#but for some reason. entirely unknown to you. they just refuse to quit

[unnamed-proxy]

My Noli obsession has grown past Forsaken, it doesn’t have to be related to forsaken in the slightest anymore I just like thinking about that guy and his myth

[vivsinkpot]

Motifs That Make Your Story Stick With People.

Motifs are more than vibes — they’re threads your readers follow without even realizing it. Here are some powerful ones by genre:

Romance

1. The Unfinished Letter

A confession that was never sent, a page torn halfway through — the kind of silence that says more than words ever could.

2. Worn-in Clothing

A lover’s coat still carrying their scent, a scarf borrowed and never returned. Intimacy without touch. Presence in absence.

3. The Empty Chair

Always set, never filled. Waiting becomes a quiet ritual. It’s not just about who’s missing — it’s about who you’re still hoping for.

4. Dancing (but not quite together)

Spinning at opposite ends of a room. Always out of sync. You almost touched, and didn’t — and that almost is what lingers.

5. A Shared Song

The one that plays at just the wrong time. In the supermarket. At a wedding. On the radio. A melody that aches like memory.

6. The Locked Drawer

Something hidden, maybe for protection, maybe out of fear. A love letter, a photograph, a ring. What’s kept secret still speaks.

7. Ghosts of Firsts

First glance. First argument. First goodbye. The early moments replay — not because they’re gone, but because they still matter.

8. Parallel Lives

The two of you live close — same café, same bookstore — but never meet. Until you do. And suddenly, everything clicks too well.

9. The Rain-Soaked Confession

A classic for a reason. It’s not about weather — it’s about chaos, vulnerability, cleansing, and raw emotion colliding all at once.

10. The Held Breath

Before a kiss. Before a touch. Before a truth. The pause between. The suspended yearning. The moment you want to live in forever.

Fantasy

1. The Prophecy Misread

Everyone thinks they know what it means — until it’s too late. The chosen one, the foretold fall, the wrong name. Destiny misinterpreted, yet inevitable.

2. Blood on Ancient Stone

A ritual, a sacrifice, a curse reawakened. Magic that demands a price — and history that bleeds into the present.

3. The Forest That Whispers

It’s alive, not with words, but memory. Paths shift. Trees remember. If you stray too far, you might never leave — or come back changed.

4. A Name That Holds Power

Speak it, and the sky cracks. Bind it, and a person is no longer free. The right name can open doors, or destroy worlds.

5. The Mirror That Lies

Or tells the truth too cruelly. A reflection that isn’t quite yours. A twin self trapped behind glass, waiting to be let out.

6. The Star That Falls

Not a wish — a warning. A guide, a lost god, a life flung from the heavens. You’re not meant to touch it, but you do.

7. The Blade That Refuses You

Not everyone can wield it. Not because you’re not strong, but because it knows. The weapon chooses the worthy — or the damned.

8. The Disguised Royal

Crownless, cloaked, quietly watching. They move through the world unknown, until the moment they must rise — and rule.

9. The Last Dragon Egg

Forgotten, fossilized — until it pulses with warmth. Legacy, extinction, hope. One life that could reshape an entire world.

10. The Map That Draws Itself

You wake, and a new line has appeared. Paths shift, dangers emerge, and someone — or something — is guiding your journey.

Mystery/Thriller

1. The Missing Hour

A chunk of time no one can account for. It’s not just gone — it’s hiding something. And the truth lies in what’s been forgotten.

2. The Locked Room

No windows. One entrance. No way out. Yet something — or someone — disappeared. It’s not a puzzle. It’s a trap.

3. The Photograph That Shouldn’t Exist

Everyone claims they were never there. And yet, there they are — in the background, staring at the camera. Smiling.

4. The Phone That Rings Once

Just one call. Just one word. No caller ID. And when you try to call back, there’s no record it ever happened.

5. Footsteps That Stop Midway

A trail in the snow. Mud tracked across the floor. And then — nothing. As if the person vanished, or was taken.

6. The Case Gone Cold

A file gathering dust. A girl who vanished. A detective who can’t let it go. Everyone’s moved on — except the one who matters.

7. The Voice On The Tape

Distorted, but familiar. Breathing between words. A secret only they would know. And they’re supposed to be dead.

8. The Key With No Lock

Left in your mailbox. Hidden in your coat. Ancient, brass, worn by time — and it doesn’t fit any door in your house.

9. The Red Herring

It’s so obvious, it has to be true — until it isn’t. The character you trusted. The story you followed. And now, you’re lost.

10. The Fog That Won’t Lift

It clings to everything. Cars vanish inside it. People say they hear voices. But the worst part? The fog smells like smoke.

Stories stay with us because of moments — not just plot twists, but symbols, patterns, echoes.

Motifs are more than decoration — they’re the emotional fingerprints of your story.

The way a name repeats. The fog that returns. The touch that doesn’t happen.

These are the threads readers don’t forget.

So plant them with care. Let them whisper. Let them haunt.

Let your story echo in the silence after it ends.

[httpskuzuu]

It can't hurt you now

I wrote this while in spain we were in red alert for rain.

Yandere!Chuuya x Reader

I don't now english, let me cry

summary: it's a stormy night and you couldn't be more scared.

tw: idk rain¿ kidnapping, panic attack (maybe)

The rain was pouring down heavily, drowning out the noise of the television. By now you couldn't hear what the announcer of that cheap program was saying.

In spite of everything, you decided to just focus on the images that appeared on the screen, trying to forget what was happening outside. A storm. You felt like a bit of an idiot for being afraid of something like that, not that it could do anything to you, at most, in some cases, flood the streets, but you “live” in Chuuya's attic, so that's not really a problem.

Just this once you are grateful to be locked up here, in a safe place.

A particularly loud clap of thunder completely broke your attention to anything else. You were scared and you couldn't help it, your brain refusing to pay any attention to the TV even though you begged it to. You covered your ears with your hands, trembling as if this was the end of the world, but what if it is?

Slight sobs came from your lips, thanks to them you realized that you had been crying. You don't quite know what you should do, how to stop crying or shaking, until you hear a door opening.

From here Chuuya appears, with an expression still asleep. He makes you look up with a strange gleam in your eyes, was it fear? happiness? You are not sure, although you prefer it to remain unknown. You have enough guilt for the fact that you don't hate him.

Apparently he finally noticed you leaving the bed at midnight, replacing your figure in his arms with a pillow. The feeling of fear settles in your stomach, you didn't want him to be angry, your intention was not to disobey by doing that act. If he took away your earned privileges now, like the TV, the books, your sketchbook, what would you do? This whole week is forecast in heavy rains and storms, no distractions and with a punishment you swear you will die.

“What are you doing here?” his tone conveyed weariness. You remove your hands from your head and look at him with teary eyes. You're supposed to tell him the truth, but you don't really feel like going through the humiliation of saying you're afraid of a little (a lot) of rain.

“Nothing, I couldn't sleep.” It wasn't entirely a lie, the reason for your insomnia that night was the loud noises outside. You thought that if you slept maybe the rain might kill you or some shit like that. Now, come to think of it, that idea was pretty stupid.

A clap of thunder, without warning, fell loudly, causing you to flinch like a frightened animal. A trembling sob escaped your lips, as you tried with all your might to relax and wipe away your tears.

“Hey baby, what's wrong?” Now Chuuya looks wide awake, coming up to you to hold your face in his hands. They were so warm, contrasting with your icy cheeks, you couldn't control the fact that you leaned on them almost unconsciously.

A little comfort now wouldn't hurt, especially in your near panic-stricken state.

The rain intensified even more, as did the trembling in your limbs and your uncontrolled tears. Without much thought, you threw yourself towards Chuuya, embracing him as if your life depended on it. Actually, in your frightened mind, it did.

“So you're afraid of storms, huh?” you were inwardly glad that Chuuya didn't seem annoyed by your stay in the living room, nor mocked by your fear.

Chuuya was always understanding despite his tough temperament, he was especially so with you, giving you all his patience and love even though you rejected him. This is like an opportunity for him to show you that he really loves you more than anyone else will. In spite of that, he hesitates a bit whether to comfort you or leave you lying in panic. Did you deserve his sympathy when you kept walking away from his side? Chuuya decided to ignore that little voice in his mind, he only had to listen to your stifled crying to feel guilty for thinking that.

A soft kiss is placed on the crown of your head. Chuuya strokes your back affectionately and says things to relax you. Finally, just like the rain, your tears stop, and you can lift your head from the man's chest without so much embarrassment.

Now, as you look into his sympathetic eyes, you feel humiliated. You've just let your kidnapper comfort you, plus it was out of a senseless fear. If your fear had been founded, maybe you wouldn't feel so bad. Still, there is a grateful feeling, hidden deep inside you, but there it is.

“Better?” You nod, avoiding her gaze like the plague. “Then let's go back to bed, okay, baby?”

You didn't put up any impediments when Chuuya guided you to the room, the truth is that all that panic exhausted you like never before. You didn't understand why crying was so tiring, but when you lay down on the bed you almost fell asleep in a second if it wasn't for Chuuya.

He gets your attention by putting some earplugs in your ears, carefully so as not to hurt you. Sometimes you didn't understand how he could be so sweet to you in spite of everything, but you were happy about it, you really were.

“Thank you.” Your voice sounds smaller than you'd like, but Chuuya smiles at your words. It's not a smirk or a wicked smile, it seems simply… warm, loving.

You feel strange about your feelings, especially when you feel your cheeks burning. Chuuya kisses your already dry cheek and lies down next to you on the bed, hugging you from behind and stroking your hair.

You could get used to this.

[socksracoon10]

Not Just A Pirate

Pairing: Will Turner x F!Reader, Jack Sparrow x F!Reader (Platonic) Read the First Part: Pirate

"I swear if I hear you singing one more time, I will see to it that your execution will be the most grotesque, agonizing experience of your entire life," You seethed, teeth barring to see the lovely Jack Sparrow in the cell just across from you. He was on the floor, hands waving around as if composing an orchestra. It had been hours inside the gloomy place and as each second passed, you could feel your sanity slipping away. Jack shifted his neck to face your sitting form, legs sprawled out with your hands clasped around your ears to shut him out. He stopped his incessant humming and sent you a frown,

"Look, love, I say we get used to this. I mean, if we were to die, at least we died tog-" He began before being cut off by the roar of your voice,

"I would rather stick nails into my ears than hear your voice again!" You leaned forward with a scowl.

"Oi, quit it! 'm tryna get some sleep!" Another prisoner from down the hallway bellowed, and you groaned in response as you slumped your head downwards. You glanced up momentarily to see Jack propping his head with an elbow, eyeing you with a look of judgment.

"It's not half as bad as you make it out to be… it could be worse," He scoffed.

"How so?" You sneered with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you could be stuck with that blacksmith," Jack pointed out, and you threw your hands in the air, immediately getting onto your feet.

"Don't even bother talking to me about him. That insolent, brainless, scummy, disgusting pile of-"

"Woah, woah, woah, now. Have some decorum," Jack snickered, but he instantly winced when he heard you kicking the metal bars of your cell. Pacing back and forth, all you could think about was the events of yesterday. Having been abandoned by Jack, you had finally found the idiot and then minutes later got arrested for piracy… and then of course, whatever stupidity happened at night. You had slept through the whole commotion, and as you best put it for Jack who kept trying to wake you up, you "couldn't be more bothered when death was waiting". Perhaps your outlook on the situation would've been different if you weren't confined in the tiny cell, you couldn't even use the bathroom in peace without having to yell at Jack to turn around.

"You're like my sister!" Jack had cried out, which was followed by,

"Even more a reason to turn your bloody head around!"

A quick nap would clear your mind - and also block out Jack's humming again - and so you laid down against the hay and closed your eyes, trying to tune out any noise at all. You rarely ever slept because dreams were something you feared. Jack had told you before that dreams always revealed your inner desires, but you knew very well that none of your desires could ever match the horrors you were seeing in your head. It was a strange place to be in, and your heart thumped against your chest when you saw the flicker of Davy Jones, his eyes boring into your soul. The connection still made no sense to you, and as you tossed and turned on the makeshift bed, you could feel your arms being tightened by an unknown being, one that intended for you to meet your doom sooner than later.

Waking up with a start, you panted heavily and clutched onto your head, feeling extremely lightheaded. The only that snapped you back to your reality was Jack exclaiming,

"Oh, my pretty princess has finally awoken!"

You grumbled at his words, hating the stupid nickname. It was a running joke at first because you had refused to sleep on the Black Pearl unless certain conditions were met, to which Gibbs had jokingly stated, "The pretty princess wishes for some beauty sleep!" and right then, your fate was solidified on board. You could feel the anger boiling within you and you rolled your eyes,

"Call me that one more time, I dare-" The words fell short when you noticed the man from earlier at the blacksmith's shop standing there with wide eyes. You glanced between him and then Jack, and then back to him before the memories of what had transpired because of him played back in your head. Within seconds, you had begun to claw at the metal of the bars, trying to grab him and bash his skull, "You idiot! You moron! You buffoon!"

Will took a step back, turning to Jack with a confused expression, "Are you sure you need her to get back Miss Swan?"

"Mate, if we don't bring her with us, she'll kill us before we even get to Barbossa," Jack exclaimed, shaking his head as he continued to watch your pathetic attempts at trying to get Will.

Will didn't like to openly ogle at women as much as the other men in Port Royal. He thought it was very rude and an unpleasant experience, nonetheless. He's seen the blacksmith swigging down a bottle of rum, a crude remark escaping his lips only to be met with the firm backhand of a woman walking down the street. He remembered wincing at the scene, quickly averting his eyes to perfect the sword in his hands. The last thing he needed was to get reprimanded for neglecting his work. His eyes, however, could not look at any other being except for you. The image of you towering above his form with a sword pointed just below his chin was forever engraved into his mind. It had been the very moment that he wondered if he could see you once more. His ego wouldn't accept his attraction to you, though, because you were, after all, a pirate. Jack Sparrow's companion, and by the shapes of it, his worst nightmare because you made sure to make his life a miserable hell with any given moment that you two were alone.

"I doubt the princess herself would wish for you to save her," You snorted, shaking your head as you pushed past some men on the streets of Tortuga. Will trailed behind, a frown etched on his features.

"Miss Swann is a childhood friend of mine. Friends will stick together, and considering who you have as company," He paused, jabbing his thumb towards the direction of Sparrow sauntering up to a woman, "I can see you know nothing about having a good friend."

You sneered at him, pausing in your tracks to poke his chest, "Jack is a brother to me, annoying as he is but he's a brother. We've fought many battles together, so it's best if you shut your trap before I cut that tongue of yours."

He smirked at your words, which made your face fall just for a brief second. He wasn't intimidated at all, and the intensity of his gaze made your breath hitch. You almost forgot that you two weren't the only ones in the street before you heard Jack cry out,

"Oi! You two! Enough with the sightseeing, we have a business to attend to!"

You glanced over your shoulder at Will who continued to stare at you, his lips slightly curved upwards. You merely shook your head, convincing yourself that your lack of sleep was getting to you and you scurried off to Jack, deciding to stick by him for the rest of the night.

"Ah, if it isn't the pretty princess!" Gibbs cheered as you entered the tavern. You groaned, rolling your eyes, especially since you could faintly hear Will snicker in the background. You shot him a quick glare before turning back to Gibbs,

"Alright, cut it out. Not funny," You hissed, seating yourself next to Jack as he began to ramble about the mission at hand. Against your own will, you shifted in your seat to get a better look at Will who was standing in the corner, observing his surroundings. Being around so many pirates was probably an overwhelming experience for him. Aside from that, you knew his stance on piracy; hell, it was the reason you were in that prison cell in the first place. You snuck off to where he stood, offering him a jug of rum but he politely declined, assuring you that the last thing he wanted to do was get wasted, especially when he had more prominent things on his mind.

"Like what?" You asked, taking a sip of the drink.

"Like how someone like you could possibly be a pirate," He responded with no hesitation. Your eyes widened, the rum still cascading into your mouth as you tried to come up with something snarky in response. What ever did he mean by that?

"You saying I'm incompetent to be a pirate?" You scoffed, noticing the way his brows furrowed,

"No. I say you have every skill, even more than Jack-"

"Don't insult Jack, you haven't seen his potential," You wagged your finger at him, "You don't know anything about him."

"I don't know anything about you either, but judging by what I've seen in the past few days, it's very clear to me."

"Yeah, what's clear?"

"You…" He paused for a moment before continuing, "You are the only good thing piracy has to offer."

"I thought you said you hate pirates," Your voice had gotten quieter, unsure if you wanted to continue this conversation or not. You had gotten so used to starting fights, looting, and arguing with almost everyone that hearing words like this made your head spin.

"I did. I hate most pirates… not all, though," Will responded, finally taking your cup to take a large gulp of the rum. He smiled at you, one that made your knees a little weak and made your heart flutter a bit more. He stepped out of the tavern, sending you one final glance for the night before leaving you alone to your thoughts. You looked down at the rum in your hands, admiring the way the liquid swashed around in the jug.

It was half full and you smiled to yourself.

[leggerefiore]

cw: Giratina Volo, jealousy, fluff,

pairing: Volo/Reader

The shadowy tendrils wrapped around you tightly. There was a horrible dissonance in their physicality in restraining you yet their airy, inhuman feel. Glowing crimson claws at the end held your attention more in the end. One dug into your skin, not daring to pierce the skin, but just enough pressure to keep your mind on its presence. You felt a shaky breath escape you. This predicament would almost feel like death to anyone else, you knew.

The tendrils spread from the back of what appeared to be an otherwise normal man if one ignored the lower half of his body and those terrifying eyes alongside the golden scales that clung to his chest. What had gotten him in such a mood? Nearly everything did. It was little wonder he was banished to this hellish world where time flows oddly and space is disordered. It was a punishment for something he had done to Arceus, but that was a topic you dared not breach. He was already capricious enough. You sighed.

“Volo,” you called out to him. Those eyes stared even more through you. Really… You had gotten too close to a rift out of this dimension, and he took it as you were trying to leave him. You knew how lonely he was, being stuck here with no company for what must have been an amount of time incomprehensible to your mind, but… Really, his possessiveness knew no bounds. It did not matter that he was a dragon at his heart, either. He gaze refused to shift.

“I was simply curious,” you offered, “I promised you long ago that I wouldn't leave you.” How much time had passed since you first ended up in the arms of the Renegade Pokémon? You had not the faintest idea. Time did not function here normally. Peeks at the outside world through reflections rarely provided you enough information to truly know. It was just you and the Giratina hybrid. That was all there was.

He brought a hand to your face, the chill of his skin always catching you off-guard. Leaning in close, you could feel the eldritch aura ruminating from him. He was unknowable as they came. A being that existed in another world that activity dismantled the normal one with his very presence. But… You did love him. He truly gave everything you could ever desire in what must have been his own personal hell.

You lived far more comfortably here than you ever had in the world you originated from. Maybe that was what drew you to that cave, despite the rumours of disappearances. He had taken those foolish enough to wander into the depths of his cave. Where they went after, you opted against asking about. There was a feeling in your heart, though. Dragons were quite carnivorous.

Your pleas for a better life are what had caught his interest. When the banished deity appeared before you, you actually fell to your knees and bowed deeply. It was likely a fickle decision of his to spare you whatever awful face he had subjected others to, but he took you away to his dimension.

The distorted world was a comfort.

You just grew curious about the normal world. How had it changed? Had it changed at all? You wondered.

Though, part of what you promised to Volo... Your eternal devotion and entire being for comfort and safety. Closing your eyes, you knew it was not a bad choice. When faced with the risk of famine and disease or being mauled by a savage, unruly pokemon, the safety of an unknown world was preferred. Volo's protection was something you would rather not lose, for various reasons.

“… I'm aware,” he replied and placed you down on a floating ground piece. The endless distortion of this world may drive one to madness should they pay too much attention to how things functioned. You wondered if you would be able to walk with normal gravity sometimes. Volo landed beside you, his serpentine lower body laying across the oddly coloured ground. “Some of those portals lead to places in different worlds and timelines than the one you originated from,” he said simply, “… Or are you that discontented now that you are ready to flee to any place away from me?”

You approached him, easily find your arms around his neck. The skin was marred between a near porcelain skin tone and the eerie grey of his scales. The hard golden ones – more like armour – on his chest pressed onto you. Your curiosity was boundless. He could not blame you. Even his often grew curious himself… You had seen him observing the normal world through reflections plenty of times. Your lips pressed to his own. His hands found your face again. The affection lasted for far too long.

Pulling away, he shifted his tail so that you may sit upon it. The Distortion World would always feel odd… But, it really was your home after all this time. Returning to the normal world had no long-term appeal for you. His arms wrapped around your waist as he held you to himself, no doubt trying to steal your natural mammalian warmth.

“My sole worshipper,” he referred to you, “… Do you truly still wish to uphold your covenant?”

“Of course,” you said simply, “I'll continue to be your mate.”

With that, his nature changed to something more mild. It seemed that you would be enjoying the other's company for quite a while.

[tmntxthings]

hiii could i request some headcanons for a touch starved!casey jr with a reader who their love language is physical touch [romantic/fluff]? idk i just want to give to my baby a hug, he deserves so much better😭

一∑ Tender Connections

author’s note: i agree this boi needs all the hugs c:

warnings: fluff, hurt/comfort themes, touchstarved!casey jr. x gn reader, unedited

—————————————————————————

Ever since Kraang was defeated Casey never stopped training. It was ingrained in him since birth that he always needed to be ready for the next catastrophe.

But those were few and far between even with the weird magnet company of the turtles + April! Despite everyone’s attempts at wanting to show Casey the new world he was now in, he would go back to the lair and train until he was sore.

One time Leo tried to keep him out all night which was quite possible in New York since the city never slept. There was an endless amount of possibilities to get into some fun and maybe a little mischief if it involved the blue turtle.

But Casey’s stamina and resilience was equivalent if not better than all of the turtles due to his upbringing. He wouldn’t have survived the apocalypse otherwise. So when Leo finally portaled them back to the lair, barely having enough energy to do so without passing out seconds later, he didn’t get to see Casey’s knowing smile.

The boy from the future easily picked up his younger sensei and got him to bed. Then it was off to the dojo, where he continued to stay up until he felt like he had gotten a good enough training session in. What he wasn’t expecting, was you to be leaning against the circular doorway.

“You know, you may have the worst sleeping habits out of all of them if Leo’s passed out.” You quipped and Casey could only offer a shy smile as he picked up the last of the equipment he had used. “I told him it wouldn’t work… to be fair” Casey muttered.

You didn’t know what to say. Things like, “Kraang is defeated now! And we can’t take some time to relax” didn’t really compute with Casey even if he agreed. His body just was wired a certain way and he didn’t know if it would ever relax. Even now his muscles which were exceedingly sore, ached for a different reason. He felt restless. He didn’t want to sleep. He felt like fighting. He felt like defending and protecting the city from some new unknown source of danger that was surely building up its forces now

Thoughts like these were driving him crazy. And you could see it. “Why don’t we go out?” You asked and watched as his mouth dropped open, about to refute that such methods didn’t work as Leo had literally just tried all evening to wear him down.

But you stopped him before he could refuse. “Just to a rooftop! It’ll only be a few minutes,” and how could he deny you? As he took you in, it was obvious that you had forced yourself to stay up. Had you been waiting for them to get back? You were in comfy pjs and your hair was a bit disheveled from what he could only guess was tossing and turning in bed. “Alright,” he sighed, shaking his head but continued to follow a step behind with a slight grin.

It was nice to know how much you cared. How much everyone cared about him! But something about you in particular made him feel a tad warmer.

So up to a rooftop you went. The sky was dark and there were blinking satellites that mimicked stars. The city still alive and thriving just as he had left it, but the rooftop was calmer than the sidewalks. It was quieter. He didn’t know if that was a good thing for a person like him. The quiet invited in thoughts that he’d rather not think about. Like his endless worries and paranoia.

He had been sitting on the low rise ledge that bordered the entire rooftop. One foot started to tap anxiously just to offer any kind of distraction when you had sat down next to him, carefully since past the ledge was a seven story drop to pavement. Your proximity eased those nerves somehow and with knees almost knocking, you faced Casey and started talking

About anything and everything! About yourself and your hopes and dreams. You asked about his now that he was here and didn’t have to live day by day. Talking like that made it sound like the future wasn’t always in peril. As if maybe he would have enough time to do other things, like try every restaurant in NYC. And travel outside of the city, even New Jersey which he still didn’t understand why the guys all disliked the place.

The conversation ebbed and flowed naturally until silence overtook once more and this time Casey didn’t have the overwhelming urge to distract himself. Instead he just took a deep breath in and out, letting it go in a long sigh. Then his breath caught in his throat because he hadn’t realized how close the two of you had gotten while talking. Your hand finding his in that moment and your fingers intertwining with his as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

He couldn’t stop himself from looking down at your connected hands, and he shivered all over as you started to trace patterns on the back of his hand. The pressure he had unknowingly been carrying around released from his shoulders. His eyes darted up to yours, finding that you were already there, waiting for his gaze.

In the moonlight he tried to convey his gratitude, because what could he say in this moment that wouldn’t ruin it? He squeezed your hand, comforted by the pressure. Grounded by the gentle hold that you had on him.

The two of you stayed like that for a while. Until your eyelids started to flutter and your body couldn’t stay upright. He of course more than welcomed you to lean on him, but he didn’t want to push his luck and didn’t want to keep you awake any longer when it was obvious both of you needed sleep. “C’mon,” Casey spoke softly, rousing you to try and get you to stand.

But it seemed you were either already out of your wits or maybe just trusted him wholeheartedly because you only scooted closer to him, allowing him to pick you up in his arms and carrying you back down to your bed. Which of course was done easily enough by him since he always had his grappling hook at the ready. It all ended quite too soon for his liking as he carefully let you go so you could snuggle under your covers, rasping out a goodnight to him with your eyes closed.

Would it be horrible of him to admit he had wanted to kiss your forehead so badly in that moment?

After that night, Casey was in for much more than handholding. While that still happened often, hugs became second nature between the two of you. He reveled in your hold, a days worth of stress releasing as soon as your arms encircled around him. Your hands at his back, going up and down in soothing strokes had him holding on tighter when it was time to let go. “Just a little longer?”

He’d shyly ask. If you didn’t want to he would immediately let go. But you always indulged him with a bright smile. So don’t get too mad when he starts to become greedy! With this revelation of him wanting and seeking out your gentle touch, he’d pull you into quiet corners like a true ninja.

One second you’d be in the middle of a Mario kart game and as soon as it was over you found yourself being tugged up and away because Casey had a really important thing to show you or a question that only you could answer! It got more and more ridiculous until Mikey called the both of you out and said you didn’t have to sneak around to hug!

Once PDA was on the table Casey never looked back. He was stuck to your side and honestly, you wouldn’t rather it any other way! <3

[randomfandoms234]

My mind has been on a Demon slayer x transformers Au for couple days, there's no humans in it the bots will take place of all the characters

Autobots- demon slayers

Decepticons - demons

But for official roles:

Tanjiro- Orion pax/Optimus, and hot rod he goes to sell some energon in a smaller city of cybertron only to find his entire family dead, only two surrvived, in grief he changes his name to Optimus however he doesn't become a prime until much later in the show

I say two because at this time Hot rod snuck out to go see a race in town but was caught by Orion in the village annoyed by this Orion takes his kid back home but finds it covered in blood…only one other of his kids survived

Nezuko- Bumblebee: reasoning behind this is because I made Megatron muzan and wanted to keep the Bumblebee curse going, found by either Orion or Hotrod after the attack of Metatron Bumblebee is technically a decepticon but works with the Autobots

Orion ran a small orphanage in the mountains and treats each sparkling and youngling as if they were his own while Optimus is close with Hotrod and Bumblebee after the events of Megatrons attack on their home he adopted them officially in his heart after the events of the main plot happen these two would get officially adopted

Muzan- Megatron , leader of the decepticons who else would take the place? Metatron attacked the home of the three but unknown by him not all died there,

His backstory is different from Muzan in demon slayer, as he follows with Megatrons backstory.…lera just say Unicron had something to do with this.

Inosuke- Grimlock- tell me you see it? Grimlocke was abandoned near a cyberteonien mountain where he was raised by cybertronien life no one knows where is dinosaur alt mode came from.

Zenitsu- Smokescreen, there's no romance plot though ew he just gets attached and wants a new brother

Genya-cliffjumper, he and bumblebee look alike so there's many jokes that their long lost brothers, Cliffjumper just wants to make his brother Ironhide proud though.

Kanou- Elita- the only other adult in this gaggle of idiots she originally was very quiet and stern but becomes more open layer

Giyu- Ultra magnus, this feels like it makes sense as their personalitys are quite similar

Samani- Ironhide, no particular reasoning o just think it'd be interesting

Shinobu- Ratchet, I think their personalitys will mesh together great and There both somewhat docters

Tengan- jazz, sound hashira with character literally named after music I rest my case, jk I just want him to survive,

Rengoku- sunstreaker, this is due to the fact that Sideswipe is used more often than Sunstreaker and I want to give the other twin some short spotlight also, Sun- fire

Muchiro- Arcee, arcee has amnesia like Muchiro but is tough, she's tough and I just wanted her as a character in the Au and this is the one that fit her

Gyomei- Perceptor, Perceptor was a scientist who believed in the decepticoms and wanted to make a cure, be was attacked blinding him, and attacked once again when trying to help a sparkling but got attacked by the city folk for looking scary as he refuses to get his optics repaired

That's all I have so far but any suggestions of which Transformer should replace a demon slayer character is appreciated!

[revserrayyu]

Real quick Wardance thoughts [part 2]

**SPOILERS** for everything happening after the final match. Basically some story stuff and a bunch of goodbyes, but it’s mostly just me loving every second the Yaoqing trio is on screen.

Seeing a younger Jing Yuan is precious, but it was made even better hearing Alejandro’s natural voice during this short scene.

I know Igor was mentioned at the very start of this event and was sort of a constant, small side story amongst everything else, but his history and reason for entering the Wardance really was unfortunate from what I remember (which isn’t much.) Shame he’s no longer around. I would’ve definitely tried pulling for him if he ever had the chance to be playable.

While Jarilo-VI is no longer a small, unknown ball of ice floating in space, I was not expecting it to have more visitors so soon. I wonder how the Belobogians reacted to seeing their first foxian. & is it safe to assume that our pilot, who refuses to fly anymore, took the Astral Express here? Because that’s what I’m going to believe. Also, Seele spotted! Huzzah!! (no Serval at all though. I cry. or Clara now that I think about it.)

More allies, let’s goooo! Dang, imagine how awesome it would be to see Belobog experience other seasons aside from a perpetual winter. Or to have the residents able to travel outside the city’s walls, free from any danger. I adore everyone from Belobog so much and I hope they get the chance to live such fulfilling lives. They deserve it!

I have not checked the museum for myself yet, but if this photo is actually displayed there now, then that is so cute. And I know I can’t be alone in thinking this, but because of the striking red hair, Igor must be some sort of ancestor to Luka, yeah? It might be a stretch but they even got similar big grins too.

Alright, enough of my favorite planet and onto my favorite trio. Jiaoqiu sweetie, I treasure those few days so much! I just wish you were spared from all the trauma.

What a way with words. A poet, even. And yes of course I chose the first option. I feel bad pointing out his little slip up, but I wanted to know his reaction even more.

Pfft, the fact they let him talk for so long without mentioning he was facing the wrong way.. I’ll admit it is a bit comical.

Awww honey no! Don’t apologize! If I were them, I’d move myself in front of whatever direction he was facing so he wouldn’t feel bad.

It’s okay, we don’t blame you! At least he says it’s only his eyes that aren’t of any use instead of himself. That’s thinking positively I guess. I’m sure he’s still quite capable in doing many things, even in a kitchen. I mean, the guy had his eyes closed 90% of the time anyway, so surely he can still cook up a decent meal while blind thanks to muscle memory and his expertise. The other two would gladly assist him as well.

How much you wanna bet our Jiaoqiu isn’t going to listen to any doctor’s order because he’s a healer and knows his body better than anyone else? Feixiao & Moze are gonna make certain he heals up properly. But maaann, I wish they showed us Feixiao in the crowd during the final match, if only for a split second.

A perfect trio. One who can’t compete because of rules, another who wouldn’t fight because that’s not his job and the other who shouldn’t, lest he end someone’s life by accident. Pretty fair reasons.

Moze is an absolute mood. I’m not a big fan of chatting either. Quite ironic, given how much I can ramble on about this game and its characters, isn’t it?

Her whole “lacking in worries, regrets and rivals” outlook on life is wonder and I love it but NOW our Lacking General has but ONE REGRET! Aaaah.. honestly, I do too. I regret not pulling Jiaoqiu, but IN MY DEFENSE.. Feixiao was right after him and I needed to save big for her. I also didn’t really have a team suitable for our healer to excel in.. but next time for sure! I’ll bring him home!

Son of a bitch they’re so precious and sweet I wanna scream. It’s a blessing in disguise that this entire goodbye scene wasn’t voiced because if I had to hear all the emotion in their voices for this conversation I would’ve been an even bigger, sobbing mess.

Pfftt, thank you Moze for focusing on the task at hand. We can always count on him to be blunt.

Yeah how about NO. I do not wish to see you guys leave me! I’m holding onto that “for now” with such a tight grip. Y’all better return sooner rather than later, you hear me??

I absolutely took my time taking photos of them. I love ‘em with all my heart and can’t wait to see them more in future arcs.. as long as nothing else bad happens. Surely my devotion shall protect them from any troublesome plot! You hear me, Hoyo? Only wholesome and heartwarming stuff from here on out!

I am kinda bummed Huaiyan turned out to be nothing but a unique looking npc. He might not have been a character I might’ve pulled for if he was playable, but he would’ve definitely had some cool combat animations I’m sure.

I know I’ve said it somewhere before, whether in a post of my own or in comments, but Fu Xuan is probably my least favorite character. I just.. don’t vibe with her at all. I dunno. With that said, I didn’t mind that she was practically absent from these entire last two patches. So yes, I called her sassy, lost and short.

Astral Express parents showing up fashionably late to the party. Ya think a black hole or orbital laser could’ve destroyed Hoolay’s blood moon? We shall never know. I do wonder how their own task with those fossils and Ruan Mei turned out though. That’s something I’m looking forward to hearing more about, especially since Yaoguang mentioned at the end of the 2.5 story that our mad scientist has just boarded the Luofu too.

Huzzah, the end~ Much less serious this time around but at least we’re finally done. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Xianzhou during our initial trip here during the story, but these last two updates were some of my favorites for sure. (and I promise it’s not only because of my Yaoqing trio bias)

[cakeinke]

For the first time ask (again! who's gonna stop me!): the first time Heinrix reached out to touch Iustitia? 👀👀

TYSM for another ask!! :D I actually have not thought of this one before, so thank you for making me think of it! As a bonus, we're gonna get the first time Iustitia reached for Heinrix, because I feel like that's relevant. >:3c fair warning, stream of consciousness, no proof read, and for some reason this became. Way longer than I thought it would. Your question possessed me LOL

---

The first time Iustitia reaches out to Heinrix is during the investigation of the downed Black Ship. Heinrix had originally wanted to investigate the ship alone, due to the potential of restricted inquisitorial data, but Iustitia had refused. So instead she compromised on only her accompanying him, as the warrant might 'cover her ass' in this matter. The exploration through the ship had been harrowing - Iustitia fighting to maintain her cool demeanor while attempting to not vomit from the vile growths they had to wade through, and Heinrix remaining deathly silent as they proceeded through the vessel. When he finally spoke, Iustitia was able to see in him the same signs she saw in herself when she would slip into her past. It was instinct, her hand reaching out to him. She flinched just as much as he did when he said her name. Yet, she kept her hand extended between them - an anchor, an offer; which, however briefly, was accepted.

---

Now onto the actual ask, The first time Heinrix reached out to touch Iustitia.

After the events of Kiava Gamma, and Heinrix and the rogue trader's initial 'casual' conversation, they had begun having regularly scheduled regicide nights. At first, they had both kept up the 'professional" facade - both wearing full dress as they would on the bridge of the ship. However as the conversations changed from stilted to easy, and the silence between changed from awkward to comfortable, so too did their pretenses drop. Heinrix would still arrive at her chambers in full dress, but would remove his gloves, pauldrons, and cloak and place them on the coat rack Iustitia had procured for that exact purpose. Iustitia opted for the standard issue white t-shirt she wore under her coat, and an old pair of fatigue pants she must've procured from her time while training to be a commissar. She had explained that she had never bothered to procure clothing other than what was issued to her, as death was always around the corner at her old station. Often their games would be covered in the haze of her lho stick, cut with the scent of the amasec bottle kept nearby. 'Lho and amasec, Heinrix. Proof the Emperor loves you.'

It was one of these nights, where the game had gone on particularly late, and the smoke from the now ashed lho stick was dissipating. It was Iustitia's turn, and had been for a while now. He had her on the ropes, and he knew there was no hope of her winning this round. She had been hunched over the board for a while now, scrutinizing every possible move and every possible outcome. She leaned back with a sigh, resting her right hand on the table and tapping out a rhythm only known to her as she continued to survey the board. Heinrix's eye twitched as he felt metal grind against metal as her vertebrae slipped into place - He really needed to tell her to get the discs replaced. His eyes wandered from the board to her hand now tapping out an unknown rhythm. The metallic joints that rested underneath the scar that crossed her knuckles were... better maintained than the rest of her replacements, so he was spared from feeling metal grind against metal. Something about the rhythm she was tapping had his attention entirely on her hand, his attention far away from the game on the board. He rested his mouth against his knuckles as he continued to observe the rhythm, eyes growing slightly heavy as he slipped deeper into the comfortable silence that had now been carrying on for quite some time. Her hands were not delicate; her fingers were stocky, with cuticles slightly torn, and nails cut short, warped from being crushed in the past.

He would blame the amasec and hour of the night for how his hand moved on its own accord. It lowered from his mouth, extending to touch the scar that ran across her knuckles. Iustitia flinched slightly and Heinrix froze, immediately knocked out of whatever stupor had possessed him to reach for her. He raised his gaze to meet hers, where she regarded him not with anger, like she had when he had catalogued her scars, but cautious curiosity. "Am I truly taking so long to make my move you feel the need to move my hand?" She quipped, a tired smirk gracing her features. Heinrix began to pull his hand away with a slight chuckle, gracious on her offer to overlook his overstep, but she raised her hand to meet his instead. "Here, Heinrix. Guide my hand, for I am fucking stumped." Heinrix let out a sharp laugh, half of relief and half at her sudden switch to crass language. So he did just that, guiding her hand through her inevitable defeat, ensuring to explain each move thoroughly. Only to erase any doubt that he might be making her lose on purpose... assuredly not to extend what time he was afforded to hold her hand without consequence.

[shadowcatzone]

-short renheng short. very short (it's not). About what i posted a while back-

It's very interesting to watch a grown man try to force a mattress through the doors of the express. More so considering the man, scarred from top to bottom (except his face for some unknown reason), tried to kill their archivist until just a short while ago. After he managed- somehow- to get the mattress inside, he turns to the trailblazer, silence stretches between both.

"...Dan hengs room?" "...in the archives." He hesitates after hearing the answer. Gears turning, visibly. He clears his throat, "i mean, where he sleeps." They stare at each other for a short while. "Oh, no, he sleeps in the archives, on a futon. Refuses to pick a room for some reason. If you want to pick one, ...feel free." They point in the direction of the wagons. This answer leaves the stellaron hunter visibly upset, for some reason. But then his face turns neutral and he moves into the direction of the wagons. Dragging the mattress behind him.

Afterwards, they don't hear anything from him for a few days. Upon informing him, dan heng only mutters "how strange..." under his breath. March chimes in, exclaiming "what!? He doesn't want to live here, does he-" "don't even joke about that!" Dan heng quickly interjects. Sure, they get along these days, but there's no need to test the limits of that. They figured out which room he picked- and decided to stay far away from it.

The next time he comes by, it's already nighttime, he brings four, four large pillows. As well as some bags with aeons know what. Trailblazer asks him about it under the pretense of helping him carry some things. When they reach for a pillow, blade slaps their hand away. "...don't want them to smell like you." He explains, handing them the bags instead. Blade walks ahead, and they follow, taking a peek into the bags.

"Tea? And... dried fruits? What are you-" he stops, turning to them. He gives them a scandalous look, "my, do you really want to know?" Contrary to his expression, he sounds rather amused, so they drop the question. Lest they get pulled into something weird.

Unlike last time, he spends the night in the express. In that room. Maybe march was right and he really does want to live there. The thought sends a shiver down trailblazers back. Though their shiver is not as bad as dan hengs - when he comfortably sits, with a coffee (not made by himeko, apparently), reading a book - and suddenly blade walks past him. Despite dan heng almost dropping the cup, blade walks out of the express, never to be seen again. ...until next time, at least.

Though the next time, he only brings more bags, presumably clothes, and leaves as quick as he arrived. March insists they should check on the room, "what if he brings something dangerous?? We should at least check!" Welt and himeko tell her there's no need, and they find out that they agreed to the whole thing. She talks trailblazer into checking the room anyways, only to discover that it's locked.

Dan heng hadn't been bothered, so he didn't mind the entire situation. If something happened, he had cloud piercer - that would likely be enough to defend the crew, anyways. But then blade just didn't return, for quite a while. So long, in fact, that they all thought, whatever he was doing - he got tired of it.

And then he was back. A little worse for wear, but it was nearing the evening and he brought two big fluffy blankets. And a large box. From the way it sounded... probably electrical appliances. He vanishes into the room, and despite every other odd sound, doesn't come back out.

a long while after they ate dinner, they were all sitting together for a while. With dan heng reading a book, and the others talking. He closes his book, then moves towards the archives. "Are you going to bed?" Trailblazer inquires. "No, i still need to update some entries in the archive. I'll probably work through the night again." March looks at him. "But you always need to update some entries! And you always work through the night!!" He yawns, "such is the life of an archivist." And before he crosses the halfway point to the door, it opens. On the other side is blade.

They stare at each other for a while. Then dan heng takes a step back. And blade makes two wide steps forward, before energetically rushing dan heng, who dropped the book in favor of summoning his weapon. Before he can, however, defend himself in any meaningful way, blade has already thrown him over his shoulder. He looks towards the express crew for a minute (all the while, dan heng struggles to get free, "hey- put me down--"), before averting his eyes and wrangling a "goodnight" from his lips. Then he walks- with dan heng over his shoulder- to the room he picked out a while ago.

Upon arrival, he doesn't hesitate to throw dan heng on the bed, before closing and locking the door. He looks around the unfamiliar room. A lot of effort went into it, that much is visible. With the exception of the fairy lights on the ceiling, the room was furnished in a way reminiscent of the luofu. Just more luxurious, dan heng could imagine, maybe if he was the high elder, he would have had a similar room. But chains and prison walls immediately swamp his mind.

Before he realized, blade had freed him of most of his clothes, save for underwear. He froze up, before pulling a blanket over himself. This can't be happening. This man has finally lost the rest of his mind. Tears well up in the corners of his eyes. Blade grabs the blanket, tears it away from him- he's never felt this presented before. Blade leans over him- and wraps clothes around him. Traditional xianzhou sleepwear - high quality, his mind adds - then a teacup gets pushed into his hand. He stares at it.

He blinks once. Twice. A warm hand wipes the tears from his eyes, before resting on his head. The prison swamp is slowly releasing it's hold on his mind. "Oh..." he blushes. This is incredibly embarrassing. He thought he would- against his will-

Only then does he notice that blade exchanged his coat for a sweatshirt. "...you need to rest more." "...wait, do you really care about wether i collapse from exhaustion?" Blade hums, "elios script. You can't die, or get bedridden, until it's time for us to pay the price." He said it sincerely, it sounded like when someone tells you -hope you get better soon, love you- the content didn't match the tone at all.

Dan heng takes a sip. At least until then, he doesn't need to worry about being poisoned, or mutilated beyond recognition. Why would he do that? He loves you, offers a voice in the back of his mind. He ignores it. The tea is... nice. Almost perfect. He must have a more similar taste to dan fengs than he thought. But something's missing. A dried fruit is pushed against his lips. Persimmons. Perfect, offers the voice in the back of his mind again, although... he bites into it. Soft, sweet... blade presses a kiss to his lips. "...so that was missing." Dan heng says, blushing. Blade grins. Incredibly arrogant, no, exceedingly arrogant, with a dimple on each side.

He wraps his arms around dan heng, dims the lights, then he turns on music. Ocean waves and sounds. It's incredibly soothing. He starts placing delicate kisses all over dan hengs face and head. He keeps going until long after dan heng fell asleep. This is the most peaceful rest either of them have gotten in an eternity.

_____

Tl;dr: blade makes a nice bedroom and forcefully invites dan heng.

(It's all nice and calm until suddenly. Blade.)

[it-happened-one-fic]

Play the Fool - Dottore (Part 5)

Author Notes: Last one! I've actually had a fair bit of fun playing with this series, but I can also say I'm glad to be completing it. Just like the previous parts, I listened to "Black Sea" by Natasha Blume while writing this. Reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Mer-Dottore/ Merman AU/ gender-neutral reader/ I'm not gonna label this as fluff since that doesn't feel quite right, but know that it's NOT angst, yandere, or anything like that

Word Count: 2136

Trigger Warning: Discussion of past crimes including murder (Dottore), Fatui are generally shady

[Part One], [Part Two}, {Part Three}, {Part 4}, {Part Five: You're Here!}

EDIT: Entire series now available on AO3! (link deleted due to glitches)

“Here,” I spoke as soon as I entered the bathroom, pulling the vial from my pocket and holding it out to the merman, who merely gazed at me. Utterly unsurprised but obviously pleased.

Despite standing so close to his tank, in such easy reach of his grasp, I stood firm and watched him closely as his one arm slowly slid up from under the water and over the edge of the tank.

His long, webbed fingers wrapped around the top of the vial, slightly overlapping with my own hand as his gaze held mine in a way that almost made me feel transfixed and unable to look away.

It was as if the atmosphere was stretched taut between us in that brief moment, and time almost seemed to slow. It was something he was strangely capable of doing. Turning a moment into what felt like eternity without ever saying a word. Perhaps it was some hypnotic effect of now being a beast from fairy tales that was known to drown hapless victims.

But I pulled back, snapping the moment and causing his smile to spread ever so slightly as I quietly refused to be completely drawn in by him. I may have been playing the fool, but that didn’t mean I actually fit the role.

“I’ll lay some clothes outside the door for you,” I was surprised by how smooth my voice was, but this was the final step. After this, I would no longer have the threat of death hanging over my head. There was only one thing I had left to do.

“You’ve had Pantalone helping this entire time, haven’t you?” Dottore pulled his arm back as I spoke, uncorking the vial as he titled his head.

“You knew?” It was an offer to stay silent. To play dumb and stay the fool even if I didn’t suit that role. After all, sometimes the fool is a safer role to play.

But for reasons unknown, I didn’t make that choice. Instead, I crossed my arms as I continued to look down at him, “I surmised that to be the case. Things were going too smoothly, even for someone such as yourself to be doing the planning.”

He chuckled, a low, rich sound that rolled out and through the room. Seeming to coat the entire space with me in it.

“And so you truly are the only clever person left in the Fatui. Good.” His gaze shifted so that he was once more looking at me with that strangely mystifying stare of his, “Very good.” 

That was the only answer I was getting. But it was enough and confirmed my suspicions. I turned, leaving the room and fetching the clothes just as I promised. 

The next moments would be telling since I would soon be dealing with a Harbinger who was no longer separated from me by the glass walls of his tank. I would no longer have a protective barrier, raising the level of danger. But I’d been playing his game for a fair bit of time now, and I found that I wasn’t afraid. At least not anymore.

If he’d wanted me dead, he would have done so the very moment I’d given him that vial. But he hadn’t. He either had a final job for me or had decided it wouldn’t be necessary to kill me. 

Odd for the Fatui, considering that most would want to cover up their time of vulnerability and make it so that it had never happened and no one could or would remember it. The fewer witnesses, the better, was typically the name of the game for such situations within their ranks. But then, Dottore always had been an odd one.

It wasn't long before he emerged, fully dressed and once more on legs. The picture of the harbinger he’d been before he’d fallen prey to his own experiments.

Experiments that I now questioned as to how mad they’d been exactly. After all, he’d apparently had a cure made for himself already, which told me something very simple.

He’d known what would happen.

“Was it all a scheme to get rid of the majority of the scientists?” I leaned against the door to my living space as I watched him adjust his gloves.

“If that’s what you wish to believe,” That was his only response before he looked up and strode forward, crossing the space to where I stood. It took everything in my power not to tense on reflex as he stopped in front of me.

It seemed that even as a human, he maintained that curious draw that made him come across as something fascinating. Something more.

“It is time we returned.” Despite the slight smile on his face, it wasn’t a request, but an order or perhaps a challenge. Either way, it had me crossing my arms in a subtle show of refusal.

“So you can get your position back? I won’t be necessary for that,” I asserted calmly, like I wasn’t refusing a command from a harbinger who’d already killed untold numbers of people.

But I'd never been blindly obedient, not even to him.

His lips curved up into an amused smile that spoke of great satisfaction. He was pleased that I wasn’t simply obeying. 

But then I supposed Dottore had never been totally obedient either, one of his many oddities. Rather, it was more that the Tsaristsa’s orders had suited him thus far and that she’d given him access to the materials he needed.

“Perhaps not, but you will be necessary for what comes after, and it will be worthwhile for you.” He tilted his head slightly as he spoke, causing the longer chunk of his soft looking blue hair to sway slightly with the motion.

“Oh?” I maintained a disinterested tone, and he nodded, leaning down and into my personal space as he peered at me through his mask. And though I couldn’t see his eyes, I had a good idea of the sort of gleam they currently held.

“You’ll receive what you’ve been seeking. Safety.” I swallowed slightly, refusing to let him see exactly how much that promise affected me. I’d decided quite some time ago that I wasn’t going to be the first to crumple in these strange interactions, and that was why I hadn’t leaned away from him even though there was now very little space between us. A sharp contrast to when we’d been separated by the walls of his prison.

But I’d freed him from his shackles. It was time I escaped those that still held me.

“Alright, I’ll come,” My admission came out softly as I glanced away, as if that would increase the distance between us and put me in a more stable position.

 I didn't trust my voice to not waver without at least that precaution. Not with the promise of escaping the threat of death that remained lurking over my head. And not with Dottore lingering quite as closely as he was.

In response, he smiled, maintaining our position of incredible closeness as he gazed at me. Measuring my reaction like it was of particular interest, before he at last leaned back.

It was a blessing that our trip didn’t take long, and I trailed after him silently the whole way. Pondering what awaited us and what was happening during my interactions with Dottore, which had slowly been gliding on the same path but were turning increasingly enigmatic even though I was taking part in them.

But I remained silent, watching as members of the Fatui, both those of high rank and those of lesser rank, parted for us. Whispering amongst themselves and sending darting, furtive glances our way. The exact same things that had always occurred around Dottore’s tank.

Then I’d been the only one to draw close to him, and now it was similar. With me being the only person close to him as I followed along behind him. In the eyes of the Fatui, I probably did appear to be a great fool. And in some ways, that point could be argued, what with the slippery slope I’d been on with Dottore ever since he’d first spoken to me.

But he hadn’t dragged me down, and something told me he wasn’t ready to do so yet. I was either a fool or someone who’d allied themselves with the most dangerous people present in the name of safety.

The massive doors swung open, and cold air blew out, causing me to shudder as I beheld the throne room of the Tsaritsa.

In the center of the room knelt none other than the head scientist, with all of the Harbingers fanned out around him. The Tsaritsa herself sat at the apex of the room behind gauzy curtains that made it impossible to tell anything about her features.

Heads turned as we entered, our own heads held high as I mimicked Dottore’s behavior, before dipping into a bow before the throne, even as the Harbinger just beside me remained standing tall even before the throne.

“Your Majesty,” Dottore’s rich voice filled the void that had been left behind by the chatter that had fallen silent the very moment we’d entered. “This man withheld the cure that would have returned me to your service.”

Murmurs broke out across the room, and Capitano sat forward, “Is this true?” There was condemnation into his tone that sent the previously stunned head scientist in a frenzy.

“I… No! This one!” He started, pointing at me and causing me to all but flinch away from him as he reached out to grasp my sleeve like a drowning man trying to fight his way to the surface.

He was going to frame me, in some way. He’d drag me down and sacrifice me all in the name of a last gulp of air before he too succumbed to the dangers of being a part of the Fatui.

“They are the one who gave me the cure,” Dottore spoke again, his compassionless voice still filled with unspoken, cold humor as he looked down at the head scientist, whom I now realized was the only one who remained of his betrayers.

I felt myself grow cold as this entire scenario suddenly became infinitely more clear. This was his final act of revenge.

Dottore would pull this man down from the throne he’d made for himself, and he’d do it all with one of the most unassuming people present, who also happened to be as near as physically possible.

The merman’s caretaker. Me.

I’d well and truly played my role and, in doing so, become a weapon for him to wield against one of his final enemies.

“The situation seems clear; we will handle him later. Dottore, do you accept your reinstatement?” A white-haired man spoke from what appeared to be the highest seat belonging to a Harbinger in the room.

“I do, but I have a request.” I looked towards Dottore, wondering if this was going to be when I was freed from my own shackles or when he got rid of me once and for all. I’d been confident before, but the recent revelation had thrown my understanding into a tumult of frenzied thoughts.

A pawn only had so many uses in the grand scheme of things, and Dottore’s plans were beyond unpredictable.

“Say it,” The man looked down at him from on high, his star-shaped pupil glistening oddly.

Dottore’s gloved hand landed on my shoulder, warm amid the otherwise frigid room. “I request that they become my assistant. There is no one else suitable for the position.”

I all but gaped at him, but then his previous words came back to me. Clever and efficient. Even back then, this had been his plan. This entire time, he’d intended to keep me by his side; it was an odd thought that once more brought back my previous questions about our interactions.

But it made sense in a strange sort of way. Once a pawn moves as far as it can, it gets promoted, and when an actor proves themselves, they move up to the next, harder role.

“Granted, now go. It is time you continue with that which the Tsaritsa demands of you.”

Dottore bowed, a smile curving across his face that spoke of a well-planned victory, “Gladly.”

I watched, still not sure what my new position entailed or meant. All I did know was that Dottore had seen through my playing the fool and intended to keep me close to him. Just where I’d been since the beginning of this entire ordeal. I was in the same place, but in a position.

And that meant that someday, at the very least, I would solve the mysteries of the second Harbinger and what my relationship with him truly was.

[goawaypopup]

Continuing on the subject of memory loss in Deltora, allow me to speculate much further off the rails.

Memory magic and especially amnesia are practically staples of the Roddaverse. The Zebak (from the Rowan of Rin books), seem to legitimately have no prior connection to Deltora or the Shadow Lord, and they've pretty much mastered it, brainwashing people to be spy-movie-style activateable secret agents and inducing total amnesia in an entire cultural group.

And we have two important and relevant examples of total amnesia from the other series as well, that I'd like to examine here: Doom, and Rye (The Three Doors).

You're probably quite familiar with Doom's case (unless you're someone who hasn't read the books at all, in which case I'm shocked you can understand any of this nonsense.) His wife was killed, and he was injured, fighting in the Shadow Arena. He escaped and adopted a new persona, his only memories beginning at some point after his injury. His memory was eventually restored when he dramatically fell down some stairs and hit his head at a convenient moment.

Rye interceded when a transformed Shadow Lord minion was about to attack a child:

He felt a great thud as the monster collided with him. He was blinded by a flash of white light... Then his head struck the ground, and there was only darkness.

...and wakes up with no memories of his identity or past.

Hey, you notice how whatever it was seemed to happen BEFORE his head hit the ground?

The rest of what happens to him is downright suspiciously similar to Doom. He keeps his skills and basic knowledge of the world. His memories immediately start to come back after he gets hit in the head.

What's more, the people he stays with in Dorne seem like they might have seen this before:

...'So what is your name? Can you tell me?' She put her head on one side, and waited. He thought. Nothing came to him. 'No,' he said bleakly. ... 'Never mind,' she said comfortably. 'It'll all come back to you soon enough, and in the meantime you can be Keelin.'

'At last your memory will return, Keelin, I an sure of it,' Janna said gently. 'It is best you do not strain yourself to remember.' 'Sometimes another shock or blow will do it,' said Petronelle, returning to Keelin's side.

And additionally, there have been other attacks by "creatures of sorcery", long enough to enter common knowledge:

'And she still refuses to believe the stories of beings that prowl at night, setting fires and attacking innocents. ... She calls them rumours and fishermen's tales, when we all know they're true.'

The beast that did this- it's unclear for exactly how long- is a Shadow Lord spy, one of the Dorne people (I shan't say who). They grow bark-like skin and claws when transforming, control a glowing bubble to lure the child to them, breathe white flames (the attack that hit Rye?) slay people in their beds without a scratch, and burn threatening messages into the local cornfields. It's a pretty impressive slate of powers for a saboteur.

The similarities between the two cases are enough to lead me to believe that they stem from the same cause.

The trope of total amnesia that only affects your personal identity, and the concept of a strike on the head being what cures it, is pretty much entirely relegated to fictional plot devices. It just isn't how amnesia, which already is very rare, works in real life.

This could just be a trope that Rodda is fond of, like rhyming prophecies... but I hate analyzing things like that! There must be a diegetic reason.

Whether there was another servant with this ability also in the arena with Doom alongside the Vraals (where the memory of its appearance would be particularly hard to retrieve even after recovery, going by what happened to Rye), or guarding the border to attack Doom, this could be another obscure tool at the disposal of the Shadow Lord, one whose nature is especially suited to keeping it unknown.

[thegamingcatmom]

I mean, we know that tanya had a little moment where she was into angsty little twinks (edward). So how would a first meeting between MC and edward go?

angsty little twinks 😭

I assume you´re talking about The Sisters? Well, tbh-

I haven´t decided yet if I want the Denalis and the Cullens to know each other. Both scenarios have their allure, because I can totally see Kate being all "Heeeey, Eddie boy" in that usual up to no good way of hers when they meet again with MC in the middle, but I can also see the Denalis being all hissy and spitty about these vampires they´ve never met before - a potential threat to their human.

I´ll know when I get to that. 🙃

Your ask leans more into a scenario where they´ve met before, though, right? With that said:

Edward wants to scream.

Because the things going on in Tanya´s head-

SOME THINGS ARE BETTER LEFT UNKNOWN, TYVM. 😭

Basically, it´s gonna look smt like this:

The Denalis: *greet everyone* The Cullens: *greet back* MC: *awkward cause she doesn´t know half the ppl here and the other half consists of her abductors* Kate: "Well, Eddie boy-" Edward, already done af (as per usual when it comes to Kate): "Kate, do me a favor and go wrestle some bears with Emmett." Emmett, in the background: "Hell, yeah!" Carlisle: "Edward, be nice to your cousin." Edward: *indignant spluttering* Kate: "Yes Eddie boy, be nice to your favorite cousin-" Edward, pulling THAT card: "Tanya, will you please control your unruly sister?" Kate: *snorts* Tanya: *busy making eyes at MC* MC: *busy looking everywhere but at Tanya* Edward: "...Tanya?" Tanya: *twirling her hair, batting her eyes, giggling* MC: *...awkward coughing* Edward: "...Tan-" ... Edward: *looks like his system crashed* Carlisle: "...Edward?" Tanya, on the outside: 🥰 Tanya, in her mind: 😏🍆💋❤️‍🔥👉👌 Edward: *dying inside* Carlisle, most concerned now: "Son?" Kate: *grins in shithead cause she knows exactly what just happened* Tanya: *starts grinning too cause that´s what Eddy the Shy Bean gets for constantly sticking his nose into her business...not literally though cause heads will roll then* MC: *blissfully unaware, as per usual* MC, in a desperate attempt to break the awkward silence: "So...cousins, huh?" Tanya: 🥰 Kate: 😁 Edward: 💀 Carlisle: 😰

YKNOW??? 😭

It´s entirely possible that Edward and MC won´t even get the chance to talk because Tanya just can´t seem to keep things PG around MC and Edward just can´t deal. 🫠

I gotta say, I kinda HC that the Denali sisters have a knack for doing that.

Driving Edward mad, that is, lol.

The sisters are very sexual beings, and Edward is very much...not. So, I´d like to think that it started off as them trying to get back at him for being a nosy lil shit (even though it´s pretty much out of his control), but, over time, they started doing it just for shits and giggles.

Tanya was against it at first for obv. reasons. But once she realized Edward´s pretty much a hopeless case, she was only all to eager to join in, lmao.

Kate: "Hey, wanna bet 100 bucks on who can make Eddy boy scream like a lil girl first?" Irina: *snorts* "Make it 500 and we´ll talk." Tanya: "You might as well both pay me in advance."

YKNOW??? 😭

However, even if MC and Eddy got the chance to have an actual conversation, I don´t think Tanya would care all that much about his presence. Why would she? She´s quite busy thinking thoughts and feeling feels for one specific person. 😏

In fact, I can totally see her being all-

"See that, Edward? What you can do, I can too. But I look so much better doing it."

CAUSE YKNOW-

Bella´s a human. And MC´s a human. And Edward basically "ditched" Tanya for said human. So Tanya is only all too happy to return the favor while absolutely refusing to acknowledge the fact that Edward couldn´t care less LMAO.

Tanya´s a proud being who loves to show what she´s got, especially to her extended family who never thought they´d see the day.

So, its probs gonna look smt like:

🤷🏻‍♀️

As for MC-

Yknow, I think her and Edward would actually get long quite alright? In fact, I can totally see them gossiping about Tanya like-

MC: "Ugh, she´s so-" Edward: *smiles in sympathy and amusement cause boy does he know* Edward: "I know."

YKNOW??? 😭

Also, Edward (well, and Alice too) is basically a walking alarm system when it comes to the sisters´ shenanigans. So MC would do well to keep him as close as possible at all times. 😅

.

.

.

Thanks a lot for your ask! 💋

[saint-reb]

hi hi hi I am just wondering if you have any noteworthy positive or negative intelligence markers from any point in your life? /genq this could be something as simple as having as your school test results (specify country/format and grades please! I am Italian and do not know every system yet), IQ tests at any point, or something as extreme and horrible as being labelled "medically retarded" (if that still happens? I have not done that research yet apologies). Anything helps my studies. /gen /pos I am doing research into fans of serial killers for a university project and looking into any developmental differences in fans of them my friend suggested using tumblr because he follows you and knows you are a big fan ! If it would not be too much to ask I may have a follow up request if at all possible I hope you have a blessed day! I am sorry for any English mistakes as my mother tongue is not English. I have dyslexia and so struggle with this! My name is Simone and I will sign any further messages thusly. I am freshly 18 and I use she, they, and he pronouns.

-Sim❤️❤️❤️

Hello, Simone. Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me for a project. Feels like an honor, really. Let me start off by saying your English in this message is just fine, no errors that I see, so don't worry about that. I appreciate your friend sending you my way. Also, I am in USA, so will be using the grade school structure that's here as I don't know how it is in Italy. My full response will be below the cut, so as to not clog up anybody's feed!

Anyway, allow me to start with my early years! My parents realized I was an intelligent individual pretty early on, I recall my mom telling me about how she was trying to teach me how to write my (dead)name but I had been refusing, for some unknown reason. Well she apparently snapped at me, told me something about how it's such an important skill to have, so I did it — upside down and backwards. I handed it to her like that, and that is what made her really notice that I was a pretty smart kid, apparently it was quite legible and clear as well for the age I was at.

My parents enrolled me in a preschool/kindergarten known as a "Montessori", which is designed for children to learn at their own pace and do things mostly hands on. I excelled in my classes in this school with minimal help from teachers or aides, especially in reading and writing.

Apparently my teachers commented on how "gifted" I was. Thus, I was next enrolled into an elementary/middle school meant for "gifted & talented" children, and I attended this school from 1st grade through to 8th grade. During my time there, I once again excelled in reading and writing, and also became profoundly skilled in science of all kinds. I was also developing my visual art skills at this time, but I remember I was starting to fall into a deep depression here, and also suffered intense bullying for being "weird" or "different". I didn't quite fit in (as you might notice, this is a trend in people who are fixated on murderers of any sort, as most perpetrators also suffered similarly during their childhoods!).

My national and regional test scores were also praised during this time, "higher than average", I suppose. I always struggled in mathematics during my entire school career though, but only because I hated the lessons, I still got phenomenal scores in the math sections of my tests.

I attended a somewhat prestigious high school recognized by the International Baccalaureate program, and designed with AP (Advanced Placement) in mind, which basically means the classes were more challenging than the average public school. I did struggle here because I was only becoming more depressed, folding in on myself and suffering with being an outcast, feeling like I didn't belong anywhere, and my identity. Still, I excelled in most of my classes during the in-class assignments, I just did poorly on class tests and rarely did my homework so I didn't get a very good GPA.

Still, my national and regional test scores blew my counselors out of the water every year even though I wasn't performing great in my classes. Because I knew the test contents, I just hated my classes immensely because I couldn't really learn the way I learn best, which is hands on. Perhaps I was set up for failure early on from my parents putting me in a school designed for that as a toddler, I don't know, but I mostly blame the mental space I was in during elementary-high school.

I have never taken an IQ test, I would love to at some point, though I believe one's intelligence does not define them, so I don't see any necessity in taking it, it would be purely out of curiosity. I am autistic (diagnosed late in life, but the signs have been there since very early childhood) and a "savant" (also known as savant syndrome), I can latch on to certain things and become impressively skilled in them in no time.

I'm skilled in computer hardware diagnostics just from being told the basic rundown of issues, and can even figure out possible ways to fix the problem without having to do much research. I have been praised essentially my entire life, for being very, very skilled in writing especially. Just a few examples!

To close — I would be happy to indulge your follow-up request. I hope this helps your research, it's an interesting topic and I am so honored and pleased to be part of it. 💛🖤

[zaewriteshere]

Tender, Loving, Care

AO3 Link

You didn’t mean to get injured that much while protecting this stupid ass french man.

You honestly just acted out of pure instinct, refusing to see someone that you grew… Accustomed to hurt.

Now, for some unknown reason, he just wouldn’t leave you alone.

You didn’t need anybody’s pity, much less his.

This was going to be interesting, wasn't it ?

---

It all happened so fast.

One minute, you were holding down an angle, hearing your mirror selves pushing down your site.

The next, you were bleeding out on the ground, trying to suppress your pained moans.

You jumped out of cover when you noticed that Chamber wasn’t looking in the right direction, too preoccupied by clogging the comms with useless – and needless – flirts towards you.

You didn’t even knew why you chose to sacrifice your life to protect him.

You had Sage by your side, and she was ready to resurrect. 

The world and sounds were fading around you, and you barely saw the french sentinel’s silhouette out of the corner of your eyes before passing out.

You probably will never know the answer as to why you saved his stupid ass.

You awoke in the same place that you thought you died.

You knew what death was like, being familiar with the feelings and what happened to you.

None of it happened, however.

You probably just passed out, then.

Looking around, you noticed that every enemy had died and that you had therefore completed the mission. 

You also saw that you were the only casualty, and that made you feel better, just a bit.

You were going to lose your shit if that idiot still managed to die despite it all. 

Noticing a pain in your leg and shoulder, you instinctively brought one hand to the hurt shoulder.

Blood.

As if reading your thoughts, Sage spoke up : 

“My heal could only barely stabilise you. Let’s go back to base, your injuries are too serious for us to wait,” She announced with a firm worried tone. 

You nodded.

You noticed that it was awfully quiet.

No flirting or annoying accents.

Good, you felt too unwell to deal with him right now.

The ride back home was weirdly quiet, with only Sage breaking the silence by checking up on you.

You felt eyes on you the entire time, though.

You knew who it belonged to.

You didn’t meet his gaze however, never once looking at him.

You were rushed to the infirmary as the Chinese sentinel called out Skye for assistance. 

The actual intervention took quite some time, something you weren’t used to.

Constantly passing in and out of consciousness, time started to not have meaning anymore.

After a while, you think you fell asleep. 

During your slumber, you thought back about your relationship with the French man.

He was constantly flirting with you, ever since you joined the protocol.

You were surprised, if you were honest.

You couldn’t say that you were used to this sort of attention, but…

Regardless of what he would say, you became more exasperated than flattered as the time went by. 

He couldn’t just seem to leave you alone, despite your attempts to chase him off.

It never seemed to work, and you had a feeling that the more you gave him attention, the more… Intrigued he was.

After a while, you stopped saying anything to him.

He didn’t give up, however.

Much to your chagrin.

You guessed it was because you were accustomed to him that you saved his sorry ass ?

Whatever was the case, now you were probably not going to be left alone at all by this flirt.

You were so very much looking forward to it.

You opened your eyes slowly, blinded by the neon and sterile lights of the room.

You groaned in discontentment, and suddenly, one of your hands was into someone else’s.

Jerking away instinctively, you groaned once again, this time out of pain.

“Ah, my apologies my darling,” The voice said, and you immediately recognised who it belonged to.

What was he doing here ?

Bewilderment must’ve been clear on your face, because he answered your unspoken question.

“You got me really worried, you know. You slept for an entire day,” He said, not actually giving a reason of his presence.

“Why are you here ?” You croaked out.

“To take care of you ! Why else ?” He replied, seemingly offended by the question.

You sighed.

You didn’t have the energy to fight him right about now, so you stayed quiet.

“How are you feeling, my darling ?” He questioned, his voice so caring.

You didn’t know why it upsetted you that much, yet it did.

“I’d feel a lot better if you left me alone,” You blurted out, not meeting his eyes.

Silence filled the room for a moment.

“I see. While I cannot do that, I’ll be here if you need anything from me, my darling,” You glanced at him. 

He was wearing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

You rolled your eyes.

“Why can’t you leave me ?”

“I promised Sage that I’ll be looking over you until you are fully recovered,” He answered flatly.

You scoffed.

“I don’t need anybody’s pity, much less yours. I’m fine, you can leave now,” You announced, already getting off the bed.

“I’m afraid that it is not up to you, my darling,” He spoke, already gently pushing your shoulders down onto the bed. “Plus, I owe you. You saved my life, after all,” He smiled softly.

There it was.

He couldn’t receive anything without giving back.

He also wouldn’t give away anything without a price.

That’s what you hated about him.

At least Cypher was honest about it.

He wasn’t.

You also expected some teasing to happen very soon.

“I must admit,” He started, and you tensed up. “I didn’t expect you to put your life in jeopardy for me,” You were about to argue, but he spoke before you : “Thank you.”

You froze. 

Did he really just …?

You blinked repeatedly, confused.

He chuckled at your expression.

“Are you really that confused that I’m actually thankful, my darling ?” He observed, reading you like an open book.

You felt a light blush creep on your cheeks.

Embarrassed to be read that easily, you huffed lightly.

“Yeah, you don’t strike as someone who’d be grateful for anything without giving something back…” You replied, squinting.

“And I didn’t strike you as someone who wouldn’t do anything without a reason, so I guess we’re both surprised,” He said without missing a beat.

“As you said, you owe me now. I’m pretty sure that would allow me to have a lot of opportunities, no ?” You announced, trying your best to convince yourself that was the reason.

You were still confused over your actions, after all.

“Is that really why ?” He questioned, arching an eyebrow. When you didn't answer immediately, he smiled. “Well then, what is it that you want, my darling ?”

“As if I was going to tell you right now,” You said, internally panicking. 

Despite it all, Chamber seemed genuinely convinced by your reasoning.

You didn’t know if you were grateful or…

If that fact stung, a little bit.

“Well then, until you decide to tell me when you decide to tell me what you’ll want from me,” He replied to your silence, an unreadable smile on his lips.

You huffed, but nodded.

You suddenly felt very dizzy.

Instinctively bringing one hand to your head, you groaned.

Noticing that you were feeling a lot of discomfort, the sentinel immediately got to your side, a hand on your shoulder.

“What’s happening, my darling ?” He asked, pressing and worried.

“Just… Just really dizzy,” You said slowly, not having the energy for your quips.

As soon as he heard that, he poured a glass of water. 

“Here, drink a bit,” He offered, presenting it to you.

His tone was so… Soft and caring.

You could also hear so much worry and love.

…

It scared you.

You didn’t want to think about what this might all entail.

If you were none the wiser, you could feel better about yourself.

Better about your confusing feelings.

Slowly taking the glass from his hands, he switched positions to have one of his hands on your forehead.

“You’re hot,” He observed, to which you almost chuckled.

Or maybe you did, you couldn’t tell.

“I know,” You replied instinctively as you felt your eyes widen.

A shocked laugh was heard, genuine and loud.

You couldn’t suppress the smile creeping on your lips.

You turned your head away to hide it.

“Oh my, my darling, I did not expect that answer from you,” He said, finally calming down from his laughter. “Is it the fever that makes you act so… Differently ?” He asked, curious.

“Dunno,” You replied, shrugging and almost immediately regretting it. “It was instinctual. I surprised myself,” You replied honestly. 

“Even if the change of pace is welcomed, please take care of yourself. I wouldn’t want my darling to be sick or worse now, would I ?” He teased, his signature smirk on his face.

You rolled your eyes.

“Chamber, for the last time, I do not belong to anyone,” You retorted without missing a beat.

“But my heart does,” He answered without any hesitation. “It belongs to you,” He continued, his tone… So familiar, so genuine.

You didn’t know how to answer that at first.

“Pfft, does this really ever work on anyone ?” You questioned, scoffing.

You didn’t want to take him seriously.

Couldn’t. 

He seemed to deflate a bit, but it was so imperceptible that you were sure you imagined it. 

“Normally it does, you’re just one of a kind,” He winked, his smile disingenuous. 

You stared blankly. 

He held your gaze, unwavering.

You were the one to look away.

You both stayed silent, you not knowing what to say and him…

You couldn’t tell.

He was definitely staring, though.

Glancing back in his direction, you opened your mouth to speak, but your words got caught in your throat.

His expression was so… Longing.

Loving.

Sad… ?

“You seem awfully depressed for someone who avoided getting resurrected by Sage,” You said bluntly.

As if you broke his spell, he finally seemed to be more aware of his surroundings.

Just like that, the expression was gone from his face.

“My apologies, I was lost in thoughts,” He apologised, his expression sheepish. 

“I’m surprised you can even do that,” You squinted, which made him chuckle lightly.

“You do not think highly of me, don’t you my darling ?” You glared at the – yet again – usage of pet names.

“Should I ?” You said, deadpanning. 

He brought a hand to his chest, acting dramatically wounded.

“Oh, you wound me so, my dear darling,” He said loudly, which made you roll your eyes.

Regardless, you were still somewhat amused by his behaviour.

Not that you’ll admit it to anyone, especially him.

“I thought you were used to it by now,” You retorted, arching an eyebrow. 

He only smiled cheekily as an answer. 

Few days had passed since that event, and Chamber was arguably even worse than he was previously.

He wouldn’t leave your side, always smothering you and touching you so gently.

As if you were made out of sugar.

It frustrated you greatly, but most of the time, you couldn’t fight back.

He was also relentless with his flirting, especially his “love confessions”.

As if he would genuinely like you.

You couldn’t be more opposites.

You hated that situation.

Why, you couldn’t tell, but you still didn’t like how things were.

After a while, you could go out of the infirmary and was free to resume your regular activities.

Right now, you were having an argument with Jett.

“C’mon, admit it,” She said, all too smug.

“I am not,” You replied, offended.

“How come you never flirt with anyone then ? I’ve barely seen you talk to anybody. Are you that socially awkward ? Lame,” She teased, and you frowned.

“I’ll let you know that my flirting is top notch,” You instantly stated.

“Prove it,” She announced without missing a beat.

What happened next…

Well.

Once again, you were questioning your train of thoughts.

You called out Chamber, asking for a favour as you got up from the couch.

“Alright smartass, stay still,” You said, once you turned to face him, your expression not betraying one bit of your nervousness. 

“As you wish, my darling,” He smiled, doing a small bow.

Why was it so difficult ?

Taking a deep breath, you made one more step to be in his personal space.

You could tell he was surprised.

Leaning into his ear, you whispered as seductively as you could muster : 

“Y’know, you always dress up… But you can undress me anytime, instead of doing it with your eyes all the time.”

You then took a step back, blowing him a kiss, before turning dramatically towards the duelist.

She was surprised, to say the least.

You were about to say something when you felt strong hands that you immediately recognised snake around your body sensually.

You felt yourself instantly blush, realising what had happened.

And what you just put yourself into.

…

Why didn’t it bother you as much ?

… Or at all ?

“That doesn’t count though,” Jett started when she finally composed herself. “He’s already into you, of course he’s gonna be head over heels when you breathe in his direction,” She continued.

You knew she wasn’t done, but all of your attention was now focused on the sentinel behind you, his breath hot on your neck.

“You know you didn’t need to call in any favours to tell me to stand still, much less to tell me that…” He whispered, his tone so seductive.

When did he become so sensual and sexy ?

You could feel your heart beating in your chest, your blood flooding in your cheeks.

“Do you really think you can get away with saying something like this ?” He questioned, his voice dropping even more.

“Oh my god, get a fucking room !” The Korean agent shouted, loud enough for you both to hear.

You did, in fact, get a room.

[eric-the-bmo]

Now I’m curious to hear about your VtM character! Impulse Embraces are always really fun (and I’m noticing very Malk-like)

[barrels into the room] MAN OH MAN I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO HEAR ABOUT LEO WEST, THE NUMBER ONE MALKAVIAN OF MY HEART

[tiny pixel leo was made by @ slimejunior btw]

(It's so cool you wanna hear about him- this is my first time in a vtm chronicle, and while i'm not the best at roleplaying, i've been having a blast with the story. I'm sorry btw, this turned into a very long post- I jumped at the chance to ramble about almost everything I can about him- however, since my fellow players follow me here, I'm keeping quiet about certain parts of his character and past.)

Anyway! Leo West is an amnesiac(?) conspiracy theorist and Anarch Malkavian, and is for an on-going chronicle taking place in San Jose- us players have decided to name it Blood and Silicon (there's actually a blog dedicated to it that's run by one of the players).

Leo's a quiet and inquisitive man who's earnest and stubborn, and refuses to talk to the coterie about his issues (but really, none of the other members do that either). He knows very little about vampire society, as his sire refused to tell him anything before sending him away, and has been repeatedly described as a blank slate and full of potential- mostly due to his "newness" to Kindred unlife. He's probably being manipulated by at least 2 people at this point.

He's got Auspex and Obfuscate, and is (unintentionally) built as a stealth character. He also has the Sandman predator type- it's how his sire hunts, and he would prefer victims who wouldn't struggle, anyway.

With his occasional visions, it seems he's got connections to the Cobweb- additionally, since no one's explained to him what the Beast is (and his takes on the guise of his sire's voice), Leo is currently convinced his Beast is actually his sire just talking to him.

While I described him as an amnesiac earlier, he hasn't completely forgotten everything.

However, my main form of communication is infodumping (/hj), so allow me to ramble below, even though I can't fit everything about him in here:

Leo was a hopeless romantic born on May 26, 1994, raised in Chicago and brought up as a Christian. He stopped believing in that faith sometime in high school; something Definitely happened during that time in his life, since it was also when he broke his nose and started smoking (but hey, if I don't know what happened, then he doesn't either /lh). He did eventually quit cigarettes in college, where he graduated and was a librarian for a while; he helped run the DnD sessions the library would hold every month :-)

In 2019, he met a man named Jeremiah: his future sire. J is a man I could make an entire post about- but tbh this isn't about him, so I'll give only the bare amount of information needed.

Jeremiah is a bartender who moved to Chicago from San Jose, and at some point in the first year of knowing Leo, he ended up blood-bonding him for reasons unknown. Leo, who was completely unaware that he was now Jeremiah's ghoul, experienced the symptoms of the bond and assumed he was in love- which surely was a whole thing for him, because at this point in Leo's life he had just come to the conclusion he would never fall in love, since he's never had the best luck in that part of his life. The two of them entered a relationship (or at least it seemed that way to Leo), and of course given the dynamic/power imbalance here- as well as Jeremiah in general- it wasn't a very good one.

(Amy, Leo's sister, kinda picked up some bad vibes from her brother's partner, and very much dislikes him.)

During their almost-three years together while Leo served as his ghoul, Jeremiah used Dominate a lot on him, erasing his memories of anything that could be seen as Masquerade-breaching- meaning that Leo has no idea what he did for him.

Mr. West noticed his gaps in memory, of course, and with the help(?) of one of his more common library patrons, Chris, he fell down into a bit of a conspiracy rabbit hole to try and figure out what was happening to him. Sometime around this point he picked up his smoking habit again.

[As a result of J's actions, Leo no longer trusts his memory and carries around a notebook; It's also one of the reasons he avoids eye contact a lot, since that's necessary for Dominate.]

Eventually he must've figured things out, or perhaps his curiosity got the better of him- but somehow, on September 16, 2021, Leo stumbled upon something that resulted in his untimely death at 27 years old.

Jeremiah Embraced him that night, although it's unknown whether he did it because he still needed Leo's servitude, or if he genuinely cared about his ghoul (and I am unsure which one is worse).

The rest of the events of his Embrace are a bit tricky to talk about- I can't go into much detail without giving much away- but with all the stress and trauma of what happened, his clan bane manifested as Dissociation; in tandem/addition to this, Leo's brain blocked off parts of itself, resulting in even more memory loss.

In fact, after Sept 16, there's about an entire month and a half of missing time for Leo, and he doesn't remember any of it (this was originally due to a misunderstanding of the game's timeline, but is now a part of the Lore).

Anyway, even though I can't go into specifics of what happened to Leo during this moment of his unlife, I can offer you this sort-of-meme about it:

[At some point during this time J informed him of blood bonds, which was kind of a jerk move, considering his childe was having a bad mental moment already.]

It's been stated by Leo that Jeremiah sent him away to San Jose, and the fledgling currently has his coat- which implies J gave it to him as a gift, or at least let him take it with. His relationship with his sire right now is... complicated.

Anyway, Leo spent about a week in San Jose before meeting [aka getting kidnapped by] a Kindred named Harrison, who introduced him to the rest of the coterie. Currently, they're all a bit secretive, and Leo occasionally leads them into trouble (like lowkey breaching the Masquerade, and almost getting caught by a gang).

Throughout Blood and Silicon, Leo's been learning about Kindred unlife, and has additionally requested an informant to look into Jeremiah. (He's got a bit of a fixation on his sire- in his eyes, his investigation to figure out what's going has not ended, and it seems Jeremiah has many secrets..)

In the most recent session, the coterie has been gifted territory as a reward for doing a quest for Harrison. Meanwhile, something's going on with Leo, because vampires can't get headaches, can they?

I'm very excited to see where this leads...

[thank you for asking, this was fun to ramble about him <3]