you will be wiped by my command, understand?" Azula barked. The trainer paled but nodded "yes princess" and bowed his head. "Good" Azula nodded and she strode with you right out of the front doors. 

Azula brought you to the lodgings she was staying at in the nearest town and you were amused to see it had been given the royal treatment. Red everywhere, freshly polished surfaces as far as the eye could see, gold and silver decorations lay on every available service and of course a large portrait of the fire lord hung on the wall. Over a lavish dinner Azula told you the mission making you realise you’d accepted and left the army without even asking for any details. You were fine with hunting the avatar and Zuko with Mai and Ty lee but you also recognised you would’ve accepted almost any mission Azula gave you because you’d been so happy to see her. Azula had always had this effect on you and time apart hadn’t done anything to lessen that. You were as much in love with her now as you were the day you left two years ago. 

After dinner Azula led you to your shared apartment, it contained two bedrooms with ensuites and a large living room which you were pleased to see and you sunk into the sofa happily. "Your hair’s shorter" Azula commented suddenly and you nodded touching it self consciously "yeah it was a target in sparring". Azula scoffed "seriously? Don’t they teach the other recruits proper fire bending moves as opposed to childish tricks?". You shrugged "they told us to win by any means. That it doesn’t have to look good so long as you win". Azula laughed again "amateurs all of them! Of course it should look good". You smirked "well when it comes so easy to you" and glanced over her. Azula shrugged but had a large smile on her face "well I suppose I have been blessed in that aspect". You laughed again and smiled "this is nice". Azula smiled too "it is" and you locked eyes for several seconds before she looked away slowly. Azula stood up abruptly "we should get some sleep we’re moving on foot tomorrow to go get Ty lee and then Mai". You were excited at the thought of seeing your old friends and grinned "great! Also don’t think i didn’t notice you came for me first" you called as Azula made her way towards her room. She halted and you smirked "I always knew i was your favourite but really Azula to make it so obvious" you grinned and Azula paused. You walked to your own room and Azula finally responded "i always made it obvious you’re my favourite, it’s nothing new" and went into her room.

You stepped into your own room and leant back against the closed door blushing vividly from the encounter with Azula. You’d spent all your time in the army trying to convince yourself your relationship with Azula was purely platonic. That the fact your heart sped up whenever you thought of her or how you dreamt of her often was just because you were close friends. You managed to convince yourself you weren’t in love with Azula and that she didn’t feel anything for you either but less than a day with her and you knew that was a lie. You couldn’t deny the way she made you feel and how she smiled at you in a way she never did with anyone else...as much as it made you nervous your realisation also excited you. You couldn’t wait to be around Azula again and felt a happy glow spread over you. You settled in your bed, a smile still on your face and burrowed into the exquisite cushions. You expected to fall to sleep easily but a while later you were still awake. You frowned confused as to why. You were happy, you were with Azula and the bed was comfy so why couldn’t you sleep? You figured maybe the bed was too soft compared to what you were used to in the army so went into the living room to try the sofa. You laid down and realised this was better, more like the beds back at the military. You had just closed your eyes when Azula’s door opened. "Trouble sleeping?" she asked and you nodded "i think the bed’s too comfy". Azula laughed "i thought the opposite, really y/n your taste has worsened in our time apart". You shrugged "it’s better than what i’ve been sleeping on for the last 9 months". Azula lay down on the sofa next to you and you looked at her. You didn’t ask why after finding her own bed soooo uncomfortable she came to lay on a sofa barely a foot from where you were and just enjoyed the silence. “So, anything else i missed you didn’t put in your letters?” you asked. Azula hadn’t written to you much at the academy and honestly that had been a good thing. You’d have just missed her more than you already had but she did send brief updates once a month. Azula nodded "probably tons, i couldn’t write often". You didn’t point out she wrote to you on the first of each month religiously instead you turned on your side to look at her. Mai and Ty lee had also written to you but you’d noticed compared to their letters and the changes in their lives Azula’s had been...well boring. You felt almost sorry for her, you’d all moved away to different things but Azula had been stuck at home with a father who was cruel, the ghost of a cold mother and the memory of a banished brother. Azula quickly discussed some events that had happened and then also turned on her side to face you. "What about you then? How was military life really?". You shrugged "not as i expected". "I knew that job would be awful" Azula commented "why did you stay so long then?". You sighed "well i liked some parts of it, the physical training was similar to what we did in the academy which i liked, the mental tests were better, they made me use all my brain". "That’s a first" Azula chimed in and you rolled your eyes "i liked those parts of it...could’ve done without the abuse from the trainers, food restrictions and ban on leaving". Azula raised an eyebrow "remember what i always told you y/n no self-pity, you could’ve left at any time. You chose not to". You thought Azula sounded a bit angry when she said that but you shrugged "i could but that would have meant going back home not coming back to the capital and I’d rather fight all the trainers at once than that" you said through gritted teeth and Azula saw you’d tensed. She recalled you never got along with your family but she hadn’t realised they were part of the reason you’d taken such an awful job so soon after graduation. "They hated my move to the capital and said if i failed at all they’d have me back and married, i had one shot to escape them, there’s no way i’d give it away because i didn’t actually like what i’d chosen". Azula didn’t comment she just watched you conflicted, she hated self pity and weakness but you were so like her, she’d have done the exact same thing in your position. "But you did leave" Azula commented “you left to come with me” and you looked down "i did...". Azula saw the way your face changed, filling with worry and she actually felt slightly guilty. You’d left instinctively for her when she asked, no matter what it might mean for you in the long term. You did all that for her and it proved to her again why you were her closest ally.

Azula laughed and you looked at her confused "y/n do you really think i’d make you give up your job for a small mission?". You frowned "what?". "Your parents won’t be angry because this a much better job, you’ll be paid more and you’re working with me" Azula said pointedly. "They can’t say anything against that, as long as you’re with me they can’t touch you" she smiled and you grinned at Azula "you’d vouch for me?". Azula nodded "of course, i want you with me and that’s what i’ll get, i don’t care who your family are they’re not taking you anywhere ever". You were equally touched and shocked "ever?". Azula nodded "well obviously you might not be here forever but they’re never taking you back to tie you to a marriage, i’ll just keep coming up with excuses to keep you in my company until you’re too old and then they’ll have to leave you alone with me" Azula explained and you smiled "sounds perfect".

Azula laughed and met your eye, seeing how intensely you looked at her gave her chills. Azula had missed you greatly in the capital but honestly she’d let you leave without a fight. She sensed a growing attraction and longing for you which she knew had to stop. So she let you go figuring some distance would be good but as soon as she needed allies the first face in her mind was yours. The second she saw you she knew she’d made the right choice but she also felt the attraction just as suddenly. Laying here staring at you made it more apparent than ever and it scared Azula. She blushed and turned away from you, facing the back of the sofa "try and sleep" she commanded "we'll be up early". 

You didn’t comment on how much Azula was blushing or how she’d chosen to sleep out here with you. You just smiled and closed your eyes basking in the feeling of all she’d said and the safety of her. “Good night Princess” you whispered and you fell asleep almost instantly.

The next day you reunited with Ty lee and then Mai. Ty lee had launched herself at both you and Azula when she saw you and the same occurred for Mai. Mai grunted and hugged Ty lee begrudgingly. "I thought you ran away to the circus?" Mai asked Ty lee and she nodded "i did but y/n and Azula showed up and well they called louder than the universe" Ty lee smiled. "Wait y/n and Azula, isn’t the circus closer to the capital than the military?" Mai asked looking from you to Azula. "Yeah so?" you said confused and Mai shrugged "nothing just seems like it’d make sense to go to the circus first then military but hey i’m sure Azula had her reasons for coming to get you first" Mai smirked slightly. You didn’t look at Azula but Mai and Ty lee exchanged a look at the matching blushes you were both sporting, some things never change. Azula recovered first and pretended Mai hadn’t said anything about the two of you and began explaining her plan. You joined in after a few seconds of recovery but still felt giddy at Mai’s words.

Throughout your trip you and Azula grew closer and closer just like you’d done at the academy. Although neither of you spoke about it you felt drawn to one another and Azula acted differently around you. She sought you out more than the others, always kept the closest proximity to you and paired Mai and Ty lee and you with herself whenever you had to split into teams. As you fell into old habits all the past feelings came back and you began to worry at all the dangerous situations Azula was putting herself in just to please her father. She’d infiltrated Ba Sing Sei without any backup besides you, Ty lee and Mai which terrified you. Of course her plan worked but still you were so grateful Azula had been unharmed and managed to take over the whole city without any mishaps. You hoped it’d be smooth sailing from there but of course she wanted her brother and the avatar too. You did exactly what she said to try and help her but you couldn’t escape the feeling something would go wrong. Azula had left to go and face the avatar all alone apart from her dai lee agents and you couldn’t get her out of your head. Azula had put you in charge of making sure the earth king and his bear were looked after but you wanted to ensure she was okay so left it to Ty lee and Mai. You followed the secret passage you’d seen Azula take and found your way into a massive cavern filled with people. You spotted Azula fighting the avatar and saw her shoot him with a lightning bolt. He fell to the floor and you gaped at the fact Azula had likely just killed the avatar. The water bender with the avatar then went into a rage and flew through the air using a massive wave to catch him. Azula smirked ready to engage with her and you saw Zuko standing beside her. You were surprised to see Zuko beside her, never thinking she’d actually manage to get Zuko on her side but of course she was a master at manipulation. You smiled at all she’d achieved when you noticed Azula’s uncle Iroh was approaching them. He had flames in his hands and was looking right at Azula who was fixed on the water bender. You gasped at Iroh’s intentions and how nobody was aware of what was going on behind them. You broke out into a run and leapt down the cliff as quick as you could. You were getting closer but you still weren’t close enough. Iroh raised his hands and you went into panic mode. “Stop” you yelled and threw your own fire as Iroh released his own. Your strike managed to hit his off course and it hit a rock beside Azula. Azula and Zuko both jumped and Iroh turned to you. You were now stood blocking his path to Azula and you sensed he still wanted to take her down. You anticipated his attack and blocked it instinctively before firing back your own. Iroh was much stronger than you so you were heavily outmatched when suddenly two flames burst onto the scene. Azula sprang in front and began attacking her uncle savagely while Zuko helped. You were again slightly surprised by Zuko but quickly joined in. With three on one even the dragon of the west couldn’t last long and with a final hit from Azula he fell to the floor. “Seize him and throw him in a cage” Azula spat and walked past him to you. “I thought I told you to wait upstairs” she said fixing her intense gaze on you and you shrugged “I wanted to help and I think it’s a good job I did”. Azula shot you a look at your boldness but you could tell she was more amused than annoyed. “You appear to be correct” she replied curtly before walking past you. You smiled after Azula, admiring how happy she looked and why wouldn’t she? She’d taken over Ba Sing Sei, possibly killed the avatar, brought down her uncle and convinced Zuko to ally with her, all in all it had been an excellent day and Azula had proved herself a force to be reckoned with. You began following her when you saw the guards walking Iroh in the opposite direction. You were going to look away when you noticed he was still staring at Azula. You could feel his anger and knew what his intentions were, he meant to finish the job. In the blink of an eye Iroh burst out of his restraints, threw his guards to the side and took a stance. “Azula get down” you yelled sensing the electricity in the air but he had an excellent shot at her and she had nowhere to go. Instinctively you threw yourself into the path of the lightning. 

Azula also responded instinctively. She conjured her own lightning to meet her uncle’s when she saw you running into the fight, You tried to raise a wall of fire but there wasn’t time, you got hit by the bolt and collapsed. Azula only just managed to direct her own bolt away from you and felt her heart beating rapidly. As the smoke cleared Azula saw your body on the floor rage consumed her. She conjured a huge amount of electricity and sent it all at her uncle. He tried to block it but Azula’s bolt sliced through his defences hitting him square in the chest. Azula didn’t even check to see if her bolt had met its mark, she knew it had so rushed to your side. “Y/n” she yelled and she knelt beside you staring at the smoke coming off your back where the bolt had hit you. Your uniform was partially melted and Azula could smell the burning flesh strongly. "I need water” Azula yelled grabbing you and trying to feel for a pulse. She felt one and felt her own breathing somewhat stabilise too. "Now" Azula yelled and people rushed forwards. Azula poured the water over you "it’s okay" she told as you winced as she poured more. "We need to get her into the pool" she called "someone help me get her to the water". Zuko appeared and helped Azula carry you to a fountain. You were semi-conscious which made Azula hurry even quicker, she wanted to reduce your pain as soon as possible. Azula climbed into the fountain first and told Zuko to pass you to her. She took you carefully and laid you on your back floating. Your eyes closed as you passed out and Zuko called for a doctor. Azula clutched your by your arms keeping you close to her in the water "you will not die y/n" she snarled "you will be fine do you hear me?". You didn’t respond. 

Later

You woke up face down on something soft and tried to move your face away from it when shooting pains erupted along your spine. You felt like your back was cracking open and groaned loudly. "Careful y/n" you heard someone say and saw it was Ty Lee. "Ty lee? What happened?". "You got burnt" she explained "on your back..luckily Azula cooled you in time to stop any long-term damage but it’s still really sore so be careful". You reached for your back and flinched at the slightest touch of it. "Stop" Ty lee told you "Azula said i’m to watch you and make sure you rest, apply more soothing cream on it every three hours and just basically always make sure you're okay!" she told you cheerfully. You shook your head "Ty lee i’m fine you don’t have to sit guard over me" you tried to sit up and went pale from the pain. "Don’t do that" Ty lee cried rushing to your side "if you want to get up i can pile some pillows in front of you for you to lean on. I don’t think you can sit up for a while". You pouted annoyed but asked Ty lee to bring you said pillows and managed to pull yourself up onto your elbows "so what happened? Tell me everything". "Well thanks to you we managed to stop Iroh escaping and hurting Azula, we took Ba Sing Sei and the avatar is dead". "Wow" you said surprised "That is... a lot". Ty lee nodded “Ow and Zuko’s back on our side". You nodded and smiled "I bet Mai is happy". Ty lee grinned too "she is i haven’t seen her since we started for home". "We’re on our way back?" you asked and Ty lee nodded "yes but Azula said me, you and Mai are to stay with her even after we arrive back in the capital, she said she still has a need for us". You smiled laying your head down blushing slightly, Azula had kept her promise, she wasn’t letting you go. You sighed happily and Ty lee smiled "y/n?". "I’m just glad to be going back" you smiled "i think we'll have lots of fun". You had been dozing when the sounds of the door made you jolt awake sending shooting pains down your back. You winced but prepared yourself for an attack until you saw her. Azula raised her hands as she saw you jump and she smiled "just me". You relaxed "Azula, sorry i was asleep". "Don’t apologise you need to rest after what happened, i just wanted to come check on you. We'll be in the fire nation in a few hours". "That’s good news" you smiled and Azula nodded "how does the back feel? Ty lee says you’re doing as well as can be expected" Azula’s eyes drifted to your back and you froze. You were now very aware you were laid on your front with only a blanket covering your bare torso from Azula’s eye. Azula stepped closer and you rushed to explain and stop her inspecting you. "I’m fine" you told her "the burns aren’t too bad, they hardly hurt at all". Azula raised an eyebrow "then you won’t mind me having a look?" and stepped beside you. She reached for the blanket and you grabbed her hand with an uncomfortable strain "wait, i lied...i don’t want you to see it, Ty lee says it looks bad. It’s in the blistering stage and yes it hurts but everything has already been done for it and me so you don’t need to see it or check on me". Azula titled her head to one side as you couldn’t meet her eye and she sighed sitting on the floor beside your bed. "It will scar but unlike Zuko you can wear yours with pride" Azula said forcefully and you looked up at her shocked "with time i’m sure it will simply resemble a tattoo" Azula explained. You turned on your side to look at her, something you’d practised with Ty lee and could now manage. "Ty lee told me you did as much for me as you could...i can’t really remember it but..". "Do you remember jumping into the path of lightning for me?" Azula said "without protecting yourself or even any concrete attempt to do so, and what for?". You sighed thinking Azula was angry at you "i...i know it was reckless and stupid, it went against everything we were taught at the academy but I don’t know Azula, i did it without even thinking. I saw it heading for you and you weren’t ready! It would hit you and i just did it without hesitation, i know it seems stupid and emotional but i don’t regret it Azula i’d do it again" you told her sighing, feeling she wouldn’t understand. "I know that might sound stupid...why i’d do that for you but Azula i..." you started as Azula cut you off "y/n". Azula gently raised your head with a hand helping you to look at her. You were confused by Azula’s gaze, it was soft but at the same time intense, you couldn’t recognise the emotion, was she angry? Happy? Excited? Apparently it was somewhere in the middle. Azula leant down to you, hand on your cheek as she ghosted her lips over yours. You felt a sensation like water being thrown over you as Azula kissed you softly and quickly before pulling back "i don’t completely get it but i understand" she smiled blushing softly "i think I can imagine why you did it" she said looking away from you "thank you for saving me". You were speechless, Azula was thanking you? Azula understood why you did it? Did that mean she liked you too? She’d just kissed you so of course she did! Or was that what she thought you wanted? Azula had been used all her life, did she simply think you did this in order to make gains with her? 

Azula smiled slightly to see your brain short-circuiting at her actions and stood up. "i just wanted to make sure you were okay so now I know you are i’ll let you go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when we’re there". You nodded still confused and watched Azula walked away. You weren’t sure what had just happened but you knew you had to make Azula realise you didn’t do this just to use her. "Azula" you said suddenly "is that...what you just did...if that was my reward or what you think i wanted from you after today...i didn’t save you because i was expecting a reward or anything from you so what i’m saying is you don’t have to compensate me if you don’t want to. I didn’t do it for any reason other than to keep you safe". 

Azula blushed suddenly and felt her emotions swirling, she realised she was happy. To hear you express openly your desire for her safety filled her with excitement and she realised nobody had ever cared for her before like you did. Azula nodded slowly "that is welcomed news y/n" she smiled "but i didn’t reward you like that as a forced compensation either" she told you "although my intentions were personal and selfish i suppose”. 

You smirked slightly and nodded "good...i mean fine with me". Azula nodded "i’m glad we understand each other, good night y/n". "Good night princess Azula" you said savouring the words and Azula’s eye twitched but she maintained her calm expression and bowed leaving. You lay back giggling as realisation (and the medication you were on for the pain) set in. Azula had kissed you and told you she didn’t do it because she thought she had to but because she wanted to! For selfish reasons!!! You wrapped yourself in your blankets and didn’t stop smiling even in your sleep.

____

Is it just me who loves the idea of being in a secret relationship with the princess of the fire nation? I feel like Azula would excel at sneaking around the palace and would like rebelling against Ozai for once

[thewritetofreespeech]

hello!! i've made a request before but this idea came in my brain and i heard your requests were open. So ive seen a lot of fics of the brothers saving mc, but what about mc kinda of saving the brothers, i mean like badass sword fighting style. Just like a stereotypical disney prince saves a princess mc kinda saves the brothers from getting killed by a lesser demon with a sword and just being badass (and sword) and the bros find it hot (weak humans? never heard of them)

*spongebob narrator voice* 400 years lat’er..... So sorry this took so long! I genuinely don’t know why I couldn’t get it done. When I actually tried, I got it done in like 2 days. My only excuse is that I’m a horrible trash munny >.<

Obey me Boys + Power Princess MC

Lucifer

It offends him that this creature, this being not fit to lick the soles of his boots, would raise their hand to him. The attack was not even what upset him, but just the gall. The utter stupidity of this decision to throw one’s life away. The fact that they had attacked with you around only made him wish to end that pathetic life that much sooner.

“Step back [Y/N]. I’ll deal with this quic—” Lucifer cut himself off when you rushed forward. A bright shining sword in your hand as you lunged. Slashing through the demon, who wailed and instantly turned to dust & ash. “What on Earth was that?”

“Oh. It’s my sword.” You reply nonchalantly. Turning around to show it to him. “It’s a holy arc sword, or something. I can summon it from my bracelet whenever I need it. Cool to know it actually works in a pinch.”

“And where did you get such a magical artifact?” Lucifer asked. Perplexed beyond reason, but trying not to show it.

“Lord Diavolo gave it to me when I first got here.” The demon arched a brow. Lord Diavolo? “It would be really irresponsible of him to just let a human wander around hell without some kind of weapon.”

He paused for a moment. Trying to piece all of what you had just said together. Then he just chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it would be.��� And here he thought that he had been the only one protecting you. When all along you could do it yourself.

His hand reached out to pat your head fondly. His breast swelling with pride. “I’ll have to thank him for giving you such a thoughtful, practical gift. We’ll also have to add sword play to your lesson plans. I’d be more than happy to be your tutor.

Mammon

‘Shit!’ Mammon mentally cursed as he was hit again.

This wasn’t the first time he’d been rough up outside a club. Given his lifestyle, and his gambling track record, he’d been pummeled by a few bouncers in his life. With his immense power, he could easily take them; if he tried. But then he would be banned from the club, and ever other, and that was something he couldn’t handle over the humiliation of being beat up by these clowns. He needed this. It was all he had.

So, he took his beatings from lesser demons when they came around. He’d only wished they’d picked a different night to get their ‘payment’ back since you were supposed to be here soon.

“Come on guys. Don’t ya think you’ve had enough?”

“We’ll tell you when we’ve had enough!” One demon sneered at him, before kicking a man while he was down. Classy. “You owe us. And we’re gonna get back every cent you owe out of your hide!”

The demon reared his foot back to kick him again, and Mammon mentally sighed. Preparing himself for the kick and really being over this since it began. But….no kick came.

The demon let out a loud grunt over the sound of a metal ‘wack’ before the two, even lesser goons beside him suffer the same fate and they all slump to the ground. “Mammon! Are you ok?!”

The silver haired demon looked up at you in shock. The light from the street lamp causing a halo to form around you, highlighting your worried face as you brandished a rusty pipe like some great sword. “Yeah…I’m fine….”

“You don’t look fine! You’re all beat up!” He just sat there as you dropped the pipe and dropped down to him. Fretting over him as you looked him over. He couldn’t hear what you were saying over the beating sound of his heart in his ears.

No one had ever tried to help him before.

Mammon lifted his arms and wrapped them around you. “Mammon? What—“Let’s get out of here.” He interrupted as he hugged you. Standing up, and helping you to your feet, after a moment to walk out of the alley. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I wanna go somewhere with you.”

“But….I thought you wanted to go out tonight. Play cards. You said you were feeling lucky?”

He couldn’t tell if that was a jab or not, but replied, “well clearly I was wrong.” Though despite his bumps and bruises, he did still feel pretty lucky right not. “I just want to get out of here. I don’t need this anymore.” You both decide to head home to help Mammon nurse his wounds. He never went back to that club, or really any club, after that night.

Levi

“Levi….I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“Nonsense!” Levi quipped in response to your perfectly reasonable, concerned feelings. “It’s just a little further. Besides, I want to see Henry 1! I’ve missed him a ton recently, and want to make sure he remembers me.” It had broken his heart to discover his poor, lost serpent had been down here, all alone, this whole time. So he made an effort to see him every now and then.

“Yeah but…isn’t this still like super-secret for Lord Diavolo’s family and stuff? What if there’s like booby traps and stuff?”

“Come on! There weren’t any booby traps or anything before. Why would he when he has Henry to keep it…..” Levi trailed off as both of you were ingulfed by a long, dark shadow. A low hissing sound growing louder as a gold, stripped serpent towered over you with a menacing glare. “That’s not Henry.”

The snake hissed loudly with bared fangs and an open mouth, and you both scream and run to get away from it.

The serpent of course chased you. Easily able to keep up, and only loosing you when the two of you duck into a narrow corridor. Levi turned around to say something to you, but you were gone. His immediate thought was that the stranger snake had gotten you, and it was all his fault, and he would never see you again!

When he came to the end of the corridor, walking out like a man on death row instead of running, he looked up to see the snake in front of him. Clearly angered by having to chase him. Levi didn’t care. He wanted to die if anything happened to you. He’d rather die than live one moment without you.

Prepared to accept his fate, the demon didn’t move when the snake unhinged his jaw to eat him in one gulp. Only for a sharp spike to thrust out from his mouth a moment later. A strange, hissing gasp escaping it before it slumped down in a lifeless heap on the floor. “[Y/N]!”

“Jesus! Not to put too fine a pin on it, but this place is literally a maze. One minute I’m next to you, and the next I’m in some armory on the other side of the hall 50 feet away. Are you alright Levi?”

The demon scrambled up the snake corpse to stand next to you and wrapped his arms tight around your being. “[Y/N]! I was so scared! I thought this Henry imposter got you, and you were dead, and I couldn’t think of anything!”

“I’m really ok Levi.” You assure him, as he wept into your shoulder. “Do you still want to see the real Henry? I think I spotted where he actually is when I was running back with the spear?” Levi nodded into your shoulder. Still not prepared to let you go.

Satan

Satan always tried to be a reasonable man.

He hated being referred to as ‘The Demon of Wrath’. It wasn’t his wrath that had caused him to be born. And he wasn’t any angrier than his brothers, so why did he have to be labeled the ‘bad seed’? So he always tried to be level headed. Calm. Patient. But there were somethings he just could not abide. Like the boorish behavior of someone talking loudly in the library.

“Excuse me,” the blonde said, attempting to remain calm, as he came over to the rude demon two tables over, “could you please keep it down? This is a library.”

“Yeah. I know what it is.” He quipped back rather snippily. “What are you? The librarian?”

“No. Just a fellow book lover.” Satan replied. Grinding his teeth now. “And one who can follow the rules and basic social decorum of keeping my conversations to myself in a place like this.”

“Are you calling me stupid?!”

“No. I’m calling you uncouth. A word meaning undignified, and without manners.”

“Why you!”

The demon rose to his feet, towering over Satan now that he was standing. Not that it mattered. Height was not an immediate representation of strength. Look at Belphie. His younger, shorter brother could level a whole city with a flick of his wrist. Satan could easily dispatch of his imbecile without even breaking a sweat.

He never got the chance though, as just after he stood the demon let out a grunt and slumped to the floor; with you standing behind him on his depleted chair with a book in your hand like you had just pulled it from The Stone. “Bet you’re glad I think Kindles are dumb now.”

Satan had to right himself on what he was seeing, and then frowned at you. “I never said that, and get down.” He insisted. Offering you his hand to get down. You hop down with ease and set your weapon book on the table. “Honestly, I could have handled him without resorting to violence or cheap theatrics.”

“Cheap?? This book was very expensive.” You insist, and Satan had to scoff.

“Be that as it may, please do not use books for more than their intended purpose. I appreciate the assist, but I can’t have you hurting yourself or fine literature in the future.”

“You’re such a buzz kill sometimes Satan…..”

Asmo

Asmo always loved going to the club. The dancing. The energy. The pulsing music. The people.

Well…usually the people. Some people, usually bro-dude demons, just couldn’t take a hint that ‘no’ meant ‘no’.

“Come on Asmo! Why are you being so stingy?!”

“I’m not being ‘stingy’,” Asmo replied with a frown marring his beautiful face. “I’m just not interested.”

“You were interested last time.” His pursuer replied. Like that somehow gave automatic permission that things would happen again.

“That was a long time ago.” The dusk haired blonde replied. Sipping his cocktail and looking thoughtful across the spacious VIP lounge over to you.

Yes, things had certainly changed. Once where it would take a whole room of people and attention to make him content, these days all he wanted was you. Just you sparing a moment to look at him made his heart feel incredibly full. He had come here to have a fun night out with you, but it seemed no matter where he went his beauty was always causing problems.

The lesser demon frowned, then looked towards the direction Asmo was looking to land on you. “Shoot, just bring them along with us.”

“Excuse me?” Asmo asked. Beautiful expression turning Ignatius as he sat down his drink.

“Bring them along. I’ve never had sex with a human. But there must be something to it if you’re willing to do them. Not that I suppose that takes much….”

At that, Asmo leapt from his chair and grabbing the brute by the collar. He wasn’t normally one for violence. He wasn’t like his dull brothers. But he couldn’t let a slight like that against you slide. “Take it back!”

The two demon’s scuffle. Clearing out the VIP lounge as everyone ran. Scared that they might transform at any moment and literally tear each other apart. Asmo somehow ended up on his back, a position that usually didn’t bother him, as the other reared back to punch him in the face.

Or, at least he would have if he didn’t start convulsing and fall on the ground a moment later.

“Asmo! Are you ok?!”

The Lust Demon looked at you for a moment. Then delicately covered his mouth with both hands. Returning to normal. “[Y/N]! You saved me!!”

“Yeah. This little thing packs a punch.” You replied. Holding out your little pink taser from She-Sword from your clutch. “I couldn’t let this jerk hurt your beautiful face.”

“No one is more beautiful than you my fierce warrior queen!” He praised. Basking in the moment for only a second before you both scamper off before security came.

You both might be beautiful, but you didn’t want to end up on the evening news.

Beel

“I want to take up kendo.” Beel announced to you one day. Out of the blue. “I’ve been looking for ways to add variety to my workout. I came across this video on kendo and thought it would be fun.”

Of course, Beel knew you had practiced kendo in the past at school. So he might have also been looking for fitness activities for you to do together. In any case, he really liked seeing you in your little workout outfit. It was super cute.

He also liked you showing him the basics of kendo; stance, footing, basic strike movement. When he felt he had gotten the hang of it, Beel jovially asked for a sparring match with you.

“I don’t know….”

“Come on [Y/N], sparring with someone is the best way to learn fighting.” He reasoned. “Besides, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“I’m not worried about that….” He heard you mutter under your breath, but thought that he must have imagined it as you squared off.

Standing across from you in the arena, something changed. The hair on the back of Beel’s neck stood up. Not in the excited way that it normally did when he saw you. But something more….primal. His grip tightened a little more as he realized he might have to get a little serious with you.

It was all for nothing though as the match was over just as soon as it started.

The shinai went flying out of his hands, landing across the room just as Beel landed on his butt. His backside throbbing as his bell was rung clear as day. He rubbed his head as he looked up at you. “I may have forgotten to mention that I was three-time national kendo champ all through school.”

The demon looked up at you with a shiny, sparkly gaze only until now reserved for delicious food. “Teach me sensei!”

Belphie

He hated being out. He wanted to go home.

Being outside in the sun, with all these…..people was hell to him. Belphie would rather be home, in actual hell, with his blanket and pillow and quiet, rather than ‘top side’ with you for the whole afternoon. Not that it was you or anything. You were the only bright star on this miserable day. He’d be damned if he’d let one of his brothers spend the day with you when he could.

“Belphie, do you want an ice cream? Maybe that will help with the heat?”

He wanted to say that the only thing that would help him was getting the hell out of here. But, he bit his tongue. The demon knew how important this was to you to come ‘home’ now & then and he didn’t want to ruin it for you. So he just nodded and asked, “strawberry please.”

He sat in the shade as he watched you go over to the ice cream truck alone. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he was just a hopeless shut in. Like Levi, only worse. He just wanted humans so much that being around them was making him crankier than normal today.

“Geez, get a look at that side show over there.”

Belphie looked up from his daze at the human who was a few yards away from him. Snickering and staring with his friends in a voice that a regular human wouldn’t be able to hear. “If you have something to say, then say it, you chicken shit fuck.” Again, he was very cranky.

The human was obviously taken aback at being heard and then called out like that. “What did you say to me?!” He yelled, once he got his bearings on the situation, and took a ‘threatening’ step forward to see if he would repeat it.

“I said ‘If you have something to say, then say it, you chicken shit fuck’.” Of course he repeated it. “Don’t mutter something under your breath like a coward. Say it like a man, or keep your gross mouth shut.” This was why he hated humans. No spine.

Well, metaphorical spine. If he kept this up, Belphie was gonna prove that he had a spine when he ripped it out and made him wear it as a neck tie.

“You little fuck--!” Belphie, of course, didn’t move when he stomped closer. Not that he needed to, because he was stopped in his tracks rather abruptly when you stepped between then. Holding a knife from your pocket.

“I suggest you get out of here, before the only ‘side show’ around here is your knife swallowing act pal.” The man seemed to frozen for a moment as he tried to process if you were serious. Then his flight instincts kicked in and he took off running with his friends across the park. “Gosh, I think I’ve been spending to much time with you guys. I never would have done anything like this before.” You said after a sigh, then turned back to Belphie.

“My hero.” He cheered softly, in his typical tired voice but still with a soft smile. Seeming extremely proud of the bad influence he was on you.

[duskholland]

frat!tom inviting you to one of their ragers and all of his brothers trying to be a wingman for him bc they all know he’s had his eye on you the whole semester 😂 bc your friends would be like since when did you become friends with all these frat bros and you’re like idk what’s going on rn you’d be so confused lmao.

god this is such a cute idea...my heart. cw: alcohol + fluff.

finishing up some frat!tom blurbs !!

*:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧ *:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧ *:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧

The first time it happens, you find it funny. The second, you feel a little uncertain but laugh it off. But the third time you’re approached by one of the fratboys hosting the party and offered a round of the house’s finest drinks, you can’t deny your complete bemusement.

“Since when did you become friends with so many frat bros?” Your friend, Val, whispers, clinging to your arm as one of the men, a shorter lad called Harry, dishes out shots to you and all of your friends. You accept one with a smile before dropping your voice.

“I didn’t,” you mutter. “I don’t understand what’s going on right now.”

You’ve barely done your shot when there’s a presence beside you.

“Y/N! Pleased you could make it.” You turn to see Harrison there, the vice-president of the frat. He’s in a SnapBack and a black T-shirt, smirking widely. “Do you and your friends want to come and play beer pong with us?”

You exchange a glance with Val, who giggles.

“Why not,” you agree.

You’re swept over to the large patio with a few of your friends, and you barely have time to process what’s happening before Harrison is claiming you as his partner and pulling you around to his side of the table. Val stands at the other end, and you watch, confused, as she asks one of the fratboys to partner with her, only for him to agree, look across the table and see you, then immediately shake his head and announce,

“Wait— no, I can’t. Stay here. One second.”

He runs away and Val raises a brow, but before you can speak to her, Harrison is poking at your arm.

“So,” he says, smirking softly. “How are you finding the party, Y/N? Anyone catch your eye?”

You furrow your brows, crossing your arms over your chest as you eye him carefully. You’ve not spent much time with Harrison before. Yes, you’ve been to a few parties together and played some games of truth or dare, but you’ve not developed such a deep connection that would warrant such attention. You find it suspicious.

“It’s a good party,” you agree, “though, I don’t think you guys have ever hosted a bad one.”

Harrison nods, pride reflecting in his eyes. “Well, thanks.” He digs his hands into his pockets. “It’s all Tom. He does all the planning and organising. He’s a great guy.” Harrison nudges you gently. “A really great guy.”

You start to wonder if the reason for your sudden catapult to centre of attention is more straightforward than you’d first thought.

“—Ahh, there he is, actually. What good timing.”

You look across the table, your breath hitching as your eyes fall upon the figure of Tom Holland, president of the frat, and your study partner from english lit. He looks good, wrapped up in a blue flannel and a black t-shirt, with a dark cap resting on his curls. His eyes seek yours out immediately and you raise a hand in greeting, feeling your lips twitch into a soft smile as he walks towards you.

“Y/N, darling!” Tom exclaims, greeting you with a hand on your hip and his lips on your cheek. “You look stunning tonight.” His fingers linger on your waist for a moment before he steps away, and his proximity grants you a deep whiff of his cologne.

“Thank you,” you reply, smiling shyly. “You look good too.”

“Thanks, love.” The tips of his teeth flint white as Tom beams at you. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come tonight. I’m glad you did.”

You tilt your head to the side. “Of course I would,” you say. You’d been overjoyed when he’d extended the invite to you, personally, and invited you and your friends to the biggest rager on campus. “I wanted to see you.”

It’s unclear if he’s blushing, or simply too warm, but you watch as Tom scratches the back of his neck and smiles almost shyly.

“I’m glad.” He clears his throat and his eyes flutter across the table, to where Harrison’s drifted around to stand beside Val. He nudges your arm, his elbow gentle. “Are you ready to win this?”

“Oh hell yeah. I was born ready.”

“That’s my girl.”

You feel your lips pull up, and try not to let him see the thrill that curls down your spine as you hear him speaking so affectionately to you.

The game goes by slowly, and you find yourself wondering how Harrison, usually so irritatingly good at beer pong, misses even the easiest of shots. If you didn’t know any better, you might be tempted to think he was trying to throw the game, yet Tom keeps you too busy to extensively ponder this thought. When you’re not on the receiving end of his smooth praises, you’re both listening to some of the fratbros who linger near, passing off compliment after compliment in Tom’s direction. They hype up almost every part of his person, pointing out, eagerly, and despite Tom’s obvious embarrassment, how good his grades have been, how he’s been learning to cook, how he’s a beast in the gym… Any positive to Tom that could be praised, is, and it leaves you smiling.

Much to your amusement, you end up winning the game. Once you’re suitably buzzed, you wave bye to Val and follow Tom back inside, his hand clinging to yours. You watch, amused, as the crowd seems to part for you, multiple pairs of eyes following you and the way your fingers are linked with Tom’s. Whispers follow you, and you find yourself clinging closer to him, curling your arm around his as you shy into his side.

Tom takes you upstairs. He’d pulled you from the patio whispering about a book he’d borrowed from you a month ago and needed to return, but you know that his intentions go beyond the return of a simple favour.

“This is a nice room,” you say. It’s large, and on the top floor of the frat. It’s also the room that comes without a suite mate, courtesy of Tom’s status as president. There’s a large window set into the wall, a nice double bed, and even an en-suite.

You feel his hand briefly touch you back as Tom moves past you and walks over to his desk. You watch him rummage through a pile of papers and pens, his watch glinting.

“Thank you,” he responds, looking back over his shoulder at you. His thin lips quirk into a smile as he inclines his head towards his bed. “You can sit down if you want.”

You hum as you walk towards the bed, perching on the edge of the mattress with your legs crossed. After a few moments more, Tom releases a noise of triumph and holds up the borrowed book.

“Here you go,” he says, walking over to you. He passes you the book, and you promptly put it down beside you. “Thank you for letting me borrow it.”

“Of course,” you respond. You meet his eyes, getting momentarily lost in his caramel depths. “Hey, could I ask you a question?”

Tom nods, crossing his hands behind his back as he looks at you curiously. “Anything.”

You bite your lip before extending your hand towards him. When he takes it and easily loops your fingers together, you smile.

“Did you have all your frat brothers wingman you tonight?”

Tom hesitates, a hint of embarrassment curling over his face.

“You, uh, noticed that?” He asks, scratching at his neck.

You nod, smirking. “If the never ending supply of shots and compliments weren’t indication enough, Harrison also threw the game so we would win.”

Tom curses softly. “He’s such a twat,” he mutters. “But uh… Yeah, I guess. I just wanted you to have a good time tonight, Y/N. Some of them just took it a bit too far. I’m sorry if they made you feel uncomfortable.”

“They didn’t. I thought it was cute.” You hesitate, your eyes shifting over his face. “I think you’re cute.”

Tom shifts on his feet, seeming to stretch a little straighter as he smirks.

“And I think you’re absolutely gorgeous.” Using the hand intertwined with yours, Tom very gently helps you to your feet. His fingers slip down to your waist, where they rest, touch firm and warm. You like the feeling of being so close to him.

“So… What are you going to do about that?”

You bite your lip as his breath hitches, and then you let him pull you closer. His voice is lower, huskier, and it comes out lightly as his warm breath fans out across your face.

“I’m gonna kiss you,” he declares.

You give him the slightest nod before looping your arms around his neck, and then very slowly, and easily, Tom presses his lips to yours. It’s soft at first—carrying more care than you would’ve expected—but your eyes flutter shut as you enjoy the moment. It builds quickly, spiralling from a tender union of mouths to an intensely hot kiss, burning bright with passion as you feel him nibbling your lower lip. You part your lips, and your fingers dig into his curls as your tongues dance together, the kiss growing hotter and heavier as you curl in closer.

When you break away after a few moments of passionate kissing, you’re breathless but happy. You rest your palms on the flat of his shoulders and sigh contentedly, lips stinging softly.

“Next time you want to get closer to me, you can just ask me, y’know,” you tease. “I quite like spending time with you, Tom.”

His lips brush your cheek, and you feel him squeeze your waist.

“Noted, love.” He pauses for a moment, smirk biting at his lips. “Care to spend some time with me now, darling?”

You wrap your fingers around the top of his shirt and pull him closer, letting your lips brush over his as you smile.

“I think I’d like that very much.”

[aminiatureworld]

Wings

Characters: Xiao, gn!reader

Word Count: 3,523

Warnings: Slight depictions of violence

Premise: In which the reader has wings

Author’s Note: It’s been a while! Hopefully I’m not too rusty, although I can’t account for how late(/early) this is being posted. I’m going to bed.

Xiao

Even from the beginning Xiao had been enthralled with your wings.

They were larger than that of any bird or creature that Xiao had ever seen before, stretching far beyond your arms when they were unfolded, before bending to cover you in a cloak of downy feathers the color of warm soil, shot through with the occasional birch colored feather.

He’d decided to appear in front of you almost the moment he saw you in the distance, at first wondering if you might be an adepti or a god from one of the other lands in Teyvat. Although the look of surprise that crossed your face when he shed his invisibility before you quickly robbed him of that conviction. It was too late to go back at that point though, so Xiao begrudgingly let out his question.

“Who are you?”

Your smile was an odd one; it seemed to convey to Xiao that you didn’t have the answer to his question at all. Nevertheless you answered. You were a half-adepti, and as of such you had been born with wings. When pressed upon your adeptus side you merely shook your head. Both of your parents hadn’t stuck around that much, and you knew little of your heritage, or of the beings who walked the land who weren’t Morax.

Xiao had stared at you then, disbelief mixing with a vague sense of pity. What must it be like to be unable to recognize an adeptus despite being one yourself. It seemed ludicrous, but Xiao couldn’t find it in himself to disdain your state. Pausing then he decided upon what immediately after seemed a very foolish decision.

“Call for me if you are in need. I’m called Xiao.”

He didn’t bother waiting for your response before disappearing, unwilling to let his emotions be known.

 The next time he saw you was in the sky. The yaksha certainly hadn’t expected such a thing, and while the initial shock was certainly something, it was almost immediately replaced with a strange appreciation. Though Xiao had seen that the vision you wielded was a Geo one, he almost immediately began to associate you with his own element, with the winds that carried you where you wished to go. Any clumsiness or human fault in your step was almost immediately shed, for how could one be anything but graceful in the air, no matter how they dipped or shook or stopped suddenly. If Xiao was honest with himself, he was utterly enthralled.

Eventually you seemed to grow tired and soon you grew closer. Shifting slightly Xiao backed up as you landed on a branch next to the roof, face flushed with exercise and happiness. Spotting Xiao you smiled brightly.

“It’s a beautiful place to fly here.”

Seemingly unfazed by the lack of conversation on Xiao’s part you sighed, leaning against the branch and staring into the sky. Murmuring something to yourself you seemed so utterly content. A begrudging curiosity swept over Xiao as he found himself responding to your words.

“Really?”

“Oh yes!” You immediately replied, face brightening. “It’s much nicer here than where I came from.”

“Where?” Xiao found himself once more asking.

“Oh this small village on the outskirts of Liyue, near the Chasm a bit. It’s a poor mining town, always covered in soot and coal dust. It’s very difficult to keep things clean there let me tell you; and the people don’t really like things that stand out. I haven’t flown in a while actually, since everyone was so hostile when I did. Now that I’m here I think, I hope, that I can do what they want.”

“You can.”

“I’m so glad to hear,” you smiled once more. “I wasn’t really sure what it would be like here. I’ve mostly stayed in the village, but people seemed more hostile than usual so I figured it’d be better to leave now before I ended up on the wrong side of a pitchfork or a shovel.”

“Humans are so foolish.”

“Maybe you’re right. Still, I’m here now and who knows! Maybe things will turn out well.”

With that you clambered off the roof and walked into the Inn proper, leaving Xiao a swirl of questions and surprisingly burning emotions.

 After this you seemed to have gotten it into your head that Xiao was now primed to be your general confidante. Though this initially ruffled the adeptus, he didn’t truly feel like dissuading you, and by the time he’d gotten over the initial shock of your conversation he decided that your voice was surprisingly nice to listen to, and thus settled quietly enough into his new and strange roll of sympathetic ear.

“I registered for the Guild today,” you were saying today, voice bright with excitement. “It’s funny the lady at the stand, Ms. Katheryne? She didn’t even bat an eye at me! I was sure that I was going to get some questions, but besides the stares nothing happened. I’m supposed to start tomorrow. I have to make sure some supplies get to the quarry. Hopefully I won’t run into anyone there.”

“They will leave you alone. The Guild I’ve heard is a powerful force in Liyue.”

“I hope so! I don’t want my first commission to go wrong. I never thought about what I’d do in my life, beyond the usual village work. It’s exciting to have something new out in front of me.”

Xiao thought that was unbearably peppy of you, but he said nothing. Surprisingly he found himself also wishing that you’d do well.

 Xiao wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, following your commission on wind currents. It was none of his business how things went today, after all what did he care about the affairs of humans, even those who were half adeptus? Still he found himself following you, cursing himself all the while for doing something so stupid.

The usual unshakeable happiness that you seemed to exude seemed to disappear almost the moment you left the Inn, instead replaced with a face grim and jumpy with anticipation. A few times you even turned back, studying the Inn or the sky around it. Sometimes your gaze even seemed to pierce through Xiao, something the adeptus found slightly unnerving. Nevertheless he followed as you continued on your journey, all the while wondering what could cause such a massive shift in your demeanor.

If Xiao had any questions about the extent of the reality of your words they were quickly answered. The atmosphere of the quarry was absolutely suffocating, and you could’ve cut the tension with a blade as you slowly approached the drop off.

The foreman said nothing to you, merely glaring as he approached the balloon that you were accompanying. Scouring the barrels and boxes his scowl deepened and deepened. Turning around abruptly he disappeared into his hut for a moment before coming back out. Gesturing towards to open quarry he glared at you.

“There.”

“Thank you,” you replied, voice suddenly small. “Uhm, where exactly should I put this?”

“You lived with us for how many years and couldn’t be bother to retain a shred of information?” The foreman swore under his breath. “Damned half-creatures like you. Put it in Section 4. Tell the Guild master that I never want to see your face here again.”

You said nothing to that in response, merely continuing on your way. Though Xiao couldn’t help but notice how white the knuckles were on the rope you were using to lead the balloon with.

The hostility didn’t ease up when you walked in. Instead things seemed to grow worse, as men and women stared at you with open disdain. The occasional insult could be heard, but for the most part it was deadly quiet, and your steps seemed shorter and shorter as you approached your given destination. At first Xiao was trying to convince himself that such a spectacle didn’t affect him. After all, what did he care for the strange whims and fears of humans. None of this had anything to do with his contract, and he was under no obligation to help you in such an instance. These thoughts were chipping away however, and before Xiao was entirely aware of what he was doing he found himself lowering himself on the ground.

A chorus of gasps rose up as he emerged from the invisible winds that cloaked him. Standing in front of you Xiao nevertheless didn’t catch your eye, instead focusing his glare on the people around him. At first you stopped, taken aback as well it seemed by his sudden appearance. Almost immediately however your posture seemed to relax slightly, and your pace seemed to go back to normal as you walked towards him, continuing on as he followed you to your destination.

Everything else was done in deadly silence, as you got the paperwork you needed and headed out of the quarry. Xiao said nothing the whole time, merely following a few steps behind you. He half expected you to start chattering again the moment the foreman’s hut exited the field of view, but instead you remained quiet. Still you seemed much less grave than in the morning and though Xiao couldn’t explain why this somehow reassured him. Walking next to you now he found his hand drifting towards you, as if the two were being drawn together by magnets. When your hands finally connected Xiao couldn’t help but think how warm yours were.

 After that a ritual of commission sharing seemed to inexplicably pop up, though how exactly Xiao wasn’t really sure of. At first it had been to make sure there was no repeat performance of the first day, but then it quickly developed into something else, although what that something was Xiao didn’t really know. All he knew was that every morning when you went to leave he’d find himself next to you, frowning grumpily, muttering about how this wasn’t his duty. You were usually groggy in the mornings, but always managed to give his hand a squeeze before embarking.

If Xiao had subconsciously assumed that the mining incident was a standalone thing he was quickly robbed of that conviction. At first it seemed as if everyone was out for you, though in general the reason seemed to be less your status as half illuminated beast and more due to the figure you cut soaring against the sky, wings obviously too big to be a glider. Everyone seemed to be after you. Treasure Hoarders and Fatui Agents would try to shoot at you, though often you were much too high for their weapons; bandits would ambush you, aiming for your feathers as they attacked; even geovishaps and other such creatures seemed weirdly obsessed with going after you.

Though Xiao had told you more than once that it would be faster if you let him dispatch the monsters and knock out the hunters you always forbid him from doing so. It was your work after all, and if you couldn’t do it yourself then you might as well resign. Xiao usually responded to this with grumblings, but he had to admit that a part of him admired your tenacity.

Still it was difficult to sit back and do nothing. It wasn’t your presence that irritated Xiao, it was more everything else. Besides, he felt as if he was neglecting his duties sometimes. Thus when you told him one day that your commission tomorrow was going to see if a citizen had found a ruin network Xiao excused himself. You didn’t seem to mind too much, though you joked that you would miss your adventuring companion. Still the idea of suddenly not going with you seemed strange after weeks of this new routine.

“If you find yourself in trouble, do not forget to call my name. No matter where you are I will hear it.”

“I’ll make sure to do that,” you replied, smiling softly. “But it’ll be fine. I probably won’t even need to fight anything, besides maybe some slimes. I might even get back before you.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t. I’ll come back as soon as possible, and then maybe we can fly a little together?” For some reason you seemed to like the idea of flying alongside Xiao, who found himself more and more often indulging you, though he wouldn’t really call his use of currents flying.

“Maybe.”

“Good! Then I’ll try to wrap things up quickly. Can’t miss something like that, can I?”

Xiao didn’t say anything in response. Later that evening, after you went to bed, he stared up at the night sky, trying to grasp onto his thoughts. He seemed to be awfully worried about you, or rather you seemed to be invading most of his thoughts. Why Xiao couldn’t tell. At first it had simply been that your strange situation somewhat interested him. He couldn’t imagine the idea of a half-adeptus who had lived as you had. Then it had been the mining, then the commissions, then the gliding. Now he couldn’t even think of the next day without a strange sense of worry.

What did all this mean? Xiao never thought he would find himself infatuated with anyone. His only loyalty was to Morax, his only connections had been with the yakshas who were now lost to him. His only remaining duty was to guard Liyue, to clear the land of the curses that remained. Nevertheless he found himself thinking about you, worrying about you even. What did this mean?

Staring out into the sky Xiao asked himself what he wanted. An image of you seemed to materialize in his brain. You were flying high in the sky, arms stretched out wide, smile as wide and clear as the sky above you. He wanted you to feel that way, and, more than that, in that moment Xiao wanted nothing so more as to share that feeling with you, to be some piece in that vision of happiness. Shaking his head the yaksha let out a snort. What a stupid idea.

 The next day started in a way much more similar to the days that had passed before you arrival. Xiao left early, finding it easier to deal with the lingering evils of the world when there were less people going about to get in the way. He thought of waiting for you to wake up, but for some reason the action seemed foolish. Or maybe it seemed somehow unlucky. After all, Xiao was embarking on a day that would surely have to end with some sort of cleansing ritual.

The monsters weren’t excessive, and the going was fast enough, though the sun had risen high in the sky by the time Xiao stopped to rest. Traveling towards Jueyun Karst Xiao thought of the pool of water up near Cloud Retainer’s domain. It would be good to rest for a moment, up near sure pure energy. Summoning some winds Xiao found himself in a weirdly clear frame of mind, detached once more from the world around him.

Then he heard your voice.

Almost immediately Xiao found himself above you, instinct reacting before his mind had time to catch up. You had never called for him before, and the unexpectedness caused a flood of hot panic to rush through him.

Staring down at the scene above Xiao felt another wave of burning emotion rush through him. You were backed up against a few stones, panic evident in your stance. One of your arms appeared to have suffered a gash, and as of such the claymore Xiao knew you carried lay in the grass next to you, too heavy now to be of any use. You also seemed to have suffered a blow to the head, and your awkward movements seemed to indicate some sort of dizziness. But what drew Xiao’s eye the most was the blood staining the brown of your wings, the feathers that were scattered around you.

The people surrounding you wore the crest of the Fatui, and their smiles were ones of absolute triumph.

“You should’ve flown away. What could a half-baked fighter like you do against the greatest army in the world? Now your wings will decorate the walls of the palace of Snezhnaya.”

You were mute to the Skirmisher’s jeers, your head bobbing to the side slightly. Once more Xiao heard your voice ripple through his head, though this time it was fainter, unsteady. The anger welling up inside of him seemed to ripple, and before he knew it the yaksha found himself standing in front of you, not caring about the black tendrils that licked at his polearm, only coherent thought that the Fatui members should have picked a different assignment.

Xiao despised fighting humans. They seemed to bend around him, shredding like paper. Though a part of him jeered that he was fighting nothing but monsters, the adeptus still pulled himself back. Some burdens were too heavy to bear, and even fighting a human was something that he would normally never do. Still the fight was brutal, if painfully short, and when Xiao finally found himself standing alone he surrounded by the groans and shrieks of those whose injuries would not be forgotten tomorrow.

Taking his mask off Xiao pushed through the tendrils of darkness that were now clinging to his skin. There would be time to bathe and clean off all the evil he’d generated and purified later. For now the adeptus ran over to your side, scooping you up and traveling as quickly as possible to the Inn. The smalls groans that escaped you cut through him, but at least you were alive. At least he had made it in time. At least.

Though there was nothing that the adeptus could really do to cure gashes and a concussion, Xiao found himself unwilling to stray from your side in the aftermath. Pushing away the guilt that threatened to burn through him when he was alone Xiao became a constant figure in your room. Perching no your dresser, or eventually in the chair Goldet dragged next to your bed, Xiao supervised your health with a regiment that would’ve been impossible for a mortal. Yet it didn’t feel like enough, it never felt like enough. Watching over you as you fell in and out of naps Xiao felt the guilt buzzing behind his ears. Your fault, this is your fault.

One evening Xiao found it all too much. Covering his face with his hands he rasped into the silent room.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Whipping his head up Xiao was met with your slightly groggy face. Reaching over to grasp his hand you smiled as the adeptus moved to intertwine his fingers in yours.

“I didn’t go with you.”

“I didn’t ask you to. I thought, I thought it’d be easy. But it wasn’t so I called for you and then you came and saved me, so it was fine.” Your voice was heavy with sleep and your words slightly slurred, but there was still some urgency behind them, an urgency Xiao found himself responding to.

“I still wasn’t fast enough.”

“You seemed pretty fast to me.”

“I still, it’s still my fault.” Xiao didn’t know why he found himself repeating the same words over and over. Somehow he seemed completely unequipped to deal with the panic that had been slowly crushing him for the past few days. How could he explain this to you? How could he explain the fear that shot through him, the anger, the… something?

“No, it wasn’t. It’s not your fault that I look strange, or that I have these weird wings. It’s not your fault that people don’t like it.”

“Humans are fools,” Xiao spat out. “They try to destroy something that is beautiful, all because they cannot understand it.”

“You think my wings are beautiful?”

“Yes.” Xiao didn’t realize that was a question. Somehow the looked of sleepy happiness on your face filled him with a sense of embarrassment. Ducking his head the adeptus shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Thank you for telling me,” you replied, happiness in your voice. For a moment you paused, before piping up again. “You haven’t been sleeping a lot have you?”

“Sleep is unnecessary for those who are full adeptus.”

“Still, it can’t be fun to sit here alone for hours,” you frowned before scooting over slightly.

Xiao stared at the unspoken invitation for a moment, disbelief mixing into the thoughts that were cramming his head. He said nothing, but as the look on your face dimmed slightly he sighed. Laying his mask on the nightstand the yaksha lay next to you.

You smiled, seemingly satisfied. Linking your hand once more with his you let out a small sigh, before relaxing slightly, closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Xiao stared at the ceiling, listening to the soft cadence of your breath. The panic that fizzed through his brain only moments earlier, replaced with a contentment that the yaksha rarely felt. Suddenly everything seemed at peace with the world, and despite the summer heat Xiao felt no more discomfort.