#“are you loyal to the ones you trust” violently yes but also what is trust. i could do length for my friends and lover

[nanowired-lover]

Getting a little too existential about a DND clas test bc I want to answer truthfully on how i act and feel irl and not talk about my goals i don't even act upon but also i don't want to end up in a class that is bascially "ur an edgelord ahah" bitch no i'm just an autistic adult with ADHD and no sense of real trust since I'm a child bc I might be a bit paranoid. But also. A fucking empathic, silly and emotional bastard who both hate and is in love with the world

[sausage-rolll]

Elden ring DLC ending spoilers

It's really interesting how Ranni and Miquella’s goals for godhood are basically polar opposites.

Ranni wants to create a better world through absolute freedom while Miquella wants to create a better wolrd through absolute control.

-

Ranni believes in and strives for absolute freedom. Both for herself and for all other residents of the world. She doesn’t want to use her power of godhood to rule over the lands between as queen, but instead decides to watch on from a distance and let the people of the world decide for themselves how to live. For better or for worse.

You can also see this in the way she treats her followers. She never forces anyone to do anything. She's borderline remorseful of just how loyal Blaidd and Ijji are towards her, and says in her own words that they are "willing to give to much for her."

It also extends to how she interacts with the tarnished. She holds unimaginable power over them. Able to kill them instantly with a mere glance if she so chooses. But she very rarely does. No matter what you do in her questline, the only time she'll get truly furious enough with them to the point of using that power is if the Tarnished attempts to use Seluvis' tonic on her.

You can ignore her orders in the second half of the questline, betray and attack her right at the end and even straight up not summon her at the end of the game, and the only time she'll ever actively be a threat to you is if you attempt to take away her bodily autonomy.

-

Miquella however has no qualms with controlling others to benefit himself, and to force them to do his bidding.

Whether you're friend or foe, you're never truly safe from his powers.

He uses his powers to force his followers to get along and follow in his footsteps. Even ones that are unshakingly loyal to him aren’t spared from having their rougher edges smoothed off by his ability.

He uses his powers to make connections and further his goals. Stealing Mohg’s heart and taking advantage of him to enter the lands of shadow and then later, after he's taken all he can, goes on to desecrate his corpse.

He also likely uses his powers on Radahn, as I wholeheartedly believe that he did not accept Miquella’s proposal to become his consort.

The dude's a golden order loyalist that thrives on the battle ground. I don't see him suddenly siding with Miquella to make the world a "gentler place." Especially since him and Malenia got into such a violent battle during the shattering. And how there's no record anywhere in the game about the connection between Miquella and Radahn.

Because it's entirely one sided.

And the worst part of it all is that he'll convince you that it was your thoughts and feelings all along.

-

Ranni's age is an age of doubt and fear because there's truly no knowing how people will chose to move forward with their strings severed. You've just got to put your trust in the good of people and hope that they can manage make the world a better place now that they're free of the god's petty power squabbles.

Miquella's age would be akin to a gilded cage. Peaceful and gentle, but the furthest thing from free that the lands between has ever been. You can't even trust that your own thoughts, feelings and devotion are genuine, because no matter your stance or standing, Miquella the god is all too willing to twist your mind if it will in any way benefit him. And if he for some reason can't? Well, he's got one of the most terrifying and powerful demigods in existence under his control.

If you don't agree with him or like him, Yes you do! Remember? You always have silly! And you always will...

[everydayyoulovemeless]

FNV Companions (+Victor and Yes Man) Ranked From Best to Worst Yandere's

➼ Word Count » 0.6k ➼ Warnings » Yandere Themes, Stalking, Manipulation ➼ Genre » Romantic/Platonic, Yandere, Whumpee/Whumper

1. Yes Man wouldn't ever dream of doing anything that you'd dislike. He's always at your beck and call, waiting for any orders he can carry out for you. He's complacent, understanding, and very loyal to you and whatever cause you're aiming for. That alone makes him the best on this list, only downside is that he’s wayyy too obsessive and worship-y.

2. Veronica is so head over heels in love with you that it's almost wholesome? You won't even be able to tell that anything wrong due to how gentle she is with you. She's always getting you gifts, taking you out on dates, and if you ever talked to any of the other Brotherhood members, they'd roll their eyes and say that 'of course they know you, Veronica never stops gushing!'. The only yandere aspect about her is the slight stalking she does whenever you do anything without her.

3. Cass might have a bit of a jealous streak, but she means well. She'd never dream of harming you or anyone you're considerably close to, she'd hate if you had to lose someone you cared for. Instead, she normally relies on her louder personality to scare off any 'competition' she might have. She's more of a bodyguard than a threat, only wanting your safety in the Mojave and you'll sure be getting that when you travel with her.

4. Victor’s honestly pretty chill. The only reason he’s below Cass is that he’s way more likely to ‘get rid’ of someone for your sake. He also, by default, has to be a lot more obsessed with you as he needs that extra motivation to override parts of House’s programming to be able to act in the ways he deems necessary. Such as wandering the Mojave with you instead of staying at his post, and shooting his rockets on his own accord.

5. Arcade isn’t violent, but he is manipulative. The others above him are way more relaxed than he’d ever be, which is why he’s been placed 5th. He’ll always make remarks about how you’re ‘friends’ are all fake, and that he’s the only one you could — the only one you should ever trust and confide in.

6. Raul manages to convince himself that what he's doing is in your best interest, and that's what makes him so dangerous to be around. Everything he does is justified in his mind and he won't be willing to compromise. Everything is on the table with him, whether that be making threats or full-on murder. He's done this all before and he refuses to lose you like he has everyone else, even at the cost of his own life.

7. Lily’s schizophrenia mixed with her fear of losing another one of her grandkids causes her to become incredibly controlling and overprotective over you. She’ll constantly be asking where you’re headed or who you’ve been talking to, worried that you’ll somehow be harmed or corrupted in some way or another. Leo doesn’t help either, in fact, he encourages her behavior because a part of it makes him stronger.

8. Boone doesn’t care how you feel about what he’s doing, he’s still gonna do it. He’s the lowest on this list for a reason, and that reason is he’s the quickest to act with violence. There’s nothing that could ever stop him from pulling out his rifle and taking out whoever it is he wants. He’ll isolate you, injure you, try and keep you complacent with horrific stories. As long as you’re alive, Boone is happy, but that state you’re in doesn’t matter.

[http-paprika]

All American Bitch / Alex Keller

my submission for @glitterypirateduck ‘s Alex Keller Challenge, with the prompts I don’t care what they say, you can do better than that, are you flirting or starting a fight, and is this what you wanted

wc 1260 / pairing alex keller x f!reader / warnings swearing, suggestive content but nothing graphic / reader's digression advised

summary after being snubbed countless times by your supervisor, alex decides to help you alleviate your rage.

notes yes the title and fic are inspired by the olivia rodrigo song. alex refers to reader as boss but she's not his boss. he still works with the CIA in this fic and i have no idea how the CIA works, so, inaccuracies. also, i wrote this on my phone while i had nothing to do at work, so it’s not edited.

It had been a long day, nauseatingly long as you finally managed to escape meeting after meeting, brutal briefings and overall snubbing you received from your supervisor. Your case, the one you’d spent months meticulously gathering intel, fighting tooth and nail to be given the resources needed to get off the ground, had been snatched right from under you. And all in favor of your supervisor’s asshole of a son who had spent the day gloating over the fact that it was now his case, and you would have to answer to him.

You fumed with rage, having forced yourself to hold it all in, you didn’t need to be punished further. The CIA had already beat you up enough, denying you promotions and undermining your work. And were it not for Laswell convincing you to stay, and your pretty boyfriend, you tell yourself you’d leave. It was clear enough that you were replaceable, they might not say it out loud, but your employers make it known. It didn’t matter how long you’d been there or how hard you worked, it was never enough for them.

“Hey! I finally got that report you asked for, was a little difficult, had to use some of my Keller charm but I—“ Alex enters your office— the one you shared with a co-worker who never showed up but still had his job— freezing and dropping his signature grin when he spotted the hot, red anger that painted your face.

“Give the report to Aarons.” You snap back at him, a little too harshly. Quickly, you reel yourself in, apologizing profusely to Alex. Because a girl like you always had to be forgiving and kind, even if you were angry at everything around you.

“Why’d I give it to Aarons? It’s not his case, you’re the leader, he’s just a glorified desk jockey.” Your boyfriend chuckles, dropping the manilla folder down on your desk while he leans against it. “Can’t even speak Arabic, the only reason he’s got a passport is so he can vacation in the Bahamas. The hell would he do in Urzikstan?”

Alex’s points only added fuel to your growing flame, reminding you that it was by name alone at Aarons had been handed over the job. The man was inexperienced, prideful, and would throw anyone under the bus to save his own ass, and with your horrid luck, it would be you if the mission went south.

“What’s wrong, boss? Why do you look like a firecracker that can’t explode?” He sobers up, wanting to find the root of the problem, like always. You’d compared him once to a loyal golden retriever and the image stuck in your mind since. It was almost endearing how eager Alex was to help you and keep you happy.

“Aarons is in charge of the mission from now on, they didn’t even say anything to me until this morning when they announced it to the whole team. I got fucking blindsided!” You exclaim, letting the anger seep into your words before recollecting yourself. “Sorry, I’m sure you don’t want to hear my complaining.”

If anyone else heard the complaining or the loud, violent anger, you knew you’d get written up. Giving your supervisor even more of a reason to take what you’d fought for and give to his trust fund son. And that pissed you off, you couldn’t have anything anymore it seemed, you couldn’t do anything without it being seen as wrong. Even your relationship with Alex had been criticized by your employers for being unprofessional, despite how many of your other co-workers dated around the office.

“Aren’t you the one who tells me I shouldn’t be making assumptions? So how do you know I don’t want to hear it? Come on, boss. Hit me with it, give me your best shot. I can handle a bit of anger, I’ve seen worse.” The last sentence made you raise an eyebrow, coming to realize that he was purposefully riling you up. Alex wanted to get under your skin, make you kick and scream until you’d blown off enough steam.

“I’m not doing this,” You state, annoyed by his proposition. The antics he could get away with, you didn’t have the luxury of. Alex was the star operative, he could do no wrong in the eyes of your supervisors. And sometimes, it rubbed you wrong.

“Aren’t you sick of being the better man, boss? Letting them walk all over you, taking away your credit? Come on, where’s your backbone? You can do better than that.” Taking deep breaths, you try to ignore him as he starts impersonating Aarons, waiting to see how long it would take you to finally let loose and scream. Alex knows you too well, knows how you swallow back your words and attempt to stay the picture perfect operator. Knows that despite your countless attempts, they wouldn’t see how talented and wonderful you were, not like he would.

“I told you, I’m not doing this.” Still though, you held back even as your anger ebbed away at you. He shook his head, amazed by your stubbornness and moved around the desk so that he was now behind you. His large hands resting on your shoulders, messaging them and loosening your tightened muscles.

“One way or another, I’m gonna get that frustration out of you boss. You’re just gonna decide how you want it.” His voice is like honey, the warmth of his breath tickling your ear before he moves his mouth down, peppering kisses underneath the collar of your shirt, leaving small marks where no one else but him would see.

“Alex—“ You groan, knowing the problems that could arise because of his behavior. “Someone’s gonna see.”

“So? Let them, boss, I don’t care what they say. They’re jealous of you anyway, how smart you are—“ He says, sucking on your tender skin, causing you to reach up and grab onto his hair. “—How talented you are, how fucking gorgeous you look when you’re working. You make me the luckiest man in this whole goddamn place.”

His instant praises continue as he moves his hands to the hem of your shirt, squeezing and running his hands over your soft skin. You can feel the tension easing, your head spinning as he kisses along your jaw. “Feeling better yet, boss? Or do you need more?”

You bite back a moan as his hands grip at the sensitive skin, moving them up under your bra and kneading. His mouth never lets up, staying attached to your neck, alternating from biting and kissing. After you squeeze your eyes shut, you think you’re seeing stars right there in your office, and when he abruptly stops you let out an annoyed huff.

“Is this what you wanted?” You ask him, having come completely undone and turning into a panting, shivering mess. Your body aching for the warmth of his hands.

Cupping your chin, Alex makes you look up at him, his pale blue eyes gleaming along with a smirk on his face. “I don’t know. Did I instill enough confidence in you to go get what’s yours?”

“Is this an attempt at flirting with me, or getting me to start a fight with Aarons?” His smirk manages to grow bigger at your question, and he bends down pressing a kiss on your lips.

“I support women’s rights. And wrongs, boss. Give him fucking hell if you want.”

[han4el]

Theory: The way people take care and store their things it's often the same as the way they take care and address their feelings, values and boundaries.

Examples:

1) someone who just leaves their belongings wherever and doesn't think too much about it, might be the type of person that doesn't really take into account their personal rules when it comes to their stability or well-being. These kind of people are social and moral butterflies and kind of forget to satisfy their own needs, especially if they also forget where they put those things (they also get mental fog a lot) If they remember every place perfectly even if they didn't pay attention when leaving that thing, then this person is just chaotic in nature and chooses to live this way (also thinking they shouldn't fix issues that don't exist, even if they have them....they just don't see them as being bad enough to need to be "fixed").

2) someone who forgets they have something in their hand or just walks with a lot of stuff in their hands, even if they don't need them, might be very anxious to let go of their feelings or express them. They also tend to linger on past interactions and events a lot.

3) the people who are very picky with what they buy or tend to take care meticulously and regularly of their belongings are usually very loyal to their feelings and values (and the people they based them on or just share them with, like their partners or family). They're usually laid back about all that ever-changing drama, like romance, trends or simply doing something just because it felt nice for one second. For them quality and lasting things are much more important and they value structure a lot.

4) messy, careless and oblivious people are the same when it comes to their personal life or internal experiences. Usually very NOT trustworthy. Even though they might not be like this because they intend to, they still affect a lot the structures other people create in their lives. Just because "it's not their fault, but the environment's in which they grew up in" it doesn't mean you have to "save them from themselves". First of all, they might not even perceive it as actual help, so they definitely won't want it. Secondly, your personal life WILL suffer after this. You'll just get as messy as them. You might know how to help them when looking at their situation objectively, but, trust me, you won't be as good at assessing the same situation once you're put in the spot of experiencing it subjectively. Almost the same as 1), except this one is more easier to spot.

5) greedy people. They think that they're the only ones who experience and feel something the way they do and some people are just not born for some things. They might consider themselves as being entitled to something or someone and expect the same thing from others. But not if they get aggressive and violent when you take their things from them. In this case they're just scared of losing themselves. Everything and everyone they own (yes, everyone) are almost like a part of themselves. If you take it from them, they'll feel like losing themselves. Some might act very actively upon this, some might be calmer, but in both cases this will trigger an identity crisis. It's just that some people are okay with it, while others not so much.

6) someone who is very careful with their stuff is someone who understands the depth of his own experiences and knows when is the right time to deal with something. They don't share their inner life with someone else until they are 100% sure it's worth it.

— how to test this theory: look at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th house placements, look at the state of the moon, mercury, venus and saturn.

— easier to spot on people with: earth moon, earth mercury, earth venus, earth dominance, 2nd house placements (especially moon and venus), moon/venus-mercury/neptune/saturn aspects, 2nd/4th house ruler in air houses (debatable), earth/water risings, earth 4th house/imum coeli.

* This is based on my observations and I'm not a professional astrologer. Please, feel free to ask any questions or tell me your opinion on this.

[rozeliyawashereyall]

♡Lynette Vega♡

Here it is!! The lore post about my girl!! @aspenm00n @ccstiles

Full name: Lynette 'Artemis' Vega

Nicknames: Lyn. Annette. Pretty bug. Star eyes. Bed bug.

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: pansexual/demisexual

Gender: AFAB

Realm: Al'terra

Hometown: Montell

Ethnicity and Race: middle eastern/human

Birthday: 29th of October

Age: 24 years old

Height: 5'5

Weight: 164 lbs

Disorders: Synesthesia and dyslexia

Job occupation: wandering doctor and an altruist for halfbloods.

MBTI: INFP-A

Family members

Believe it or not this girl's family is both alive and healthy.

Lynette was born in a loving home with caring parents and 3 older brothers. They were all followers of Kel.

Her brothers—from oldest to youngest, are: Aayan (33 y/o), Elias (27 y/o), Rowan (26 y/o). Lynette has a strong bond with all of them, they all have occasional hangouts where they catch up on everything they miss.

Aayan is a doctor, he was what inspired Lynette to become one as well. Elias is a temple guard, and Rowan is an architect!

Lynette's bond with her parents, Nadia and Samuel, is just as strong as the one with her brother—if not a little more. Her parents were strict but loving, making sure Lyn and her brothers are living comfortably and happily.

Nadia used to be a wandering doctor, but now is a stay at home mother, while Samuel is a famous architect

So yeah—the Vega family is both functional and loving

Important backstory events

TW! Implied SA, slight gore description, and suppressed trauma.

Lynette mostly had a normal childhood, the first major thing that happened..

I. At 7 years old. Lynette and her brother, Rowan, were attacked by a wolf halfblood. They weren't sure if he was drugged or just violent towards humans, all they knew was they were in danger and bleeding profusely. They were both saved by a dawnbreaker, unfortunately it was a little late for her brother—his vocal chords were completely destroyed, beyond saving. Rowan went mute after that, and Lynnette was both guilty and traumatized by this incident..

II. At 9 years old. Little Lyn had to stay with a distant family member that she didn't really...like. It was all going okay, up until the last day. She was stuck in a room with 'snakes' wrapping around her. It felt wrong, it was wrong.

Lynette never felt clean after that incident.

But she never spoke a word.

III. At 13 years old. Lynette meets Tony! Yes, that Tony. It was a slow developed friendship, but a loyal one. They were both great friends to each other, having hangouts every weekend where they pulled pranks, made makeshift jewelry for the other, and gave comfort when one of them was sad.

Lynette also started learning first aid from her big brother, Aayan. He taught her everything he knew, and little Lyn was a very fast learner. Memorising all the medical terminologies in less than a week.

IV. at 15 years old. Lynette officially sets her goal to be a doctor, and help everyone, including halfbloods. Her family was against it..the helping halfblood thing, especially after the incident with her brother. But they let her be, as long as she stays safe, that's what matters.

Her friends were confused about her decision.. especially Tony. Why would you help what hurt you? But they trusted her enough to not get too involved with halfbloods..

V. At 18 years old. Lynette graduated! This was an especially special day in her life! She can finally get started on her medical degree—and she does!

Another event that happened here..a day after her graduation, Tony confesses, and boy was the feeling mutual. And so..Tony and Lynette were officially a couple from then on!

VI. At 20 years old. Her goal to become a doctor was annoyingly slow..so, she decided she'll finish 2 more years, and become a wanderer, only to learn about all the different methods of healing, the different cultures of it. Her parents weren't too worried, her mother did the same thing when she was her age.

VII. At 22 years old. Lynette and Tony unfortunately decided to break up. Their views were far too different, it was like they were strangers to each other rather than lovers. So, they decided to part ways, and pretend they never knew each other.

This was also when Lynnette discovered the sanctuary, they were short on medical supplies and she offered her help—but of course, they were all extremely suspicious of her, but as time went on, she would gain everyone's trust.

VIII. At 23 years old. Lynette meets..Marco.

It was an interesting friendship..a halfblood and a human. Lyn found him injured in a forest, of course she had to help him, and she did.

And slowly, it turned from a friendship to a relationship.

Lil facts about Lynette.

-The nicknames Lyn and Annette were from her parents, pretty bug was from Tony, star eyes from Marco. She doesn't mind which nickname others call her.

however! The nickname "Artemis" was given to her by the halfbloods in the sanctuary. Since she'd take the role of both a protector and a healer for the younger creatures.

-she can speak Arabic! Also very soft spoken.

-she's mostly a complete mystery to all cities and kingdoms in all of Al'terra, but her life story is surprisingly very well known in the sanctuary.

-the scar on her cheek is from when she was attacked by the wolf halfblood.

-the owner of Maria's raven boyfriend /hj

-she still has a good relationship with her family, even after wandering away.

-Lynette is a very shy and quiet person, but she's extremely adventurous.

-Not really a talker, she speaks in actions. But give her some time, and she'll be more open with you.

-she helps halfbloods in rehab, ones who were stuck in the arena and addicted to Malasythe. She's always patient with them, even when getting yelled at and continuously insulted.

-she's very observant of others emotions, reading everyone like a book.

-Lyn's a decent fighter..but really only fights when there's no other choice.

-while very into medicine.. she's also very into poison. Sometimes even making her own special brew of them.

-does not sleep.

-she hasn't met Bodie and Timmy....yet.

-her timeline takes place in the same universe as Warren x Bodie /srs

That's all! For now. I'm definitely remaking this soon after I flesh out her story more.

[eularin]

I'm sitting there calmly writing my story when out of nowhere my brain says: hey, you like obkk and HP so much, why not sketch out an idea about it?

Me: sure! An obkk in a Hogwarts AU sounds great!

Brain: yes, but how about this: master of death Harry Potter finds post-War 4 Obito wandering in limbo (or in the pure lands alone, he gets distracted and strays too far to the point of getting lost there) and then the two meet, talk, exchange their sad life stories, complain a lot about destiny, the Magical World and the Shinobi World, they talk a lot about the difference between Magic and Chakra and they lose track of time.

They become fast friends (they have a lot in common: both orphans; both were neglected; both were chess pieces in someone else's chess game older than them; both had painful losses in life; both were child soldiers - of course, they also have numerous differences between them.

Harry remained steadfast and loyal through it all and Obito fell and embraced his family's madness)

Obito has to go back to Rin, but he is lost and Harry thinks: why not accompany his new friend back to where he belongs? He also wants to meet this Rin for whom Obito suffered so much that he succumbed to madness and wanted to destroy his home world just to "fix things for everyone".

So they walk together. At some point, the three reunite and Harry makes another friend.

Rin is all friendly, warm-heartedness, but she's also cunning and manipulative (bc she's a ninja, duh). She quickly realizes that there's more to Harry Potter than meets the eye (she's been dead for a long time, she's had time to meet her fair share of other souls in the pure lands, and she's also met those "special" souls who are human but also not. Rin doesn't know exactly why these differences exist, but they do, and that always means something. She sees Harry Potter, she knows he's different. The moment she laid eyes on Obito, she also knew he was different, that he became different - just like Madara, Indra, Ashura, Hashirama, the Sage Hagoromo, the souls of the summoning animals, etc.)

Rin knows that at some point her time in the pure lands will end and she doesn't want to leave Obito alone (or Kakashi), she's a smart girl even if she didn't manage to become a powerful woman. But smartness is also a kind of power, right? (She just wants to see her boys happy)

Anyway, Rin is the one who gives the idea for these two insanely powerful (and lonely) men in front of her to get out of limbo and go "enjoy life."

I'm not sure how the argument goes, but it's all Rin's fault. She's great at manipulating Obito's massive guilt and Harry is really tempted to get to know this weird, violent, broken world of ninjas (please remember he's a 20th/21st century guy) - he's only thinking about it bc of the chakra and the talking animals! That's what he's really interested in. (He doesn't want to be anyone's savior, nor does he have a hero complex. Obito is on the same page)

They just want to go on a tourist trip. That's right. Harry is the foreign tourist and Obito is his guide.

(This is the main idea of my possible future story.)

So there's a huge debate about time (?) or dimensional travel. I'm leaning towards the former.

Rin is like: 😇🤭 ~ seeing his plan working out

Harry is like: 🤔 Hmm, possible? Yeah. Maybe. Let me think

Obito is like: 🤨? Seriously you're considering it? There's nothing good in that terrible, violent world for you to see. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.

Rin is like: Hey! Don't say that Obito! You only cared about seeing the miserable side of the world that you forgot to see the little good things. Oh, Harry! You'll love learning about chakra, our culture! Oh you'll love talking animals!

Harry: Talking animals?

Rin: Yes! Lots of talking animals that use chakra and also fight!

That's it. That hooks Harry. He loves animals and has always wanted to talk to animals other than snakes. (Also, Harry is an Animagus too. I don't know which one, but it definitely has to be an animal that flies; Obito can kind of transform into a Whomping Willow tree, just so you know.)

So the new adventure begins!

Oh! We can't forget about Kakashi. He's going to be a very present character in the story. At first he's a sad and broken ANBU, but soon he discovers that Obito is alive and traveling the world, lost on the road of life accompanied by a very suspicious man. And they're very good friends.

Yes, can you imagine how this is going to go? Kakashi isn't jumping to the right conclusions here. And this is Obito coming back from the dead! Or not coming back, considering that Obito doesn't seem to want to return to Konoha any time soon. Kakashi really isn't acting rationally, please understand his side (he's jealous, suspicious and wants to lock Obito away in a safe place where he'll never get out and get hurt again.)

I'm not sure if this story is supposed to be a M/M/M threesome, but obkk it's a definite couple. Obito is just navigating this weird dynamic (he's learned a lot in his life as a missing-nin, but romance? Sorry, he didn't have time.)

Harry is just trying not to get bitten by his friend's friend.

And Kakashi is just marking his territory without realizing he's marking his territory. (Give him a break! He's been feeling a lot of uncontrolled feelings lately.)

The rest of the people around are having fun at their expense. (That is until Obito or Harry does something totally weird because they are who they are, and Kakashi bites someone for real. 😬 Minato probably won't be laughing anymore)

~~

edit: imagine the reverse: Obito being the tourist in the Wizarding world with Harry as his guide. Obito is fascinated by all things magical but especially dragons. REAL DRAGONS that FLY and breathe fire! Do you really think this possessive, hot-blooded, fire-breathing Uchiha man wouldn't steal a dragon egg for himself? and illegally bring it to the Elemental Nations?

That's it. That's the idea. Now I must resume the incomplete chapter of my other story. 👋🏻

[sephirthoughts]

K for the ship ask game, please: What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Thank you for the ask, anon! 🖤

In any video game, Majima Goro, hands down. Best character development ever. I have ugly-cried many times over Yakuza Zero. I love Kiryu but his arc is nothing compared to Majima's. I'm a sucker for beaten dog turns into a big bad wolf tropes. He goes from eager kid, to beaten dog, to disillusioned young man, to the scariest motherfucker on the planet, all through personal pain and sacrifice. He seems to have lost his mind later, but it becomes apparent through what he does rather than what he says, that despite his acting like a violent psychopath for funsies (and because that's his carefully cultivated public image), he is very clear minded, always loyal, never fails his promises, and retains his strong sense of honor and integrity.

If we're talking about FF7 specifically, I really like Tseng's arc. From joining the Turks as this gung-ho teenager who wanted to save the soldiers instead of the Shinra weaponry, then slowly getting hardened and sharpened by the brutal reality of his world, and yet retaining his personal sense of integrity and loyalty (seeing a theme here?), and having a very clear cut moral bottom line.

Not saying it's a benevolent one, just that it's a clear one. He will absolutely drop the Sector 7 plate potentially killing thousands, but he won't drop it on Aerith. Later, when Reno and Rude are dealing with the guilt over their actions, he tries to console them by giving them ways to excuse themselves (even though they're not having any of it).

The most outstanding example of his personal integrity is when Zack asks him to take care of Aerith and insists Tseng is the only one he can trust. Tseng does that deeply ironic laugh, which thick-skulled Zack doesn't understand, but to the viewer, is very intelligible. He laughs because Zack is unknowingly asking him to not only give up the girl he loves to Zack, but also to keep protecting her for when Zack returns.

Please note that I do NOT personally ship them, but I don't care if it's never made explicit, I am not six years old and subtext is a valid means of canonical storytelling. Tseng is very clearly in love with Aerith too. Zack doesn't know that, and naively leaves the girl he loves in the care of a man who also loves her. EXCEPT! it's not naive because that man is Tseng. Zack is his friend. He promised he'd take care of her for Zack, and he does. His integrity is his bottom line.

And he doesn't half-ass it or try to slide into her DMs in the proverbial sense. He keeps every one of those letters and genuinely intends to give them to Zack. He tries earnestly to find and save him, knowing Aerith loves Zack and not him, because he is loyal to his friend. Also BECAUSE he loves Aerith and she loves Zack. He loves her MORE than he wants to be with her, and getting Zack home safely to her is what will make her happy, even if it means that happiness is with another man.

And, perhaps most tellingly, he keeps his feelings to himself and never ever makes them HER PROBLEM. He doesn't seem to think Aerith will ever care for him, or that it would ever be possible for them to be together even if she did, but he constantly makes decisions to benefit her anyway, within the scope his loyalty to the Turks and Rufus allows. He doesn't technically break the rules but he bends them to the very extreme in her favor. He supports her relationship with the man she loves, and doesn't ask her to choose, or even to consider him, even a little bit. Which is…hoo boy. Basically qualifies him for sainthood, despite the laissez faire attitude toward mass murder.

Before anyone argues about how he took her to Shinra and gave her to Hojo, yes he did. He does a lot of bad-guy things. He's not a good-guy. But he operates within the bad-guy system in a very morally sound way. He did NOT put Aerith into danger by taking her to Shinra. He knew they had to keep her safe and unharmed in order for their plans to work, so he was assured of her safety there for the time being. FAR FAR safer than she'd have been in literally any other part of Midgar during that chaos. Then he went and made SURE her friends with a history of anti-Shinra terrorism and winning unwinnable fights know EXACTLY where to find her. When they come to do just that, there are no Turks around trying to stop them. Wonder why...

Oh shit this got so long!!! 😅 I could go on about Tseng all day but I'll end it here for the sake of everyone's sanity. But I absolutely WILL talk about him any time anyone wants to inbox me about it!

[ofduskanddreams]

HO HO HO SANTA'S HERE AGAIN!

What headcanons do you have for Azriel and Eris, like, for one and the other, not as a couple?

What do you not want to see, like, a no-go?

Happy week

Hi Santa!! Always so happy to hear from you :)

I hope you're ready for another long response lol. None of these replies are comprehensive, just the things that first come to mind ( I've barely touched my coffee yet so bear with me.)

Eris headcanons:

-Eris has short hair!! Even when I first read the series and didn't particularly like his character, I never could picture him with long hair the way he's canonically described. Idk why that is but my brain made a choice and I stand by it.

-Eris is protective of his mother and [some of] his brothers but he can't always act on it. (An aside, but I feel like there's at least one or two of his brothers who are fully loyal to Beron.) Canonically Eris's motivations for taking power are layered, many of them veiled; with the context of him subtly shielding his mother at the High Lord's meeting, I believe that one of the reasons he's so eager to become High Lord is because it will ensure his mother's safety.

-Eris was close to Lucien when Lucien was a child. I also headcanon that Eris knows who Lucien's bio father actually is. Lucien is easily one of my favorite characters in the series and he's been through so much shit that I like to imagine there were a few happy brotherly moments in his childhood. Eris obviously cared enough for Lucien that he tried to stand up to Beron to stop him from harming Jesminda, he took a risk by reaching out to Tamlin to meet Lucien on the border too. This ties in with the previous headcanon.

-I headcanon that Eris smells like wood smoke and warm spices (think cinnamon, cardamom, cloves.)

-Cassian was correct in chapter 79 of acosf when he said that Eris 'wasn't a monster,' he 'might even be a good male' but I don't agree with how simply Cassian wrote it off as he's 'too much of a coward to act like it.' I think the situation in Autumn is a lot more complicated than that. Yes fear likely (and understandably) factors into how Eris conducts himself, it's also likely that it's not safe for him or for those he cares about to act any other way.

-ALSO--while I do believe that Eris, at his core, is a far better male than his father I don't think he's like a golden retriever marshmallow either. I like nuanced and flawed characters. I think Eris can still be a "good male" without having to be a Nice Person--the male is no saint and I wouldn't want him to be.

-Last one for Eris, I swear. I headcanon that he's a person who craves control, especially since his entire lived experience has been spent knowing that Beron has the final word on everything and could ruin him whenever he chooses to. One of the ways Eris's desire for control expresses itself is in the bedroom ;)

Azriel headcanons:

-Azriel is a mess, and I say that affectionately. Canonically he has trust issues, authority issues, and self-worth issues; he's emotionally immature at times, and healthy communication is a stranger to him. Azriel is also a dark character: he's angry, he's violent, and there's who knows how much blood on his hands. I realize none of that was a headcanon lol but you also asked what I don't want to see: I don't want Azriel's edges smoothed out, and I don't want that messiness erased--similar to what I mentioned earlier about nuance.

-I headcanon that Azriel's shadows are sentient and that they can be annoying little shits at times sticking their figurative noses where they don't belong.

-Azriel has anxiety. This is a headcanon present in all of my fics. It's never stated outright in canon but given what we do know, especially when combined with these lines from Azriel's acosf bonus chapter (to me, a person with anxiety not in any way qualified to diagnose it,) it rings true: "Too many razor-sharp thoughts sliced him any time he grew still long enough for them to strike. Too many wants and needs left his skin overheated and pulling taut across his bones. So he slept only when his body gave out, and even then only for a few hours."

-Azriel is a momma's boy. Everyone who writes Azriel has different takes on his mother and what her situation looks like now. I like to think that she's happy with whatever form her life has taken on and that Azriel loves her a lot, but he often feels guilty when he spends time with her (that she wouldn't have suffered so much if it weren't for him, that he should have gotten her out sooner, insert deprecating thought here, etc) so he doesn't visit her nearly as often as she would like him to.

-I firmly believe that Azriel is a switch who almost exclusively stays on the dominant side of things because it's what people expect from him and he perceives it as being the less vulnerable option, therefore it's easier for him. However, I don't think he enjoys it that much because, in his daily life, he's constantly in control or at least trying to be. But, because Azriel has many misconceptions about himself and others, it's hard for him to give control over to someone else because he thinks it's a weakness (it's the opposite) so he only allows himself to give up control when he perceives the other party as being equal to or more powerful/better than himself.

my no-go-s:

-The thing I really hate to see (and this goes for many fandoms and pairings, not just Azris) is heteronormativity in queer relationship dynamics. What I mean by this is when heteronormative roles are imposed upon a pairing and it warps one or more of the characterizations. In many cases, this is unconsciously done, but that's all the more reason to discuss it. In the case of Azris, the reason I was drawn to it in the first place was that, personality-wise especially, both Azriel and Eris are portrayed as the traditionally masculine alpha-holes that SJM fills her books with and that meant their dynamic was an interesting detour from the canon pairings in the series so far :)

I know this was likely more than you asked for Santa, but thank you for reading my ramblings <3 I hope you have a good week as well!

[stillness-in-green]

Pair O' Geten Asks

Congrats on your newly discovered Geten Appreciation, anon! I too like Geten a lot and feel that he, like the rest of the MLA, was Robbed.  He really would have made an interesting foil to Dabi and I have only conspiracy theories about Editor Meddling to explain why we didn’t get that.  The Rei-like appearance?  The opposed power set?  The father figure to whom he’s incredibly loyal?  The focus on a powerful quirk as more important than anything?  Come on; why write all that if it’s only going to matter for one (1) fight that doesn’t even come to a conclusive end and before we even have a bunch of concrete information on Dabi’s childhood relationship with his father?

Also, Geten and Dabi trying to run a regiment together would have been hilarious and it is but one of many things we were cheated out of seeing by that bedamned three-month timeskip on the villain side.

As well, Geten’s interesting to me for the same reason that Mustard is: they’re the only two young villains for whom we just don’t get much angle on student parallels, rescue arcs, and/or sympathetic portrayals.  Geten at least has far clearer motivations than Mustard, but it’s really frustrating to see the both of them basically written out of the story when they both seem far too young to be deemed Not Worth Saving.  (I mean, I obviously don’t think anyone should be declared off-limits for saving no matter how old or how far gone they are, but it’s particularly egregious when it comes to the younger villains.)

As to his loyalty to Re-Destro, I'll fold some discussion of that into my answer to this other ask, answered below the jump:

(CW: discussions of child abuse and cult dynamics)

Ohhhhh my god, anon.  Thank you for coming to me with this so I can assure you that, yes, Re-Destro absolutely does have genuine affection for Geten and his intentions absolutely do not come from a place of malice.

The thing with the way people headcanon RD and Geten’s relationship is, I think, pretty straightforward: Toxic Blorbo Anxiety.  Modern fandom, especially on tumblr, has really co-opted a lot of social justice rhetoric to make what once would have been dead-ass basic character/ship flame wars sound more justified and meaningful; as a consequence, altogether too many people have this idea that one’s taste in fiction (characters, relationships, themes, whatever) is a direct measure of one’s moral character.  Ergo, it’s no longer okay to just like a character with significant flaws—you have to find some kind of reason why that character’s flaws aren’t actually their fault.

People who hate Geten have zero problems writing him off as a toxic ableist eugenicist.  People who like Geten—well, some people are perfectly capable of liking Geten while acknowledging that he’s a violent little shit who espouses quirk supremacist ideals that go considerably farther than the ideals professed by anyone else around him, even the people higher up the chain of command.  For the “my taste in characters mirrors my moral character” folks, however, liking Geten means an immediate need to find a likely character to offload all of Geten’s moral failings onto.

Re-Destro is the only character for whom Geten has any demonstrated feelings whatsoever; this makes him the only available scapegoat.

And it’s ridiculous!  It is pulled literally out of thin air.  As you said, the databook is explicit that Re-Destro gave Geten “lots of affection,” but you see echoes of it in the canon as well.  There’s the flashback Geten has to RD smiling and patting him on the shoulders and entrusting him with an Important Task, as well as the implication that Geten cares about RD so much that Re-Destro burning himself caused Geten’s quirk evolution.  Re-Destro himself gets this beat, indicating trust and high regard, just after Giran gets sassy with him about the MLA losing their number advantage to the Sad Man’s Parade:

Yes, absolutely, Geten is fucked up from being raised in a cult.  Re-Destro was raised in the very same cult, however, and with a lot more fuckery about his ancestors and identity loaded down on him to boot.  Geten at least can just be Geten, you know?  The very best version of Geten that he knows how to be!

Of course, an ideal version of Geten would, among other changes, probably be going to school.  Now, Geten’s schooling is not RD’s responsibility—so far as we know, he isn’t Geten’s actual legal guardian.  Nonetheless, I’m sure he could make Geten do it if he really wanted to press the issue, and it’s no credit to him that he hasn’t.

Still, before I condemn RD for that, I’d want to know what RD’s own schooling situation was, or what the MLA approach is to school in general.  One of the things that defines cults, after all, is limiting members’ access to outside information, which is why they’re all such proponents for homeschooling.  I would be shocked if Re-Destro himself wasn’t homeschooled for at least his younger years, and therefore lacks a full frame of reference for why that’s a problem.

Speaking of RD’s frame of reference for things, and getting back to your actual question about ReDadstro, while I don’t read RD and Geten’s relationship as explicitly having familial vibes, I do think they’re close enough that a lot of people in-universe probably look at them and wonder.  The main reason for that is that, well, look at Re-Destro’s whole scenario!  He’s the scion of Yotsubashi Chikara, a blood-descendant of the leader of the original Meta Liberation Army, and, oh, does the story never let him or us forget it.  His authority over the group is entirely rooted in that ancestry; he and they all believe that it must be Destro, no one else, who brings Liberation to Japan.

That all being the case, then, why on earth doesn’t Re-Destro have any kids?

Seriously, the guy’s got to be over 40, and if the lineage is that important—and it is; Skeptic says explicitly that he wants to recruit Twice so that the MLA never has to fear a repeat of Destro’s loss—why hasn’t RD secured the bloodline for the future yet?  Even if he’s fairly confident in his and his followers’ ability to ring the bells of liberation in his lifetime, you’d think some contingency plans would be in order!

I also think it’s fairly telling that a guy whose authority is so rooted in family doesn’t seem to have any of his own—not just kids, but siblings, a spouse, parents, grandparents, anybody.  While it could simply be a function of his limited screen time, we have at least some idea of what the family situation is for most of the other major villains.  AFO, Shigaraki and the rest of the League, Gentle Criminal, Overhaul—for all of them, we can point to at least one thing and say, “That’s the situation,” even if it’s as simple as e.g. the implication of Spinner becoming a hikikomori or Overhaul being an orphan.  It seems to me that if there was a family line in charge of the MLA, we would have seen at least one other member at some point.  That we never do[1] suggests pretty strongly that Re-Destro is the only Yotsubashi around at the current time.

My headcanon, then, is that Re-Destro, a man so psychologically burdened by the needs of being the Great Destro’s successor that he saw an omni-nihilist like Shigaraki as freedom delivered on divine wings, doesn’t have children because he doesn’t want them.  Or, more accurately, because whether or not he, Yotsubashi Rikiya, might want children, he’s unwilling to have them so long as there’s any chance his burden could become theirs.

And thus we get to Geten.  If Rikiya might have wanted children in other circumstance, it’s not so surprising that he’d have a streak of paternal instinct that came out with Geten, especially when Geten was younger.  Here’s someone who’s powerful but never going to be in any danger of inheriting all of Rikiya’s burdens, someone whose loyalty is to Rikiya personally, rather than to Destro’s blood.[2]  Of course Rikiya’s fond of him!  He’s not entirely free when he’s around Geten, but at the very least, Geten transparently doesn’t care about the MLA’s glorious history.

I have to think that everyone around them Feels Some Sorta Way about this, especially those shadowy figures we saw telling young Rikiya all about his “inheritance,” but the downside of raising a six-year-old to be the supreme leader of your underground army is that there’s only so much open pushback you can offer once the six-year-old turns forty.  If RD wants to maintain a close relationship with Geten, there’s not really anyone who can put their foot down about it beyond a certain amount of pointed-but-respectful questioning.

As for what Geten thinks of this state of affairs, the way I conceive of them, Geten is painfully aware that Re-Destro is heavily burdened, and Geten wants to relieve as much of that burden as he can.  However, one of the reasons RD might find Geten comparatively relaxing is that Geten doesn’t occupy a specific place in the MLA’s organizational structure.  That might be because Geten lacks the temperament for leadership, but it might also be because RD likes that Geten is a bit sideways of the power structure that defines so much of the rest of Rikiya’s life.  Geten’s closeness to the Grand Commander might be enviable to others in the MLA, but it doesn’t seem to come with any particular authority; Geten probably wishes that RD would give him more to do![3]

Hence, I assume, his single-minded fervor about living up to Re-Destro’s trust and eliminating the people in Re-Destro’s way and so forth.  If it’s somewhat rare for Re-Destro to give Geten actual tasks to fulfill, all the more reason for Geten to pounce so vigorously on what opportunities do arise.

In summary, while Re-Destro and Geten’s relationship has some pretty huge red flags in it—the lack of schooling, the way RD being Geten’s patron rather than giving him a real position keeps Geten dependent on RD’s favor, the way Geten is singled out as having this relationship with RD, the disconnect between the values they extol— in the context they live in, I think it’s pretty wholesome!  That is, they’re both pretty fucked up by the cult upbringing, in ways neither of them is fully capable of even recognizing, but I think they both mean well by each other, and their lives are stabler and happier for each other's presences than if they were still both MLA but weren't aquainted.

Could it be better?  Sure!  But there’s a nigh-unbridgeable canyon between, “Based on what we know about the characters’ circumstances, this relationship has some concerning elements,” and, “Re-Destro is physically abusive, thinks Geten is only valuable as a weapon, and has groomed Geten himself to believe that.”

The far side of that canyon must be in Narnia, because stepping through a magic doorway to another world where BNHA is a completely different story is the only way anyone’s going to be able to produce canon evidence for the Re-Destro As Abusive Groomer claim.  As Shigaraki and All For One prove, however, there’s no villain in this story that can’t be rendered more cloyingly, simplistically sympathetic by cramming a bunch of physical abuse into fanfic where none exists canonically.

Thanks for the asks, anons! Please go forth and continue loving Geten freely. And Re-Destro also, because god knows he needs more love.

---

[1] The closest we get is the family portraits the League find in the obviously-intended-to-be-Re-Destro’s-summer-home they ransack in the live drama reading from that LOV stage event back in 2021.  No word on whether Horikoshi had any input whatsoever on that script, however.

[2] The tell here is the consistency of Geten’s motivations.  He never connects Re-Destro’s authority to Destro Classic like Skeptic and Trumpet do, nor does his loyalty change to Shigaraki post-Deika as you might expect if quirk supremacy were really the only thing Geten used to measure worth.

[3] It’s very telling that when we’re being introduced to the heads of the MLA, getting their real names and day jobs, Geten isn’t included in the lineup; he remains an unnamed parka troll with bad table manners.  He does get a proper rank in the PLF, of course, but by that point Re-Destro has ceded control to Shigaraki, so RD no longer has to worry so much about how he defines or doesn’t define the relationship or what people might think of it.

[astarab1aze]

Sorciers

Magic cops, dawg. Sometimes they suck, sometimes they're not so bad, but there's a lot who commit murder.

A Sorcier fulfills a similar role as a police officer, but with some elevated status - sort of more like a knight class. This rank came about in the late 1600s, during the Golden Age of Piracy, and was meant to police the disregard for the law among… supernatural pirates and thieves at the time and was also in part due to Alistair Belegerande's derogation toward the untoward. Magical revolutionaries became The Man, in effect, but insodoing they united the altogether fractured magical communities all throughout North America.

Sorciers are loyal only to the supernatural world, typically. They are held in high regard for their unshakeable commitment, though there are some who quite loudly question that loyalty, especially when considering their tandem involvement with the USDRS - oh yes, they didn't used to be connected to any government (but it was all supernaturals could do to prevent widespread human knowledge of them, bending the knee to the American government and agreeing to monitoring and regulation). None are immune to corruption, which is a healthy concept to keep in mind when placing one's trust in any institution or individual. Sorciers uphold both human and supernatural laws, but there are some laws that simply don't apply to supernaturals.

Their responsibilities are not limited to policework and they may also function as the supernatural world's military force in especially dire times - their presence becomes heavier during even human calamities. They also aid in disaster relief efforts, handle civil disputes, evictions, and plenty more. Some may even get stuck with delivering the mail.

Sorciers have to follow a number of strict rules of conduct and are expected to behave as they would at work, at home. Effectively, they are rarely not working, permanently on-call and magically compulsed to fulfill their duties. They take binding oaths, which will strip them of power should they abandon their post - an extremely uncomfortable and brutal process to bear witness to, as the sorcier will become what is essentially a literal husk. This draconian practice gives rise to a large portion of the criticism the DSR and sorciers as a whole recieve, calling into question whether it's even worth becoming a sorcier if stepping a single toe out of line will lend you destitute and immobile.

They are also seen as pretentious, prideful, insensitive, either idealistic or grossly cynical, violent, too soft - you get the picture. Lots of contradictory feelings toward them.

**Loux's parents were investigative sorciers, the types who are regularly assigned to murder and missing persons cases. They were killed by another sorcier they once worked closely with, who released a stolen blackwyrm to attack and eat them.

[rsedits9420]

Feelings pt 2

Mark Estapa x Reader

Pt 1

Here’s pt 2!

Mark

*A day later*

Today’s the day of the damn date. She slept at her dorm last night so she could get ready. I don’t know how I’m the only one who can see that he’s not right for her. Many could say hockey players are the ultimate fuck boys but wait until you see Will. At every party, he has 2 girls glued to his side. I’m pretty sure he was doing this when he had a girlfriend too. Strike one. Not loyal. He’s also one of the most self-centered individuals ever. During a press conference, he claimed his team couldn’t have done what they did without him. He’s only a shooting guard who at max scores 8 points a game. I knew guys in high school who dropped more points than that. He doesn't even give his team credit either. Strike 2. He’s self-centered. I bet if I did some digging I would find out more trust me. The fact that pisses me off more is how oblivious y/n is about him and his actions. Has nobody told her about him? If not I plan to. That’s why I’m getting out of bed at 6 am and rushing to the other side of the quad to get to her dorm. She might not love me, but I sure as hell love her. I can’t and won’t see her get hurt. Not when she would never deserve it. Y/n wouldn’t kill a fly. She hates to talk about people behind their backs, and she’s always there to be a friend to anyone. For example, last year when Bords and his girl spilt because of his signing with San Jóse, y/n stayed by his side throughout the whole thing. If there’s one thing she hates and it’s when people are sad. Like she would rather feel all the pain in the world herself than someone else. This is why I’m afraid. What if Will is trying to take advantage of her kindness? She’s too sweet to understand how one could do that, but trust me, I know. High school was a daily battle. All the guys coming up to be asking if they could “tap that after I was done”. I mean what the hell. How could they say that shit about her. She’s so pure and genuine to ever be talked about in that manner. One day I had enough. I socked a kid right in his left eye. Buddy had a mark there for about a month and a half. I’m not a violent guy. Well except for on the ice. One could say I’m easily provoked. I’d have to agree. Even though I do find joy in being the one to provoke the other team, if you talk about her or touch my goalie you're going down. No exceptions.

I arrive at her dorm room and lightly knock on the door. The door opens and I’m met with a half-asleep y/n. “Stops what are you doing here? It’s 7 am.” She yawns out the last part of her statement. “Well I wanted to talk to you, but I knew you don’t function without coffee so here’s this.” I hand her her usual coffee order and she looks up at me in awe. “You know you're the best right?” She asks me. Of course, I know. If there’s anything I can do it’s makes the girl standing in front of me happy. And I plan to do that until the day that I die. She leads me into her dorm and I notice she is alone. “ where’s your roommate y/n/n?” Apparently, her roommate has a “no jock” rule. Like she won’t let y/n have me or the boys over at all. “She’s at her parent's house for like a week.” She plops right onto her bed before she says,” So eStopy what do I owe the pleasure?” Damn here it goes I guess. “Ok, I know you're not going to like this but I have to say it. Don’t go on the date today. Please. He’s not the one for you. I have no clue why nobody has told you but he’s not loyal or selfless like you are. He won’t treat you right. I can’t see you get hurt. It would kill me. So, please. Please. Listen to what I’m telling you. Don’t go.” I say the last part is practically winey and desperate. Her soft gaze looks straight into my eyes. Then she says,” Mark! Wait. Why? How? You can’t keep doing this. You can’t protect me forever. Yes, I’m your best friend but Will won’t change that. And do you even know him? Or are you going based on rumors? Mark, I never thought I would see you stoop this low. Listen I love you, but I’m my own person. You did this in high school. Whenever David asked me out you went and basically beat him up on the ice. I’m going no if and or buts.” Now she’s pissed. “Y/n-“ she cuts me off by saying,” Mark if you can’t stand by MY decision then leave. It’s just one date. You know I’m smart. If I see a red flag, I’ll call it off. Promise.” she sticks out her pinky for me to lock mine with her. She really takes her pinky promise to heart. So I do it. “Ok go. But I swear if he hurts you I’ll hurt him ten times worse.” She rolls her eyes and then leans her head on me. “Thank you for looking out for me tho. You're a great friend.” There’s that word again. Friend. Damn all I want is to be more than that. But I’m being a pussy and can’t admit my feelings. She has no clue and I’d like to keep it that way. Because I can’t lose her.

Y/n

After the stunt, Mark pulled today I’ve been on high alert. He’s never lied to me. He’s also someone I trust my life with. But at the same time, what if he’s wrong? Will could be the best thing to happen to me. That’s why I’m currently sitting in a cafe a couple of blocks away from campus waiting for Will.

Finally, I hear the cafe door open and Will appears. He starts to walk up to me and says,” Hey! So glad you agreed to do this! How’ve you been?” I quickly reply with,” It was great thanks for asking!” Okay so maybe I’m just overthinking it this will be fine.

As I’m walking home from the date I’m ecstatic. It was great. He’s so sweet and kind, I honestly think he might be a long-term type of thing. We talked about our families, school, and so much more. He was so caring too. It felt like he cared about every little thing I said. At the end of the date, we decided to go on an actual date at a fancy restaurant this Friday. And to be honest I’m really excited. We will see how it goes!

*Friday night after their date*

I’m rushing to Mark’s dorm to fill him in on what just happened. Holy shit. I can’t even comprehend what just happened. Will was paying the check when all of a sudden he said,” Listen I know it’s only the second date, but I really like you. Like really. Uh so here it goes. Do you wanna be like my girlfriend?” I was in shock. And I bet my face was as red as a tomato. “Yeah, sure I’d love that.” That was my response. I know. It sucked but to be honest I was incredibly happy, embarrassed, and confused at the same time so cut me some slack. I have no clue how Mark is going to react but I’m hoping for the best.

I lightly knock on his door and stop. “Listen to what I have to tell you!” I can’t hold in the excitement. As I sit down at his desk I start to go over the whole date. I notice a change in his face but I chose to ignore it. Then I say,” he asked me to be his girlfriend! Can you believe it Mark! He wants me!” Mark’s face slowly turns from a smile to a frown. “You ok Stops?” He nods and says,” Yes y/n I’m okay. I’m happy for you.” What the fuck. That was a bullshit answer if I’ve ever heard one. “Mark, no seriously, what's wrong?” I say again in a demanding tone. “ Nothing I’m fine. I just don’t know what to say?” What?!?! What the hell does that mean? “Are you not happy for me?” He then looks at me and plasters a smile to say,” I am y/n. I am.” That’s all it takes. I speed up the conversation trying to get it to end. “Well, I should probably get to bed. Good night Mark.” He responds with a faint goodnight and I leave. The whole way home I’m questioning what his problem was. I honestly thought he’d be happy for me. I’ve been there for him always. And he couldn’t even try to be there for me? Why?

*About two weeks later*

I’ve been hanging out with Will about every day for the past week. The more times I hang out with him the more I start to like him. We are just getting back from our lunch date when we are met with the hockey boys all leaving their dorms. Luke and Mack come to chirp at Will, while I'm looking for him. I spot Ethan First and all I see is a disappointed look on his face while he’s shaking his head. Who knows what that means? I continue to look for him. My eyes search for Mark, but I’m met with him staring straight at his feet trying to ignore the fact I was ever here. We haven’t talked since the day Will and I started dating. It was honestly on both of us. I canceled on Sunday movie night because Will wanted me to watch one of his old high school games. He hasn’t been bothered to call or even text me. It feels like we are drifting. I hate to say it but that’s almost exactly what I believe is happening. He’s my best friend, and also someone I’d never think I would lose. We were each other lifelines. We would be friends till we were old and gray. That’s how this was supposed to work out. Yet look at what happened.

Pt 3

Pt 4

[userkatekane]

OOOH ALSO!!! all the hearts for arlo :) you can only do some of them if u don't want to do all questions hehe!! <3

DETAILS ABOUT OCS

❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc’s positive traits?

man i had to sit and think about this one LMAO so arlo is VERY devoted. obsessively so? which is one of his more positive traits because it makes him loyal af to whomever happens to get under his skin like that. like beau is set for life and whether he likes it or not, so is benedikt. he's a loyal hound and he knows it. another positive trait is that arlo is disgustingly intelligent but would you know it? no, because he plays dumb. and lastly arlo can be very gentle when he chooses to be. very tender and careful. is he most of the time though? no, no he's not

🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc’s neutral/questionable traits?

probably how he's not bothered by much. he's so chill. a little too chill, actually. but not in the nonchalent way but in the concerning WHY ARENT U REACTING way. the other two are the way he just does as he likes and doesnt care for much else in terms of like, consequences and then how he loves i guess LMAO

💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc’s negative traits?

fuckin everything else LMAO his apathy towards almost everything, his violent side, how nothing matters outside of what he obsesses over, how he's HAPPY to live in the dark like that

💘 HEART WITH ARROW — what and/or who do(es) your oc consider the most important to them?

beau. it's always gonna be beau. he isn't sure when she swept him up like that but it's her. he'll always choose her. he has some loyaly to elena but he also doesnt have a choice there but. if it was between saving the world and putting everything right and beau, he'd pick her every time, even if at the end they perished too. at least they'd be together

🧡 ORANGE HEART — does your oc tend to prioritize family or friends?

arlo prioritises beau, benedikt and elena. that's it. everyone else? eh, depends on his mood

💛 YELLOW HEART — how many languages does your oc speak? what language(s) are they learning, if any?

he's of italian heritage, so he speaks fluent italian. he can also speak latin, the eldred mother tongue and a bunch of other languages because he's old af and has had to learn in his service to elena to be able go to places on her behalf. he's happiest speaking italian though

💚 GREEN HEART — does your oc prefer being inside or outside?

inside. outside means bad weather and the sun and more people to annoy him

💙 BLUE HEART — does your oc have any cool/special powers and/or abilities? how are they with magic, if it exists in their world?

god this might end up long winded if i spend too much time answering it so i'll summarise and say yes, he does. he's a cursed dead thing himself. it's mostly because of elena's magic running through him 24/7 but has his tricks. better to be on his side than not because hoo boy

💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc’s ancestry/genetic background?

i havent figured out the specifics yet because of dropping out of my oc stuff for so long but arlo is of italian heritage as mentioned before and i am thinking he comes from something royal or at least close to that before he fell into elena's little world. probably why he's so high and mighty and a dickhead 99.9% of the time LOL

🖤 BLACK HEART — has your oc killed or seriously wounded anyone before? have they broken someone’s heart and/or broken someone’s trust?

killed? oh ya, plenty, all the time. and he seriously wounds people to eat LOL but yeah. thankfully it's under elena's rules rn though?? which is only men who are deserving. no women unless she decides ya that one deserves it and NO CHILDREN. NEVER THE CHILDREN. which he's fine with because kids are too tiny and he breaks beau's heart all the time, and breaks benedikt's trust more often than not. not because he means to, but because of who he is and what he chooses to do

[scribbling-dragon]

Juno. please do write the essay about howl and majorwood. please

yes. yes! i can do this :D for anyone that doesn't know, i've been using lyrics from "Howl" by Florence + The Machine for several of my mer scott fics, because the song is just so majorwood-coded. to me

so, what i can gather from the song is that it is very much about love, and two people being in love. but it comes across much more as an almost obsession that they have with each other (like not being able to rest until they're with each other etc.) and i feel like that's a lot of the ships that come out of the life series! because the life series itself is a short thing, it doesn't last long, and these relationships explored in fandom are normally very quick for people to get into- so this was the first point i made in my brain. because with the life series, all of the duos/ships/couples- whatever you want to call them, are very intensely reliant on the other most of the time, like, they are in a death game and they have a handful of allies that they are trusting to defend them etc. and allies that they would also defend.

but! that is not the only thing that i associated with it, the biggest association is the use of language that's here: it's all rather violent. the lovers (in the song) are described as hunters. over and over again, a thing that we actually SEE a lot of the time in the life series- every time that the server becomes predominantly red, there is a hunt for the remaining yellows (and we got more than one of these hunts this time!). and it happens pretty much every time! and it's great, i love it, love watching it. because it's like a pack of wolves and they go hunting.

but there is several other instances of violent language being used to describe the love between the two lovers in the song- and this violence lends itself rather well to a feeling of desperation (something that is reflected in the sound of the song itself, actually, which i like). which! that's, again, the whole life series pretty much: desperation! desperation to win, to protect your allies, to not die first- it happens in every single one! it's a common theme, something overarching with the series.

but juno? i hear you ask, how does this relate to majorwood? why choose them and not some other ship? well i am so glad you asked!

scott is fiercely loyal to every single one of his allies- if he chooses you as his closest ally (jimmy in 3l, pearl and cleo in ll, cleo in dl, martyn in this series) he be loyal to you! that's his whole thing (well, not really, but you get what i mean) the guy is loyal! and he's good at that.

and martyn! his whole thing is being selfish, at the end (as we see rather nicely in the finale, but he's also done it in previous series as well. this isn't a new thing for him) but he also cares about his allies. he cares about them a LOT. in all of his series he cares about his allies- that love, that isn't quite loyalty, is the major reason i associate this song with them. because the song is about young love, and i am no way near an expert on love hdsjhdsj (<- aroace) but a lot of the time young love is portrayed as something rather intense and almost obsessive, something that florence leans into with this song 100%

i. am not sure if that makes sense of if it's just the ramblings of a person that has thought about this for far far too long- but yeah! listen to howl :] it's a great song

[empyrcals]

‘ hazal filiz küçükköse, cis woman, she/her, 34 / 340 , high fae ’ ― cauldron save you. it seems ZEHRA DRAVEN has finally made it to the capital, the LADY from the NIGHT COURT is said to be DYNAMIC and is said to describe themselves with STARFALL PERSONIFIED; YOU BURN BRILLIANT AND LEAVE THE WORLD IN AWE IN YOUR WAKE, A SOUL OF STORMS; YOU ARE AT WAR WITH THE MANY HIDDEN PARTS OF YOURSELF, A RARE SOFTNESS AMONG SHARP SHADOWS; YOUR LOVE IS HARD-WON BUT REWARDING, THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST REFLECTED IN ANOTHER CREATURE WHO KNOWS THE DARK, A SCATTERING OF ROSE PETALS and with all of this in mind their CALCULATIVE nature always seems to get them into trouble. may the mother hold them as they navigate this unthinkable time. 

BASICS

full name. zehra yildiz draven

position: lady of the night court, sister to the high lord of night

nickname(s): none, she doesn't really do nicknames. give her one I dare thee

age. 34 / 340 yrs old .

d.o.b.: july 20th

status. betrothed to emilios acheson, high lord of spring.

gender. cis woman.

orientation. bisexual

species: high fae ( able to storm wield, winnow due to the draven bloodline/court of night )

allegiance. zehra is loyal to those who have earned it, meaning her family - especially timur. only recently within a year is she loyal to emilios seeing part of herself in him - the rest of his family the jury is still out on where she stands with them currently..

spoken languages: common tongue, illyrian, old fae

FAMILY

father:  former high lord draven -- status deceased / murdered.

mother:  former high lady -- status: deceased  ?

siblings:  timur draven ( high lord, elder brother ), emira draven, melinoe draven ( younger sisters )

partner:  emilios acheson ( they've been betrothed for a year now )

children: none.

other  familial  relations: seraphina draven ( sister-in-law ), aylin & aslan ( niece and nephew via emira ). we also count her brother's inner circle as family.

PHYSICALITY

faceclaim. hazal filiz küçükköse

hair color. dark brown/ near black (it's a rich natural color changing shades depending on the time of year ) .

eye color. brown .

height. five foot nine.

scars. none.

build: athletic yet curvaceous. She is finely honed and has all the right curves in the right places - goddess level please.

dominant hand: while ambidextrous, zehra favors her right hand

notable features : her eyes, her bone structure, all the things

TRAITS, PERSONALITY & VICES.

cowardly     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ●      brave energetic    ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○     lethargic forgiving     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○      vengeful charitable    ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○     selfish authentic     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○      deceitful chaste     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○      lustful humble    ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○     boastful naive     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ●      experienced cautious     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○ ○ ○      daring restrained     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○     bold trusting     ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○      suspicious

SMOKES ? : no. .

ALCOHOL USE : yes. within reason but not to access - zehra is the sort who always likes to keep command of her own senses.

PRONE TO VIOLENCE ? : no. not unnecessarily violent but it can be stated that while not able to manipulate nightmares as her brother can being high lord Zehra can be an absolute terror and force to be reckoned with. she is the storm and the darkness and the stars hurt something she cares about and she will burn your world down. this, though, is mainly kept at bay; part of herself she hides well and does not tap into regularity, choosing to plot her way through things and using her mind for much of her life, which is equally as dangerous with dark ambitions that whisper at the edge of her mind.

PRONE TO CRYING ? : no, not that she's not cried. its a deeply private emotion that even if she trusts her own blood its not ever on display. it takes great emotion to push her to tears..

EMOTIONAL STABILITY ? : quite high. zehra is emotionally stable through years of training herself to only show what she wishes.

SELF DESTRUCTIVE ? : no. zehra is a builder, an architect of her own design plotting out a way while not her brother's advisors nothing she does is ever not a calculated move playing a game ten steps ahead of everyone else. while her ambitions are not fully voiced or yet believed in - in the right circumstances her darker shadows and plans would thrive but destructive - never to herself but she will ruin you for anyone else.

PHOBIAS ? : none that she would admit.

BIOGRAPHY / OVERVIEW

vague but detailed enough | tw death, murder, violence mentions

you are named for what they've always hoped for you - radiant brilliant light sparkling amidst the heavens as a paragon of your kind. You will never lead, and you will never be a high lady of the night - you are the dazzling one. in many ways, from the moment you are born, they do a disservice to you. Your parents love you. There was never any mistake in that, but you were not the child born first to them, and try as you might, and you would try incredibly hard; you were only their spare. A decade of so younger than your brother, your beloved and beautiful brother - you were there if he were to fall. If he failed, the line of succession would fall onto you, and as much freedom as you had, there was structure and preparation for a thing all of them were thoroughly sure would never come to you. Still, their brilliant little star, their shining, shimmering darling, had to be prepared for all things to go at all costs.

Maybe you were born broken - the girl meant for greatness already shoved into a box you hadn't made for yourself, slowly tearing at walls, wanting to be more. You always, always wanted more, knowing from before you were even a century old you could never be a sister, daughter, or wife to just anyone and be just that. It was in that realization that you discovered facets of yourself - you found who you were amid the chaos of living for what would be an eternity to some. you love fiercely who deserved love back but waste none of it on pure folly or idiotic love sick passions in yourf youth. train for your own war, knowing while you would fight and could nearly claim to be better than a good portion of your brother's inner circle, even asking to work with Illyrians - the wars you would fight would be of deeper shadows. Let Timur prepare to be a lord of lords, and while younger sisters could thank you for their relaxed freedoms and privileges, you were the one to watch and be in awe of. A master of the game and of politics, knowing nothing you did was left to chance - everything was meant to move things in the right direction.

You loved your father more than anyone - you would dare say more than any of your other siblings despite not knowing secrets stil kept from you. you admit to him once at a game of chess under the stars, having parted from adoring followers at a midsummer party, that it is exhausting trying to impress him. You admit all you desire was to be helpful, irreplaceable, and invaluable - to be appreciated and involved- and to be told you were those things to the man you admired most. He merely sipped his wine with a smile and proceeded to play chess until the sky grew quiet and the sun shooed the moon from sight. you thought a most dangerous thought - Mother, preserve me. I wish he were dead. It was only a thought - one you'd never act on, but did it shock you any less when the next day he was? Did you also not selfishly hope just for a moment, even as you adored your brother, that maybe, in some twist of fate, you would inherit that power? It had been shocking, and you had such a passing thought, but this was never for you.

Timur had his inner court, the court of nightmares and all the things that came with it. You would be the storm, you would be protector and destroyer beyond them knowing as much as he hides it your brother fears and you will not allow him the same fate. You protect your jovial younger sisters and you protect your niece and nephew. How do you protect them, shoving down your own dark ambitions, wrapping yourself in a more profound mystery, and making sure you leave the rest of the world in awe of who you are? Let them stare at you, they will never know all that you are but in accepting this role you hide a piece of yourself that lingers in the dark. Where is the woman who wanted everything - wanted power and might - to have it all because one deserved the world? Do you remember your shadows?

You hide them; you fight those tendencies until you meet an unexpected stranger. Spring. Oh gods, how you loathed pastels and pretty, flowery things until the high lord of the spring court was nearly enough tripping over himself for you. Instantaneously, he could've declared you his ideal and perfection realized - everything he had ever wanted. You try to resist advances to make him earn what he desires - your hand. You see him, though, and you see yourself - you see what could become, and for the first time in centuries, the monster you know you are who craves a world shaped by your own hand, which has for so long been dormant beneath flesh, and bone is reflected in someone else's eyes. Do you love him when you accept his hand - do you love him now? Yes, it would be too simple an answer and a word too easily tossed around, but you've come to find something admirable in flowers, roses especially, and in wild beasts, and it is just the beginning.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

All the things please. Let me help you build up your beautiful characters and create something amazing. Old friends, new friends, enemies, former lovers, illyrian pals, sparring partners, rivals, people she is ready to use, unexpected and cool things. also to echo a want from timur's intro the person who ended the draven siblings father - all the things.

[callsign-bunnie]

A Dance Of Hearts - Chapter 4 - Regency AU

It would only be a week’s travel from there to the Drodorian border, then a few days in a village called Winterwick, which was on the border of Drodora. There, they would rest and refill supplies before continuing on to the town of Antalon, which was right next to the King’s Village. 

--

Horangi sighed and rubbed at his shoulder as he took up the reigns, meant to take over the cart while Miriam slept in the back. He hated this bodice he was meant to wear, having ideas of ripping it off and throwing it in the river they were currently riding parallel with. 

It would only be a week’s travel from there to the Drodorian border, then a few days in a village called Winterwick, which was on the border of Drodora. There, they would rest and refill supplies before continuing on to the town of Antalon, which was right next to the King’s Village. 

That’s where they were to pick up Prince Lucas, supposedly, and then they would ride back. The travel back would be a bit longer, as they were supposed to stop more frequently, to give bandits and assassins less of a chance, though Horangi doubted they would be much of a problem.

“Kätzchen,” Koenig started, startling Horangi out of his thoughts. 

Horangi started to drive the cart, frowning. “Yes?”

“Do you… completely trust Miriam?” Koenig asked, his tone sounding hesitant. 

Horangi only frowned more. What an odd question. “No… But I don’t distrust her. Why?” He glanced at Koenig, who appeared to almost be playing with his fingers. 

Koenig sighed. “I question this… quest. She said the King does not wish to have his royal guard know, but… why? Would this not be a quest better suited for the King’s Guard? He has his own mercenaries. Why is he hiring a dressmaker to go and retrieve something as valuable as Prince Lucas?”

Horangi furrowed his brows. “I don’t… I don’t know. I wish I did.” He murmured and sighed. “But, I also know that King Alejandro makes odd decisions, sometimes.”

“Miriam gave us no proof to indicate that Prince Lucas was real, either…” Koenig sighed. “I’m not accusing her of bad intentions, I am simply… suggesting that you consider all of her potential intentions.”

“Why would she lie? What would she gain? Why would Miriam care that Prince Lucas is marrying the King of Laupin?” Horangi shook his head. 

“What are her feelings on Fae?” Koenig tilted his head. “Elves?”

Horangi paused. “She despises them.” He mumbled, understanding where Koenig was going with this.

Laupin wasn’t… as Fae friendly as Artra was, but they were more sympathetic than the Red Kingdom and Artemea. Leagues more than Sylmea and Nehelune. It was known that Fae could find refuge in Laupin, though they would give them up if they were being pursued for committing crimes. 

Then, there was the myth of how they came to have shadow powers to begin with… 

It was said that Ozul, who was a great Tyrant before he became God of Darkness, was in love with Laena, a mortal in the Old Kingdom of Terth, which Ozul led. 

Laena was known to be one of Artemilia’s most loyal followers, honoring her before even honoring her own life. She was also quite beautiful and kind… The myths that Horangi had read had always made a point of saying that to simply be around her was to love her. They had even, while scorning the King, pitied Ozul, saying that it was only natural he should fall in love with her.

But, she followed the Moon God, Artemilia. Ozul had long been cursed by Artemilia for being a cruel and violent leader. 

So, he banned worship of Artemilia, so she would turn away from the God and to him, instead, and asked her to marry him and be his wife. However, she refused, claiming that even if he had banned worship of her most beloved god, she could not love a violent alpha, such as himself.

He forced her to marry him, instead, as he could since he was king. And on their wedding night, after their consummation, which was said to be so violent, it dyed the sheets red, she killed herself with poison. It was an awfully painful poison and as she was dying, while Ozul held her, she cursed his kingdom. 

He could remember the words that each myth had stated, so clearly. ‘You have scorned my beloved God, Artemilia. You have taken my love by force. You have so violently sealed our marriage. With my dying breaths, I will take myself from you by force. And with myself, I shall take the light from your kingdom. Neither moonlight nor sunlight shall pass through your kingdom, until the pain and guilt and fear should swallow you whole. You shall live your life in complete shadow.’ And so, Ozul became darkness itself. 

His Kingdom was thrown into obscurity and it was said he wandered the forest until his death, his love’s blood which she choked up still on his chest and hands.

Centuries later, the founder of Laupin, who was named… well, Laupine Camran, apparently. Horangi wasn’t sure he believed that. Anyway, Laupine Camran wanted to protect his Kingdom from the surrounding Kingdoms. This was before the Silver Empire, apparently, and as Laupin was the centermost Kingdom, they had much to fend off.

So, he sought out Ozul. Laupin was said to sit in the middle of the ruins of his kingdom. As such, he knew that if Ozul was still wandering the forests- Though now that Horangi thought about it, wouldn’t he have been long dead???

Horangi didn’t grow up with these myths. Likely someone from Laupin could tell the story better… Horangi was not this person.

Regardless, Laupine sought out Ozul and apparently he found him among the ruins of an old castle, weeping into some stones. 

Laupine begged Ozul to help him. To guide him and find a better way to protect their kingdom from the surrounding kingdoms. As such, Ozul blessed him, and gave him the shadows.

It casted Laupin into a permanent dark winter, but they were protected. And, it worked. Even now, the shadows are hard to fight… 

“Kätzchen? You’ve been silent.” Koenig spoke up and Horangi shook off his musing, noting just how dark it was around them. He’d admit, after thinking about the myths… He found himself shivering in the darkness.

Or maybe it was the light snow which had started to fall, coating the ground around them. The moon reassured him, slightly, big and full in the sky. Horangi sighed. “I was thinking… There are quite a few people who do not want Laupin to rejoin the empire…”

“There is. I imagine your friend, Miriam, might be one of them.” Koenig nodded. “There are… rumors that if King Phillip does not manage to strike a marriage alliance, he will not rejoin the empire willingly. Prince Lucas may be their last resort.”

Horangi glanced back at Miriam, who appeared to still be asleep. “I do not believe she’d do something this elaborate. As you said, she’s just a dressmaker. She travels a lot, perhaps King Alejandro thought a dressmaker might be the best cover in order to travel back? Who would suspect Prince Lucas to be traveling with a dressmaker?”

Koenig paused and then nodded. “You have a point, Kätzchen. I suppose you may be right. I hope that I am wrong.”

Horangi shook his head. So did he. He had no doubt of what would happen to Prince Lucas if Koenig was right… The only option would be death. And then, Horangi would never be able to return to the Red Kingdom. 

He’d have to run again.

But, he also knew that if Koenig was right… Someone would need to stop Miriam. “We’re going to keep riding with Miriam.” Horangi murmured. “I do not want to believe you are right. So, we shall continue to ride with her.”

Koenig was silent for a moment before nodding. “I understand, Kätzchen.” 

Horangi nodded before going silent and continuing to ride. 

-

Around the third day, Horangi was starting to get bored. Neither Koenig, nor Miriam, were particularly talkative on the ride. So, when he was not driving, he started to find ways to entertain himself, often sitting in the back of the cart and using a bit of charcoal he made by himself during one of their meals, and sketching on the inside of his skirts.

He hadn’t worn a dress in ages, though this one was lighter and meant to be able to be worn during combat. The last time he’d worn a skirt was his wedding night, if he remembered correctly. 

It was… a lot less pleasant than he remembered. A lot more restrictive. He liked the tunics and pants that the knights wore. Even the leather armor was slightly better. 

Right now, he was sketching a rather large tree, without leaves because it was winter time. “Horangi!” He heard his name called by Miriam, and so he climbed up into the front. 

“Yes?”

Koenig was in the back of the cart, asleep. He’d been trying to stay awake when Horangi was, but he looked close to collapsing and so Horangi had ordered him to go to sleep. It had… worked better than Horangi had expected. 

Miriam sighed. “Take the reins. I want to check the back for something.”

Horangi nodded and did as told, taking the reins and continuing to drive. They stopped, often, for food and to let the horses rest, but other than that… it was nothing but traveling. 

He jumped when the cart suddenly jostled and then Koenig was dropping beside him. “You didn’t sleep long.” He acknowledged, though Koenig only shrugged. 

“Miriam!” Horangi called back to the alpha, who only hummed in response. “Will we be trading the cart for a carriage? I doubt the Prince may want to travel so open like this.”

Miriam simply laughed. “Yes, we will. King Alejandro has already ordered for us to have a cart when we arrive.”

“Perfect.” Horangi nodded and sighed, relaxing. He blushed when Koenig touched his leg and then Koenig was leaning down.

Koenig leaned close to his ear. “You smell good,” he murmured and then he was jerking back and laughing as Horangi whacked his ribs. “I was complimenting you!”

“I thought you had something important to say.” Horangi huffed. “You can save your compliments.”

“I thought it was important.” Koenig shrugged and chuckled. “You know, I was thinking… We may be able to shorten our trip to the border, if Miriam is fine with stopping in a different town.”

“Oh?” Horangi frowned. “How?”

“Well, when we were to march to Drodora, they told us about a pass across the river which will shorten us to arriving in Semworth,” Koenig answered, shrugging. “Which should put us only four days from Antalon.” 

Miriam leaned against the wall of the cart behind them. “I suppose that sounds alright. That would shave a few days off. The shorter our trip, the better. The less likely we are to be attacked by bandits or assassins.”

Horangi nodded and gave Koenig the reins so he could steer. He yawned, feeling a little tired, and so he just curled up to Koenig and dozed off.

-

When Koenig had said that he could shorten their trip, he hadn’t expected the trip to literally only be another day before they were arriving in Semworth. He was glad, though, wanting out of the cart. 

Miriam found them a room at an inn before basically abandoning them for the tavern. That was alright, because as soon as she was gone, Koenig had Horangi pressed against the wall of the room, mouthing over his neck.

“You’re so eager.” Horangi teased, though his breath hitched when he was bit, softly. “Koenig,” he warned, earning a soft breathy whine in response. 

Koenig gathered up Horangi’s skirts, using his leg to press against Horangi and making Horangi gasp, softly, before rolling his hips against his leg, moaning from the soft pleasure it caused. Already, he knew he was slick and he moaned when Koenig bit him. 

“Let me pleasure you…” Koenig murmured, pausing against Horangi’s neck. “Please?”

“What if Miriam comes back?” Horangi asked, though he was mostly teasing. He reached up, gently scratching over Koenig’s back. 

“Fuck Miriam.” Koenig growled, the sound rolling through his chest.

Horangi laughed and closed his eyes, humming before answering. “You’re so much more confident around me than anyone else…” He pushed Koenig away, slightly, so he could see his face. “Am I special?”

“Maybe.”

Koenig had gone dark red, looking away from Horangi. Horangi leaned forward and kissed him, softly, before pulling away. “No. Sadly.”

Koenig furrowed his brows. “Why not? I will… obviously respect your answer, but-”

“Because.” Horangi leaned back against the wall. He went silent, so they could hear the sounds of singing and dancing below them. “You are a big alpha. I have no doubts they will hear. I do not wish to be anyone’s dinner entertainment.”

“I have other things I could do. That they won’t hear.” Koenig got a cocky little half grin on his face and Horangi shook his head, his mind reminding him of the alpha who had tried to kill himself in order to not go outside. Koenig was an enigma. 

“Where did your mask go?” Horangi asked, glancing around the floor for it. Koenig then held it in front of his face, appearing to have bunched it in his fist. “Ah, I see… Even still, sweet boy, we must sadly refrain. We are on a quest.”

Koenig looked disappointed, but he did not protest. Instead, he leaned forward and buried his face in Horangi’s hair. “You have drawn me in so easily. You have made me addicted to you… How cruel…”

“Sweet boy…” Horangi soothed, scratching over his back, again. “Trust me, that it was not my intention.” He murmured, though his chest felt quite warm. You have made me addicted to you… This new feeling… of being craved as an omega… He knew, back in his old life, that many had likely wanted him. But, no one had been able to want him so up close before…

“I crave you, herrin…” Koenig murmured. 

Horangi paused and then he felt guilt. He wondered if Koenig would feel the same, were he not forced to be around him. “You are a caged sparrow. I suppose you would crave the hand that provides food to the birdcage.”

Koenig went silent and pulled away. “I am sorry?”

“I own you.” Horangi pushed him away and then moved away. “If the circumstances were different, you would not think much of me.”

“That’s not true…” Koenig looked almost hurt. “You do not even act as if you own me.”

“Because I do not wish to.” Horangi muttered. Then, he paused. Well, he didn’t wish to. Who would know? He could say, when he returned, that Koenig had escaped. What was he to do?? “I release you. You’re not under my ownership anymore.”

He went to the bed and sat on it. Well, one of the beds, there were two. “If you choose to leave, I’ll… tell Miriam that you left and we’ll figure it out.”

Koenig watched him and then shook his head, coming over and sitting on the floor in front of Horangi. “I do not wish to leave, Kätzchen…”

Horangi frowned and looked at him. “Why not? You were a war spoil! I am letting you be free.”

“I am choosing to stay.” Koenig shrugged. “I… want to try to build something with you and I understand that the circumstances are unconventional and odd, but… I want to. Please do not make me leave.”

Horangi looked at Koenig, watching him look down and fidget with his hands. “I do not understand… You… Wish to build something with me?”

“Yes. I do. I don’t know what, yet, but I want to build whatever I can with you…” He leaned forward and laid his head on Horangi’s lap. 

Horangi relaxed and closed his eyes, petting over Koenig’s hair. “I will not make you leave, sweet boy.” He promised. “You can stay with me.” 

“Thank you, Horangi…” Koenig nodded and looked up at him. “I like you better in your Knight’s clothes, by the way.”

“I think I’ve grown too accustomed to them.” Horangi laughed. “I prefer them, as well. This bodice hurts.”

“Let me take it off you. Please?” Koenig sat up, again, and Horangi nodded, letting him. 

So, Koenig sat up more. Then, he was reaching around and undoing the laces of Horangi’s bodice. Horangi relaxed as it loosened, letting out a breath. It wasn’t too restrictive, but it still was tight enough to be annoying. 

Then, Koenig did something that surprised him, reaching under Horangi’s blouse and scratching over where the cloth left indentations. “Oh…” He moaned and melted into Koenig, closing his eyes. It felt fantastic, almost euphoric. 

Koenig laughed, softly and nuzzled his hair, again. “Feel good, Kätzchen?”

“Incredibly. Nevermind, you’re not allowed to leave.” Horangi huffed and shook his head. 

Koenig stopped scratching and he almost whined, before Koenig was looking around. “I’m starving…”

Horangi pulled the bodice completely off before nodding, not caring if anyone saw him just in a blouse. He had a giant alpha, he’d just tell Koenig to kick them, and he’d probably send them through a window. “I will go get us food. Just stay here.”

--

Whatever bullshit A/N I'm making

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