#Pffft keep it I would do this for free

[thenameoftheflame]

"You're the only one keeping score here. But now you've got me curious- how are those ice powers of yours doing anyway, Phantom? Care to give a frosty little demo, see if you can get another one up on me?"

        ❝ Whaaat? I would never. But if we're keeping score against ghosts that have flaming hair versus those that don't, I actually think I'm winning here. And I'd even say my ice powers give me bonus points. ❞

[hanafubukki]

I can imagine Yuu feeling a tad bit heartbroken seeing Malleus's broken horns but mayb he explains to them,

"Don't mourn the power I lost so no need to shed your tears for me. Matter of fact, I ought to pay Shroud in kind for this. I can express joy without setting the world ablaze, I can cry without causing a blizzard, and I can finally get angry without causing an earthquake! I feel so free now! Plus, it's a horn. Much like with your hair, it'll grow back."

Hello Dorkus 💚🌺💞

The Malleus loosing his horn feels are still strong 😭💔

But he’s happy, so we’re happy. But in the end, he still got hurt and that guilt I can still see be there whether from family and/or friends.

Summary: Malleus eases your burden.

You keep looking at his horn. You can’t help it.

It shouldn’t have come to this. You knew it was for the best. Yet, just like the others, you couldn’t help the tinge of guilt whenever you saw Malleus’ broken horn.

“Am I a captive animal for you to stare at in such a way?”

You startle before shaking your head, “No! It’s not that at all.”

“I merely jest. Breaking the ice as Lilia would say. You seemed to have developed a fascination for my horns more so than my tail now. What fascinates you?”

You couldn’t look him in the eyes. How? How do you tell him? This guilt you have. Something that’s irrational but there anyways?

“You feel burdened by my broken horn.”

You look at him with widened eyes. The face before you is soft and understanding-it’s a look you haven’t ever seen on him before.

“You are not the only one to feel this way. Silver and Sebek have been skittish around me. They behave as if one mistake would lead to treasonous acts against me.”

He walks ahead of you before turning towards you. The sight before you leaves you breathless. The moon shines on him. Giving him an unearthly glow that only fae kind can exhibit-no, only he could present as his tail appears in a swirl and scales appear along his back.

The fae that stood before you was not a simple classmate of yours nor did he portray a prince. No, Malleus Draconia right now shone like a God descended from the heavens.

Did the damage to his horn mean he couldn’t hide his draconic features anymore? How could one who lost so much be able to stand in such a celestial form? When to others, he seemed to be a dragon dragged from the heavens and tamed?

“You do not need to feel burdened by the power I lost. Matter of fact, Shroud has provided me a boon.”

Malleus raised his face to the moon’s light as if seeking comfort from an old friend.

“For many years, all I have known is isolation. Numbness. I could never cry, laugh, or anger easily. To do so meant bringing harm to those around me.”

“It was,” Malleus hesitated, as if the words were new to him, “…difficult.”

When he turned towards you then, you are surprised to see his eyes worn despite his ethereal visage.

“What you humans take for granted, I was never allowed. But now?” Malleus chuckled, “Now I can be free to be who I am.”

Malleus offered his hand, beckoning you to lay yours on top of his, “Come, Child of Man, lay your worries to rest.”

He smirked at you, “Unless you prefer me when I’m dark and dreary?”

You couldn’t help the laugh that came out, “Pffft hahaha I prefer you however you want to be.”

You laid your hand on top of his, “I want you to be happy Tsunotaro.”

“I am.”

You smiled widely at him. The gleam in your eyes has his crinkling in return.

There’s the smile I adore from My Child of Man.

….I have no idea where that description about Malleus in the middle passages came from but *pokes at brain* brain do it more. I demand it. Lolol 😆💚💞 (randomly had inspiration for this and I ran lol)

Malleus the fae that you are 😭💞💙 You’ve been through so much but stayed kind despite it all. 🥺🥺

I hope you liked this Dorkus 💙💙💚💚🫂🫂

[uki01]

Hello! I see you’re open to requests right now and I can also see that Sonic is one of your current hyper fixations (me too lol). I wanted to ask about romantic headcanons for Sonic, Shadow, Amy, Knuckles, Silver, and Sticks.

Common as it is, I’m a sucker for jealousy/possessive headcanons. How would these guys/gals stake their claim on their partner for everyone to know just who they’re with?

Gender of their partner doesn’t really matter to me just write how you feel most comfortable. And obviously if this has already been requested, please feel free to delete. Thank you!

Sonic The Hedgehog, Shadow The Hedgehog, Amy Rose, Knuckles The Echidna, Silver The Hedgehog and Sticks The Badger x Reader (Separately)

Author’s Note: Thank you for your request! I crashed out way too badly when I lost this draft so sorry if it took way too long!

Warnings: Possessive and Jealousy! Might be OOC, crying mentioned, insecurity mentioned.

“I think that it’s jealousy”

Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic thinks he’s too cool to be jealous, because what does he need to get jealous of?

He’s the fastest hedgehog there is, can spin dash, spin ball, turn Super, has an attractive personality, charming and super cool

And best of all, he’s got the best and hottest/handsome boyfriend/girlfriend/partner ever! And they feel the same way and think he’s the coolest person to be around, he’s way above getting jealous?

ERRH! 👹. Wrong.

When he sees you with someone, he doesn’t think too much of it, just friends chatting, nothing wrong.

That is until they start getting close to you… incredibly close, that’s when his cocky attitude starts to falter

He zooms by and just happens to see you and you’re ‘friend’! What a coincidence!

Sonic then either starts showing off to you his tricks or dragging you off somewhere away with some excuse.

Examples:

“Yo Y/N I heard there was this eating 200 chilli dogs contest! I need you to be my cheerleader!”

“Hey hey hey! If it isn’t my favourite person, Y/N! Speaking of, I heard there’s this parade going on! You love parades right? Well why wait! Let’s go!”

“Y/N what a coincidence! Say, I am making a band right now, why don’t you be my singer! You have a lovely voice!”

You don’t find this odd since Sonic’s always dragging you god knows where but it’s funny how it always happens after a friend starts to get close or you two laugh together like hyenas? How strange.

After a few days of being dragged somewhere after laughing with your friend. You ask Sonic what’s going on, which he acts all innocent when you ask that question, great, now something is definitely going on.

You then ask Sonic why has he been acting weird since you keep chatting with you’re friend and he happens to be there, he denies it again, then it clicked, you then asked if he’s jealous then he starts fumbling over his words.

”Jealous? Me? Nah! Pffft! I am way to cool for that”

Of course, this guy smh… 🤦🏽‍♀️

You tell him to be honest otherwise you’re sleeping on the couch, which his grin fades and starts being honest (finally).

”Okay okay sheesh… yes, I’m jealous… but you saw how your friend got close to you! They were putting their arms all over you non stop! I swear they have a crush on you! You know I don’t like that!”

Oh, it was just that?

You laughed at him, he starts to pout, what a funny guy, you kiss him then reassure him that there’s nothing going on between you and you’re friend, which he does calm down and softens up a bit.

”I… I’m sorry I reacted that way babe, I just don’t want to lose you, you know? You are one of the best people that’s happen to me and I value you a lot”

Awww, even if he’s a pain in the ass he’s genuinely a sweetheart and does want to make sure you are comfortable and safe.

Overall, Sonic’s annoying when he’s jealous, starts to do outrageous tricks, it’s embarrassing and he knows it so please stop him.

Rating Jealousy Level: 7/10

Shadow The Hedgehog

Shadow, where do I start with this hedgehog.

So first things first, Shadow’s like a guard dog, always glaring at those who dare to lay their eyes on you and is practically ready to jump on away that dares to make a move on you, even kids (RIP to my bro, Tails).

I mean, you don’t entirely blame him, he watched his best friend/older sister figure, Maria get shot right in front of him while he was powerless and couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening. So you just let it happen… most of the time.

So when he sees you and your friend chatting away, being all friendly with each other. He starts glaring and basically scowling at your friend.

Shadow stands very close to you while you are chatting with your friends, basically glaring at your friend telling them eye to eye back off.

Which your friend then does and tells you they have to do something. Confused, you turned to Shadow who just says.

“They aren’t worth your time”

More confused but shrugs it off. But this has become a regular occurrence nowadays.

Not that Shadow wasn’t naturally protective, he was definitely, it was just every time you go to see your friend, always scaring them off with a stare, and always saying things like they aren’t worth it or just not something to waste your time on.

Examples:

“You always talk to them, why bother waste your time with some pathetic moron who doesn’t know how to keep their distance”

“Y/N, you should stop wasting your time on this person, they aren’t worth the trouble”

“Why even bother with them? They don’t know how to keep hands and feet to themselves, they probably don’t even wash after getting their disgusting hands on you”

You are surprised by his behaviour, but you found out that he does this when your friend gets closer to you.

Shadow wasn’t the type to do something without thinking, so something must be going on his mind right now.

When Shadow came back from a mission with Rouge and Omega, you ask him why is he acting so hostile towards your friend, of course he denies what you say and doesn’t know what your talking about.

Yep, somethings going on.

You ask Shadow again what’s going on, he denies it again and says this that clicks in your head.

”I am fine, why don’t you go waste your time blabbing about with your friend”

Ohhhh, so that’s why he’s been acting this why

Aww, poor guy, you then ask him if he’s jealous and if he denies it again you’ll go talk to your friend.

His silence for a bit, then speaks up, admitting his own hostility.

”Fine… yes, I am, but don’t you see how they look, put their hands on you. They keep coming on to you like your some prize, I greatly despise my partner being treated like one when they are not and they should respect your time, boundaries and space, like I do.”

Oh my god, he’s such a cutie you just wanna squish his face.

You reassured Shadow that nothing is happening between you and your friend, giving him a kiss on the forehead which he immediately relaxes too, ashamed at his own weakness.

”I’m… sorry… I’m just… afraid of losing you, to someone who can’t even protect you, you worth so much and deserves justice, I promised to Maria that I will protect the world, and I promise to you that I won’t let anything bad happen to you my love.”

Ugh, my Shayla ☹️💔🫶🏽

Overall, Shadow’s like a viscous dog when he’s jealous, so please be on the lookout for him and make sure he doesn’t cause too much damage and reassure this man.

Rating Jealousy Level: 10/10

Amy Rose

MY BEAUTIFUL PINK GIRL 💕💕😭

Amy is such a sweetheart, always making sure you are comfortable, this relationship is fair, great communication and both are safe and healthy!

So in a way I do see Amy being jealous but not to where she’s batshit crazy, no no no, I can never for my gorgeous girl.

Amy’s more of a type that whenever she sees someone being way too friendly, she steps in and asks what’s going on, if nothings going on, that’s all fine by her!

But when she does see your friend be waaay to close for her liking, she gets a bit annoyed

She then walks into the conversation, as if she just happened to be there!

Asking what’s going on or what’s the tea?

Examples:

“Heeey Y/N sweetie! Hello Y/N’s friend, so! I just saw you two chatting! Sooo, what’s the tea?”

“Oh! Hi Y/N! Isn’t it fancy seeing you here! I was just walking by and see you chatting with?… ah, that’s your name! Anyways! What’s going on here?”

“Y/NNN!~ Hii baby! It’s so lovely to see you here! I see you are just chatting with this person? What’s going on? You two seem, very lively, hapoy and giggly so I figured I asked, what’s all the giggles I am hearing and what’s it about?”

At first, you didn’t think too much of it, just your girlfriend, Amy strolling by, seeing you and your friend and asking what’s going on.

But now it’s been a regular thing where you’ll be chatting with your friend and Amy just happens to pass by, weird? Is she following you?

You two were always happy in this relationship and had great communication, is there something missing that you aren’t aware of?

You decided to go ask Amy what’s going on and how do you keep finding you and your friend.

She starts fumbling her words a bit, when your friend is mentioned, oh, now you get it.

You ask Amy if she’s jealous which she replies to

”Me? No no no! Of course not! It’s just you and your friend!”

You slightly giggle at this and ask again, remaining her that communication is important, which she sighs and responds sheepishly.

”Okay yes… I’m jealous, but I just saw them always hanging with you and I know they’re your friend but I never knew they would be this close to you! I couldn’t help myself and insert myself in the conversation… I’m sorry sweetheart.”

Aww this poor baby, she’s so sweet.

You kiss her, hold her hands, get her to look at you and tell her, reassuring her you aren’t going anywhere.

Tears and smile appearing on Amy’s face as she jumps and hugs you tightly as she wraps her arms around you.

”Oh thank you so much sweetie! I promise I will tell you when I’m feeling this way next time! I love you so much sweetheart!”

What a wonderful woman, get yourself a woman like Amy Rose

Overall, Amy isn’t too bad like Sonic or Shadow, she’ll just hop into your conversations with your friends whenever she feels this way, in which you personally don’t mind but remember to remind her that you aren’t going anywhere and your happy in this relationship with her.

I mean come on, you’ve got Amy Rose.

Rating Jealousy Level: 5/10

Knuckles The Echidna

Let’s be for real, Knuckles? Has zero clue.

Dudes spent his entire life dedicated to the Master Emerald, guarding it from any potential threats (cough cough Rouge cough Dr Eggman cough cough).

Knuckles maybe gullible but he isn’t that oblivious. Especially if his partner is in the wrong hands.

As soon as he sees your friend getting way to close and touchy you with, he gets his fists to talk your friend.

Think harder not smarter 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥

He barges in the conversation and starts basically growling at your friend, telling them to back off.

Examples:

“Hey! I don’t appreciate the way your getting close to my mate, so why don’t we play fair and step away from them!”

“You keep your arm away from there! What if they don’t want to be touched so much, haven’t you considered that before?”

“You need to stop talking so much and consider what your doing right now, keep your distance and hands off of my partner this instant”

Initially, you don’t see much of a problem until it becomes an every time thing with you and your friend.

With Knuckles constantly yelling at your friend to keep their distance and stop touching you was nice that he considers your boundaries but it was an all time thing now.

You knew he wasn’t good at social cues so you tried your best to ask Knuckles of why he’s always yelling at your friend every time.

”They just need to learn when they should stop and consider what’s right and worth for you”

You take this into consideration and it clicked, you asked him if he was jealous of you and your friends daily chats, which of course, he doesn’t know what it means, then you explained it to Knuckles and he humbly accepts.

”Jealousy? Well, yes I am, they shouldn’t be standing to close, I may not know too much but I know everyone needs space now and then, you too should have that right, I don’t want this person constantly going up to you every time, especially if they aren’t worth the effort and doesn’t have the strength to protect you in a way I can”

What a lovely humble echidna.

You give Knuckles a kiss on the forehead and tell him you are fine and reassure him that everything’s fine. He relaxes to this but keeps on guard.

”As you say dearest, please know that I am always available if need of assistance, I do value you and care for you a lot, and will and as always, will fight for your honour, I love you very much dear”

Ugh, Knuckles is such an underrated character, give him some love.

Overall, Knuckles’s like a guard dog, just like Shadow, make sure to keep an eye on him before he uses his fists for good use. Like always for Knuckles, think harder not smarter 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥

Rating Jealousy Level: 6/10

Silver The Hedgehog

Now Silver? Insecure and anxious

Yeah he does have telekinetic powers but he tends to overthink and worry if he’s good enough for you.

Silver’s future is messed up and in a worse state, wanting to have a better future for you and him to live, peacefully in.

So when he sees you chatting with a friend, the poor boy can’t help but feel insecure.

Silver would either stand with you or just which you away with his powers.

Which surprises you, this often happens when your friend are just done laughing or hugging.

As soon as you meet up with Silver when he lowers you done with his powers.

Silver tends to make random excuses like Sonic, but unlike The Blue Blur who is way more confident and good with it, Silver doesn’t sound too confident and is fumbling halfway.

Examples:

“Why did I bring you here? Uhh… oh right! I saw these flowers!… and I wanted to ask you if you wanted… to.. sniff them?”

“Y/N! I!… Uhh.. brought you here because… it’s important! Come on!”

“Hey! Uh.. Y/N! I just wanted to… check on you?…”

You catch this behaviour of this, it becomes a regular thing when you meet up with your friend.

You then ask Silver why he’s acting like this, which he doesn’t respond, looking ashamed.

After looking at the floor he responds, sheepishly.

”Well uh… I just… saw your friend and… you seemed to be having fun with them… and I wanted to bring you here just to chat! Honest!”

Oh, ohhh now you get it.

You ask Silver if he’s jealous, which he fumbled and tries to deny it but fails.

”What? No no definitely not! Absolutely not! None of that! Really!”

You just give him a stare, waiting, he then sighs and admits it, shyly.

”Yes… I am jealous, I’m really sorry I drag you away from your friend, I just… when I saw you with them… I felt insecure and left out, I just wondered if I was good enough for you… I’m sorry for leaving your friend in the dust cause of my selfishness”

Oh my god, your and my poor baby

You give Silver a kiss, which catches him off guard till you hugged him, patting his back and quills, reassuring Silver that you aren’t going anywhere.

Tears fell out of his eyes, hugs you back, afraid if he lets go you’ll disappear.

”I am so lucky you have you, you don’t know how much I’ll do for you, I would tear the multiverse just to see your beautiful laughter and smile, I love you so much honey”

Oh my god, my Shayla 😔💔🫶🏽

Overall, Silver’s more insecure when he’s jealous, so please reassure this man with all your heart, he deserves it.

Rating Jealousy Level: 8/10

Sticks The Badger

Sticks? Oh this girl is wild (literally).

She’s already paranoid, suspicious and feral when it comes to anybody she doesn’t know.

Sticks doesn’t hesitate, she will jump somebody if they make her or you uncomfortable, it’s on sight when she sees them.

So when she sees you with a friend and they’re getting too close and touchy, she’s jumping them.

On guard.

Nothing will stop her, touch Sticks’s girlfriend/boyfriend/partner, you’ll get dropkicked.

Not my words, it’s hers, trust.

Examples:

“Back! Back you foul beast! Stay away from my beloved partner! And stop touching them!”

“Don’t get too close to my partner! Only I can hug them like that! Back off!”

“Hey you! Stop getting so close with them like that! They are my partner! Stay back!”

Dude, you gotta stop this woman before she’s causes more damage.

You notice how Sticks does this when you and your friend link up and chat.

You asked her one day which she denies.

”Nah it’s not like that, they just need to know to keep their hands off you”

Ahhh, so that’s what it is, you ask Sticks if she was jealous which she becomes defensive and denies it quickly.

”Jealous? Whaaat! No! That is just me protecting you from any potential threats!”

You laugh and ask again, which she denies, until few seconds later she admits it.

”Okay if it makes you happy, yes, I am. But can you blame me! They were touching you! Gross! Only I can do that! With your consent and keep going near you! They should watch out, you don’t need to smell their disgusting breath”

You laugh again at this, kiss her and holds her hands. Reassuring Sticks you aren’t going anywhere and nothing is happening.

Sticks is thankful and relived but is on guard.

”I am happy you are happy in this relationship, from now on, I will make sure nothing will brainwash my amazing girlfriend/boyfriend/partner! You are the best people that I’ve ever met! I hope this is enough for you as always, Usually I’m not this sappy but I love you so much babe”

Sticks is one of the best Sonic characters, give her more screen time Sega. Overall, Sticks’s is a loose wild animal, keep watch of her before she causes property damage please.

Rating Jealousy Level: 8/10

Author’s Note: Hope you enjoy this! Sorry if it isn’t up to your exceptions but hope you love this!

[court-jobi]

hi! i love your works so much!!! i was wondering if i could request a hawks x pop princess f! reader?

like he does security for her groups concert and hes like “pffft im number 2 why do i need to be here”. then he watches her during sound check and is like okay i need to know more about her. so while shes getting ready hes just hovering backstage trying to talk to her. after the show she finally gives him her number (def against her companies wishes) and hes like trying to be suave and flirty and shes like “oh my god why is this working”. just a lot of hawks being a lover boy and sending gifts to her company anonymously and cutesy stuff like that lol. they have to keep their relationship a secret bc her company has a very strict no dating unless we agree rule. can be pre or post war hawks btw! you can take this wherever you want with it as well! can be nsfw or not.

im sorry that was so long! i was trying to make sure my thoughts were coherent lol.

Ooooo I love this idea so much, what a lovely dynamic to picture: a fanboy Hawks for a change, perhaps?? ~ this was a fun one to work on! @strwbrrykthv i sure hope this one was worth the wait and that I've done it justice!

You all are seriously the best readers a gal could ask for, and these requests are ✨giving me life✨~ Keep 'em coming!!

Who Has the Mic

Words: 4.3k

Rating: T

Warnings: Pro Hero!Hawks x popstar fem!reader, forbidden romance, flirting, mostly FLUFF, mentions of canon-typical threats, protective instincts, Hawks is a little shitTM, we love him your honor

for my My Hero Academia Masterlist, check it out here!

Read on Ao3

Hawks falls prey to a special thrill out of extending favors to others. 

‘I owe ya one’-- such a simple nicety that in the beginning, he doubts anyone would truly come to collect on it. It makes him sound agreeable, charming, starved for connection even before the height of his inevitable fame. 

Then he rose and rose in the hero rankings, securing himself into the very visible and wildly popular top spot, in terms of viewer popularity. 

It’s now that the redemptions of Hawks’ pro-hero favors have come rolling in… The unexpected keeps him on his toes and entertains him for the most part; and if it’s all for the sake of protecting others, then why not have a little fun with it? 

Once upon an overbearing press conference, back when he was first tiptoeing into the public scene… Hawks begged a makeup artist on staff for a spot to hide out in the green room and sneak a snack or two (or ten). He was granted pity for a teenager expected to take a seat at the table of an albeit boring Commission presentation. Well, it seems that particular makeup-artist rose within the talent realm themselves, and ended up reaching out to “that flyboy kid” back for a surprising accommodation: 

Top tier talent warrants top tier security.

Hawks takes a call at his agency and soon finds himself ushered in for the Tokyo opener of the reigning top-of-the-charts pop star with a voice of gold. The first meeting of old acquaintances led the Pro-Hero to tour the brand new, sky-high facilities, then return for the load-in day of the stage. Again for first dress, and each night of the week-long residency.

He carries his presence on the stealthier side, far above the stage floor in the scaffolding. Up here, lights are rigged with steel supports running every which way, where he executes perfect balance while walking in a straight line atop them. He’s checked -double and triple- that each outlet is free from hazard, each line of multi-ton equipment has been secured and safe, so that even his ‘adventuring’ from up high is not a risk.

He’s happy for the variety of work he faces as a hero- but right now, he’s bored. He shouldn't be feeling so dreadful, especially on the job, but he is. It’s not his style to be so down, after all. But Hawks has checked into every nook and cranny of this place and for the sake of an understandably hypervigilant security team, has an eye for which points of entry and exit could use a bird’s eye view come showtime.

His muscles are used to far more fast-paced antics and time-sensitive chases; not traipsing around like a literal vulture ready to swoop in at any moment. Surely he’s needed elsewhere.

But the threats have been rolling in… as they do for all of these larger-than-life musician types who found their way into the spotlight. They’re at risk of going in blind if they don’t have a good team around them to help them see.

So here he is, playing guardian angel to do his part and make sure all goes smoothly. It's a big operation by his count; there’s sixty members on the tech roster, plus the venue stage manager and their contracted staff, then all performers, and of course the headliner. Now where she is, he’d like to know– for not so selfless reasons.

He’d know her music by heart, given how much of an earworm and personal anthem her songs have become for him. It’s rare that the tables are turned, where Hawks is the fanboy and someone else is the idol. That dream is his dangling carrot for completing this mission successfully: he has the most sought-after bodyguard duty in the nation, and as good as a front row seat to her show.

Yet in a weird sense, Hawks also kinda hopes he never meets her. Doesn’t want to crush that bubble, ruin the allusion of the woman he’s got set as his ringtone.

So, he just runs his headcounts on all bodies supposed to be present at the top-of-show meeting to busy his mind. All is in order. ‘Cues’ are rounding up the pre-show acts, each in plainclothes for this rough stumble-through. Still doesn’t see the little starlet yet, and he gets the residual feeling that this might be typical behavior of ‘the talent’ to show up whenever she damn well pleases. 

Though funnily enough, he spots a pretty thing down there sporting some Hawks merch! Always nice to see a supportive fan in the most unlikely places… 

It's a well-fitting quarterzip sporting his red feather blades down each arm, an item he vaguely recognizes from this season’s newest launch. She’s got headphones on and subtly bopping about in her own little world, perhaps running through tonight’s set under her breath, if her self-contained taps of the fingers are an indication of her keeping beat. 

Hawks’ curious attention to that girl on the fringes of the stage is pulled when he hears the strict timbre of the stage director he’d met on day one take center stage.

“Ok, time to rein it in. As we covered in the email from Sec-Eng- which I’m assuming you gen-z’ers have read,” the bossman snarks to the younger members of this crew down below, “we’ve got some additional eyes in the sky pulling security for this leg in the tour. So, I want to give you all a chance to get your excitement out -along with your thanks- to our equally chart-topping hero, Hawks~ who’s… somewhere around here.”

Hoodie girl blanched– as if she’d been told she’d need to share her internet history to her grandmother. Immediately, she tosses off her headset and starts frantically stripping herself of the jacket she wore. While enthusiastic heads all fly around in every direction in search of the hero, Hawks chuckles at the sight of her alone. 

“...//Well, he’s probably checking the perimeters anyway//. How bout we all just send a big thank-you, eh?”

The couple of ‘Hoodie’s fellow dancers were poking fun at her -poor thing still flushed and clammed up- while the group gave a loud, singsongy ‘thank you!!’ up to the stage doors, assuming the Pro-Hero might be busting in, grand entrance fashion on command. The love-laden response from the dancers makes Hawks roll his eyes lightly, but he appreciates their praise all the same.

They giggle about in jazzed excitement with one’s voice carried out squealish and feminine, despite their professional assembly,

“Oh my god, you must be in HEAVEN!! He’s gonna be watching you ALL NIGHT!”

‘Hoodie’ looks downright mortified. The others have seemed to gather around spouting nothing but encouragement to this little fan girl who's doing her best to put on a poker face. Adorable. 

“Now we also need to make some edits before the crew breaks for lunch, everyone, so we are gonna start today with opening of Set 5 instead- hold.. Hold on… WHO HAS THE GOD MIC??”

The mics table scrambles for the one handheld microphone with omniscient audio range to the house. Surely it's the one thing they wouldn't lose and should hand straight to the Stage Manager, right? 

Well, said mic was sitting unattended there on the cart earlier… all for the Winged Hero’s taking when he was making his preliminary sweep earlier. 

From his inner jacket pocket, Hawks catches his lip in his teeth as he remembers where to turn the thing on. Once his throat cleared and the mic blinks red in sync with the soundboard, he amplifies a little trademark bird whistle: for each and every soul in sight to hear. 

The stage erupts in excitement, as planned. ‘Hoodie’ immediately teeters over to one of the props hideaways and stows said jacket away. 

Hawks chuckles with the mic at chest level– only to call her out from his perch,

“Saw that, dear~”

Seems logic caught up with the poor thing, as she -finally- pieced together the true vantage point of her idol’s presence, and looked up. 

Sparing her too much embarrassment, Hawks simply cocked his head on a folded up fist and gave a little wave of some fingers to her. 

Despite her clear shock and surprise, she did smile brilliantly back and gave a little signed ‘thank you for being here’ rather than a scream like all the others.

The stage manager followed her line of sight to where the hero stands in wait, ready to dismount and return his bit of cheekily stolen equipment. Despite some bewildered aggravation to Hawks’ antics, he gestures with the exhaustion of a high school teacher.

“There now, see kids? That's how you protect your voices before a show!! Better than belting your way to the doctor’s office. Our star here sure leads by example now doesn't she–” 

In rare form for the hero, it's Hawks’ turn to be stunned. His fangirl: it’s you.

Everyone else may be calling that first call time your lucky day… but you were intimidated to the point of feeling ill. Thank goodness for your poker face; because locking eyes with Hawks’ stunning crimson canopy and giving you that wink and a grin about sent you into a heart attack. 

You're starstruck. The absolute heartthrob of an idol you revere as your favorite Pro-Hero has been standing over 150 meters above your head, watching for every sign of danger that could threaten you for the last week. 

That near guarantee of safety would trump your fleeting nerves– if you hadn’t given the first impression of a closeted fangirl like you did!!

Nothing short of awe crossed your mind when you so much as think of the hero. A very vocal fan whenever he came up in the news or your social feed amongst your inner circle. Hawks is a household name for you, who you were incredibly fond of… both in how he handled massive crowds or charmed in intimate, one-on-one interviews. 

You know the role; you suck up for cameras, too, as it's all in the optics. But for every PR-guided response you know is crafted by easy-going smiles or a disarming tone, you remember to see past the spectacle of Hawks and look for ‘him’. Remove the wings and hero getup: who is he? Can you spot the tells on camera like your mom can when she watches you? No matter how big of a global phenomenon her baby girl gets, she can still tell when you have a headache while having to give an appearance on a talk show. 

The man you spot on screen has to have a series of faults and slips. Even battle-ready heroes put their shoes on one at a time– just like everyone else. He’s sure to have a favorite lunch spot, a favorite pen to use for autographs, a favorite singer, even… 

Surely not you, but a girl can dream.

There’s a glazed-over glint in Hawks’ eyes when he very subtly checks out when being spoken to which gives you the strong suspicion you two may not be so unalike. And that list of little mannerisms has grown exponentially– with every day that's passed:

Hawks has difficulty staying still, you've learned. He’s also much younger than people assume. Carries a crafty habit of popping up unexpectedly in a way that’s youthful– and borderline cheeky. From atop a stack of amps, to a crowdless green room, to the rigging of lights where you've stunned the crowds for the last four nights, he’s perched out of sight from your thousands of fans. 

Though each little comment thrown here and there in praise has floated down to your ears in sweet jest, things come to a head when the last night of your show arrived: where the crushing realization sought to dampen your mood. 

After tonight, you wouldn’t have your angelic, crimson-winged shadow anymore. 

But Hawks surprises you once again. 

You nearly miss it, too, once your final round of ‘surprise songs’ is revealed and you are snuck down to your assigned hideout to get ready to leave the venue. It’s back in your can-lit dressing room that you’re making double takes down the hall looking for any sign of your security team; especially the one to whom you owe a hefty ‘thank you’ to for all his efforts.

-but as your half-redressed form has donned your beloved Hawks hoodie once more, you’re not so spooked to hear a familiar whistle from behind you this time.

Headphones slung back down around his neck and wings slimmed down to a more presentable manner for tight hallways like these, Hawks slips into your prep space with a speedy uptick of steps. A knowing whisper to ‘shut the door fast so no one notices’ eeks out of him, eliciting a smile from you.

Each one of your suspicions are confirmed with that one comment alone; he knows this game well. Still, playing along with his dance of keep-away from any prying eyes (or cameras) doesn’t mean your heart isn’t  hammering away in your chest at the knowledge of getting your hero all to yourself.

So here, Hawks traipses around your makeshift room with unbidden interest– which, for such a small space, is cute to know how many little details pique his curiosity. Your various outfits still hang all facing the correct way, your personal backpack sits beside it on the end featuring your mess of pins and collected patches from the locations you’ve toured thus far. The run schedule is still taped on the wall, and below it, your laptop has your notation software open and idle onscreen.

“Well, now,” Hawks chimes in with a little crouch over the back of your empty chair, “Surely I’m not looking at our next chart-topping hit in the making, am I?”

“Maybe!” you chuckle, joining his side to quickly save your work before you forget. “It’s getting the lyrics and melody to marry right that’s the hard part. Working out the latter right now, and it’s kinda kicking my butt.”

“But you’re doing it! Look at all this– wait. Is this what you were dancing to earlier?”

Damn his powers of observation. You’d been testing out the rhythm of the hook this week– when you’d been caught under his attention.

“...M-maybe?” you hedge again.

“I knew it-” Hawks beamed, “A stunning starlet and a mastermind. What can’t you do?”

Flattered beyond belief, you answer honestly, 

“Keep myself outta trouble with my managers. Trying to, at least,” you close the laptop to conserve its power, “but between the shows and speaking engagements, it’s left me a bit starved for time to actually make the music.”

“N’why would writing get you in trouble?”

“It takes me away from all the other things I ‘have to do’,” you sigh easily. “They can bring in anyone to make the music and keep pitching songwriting teams to me to take the load off. Just think something’s gotten a little out of balance.”

Without meaning to, you held Hawks’ attention– enough to make him sit back on the armrest of your couch and listen with undivided attention while you explained your creative process more. While most J-Pop performers would be thrilled to have outside writers create the work and easy into a performance schedule with pre-set work to learn, you loved to have a hand in the writing process too. As an art form, it’s personal when you have to perform season after season. 

You’ve chatted quite a bit here and there over these last several days, though not this extensively. He was interested in so much about this whole operation, to the point where you wondered if he’d ever met any of the performers who you knew presented at some of those hero galas he went to. Apparently not, by the way he’d lock onto your every word when you spoke. Either your timekeepers (or his) would inevitably interrupt you, so back to work you two would fly off to.. though you’d seem to circle back to one another and chat about anything and everything if given the chance- little spurts of talk that always left you wanting more.

He’d commiserate with you on that front as well– the balance of stardom and freedom. Bogged down by meetings and public appearances wore on him just as much as you. With every roadblock you described about your recent album development, Hawks nodded along with expected understanding. 

The revolving issue of personal safety might have brought him into your employ, but you know more and more cases like yours filled up his day-to-day life in ways you couldn’t imagine… but he even shed some light on that as well to you. He’d burst the bubble on hero work as an industry through little asides with you offstage: comments he’d likely get reprimanded for if he ever spoke them in a public statement. 

But you’d keep his secrets safe. What happens on set stays on set.

So even now, as he’s tucked himself into your dressing room while you puttered around chatting about your true dreams of getting a new concept album wrapped by the end of the year, Hawks tuned in with genuine interest that only made your heart skip a beat for him more.

“I haven’t always gotten the time to work on it lately… though this week, I’ve had a clearer head to be in here rather than under lock and key with a security force breathing down my neck– which is largely thanks to you, Mr. Hawks.”

“Oh please,” Hawks scrunches his nose and teases, “Mr. Hawks is what the lawyers call me. Just Hawks is fine!”

You exhale, squishing back any girlish outburst from your voice at how fussy he looked. 

“All the same, thank you for your help this week,” you pressed, “It’s -uhm- not often I get to meet my favorite Pro Hero on the job…”

A pleased smirk lifts Hawks’ cheeks, though you spot a funny kind of shyness in them when he studies your sleeve rather than look you in the eye-

“Favorite, huh?” Hawks smiles, “ n’here I thought I was the lucky one, sweet’eart-” he taps his headphones for emphasis, “One day I’m listening to you on repeat on my morning commute– and the next, I’m standing two feet from you!”

“--You’re kidding.”

From his pocketed phone, Hawks challenges you with a press and hold on the speakers to boost the volume as high as it could go. Faintly, you caught your own pop vocals from your second ever album casting from Hawks’ headphones. 

You can’t believe your luck– he’s really a fan? Of yours?

The mix of sentimentality and surprise must be palpable on your face as you grasp exactly which song has Hawks spellbound before he cocks his head with a sheepish grin of his own, 

“Believe me now?”

Words fail you, but you shudder out a little giggle that speaks volumes. He tests with a smile,

“Soooo guess you wouldn’t mind if I asked a horribly stereotypical favor and snagged a selfie while I’m here?” 

Eyebrows shot up to the sky as Hawks dangled his phone between you, you immediately pause. No one on your Communications team is still backstage (to your knowledge), but the engrained warning about checking your professional list of partnerships before posting comes to mind… annoying as it is. All you want is a pic with him, too!

“Nothing for socials-” Hawks assures you with a gloved hand, “If your handlers are just as pesky as mine, they’d never let me live it down. Just– something to keep me grounded, on the hard days.”

That reasoning… it almost broke your heart just as quickly as your potential disappointment had been earlier. 

With a knowing smile, you nodded sweetly to Hawks- he’s charming in a whole new light to you.

“Only if you send it to me too, hm? Favor for a favor?”

“ ‘Course!”

Sliding up into his open space, Hawks clearly knows his best side but keeps you right in the center of his shot. That smile he makes… you are going to keep this proud glint in his eye and sight of his hand around you locked into your mind forever– even if he forgets to send it to your insta handle after this. 

It’s too brief of a moment, watching his wing curl around you though the phone’s front-facing camera burgeoning you close, head tilting gently against yours. Keeping a close-lipped smile seared into your mind when you think of him now.

Then in an even more lightning fast moment, while he’s fussing with a weird flip of his bangs, you reach to tap the shutter as you sneak a kiss onto his cheek. 

He’s stunned by the move, but by the even brighter muted smile, you stand by with pride double checking his photo gallery that the shot made it. It surely did. 

“You have a hard job, Hawks; harder and more dangerous than anyone I know,” 

You step away casually.. Though the need for distance is more for your sake than just optics of your forwardness. 

“... Thought you deserved more than one lil selfie. Hope that’s ok?”

“H-okay?” Hawks breathes out, studying his camera roll with reverence, “Better’n ok..”

Outside a muted feedback from the PA system is calling for Exit team to assemble– get staged for your departure from the venue at last.

“That’s me. Better bounce-” Hawks piped up after a small clearing of his throat. You’re nearly too shy to look at him after this-

-but when a kiss greets your hand, lifted imperceptibly fast and squeezed just as fleeting as his words grace your ears- you couldn’t look away if you tried.

“- a pleasure, dear.”

And before you can utter any further word of thanks or manage something other than a shocked smile, Hawks slips out of the room and off to hand the reins back to your team. You can barely hear from the still-live walkie talkies that your security detail is back at their regular stations, and your Pro-Hero is off for his final step of his hired work. Soon he’d be relieved of his station and off to save someone else from an unsavory fate.

He doesn’t forget to send you the photos; and you now have his private insta handle.

The photo where you snuck a peck onto his cheek would be set as your internal screenshot if it weren’t for your niece’s constant borrowing of your phone when she visits you on set… 

But now, you’re back for a month-long stay at the studio– your reward for a successful first half of the Tour.

Encouraged by your protective muse’s spark at the thought of your new music, you decide to take that energy back to Chichibu. Your headphones might as well be glued to your head, with how much you’ve head-dived into your sound mixing apps and sampling library. In fact, it’s that unwavering attention to your music that you nearly miss the most obvious sight walking through the lobby of the unassuming recording studio. Almost.

But how could you really– when the largest floral arrangement you’d ever seen is gracing the reception table? That stunning piece looks like it costs more than the linoleum flooring the desk sits on. 

A few aides have been distracted by the sight, studying the typed message attached and racking their brains for any sign of a calling card. One of your cutting room techs was currently rounding the base of the standing arrangement for some tucked note, which made you giggle how intently she was studying the thing. 

You know the sound booth manager best out of this group of other visiting accompanists,

“Lucky, lucky girl~” she reels you in excitedly, plucking the card from the other’s sights and handing to you directly. “Sorry to say there’s no hint who it’s from… but it’s for you, little bird!”

You hedge at the pet name once again– the nickname stuck unwillingly not only for your melodic talent, but the association with your clear celebrity (heroic) crush. 

However, as you read the note, the immediate assumption that this may have been another gift from a venue host was thrown right out the window…

This was a personal gift:

To keep my genius company while she makes her magic~ No one can give us the stories you can; don’t ever  let them take your voice. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve heard. Can’t wait to hear the new demo!

“No matter how high or low I am.. a piece of me will be here with you. It’s- where I'd rather be... Till next time…”

“Next time? Wait, who sent these again?!”

“It was just the delivery guy, from that really flouncy place downtown~” the receptionist answers with interest.

“Nooo, I mean on the card! Who signed the card?

“There's nothing– no initials, nothing..” you confirmed, still reeling over the message. But as you trail off over the cascade of tropical flowers, the flecks of red blooms catch your eye and bring you to study harder. 

Then- tucked under some deep green curls- a spot of red hides. A quill amongst the mossy padding of the arrangement- not unlike a surprise found in a nest.

Sifting through under the guise of feeling tender petals, you grasp the soft, downy feather which bears a small post-it flag on the underside with a sequence of numbers on it. 

“Do you have any idea who?”

Balling it carefully in your fist just as quickly, you answer, “Couldn't tell ya. But the pop of red sure is pretty, isn't it?”

In your booth -set up with your sticker-laden laptop and butterflies in your stomach- you hold the sticky note in one hand, pinching the crimson feather precariously in the other. 

Face warmed and unbelieving of your luck, you think on what to send first to your mic-stealer…

To be continued?

[therealslimshakespeare]

I feel like we, as a society, moved on too quickly from this:

„Also. The face sitting/ pussy eating craze that starts in the stalag never dies. Ever. It is what it is.”

I need to know more. How much of it was initiated by who. When did they find time and privacy. How often. I’m just a nosy bitch

Pffft please feel free to return this blog’s discourse back to the pussy eating/face sitting mania any time. I was legit just thinking of Ida and how her healing arc has a portion of it involved with the fact she saw her two subordinates doing this and she’s so catholic about it and so scarred from it … but she’s still gonna do it 😜

So, I think Gale began it. Back at base, it was a matter of timing, tenacity and overstimulation. He’d hike up her leg in some abandoned shed or the odd and very risky closet and hit his knees, all a result of him mistakenly having shoved his sticky fingers in his mouth after having first fingered her. He then needed more of that taste ever since. And only straight from the source with his tongue deep in the little honeywell would sate after that.

So he’d lap at her while she stood above him, leg on his shoulder and hands snagged in his perfect coif, grinding against his face. And when she told him it was too much he never listened, and when her legs would give out?!— Major Cleven would go down with the ship, and then it was she’d be sat on his face and he’d lock his arms around her hips and hold her there and that was the beginning.

In the stalag it has the quality of a little blanket fort, warm and sheltering from whatever else is out there plotting to hurt him and turn him colder just to endure and to lead others through it.

Genuinely think others know it’s happening tbh, or like Bucky with Brady and other such duos, they know to give them their space, it’s what’s needed to keep their leaders sane. Whether that’s a small prayer or a blow job— don’t ask, don’t tell.

[piko-rose]

I wanna write a little scene that took place before the dance fight. Just wanted to do a Movie version of Wholesome Sonic and Tails, and maybe throw in some donut dad and pretzel mom appreciation as well.

Ba-ding!

Sonic's phone from the coat's pocket lets off a sound. Tom must've sent another message for him.

"What? Hang on one second." Sonic said, bringing out his phone to see Tom's message. "Donut Lord's checking in."

"How's it goin'?"

Sonic isn't the greatest liar in the world, and even he doesn't know that, but he'd rather lie than just straight up tell him about Robotnik coming back with some red jerk trying to destroy him.

And the fact that him and Tails are now in Siberia trying to settle in during a blizzard.

Tom and Maddie needs a stress-free vacation after all. It's for the best.

In just a few seconds, Sonic replied in no time at all saying: "Just chillin. Watchin TV"

"There we go." He smiled and puts away his phone. "That takes care of that..."

"...Donut Lord?" Tails repeated that strange nickname to himself. "...Oh! Donut Lord! I almost forgot about that guy."

"Hmm? I guess if you were watching me for months I would think you know who Donut Lord is." Sonic said. "But yeah, he's a cool dude. But really his name is Tom."

"Tom?" The fox tilted his head. "Why did you call him Donut Lord?"

"Well, it's because he talks to donuts every now and then. It's pretty funny."

"Oh. ...Huh. That checks out." Tails chuckled.

"I think you might like him! He's the sheriff of the town and he is such an awesome friend! We share the same roof and everything!" He exclaims. "Oh! And you would LOVE Pretzel Lady! AKA, Maddie. She is so sweet and she can talk to animals!"

"Aww, that's so cool!" Tails said, both of his tails wagging.

"Also..." Sonic looks left and right before leaning close to Tails. "She's born without bones!" He whispered into his ear and snickered.

"What?!" He cried out.

Suddenly Sonic burst into laughter. "I'm just kidding, dude! She has bones, she's just, super flexible. Still have no idea how she does that..."

"Well, I only know so much about these human friends of yours from watching, but I knew that they were super nice!" Tails said.

"They sure are! The greatest friends a hedgehog can ask for." The hedgehog continued. "I'm pretty glad I have met them. Sure, they can be pretty strict on certain things because, heheh, you know me, but they're really caring."

Tails smiled more the more Sonic kept going on about Tom and Maddie.

"Funny story on how I met Tom. I was trying to leave Earth cause of that 'energy blast' as you call it, and I found Tom's garage. it was the safest place that I could find. I was about to leave but then Tom came in and freaked out!"

Tails try to keep his laughter in.

"It was pretty funny looking back, considering that if it weren't for that little incident, I would have never found my f..."

"...?"

"...My friends. I would've been in that stinky mushroom land. I'm... I really am glad I met them. I've known them for years but... I never got the chance to actually speak to them because... Well, you know." Sonic fiddled with his fingers.

"But... Even after all that mess, they took me in. I was surprised, but I was happy. It's been 9 months since I moved in with them, and... I'm lucky to have someone like Maddie and Tom." He said, smiling widely, thinking back at the memory of when he first saw his new room, with Tom and Maddie right beside him.

They were just as happy as he was.

"Awww..." Tails placed his gloved hand on his chest. "That was so sweet, Sonic. They must be the best parents in the whole world!"

"... ..."

Parents?

"Wh- Pffft! I- I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Wh-What did you just say?" Sonic stuttered, completely caught off-guard by Tails' sentence.

"Uh, I said 'They must be the best paren-"

"I know- I know what you said!" Sonic cut off. "But... Really? Parents? Is that what you think they are?" He lets out a nervous chuckle.

"Uhh... Yeah? I thought..." Tails' ears drooped. He was confused. "I thought that, after all that, they were more than just your best friends? I mean..."

"W-Well, sorry to burst your bubble, pal, but that is NOT what you think." He lied. "We're just a couple of silly friends!"

"Uh-huh. Right." Tails rolled his eyes. "Would a couple of silly friends give you a new room?"

"Well, duh!"

"Would a couple of silly friends make you breakfast every day, telling you to have a good day before you go out for a run?"

"Yeah?"

"Would a couple of silly friends take you out to games, have movie nights together, and protect you from anyone who tries to mess with you?"

"...Yeah?"

"Would a couple of silly friends run up to you when you injured your knee after slipping on the sidewalk, and when you started crying they kept telling you that it's gonna be okay and took care of you for a few days?"

He saw me cry?! His eyes rose, but for a moment he looked down at the table. "I-I... I mean, yeah, but..."

"Sure, friends would definitely do these things, but they've been looking after you for 9 months, Sonic." Tails reminded. "You think after all this time, when you all bonded together, sharing memories, playing games and laughing together, and giving out hugs every now and then, you didn't think they your parents?"

Sonic doesn't respond. He just stared down, thinking.

"I'm not upset, I'm just... Confused." Tails spoke softly. "They took care of you for months, and you seem so happy about it."

"That's... because I never had anyone to take care of me for years."

"...Right..." Tails almost forgot about the fact that Longclaw, his original caretaker, was there for him since he was a baby.

"All I wanted was a friend, but... I wanted a family too." Sonic mumbled.

"So then... How come...?"

"Okay, look, it's not that I don't want them as my parents! I just..."

There was a beat.

And then an exhausted sigh.

"I just don't want to lose anyone else."

Tails' ear flick up for a moment. He quickly understood what Sonic meant by those words. "...Oh."

Well, that was a mood killer. Tails never meant make Sonic feel bad. "I... I'm sorry, Sonic. I didn't mean-"

"It's cool. Really." Sonic reassured, showing off a small smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Have you... Ever told them about how you feel about their company? About how much they mean to you?"

"I..."

Sonic wanted to answer, but he couldn't find the right words to do so. Even if he did, his mind was stuck on just him and his memories with Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady.

He stared down at the table again, thinking really hard on how to answer that simple question. But all he can think of suddenly, was...

"Sonic, you destroyed an entire city block."

"That block was already messed up. Who cares? Look, I stopped a robbery. I was a hero!"

"No, you put people in danger and that's not what a hero does."

"*Sigh...* You're supposed to be my friend. Stop trying to be my dad."

Sonic blinked.

Stop trying to be my dad.

His fists clinched.

Why the hell did I say that...?

"...No." The hedgehog finally answered, shutting his eyes closed.

Ba-ding!

Sonic yelped at the sudden sound of his phone going off again. He grabbed it and took a look. It's another message from Tom.

He looked at the message carefully.

"Another boring night at home"

He took a deep breath after that little scare that knocked him back into his senses. He was about to reply but he stopped.

He looked at his profile of Tom.

Then his contact name, Donut Lord.

He, once again, sighed.

He felt terrible looking back at what was said back on the boat. He never meant to sound harsh, he just wanted that stupid argument out of the way.

Looking back, he can now fully read Tom's face after those words.

When was the last time he looked so hurt?

He turned off his phone and puts it back in his pocket and rested his head in his arms, feeling pissed off at himself.

"Sonic?" Tails spoke. "It's okay."

The hedgehog didn't say anything. He just sighed and looked at the floor.

"Don't feel bad. Sometimes change can be hard. But I just want you to remember that Tom and Maddie... Their here for you. Parents or not, they... They love you." Tails said, hoping that his words can reach out to the upset space hog. "And hopefully once you meet up with them again, you should probably let them know that you love them too."

Sonic slowly raises his head back up to face Tails. Gosh, he just met this little guy an hour ago but he is just so caring and understanding. He can read the worry in his eyes but there was a smile showing.

"You have the best family in the word. Don't forget that." Tails' voice cracked slightly, holding back tears.

Sonic was surprised to hear all of this from Tails, but overall, he was happy to hear that. His smile crept up as he began to chuckle, finally back into his silly mood as if he was never upset.

"Don't worry, buddy. I won't." He said, with such a sweet tone in his voice.

Wait... Tails' ears flicked again and his eyes widened. Did you call me...?

Tails was about to speak but then two brown bowls of... whatever, were placed down in front of them. Sonic was weirded out, but his curiosity got the best of him when he tries to poke at it.

Tails, however, did not like the sight of whatever the heck he was given. "Eelch!" He groaned. He looked up at the waitress and brought up his Miles Electric. "Uhh, I'm sorry, but I asked for the beef stew."

Sonic kept trying to poke at this weird looking soup. This is just for display, right? He wondered to himself.

-

[punsmaster69]

15/MAR/20XX

it's silent in the house.

sliding my slippers lightly along the floorboards to avoid breaking the silence, i peek into the living room.

on the couch is toriel, who seems to be deep in memory of something. judging by that look, it isn't a great memory.

𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬.

she snaps out of it when she hears my knuckles tap against the doorframe exactly twice; the perfect amount for a good opener. it's a pattern very familiar to the both of us.

"...Who's there?"

"figs."

"Figs who?"

"𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘴 your phone - been missin' you all morning."

"Have you been trying to reach me? I do apologize. I am..."

her smile flickers as she lightly sighs.

"Perhaps a bit out of it."

"i feel you. get days like this too."

"everyone does, to some extent."

"Please, come in. Assuming you are not busy, that is."

"hm. lemme see."

i unfolded a small notebook -

yeah, another book. not this one. i'm not gonna jot all my joke ideas in this journal, obviously. that'd like be giving it all away for free.

-and clicked a pen (yes, this one) with a focused look on my face.

"well, i've got a lot of nothing scheduled for eleven, a sizeable amount of zilch at one, followed by an hour of lollygagging..."

"What a full day!"

"...buuuut. i guess i can reschedule, just for you."

"Do you think you could squeeze in a bit of chitchatting over pie?"

"and ruin my strict schedule even further?"

"Mhm."

"i'd love to."

——

when i told tori about the no-alcohol thing, she seemed surprisingly unphased at it.

"not shocked, huh? someone tell you already?"

"This is the first I am hearing of it."

"i knew there wasn't one in the main gc, but wow. they didn't make an announcement in any group chats that're 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘴 me either?"

"color me surprised."

"What color?"

"blue, 'cuz that really 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘸 me away."

i can't help it if my grin cracks a little wider when she laughs.

"Why 𝗮𝗿𝗲 you so shocked, though?"

"usually updates on my health stuff end up messaged around within minutes."

"how come 𝘺𝘰𝘶 aren't more surprised about it?"

"Out of all the times over the years I have seen you drunk - and subsequently, hungover - the recent have seemed to affect you much more negatively."

"saw it coming?"

"I suppose so."

toriel removed her phone from her pocket to check for any messages.

"..Ah. I suppose I haven't checked properly in a moment."

"It seems they did try to inform me, after all."

"device slipped your mind? or, maybe your pocket?"

"..An awful lot of things have slipped my mind. It happens sometimes when even I, myself, begin to fall down that slippery slope that is remembering the past."

"sounds like a slippery situation."

"Sorry for letting so much 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽 suddenly. This old lady needs to learn how to keep her s𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀 shut a tad better."

"i mind if you 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽k𝗻𝗼𝘁 - your company's what i'm here for."

"..and free food, sometimes."

"I only worry that I may over𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽 some boundaries at times."

"nope. won't be having any 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽outs from me about it. share all you want."

"You seeing me like this was a bit of a 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽up to begin with."

"you've seen me at the worst of my 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽sloppiest. really, i don't mind this even a bit."

"Pffft. These 𝙟𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙨 are slipping in quality now."

"no way, this is 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽top of the line."

she snorts a bit.

"It is reaching nonsense levels."

"you're smiling."

"That I am."

"Perhaps this is just what I needed."

"didn't get a lotta emotional baggage unpacked, but i'm fine to leave everything in the suitcases for a while if you wanna."

"This is a much better mood than that would be, anyway."

"....."

"well."

"i'm glad that pun nightmare is 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽over."

she's barely able to say

"Sans!"

through laughter.

i really

[legacyshenanigans]

Rowan at a job interview

Employer: OK, so Mr? *waits for him to give his last name*

Rowan: ...Rowan.

Employer: Your name is Rowan Rowan?

Rowan: Nah, I ain't got a last name. I'm just Rowan.

Employer: I...Ok...Anyway, what made you apply for this Job? *smiles*

Rowan: You guys sell these biscuits that I like, figured if I worked here, I'd get 'em for free..

Employer: Well...No? It would come out of your wages.

Rowan: *clicks his tongue* Pffft.

Employer: ....So...Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Rowan: My biggest strengths? Probably listening. Anyway where do ya keep those biscuits? There's none of the shelf outside. Hasn't been for like a week now *gets up and starts looking around*

Employer: (?!) Mr. Rowan..I-

Rowan: Where are those biscuits?

Employer: Sir, WHICH biscuits?!

Rowan: The little ones with cream in 'em!

Employer: Oh, We don't sell those anymore.

Rowan: *narrows his eyes* Well, this is a giant waste of my fuckin time. *leaves*

Employer: (?!) *bewildered*

~

[shanaraharlyah]

For the WIP Folder Game, DAI Trespasser and your original fiction An Elven Tale please 👀

Thank you for asking @sillyliterature!

DAI Trespasser is my Dorian x Lavellan fic. Everything I've written so far is after meeting with Solas. It's filling in the blanks between scenes that we don't see and trying to expand on Kartaelin's relationship dynamic with Dorian and the others. You can read a good bit of it with the artwork here and here, but I'll add another snippet for you here! ☺️

Kartaelin smiled at the Tevinter mage as he wrapped his good arm around Dorian’s, “Lead the way, ma vhenan!” Dorian took hold of the elf’s shoulder as well as his hand and gestured to the others to begin the trek back.  “Oh, and Sera, I did use his name, just for you,” he said smugly with a wink. “Pffft.” Sera blew a raspberry as she rolled her eyes, “Arse.” Dorian sighed, again, and leaned in toward the Inquisitor, “Tell me again why you invited her along.” Kartaelin chuckled. “Because you get along so well!” he teased.  “But really, you can’t tell me that you don’t enjoy the verbal jousting.” “I think the word you’re looking for is abuse, verbal abuse,” Dorian said loudly.  “That’s not the only ‘jousting’ I enjoy,” he added under his breath and raised an eyebrow at the elf.  From behind them, Sera burst into a fit of laughter.   “I’d hit you for that if I had another arm to do it with.  Gods, you are such a dirty man sometimes,” Kartaelin mock scolded.  Dorian frowned at the mention of his arm, but didn’t let it ruin their playful banter.  “You know you love it,” he responded, with a smoldering look at the Inquisitor. The elf laughed, “I do, truly.”

An Elven Tale honestly doesn't have much written yet. This story and the characters have lived rent free in my head for 20+ years in some form, but fandom always seems to suck me in before I get very far writing wise. There's a general outline, a few notes and a couple scenes written. And a bunch of art/renders in various forms of completion. It's the story of Sarovanya and his companions, coming of age and trying to follow their hearts. Most of what I have written and finished art wise involves a love triangle between Saro, Tarwen and Morcundu, so I'll link some of those here and give you a little snip from the file.

Morcundu had spent the afternoon readying the old ruin for this evening.  The place had always been important to him, being somewhere he could escape to, but the time he'd spent there with Tarwen had made it all the more precious.  They were to meet here again this evening and he'd already built a small fire in the fire pit they'd constructed on the old stone floor.  In anticipation of the coming rain, he'd gathered dry wood to feed the fire and stacked it in the far corner.  He'd brought with him furs in case the rain turned chill and lit candles to brighten the place as the forest had already turned overcast. He stood back from their makeshift table and smiled.  Tarwen's acceptance and love in spite of the tension and hatred between their respective races filled him with hope, and he would do anything to foster this relationship and bring their people together.  A lofty goal he knew. There was so much bitterness in the hearts of his people toward the elves who had left them behind, but there were so many others suffering for the hate of the few.  And it was the actions of those in power that drove the others around them to fear and hate.  He had to believe in hope and Tarwen had been that light for him.

Love Is Colorblind

A Safe Haven

Love Will Keep You Up All Night

Hope you enjoy! And always up for questions if you've got any! :)

[toreii]

Lost in the Book with Stitch part 28

Disclaimer: This is a fan translation. I apologize for any mistakes. I’m by no means fluent in Japanese, but I try my best. Please, support the official translation when it comes out. Be kind and friendly, and feel free to support me by donating a ko-fi if you’d like. Link is in my description!

Floyd: “As expected, it was a bit of a hassle, but... well, I can't lose to such a small fry, can I?”

Floyd: “Now then, about Shrimpy-chan and the others…oh, I don’t even have to ask.”

*Splash!”

Uninhabited Island - Beach

Azul: “Hmph. Are you two okay?”

Yuu:

“I’m okay.”

Azul: “I’m glad I was able to get to you right away. This will be expensive, you know?”

Azul: “I will have you properly thank me when we return to school, so keep that in mind.”

“Thank you so much.”

Azul: “How can you say thank you so carelessly? Despite it being a dangerous place…goodness.”

Azul: “Also, if you want to say thank you, you need to show it not only with words, but with attitude. I’m looking forward to it.”

Azul: “Now then, Stitch…”

Stitch: *Growls*

Stitch: !

Azul: “Woah, calm down, it’s me! …It would be great if he could bark cheerfully.”

Azul: “Don’t be so surprised, Stitch. I never imagined that there were creatures who couldn’t swim.”

Azul: “I was also surprised to see the tremendous strength with which you clung to Yuu.”

Azul: “It was hard to pull you off. If I weren’t in the sea, I’d have lost…”

Floyd: “Azul, good job~.”

Azul: “Same to you. Ah, right. The parts of the robot you destroyed…”

Floyd: “You're going to collect it, right? Yes, here. Of course, I'm going to do it without fail.”

Azul: “Heh. Looks like the job was too easy for you.”

Grim: “FUNAA!!”

Ace: “I managed to retrieve Grim~.”

Grim: “Funaa……pffft! My whole body is wet and sticky!”

Azul: “You helped Grim-san. It must’ve been difficult to move in the sea…but, you were able to do it as a human, Ace-san.”

Floyd: “Yup, yup. I was watching from a glance, swimming like a fry.”

Floyd: “Was it worth it for me to teach you how to swim?”

Ace: “Sure, thank you for showing me how to swim, but…”

Ace: “I’m really tired~! Let’s take a break for a bit!”

Floyd: “Well, fine. I’m sure you did your best, Crabby-chan. Let’s take a break.”

Floyd: “Before our break, I’ll send Shrimpy-chan, Baby seal-chan, and Stitch back to the cottage.”

Azul: “I agree. Stitch is still weak, so it’s better to rest in a clean space.”

Ace: “Of course, that’s okay!”

Floyd: “Then, you will collect the fruit.”

Ace: “HUH!? AREN’T YOU BEING ROUGH ON ME!?”

Ace: “I thought I’d take a break after sending Yuu and the others back…”

Floyd: “You can rest separately. Aaah. I thought I'd make a luxurious dinner tonight.”

Ace: “Huh? Luxurious?”

Floyd: “If you bring me some oranges, I can make a refreshing meunière sauce to put on the fish~…” (T/N: It’s typically made with lemon, but Floyd will substitute the citrus in the sauce with oranges instead.)

Grim/Ace: *Gulp*

Floyd: “If I have coconut milk, I can also make stewed dishes.”

Grim: “Y-Yummy!”

Ace: “That changes everything! I’ll collect with pleasure!”

Azul: “You’re still in good spirits?”

Ace: “Ah. If we pick mangoes and bananas, can you make a cool dessert…?”

Floyd: “O—kay. If I feel like, I’ll make it.”

Ace: “Yay!! Yuu, Grim, hurry and take Stitch to the cottage.”

Grim: “Yeah! We’re having a feast tonight!”

Floyd: “Crabby-chan ran back to the cottage without taking a break.”

Azul: “They’re all very cunning people. Floyd’s wickedness hasn’t changed.”

Floyd: “Well, I wonder about that~”

Floyd: “Now then. Everyone must be hungry, and the fish...maybe the amount I've caught so far isn't enough.”

Floyd: “I’m going to go bully a bit more.”

Azul: “Hmph. The fish have my sympathy.”

To be continued…

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 19: Runaway: Talk about their feelings? Pffft. Nope.

All Chapters Archived on Ao3 

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

What just happened?

Meek Kaya act: head down, hand palming the dagger I kept strapped to my upper arm, mock-obedient… confused as hell.

No one followed us out. Mitsuhide tossed me up on his horse and swung up after, so quickly that we were gone into the rainy night - possibly while everyone was still bemused by our performance. Shojumaru/Motonari might have realized that we’d been searching the place, but we could count on Yoshimoto to muddy the waters a bit, and keep de Sousa's focus on the Chinese ceramics.  

The pouring rain that made it impossible to debrief also made for a wet and uncomfortable journey back to the townhouse. This time of year, Sakai was cold at night, and I finally understood the term 'huddled for warmth.' As we plodded through the cold wet night, I continued to shiver. When Mitsuhide pressed himself closer in response, I could feel those lean muscles through both of our wet clothes.

We’re …snuggling?

We’re not snuggling!

This was just an act of physical self-preservation.

Emotional self-preservation advised me to keep away from Mitsuhide and the dangerous temptation he was proving to be. He kissed me… twice. Maybe that first kiss had been a clinically detached kiss of an actor, but the second one…That second kiss… There was a part of me that was convinced it been the kiss of a man.

Of Mitsuhide.

My logic reminded the rest of me that it had only been a way for an experienced director to get his leading lady to perform the scene perfectly in front of the audience. The only way for that to have been real would be if he were to repeat it in private.

Not happening.

Besides, did it matter? Sure, I could try to decode his motivations from now until the end of time, but my feelings were more important anyway. Those are what I needed to decode.

Ok. So he’s attractive.

I had known this since we met. That didn’t mean I was attracted to him. Liar!  Fine. Well, if I was, it didn’t mean anything more than highly active pheromones, or whatever it was that brought two people together. Acting upon the (alleged) attraction would only complicate matters. Truly knowing what went on inside his head was next to impossible, but I didn’t think he had any ideas or plans in my direction. Nothing beyond simply teasing me because it amused him to do so.

Yes. That had to be it. So there was no need to talk about what just happened.

Ever.

When we reached the house, Mitsuhide sent me inside first to dry off and change clothes. Unfortunately, wet clothes meant an Obi knot that was swollen shut, and without Sho's assistance, I remained helplessly stuck in three layers of soaking kimono.

I got out my knife and tried to pry the knot free without any success.  I was considering simply slicing it open when Mitsuhide, looking dry and comfortable in a loose Kimono walked in. (Without knocking… As usual). He lounged against the door frame, having perfected the art of “the standing casual” pose. "Dear me, it cannot be that tragic. I realize that it must be a shock to discover you’re attracted to me, but it's not worth ending your life."

"You see me tangled up in this dratted fabric, and your mind goes there? That's not even an effective tease." Again, I tried to wedge the tip of the dagger through the knot.

"Come here brat, and let’s see if we can rescue your wardrobe, and my reputation." Without waiting for me to move, he strolled over and began working to free me.

"Your reputation?" He looked so comfortable and, well, warm in those clothing that I felt almost relaxed in his company. "Did you have a prior career as an escape artist that I am unaware of?"

Those gold eyes met mine and a tiny muscle in his jaw twitched. No, he was not comfortable at all. "Your maid might be concerned if your clothes are shredded."

“Isn’t that the point of the Kyubei masquerade - to have that sort of reputation?" I bit the inside of my cheek to school my expression as he slipped his hand between obi and my stomach. It almost felt like a caress.

"Kyubei breaks the spirit and dominates via words. He wouldn't need to resort to physical violence." He carefully untangled the cord, all focus apparently on my clothes.

"And this is different from Mitsuhide, how?" I'd certainly been on the wrong side of his words often enough.

"The man I am pretending to be seeks to dominate through fear and harsh words. If I were here as myself, I would have no need to break Kaya’s spirit that way. It's far more amusing to tease." He tapped his finger on my forehead, and slowly drew it down my face as if he were drawing a line. "There is a certain reward to knowing you have coaxed open a bud.  Breaking it off by the stem is a horrible waste." His finger lingered on my lips for a moment. He gazed at me, his mouth lifted in that familiar teasing smirk, before his finger resumed its journey downward.

I pushed his hand away before it got any lower than my throat. "Either way the flower only lasts a short while longer.”

"Perhaps I should borrow a page from your suitor Yoshimoto and tell you that beauty that is short-lived is no less beautiful while alive, and even more lovely in its memory." He refocused his attention on the knot, which finally unraveled under his touch. At his tug, the obi slipped to the floor.

Quickly I grabbed the edges of my kimono to prevent a striptease. "Yoshimoto is not my suitor. I don’t know what he is doing here, but he's not here for me." Or if he was, it was only because Sasuke had asked him to keep an eye on me. Of course, Yoshimoto was also perfectly capable sticking around just to go shopping.

Mitsuhide just raised his eyebrow at my comment.

Belatedly, I stepped back, out of his reach, and turned toward the cupboard where Katsu's clothing was hidden away from Sho's eyes.

His expression changed to one of suspicion when he saw the hakama and kimono. "You aren't going to go prowling the city for more information." It was stated calmly, but it was as much an order to stay put as anything.

"No. I'm freezing and these are the warmest things I own." I carried the clothes behind the screen to change.

"Fair enough." Something sailed over the top of the screen and hit me with a soft plop. Mitsuhide had tossed a drying towel over.

In that moment between switching from Kaya to Katsu, I felt vulnerable, as if the transition period between the concubine and the courier left me to face Mitsuhide without any protective armor. With a shudder, which owed nothing to the cold, I hurried to remove the rest of the wet clothes, dried off, and climbed into the thick fabric of my other life. Katsu's clothes were designed for the mountains of central Japan, but more than that this identity had been like a shield, and I very much needed to shield myself. By the time I emerged, warm, and covered from neck to toe, I felt much more prepared to deal with the man who had kissed me senseless earlier tonight.

Mitsuhide lounged on my futon, hands crossed behind his head. “One of these days, you will realize that such unrevealing clothing is something of a dare.”

Maybe… I'm not the only one needing armor?

"Silver."

He sat up. '”Rather a non-sequitur."

"Senhor de Sousa had no problem working with Nobunaga, in fact he was considering going directly to him with an offer to set up trade more exclusively with Azuchi. Then Shojumaru offered to broker an exchange. Silver for weapons to be transferred to Motonari Mouri." I paused, realizing that I had spoken without taking a breath.

"So it was greed for profit that motivated de Sousa." Mitsuhide rubbed his chin. "That explains the initial loss of the shipment, but it’s difficult to believe that de Sousa would have betrayed Mai and Hideyoshi when they visited him to inquire after the missing weapons.”

Yeah… I agreed with that assessment. de Sousa seemed more interested in profit than politics. And Portugal was more interested in trade than conquest (in this part of the world, anyway). "No, he doesn’t seem to be that sort of risk taker. Motonari’s name wasn’t unexpected but…” I tried to sort out my tension regarding the information about Iekane in order to present it to Mitsuhide calmly. He didn’t need to know that I was newly upset.

“I suggest you breathe a few times before continuing. I will demonstrate, as it appears you have forgotten how.” He placed his hand on his chest and breathed deeply three times.   

As much as I wanted to snark back at him, it was a good suggestion, so I paused to recenter and breathe. “The man supplying the silver is the same person who locked me inside that crate five years ago. So that might connect Mai and Hideyoshi’s disappearance to Aki’s, but I'm not sure how." What I needed was one of those case walls with strings and pushpins, like they used in all those old cop dramas.

Mitsuhide patted the futon. “Dear me, you’ll wear a hole in the mat with that pacing. Sit.”

I’d been pacing? Huh. I plopped down next to him, hoping that discussing this information could push out all the weird vibes from earlier.

"Start with him then. What do you know about this..." Mitsuhide left his sentence hanging.

"Yamaoka Iekane, no, he’s not related. Aki has us all use his name." In de Sousa’s letter, Shojumaru had referred to him as Kanamore Iekane. "He's using Kanamore now as a paternal name."

"Are you certain it's the same person? Iekane is not an uncommon name.'' Of course Mitsuhide had to be thorough, but something in me resented what felt like borderline gaslighting.

Needing something to do with my hands, I picked up one of the locks I’d been practicing on, and got to work on decoding it. "I have no proof, but he was in that warehouse five years ago at the same time as Motonari. So they do have a prior acquaintance."

“When you said Aki has you all use his name that suggests you have another name. It also suggests… he's not your father after all?" It was posed as a question, but Mitsuhide's soft voice held an accusation.

"He is my father, but for a long time he did not reveal that to me. I believed he was just a man who rescued me from an attack and gave me a place to live and a purpose." I concentrated on the lock, but I was really just aimlessly spinning the tumblers. Mitsuhide stayed quiet until I felt compelled to add, "he did not explain any further.”

"You did not ask? Brat, my acquaintance with you has been fairly short, but even I'm aware this is one of the first things you would have asked." He brushed his hand along the side of my jaw. “That mouth of yours is never still.”

That was unfair… especially given that I had ignored him for over half a week. I gave him a look.

“When you are in an argumentative mood, which, you must admit, is fairly often.” He tapped my forehead, which, yes, I am aware was a dare to argue, but I was more interested in continuing the story… getting it over with.

"Um. He told me in that coded letter you stole." He'd already known I broke into his room to look for it. And now he’d be aware that I'd found it, but I had no other answer to his question aside from the truth.

"Mm. I did wonder if you'd located my hiding spot. Why did you leave it in there?" He took the lock away from me so that I would have to look at him.

"So that you could steal it from me again and hide it somewhere else? Or keep it on your person?" Which he had done anyway, as he had taken his puzzle box with him when he went on walkabout to Azuchi. "Is this important now? I thought your focus was Mai and Hideyoshi, and not my own property and history.”

He inclined his head to acknowledge my point. “By all means. Please tell me what you know about Iekane… which, I imagine does indeed have some bearing on your history.”

“I haven't seen Iekane for five years. And at the time… Aki told me he thought Iekane was motivated purely by jealously. But now I wonder if something else is going on.” Something connected to the time travel? But Iekane wasn’t related to that – at least, I didn’t think he was. But what if-. I temporarily shut down that line of thinking. If I told Mitsuhide about the time travel, would he believe me? Or could I talk around it?

"Once again, I'm going to ask you what you aren't telling me." He turned my chin so I was looking right into those eyes, and it was absolutely the wrong time for that prickly feeling to return. Combined with the off-balance sensation that lingered from the kiss, I had a momentary BSOD as a rush of heat swept through me.

Finally my natural instincts kicked in, reminding me that this man was dangerous – dangerous in ways that I hadn’t imagined when we first met. While I trusted Mitsuhide with my life, I couldn’t trust him with myself. Not when this wasn't only my secret - it was Aki's, and Mai's and Francisco’s and Sasuke's. And so I gave him a different truth, a painful one, one that would protect four other people. "I thought I might be in love with him - Iekane. That is how he was able to trick me into the box. He kissed me a few times." I was grateful that it had not gone any further than that, but still vaguely sick to my stomach at the memory. At the fact that I had let things go even as far as they had.

The look on Mitsuhide’s face suggested that he'd been expecting a dessert buffet and received a package of airline peanuts.

"You must have been fairly young. A few kisses at that age is to be expected." He tugged on my hair. "Should you want more recent kisses to erase his from your memory, I am willing to oblige." He was teasing again, that was obvious. “Certainly, I can do far better than the man who tried to kill you.”

Oh yeah. No question there. But Mitsuhide’s kisses have a lethal effect all their own.

"Two wrongs don’t equal a right.” Oh great. I have resorted to quoting my mother. “In any case, my lips have nothing to with this. What should we do about Shojumaru, a.k.a… er, I mean, also known as Motonari?"

Mitsuhide returned to business as easily as that. "Motonari has access to an entire navy. Perhaps he's keeping Mai and Hideyoshi on one of those ships. Or he may already have taken them to one of the smaller islands in the South. I told Nobunaga to prepare a ship and have it meet us here, while I continue to keep watch over Shojumaru."

"Just you? What should I be doing?" As long as I was still metaphorically tied to Mitsuhide, I didn’t want to be doing nothing.

He raised one eyebrow. I raised both back. I really need to learn that single eyebrow thing.

"As I pointed out earlier tonight, you do indeed resemble a startled rabbit when you do that." At that comment, I deployed my best, the absolute top of the line glare… and he mockingly wiggled his nose and ears. Only when I folded my hands in my lap and put on my ‘ok I’m listening patiently expression,’ did he continue. "We will continue to keep an eye on Shojumaru - as I surmise if I don't take you with me, you will go out on your own as Katsu."

"Or, here's an idea. I can go out with you as Katsu. I could be Kyubei's apprentice or page or assistant.” Katsu’s clothes were much easier to run in. 

"Kaya will come with me." He tugged on my hair again. "Your disguise is very good, but anyone who has seen me with Kaya and then sees me with Katsu will be bound to remark upon the resemblance."

Ugh. He had a point. But at least I wouldn’t be left behind. That was something. “As you wish.”

He snickered. "Are you actually agreeing with me? I ought to kiss you more often."

That deserved an eyeroll and I provided it. But I was eager to divert the topic from that kiss. "Here's a thought. If you fully explain your plans and motivations logically, you might find I agree more often than when you issue orders or tease me."

"The latter is more fun. You might find that eventually you'll enjoy my teasing." Rather than touching me, he ran his finger across his lips, drawing attention to them. "As always the offer of renegotiating our contract is open."

"No thank you.'' I faked a yawn, and stretched. "Now, if you don’t mind, it's been a long night and I'd like to sleep."

"If you say so. Make yourself comfortable." He scooted over, giving me room to lie down in my own bed.

"Alone." I hadn't thought it was necessary to clarify that, but as always Mitsuhide had to make each conversation a contest.

He placed his hand over his heart in an exaggerated charade of romantic disappointment, but obligingly got up. Then, he pulled the quilt around me and neatly tucked me in. For one half-horrified, half-thrilled moment, I thought he was going to kiss me goodnight, but instead, he just tapped my forehead. "Goodnight, Brat."

There wasn’t anything else to say, except, "Goodnight."

By the time I heard Sho clattering around in the kitchen the next morning, I had been awake for too long. Nightmares about Iekane's kiss had merged into far less nightmarish but equally disturbing (in retrospect) dreams about Mitsuhide's kiss. Both had been an act, but Mitsuhide's fake kiss had been enticing enough to make me wonder what it would be like if he kissed me and meant it.

But that snip of hair he had saved in his puzzle box made it clear that someone, somewhere had a prior claims on his heart.

Not that I wanted it anyway.

Therefore any kissing (or beyond) that I did with him, would be purely for the fun of it. And while I wasn’t opposed to that idea in principle, but it was a door I was… well I was afraid to open it.

Certain that my restless night was written on my face, I considered hiding in my room until he was gone for the day, but someone was bound to come looking for me. It was less work to just get up. I dressed in one of Kaya's least restrictive kimonos, and loosely attached a ribbon-like sash instead of the thicker, more formal obi. I was getting bored of Kaya's forcibly shortened steps. Worn this way, the kimono might drag on the ground a little, but I could almost take my normal stride.

When I made my way into the kitchen, it was to see that Hiko had joined us again. Mitsuhide was nowhere to be seen - not that he often ate breakfast with me anyway. Not that he eats anything resembling food either.

"Kyubei is downstairs in the office." Sho answered my unasked question. “He said that you should meet him there after you eat." She cast a critical look at the mess I had made of my kimono. "After I fix that."

Huh, yeah, figured she wouldn't let my too casual look slide. I took the bowl of stewed fruit and rice from her and knelt next to Hiko. "Is this your second breakfast again?"

"Third." Hiko spoke with his mouth full while Sho added, "He ate a rice ball on the way."

Wondering if I could casually find out if Shojumaru had a ship anchored nearby I asked, "Are heading down to the docks today?"

Hiko simply nodded this time, without adding any more information as he powered through his third meal of the day. I ate slowly, trying to figure out how to ask for additional details without appearing too suspicious. I finally settled on noting that Shojumaru had been at the 'banquet' last night. "I didn’t realize he had an interest in art. Does he import anything like that? Statues, vases from the west?"

"I haven't seen any." Hiko didn’t seem interested.

I decided to embellish the question, and added, "Kyubei has an interest and his birthday is soon." In all honesty, I had no idea when Mitsuhide's natal day actually was, but Sho perked up. Oh, because… shopping. I might end up regretting asking, if it meant spending a day sifting through trinkets in the market.

"The next time you and I have a free day, we can go to the marketplace and see what we can find.” She thought a moment. “We could go to some artisan’s workshops too.”

I regret asking.

Then she folded her hands and put on a look of fake indifference. “Or... maybe that Yoshimoto will help us?"

Ha! I thought he had made an impression on her. Although maybe not as much of one as I had hoped, for she added, "Maybe if Shojumaru sees me with someone like Yoshimoto, he'll be more interested in me?"

"Don’t be stupid. Leave him alone, Sho." Hiko handed her his empty plate to wash. "Shojumaru has better things to do than hang around with you." Before he could torture his sister any further, his attention skittered off into another direction and he pulled the three juggling bags that I (as Katsu) had given him, out of his kimono. "Kaya, let me show you what I can do!"

He awkwardly tossed the bags in the air, sending them careening in all directions. As he scrambled around the kitchen to catch them, he banged right into Sho, causing her to drop a bowl on the floor.

"Outside!” She made a shooing motion toward the stairs. "He's already destroyed a vase at home."

Oops. It was my fault for starting him on this hobby, so I followed Hiko down the steps and through the public areas of the townhouse, where Mitsuhide's fake business was doing its fake business thing.

"Going somewhere?" Mitsuhide didn’t exactly grab my arm and pull me back, but his voice had the same effect of stopping me in my tracks.

"Only to the entry. Hiko is going to show off his juggling skills, and they're sufficiently random enough for Sho to bar us from the kitchen." I nodded at where Hiko’s next beanbag toss nearly missed knocking a noh mask off the shelf.

"Ah." He bent his head back to the letter he was writing, which I took as tacit permission to keep going. Not that I would have stopped in any case. But... details.

I left him to it and hurried to the entry, where Hiko was already dancing on the edge of the curb, his face set in concentration as he tossed the bags into the wind. I wished I were dressed as Katsu so that I could give him a few pointers to help him control the toss.

A few times the bags went far to the left or behind him, causing him to jump back and forth between the sidewalk and the street. It was still too early in the morning for there to be any casual pedestrians to be bothered by this, although even at this hour, the city was not quiet. At the other end of the street, an oxcart carrying crates of, well, I assumed sake, pulled up in front of a restaurant. A couple fishermen came up from the direction of the harbor, both lugging baskets of their fresh catch.

Following them was a lone man, strolling, the epitome of ‘acting casual.’ As he approached, the figure became recognizable as Shojumaru. He halted across the street, and leaned against a building. The expression on his face was intent… almost angry? Was he watching the house? I supposed he could simply be waiting for Hiko. More likely, if I asked him what he was doing, he would probably use the kid as an excuse.

When he realized I had seen him, those features quickly rearranged into that affable smile.

Right. Smilers. Never trust them.

Further away came a crack that echoed through the street.

Gunshot?

Shojumaru and I both immediately alerted and looked around.

There … a man, just in profile, slipping around the corner of the restaurant.

The profile was enough though – it was Iekane.

Before I could give chase to him, I realized that barreling down the street was the sake merchant's cart, the startled ox gathering speed, as the leather yoke strap dragged on the road behind.

Completely oblivious, Hiko stayed in the street as he leaped after and caught a bag in one hand. “I got it!” His celebration kept him in the path of the runaway cart.

"Hiko!" He didn’t hear me, but I was already running.

Shojumaru was rushing toward the boy too, but I was closer. Even with the impediment of the narrow kimono, I got to Hiko first. I grabbed his arm and flung him at Shojumaru, who caught the kid and set him on his feet, safely out of the way of the frightened ox.

I turned back toward the townhouse, but something tangled under my foot – the trailing fabric of the loose sash.

One moment of useless flailing was followed by the image of the street rushing toward my face.

Shit, this is going to hur-

@bestbryn @lorei-writes @lyds323 @selenacosmic @tele86 @akitsuneswife

[thequietmanno1]

TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 89, Replies Part 1

1) “Alright, so, let us try to recover a bit of the lost time. Vigilantes? Yeah, vigilantes. Mirko just started kicking ass? Tricky question, she’s always kicking ass? Okay, so, did the story punched any holes in the worldbuilding or plot? pffft- yeah, I suuuuure it didn’t happen…”-

(L, after reading the chapter)

“NUUURSE! I’ve found a massive hole in this plot! Fetch the band-aids!

2) “Alrighty Mirko, time to show us some badass scenes, if you’re gonna escape persecution from criminal acts I want it to be worth it, aright?|- If there’s one advantage to Mirko, it’s that she’s a guarantee of badassness to ensure, or double your money back, guaranteed.

3) "A person who we don't know the identity of and definitely won't be charged for this even though those event are being transmitted online if I recall correctly "- Given what AFO’s up to, and later resorts to openly stealing Quirks in the chaos, I assume that he cut the feeds at some point when he judged it was time to sabotage the venue and make off with what he wanted from it- in fact, knowing him, he’d already twigged to Knuckle’s infiltration before his match and had pre-emptively  prepared to burn the whole operation to the ground before he’d found anything that could concretely link AFO to the event, hence why he feels secure in (literally) showing his hand in matter now.

For all we know, the feeds were stopped before Mirko burst onto the stage, once “The Ripper” had been taken to the infirmary where he was free to find the incriminating stuff.

4) “Holy shit even the staff? Alright, more meat for the grinder I suppose. Poor bastards.”- They got caught up in the rush, but should have considered where the end result would take them. Oh well, at least this place likely has good dental – AFO had to keep his winning smile somehow, right?

5) “But if we theoretically knew, I bet we would be about to see a true carnage. A one-woman massacre. The Beast of Caerbannog brought to life.”- They’re locked inside a slaughterhouse, and they’re the meat products that need tenderising.

6) “Like I said, a massacre. And glad to see confirmation that this is indeed being shown online, where deeefinitely it won’t remain as a permanent record that can be used to identify her later on, I mean, there’s just so many bunny-people that are on high school and have already been expelled due to illegal underground fights, right?”-  Hmmm, I’m honestly uncertain how much of the event is even being shown anymore. It’d leave too much evidence of AFO’s direct involvement for him to use Kurogiri’s portaling + his Quirk stealing this openly unless he’d already stopped the broadcasting, or put the feed in a closed loop to hide what he was doing, unbeknownst to the actual participants, who are now getting beaten for nothing but Mirko’s amusements

7) “Alright narrator calm down there before she climbs up there to kick your ass as well”- Actually, where the hell is he? He’s still keeping the commentary flow going despite a mass rush of bodies in the cramped confines headed straight for Mirko, so where’s he standing that he can keep an eye on the action without getting knocked over?

8) “Oh yeah it did, but don’t worry, there is enough of it to go around, blood just started being spilled after all

Now rappa, I want you to meet your new best friend forever

god if only Mirko was part of the overhaul raid… “-  Rappa and Mirko really do be sharing the same braincell, just in opposite directions/interests. God but it would have been cool for them to meet/fight in the Hassaki raid again and settle the “Fist vs Kicks” debate once and for all…and I’d actually pay money to see Mirko’s reaction to Tengai’s barrier trciks when he pulled those stunts, and whether or not she could break them by herself unlike Fitgum’s mega-blow. Actually, now I wanna see Mirko and Kirishima interacting, just to see if she’d be up for training his endurance whilst also training her kicks.

9) “ “trying” might be the right word here, because they sure as all hell aren’t succeeding on it.”- An uncoordinated mob vs the most coordinated asskicker in the series, no contest.

10) “Now rappa I want you to apologize to your new best friend because being honest she’s way more “manly” than you. Can’t believe we’ll cancel rappa on shitter due to sexist comments smdh”-  To be fair, he hadn’t spoken to her yet, and I’d honestly find a hard time finding somebody in this series who is more on each other’s wavelength than these duos. I’d also say I ship it, but they love violence more than any romance could hope to compare.

11) “Rappa please, your new best friend is right there and she would actually be incredibly happy to kick your ass into oblivion jesus just get out of Knuckleduster’s dick already”- This is why you should never be afraid to try new dishes on the menu, you might find something you’ll like more than your tried and tested favourites.

12) “oh my god he’s still going after him while casually yeeting people to the side

I can only imagine knuckle back at the office and Rappa outside, holding a boombox over his head like in a 90s romcom.”- That would imply that despite his simple love of straightforward violence, Rappa is skilled enough to track down and keep up with a man whose Quirk is literally all about super-speed, and that’s too funny not to be canon.

13) “I’m sorry, it doesn’t look like knuckleduster is paying attention to what that buzzer was, it looks like he’s so done with this shit he’s disassociating.”- Knuckle is still trying to avert his eyes from the path of the fist, but it will take him down his destined road, one way or another…

14) “Oh boy, is that the proto-trigger? So much for asking consent before giving it to conscious people, right?”- Well, maybe the manager would have asked for consent, but AFO’s not him, is he? Plus, I bet that gas piping was introduced as a “security measure” should the fighting get too out of hand, advertised as a means of sedating the whole crowd at once to avoid ‘incidents’, only for AFO to switch the payload when using it here to his benefit.

15) “Wait, so did the staff knew this was going to happen? But then why would they jump in on the mess? If I knew someone would deploy a quirk-enhancing drug that makes people lose their mind I would avoid going in the middle of a crowd of crazy-ass fuckers”- I’m betting they’re equally confused when people’s Quirks start exploding and spiking in power, but they were expecting the pipes to help sedate them, not push events more and more out of control. But hey, at least it’s really entertaining for AFO, the only one watching from the monitors now.

15) “Alright, so it is trigger alright

So, is this still being transmitted online or did the feed already got cut? Because boy I think it would be hard to overlook this when investigating trigger.”- AFO has definitely cut the feeds, especially since he starts getting ‘directly’ involved now, but it’s unclear as to when he did so.

@thelreads

[maegorsbignaturals]

Hi!! I saw one of your rbs about having OCs, and now i am quite curious. Do you have any that is related to Maegor?

OMMG HI THANKS FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE TO TALK NONCHALANTLY ABOUT MY OC'S!!!

I actually have 4! All related to a Targaryen. I Will be showing them from the one who has most work on to the one with less work. Since in middle school i choose between the two fundamental arts of writing and drawing and i chosed writing, i Will try my Best to describe their appearances.

Beqqo / Hellfire of Braavos

My favourite nepobaby of all Planetos ♡♡♡. Maegor's jester, most loyal subject, and demise. A young, slim, tall man, with curly auburn hair and olive skin, plumpy lips that almost all the time are on a soft pinkish color and a mocking grin. His eyes are of a deep brown that are almost black, to the point the surface reflects on them and the eye pupil can't be seen.

Son of a Braavosi Magister and a courtesan, his parents wanted him to be a magister or have an influential position on Braavos (who knows? Maybe he could even be sealord one day!) But his heart was on the tales of adventures, wine, parties with all type of showmen and entretainers! He appreciates over all the qualities, the qualitie and facility to make others laugh. Considering it the Best way to win over someone. So, he began to train behind his parent's back to be a jester! At first they were angry, but after some time, they arrived to a deal: Beqqo would be free of roam over the free cities as a jester, and when he was finally done, he would return to Braavos to turn into a magister. (His father tought that this was a good way to gain allies and powerful people, so why not?).

He meets Alys and Maegor during their exile honeymoon in Braavos. Turning into their jester while they where there. And when the time Maegor turned into king arrives, he was torned between returning into his travel or go with them. In the end, he choosed the second option (UH-OH!).

At first, he tought that maybe he could gain Maegor's favor for when he returned to Braavos make a good relationship between Westeros and this free city, then he turned into some kind of tranquilizer to the agitated court of Maegor, is the King going insane? No, he is just a bit stressed! Is Queen Tyanna a witch? PFFFT, What are you saying? She is just a bit strange, but aren't all we? That Queen Alys is cheating on King Maegor to have a baby? NONSENSE! You must have seen wrong one of her ladies in waiting. She has some odd looking Girls, huh? Then, slowly, as Maegor's late reign approaches, he begans to be affected by the stress of the court, the bloodshed between the halls, the war, and the fear to Maegor's cruelty and maybe even a bit of Tyanna's potions too and his motivations are clear: he just wants to return to Braavos. But after a fatadical letter, he is uncapable of returning to it. And so he remains there, in the red keep during all of Maegor's reign and Jaehaerys' reign until one day he... he dissapears!

Hareth of Mormont Island

Have you ever met someone that is so skilled but at the same time so emotionally and socially akward as a turle? That is Hareth. A young man, close to his 24 nameday, dark hair like coal, the smallest of his family of... *counts with the fingers of her hands and feets* of a lot of siblings! He is not only the little child, but also small in height. With brownish skin of hunting all day during all of his life until his early years as an adult. His father offered him to king Jaehaerys when he was 19 after disrespecting him (and by disrespect i mean to gift his Meat he hunted to some poor old Lady rather than selling it in the market). Jaehaerys was going to discard him just as a butcher for the keep, but after showing his efficency as a Hunter and knowing he could Hunt anything, He moved him to a better position as Jaehaerys and Alyssanne's personal... Hunter. And he fullfils this function until one day in a hunting party he almost turn into the breakfast of a bear. Half blind and deeply hurted, he returns to their majesties. But the only thing he gets is some Milk of the poppy, healed scars and being ostricized from the court.

He is contemporary of Beqqo, actually! But while Hareth is young and akward, Beqqo is old, tired, fat, drunk and with a tongue as poisonous as the one of a snake. They have quite this relationship of father and son, protected and protector (Is Hareth the protected or the protector? Hmm, hard to know!).

Lyman Nightingale

Oh, Beqqo might be the first Oc i created, but Lyman is the BLUEPRINT of the red keep. As flamboyant as a peacock, he is Rhaenys' bard and... DING DING! YOU GUESSED IT! Her lover. So, he is actually Aenys' father. At first he just stayed in Aegon's keep thanks to all the comforts. Like my mom says, "Tenía casa, comida y culo", and that means that he had a place to sleep, maybe even one of the confiest beds and more luxurious places of Westeros. He was feed all the day with good food and, when Rhaenys was feeling like it, he beded the Queen, so, why bothering on leaving? That was, until the Queen was pregnant and she announced that it was from Aegon. He feared for his life and planned to go away from the keep at a prudent moment, but when he met Aenys he... he just couldn't. The baby was the most precious thing he had ever seen in his life! How could he leave after seeing him? So, despite all the dangers, he stayed there. Passing from esentially being Rhaenys' lap dog, to the man who could guard all her fears, and that loved her with all his heart. When she died, he was brutally hurted. He feared now for his life and Aenys' life. Oh no, if Aegon knew! But Aegon knew all this time, and instead of executing him, he asked him with all the respect of the world and with such stealth, to leave the keep. And Lyman did that. He leaved the keep, guarding all the memories of his family on his heart, and he never revealed the secret of his paternity to anyone (it is hard to do when you have in your troath a dagger whose Iron is so cold as the Valyrian Steel)

Vorian Martell

The only functional neuron here! I don't have a description of his appearance here because Dev Patel FITS exactly how i imagine him!

A distant relative from the primary line of the princes and princesses of Dorne. But still well known and loved enough to be send in a politic mission to the court of King Aegon. He arrived young, and soon enough he demostrated to be cultured enough to hold any kind of convo with anyone. Add to this that he never acted overwhengmly charming or cold like an Other. He liked shy talks between the pages of a book and a tea. And perhaps that was what caught Prince Aenys' attention in the first place. Soon, their relationship passed from strictly formal, too neutral too a friendship. They shared and exchanged books, they talked about New philosophies that flew trough the air of westeros. Some times, even Vorian played his lute while Aenys singed! They grew close to each other to the point people began to whisper that after Maegor's exile, the dornish man was going to be the New hand. But such thing never happened, because the realm and the faith began to reveal and to turn against the king, and soon, Dorne commanded Vorian's return to Braavos. At first Aenys didn't let him. He keeped him at his side even when he was all sick and tired, and when he finally died, as soon as she could, Alyssa arranged a boat for him to return to Dorne betweena heavy Rain night and Vhagar's roars thundering in the sky. By the end of Aenys' life, they had this relationship that was sooo much like Linton Heathcliff and Cathy linton!!!

[invisiblegarters]

Hidden Agenda Ep 6

Man why did pretty boys never show up at my place with flower pillows and breakfast when I was in college? Shows always make me feel like I screwed up somewhere during my college experiences, lol. Why are there no shows about people working two jobs while going to college full time and spending most of their time when not working in the library?

Oh yeah, because those shows would be boring.

The sunflower thing again. Is that gonna be a motif with these two if they keep starring in shows together? Just drag the sunflowers along for the ride?

Thai dramas have conditioned me to expect that whenever a BL boy goes out into the rain with no umbrella he will get sick.

And now everyone has ditched the debate meeting leaving only Joke and Zo. This show is just a treasure trove of tropes. I love it. It's just trope after trope after trope.

Aw Joke's cute. "come out and play with me!" But I am Zo. Free time is for studying. Then again this is not real life, this is BL world. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Oooh, an arcade. I haven't been to an arcade in years. I always liked Skee Ball the best. I used to sit at those games and just play and play and get handfuls of tickets.

Game montage!

I know that Wave doesn't like Joke for reasons but he's not wrong. Dude is being a bit rude all over the place. And he needs to learn that he can't just do that kind of thing.

What the hell does Nita have a stalker? That is so creepy. And of course Zo sees them hugging. Because this BL never met a trope it didn't like. Again, not complaining.

At least Zo is confronting the thing directly, but it's not really Joke's place to tell him about Nita's stalker problems.

AAAAH so creepy.

Well good for Joke for helping her out, but um? Report him? Can't they do that?

No Joke you are rushing him a bit, lol.

"I had a hunch." Pfft. Was it the times he stared at you and tried to arm wrestle you for your books or the random let's go to the library so I can read you a "romantic" myth that gave it away Nita?

Nita popping in with facts again. I knew I liked this girl. I mean, let Zo figure out his feelings if that's what he needs to do, but she's not wrong that keeping someone waiting and waiting and waiting can turn into cruelty. After a certain point you have to accept that if you're willing to keep someone waiting for you forever your feelings in return are probably not that strong, and it's kinder to let them know and let them find someone else.

Pffft Joke, any chance to get half naked with Zo. I approve.

Oh just make out about it already.

No kisses for me. Sigh.

Zo honey he's shirtles and he's gonna stay that way.

See, when Top says he wants to hold Mew I think it's a line. When Joke says he wants to hold Zo I think he means it. Difference in your regularly scheduled BL vs. what Only Friends is doing right there. And there's a place for both! As there should be.

Joke really is a romantic.

Why does no one ever turn their damn lights off this annoys me so much. Is that normal or is it a "we need the lighting to film this" thing? I do not think that I could sleep with the lights on like that. And all I can think of is the electric bill.

Cute, as always. And we're finally taking some steps forward, so that's nice. I continue to enjoy myself.

[charlottedabookworm]

Dawntrail 7.2 MSQ

spoilers up to: all 7.2 MSQ quests

original draft date: 26/3/2025

scheduled release for: 9/4/2025

i had to work on patch day but now i'm free and clear! time to find out wtf is going on

great wonderful we nearly have a light party of sphenes now

maybe i'll actually like this one, unlike endless!sphene and fake!sphene lol

*

oooooof she's so confused and scared damn

like fair, she has just woken up and been told she's dead, but oooof

(also can i just say? you can really see the graphical upgrade in the eyes like fucking hell the eyes are all so expressive atm)

*

screaming cackling dying-

i would not describe y'shtola as motherly lol (but i am sure that there are certainly people who do)

*

yeah i mean i can't keep calling you og!sphene after endless!sphene's funeral and evil!sphene wandering out

it'd get confusing v quickly

*

...nah i'mma stick to calling her evil!sphene

*

okay but that bit of lore about how they couldn't use aetherytes in alexandria due to the storm surge making it unsafe is actually really interesting

*

oooof

you're not wrong, yeah

*

okay i know sphene is struggling, understandably, but i'm just sitting here watching this cutscene where my wol doesn't touch his drink at all like 'but the extra cream on my cocoa is melting'

*

raid mention? niiiice i always love it when they put these things in

*

i love this, i do

and she really reminds me of emet-selch in this, when we told him of what he would become back in elpis and he utterly believed he would never make those choices

but he did

we all want to believe that there are lines we'll never cross and sphene is being confronted by the fact that there is proof a version of herself did. and that means she's just as capable of that herself

*

alright omega

also, seriously? i fought despair itself at the end of the universe and you think a little lightning can kill me?

*

no :)

*

his grand design, huh? the one who made you, the one who made endless!sphene, who planned for the use of the interdimensional fusion device

and og!sphene recognised the voice, which means he's been around for at least four hundred years

interesting

*

annnd he founded the Preservation of course he did

being named Calyx is interesting tho - it's from the ancient greek for husk or pod

....wonder what that means about how he's still alive. like okay sure he's obviously an endless but...

*

that dungeon theme

*

yeahhhh

that's uh- yeah that'll definitely hit harder than someone using your own memories to create a fake version of you ngl

*

this trial theme

damn soken is killing it this patch so far and i haven't even done the raids yet!

*

i cannot wait to do that on extreme

*

i'mma take a wild guess, completely out of left field, utterly ungrounded and say-

ascians

*

that's my question that thing is ominous as fuck

*

do not

sphene i actually somewhat like this version of you, do not

*

pffft yeah don't worry raha she's just a little annoyed that she didn't get a chance to beat anything up again

*

ooooh fuck this is not gonna end well

i'mma ask people not to do that? pls?

but also damn this is gonna start a riot

*

oh-

that's their plan

give out the neo-regulators, drum up the fear of death, adn then have a solider kill someone on the streets

everyone who a neo-regulator who was unsure is gonna immediately register their one

gulool ja, baby boy, zoraal ja wore a regulator too

and calyx has already proved he can make new endless out of peoples memories. besides, if he's that much of a genius with electrope, that's probably not a difficult condition for him to override

*

erenville you only recently got a new glam you are not allowed to die

*

as an aside being able to mount while moving is jsut *chefs kiss* i love it

*

…this much chaos and destruction

calyx, what are you doing while we’re all distracted trying to help people?

and bodies scattering into ash?

i don’t trust this

*

that’s living memory-

calyx what are you doing?

*

wait has that colour always been in his hair? I thought his hair was all gray?

*

“The time is come to pose a new question”

…what are you doing????

what question?

*

damn

i cannot wait til 7.3 because it feels like we have so much left to resolve at the minute i need to know how it's all gonna get wrapped

[howetragic]

DARP Advent 2024: Day Two

Dawn / Day / Dusk / Night

Dawn

When does your muse usually wake up? Nathaniel wakes up bright and early, usually with the sun. What does your muse do to get ready for the day? Nathaniel has to take care of his hair, wash his face, dress nicely, and maintain his bow every day. Do they have a "morning routine"? He rises with the sun, dresses and brushes his hair, and then does a check over his equipment for repairs needed. He has some archery practice. He reads missives delivered overnight, and then begins to prepare for the day's tasks.

Day

Before the events of their "story", what did your muse's day-to-day look like? Before Awakening, Nathaniel was squiring for his mother's cousin in the Free Marches. So his days were spent attending to Ser Rodolphe Varley. What does your muse do for a day job? He is the Warden-Constable and then Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Have they ever held a “regular job”? Pffft no he's a noble. If they had to go get a day job… what would they pick? I think Nathaniel would rather enjoy clerical work of some sort. If he couldn't have that, perhaps mercenary work or petty thievery.

Dusk

How does your muse relax and unwind? He's not very good at that. Was your muse told bedtime stories as a child? Oh, yes. A mix of nightly noble stories, and outright horror meant to keep kids in line. Do they have any bedtime stories that they tell to anyone else? Yes. He likes to tell the tall tales of the Blackmarsh and other areas of Amaranthine. Does your muse have campfire stories to tell? Oh, plenty. His time in the Free Marches was plenty rife with outlandish stories to share.

Night

Is your muse afraid of the dark? No. How does your muse sleep? When in Vigil's Keep, just fine. In the Deep Roads or in camp, he's a light sleeper. What is their sleeping position? Usually on his side with one arm tucked under his pillow. Does your muse dream? Yes. He's tormented by the Grey Warden nightmares, but he also has a great many dreams of his father and his family if things had gone... better.