#Reader/Character coded

[theotheronedotorg]

So, I now got back into Detroit: Become Human, and I have to say, I've honestly missed Connor and his beautiful face that reminds me of the learning puppy.

I also just found out that people make stories about the game and about my dude. I mean, everyone and anyone make up stories on paper and scenarios in their heads about anything. I can't really say I'm surprised about it.

What I am surprised is how no one, well, as far as I've read, has not made a story about reader being an android that was made to be specifically paired with Connor. I'd honestly very much like to read something like that.

Or should I make something like it? I do feel like writing, even though I'm working about 4 days out of the week, I'll be able to have enough time to come up with some stuff. Should be fun writing about a character with an already-made love interest.

[starcurtain]

Some Notes on Mydei's Characterization (Part 1)

I'm already tired of seeing Mydei slander (if I have to read "He's a brawn over brains berserker who just cares about fighting" one more time, I might actually die), so I thought I'd put together some quick notes on what canon has to say about Mydei's character. Please note this post contains only my own interpretations of canon material; not everyone will interpret scenes in the same manner.

Starting with some of the most off-base stuff I've seen first:

1. Being Capable of Violence is Not the Same as Being Violent

Mydei's trailer and his role in the story both confirm that he is capable of extreme acts of violence. When it comes to battle, multiple people--Eurypon and Phainon, for example--refer to Mydei specifically as a "beast," rather than a person. In his character stories, we're told that he was such a ferocious predator in the Sea of Souls that even monsters stopped coming near him, and in another of his character stories, he's described as tearing the throat out of an opposing enemy who had an army a thousand men strong. It is a basic and unavoidable fact of Mydei's character that he is capable not only of killing but of killing in egregiously brutal ways, literally tearing his enemies apart with his bare hands.

Mydei will fight, he will cause harm, and he will kill--whenever it is necessary to do so.

But there is an extreme world of difference between being capable of violence and actually being a violent person, and Mydei has shown, in both word and deed, that he is an inherently gentle character who, if given the option, would prefer to choose the path of least harm.

Over and over, the devs hit us players with the idea that Mydei's actual nature is one that abhors needless violence. We see this from his first character story, where Mydei--despite being thrown into the Sea of Souls as an infant, despite fighting every single day of his childhood just to survive--is described as saving drowning fishermen with no reward. Even the author of the legend points out the incongruity of this choice, saying "Why would a Kremnoan ever bother to save others?"

Remember that this is a Mydei who has had literally no human contact. He has no frame of reference for even the concept of generosity. If we take his story seriously, then despite being effectively feral at this point in time, his innate reaction to seeing others in danger was simply to provide aid. Even when his own survival was the only thing he had experience with, he still chose to selflessly save others, with no motivation other than the fact that benevolence appears to be his core nature.

Reinforcing this idea that Mydei is an inherently gentle person, there's the memory in Castrum Kremnos where an unknown someone asks Mydei what his dream is, with the only acceptable options being different combat roles. But Mydei's answers are charmingly abstract instead--young Mydei doesn't want to be a soldier and bring harm to others, he wants to be a wanderer or even a "beam of light."

(Saw some interesting talk linking this "beam of light" with Kephale recently too. I'm very interested to see whether the upcoming patches will tie these connections together or if we're all just reading too much into things lolol.)

3.0's plot hammered this home as well, with Mydei continually disputing Aglaea's mission requests; Aglaea says that sending too many Chrysos Heirs to fight Nikador would be a waste (in case they end up dying), to which Mydei responds that there's no point in needlessly risking people's lives.

Even the 3.0 side quests repeat this message, with one Kremnoan NPC, Aelius, noting that an assassin tried to murder him on his first day in Okhema. Instead of responding with force, as might be justified by the severity of the crime, Mydei--brand-new to Okhema and their ways himself!--still chose diplomacy, and went to the Council of Okhema to legally ensure the Kremnoan people's safety, instead of directly seeking vengeance.

Even a small scene in Kremnos's ruins gives the devs an opportunity to show that Mydei prefers to exhibit aggression only when threatened first: As the Trailblazer and Co. wander through the Soul-Forging Zone, the group meets a half-crazed titankin. Obviously it poses a danger and could become a more serious threat in an instant, but Mydei doesn't offer it any resistance. It isn't violent with him, so he has no reason or motivation to be violent with it... as opposed to Phainon, whose first reaction is immediately to attack.

(If you choose to kill it, by the way, Mydei scolds Phainon and the Trailblazer, effectively calling them bloodthirsty executioners...)

When Krateros attempts to manipulate Mydei using Mydei's mother's wishes, urging him to continue the cycle of domination in Kremnos, Mydei stops him cold by pointing out that (like Mydei who inherited her beliefs) he knows Gorgo was opposed to violence for violence's sake:

Then, of course, there's the entire deal about refusing the crown of Kremnos, breaking his people's endless cycle of violent lives and even more violent deaths and repeatedly refusing Nikador's power because Mydei had no desire to become Strife. Despite revering his people's god for what Nikador was supposed to be--the guardian who sacrificed everything to protect Amphoreus--the game repeatedly tells us that Mydei sees Kremnos's cultural tradition of conquest as a meaningless waste of life, glorifying cruelty for no reason and bringing nothing but harm to the Kremnoans and Amphoreus as a whole.

Mydei fought hard to not become the demigod of Strife. At every turn, he was pressured and manipulated by others against his expressly stated wishes, and ultimately was left with no choice but to accept the destiny forced upon him despite clearly longing for a different, gentler life. Although I'll talk more about this later, the fact that Mydei even went so far as to change his name among the Chrysos Heirs shows us just how intensely he was trying to separate himself from his own past and from Kremnos's bloody history. Mydei wanted to be a person, yet in the end, he was forced back into being a beast, into becoming the symbol of violence, the very thing that took everything good from his life.

(This isn't a shipping post, but Phainon's efforts to take on Nikador's coreflame can be read to at least some extent as a rescue attempt--despite himself believing that Mydei was the better fit for Strife, Phainon saw how sincerely Mydei did not want to take the coreflame trial, and at least in small part, Phainon did take on the trial to spare Mydei from that inevitability. Personally, I think this failure will eventually be one of the linchpins that brings Amphoreus crumbling down, because Phainon was supposed to be everyone's hero, but just like Cyrene, he failed to save Mydei.)

I've seen some people debating this idea that Mydei is not a violent person by pointing out that Phainon calls him "reckless when he gets the urge to kill." In 3.0, Phainon implies that Mydei could even hurt other people with his recklessness in battle. But... we have never seen Mydei ever bring any harm in battle to someone he didn't intend to hurt. No one innocent ever gets injured in-game by Mydei (at least so far...), and we have no indications at any point that Mydei would intentionally endanger others out of recklessness. In fact, even in their first scene, it's Mydei who scolds Phainon for being careless during battle.

For example, Mydei's first reaction to confronting Nikador was to immediately remove Phainon and the Trailblazer from the fight so that they wouldn't come to harm. Even inside the coreflame trial, while the power of Strife was driving Phainon mad, Mydei was still level-headed enough to rally the Trailblazer and Dan Heng and get Phainon out safe. Mydei was still rational enough to even recognize the Okhemans inside the illusion and say "This isn't who these people really are; they're being twisted by Nikador."

Is this really the behavior of a reckless person who loses his sense of reason in battle?

To be honest, players should take most of what Phainon actually says about Mydei with a grain of salt. Phainon, especially during 3.0, doesn't actually know Mydei's whole story (for one, he has a foot in mouth moment in 3.0 where he tells Mydei to make more friends, only to then find out in 3.1 that Mydei had more friends; they just all died), and we know that Phainon often exaggerates Mydei in many ways when talking to others. Mydei may be reckless in battle--but his recklessness almost certainly centers on himself, being willing to risk his own life, rather than others'. This is echoed again in his "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video, where Phainon comments on Mydei's complete lack of self-defense once he enters battle. While Phainon might think Mydei's lack of attention to his own pain is worth calling out, it isn't a sign that Mydei is genuinely a mindless berserker.

I've also seen people debating this point by saying that Mydei appears to go "crazy" in battle and starts grinning when he gets a battle high. But as for Mydei's smiling in battle, we really only see it three times: 1) When Phainon first returns to Okhema, 2) When Mydei finally engages in solo combat with Nikador, and 3) When engaged in solo combat after all his allies in the coreflame trial already "died."

Again, this isn't a shipping post, so write the first smile for Phainon off as you choose--maybe Mydei's just excited to have the opportunity to flex in front of his "rival." The other two smiles are admittedly a bit unhinged, but I'd argue that neither of these moments represents actual enjoyment of battle. Instead, both of these smiles occur only inside the overwhelming pall of Nikador's power, which we're told canonically infects the mind with a desire for bloodshed. More importantly, both of these instances also take place when Mydei is only fighting titankin, not human opponents, and only after Mydei has been left entirely alone, when he is certain that the only person at risk in the fight is himself. When Mydei can confirm that there's no one left to defend (or left for him to lose!), then and only then does he give in to Nikador's violence for violence's sake and engage in battle whole-heartedly.

tl;dr: Mydei was the crowned leader of a culture that glorified cruelty, death, and mindless brutality. He was forced into a life of violence where he had to fight tooth and nail for survival from virtually the moment of his birth. Everyone he ever loved died worshiping a god that used their souls as nothing but fodder for further meaningless destruction. Yet Mydei was doing everything he could to rise above that life, and to help others also rise above that life. Of course he fights when he must, but reveling in it? I don't really see the evidence.

My man did not tear down a dynasty, breaking a thousand years' cycle of pointless strife, to get hit with the "He's a battle junkie" allegations. I swear to god I will bite the next person who says it--

2. His Reputation as Quick-Tempered is a Front

While it's typically not Mydei's fans going around saying Mydei's just another "battle-obsessed manly man," there is a different stereotype I actually do see being perpetrated by self-proclaimed Mydei fans: It seems to be a common trend in fanfics and fanarts to write Mydei with a strong temper, showing him becoming very aggressive when annoyed and suggesting that his first resort in difficult situations is brute force.

To be fair, I think this is influenced by a number of factors, not the least of which is the game itself playing with this idea as a joke. In Mydei's "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video, Phainon playfully reduces Mydei to the quick-tempered brute stereotype, saying things like:

Phainon also brings this up at other points, such as suggesting that Mydei would only need one try to solve the puzzle in Janusopolis because his method of solving it would be... to just punch his way through.

But again, please take the things Phainon says about Mydei with a grain of salt. Roasting your friends for fun is simply a given, and I think that Phainon's comments about Mydei are meant to be understood as playful banter about his "rival," not serious analysis of Mydei's temperament (which really doesn't align with the stereotype of a hot-head at all).

Complicating this whole situation is the English voiceover, where it is clear the voice director encouraged Mydei's English VA to portray Mydei as particularly gruff and worked up in many of his lines. I have nothing against the English VA at all, but the voice direction of the English version clearly missed the mark on Mydei's character and went for a more aggressive vibe than any of the game's other languages. (The whole thing reminds of me Ray Chase not being given proper direction on Neuvillette's character at first and dramatically changing his voice acting over the course of Fontaine's patches.) I don't mean that English Mydei is never gentle, but that many of the lines are delivered with a level of vitriol that is not suited to the scene at all nor present in other languages. (Compare this line delivery in English with the same line in Chinese, for just one example.) The English interpretation of the character is strongly colored by this strange directing decision ("Mydei should be actively angry in many of his scenes"), unfortunately.

Complicating the whole situation even further is fandom's habit of reducing characters to flat caricatures because making funny meme art and exaggerating character traits for comedic effect is so common. (And enjoyable, don't get me wrong lol.) There is a well-loved relationship dynamic of "the grumpy one with the sunshine one," and I think unfortunately Mydei and Phainon are getting this treatment in fandom quite a bit: Phainon is depicted as the exuberant, happy puppy, while Mydei is the angry, bristling cat. It just makes sense when we consider cliches, right? The muscle-bound warrior dude will obviously be a cranky, easily angered hot-head, no? To a certain extent, I understand why fans jump to that conclusion and take that route in their fanworks; it's definitely easier to depict the characters with these kinds of shorthand tropes than to encompass their complicated personalities in every art or fic.

But the problem is... in-game Mydei is really not much like fanon Mydei, at least where tempers are concerned.

Repeatedly, the game tells us that Mydei keeps a level head even in situations of extreme pressure, and that he prefers to use communication, rather than force, to try to resolve the conflicts he encounters. Going back to some examples I've already mentioned: In the ruins of Kremnos, he's the first to suggest communicating with the titankin and the first to suggest that there's no reason to use violence against them. In 3.0, a scene lots of people say shows Mydei's "bloodlust," where he confronts Nikador and claims he has an intent to kill, actually starts with the line: "All that anger and regret I feel right now, I've learned to control them".

In Okhema, when the Kremnoans were facing assassination attempts, Mydei handled the situation legally, within the confines of Okhema's clearly ridiculous bureaucracy, to ensure that the Kremnoan people would be able to live within the city. In 3.1, when Krateros wants to lose the Okheman guards that are trailing them, Mydei defers to Krateros's lead, asking him if they should use force on the guards and only complying when he says yes.

In fanarts, it's common to draw Phainon doing something silly, with a 💢grumpy Mydei💢 barely tolerating it. But... in game, Mydei actually tends to weather Phainon's teasing without that much issue, often playing along readily and teasing back or simply not rising to the bait at all, sometimes giving him a flat response that actually irritates Phainon instead.

Even when Phainon lobbies some of his snappiest jests (the line about Mydei not being able to write comes to mind), Mydei's strongest reaction is usually "Why are you stupid?" and then he moves on. He's not out here roaring like an angry lion or flipping a table every time someone is a bit obnoxious in his general vicinity. Mydei's mostly chill with the silliness, guys. He's sometimes silly back.

And even in the moments where he should be his angriest, such as the day he avenged his mother by killing his father, Mydei tends to respond to pressure and even cruel provocation with level-headed answers, coldly telling Eurypon just how pointless the entire crown of Kremnos was. Krateros insults Mydei specifically for choosing communication as his conflict resolution strategy. Like, how did people decide Mydei would be an easily provoked hot-head when his own mentor insults him for trying to solve Kremnos's problems using words instead of action?

Perhaps one of the only occasions in the game where we actually see Mydei genuinely lash out in anger is the moment with Tribbie, where she tells him not to worry for Phainon. Mydei responds harshly--but then immediately walks his words back, explicitly notes that his single sharp answer was rude, and apologizes.

But what I haven't seen anyone discuss is that fact that Mydei had every right to be angry at Tribbie here. In the prior scene, Aglaea literally belittled and pressured him into taking on the Strife coreflame following Phainon's failure, and Mydei knew in this scene that Tribbie was fully aware of Aglaea's plan to manipulate Mydei using Phainon.

Again, not a shipping post, but Tribbie daring to go "Aw, don't be worried" rightttt after that concern for his friend was weaponized against Mydei to deny him his agency? A direct slap in the face. Aglaea--with Tribbie as her willing accomplice--knowingly put Phainon's very life at risk to entrap Mydei and force him to take on a role he was rejecting with every fiber of his being. After deliberately using Phainon--and Mydei's concern for Phainon!--as a tool, for Tribbie to have the audacity to say "You shouldn't worry about him" was actually pretty vile.

And yet it's Mydei who apologizes. It's Mydei who reins in any hint of frustration and tries to approach the situation politely, as if the person he is talking to hadn't literally just doomed him to an entire future of misery by using the safety of one of his only remaining friends as leverage. The achievement you get just before this moment, "Sing, O Goddess, of His Rage," suggests that Mydei truly is rightfully furious about this situation--but in the end, Mydei still forgives both Tribbie and Aglaea without hesitation, because he knows the importance of the Flame-Chase Journey and of following the prophecy at all cost.

Does this really strike us as someone who flies off the handle at minor annoyances, someone who is brash or easily riled up, someone who resorts to punching his way through all his problems?

Despite appearances, I think it would be more accurate to say that Mydei's temper runs pretty even and that he is actually difficult to provoke to genuine anger. There are times where we see him truly furious (when he confronts Nikador about the honorless scheme to attack Okhema, when he confronts his father, etc.), but in every situation where Mydei is angry, it's because the anger is absolutely justified, because something truly unforgivable is happening to him or those he's sworn to protect.

Mydei's suffered just about every manner of injustice it is possible for a person to suffer, and yet he soldiers on without making his suffering other people's concern. He apologizes for even minor outbursts, despite his feelings of outrage clearly being righteous. In some cases, we might even read him as a little passive aggressive instead--the fact that Phainon's food is nasty whenever he really annoys Mydei and yet he has no idea why the food is bad is a hilarious hint that Mydei's definitely more of a "revenge is a dish best served cold" kind of person than a hot-head.

So what about that moment early on, where Mydei uses the threat of violence to silence Verax Leo?

Well, no Verax Leos were harmed, so? Ha, being serious, I actually think this moment should be better understood as the player's first real insight into Mydei's character, separate from Phainon's colorful commentary.

This moment tells us one thing really clearly about Mydei: He's self-aware. Mydei knows the Verax Leos are literally cowardly lions, and he knows they think he's scary. He's aware of his own reputation as a "beast," and he isn't above utilizing that reputation to achieve a goal if doing so will produce a greater good for others. Without even needing to resort to any actual attack, Mydei is able to silence the Verax Leo's rumor-mongering using just the threat of his capacity for violence.

This suggests to the player that Mydei is actually discerning, straight to the point but intelligent enough to tailor his actions to the level of response that is appropriate for a given situation. He's not a "go in fists blazing right from the start" kind of guy when that's not what's needed. He could easily just punch the lion off the wall--but he doesn't. He lets his words doing the threatening, instead of his fists. (The fact that this particular Verax Leo was apparently helping to slander Kremnoans the week before and still lived to spread rumors about March tells us how disinclined Mydei is to solve his daily problems with actual violence.)

The takeaway is that Mydei's angry reputation among Okhemans, but hell, also among players(!), is largely fueled by stereotypes more than by any real actions on Mydei's part. People expect him to a quick-tempered brute, so that's what they see, even when Mydei's real actions don't lend themselves to that cliche much.

Yet Mydei is also self-aware enough to know that same crude reputation is a powerful tool. It benefits him for certain groups to be very afraid of him, and this leads to an interesting conflict in the character: On the one hand, Mydei wants to distance himself from Kremnos's violence. He renames himself, swears allegiance to Aglaea's cause of hope, and spends his free time in Okhema doing gentle things like taking part in cooking competitions, playing house with kids, and judging drama festivals. More on this in a bit, but I think it's very interesting that not a single one of his marketing or promotional materials--nor any of his scenes in the game itself--show him willingly spending his free time on martial pursuits. (The animation they gave us was Mydei playing with children, not sparring with Phainon or even training with his dedicated warrior brothers-in-arms.) Mydei clearly wants to be seen and relate to others as a person separate from his bloodstained past.

On the other hand, his reputation as a terrifying warrior is one of the only things allowing him to live his current life. It's only as the to-be "blood-crowned" king of Kremnos that the Kremnoans willingly follow him and respect what he has to say. His ability to decide their futures hinges on them continuing to perceive him as Mydeimos, their undying lion of conquest. His only use to Aglaea and the Flame-Chase Journey is as the future manifestation of Strife or as an expendable resource that can be thrown single-handedly at enemies because he's the only one that can take their punishment and keep kicking. His place in Okhema is only secure so long as the Okhemans continue to fear his might, their discrimination kept at bay only by the knowledge that none of them can come close to defeating the Kremnoans if it came to blows. His reputation in Okhema is secure only so long as he can continue to cow the Verax Leos into silence with threats of retaliation.

Mydei doesn't have any attachment to his image as a monster--and yet his situation will not allow him to let it go. As much as he would like to live a different life, the view that others have of him--that he is an angry, savage person who is barely restraining an innate violent nature--is a shield locked in his hand, protecting him and making it possible to keep going--even when all he really wants to do is stop.

So, long story longer: I don't think Mydei has an especially hot temper at all; he's lived an incredibly hard life and had every one of his hopes and dreams systemically stripped away from him. He's under constant and immense pressure and feels entirely alone in bearing his burdens. His frustration occasionally bubbling to the surface--for which he apologizes--is not only justified but honestly still shockingly under-stated. If I was in his situation, a whole lot more heads would have rolled.

And now, a few less important notes to round this post out because I can already tell I'm going to hit tumblr's image limit before I run out of things to say about Mydei, so:

3. He's Not a Dumb Jock or Actually that Fitness Obsessed

This one is kind of annoying because Mydei's marketing materials like to play with the "dumb jock" trope as a joke. As mentioned before, we have Phainon's humorous "If you want wisdom, he's got might" line, Mydei being terrible at math (to the point even the Trailblazer assumes they'd be better at math than Mydei), the implication that Mydei is so straightforward he would miss deceptions from those speaking in ill faith (like during the Verax Leo's riddles), and of course, the overwhelmingly common stereotype of gym bros caring more about their muscles than their brains...

But the game also goes out of its way, repeatedly, to emphasize that just as Mydei doesn't fit the stereotype of the savage warrior, he also doesn't fit the stereotype of brawn over brains, of focusing more on physical prowess than thought.

Mydei being bad at math is played for laughs, sure, but in the same breath we're also told that he's a better student of history than Phainon is (which loops back into ironic when you remember that Phainon loves history and clearly wants to be good at it).

Mydei is one of the game's only confirmed bilingual characters outside of the Genius Society, despite the fact that, if his backstory is to be believed, he would have spent the most formative years of his childhood entirely language-less, and even after leaving the Sea of Souls, would likely not have attended any form of formal schooling until he went to the Grove as an adult. He's capable not only of speaking and reading in multiple languages, but also of translating even archaic variations of his native tongue, enough so that (according to his marketing), being an archaic Kremnoan language mentor is one of his official titles.

He's also one of the characters most strongly associated with reading in the entire game, via the library, his canonically stated ability to interpret poetry, his character stories all being texts... All the other characters associated as strongly with reading as Mydei in the game are regarded as "nerds": Ratio, Dan Heng, Pela... Somehow critical portions of Mydei's character can be oriented around literature and he still gets hit with the dumb jock label???

He's also an accomplished military strategist capable of commanding the respect of seasoned veterans as well as waging effective war campaigns against enemy nations with a marginal, aging army and virtually no resources... He's capable of playing Aglaea's and Okhema's political games, despite having obvious disdain for such things... In fact, in Mydei's goodbye to Aglaea, he speaks to her as one nation's leader to another, remarking on how he's learned valuable lessons in managing his people from her, and specifically highlighting that her trait he most admires--what is missing from his own people's history--is her ability to instill genuine hope in others.

But yeah, Mydei is dumb muscle because it's funny, I guess.

What makes the whole "jock" thing loop around into doubly ironic (and also sad) is that although Mydei's character does involve a strong emphasis on health and fitness, the way it's framed in his marketing versus his actual in-game character is extremely different. Mydei's marketing is all about combat, how he's a "fitness ambassador," and "performance enhancers aren't in the Kremnoan language."

But in game Mydei...?

He doesn't have anything particularly unique to teach Phainon. There isn't any special "extreme Mydei training regimen" above what the other Kremnoan soldiers do, a fact we can confirm with the bath NPC Peleus, who tells us that Mydei has taught him his training regimen, and it's just the "Kremnoan traditional exercises" (the high-altitude shuttle run, firewalking, etc.). This idea that Mydei isn't devoting himself to constantly improving his ~super special combat capability~ is also reiterated in Mydei's marketing when someone tries to scam Okhemans by selling a secret "Mydei combat move" and Mydei is just like "There's no such thing..."

Yes, this is me telling you that the fanon thing where Mydei is all about hitting the arena to beat the crap out of challengers every single day is probably not that lore accurate. Yes, of course Mydei spars and keeps up with his strict exercise routine, but combat training doesn't actually seem to be his favorite hobby. In the game, Phainon is definitely worked up about wanting to spar and practice together, but Mydei's attitude to the idea of training with Phainon seems closer to "Please... be more chill..."

Just as an example, at possibly the most plot relevant time ever to suggest a spirit-raising spar with his "bro," the ideas that instead come to Mydei's mind for working out Phainon's disappointment are...

All gentle socializing.

In fact, although Mydei's marketing hyper-emphasized the "fitness" shtick, we never actually see Mydei sparring or training with anyone in any of his mainstream marketing materials or in game. (I'd say we don't even see him fitness training at all, but hey, they did add one chat sticker where he has a weight lol.)

Although we're informed repeatedly that Mydei's a fitness junkie, what his marketing and in-game free time scenes actually show us are, uhhhh *checks notes* sleeping in, taking long baths, eating pancakes, singing around the campfire with his band of bros, people watching, and babysitting? It's the life he truly deserves.

Again, this isn't to say Mydei doesn't train (obviously you don't look like that without putting in massive effort!), but both promotional materials and the scenes chosen for characters in game are deliberately designed to highlight the most integral aspects of characters' personalities. Mydei surely is exercising hard to keep up his health off-screen--but by de-emphasizing that in what the game actually visually shows us players, the only obvious conclusion is that other things (food, playing with children, spending time with comrades) are much more important to Mydei than just getting swole. Out of the "warrior" type characters we have in Star Rail, Mydei is one of the least pumped up about sparring that we've seen. From what we're actually given in game, Yanqing is infinitely more gung-ho about combat training than Mydei is.

In fact, rather than exercise itself, I'd say more of Mydei's "fitness" focus in game comes from his connection to food, and--perhaps this is me reading into things a bit too much (but that's my job, you know)--I'd argue that Mydei's repeated emphasis on eating healthy is actually a thinly-veiled trauma response to his childhood experiences with starvation.

We're told that, in the Sea of Souls, he fed on the raw flesh and bone of the abyssal monsters he fought--literally eat or be eaten--and could really only hold off the feeling of starving on the rare times that the tides were low and he could catch live shrimp instead. He also closely associates the Kremnoan Detachment, his only refuge, with the notion of comfort food.

And every time food is discussed, he's quick to tell others, even the Trailblazer, exactly what to add in order to make sure they're not only full but also eating a balanced meal that will keep them hale and whole. More than a gym bro, I think Mydei missed his calling as a nutritionist.

Long story longer, Mydei has never had a time where he could go without fighting. For virtually all of his life, at least until he reached Okhema, fighting was all he ever knew. Would he even really need much extra fitness training when his entire existence is a constant stream of battles, of pushing his body to its limits over and over again? He's been "working out" since he was literally an infant, with no down time, and even in relatively peaceful Okhema, a Chrysos Heir's duty to battle never ends.

This is just my personal take on it, but I'm inclined to think that when he finds rare moments of peace, Mydei would probably prefer to do things other than fight, especially if it's something that allows him to provide for himself and others, helping his friends stay well, such as through cooking.

I think the in-game material does a great job of emphasizing that Mydei's definition of "fitness" doesn't necessarily focus foremost on being a gym bro/jock who hits the training field every five minutes--his definition of "health" and "wellness" have a lot to do with nourishing the spirit at the same time.

4. Mydei is Significantly Less Impulsive than Phainon

Okay, I can hear you--if Mydei's not a brute, and he's not a fiery temper, and he's not much of an actual gym bro, what is he?

Well, unfortunately I'm just here to tell you another thing he's not: He's not actually that proactive of a rival either.

Aglaea is quick to call Mydei and Phainon "impulsive youths," putting them on the same level in terms of childishness, but actuallyyy...

Despite the fact that Phainon likes to claim Mydei "taunts him every time they meet", every single actual competition we've ever seen between Mydei and Phainon was initiated 100% by Phainon, with Mydei just sort of getting swept up in Phainon's antics.

In their joint lightcone, it's Phainon who calls for the contest of speed. In Kremnos, it's Phainon who proposes the titankin killing competition. After the coreflame trial, it's Phainon who demands the hot bath challenge (and then lies and blames Mydei lol), and it's even Phainon who turns taking home the other affected bath patrons into a competition too, one in which Mydei flat out claims he wasn't even competing:

We're given several hints, particularly throughout 3.0, that Mydei and Phainon's prior missions were largely characterized by Phainon coming up with ridiculous plans, and Mydei mostly going "Welp, that sounds like it's going to get us killed, but okay I guess."

While Phainon is ready to go "Fuck it, we ball" and fight a titan to the death all by himself, Mydei spends the entire first part of 3.0 going "Hey, so, like, fighting Nikador without an army is a really dumbass decision, and we should probably not be attempting this."

(This moment is kind of less funny in retrospect when you rewatch it with the knowledge that Mydei knew they couldn't handle the fight, but Phainon was like "No, we totally got this, trust me bro!" Spoiler Alert: They did not have it. Literally all of Mydei's deaths in 3.0 happened because of his crippling inability to say no to Phainon. But this is not a shipping post. I promise.)

Anyway, in one of the only examples we have of Mydei possibly being impulsive on his own, the note from the bath manager that reports someone charging into the baths to ask who the strongest warrior in Okhema is, the actual implication is that Mydei had no idea how poorly the Okhemans would take that (nor their obsession with debate which would be sparked), and his faux pas comes less from being immature and more from the cultural discrepancy between Okhema and Kremnos, as the Kremnoan in the note finds Mydei's behavior perfectly normal.

In fact, instead of being an unruly youth, Mydei is criticized by other characters several times in the story specifically for choosing to hold back and think things through before committing himself to a decision. If anything, he's closer to indecisive (or at least slow to decide) than he is to impulsive.

Now, don't get me wrong. The game tells us repeatedly that Mydei does get competitive as hell once Phainon actually manages to convince him to join in on the shenanigans. Of course Mydei likes to win. But the notion that Mydei is Phainon's equally impulsive rival, actively issuing his own challenges, goading his frenemy into new contests, and particularly motivated to keep one-upping Phainon? It's really more of an informed trait and a fandom cliche (red and blue rivals, the people cannot resist) than anything actually shown in the game.

At the risk of perhaps inserting too much of my own interpretation here, I'm inclined to say that Mydei's willingness to engage in Phainon's dumb competitions is less brash rivalry and much closer to "Guy who never had the chance to be an impulsive youth cautiously allowing himself the privilege of feeling carefree for ten minutes or so."

It's not that Mydei is actually that driven to assert his dominance or is particularly impetuous when left to his own devices--it's that he never before had a long enough period of peace where he was safe enough to act childish. If he ever had competitions in his past, they almost certainly would have been like "Who can murder the most enemy soldiers with their bare hands today?" In Okhema, Mydei can participate in sauna-offs.

Mydei isn't as (deliberately performatively) silly as Phainon. He's nowhere near as impulsive as Phainon is. He's not really that fixated on being a rival. But he is a pretty great partner in crime. He does allow himself to be drawn into Phainon's schemes over and over, because well... they're obviously fun for him. He gets into the competitions once they're motion, even if he complains about them at the start. Mydei's life has been criminally devoid of light-hearted joys and normalcy, and being led into trouble that doesn't result in people literally dying on him--harmless trouble--is probably an extreme novelty for Mydei. Basically what I'm saying is, he isn't going to propose the Jackass competition, but he is going to fold like paper the moment said competition is suggested.

Case in point: In 3.0, there's a second where you can actually hear him regretting his life choices, trying so hard to convince himself that he is above Phainon's weird antics, but... in the end, he can't help himself. When Phainon starts LARPing with the Trailblazer during the titankin competition, Mydei's first reaction is essentially "Oh my god, this is so cringe," but just two lines later... look who joins the LARPing.

This nerddddd.

When left alone, Mydei withdraws from the world. Trailblazer typically finds him locked in silent contemplation, rejecting visitors, up on his own private corner of the rooftops. On his own, Mydei is significantly less likely to seek out trouble, cause public disturbances, or become a (usually accidental) nuisance compared to half the other Chrysos Heirs.

But when the company around him makes him feel comfortable, he is willing to engage with life in the childish ways he was never free to before. His "rivalry" with Phainon is better understood not as a macho dude-bro need to assert superiority, but as just one of the most obvious manifestations of Mydei's desire to experience the life he never got to live, to let himself be the kind of person who can just do silly things and cause dumb messes.

Mydei isn't a particularly impulsive person--but sometimes he lets himself try it out. As a treat.

Okay, last note for now:

5. Mind Your Manners

While it might be tempting to see Phainon and Mydei's competitions as the peak of Mydei's comedic contribution in the story, I think the actual funniest aspect of Mydei's character is the game's running gag about his manners.

Yes, Castrum Kremnos is a savage nation that revels in death and is rumored to drink the blood of their enemies--but they still keep it classy, damn it! Sure Mydei might have grown up as a half-feral sea beast and then a homeless, wandering exile subsisting off the land, but sometimes he literally can't help it--the aristocracy just jumps right out of him.

No, I'm not joking. Mydei really does have the prim and proper manners of a blue-blooded royal.

We see this from his first appearance in the game. A character's first scene is generally their establishing moment, the devs' chance to give players a strong starting impression--which makes it so telling that one of the first things out of Mydei's mouth is a insult to Phainon's manners.

This is a direct and pointed critique, suggesting Phainon has neglected his duties as a host by relying on his "guests" as back up in the battle. In the context of Amphoreus's historical inspirations, this is actually a very serious scolding: hospitality was a big, big deal in ancient Greece, and the idea of forcing foreign guests into serving you before affording them proper welcome and rest, let alone actively endangering them, would literally be considered an affront to the gods.

With this one short line, the devs are impressing the extreme difference in social status between Mydei and Phainon: Phainon is effectively a "country bumpkin," a member of a lower class who doesn't know how to (or perhaps just doesn't care to?) properly practice the civil gestures of the upper rungs of Amphorean society. Mydei, on the other hand, not only knows the proper rituals of etiquette but expects those rituals to be upheld by others. He's basically calling Phainon a mannerless peasant in one of his first lines of dialogue, which is why Phainon gets so grumpy for the rest of the conversation lol.

We see Mydei's inclination towards proper decorum in several other places as well. As a prince, he's entitled to respect and deference, and while we might be inclined to say "Mydei isn't the type to enforce his royal status over others," the game itself shows us that... Mydei kind of does expect people to treat him differently.

Just as one small starting example, I know it's somewhat popular to have Mydei deny his royal status in fanfics, such as telling people not to call him by his titles or acting as if he has no connection to the upper class, but this doesn't actually happen in the game. Mydei introduces himself to the Trailblazer from the start as Castrum Kremnos's crown prince, consistently thinks of himself (such as in mission journal text) as a prince, and is largely referred to as "the crown prince" or "your highness" by everyone outside the Chrysos Heirs, including all of the Okhemans:

In fact, I'd go so far as to argue that Mydei takes his role as a prince very seriously and does not remotely deny the responsibility he bears toward his people. It's important to him to fulfill his duty to the Kremnoans, so rather than downplaying his role as their prince, he seems to acknowledge it freely, working to serve as a principled leader as best he can.

In short, Mydei is aware of his status--and he expects everyone else will be aware of it too.

I don't mean this in a bad way at all; he's not rude or pompous about it--rather, I think this is a subconscious aspect of his character. Mydei has spent many of his formative years with his people putting him on a ridiculously tall pedestal. He's spent at least a decade as the leader of a group that basically worships the ground he walks on; the Kremnoans obviously aggressively follow the social protocols of their very traditional culture, which seems to include somewhat blind adoration of their kings. Even if Mydei wanted the Kremnoans to treat him as "just another one of the people," there's almost zero chance they would do so. It would likely go against their nature to even ask that of them. Ergo, Mydei's almost certainly spent his entire adult life as the recipient of his people's extreme respect--and their strict adherence to proper social protocols around their prince.

Because of this, Mydei does have specific (if likely subconscious) expectations for "how people will behave around me," and we players get to see several humorous moments where other characters in the story violate Mydei's understanding of how princes should be treated:

In a particularly infamous memory crystal, we see one of Phainon and Mydei's early interactions, with Phainon inserting himself in Mydei's presence and starting up a conversation Mydei obviously did not expect. This is such a faux pas that only someone like Phainon could have had the audacity to thoughtlessly do it; he basically hop-skip-jumped about twelve rungs on the social ladder to waylay a royal without seeking an audience--and Mydei is clearly taken aback to be approached so casually and without preamble. Although Mydei doesn't actually say it (because doing so would be rude, of course), Phainon himself awkwardly ends up acknowledging that Mydei is trying hard to end their conversation:

It's not because Mydei dislikes Phainon already, but because the act of walking up on a stranger--especially a stranger who is a prince!--and assuming such a degree of familiarity as to comment on his body of all things would be so beyond the pale of appropriate social behavior that even Mydei hardly seems to know how to respond at first.

We see this same completely (or perhaps willfully) oblivious to social protocol behavior from Phainon numerous times throughout the 3.0 and 3.1 quests, and Mydei's affronted reactions are always pretty priceless. You can almost hear him thinking "The audacity!"

The exact same face my conservative grandma makes when I accidentally drop an F bomb in front of her.

Blatantly asking a prince to praise you? Scandalous.

But Phainon isn't the only person who can provoke these offended responses from Mydei while pushing the prince's boundaries with bad manners. Trailblazer hilariously earns themself a few critiques about their lack of courtesy too:

And even Aglaea triggers a haughty response???

(Sure, we could give Mydei the benefit of the doubt here and say he's talking about himself and Phainon, but honestly? I think this English translation at least could lend itself to a different take as well: Bro got so embarrassed over being caught acting a fool that THE ROYAL "WE" just burst straight out of him lmaoooo.)

In another humorous example, in the animation where Mydei plays with children, the "princess" in the play criticizes Mydei for not being very good at princely behaviors like Okheman waltzing, which immediately results in... Mydei seeking dance lessons from Tribbie so he can improve himself. Princes can't be caught slacking!

(But hilariously enough, as a sidenote, Mydei's dance ability seems to be another case of culture gap: One of the other children in Okhema, the one who was taught about Kremnoan traditions by Mydei, is actually quick to inform us that Mydei may not be familiar with Okheman dances--but he does know all about Anastenaria dancing!)

(Mydei might not fit the standards for an Okheman prince, but he's killing it as a Kremnoan one!)

Anyway, being serious again: Although it's quite funny the dev team insists so much that Mydei, despite being prince of a nation of savage warriors, is nonetheless a prince, with all the trappings of prim and proper etiquette, I think it also says a lot about Mydei's character that he does try to follow social protocols so closely. He apologizes for rudeness. He minds how he speaks to others. He is precise and forthright and always honors his word. Hell, he even politely makes prior arrangements if he knows he's going to be late to an event.

Mydei is self-aware enough to know his status. He knows the weight of that status, and he knows what his status means to his people. He takes the responsibility seriously and bears the role to the best of his ability, striving to meet the Kremnoans' expectations of a "crown prince" even as he can't bring himself to truly align with their core beliefs. He is trying his best to carry himself as a leader should, complete with his commitment to honor the traditional expectations and social class systems of both Kremnos and Okhema.

Despite his rough start in life, Mydei has accepted his people's intense respect and adapted himself to become someone worthy of commanding that respect. Social graces may not have come naturally to him after a childhood completely outside of humanity's reach, but Mydei nevertheless has worked hard to become a cultured person who embodies the demeanor and decorum of a sole surviving prince.

Although it's played for laughs, it's also played quite straight throughout Amphoreus's story: Manners matter to Mydei--both in himself and in others.

Anyway, since I still have more notes I jotted down about Mydei's characterization, here is some other stuff:

Part 2, over here ->

[jesuistrestriste]

*NSFW drabble/thirst*

cw (18+): sub!art donaldson, sub!patrick zweig, gn dom!reader, dry humping (basically frottage), begging, orgasm denial/orgasm control, praise, desperation*, patrick is yearning, bossing the boys around + talking them through it <3

i can’t stop thinking about gently easing art donaldson and patrick zweig into submissive headspaces and then, as soon as they’re anticipating (needing) your touch, you tell them that the only way that they’re gonna be allowed to get relief is if they grind against each other <3

and the last thing they want to do is disappoint you, so they do it. and they love it.

art is whining and letting out pathetic moans as he bucks his hips up against patrick on top of him, wanting so desperately to get him as close as he is.

and patrick is moaning and trembling with pinched-up brows as he rocks down against art’s body and tries to chase a high that’s so close but just out of reach (the fabric of both of their boxers between them is too much to be able to feel everything properly!)

so you just look down at them and smile sweetly.

“Art, you seem like you’re closer than Patrick is.. is this true?” you whisper lowly.

“P-Probably.. oh god.. i’m so—i’m really close,” he squirms, “please, i’m so close…!”

You move your gaze to Patrick.

“you think Art is closer than you are right now?” you say to the brunette.

“yeah,” he pants, “y-yeah, he’s closer.. but i’m nearly there too.. just a little more..”

You shift your gaze back to Art’s and run a hand through his mess of blonde curls.

“Art, why don’t you go ahead and get Patrick there first, ok?” you speak firmly but gently.

“okay, i will,” he moans, “ill get him there first—“

He aggressively starts to smush his pelvis rhythmically up against patrick’s, his body writhing on the bedsheets below as he secretly begs for patrick to be ready to cum soon so he can stop feeling the hot ache that’s spreading all over..

“good boy. don’t cum until Patrick is cumming too.”

art nods.

patrick keens.

you chuckle and move to slide your hand from art’s hair to gently caress the length of patrick's back. art's back arches up from the mattress, and you shift your gaze back and forth between the two young men as patrick furiously meets art’s movements with his own.

“feel how desperate Art is to get you as close as he is? how desperate he is to finish with you?” you whisper.

patrick swallows thickly and nods, his eyes squeezed shut as the pleasurable warmth of his oncoming release starts to prickle in..

“i can feel it.. god, i wanna cum so badly,” he whispers shakily.

“Are you there right now?”

patrick’s eyes open briefly so he can nod at you before they flutter shut again and his hips jolt down over art’s stuttering form.

“i’m so close.. i need more from Art..”

“tell him.”

“Push harder against me… Harder… I need more pressure… I need you more against me…” patrick babbles and breathes out desperately into the neck of his counterpart.

the obedient blonde nods frantically and instantly shifts to push even more of himself up against his best friend’s body.

“good boy for using your words, patrick.. and art, you’re doing so well too.. just a bit longer.. patrick is nearly there,” you say softly to the two in front of you

after a few short moments of this depraved, needy humping, patrick lets out a loud moan and bites down on his bottom lip.

“God, Art, please,” he whispers, so close to the edge now that he can barely keep himself held up on his forearms. his hands are absolutely shaking.

“did you hear Patrick?” you coo with a slight smirk.

art can do nothing but gasp for air as he nods for a moment or two.

“i’m pushing as hard as i can..” he gulps and whines, tears pricking at his eyes as he assumes that patrick is asking for more pressure and ferocity from him.

“i know, baby.. just ask Patrick if he’s ready to cum,” you guide him.

art murmurs out a whimpery “mhm” before he squeezes patrick’s biceps in his hands and looks up into his eyes.

“Hngh.. Are you ready to cum?” he asks quickly and eagerly, his voice tinged with lewd desperation.

“God, yes! Please! Ahh-!” patrick shouts.

the two tremble and sweat, their bare chests rubbing against one another's as they grind their bodies as hard and as fast as they possibly can. art is desperately pawing at patrick's back now, and patrick has both of his hands gripping the small of art's back as they both release a string of loud, needy moans. even though there are thin layers of fabric preventing the two men from feeling each other skin-to-skin, both of them are equally hyperaware of the sensation of their clothed erections sliding and slotting up against each other's. It's heaven. it’s better than heaven. and it's been a long time coming.

you lean back, just enough to make sure that you can get a good view, and then you give in and say the magic words that they’ve both been waiting to hear all night:

“go on, boys.. you can finish.”

art's eyes snap open, while patrick's squeeze shut, and you watch closely as art's baby blues roll all the way to the back of his head. his jaw slacks and his hips arch up and shudder harshly against his friend's.

"I'm cumm--! AH! ANGHH-!" the blonde cries out, cutting his own warning off with the sound of his pleasure as he spills a warm, heavy load into his boxer briefs, "cumming so hard--!"

patrick's abdomen involuntarily curls in over itself as he humps art's bucking body with the shaky anguish of a man in a desert who's just found his first source of water in two days. in other words, he needs this. he needs him.

"Fuck! Fu-uuck! I'm cumming -- AH-! Hah, haah--!" patrick sobs, his fingers digging into arts soft, toned flesh as the heat of his sticky release floods his boxer shorts, "Art!"

The involuntary calling-out of his best friend's name surprises not only both you and the best friend in question, but also patrick. he didn't mean to, but when he felt the warmth of art's release seep out and stick to his thighs, he couldn't hold it anymore.

you're completely entranced by the obedience and sheer obscenity of the two trembling bodies in front of you, so you're unsure if they've been cumming for two minutes or two hours, but it doesn't really matter. they're gorgeously good listeners, and even better submissives. you'd definitely play with them again, as long as they were up for it. and you knew they would be.

you watch as patrick collapses on top of art in a flushed, limp heap, holding him close as both of their bodies tremble and jerk softly every so often with the aftershocks of their orgasms.

they're both pleasantly surprised when they each feel one of your hands carding your fingers through their heads of hair. their eyes are closed, and they can hardly breathe as they pant, but they are aware of this act of kindness from you. they'll take anything you give them. both of them practically start to purr.

"Breathe, boys, breathe.." you whisper lowly, stroking a soft hand over each head of messy locks.

they do as they're told, trying their best to take deep, slow breaths in and out as the fuzziness in their brains starts to dissipate as the seconds go by.

"Felt good?"

art nods slowly but insistently, while patrick mumbles out a slurred confirmation.

"it felt amazing."

"God, it was really.. that was really good..." art sucks his bottom lip in between his teeth, his arms still limply draped over patrick's shoulders.

you nod, removing your touch from them to press a kiss to the nape of patrick's neck and then a kiss to art's forehead.

"I'm gonna take care of you guys now, ok?"

they nod and grunt softly, but make no attempt to sit up or pry themselves off of each other. this was going to be a long night.

notes; heyyy hehe. just wanted to write up a quick little drabble while i'm working on the two longer fics, and i NEEDED to get sub!art + sub!patrick out of my head. they were rotting in there. ps. srry this probs isn’t my best work, i started writing it at like 4 am last night lmao.

also i love writing orgasm denial and then making the reader just be like

dividers from: @benkeibear

[sweetlywriting]

Vincent Charbonneau dating hcs!

Vincent gets so mad when you eat food that he doesn’t make

He’ll be acting super cold all of sudden because of leftovers from another restaurant in your fridge

He’s kinda controlling but specifically with food because it’s his thing

Why would you need that disgusting trash that other people serve when your partner is a prestigious chef?

Obsessive with it, he’ll learn to make things like cereal and gum so now you don’t even go to the grocers

He’s definitely not the most affectionate but I do feel like he’d be really proud of you

He takes pride in himself for his accomplishments, and since you’re the person closest to him he feels the same pride for you

He’ll subtly brag about you in conversations when you come up

Anyone talking badly about you is a death sentence, Vince will not let it go

Total acts of service guy

He only calls off work when you’re sick. He goes to work even when he’s sick too because he’s just a perfectionist like that. You get to be the exception.

He remembers everything about you, your likes, dislikes, friends, family, values, job, he just wants to know you perfectly. Memorize you like a favorite recipe, in hopes maybe your sweet companionship can maybe bring his taste back <3

[strwbnnie]

Part 2 of the Tokyo Rev. Occupation Series!

tw: mentions weight/body type, insecurity/self-consciousness, slight age gap—I imagined the reader in her early 20’s & Taiju is 7 years older, gym owner!taiju, personal trainer x client, riding. mdni

૮꒰ྀི��⸝> . <⸝⸝꒱ྀིა Personal Trainer!Taiju ૮꒰ྀི⸝⸝> . <⸝⸝꒱ྀིა

─────────────────────────

Personal Trainer!Taiju’s whole personality is being strong lmao, it’s only right he spends his days making others who are willing strong too. Nearing thirty and he still has the body of a god and his confidence is through the roof, a powerhouse of a man, he is. Whether he’s training someone or working on his own physique, he’s in the gym Monday through Saturday. Sunday’s are for church of course, and that’s his day to unwind.

He remembers the first time you showed up at his gym, excited and eager but still too timid. You looked so cute with your pink gym bag and matching gallon water jug. A shy, chubby little thing who knew not a damn thing about fitness, but you finally decided to get on your zoom. Your words, not his. You weren’t looking for much more than someone who could get you ready for a ‘hot girl summer.’ Again, your words, not his.

In all honesty, you looked just fine to him—sexy and plump with some belly for him to grab. You’d definitely look good in a string bikini. Your ass is a little square but that’s nothing heavy squatting and medius kickbacks can’t fix. All in all, you look good enough to eat in his opinion.

Even still, he agreed to help get you where you wanted to be. No fad diets, just a caloric deficit and protein prioritization. He still allowed you to eat some of your fav foods, in moderation of course, since the issue wasn’t really what you ate, it’s how you ate. Often skipping breakfast, sometimes lunch too if your shitty corporate job didn’t give you a break during your shift, relying on sweet and salty snacks from the vending machines to carry you through the day and binging a huge dinner later in the night. As much as he dislikes it, there isn’t much he can do once you step foot out of those glass doors.

As a matter of fact, another thing he dislikes, is that you lack discipline. That’s why when you’re here he never goes easy on you. You’re as lazy as you are cute—skimping on weight, skipping sets, strolling on the treadmill when he suggests a light jog…you certainly don’t act like someone who’s working towards a six month goal.

Regardless, he puts up with you. You’re a breath of fresh air in his hectic life, plus you’re easier on the eyes than the delinquents that frequent his gym. He loves how tight your gym shorts are, how they roll up when you walk. Loves staring at your ass while you do your dynamic stretches, especially loves how flustered you get when he stretches you out himself.

You’re even nice enough to stay til closing every now and then, helping the old man out. It’s the least you can do since he’s been so supportive of your fitness journey. One day, you’re just teasing, asking him if he even knows what a hot girl summer is ‘since he’s old and all’ and you certainly don’t expect his answer.

“It’s when pretty girls like you go out to be sluts. Wearin’ tiny little bikinis, shakin’ ass. Hoe’in around in Miami before you’re put up for the winter? Right?” At least that’s how he saw it.

You have a look on your face. He can’t tell if you’re amused or insulted but he doesn’t stop teasing.

“Drunk on the beach, gettin’ fucked in public bathrooms, all that good stuff. That’s what you like, Y/N? That why you wanna get in shape?” He’s still walking around placing plates and dumbbells in their respective corners. You’re helping of course, wiping benches, machines and bars with Clorox wipes before putting those back in place too.

He may have had a good 7 years on you but he kept up. Stayed hip to all the thing’s you young girls liked to do. Truth be told, the blue haired brute was ready to give you a run for your money. He honestly didn’t see the hype of ‘hot girl summer’ when he could slut you out all year round.

He wasn’t necessarily wrong. Girls like you often got overlooked, and although that didn’t stop much, you still found yourself craving the attention that smaller girls got.

“Is that bad?”

He’s almost taken aback. Of course he was just joking, but there was something about the tone of your voice, it was so…hopeful?

“Of course not. Nothing wrong with havin’ fun y/n. I told ya’ I’d get you ready and I meant it.”

***

And mean it, he did.

“Don’t tell me you can’t handle this.” He says it like it’s the easiest thing in the world, that evil smirk plastered on his face, brows furrowed. “This ain’t no place for the weak, Y/N.”

“I’m not weak, you’re just s-so big!” You pout, and goddamit it’s cute, but he sees none of that. He has no sympathy, since you asked for this the minute you stepped into his gym and opened your pretty little mouth.

“You feel it here and here, right?” He runs his large hands up your hammies, then over your quads, fingertips ghosting over your belly cus’ he knows you feel it there too. Yes, your moans and mewls tell him just that, sounds he’d probably never get the luxury of indulging in had he simply stuck to tasking you with lugging around dumbbells.

Your calves and ankles are quite literally on fire as well and you’re feeling it in every single muscle in your legs, but you keep bouncing. Bottom lip sandwiched between your teeth and your pupils have made a home in the back of your skull as his cock mushes against your cervix with every slam of your hips. You look so pretty and fucked out, tits spilling out of your sports bra with every move you make. It hurts but it’s exhilarating, the stimulation makes you want to melt into a puddle of goo. He has to say he’s impressed, it’s not an ideal exercise but you’re pushing through it. Inhaling through your nose, exhaling through your mouth like he taught ya, taking every inch of him like it’s all you know how to do. Just like he knew you would. That’s why you’re his favorite client after all, he knew you’d never disappoint him.

[therobotsarestuckinmyhead]

Can you do a reaser g/n who is the equivalent to John wick. With Steve

♡ [TFP] STEVE/ST3V3 HCs!

anon, you asked after i said reqs were closed but i lowkey think the request is FIRE because the idea factory started going overdrive… it's kinda short though! forgive me :,,)

scenario: you're here because you get paid, a super efficent mercernary with a penchant for violence and the vehicons adore you for that, especially the one with the worst luck known to Cybertron

warnings: one sided from steve angst(?)

— He knew he wasn't supposed to, ST3V3 knew damn well he was never supposed to but how couldn't he? So what if you're a higher ranking bot and he's just an expendable clone! You technically don't have a rank though… You're just a mercenary-for-hire Megatron calls upon when everything's gone to slag. You make it clear you don't work for the tyrant and that you're only here because he has you on his payroll which all the vehicons are jealous of. But they respect it too. It makes you admirable in a way.

— And your lack of an alignment does make you a gamble for his benefactor but ST3V3 couldn't resist, even if he shouldn't. It was pathetic really, how, Pit, not even kindness but basic decency had him so utterly smitten. Only other mech was Breakdown but Breakdown was more of the pleasantries and conversation kind, you were actively saving their lives and from a trip to the medbay.

— It was the little things that really got to him. The fact that you bothered to remember the codenames of all the Vehicons you met, the way you actually tried to make sure none of them got hurt when you're one-on-one against an Autobot… And you get real violent.

— But he'd be lying if he said seeing you covered in energon wasn't ominously attractive in some strange kind of way. Maybe he's sustained too much blaster damage to his helm…

— He kinda also wants to be in the same position as those sorry Autobot troopers beneath you but in a different context.

— There's something about being treated like an actual individual that gets to him a lot. While you certainly aren’t a conversationalist, your cautiousness to make sure more Vehicons don't get terminated and the way you acknowledge their existence is sparkfelt to him. You somehow even knew who was who despite all of them looking almost alike!

— ST3V3's spark skips a beat every time you actually address him by his designation, the name he chose for himself— “Steve”. It's a bit monotone and dare he say, almost in the manner Shockwave would've said it in but even then, it gets him all giddy. Secretly of course.

— But… turns out, most of the Vehicons felt the same way about you. You are certainly a popular subject amongst them, they talk about you at least once a day. However, most of them admire only from a distance. Also, sometimes their talk about you is… less than savoury. It’s like in those movies where they go; “check out that babe over there”, cue someone whistling, “ohhh, i see that alright…”. Basically, they talk like old perverts. And they do envy ST3V3…

— Because he gets to talk to you a lot more than the rest of them. ST3V3 is known for his horrendously bad luck so you end up saving his tailpipe from more damage. Of course, you're doing this as a professional courtesy.

— They don't realize that you see them as individuals because you've never really been around drones before, you genuinely think of them as people and so, you think of them as being on the same team which is the only reason you look out for them.

— Now, ST3V3 and the other Vehicons get more reckless when they're assigned to help you out on missions you're hired for. They're endangering themselves on purpose so you could be their hero. You're like their angel. Even though you are far, far from one.

— ST3V3 still gushes thinking about that day when you held him in your servos for a brief moment when he was about to land flat onto his faceplate because of an explosion.

— At some point, you even have a chat with Megatron about how improperly trained his Vehicon troops are. Having the ball bearings to, respectfully, ask him if the Vehicons have had their combat programming curtailed. Lord Megatron could've blasted a shot right through your chassis for that one! ST3V3 is impressed by your courage. Megatron keeps you around because you're useful.

— ST3V3 is the number one culprit, he's already got terrible luck without even trying. So when you mention ST3V3 to Megatron, he's… he's confused. He has a ST3V3 in his ranks? What? Since when? Why an Earth name? And you just blink in confusion at his confusion. There's an awkward silence between the two of you. Megatron thinks you've gone off the rails by bothering to remember the names of drones. But he doesn't say that to you, judging you in silence but you can feel his judgement, heavily.

— You keep your optics peeled for ST3V3 and try to make sure he's not in a position where he's in trouble but even then, somehow, by some spark-forsaken curse or something (you're starting to believe he may actually be cursed), he still ends up in trouble! Under blaster fire, under debris, under falling Autobots. He hopes maybe someday he'll be under you instead.

— You're not an easily frustrated individual. You never really were one. So you scold ST3V3; the nicest, most polite, well-mannered and sparkfelt (his definition of sparkfelt is basic decency) way any bot as ever dared to speak to him in and he swore he fell even harder. The other Vehicons are seething in jealousy.

— Sometimes, ST3V3 fantasizes about being taken away to your world— wherever it is that you go in your spacecraft after you're done with what you were paid to do. Would you take him there? Primus, he hopes you do. But he knows it will never really happen.

— He gets easily distracted in a fight when you're there so his natural talent for finding trouble comes to him. But you're giving him a mouthful afterwards so… it's still a win in ST3V3’s book! He gets to be saved by you AND gets to hear you talk to him.

— You give ST3V3 a look of acknowledgement in the hallway once and he's been boastful about it to the other Vehicons since. His visor makes it hard for you to discern what he feels so you can't tell his excitement. They're all incredibly jealous.

— One time, he actually did something right for once and you applauded him. ST3V3 has had that memory engraved into his databanks and he's been clinging onto it for cycles.

— ST3V3 gets so awkward around you but you can't really blame him! You're intimidating. From your dark aura to the way you are on the field, it really makes you attractive and scary. Sometimes you crack a joke every now and then, it surprises him a bit but he laughs a bit. He's trying not to laugh out loud and look like a total idiot though‐ He doesn't want you to think he's even worse of an awkward clutz.

— You call him many things; trouble magnet, auto-bait, autobot detector (he's the first one to get shot at), adrenaline junkie, the world's worst good luck charm... many notable names. It's.. kinda funny though so he tries to not let it get to him. But the other Vehicons tease him with it too. Call him an actual pet-name and he will melt though. Something like 'sweetspark' and he's on his knees.

— He's so into you, it's not even funny at this point. ST3V3 wants you badly. So very badly. He gets extremely jealous when he sees Knockout try and shoot his shot at you, he doesn't really do anything about the jealousy he feels nor does he blame Knockout for even trying. He would too if he had a higher rank.

— He wouldn't actually try pursuing you though. ST3V3, as well as the other Vehicons know that they don't have a chance here. They're just Vehicon drones and they'll terminate as Vehicon drones… No matter how much they dream otherwise, the dark struggles of being a Vehicon are endless.

okay guys i'm still not done with OG batch of requests, ik i said i'd only be taking ten but there was an excess amount. so i did the ones that i felt i could write quickly first and moved onto the ones i feel would require more detail and my own special touch last. also pls, pls don't request when requests are closed :(( i feel inclined to write them and end up feeling bad when i don't... theres just like three more though so im good, cooling extra special for my moots :P

[scarlet-cookie]

shoutout to “sorta/alternate versions of a character who fucks over the ‘main version’ of the same character in innumerable time fuckery shenanigans for their own sentimental goals” gotta be my favorite flavor fr

[the-iceni-bitch]

Mɪss Aᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Hᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋ Pʀɪɴᴄᴇ

Relationship: professional tight end!Ari Levinson x pop superstar!fem reader

Words: ~3.7k

Summary: You and Ari bring in the holiday season with your own special celebration.

Warnings: explicit language, explicit sexual content (m receiving oral sex, f receiving oral sex, daddy kink, unprotected p in v sex, dumbification, multiple orgasms) celebrity lifestyle, America’s sweethearts, 6’7” Ari. SMUT!! 18+ ONLY!!!

A/N: an early Christmas gift for all you lovelies!! I think it’s painfully obvious what this fic was inspired by and I’m not even a little embarrassed about it. They’re too cute!

I am no longer doing taglists so if you want to stay up to date on all my latest fics, follow my sideblog @the-iceni-library and turn on notifications!

You waved exuberantly to the crowd as your float rolled past them, the cold autumn sunlight filtering through the skyscrapers and making the sequins all over your dress sparkle. It was absolutely freezing, but you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling like an idiot. Not only had your tour ended up being even more successful than you had ever thought it could be, you finally got to realize your dream of singing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Of course, there was something else that had you smiling like an idiot for the past few months. As soon as you got close to the parade’s end at 34th Street you could see him in the stands, holding what may have been the most adorable homemade sign you had ever seen while surrounded by a bunch of screaming tween girls. He was easy to spot since he was six feet seven inches, which made it even cuter each time he had to bend down to answer one of their questions until they all started squealing. Ari was your big, burly, all American man but also perhaps the softest teddy bear on the planet.

When they all saw you they started screaming, and you beamed back at them, laughing when Ari lifted a little girl onto his shoulders so she could see better. Yeah, he was too cute for you, everything the man did made your ovaries flutter. It was hard not to just give him moony eyes all through your performance, but you managed to share your attention with the other fans as you sang your new Christmas song. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so much once you were finished performing, like they did every time you saw your beefcake of a man.

Backstage was a zoo but when was it not. Assistants flurried around you as they helped you out of your intricate costume. By the time a large, warm hand slid around your waist you were down to nothing but your bra and some leggings. It’s not like Ari cared about that, though.

“Hey princess.” Ari beamed when you squeaked before turning around to look up at him. “You were amazing.”

“Staaaaaaaahp…” you giggled when he bent down to kiss the tip of your nose, batting your hands at his chest when he teased his hands under the hooks of your bra. “Ari! We only have a few minutes before we have to go to your game, I don’t want your teammates teasing you about being whipped by your superstar girlfriend again.”

“Baby, if I minded their teasing I wouldn’t be dating you.” He kissed your nose once more before pulling your sweater over your head. “There, ready to go in record time.”

“Ari… Ari!” You shrieked with laughter when he flung you over his shoulder and slapped your ass a few times, your face heating up as he got closer to the doors and outside where you knew a pack of paparazzi were waiting to catch the two of you. “Ari!!!”

“Calm down, princess.” He dropped you to the ground and kissed you so deeply you couldn’t breathe for a second, then opened the doors and led you outside with your hand in his even though you were blinking and stumbling like a newborn baby deer. “I feel like they would have thought it was cute.”

“Maybe.” You waved at a few of the paps and made sure they got a good shot of you kissing Ari’s cheek before stepping into the limo. “They do seem to enjoy how much bigger than me you are.”

“Do they now?” Ari pulled you into his lap and started pressing kisses all over your face. “I also enjoy it an incredible amount.”

“Yeah, I bet you do, teddy bear.” You giggled when he leaned back and his face was covered in glitter. “Oh, I think your teammates are still gonna tease you…”

“What? Why?” Ari furrowed his brow until you held up a compact so he could see himself. “Yeah they might.”

“My poor teddy bear.” You pouted and wiggled a little bit in his lap before you began to slide down to the floor between his legs. “How can I ever make it up to you?”

“Yeah, princess, I’m not sure getting glitter all over my dick is gonna keep them from teasing me… ow!” He guffawed when you pinched his thigh before starting to drag his zipper down. “But whatever, I don’t care.”

You hummed in agreement before pulling his thick cock out of his pants and licking a heavy stripe up the underside of his shaft, keeping your eyes fixed on his when you wrapped your lips around his tip and sucked softly. Ari groaned when you swirled your tongue around him, cupping your cheek gently for just a few seconds before curling it around your throat. The sensation of his fingers pressing against your carotid was one you welcomed, your eyes fluttering closed as you started bobbing your head up and down.

Every time you gave him head you marveled at just how huge he was; how he towered over you when you were on your knees; how your jaw ached as you stretched it as wide as you could; how even after so many months you still sometimes had to fight the urge to heave when he slid down your throat. His grip on your throat tightened as you started gagging around him, guttural grunts and murmurs falling from his lips as your drool slid down his shaft until it was covering his balls. Ari’s face was getting flushed as you kept going, and when he leaned forward and braced his massive thighs on either side of your shoulders you could have fainted.

His free hand gripped the edge of the seat until his knuckles turned white when you brought your own hand up to fondle his balls, his gaze intense and full of affection as his thumb stroked your throat. He throbbed and twitched in your mouth as you brought him closer and closer, the taste of his precum coating your tongue before you swallowed him to the root again. You whimpered when he swelled even larger, your eyes beginning to water as you breathed deeply through your nose and gulped around his massive cock.

When he finally came down your throat you sighed, watching his face screw up and then relax as he let out a primal groan. Ari looked so good when he came, the way every muscle in his body would tense up for just a few moments before he would sag and breathe easily as he gazed at you with a sense of possession. You made sure to keep your lips wrapped tightly around his cock as he started to pull out, slurping up every drop of his cum until he slid out of your mouth with a pop.

“Not a spot of glitter on your dick, teddy bear.” You beamed at him as you licked your lips clean, purring when he cupped your chin lovingly.

“No, just all over my pants.” Ari couldn’t help but laugh about it, especially when you spluttered and tried to wipe it off but only made it worse. “Princess, it's fine. No ones going to notice.”

“They have flashbulbs, Ari!” You whined when he tucked himself back in and pulled you up to sit next to him. “Oh my god…”

You didn’t have any more time to worry before the limo came to a stop, squeaking and feeling yourself getting hot again as Ari helped you out of the limo. Thank goodness the man practically ran as he led you towards the team entrance, not giving the press a chance to pick up the sparkly evidence of you fellating him that was all over his pants. Even though he had to go warm up he still took a minute to say goodbye to you, kissing you several times before heading to the locker room while you waved adorably.

He was definitely falling head over heels for you, and he didn’t even care who knew it. There was definitely an unbelievable amount of teasing in regards to the glitter on his crotch and in his beard, but it was good hearted. All of his teammates could tell how happy he was, so even the barbs about him being a kept man for the rest of his life were filled with that sort of friendly affection that old friends shared.

There was also the fact that he seemed to play exponentially better whenever you were in the stands. Analysts were quick to point out that whenever you were watching him play he tended to double his receiving yards, it even became a little joke among the sports commentators. What could he say, he liked to show off for his girl. As soon as he ran onto the field with the rest of the team and saw you cheering on the Jumbotron he felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

The trend continued. Maybe it was because every time he caught a pass or made a touchdown he could look up and see you screaming your adorable head off on the Jumbotron, but he managed to set a new personal record for receiving yards. Over a hundred yards by the fourth quarter as well as two touchdowns, and he could tell you were proud by the way you were jumping up and down in the box. Yes, he was extremely tired and extremely sore after so much effort, but the smile on your face made it more than worth it.

Ari couldn’t shower and get dressed fast enough. He definitely got some exasperated looks from the rest of the team when he left them to give all the post-game interviews, but it was hard to care when he knew you were waiting for him. As soon as he stepped out of the locker room you were right there, squealing happily and telling him how amazing he was while he lifted you off your feet to kiss you like a fiend. It was hard to control himself around you, but he managed to keep from feeling you up as you made your way to his car.

He couldn’t keep from feeling you up once you were in the Impala though. Every time he came to a light his hand was on your thigh or your waist, and when he heard your tiny little sighs he growled in response. You were starting to squirm in your seat too, and he knew exactly what that meant.

“Tell me how wet you are, princess.” Ari tucked his bottom lip between his teeth and toyed with the hem of your skirt while he waited for the light to change. “C’mon baby girl, I’ve been waiting all day.”

“Teddy bear…” you squeaked when he pinched the inside of your thigh and felt your face starting to get hot again. “Sorry, Daddy. I’m so wet, Daddy, my panties are sticky.”

“Yeah, I bet they fucking are.” He grumbled when the light changed and he had to focus on the road again. “Show me.”

“Yes Daddy.” Your heart was pounding in your ears as you slid your panties down your legs and hung them from the rear view mirror, wiggling even more when the air cooled the wetness that was between your legs.

It took all his restraint not to reach out and press them against his face. Yeah, he would have crashed the car, but dying with your scent filling his lungs was the way he wanted to go. He stopped himself just in time, though he did suddenly find himself speeding through traffic faster than the law allowed. When he finally pulled into the hotel’s garage he dragged you after him and lifted you to wrap your legs around his waist, leaving your panties dangling from the mirror without thought.

“Fuck, I need you real fucking bad, princess.” Ari’s lips vibrated against yours as he growled with lust. “I haven’t had your pussy in almost thirty-six hours, it’s killing me.”

“I know, I don’t like it either, Daddy.” You wound your arms around his neck as he carried you to the elevator. “Feel so empty without you.”

“I know, and it’s a damn crime.” He nipped at your chin as the elevator rose to your floor, grateful that no other guests decided to join you as he was pretty sure your ass was hanging out of your skirt. “My poor baby girl.”

You could only moan in agreement when the elevator arrived at your floor, giggling when Ari poked his head out first to make sure there was nobody in the hall before he started towards your room. While he worked on the door you nibbled on his ear, writhing against him and whining until you were in the room and he threw you onto the bed. Ari grinned at you as he ripped his shirt off and undid his pants, giving you a few mischievous growls and barks before pouncing on you.

Even when he was domming you he was still so soft and sweet, calling you his good girl and pretty princess while he kissed your neck and peeled your clothes off your body. The way he looked at you once you were naked made everything below your waist clench, especially when he growled at you like a hungry bear who was going to eat you alive. Then he leaned down to pull your legs over his shoulders and do just that.

“Daddy! Oh god…” Ari just grunted against you in response as he ran his tongue all over your pussy until you felt dizzy. “Mmm, ‘s so good.”

Ari knew it was good, he fucking loved making you turn into a panting, whimpering mess with your eyes rolled back in your head. It made him feel like a god. Those cute little noises and the way your thighs squeezed his head while he drank his fill from your cunt made him purr like a jungle cat. You were so sweet and so creamy, and the way your little pussy would pulse against his lips made his cock get so painfully hard he had to start grinding it against the bed.

His tongue parted your pussy lips so he could push it inside you and you had to kick your feet so you didn’t lose it completely. They thumped against his back as he started to gently fuck you with his mouth, your breathing starting to get heavier and heavier as every muscle in your body grew tight. Every single time he ate you out he managed to bring you to the edge so fast it was unbelievable, and tonight was no different. You were trembling underneath him, your eyes already starting to flutter and your toes curling while his beard rubbed your sensitive folds raw.

When he pulled his tongue out of you and started sucking on your clit that was it for you. You sobbed his name and arched off the bed as you gushed sweet juices all over his face. He reached his hands up to massage your breasts and that just made it more intense, tears rolling down your face and your fingers yanking on his hair while he kept sucking and squeezing until you couldn’t breathe.

“That’s my good girl.” Ari was grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he sat up between your quivering legs. “Fuck, you look so fucking pretty after you come, princess. You think you’re ready for Daddy’s big dick, honey?”

“Mmhm.” You licked your lips and gave up trying to catch your breath when he yanked his pants down and kicked them away so you could finally see him in all his naked glory. “Want it so bad, Daddy.”

“Daddy knows, princess.” He moved slowly as he crawled on top of you, his massive body completely covering yours and making your pussy start throbbing even harder. “You just relax and let Daddy take care of you, baby girl.”

You nodded and drew in a shuddering breath when he reached between the two of you to start rubbing your clit as he lined himself up. Ari hooked your knees over his hips to keep you wide open for him, his eyes fixed on your face for any sign of pain or discomfort as he started to push inside you. Even though he wanted to just drive his cock deep and fuck your brains out, he was painfully aware of your size difference and if he ever hurt you he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. He could tell you were just as hungry for him, beaming at you when your hands clawed at his massive biceps when he finally got halfway in.

It felt like it took an hour, but when his hips finally met the soft flesh of your thighs you moaned and wiggled happily underneath him. Your body was slick with sweat and glowing, and he’d never seen anything more beautiful. Ari gripped your hands and pinned them above your head as he started to move, his lips ghosting against your throat when you whimpered at the feeling of his cock stretching you so wide it burned. You loved it, though, murmuring nonsense words of encouragement under your breath and locking your ankles at the small of his back.

When Ari really started to move you almost fainted, arching your body to meet his and whimpering when he sucked on your ear. He had hardly even gotten going before you were moaning and whining in his ear, your body spasming underneath him as you came for the second time and felt your muscles turning to jelly. Your pussy was so slick that Ari couldn’t stop himself from starting to slam into you, not that you minded. His breath was hot as he grunted against the sensitive skin of your throat, his lips and teeth leaving a trail of bruises in their wake while he shoved his cock so deep inside you you could swear you saw god.

Even though he had well and truly fucked you stupid he couldn’t stop murmuring sweet praises for you under his breath. Every ‘good girl’ or ‘pretty baby’ just made you slip further and further into the rosy haze of multiple orgasms as he wrung another one out of you. At some point he had rolled the two of you so your were laying on top of him, but it’s not like you could actually ride him in your fucked out state. So Ari was just holding your waist and moving you up and down on his cock like his own personal cocksleeve, grinning up at you the whole time and telling you how good and tight your pussy felt while you whined and drooled all over yourself.

“C’mon baby girl, you want it?” The teasing tone of his voice was still full of affection when you hiccuped as he fucked yet another intense orgasm out of your body. “Daddy needs to hear his princess say she wants his cum or I’m just gonna end up fucking you all night, and I’m not sure you could handle that, baby.”

“Mm-mm… Daddy…” you couldn’t even hold yourself up anymore, crying softly as you rested your face in the crook of his shoulder as he continued to drive up into you. “Please come inside my pussy, please. I want it, Daddy.”

“That’s my good girl.” Ari kissed the top of your head and gave a lewd grind of his hips, chuckling into your hair when you shuddered with another climax. “Can’t say no to you, princess.”

Your eyes fluttered closed when you felt him swell and throb inside you, a low whine escaping from you when you felt the first hot, sticky spurt of his seed shooting inside your pussy. Ari held you close as he filled you to the brim, his big hands rubbing your hips while his body rolled under yours and he let out one of those yummy groans he always made when he got to come inside you. When you finally came to you were still on top of him, only barely able to lift your head and beaming at the sight of his face flushed red as he struggled to come back down.

“Hiiiiiii teddy.” You scrunched up your face adorably when he grinned at you and kissed your forehead. “I’d say that was a pretty good way to kick off the holiday season.”

“I’m gonna have to agree with you there, princess.” His thick fingers trailed along the curve of your spine and you felt like you could fall asleep just like that. “Definitely gonna have to keep it up. Speaking of holidays, though, I may have gotten you an early present, since we’re gonna be apart next week.”

“A present? Ari!” You squeaked and giggled when he reached towards the nightstand without letting you climb off him, shivering when the change in position made him rub right against your over sensitive clit. “That still gives you three weeks until Christmas, silly.”

“Well fuck me for wanting to spoil my girl.” He kissed all over your face and pulled out a small velvet box. “I know how much you like statement jewelry, so I figured the statement for this one could be just how smitten you are with your beefy football player boyfriend.”

“Ari… oh my god!” You sat up so fast when he opened the box you almost fell off him, grinning like an idiot when he caught you at the last second and steadied you while he showed you the ring. “It’s so big and sparkly!”

The moonstone in the ring was at least fifteen karats, and surrounding the center stone was a chain of labradorite that glittered under the low lights in the hotel room. As soon as he placed it on your right ring finger you leaned forward and wrapped your arms around his neck, kissing his face over and over and squealing with happiness.

“Everyone is gonna think we’re getting married now, teddy bear.” You rested your head against his chest once you made sure every inch of his face had been kissed at least once.

“Well, not quite yet, princess.” Like he hadn’t known the moment you said yes to a second date with him that he was going to marry you.

[mist-see]

Pairing: Ghost x Tall Black!Female!Reader

Imagine hating your boss. And he definitely doesn’t like you back.

⚠️enemies to lovers, slow burn undertones, dominant!reader, Ghost being annoyed (and aroused), mutual antagonism, height proximity tension⚠️

Setting: Off-mission base in some cold, miserable part of Eastern Europe

A little au im dabbling in, I am still taking asks and Drabbles btw 👀

You were trouble the moment you landed.

Not because you were reckless. Not because you were new. But because you didn’t flinch.

Not when bullets cracked past your ears. You’ve heard gunshots since you were a kid.

Not when Captain Price barked orders. Your mom was scarier it felt like, suffering from bipolar disorder.

And definitely not when Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley threw his weight around like his skull mask gave him divine authority.

You were 6’3 of no-nonsense, broad-shouldered command. Black girl from South Side Chicago, taught to bark back, fight first, and survive always.

So when Ghost tried his usual ice-and-intimidation routine, you looked down—literally—and said:

“If you want me to follow, you’re gonna have to try harder than that.”

He hadn’t liked that.

Not one bit.

It was always you and Ghost, forced on the same unit like someone upstairs had a twisted sense of humor.

Mission after mission, you clashed like two tectonic plates—grinding, shifting, making the rest of the team brace for the inevitable quake.

Tonight was no different.

Eastern Europe. Ice in the air. Mud in your boots- how the fuck did mud get in your boots. You just got back from a recon op and were stripping off gear in the shared safehouse.

He leaned against the wall in that usual brooding-ass pose—arms crossed, eyes shadowed by the mask, like he was trying to make the air tense just by breathing. It wasn’t working. You didn’t see yourself less than him.

“You went off comms,” he muttered.

You peeled off your tactical vest slowly, deliberately, like you weren’t just stripping off gear but defiance.

“Had to reroute. Signal was jammed. I made it out, didn’t I?” You had already known that this was going to start an argument, but what you trying to figure out was… are you gonna be the bigger person or irritate him even more. But when do you ever back down.

“Barely,” he said, stepping closer. “You don’t take orders. You don’t check in. You act like this is your op.”

“No- I act like I know what the fuck I’m doing.” You said matter-of-factly, strictly and irritatingly.

You closed the distance, chin tilted up—not that far. Just an inch between you. Enough to let him know: I’m not backing down, I couldn’t care less if you’re my lieutenant.

“You gonna try and muscle me next?” you smirked, a challenge. As if you actually wanted to finally get physical. “Or just keep hiding behind that skull like it scares me? That shit don’t scare me.” You shrugged in indifference, your brows pushed together as you looked between his light brown eyes.

He looked at you long and hard. You could feel it behind the mask, that simmering burn—annoyance, challenge, something heavier.

“You’ve got a death wish,” he said.

You tilted your head. “Only if you’re offering.”

That did it.

In a second, he pushed you up against the wall, not rough, but with enough force to show he could.

Could, but didn’t.

Didn’t because something in the way your hands stayed at your sides made him hesitate. You didn’t bother fighting back.

Didn’t because you looked amused.

“You always this hands-on, Lieutenant?” you murmured. Don’t you feel embarrassed?

His breath hitched. Just once.

Your hand slid up his chest, slow and steady, pausing right over his heartbeat. It wasn’t sexual, but it was intimidating. No one ever touched him.“I think you like the fight, Ghost. I think you need someone to push back.”

His jaw ticked.

“I think…” you leaned in, voice dropping to a low purr, “…you want to know what it feels like to be handled for once.”

You felt him flinch. Not fear. Not disgust. Restraint.

The man was a soldier, a killer, a shadow—and yet his pulse stuttered under your fingers.

“I could make you beg,” you whispered, so close your lips almost brushed the side of his mask. “But you’d bite your tongue just to keep the pride.”

“…You don’t know me,” he rasped.

You finally pulled back, slow and smug.

“I know enough,” you said, walking past him with a purposeful brush of your shoulder against his chest. “Next time you pin me, make it worth it.” Punch me or something.

Pt 2

COD Masterlist

[tomscottsredshirt]

✦ ₊ ˚⊹ ʲᵒʰⁿⁿʸ ᵈᵉᵖᵖ ᶜʰᵃʳᵃᶜᵗᵉʳˢ ʰᵘᵍ ʰᵉᵃᵈᶜᵃⁿᵒⁿˢ 🍰💭💌

ʷᵒʳᵈ ᶜᵒᵘⁿᵗ: ⁵⁰¹

୧ ‧₊˚ 🕸️ ⋅ ☆ ꒰ ɪᴄʜᴀʙᴏᴅ ᴄʀᴀɴᴇ: ꒱ a little awkward about it, but generally likes hugs, especially after a particularly unpleasant nightmare or if he's scared. too shy to initiate most of the time. very gentle and comforting, puts his head on your shoulder and pets your hair. loves to cuddle during thunderstorms.

୧ ‧₊˚ ✂️ ⋅ ☆꒰ ᴇᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ ꜱᴄɪꜱꜱᴏʀʜᴀɴᴅꜱ: ꒱ clumsy and hesitant due to his hands (poor boy's afraid of hurting you), but craves hugs at every given opportunity, even if he doesn't know how to express it. hugs with him are long and intimate, a tender touch that reminds him he's loved despite his differences. if he's taller than you, rests his head on top of yours.

୧ ‧₊˚ 🔪 ⋅ ☆ ꒰ ꜱᴡᴇᴇɴᴇʏ ᴛᴏᴅᴅ: ꒱ would probably slit anyone's throat if they even tried to hug him, unless it's someone very very close to him. even so, he's stiff as a board and just hovers his hands around your waist, not actually touching you and pulls away quickly.

୧ ‧₊˚ 🚬 ⋅ ☆ ꒰ ᴅᴇᴀɴ ᴄᴏʀꜱᴏ: ꒱ not used to hugs and isn't very fond of them either, but doesn't mind being held here and there if it's someone he trusts, like his s/o. rubs your back. he def smells like cigarette smoke 24/7.

୧ ‧₊˚ 🍫 ⋅ ☆ ꒰ ᴡɪʟʟʏ ᴡᴏɴᴋᴀ: ꒱ probably disgusted? flinches away, then reluctantly lets you hold him if he cares about you. awkward and stiff as well, not really knowing where to put his hands. rolls his eyes but actually loves it. chuckles nervously.

୧ ‧₊˚ 🎭 ⋅ ☆ ꒰ ᴊᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴍ. ʙᴀʀʀɪᴇ: ꒱ would be surprised to receive a hug from anyone, but happily reciprocates it. sways left and right a little. he appreciates hugs especially after one of his plays don't go so well. if you're his s/o, gives you a little kiss on the forehead afterwards.

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ 🥃 ☆ ꒰ ʀɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ ʙʀᴏᴡɴ: ꒱ big tight bear hug, like one you'd get from a caring dad, which he is. squeezes you a little too hard sometimes, maybe even lifts you up a little. likely to ruffle your hair playfully. if you're his s/o, might whisper a dirty little something in your ear, or his hands might wander.

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ 📄 ☆ ꒰ ᴍᴏʀᴛ ʀᴀɪɴᴇʏ: ꒱ might not seem like a huge hugger on the surface either, but really likes them. idk he just seems like the kinda guy who'd like to cuddle up while napping. runs his fingers through your hair. hugs bring him comfort in the midst of his divorce, or when he's struggling with writing. they're brief but meaningful, letting him know you're there if he needs you, and he does.

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ 💭 ☆ ꒰ ɢɪʟʙᴇʀᴛ ɢʀᴀᴘᴇ: ꒱ LOVES hugs but wouldn't openly ask for them, even when he needs it the most. when you offer him one, he rests his hands on your upper back, holding you tight. he's afraid of letting you go. having someone safe to hold onto and knowing he's loved and appreciated, even if just for a moment, means the world to him. it's strange for him to feel like he has somewhere to go when all the responsibilities of caring for his family get too much. he deserves all the hugs in the world <3

[rodolfoparras]

Office sex with Price where you’re seated in his office chair,your pants resting just under your balls while Price is perched on your lap completely bare and riding your cock. The two of you make an amusing sight because you’re so much smaller than the big burly man yet here he is using the arm rests to work himself up and down your length while simultaneously trying to elevate some of his weight because he’s oh so desperate to ride your dick he won’t even let the size difference stop him. The deep baritone he uses to command soldier has dwindled down to mere squeaks, sounding similar to the squeaks coming from the chair you’re sitting in, and the sounds only increase as he fastens the pace of his hips. You cant reach his mouth to muffle his sounds so you have him use his own hand, and if anyone were to walk in they wouldn’t be able to see you past his broad frame but they’d be able to see their big bad captain falling apart on your dick.

[hana-no-seiiki]

☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ FIVE STAGES OF YANDERE ࿐: HERO

“𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐋𝐋 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒, 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐃.”

⟣┄─ ˑ 𝐈. ✧ yandere/tsundere! modern hero x villain! reader

✧ status: unedited

✧ tw/cw: yandere themes, violence, morally dubious reader, horny hero, tsundere hero.

✧ a/n: both character’s genders are up to your imagination. also i’m making this my permanent theme now for general yans fics (consistency/recognizabilty’s sake)

[series masterlist]

⟣┄─ ˑ STAGE ONE. ✧ DENIAL

“You’re getting a bit sloppy aren’t you, lil hero?”

“Shut up, wretched being! C-Come back here!”

You and Yandere! Hero have been nemeses for what felt like lifetimes. Ever since you became a sidekick as a kid, up until the present time as adults.

You saw them as a sibling. You’d fight once in a while but neither truly hurt each other. In fact, you never once attempted to kill them, and they in turn never attempted to put you behind bars. The cycle always repeated.

You were relatively close in terms of power. More times than not, things would end up being a tie where the two of you would be too tired to continue. But recently your cutie patootie hero has been getting sluggish. Their attacks lacked any sort of vigour, and their reflexes dulled.

You would offer to talk and assist them, but another one of your hidden rules in this relationship of sorts was that you two would never interfere with life outside of crime and fighting thereof.

Unbeknownst to you, Yandere! Hero fought another villain (cheater!) whose powers were related to nightmares and fears.

Their greatest nightmare . . . was losing their status as a hero — losing you.

You have been such a huge part of their formative years and beyond that the thought of even retiring and losing contact scared the hell out of them. The idea of never being able to banter as you sparred, the concept of losing sight of that smug grin of yours on the times you won, and the very notion of you being dealt with by someone else — their chest would tighten to the point of being unable to breathe.

But they always shook their head, drowned themself in tasks as to avoid the anxiety that threatened their focus. After all, you were a villain. A monstrous creature that have hurt and killed people. The only reason they haven’t taken you down yet was because they were instructed by their predecessor not to.

Yeah, the fear of losing you? Probably just an extension of their desperate and zealous view on their position as a hero

They prayed it was.

⟣┄─ ˑ STAGE TWO. ✧ ANGER

“I told you that they were mine to take care of! You gave me this duty!”

“You and I both know you’ve been losing your fights more often than not. Look at how many people they’ve started to hurt again! I can’t leave you with a responsibility you, can’t, handle.”

Yandere! Hero couldn’t believe their ears. Everything they feared was starting to come true and it was only getting worse.

They started disobeying their mentor/predecessor’s commands. Commands that they used to referees — worship even. They knew they were making things go from trash to absolute shit, but they couldn’t care less anymore.

So what if you hurt those people? From what they understood, those people were a bunch of assholes at best; Crime-lords, all types of traffickers, and violent thugs. In fact, the very reason you aren’t in cuffs was because you often took justice into your own hands. You were just quite cruel and brutal when it came down to it.

One of their more unforgettable moments of you together was the time you saved them from another villain. You in your blood-soaked glory as you grinned, an attempt to comfort them while they neck-deep in voices that screamed failure. They were barely hurt while you could barely stand, yet you were the one hushing them as you rubbed circles on the small of their back. Shared whispers they’ll die before they talk of it to anyone else.

Yandere! Hero keeps meeting you again and again. Doing duties they were already forbidden from completing and abusing the favor of being a sidekick for so long.

Things get from worse to oblivion when they get news of being replaced.

⟣┄─ ˑ STAGE THREE. ✧ BARGAINING

“At least let me accompany them on patrols! What if they get hurt?”

“You worked alone just fine.”

“That is an entirely different story!”

This newbie didn’t know you for several years. This newbie never experienced fighting you much less alongside you. You would eat them alive.

Granted, it would be the newbie’s fault for being so incompetent but they digress.

While on patrol with the newbie, they do their best to sabotage them in every way they can. Giving them the wrong intel, alerting the enemy of their arrival if they do figure out the proper location, and above all making sure you two never cross paths at all. A peer of theirs hurting you would kill them.

Of course, with their frantic and frankly stressed out mind, it wasn’t long before you and the newbie encounter one another.

And, the two of you got along quite well. Your moves like a beautifully choreographed routine in the battlefield. More importantly, it looked as if you were having so much fun.

They really couldn’t help themself

When they stepped in and interrupted the two of you

A glaze in their eyes as they walked ever so slowly to the newbie and strangled them.

That horrified look on your face. They didn’t know if they liked it or hated it.

But what they did know is that from that moment forward, they can never call themself a proper hero again. Their mentor’s words echoed in their head.

“You are staying at the base and that is final. If I see you again out on the field, I’ll be the one to put you behind bars.”

⟣┄─ ˑ STAGE FOUR. ✧ DEPRESSION

“Breaking News: A new vigilante has been spotted! Has our favorite hero been replaced? Well our sources say yes!”

“And would you look at that, they’re even worse at hiding their interest in their nemesis! Is this the love story we’ve all been waiting for?”

Yandere! Hero doesn’t remember when they last saw the sun anymore.

Their days were spent deep within the basement of the hero HQ, scrolling through any information they could find of you.

Their head constantly replaying the memories you shared, written in a systematic obsessed manner on a journal. From the very second you two first met, to the time you looked at them with eyes full of horror.

Your image had been scribbled, drawn, painted, carved, broken down, and built back up again hundreds of times.

But it just wasn’t enough.

Yandere! Hero used to wish that there would be a day you two would stop fighting. Whether it’d be them finally ending your streak of misdeeds, or you quitting. Anything would have satisfied them.

But now, now they just couldn’t see the appeal of it all.

All they could see was eternity with you.

And they’ll have that one way or another.

⟣┄─ ˑ STAGE FIVE. ✧ ACCEPTANCE

“I never could have imagine this to happen.”

“Really? You must have thought that I’d put you behind bars one day.”

“My fantasies were always, well — the other way around.”

You wore a calm expression.

Yandere! Hero, ever the fragile ego they had, would have seen this as an insult. A slight to their prowess.

But right now they couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Of course you wouldn’t be mad if they did this. You were you after all. You’ve been through much worse than being tied up and forced into a small cage more fit for an animal than a human.

And you being you, knew the many other ways to unnerve your poor rival.

“Wouldn’t it be ironic? If your replacement were to save me that is.”

You fought the anticipation from appearing on your face as you continued.

“Then they would truly become my hero.”

But your hopes were dashed, your giddiness dimmed as they simply replied.

“Then I’ll just kill them, and the next replacement after that. Until I go through every single capable human this planet has to offer and then more.”

Perhaps there was a reason why Heroes wore a mask aside from hiding their identities. That would certainly explain the chill you felt crawl up your limbs and spine as they lovingly stared at you.

“Because now I know that I love you. I’ll save you from everyone else but myself.”

©️ hana.no.seiiki - yun | 2023

[shini--chan]

The second part of the ask of @thatanimeramenchick , Enjoy milady

Yandere Lelouch vi Britania - Character Sheet I

Trigger warnings: emotional abuse, guilt tripping, imprisoning, physical abuse, victim blaming, manipulation, implied stalking

Attributes - What sort of Yandere is he/she?

As a yandere, he would be extraordinarily persistent. Even if he would have to wait years to see his plans come to fruition, he would cease his pursuit. Maybe he wouldn't have the power or the resources to properly court you or perhaps there would be other things keeping him occupied. Nevertheless, he would never forget you or the “love” he would hold in his heart for you. His thoughts would always dwell on you to a degree, no matter the time and distance, he would still loyally yearn for you and plot to entrap you. 

Likewise, he wouldn't let any attempts of yours to dissuade him from entering a relationship with you or any monologues on morality scare him away. The picture of a happy life with you would be crystal clear to him and he would strive to attain it no matter the cost. If he would have to set the world on fire to be by your side, then so be it. Also, he would try to combine his more political goals with obtaining you. Two birds with one stone, as they say. 

Another one of his traits would be his possessiveness towards you. You would be the apple of his eye, and also lack the agency he'd pride himself in. To him, you would be a morality pet, something to keep him grounded. At the same time, you would also be the princess in the tower - not a person that acts, but reacts at most. Your words would be frequently disregarded, because they simply wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things. In the end you would be a source of enrichment and entertainment, you would need him in every way. On the other hand, Lelouch could survive very well without you, besides your death causing him to lose it and burn down the whole world. 

With you, he would be surprisingly playful. His usual apathy and the way he'd treat others in his school boy persona wouldn't make the transition all too noticeable. His image and role as Zero would stand in sharp contrast to this playfulness, yet would still be executed in a way that wouldn't seem alien to his role. Before he'd lock you away from the rest of the world, his teasing and suave attitude would lead other people to rib you about it and push you into Lelouch’s arms. There would be a lot of external pressure on you to enter a relationship with him, and he would count on this.

His aforementioned possessiveness would entwine with his protective tendencies to a horrid cocktail. You would become his motivation to usurp the world and warp it into what he would deem safe for you. Here, he would know what is best for you and he wouldn't tolerate your interference. Until then, he would just have to form your surroundings so that you wouldn't be crushed beneath the wheels of history, and that other people wouldn't exploit you to get at him. If it must be, then he would crush your dreams underfoot and lock you in a gilded cage. 

Standing in juxtaposition to the traits listed so far, would be the surprising amount of coldness he would display towards you. Kisses and hugs would be rare and there would be a surprising amount of emotional distance that he would maintain. This would be to prevent you from hurting him with any noncompliance or also rejection. And to throw off enemies. Deep down, this would also be a measure implemented to keep himself from losing control. You would mean the world to him, and that would be a weakness nobody would be allowed to know. 

Cornering - How would they get you?

Lelouch would make sure to approach you in an environment and setting where you are not enemies. To be noted is that he wouldn't shy away from creating a completely new identity and appearance in order to safely enter your social circle, if he would deem it necessary. If he would be a friendly face to you, then you would be less likely to notice the chains tightening. Besides, it would mean he could rely on human nature in the form of other people's meddling to push you closer. He would charm your friends and family and compatriots to encourage you to interact with you more, to paint him in a good light so that he would be more attractive to you. 

Or, he would or would also manipulate other external factors to push you closer to him. The important factor here would be that he'd do his utmost best to make it look like he had no influence or involvement over the ensuing incidents. People would spontaneously ditch you and he would just happen to be close by, his interests would coincidently overlap with yours and superiors/people of authority would just happen to assign you to work together. It would be painted as fate and he would try to convince you of such. It would be a romantic notion that would suit his roles of revolutionary and prince. 

Once he would have you secured, he would either slowly chip away at your social circle until you would only have him left. Perhaps he would even take further steps to disrupt your dreams, like having you injured or freezing your bank account/funds. It would be steps to make you dependent on him, and also emotionally vulnerable. Show weakness, and he'd worm his way through the cracks and infest the wound. 

Expectations - What do they expect of you?

He would treasure a sense of fragility in you, and try to nurture it. To him, you would be akin to a porcelain and just as pretty and precious. In ways, you would have your own elegance and nobility to you, something that would have to be protected from the cruel, cruel world that the both of you would inhabit. Like a figurine in a music box, you would have to be kept away from prying eyes and admired in privacy and security. Ideally, you would be reserved for his eyes only - a treasure that only he would really appreciate and know how to take care of you. Such a delicate thing like you would have kept in a strictly controlled environment, lest you wilt. And that would be exactly what he would do. 

Lelouch would love it if you would be eloquent and had a way with words. It would allow him to have long conversations with you deep into the night and until the wee morning hours. Being able to articulate yourself well is an art in and of itself and it would just add to your beauty in his eyes. Therefore, he would also use you as a proofreader for his speeches and constantly inquire about your opinion. In a way, he might even have you convinced that he would only have kidnapped you in order to conduct his propaganda machine. Generally, I see him as being very much drawn to a person with artistic leanings. 

Now for something more tricky - he would either wish for somebody feisty, or for somebody demure. The people in between wouldn’t really reel him in. On one hand, a person with spirit would be enchanting. Having somebody to but heads with, to be able to test his mettle and endurance against a person that would be just as uninclined to back down as he is. A lass or a lad that could match him blow by blow would stroke a fire in him. On the other, having a demure spouse that would match the description of a proper spouse would also be very fairytale-esque. He would have his very own personal happy ending that he could look forward to. You would present the chance to switch off at the end of the day and indulge in a lifestyle that is more at home in myths than in reality. 

Something that would also be attractive to him would be if you would be the analytical sort of person. Going hand in hand with that trait would be a tendency to overthink, a weakness that he would exploit to its fullest. He would have you tripping over your own trains of thought and thinking yourself into knots. Somebody that can at least hold a candle to his flame would catch his eye, and he would inspect you thoroughly. Lelouch would revel in playing mind games with you - he would take it to the point that it would very much be psychological torture.   

Faded - Would they let go of you in any way?

Not really - he'd burn the world to cinders before letting you go. Your death would destroy something in him, and thus he would lose interest in saving the world or leading humanity to a more prosperous future. Indeed, he might just as well seek to punish the world for taking you away from him. On the other hand, if you were to be kidnapped or severely injured or somebody put out of his reach, then his actions would be driven by a frightful desperation. There would be a sense of urgency in his actions and he would be far more prone to lashing out. When he'd have you in his arms again, he'd melt like butter in the sun. Privately of course. 

So, one of the few ways he would be able to “let go of you”, would be if he would suffer from amnesia and completely forget about you. There would still be the persistent feeling of something missing, yet he wouldn't be chasing after you or razing the world so it would still be better than him pining after you. Of course, if he would regain his memories or also find out the truth, there would be hell to pay. 

Another option would be if he'd have a replacement goldfish of you in the form of a clone or digital copy. It goes without saying that it wouldn't really compare to the real deal, but he would accept it as compensation. Another option would be you having a Geass that would allow you to live past the demise of your mortal flesh. He would be frustrated, yet it would lead him to declaring war on humanity as a whole.

Punishment - How would they proceed if you do something they disapprove of?

Many of the things he'd do that you'd categorised as punishment would be protective measures in his mind. If you were a bird, then he would clip your wings. Likewise, if you would prove to be particularly difficult, then he would injure you. That way, you would be vulnerable and dependent on him. Chances are that he would manage to create a trauma bond. With most of your energy invested in healing, you wouldn’t really have time to contemplate escaping. Besides, the pain and the feebleness would make you more compliant and your sick state would make him more inclined to dote on you. 

Aside from that, he might force you to wear uncomfortable shoes or even bind your feet. This way, you wouldn’t really be able to run away even if you would be inclined to. Your helplessness would make him softer towards you and he might decide to give you one or the other treat as compensation. Something about your helplessness would trigger the more protective side of him, regardless if he would be the cause of your suffering. 

What would really be labelled as punishment, would be spreading rumours about you. If you decide to make his life difficult, then he would reciprocate the gesture with interest attached to it. The nice side effect here would be that he would see your wits in action, and also have the chance to chip away at your social circle. If he would have already passed the point of no return (kidnapping you and treating you like a princess in an ivory tower) then he would remove treasured possession or also the means to exercise the meagre hobbies that he would allow you. Should you ask, then he would either gaslight you until you either question your own grip on reality or give in and apologise. Or he would spell it all out so that you understand exactly what happened and why and that you would hold any misconceptions about the situation. After all, you would have to learn the rules of the game somehow. 

Misbehaviour would also be blamed on your friends and loved ones and former lords. As such, he would punish them to punish you. In the most extreme cases, you would unpack another gift from him to only find a head in the box. This would also be one of his cruellest methodes, one that would be designed to give you a mighty shock and grant you a few sleepless nights. Or, he would show you photos and videos and other media to show you ruining their lives. Could you handle blood being spilled because of your disobedience?

Reaction - How would they react to you escaping?

Interestingly enough, he would be the sort to panic. In his eyes, you would be a fragile doll and running away would only lead to your demise or wounding. Lelouch would storm around the quarters he would keep you in and interrogate anybody that could have an inkling of your whereabouts. During this frantic search he would pray to whatever higher power there may be that the worst had not really come to pass. 

Naturally, he wouldn't be able to show his anxiety in some situations nor would he be able to question just about anyone. Nevertheless, he would be far less controlled and careful and it would bleed through whatever facade he would throw up. 

He would invent some mission for the Black Knights or the military that would include retrieving you. As mentioned before, he would be waspish the entire time and his patience would constantly be worn thin. The yandere here would also switch to severe micromanaging, and his comrades in arms would put effort in getting you back just so that the status quo could return. 

If it would be a more domestic matter, he would conspire with Collin to get you back - the latter would do so for the gossip and to return Lelouch to a more bearable state.

Turnabout - Scenario: You have the upper hand? What would be different from their usual MO?

Flipping the tables would leave Lelouch feeling very queasy. He would be well versed enough in actual politics and such to know that the more powerful person in a relationship wouldn't be omnipotent or omnipresent. As such, he would still have freedoms he could utilise and stunts he could pull. He might garner himself a powerful patron and then play them out against you, or oppose you by threatening to involve them. However, he would never be able to bear being under somebody else's thumb. He would make himself indispensable to you in one way or another so that you would need him. Once his position would be established, he would weedle concession after concession out of you. 

Should it devolve into a situation where you would have the upper hand due to him being injured, sick or bereaved, then he would pull at your heartstrings and your personal integrity to make you docile. He would be awfully chatty and demanding during this time, all in order to occupy your time and keep you from realising that you could simply walk away. 

If he would end up as a prisoner at your mercy, then he would strive to be high maintenance if only to enjoy more of your attention that you would willingly give him. He wouldn't like you having the upper hand due to the increased likelihood of betrayal and because he would see himself as having a better overview and plan of your life than you do. 

Vengeance - What would they do in the face of competition?

Ruin lives, dish out military defeats, dial up the propaganda - the usual in most cases. If he can, he might simply have his opponent slaughtered in military combat. In the case of the opposition being particularly tenacious, then he would take matters in his own hands and fight them personally. 

Otherwise, he would use his Geass to make them commit social suicide. Let them see how their chances are with you after they have humiliated themselves in front of you. Given the strength of his powers, he could also make them commit suicide. Perhaps he would kill two birds with one stone and make them kick the bucket in a way that will further his other ambitions.

All that aside, there would also be the good o'l manipulation where he'd drip poison into your ears to make you cut off contact with the people in his way. Or he could do it the other way around: he could  convince his rivals to give you a large berth.

[zepskies]

Code Red

Pairing: Boaz Priestly x Female Reader

Summary: When you call him for help, Priestly realizes that he finally has the relationship of his dreams.

AN: So I didn’t think I’d ever write for this character, but it was prompted by a lovely anon and encouraged by my friend @thatonewriter15! I hope you enjoy. ❤️ 

Song Inspo: “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. “I’ve found a love…”

Word Count: 1,500 Tags/Warnings: Period talk, suggestiveness, mega fluff

He was in the zone.

Four six-inch double buffalo chicken clubs with banana peppers on whole wheat bread (gross, but he wasn’t the one eating ‘em), two spicy Italians, and a tuna on rye.

Priestly wrapped them up with practiced precision and slid them down the line to Piper, Mission Impossible-style. She smiled at his antics and took them and brought them over to Tish at the register.

Priestly had another turkey and provolone on his docket, hold the mayo, when his cell buzzed in his pocket. Today he actually did have pockets. As in, he was wearing joggers, boots, and a graphic tee that said: NO TEQUILA, NO ENTRY.

He swiveled his phone in his hand like a drummer with a drumstick. He smiled when he saw your name flashing across the screen, and he answered it.

“Hey, Beautiful. What’s up?” he asked.

“Boaz, I need you,” you said. To his ears, your voice was sultry, and a bit strained.

He perked up with raised eyebrows.

“What’s holding up the turkey and cheese?” Piper asked.

Boaz held up a finger to the blonde and tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder. His hands busied themselves with the next sandwich order, but he was all too attentive to your every word.

“Oh yeah?” he replied to you. His smile deepened. “Well, that’s convenient. Because I’m craving some of you, baby.”

You gave a breathy chuckle. “Normally I’d take you up on that, but no. I need you. As in, I really need you to do something for me.”

Priestly arched a brow. His brain was already filling up with ideas of how he could best help you. He mentally took an inventory of the “tools” in your nightstand drawer, and which ones he could best use to his advantage when he—

“Uhh, well, I got about one more hour in my shift,” he said, lowering his voice, even as it deepened a notch. “But if Jen covers me, I can be outta here in half the time.”

“Oh my God, good,” you gasped. “I’m in so much fucking pain, you have no idea.” 

Priestly blinked, and any thoughts of kinky fun times came to a screeching halt. Concern took over when he realized that the strain in your voice wasn’t from the sexy kind of need.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quickly.

“I’m out of Midol, my uterus is rioting like it’s a Vietnam War protest, and…oh yeah, I need more tampons too,” you said. “But I legitimately cannot move from this couch.”

Priestly couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

“Ech, I hear ya. Are we in a Code Green, Code Yellow, or Code Red situation?”

Jen glanced over at him from where she was mopping the floor, and she gave him a questioning look.

What’s wrong? she mouthed.

“Code Red, definitely,” you answered with a sigh.

Priestly grimaced in sympathy. He mouthed back to Jen, Code Red.

She nodded in female understanding, and raised a hand that said, Say no more.

“Okay, yeah,” Priestly replied to you. “Don’t worry, I got you.”

You released a sigh of relief. “And if you want to throw in a Snickers, I wouldn’t hate it.”

He chuckled at that one.

“You got it,” he said. “I’ll be home in T minus an hour, give or take.”

You groaned. “Can’t you just steal a DeLorean or something?”

“You know, I could, but that would mean I’d be going back further into the past before you even needed to call me, and I’d still probably be making sandwiches since I’ve been working here since damn near 2000 B.C. But you know what, they should really call that movie Back to the Present, since they don’t actually go to the future until—”

“Okay,” you had to laugh, even though it was edged with discomfort. “I’ll see you later.”

At the supermarket, after his shift at Beach City Grill, Priestly had most of the supplies he needed for a successful mission. All he was missing was his old enemy on Aisle 2.

Once again, he faced a wall of tampons. All bright colored boxes and numbers and sizes…

Okay, not Code Green, so not the slender ones that might as well be match sticks. Not Yellow, so no to Regular…ah! Here we are. Super Plus.

AKA: Code Red. Complete with leak guard, no latex. He grabbed the blue box and threw it into his basket of essentials, including no less than three assorted chocolate bars and a pint of Ben & Jerrys. He knew his girl, and you liked your Half-Baked ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough and brownie pieces.  

He brought over his haul to the checkout line. Sure enough, Gerry, one of the locals, was finally old enough to buy a case of beer by himself. He glanced at the blue box Priestly was taking out onto the conveyor belt and smirked.

“No slender regulars this time?” Gerry remarked.

Priestly’s smile was tight. “No, Gerald. Slenders are for pussies.”

“Literally,” the blonde beanpole snorted. “What, your girlfriend got a heavy flow this month?”

Priestly rolled his eyes, and his mouth pressed in a line. The word flow still kind of grated on him like nails on a chalkboard, but what irked him more was this guy imagining any part of your intimate parts.

“All right, my girl’s flow is none of your business,” he said. “Once you hit puberty and grow your first pubes, you’ll understand.”

Gerry floundered while Priestly continued on to make his purchases. Even the cashier was smiling, trying not to laugh as he silently gave Priestly his props for a burn well made. Priestly shot the guy a nod and a smile before he left with his spoils.

“Honey, I’m hoooome,” Priestly sing-songed.

He stepped through the door with his keys still jangling in his hand. He was trying to balance the big bag of groceries while closing the door to the apartment he shared with you.

Your head perked up from the living room couch, and your hand slowly curled up, beckoning him over. Priestly obliged you. He peered over the side of the couch and smiled at the way you were all curled up under a throw blanket, already in your pajamas, while FRIENDS reruns played on the TV.

“Finally,” you said with a tired smile. But not the kind of finally that just meant you were impatient for the goods he carried. The kind of finally that also meant you were happy to see him.

He laid a comforting hand on your head, leaned down, and pressed a kiss above your brow. You held him there by the collar of his shirt, prompting him to kiss you for real. Your hand moved up his tattooed neck and your nails gave the back of his head a little scratch, careful not to disrupt the blue mohawk.

He reluctantly pulled away from your lips, just enough to try and gauge how you were feeling.

“How’re you holdin’ up?” he asked.

“Like a beach umbrella in a hurricane,” you replied wryly. “You got the stuff?”

Priestly held the grocery bag tucked under his arm like it was a drug deal.

“Oh, I got the stuff, if you got the money,” he said.

You nodded, and your small smile turned mischievous. “I got your money, Big Man.”

With your hand delicately hooked behind his neck and the other gliding up his arm, he didn’t realize he was falling into a trap.

You tugged his arm hard enough to try and get him to fall over the back of the couch.

“Hey!” he yelped. Yet he also laughed while you tried your best to pull him overboard.

He had to toss the bag of groceries to the floor next to you, but he managed to get over and onto the couch without crushing you. He probably smelled like old sandwich and mayonnaise, but you didn’t seem to care. 

You just helped him settle in behind you, with your back to his chest. This was the only way you’d find comfort for your lower back. It had been aching since you woke up this morning.

You grabbed his closest hand and guided it under your overlarge sleep shirt, then under the waistband of your panties. You laid his warm hand flat against your cramping lower belly.

Priestly pressed a kiss behind your ear and tucked his arm underneath your head. He felt the rise and fall of your sigh as you leaned back against him, and his smile softened.

“You’re gonna fall asleep without digging into your treasure trove,” he teased. “I even got your favorite ice cream.”

You glanced at him over your shoulder in interest.

“Half-Baked?” you asked.

“Yep, for extra brownie points. Eh? See what I did there?”

Your body shook with a quiet laugh. You reached your hand back to touch his bearded cheek this time. Your fingers toyed with his many earrings.

“Did you know that you’re my favorite human?” you said. “Like, ever?”

He smiled against your neck. “Could’a sworn I was your third favorite, behind Ben and Jerry.”

“Nope, just you,” you said, snuggling back further into his warmth. “Thank you, baby.”

Priestly realized then that he’d found it.

He’d really, honest to God found the life he didn’t think he’d get, with a woman who didn’t want him to change; who just wanted him to be here.

Though he smirked when you reached for the bag and dug out the pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

“That’s what I thought,” he said.

You giggled. “Shut up.”

AN: Priestly was such a fun character lol. I rewatched 10 Inch Hero this past week and this was the first thing I thought to write! If you liked this, let me know! (And if you want more Priestly.) 😘

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[cantheykillmacbeth]

Bowser Jr

The most "canon" answer to who his second parent is is a joke by Shigeru Miyamoto where he claimed he himself was Junior's 'mother'. There's also a theory that koopas reproduce asexually. In either of those scenarios, Junior qualifies for the birth parent clause.

Additionally, it's suggested koopas hatch from eggs so that's unconventional birth clause, too.

Bowser Jr. is very difficult for us to quantify. He clearly doesn't apply for Gender Clause under our rules, but the other categories are hard to nail down.

For Birth Parent Clause, while either method you mentioned would work, neither is canon to the Mario Bros. series (Miyamoto's comment is a joke and asexual reproduction is a fan theory), so neither of them count for our analysis. In Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr. goes through the game believing that Peach is his mother, though it's later revealed that this isn't the case and Bowser lied to him about this, so that doesn't really give us any info. Developers of the series have stated that "we don't know who the mother is," which could imply that there IS a mother that we just don't know about. Since this could go either way, we can't definitively answer BPC here, unfortunately.

As for Unconventional Birth Clause, I looked into what you said about Koopas hatching from eggs, and the research was... very confusing. The main problem here for us is what exactly we mean by "Koopa." According to the fanmade Mario Wiki, there are Koopas (Bowser, Bowser Jr., etc.), Koopas (a shorthand term for Koopa Troopas), and Koopas (an umbrella term encompassing both the previous groups and several others, with some more as potential but unproven relatives to the species).

While Koopas and Koopas are both notably reptilian in appearance, there doesn't seem to be much to go off of for either of them when it comes to how they reproduce. From what I've found, I don't think we've ever seen a Koopa or Koopa egg in any canonical material.

When it comes to Koopas, what does and does not count as a Koopa is at least somewhat established, but there are still a few outliers where it is unclear whether or not they count, most notably Yoshi. If there was definite proof that 1.) Koopas, including Koopas, are all members of the same species and reproduce in the same way, and 2.) Yoshi is a Koopa, then we could say for sure that Koopas, Koopas, Koopas, and by extension Bowser Jr. are born from eggs, just as Yoshi is. But neither of these points are provable.

There is, however, one enemy in the Mario franchise that seems to canonically be considered a Koopa, and that we have definitively seen are born from eggs: Spinies. The Lakitu enemy is known throughout the series to throw what have been referred to as "Spiny Eggs," which will become another enemy called a Spiny upon hitting the ground. So, at least one member of the Koopa family is born from eggs, so it's plausible that other members of the Koopa family, such as Koopas, would as well.

While it is still possible that not all members of the Koopa family reproduce via eggs in the same way as Spinies do, I'm more willing to count this than I am anything for BPC. So:

TL;DR:

Tentatively, yes, Bowser Jr. from the Super Mario series could kill Macbeth under the Unconventional Birth Clause.

Thank you for your submission! sorry this one got so off the rails.

-Mod Anthem

[mist-see]

Something Like Surrender.

Ghost x Tall Black!Female!Reader

⚠️slow burn trust-building, intense conversations, subtle emotional reveals⚠️

Word Count: ~1900

Setting: A safehouse weeks after the last mission, late night.

Not y’all enjoying it 👀

Ghost didn’t speak to you for two weeks.

Not because he was angry. Not because he was scared.

But because he didn’t know how to want you and still be Ghost.

You didn’t press.

You weren’t the chasing type. You weren’t needy.

You just were—a tall, dominant, unshakeable presence that lingered in his periphery.

You never softened. You didn’t flirt. You didn’t bat lashes or coo or fawn.

You waited. Like a fire. Slow and low, but burning.

Deep down you knew you’d get that reaction, that answer.

Until one night, you found him sitting alone.

Top floor of the safehouse. Quiet. Dim. Rain hitting the window behind him.

He had his mask rolled up halfway, just the mouth exposed. A cigarette dangled between his fingers, untouched.

You stood in the doorway. Arms crossed. Shoulders broad, posture confident, but not aggressive.

“You gonna offer me one, or just sit there brooding like a Bond villain?”

He didn’t jump. Didn’t smirk. He just looked up, tired eyes meeting yours.

“You don’t smoke,” he said quietly.

You shrugged and walked in anyway, sitting across from him. Close. Not touching. Just present.

“Damn straight I don’t. But I figured if you’re gonna wallow, I should supervise. Make sure you do it properly. So that I can laugh instead of pity, you know?”

His mouth twitched. “Always in control, huh?”

You looked at him for a long moment. “Not control. Awareness.”

He took a drag, finally. Exhaled slow. Eyes trailing over your bun, it was frizzy, sweat rendering the gel useless on the field.“What’s the difference?”

You leaned forward, forearms on your thighs, gaze steady. This was a great time to just look at him.

“Control is fear dressed up. Awareness is survival. You think I walk into rooms trying to run ‘em? No…nah boy that ain’t my job, that’s your job. I walk in ready. ‘Cause if someone tries to take it from me, I’ve already decided-they won’t.”

His eyes flicked up. And there it was again. It was…degrading the way you spoke to him, he was in his late 30s. yet he didn’t correct you.

That flash of respect and mild irritation. That rare crack in the icy Ghost exterior.

“That how you survived this long?” he asked.

“Nah…” you said, “I survived because I stopped trusting people who needed me to be soft just to feel safe.”

The silence stretched, heavy and thoughtful.

He tapped ash onto the floor.

“…I don’t want you to be soft.”

You leaned back slowly, brows lifting.

“No?”

He shook his head, just once.

“I want to know who you are when no one’s watching. Need a person underneath that soldier… or else you’ll be lost.”

You blinked. That hit a little closer than you expected. Not in a romantic way. Not in a flirtatious way. But in the way a soldier means it—like: I want to understand you because I have to trust you with my life.

And that, you could respect.

So you leaned forward again, voice low. “Meet me at the training mats tomorrow. Zero-six-hundred. Bring gloves.” You weren’t asking your lieutenant, you were telling him.

He raised a brow. “You wanna spar?”

“No. I want you to stop hiding. And since you only speak fluent violence, I figured that’s the best place to start.”

The next morning, he showed.

Black tee. Tactical pants. Gloves. Mask in place.

You were already stretching, hair tied back-in a neater bun- form clean and sharp in every move.

He didn’t speak. He just stepped into the ring.

You didn’t touch him for the first five minutes.

You made him chase. Made him circle. Made him watch.

Then, when he got frustrated—when he lunged—you flipped him.

Hard.

He hit the mat with a grunt, and you hovered just above him, breath even, eyes sharp.

“You fight like someone with something to prove,” you said calmly.

He glared up at you. “Maybe I do.”

“Then prove it to yourself,” you said, standing. “Not me. I’m not your friend, or pen pal. Get up.”

Over the next few weeks, things changed.

Slight things.

You shared intel faster. Trained longer. Fought cleaner.

When he gave you orders, you still questioned him—but he started answering instead of barking back.

One night, after a mission that went sideways, you both ended up on roof watch together. The city below was lit up in orange haze, sirens far off in the distance.

He handed you a thermos. Didn’t say anything.

You took it. Sniffed. Coffee. Black. Strong.

You smirked. “Didn’t peg you for the nurturing type.”

“I’m not,” he said. “You looked like you needed to stay awake.”

You shook your head, sipped, then looked over at him. “ I appreciate your efforts. But coffee doesn’t do much, just gives me bubble guts.” He scoffed at this.

“You ever stop pretending you don’t care?” You asked after a few seconds.

He didn’t look at you. “You ever stop pretending you don’t need anyone?”

Oof.

That one landed.

You didn’t answer. Just sipped again.

“…Touché.”

He finally looked at you. “I see it, you know. The way you step back when people try to get close… even I know when I need someone. Soap, Gaz, Price…” he trailed off. But you understood, he had people he could trust if shit got…bad again.

You shrugged, not looking at him. “People like the idea of me. Not the work.”

“And I’m the opposite,” he said. “People like the mask. Not the man.”

A quiet moment passed.

Then you said, “Maybe that’s why we hate each other.”

He shook his head. “No. We hated each other because we were scared we’d like each other.”

You looked at him for a long, long time.

Then: “And now?”

He held your gaze.

“…Now I’m not scared.”

Pt1

Pt 3

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