#-ended up important to me to have certain ocs/worlds that are JUST for me and friends i rp with and not Patreon/Social Media Posting

[iraprince]

I love how fluid your sketch work is! how do you get confident in posting sketches without them feeling sloppy or unfinished?

thank you!! when i think about it, there are basically two main things that lead to me posting a bunch of sketches:

1.a lot of the time a pile of sketches is the only thing i have the energy/attention span/stamina to create. it's this or nothing!

and

2. i like my sketches! i am very often self-conscious/down on myself about the fact that the overall balance of what i post online is far more sketches/draft work than polished illustrations, but i'm not bothered by the fact that individual sketches are sloppy/unfinished, if that makes sense.

basically this may not be an answer that's specifically helpful to you but for me it's not a confidence thing so much as just the fact that sketch work is what works for me. i don't think Ability To Post should be the end-all be-all of drawing stuff; if the idea of posting your sketches makes you feel anxious or uncertain, i think it's worth it to ask yourself if maybe it's just okay that you don't like posting unfinished stuff, rather than automatically considering that discomfort something that has to be Worked Through. (this is my very specific perspective coming from a place where agonizing over things being Good Enough To Post has done more to dent my confidence/make me freeze up and feel art blocked than anything else; practicing moving away from Posting Stuff as the end goal of drawing has been really valuable for me.)

if in the end u are really like "no, i WANT to learn to be cool with it," and/or "the end goal of posting stuff publicly IS really important to me," you can always start small! posting first to a private account or sharing w friends on discord first, rather than hucking it directly to strangers on main, can be an easier way to get into it; or maybe you'll find it easier to collect a bunch of sketches and post them all at once, instead of one at a time. also anyone who would think anything rude about you posting scraps/wips is a joyless dickhead anyway, so do keep that in mind

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Yo! Good morning/evening, hope you are fine^^💝. I wanted to ask you a question but I was afraid that it may bother you or something (you know..that feeling when you are scared that you might disturb someone or being an unwelcome person) but yeah I will ask you since i was serious about your answer for some time now so I hope I'm not annoying you or something *feel free to answer only if you wish^^. You seem to know the characters pretty well, you are quite capable and great at reading and understanding them, one of the things I'm serious about is what do you think would make someone qualified enough to be with malleus? Do they have to be of the same species?certain Reputation, stature or traits?(sorry can't help it since I can't rest until I know everything about what interests me and figure it all out😅). Thanks for giving me some of your precious time I really like your blog, you're amazing💜

No worries, you’re not bothering me at all ^^ I love to talk about my hyperfixations www

Now, I know a lot of fans (particularly on the EN side) like to ship Malleus with their OC and especially with Yuu so I want to first make it clear that my response is NOT meant to invalidate those Malleus shippers. Whatever I say here is based on my own interpretation of canon lore (and let’s be real here, TWST won’t ever confirm if anyone is romantically interested in Yuu because it might not work with how some players view their own relationship with that character). In fanon, anyone can be with anyone, but in canon there are very specific in-universe rules and expectations laid out for Malleus so these are what I will be referring to.

I also want to emphasize that the final traits I discuss in this post do NOT reflect Malleus’s personal tastes or views. He has little say in what kind of an individual his spouse would be, so his own preferences are not speculated about or taken into account here. The traits I will be bringing up are based on what I believe the lore implies are the desirable traits for those marrying into the Draconia royal family.

We got it? Good 👍 Read more below the cut!!

Firstly, I’m completely disregarding the ideas of “Malleus can love whoever he wants to love”, “Malleus can scare people into accepting who he loves”, and/or “Malleus can change the law so he can marry who he loves” (a la Sultan from Aladdin or through some other Disney magic or logic). Here’s why:

In general, those solutions for “high stakes issues” are too simple, and that has never been how Twisted Wonderland tackles complicated problems. Just look at every single OB boy’s backstory. They’re so complex that they aren’t totally resolved by the end of their books; these problems persist and are long term things each of them are working on addressing. This is also true of the politics TWST introduces to us; Leona for example explains how there is social pushback and resistance to the idea of infrastructure reform because the culture of the Sunset Savanna stresses harmony with nature. This has made it difficult for them to adopt new technologies because real politicians in their world have to seriously weigh their cultural values with their health and societal progress. The only time there are really easy solutions are in events or vignettes where the emotional stakes are not super high, but who Malleus marries is, in fact, super important since this will entirely change the life of a main character and his country.

With that first bullet point in mind… No, Malleus cannot love whoever he wants to love. Certainly, he may feel affection for another but he can never truly be with them. He is royalty and the only heir to the throne of Briar Valley. It follows that he is expected to marry for political reasons/to better his nation. This is a non-negotiable obligation for him.

Rather than saying, “Malleus cannot scare people into accepting who he loves”, I think it’s more accurate to say Malleus knows he probably shouldn’t. I mean, yes, he may be upset about his S/O not being accepted by his people but I feel that is discrediting a lot of the loyalty he has for his own country. As a kid he may have thrown tantrums when he was upset and potentially harmed staff, but as a 178 year old he has a much better understanding of decorum and maintaining it in spite of his own grudges. For example, even though he personally dislikes Leona he still commands Sebek to apologize to him because, at the end of the day, this could harm Briar Valley’s relationship with the Sunset Savanna. That’s not to say that Malleus can’t be petty (he definitely is)—but implying he would be petty toward basically his entire country just because they would disapprove of the one he loves?? (We know this would likely be true because Sebek’s parents faced similar backlash when they got together.) I feel like his own sense of awareness and responsibility for his country, crown, and people would override that. As an example, Malleus states that he has never been in a car before because the senate would be against it and often kept Malleus in the castle. Someone of his power could easily ignore them and sneak out and do whatever he wanted, yet the dialogue implies Malleus didn’t. He obeyed his political advisors even when he was younger and arguably much more immature. Malleus might not like certain decisions made about his life but it sounds like he ultimately complies with them.

Continuing from the previous point, let’s say for the sake of argument that Malleus does scare everyone into line. What about his public image and the mental health of his S/O? Maybe Malleus can frighten people to not talk out of turn to his face, but he cannot control what people whisper about him behind closed doors or to treat his S/O well or like they actually like them. Not only would they be alienated (away from their own home and forced to adapt to a new one) but they’d be treated oddly by others too. What kind of reputation is that for Malleus? To be a tyrant king who throws a hissy fit anytime someone talks about his partner in a way he doesn’t approve of? With a spouse who is not at their best mentally because of the constant ostracization? (This is similar to what Leona experienced in his childhood.) I don’t think Malleus would want to subject anyone to that kind of life, especially not one he loves. And again, this attitude would be the vast majority of his people. It’s not like it can be avoided or resolved in an easy manner, especially when the people of Briar Valley have proven to be against change.

Lastly, Malleus would not change the law so he can be with whoever he wants to. To begin with, I doubt this is a unilateral position the senate would approve of. But okay, let’s accept that Malleus is royalty so his power overrides the advisors’ power. So he effectively just changed a law for a very selfish and personal reason rather than changing something to actually benefit his people. That doesn’t feel in-character for him, not when Malleus seems to understand that it is the duty of those in higher status to help those below them rather than themselves (see: Riddle’s Suitor Suit vignettes. Malleus has acted selfish before, yes (who remembers Endless Halloween Night? His Dorm Uniform vignettes? I do.)—but never at the cost of changing the status quo of his country. (Book 7 is not included here because he’s in a very distressed emotional state then; this “new law” scenario posits that Malleus is in a normal state of mind.) This is a major change—change which Briar Valley, its people, and most importantly, Malleus, are not ready for. You think there wouldn’t be social pushback against this? From a society that has become complacent with its own way of life and is still isolated from the rest of the world? That Malleus, someone who struggles greatly with accepting life changes himself, could enact such a big change so easily? (On a more technical level, you don’t just pass a law and it instantly becomes tangible or real, there is a process of approval and then implementation.)

Additionally, it’s made clear in Ghost Marriage that “[Malleus] cannot enter into an engagement lightly”, which is why Sebek goes in his place. Eliza, the Ghost Bride, is royalty (er, albeit dead) but it seems that royal status is not enough to qualify as his partner. Maybe this is because she’s dead and doesn’t have anything of value for Briar Valley (no land, no people, no political power), but it could also mean that the partner has to be given the thumbs up by other parties.

All that being said, here are some of the conditions I think would have to be met for Malleus’s future spouse:

Has to be someone of equal or at least high status. This means they also have to be a royal or at least of nobility. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who is referred to as a duke.

Because of how self-contained Briar Valley is + nocturnal fae having beef with diurnal fae, I imagine his partner would have to also be a nocturnal fae. This would also solve the MASSIVE lifespan difference between fae and non-fae because at least fae would be far closer to each other even if their lifespans fluctuate but subspecies.

Someone suited to rule by his side. Being married into any royal family is no joke—it comes with the expectation that you will contribute somehow, and the partner should be fully equipped to enter the world of politics with him.

Piggybacking off the last point, I think mental fortitude is also a prerequisite. This is because being a politician (navigating the social climate both within your country and outside of it, keeping your people and colleagues happy, maintaining public approval, managing laws, dealing with potential attempts on your life, etc.) can be very stressful and can hurt those who are faint of heart or not prepared for the responsibility. Leaders have to make tough calls at the drop of a hat, and they have to be ready for it.

Has a lot to offer in terms of benefits to Briar Valley as a country. This could be in terms of resources, connections, and/or political savvy. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who acted as a diplomat for Briar Valley.

Vetting and formal approval from the senate. lmao good luck with that

Has to be able and willing to have a child. They at least need an heir to the throne to succeed Malleus. (However, knowing how exclusionary and conservative as heck the senators are, I doubt they would accept anything but a biological child 💀)

Preferably someone with powerful magic or is skilled at magic already so as to lessen the chance of “tainting” the bloodline with a weak mage or a non-mage.

I believe that Briar Valley would prefer someone with old fashioned values like them, not someone pushing for massive reform. They have a culture that is resistant to change and a history of fighting for resources with outsiders, so if Malleus’s new spouse tries to introduce a bunch of technology or open its borders to other countries (even if they have good intentions), the people + the senate may oppose them. His father is implied to be open-minded, but he at least understood that such change isn’t reasonable without time and effort dedicated to the endeavor.

All that being said 💦 I think that this topic is actually less about what Malleus as an individual wants and what his country, his people, and, yes, even his asshole senators, want. This is basically an arranged marriage situation so that their country can maintain power and relevance. It’s about the collective and what Malleus must do for their perceived security and prosperity.

[scribble-dribble-writes]

I have a request!! Y/N being sent on a mission by Miguel, them being gone for hours and not getting back at him makes Miguel check in on u over Layla & she has to him that they got hurt. A feral/worried Miguel going in for the rescue of a badly injured Y/N, taking care of their wounds and staying by their side. Once they regain consciousness -> lots of apologies and fluff/tenderness would be awesome!!

Thank u for reading this request of madness 🙈 x

Hi anon! Thanks for the request, I had to write it the moment I read it. GAH SOFT FERAL MIGUEL HAS ME IN A HOLD.

I hope you like this 💖💖💖

---

Unsaid words

"LYLA", he called for his assistant.

His eyes glued to the monitor, looking through street footage and maps. His eyes now awake with the thirst of knowing where you were. Your location marker turned offline and he drew a sharp breath. Something was wrong, his mind coming up scenarios that he wasn't very fond of.

"Where is she?", he asked next. His fingers turning into claws that bit into the top of his table.

He was impatient. No. He was worried.

He had stayed numb, not getting close enough to miss anyone but you, his heart began to race, you were special.

"I can't find here active data but it's certain that she's hurt.", LYLA responded. Instantly, he pushed away from his desk, he had to find you.

His suit covered his head with his mask, his claws now fully out as he had only one goal in his mind.

He turned his gadget to the universe you were sent to and jumped into the portal, he couldn't wait for it to open, he shouldn't have sent you alone, thoughts and feelings he had kept hidden were now rising to the surface. He struck his blade into the time fabric tearing it open.

Cold rain greeted him, covering the world he entered in a goulish green. A sign that the anomaly here would be one of the Doc Oc variants. And just as he had though it, he saw a silhouette with tentacled arms climb up a building. In one of its arms, he caught sight of the colour of your suit.

Anger rushed into his system, one mixed with the overwhelming need to protect you. He hadn't felt that in a long time, since he lost his universe. The tip of his tongue felt the sharp end of his fangs bearing out at the thought of losing you.

He didn't waste a second, his eyes were locked on his target.

You grappled against the cold metal that wrapped around your throat. Your feet dangling over the dark city. It was getting hard to breathe and in the state you were in, you were certain that if you were dropped from this height, it would be fatal.

The mask you wore was torn in half, allowing you to witness the sheer force of an object that slammed into the anomaly. Red blades gleamed against the eerie moon as clawed hands tore away a couple metal arms. You could recognize him anywhere. His large back over powering the anomaly as he slammed Doc Oc's face into the glass facade of the building. Over and over, he wasn't like himself, you had never seen him this triggered.

The anomaly lost consciousness and the red eyes in the tentacles flickered out, the grip around your neck easing. Fear filled your system, your eyes widening at what this meant, you clawed against the metal now to hold on, to not slip. But the rain made it difficult, the glass panes were too smooth, it made it impossible for you to catch onto any surface. You pressed into your web shooters only to for it to confirm with a hiss that it was broken.

It was all in slow motion, your body feeling the pull of gravity, the anomaly tilting head back into a fall and the red slits on his mask turning to you, widening as he watched you fall.

Capturing the anomaly was what was important, that was the mission, not one could be killed in action as they had to be returned into their respective universe. Whereas, you, you were expendable, fallen soldiers in this war no one knew about.

So who was he going to save?

Was this another one of his canon events?

But something within you caused you to scream out his name, some stupid want to feel his arms around you again, one last time. And that was what changed everything.

With inhuman speed he secured the anomaly to a broken steel column and dove towards you. He looked like he owned the skies, his blades stretching out against him like his wings, a streak of black, red and blue.

He didn't use his web to catch you, afraid that it would end like a few Gwen Stacy deaths. He retracted his claws, and reached out for you.

His weight enabled him to reach you faster in mid air. You felt his arms circle you, press you deep into his chest as he braced for impact. He held you tight as you felt the smell of tarmac beneath you. He had saved you, even though it wasn't a part of the mission.

With your ear pressed into his suit, you could hear the ferocity with which his heart was beating. He pushed away quicking to inspect you, his thumb tracing over a scratch across your cheek making him grumble. As though you were his priced work of art and someone had defied him to hurt you.

"You came.", was all you could muster to say.

"Of course I would.", he spoke softly as he carried you in his arms.

Now this made you feel like you were untouchable by any force that ever existed. Nothing could be strong enough to pull you away from him.

"lo siento llegué tarde.", he drew closer to you as help arrived to clean up the scene.

"You were right on time.", you responded to ease his worry, which surprised you. He never worried about anyone in this way.

"Oh you've found her!", LYLA popped up next to him.

"He was losing his senses over at HQ.", she laughed.

"LYLA", he warned her.

"What?", she winked at you as she acted innocent.

"Leave us.", he ordered and she disappeared.

His gaze was on you, you could tell with how the eyes on his mask softened.

"I was afraid I might lose you.", he said quietly as he stroked your exposed jaw. His warm touch eradicated the biting cold sting of the rain.

"Where you?", you asked watching his mask unravel, exposing his nose and lips.

You could feel where this was heading, you craved it. But to see him nod to your question in a way that it was the absolute truth set your heart on fire. He had saved you, there was no grander gesture than that. It spoke more loudly than what he could put into words. He held the side of your face that your mask didn't cover, your left cheek, the tip of your nose and your lips.

He leaned down, his hot breath over your cheek sent your mind into an overdrive as he softly kissed you, a cliche. Maybe it was his canon event, the usual spidey kiss.

The pain in your body evaporated just for this second as you kissed him back. Your reaction causing him to pull you closer, as though it was a confirmation. Your intuition in tune with what he was feeling, unsaid words could remain unsaid. Instead he spoke with his hands and a racing pulse in his throat.

He pulled away, his lips now spread out in a smile as the suit engulfed his face again.

"Let's get you cleaned up first and then continue this later.", he chuckled as he opened the portal.

Now that was a command you didn't mind obeying.

[her-devils-advocate]

AoT Masterlist

Levi Ackerman x Reader:

; Selfish risks

// domestic fluff

In the peaceful downtime spent together, Levi decides to risk asking an important question.

; Everyone I’ve cared about has either died or left me. Except for you.

// Hurt/comfort, fluff

Based on the prompt from the title, you and Levi have a moment amidst the final battle.

; Year 850, then; Year 854, now

// Hurt/comfort, fluff

Two tender moments between you and Levi after being injured in battle, leaving him to worry and look after you in his own ways.

; I drag myself like a rug in the rain

// sickfic, fluff - Levi Ackerman x Reader

"If you can walk over to me with ease, then I'll believe you."

You are sick with the flu, yet refuse to admit it before a certain stern captain. He easily makes you swallow your pride.

; To the dark I said pour and forgot to say when

// angst, hurt/comfort

It's starting to become too much for you, training the recruits just to watch them die. You take pride in your position within the scouts, but pride can't suffocate the growing guilt. How can you train them after losing so many? Luckily, Levi is there to help pull you together.

; The hour in-between

// fluff

Levi Ackerman, humanity’s strongest soldier and weakest sleeper. You’re not surprised to find him sneaking out of bed to be reunited with his paperwork, but you are touched that he still holds you in his arms until you have reached a deep slumber before he slips away.

Tonight you catch him returning to your side, determined to spend time with him before the world wakes.

; It's all for you, everything I do

// fluff

You and Levi spend some well-needed downtime together, sharing each other's company and relaxing with a hot bath.

; In my arms is where you ought to be

// hurt/comfort, eventual fluff

In the dead of night, the anxieties that you had tried to keep bottled up have finally crept up on you. Bringing along all the thoughts you had tried to lock away with it.

Luckily for you, you're not alone.

; Let me take care of you

// fluff and smut

It has been a few months since the war ended, and peace has brought a lot of change along with it. Physical and mental scars surround both of you, so you decide to show Levi just how much you love him.

; Home, love, family

// fluff

It has been some time since the fighting had ended, the world has started to move on and you find yourself doing the same.

You and Levi decide it is time to start taking the next step towards enjoying the future you fought for.

Levi Ackerman x OC:

; I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with you

// Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, longfic

[ms-lirio]

"You hurted yourself. Again."

"I guess I should say: I am deeply sorry."

"Do not act so reckless, Alfred."

"—Promise. And you should take a rest, you look tired."

"I am fine. Do not worry about me."

I have MANY pending books to read, whether diaries, reports, story books, Brazilian Pracinhas and Nurses and much more.  But to save time, I decided to just read a few quick articles to prepare this post.

All pointed here is in a historical view.

Brazil was officially the only South American country to send troops to the conflict under its flag.

Historically, Brazil's actions prevailed in Italy.  It was where Brazil sent its troops, and its participation in the war was delayed as Brazil wanted to maintain its relations with both sides and remain neutral throughout the conflict.  After German and Italian attacks suffered by Brazilian ships, Brazil gave up its neutrality, siding with the Allies.

American military bases were built in the Northeast region of Brazil and Brazilian troops received American training.

"In 1939, with the beginning of the Second World War, Brazil remained neutral, in continuation of President Getúlio Vargas' policy of not defining itself by any of the great powers, only trying to take advantage of the advantages offered by them. Such "pragmatism " was interrupted at the beginning of 1942, when the United States and the Brazilian government agreed to transfer air bases on the island of Fernando de Noronha and along the north-northeast Brazilian coast to receive American military bases (if negotiations had not result, with Vargas and the military insisting on maintaining neutrality, the US had plans to invade the Brazilian northeast, codenamed Plan Rubber).”  (WIKIPEDIA)

"Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil, has a very important strategic global geographic position. This fact made the city host the two main American military bases during the Second World War: the Naval Base and Parnamirim Field – at the time it was the largest US Air Force base on foreign territory.”  (WIKIPEDIA)

// Getúlio Vargas flirted with the Fascist ideology even tho, he went to ALLIES' side. 💀

HCs: (don't take them too seriously)

⚠️ Remembering the following content: we are still talking about Hetalia, so my HCs and lore are not absolute truth, but my perception of my oc's participation during the conflict.  Even though it has a historical basis behind it.  And also, this is historical fiction (ofc, it's hetalia).  WWII is an extremely sensitive topic to many. I ask for caution, I will be careful with what I have to say.

— Alfred used his charm and charisma to make Mayara fight alongside him (Good Neighbor Policy). What worked and they formed an alliance based on a mutual exchange of interests.

— Mayara had developed a strange feeling that intensified for Alfred (something between admiration and wanting to be like him, a complex feeling, which perhaps was confused with platonic love and which sought certain privileges in that alliance), even if she was reluctant to give end her neutral stance towards the conflict (something similar to what happened in WWI).  She would later do this after torpedoing of vessels by German and Italian submarines, retaliation due to Brazil's accession to the Atlantic Charter;  thus, she broke ties with the AXIS and declared war on Italy and Germany.

— In my universe, Mayara also served as a nurse, and spent most of her time with Alfred, often tending to his wounds.  Sometimes just chitchatting together or learning about militarism and things like that. He trained her. He was the one who supported her.

— I changed my conception of another topic, which was May's direct participation on the battlefield.  I think that Mayara, in addition to serving as a nurse, also fought on the front line when necessary (due to the fact that she was the representative of Brazil) and needed to be on the front line.  In my former HC she didn't go to the front. (I disagree with the 2021 me xd).

—  I don't believe that Alfred reciprocated any kind of feelings for May. She was an important piece for him, and so he courted her, to secure a new ally.  It was a benefits relationship.

— Besides Alfred.  There were FEW times where dialogues with England took place, this was due to the participation of Anglo-Brazilians on the English side (if I'm not wrong, in the area of ​​aviation, but I need to delve deeper into the topic).  An almost tiny interaction compared to the prevalence of Alfred's actions, which was immensely greater and also generated impacts.

PS: I don't ship BrAme/AmeBra, they are just friends.  However, Mayara, as I said, had strange feelings for him at some moments in history (I was reading an article about diplomacy 🇧🇷-🇺🇸, I realized that Brazil had a greater interest in getting closer to the USA for economic and regional power, that is, an admiration that aimed for benefits/just as the US aimed for strategic support/Mayara would support Alfred in anything, as she thought she would get support in return).

I used the word "courtship" as it was stated in this old History book (which I no longer have).  Alfred... used his charm against May. Lol.

Evidence of a strange obsession with Alfred:

Meet the United States of Brazil:

(I showed this damn flag to my dad he got disgusted lmfao)

[aquagirl1978]

I wanted to do something different for my follower celebration, and with the encouragement from some friends (you know who you are), I landed on this. I know Gift Exchanges are not a new or unique thing - they've had them for every game and even ones just for OCs - but there hasn't been one just for Villains. Yet.

What is a Gift Exchange? Those participating in this event agree to create a piece of fanwork (their choice of either fanfiction or fanart) and in exchange, they will receive fanwork (their choice of either fanfiction or fanart).

If you are interested in participating, please read this entire post and then fill out the Google form at the bottom. If you have any questions about this event or this form, please send me a DM or ask.

General Overview and Important Dates

Sign-ups for the event will take place until June 15. If you are interested in participating, please complete the Google form at the bottom of this post.

You will be notified via Tumblr or Discord by July 1 about the details of your assignment.

You will have from July 1 to August 15 to create your gift.

I will be conducting progress check-ins with each participant sometime around the mid-point of the event as well as closer towards the end. If you are unreachable by the mid-point check-in, you risk being removed from the event.

All gifts MUST be posted on August 15. If you have an issue meeting this deadline, please contact me immediately.

A masterlist of all gifts will be compiled and posted sometime after the event has closed.

Please note that because of the nature of this game, this event is open only to creators 18 years or older.

Rules for Posting Your Gift

Gifts MUST be posted on August 15- posting can begin at 12 Midnight GMT (I will make a post when you may start posting as we have creators all over the world). If you will be away that day, Tumblr has a schedule setting so you can create your post and schedule it for that day.

Fanfiction must be a minimum of 750 words. Fanart must be colored.

Tag your giftee and @aquagirl1978 in your post and include "#ikevil gift exchange" in the tags.

There are no requirements regarding banners - you may use one you made, the one posted in this post or don't use one at all.

Can I request my gift be with my OC? Yes! I encourage you to request your gifts to include your OCs, if you have one. There is space on the form for you to describe your OC and even include a link to any posts you wish to share about them to help better assist your creator in making your gift.

What if I'm not comfortable writing for someone's OC? That's understandable - it's not always easy to write for another's OC. There is a section on the form that you can check off that says you'd prefer not to write for OCs and I will try my best to honor everyone's requests.

I want to participate, but I am worried about being paired with certain people. From my experience hosting and participating in exchanges, the best way to avoid any conflicts such as this is to be open about this on the initial form. I don't want to pair anyone with someone they are uncomfortable with for any reason. Maybe someone has you blocked or you have someone blocked. Maybe you don't like someone's writing or artwork and would not wish to receive a gift from them. It doesn't matter the reason. There is a question on the form - anyone's names you enter in there, you will not be paired with. The only one seeing these forms is me. If anything happens once the event has started and you received your giftee information, simply DM me and we can work something out.

Everything sounds great, how can I participate? Simply complete this Google form by June 15 and you will be added to the event.

As always, my ask box and DMs are open to any and all questions.

Happy creating!

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tags @corinneglass and @diabolical-blue!

OC Interview

You know, I don't think I've ever done one of these for Ivander. Let's go with him!

Are you named after anyone?

"Not in particular, no. My family tends to cycle through the same old list of names, so there have been plenty of Ivanders before me, but I wasn't named after any specifically."

When was the last time you cried?

"Most nights, I can't help it. My curse puts me in a great deal of pain and when my medication wears off around midnight, I'm usually not doing great. It's nights like those that make me so awfully aware that my time is drawing to an end."

Do you have kids?

"Hell no, I'd probably forget to feed the tragic creature. I'm not putting any child through the trial that me raising them would undoubtedly ensue."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"If you have to ask, then you must be denser than you look."

What is the first thing you notice about people?

"As a detective, I'm trained to look for identifying marks. An odd tattoo, a birthmark, telltale scars from a certain trade. All can be very useful if one can remember them."

What’s your eye color?

"Blue. Most would describe them as slightly too blue to fall in the human range."

Any special talents?

"I'm good at remembering things. Who's been talking with whom, who's been clocking in late with bags under their eyes, who's been extra nervous when the time comes for a station audit - that sort of thing. Ceyrel, my partner, says I have a nose for drama, but I prefer to think that I simply like to keep tabs on my surroundings. And occasionally let other people in on my 'findings,' so to speak."

Scary movies or happy endings?

"I really couldn't say. I suppose it depends on what I'm in the mood for. If I'm with friends, scary movies are fine, but if I'm alone in my apartment, I prefer something sappy. Just don't tell Ceyrel that."

Where were you born?

"On a roof, believe it or not. I was told that my mother insisted. According to my uncle, she said it was an important tradition among her people that a baby's first sight be the sky above. In a rare show of magnanimity, my father allowed her to go through with her plan and brought up a midwife and tent to the roof of the Montane compound. And so there it happened. Apparently, it rained hard enough that no one could see the sky in the end anyways."

Do you have any pets?

"No. I can barely take care of myself - I'm not going to tie some animal to my fate. Especially not one that wants me petting it all the time."

How tall are you?

"5'8", but I walk with a stoop, so I seem shorter."

What was your favorite subject in school?

"I was never a fan of school. I did well enough and my tutors never remarked on my behavior, however, I didn't enjoy it. I suppose art, if I had to choose. I liked to paint as a boy, though I was never very good. I thought I might pick the hobby up again once I left home, but I never found the time."

What is your dream job?

"I'd say not having a job would be dreamy, but that's not true, I'd go mad with boredom. I like being a detective well enough. I have the seniority to where they don't make me go on patrol anymore, and sometimes I'll get a case that piques my interest. Really though, it's just a job. I do it, I get paid, I go home. When I joined ten years ago, I had some delusion of making the world a better place and atoning for my sins. However, the only place I ended up making better was the interior of some merchant councilmembers' homes. It's been so long that it's hard to care about such things now - that's how society works and there's no use fighting against it. But back on topic. If I really had to choose, I'd... I'd perhaps like to work in a tailor shop. I have a keen eye for style and I think the clientele would amuse me. Unfortunately though, I couldn't string a needle to save my life, and tailors don't make detective money. More's the pity."

I'll tag @somethingclevermahogony @goodluckclove @savvyminnow @sleepywriter00 and anyone else who wants to play :)

Blank questions below the cut

Are you named after anyone? When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What is the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye color? Any special talents? Scary movies or happy endings? Where were you born? Do you have any pets? How tall are you? What was your favorite subject in school? What is your dream job?

[libbytwq]

holy moly dude, I JUST HAD AN EPIPHANY

So I was reading Lore's character sheet (for drawing reference tee-hee) and I saw the part about her being corrupted/affected by the IGBP arc and I JUST FREAKED OUT BECAUSE MY OC HEXSY (she/her if you're curious about pronouns :P) WAS ACTUALLY REALLY AFFECTED BY IGBP ARC TOO!!

This ask is gonna be long. I'm so sorry I just freaked out, and I wanted to tell you about it cause I thought you may like it ( ´-ω-)

(You can just skip to the drawing at the end of the ask if you want to lololol)

Basically, (Lore™ time *gets into the matpat pose*) while Three, Mario, and Meggy were trying to fight redesigned Toad (y'know, the long leg Toad), Four was getting annoyed by one of the ring lights in his room being too bright. Not thinking much of it, he stated out loud that he wished he could dim the ring light and used him Meme Guardian + Redesign powers by COMPLETE ACCIDENT. With that, Hexsy was born and also got some lovely scars, since Four transferred some of his scars to her with the Meme Guardian powers. He was really confused by this but ended up letting her stay in his room.

Artistic Rendition of the Lore™:

Anyways, this is leading me to how Hexsy may see SMGL:E (or Lore) and their relationship, plus the story behind it, tee-hee.

So skip some time to about a week later for when they need to get the star from Peach's castle. The pink scars on Hexsy's skin have mostly faded away, but you can just barely see them if you squint hard enough and are under certain light. (Very important)

(Also, side note: the scars end up not being visible later unless she's under high stress or during Puzzlevision when Mr. Puzzles had full control over her.)

When the gang jumps down the flesh pit, Hexsy splits off with Three, and they explore the caves. Hexsy thinks she sees someone, and when she takes another step forward, BAM, GONE. Three obviously runs back to the group while Hexsy is taken on a completely different path than the original one to the castle.

After Hexsy has walked a bit of the way, Lore drops down from the ceiling and corners her, asking her what she was doing down there and if she was there to hurt their avatar (Peach). Hexsy quickly denied it because she didn't even know Peach existed until now, explaining how she was still really new to the world, and also that they were there for the star in Peach's castle. Lore sees Hexsy's scars, and they both find themselves telling each other how they got them.

OK, LORE EXPLATION DONE HOPE THAT WASN'T TOO MUCH AHAHNENDNDNSJW

So anyways, this leads me to this awesome cool drawing I did of the two B)

Make these two clubs that Lore's in now with other SMG4 OC's heck yeah

I LOVE THE LOREEEEE HEXSY IS SO NEATTT blud is a personified ring light. damn

ALSO THE LIL STORY THING IDEA IS NEAT TOO. I really like it

even tho smgl:e prob doesnt hang out by peach's castle often,, and lowkey they probably dont know who peach is either ;;

BUT I STILL LIKE IT A TON ITS SO GOOD I LOVE IT

i love smg4 ocs waaaa

[slightly-warmer-hibiscus-tea]

CW: OC talk + Rambling / Blood / Gore / Censored Nudity (character sheet) / Mentions of Drugging

(idk why these warnings are so intense, but I swear it's all just silly OC talk T^T)

I’m kinda sorta working on more (comprehensible) TS OC stuff in between studying right now… I wanna hurry and talk about them but without info dumping (if given the opportunity I will without hesitation 😔…) because in terms of the best stories I have conjured up for OCs in general Naudedel and Noble are surprisingly good and I’m very excited to share how deranged they are together…

Right now it’s just about making Naudy readable and working on extra fun stuff… like monsters!

I’m trying to work out his “monster” form…. The concept is there, but the execution is just not ticking the right boxes for me right now… also, the line art at the end is old and probably will go unused, but thought it was something to add here because like hehe look at my deranged son :)

When it comes to the writing I'm going to split it into two chapters. The first half will be a summary+ of his upbringing, and the second on how he fucked up his arm and why. Just enough info to get a read on what his deal is pretty much. I just need to edit the first chapter and rewrite some parts then it's ready to annoy the world!

I'm trying to think of a good design for his original mother... I'm thinking dark hair and milf (¬‿¬)･ﾟ✧ ... honestly I need to start drawing out the designs for all the other TS OCs I've accumulated over the year (?) here's a fun list-

Hickery (bloodhound OC... dilf oc...I've already been made fun of for his name, but it stuck to me so I'm keeping it!)

Maya (another bloodhound OC)

Cove (Hound's ex-husband)

Cetcher's gf + informant, who still needs a good name...

and that one guy! (doesn't have a name yet... but is important in Hound's part of the story... she bashed some of his guys in the back of head with a hammer... it was a whole thing... Leander got involved... gang war stuff, don't worry about it...)

There are technically more OCs, like that Hightown lady Noble befriended during their first few weeks in town. However, I'm not sure if I'm including her in the final plot meeting. But yeah, anyway I'm rambling so on to Noble news!

For Noble, everything is plotted out in advance surprisingly…character playlist and all... just need to find the words to explain their story other than “parasite with a weird God complex feels guilty” I do have some old memes and art of them though!

Noble curse stuff...

Childhood cult stuff...

Current reality...

Poor person masquerade dress censored for tumblr...

Noble folks!

I actually wrote out a whole little thing for the black dress in a what-if scenario of...

"Oh! ,,,What if there is a masquerade in Hightown and Noble sneaks in to get some information on a certain individual who might know a thing or two about curses, but turns out the whole event if devious and their all eating babies or some fucked up shit,,,, and what if while sneaking around they see Leander and are like 'what's he doing here?' and they lock eyes but he ignores them as he ducks into a closed off area with some important looking people,,, once he comes out he walks past them and they lock eyes again as he leaves,,, Noble chases after him and once they catch up they get to see his cold and detached side right before he hides them from the other guest,,, after they talk for a bit, or more like Leander talking over them and their worries as he slowly wipes their memories while they protest that it's not fair only to wake up the next day back in their room,,, thankfully their curse is good for more then just silly bouts of insanity so they have a hunch on what happened, everyone around them who knew where they went the night before were obviously worried and the general consensus is that they might have been drugged and should go check in with Kuras just in case (wow this is getting long...) but on their way to the clinic they run into Leander and of course discusses their current problem with him ,,, words are exchanged,,, a kabedon may occur,,, as he whispers in their ear,,, all fun till he erases their memories again, or at least tires before receiving a little gift that makes him look at this whole curse thing from a different angle." DEEP BREATH! ...Anyways... yeah.

But it was taking so long to write out that I ended up losing motivation so yeah... like everything else we will pray the motivation comes back so I can finish that... plus who knows, I might make an x reader version of it if I can. (don't hold your breath... I'm extremely slow)

Anyway, I'm gonna to shut up now because I've yapped enough. I'mma make some hibiscus tea (ironic) and head to bed... Night night, if you made it this far, thank you for listening to my craziness <3

[enhashoutout]

Introducing Junie aka Baby

Genre: fluff, comedy aka CRACK fic, some angst

Warnings: cussing, typical H&L violence, periods are mentioned, mentions of blood and injuries, let me know if I missed anything

Since this is a little sister oc introduction, she is written with female attributes and pronouns.

All credits of pictures to their respective owners, I got them all off of Pinterest to make my character collage. The character collage however was made by me, please don't take it and crop out my username to repost it elsewhere.

°:. *₊ ° . ° .•°:. *₊ ° . ° .•°:. *₊ ° . ° .•

A little about Junie

Hino Junie

Physical appearance please reference the pictures above but you can really envision her however you want whenever you read. I personally see her a certain way but I don't know how to draw or have a face claim for her lol she just looks a certain way in my brain. The only concrete physical feature I want readers to envision for her is her hair as I felt it was important for her to have some blonde to match with her brother but I didn't want her to be fully blonde.

Cobra's (Hino Junpei) younger sister

By default ALL of Sannoh's little sister

They nicknamed her “Baby” because she is the baby of the family. Baby and Junie are used interchangeably.

Baby used to hate the nickname but grew used to it over time.

Cobra and Yamato taught her how to fight for self-defense purposes but they REFUSE to allow her to be a part of anything S.W.O.R.D related.

But they also contradict themselves because any time something is happening they be telling Junie like she's their certified therapist.

Like when Noboru was being a little shit thinking he was gonna work for Iemura? Girl, Junie was stuck listening to both of them spill their hearts out about it.

So really she isn't involved in the fights but knows everything going on.

Their father was never in the picture, and their mother isn't very present either. This left Cobra to be the one to raise Junie.

Cobra didn't mind, he loved Junie a lot but raising a girl in the world he was involved in was stressful.

Being a girl was already hard, throw in gang life and you have an endless cycle of stress.

Cobra's money he earns from the gas station goes to bills and paying for Junie to go to school.

Cobra never saw school for himself but he does for her. He always encouraged her to do well in school. This led to a lot of arguments while the two were growing up.

"But you didn't go to school!" "That was me! I want YOU to go to school so YOU can be BETTER."

This stopped around the age of 11. Junie realized he was working really hard, juggling being the leader of Sannoh and also raising her when he really didn't need to.

Raising Junie should've been their parents' job, not his, and yet here he was trying his best.

Junie went from average grades to being an overachiever because it felt like the only way to pay Cobra back.

Junie found an interest in contemporary dance and piano.

So Cobra transferred her from her old school to an art school farther from home.

The commute ended up being a little longer ( a 30-minute motorcycle ride instead of a 10-minute walk) but thank god she had a bunch of older brothers who drove motorcycles to send her to school and pick her up at the end of the day.

If it was late and Junie thought it was better to stay at school, she would just crash at one of her friend's dorms.

Some of the girls at school were nice. They wanted to know what living in S.W.O.R.D was like. They asked questions and found it cool that Junie's home life was different from theirs.

Some girls were real fuckin mean though. They would sneer at her, making fun of her home life. Talking about how a girl with that background had no business being here.

They also talked about your looks because you definitely looked the part of a delinquent's sister also. The school didn't make you dye your blonde hairstreak back to black, you just had to put your hair up and it didn't bug them too much.

It used to bug Junie when she first started but eventually, tuned them out considering she was top of the class anyway. (insert that one video of Bebe Rexha saying slay here lol)

Naomi was Baby's older sister. You loved having all the Sannoh members as older brothers but needed an older sister at times.

Junie's first period was a nightmare for Cobra because the dude didn't know how to explain it lol. Thank god we have Naomi though!

Hair, makeup, and emotional days were with Naomi also. Considering Sannoh can barely keep their own emotions in-tact, they had to leave that to Naomi.

Yamato's mom loved Junie. She always remembered to make extra onigiri for her as well. She wasn't the best but she tried.

Yamato's ranting about his home life usually fell on Baby because she listened to him. He didn't feel the need to always be strong around her like he did everyone else. He knew that at the end of the day, she would listen to him. Funnily she acted like both an older and younger sister to him. Always checking in on him but also always there to annoy him

DTC was scared of Baby low-key because she wasn't scared to fight with them but they all loved her.

Baby is always calling them out on their shit and telling them that "That's why you're all single."

They all come to her for their therapy sessions also😂

Whenever they needed someone to talk to they came to Junie because she would listen to them before roasting them.

Everyone in Sannoh was protective of Junie. They also all helped Cobra to keep Baby motivated to go to school. It was like having one really big family.

Anyone could make fun of her or talk down to her but at the end of the day, their family probably wasn't nearly as good as hers <3

°:. *₊ ° . ° .•°:. *₊ ° . ° .•°:. *₊ ° . ° .•

Current Timeline

The current timeline following the movies and TV Shows currently in the franchise

The first person Junie meets is Hyuga, pre- S.W.O.R.D. and pre-High&Low. Junie meets Hyuga while her brother is active in Mugen. This is right after Hyuga-Kai disbands because their kidnap attempt on Cobra failed. After all, Mugen saved him. Junie meets Hyuga when he first attacks Mugen for his brothers and is arrested.

Junie also meets the Amamiya Brothers during Mugen era. She has her own little run-in with Masaki and Hiroto

Once S.W.O.R.D. emerges, the first official leader she meets is Rocky.

Junie meets Hyuga, Rocky, and White Rascals at age 12 and these encounters happen before the start of the series.

Junie meets Oya and Rude Boys during Story of SWORD / Road to High&Low at age 13

High&Low The Movie is when she officially meets Mighty Warriors

During High&Low The Movie and High&Low End of Sky Junie is 14 years old.

Final Mission and The Worst Junie is 15 years old

According to the Discord Besties, The Worst starts like a week after Final Mission so that's what I'm going based off of

Once The Worst X comes around Junie is 16 years old

Since we don't get an actual timeline for the franchise of how much time passes between each show and movie, this is just me doing a rough estimate because I need Junie to be old enough to know what's going on during S.W.O.R.D. era but also still be Fujio's age by the time he is introduced since he is her love interest. Fujio is a third-year student by the time Worst X rolls around, which is the last year of high school in the Japanese school system. According to Google, Japanese students are around 17-18 years old at that time because their third year is the equivalent of a USA student's senior/last year in high school so I have Fujio's age sitting at 17 in my story.

I will get into Fujio and Junie's relationship more in posts dedicated to them.

Again this is all a rough estimate because we never get a concrete timeline in this franchise so don't take my word for it lol.

There is potential for this to change if LDH ever makes more High&Low movies or shows but that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon so...

And this is my OC and my story you can't tell me I'm wrong it's literally mine 😂

I will be making a master list for Junie and the shit she goes through living in SWORD because I have so much for her. Junie's story was supposed to all be one post but I realized it was already too long and we weren't even halfway into the lore yet so I had to split it into multiple parts.

Credit for High&Low and the contents from the franchise goes to its respective owners. Hino Junie however is an OC and belongs to me. Her dialogue in scenes that occur in the franchise belong to me and scenes that I make for her that do not appear in the franchise belong to me as well as I am the creator. Please do not take my work and post it elsewhere and do not take credit for my work. I post strictly on Tumblr, nowhere else.

[mspopstar]

Welcome to the MS Pop Star Ask Blog!

This is a ask blog for the various titular characters of Dream Land in a loose yet-simple mspaint style.

“The setting takes place in a continuous consistent 'after' the most recent game release. This setting takes place in a modified mix of the Game-verse and Novel-verse. Almost everyone from the games are here to answer questuons and by everyone, I mean everyone. (i.e. Galacta Knight and President Max Profit Haltmann) The dead are now alive, though possibly not well. Not necessarily in Dream Land though. So come, come and send some asks to this 923kb land!”

Keep Reading For More Information

Questions will be answered directly by a character while others will be treated as a prompt. Note, this askblog is more gag-ish in nature than anything so not everything depicted is my honest and true interpretation and head-canon of a character or thing. A lot of it has exaggerations for the sake of humor.

Rules

Please be sure to follow these!

Please keep your questions Kirby related unless it's a direct question to the mod of this here ask blog.

No NSFW or gore related questions. There may be violence depicted on this blog but it will never be anything serious. NSFW will never be allowed on this blog. Even if shipping comes into play or if you direct the question at a adult character such as Meta Knight, Kirby, Susie, or Taranza.

I do not have intentions to have pairings be apart of the general universe at the current moment. While shipping isn't forbidden on this blog, please do not get your hopes up for certain pairings to appear or get upset if a pairing you dislike does appear. Shipping will be a option once I've reach enough asks answered and even then, it will be a poll whether such content will even occur on this blog.

No spamming. If you ask a question once, only ask it once. If you spam a question it will not be answered and I will delete it.

Please be patient! I made this blog out of my love of Kirby, to creatively think more, and to draw more often for myself and others! I may not get to every question as quick as you'd like.

No OC related asks. This is a mostly canon focused blog. I also worry about accidentally portraying an OC incorrectly and offending others because of it so I want to put it out there I do not accept asks with OCs in them. If you want a specific interaction and want to actively interact with the characters yourself, such asks will be done using "Anon Waddle Dee".

Any and all images on this blog are free to share and use for non-commercial purposes. Meaning, it's fine to share this art, use it, if you want to put my art on a shirt for personal use that is fine too!

If you have any questions, concerns, or you just want to chat please go shoot me a message at @capicola323427

META AND WORLD-BUILDING INFORMATION

This is just general information about the ask blog's universe! This can update so check back every now and then!

Pop Star and other planets are interconnected in various ways for communication and importing/exporting of goods, through differing levels of technology and means.

Some planets are barren and underdeveloped, such as Planet Floria. Other planets are booming giga-cities like Planet Mecheye.

Technological developments depend on the planet and what is imported from other planets, however, Pop Star generally technology up to a rudimentary working internet but not everyone uses it.

"World Ending" characters like Dark Matter or Fecto Elfilis are able to be asked asks, but it isn't like they're free to walk about. Like Zero & Dark Matter are biding time in the recesses of a barren planet on the outskirts of Gamble Galaxy! I will try my best to create a reasonable explanation for those sorts of things if asked, so please be patient!

Not every character is at Pop Star, Dream Land!

[muriellelibrary]

ARTISTS AT THE READY 6: an OCT

Hey tumblr. I'm here to spread some late stage love for something a group of us has put together. Or, well, continued together. I'm going to start with the absolute basics, since some folks might be new to it, so here we go.

ARTISTS AT THE READY 6 is open and taking auditions!

What is Artists at the Ready (AatR)? It's an OCT! What is an OCT? An Original Character Tournament! But what does that mean? It means a bunch of artists/writers get together and have a bit of friendly competition involving characters they made up! AatR particularly focuses on telling these stories as comics and uses a bracket tournament system (like... uh, sports ball?) where two contestants are pitted against each other and the judges pick a winner based on certain criteria. It's about using competition to practice your storytelling.

So then! AatR is currently looking to being a SIXTH tournament. The first happened in 2009, back during the OCT boom on deviantArt. Many of the old entries have been deleted, but there are still some up there if you want to take a gander. (We are still posting a little on there as well, for posterity.) The second was in 2011, which had so many entries there was an off-shoot tournament called Ready or Not. The third, fourth and fifth took place in 2013, 2015, and 2018 respectively. I personally participated in 3 previous ones.

What makes AatR different from other OCTs is the premise. Most OCT have you create/use characters and place them in a specific world or scenario with a specific theme and a handful of side characters provided by the judges/people running the tournament. AatR differs in that one of the characters you bring to the story is YOU! You, the artist! The premise is that you are invited to a mysterious world known as The Real and you, the artist, end up there... ready or not. There, you will meet other artists, and possibly the people running the tournament, the Judges. BUT. What made it fun was that you got to summon your own characters to have them join you on your journey! Everyone has a "tool" that brings out a set number of OCs. (It was originally 3, but now only 2 get summoned.) So you get to hang out with your creations and... well, probably fight for your life because story thrives on conflict but there never was a rule you had to actually "fight" your opponent, just interact with them and their characters. It's about who tells the better and more compelling story, really.

(It's a little like pokemon. You are the trainer and you have two pokemon to summon. They could fight for you, or maybe help you get around or go completely out of control and try to eat reality. The world is your oyster! Except instead of pokemon, it is your favorite homemade blorbos!) Every previous season has had a few provided locations, a few judges with characters, and messengers. Messengers are creatures/things that bring you your invitation. After that, they can be used in any way to help you tell your story. Or don't use them at all. Things are very open-ended and what we provide is totally optional. The previous stories from past seasons ARE VERY MUCH OPTIONAL. Use what you like, throw the rest away. This go around, the only location we have is the Deadline Bar. It has no specific place in time or space, and no specific layout/theme/interior. Make it what you will. Our messengers are equally undefined, inky animals of your choice.

Personally, I have made some of the best friends I have through OCTs and every time I have participated, it has helped me grow as an artist and storyteller. It can be a grueling experience if you try to tell a grandiose story, but time management is also an important skill for anyone to learn. I loved it and would love for others to love it too. If any of this intrigues you, or has you hopping up and down to throw artistic hands with other artists on the internet.... please come check us out. All the basic rules are on the deviantArt page, the twitter/X page, and far more in-depth material along with cool folks to chat with can be found on our discord. The deadline for the auditions is OCTOBER 11th, which gives you just about the same amount of time to make one as you would have for a round during the tournament. OR just hang out in the server, talk art and maybe participate in some of our Spectator side contests. YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO COME JOIN US AND I BID YOU A WARM WELCOME TO THE REAL! ...just... watch that first step...

[dovithedarklord]

Age of Monsters

Pairing: OFC x Simon "Ghost" Riley, OFC x König

Tags: Slow Burn, Slow Build, Enemies to Lovers, Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, POV First Person, Not Beta Read, Medical Inaccuracies, Military Inaccuracies, AFAB OC

Trigger Warning: The story will contain violance, blood and smut in detail. Please, keep that in mind!

⚠️MDNI⚠️

...............................................................................................

Summary:

50 years ago, the world was turned upside down by the appearance of a virus, and monsters destroyed most of the known civilization. For safety, humanity has retreated to colonies all around the world, where life is lived according to strict rules and in fear of monsters. Fortunately, the virus caused something other than just the emergence of mutant monsters, it also awakened the Hunters, who have been heroically protecting the colonies ever since. Leona Woods spends her days in Colony 17 hiding from her duties as a Healer, but her carefree life soon ends when one of her evenings doesn't go as planned. And when karma finally catches up, she is forced to join Liquidation Unit 141 to fulfill her duties.

Or

Life in Unit 141 isn't nearly all sunshine and rainbows, especially when a certain masked Hunter tries to make it even harder. However, the excitement only increases when a new danger appears, which threatens not only the life of the unit but the safety of the entire world. And Leona must decide whether to choose her own interests or the survival of her new team and the world.

The world in the story is inspired by the Guideverse.

.....................................................................

Authors note:

Leona ends up in a nice mess after eating her dinner too carelessly. She has no idea how quickly fate will catch up with her.

The story moves quite slowly, so please be patient! 141 boys won't appear in the first chapter just yet, but they will;) I have pretty much covered all the characters in the tags, but the list could expand in the future. (I proofread myself before posting, so sorry if there are mistakes! I write the story in my language first, and I translate it after. English is not my first language, so help is welcomed! Just be nice, please! )

I'll post more chapters, but if you're interested you can find the story on AO3: Chapter One

................................................................................................................

I lazily stir my cocktail with the small wooden stick in it, as an absentminded distraction, my eyes run through the room enveloped in a flood of colorful, flashing lights. The bass of the music vibrates through my every muscle and bone, and I can almost feel the rhythm in my stomach, sending pleasant shivers through me. This is the thrill of the hunt, to be exact.

The people crammed into the small hall are pressed together like herrings, and the air smells of sweat, cheap perfume, and alcohol. My gaze wanders through the blissfully ignorant dancers from the force of habit, since I've done this a thousand times, I know exactly what I'm looking for. I’m searching for an exact type, a fool who seems lively enough to have just enough energy for a busy weeknight fun, and just as easily swayed by a seductive smile. I'm lucky because it seems like everyone wants to celebrate today, and that might be the reason behind today’s unusual crowd in this club, which is located in a hidden corner of the city. Usually, I would have to choose from a much smaller selection, but today on The Day of the Great Escape, everyone felt the need to paint the town red. Even if someone doesn’t give a damn about the important holiday, this day is still one of the few occasions when even those doing the most menial jobs are given a day off to be able to honor the memory of the first great Hunters who appeared fifty years ago. What an idiotic habit. If they knew the easy lives of those publicly funded mercenaries and executioners… they wouldn't be so grateful that they occasionally venture outside the green zone to kill a mutant monster or two.

Raising my glass to my mouth, I take a generous sip of my sweet cocktail and enjoy the way the alcohol sold at the price of gold pleasantly burns my throat. Like any other luxury item, alcohol is also a treasure, of course, only if you don't want to go blind from the crap concocted at someone’s shady basement. I feel my frustration awaken in the back of my head when I think about the near fortune I spent on the cocktail, but I push the annoying thought away, thinking that in worst case scenario I will not only get my usual snack from tonight's victim, but also the content of their wallet. If I'm lucky, the unfortunate bastard will have a few credits on them. Almost on cue, I catch a glimpse of a guy on the edge of the dance floor who stands out from the ring of people around him like a scarecrow on a cornfield. Judging by his movements, he's not the least bit thirsty, and as I watch him almost tripping over his own feet during his clumsy dance moves, a satisfied grin crosses my lips. Got you.

I down the last remnants of my nauseating drink, and I jump off the bar stool with light movements and throw myself into the crowd of dancers. I make my way toward the cutie I've chosen, not taking my eyes off of him for even a moment, and I feel my heart beating excitedly as I get closer and closer. As the adrenaline spreads through my body, all my senses sharpen, like a wild animal waiting to pounce on its victim. Tonight I'm bubbling with anticipation and impatience more than usual because it's been a week and a half since I caught the last sweet little boy for some private fun… and my appetite is coming back fast. With dull, but steady force.

As I finally arrive behind the boy, my fingers twine on his arms with a butterfly-light touch and travel sensually up to his shoulders. Despite his apparent drunkenness, the guy visibly flinches in fright, and this one tiny movement makes my mouth dry with anticipation. He looks puzzled and surprised as he turns towards me, and as he glances down at me, all my nerves and senses are attuned to him. And as the inviting warmth of his body travels from his hot skin through my fingertips, I can already see the intricate network that weaves through his body in my mind's eye, with his pulsing heart in the middle beating to a fierce rhythm. I don't need to use my ability to know that I don’t have to try hard, because as soon as the first shock wears off in a fraction of a second, he arranges his features on his sweet boyish face and pulls his mouth into a lazy grin. Bingo.

"Hi. " I shout over the music blaring around us, and I conjure up the flirtatious smile that I have perfected over the years, which I know will immediately sweep such simple-minded fools off their feet. Obviously, it also helps a lot that even if the higher powers that supposedly exist have already cursed me with my fucking abilities, they at least put conventionally attractive features on me. It would be foolish to deny that I am charming, and I am neither modest nor delusional enough to try to lie to myself about it. It would certainly be a more attractive quality to blush and protest against such facts in order to score good points in the eyes of other people, but if there is one thing I have learned it is that in this new order, you won’t get far with modesty and goodness. That fair world has been gone since the first mutant monsters slaughtered an entire city, or maybe it never even existed.

"Hello... " The guy greets me too, and as he turns towards me welcomingly, ready to flirt, my hands clasp around his neck with a swift movement, and I snuggle up to him with my whole body, promising salacious adventures. It doesn't escape my attention how his pupils dilate almost on command, as my breasts press against his chest and my nails run through the back of his neck teasingly. I can almost feel it in my mouth how the heat of his desire starts to build and a tingle fueled by lust travels through him. It's ridiculously easy for me to turn him on, but he’s exactly the type of easy target I usually hunt for. He's just drunk enough to not be able to think clearly but be up for action when a pretty girl approaches him. He's just healthy enough to withstand my snacking but weak enough to not be able to resist. Not that he'd stand a chance against me.

I’m not wasting time on talking anymore, because I can tell from his heated gaze and his fast-beating heart that I could climb on him even here if I wanted to. But I was always shy when it came to my private life. I like it better when we enjoy these intimate moments together without any pesky interruptions.

I remove the presence of my naughty little body from the guy, and as his dark eyes fill with disappointment, I hold back the laughter that threatens to burst out of me with all my might. I grab him by the arm, and I just give him a teasing smile over my shoulder as I point towards to the exit with my head, and his quick to understand what I’m implying. He follows me without a question as I lead him out of the dance floor with purposeful steps towards the back entrance of the club. He stumbles along like the fool he is, with a distinct look of puppy-like longing spread on his face. And I send tiny sparks of my energy into his body through his skin, which boosts the already present alcoholic stupor in him even more, because I never leave anything up for luck. We should look like just a simple, carefree young couple who after finding each other in the heat of the night, are heading somewhere, anywhere, to relieve their needs. Which is true. But I suspect that this little cutie and I are not thinking about the same needs as we are galloping towards the exit.

And as the back door opens and the cool fresh air of the night hits me, the all too known impatience that usually comes at this time takes over me. I've been feeling that painful tension in my stomach for days now, which indicates that I can't wait any longer and I have to find someone to help my little problem. I hate the feeling when I squirm in bed with a heated body, trying to fall asleep, but every part of me aches and pleads for me to just finally satisfy my hunger.

As the guy finally exits the club behind me the door closes behind us with a loud bang. The dim light filtering in from the street only vaguely paints his features, but I can make out enough to know that by now my machinations got him ready for the finale. I don't like what I am, but I love my abilities. If the members of my species weren’t treated like objects or animals for slaughter, I wouldn't be frustrated by all of this shit.

I drag the now completely dazed guy towards one of the corners filled with cardboard boxes, forcing him to back up against the hard concrete, trapping him with my arms over his shoulders. The sight could look quite comical, a girl who is at least half a head shorter, pinning a grown man to the wall with a gesture taken from a romantic movie, but I know that out of the two of us, I am not the prey. But he is.

"I like girls who take initiative. " He says, his words smeared by alcohol and from my little tricks echo in the darkness of the alley. I pull a lazy little smile on my face as I kneel down in front of him, and I’m quick to unfasten his belt and unbutton his pants with my hands. I can almost hear how the air catches in his throat, and when I look up at him and see the stunned look that blooms on his face, I release my laughter. My God. It gets me every time.

"Then it's your lucky day. " I answer, and I feel my voice deepen and get filled with the longing caused by my hunger. He swallows his Adam's apple bobbing as my hands start to pull down the rough fabric of his pants from his narrow hips with excruciating slowness. Goosebumps rise on his skin when I grip the lean muscles of his thighs and I involuntarily lick my lips as the pulsating veins appear before my eyes. I nudge his legs apart and he obediently spreads them wider, and I lean forward to smooth my lips on his now-exposed skin. A shiver runs through him as I follow the line of blood vessels branching under his skin with my tongue, and I mark the place where I plan to eat my meal with a small seductive kiss. I give him another boost with my energy so that he gets even more stunned, and he tilts his head back with his eyes closed, his breathing speeds up desperately, and all the while he doesn't even notice how I make a small incision on his thigh with the small blade I dug out of my pocket. The first drops of blood emerge from under the pale skin, and I, like a thirsty pilgrim left in the desert, throw myself on the small pearls that surface. I press my mouth tightly to the wound, and my teeth tingle painfully as I swallow the first sips, but I know, that even if a stupid bastard like him would discover a bite mark, he could easily put the pieces together and get me caught. So I’m momentarily satisfied with the way the metallic taste of blood fills my taste buds, and my whole body trembles as the familiar heat sweeps along my spine. I sigh with relief, as the hunger gnawing at my insides begins to ease, and the torturous feeling that has been twisting my stomach for days is replaced by the euphoria, which is hard to put into words, that rears its head in my body with each meal. My energy begins to throb excitedly in my veins, and my head is taken over by a daze similar to alcoholic intoxication, which makes my limbs quite light and weightless. Despite this, my fingers grip the thighs of my victim even harder, who stiffens under my hands, groaning in confusion. It must not be a pleasant feeling, but none of them have died yet from the tiny little blood loss I caused. The next day, they are as good as new, and they easily mistake the minute sickness that I cause for the evil aftereffect of a hangover. After all, who doesn't feel like shit after drinking through the night before?

I get lost in my meal, and the intoxicating taste of blood obscures my senses and leads me to a fleeting state of ecstasy, and I know that it is almost time to stop because there is a level of blood loss that can’t be attributed to the fatigue of a hangover. However, before the thought can ripen in my foggy mind, searing pain shoots through my scalp, and I hiss as the unknown force grabs my hair and pulls me away from the subject of my feast. My brain can't get out of its stupor right away, so it is not particularly difficult for me to lose my balance. I arrive on the damp concrete of the alley with a loud thump, and I blink wide-eyed at my assailant from the sudden surprise. The unknown man walks over to the guy slumped on the floor with a worried look, who just as all my victims do, passed out after my little dinner.

"Roy! Roy!" Tries the stranger as he talks to the knocked-out guy, and I pull myself up to my feet. I wipe my mouth glistening with blood with the back of my hand as I watch the potential friend of my dinner trying to breathe some life into the poor kid. When he doesn't succeed, he turns towards me and steps in front of me menacingly, grabbing the collar of my sweater. "What the fuck did you do to him, you bitch?"

"We played a little." I declare easily, and as my eyes focus on the boy sprawled out on the dirty ground, an evil little grin curls on my lips. "And it seems I literally blew his mind with my professional technique."

"Don’t fuck with me! " The guy snarls at me dangerously and shakes me by my clothes, which makes my funny mood disappear almost immediately. Based on how his face gets contorted in anger, it becomes clear that my lip service won’t get me out of this situation, and I'm cursing to myself as I assess the possibilities. Although there are no cameras in this alley, I can guarantee that this bastard will be able to give an accurate description of me if I just let him slip out of here. If I don't do something now, he's going to call the enforcers, which is a literal death sentence for me. Because, even if I lie that I indulged in little more perverted pleasures than necessary, they will immediately suspect that something is wrong. And if they find out what I am... that can't happen.

But before I could create a concrete plan in my mind, the guy loses his patience and raises his hand, preparing to put some sense in me. However, before he could hit me, I target his knee with a firm kick causing it to dislocate with a loud crack, and as he loses his balance, his grip on my clothes loosens too. The roar that erupts from the guy is muffled by my hand fast on his mouth, and taking advantage of the situation, I throw myself at him and knock him off his feet. His head hits the ground with a sickening sound, but that’s not nearly enough to make him unable to attack. It seems that the adrenaline is starting to work in him too, because his hands suddenly slam down on my neck and wrap around it with a vise-like grip. A stifled cough breaks out of me as the pressure of his fingers slowly squeezes my trachea, and then it becomes completely clear what I have to do to get out of the hot water I got myself into.

I press my hands firmly on his head and, while struggling with shortness of breath, I concentrate the energy bubbling in me towards the man. Tears well up in my eyes from the effort, but I can still feel the blood vessels in his brain, and I clench my teeth as I begin to increase the pressure in them. I almost see the image of the tiny, spider web-like system swelling up and getting dangerously close to bursting like an overinflated balloon. The man's grip around my neck loosens, he grabs my wrists now and tries to pry my hands off of him, but he has no chance. Pure desperation takes over his features, his eyes widen and his body begins to jerk wildly underneath me, but that doesn't deter me from finishing what I started. Because if I show even an ounce of mercy, I'll get the short end of the stick. If I don't kill him, I'll be exposed and dragged off to be used like fucking battery for the rest of my life. I’ll lose everything I have, but most of all, my freedom. If I don't end it now, I'll suffer the same fate as the other Healers and I’ll be used by some Hunter until I die. I can't let that happen. I WON’T let it happen.

Rage and anger fill my consciousness, and suddenly a red mist swallows everything in my sight, which makes me focus only on the suffering of the man below me fighting for his life. My fingers claw into his skin, and for a moment the thought runs through my mind about how it would feel to crack his skull and see his bones break under my grip. A painful snoring sound leaves the man's mouth, his mouth fills with bloody foam, red liquid begins to flow from the corner of his eyes drawing vivid lines on his deathly pale skin, and I tensely observe his death throe. A few minutes stretch into an eternity as I watch the last sparks of life disappear from his eyes, and the vague emptiness of death takes their place. Suddenly the man freezes, his limbs going limp under me in surrender, and as a last soft gurgling moan leaves his lips, I know it's over. The frantic rush of his blood ceases under my fingers, and his heart, which until now was hammering restlessly under his ribs, is now silent.

I kneel over the dead body below me panting, and I pause for a moment to look at my "creation". I'm not surprised that I don't feel any remorse, because I left the guilt and shame behind me a long time ago, in that dark little corner of my mind, where there might still be a drop of tenderness left. I can still vaguely remember the panic that came over me the first time I accidentally killed someone. I will never forget the young guy’s face, the freckles dotting his nose, which shone almost sickeningly dark on his skin pale from blood loss. The frightened whimper that left those lips that slowly turned blue forever embedded itself in the tangled webs of my memory. But everyone else who stood in my way looms as vague, unrecognizable spots in the depths of my brain, and it doesn't bother me one bit. A normal person might be affected by so many lives lost in vain, but I learned a long time ago that these are all luxuries that the likes of me cannot afford. That's why I still feel nothing but pure frustration and anger for making such a simple mistake. I didn't pay attention to the friends. You should never target a victim with friends, because after a while they always show up worried. It's understandable, of course, but it's just an unnecessary problem for me.

A strained sigh leaves my lips as I stand up, dusting off my clothes, and I step over the body lying motionless on the ground. My night didn't turn out exactly as I wanted, and as a sharp, migraine-like pain rips through my head, I'm already sure that my dinner tonight was wasted. Small snacks like this are just enough to satiate my hunger, but not enough to pump me up enough to stop me from being cranky after using my powers to such an extent. I should have eaten a lot more for this. Fuck. In a few days, I'll be able to play this whole little charade again to find a fool to drink from. And I can throw away a bunch of credits again to go to one of the clubs and have an alibi drink.

I pull the corner of my mouth in distaste as I remember the poor state of my wallet, and if possible my mood becomes even more gloomy as I realize that unfortunately robbing my victims will not be an option tonight. That way, if I'm lucky, enforcers will see this as nothing more than a tragic consequence of a night out where one of the unfortunate dudes had fun with the wrong stuff, and the other drank just a little bit too much. But if I take their credits now, then robbery and murder will also enter the picture, which would be true, but I have no need for any unnecessary excitement.

So I take one last look at the two guys, straightening my sweater, and I head towards the exit of the alley to enter the street swimming in flickering lights, making my way home. Every muscle in my body screams for sleep, and as the knife-like pain in my head increases, I want nothing more than to rest and forget this miserable night.

⃰

My fingers drum nervously on the table, adding a fast and restless rhythm to the background noise of the machines humming softly in the lab, the whole thing resulting in a symphony that slowly drives me crazy. My eyes are fixed on the radio lying on the counter next to me, and although now the monotonous female voice from the other side is talking about general news affecting the entire colony, I still keep replaying a scrap of information that barely reached two minutes over and over again, as if an old and broke record player had stuck in my head, on which the needle keeps jumping on the same tune.

The previous night, I threw myself into bed with the firm belief that everything was fine and that I had no reason to worry about anyone paying enough attention to the deaths of two insignificant civilians in a party district. One would think that the enforcers have their hands full with monitoring smugglers and petty criminals selling illegal drugs, or supervising food distribution units, but no. Of course, in a city where it is common for someone to disappear or die, where the law-keeping organizations are struggling with a shortage of people, the biggest news is that two random young dudes were found in an alley under questionable circumstances. Out of thousands of similar cases, the wretched news providers just had to pick this one, which was described exactly as desperate and terrifying as it should be to get some clout. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Similar atrocities happen daily, it's enough if someone doesn't buy from a good dealer and stuffs themself with goods made from all kinds of crap in a basement. Or it's enough if someone has more food stamps than the others, and if someone feels even a tad bit jealous of this, then the unlucky fool will be found on the street the next day knocked out because of those few pieces of paper. And I make one mistake and these hyenas immediately feel the need to overanalyze it under a magnifying glass.

A thousand thoughts run through my head, and in every one of them, I try to figure out why the officials believe that this case is different from the others they encountered until now. Why did the interviewed spokesman emphasize the fact that this case shows such an unusual pattern that they are forced to carry out a thorough investigation? I can theorize a thousand possible mistakes, and I could find a solution to all of them almost immediately, but the doubt that crawls into my brain just can’t seem to leave and I can’t help but feel that this time I really was careless.

There were no cameras in the alley, nor in that shithole of a club, so there was nothing that could have recorded my face. Due to the holiday, there were too many people in the club to give a good personal description of any of us. And my dinner last night was far too drunk and dazed to remember anything substantial about me. They won’t go far with the information that a pretty little girl dragged him away. There are thousands of cases like that in this cursed city. They could have found my DNA or my fingerprints on one of the bodies, and they can find me based on that, but I can bluff that I just wanted a nice little threesome with the guys, and when they offered me some weird substance, I walked away. There is no way to prove that this is the case, nor is there any evidence to the contrary. And they can't bring me in without solid proof. And anyway. Who would believe that a short, weak young woman could knock out two grown men?

Almost instinctively, my tongue wanders to the line of my teeth, and as it runs along the plastic, I clench my fists nervously. They can't possibly suspect anything about who I am. There's no way in hell they'll find out I'm an Extreme. They won't test DNA because it's an expensive procedure, and they won't do any further research for a simple murder case where NOTHING points to an Extreme. They won’t be able to reveal my identity, even if they end up linking me to the case somehow.

I have been hiding my identity since I was thirteen years old, and no one has a chance to see through my disguise, which I have perfected over the years. Although an Extreme would be easy to recognize, because who the hell wouldn't be able to see when a person has vertical pupils and razor-sharp canines? But I have this under control. Cheap contact lenses, and even cheaper removable veneers, and the problem is solved. And the scent of my energy could only be smelled by a professional, high-ranking Hunter, especially what is left of it now. Everything seems ideal, the realistic part of me knows that the chances of me being exposed are small, but the stress hormones working inside me plant the doubt that small enough is still not zero. It will never be zero.

The sudden window that pops up on the computer screen jolts me out of my thoughts, which were moving strongly towards gloomy suspicion and tense fixation, and for the first time in my life, I turn quickly toward a finished result. It's not like I'm careless in my work, after all, to maintain a normal life, you have to be thorough and a good worker bee. But suddenly anything seems like a good distraction, and I honestly thank the fact that I still have six hours of work left, because it may distract me from the chaos raging in my head.

I take one last anxious glance at the radio, which is already playing some melodious song by an unknown band, and then I turn to my computer instead. I don't have to worry. Like all sensations, this will pass in no time. Everything will be fine. Nothing will happen. NOTHING.

⃰

But when I get home a few days later, two strange men are waiting in front of the door of my small apartment, and I already know that nothing will be fine. I quickly assess the two figures, and it immediately becomes obvious that although they are not wearing uniforms, they are clearly enforcers. They turn their heads towards me in unison, and the neon light of the lamp on the ceiling paints the dark expression gliding across their faces in an eery glow. Only two words flash in my mind; They know.

Still, I force a mask of honest surprise on myself, and as I move towards them with slow and deliberate steps, I try to take on the role of a meek, defenseless, and more importantly naive young woman with every movement. It's ridiculously easy because I've been forced to play it all my life, but now I'm analyzing almost every fiber of myself with tense attention, as the two men silently size me up.

"Leona Woods?" Says one of the enforcers, and his hoarse voice echoes hauntingly off the dirty walls. "We hoped we were in the right place."

At first glance, it may seem like the situation about to unfold is completely harmless, but as the taller man pulls his hands out of his pockets, but it does not escape my attention how a metallic glint appears for a fleeting moment under his jacket. They came with weapons, and from that, I can immediately conclude that they did not show up for a simple chit-chat. They won’t be playing a pleasant game of question-and-answer with me as witnesses, but as a suspect, and the recognition creates an unpleasant pressure in my stomach. Calm down. Take it easy. They may be suspicious, but they don't have anything in their hands.

"What can I help you with?" I ask innocently, and I mix just enough incomprehension into my voice to make my little play look authentic. I arrive in front of them with a faint little smile on my lips, every cell radiating I am indeed just a simple civilian. Someone who may have been involved in a very sad misunderstanding, but is in no way capable of killing or even injuring someone.

"We’d like to ask you a few questions." Says one of the men, and as he flashes his official ID card, my eyebrows rise in feigned surprise. "If possible, we'd rather not talk to you here. Could you let us in?" My new guest points towards my front door with his head, and I fish out my keys from my bag accompanied by a cooperative nod. I concentrate on keeping my fingers from shaking with every fiber of my being, as I insert the key into the lock because nothing would give me away faster than them seeing me upset. And it's a difficult task, because with every second the tension raging inside me increases.

"After you." I open the door, and as soon as I turn on the light, the two men march into my small apartment after a quiet "thank you". I hesitate for a minute, but finally, the door closes behind me with a soft click, and after slowly kicking off my shoes, I follow the two enforcers into my modest little living room. The faces of the two strangers do not reveal anything, as they peer into the living room and take a quick, but rather detailed look at the room. And I follow their every movement, like a startled stray dog surrounded by dogcatchers. What an apt analogy.

"Take a seat." I gesture towards the thousand-year-old sofa in the middle of the room, and after giving one last look at the furniture of my modest apartment in search of some kind of clue, they silently take the seat offered to them. I follow their example with measured calmness, and I try to sit down in the armchair opposite them as carelessly as possible, smoothing out the creases in my pants with my hands, so that at least I can reduce the growing restlessness inside me. "What did you want to ask me about? " I ask with sincere curiosity, and I consciously try to banish any doubt, anger, or malice from my voice. It is quite obvious that these two men are not simple enforcement officers, because they behaved like two hounds on a hot scent just waiting for the opportunity to pounce from the get-go.

"Three days ago, two men were found in one of the nightclubs in sector H. Thankfully, one of them only lost consciousness, but unfortunately the other victim was already dead by the time they were found." Begins one of the enforcers, who seems to be the older of the two with his graying hair and crow's feet around his eyes. "We have reason to assume that you might be able to provide us with useful information." He states pointedly, and before I can even think about opening my mouth to speak, his companion pulls out a couple of black and white pictures from his jacket’s pocket.

My gaze lingers on the older man for a moment, so it doesn't become clear to them that I want to look at those pictures so much that every muscle in me goes rigid with desperation. And when I finally turn my eyes to the photos resting on the table, I feel my blood run cold. Until now, I was sure that there is no chance of them connecting me to the case, but even I don't have any ridiculous objections to the way I recognize myself in those goddamn pictures. While there may not have been a security camera in the alley, I must have forgotten that the fucking motel across the street must have one installed for the safety of its clients. And this camera isn't the kind that captures people as blurry, smudged blobs. No, this fucking camera recorded me pulling my pretty little ass out of that dark hole in such sharp detail that it occurs to me for a moment that this coincidence could only have happened in my honor.

"I was there on that night." I confirm the facts shown in the prints, it would be completely unnecessary to deny what is in the photos lying on the worn surface of the table because it's clear as day that I’m the one unlucky idiot on them. "But I'm afraid I can't help you with anything more." I smile faintly, just enough to not seem obviously unfriendly, despite the fact that a burning lump is forming in my throat and the gears in my head are immediately starting to turn, wondering what chances I have to get out of the shit in which I seem to be sinking up to my neck.

"I'm not so sure about that, unfortunately. " Answers the older enforcer, and fishes out his communicator from the pocket inside of his jacket, on which a very interesting hologram image appears after he presses a few buttons. I recognize almost immediately what is written on the investigation document, and I have to hold back the small disgusting smile that wishes to appear on my face with all my might. As I expected, they apparently found my DNA on one of the victims, and thanks to that the lab result which proves the sample found matches my DNA is staring at me in a faint blue light. Calm down, you expected this.

"I met a handsome boy that night, but flirting and having sex is hardly illegal." I remark innocently, and as my eyes fall on the two men, I allow a small, light superiority to creep onto my face. But as the man flicks the hologram lightly with his finger, all my joy disappears like a speck of dust in the wind and is replaced by shock, and I can no longer control my face where genuine terror settles in.

"It isn't, indeed. But hiding a Healer, or rather an Extreme Healer status, and killing people are." The enforcer gets to the point, and his eyebrows furrow grimly on his forehead, as his gaze wanders meaningfully from the hologram to me. A nerve-racking silence settles in the room for a moment, as I try to comprehend the data presented to me, and every brain cell fights against the denial of reality. Because the inscription "Status: EXTREME" appearing in all capital letters on the last page of the lab result cannot be a figment of the imagination. Because all of this would have to be a nightmare, and this situation is clearly real, because my pulse pounding in my ears, the gnawing, visceral dread creeping into my stomach can't just be the work of a dream. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with us to the headquarters."

This one sentence is enough to make the future immediately appear in my head. They’ll drag me, brand me, and put me on the market like a horse so that whoever is the fastest can take me. I will join some unit with Hunters, and every single day I will charge and heal a different stupid bastard each time until one day I inevitably become useless and they get rid of me. And then, if I'm lucky, I won't vegetate as a houseplant in a research institute, but maybe someone will take me in and turn me into a whore. This is the fate that awaits most Healers, and I am not so delusional as to believe that I will be lucky enough to be one of those rare cases where the Hunter will not treat me like an object. Especially as an Extreme. I'll be the real gourmet meal. They will be able to use me for a long time. If they don't take away my blood supply, like the opportunity to recharge from ordinary Healers, they will be able to leech off me for years and decades. No fucking way.

As if I had suddenly found enlightenment, the fear of death disappears from my face with disturbing speed, and I nod with a careful movement. Standing up, I obediently walk toward them, raising my hands in front of me, and it doesn't escape my attention as their eyes glide over my figure cautiously. It doesn't matter that they are suspicious, they are not prepared for what comes next.

The older man orders his companion with just a silent gesture, and I patiently wait for the guy to stand up and step in front of me with the handcuffs unfastened from his belt. But before my new trendy bracelet could snap on me, I grab the man's arm emerging from under his jacket and send a significant amount of energy into his body, causing him to suddenly sprawl on the carpet with widened eyes and a loud thump. It takes the other enforcer a moment to realize what's happening, but he reaches for his gun too late, because I'm already there in front of him, and my nails are digging into his skin with force as I press my palm into his face, causing his head to drop back, and his body to fall on the cream-colored fabric of the sofa unconsciously.

I don't waste any time, I tear open the door of my apartment and I bolt out almost immediately in desperation. I run along the corridor with the agility of a chased wild animal, and when I reach the staircase, I take the steps two at a time. There's only one thing in my head, that I don't care how, but I'm going to escape from here because there's no way I let myself get caught. I'll break out of this fucking city myself if I have to, and wind my way through the monster-infested red zone until I get to the nearest colony. They won't catch me. NEVER.

The small shards of glass scattered on the pavement sink painfully into my bare feet, as I throw myself onto the street and continue running without any consideration. The pain appears only as a distant, dull pang in the hidden corner of my brain, because now even I have bigger problems at hand than how much damage I'm doing to my leg. The biting night air burns my lungs as I sprint breathlessly through the unusually desolate neighborhood, but I don't waste precious energy trying to figure out why the street is so empty on a weekday evening.

And I don't even have time to think about this any longer, because before I can turn into the side street behind one of the blocks, a sharp, shooting pain rips through my back, and whatever hit me, the force of the impact is enough to make me stagger with a startled squeal, and I fall to the ground like a rag doll. My hands ache excruciatingly as they get stuck under me in an attempt to cushion my landing, and my nose is hit by the familiar smell of blood as the concrete scrapes the skin from my palms. Despite the burning sensation, the narrow object sticking out of my back worries me more as I touch it. It dawns on me that it might be some kind of tranquilizer dart, but by the time I can congratulate myself on my foresight, I can already feel my limbs turning heavy like stones. The image of the street swimming in colorful lights blurs in front of my eyes, and no matter how hard I struggle, I can only whimper softly, as I try to fight with my last strength against the temptation of the darkness that falls on me.

"Forgive me, sweetheart. But you're not goin’ anywhere from here." Someone speaks up not far from me, but I hear the voice muffled as if my head has been submerged under water, and it only travels to my ears as dull and distorted fragments. Halfway to losing consciousness, I catch the sight of booted feet swimming into my field of vision. I want to come up with some kind of witty remark, but before even a sound can leave my mouth, the darkness engulfs me. Fuck.

[shysublimecoffee]

Itachi would've been fine to me tbh if like the story just let him be humbled lol. The main issue is that nobody called out Itachi for his actions, except for Itachi himself, which ironically serves to make him seem even more virtuous and flawless. "I understand feeling upset when some people in the fandom community don't use critical thinking. However, imagine investing a lot of time following a story you read since you were a kid. Many people simply follow the story as presented, and can you blame them when the story validates Itachi? I can't really blame them that much when even the writer seems to be bending over backwards to portray the character as a well-meaning hero, like in the case of Itachi." Now, I don't really know how well something like reading a piece of Naruto media can translate to real life but the saying the things we read and watch can influence on how we perceive the world rings true in my opinion because unfortunately some people really do believe in the Uchiha curse b.s and to me reflects a lot when it comes to how marginalized groups are stigmatized like the idea of a group having the curse of hatred inside of them is fucked if you are so set to believe in something based on a fictional group in a piece of media well... it raises questions about how that might influence real-life beliefs and attitudes towards marginalized groups

I think it's important to be at an age where you have developed critical thinking skills to engage with complex narratives like this. Many people are influenced by nostalgia and are such huge fans of certain characters that they are inclined to make elaborate analyses justifying their actions. For example, some might argue that because Itachi was just a kid when he committed certain acts, it excuses his behavior. However, if we start using age or other factors as excuses for heinous actions, where do we draw the line? What other circumstances would you be willing to bend over backwards to justify committing heinous crimes similar to what Itachi did?

Naruto is a bitch. I don't really want to extend to much with this character since I just feel disappointment. I wanted him to do more then he failed. He's become a politician I don't know what else to say lol. So many people say he inspired them how? What did he accomplish besides obtaining Hokage their world is still fucked up man the shinobi system still rotten. I thought this kid would grow up to do something about it but he remained complacent and changed nothing only difference is he's on top. I realized about later that was Sasuke role as an antagonist and it wouldn't make much sense lol there need to being 2 opposing sides but yeah... He was a whole lotta nothing as a protagonist he was cute kid but he grew up to be a dumb fuck who can't figure out why his "dearest friend" is siding against him and became man who can't keep promises.

It makes sense he had a hunger for acknowledgement I'm not discrediting that since he was a child but he wanted validation from everyone that he has such an obsession with his own self-image and how everyone thinks of him that I find it portrayal to be unhealthy. Sasuke at the end was just a checklist a reward at the end of the day that he wanted to gain for his personal goal.

Naruto talk no jutsu is so manipulative to me sometimes that instead of directly confronting Sasuke's ideas or opinions as equals would in a debate or discussion he would indirectly undermined them. He did this by ignoring Sasuke's valid arguments and instead focusing on exploiting Sasuke's emotional vulnerability, particularly his feelings of loneliness and despair stemming from the loss of family. Like his approach to me suggests a tactic to manipulate Sasuke's emotions rather than engaging with his ideas or concerns directly. But, I ain't sure if he's doing this deliberately since I don't know if he's that smart or I'm looking to much closely.

I'd rather ship his character with fucking OC's. I feel like each member of Team 7 are obsessed and want something from the guy but they don't care for Sasuke personally because if they did it would show but they're after him for what they want from him as a goalpost and hey they won.

[bizzybkd]

An Empty Ramen Bowl

~ itto x reader ~ (Fluffy, Slow Burn)

summary: ((based off the storyline of my own Genshin! OC)) Reader is an Inazuman born and raised, known for her prowess and academic achievements in her field along with her dedication to her talent and heartfelt career: the owner of her own high end restaurant. Starting off a bit slower than she’d like, a certain oni takes a liking to her place, the food, and the person running it.

author’s note: hello!! i wanted to start writing again so here’s my first piece after a while! might make a series if it doesn’t flop, please enjoy me writing about my fav and indulging in him 🙏🏾❤️

~~~~

New days meant new chances to grow. New days meant new sunlight that hadn’t touched the earth yet. New days meant more time not to waste!

With the hum of a kettle in the other room, I sat myself up and stretched, enjoying the warmth of sundays through my window before flipping the blankets from my body and swinging my legs to the other side. with yet another stretch, i deemed the noise of the kettle unbearable and got up to turn it off.

The kettle steamed as i poured some in a cup to make my tea, knowing i’d have plenty to eat once i got to my restaurant. “The Ramen Bowl” wasn’t my favorite choice to use as the restaurant name, but when asked out of the blue by family members with a crate in hand, you make up pretty… creative things on the spot. And i hated not sticking to my word so here we were.

with tea in hand and a good enough down my throat, it began to really start off my day. A shower that lasted no more than ten minutes, washing every aspect that needed to be to function through my day. washing my face and brushing my teeth came next, along with putting on lotion and fixing up my hair to be presentable.

i had set my usual outfit out the night before, as i usually did, and slipped into it seamlessly. socks and shoes were next, followed by my bag and keys along with the menus’s id made to restock the ones that had flown away in the recent storm. thankfully no real damage was done.

with the start of my day finished, i turned off every light and blew out every candle id lit, the sunlight from open windows illuminating my home even more than preivously said sources had done. i walked out into the beautiful world and locked my door behind me, another good day. another chance to make more customers.

the commute was short, i didn’t live far from the city, just outside of Konda Village overlooking the vast sea surrounding my nation. i enjoyed the walk, it gave me more reason to wake up everyday. enjoying the sights, picking fruits from the trees that had them hanging from their branches. avoiding any samurai and hillichurls (to the best of my ability) on the paths. i wasn’t all too worried about the samurai, that were looking for fights but not enough to refuse food or smaller amounts of mora like some sort of toll.

arriving at my restaurant, i once again recognized how.. off putting the location seemed. just behind the Komore Teahouse with a small slanted walk way down to its entrance, if you didn’t know my restaurant was there you’d have guessed it was a storage unit for the teahouse.

a down payment of 60,000 mora and monthly payments of 5,000 mora didn’t exactly get you as much as you’d think.

i kept the walkway clean, the entrance spotless and the counter that opened up to an outdoor bar area with the front drink and order counters just behind it could be seen, the kitchen behind a wall that was just behind the drink counter.

my key fumbled in the lock just a bit, a nod to the rusted lock that seems to deteriorate every time the key was inserted. many things needed to be fixed, but those many things weren’t the cheapest or the most important. nobody was stealing uncooked noodles and radishes anyway.

my usual routine for opening was complete, with cups, the new menus, chairs, appliances turned on and my ingredients in their respective places, on came to the most pressing matter of the day, advertising to passers—

“Hellooo!!” a voice called, making my skin jump from my body at the booming sound. i stood in the kitchen, readying my signs and posters as a few dropped from my startled reaction.

a customer? already? i just opened and this was new a voice id never heard. no one had came by yesterday, no one let me know they’d be coming. what if it’s the health department? would they come to check-

“Excuse me? is anybody there? i saw your sign by the walkway, me and my gang are pretty hungry but take your time!! i see you’ve only just opened so no rush!” the voice called again, snapping me from my thoughts to the realization that not only was it a customer, it was multiple customers.

i rushed to the gap between the kitchen and the front counter before catching myself and taking a breath. professional, you must be professional.

i stepped out into the space and laid eyes on a group of men along with a shorter woman in purple. one of the men in particular was large, an understatement at that. he was heavyset with muscle, sporting a well fitting cape with a chest adornments that exposed most of his chest and midsection, to which red markings could be seen vividly. he wore baggier pants from what i could see from my spot behind the counter and red markings down his cheeks as well. two red horns sat atop his head and white hair with red tips framed his face.

the woman beside him as mentioned before was smaller, having sat herself in a stool to more properly scout the area i presumed. she wore a black decorated mask and thigh high leg armor, purple throughout her look. her hair was green and pulled into what seemed like a spiral in the back of her head, her midsection also clearly visible in her attire.

the group of men behind them were pretty less stylized, wearing matching outfits that seemed to be uniforms and what i assumed to be the case as the voice i’d heard called them his “gang”.

“Hey, there you are! i was worried the place was abandoned.” the taller male laughed, same grin on his face and a menu in hand.

“Good morning, i understand you’re open?” the woman began, ignoring the male’s boisterous remarks.

“Uh yes! Yes, we are open, welcome to The Ramen Bowl will all of you be dining?” I asked, looking once again over the sudden many people standing at my counter. counting up to five, i gulped, but was determined to do good work as i’d always promised myself.

“you betcha! the arataki gang is starving and one of my men noticed your shop so five bowls of your best ramen, please!” he once again smiled, his hand on his chest in prowess from the mention of what i guessed was his gang name.

the woman turned to him and muttered something i couldn’t quite catch, but when he made an ‘O’ shape with his mouth and a nod followed by mumbled ‘gotcha gotcha gotcha’, i prepared myself for what was next.

each gave me their order from the menu of eight meals, each ordering something different to which i was a little hesitant to tell them i was working alone and to apologize profusely before hand for any long waits. but i simply nodded my head and thanked them for their order, telling them they’d be out shortly and got myself back to the kitchen.

working as quickly as i could, i was able to finish the order in about an hour; a little longer than i had hoped but with the help of the pyro vision on my hip and a mission, i put the bowls on a tray and added all of the add ons for every meal, along with chopsticks and a chirirenge for each bowl.

I walked back out with the tray above my head to the counter to see the five still sitting in their stools as the white haired man laid his head on the counter in seemingly anguish. but as he got a whiff of my approach i don’t think i’d ever seen a man get so excited for a meal.

“I apologize for the wait, here are each of your orders, enjoy!” I smiled, happy to have worked a small sweat with a bigger order after not having many in a while.

each person seemed pleasantly surprised with the meals, each having a different reaction from utter surprise, scarfing down their food, a small smile after every bite and so on. i couldn’t prevent the smile that spread across my face at the sight, how i enjoyed watching my food be enjoyed.

i decided staring at my customers eating without something to do was pointless (or just creepy) and reluctantly walked back into the kitchen, cleaning up my stations and putting pots and pans and such in the sink to be cleaned. i stashed away the extra ingredients i’d put out just in case of an emergency and was proud of myself to not have needed them.

“Ms. Chef!!” The familiar voice called again, recognizing it as the man who was larger than life at my counter. i put down my rag and walked back out to the front, a smile on my face as i looked between the five, most bowls already empty if not almost finished.

“Yes? How was the food? i hope it was to your—“

“This was delicious!!” The man yelled, his men and the woman beside him nodding in agreement if not giving their own remarks. tossing his head back to scrape what sounded like the actual porcelain into his mouth from his bowl, he slammed the bowl down on the counter to emphasize his claim. “i haven’t had ramen this good in forever! can i get another bowl?” he asked.

the woman beside him gave him a look and he immediately withered into his seat. “Scratch that,” he huffed, a suddenly defeated look on his face.

“I can make you another! on the house, i don’t get as many customers nowadays so i’d like to thank you for coming!” i chirped, adrenaline running through my veins.

the woman wiped her mouth and put her mask back on, placing her chopsticks and chirirenge on her bowl to finish. “the food was wonderful, thank you for the meal, and i appreciate you accommodating my boss his appetite is certainly larger than most. i cannot however not pay for the meal.” she said, putting out a pouch and handing me the respective mora for the food, along with extra to pay for the meal i was about to prepare for the man beside her.

“Ohhh thank you, Shinobu!! you’re so kind!!” he cooed, hugging the woman who seemed unfazed by the action with her arms at her sides with a slight nod.

“you’re welcome, boss, i’ll take the gang with me and we can meet you in the center of the city to continue the next meeting.” she replied after he had released her, getting up from her stool along with the other three men that had accompanied them, the three waving and giving their thanks with proud bows.

“alright i’ll be there soon!!” He called, waving as the four left, turning back to me with a big smile. “alright let’s see this menu again, everything looks so good i had to bite my arm just to pick one the first time! how could i pick one the second?” he said, seemingly talking to himself although it also felt as though he was prompting me.

in response, i stepped forward and pressed my fingertip to a bowl that i enjoyed making and had named my signature dish. “this one’s delicious in my opinion, i enjoy the process and also eat it myself as well if you’d like to try that, sir.” i recommended, removing my hand before he could say much.

he looked over my recommendation and nodded, as if deciphering a puzzle. “well if the chef recommends it how could i pass that up? a bowl of your famous ramen please! but hold the beans, im deeeathly allergic and not exactly ready to go out like that.” he laughed. folding his arms over themselves on the counter.

“understood, sir!” i smiled, making a mental note of this deathly allergy. i turned to leave after he gave his order before he raised a hand with another ‘hey!’

turned back to look at him expecting another accommodation of some sort.

“you don’t have to be so professional, miss! i’m Atataki Itto, the one and only i’m sure you’ve heard of my many fantastic and good deeds around inazuma and have been smiling so hard as you’ve been in the presence of my—“

“i apologize, sir but i have not heard of you, actually.”

“.. oh. well now you have!! feel free to call me arataki itto, or just itto, or whatever other amazingly cool nickname you can think of for me,” he shrugged, flashing his suddenly contagious smile.

“i’m (Y/n) (L/n), it’s a pleasure to serve you, Itto.” i replied with a small bow, slightly happy about his happy personality as it seemed. “your order will be out shortly.”

~~~~

Read Pt. 2 here!

(hope you enjoyed!! let me know if i should change anything! advice is appreciated!)

[theprissythumbelina]

OC Interview!

I was tagged by @kaylinalexanderbooks , @ceph-the-ghost-writer , @paeliae-occasionally for this! As I write, Alyss' "cousin" Jane has suddenly and unexpectedly become a somewhat important character, so I guess I should get to know her as well.

Jane Sydney Abernath

Were you named after anyone?

My middle name is in honor of my grandmother, but my given name is all mine, I believe.

When was the last time you cried?

I like to read those silly penny romance novels. I know they're stupid, but I just can't resist when I see them next to the newspapers on the station. They make me forget about the world for a moment.

Do you have kids?

I certainly do not, I don't even have a beau.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I think it's better to be up front with people. As much as possible. Sarcasm is just a way of defending oneself from others. I can defend myself in other ways just fine.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

How they treat me, I suppose. I am a small person, and a certain kind of person takes that to mean something it does not. Beyond that, I enjoy politeness. Uncalled for rudeness is unattractive at best.

What’s your eye color?

Blue.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings, but the in-between can be scary.

Any special talents?

I have always been...sensitive. I have never managed to attain visions or dreams, but I do get a feeling of certain things. Scents, shifts in pressure, a change in the winds, all these affect me more than others. It is difficult being around Alyss, sometimes, for this reason. Sometimes I swear I can smell gasoline on her.

Where were you born?

Vicadia, on the north side of the bay. My family moved further south when our coven split.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat. His name is Tibbles. He was named by my little brother, but the school won't allow pets. So Tibbles is mine, for now.

What sort of sports do you play?

I sail, when I can. I won last years Women's Sailing Club trophy.

How tall are you?

Frankly, short. I wear extra height in my shoes, but I try not to tell everyone.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Anything that got us out of the classroom and into the open air. I can't stand enclosed spaces and stuffy rooms.

What is your dream job?

I'm quite happy as I am. Working for the coven is enjoyable and pays well, and I can travel once in a while. I'd like to settle down one day, but that can wait for now. The value of a good Seeker witch is only growing, and who knows what will happen in the next few months, much less years. I imagine, anyway, after the war ends, there will be plenty of loved ones missing for me to seek out.

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Tagging @somethingclevermahogony @talesofsorrowandofruin @rosesonneptune @emabatis @owlsandwich