#loop this is all your fault (affectionate)

[alukardtheabysswalker]

Just finished MASH after almost a year watching with stops in the way, what am I supposed to do now?

[satoruxx]

pairing: toji fushiguro x reader | 1.2k words summary: boyfriend!toji again, fluff, soft!toji, grumpy x sunshine, that obligatory sick fic, bickering, affectionate scolding, pet names, this is very self-indulgent !! rheya's note: had this written for so long and never posted it oops !! but yeah resident grump worrying over his fav what's new?

toji knows something is off as soon as he steps into his apartment. he comes to the conclusion almost immediately, because he isn’t greeted like he normally is when he comes home.

normally, he’ll push the door open and you’ll trip over yourself as you stand from the couch, a giddy smile on your face as you jump into his arms. and being the asshole that he is, toji never hesitates to grumble about it, clicking his tongue as he says things along the lines of “dammit kid one day i won’t catch you” or “jeez baby let me get in the house” or something similar. but despite all that his hands will still be attached to you, rubbing your back as he smothers an amused chuckle against your hair.

but not today. today he’s greeted by quiet and emptiness—a clear lack of you. he had opened the door ready to catch you in his arms, but all he can do is raise a brow at the silence. as much as he normally complains about it, this absence makes his gut churn. he pushes all that aside, more concerned than anything as he drops his jacket onto the couch and heads for the bedroom.

toji is nothing if not observant, paranoid as his eyes dart from corner to corner of the small apartment. it’s ingrained into him—this fear that his past will come back to haunt him and take you away in the most brutal way imaginable. but he tries to ignore that, continuing to head down the hall until he pushes the bedroom door open.

his shoulders drop in relief, seeing you laying on your stomach, face buried in the pillows, and he lets out a sigh. he sees you shift a little, signaling that you’re awake, so he takes a few steps forward.

toji climbs onto the bed and lays down next to you, dropping a heavy arm over your back. “what’s wrong?”

“don’t feel good,” you answer back. toji’s brows furrow, and he manages to push his free palm against your forehead. heat pulses against his skin, and his frown deepens.

“the fuck did you do to yourself?” he asks, not unkindly but still stern—you can only glare at him hazily.

“it’s not my fault!”

“uh huh,” toji rolls his eyes, threading his fingers through your sweaty hair and pushing it back from your forehead. “so me telling you to put some layers on when you go out in the cold has nothing to do with this?”

you huff, face heating under his pointed stare, and all you can do is shove his hand away, before pathetically burying your face into the sheets again. “shut up.”

“don’t be a brat.” toji lets out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head indulgently. “it’s your fault for not listening to me.”

“if you’re just gonna lecture me, go away,” you complain, cheek pressed into the pillow. toji snorts, though his hand rubs what you assume to be soothing circles on your back.

“who’s gonna make sure your dumbass doesn’t get into more trouble?”

another indignant huff, and toji only chuckles. “alright c’mon kid. let’s get you in better shape, yeah?” he grunts, looping his arm around your waist and tugging you up. you immediately protest, whining out a plethora of curses attached to his name, and he rolls his eyes. “okay, alright shut up.”

he maneuvers your body into sitting position, leaning you up against the pillows and pulling the blankets up with furrowed brows—meticulous in a way that he is only with very few things.

“you eat anything today?” he asks, still fussing over the blankets, and you gulp quietly. one look and toji’s frown grows deeper. “kid.” the word comes out stressed, like a scolding, and you wince.

“i didn’t feel like it,” you groan, trying not to wilt under his pointed glare.

“don’t care,” he huffs. “your body needs energy, stupid.”

“rude,” you mutter, crossing your arms and toji rolls his eyes.

“whine all you want—“ he stands up, rolling his neck until he hears a satisfying crack. “—still gonna make you eat something. soup okay?”

you don’t want to admit how tempting it sounds, so with an unrelenting amount of stubbornness you glare at him. “fine.”

his lips quirk upward into a smug little grin, and you try to refrain from throwing something at him. he pats your leg. “alright.”

he heads into the kitchen, leaving you to your thoughts. you hear the occasional sounds of cooking and utensils and before long, the comforting smell of soup wafts through the apartment. you try not to show toji how your mouth is watering when he walks back in, a bowl in his palm.

“here,” he grunts, propping a knee onto the bed that dips under his weight. “eat up, doll.”

you sigh, already hating the feeling of the cool sheets when you move even slightly to reach for it.

“you gonna make me spoon feed you?” toji’s brow quirks—smug, and obviously amused.

“i can do it myself thank you—” you try to take the bowl from him with a glare but he raises it out of your reach and clicks his tongue.

“will y’just let me do this one thing for you, jeez,” he complains, glaring down his nose at you.

you cross your arms with a huff, tone going slightly apologetic. “i feel bad—”

“why the fuck do you feel bad?” he asks sharply, eyes narrowed and confused and caught off guard like you’ve said the most out of pocket thing.

“because—” you stress, throwing your hands up miserably. “you were out on these crazy missions—probably tired as hell. and instead of relaxing you have to come home and take care of me because i was too stupid to look after myself.”

toji groans, putting the bowl on the bedside table before sitting on the bed completely. “kid,” he says emphatically, taking your face in his palms firmly. “how many times do i need to tell you this? i don’t mind lookin’ out for you.”

“yeah but—”

“no shut up,” he snaps, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. “you always worry about bothering me or inconveniencing me or some other crap like that. i’m telling you—don’t.”

his thumbs gently press into the apples of your cheeks, and your lips part under his pointed gaze.

“i like doin’ shit for you, okay? ‘n takin’ care of you when you’re sick? that’s nothing.” his lips tug into a lopsided smirk. “who else is gonna look out for you anyway?”

you purse your lips, throat going tight because toji rarely talks like this—so honestly open. and though you’re sure that many people out there would say he’s harsh and mean and not good for you, it’s things like this that prove how wrong they are.

“what’s wrong? did i break your brain?” toji asks, reaching up to knock his knuckle against your head, and you huff out a laugh, pushing his arm away.

“shut up,” you mutter, falling into his chest heavily. he chuckles, low and throaty as he pats your back.

“you up for eating now?” you can feel him reaching for the bowl, and you smile against him, pressing your face further into his warmth because toji will always be nothing but safe for you.

“in a minute,” you answer, looping your arms around his waist. he sighs, shaking his head but he doesn’t say anything else.

but you think you can feel him smile against your hair as he drops a chaste kiss to your forehead—you don’t tell him that though.

[peppermintkissesxoxo]

an afternoon stroll

rosekiller x gn!reader

cw: d/s relationship dynamics, little daddy kink towards the end, reader gets carried by Evan, mostly fluff

wc: 2.7k

𓆩♡𓆪

"Pet, hands to yourself," Evan tsks as his arm languidly reaches out, fingers pinching the back of your top to pull you back onto the path with ease. 

Your fingers were just a hair away from grazing the bush housing vibrant purple berries practically glowing in the dim forest light, just for a split second before you're firmly pulled away and tucked into your boyfriend's side. "Ev, c'mon!" You throw your hands up as you huff out a whine. "Wasn't gonna touch..." You lie. 

The blonde haired boy scoffs, clicking his tongue. "Yeah you're very believable. Don't throw a tantrum now, precious, you know I won't be on your side," he murmurs while doting a kiss to the crown of your head, a possessive hand placed on the fat of your hip to keep you close to his body, holding you captive. 

Your heart flutters at his usual blasé tone, affection seeping through your body as you snuggle into his side. You love how effortlessly dominant Evan is. It makes you feel taken care of, safe. And it's saved you from the many dumb decisions that have had you just a brush away from death upwards of 10 times throughout the duration of this walk. 

Evan has spent the better part of this stroll through the forbidden forest tugging you away from various flora and greenery that you like to call "pretty glowing plants," which are in fact poisonous and likely fatal to the human touch. Hence why they grow only in the forbidden forest. And he's spent the other part reigning in Barty when he wanders off too far or gets hit with a wave of boredom and starts acting a little too feisty with his wandering hands. 

Evan can't quite decipher if he's in his own version of heaven or if satan personally sent the pair of you up to him to compete for who could make him have a heart attack first. 

Up ahead a skipping Barty twirls around and comes sprinting back over, having heard you getting a scolding and alerted that you needed him to defend your honor, of course. 

"Rosie! Be nice! It's not Treasure's fault the berries are practically seducing us with their sick glow!" He reasons as he comes up to your side to hug your arm, jostling the pair of you in the process. 

It earns him one bored look from said boy. Evan's hold on you doesn't budge, but his eyes glimmer with a cruel playfulness. In a split second his free hand whips out to grab a fistful of Barty's shirt. He pulls the shorter boy against his body by the fabric, stopping you in your tracks simultaneously, now caught in the middle with wide eyes. 

Evan leers down his nose, eying up Barty. The light in his pupils carry just a hint of mischief, a deviation to his normal dead gaze. "Watch it, Bee. You're walking on thin ice today," his low tone rumbles the threat, though you all know it's actually affectionate. 

Barty tongues the inside of his cheek, fighting a toothy smirk, but it's inevitable. He gazes up at the blonde boy with hearts in his eyes. "Kay, Rosie. I can be good," he purrs in a sly manner. 

Your lips quirk up at his blatant lie, stomach heating at the heavy tension thickening between the boys. 

Evan scoffs, leaning down further to whisper against Barty's lips. "Liar." Then he claims Barty's mouth in a deep kiss, his tongue licking behind his teeth sensually, only for a moment, before he releases his shirt and lazily shoves him backwards, ending the kiss quick only for the sole purpose of leaving Barty on the tip of satisfaction. "Don't stray, idiot," he smirks. And then Evan turns back to the path and pulls you along with him. 

Barty is practically beaming with delight at Evan's shove, his cheeks tinted slightly red and his maniacal smile wide with adoration after that kiss. He catches up to you both quickly, hooking a finger into one of your belt loops and leaning down to dote kisses over your shoulder. 

You giggle softly, your shoulder traveling upwards at the ticklish pressure of his lips. 

Barty melts. "Gods, Treasure I swear an angel is born everytime a sound leaves your lips," he coos in between kisses, voice gooey like molten lava. 

Even Evan can't help but let a soft smile tug at his mouth. He can't get enough of your voice either. 

Then Barty's hand is rustling through his pockets to pull out a handful of something. Your eyes catch on the movement as he pushes his hand into your direct line of sight. "Found you something, angel," he purrs, eyes purely fixed on your expression. 

His hand unfolds to reveal a glimmering holographic crystal, a tiny skeleton crow head, and a stick with various colors of moss growing on it, all laid out on his palm. 

Your heart thumps hard in your ribcage. 

It's become a common ritual now for Barty to gift you random trinkets he's found while exploring. It's like he has a secret sense for the little beauties, a keen eye for anything pretty. He's been doing it just for fun since he was young, but once he found you, his Treasure, it made sense that he'd start gifting you the little gems he's found.

It finally clicked when you found out that his animagus is a magpie. 

"Thank you, baby," you coo, your heart flipping a thousand times over as he gently slips the little treasures into your palm. You pick up each one and admire them with equal appreciation, your heart full. 

Barty grabs a handful of your ass while you're distracted, kissing up the side of your neck. Heat creeps up your chest but you're too zoned into the treasures to be pulled from your task of examining. 

After you've looked them over, and Barty has sufficiently groped you till you're hot in the face and a good bit aroused, Evan scoops up the items to deposit into his pocket for safe-keeping until you return to the dorm. "I'll keep them safe for you, darling."

"Yeah you better keep them safe, Rosie. Spent an hour finding those beauties," Barty quips back with a smirk. 

Evan's silence is the only reply he receives, but you give Barty a quick kiss on the cheek to show your appreciation.

The three of you already started walking back to the castle a while ago, but you've still got a ways to go considering how deep into the forbidden forest you traveled. 

Your legs feel like they're turning to led, your body leaning heavily against Evan. You definitely didn't wear the right shoes for this kind of walk which makes it so much worse. The Doc Martins you picked out earlier, a recent gift from Barty, are beginning to rub against your heels with a sharp, unpleasant friction. 

Now, this is something in which Evan consistently reminded you would happen when you were getting ready to leave the dorm. He almost pulled you over his knee for your stubbornness but you held out and won in the end, i.e. Barty threw you over his shoulder and ran out of the dorm with you before Evan could get to you. 

"Ev..." You murmur, sagging into his side more heavily. 

A tired sigh escapes his nose. "Pet." He already knows where this is going. You want to be carried.

You groan softly, pulling away from both boys to cut in front of Evan and abruptly stop him in his tracks. He raises an unimpressed eyebrow. 

The sudden obvious height difference makes you a bit hot. Evan is effortlessly intimidating, he always has been. Nonetheless, it's not going to stop you from getting what you want.  You lift your arms and press your hands to his shoulders, pushing out your bottom lip in a soft pout and putting on "the doll look," as the boys like to call it. 

Evan's gazes down at you with a bored look. 

You scrunch your nose at him and suddenly his hand is gripping your jaw, his face inches from yours. 

"No," he murmurs gruffly, like one would when scolding their disobedient puppy. He's trying so hard to be stern and act like your cute little fucking face doesn't make him want to fall to your every whim. No, he's the one in charge in here, he will not let you get your way like a spoiled brat. 

He may give into you sometimes (a lot of times) but today he's less inclined to spoil you, particularly because said current issue is because you didn't listen to him earlier. 

Though your lips can't pull up into a smile because of your smushed cheeks, your eyes do all the talking. You know he won't be able to resist for much longer. Or... you think so. 

His dead gaze traces over your pretty face. "You're really testing the limits today, doll," he mutters gruffly. 

Heat pools in your lower belly and you resist the urge to swallow as your heart starts to race. You're pretty good at catching Evan's tells by now, the little facial ticks or body language that reveals his true feelings and intentions under his stoney exterior. 

But right now, you're not quite sure whether you're about get a bruised ass or get scooped up into his arms. The uncertainty makes you tingly all over in the best way. 

You experimentally palm at his shoulders with your hands, maybe your touch will sway him. "Please? M'sorry, I'm being good now," you mumble sweetly. 

He scoffs and rolls his eyes, hand releasing your face and gently pushing you backwards in the process. "No. You ask me one more time and we're going to have a problem, pet. I told you not to wear new shoes for this kind of walk. Don't expect sympathy from me," he deadpans, side stepping you to continue walking on the path. 

You huff at his rejection, your stature deflating. 

Barty rushes to your aid, palms pressing to your waist, just about ready to scoop you up into his own arms and carry you instead. He can't have his beautiful Treasure's poor feet aching. 

"Don't even think about it, Junior! They can walk," Evan barks from up ahead, not even needing to look back to know what Barty's attempting. 

Barty freezes, locking eyes with you. You both know you'll be in trouble if Barty helps you. This is something Barty certainly doesn't mind, but you do, and that's the only reason he pauses, surveying your expression carefully. 

You smile softly, threading a hand through his messy brown locks and pulling him into a loving kiss. 

"Thank you for trying, Bee," you murmur sweetly as you pull away. 

It's then that Barty catches a certain twinkle in your eyes. His heart skips a beat. He knows exactly what you're about to do. You're going to pull out the big guns. 

It shouldn't be a surprise that due to Evan's dominant nature it's become a thing for you and Barty to casually call him Daddy outside of the bedroom. It started as a joke but then it stuck rather quickly. It's not sexual (most of the time), and it's not an all the time thing, but it is typically said when Evan's stern nature is especially prevalent. 

Hence, your choice to pull the Daddy card. You turn and call out to Evan, voice soft and airy, pleading, "Daddy, please!" 

Evan pauses, the name sending a familiar jolt through his body. He lets out a deep sigh and rolls his shoulders, of course you'd pull the Daddy card, little brat. But it has him turning around anyways, and he's no sooner striding back to you. 

"Sorry?" A raised eyebrow is directed towards you once he's a less than a foot away from both you and Barty. He crosses his arms over his chest and it only serves to make his tall build broader. 

You swallow harshly, resisting the urge to take a step back. Are you intimidated out of your mind and slightly regretting your choice to test him? Yes. Are your panties a little wet? Maybe also yes. 

Barty places an arm in front of you, shielding you slightly, his eyes locked on Evan. "Ev c'mon..." he laughs nervously, trying to diffuse the tension, and also trying to ignore how hot Evan looks when he's pissed off. He's got to defend his Treasure right now. 

Evan raises a hand to silence Barty. "No, no. If the little doll wants to go down that route I'd like to hear what they have to say." Evan smiles down at you with fire searing in his gaze, a warning. 

A harsh shiver dances up your spine and suddenly you're staring down at your shoes, heat creeping up your neck as you fiddle with the hem of your skirt. "W-Well um—" 

"No, head up. Look at me, you know better," Evan's bored tone interrupts your mumbling, his expression almost blank aside from his narrowed gaze.

Your head snaps up in a rush, wide eyes blinking at him sheepishly. "Sorry, Daddy." 

He clicks his tongue, eyeing your fidgeting hands. "Enough with the fiddling, and speak up properly. If you have something you'd like to ask, now is the time, pet. Don't bore me," his blunt tone is final. 

You nod your head quickly. 

Barty has migrated to behind you for support, letting you lean back on him while his hands rub soothing circles on your hips. He's drinking up the charged tension between you and Evan. That being said, his eyes are entranced with the expression Evan's wearing. The way he's looking down at you, like you're a just a pretty little doll that needs to be put back in their place. He feels dizzy with delight. 

You start, hesitant, "I-I'm really sorry I didn't listen to you about my shoes, Daddy. My... my feet really hurt and I don't think I can walk back without getting bad blisters. Will you... um, will you please carry me back to the castle, Daddy?" You bat your eyelashes up at him gently and make sure to keep your voice soft, your cheeks scorching. 

Evan's silent for a moment, but then you catch the proud glimmer in his eyes and you know you're in the clear. He rolls his eyes and then opens up his arms and gestures you forward. "Come, Pet. You're forgiven." 

Your face practically lights up. Barty gently pushes you towards Evan and you don't hesitate to step forward and press your palms to his shoulders. 

Evan bends at the waist and wraps an arm around your lower back, scooping his free arm under your bottom to lift you onto his hip as he straightens. You wrap your arms around his neck as he does, body buzzing with a warm tingly feeling you always get when you're touching either of your boys. 

"Thank you..." you murmur shyly. 

Evan presses a soft kiss to your temple in response. 

Barty barks out a laugh. "You've gone soft, Ev," Barty taunts said boy, itching for a reaction even though he's much enjoying the sight of Evan carrying you like a little doll. "All it takes is a "please, Daddy" and they've got you falling to their every whim." He smirks. 

Evan merely rolls his eyes. After all you and Barty have put him through today, he's exhausted about 90% of his usual will to bite back. "Quiet, Bee. I think we're all in need of a nap when we get back," he murmurs as he starts walking with you still in his arms. "Go run ahead, Junior. Your energy is quite the opposite of infectious." 

Barty beams, catching up to Evan to kiss him on the cheek and then doing the same to you. "It's like you read my mind, Rosie! I was craving a little run!" And then he's off, sprinting down the path, his figure getting smaller and smaller the more distance he catches. 

Evan tilts his head toward you, his nose brushing the side of your face. He sighs, hugging you tighter to him. "You two are going to kill me one day, you know that, precious?" His voice sounds tired, but fond. 

You laugh softly, turning your face so your nose brushes his. "Mhm. But you love it," you murmur back, eyes practically smiling at him, bursting with love. 

He presses forward to lay a soft kiss on your lips.

"I am quite the masochist, aren't I?" He muses when he pulls back, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

[s0s1mple]

Arranged — Park Sunghoon

Random Prompt:

“You’re trying to make me jealous. Stop it.”

Random Member: Sunghoon

TW: General yandere behavior, toxic relationship, neglect, potential threat of violence

Masterlist

Sunghoon didn’t want to date anyone. It might sound surprising given his handsome features and status, but it was hardly something he was concerned with. Sunghoon preferred to be alone, preferred to spend his day wrapped up in his thoughts or observing the world around him. He liked the quiet. Dating someone would just mess that peace up, land him with someone who would hang off his arm at all times of day, flaunting him as their boyfriend and screaming for affection that he didn’t want to give.

But sometimes he didn’t have a choice in the matter, and as an heir to a wealthy family it wasn’t too long before a partner was forced on him.

You.

Sunghoon had bristled at the idea, lips lifting in disgust as his parents told him about the matter. You were from a family below theirs in standing, but a wealthy one nonetheless. And of course the prestigious Park Sunghoon was still bound to the whims of his family, so he did as he was told, albeit reluctantly.

He treated you coldly. Why wouldn’t he? You were a lower standing and, on top of that, more than likely clingy and far too lovey-dovey for his liking. And when he met you, his suspicions were confirmed. You smiled so brightly at him, sticking your hand out and bowing your head respectfully. Sunghoon just eyed you, gaze sharp and expression passive, until the shame set in and you lowered your hand oh so slowly. You’d been hurt then. He could read it on your face. You expressed everything so openly, almost to a fault. The complete opposite of Sunghoon.

Time passed. Officially, you two were in a relationship. You accompanied each other to galas hosted by your families, Sunghoon drove you to your classes, and did all the public things expected of you. Anything other than being affectionate. Sunghoon refused to lean in and peck your cheek when the others around him did so. He refused to wrap his arm around your waist. Refused to even look you in the eye if he could avoid it. The very fact he had to tolerate you was a violation of his freedom, and he hated it.

He wasn’t sure when things began to shift. Must have been a gradual thing. But one day, out of the blue, he caught himself following you with his gaze. Tracing your path through the college courtyard, watching as you sat on a bench and fed extra crackers to the pigeons. He cocked his head. The sunlight caught your hair so… prettily in that moment.

He began looping his arm through yours more often at galas, keeping you inexplicably close. Then he was actively choosing to remain in the room when you arrived, despite the two of you being in private. Then Sunghoon found himself asking around, checking to see where you were because for some reason you weren’t meeting him at the gate like you were supposed to after classes.

You seemed confused by his behavior. He could read it in that expressive face of yours. The furrowed brows, the glances, the pursing lips… you couldn’t read him at all. Sunghoon himself could hardly decipher how he felt either, so he supposed he couldn’t blame you there. It wasn’t love. He hadn’t ever felt such a thing, but he assumed it would be… kinder than this. However it wasn’t hatred anymore either. It was a simmering, heavy feeling in the middle of his chest. An anxious yearning that bubbled to the surface when you weren’t around.

Sunghoon chalked it up to the urge to follow the duty his parents had set out for him. You two were supposed to be dating, weren’t you? He was just settling into the role, that was it. And you should be doing the same.

But you weren’t.

Whereas once, when you two first started going out, you’d try to get him to warm up to you and actively follow him around, you now rarely engaged with him. Sunghoon would walk into a room, and all of a sudden it was you who was fleeing with a hurried excuse. The feeling irked him.

He was doing what you had wanted, right? So what gave you the right to brush him off like this? Him, Park Sunghoon? You should be groveling if anything.

Though oddly, the idea of you doing such a thing didn’t quite feel appealing. But what would? What was it that he wanted out of this? Frustration gnawed at him.

The final straw came when you and him were sitting in the study room, doing your work. It was painfully quiet save for the scratch of pens. You, needing to do your work and having no other study rooms available, weren’t scurrying off. Sunghoon, not needing to study, was content to write the same sentence over and over as he listened to your huffs and thoughtful hums.

You got a text. You checked it, your eyes lighting up, and quickly typed something back. The next thing he knew you were shoving your things into your bag. Sunghoon watched you carefully as you headed for the door. In an instant he was standing, striding over and blocking the exit. He stared down at you and you blinked right back, eyebrow raised, unimpressed. “Yes…?”

“Where are you going in such a rush?”

“Places. I’ll meet you later. We’ve got that dinner at my parents’, remember?” You tried to shove past him, but he held fast.

“You texted someone.”

“Yeah, a friend. And he’s waiting for me, so could you just…?” You motioned for him to move. Sunghoon was still. He swallowed thickly. That itching frustration seemed to swell, filling every crevice inside him, and all of a sudden he was stalking forwards. You stumbled back, startled by the aggressive set of his shoulders.

“Him? A man? In case you forgot, we’re dating.” Sunghoon didn’t recognize his voice. It was tense, heated, a stark difference to the cold indifference he coated himself in. You seemed caught off guard by it as well, your confidence faltering.

“In case you forgot, you don’t like me. So I’m going to go hang out with someone who does. Ok?” You tried again to shoulder past him. Before Sunghoon knew it, his fingers were clasping around your shoulders and pushing you into the wall. His nostrils flared, jaw set. A sort of thrumming violence settled in his muscles. “S-Sunghoon-?”

You felt so vulnerable under his grasp, your eyes darting around his face like all of a sudden you were realizing just how inferior you were. His lips curled at the sight, gleaming teeth appearing. Good. You needed to be humbled. Needed to stay where you belonged, right at his side.

The next words were hissed, dangerous yet confident, palms heavy on your shoulders. “You’re trying to make me jealous, aren’t you? Stop it. Or I’ll make you.”

:0 :P so glad yall seem to like my writing!

[bloodbrown]

Could you make some headcanons about what Carlo and P x reader would be like in a modern AU? Pleasee 😭💖

P x reader and Carlo x reader Headcanons (Modern AU)

• So I absolutely love the idea of P and Carlo as brothers in an AU like this (also because I can't explain how Carlo and P could exist in the same time frame otherwise?) but what I love more is the idea that P was adopted and just happens to style his hair so that he looks like Carlo, so people assume they're actually related. Carlo is older but not by much, maybe 2 years.

• I think Carlo is probably the one that gets more attention in the dating scene. He's confident, funny and outspoken (and also a little dumb, but it's charming.) Having a wingman on-call in the form of Romeo also helps. I think they briefly dated in the past, ended up breaking it off amicably and remained good friends into adulthood.

• Obviously Pino is also quite good-looking, but he's strange, quiet, and fidgety, which tends to put people off at first glance. He doesn't have the charm or social skills of Carlo. Also most of his friends are women, so... green flag.

• If you're attracted to Pino, first of all, when you express interest in him he would assume you're actually interested in his idiot brother. He'd think you're just trying to get Carlo's number or something. Pino doesn't get much real romantic attention from others (outside of people complimenting his looks) and isn't used to someone being wholeheartedly interested in him.

• Part of this is because P is so guarded and hesitant in his personality, but also because he tends to lie, so most people aren't aware of his real feelings. I'd think this is probably because he was used to hiding how he felt and what he thought in his home life.

• If Carlo is more your speed, I think what you see is what you get with him. He certainly wears his heart on his sleeve. When he hates someone, when he loves someone... you will know immediately. (which is also why you end up in the loop about his daddy issues quite soon in the relationship. Geppetto neglected the both of them, and especially ignored Carlo, to the point where Carlo thinks his old man only adopted another son to try to fix his parental fuck-ups)

• Anyway, Carlo would probably take to dating you right away, especially since he has had prior experience. His perfect first date idea would be taking you to a festival or festival(s) and walking around for hours trying food, other new things and trying to find dogs to pet.

• 2nd date idea would be something insane, like urban exploration in the most dangerous building he can find. I think 3rd date he'd want to take you shooting at a gun range. For some reason I just feel like he'd be a gun guy who likes it for the sport of it

But if you're not interested in that, he'd be down for the most sexual-tension-laden game of laser tag in the universe. You'll probably make out in the car afterwards.

• Carlo is the sort of person who starts out quite blunt and initiates relationships on almost entirely sexual interest, but becomes a tad softer and more affectionate the longer the relationship goes on and he gets a bit more comfortable. Also, the sex is absolutely amazing.

• Long-term Carlo probably isn't really down for you meeting any of his family, except maybe his brother, but only in specific environments. I think he wants to leave behind anything that reminds him of his upbringing (even Pino, even though Geppetto's behavior isn't his fault) and you have to accept that in a relationship. No Christmas with the in-laws.

• Pino for a 1st date would want to take you to dinner at a nice restaurant, then to a movie theater to see a film. And he wants to *actually* watch a movie, not sit through 1/3rd of the movie and then start touching on each other. He literally just wants to see something with you and enjoy it together.

• 2nd date would be a museum date. Pino is deeply fascinated with natural history, and if you'll accompany him to a museum he hasn't been to before, it would mean the world to him. Since he's new to dating, if you want to do anything like hold his hand as you walk through, you'll have to initiate. He's a bit twitchy and awkward.

• A 3rd or 4th date with Pino is something sweet and personal. I think he'd compose a song specifically for you and play it for you on piano. He's so sweet and considerate that you just want to kiss him. And make no mistake, if you want to kiss him you need to take the initiative to let him know that it's okay. Then he'll be more comfortable to kiss you.

• Long-term, Pino will only become more comfortable and loving with you. Sometimes he will still struggle with moving first with acts of affection, but he gets better about it, giving you pecks on the cheek or a firm hug whenever he sees you. It may take quite a few months until he's comfortable enough for sexual activity (and he's also a virgin.) Pino's serial lying over small things might also be a problem until his barriers are broken down (He probably needs therapy.)

• I also think that he'd be the first to bring up engagement or marriage between the two of you. He has a very idealized view of marriage and wants to spend the rest of his life with the one he loves. It's something to consider but discuss it honestly and openly. He will accept your feelings if you don't want to talk about marriage as soon as he's bringing it up.

[1moreff-creator]

DRDT CH2 EP16 First Impressions

We’ve reached the end of the chapter! A bittersweet feeling, finally getting closure on this chapter while also ushering in a new hiatus. Still, congrats to dev for making it this far! Hope they enjoy their break, while we enjoy whatever they’ve cooked up for the ending!

Without further ado, let us enjoy peak.

Spoilers for the entirety of CH2 (hell yeah). CW: Execution, suicidal thoughts.

It’s Aceover.

ONE vote for Teruko! Do we think Ace voted for himself? Did the mystery voter from Trial 1 repeat their vote on Teruko? Or did they not, and the vote’s just Ace? {Hindsight: It’s CH1 Mystery Voter probs}

MonoTV: “You got it right!” IT’S ALL OVER.

Okay wait it’s actually kinda weird to see the new David sprites outside of the Trial. Like it’s trippy idk why. That’s crazy.

Eden: “Why her of all people?” Poor Eden, at least give her an answer! Even if it’s just “it was the easiest option” man.

Whit: “I really thought that no one would repeat what happened to Xander and Min.” Is this the very first piece of anti-Whit Time Loop theory evidence? Or is he just lying? I don’t believe the theory, so I’m passing that one to the defenders.

Ace: “I killed her. And if you can’t forgive me for that, then there’s nothing I can say.”

Hey remember when Nico said they didn’t see the point of saying sorry if they wouldn’t be forgiven anyways? Yeah.

The foils are foiling :O

Both Teruko and Eden blaming themselves in their own way (Eden mentioned it in Ep10 “just like Min!” and now Teruko’s bringing “misfortune” into the conversation), man we are in for some sad times with these two. And everyone else ig.

Hu: “How could you say it’s just misfortune?” And Hu is very against this idea, interesting.

“So we can’t blame ourselves for failing to prevent something like that.” Ah, there’s the ticket. She’s trying not to feel guilty about it, which is kinda fair, Arei’s death is 99% Ace’s fault.

Eden: “The Ace I met for the first time wasn’t a murderer.” Oof, Eden hitting us with the full highlight line. She’s so great for this honestly. Everything she says afterwards is also great for her character, I love her (and I don’t need to read her lines with suspicion!!! I’m free!!!)

Veronika. And she’s still smiling. Go worst girl! /affectionate

“The only thing anyone can do in this killing game is to shatter.” We are… getting worryingly close to secret quote wording here.

Rose: “Are you saying Ace was pushed into killing because of things like almost being killed?” (Paraphrased) Oh God she’s gonna feel guilty too because she let Nico get the turpentine! Even if that doesn’t work if Ace had already chosen to kill Eden, still! How much self-blame can we have this trial?

Teruko: “No.” Yeah thank you.

Ace: “Did you all get the Veronika virus or what?” God I’m gonna miss him so much actually.

[To Levi] “Shut up for the rest of your life and kill yourself!” Holy SHIT he’s going out with a bang. {Hindsight: I didn’t realize how accurate this would be}

David: “You still have it in you to throw stones in your glass house.” Did this motherfucker correctly use the idiom Ace fucked up earlier? He’s such a piece of shit /affectionate.

Ace: “I don’t care if it made me a hypocrite!” AGH-! New sprite and the voice acting continues the hot streak of being absolutely fucking stellar! Holy hell!

[To Levi] “I just needed a reason to stay mad at you!” Ouchie!

[The whole Levi v Ace thing] This is just fucking incredible. Levi still doesn’t understand, Ace just wanted to stay mad so he could live with his betrayal, just peak character writing all around. And peak VAing, of course.

Teruko: “I need you to do a favor for me. It might just save your life.” YOOO I CALLED THIS!!! Blackened Blaze of Glory let’s fucking goooo!!!! Thanks to shinycrows for asking me that!!!

“Kill MonoTV for me.” Alright so. Not the best plan ever, but then again, it’s not like any plan against the killing game will work on CH2. Also the way she said that was great.

MonoTV: “Yeah, more murder!” Why’s it so funny for?

Teruko: “Arei died because you’re a coward, Ace!” YO why’s she going so hard right now?! This entire scene is incredible, I don’t even have any words for this much peak. The emotion in her voice, holy fuck- Oh yeah because Arei’s crying reminded her of something! In the playground! So Teruko does have a small connection with Arei so she’d feel real bad (for more reason than just death of someone she knew)! I didn’t put that together till now.

[Ace punches MonoTV] PEAAAK! Oh shit it actually broke! That was so fucking awesome! Let’s fucking go Ace!!!!! Also MonoTV is definitely just coming back, right?

That broken MonoTV sprite though!

Eden: “Finally, it’s over—“ The lack of music is making this really impactful, even though we know it won’t work. Holy shit.

MonoTV: “A fatal error has been detected” We breaking out different fonts?

MonoTV: “Now loading the default XF-Ture personality drivers.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AND THE CROWD GOES FUCKING WILD!!!!

Now we have the question. Was MonoTV created by XF for the game? Or did XF just create the AI, and someone repurposed it for thre killing game?

Also what are these defaults going to be?

…Wait whose voice is this? Someone we know? Please tell me I’m bad at recognizing voices! {I think it’s still MonoTV’s VA, just doing a different act, but I’m not sure}

[MonoTV speech] Didn’t expect MonoTV of all damn characters to have a badass moment, but I guess this is the world we live in now.

“But there is no reason to punish Ace a second time.” UHHH Chat are we cooked?

The death of every participant? This is about rule 14, right? “All murderers must be held accountable”? The “everyone is responsible for Mai’s death and must be punished” theory seems to be gaining ground.

It’s also saying this is why it was created, so XF likely did have a direct hand in the killing game. Min MM not looking so implausible all of the sudden.

“I will pass the punishment…” chat we’re actually immensely cooked what.

“I will now proceed with the execution of Teruko Tawaki.” UHHH LUCK BETTER COME IN CLUTCH!!!

[Machine Gun] BRO?!?!?!

Charles: “That thing will surely kill you!” Even Charles is sounding extremely distressed here, damn! But I guess Teruko is relying on her luck maybe?

Whit: “Charles! Stop talking and cover your eyes!” I mean yeah good advice but you know- More pressing things atm

Teruko: “No :)” Why’s she so silly coded?

Teruko: “Killed? I doubt it. As if something so kind could happen to me.” AAAAAAH!!!! The suicidal tendencies return with a vengeance!!!

[Her speech] Holy fuck holy fuck this is crazy she’s actually doing the unhinged Lucky Student thing of relying on luck she’s going in I’m so terrified for what’s about to happen.

“I’ll show you all what it means to be the Ultimate Lucky Student.” Shit boutta go crazy.

[LEVI DOES THE THING] OF FUCKING COURSE!

Bro I was not ready for this. I wasn’t ready in the slightest. This motherfucker better survive against all odds or it’s all over.

Bro that sprite- He’s so cooked.

MonoTV: “His injuries are not fatal” Wait are we saved? Arturo look I know you’re not a doctor but for the love of God tell me you can do something about this holy shit. I wasn’t ready for this.

VERONIKA. Holy shit she’s actually insane.

Arturo: “He could live…” Please??? For me???

Wait now that I’m thinking about it. He hasn’t said his secret quote. We might be saved.

[Whit sprite] … Huh??? Bro what the fuck is happening this episode.

Ace: “Execute me right now!” Ough this shit insane!!! I can’t- I genuinely can’t react. I’m just overcome with emotion at this point.

“I’ll have a third death in my hands!” … Wait the math. Unless he’s counting himself… does he blame himself for Taylor’s death???

[The entire Arturo - Ace debacle] I…holy shit???? The genuine distress in Arturo’s voice when he says he can’t save Levi??? Ace clinging to the hope that he can??? Bro what the fuck??? This is insane???? I can’t- I can’t compute- This is actually insane. This is so much. Levi better not fucking die after this I swear to god-

Ace: “I don’t want to die…” Holy shit dev did it. I’m feeling just as bad for Ace as I felt for Min. Bra-fucking-vo. Holy fuck. No words.

[Thanatophobia]

(Fear of death right? Fits)

… Okay, so. I know someone brought up this term in relation to Ace. Genius, first.

Second, that might just be one of the greatest executions I’ve even seen, if not the best. I usually don’t care much about how good executions are, but this… this is incredibly good. The music was banging. The execution method was unique. It wasn’t related to his talent, but his character, which makes it better imo.

(Also are the “unexplained illnesses” related to Xander’s family?)

And even through all this… dev showed the corpse. When they didn’t show Min’s. Why would you allow me to cope even further? You drop XF and show a corpse- holy shit. I just can’t even process anything.

And he didn’t say his quote. He never said it I don’t think. Levi better survive.

VERONIKA. Holy shit she’s actually getting more and more unhinged by the second the hell-? Yeah remember when she looked unnerved by Min’s execution?!?! She ain’t looking unnerved no more!

Hu: “The elevator is open!” We’re just- gonna ignore- Alright, I guess it’s fair. Surely Levi survives right?

Rose please tell me you looked away. I know you saw Levi so it’s not looking great either way, but still.

Teruko: “Go on without me.” Is she going to talk to David maybe? About the secret?

“Everyone was gone.” Alright no, she’s just going to mourn or something?

[Teruko reflects on her similarities to Ace and Arei] I really like this moment, it’s nice of her to say what the audience was probably already thinking.

MonoTV: “I must convince everyone that I’m the villain.” And what does this mean MonoTV? Genuinely too burnt out to think about it any harder rn.

MonoTV: “That is the fate that I have, to make others suffer.” HOW ARE WE TYING MONO FUCKING TV TO THE THEME OF FATE?!?!?!WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT FUCKING “TERUKO-MONOTV PARALLELS” WHAT THE FUCK?! DEV YOU SON OF A BITCH YOU DID IT AGAIN!!! /positive

[Teruko breaks down] Holy hell…

“I had known the answer…” AUGH- The character writing… it’s so good… fucking hell this is incredible…

Where do we even go from here? Teruko’s speed running the themes of trust and fate like they’re not the main themes of the series?!?! I’m going crazy.

… Are we seriously leaving it on a cliffhanger whether Levi is alive or not? Like, I know the “surviving students” thing counted him, so I’m guessing he’s alive, but… hot damn. This is an evil cliffhanger.

(Also I find it funny that David’s silhouette sprite did in fact change to what the dev said was his new default lol)

“Seems there’s something he’s not proud of” The nailbiting right.

-

General Thoughts

…

…

…

…

Bro how the fuck am I expected to even begin to summarize this shit?!?!

Okay, in… ascending order of crazy.

Did David just… not speak almost the entire episode? Did he even have any lines when Teruko was being executed? The fuck is going on with him? He didn’t even reveal Teruko’s secret???

Veronika was unhinged. Loved that for her. Hope she gets worse, it seems like CH3 will be a fun chapter for her (I hope that doesn’t mean she dies).

Whit officially gets his very own unhinged/breakdown sprite! We’ve completed the set! I mean, it’s not as crazy as others, but it matches Rose’s so…

Everyone endures further trauma, fun.

I even feel bad for Arturo! Poor guy did not ask for this shit! There’s fun foils here with Levi trying to protect the group as much as he can and Arturo being forced into the role…

Also. Of all ships. I did not expect Aceturo to get a dub here somehow.

I somehow called more or less predicted what Teruko was gonna do. Fun how that happened. And her little character reflection at the end was awesome, I loved it very much. Jesus fuck.

That’s gotta be the best execution I’ve ever seen, hands down. I don’t care that there wasn’t a single horse there. This is much better.

Also, no secret quote from Ace. So those are 100% not a good metric for defining who is at risk of death. Wonder if that means we’ll get a flashback with him?

XF-Ture Tech?!?!?! MonoTV character building kinda?!?!?!?! I’m going crazy?!?!?!

Levi??? This motherfucker better be alive. There’s no reason he should be dead, so I’m gonna assume he’s alive. But wow… I guess weightedblankettt was sorta right on the “final orbit” interpretation of Levi’s connection to Shoemaker-Levy 9, just… not in a way we expected. (If that meant nothing to you don’t worry about it).

And Ace… Hot damn. Just… an entire character arc at the eleventh minute, huh? How’s that for the people who were saying Ace wouldn’t be remembered, huh? Levi probably owes him his life, in a way. He broke MonoTV. He faced his thanatophobia to try to help Levi survive. Just… so fucking good. I said it in the reaction. I genuinely felt just as much grief for him as I did Min. And coming from me, that’s… a lot. Just incredible writing and voice acting and everything in between…

This cements it, btw. This is my favorite trial from anything DR related ever. It’s genuinely insane. I am going to make a more detailed, more coherent post analyzing the entirety of Part 2 of this chapter, because it deserves it. It deserves more thought than I’m able to give right now on account of feeling too many emotions. Stay tuned for that, I guess.

Props to the dev, the VAs, and anyone who might have laid a hand on this at some point. It’s genuinely incredible, this is an unforgettable experience. Holy shit.

I don’t- I don’t have the emotional energy to keep writing. Just… I think I need to calm down for a few hours. Genuinely loved every second of this. Thanks for reading, and see you when I gather my thoughts enough to trust myself to be coherent.

[familyvideostevie]

remus with reader who’s not overly affectionate. like she doesn’t engage in much pda but she’ll nudge her head against his when they’re sitting next to each other or hold pinkies when they’re walking side by side! just small gestures that aren’t obvious but sweet nevertheless

i love this request!! she's so me, lol. i've taken this and expanded a bit, so in this someone calls you out for this behavior and remus reassures you that he loves you just as is! hope you enjoy <3 | fluff, established relationship, a bit suggestive, 1k

Truthfully, you have never given it much thought. The way you and Remus function as a couple feels right, the most natural relationship you've ever been in, so why would you think anything about it was out of the ordinary? He's absolutely besotted, he tells you so very often, and you feel much the same.

He adores everything about you. He lets you take the lead on so many things because he knows you so well. You've got a reputation as a very "chill couple," whatever that means. Whenever you're at a party or a bar you often socialize apart until you catch each other's eyes over the crowd and he'll be at your side in a second. The familiar, solid heat of him as close as you want and no more.

Remus has never complained that you're not glued to his side. He seems perfectly content to have your hand in the crook of his elbow or your fingers on his knee under the table. You've just never needed that kind of grounding, never felt like you wanted to show that to other people. They don't need to be privy to your relationship.

"All it takes is one look to know how you're feeling, darling," he's said to you. "Those eyes give it all away."

"And here I thought I was mysterious!"

So, your tendency not to be overly affectionate has bothered neither of you. Until someone asks you about it directly at some party.

"Did you get together recently?" a girl you don't know asks. "Or are you just a flirty thing?"

You blink. "Sorry, what?"

"You and the tall one with the, uh, scars? I'm sorry, I don't know his name."

"Remus," you tell her. "I -- no, we're together. We've been together."

She laughs a bit nervously. "Oh," she says. "I just thought, well, he keeps looking at you but you guys aren't very touchy? Like, I only kind of know Lily and James but they are always all over each other, just so obviously in love and --"

"Alright, darling?" She's cut off by Remus's warm tone. You turn and find him at your side, a crease between his brows like he sensed your distress and came over to check on you. Knowing him, that''s exactly what happened.

"Yes, I -- can we get some air?" He nods and you hook a finger through his belt loop as he leads you away from the girl.

It's not her fault, not really. She certainly doesn't mean to make you feel bad about it, but you don't know her. And why are you feeling bad about it, anyway? It's never bothered you before. It's never bothered anyone else before.

And Remus has never said anything about it.

You spill onto the deck of the house and the cool air is a bit of a shock after the crowd. Remus immedietly shucks off his sweater and tugs it over your head.

"Hello," he says, once you pop your face through the neck hole. He fixes your hair.

"Hi," you say softly.

"What was all that?" He jerks his chin back at the house and you sigh.

"Not sure, actually." You link your pinky through his and tug his arm. He knows what you want, as always, and drapes it over your shoulder. "Well, that's not true. I know exactly what happened. She said something innocent that...got in my head."

"Really?" The crease is back between his brows. You want to smooth it away but you don't.

"Does it bother you that we don't do this a lot?" You roll your shoulders to indicate his arm. He looks even more confused.

"I'm afraid I'm still not up to speed," he says slowly. "Do what a lot?"

"Touch," you mutter. "Or like, be affectionate in public. I'm hardly ever touching you. I mean, she asked me if we were even together for fuck's sake."

"Woah, woah, alright," Remus says. He steps in front of you, hands resting loosely on your jaw. It's not an unfamiliar touch, though a bit of an intense one for you -- Remus has seen all of you many, many times behind closed doors. But it's more than you're prone to in public. "What can I do to make this better?"

"Tell me if it bothers you," you say petulantly.

"No," he replies. "Not at all. You're plenty affectionate with me, darling. You touch me whenever you want which is more than I ever dreamed of back when I was drooling over you and you didn't even know my name."

You wrap your hands around his wrists and lean into his palm. "We don't kiss, really." You don't know why you're arguing with him about this. Remus has proven time and time again that he's in this for the long haul.

"Is that so? What would you call what we were doing this afternoon? That was quite a lot of kissing, if I recall, and not all of it mouth to mouth --"

"Remus," you chide. He smirks.

"My point is whatever we do and how we do it is no one's business. I love how we are. I love how you are."

You close your eyes for a moment and feel the warmth of his palms, his sweater, his presence. It's not worth getting worked up over, he's right. Regardless of what people think, what it might look like, you and Remus are going home together at the end of every day. He loves you and he tells you as often as he can.

"I love how you are, too," you say softly and open your eyes. Remus is grinning at you.

"Home?" he asks. You nod.

"Home."

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here!

[sscardinal7]

Been thinking about Agent for a while and how he's really the character - character ever. I'm really enjoying what they're doing with his arc of survivors' guilt and vengeance.

His design is so extensively simple that it's a bit intimidating. Glued to his profession of business and fixated on his target, Chosen. He is as stern as he is anonymous as a person. And then it's with appeal that you note how he is in this position of authority between these new cast of animations - primarily the word of command and the follow up of Victim's line of leverage. With how gorgeous and elaborate the cast is, your eyes stay intrigued towards this one character. Despite the simplicity he pops up as unique.

It's rather how he's always the bold and center of the cast in every shot. Always held high with precision. He acts as the voice of control in the animations; a carrier. He has a strong passion for his ambitions. And then you get to his objective for Chosen, but with the longer the sequences carry on, it appears as more.. personal when referenced towards his role of precise profession. Especially in comparison to the rest of the group.

And of course; his abilities with the Adobe tools. He's fast, strategic, intelligential, and quite proud of his judgement. He pirouettes around combat with such ability - you can beg that he has much experience. All the animations have such uniqueness and natural abilities and quirks. And then you have Agent; who comes just as skilled in compliment despite the set of tools being just an add on towards his attire. His great combat makes up for the comparison. But with such a manner, why would Agent gain such a material, and how come him as this executive messenger and leader out of the cast? When factually compared to their abilities, he's left as the most.. uninspiring.

But then you get to the topic of his relationship with Victim, and suddenly the idea becomes much more clearer. Agent being this predecessor of delivery. How he is noticeably walking in the same accuracy as Victim; side by side. Everyone else but behind. And Victim allows it. He's moreso comfortable with Agent out of the entirety; directly giving him more flexibility, space, authority and commands. He trusts him and he treats him as though he's on the same level as him, because that's what he believes. Everyone else below their invisible barrier. Agent is very evident with what he's given. Hyperaware of his surroundings and with the implements and gear.

With such bounded delicacy it pushes scenarios and questions. Who is Agent without his occupation in mind, but as a person. What is he like? Or rather much, was he like? If you ask me, I think it's worth asking as much as it is cryptic in context.

And then it strikes you all too somber.

As a role of a security guard for Victim, Mitsi and their blooming business of quick and improved repairs - he's still so expressive. And surprising enough, he's so, so close towards the couple despite his working position. He truly admires and cares for the two. And it's mutually returned. It's so oddly affectionate when steaming from someone who you familiarize as so utterly closed off and precise.

These strange origins passed off as he's stranded - downright frozen in fear from the terrorism and murder of Mitsi and hundreds (if not thousands) of others. Only looking up when it's directed towards the source, Chosen. (From his perspective after all.) And despite being someone of a role who does nothing but help and protect; he's left so small and useless. All he can do is run.

Time and time again, memories replaying over and over again. It's this obsession. Everything that he could of done in a loop, everything that he didn't do lingering close by. And he won't be that same person who does nothing.

Even when it's not at all his fault. Far from it.

And then everything just.. clicks in a way, no? His odd relationship with Victim, Victim's utter trust in him, his personal introduction and conflict with Chosen, his strict combats, his weaponry?

When you think Agent would stem from a place of deep turmoil and lament and act out towards these, he proves you wrong. He's so utterly petty, cocky and a bit immoral when finally opposed to a scenario of karma. When you think he stepped an area of low, he goes lower. It's honestly quite humorous. In my opinion, Agent's greatest offense is Second.

Agent is relentless when it comes to irrational interference, it shows in how he handles Second. He has no basic compassion or regard for the poor kid, nor any sympathy to spare for him either. He's ruthless. There was no other reason to humiliate and tease Second the way he does other than it being for his own satisfaction after finding out Chosen cares for him. And it's quite sad even.

And then, really? The huge, intimidating terrorist who was the source of sleepless nights, trauma, destruction and such influence is an irrational, confused fraud. His hazard reaction brings some odd amusement towards Agent.

An evident narrative callback is how Agent looks up towards Chosen, frozen. Under his reign, he's powerless. And now when finally up against this source, he can only ever look down on him.

Sometimes I beg if Agent can bitterly empathize with Chosen. The only difference being how Chosen is strong willed and desensitized - willing to push bounds if it means he can protect a loved one. Something that Agent can reminisce with. Envy of the audacity, it really reeks. And he freezes him on spot; a bit similar to how he was that day. It doesn't feel good, now does it.

But at the same time he leaves it up for Victim. He really holds him valuable and prioritizes him. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say it roots from a place of guilt of the downfall of the buisness, or Victim's utter change in demeanor, or the thousands of suffering animations from the tragedy. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

In this very small way, he's a bit like him.

[updownlately]

1 - but she loves me, she loves me

series masterlist

~~~

“You’re shivering…” 

Looking up from your phone with a guilty look plastered on your face, you forced yourself to stop trembling. Back muscles taught, you schooled your expression to a neutral one, immediately wordlessly refuting the statement. 

All you were met with, however, was a raised eyebrow from the blonde in front of you, the silent challenge speaking volumes, the loving smile on her face letting you know she was only teasing.

Giving up, you wordlessly admitted to being caught, a sheepish smile spreading in place of your serious questioning look, shoulders dropping the tension.

“Okay so I might have forgotten to grab my jacket. Just maybe…” Biting back your embarrassed grin, you dug your toe into the floor, eyes cast downward as Alessia’s melodic laugh filtered in your ears. 

“Because of course you did…” The accusatory tone in Alessia’s statement wasn’t lost on you, but it wasn’t like you could discredit the observation, having been through this one too many times already. 

It wasn’t your fault you just happened to always forget your jacket when you were leaving the apartment, the coveted item very likely still hanging off the coat rack by the entrance to your shared home.

“I swear you do it on purpose at this point…like how does one forget a jacket? That too here? In rainy London?” 

Dropping your shoulders, a pout already forming on your face, you furrowed your eyebrows.

“It kinda just happens! I swear! It’s like one second I’m putting on my shoes, and then the next I’m sprinting out of the apartment trying to catch up to your long legs, jacket still in the apartment!”

Futilely defending yourself, you wrapped your arms around your midsection in an effort to stave off the cold, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by the taller girl. 

Smiling fondly at your pout, Alessia lovingly rolled her eyes, arms reaching out to pull you near, closing the gap between you two.

“Yeah, yeah, sure blame it on me…as if you’re totally not the one often locking up when we go out…”

Laughing silently now at the wince on your face, you burying your head into Alessia’s neck to hide your reddening cheeks, the striker wrapped her arms around you tightly. 

“You’re lucky you’re so cute…and shorter than me because otherwise you wouldn’t have lasted this long, gosh…”

Cuddling you for a few more moments, the Gunner tried her best to warm you up with her body heat, the chilly fall air whipping around you two as you stood on the side of a walkway.

Well accustomed to what had to be done, aware that your (read: her own) flimsy hoodie would do nothing to protect you from the icy breeze, Alessia pulled away from you, much to your protest. 

Quickly shrugging off her own coat, already prepared for this inevitable moment, the blonde quickly wrapped it around your shoulders, the jacket nearly drowning you due to your height difference. 

“There…as per usual,” the jest from the blonde came just seconds after her hands finished adjusting the coat, her head shaking affectionately at the content smile that spread around your face at the influx of warmth.

“Hey! I don’t borrow your coat that often…surely?” There was no way, right? You knew you were forgetful but Alessia had to be exaggerating here. 

“Love, the amount of photos in my phone that can prove otherwise, never mind ones that the fans have taken of us while we’re out…”

Pout returning to your face, you looked up at the blonde, disbelief across your face at the betrayal.

Hooking you in by the belt loops, the striker pulled you close, lips coming to rest at your forehead. 

“Don’t worry, I still love you, even if it means I have to give you my jacket every time we go out.” 

Placing a gentle kiss on your forehead, her smile cutting it short, Alessia grabbed your hand, pulling you into her side as you both continued your walk to your favourite cafe. 

Smiling at your luck, well aware that at the end of every second, minute, hour, or day, Alessia loved you immensely, all of you, your easily excitable energy and forgotten jackets included, you matched Alessia's footfalls, tucking yourself underneath her arm.

Your own arm coming to sling across her waist, you held her close, letting her love comfort you from the inside out, jacket near useless with the warmth spreading in your heart.

[openphrase123]

You said you (and your gf) hated loop after the twist reveal. Did you think the twist was disappointing? Stupid? Too obvious? And what exactly changed your mind later?

oh see it wasn't really hating loop specifically - i've always liked how like. abrasive they are?? and how even though they're a very typical "helping the player" character they're a fun little mystery to try and unravel when you're playing for the first time. it was more that i got the twohats reveal and was like "well THAT'S fucking dumb" and it soured me on loop for like. two entire months LOL. but we're chill now. gf still thinks the twist is dumb but she's not on isat tumblr like i am

readmore for extra rambling

and, admittedly, i did NOT get twohats the first time i played - i had No idea you could show loop items until i was actively trying to get twohats. so my reveal on loop was watching someone ELSE get twohats on stream, and i was fairly detached to it. gf had a similar detached reveal because it was me running into the room ten minutes later going "HEY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO LOOP IS"

so i've done a 180 on the loop twist in retrospect because i Obviously did not experience it in the way that's the most personal and cool. but like. "this character used to be that character" is worse to me than "it was all a dream in the end" as far as story twists go. but after dwelling on it and playing twohats myself i was like "oh loop my friend loop i can't stay mad at you"

anyway on my third playthrough of isat i'm thoroughly enjoying how oblivious siffrin (and me) is about loop's identity. loop i am Shaking You (affectionate)

also endnote (edit: this had nothing to do with any of this but i wrote this while hungry and frustrated) but loop is one of those characters where, because of my past with them, i am SUPER picky with any fanworks surrounding loop. it's so easy to me to get loop wrong (not to anyone's fault i realize it's a Me Being Picky Situation). i am also like this with isabeau and odile. mirabelle i mostly think people understand enough, the fandom is very aroace, and bonnie's fanwork likability hinges on whether the artist likes kids. and siffrin is also a mixed bag

[violent138]

OK but imagine a newly-appointed (fostered) Dick Grayson being introduced to a reaaaallly seedy, possibly mob-affiliated guy, and at first being the perfect sunshine child in little kiddie dress shoes, all, "Hello, sir," and, "Nice to meet you," and, "Gee willikers, that sure is a neato pen," and then when the guy gets in close enough, Dick outright shanks him and whispers, "Get out of my house."

And Bruce is so mad but in the moment he just laughs it off like, "Oh you know kids. We were worse at that age for sure. He's new here. He's still learning. He's just a baby." Meanwhile the knife is still in the guy.

By the point in time we get to Damian's era, if that little Wayne kid stabs you, well that was your own fault. You knew Bruce let all of them run wild when you attended. This is common knowledge, and no one has any sympathy for you. In fact, if you were dumb enough to touch one of them, then you must be so out of the loop. Years. Proves youre a real nobody, if anything

I love this so much. It goes perfectly with both the psychotic (affectionate) first Robin and the psychotic (partially affectionate) Bruce Wayne persona that Batman wears.

And I can imagine people trying to kiss up to Bruce just wincing and holding their bleeding wound, silently, miserably fuming because they can't count on Bruce telling their kids off at all,/

The stabbing is likely the reason certain mobsters went after the kids lol (they were schmoozing with Bruce and suddenly some kid just stabbed them).

[pocket-sized-love]

I've had a crush on my partner Pokemon, Armarouge, for a while now.. He's always been there for me sense my last Partner left, he got me to go adventuring again, he protects me, he's strong and smart and so very kind, with endless patients for me when I mess up. I'm sooo worried about messing up this partnership we have I haven't said anything to him and I wouldn't even know where to start... Do you have any advice?

Thanks for coming into my inbox, Anon. 🥺 It's not easy dealing with feelings for your partner Pokemon.

(As a quick aside, I'm so sorry your previous partner left you. I've heard second-hand stories about such a phenomenon, but never from someone first-hand. If you ever want to talk about it, please let me know, you're always welcome in my inbox.)

As for how to approach?

Well, from what I remember, Armarouge are pretty fiercely loyal and chivalrous to a fault almost. A lot of them have deep-seeded instincts to protect and care for those in their life that they are close with. I've never known them to be particularly physically affectionate, but I've heard stories of the right partner bringing their tenderness out more. Your millage may vary of course, not all Armarouge are the same!

Saying that, because of the way they are with their trainers, it's really, REALLY hard to shake their core belief in you. Even if you confess and he doesn't feel the same, I suspect he will look at you no differently and still support you as much as he always has. He may, for a while, support you even more extensively while you heal. That is of course if he doesn't reciprocate!

If he's the type to enjoy gifts, like physical objects, starting there is a perfectly good idea. Does he know how to read? I know some bipedal Pokemon learn to read and write, but of course not all do and it's not an easy skill to teach (a lot of Pokemon can learn to read in general, but nobody generally is ready for that conversation lmao). If he knows how to read, it's a perfectly valid idea to get him a little gift and a note to confess your feelings. If he doesn't read, an intimate gesture would be to see if he'll let you help him clean and polish his armor.

As I'm sure you know when you gave it to him to help him evolve, the armor an Armarouge wears is the most precious item they own. Since you both seem to have such a deep connection already, try seeing if he'll trust you with polishing his armor. You can talk about how you feel while you two work on it together. That open trust can do wonders to make you feel more confident and to make him feel more connected to you.

Regardless anon, it's going to be okay. <3 I'm sure you'll be able to come to a happy conclusion with your partner. Keep us in the loop, I know people and myself will want to know how it turns out!

[seeyouonsaturn]

8, 9, 11 and 19 for nightpurr and havoc 👁💖

ask game

Wooo thank youuuu! I once again have to mention that I shamefully have not read the comics so I am doing my best 👍

8. The Empyrean Suite starts playing out of nowhere. How does your OC react?

Nightpurr might not even recognize it. They live pretty cut off from everything that's going on with Cybertron and their fellow Cybertronians and very much tend to be out of the loop with these things. Probably just starts kinda vibing to it until someone gives them a mortified look. Not their fault if it's a bop.

Havoc does not like it. Full-body shudder (or whatever the bot equivalent is). Turn that shit off. It's not even because of the connotations it's got now; there's already a whole bunch of bad memories attached to the damn tune from before all that. I imagine she used to hear it all the time back in the good old days. To her, it comes with an expectation of obedience. Fall in line. Good soldier.

I only have information the wiki gave me, but it seems like that kind of song, given that Ultra Magnus likes it. It was already bad enough for Havoc, there was absolutely no need to go and Make It Worse.

9. Imagine your OC somehow ascends to Primehood. Do they take on a different name? What sort of Prime would they be?

As if naming these fuckers once isn't hard enough, my god /j

Nightpurr: Nightpurr would hate the responsibility, but they'd probably be a somewhat good Prime. At the very least, they would always try to be kind and just. It's when others aren't that it gets tricky, because Nightpurr does not want to cause harm, and wants to see the best in people, so they'd have difficulty making the hard decisions. They would hate to be a Prime. So long as there's no terrible repercussions, they'd more than likely run away to live among animals somewhere, away from it all. Hakuna Matata goodbye.

As for a name, I don't have a specific one because I'm terrible with naming actually, but it'd have to be something cat related. Felidae Prime? Felinus. Felidaemus. Hmm that looks weird. Whiskers Prime. Idk.

Havoc: Oh Havoc would be decent at it actually. She's gentle and soft and her whole philosophy is "everyone should do whatever they want forever", along with being a trained medic, but she's also assertive and strong and can defend herself and others if she has to. Unlike Nightpurr, while Havoc may also not necessarily want the responsibility of being a Prime, she'd still take it as an honor and vow to do her utmost best.

Whirl would never shut up about it if Havoc became a Prime btw. Just fucking imagine lmao.

Totally stumped on names though. Prime names are hard. It'd have to be a complete change, considering that "Havoc" doesn't suit her at all in the first place. Her humansona/holoform is named Mercy, but that feels a little too on the nose for a Prime name. Taking suggestions.

11. Are there any bots they really clash with? (This could be the pettiest of squabbling to full-blown nemeses!)

Nightpurr: Blitzwing lmaoo! If it wasn't for Ratbyte they would have murdered him on sight (not literally but. Grrrrr). They do not get along. They are arguing constantly. Nightpurr is gonna kill a man for that stupid fucking accent. But alas you cannot choose your in-laws. He is family. Whether they like it or not. Ratty ily but you have the worst taste in men.

(This is affectionate I love my husband in law)

Havoc: This is another question that'll be easier to answer once I'm familiar with the comics, because I just don't know enough about all of the characters to really be able to tell. Right now, I can't think of anyone. There's enough bots that have issues with Havoc, like Functionists or the DJD obviously, but none of those are personal.

Funny thing is, if you asked anyone else, they'd be likely to tell you it's Whirl. Which isn't true, and anyone that knows Havoc well enough can plainly see that she likes him, but those that don't know her are definitely going to assume the opposite. Havoc is known to be kind and gentle, and have good bedside manner, and always try to make herself seem smaller than she is, and whenever Whirl shows up it's like a switch gets flipped. The moment he enters the med bay she's cussing him out for wasting their resources by getting his aft fucked up again, and they'll be nonstop arguing the entire time she's fixing him.

But she's still fixing him, every time. And the thing is simply that Whirl would hate to be coddled, and Havoc knows this. Plus, it actually says a great deal that she's comfortable enough to be like this with him without being worried about being judged and mistrusted in her field. She knows he can take it.

But yeah, if you don't know her that well, it definitely just looks like those two are constantly at each other's throats.

19. Oh no! We've jumped universes, and now everyone's all weird and Wrong! What is your OC's Shattered Glass counterpart like?

Nightpurr: Impatient, energetic, sadistic. Nightpurr is neutral, and will remain neutral, but it's always been because they prefer solitude and peace over all the dramatics of the war. They like to sit quietly for endless hours and just look at animals, they love nature.

SG Nightpurr therefore would be the complete opposite, but I think they should still be fond of creatures, just in a different way. Perhaps instead of just respecting and studying them from a distance, this Nightpurr forces them to do their bidding, or catches them and keeps them in cages so they can look at them any time they want. They don't have the patience or introspection to befriend any critters, but they're going to be known as the Animal Guy whether the animals like it or not.

Havoc: Havoc's regular lore is that she's a gentle warframe who wanted to heal instead of hurt. So I'm imagining Shattered Glass Havoc's lore to be lowkey so funny. Just. Assigned to be a medic but she craves violence.

Since Mayhem was the one of the two more okay with being a soldier, and he was always Havoc's rock, so to speak, helping her keep going and do thing she did not want to do, it should be flipped in SG. Mayhem is the sweeter, soft one, and Havoc is angry and violent but holds herself back because of her friend. Until he dies, because Mayhem's death haunting the narrative is always going to happen, and in SG it's what frees Havoc from her last shackle and unleashes her. There will be carnage.

[nonclassyparty]

tuesday, 13:25, 18:02 (j.wy)

title; can you meet me halfway, right at the borderline, that's where i'm gonna wait for you, i'll be looking out, night and day, took my heart to the limit, and this is where i'll stay

summary; wooyoung is your sworn enemy but hooking up with him becomes a habit you just can't seem to quit (gen v au)

notes; part five of a drabble series called 'rule of thumb' set in the gen v universe where y/n is a bigender superhero and wooyoung is a blood bender. drabbles are posted in chronological order, there is no updating schedule.

playlist // my main masterlist // click to donate to palestine

san grumbles when wooyoung sticks his arms out between your two bodies and pushes you two apart to make room for himself in the middle.

you were showing san the drawings for an assignment that you had in one of your subjects where you had to design superhero merch. it wasn't really a useful class but you took it solely because you thought it might be fun and take some pressure off of you rather than taking something difficult for your elective to try and impress anyone.

it's not that you weren't ambitious, you'd like to be, but a bigender superhero was rarely a fan favorite and you were kind of tired this semester. if it wasn't for your friends dragging you to social events and putting your name out there, this school wouldn't care about you otherwise unless it was to use you in promotional videos to make sure everyone knows this is an 'inclusive' establishment. bullshit.

although, giving you a single-bed dorm already in your freshman year was nice. sometimes you could make due with the institution being performative.

wooyoung plasters himself to your side, looping his arm through your elbow, looking at your notebook and your brows furrow at the weird look san gives the two of you.

"oh, the little bald ones are so cute." wooyoung laughs, pointing at your top two drawings.

you frown, "that's starlight and queen maeve."

you were going to draw their hair on, of course.

he stifles a laugh, eyes holding something achingly close to endearment as he looks at you. "well, your bald starlight and queen maeve are very cute."

you pout again staring the drawings down. they weren't supposed to look cute, they were supposed to be badass.

"how were your exams?" he asks, fingers playing with the zipper of your hoodie as he presses even closer, all up in your business. you've gotten completely used to him hanging all over you, he does it to all of his friends. wooyoung is a naturally touchy and affectionate person.

"fine." you sigh, "i think i messed up one of the problems on my aerodynamics of human flight exam. it might bring my grade down."

wooyoung winces, "i doubt that's your fault, the class is a nightmare and brink always gives shit that he expects you to know even though he barely mentioned it during class or the study material."

"you got a 95 on it last year." you mumble, again embarrassed to reveal that you often compare yourself to wooyoung in terms of your academic success. you compare yourself to san and hongjoong as well but with wooyoung it's simply more personal. sworn enemies and all.

"you know that?" you stay quiet, not in the mood to disclose that you remember wooyoung jumping out of his seat last year filled with glee when the exam results were uploaded into the system.

he seems to bite back a smile, moving even closer that his nose almost brushes your cheek and you stubbornly refuse to look at him overcome with shyness. he continues quietly, "if you're not happy with your grade, i can help you prepare for the makeup exam in january, okay?"

you want to say something but you don't out of fear it'll come out choked, so you simply opt for a little nod as you pretend to do touch-ups on your (apparently) bad drawings.

"uh," you both turn to san who you completely forgot was even there, and who looks positively weirded out now. "i have class."

he turns to mingi (who you, also, forgot was even there), sitting opposite of you, "mingi you have class. let's go to class."

mingi looks up from his notebook, too engrossed in his work to pay attention to anyone else, "my class isn't for another ho-"

"you need an hour to get there, come on." san insists, already standing up and poor mingi has no choice but to pack his things up and get a move on.

san is still standing, staring at wooyoung and you, and you tilt your head to the side wondering if he's alright.

wooyoung stares blandly at him. "bye."

san opens his mouth before inevitably giving up and waving goodbye with a headshake.

well, that was weird.

"is san okay?" you ask, packing up your coloring pencils back into the pouch.

he takes your yellow pompompurin pencil case and looks at it with a small smirk before his expression turns puzzled, "what? oh, yeah. he's just an idiot."

you chuckle at that and he snorts as well when he sees the smile on your face.

"do you have anything else today?"

you shake your head.

"you wanna get food and go to my dorm?"

"okay."

-

it's a stupid question, really.

but it's been bugging you for some reason in this particular moment while wooyoung presses you against the pillows stacked up on his bed and his tongue slips inside your mouth.

he didn't give you a reason to ask it either, it was just something you were...curious about.

"are you sleeping with other people?"

wooyoung blinks at you a couple of times, face barely an inch away from yours, before he starts kissing down your neck. "no."

"why not?"

"hm?" his lips on your neck cause your breath to hitch as the warmth starts pooling in the lower pits of your stomach. you don't blame him for not following the conversation, you're barely keeping up as well.

"why not?"

he bites at your earlobe and you lightly push his arm as a reminder that you're waiting for an answer. "i don't want to."

"oh."

your lack of physical response to his advances makes him pull away. "what's the problem? do you want me to sleep with other people?"

your lips naturally tug downwards at that but you keep your thoughts to yourself. of course you don't fucking want him to sleep with other people. "it doesn't matter what i want, we aren't anything."

wooyoung groans at that, body still on top of you and holding himself up by his arms stuck on each side of your head.

"i was just curious as to why you're not?"

"and i just told you. because i don't want to."

"okay." you clear your throat feeling like you're about to walk into busy traffic on your own terms, "because you can, if you want. i don't want you to think that, like, you're not allowed or something."

"jesus christ, y/n." he gets completely off of you and sits on the bed with his legs tucked under. "okay, i get it. we're not anything and you have no problem with me sleeping with other people. i get it."

"okay." is all you can say in a much smaller voice because you kind of made him get the wrong idea. you certainly would have a problem with it but you'd never tell him that either because you know that a time will eventually come when wooyoung will find someone he actually wants. and he'll date them.

he stares at you with a frown that gets slightly deeper. "are you sleeping with other people?"

"of course not." you tell him honestly and don't miss the way his eyes glance at the left side of your chest where your heart resides. he was checking if you were telling the truth. you frown, did he really think you could want anyone else when you could be with him?

"then why do you think i am? you think i'd do something like that to you?"

"i'm not saying that." you sit up, feeling like the conversation derailed from the path you wanted it to take. you wanted wooyoung to know it was okay to have options, no matter how much it bothered you. you didn't want to be keeping him away from anything. "you wouldn't be doing anything to me, we aren't any-"

"we aren't anything, yeah, i know but i still don't want to." he firmly states, eyes gauging your reaction.

you swallow your own insecurities down and lean against his headboard. "it just makes it sound like we're exclusive or something. that's all."

"okay, maybe we should be."

"what do you mean?"

"exclusive. maybe we should be exclusive. it would be safer, for example."

"oh." you let out, scratching your cheek as you look around his room. the curtains are moved to let the sunlight in. "you'd want that?"

"i just suggested it, didn't i?"

"mmm..." you think about it, blush rising to your cheeks under his watchful gaze as he moves closer so that his leg is thrown over your thigh and he's nestled into your side.

you feel like being exclusive will only hurt you more in the long run but then again it will hurt in smaller fractions as well if wooyoung sleeps with other people.

one big hurt versus a dozen of smaller ones...they might inflict the same amount of pain if calculated properly. so you might as well decide to do it all at once when the time eventually comes. hopefully, it will feel like ripping off a band-aid.

"okay. we can be exclusive or...or if we decide to sleep with someone else we should tell each other. y'know, for safety reasons."

wooyoung's head picks up so he can look at you again, chin resting on your shoulder as he stares at you in frustration. "those are two entirely different things. i want to be exclusive, i don't want you to sleep with someone else and then come tell me about it."

you huff, "i won't be sleeping with other people."

you can't even imagine it really. you think wooyoung might've ruined you for other people. asshole.

"good. neither will i." he says simply, hand rubbing over your clothed stomach. "great. now that that's out of the way, do you want to pick up where we left off or do you want to do something else?"

you want to ask 'what else would we even do?' but you know that it will hurt his feelings again and you hate yourself for hurting him. it would be pretense either way. despite all the walls and boundaries you've put up, he's somehow managing to weasel his way through them one by one as the time goes by.

it would be a lie on your part to say that wooyoung and you have the same relationship you've had at the beginning of the semester let alone last year.

you've grown significantly closer, maybe even too close to the point where it's hard to distinguish where the friendship ends and wishful thinking begins. and you know the longer you allow for this to go on, the harder it will be to not get completely wrapped up in your delusions where wooyoung and you could be something more.

for now, you just kiss him though. you run your fingers through his soft hair and try to pour everything you are too afraid to say into the kiss, hoping he might understand. or hoping he might not.

it would be okay if whatever you tell him through kisses remains your little secret. he doesn't have to know.

[self-shipping-doll13]

Cats Drabble

Sequel to Warmth | Claws

Wc: 1003

Propped up on a small hill made of cushions on the bed, I laughed as the cats raced loops around each other. With their tails all fluffed up, wide-eyed and hyper, they tended to set each other off on rampages like torches to pitch. Ivar was quick to pull me closer to him when he decided I was too far away, one arm wrapped around my waist. The resounding tap of a piece set down on the Hnefatafl board, a triumphant sound, was enough to tell me he’d won the game.

I’d already figured I’d lost, and had made my peace with it a few minutes before. “They're so cute.”

“Cute?” Ivar said disbelievingly. “They’re stupid.”

“Don’t be mean,” I chided. “They’re only babies.” Though I couldn’t help but snicker when they were rolling around on the pelts so desperately. “But yes...”

Stretching, he reached over for his mug of ale. “And they have also been spoiled since the moment they opened their eyes.” Giving it a cursory look over to check if it was full enough, he turned to me with mocking relish. “Who’s fault is that, I wonder?”

“So they can grow up healthy and strong.”

Ivar took a loud sip. “They eat more than I do, Dagny.”

“I didn’t think that was possible,” I said archly.

Whilst doing so, I gave them a sidelong glance. The two tumbling brothers were not really kittens anymore; they had grown much larger, the fine, pinprick needlepoints of their natural weaponry sharpened and honed. Still, they had retained so much youthful energy from those first days, they were as much of a handful now as they were when they were tiny and squirming. Late at night, they’d yowl and peel frantic laps across our bedchamber, claws skittering wildly over the floors. Despite the fact that I was their primary source of food, love and attention, oftentimes they would ignore me and try to play with Ivar—likely because Ivar so pointedly ignored them. My problem, not his. But like spoiled, needy children, they would leap up onto his pillow, amble over, tug his braids, swat his cheeks, and wind their soft, flexible bodies around his face, so he woke up with their little hairs stuck in his mouth.

Recalling this, I stared at him, smug and sly. “But I have seen you before with the cats. Don’t deny it! Sleeping with them lying on your chest. It’s adorable.”

Ivar’s expression soured at that, and I grinned. “Only since they won’t leave me alone,” he protested.

“You never push them off.”

“That’s because they come right back,” he argued with a sweeping gesture, knocking down his troop of Tafl’ winners by accident. “They’re stubborn.”

“Maybe they love you.”

Raising my brows, I acted as if this was an end to any possible challenges. But in truth I did suspect that—even though they annoyed him—Ivar had now developed a begrudging fondness for the kittens. I’d caught him one day, scratching the bluer-coated one idly under his chin when he thought I wasn’t looking.

He scoffed at me, rolled his eyes, and took another generous swig of his drink. “They climb all over me, they steal my food and they won’t let me sleep.”

“Isn’t that what I do? That’s love.”

Ivar, unexpectedly, had a sweet look on his face then.

“You,” he said softly, with his breath tickling my cheeks like feathers. “You are love.” My lashes fluttered shut as he coaxed me into a gentle kiss. “And I love you…”

“I love you too,” I said as soon as I was able. The corners of my mouth hurt from grinning too widely.

“Besides.” Ivar was rubbing circles on my hip. “I think you are much better at doing those things.”

“Oh, is that so? How do I do them better?” I prompted.

“It is the way you climb on top of me, and the way you steal my food, and the way you won’t let me sleep.”

“Fine distinctions.”

“Then I’ll elaborate,” he said, playing along.

“You sit on my lap like you belong there,” Ivar patted my rump affectionately, for emphasis. “And you do. With a beautiful smile on your pretty face. The way you steal my food…” He continued to explain, “… is annoying. But you also feed me, so it balances out.”

“And I keep you from sleeping to do other, more enjoyable things,” I finished.

“Mm,” Ivar hummed. Distantly came the sound of something fragile being crashed into in the background, which I no longer had much concern for. “No. You’re never convincing me to get more”

I spluttered. “What are you on about? I’m not trying to.”

He made a face, raising a finger to tap my pouting bottom lip. “You think I don’t know how you are?”

“This is slander,” I turned away in pretend defiance, only to see a knocked over chest—mine. One cat flounced innocently through the wreckage, stopping to lick himself. The other was conked out by the firepit. “But I get the point…” Two were definitely enough.

“Let’s have another game. I’ll beat you this time,” I announced to him cheerfully. He only chuckled and shook his head, as if that scenario was ridiculous. I managed to untangle myself from his hold, which had become as sticky and sweet as honey, in order to clean up the tokens that had spilled out of the fallen box. Then it struck me that I was thirsty, so I lazily snatched up a tankard of mead to refill our cups. When I glanced back, I saw Ivar in concentration, gathering up all the carved wooden pieces to set up our board again.

What a long, boring Summer it would be while I was not by his side to do all those things we’d spoken of, to make him smile and pull me into breathless kisses.

“One thing a cat can’t do is play ‘Tafl,” I said plaintively.

“So? Neither can you.”

And then I tossed my slipper at him.

Dividers by @/thecutestgrotto

[gauntlets-shot]

Vi wasn't avid to touch, the only person she had let touch her or be affectionate in any sort of way was her father and they barely hugged nowadays. Caitlyn, on the other hand, was an exception and a half. Whenever their hands touched, it was like a shock went through Vi's body that made her feel alive. How could she not love that? That's why she didn't retreat when Caitlyn took her hand to gently play with as they spoke. "I know," Vi replied when the woman told her she was tired. There was a deepness to her voice, a sympathy interwoven in her tone as her worry filled eyes focused in on Caitlyn. "That's good. The medicine. Maybe it could even help jog your memory." Vi doubted it, if anything, medicine and painkillers made her brain feel more sluggish but she could still hope.

The sympathy in Vi's eyes quickly turned into guilt as Caitlyn continued to speak. "I still think it's her fault," She decided to say. "I mean, who wouldn't want to work with you? You're hella smart and you have that passion a real hero needs. It's Crimson's loss, if I'm going to be honest," She said and joined in on Caitlyn's light laughter to try to cover her own tracks as well as support her friend. Vi felt all the air leave her lungs when Caitlyn's hand found her cheek. It's like the woman was using a magnet on her to keep her eyes from looking anywhere else. No. That was just the power of Caitlyn. "That's sweet, cupcake, but you can't be putting all that responsibility on your shoulders. I can defend myself, so can my dad. We're scrappy, you know that. Life throws us for a loop and I send back a harsh uppercut," She said and cracked a small smile. Vi leaned in though ans gently squeezed her hand. "But thank you," She whispered and gave her a small nod. "Ehm, anyways, did the doctor say you were just staying overnight then they were gonna let you out? Or do they wanna keep you for further care?"

@ferinehuntress

When Vi immediately told her no, she quietly agreed to it. Perhaps the only person Caitlyn would listen to as she leaned back against the bed and stopped trying to get up. Still, she wanted to touch Vi in some way, even if it was just her hand. "Vi, I'm okay," Caitlyn tried to comfort with her words but the sadness in her eyes couldn't be ignored. Did she feel guilt? How could she know, this had been her choice? Slowly she moved her hand up to grasp onto Vi's and shrugged. "I don't remember much, the doctor said I hit my head hard so amnesia is normal. They said I may start to remember over time, but they said I might not remember anything that happened either," Caitlyn didn't like not knowing, she had little flashes and glimpses. Crimson carrying her, something... large and furry. Her eyes closed as she pressed her hand up against her forehead as she just couldn't remember.

"I'm sorry you heard about it that way. I wanted to call you but, I haven't fully been awake," The wild fling of questions caused Caitlyn to freeze as she tried to process what she wanted to explain. "I'm tired," That sounded like an understatement and Caitlyn smiled a little. "I don't hurt anymore though, the medicine helps," Her fingers squeezed Vi's hand and she rolled onto her side to pull it up against her chest. "The last thing I remember was leaving my shop. I, I got some intel about some creature. It's not Crimson's fault though, I went by myself. Crimson just, doesn't want a partner. I wanted to help her, but she kept pushing away, so I took matters into my own hands," Caitlyn laughed softly and shook her head before her lips pulled into a frown. "I just want to help. you know I have this power, these abilities, I... what is the point of having them if I don't use them to help people? To stop these creatures from hurting other people," Caitlyn flicked her eyes up to Vi, and her other hand reached out to cup her cheek.

"What if they hurt you and your family, and all I did was just.... sit back and do nothing? I have to do something, I have to protect you," Her body curled around Vi's hand as she closed her eyes.

"I will not let the world hurt you again,"