#But Regis doesn't need to know that

[a-world-in-grey]

Sola/Little Nox Dissidia au

@raven-6-10 @secret-engima

The promised trainwreck under the cut!

The Citadel's been a wreck of tension ever since Spitfire and the prince went missing. Abyssus yowling fit to wake the dead brought the on-duty glaives running to find Sola's bed empty, phone still on her bedside table and all her shoes still in her closet, all signs pointing to an unwilling departure despite a clear absence of any sign of a struggle.

They'd raised the alarm, checking on the rest of the royal family and their retinue-

-and found Prince Noctis' bed as empty as his sister's.

Then, while Citadel security was swarming like a kicked anthill, spearheaded by a blackly furious Marshal and King's Shield looking for their godschildren, those guarding the Crystal had sounded the alarm.

Which is when they'd found their missing royals, via the Crystal putting out a hologram of the two like something from a bad science fiction movie.

Tredd hasn't gotten a decent night's sleep in four days.

If it's not the palpable worry radiating from the King racking up the tension, then it's the fact that the royal children have been summoned to a desolate world to participate in what's essentially a glorified death match on opposite teams, during which Prince Noctis is in nothing but his pajamas.

No one is ever again calling Sola's insistence on keeping her deployment bags in her armiger frivolous.

Though, if Tredd has to be completely honest, Sola's younger brother's lack  of proper attire is only a fraction of what's causing the tension. No, the bulk of it goes to Spitfire's newest Uncle and now youngest brother. The once-Chancellor of Niflheim and Captain's kid. Captain's kid who's apparently the Crown Prince's clone, created from a sample Niflheim stole how knows how many years back.

Luche had dipped out to make a phone call to Axis, because those are Arra braids in Ardyn and Nox's hair, and Axis had completely neglected to mention that his recent adoptees were Lucis Caelums, leaving Tredd to watch Axis' clansmen on this fucked-up version of reality TV.

Nyx has been teaching Spitfire the Ulric Dance ever since her Rage a few months back clued them all into the fact that Spitfire's as Sky-born as anyone can get without being an actual dragon - and seriously, Tredd is this close to shaking Nyx, the idiot needs to adopt her already, for Ramuh's sake - so he's in the room whenever he's not sleeping. Which means Libertus is also here, making sure Nyx does take the time to sleep because the last thing any of them need is the twitchy Ulric doing something Dumb, aided by Abyssus literally carrying Nyx out of the room when it's time to catch some shut eye.

Crowe's anxiously watching her girlfriend fight off various monsters and champions, fingers plucking at the rubber band Crowe's worn on her wrist ever since the Burning. This hadn't been how Sola and Crowe had wanted Sola's family to find out about that particular relationship, but Crowe had adamantly refused to be barred from the room for a second until Sola came back.

Luche, like Tredd, is there as Axis' braided brother, leaving the rest of the Fourth Regiment to attend in shifts depending who's on break, with Pelagia and her Third Regiment counterpart running everything because Captain is also busy watching this clusterfuck.

The Marshal's not left since the whole thing started - has he even slept? - but the King and Shield have to leave for short periods to make token appearances lest the entire country learn the royal children have disappeared into the ether. Gladiolus and Ignis have to be forced out of the room for their studies, which has apparently resulted in temper tantrums worthy of a Raging Sola, but the two young teens have yet to convince the King, Shield, or Marshal otherwise so the process repeats every day without fail.

Sola latching on to her new uncle and brother isn't a surprise. She's Sky-born, they do that. Especially because for all that the ex-Chancellor is clearly missing more than a few lines to his sails, he equally as clearly cares for and is protective of his niece and nephews, despite his distaste for Regis and Mors.

Were it not for the danger to her brothers, Sola would probably be having fun. The chance to cut loose against other skilled fighters? No one looming over her shoulder, scrutinizing her every action and deeming anything not up to their standards as 'monstruous'? Sola would have loved that in any other scenario.

But Spitfire has two brothers to protect, and Tredd swears under his breath when Sola assigns herself to Noctis and Nox's guard team, instead letting Ardyn join the strike team. The self-sacrificing dumbass.

"Care to explain that?"

Whoops.

Tredd cringes away from the Marshal's displeasure, silently thanking the Storm-Father that the King and Lord Amicitia are off in an unavoidable meeting with one of the Councilors.

"Sola is better suited on the strike team, sir." Luche says politely, before Tredd can stick his foot further in his mouth. "She's not usually charged with guard duties in the field."

The Marshal eyes them both severely. "Izunia is stronger than Sola." He says sourly. The revelation of the former Chancellor's heritage and all it's unpleasant implications hasn't been fun for anyone. "He can take a smaller strike team, freeing more people to guard Noctis and Nox." Unsaid is the fact that neither Sola nor Ardyn will leave the princes alone with strangers.

"Yes, sir." Luche demurs. That had been the argument Sola used to convince Ardyn.

(Tredd hadn't thought anyone could be more protective than Sola of her brothers, but Ardyn has her beat by a mile. Ifrit have mercy on whoever tries to harm either of the princes in the future, because Sola and Ardyn sure as Pyre won't, and Tredd doubts there'll be enough of the moron in question afterwards to scatter their ashes.)

Tactically, the assignments have merit. As Tredd exchanges a glance with an equally grim-faced Luche, he knows tactics aren't what they - or any of the glaives - are worried about.

Spitfire doesn't do defense. It's not a matter of skill. Tredd wouldn't be worried if it was, skill they can compensate for.

No, the issue is that Sola's a damn dragon of a Sword. Her first, second, and third instinct when dealing with threats is to kill it. She can't do that on defense - her priority has to be Noctis and Nox's safety, even if it means letting her target escape.

It's not impossible. Not when she's got help.

And yet Tredd can't shake the feeling that this isn't going to end any way but badly.

.

Tredd's right.

Two days later, everything goes to Ifrit's Pyre in a gift basket.

The strike team is away, trying to complete whatever the objective is that will send them all home.

(Ardyn is a force of destruction to contend with, tearing through enemies like they're tissue paper, making the King pale with an anguished epiphany he refused to share.)

The ambush catches everyone off guard. The strange dragon-like creatures swarm the protective detail. The healers push Nox and Noctis behind them, the champions better suited for close quarters combat struggling to keep the creatures off their more vulnerable companions.

In the commotion, Tredd doesn't see what sparks it, but he sure as Pyre sees when Spitfire loses it.

A low snarl rips from her throat, gaze and focus narrowing down on the threat in front of her.

Crowe swears. "Pyre-damn it all, someone back her up-"

But none of the other champions are watching Sola's back. They're too busy with their own battles, too busy keeping the kids safe. They don’t notice how Spitfire's been drawn away from the rest of the group, don't see the blind spot left vulnerable without a glaive or Abyssus there to cover her.

If Sola's family hadn’t known before, they've sure as Pyre realized it now. It's impossible to miss the glaives' reactions - Luche's grim certainty, Libertus' hand a physical restraint on Nyx's shoulder, Nyx's hands clenching and unclenching as he resists the useless instinct to grab his kukris and throw, Crowe's snarling at people who cannot hear, the way every muscle in Tredd's frame coils as he fights off the Fury rising like a wave-

-and crests, as Spitfire staggers, the attack she doesn't see ripping through her. Magic erupts throughout the room as Sola's eyes widen and her face twists in an agonized cry that has no breath to voice.

Sola hits the ground, and Nox s c r e a m s.

Ghostly weapons tear through the remaining creatures, a constant stream of light and steel that is nothing like any armiger they've seen. Champions startle as weapons pass through them harmlessly only to shred the creatures around them, until nothing remains.

The healers rush to Sola's side, but even from here, Tredd can see that it's bad. Really bad - he doesn't know if Spitfire's going to make it even with three healers and her own regeneration trying to save her life.

There's another burst of magic and Ardyn arrives, terrified and protective - Nox's magic must have alerted him, but Tredd doesn't know what the ex-Chancellor can do that the healers can't, Lucis Caelum magic just doesn't heal…

Ardyn takes in Nox, boneless with exhaustion and sobbing in Noctis' hold. Noctis, trying to keep it together. The champions doing their best to shield them from where Sola is laying on the ground between the healers.

(None of them can see it in the blue of the Crystal's hologram, how Sola is too pale against the shock of red hair haloed around her face, nearly indistinguishable from the blood staining the grass.)

Something in Ardyn's spine steels. He strides forward, ignoring the champions' attempts to keep him back, shedding his upper layers before he kneels and gathers Sola against his bare chest.

(The scars hit Tredd like a sucker punch. They've all seen some gnarly scars, no one survived the Burning unscathed, but these… these are torture scars. Torture scars and death blows and the glowing sigil of the royal family that can't be anything other than a brand.)

(The King is white as a sheet. Tredd wants to throw up. Parents are supposed to support you, not… not this.)

(Six, no wonder Axis kept Ardyn and Nox's heritage a secret. That Ardyn is able to trust and care for any of his Kin is astounding.)

It's not until magic rises from Ardyn's skin that Tredd realized what's happening. That he realizes what the tint of the Crystal's magic had disguised. But he's seen Spitfire heal others dozens of times out in the field, he recognizes this shaping of magic, and Ardyn is so much stronger than Spitfire-

It doesn't make it any easier to watch as Ardyn's skin splits, his blooding pouring out to join Sola's painting the ground. Doesn't make it any easier to watch as his wounds close, Ardyn gasping and trembling from more than just pain as he curls over his healed but unconscious niece, even as Noctis and Nox barrel in to comfort him.

Tredd's almost relieved when the Marshal turns to them and demands, "What the fuck just happened?"

As one, every glaive turns to Nyx. He's the only Chief present, he's the only one who can make the decision to share Galahdian lore with Outsiders as he has been with Sola.

Nyx stares a few moments longer at Sola's too-still form, hands flexing. Finally, he turns to face the Marshal and the King, expression dark as a thunderstorm. "We call it the Draconian's Rage."

"We?" The King's eyes are sharp. Tredd thinks he sees something of the warrior the King must have been when he visited Galahd twenty years ago.

"Galahd. The Draconian and the Infernian weren't the only Astrals to Bless humans. The magic disappeared long before the time of the Founder, but we still Remember." Nyx glances back to where the healers are fussing over Sola and Ardyn and Nox. "You have the Draconian's Blessing. But the Draconian isn't human."

Nyx turns back to the King, storm-blue locking with armiger-blue. "The Astrals aren't human, and sometimes their Blessed aren't either."

The King's lips thin. "You're saying my daughter isn't human." Treading on dangerous ground - the King's never taken kindly to the rumors painting Sola a monster.

"Physically, she is." Nyx says, steady as the cliffs against the storm-swept tides. "In her soul? Her instincts? She's no more human than I am."

That startles the King. "You are-?"

"Ramuh's. Storm to Sola's Sky."

There were rumors that the Ulrics were Ramuh's Blessed. Coeurl-Kin. Shape-changers and Wind-Walkers and as Black as the storms in their souls.

Tredd never thought he'd hear the rumors confirmed. This is Clan History. Private Clan History only ever shared with Clan Allies. If that.

"We thought you knew." Tredd says, trying to buy some leeway for Nyx. Tredd can't reveal that he's also not-quite human. Not without his Chief's permission. He might be able to get away with telling Sola - it's only a matter of time before she joins the Clans - but King Regis? Tredd would be in serious trouble. "You have thousands of years of history. Family customs as unique as any of ours." Customs catering specifically to those non-human instincts, Tredd doesn't say.

Tredd suspected otherwise after Sola's Rage in HQ. Sola didn't know anything about her Rages, only that she'd get so angry she couldn't think beyond needing to kill something. She was terrified that she'd try to kill anyone near her, hence her retreating somewhere secluded until she could regain control over herself. When she'd come out of her Rage to find Nyx and Tredd at the end of her weapons, injured but otherwise in one piece, she'd been horrified that she might have tried to kill them.

She hadn't known that she wouldn't. That even in the deepest Rage, her instincts would recognize the difference between hers and threat. Sola would never harm an innocent bystander. Not on purpose. Not unless they provoked her first.

So Tredd had suspected. He didn't want to believe it - how could the Lucis Caelums not have any information of the Draconian's Blessed? He knows Mainlanders don't keep Tales like the Clans do, but they do keep records! Sola cannot be the first Lucis Caelum to be Skyborn!

But no. The royal family has no clue.

What a mess.

"What does that mean for Sola?" The Marshal asks while the King processes Nyx's revelation.

"She's protective." Crowe says. Tredd snorts at the understatement of the century. "She'll react violently to anything threatening her Claimed. Lethally, if she can - Skyborn don't like leaving threats alive to try again."

"Prince Noctis and Nox are her only vulnerable Claimed. Prince Nox has his uncle to protect and care for him, which will satisfy Sola's instincts." Because nothing short of an Astral will be able to get past Ardyn to harm Nox, and even then Tredd would still put his money on Ardyn. "But Sola's Sword to Prince Noctis, and the oldest and strongest of his Retinue. She's his primary protector. Not being allowed or able to kill anything threatening him will stress her instincts."

The Marshal grimaces, glancing at the King and Shield. Tredd wonders if he's thinking about how Sola came to join the Kingsglaive. She'd eventually told them the circumstances behind her joining their training, one night out on deployment. Knowing now that Sola's Skyborn, that was a really Stupid decision on the King's part, banning Sola from protecting her disabled brother. The King was lucky Sola didn't try to sneak out of Insomnia after them.

"When she's under a lot of stress, she'll lose her grasp of human language." Tredd tells them. Tredd's never had that happen to him, but he also knows that as far as Seaborn instincts go, his are fairly tame. Sola, unfortunately, is way out on the extreme end of the scale. "Sign language she can comprehend, and that empathic thing she does with her magic. She'll lose her words before she Rages, so if it's that bad don't bother talking to her. She won't hear it."

Another glance between Sola's relatives. Six, how many signs had they missed?

Tredd determinedly ignores it. "When she's Raging, either give her space to work through it or spar with her. Sola won't hold back, but she won't try to kill you. But if you need to step out of the fight, make it physically clear that you surrender. Weapons away, hands down and open, on your knees and throat bared if you have to."

The King frowns. "That seems… dangerous."

"Not with Sola." Nyx says before Tredd's temper leads him to say something snarky and unwise to the King. "She'll always recognize her own."

"Shit's starting up again." Luche suddenly says.

Everyone turns back to the Crystal, conversation tabled.

For now.

[grey-eyed-menace]

With hope so fragile, so quiet and scared, that it's already long shattered. The pieces digging into her soft heart like fiberglass, hurting, aching, Uri doesn't want to take his hand.

She doesn't, but his hand is still held out, and his smile is so heartbreakingly gentle, so sincere, that Urisha can't help but grab onto it, with both of her hands, and squeeze, stumbling forward with wide eyes.

And, for the first time that she can really remember, someone catches her, pressing her close to their chest, arms wound tight, as though afraid she'd disappear, lips against her temple, and they whisper comfort into her ear with little hesitation.

Uri buries her nose in the crook of his neck, shoulders shaking as the first sob begins to make it's way out of her throat. Ugly and sharp, it's more a wail than anything else, but still... It's hers.

It's the first moment of the rest of her life, a new beginning, but, for the first hour or so, it feels so unbelievably unbearable that all Uri can bring herself to do is cry.

Hope has never felt so unimaginably painful before, and, she wonders, quietly, if this means she was ever really meant for it.

If it meant something as flawed and ugly as her deserved to exist, if something as beautiful as even hope could scare her into submission.

[Uri remembers the first, and only, time she went to her mother for anything resembling comfort, she remembers the pain it brought, the despair, the fear.

She remembers the burn of alcohol on the woman's breath, the dig of her nails, the venom in her voice. Uri remembers it as the only time the woman called her anything other than 'Girl' or 'Darling Urisha'.

She remembers the tears, hot and ugly that pricked her eyes after everything was said, after everything Alara told her, after being told she was nothing.

...Uri doesn't have many more memories of her mother after that incident, she doesn't think she'd want more if she's honest.]

(Uri loved Azazel as a child, so frighteningly innocent in her admiration and want to remain by his side.

Azazel had treated her more like a particularly amusing puppy, she realized now, and when she stopped amusing him he threw her to the side, uninterested in playing the father figure to a little girl who's only real achievement was being able to jury-rig rudimentary spells.)

{Uri thinks she might have been some sort of suicidal the first time she tried to kill Vali, tried to strangle him because he had made one too many tactless comments about how her sister put up more of a fight than she probably ever had.

She remembers tackling him to the ground, she remembers screaming and kicking, biting and scratching.

She remembers being thrown into the adjacent wall hard enough to leave an indent, she remembers diving for his throat not long after.

More than anything, Uri remembers that Vali's the only person who's never called her anything other than Uri, she also knows she's probably one of the only people who's wanted his head on a silver platter for anything other his title as Albion's champion.

Uri thinks she would have hated him for the simple fact that his mother loved him.}

"You can stay here for as long as you want," Nero offers, softly, fingers running through her hair with obvious affection, "for as long as you need, you don't have to hide, we won't hurt you."

Uri can only latch on tighter, bury herself deeper in his embrace as he quietly mumbles soothing words, sobs still wracking her small frame.

It doesn't escape her that he hasn't offered her a place in his Peerage, he's offering her genuine protection, an official education, something...

Maybe a family?

She... doesn't know how that works. Family. Not really.

Alara was a shit mother, always more obsessed with her status as the mother of the bastard Mammon, the useless little girl who hadn't brought her the protection and riches that her visions that said she would. The useless drunk of a Seer who hit and verbally tore apart little girls whenever she didn't get something she wanted.

Evectus was completely absent, wholed up in some mansion in the Underworld swearing beyond all reason that she deserved to have her head mounted on a pike for simply being born to a woman who was crazy enough to fuck him.

Azazel was interested in playing the role of a father for all of seven months before he found her rivalry, (Vali's childish want), with his actual investment more amusing. His words always lilted towards his own benefit, treating her more like a brainless puppy than someone with an actual self-worth beyond 'Please Love Me!' and all the bullshit that entailed.

Vali wanted just as many things from her as others, but his were always more personal, more hard-headed, less obvious, Vali wanted such childish things from her, such childish little things that... Uri sometimes, could entertain the idea of looking up to him as an older brother. Could sometimes allow herself to indulge in those childish wants when they still just... wants of a child, the bone crushing hugs, the assurance that someone cared about him beyond his status as a Longinus user, sleeping with someone who wouldn't leave as soon as morning came, who wouldn't use him for Albion.

[Uri could never quite bring herself to believe in things about people loving her beyond what she could bring to the table, could never quite find it in herself to look Vali in eye after one to many truths had been revealed.]

____________

And this is where I ran out of ideas!

[starboyjun]

batfam as types of isekai romance male leads

in this post: bruce wayne, dick grayson, jason todd, tim drake, cassandra cain, stephanie brown, and damian wayne

bruce wayne as rudiger winterwald (i will change the genre)

bruce is definitely the cold and "i make misunderstandings for a job" type of male lead. he's the one people in the comments bash or defend for their life. bruce in his past life is the one that the female lead thinks hates them so they die thinking that he won't care but plot twist: he does care... a lot. he's the one to destroy the entire world after their death (regis floyen core) and he's the one who turned back time for her.

dick grayson as isidor visconti (isn't being a wicked woman much better?)

dick grayson is the childhood lover, the one you don't think would be interested in you because of his bright personality. you think he's doing all these things out of pure kindness until after 100+ chapters he likes you. dick grayson is the one to stick by your side and in both lives, was devoted to you.

jason todd as izek van omerta (how to get my husband on my side)

jason todd is the one who unintentionally is cold to you (another idea is he's your killer in your first life) and probably causes your death... unintentionally... maybe. he's the slow burn type of romance where you fix past misunderstandings that have been building up for the past years you've known each other/been together. after a lot of years you've spent together, he's the greenest green flag you've ever met.

tim drake as schdermel raft (my dear aster)

tim drake is the male lead who takes a while to own the reader's hearts lowkey. timmy is a duke that rose to power in the female lead's previous life and is the one that could help her/protect her from her family/problems. timmy is such a sweetheart and i think it'll take a while before romance starts to come in the story (and has reader's asking novel readers who's the male lead).

cassandra cain as dorothea millanair (the tyrant wants to be good)

cassandra cain is the ultimate "i didn't want to be this, my surroundings made me be this." cassandra had a hard childhood because of her father and her "home" similar to many manhwa female leads. cassandra is the type to regret her past life and change for the better. she's not a brainless female lead, she knows a lot of things and will want to change (similar to dorothea).

stephanie brown as athanasia de alger obelia (wmmap)

stephanie is a female lead who is kinda stupid ("why did the plot change" type things) but overall is a strong female lead. she's one to go down in history (like athy). she's one who doesn't need a male lead to back her up and overall chases the plot to chang people's lives. steph is a happy girl and deserves a happy ending.

damian wayne as maximilian kasin ashet (father i dont want to get married)

damian is the one who (unintentionally/intentionally) killed you in your past life. damain grew up as a stuck up brat kid, though he is less of a brat, he's a trained killer for gods sake. damian is one who isn't familiar with love and being gentle. he probably grew up on the battlefield and is labelled "mad dog" or "cold blooded killer" or something along those lines. once you show damian you're not like the other girls afraid of him, he starts to fall... hard.

bonus: alfred pennyworth

the reliable butler of the family who's been serving the family for ages. he's the first one who trusts you and gets to know you on a personal level. he's always there to talk to the waynes and convince them you're a good person.

idk what to do next so lmk lol

[ddejavvu]

pairing: james potter x fem!reader ft. remus and sirius

summary: james is surprisingly willing to help you despite only having known you for a few weeks.

contents: reader is on her period, james barges into the bathroom because he's That Close to his friends

Sharing both a room and a bathroom with three men after having shared with four women is jarring, to say the least. Your old roommates could be slobs, of course, but there's something about James's habit barging into the bathroom whenever he pleases that doesn't sit right with you at first. You understand why he'd done it before you'd gotten there; you're sure they all had. You had no problem brushing your teeth beside Lily or Marlene while they were showering or peeing, but now that you're equipped with different tools than the rest of your roommates, it just feels wrong for them to see.

You first encounter it on a Monday morning, an appropriately terrible day for a terrible experience. You've just gotten up, and you're using the bathroom before you get dressed for the day, when James decides he needs to shower right then and there. He shouts a quick, 'Comin' in, mate!' Before turning the knob with the broken lock and storming right in, not giving you enough time to announce your presence.

"Ah- James!" You think you'll die right then and there, hands hovering over your crotch as James realizes what he's done. He's butt naked, probably tired after practice and in need of a steamy shower, but he's not any more enthusiastic about you seeing his parts than you are of him seeing yours, and he scrambles to cover himself up.

"Uh- sorry. I didn't realize it was you, I thought- I thought you had classes this morning. I apologize," He smiles kindly, though his eyes bulge where they're glued to your own, "Uh- you can... get back to business."

Neither of you had looked each other in the eyes for nearly 36 hours, but eventually the awkwardness died down, and you moved on.

Until the second time.

"Y/N," He calls, while you're in the shower, behind the flimsy curtain, "Listen, I know you're in the shower and all, but I'm running late, and I really need to brush my teeth. I don't want to rush you, can I just- just pop in there for a second? I swear I won't look."

You're at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing like a fish while the water streams around you. You appreciate his consideration, you know he doesn't want to scare you off or cross your boundaries, but it's a bold request. You're covered, sure, but the bathroom light is on, and you're sure you've got a silhouette behind the curtain. But you're going to be a while longer, and it's not fair of you to hold James up.

"Uh- sure," You stammer, covering up your chest like he'll be able to see through the curtain with laser eyes, "Come on in."

He doesn't hesitate to rush inside, but he's considerate enough to close the door after himself so that no one else stumbles upon you. You appreciate it, but you're frozen as he brushes his teeth quickly, bidding you a cheery goodbye like he hadn't just skimmed over giving you a heart attack. He shuts the door on his way back out, and there's not an ounce of awkwardness in his tone when he chats with you about his day later.

The third time, the third time is the kicker. You've started your period, the first time since you've been staying with James, Remus, and Sirius. You're sure they wouldn't give you a hard time for it, they seem decent enough so far, but there's just something mortifying about putting a used pad in a man's bathroom trash can.

You've changed your sheets before anyone can see the red stain, but your panties haven't been as fortunate yet. They're laying stained and wet on the ground beside your equally mangled shorts, hopefully not transferring the blood to the fabric below.

You don't get any warning, not enough time to hide them when you hear James's heavy footfalls by the door. He barges in without warning, face shifting to apologetic for only a split second before he registers the bloody clothes on the floor.

"Aah," He yelps, "Fuckin'- Are you wounded? You- oh." His sex education catches up to him, realizing why you've got blood only in the pad of your underwear, "Uh- right. Sorry."

"Get-" You start with a hiss, but you rein yourself in, trying to be kind, "James, can you- can you please get out?"

"Yeah! Yeah, right, I'll-" He motions over his shoulder with his thumb, "Uh- the guys are coming, so I'll head out. And-"

"The- what? Remus and Sirius are on their way back?" You panic, regretting your late wake-up. You could have really used the time they spent at breakfast to clean up."

"Yeah, they're- at the door."

"Close the door!" You urge him, as you hear the two other men enter the room. James does as he's told, but instead of stepping out, he steps in, panicked by your harsh tone of voice.

"Not- no!" You gush, but when he tries correcting himself, you lunge for his hand.

"Don't leave!" You beg, but rush to explain yourself when he frowns worriedly at you.

"I don't-" You whisper, "I don't want them to know I'm in here. Like- like this. If you leave they'll know. Just-" You fall silent with a sigh, "I don't know."

"Right." He nods, keeping his voice down so that it's muffled to Remus and Sirius, "Uh, I'll-"

"James? Mate, m'coming in," Sirius's voice comes from just outside the door, and you and James stare at each other, terrified. He rushes to slam his back against the door, and Sirius is unable to turn the knob.

"No! Uh, you can't-" James stammers, clearing his throat and steeling himself, "Use the bathroom in the hallway. I've got the squirts, mate, you don't wanna be in here with me."

You're lucky that Remus and Sirius groan in disgust, because it muffles your quick snort into your fist.

"You fuckin' animal. I told you not to cram those sausages down your throat," Remus snaps, "Now we can't use it for the rest of the day."

"Yeah, yeah, I've learned my lesson," James promises, shooting you a knowing wink, "Now get out!"

You're fairly certain you hear Sirius groan 'gladly', but you can't be certain. Their footsteps recede, then the outer door shuts, and once again you're alone with James. You wait for him to leave, but he lingers for a moment, politely avoiding staring at your soiled clothes.

"Right, well, they won't be back for a while. Do you want me to leave, too?"

"Uh- no, it's- it's okay," You decide, "You know."

"Yeah. Do you need any," James cringes before he even offers, "Help? I mean, I'm sure you've got wiping down, just- do you want, like, chocolate or something? Doesn't that help?"

"No! No, James, it's alright," You assure him, touched by his offer even if you're also embarrassed by it, "I don't want you to go to any trouble."

"No trouble," He shrugs, letting himself out of the bathroom and hovering in the doorway, "I know where Remus's stash is! He probably won't even notice it's missing, he's got so much. I can snatch some for you?"

"Really, it's okay," You smile kindly at him, still doubled over on the toilet with your elbows covering what you don't want him seeing, "Just- a moment alone, please?"

"Right," He nods with a grin, shutting the door, "Sorry!"

You breathe deep when you finally have a moment alone, cheeks burning with mortification. You're not sure you'll recover from this for a month, conveniently just enough time for it to happen again. You clean yourself up swiftly, not eager to spend more time in the bathroom that's revealed you to your roommate thrice in a month now.

James is kicked back on his bed when you reenter the main room, and he shoots you a kind smile that you bashfully return. You get to work putting new sheets on your bed, but when you move your pillow, you find a chocolate bar tucked under it.

If the sly grin on his face as he turns the page of his book is any indication, he's heard your light chuckle, and knows you appreciate him.

[adwendoodles]

"… hi, Dad,"

from Oh, where do we begin? by @esamastation

Ever since I read this scene in the fic I was consumed by a need to do fanart for it. I originally wanted to do both Noctis and Regis' faces in close up, ideally in the same canvas, but couldn't get perspective to work. Then I realized it would be most logical as mini comic.

I think the part of that fic I most appreciate is how instantly Regis enters dad mode when he realizes the strange man is Noctis. Like literally he just is like "my son! my beloved baby boy! he looks older than me! oh my god he looks older than me there's gray in his hair he looks so tired he doesn't even have clean clothes :ccccc im going to dad you and silently judge your own father for his childraising choices. yeah I know i'm him sans 10 years of defeated acceptance but that isn't going to stop me."

Since 30 year old Noctis from canon seems uh, healthier and more groomed than this fic Noctis, I tried to make him more disheveled and crustier. He's paler than Regis too but that's the (likely?) vitamin d deficiency/ten years without sun. Wish I had made him Crustier tbh but my art program kept crashing. I also wanted to make him with an expression close to tears / smiling anxiously like in the fic ...so I hope to revisit this fanart someday and do it More Justice... and include Regis closeup as planned...

Anyway thank you Esama for sharing this fic with us. I literally decided to play the game because I saw you were writing fic for it and didn't want to miss out because I wasn't familiar with canon. 10/10 decision. Would cry at Regis and Noctis in the endgame again.

[manicpixiefelix]

head, heart, hand. {Felix Catton/Reader/Oliver Quick}

Part 23.

Summary: A conversation between you and Oliver as you both try to distract yourselves from thinking about the day behind, and the night ahead.

{ masterpost }

Need to Know: They/Them. Explicitly NB Reader. FWB!Reader/Felix. Reader is from a well off family but has pretty much been adopted by the Cattons.

A/N: 2957 words. i split the henrys dinner into two parts because the dinner itself was very different tonally to the conversation with oliver that needed to be had i think. this part is sfw but the next part Will Definitely Not Be :) also im putting more gratuitous shakespeare mentions because i love characters pointing out their own narrative parallels. i feed off of the lovely comments y'all leave, so if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, i always love to hear them!

TAGLIST IN COMMENTS!! // TAGLIST ALWAYS OPEN ! (just message or comment to be added)

----

No matter what you wore, these formal events made you feel like you were choking.

Oliver finds you in the shared bathroom a few hours before dinner began, already dressed and agitatedly fussing with your collar in the mirror. Spotting him in the reflection, your scowl doesn't clear, but you do start vocalising the thoughts that had been running through your head.

"Lady Daphne has three children, all under fifteen."

"What?" Oliver, still looking entirely casual in sharp contrast to you, leans against the sink, watching you with interest.

"Tonight; the woman next to you who isn't Ven, she has three children under fifteen, their names are -" squeezing your eyes closed tightly, willing yourself to remember, you swear with frustration as the children's names elude you. You'd managed to find and memorise Henry of Suffolk's children's names - Henry Jr and Charlotte - but you're again feeling like it's not enough. Your collar feels too tight.

Unbuttoning your top button for what must be the fifth time in the past half hour of your indecision, you groan with frustration.

"Are you okay?" Oliver asks carefully, to which you try and waive off his concern. Clearly, it doesn't work, considering he's making his way over to you to rest a gentle hand on your shoulder.

"I'm fine, it's fine," you tried again, though it still comes out with clear irritation. Closing your eyes again you try and calm yourself enough to focus, "I saw their names the other night in my notes, I know this," you hissed under your breath, "Lady Daphne and Lord Henry; he's Sir James' godson and his own sons are named..." you wrinkled your nose, braced against the counter, "they're fucking French names, I know this!"

"Are Lady Daphne and Lord Henry French?" Oliver asks.

"No, they're just pretentious," you bit out, though suddenly it came to you, "Regis, Gabriel, and Louis." A grin lights up your face at that; the tension leaves you for the moment in the wake of your small victory. You feel like you can breathe again. Oliver gives you a hesitant smile, at least glad to see you're feeling better for having finally remembered. Breathing a relief sigh, you turn to him properly, "how are you, Ollie?"

"Should I remember Regis, Gabriel, and Louis at dinner?" He asks with faint hesitancy. You shrugged.

"I'm sure it couldn't hurt," logically you knew your own anxious preparations were often too detailed for what the night would actually require, but if you had information that could help ease Oliver into this world to which he was unaccustomed, you'd offer whatever you could to make him feel prepared.

But when he asks if you want to stay with him while he gets himself ready for the evening, you still find yourself hesitating.

Farleigh had found you that afternoon as you'd been coming back in from your gardening; he looked more than a little irritated, but refused to explain his mood. There was something unusually guarded about him at the time, something almost bordering on reproachful in the way he looked at you.

As your heart sank with realisation, you tried to find a way to explain to him everything that had happened between you, Felix, and Oliver. The tricky part of it all would most certainly be reassuring him that you believed him entirely, while also figuring out a way to explain why you'd given Oliver another chance despite knowing he was lying to you and Felix. There was no way you'd be able to explain yourself in this moment, and Farleigh seemed to realise this too.

"If you have something to say to me," Farleigh told you tersely, glancing over his shoulder where you could both hear Felix chattering loudly to Oliver down another corridor, "if you can bare to tear yourself away from your darling, little Iago," he spits, and you sighed deeply, expression clearly showing your disappointment, which Farleigh paid no mind to, standing to his full height and fixing his cool gaze upon you, "you know where I'll be."

So now, here you were, after almost an hour trying and failing to distract yourself by skimming through Shakespeare's Othello since Farleigh's latest cruel nickname for Oliver had reminded you of it, you'd decided to bite the bullet and get yourself ready. Really you should head over to Farleigh's room and sort things out with him, talk everything through and smooth it all over, but Oliver looks so helpless at the mere thought of what tonight would require. You tell yourself you can always talk to Farleigh later.

The afternoon eases itself into early evening with far less tension than the middle of the day had brought with it. Simply being in Oliver's company does wonders for your nerves. Even if talk between you is limited, the silence is not uncomfortable; Oliver gets himself ready, and you continue to skim the play while splayed out on Oliver's bed, and the duvet that used to be yours, easing each other's anxieties in quiet parallel.

You're looking for a quote you half remember from when you'd studied the play back in high school, a line that would be all too fitting of an offer to Farleigh when you saw him next, picking up on his allusion while trying to assure him you weren't just blindly believing Oliver over him - there.

I am not merry; but I do beguile The thing I am, by seeming otherwise.

You keep the text open on the bedspread before you as Oliver asks you questions about the unspoken scripts that you all must follow throughout the night. There's something like vindication that wells up within you when you realise how easy you find it to talk him through them.

"Do you always wear suits to these things?" Oliver asks carefully in the intimate moment in which you stand before him, doing up the cuffs of his dress shirt.

"The Henrys dinners? Yes," you nod, nimble fingers dancing against the fabric by his wrist. An amused smile makes it's way across your lips as you explain without even really thinking, "the first and last time I wore a cocktail dress to a Henrys dinner I made one of them, Henry Rochester I think, very uncomfortable," you smirked at the memory, and though Oliver's glad to see you're more smug rather than uncomfortable about the memory, he still doesn't quite seem to understand why.

"Because you're...?"

"Technically yes," you huffed a laugh, letting go of the first cuff to do the second, "because he now gets hard thinking about me in a dress and he doesn't know how to feel about it, and I don't want to deal with that." For a moment, the words simmer in the air between you both, and you finish up with the second cuff, stepping back with a pleased little smile. Oliver, however, still seems to be confused, and finally you acquiesce, giving him the final piece of the story;

"It was a very nice dress, Henry was just so bloody wasted he forgot I was the one wearing it when he couldn't see my face when he walked in on Fi and I in the wine cellar decided to stick around and watch with his dick in his hand," you shook your head dismissively at the memory, rolling your eyes but still grinning, "which isn't our fault, it's our wine cellar, he's the one getting drunk and going for a roam on someone else's estate."

It startles a laugh out of Oliver, the sound bright and sharp as his hand comes up reflexively to cover his mouth. Your expression scrunches up, pleased at the sound. In the few moments that follow, you straighten out Oliver's collar as he's giggling to himself, watching you from behind his hand with warmth and something almost adoring.

"I should show you some time," you wet your lips, crossing your arms as you gave him a leering look over, your intentions obvious. Oliver flushes a little, smiling under your gaze.

"The dress?"

"The wine cellar," you corrected, making Oliver laugh once more.

"You sure you're not going to get me drunk and brick me in down there?" He asked, and your eyebrows rose at the unexpected reference to Poe's Cask of Amontillado. At your obvious surprise, Oliver gives a half smile, reminding you that you'd left a book of Poe's work in the drawer by his bed. He'd read it? You're not sure why you're so touched by that, but you are.

"If we end up drunk in the wine cellar, I promise I won't be leaving you alone down there," there's a surprising amount of affection in your voice for what is ultimately some pretty on the nose flirting, but Oliver seems to appreciate it nonetheless.

When you return from your own room with a pair of cufflinks for him, however, his expression is pensive as he's sitting on the edge of the bed, flicking through the copy of Othello you'd left there.

"Thought my party had something to do with the Midsummer Night's Dream one," he says with faint confusion. You've already got the line you'd found earlier memorised, so you're not concerned that he's flicking through, losing your page in the process.

"No, it is, it's just Farleigh -" except you really don't want to tell Oliver exactly what Farleigh had called him, had implied about him with a single, derisive nickname alone. Iago. You shrugged, "he just said something earlier that reminded me of it is all." Then, sitting down beside him, you shoot for a smile, "what are you up to now; tie?"

For a long few moments, Oliver gives you this utterly unreadable expression. You wonder if he knows the play; if he did, he could almost definitely make an educated guess about what Farleigh's comment may have been, especially given the very recent circumstances. Even if you don't know exactly how Oliver would react to something like that, you're not exactly eager to find out.

The moment thankfully does pass without further comment on the play, with Oliver instead standing and heading to the full length mirror by the wardrobe.

"Is your family helping Felix's with paying for Farleigh's uni and stuff?" Oliver asks with genuine curiosity in his voice as he glances at you in the mirror's reflection.

"What?" The question seems to come out of nowhere, and your reaction is entirely genuine.

"I just wondered if that was, you know, part of the reason he was so loyal to you," Oliver shrugged, though there's something almost apologetic in his eyes, "and, I guess, why you knew you could trust him to be so loyal?"

How did he even know the Cattons were helping with Farleigh's education? Your suspicions were with Elspeth, whom you loved despite how much of a gossip she always was, but Oliver admits that Felix had told him about how he and Farleigh were cousins, and Sir James' guilt over his semi-estranged sister, all the way back at Oxford. Ah, makes sense. Part of it was probably to explain why Farleigh was always hanging around them despite his obvious distaste for Oliver. It takes you a beat to compose your thoughts; knowing both Oliver, and Farleigh, you had to be deliberately sure of whatever information you shared in this moment.

"I'd give Farleigh anything if he asked," you admitted, wearing a faint, sad little smile as you recall how coldly he'd looked at you earlier that day, "but he never has," you shook your head, "not about something like that at least. Why?"

Looking over at the mirror, you see Oliver with his tie done up, looking at you in the reflection as though you're a puzzle he's desperately attempting to solve. But, when you smile, he returns the look in kind.

"I think this might just be one of those times where I have to remember you telling me there's more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy," Oliver says with a wry smile, and you can't help but laugh at the memory of your first proper conversation with him about your friendship with Farleigh on one of Oxford's many rooves.

"Farleigh is simply one of my best friends; I don't begrudge him his pride, it's part of who he is, and I love who he is," with your warm laughter, the mood in the room has lightened considerably, and you finally stand. Wrapping your arms around Oliver from behind, perching your chin on his shoulder, you take in the sight of you both in the mirror.

"You know, I think you'd look so beautiful in a dress if you ever wanted to wear one," you tell Oliver idly, handing over the box with the little, golden cufflinks that you'd been fidgeting with on the bed.

"Beautiful enough to give an old man a sexuality crisis?" He asked with a blithe grin, pulling out of your grip if only to make his way to the cupboard where his jacket had been hung.

"Oh, undoubtably," you don't even hesitate, sitting yourself in the arm chair by the window, watching him once more.

"Don't know if I could start with a cocktail dress," he says, gazing at himself in the mirror with a pleasantly thoughtful look in his eyes as he genuinely considers the idea. Then, "I think I trust you with this more than I trust me," he gives a suddenly self conscious chuckle, ducking his gaze, fidgeting with the collar of the jacket he was still holding.

"You don't have to start anywhere if you don't want," you assured him faintly, but Oliver's smile is so damn affectionate.

"It's fuckin' impossible to describe the kind of effect you have," he tells you, shaking his head, "if you say I'd look beautiful, all I know is that I think I want to look beautiful, just so long as it's you who's looking at me."

"I feel very lucky sometimes," you give an endeared hum at his words, grinning to yourself, "my beautiful boys." Oliver, jacket now on, freezes. He's turning a delightful shade of red at that, looking like he was trying and failing to fight off a pleased grin. Finally, he meets your gaze in the mirror, "would you let me put together a costume for you, for your birthday?"

"What?"

"It's a costume party after all, could I put together a costume for you? Not a cocktail dress, I promise," you teased, and Oliver finally turned back to you, regarding you with nothing but love and affection.

"You know, sometimes I still can't believe you give me the time of day," the words almost seem to surprise him as they leave his lips. Something in your chest tightens, and you pause, once again caught off guard by Oliver Quick. There's a sweetness to the way he speaks that has butterflies fluttering so strangely in your stomach, "you're so..." he turns the words over in his mind, looking for the correct one, before he finally settles, "you're a dream," he says simply, "I don't think you don't get enough credit."

His words fill the sudden silence of the early evening as he steps towards you, cufflinks in hand, offering them as a silent request for assistance. You agree without even thinking.

In the back of your mind, you hear Farleigh calling Oliver Iago, but you can't bring yourself to care. Yes, Oliver spent enough time around you, observing you, talking to you, being in your space, that he knows exactly what to say and how to say it to endear himself to you. Clearly he's genuinely fond of you, but it's not often he gives you a compliment like this. Everything always so deliberate.

But it feels so fucking good to have someone put in the effort for you, someone other than Felix. Felix had always known how you worked, what songs to sing to make you dance if the whim ever struck him. It almost overwhelms you to realise that Oliver had learned how to hum along to the quiet song your heart sings too.

You wonder if you should tell Oliver that he doesn't need to try and manipulate his way into your life, that you'd already made a place for him here, all he had to do was ask to stay.

"I keep giving you the time of day because I'm very, very vain," you can't bring yourself to face his sincerity with any of your own, or you think you may either start crying, or possibly jump his bones, and it's too close to dinner for either. Instead, you grin from ear to ear, teasing tone letting him know how clearly you were joking, as you fixed the first cufflink to his jacket's sleeve, "and you keep saying lovely things about me."

"Lucky for me then that I don't think I'll ever run out of lovely things to say about you," you'd forgotten just how well Oliver could flirt when he really wanted to. Eyes bright and smile brighter, you can see mischief sparkling in his eyes when you look up, meeting his gaze. You love this boy so much it feels like it hurts at times like this.

"Think that means I should keep you very close by, at all times."

"Very few places I'd rather be, sweetheart."

That beautiful bastard knew exactly what he was doing to you.

Later, out of this space, out of this moment, out of Oliver's arms, you could go back to worrying about the night, about all the lies oscillating around your whole situation, about Felix and Farleigh and Venetia. Later, you'll find yourself thinking that Farleigh may have had far more of a point with Othello than you'd first realised when you read 'one that loved not too wisely, but too well' before you put the text back on the shelf.

Later.

Right now, you let Oliver pull you in for a kiss.

[idontknowmyownmind]

Father I don't want to Get Married RokCale version using Jubel and Regis story

Duke Roksu

In their first life, they had backstreet relationship

No one, and I mean not a single soul, know about their relationship

Despite their intimate and warm relationship, there are underline doubt, insecurities, and misunderstanding they harbor alone without telling their partner

Cale was accused of poisoning the Crown Prince

Roksu pulled Cale quite roughly, unintentionaly, toward a dungeon and gave him dagger without actually telling anything

Paired with his cold eyes and harsh tone, it's not a surprise that Cale misunderstood

Like Jubel who choose to end her life, so is Cale who rather take his own life than let Roksu did it

Everyone was shocked when they found Roksu, the cold, stoic and rarely smile Duke, pour his heart out while holding the corpse of the 'traitor'

The way he cry and holding him tight yet gentle

Unlike Regis who lost his mind and killed everyone, Roksu grief by locking himself with Cale's corpse

He become colder, always staying inside his chamber where Cale is

His family are worried, but everything they did doesn't seems like reaching him

They keep a close eye on him, fearing he will do something drastic

But they were careless for a moment and the next thing they found is Roksu cold, bloody, body beside Cale, hugging him close

In their second life, Roksu decided to let his closed companion aware of their relationship

So if something happened to Cale, he know they will protected him

Everything is fine, with Roksu hovering over Cale quite protectively

But, again, Cale died by his hand this time

Roksu doesn't mean it to happen, he meant to kill an enemy but why it's Cale who stand in front of him with his sword gone through his heart

This time, he completely lost his mind, he went rampage and killed everyone with cold and blank eyes with tears streaming down silently

His family need to stop him

Until he is at the brink of death, he crawl toward his beloved corpse, ignoring his bloody and broken body

His family want to heal him, but they know that it will only torture him so they let him go with heavy heart

In their third, current, life

Roksu went back way further and pursue Cale earlier and openly

He doesn't even hide his intention and make it clear that Cale is his and whoever dare to touch him will face him directly

He is a bit unhigine here, more protective and possessive toward the confuse red head, a bit much yandere and obssessive

[eskel-loves-lilbleater]

Geralt/Triss or Eskel/Triss?

If I have to chose between those two and ONLY those two, then I definitely go with Eskel/Triss. I feel like Triss & Geralt's relationship, both from the books and the games, has SO many issues that it's rather toxic. I don't hate it, I just think they can do better.

That being said, my actual preferred pairings?

Yennefer/Triss:

Completely fan-based, I know, but I feel they meet on a more even level, have comparable life experience, understandings etc. I think they are better for each other and make each other better, than most of the alternatives.

Geralt/Jaskier:

I mean, it's really Geralt and ANYBODY else BUT Triss or Yen but I understand why him and Jaskier are such a popular pair. Again, they make each other better, for the most part.

I also like Geralt/Eskel and Geralt/Regis however, if I had to pick faves?

Eskel/Regis:

Bloody absolute rare-pair and I don't get it. Lots of people adore Geralt & Regis together (which I get) but I think Eskel would be an even better match. The love of books and philosophy, animals and simple pleasures. And we KNOW Eskel would not have the slightest issue with Regis' species affiliation. Big, brawny Eskel would LOVE someone who can take and give back like a Higher Vampire. Feral Eskel getting all protective and Regis finding it adorable because he REALLY doesn't need it. They would be so sweet together.

Lambert/?:

But what about the youngest, surliest wolf? I mean, any combo of Lambert/Aiden/Voltehre/Milena, I just eat that shit right up. Absolute GIVE ME MORE and I will be happy. (Big thank you to @inexplicifics for creating so much of this and inventing Milena. Big happy spot in my heart!!)

Or Lambert/Eskel lol

Other fave pairings:

Letho/Gaetan

Vesemir/Guxart

Ivar/Keldar

And why is there so very little love for Arnaghad? I need giant bear love!

<3

[just-french-me-up]

hey hi i'm buzzing with the need for dreamling fic recs if you would be so kind as to point me in your favorite direction pls pls pls

Oh friend, you asked and I shall ✨ deliver ✨

DREAMLING FIC RECS 🌻✨

of my misery make thy use by @qqueenofhades (Explicit - WIP - 129k so far - In Universe, but with some tweaks, Rescue fic) Dream is Roderick Burgess' prisoner, in all his silent, sullen, naked glory, and has given up on the thought of anyone ever helping him out of there. Even Hob Gadling. Especially Hob Gadling. In fact, he's quite sure the man never wants to speak to him ever again, regardless of his current predicament. A bummer, really, because he also happens to be married to him. (Listen that fic has slain me EVERY WHICH WAY, it has EVERYTHING, it will take you PLACES (literally), it's rewarding as fuck, has OCs to die for, just... just read it, ignore the WIP status, what's there is absolutely chef's kiss)

the unknown and static strange by @qqueenofhades (yes, again, listen, if i loved you less i might be able to talk about it more bla bla bla) (Mature - WIP - 69K so far (nice) - Dubious AU status, Memento mets Academia, Modern day with a twist) Professor Robert Gadling, under cut rocking, weird dreams having, and trauma suffering, discovers a strange piece of undocumented art that seems to follow him everywhere he goes. The Regis Somnorum won't leave him alone, and as he tries to follow that thread, a whole mysterious tapestry unfolds, putting everything he knows, or thought he knew, into question. (This fic is a fucking delight, it's just KEEPS feeding you "oh shit" moments and suspense and revelations and the pacing just keeps you on the edge of your SEAT. Again, IGNORE the WIP status I BEG OF YOU, read it, devour it)

This Rough Magic by @avelera (Mature - WIP - 36k so far - Rescue fic with a twist) Hob Gadling never fancied himself a mage or a warlock, but dabbled enough in the occult to pick up a few tricks over the years, all in the hope to communicate with his Stranger. A stranger, he later discovers, who is trapped under Roderick The Fucking Magus Burgess's manor. Now, he may not be the best magic wielder there is.... but Burgess doesn't know that, does he? (There are some VERY clever things in this fic, everyone is written to a T, I love a fic where my loathing of Burgess can burn from the brightest flame and at the same time have him not like a cartoon villain but a full human being! Can't wait to see where that goes!)

if you just let me (have you, love you) by Lost_Elf (Explicit - 25k - Human AU - Adult Film Actors AU (I see you tumblr, restricting words these days, I see you) Both very prominent in their own niches of the Internet, Dom-BDSM-oriented Dream and Vanilla-centered Hob cross paths and plan what could be (or so their managers hope) the collab of the century. And they might learn a thing or two along the way. (Listen, I read this on a whim, I wasn't too into Human AUs at the time, I was up for some smut that day, and this fic is a LOT more wholesome than the subject lets on and really gripped me! Lots of very nice details in there! And also, you know.... smut)

by the minute by @issylra (Explicit - 11K - Human AU, Sex Phone Operator Dream) Dream has a bet with Desire : he has to manage a phone sex line for some time. He's not thrilled by it. Callers are... unimaginative and unoriginal, to say the least. Except one. He has a very nice voice. He's funny. And he sounds just about as lost as he is, in life. (The tags make it sound super raunchy but it's more about developping attraction through someone's voice and getting to know someone through the phone and falling in love and.... it's just lovely, it's very sweet, it's like a little blanket with a warm cup of tea, really)

Now I KNOW this is not what you EXPLICITELY asked for but.... dare I suggest..... something with an OC thrown in the mix? Cause that's just adding a fun player to the game, with added stakes, really!

as heart for heart, for loving me by @kittttycakes (hello darling) (Explicit - WIP but soon to be finished - 151k so far - Canon compliant - OT3 if there ever was one - How to polyamory, a guide for Dream of the Endless, a primordial being who needs to use his goddamn words) When Dream finds Hob at the New Inn, he's ready to open up a little. Be a friend. Be a little more than that, though he can't quite articulate it. The only issue with that is that Hob has a girlfriend. A live-in girlfriend. A very much serious girlfriend. Dream tries his darnest to hate her, and finds he can't quite bring himself to. (It's soft, it's lovely, it has angst, it has smut, it has fluff for days, it has developping relationships GALORE (plural) and it's just a nice read to switch up your rotation, cause the potential for situations is tripled now!)

[animelosers]

hey, could you make an imagine about nsb picking you up at the airport / their reactions when they see you or something like that? i love your imagines, keep it up :)

YES- omg I LOVE THIS!

Note; I have never been on a pane before so do not judge.

Warnings; fluff, spice? not sure.

-------

OLIVER; I start walking to the exit doors looking for my boyfriend. It has been 5 months since we have seen each other in person. I have been busy with college and he has been busy with meeting about his group.

"Y/N!" I hear my name being called from a good distance away from me. I turn my head to the right and I see Oliver, he is wearing a white shirt with baggy jeans and a red cap. I drop my bags and run to him as he opens his arms, no I am not going to jump on him. I hug him tightly as he starts kissing all around my face, I laugh at his reaction.

"I missed you," I say before kissing him, his arms grip tighter around my waist.

"I missed you too hun," He looks at me in the eyes, "Just wait for my surprise later,"

"I'm scared now," I say jokingly.

"Don't be. I know you will love it,"

SEBASTIAN; I go to pick up my luggage but then I remember who is getting me.

"You don't need to grab my luggage you know," I say as I look at my boyfriend.

"Well hello to you too baby," He says as he smiles at me while I roll my eyes jokingly before kissing him gently. Once we pulled away we walked to the car but before I knew it I felt arms around my waist, "I missed you."

"I missed you too baby," I say while closing the trunk. He doesn't let go of my waist, I feel him start kissing my neck, "Baby let's go home first."

"We will see if I can wait until we get home but no promises," He says kissing deeply.

"This is so going to be a long vacation, huh?"

"Yup," He says smirking.

JUSTIN; I finally show up to the NSB house. Ryan told me Justin hasn't been doing the best and I already knew ever since last week after a call together. So I few out to surprise him, once I entered the house the others look at me in silence shock.

"Oh my god," Regie says and hugs me.

"Yes I am here," I say hugging him back.

"Want me to call Justin down here?" Oliver asks as I nod in response while I finish hugging the others, "Justin! Come down here!"

I stand behind the wall that is connected to the stairs so he won't be able to see me.

"What bro-"

"Hi baby," I interrupt his sentence. He is wrapped in a blanket, wearing a white tank top, grey sweat pants, and his hair is messy. He drops his blanket and runs up to me.

"The love of my life is here holy shit-" He kisses me gently as everyone 'ew-ed' at us making me laugh, "Who flied you out here?"

"We did," Oliver, Ryan, and Sebastian say in sync.

"We realized that you weren't doing well so we came up with the idea to fly them out here," Sebastian explains.

"The four of us split the payment for the ticket," I say, "I know you weren't doing well especially when you aren't even playing video games."

He looks at me with a sad look and hug me tightly, "I love you."

"I love you too," I whisper to him.

RYAN; Everyone was there to pick you up so Ryan didn't really have a reaction until you guys got into the car.

Ryan and I get into the back seat as the others get my stuff into the car. I gently kiss him once we got in, knowing he isn't going to give a huge reaction when everyone is around. He slowly kisses me back as gentle as one can be.

"Missed you," I say as I pull back.

"I missed you more," He looks at me lovingly before practically cuddling me in the car. I notice the boys are still 'putting my suitcases in the car' but earlier I asked Oliver to give Ryan and I privacy for a bit before we left fully.

"Let's go the our favorite pizza place tonight," He says.

"Ugh yes! I have been really craving it," I say as he laughed.

"I love you, baby," He says as he leans in.

"And I love you," I say before we kiss once more.

KANE; "Baby!" He yells as he runs to me and hugs me. I hug back while laughing at the fact people are staring.

"Hi Honey," I say before kissing him deeply. My hear skips a beat as I feel him start to kiss deeper. I allow it for a for a bit before I pull away.

"Let me get your bags," He says immediately after. He is like a child at the playground every time he gets picks me up from the airport or a horn dog . . . sometimes both.

"Honey, you do not have t-"

"Yes I do, I am your boyfriend and most likely your future husband," I laugh and kisses his cheek. It was only two bags I had since a lot of my clothes are actually are at his place.

"Are you proposing right now?" I ask him. He smiles at me softly and kisses my forehead and looks at me lovingly.

" . . . no," he answers as I groan.

REGIE; I finally get into the house because the boys forgot I was coming into town. I enter the pin of their front door as I open it I see Regie coming down the stairs shirtless, as usual, and on his phone. A part of me is pissed but the other part is happy to see my lovely boyfriend.

"B-Baby?!?" He says once he looks up from his phone. His face in shock and red. He runs down the stairs quickly, once he gets closer to me and tires to hug me I dodge his hug. "What's wrong?"

"I was waiting at the airport for 40 minutes! I called you and Ty last night explaining my phone got messed up because of my younger siblings so it dies quickly. I tried calling you from the airport but no answer-"

"That is why I was getting calls from the airport- baby I am so sorry, we had meetings after meetings and we got so caught up. We just got home like 20 minutes ago," He explains himself as I listen to him. I know he doesn't like when I am mad at him or upset so I just let out sigh before interrupting him with a kiss.

His hand immediately go to my waist, squeezing my hips. "Watch it," I say as his hands get lower.

"Forgive me?" He whispers into my ear.

"Deserve it," Once those words left my mouth, Regie throws me over his shoulder and takes me upstairs leaving my bag next to the front door.

DARREN; Once him and I get into his car, I look over at him.

"Psstt," I say waiting for him to respond. He turns on the car and starts playing, 'This Side of Paradise by Coyote Theory'.

"Remember I played this song when I asked you to be mine?" He asks me, his black hair slightly in his face as he looks over at me. I nod at his responce.

"Baby-" He interrupts me by singing the lyrics. I just smile at him, knowing the fact him and I haven't seen each other in 6 months so he is still in a bliss.

"So if you're lonely~ Darlin' you're glowing~ So if you're lonely, then come be lonely with me~" He sings, sooner or later I start singing him.

After our car karaoke, silence fell upon us, "Baby?"

"Yes, Darling?" He responds.

"I have been thinking about moving out here with you," I say.

[sparklecryptid]

Soulmate au where the first thing your soulmate thinks when they see you is written on your skin.

Because Fleur first thought was that Regis sucks at controlling his magic and can he please not touch everything like a sticky-fingered toddler? While Regis' thoughts probably ran along the lines of "damn, I thought she would have left for sure".

Regis has always thought that his soulmate must be the least romantic person on the face of Eos. He had been unfortunate enough to not be blessed with a romantic or witty soulmark. Instead the words 'His magic is everywhere. Toddlers have better control of their aether than this'. It was a soulmark that brought up many questions. Who is this person that can feel Regis' magic? Who is this person that seemingly comes from a place where magic is common?

Regis had always assumed that his soulmate was someone from the line of Oracles. There is no other family capable of feeling the way Regis lets his magic subtly flare and examine the world around him when he first enters a space.

Logic dictates that his soulmate must be from the only other family on Eos capable of understanding the Lucis Caelum magic.

Regis is wrong.

He doesn't realize how wrong he is until Fleur has ripped through a horde of monsters with her chakrams and the flowers that had blossomed with each movement shattered like glass and took the daemons with them.

He doesn't realize how wrong he is until Fleur turns her furious gaze on where Regis stands with the rest of his retinue and Regis realizes he can feel her fury in the sun-gold magic that lingers around him.

"You fucking morons." Fleur does not waste time ripping into them. "What were you planning on doing? Letting yourselves become dinner for the daemons?"

Regis moves to step forward. Clarus puts an arm in front of him and bars Regis' way.

Fleur laughs meanly.

"What? Am I threat now?"

"Depends on how you answer our questions," Weskham's voice is apologetic but firm.

Fleur's grin stretches into a cruel thing.

"And here I thought we were allies at least."

"Your contract is over."

"I never knew my loyalty to be bound by words on a page."

"Who are you loyal to then?"

Fleur tilts her head to the side and considers the group. In the night she glows like a small sun and Regis knows without needing to ask that she is keeping the rest of the daemons away.

"I have a better question," Regis interrupts, "What are you?"

Fleur's grin turns into something less sharp.

"I knew I liked you for a reason," she says, "That's the question you should be asking. What is she?" Her smile turns rueful. "I would love to answer you, but I'm unsure how to explain it."

"I owe you for keeping you waiting when we first met," Regis says, "I thought for sure you would have left but you didn't. We have time for your explanation."

Fleur stiffens. Her eyes flashing.

Still she nods.

"Let's head back to town then," she says, "I don't want to waste my energy on keeping this light up for much longer."

[northernolddragon]

About how Geralt and Regis were studying the bestiary with "red" flora and fauna (extinct creatures) and a dramatic observation in the background of a wonderful company of witchers and a vampire.

R. "There is such an extensive library in Kaer Morhen. The treasures of the witchers are not only in the history of the local walls, in weapons .." G. "So, Regis, we came to look for, that unknown "miracle", that crawled out to us last night, when we decided to clean up the territory. Considering that we had not wintered here for a long time, there were so many drowners and water hags, that we had to wash ourselves right in river." L. "I would have dipped you a couple more times, gray-haired .. You completely warmed your ass in Toussaint." E. "At least he didn't run from one eccentric sorceress on a routine sortie."

G. (not listening to them) "You study books like you know each one in its content." R. "I will not be modest .. I didn't deprive myself of the pleasure on my .. "vacation" to ask Dettlaff for everything he could find. Indeed, I can say, that I am familiar with the world not only of people and vampires, but also of your world and your art .. Well, acquaintance with you served as a desire to feed on knowledge in this direction .." G. "Wait a minute, so you were bluffing, when you sent me to fetch wight's saliva and you could have found it yourself without too much effort?" R. "No, my dear witcher, I would not, even if I could deal with the salivary glands of such a single specimen on my own. This is your vocation. Which you have done very reasonably and nobly." G. "Well, Marlene is a great woman. Barnabas-Basil is overjoyed with her. That he doesn't have to try his skills in cooking. R. "I would not want to offend our respected Barnabas, but his culinary skills will be used in scaring away certain monsters. " G. (nodding and smiling) "He admits it. As well as the fact that you charmed him, which is not surprising." R. "Thank you, my friend. But I think he was fascinated by my very pleasant tincture.." D. (muttering to himself) "This is a long time." E. (watching Regis and Geralt) "Shall we go downstairs and have a drink?"

L. (lamenting in the background) "I'd rather give a kiss to every water hag and nekkers, and tumble with drowners, than listen to all this." D. "We need a drink. We've got a case of mandrake tincture." E. "Sounds great." L. "When you find something, lovebirds, we'll be waiting for you downstairs..." D. "... not to say that in a sober state."

[rie-092]

❝ KINDNESS ❞

❲ yandere! jubellian eloy floyen x gender neutral! reader ❳

summary : jubellian was aware that you were known for being kind. she knows it. so, she tried to convince herself that you are kind to everyone. she tried to prevent her unhealthy obsession from getting worse. but she couldn't help it, your kindness is addicting.

tw : yandere behavior , obsession, possessiveness, stalking, manipulation, guilt tripping, gaslighting.

in the first timeline, jubellian fell in love with mikhail because he gave her a handkerchief when he saw her crying at a party, right?

and that was the first time that jubellian got the attention that she was seeking after so many years. thus, she decided to devote herself to mikhail.

but, what if— instead of mikhail, she met you at that said party instead? and you're the one who gave her a handkerchief after you see her crying?

you see, you are clueless about jubellian's identity. sure, you know sir regis since he was famous in the empire. and you know that he had a daughter. but you don't know that it was jubellian. so, why did you give her a handkerchief? simple, you hate it whenever you see a girl crying.

and your mother taught you that you should help people who need help. she also told you to be kind to everyone. that's why you ‘tried’ to comfort jubellian (even though you had no idea how to do so). you tried to ask her what happened and why is she crying.

and then jubellian told you everything. you just sat there next to her, not caring about your dress/suit. you just remained next to her side, listening to whatever she was saying.

and jubellian was beyond thankful for what you did. your presence was enough to calm her down. ah, this was the first time that someone gave her the attention that she was seeking for many years!

after she finished talking, you gave her a bright smile. saying that everything's gonna be alright soon. jubellian was confused, why do you look so confident about that?

you were about to say other things when you heard your little sister looking for you. you awkwardly laughed as you bid goodbye with jubellian. but before you left, jubellian made sure to ask for your name.

and after you told her your name, jubellian looks happy. you who were clueless about jubellian were thinking, smiled at her when she gave you a bright smile.

and a week after that party. you were surprised after seeing jubellian in front of your family estate. she also made sure to bring many gifts for you and your family with her.

jubellian is the type of yandere who loves spoiling her darling. she always brings you many gifts to the point that you and your family were getting overwhelmed by them.

she knows that you were weak to girls (because of your mother and little sister) that's why she used this for her own advantage.

remember when you tried to ask her to stop sending those gifts to you and your family? jubellian cried in front of you. asking if you and your family didn't like the gifts that she was sending. she just wants to see you happy, but if you wants her to stop. then she will stop.

and you were reaally guilty after seeing those tears in jubellian's eyes. that's why you told her that she can visit your family estate whenever she wants to. and boy, jubellian was overjoyed after you said that!

and also, jubellian always make sure to attend every party/banquet/events that you attend.

and remember those young ladies/young masters you try to approach you? they all faced jubellian's wrath. she either bullied them, humiliated them, or destroyed their life.

she also made sure to follow you around whenever she had free time. after all, she doesn't want you to flirt with anyone behind her back.

and when you confronted her about it. she just denied it, she won't do anything like that you know? those people are just trying to destroy your relationship with her!

and jubellian was beyond happy when you believed her! she also decided to use your weakness to pretty much isolate you from everyone. you are hers, and she won't allow anyone to have you.

“ no one loves you as much as i do, (first name). ”

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Wanna hear a crazy idea I had for a BitW au?

A version where Regis is completely right about Mors having a bastard and Completely Wrong about who that bastard is! It's not his fault, really, Nyx is just so much in-your-face that most people focus on him.

Meanwhile, Crowe No Clan Name is quietly vibing in the background and making another overpowered fireball spell to throw at Nifs. She always was good at Elemancy, barely needed any training at all!

(I'm not saying that Mors learned about a weird creepy possibly-immortal witch living in backwoods of Galahd and decided to find out if she knows anything about the Accursed. . . but what if?)

Now that is an idea

In that verse Crowe would actually look very much like her paternal grandfather, which is why she doesn't look like a classic Lucis Caelum. (Mors's mother would have been the reigning King of Lucis, while his father would have married into the family.)

Mors would definitely want to meet the Whise One. And then make a deal with her. That man would treat this as something purely practical, which the Wise One might actually appreciate.

Oh, oh!

Let's combine that with the Secret Desks AU!

Where Regis eventually finds a birth certificate for a sister. The name of the mother is listed as Kraja Horwalt. And by this point Regis has already met Kraja.

By Bahamut, his sister is a semi-goddess. Holy shit, he has a sister. His father slept with a goddess, Gods damn it!

[distant-velleity]

well anyway in the meantime, here's a bunch of random headcanons about my hsr ocs that i may or may not have posted before

mizaru used to have a lover, the two would quietly rebel against their government together, but obviously things didn't work out--now, it's not so much mizaru has sworn off love as they absolutely need to trust any possibly romantic partners

if regis hadn't left her home planet, she would have had to become a shrine maiden or some other form of religious work; her home planet takes the worship of idrila (who they call the Rosedreamer/THEIR Elegance) very seriously. regis is relatively faithful herself but she could not stand her home

aki's home planet is very similar to modern-day earth, except it used to be ridden with a certain supernatural species (that has since mostly died out). the ipc is present on the planet, but it has significantly less influence in the city aki resides in due to high levels of gang activity

the government in mizaru's home planet would make use of memoria to torture prisoners/rebels/etc., which is how mizaru ended up as they are

regis had to watch her father succumb to "mara" with her own eyes, seeing him go from a normal-looking plant human to a monstrous abomination

the x-shaped scar on aki's cheek is from an altercation with his rival group; it also happened to be the same altercation in which his "sister" was killed and he had to take the position of "boss"

(ironically, the same fate almost befell him when he "died")

in regards to no one using their birth names:

mizaru finds it more convenient to use different aliases everywhere they go--after all, the work of a galaxy ranger often gives their aliases a criminal association. that, and they're sick of their old name

regis simply doesn't like her birth name, because it's heavily associated with her home planet. she wanted to completely discard her past, "ugly" self so when she left she also chose a different name

aki's birth name was chosen by his father -- who left upon aki's birth, realizing that both his son and his wife were "monsters" -- and given by his mother who couldn't let him go. after his mom died, aki was still very bitter over the whole thing, so he chose a different name out of spite

anyway here's some more silly/less angsty headcanons

mizaru loooves spoiling themselves. shopping sprees, spa days, you name it.

regis is always on the lookout for the most popular, highest-quality makeup products

aki is popular with kids, who unwittingly refer to him as "uncle"--obviously he wouldn't dream of making them join, they're too young and innocent, but he does take good care of them!

mizaru can and will smoke their pipe in the middle of combat, they actually use it to blind enemies momentarily lol

regis doesn't just use her mirror of transcendence to fight, she has a bunch of these smaller floating mirrors that can cause projectiles to ricochet (she would have made a GREAT preservation unit)

aki's ultimate animation is lowkey just him setting enemies on fire with gasoline and a lighter...

mizaru and aki would get along, i firmly believe this in my heart. tax evasion friendship /j

regis got the rose accessory in her front pocket from her father

aki runs hot despite being a [redacted for silly lore purposes], which is why he's actually more active at night now and . you know. never wears shirts properly

[papakhan]

do you have any Chance headcanons? Bro deserved better.

I do actually! thank you so much for asking (he really did deserve better :'(

Chance is one of the oldest Khans who was born into being a Great Khan, rather than being a remnant from the New Khans. His mom was effectively winging it his entire childhood and he maybe grew up a little too fast as a result. Jessup is his younger brother by about 10 years and Jessup has always absolutely adored Chance, basically never left his side from the age he could walk.

Before Bitter Springs Chance was part of the Khans who cleared routes ahead of the rest, helping the movement of their home base go a little smoother. A lot of Chance's side of the work was Physically moving things out the way, like clearing debris from roads that were intact enough for Khan wheels which could be anything from big rocks (on post war roads) to prewar cars (on prewar roads)

He's always had his long blond hair but it used to be neatly plaited before Bitter Springs, nowadays he doesn't really have the mental energy to even wash his hair, and barely lets Jessup do that

Bitter Springs took a huge toll on Chance's mental health. I hc that he was one of the Khans trying to make sure that the evacuation path was safe when he got cut down and spent the remainder of the fight being mistaken for a body while he drifted in and out of consciousness. He woke up surrounded by a lot of fire and bodies and never spoke a word since. He feels guilty for not being able to tell anyone the path wasn't safe before it was too late and has what he saw burned into his mind. my man needs therapy so bad

While I do like and enjoy all the "Chance uses sign language" headcanons I personally believe that he's very despondent and withdrawn due to his PTSD and rarely makes attempts to communicate. Jessup is effectively Chance's carer and makes sure that he's fed and drinking enough water and is physically clean etc. and he's the best guy who knows what Chance is trying to say and is very protective of him. Side thing but Jessup is actually a very caring and compassionate guy he just has a very brash tough guy attitude.

The Khans aren't very good with mental health as a whole (they can't really even deal with Papa's depression) not for lack of care they're just not in a good place atm. I think if he got the help he needed he would start to communicate more but it'd take a long time to get there. I think he'd maybe start with signing and writing things before trying to use his voice again

I also think Chance same height as Legate Lanius but a lot bulkier. I know he's got washboard abs in all roads but Everyone does in that comic I hc him to be fat!! I think he's stronger than Lanius but Lanius is faster, but that speed doesn't count for much when your weapon is 15x bigger and heavier LMAO Lanius would get destroyed by Chance Chance would beat him to death with his own mask

More Chance stuff

He is a clean 7 feet tall, Jessup is 6'2" and everyone thinks he's short he's not he just looks tiny next to Chance

I also hc him to have brown eyes and freckles like Jessup

I don't like the necklace he has in all roads because the thors hammer symbol often gets associated with like. na//zis. so I often redraw it as a key or coin. I don't think the artists meant anything by it honestly they were probably just associating Chance with the god of thunder because of his size and strength but personally i'd like to stay far away from it especially considering canon Chance has blond hair and blue eyes. anyway

My man likes a good steak, he and his mom used to compete for who could make the best meat rub. He's not a fan of sweets

The heaviest thing he's lifted was the front end of an NCR truck with the driver still inside. That driver had nightmares for weeks

Like Regis, Chance is one of the Khans who the NCR and others who arent Khans tend to recognise but never actually speak to. I think even before he stopped talking people just kinda gave him a nickname because he was just So recognisable. The NCR probably had their own codename for him over the radio.