#Fish Out of Water (OOC Post)

[mvncesa]

just found out that wolves do . in fact . eat fish and just fucking ? casually snatch them out of the water ?? imagine werewolves doing that

[rising-heroes]

Given out more silent blocks than posts this year.

[kamaluhkhan]

TIME TO PRETEND

pairing: luke castellan x gn!poseidon!reader word count: 5k chapter summary: you're the eldest child of poseidon and the hero of the last great prophecy. you left your demigod life behind after defeating kronos. now, years later, you find yourself back at camp half blood for the summer.....which means dealing with luke castellan, and all that history (tension?) left unresolved between you. warnings: some nicknames for reader are based on female characters (mermista, sailor neptune) but they're still written as gender neutral. reader has tattoos. mention of alcohol + death (post-titan war). spoilers for the entire pjo (book) series, mostly references to the last olympian. timeline is all over the place but set in the early 2000s for vibes. no betrayal (au where chris was the one who sided w kronos and led the titan army) so slightly ooc luke <3 author's note: welcome to another product of my pjo hyperfixation !!! i wanted to finish the nemesis!reader series first but it's summer and i felt like reworking my tsitp series in a camp half-blood setting with bb luke. so prepare for childhood friends to lovers drama! summertime vibes! nostalgia! angst! would love to know what y'all think about this and if you want a part 2 so feel free to scream at me in the comments. otherwise, enjoy and thanks 4 reading 💙

♪: time to pretend by mgmt

YOU’VE GOT MAIL!

1 new message 

from: LukeNotSkywalker

to: Mermista86

subject: you are GETTING that record deal

Hey,

Your demo CD just came in the mail — and, Connor as my witness, I’ve already listened to it five times!!! 

It’s amazing. You’re amazing. The label would totally lose out if they didn’t sign you. 

Things have been pretty chaotic around here, with the summer term happening soon. Speaking of which: are you coming back? Chiron gave me the list of returning campers and counsellors this morning and said he hadn’t heard from you, so I thought I’d ask. I know you’ll be busy with the band, but if you get the chance, it’d be really great to see you.

Anyways, I’m leading the next Shield & Sword session, so I’d better go. Talk soon ;)

- L

FOUR YEARS LATER

TURBULENT WATERS? ALT-ROCK BAND MIDNIGHT SIRENS HIT ROUGH PATCH AFTER LEAD GUITARIST GETS INTO VIOLENT ALTERCATION 

the cover is the nail in the coffin: a blurry picture of you, an electric blue guitar forgotten at your feet, lunging forward into a crowd, with your bandmates on stage behind you in shock. 

you’d gone all this time without any major incidents, and one stupid chimera managed to burn down everything you worked for in one fell swoop.

“that’d be $8.50,” the cashier informs. 

you tear your attention away from the magazine, instead fishing through your pocket for some change. meanwhile, the cashier furrows their brow, leans down slightly to get a better look at you underneath your sunglasses and baseball cap. 

“hey, do i know you?”

“nope,” you say instantly, slapping a $10 bill onto the counter. “keep the change.” you gather your pile of necessary roadtrip supplies (slushies, m&m’s, and goldfish) before rushing out the door, your half-brother trailing behind you.

you slide into the driver’s seat, set each slushie in a cup holder, and hand the rest to percy once he’s slipped into the passenger side. 

“seatbelt,” you remind him. you shake your hair out after removing your baseball cap disguise. “i promised your mom i’d be responsible.” 

percy does as he’s told, though not without mumbling about how he’s practically an adult and a demigod who’s been in much more dangerous situations than a car ride up to long island. you just tell him to put on some music, even though he has a point. he’ll be 18 in august and you’re only five years older, but the fact is that you gave sally jackson your word. 

plus — you’re his older sibling, so gods forbid you let him get hurt. a seatbelt seems like a band-aid solution for one of the most powerful demigods out there, but still.

percy flips through a few radio stations while he sips his blue raspberry slushie. when he doesn’t find anything good, he opens the glove compartment and surveys your music collection before sliding a cd into the stereo. 

instantly, the familiar sound of david bowie’s voice eases the tension in your shoulders.

“good choice?” 

you nod and percy smiles triumphantly. you reach over to steal a few goldfish from the bag he just opened and ruffle his hair playfully, for good measure. 

you’re perfectly happy, driving along a long island highway while getting lost in the glam rock world of ziggy stardust, but it isn’t long until percy interrupts: 

“are you finally gonna tell me what happened, or do i have to read it from some trashy gossip magazine like everyone else?”

“well, your dyslexic ass can barely read so….”

you look over at him briefly, and laugh when you see him stick his slightly-blue tongue out to you. 

“at least my dyslexic ass is actually decent at ancient greek. luke told me you failed the reading test, like, a million times.”

your heart twinges at the mention of your old friend. 

friend.

if you could still call him that. 

thankfully, percy doesn’t give you much room to dwell on the past, too focused on your drama-filled present.

“so, what is it? you got kicked out of the band? lost everything? have nowhere else to go?”

you roll your eyes at his dramatics. “i did not get kicked out.” 

“then, what happened?”

“just the usual.” you shrug. “monster attack, mortals who can’t see through the mist. i tried to explain it away after — something about how i saw someone in the crowd attack another person and i stepped in to help. most people bought it, but the media loves drama and the label’s worried i’m a flight risk now. apparently, everything will blow over if i just keep a low profile for the next few months. so….no. i didn’t lose everything.” you take a deep, like when anyone other than children of poseidon are about to go underwater and they’re not quite sure when they can come up for air. 

“i just don’t really have anywhere else to go,” you finish.

“damn.” percy offers you a blue shark gummy (or whale - you and percy had already debated the shape of the candy that sally packed for the trip, and the jury’s still out). you gratefully accept. “well, i know it’s not the best reason, but i’m excited to spend the summer together.”

despite everything, you find yourself smiling. 

“me too, kid.” 

“it’d give me a chance to kick your ass in sword-fighting.”

“you wish!” you nudge his shoulder, both of you giggling. once the laughter’s died down, you glance at percy once more. “hey – did you tell anyone i was coming?”

percy shakes his head. “why?”

you take a long swig of your drink until you’re on the brink of brain freeze. 

“no reason.”

it’s just after lunch when you arrive at camp half-blood. 

you weren’t sure what you were expecting — maybe not some futuristic technological developments that had been discovered within the years you were gone, but definitely not for camp to look pretty much exactly the same as when you left. 

instantly, you find comfort in the familiar scenes: a dragon, peleus, guarding the magical borders; dryads and satyrs picking strawberries in the fields next to the forest; chiron standing near the central guidepost, greeting and guiding every camper in the right direction.

chiron smiles down at percy and practically does a double take when his eyes land on you.

“mx. l/n! it has been a while. are you here to drop off your brother, or do you plan on staying for the summer?”

before you can answer, someone appears behind him. 

“perce! hey!” 

“hey, luke.”

luke gives him a side hug, and percy shoves him away with a laugh when he ruffles his hair. it’s then that luke acknowledges you, though he looks like that’s the last thing he wants to do.

“i thought i’d never see you again. what are you doing here? ”

chiron turns to you expectedly. “i believe you have yet to answer that question of mine as well.”

“staying for the summer…” you adjust the shoulder strap of your backpack, uneased by luke’s cold demeanor. “i hope that’s okay.”

“of course!” chiron’s smile grows wide, eyes crinkling. “you’ll resume your position as head counsellor of cabin 3.”

“so i’m dethroned? just like that?” percy guffaws.

you nudge percy’s shoulder. “fulfill the next great prophecy, and then we’ll talk.” 

percy rolls his eyes playfully. luke, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to appreciate your tongue-in-cheek remark. his jaw tightens, and he suddenly finds a deep interest in the clipboard he’s holding.

chiron clears his throat, likely sensing the tension. “yes, well, i’m sure you remember how things work around here. if not, mr. castellan has been keeping this ship afloat. he's always here to help.”

“always.” luke smiles, but it’s elastic, threatening to snap at any moment. someone calls his name, and he walks away to deal with whatever chaos is waiting for him.

summer — age 15

you weren’t exactly conscious when you first arrived at camp half-blood. 

apparently, coach hedge, a satyr and protector, found you just in time and had to practically drag you up half-blood hill after a particularly gruesome fury attack. 

when you woke up and saw luke sleeping next to you in a chair, his curls overgrown and falling onto his eyes, you thought you had died and gone to elysium. 

you took in your unfamiliar surroundings. some sort of infirmary, with only your best friend next to you, the one you hadn’t seen in almost a year since you’d parted ways. 

then, you remembered what was happening before you passed out; it was more likely that you were being tricked into a false sense of security by that fury, who definitely planned on devouring you later.

with a newfound sense of urgency, you decided it was time to get out of there before it was too late. you were reaching for your knife when you felt a hand grab your shoulder. without losing a second, you twisted your body around, weapon at the ready.

whoever it was watching over you sure looked like luke. he was wearing a bright orange shirt and leather cord necklace with one clay bead. another point of difference was the jagged scar that cut across his left cheek.

“it’s just me,” he said, gently. “you’re fine here. you’re safe.”

you weren’t convinced, kept your knife in front of you to keep distance. “prove it.” you narrowed your eyes. “tell me something only luke would know.”

“you’re left-handed.”

“that’s a great observation,” you scoff.

“storm is your favourite x-men character.”

“that’s a very popular opinion.”

“your aunt would make us mango lassi after swim camp when she got home from work,” luke tries for the third time. “and, my mom - she used to call you ‘starfish.’”

your heart skipped a beat.

that was the confirmation you needed. 

the knife dropped from your hand, clattered on the wooden floor, as you pulled luke in for a hug. you were greeted by a familiar scent, that pear shampoo luke loved because it made his hair so soft, mixed with the smell of fresh pine trees. 

“it’s really you,” you mumbled into his shoulder.

despite sleeping for gods know how long, you were exhausted. you rested your weight into luke, but he didn’t seem to care.

“it’s really you. i thought i’d never see you again.”

“where are we?” you asked, breaking away to face luke. you ignored the wooziness you felt throughout your body; luke seemed to sense it, his grip around you tightening. “are annabeth and thalia here, too? how’d you get here?” your thumb traced the unfamiliar scar on his face. “what happened? are you okay —”

“i-i’ll answer all your questions, but you lost a lot of blood.” luke guided you to lay back down in bed. “we’ll explain everything. just get some rest.”

a third scenario entered your mind: this was all a dream. you’d close your eyes and when you opened them again, luke would be gone. you’d be alone again.

you couldn’t let go of luke’s hand, even as he tucked you back into bed. you tugged his wrist, silently urging him to join you.

“will you stay with me?” you finally croaked when he continued standing. 

luke looked at you, and you nodded once as final confirmation. then, he removed his shoes and slipped into the bed next to you. it was luke, all sweet pear and soft curls and strong heartbeat, and you held on to him in fear that he might slip away.

“always,” he whispered.

during the orientation video you were later shown, you learned that camp half-blood’s motto is keeping young heroes safe (mostly) for over three millennia!  

luke had used that word, too. safe.

chiron told you this was to be your new home as he walked you to the poseidon cabin. he told you that you were safe now, though you noticed how the word almost got caught in his throat. he gave you a sad smile you didn’t quite understand.

you did wonder, at first, if those words were true: this place, a home for you and other children of gods. somewhere safe.

and, well.

you came to understand chiron’s general melancholy a few weeks later, and every week after that. he was used to training and sending heroes off to their potential death, and you would be no different. stolen lightning bolts, deadly quests, cryptic prophecies. a pending war between divine forces you had been entangled with long before you knew. heartache and betrayal and loss beyond measure. 

but, there were other things, too. 

annabeth, fitting in perfectly at the athena cabin, continued being her genius self, leading her team to victory every capture the flag game. she was extra patient in helping you with ancient greek, especially after chiron had given up.

chris rodriguez, luke’s half-brother, would tell you jokes from across the dining pavilion, knowing that you hated sitting alone at the poseidon table. michael yew, son of apollo, taught you how to play guitar at the bonfire one week; you’d ask for more and more lessons until you could start playing on your own. charles beckendorf made you a celestial bronze sword that shone like that burst of light when the sun hits the ocean at sunset. it transformed into a ring that you would never take off, unless in battle. you might not have gotten along with mr. d, but you spent free time picking fresh strawberries with his son, castor. you made matching friendship bracelets with silena beauregard, who was really the only person you confided in, about how you maybe possibly felt something other than friendship when it came to luke. she told you about her crush on clarisse larue, the daughter of ares whom you would always partner with during sparring practice. you taught ethan nakamura, who didn’t have his own cabin as the child of nemesis, how to properly hold a sword. thalia’s tree stood tall at the top of the hill where you almost bled to death, protecting you and everyone inside the magical borders. you, annabeth, and luke would share a picnic there every thursday.

you had been on the run for so long, always looking over your shoulder for monsters, sleeping with one eye open to be one step ahead of death, jumping from one place to the next so quickly to avoid danger.

so, yes. 

it was nice to stay in one place, where you knew you were as safe as demigods could be. it was nice to spend your time learning and training and laughing instead of just surviving. 

it was nice to have a place to call home. and people to call it home with.

now 

the first week passes in the blink of an eye, and it’s like you never left.

tie-dye, volleyball, strawberry picking, kitchen duty, and cabin inspection. 

luke has everyone on a tight schedule — one, you notice, conveniently places the two of you at opposite ends of camp at all times.

still, you catch up with clarisse and the stoll brothers, spend time with annabeth and percy, say hi to pollux and katie gardner and others you vaguely recognize as five years older than what you remember. there are also a lot of faces you don’t recognize at all.

of course, you try not to think about the faces you wished you could see: friends you grew up with and would never have a laugh with again, younger campers you had trained who would never grow up. all lost because of the gods and the titans and a prophecy you never asked to be a part of. 

it’s a side effect of being back here; their ghosts are harder to ignore.

again — trying not to think about it.

anyways.

climbing wall, armory, sword-fighting practice, archery field, and free time on the beach.

to conclude: capture-the-flag, a friday night camp-half blood tradition.

you’re praising annabeth for her latest strategy that led to blue team victory when you notice luke. he was also on the blue team, but instead of celebrating with the rest of you, he’s speaking to someone who’s wearing a red helmet. they seem to be in a heated discussion, one that luke is not wanting to continue. his tells are the same, after all these years: the impatient tapping of his foot, his eyes searching for an out.

you give it to him.

“sorry, i need to borrow this guy.” you say, grabbing luke’s wrist. “camp emergency.” 

if the person said anything, you didn’t hear it, because you were already dragging luke away from the crowd, towards the armory shed. 

“what’s the emergency?” luke wonders, brows furrowed in concern. he has deep shadows under his eyes, too. keeping the ship that is camp half-blood afloat has clearly taken a toll on him. 

“you wanting to get out of that conversation. you’re welcome.” you wink at him; luke flushes, and you’re not sure if it’s because he’s annoyed, or if he's just flustered. “so, are you gonna keep ignoring me the whole summer?”

you put your helmet on one of the shelves and turn back to luke. you expected him to start removing his armor as well, but he doesn’t. he just glares at you, arms crossed over his chest.

so, he’s annoyed, then. 

“what do you expect?” luke hisses. “you can’t come back here and pretend that everything can be like it was when we were kids. things are different now, especially between us.”

you decide to take him up on his challenge. 

“oh? tell me, luke, what exactly is different between us?”

luke shakes his head in disbelief. you remove your chest plate, and that’s when the tattoo on your waist becomes visible. it’s a magnolia, like one of the flowers that bloomed on the tree outside may castellan’s house. 

something in luke softens, then. he sighs. 

“you could have at least given me a warning.”

he storms off, and you’re left half-armored, wondering what he meant by that.

you figure it out once a few of you settle down for a late-night, underground poker game, and you’re trying not to stare at luke’s hands.

it starts with you telling yourself that you’re just trying to predict what cards he’s holding, figure out if he’s bluffing, and if he’s about to lose everything he’d so confidently bet on. 

but then you notice the silver thumb ring that thalia got him for his 17th birthday. you notice an array of hair ties and elastic bands he keeps just in case a camper needs them, and woven bracelets given to him by his admirers. you notice how the tattoo on his wrist is covered. (it’s hidden well, but you know it’s there — you’d gotten one of a wing, the kind that might be found on a pair of magical red converse, at the same time)

you also notice the forest green painted on luke’s nails, the same shade worn by the person beside him.

van, the new head counsellor of the hephaestus cabin. you’d seen them at staff meetings, but you somehow did not notice that they were dating luke. 

he moved on — is that why luke needed a warning? is that what's changed between you?

it’s fine. whatever. so what if luke has a new partner? it’s not like the two of you were anything, officially. 

luke has a new partner. they’re wearing matching nail polish. they’re one of those couples.

well, van is also wearing a nickleback shirt and luke hates nickleback, unless that fundamental part of his personality changed, too. 

“yo, sailor neptune. you in or not?” travis brings you out of your daze, by using a nickname luke once called you.

back before becoming heroes, when you and luke were just kids, you’d watch cartoons in his living room on saturday mornings — x-men, she-ra: princess of power, teenage mutant ninja turtles, sailor moon. a lifetime ago.

you look around the table and see that everyone has been waiting for you to take your turn. even luke raises an eyebrow at you.

“yeah.” you clear your throat and throw some chips into the centre. “i’m in.”

you have decent enough cards to keep you in the game, and you’re comfortable that you can play the odds in your favor. the stoll brothers are good liars, you know that, and so is luke. malcolm pace is good at strategy, but thankfully not as good as his half-sister annabeth. pollux, who had invited you to the game, already folded along with butch, the son of iris who has a rainbow tattoo on his bicep to prove it. beside you, lou ellen, daughter of the hecate, contemplates her next move. clovis has fallen asleep, true to their title as head counsellor of the hypnos cabin. you can’t get a read on van, but they keep raising the stakes so confidently, and you’ve always liked a good challenge.

soon enough, it’s only you and van in the bet. when it comes time to reveal your cards, you curse yourself for overplaying your hand.

“good game,” van says to you as they collect their winnings. “you really had me going there.” 

“yeah.” your smile is strained, but it’s there nonetheless. “tried my best.”

“guess the curse of achilles doesn’t help as much in poker as it does in capture the flag.” 

“excuse me?” you raise an eyebrow.

luke, who had one arm casually draped around van’s chair the entire game, pulls away. “van, maybe don’t —”

“it’s not like it’s a secret, luke. they’re the prophecy kid, everyone knows they bathed in the river styx to be able to fight kronos. it’s camp legend.”

other than you, luke, and van, everyone else is occupied with something else. connor busies himself shuffling the cards, while lou ellen, malcolm, and pollux get up for more drinks. it seems like butch and travis have their own bet going to see who can balance the most chips on clovis’ forehead without waking him up. 

van waits for an answer. you’re a little queasy, and it’s not from the wine pollux managed to snag from his dad’s office. you’re suddenly faced with the reality that your life is reduced to a legend. you try your best to swallow that feeling, of being made into a greek tragic hero while your heart is still beating, and your life is still a mess.

“that’s relevant, why?”

“just that some people might consider the invulnerability thing an unfair advantage in physical competitions like capture the flag,” van explains. “increased strength and all that.” 

“that would mean nothing without a good strategy,” you counter.

“that’s what i said,” luke grumbles. 

you recognize van now as the person luke was arguing with earlier. it must have been about this. 

about you. 

“okay, y’all were best friends, so luke is obviously going to take your side.”

you’re not sure what stings more: friends or were. 

“although, he never really talks about you, which is weird because you’re, like, famous in and outside camp.”

ouch. that definitely stings the most. luke winces slightly, almost like he feels it, too.

“alright, alright,” connor interjects, shuffling the cards in his hands. “another round?” 

you’re the only one who decides to call it a night. everyone says goodbye; even van, who’s blissfully unaware of the effect their words had on you. luke avoids your gaze. the game continues without you.

percy’s snoring provides enough cover as you sneak into your shared cabin. you try to sleep, but it doesn’t come easy. 

you feel the spot underneath your rib, the one spot you’re truly vulnerable, ache.

summer — age 17

for the first time in your life, you couldn’t breathe underwater. you were swimming in acid, and your skin was melting away.

at least, that’s what it felt like to bathe in the river styx. achilles could have mentioned that, but all he gave was a cryptic warning about anchoring yourself to what makes you mortal.

you really tried at first. you thought about your friends at camp. you thought about percy, about your aunt back when she was still around. you even thought about may castellan, burnt cookies and saturday mornings.

the pain was too much, though. 

you were forgetting where you were, who you were. with every passing second, you were dissolving into nothing.

“if you wanted to go for a swim, you should have told me. i would have worn my swimsuit.”

luke’s voice echoed across the waves. you tilted your head up to see him sitting on the dock above you, his feet dangling into the water. he had rolled up his jeans to just above his ankles so they didn’t get wet, but his shoes were still on, which was a bit strange. the sun made his eyes look like burnt amber, his teeth sparkling as he smiled at you. 

okay. cool.

you were at camp. it was mid-afternoon, free period. the two of you had been at the edge of the lake, until you became impatient and jumped in, fully clothed. behind him, you could see that annabeth, thalia, and percy were waiting for you on the shore. they were each wearing orange camp shirts, which was also strange; you couldn’t remember a time when you were all there together, as campers.

“we better go, sailor,” luke said, amusement laced throughout his words. “come on. those cabins aren’t gonna inspect themselves.”

luke extended his hand to you. when you hesitated, he added:

“i can’t do this without you. will you stay with me?”

you reached up and grabbed luke’s hand.

always.

you emerged from the water, catching your breath as you collapsed on the sand. 

“oh gods. are you okay?”

your cousin, nico diangelo, son of hades, knelt down next to you. he tried to check your pulse, but you waved him away. your eyes searched for luke, but he wasn’t there, despite feeling the ghost of his hand in your own. 

oh.

you weren’t at camp; you were in the underworld. it was nico’s idea for you to take on the curse of achilles so that you’d be strong enough to face kronos. 

“did it work?”

you got up, a bit uneasy on your feet at first. nico helped steady you, his hands cold on your skin.

you felt….stronger wasn’t the right word. you felt adrenaline coursing through your veins, like you could swim across the biggest ocean without pausing once. like you could defeat an entire army and not break a sweat. maybe even take down a titan or two while you're at it.

you needed to see luke again, to meet him and the others in manhattan before it was too late.

“let’s hope so.”

now

you always loved mornings at camp half-blood. the beach was particularly beautiful at sunrise, the water peaceful.

the morning after that impromptu poker game, you need that peacefulness to wash over you. you’re awake after a rather sleepless night, deciding to go for a quick run before breakfast. you get dressed and grab your mp3 player, as quietly as you can to avoid waking up percy (who, truthfully, could probably sleep through a hurricane anyways). 

you jog from one end of the beach to the other. you set a steady rhythm, somewhere between the beat of your music and the sound of waves gently washing over the shore. when you make your way back down to where you started, you notice someone sitting nearby.

luke doesn’t say anything when you first sit next to him. he’s wearing a dark blue hoodie over his usual orange shirt, a cigarette tucked behind his ear. you imagine that he confiscated it from a camper on the way here. 

“morning,” he finally whispers, eyes fixed towards the ocean. 

you shiver, and not just from the cool morning air. you’re reminded of the last time luke spoke to you so softly, the last time you’d caught an early morning sunrise together. such a contrast to where you are now.

“morning,” you finally reply. 

as the sound of waves fills the silence between you, luke surprises you by taking a lighter out of his pocket. he lights the cigarette and takes a puff. then, he hands it to you. 

it’s such an odd, though not unwelcomed, gesture. a peace offering, you figure, but it’s just so not luke that you can’t help yourself.

“is golden boy luke castellan, offering me contraband? what planet am i on?”

the hint of a smile creeps onto his face. “like i said: things are different now,” he echoes his words from the night before, but this time you don’t sense any hostility.

you take a drag of the cigarette. your fingers brush against his when you return it to him.

you decide to offer a peace offering as well, and present to him one of your earbuds — he accepts. you have to slide across the sand to move closer to him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. 

i’m feelin’ rough, i’m feeling raw / i’m in the prime of my life….

as the song plays, you glance to see luke nodding along, tapping a finger on his knee to the beat. he lets the cigarette smoulder in his other hand.

we’re fated to pretend / to pretend / yeah, yeah, yeah….

when the song is over, luke turns to you. 

“new group?” he brings the cigarette to his lips, then gives it back to you.

“kinda.” you inhale, letting the smoke warm your lungs before explaining. “this is considered they’re breakthrough album. they’re from connecticut, actually.”

“oh, yeah? guess that’s where all the talent is from.”

luke bumps his shoulder against yours knowingly. you feel your cheeks heat up at his praise, his witty sincerity.

this is familiar — you and luke, at the beach, sharing music. it’s familiar, and for a few moments, you can act like there isn’t a wall between you, of unresolved feelings and harsh words. you can pretend that nothing has changed.

“you know, nickleback are from connecticut, too. which means you just called them talented.”

luke coughs on some smoke as he exhales with a laugh. “what? no i didn’t!”

“in a roundabout way. i always knew you were an undercover fan,” you tease.

“i have better taste than that.”

“do you?”

“you’re fucking with me,” luke deadpans.

you crack a smile. “yeah, i’m fucking with you.”

“gods, you scared me for a second,” he laughs, and you can’t help but follow. luke glances at you and the sunshine highlights his smile, his dark brown curls, the ever-changing color of his eyes. golden, radiant. 

you shiver again, looking away. before you know it, you feel something draped across your shoulders.

“i’m not sure van would like it if i was wearing your hoodie.” you joke, but your words are laced with a bitterness you hope luke doesn’t catch. unlucky for you, luke still knows you too well, whether he likes it or not.

“you don’t get to do that.”

“do what?”

luke scoffs. “be jealous.” 

“well, you don’t get to tell me how to feel.”

“so, you are jealous?”

you exhale sharply; you can practically feel the wall between you two reappear.

“it’s too early, lu. and i’m too hungover to deal with this.”

there’s nothing more left to say. you get up, throw his hoodie on the sand, and walk back towards your cabin, the beach and luke further away with every step you take.

it makes sense that way: you were always the one to leave first.

[the-milk-monarch]

Aquarium Date HCs for Connor and Ralph (separately) I love sea life so I love the idea of pointing out different fish to my fictional crushes :0 (maybe just date hcs in general tho??)

☣︎ hell yeah phish and first dbh ask 👏🙌 Sorry in case they're OOC or I got some fish trivia wrong. I'm not an expert lol btw I love to do the same, just with dog breeds ✌ I wanted to write general dating headcanons as well, but I didn't want the post to be too all over the place, so feel free to ask for more if you liked this rendition of the boys

【 AQUARIUM DATE 】 ☢︎ | gender-neutral reader ☢︎ | Detroit Become Human ☢︎ | Connor | Ralph

【 Connor 】

Since he used to be a working android and didn't have a lot free will while not being a deviant, Connor liked going out with you a lot.

He was never interested in fish, but when you mentioned going to the aquarium he was a bit curious.

"Hm, the aquarium? Yeah, I'd like to go." He said as he looked at you with attentiveness in his eyes.

You were excited to point out each and every fish to him, although you were a bit worried Connor would be able to just- search the internet and get to know everything about them from the start.

He was a grade A android and detective after all.

You hoped he wouldn't get bored of you rambling about it.

As you arrived to the fancy building, Connor took notice of the big glass tunnel.

He didn't comment anything, but you could see that he looked at the fish that swam above his head with curiosity

"That's a nurse shark." You pointed out with a slightly excited smile as you noticed the creature swim behind the glass. Connor looked the way you pointed, raising his brow with calm interest. "Ginglymostoma cirratum. The elasmobranch fish in the family Ginglymostomatidae." He came up with the info on the spot. He knew you were interested in the topic, so he wanted to impress and relate to you. You chuckled softly at his "knowledge" as you lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Hey- I'm supposed to be the fish expert here." You lightheartedly pointed out. "Right. Of course, tell me more then. I'd love to listen." He quickly let you take the scene. You smiled at his mindfulness. "This one's a pilchard. But more commonly known as, well, sardine. The same one you can buy at the market." You came up with more information as you observed Connor listening to you diligently. "It's interesting to actually see them swim in their natural habitat. At least, as natural as you can get." He mentioned lightheartedly. "Yeah. Like, people eat those." You said playfully, watching him smile at your comment.

Time went by quick as you pointed out a lot of fancy and regular fish that appeared near you, excited with each new one that showed on your radar.

Connor loved listening to you express yourself about the thing you were passionate about.

You previously had some worries about him getting bored while you were there, but he never shown a sign of annoyance.

But it couldn't be further from the truth, he was looking at you with never ending curiosity.

Time came for you to visit the touchpool.

"Can you actually touch the fish?" Connor looked at the pool, raising his brow calmly. You chuckled slightly. "Yes. That's what it's for. Go on. Touch the starfish." Connor looked at the water one more time before gently placing his hand inside. You could see the flow of emotions on his face as the invertebrate made contact with his cyberskin. It showed curiosity, then confusion, then a bit of- disgust? He took his hand out slowly, but you could see a bit of aversion in his movement. "Did you not like it?" You asked with a silly smile on your face. "It was- interesting. But i'd rather not touch it again." He commented with fake professionalism, trying to hide his distaste towards the feeling. It made you giggle. "Really? That bad? Aren't you used to touching dead bodies and stuff?" You asked amused. "I am. But that's different. Somehow, this creature seems to- somehow get me. In a bad way." He explained. The fact that Connor, the android who was used to far much worse things than you could survive through, was disgusted by the little starfish made you giggle. "Alright, you don't gotta touch it. But I'll tell you some interesting facts about it instead." You suggested, smiling at him. "Yeah, that sounds good." The corners of his lips turned up as he reciprocated the calm smile.

Connor spent rest of the day with you talking his ear off, but he didn't mind in the slightest, and even asked you for elaboration and more facts on some fish he found interesting with.

He reminisces the trip with you there very fondly, although he gets a bit annoyed when you sometimes tease him about the starfish incident.

In a lighthearted way of course.

【 Ralph 】

He was a bit hesitant to go somewhere where there's a lot of people at first.

His fear of humans still persisted, but it was greatly lessened when he got you in your life.

Although he's still shy and a bit anxious in public.

Nonetheless, when you told him what an aquarium is, he was a bit curious.

You reassured him that if anything happens, you will leave.

He nodded a bit unsure, but he trusted you'd make the right call, so he agreed.

He was very fidgety and anxious at first, but his demeanor changed once he saw the colorful creatures.

Ralph was never in a place with so many different kinds of fish before!

He was probably even more excited than you when he got into the zone.

You tried to pick the rooms with less or zero people around so Ralph would feel more comfortable.

But after he got mesmerized by the fishies, his fear was kinda skimmed over.

He did get scared by a moray eel though.

"Ralph does not like that fish!" He pointed out, upset at the scary monster behind the glass. You laughed softly. "It's a moray eel." "Ralph does not like moray eels." He repeated with a frown, although he was still slightly curious about it. In like a car-crash type of way. You looked around the tank, wanting to find some "nicer" fish to show him. "How about this one?" You pointed out at the sea horse. He looked at it with interest, tilting his head a little, which you thought was very adorable. "Hm... Ralph likes this one better." He said with conviction with made you chuckle slightly. "The males actually carry the eggs." You came up with a random trivia about them. It was actually a decently known fact about them, but Ralph being Ralph obviously didn't know it. "Huh?" He tilted his head once more. "It's to ensure their survival. Both mom and dad work together." You pointed out some more nerdy facts with a smile as you observed his reaction. "Hm... Ralph thinks the seahorses are nice." He came up to the glass, putting his hands on it to get a better view. "And interesting!"

After he got a bit more comfortable being t the aquarium, he would run around the place, following the fishes that swam above his head in the tunnel and ask you about them.

"What's that fish called? And that? And those small ones? Oh, what about that big one!" He pointed out lots of different types, making you a bit lost with answering as his questions were so quickly coming.

He's the type to just- poke the glass.

He's curious, you can't blame him.

He'll stop if you tell him to, though.

If there's a petting pool he must see it.

Tell him how to interact with it beforehand though, as he might get a bit- rough with his touches.

"Ralph put that stingray down!" You were horrified when you noticed him holding the poor creature by the tail. He flinched and dropped it back into the water. "Ralph is sorry- Ralph was just curious-" He said apologetically, putting hands closer to his chest in a nervous manner. "It's- It's okay Ralph, you can try just- petting it. Like that." You reached out your hand to touch the stingray that was swimming by. Ralph looked at you and tried to do the same. "O-okay, Ralph will try." He giggled when his sensors felt the skin of the animal brush against his fingers.

You didn't know what to expect at the aquarium, whether Ralph would like it at all, but you were positively surprised when he wanted to stick around more, even after the workers told you it's gonna close soon.

Overall, he was very excited, and wouldn't mind going there again.

Please tell him more fish facts at home.

[kaisfruit]

Do you hate me? | Sam SDV x farmer!reader

A/N: haiii im back ^-^ i literally hate this, but im posting it anyways <3 warnings: possibly ooc Sam, smut, cunnilingus, unprotected p in v, creampie, doggy style, no gendered terms used, AFAB genitalia, Y/N used, maybe more but i cant think of them words: 2k

Life on the farm was tough. Everyday it seemed as if you were working yourself down to the bone in order to just get the bare necessities. Sometimes, it was enough for you to wonder if it was even worth moving out here and taking up work on your grandpa’s farm.

But other times, you were reminded of why it was worth it. A good pay after a day’s worth of busting your ass fishing, a nice yield of crops, and most of all, helping the townspeople and getting to know them. That last one had to be the ultimate highlight. The smile on Maru’s face when you found the right ore for her latest invention, or the genuine side of Haley you got to see when presenting her with a blackberry to take her next picture to the next level. It was things like that that kept you working hard and making the most of your days. 

Though, there was one villager that you always seemed to avoid: Sam. Sure, if he had a request on the bulletin board then you’d fulfill it, obviously, but your conversations were kept brief and you knew he was starting to notice. “Avoid” may be a strong word, but that’s how he was bound to see it. You’d hand him a pizza without looking him in the eye and when he showed his gratitude your face would flush and you’d quickly scamper off. And it’s not like you went out of your way to give anyone else special gifts. Sure, if you came across a piece of driftwood you’d offer it to Leah or if you happened to find some amethyst in the mine you’d give it to Abigail, but otherwise you would just chat to the other villagers and show your kindness through other means. 

“Hey, Y/N, got a minute?” A voice rang through your ears and you jumped a bit from where you were watering your pumpkins. Without turning around, you replied. “Yeah sure what’s up-” You replied casually until you realized who it was that came to speak with you. Instantly, you felt your palms become sweaty and your heart began racing in your chest. Your watering can fell to the ground and instantly began drowning your crops. “Shit,” you murmured, quickly dropping down to pick it up. 

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!” Sam spoke as he also dropped down to try and grab your watering can. You had already grabbed it and stood up, so he had nothing else to do but stand up as well albeit a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry, again.”

“It’s-it’s all good.” You silently cursed yourself as you stumbled over your words. “Umm…what did you want to talk about?” You asked, wanting to get the conversation over with. 

“Oh! Yeah, um, this might sound a little silly, so I really don’t know how to ask it.” He started, staring down at his feet. “Do you, y’know, hate me?”

That’s NOT what you were expecting. “What.” You replied, shock evident on your face.

“It’s okay if you do! Well, I mean, I’ll be upset of course, but I just wanted to know if I upset you in any way or-or if there’s something I can do to make it better-”

“Sam, I don’t hate you.” You said plainly, probably the first coherent sentence you’ve ever said to him within your entire time of living in the valley.

“What?” It was his turn to exercise confusion. “But…but then why do you always run away when I try to talk to you? Or why do you keep our conversations so short? Sebastian and Abigail talk about you and what you say to them all the time, so i just assumed…” He trailed off, a frown forming on his face.

You let out a sigh and sat your watering can down beside you. Resting your hands on your hips, you looked up at him. “Wanna talk inside?” Your head motioned to your house, “I’ll explain there.”

He followed you into the house and quickly found a seat at the lone chair next to the table. You took a seat on your bed and sighed once more. He just seemed overwhelmingly confused. 

“Sam….” You began, trying to muster up the courage to say what you needed to say. It made you feel just terrible that your actions have led up to him thinking this. The silence began to draw on and on for what seemed like forever to Sam. To you, it felt like seconds as you licked your lips out of nervousness. “I like you…like, really like you.”

Sam was taken aback, shock apparent on his face. “So, you don’t hate me? We’re friends?” He smiled, relief seeming to wash over him. To that you shook your head which confused him once again. Why were you doing this to him?

“No, I, uh, think I’m in love with you, Sam.” You murmured, but he heard it and his face lit up with a blush. “So, yeah, I don’t hate you. Quite the opposite.” You tried to joke, trying to make the sting of his upcoming rejection hurt less.

“Y/N…Yoba, what a relief. I’m so glad you feel the same way.” It was your turn to be shocked. With your silence ringing out, he continued. “Your gifts are just so thoughtful and when we do talk, you’re just so cute and I can’t help but admire how hardworking you are. You’re the driving force behind all my music at this point, y’know.” He admitted with a big grin on his face.

You sat there, stunned, as this revelation dawned on you. He liked you back?! Even if you have treated him so much differently than the other villagers. Your gaze on him softened. He was too sweet. 

“You know, Sam, you’re the only person I buy and make gifts for…” You shared an admission in return for his. 

“Really?!” His grin not wavering, his eyes lit up completely. If he had a tail, you’re sure it would have been wagging like crazy. “Awww Y/N, you like-like me.”

“I literally just said that.” He laughed at your response. Sam seemed to be vibrating with joy at this new information, but then his neverending energy seemed to pause as he stared intently at you. He looked like he wanted to ask something and you tilted your head, a silent conversation happening between you two.

“Hey, Y/N, can I, like, kiss you?” He asked, looking away for a moment out of nervousness. Your face deepened in hue, but slowly you nodded. He saw this out of the corner of his eye and instantly the happiness shakes seemed to return. Sam doesn’t think he’s ever stood up quicker and he covered the distance between the two of you in a few large strides. You stood up from where you sat on the bed. The two of your shared a glance before Sam finally leaned down and your lips locked. Your eyes slowly closed as you enjoyed yourself and felt sparks fly around you. 

Sam is the one who pulled back, his gaze half-lidded as he looked you in the eyes. Then, his hands cupped the back of your head and pulled you forward into a deeper kiss. This one more intimate than the first. Sam was clearly eager as his tongue licked at your lips, seemingly begging for entrance, and you returned his eagerness tenfold as your mouth opened to allow your guys’ tongues to collide. 

You leaned back out of the kiss, breathless, as you quickly started pulling your overalls off. Sam looked stunned at your actions and you looked at him bashfully. “Did I read the room wrong?”

“Not at all.” Is all he said before he began mimicking your actions and stripped himself of his clothes. You two didn’t speak until you were both down to your underwear. Sam was clearly hard in his boxers and you couldn’t help but stare. Him, on the other hand, was trying his best to be respectful. His eyes were tempted to stare, but he was forcing himself to look you in the eyes despite the situation you two were in.

Slowly, your hands went up to unclasp your bra and you let your breasts fall free from their confines. Then he couldn’t help but stare. Taking the initiative, Sam walked on forward, closing the distance between you two, as he rested his hands on your chest. He leaned in for another kiss as he began tweaking your nipples. His hands were unpracticed, but Yoba did it feel good. It’s not like you had much practice yourself with most of your time being spent farming and fishing. It felt better than your own hands and that was a plus in your book.

“S-Sam,” you breathed against his lips, getting his attention. “Can…can you eat me out?” You asked tentatively. Like earlier you were expecting rejection, but one look at his face was enough to cast away any doubt. He looked over the moon at the mere prospect, as if he was waiting his whole life just to serve you.

“There’s nothing I want to do more.” He admitted as he watched you lay down on the bed. You looked divine. He never thought that he would ever get this chance with you and here you were, splayed out asking for him to devour you. Sam could feel his cock strain in his boxers at the thought. 

He crawled on top of you and was quick to remove your panties and throw them somewhere in the room. If any word were to describe Sam in this moment it would be overzealous. He wanted to take his time with you and unpack you fully, but Yoba were you just too perfect. You were too much for his senses. You drove him crazy. 

Sam sat there for a while just admiring your pussy until he remembered you were waiting for him to make a move. Slowly, he licked up your slit and both of you let out a moan. It took him a moment to get into it, but once he did, Sam was sloppily licking up your juices and making just the most obscene sounds as he made out with your pussy.

Your hand latched into his hair and pulled, which caused a groan to escape him, and you were a complete mess above him. Yet, your noises ticked up a notch when his tongue circled around your clit and began stimulating you there. He took note and began focusing there. Your moans may have been the sweetest song he has ever heard. Sam worked hard at your folds as his tongue continued to pleasure you.

To your surprise, you felt two fingers plunge into you which caused a yelp to leave your mouth. Not only was his tongue attacking your clit, but two fingers were, somehow, expertly working in and out of you in order to bring you pleasure. Unbeknownst to you, Sam found himself rutting against the bed as your sounds and your taste were turning him on beyond belief. 

“Sam…S-Sam,” you moaned out the only warning you gave before you came all over his face. He greedily licked up all your juices and continued licking until you pushed his head away due to overstimulation. 

You were both out of breath and took a moment to get air back into your lungs. 

“Hey, Y/N, can you flip over for me?” He asked so gently, no sign of demand in his voice, and your heart couldn’t help but flutter. You followed his request and even stuck your ass up in the air and rested your head on your arms to create the most comfortable position you could.

All you could feel was movement behind you, surely Sam taking off his boxers and lining himself up behind you, but he sure was taking his time. That was your final thought before he pushed himself inside you. An elongated moan escaped your throat that harmonized with the groan he let out. He seemed to fill you up completely. Whether or not that was true was irrelevant, all you knew was this was way better than what you could do with your hands. It took a moment for you to feel adjusted, but when you did you let out a soft “m-move” and Sam began pounding into you.

Your small little farmhouse had soft moans and the sound of skin slapping against skin echo around the space as Sam fucked into you. 

“F-fuck Y/N…” He whimpered from behind you, “you’re perfect, so perfect, fuck…” Sam’s tone was breathy and whiny as he babbled on and on. He did nothing but praise you and say how good your cunt felt as his cock bullied your insides. He could feel your walls tighten around him, signifying how close you were to climax, and he couldn’t help but be close himself. His grunts and whimpers got more frequent. Finally, your pussy clenched around him and formed a vice grip causing him to pause in his thrusts and he moaned at the tightness. Once again, you released around him and a high pitched keen escaped your throat. Sam kept fucking you through your orgasm into overstimulation, but he just kept going as he chased his own release. 

“Y/N, I’m close…” He groaned, his hips beginning to stutter. Sam leaned down and began to lick and suck at the back of your neck as he thrusted. Your moans were softer now as you tried to regain energy, yet he was still making you feel good. He straight up whined as he released into your pussy, his thick cum painting your walls. Sam humped against your cunt letting out whines as he did so as he let his release spill into you. He stayed situated there for a bit, letting himself truly enjoy your warmth against his softening cock.

Slowly, he pulled out and was transfixed by the combination of his cum and your slick that leaked out of your pussy. The sight was enough to get his dick kicking back to life and he bit his lip. You flipped yourself over onto your back to look up at him only to see his pupils blown wide as his gaze flickered up to yours.

“Wanna go for another round?”

[i-love-you-charles-smith]

Kieran Duffy dating hcs!

Warnings: gn!reader… and possibly rlly ooc Kieran.. I don’t really write for him much.

A/n: WOOO !!! My first post on this blog. I rlly hope that I can be up to y’all’s standards ><

~ When he had first been kidnapped, this truly wasn’t what he had been expecting from the Van Der Linde gang. He didn’t really expect somebody so… so… perfect, to be in such a place. Not that he minded.

~ Kieran could hardly speak to you without embarrassing himself with how bad he stuttered, how hard he stumbled over his words. He’ll get there eventually…

~ When he finally spoke to you, he asked you if you could go fishing with him !! And who are you to say no to the cutest man in camp ?

“Hey !! Uhm… it’s (Name), right ? I- I was just wondering if you liked fishing ?” “You do ?? Well, I- uhm.. would you wanna go with me ?”

~ Kieran had such a stupid grin on his face when you had said yes, and walked you over to his horse, Branwen, mounting it before helping you onto the back of it.

~ The way your arms wrapped around him was enough to make the man melt, it felt as if he was a little boy then with how giddy he was.

~ Finally, you two reached the fishing spot, climbing off Branwen. Both you and him pulled out your fishing rods, baiting the hook and throwing it into the water.

~ He was unsure of himself whenever he tried to make conversation, when you talked first it was a relief. He’d hate embarrassing himself in front of the woman he loved !

~ This would soon become an everyday thing for you two, a routine that you both became quite used to over time.

~ Times where you two didn’t talk, it wasn’t awkward, instead, it was comfortable. Not having to make conversation to simply understand one another.

~Until one day, Kieran finally spat it out. He didn’t know how to say it, he doesn’t even know why he did. An impulse thing he supposed.

“You.. what ?” You asked, looking into his brown gaze, trying to make sure what you heard was right.

“I love ya, okay ? I- I do, I really do!” He said, eyes averting away from yours.

It was true. Sure, you had suspected it for a while, but you didn’t know it exactly. You had liked him back too, everyone in camp knew you two liked each other except you two.

“I love you too, Kieran Duffy.” You giggled, excitement bubbling to the surface.

~ From then on, you two were barely seen apart <3

All reblogs and likes are appreciated !! <3

[daily-mizuki-water]

Reminding you to take your daily meikospital vitamins! They're great for your health. This boosts your: singing ability, maturity*, empathy, flexibility + mobility, memory, and charisma. *this does not remove a childish side. Potential side effects are: a growth in height, a more robotic tone, memory of alternate universe's lives, and loneliness.

> any asks about fundraisers will have the account's important posts reblogged to my main account. > if you dont drink the water you get dehydrated! that isn't good > if i forget to post there is a drought and my favorite fish named gilbert will not have a fun time. hopefully gilbert will be having fun for a very long time so! > may post my own fanart here, but that might not count as a mizuwater > a roleplay blog, but there isn't really that much of a separation between me and the character

> HEAVILY inspired by @daily-vitamin-ena and all of the vitamin blogs. go check them out > this blog is gonna get very silly in the spirit of mizuki akiyama > please please please ask me things i love it SO much. inbox is open forever and ever and ever > youll never find my actual pjsk account.. trust. im not user that-seems-stupid-lets-do-it wdym?? ermm > she/they/he/it (preferred in that order!!) > there's lore but not horror. This is set in the present. For the past, go here: > 🐈🐈🐈 meow meow meow > this is your sign to stay alive and keep going because it gets better > love ya

tagging system: #mizuwater = daily mizuki water posting! #mizutalking = stuff in character #modtalking = ooc stuff #unreality = if i am interacting with an arg blog and the arg stuff is present, or if I post arg things. There is no horror, but things like codes may be present. #mizuwaterlore = when i do lore related stuff. May be removed as lore is under renovations.

replycon/image sources (may not be used): animated star mizuki gif(s) pixelated mizukitalking dividers more to be added

yuri: @daily-kanaena-vitamins. niigo polycule except for mafuyu @daily-vitamin-shizuku. shizumizuwater yuri @daily-kohane-vitamins. mizuhane yuri (kohane is the yuri collector) @mizuki-vitamins-daily. mizuki x water yuri. is it selfcest? i hope not @daily-vitamin-honami business relationship honamizu the cicada polycule

if you wanna get on here just ask in my inbox. i will accept

its me..???!?!?!?!? by @microdosing-mishima !!! ^

mizuwater canon.. by @daily-vitamin-leoneed !!! ^

dont drink me please. by @ruikasa-stan!!! ^ my first post. good job on scrolling back this far

[irradiblebullshark]

⊹ [ Intro // Interactions Encouraged ] ⊹

The stirring of water can be heard outside the grand window, and a beam of viridescence spilled into the reinforced glass. multiple eyes stare unblinkingly at you. The stygian shark is softly illuminated, and the metal hook sunken through its dorsal fin is glistening in the light. The speakers crackle to life, and you hear someone speaking to you. a familiar voice speaking unfamiliar words... " You seem to be up to your eyes in trouble... why not sit by the window for a while? a break may do you some good, fish food. " ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Welcome to my Eyefestation Pressure RP Ask Blog! nice to meet you, my name is Wyvern! Now as is necessary, here's some bits of information to get you started. 1. NO ASKS ARE OFF THE TABLE, but if i am uncomfortable, i will let you know ooc (out of character)! ✦. Note, If it wasn't clear already, Scopophobia warning for my blog!! 2. Interactions are encouraged!! also this bozo is genderfluid (haha) so use any set of pronouns you wish (mod uses He/They/It) ✦. Note, interactions even from different fandoms are welcome :3 3. (This) Eyefestation, while still hostile, is more passive than canon for sake of interactions. might also be a bit stupid /pos ✦. Note, yes, headcanons will be used for this goober so i can have more fun with it 4. Whenever I appear in a post, my text will be colored in red, and the tag "wyvern speaks" will be present! please, can i win (have fun with this lil shark freak /pos) also tone tags are recommended but not enforced :) (if anything i do makes you uncomfortable, let me know !!) > This section is for topics/things I'm uncomfortable with < ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Nothing exists here yet!

[chakkll]

Like a Fish Out of Water

Mattheo Riddle x gender neutral!reader

Synopsis: Dragged to a party against your will by your only two friends, they leave you alone to sulk in a corner. Though, unbeknownst to you, a certain Slytherin has taken an interest in you.

Word count: 1.1k

*This is my first time posting a story here, so I hope you enjoy it! I have to admit, Mattheo is a bit OOC in this since it’s kind of hard to write a non-canonical character. On that note, feedback is encouraged and welcomed! I hope you have an amazing day. <3

How did I get here again?

You sigh to yourself, running a hand down your face as you lean against the drinks table in the Slytherin common room filled with too many dancing, sweaty bodies.

As you take in your surroundings, your lips purse as you remember the earlier conversation you had with your friends. Even just thinking about it makes you lose braincells.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And you want me to go to this party why exactly?” You frown at one of your two best friends, Minnie, who only gives you a mischievous smile as she drags you to her dorm.

“To form lasting connections, of course. Me and Owen can’t be your only friends, you know.” Minnie pushes you into her dorm room, followed by your other best friend, Owen.

“Yeah, you can’t expect to gain friends by only worrying about exams due at the end of the year.” Owen shrugs, much to your dismay.

“What happened to always backing me up, Owen?” You grumble as Minnie plops you down at the end of her bed, a couple of Minnie’s dorm mates watching the scene with amused faces.

Owen just smiles apologetically as Minnie shushes you with an overdramatic display of her and Owen’s outfits. “Oh, shush. So, (Y/N), what’ll it be? This—“ she raises one of her brightly colored outfits. “—or that?” she raises one of Owen’s simple yet stylish outfits, and the clothes next to each other display how different Minnie and Owen really are.

You sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the end, you ended up with something mixed of the two’s styles, but it leans more to Owen’s, since the color scheme is just the mellowed down version of your House’s colors.

As you silently come up with a detailed plan of how exactly to kill the two for abandoning you for their other friends, a monotone voice cuts you from your thoughts.

“Can I get a drink, or are you just gonna stand there all day?”

You immediately look up, slightly startled, only to see a rather tall boy with curly brown hair and dark brown—almost black—eyes staring at you with a rather bored expression.

“Ah—right, sorry.” You mutter, bashfully stepping to the side to let the boy do as he wishes.

He doesn’t reply and you can only assume that he pours himself a drink. As you anxiously fiddle with your fingers, a cup of punch is suddenly in front of you. You look up, only to be met with the same bored expression of the boy from before.

You glance down to the drink in his outstretched hand, and you hesitantly take the cup from him. “…Thank you.”

He ignores your thanks, instead taking a sip from his own cup.

You quietly stare at the drink. “This doesn’t have any alcohol in it, does it?”

“No, you want any?” You look up, slightly taken aback by his question.

“Ah… no, thank you.” You politely decline, and you swear you can see a small smirk appear on his face, but it’s quickly covered by his cup as he takes a drink from it.

You quietly take a sip from the cup, deciding to put your trust in him. Sure, many people would ridicule you for taking a random Slytherin’s word, but you’d rather believe Slytherins are better than doing something so low as to spike your drink.

“So, you got a name?” The curly-haired boy’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and you look up to meet his gaze.

“(Y/N),” You reply, though you kind of have to scream in order for him to hear you over the loud music. “You?”

“Mattheo,” He takes another sip from his drink. “You seem out of place, (Y/N).”

You smile lightly at his observation. “I guess you could say that—like a fish out of water,” You laugh lightly as you gesture around the room with your drink in hand. “Parties… not really my thing.”

“I could tell,” It kind of feels like he’s teasing you, but you brush it off. “What is your thing, then?”

You shrug. “Not talking to strangers?” You can tell he has to bite back an amused laugh, but he manages to keep his calm and collected exterior.

“I get that,” He muses quietly, glancing around the room. “Socializing isn’t really a hobby of mine, either.” He, once again, takes a sip from his drink.

“Oh?” You quirk a brow, intrigued. “Then how come you approached me?”

He shrugs. “Nothing better to do than speak to a sixth-year who’s clearly out of their element.

You snort quietly, feeling a little offended at his comment. “I’m actually a seventh-year,” He only shrugs with an amused expression. “…Am I really that awkward-looking?”

“Yeah, actually.” You swear you see him crack a smile as he takes another sip.

You’re about to make a snarky reply until a hand grabs your arm. Instinctively, you rip your arm out of the hand’s grasp and whirl around, only to see an anxious Minnie and Owen, something quite out of character for the two of them.

“Peeves showed up just now, he’s going to tell Filch about the alcohol and kids from other Houses; we have to go unless we want detention.” Minnie quickly informs you, an anxious Owen nodding his head from behind her.

“Oh… alright,” You nod, slightly disappointed that your conversation with Mattheo has to be cut short. You turn to glance back at Mattheo, but he’s already waving you off.

“You heard her. If you don’t want detention, you should get outta here,” He chuckles lightly—a surprisingly pleasant sound. He notices your disappointment and smirks quietly. “We can talk later, sweetheart.”

You hear Minnie gasp quietly in delight from behind you, and you can only imagine her grabbing an equally shocked Owen’s arm in surprise.

Your eyes widen at the pet name, but you only return his smirk with one of your own. “Alright. See you later, baby.” The words easily roll off your tongue, and you don’t even have time to cringe at your choice of words before Owen is pulling both you and Minnie away.

“We gotta go, we can’t get detention—specifically you, Minnie, you can’t afford another.” Owen’s voice cuts through your thoughts and you can feel your cheeks heating up in embarrassment as the three of you rush away from the party.

Little do you know, Mattheo has a similar reaction to you, though more surprised and—impressed?—than anything as he watches the three of you disappear into the crowd with wide eyes. “…Baby, huh?”

He can feel himself smiling as two of his friends, Theodore Nott and Lorenzo Berkshire, approach him for the same reason your friends approached you.

Mattheo snorts and mutters to himself as he and his friends retreat from the party.

“Fish out of water, my ass.”

[miffy1111]

Fish in a Birdcage

cross posted onto Ao3 (Account is Miffy_1111)

Tw! -Gross wounds, bugs in said gross wounds, violence and death Also fun fact when I was writing this, I grinded a little too hard (on this as well as a million others fics) and got a weirdly painful ganglion cyst in my wrist and it is currently stuck in a wrist brace for the next week or so :p so the end of chapter 1, the editing process and all this stuff here has been typed one handed, so I apologise for any mistakes. This was really fun to write, and I'm excited to get the second chapter out! This chapter here is basically a look into the past and why he'll be silly next chapter, Also I haven't gotten to book 7 yet so I apologise if General Lilia is ooc! Please let me know in the comments what you think, Im pretty new to writing so I'm always happy to hear what you think!

(Word Count: 3847)

1/2 Chapters

i. Damnation: condemnation to eternal punishment in hell. To be doomed to suffer in hell forever.  - do this one for the last word thing lol

The sun felt warm. Its heat soaked into Lilias's armour, making it feel rather stuffy to stand in the forest clearing. He couldn't see any reflection of himself in the lake before him, however he knew his cheeks were flushed. As a nocturnal fae, he hadn’t spent much time outside during the day, either training indoors or sleeping. 

However, due to the diurnal nature of humans, he often found himself needing to be up when the sun was. 

He pulled up his hood to shield himself and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He looked down on the human soldier below him, the cheeks of their face- left unconcealed by their metallic helmet, were also a reddish colour under the unforgiving rays of the sun.

During a patrol in the forest that further deprived him of much-needed sleep, a familiar yet unfamiliar scent caught his attention. It was heavily metallic, with undertones of bitter red wine. He followed the scent towards the mossy shores of a lake, where he saw a figure lying, body half in the water.

 Crimson leached into the lake from beneath them, the source of which was a large rather gorey-looking cut in their side. They looked to be a human soldier, a low-ranking one at that. The only armour they wore was a spangenhelm and a chainmail shirt, their dark blue aketon covering the rest of their arms. A shield bearing King Henricks emblem was half-sunk in the shallows of the lake, Lilia taking it as a sign.

Looking at the human soldier, Lilia noticed magenta scorch marks on the edges of broken chainlinks, indicating that the weapon used was likely enchanted. He also estimated by the blowflies laying eggs and chewing through the wound, that the soldier would have been here for a few hours, at least 4. Lilia knew that blowfly eggs took anywhere between 8-20 hours to mature to maggots, which the wound was devoid of.

A series of wheezy coughs snapped Lilia back to reality, as the soldier attempted to lift themself with their elbow, hand just barely clutching a broken sword.

“Just kill me. To die by the likes of you… is a better fate than this,” Their voice was hoarse, and shortly after they spoke they broke into another coughing fit, more blood dribbled from their side from the movement.

Lilia looked at the soldier, eyes narrowing as he scowled, “Silence soldier! I will not have a human such as yourself command me,” 

Lifting his boot to their head, he swiftly kicked off the helmet that covered their face, not bothering to avoid their nose. The soldier groaned in pain, the arm that lifted them gave in to cradle their seemingly-broken nose, blood trickling down their pale olive-toned skin. 

Though Lilia hated humans, he truly hadn’t aimed to further injure the soldier- he just wanted to get a better look at their face, without the barrier of the helmet. His eyes raked over their newly revealed features. 

The human soldier's gender was indiscernible, and their face was wet and speckled with dirt, with dark curly hair just barely touching their shoulders. 

Despite their nose being rather crooked due to the far-too-much force of his kick, Lilia could see its aquiline shape, different from the typical straight-pointed ones common in their comrades. Their jaw was clenched hard and they looked at him, dark eyes squinted in pain, as shaky hands attempted to lift their sword at him. 

He grabbed the sword by the handle, taking it from their hands and throwing it into the lake. The human soldier was no danger to him, this was just an example he would make. Grabbing onto the wrist that once held the sword, he hoisted them over his shoulder- ignoring their groans of pain, and walked back into the woods to return to the camp. 

The position was awkward for the both of you, the soldier was completely limp, so the tips of their boots smacked against his calves with each step, and he had to focus on his steps so that the both of your legs wouldn’t tangle together.  

Despite Lilias' disgust at the thought of having to save a human (especially one from the blonde bastard's side), he needed information, and if they survived they could be useful.

After another series of painful-sounding coughs that left little specks of blood on Lilias's armour, the soldier spoke up with a strained voice, “Where are you taking me,”

“You’ll see, try anything and I’ll leave you back there to perish,” he grunted out, eyeing the tiny red speckles that trickled down his torso. 

They went quiet.

Premonitory: A warning about something unpleasant before it happens. 

When Lilia arrived at his quadrant's temporary base, he barged into the healer's tent, curtly described the soldier's condition and why they were to live, dumped them in front of the healer and left. 

As he walked over to his tent, he looked at where the soldier had coughed on him. The splotches of blood left on his armour turned a strange almost burgundy colour, and turning as far as he could to see his back, a large patch, more purple in tone, was left there from their side.

As he tried to wipe as much of it off as possible, a sense of foreboding washed over him. It was no doubt just by looking at the state of their armour that they fell victim to something enchanted, however, there was no telling what effect such a weapon would have on them, or if they would even survive.

—

Around 4 weeks later, Lilia was called to the hospital tent, a mere blink in time for the fae. While at times he was left morbidly curious about the soldier's fate, it wasn’t something he lost sleep on. 

As he arrived he scanned over the room, ruby-red eyes searched like an owl hunting a rabbit. Only to find that they weren’t there. He looked accusingly at the now-trembling healer. 

His scowl had done all the talking for him, as the healer finally began to stutter out an explanation

“Ah-h! General Vanrouge, the human soldier, she was sent off to the dungeon in Black Scale Castle as of yesterday. They asked me to tell you to go… there for questioning,” he grew meek as he continued, irritation evident on Lilias's face.

“I see…” Lilia said calmly, confusion washing over the healer, “And the thought hadn’t come across you to tell me this, several days ago?!” his calm disposition quickly disappeared as he raised his voice, the healer quickly muttering something about him not finding out till this morning. 

Lilia sighed and shook his head, his features softening as his anger fizzled out, “Nevermind that, how was their health?”

“Ah yes! I suspect th-that they were hit with a spell, maybe corrosion magic? B-but! It hadn’t gone so far into their system that I couldn’t somewhat heal them, they were rather difficult to deal with…” he spoke with both constant stuttering and muttering, things that Lilia found rather irritating back in his youth. 

“Oh! Also, t-the nature of their illness, i-its similar to… something like, say mould for example,” The healer's shy nature crumbled away as a grim expression washed over his freckled face, “Once it's there, its roots slowly spread throughout the host. Meaning that- though it is a trace amount- there are still roots of the magic inside them. I give them a few months at best,” 

Lilia nodded, all the more reason to get the interrogation done sooner rather than later, “I understand,”

___

It took him almost 2 days to get to Black Scale Castle, with the first day spent being pestered by the Senate to receive permission and the second spent travelling without rest. Upon arriving at the castle, he was immediately sent to the dungeons. 

Looking at the soldier through the bars of their current prison, they seemed ever so slightly better than when he had last seen them. A torso covered by layers of chainmail and aketon was replaced with a hemp-cloth shirt, as were their linen pants, both several sizes too large. He could spy bandages wrapped around their shoulder and left arm, as well as around their chest. The air smelt of wet stone and medicinal herbs.

The dungeon itself was poorly lit and dank, and each cell was only made accessible through a wooden door, with a slot for food trays to slide through on the bottom. The only light let into each cell was a small barred window at the top of the door, however after looking through, Lilia could spy a rectangular (also barred) window at the top right corner of the cell.

The dungeon was practically desolate, he almost felt a sliver of empathy for the human. Almost.

Holding a torch, Lilia opened the door to the human soldier's cell and prepared for what was to come.

iii. Ephemeral: Something that lasts a short duration of time, a fleeting moment, a brief period in time. 

His eyes pierced through them, attempting to either read them with a single glare or intimidate them into submission. It was always unnervingly quiet in the dungeon, all sound almost completely sucked up by the stone walls. It should have been considered a miracle that someone hadn’t gone insane in there. 

The soldier's face remained downcast, however, he could sense their vulnerable state. Dark circles were prominent underneath their eyes, however their skin was less sickly-pale than when he last saw them.

Lilia crouched down beside them on the stone floor and lifted their chin to meet their gaze

“You will call me General Vanrouge from this moment forth. You will answer my questions with nothing but the truth, fail to do so- and the punishment will be beyond any pain you’ve ever felt. Now state your name and rank, human,” he said, pointed teeth bared.

The way the soldier looked glaring upwards at him, jaw clenched and nose crinkled in disgust, such attitude flared the faes temper. 

“I am a low-ranking soldier, I was given the name Siro,” Despite the scowl on their face, the human spoke without malice in their voice. They made themself seem small against the cold stone, and even though their stare was poisonous, they almost wanted to look submissive. 

“And what were you doing in fae territory? I’m sure even the daftest of your kind would know that that forest is strictly overseen by fae,” he asked, no lack of his prior harshness

“I was given the wrong directions to camp, and I wound up by the lake you found me at. If you want to blame anyone- please, blame my commanding officer, Lucius,” they spoke with a flat voice, and even though Lilia wished he did, he couldn’t feel any indication of them lying.

“What a fool” He replied, “Now, tell me everything you know,” This was Lilias's favourite part of the interrogation. A human soldier's pride and ego often knew no bounds, so breaking them in was a lengthy process the Lilia thoroughly enjoyed. To wipe their dreadful smirks from their faces and tear that awful look of hope from their eyes. 

The soldier, Siro, looked up at him with an unreadable expression, opening and shutting their mouth as if continually deciding not to say something- like a fish gasping for air. 

Lilia moved his hand to his weapon, a threat to hurry things along.

“I-I! Uhm,” Siro quickly cleared their throat, “I don’t believe anything I know would be of use to you. I am of the lowest rank, so I am not trusted with important information,” They blurted out. 

Siro almost looked panicked. They clearly knew what became of hostages that weren’t of any use. Lilia once again almost felt bad for them. Even though Lilia revealed in their fear, it would be a pain to find yet another human soldier

“Well then, I want what little you do know, as well as how you came to be attacked. Surely you weren’t foolish enough to go alone into the forest?” 

“I was sent on my own. Before my unit made our way back to camp, my officer pulled me aside and asked me to stay and sharpen my sword on one of the rocks. It must have been a prank, as I only realised later well after everyone left that all the swords were sharpened only yesterday. He gave me a map as well, but it must have been the wrong one as I wound up at that lake,” Siro explained with a bitter edge to their voice and a glare in their eye. One that Lilia wanted to slap clean off.

Cruel pranks like those weren’t uncommon in human armies. Hazing, he believed it was called. Lilia could only imagine the officers all giggling together, telling each other ways to make fools of their subordinates. Lilia only wished he could see the look on the officer's face as the weeks rolled by and Siro was nowhere to be seen. Another one of their pathetic soldiers gone.

“Such pranks are common in human armies, I hear. Humans truly are foolish. You would have died out there,” He replied “Now, how did you come to be injured,”

“I don’t remember. I was by the lake looking around for anyone I may have known, then next thing I knew, I was in some healer's tent with a broken nose and a chunk out of my side,” they said.

“How strange…,” Lilia said, avoiding Siro’s eyes at the mention of their nose. 

An hour went by, and nothing more than basic questions and answers were shared. He hadn’t learned much, however they were far more cooperative than other humans he had interrogated.

As he prepared to leave the cell and return to his duties, Siro spoke up, “Was that enough for you? When will I be permitted to leave,” They asked him.

“I assume till either the war finishes or you do. Perhaps if you continue to behave I might be able to send you to a prison of… better quality,” He said, looking around the dank cell to further his point, “However it is out of my control,”

They looked at him, shoulders slumped as their standard glare was replaced with a melancholic gaze, “I understand”

iii. Wasting: Causing a person or a body part to become progressively weaker and more emaciated, typically by a wasting disease

As the months passed, Lilia (much to his dismay) often found himself returning to the dungeon. The first few times it was purely for information, however as time went on he slowly became more and more curious about them as a person. However, he wasn’t sure how long he could continue saying he was just curious.

Siro, the lowly soldier, no longer had any name of their own. Their birth name was Mariam, born a girl in a place they no longer remembered. The soldiers who raided their village assumed them to be a boy, only realising after a week their mistake. Their name had already been changed to Siro, and so they were brought up as a boy.

They would never be able to return to their family, all slaughtered in a land now foreign to them. Their sister, Arev, Siro assumed was still alive, as she too was taken. Siro had told Lilia with eyes as dead as a fish how it was obvious Arev was a girl, and a beautiful one at that. He knew to read between the lines and assume that she had been taken to be some soldier's wife; a war prize. Such was one of the many things about humans that disgusted Lilia.

After they had been taken, they were banned from their language. The commanding officer Lucius, the one who played that rather cruel prank on them, was the one who taught them how to speak the common language. Lucius never had a son, so he helped raise Siro, and despite his somewhat cruel tendencies, Siro never said much on their feelings about Lucius, and Lilia never asked.

Being born a girl and raised a boy, Siro never really saw themself as either. They weren’t ashamed of what they were born as, nor were they embarrassed about what they were raised as. They were simply just a person, they had told him once.

Lilia hated how he remembered everything they told him, how he soaked up their words and near reveled in the sound of their strained voice. 

Siro the human soldier. Truly an example of how cruel fate can be. Born in a place to a peoples that weren’t seen as human enough, forever fated to being a glorified slave. They were a slave to their own race, and they would be chained in this prison for the rest of their life. Chained to him. Despite the change in scenery, they would never be free, something they never truly accepted, even through their growing weakness.

The months went on, and both him and Siro slowly became consumed. The former, his mind- as it became overrun with the thoughts of Siro, and the latter, their body. As the months passed, deep purple veins became more and more prominent across their skin, which too grew to be a sickly pale. Their eyes looked glazed over and dark circles emerged underneath despite their frequent sleeping. Their body, though already thin when they were first found, grew even more so as their muscles fizzled away. They knew they were dying, and their appetite dwindled to the point Lilia had to come by every day to force food and water down their throat. He was never soft with them, and though he would say it was due to his hatred he knew deep down that he was in denial.

As the seasons changed and the weather grew colder, so did the cell. The cold had gotten to Siro, as their hands were even more clammy and their nose became stuffy and red.

When Lilia came to visit again, a spare blanket hidden behind his back, he found them shivering in the corner. The blanket draped over their shoulders was thin, a hole torn near the middle meant that it was doing little to provide warmth. 

Silently, Lilia draped the extra blanket over them, averting his gaze from the purple roots creeping across their face. The healer said himself, they would likely only live a few months, and it was a miracle they made it past 8. Siro wouldn’t live to see the end of the week.

​​As Lilia laid in bed that night, he regretted leaving that cell. Though Siro had an extra blanket, a twinge of guilt tugged at him. What if that was the last time he ever saw them? What if they were lying on that uncomfortable straw mattress, Lilias blanket wrapped around them as they breathed their la​​st breath? He tried to shake away those thoughts, they were nothing but a pathetic human!

He wasn’t sure what he would say, to his superiors, to himself, as he snuck into their cell. The opening and shutting of the heavy wooden door didn’t stir them from their sleep as it used to, and Lilia immediately went to check their breathing. 

He kneeled down and checked everything twice over; their soft pulse, the slow rise and fall of their chest, the laboured breaths that left their nose. He let out a sigh of relief, hand going to stroke their thinning- now wavy- hair. A strange feeling sat heavy in his chest. Why was he even doing this? He must look like a fool, he thought as he smiled at their sleeping face. 

Would they want to die here? He quickly shook the thought from his mind, he could only imagine the outrage from the senate if they found out he released an enemy soldier without written consent. Even if they were sick and dying, it wouldn’t be allowed.

Siro roused from their slumber with a painful sounding cough, more of that purple mucus splattering against their hand like phlegm. The roots had taken place in their lungs not long ago, shown by their recent difficulty in breathing. They looked up at him, tired and disoriented, “Lilia, is that truly you?” 

Lilia wasn’t sure what had got into him, his hand trailed down from their dark strands to gently hold the side of their face. He merely nodded then hushed them, a tenderness he had never felt before overwhelmed him, the feeling like a tide washing over him, blocking words from his mouth. They slowly pushed themself up till they sat up before them, opening their blanket so that Lilia could find warmth in there too. 

Intimacy, his first taste in a while. He cosied up next to them, allowing them to rest their head on his shoulder. Maybe Lilia was just tired, but he was finally able to ignore his internal feelings of disgust, of hatred towards Siro.

Suddenly his arms were wrapped around them, suddenly they were playing with his hair; suddenly their lips met and they both fell completely silent. An all-consuming warmth washed over him, silencing his doubts. They weren’t slowly dying before him, they weren’t a soldier from the enemy side, and they would be able to kiss like this again. The stoney walls of the dungeon disappeared around the two of them as his tongue slipped into their mouth. They ran their fingers down black and red strands of hair, then shakily caressed his cheek. 

It was unfortunate that all good things came to an end. Their body suddenly became too weak to hold itself up, and they crashed back into their bed, ending the kiss. They coughed again, it racked through their body as purple veins in their neck began to bulge slightly. They were in pain, it was only right.

With one last strained breath, they were gone. No final words were spoken, neither did Lilia say anything else. There was no point in shedding any tears or screaming out with regret, and even though his heart cried out, Lilia merely sat, still and silent as the stone walls around him.

He would have preserved them if he could, however, there was a war, and as the Silver Owls closed in, he had to have them cremated. Lilia had tried to find their sister, Arev, however he hadn’t the time or resources to do anything beyond scour through a few official records. He knew Siro would have wanted their ashes to be spread, Great Sevens, that was one of their dying wishes. Call him selfish, but something inside him couldn’t let go of them yet. They would have to wait a few more years, he would tell himself, to at least let his grief pass.

Siro, the human soldier, forever left longing for their freedom.

End of Part 1

I hope you enjoyed! Sorry if this was straight ass, this is only my second work in this fandom lol. The second chapter might not be released for a hot minute as I'm currently both flooded with school work and! stuck wearing a wrist brace for the next week or so. Stay well and stay hydrated!

[mango-bango-bby]

Hello Ms. Mango! I’m finally sending a request for the mermaid!au. So can I ask for headcanons for shigaraki meeting mermaid! Darling after getting shipwrecked? Maybe some of how he ends up searching for them too? Just little mermaid vibes haha!

Thank you! I tried keeping it broad because I have lots of thoughts and want to hear yours! I hope you have a nice day/night!- 🌻

♡ The Sailor and the Mermaid ♡

(A/N: I kinda went wild with this so it’s kinda long lol!! I hope that’s okay!!! Also I was watching The Little Mermaid while I write this because I just had too!! I love fantasy au’s 💞💞 Also I know I got this request not to long ago but I just could not wait to post this so I apologize to all my completed drafts 🥺🥺)

Content Warning ⚠️: Yandere, fantasy au, mermaid au, ship crashes, mentions of murder, Shiggy is stranded on an island, mentions of kidnapping, ooc Shigaraki

Summary: Shigaraki, a sailor, is stranded on an island after his ship crashes however he begins to notice you, a mermaid, that lives near the island (Yan!Shigaraki x GN!reader)

Masterlist ➸ ♡

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

♡ Shigaraki’s ship had gone down at sea. He had been steering the ships during a rough storm, the waves were to intense it caused the boat to tip. He had pretty much accepted that he was going to die as he inhaled the water as he drowned. Only he didn’t die, instead he woke up on the beach of a small island.

♡ You were fairly scared of humans, although they had always interested you. You often stayed by boats of pirates, watching how they behaved. You had also seen Shigaraki’s ship go down. The rest of his crew seemed to get out of the water, however he didn’t. You knew humans couldn’t breathe in water, you couldn’t just let him drown. So you pulled him up to the surface.

♡ You could breathe on land and in water so you sat with him on the sand as he was still passed out. You got nervous and scared the moment he started coughing up water though, so you swam away. You hid behind a nearby rock that was sticking out of the ocean, watching from a safe distance as he finally woke up.

♡ Shigaraki did start to notice over the days of building a fire and a place to rest on this abandoned island, that things began washing up on the shore. Or at least, they appeared on the shore. Fish mostly, which he used as a food source. However they weren’t small fish you’d find at the seaside. They were very large fish, as if they were from the bottom of the ocean. Along with that, things from his ship. Random pieces of wood, candles, silverware, random things from the ship.

♡ He would turn around at the sound of the water splashing, only to see a glimpse of a tail. It couldn’t be. Could it be there was something bringing him all of these things? He had heard tales of mermaids although he never really believed them. But it was seeming to be possible.

♡ So Shigaraki waited, he waited to see if it really was a coincidence or if it actually was something bring this for him. After what felt like hours of waiting, there was some slight movement from behind a rock coming from the ocean. He stayed silent, watching you seemingly become a bit less scared as he wasn’t moving or speaking to you. So you stuck your head out from the side of the rock to look at him.

♡ It was no wonder there were so many stories of mermaids luring sailors to their death. He could see how sailors were lured by mermaids, because you were absolutely gorgeous. The way you looked at him with curious eyes and the way your wet hair fell across your face. Even your non-human features were so beautiful, your webbed fingers, the gills on your neck, your scaly tail.

♡ Shigaraki stays in amazement for a moment, just staring at you. You swim away though, leaving him alone once again. However he was determined to see you again. So he stayed there. He stayed near the ocean, he slept on the sand instead of in the hut he had built. Although he sees you not to often later.

♡ While sleeping on the beach, he wakes up to the feeling of someone gently poking his face as well as the feeling on water droplets hitting his face. You sat on the beach above him, gently poking his cheek. You were nervous he was hurt or something as you didn’t know humans had to sleep. The water droplets falling from your hair and hitting his face. You go to swim off the moment you realize he’s awake though, getting startled by him suddenly sitting up. He calls out to you though, his voice almost gone after not speaking for weeks. He calls out to you, telling you not to be scared.

♡ You two become closer over the next few weeks, you becoming more comfortable with Shigaraki even being close to him. You two don’t exchange any words, simply keeping each other company. You still bring him fish to eat along with random human artifacts that you seemingly found in the ocean. He does speak do you then, telling you what the things you brought him are. He thinks you understand him as it seems you’re interested in what he’s saying. He also gives you fruit from the island, watching you eat it with your sharp teeth.

♡ Only about a month and a half of living secluded on the island with you, his crew finally finds him. Shigaraki is glad to go back with his crew as long as he can have you with him. The only problem is the giant ship that pulled up to the island had scared you, leading you to swimming away to hide. His crew mates of course think their captain has gone crazy, being isolated seemingly starving for weeks. They think his tales of a beautiful mermaid who saved him aren’t real.

♡ His crew practically had to drag him onto the ship, Shigaraki refuses to leave without you. However his team drags him onto the ship, honestly it’s a miracle none of them were killed for not following his orders. But that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about you, now that he’s not near you.

♡ Shigaraki practically holes himself up in his room for days on end, researching. He reads articles about mermaids, tries to figure out everything he can. His plan is to have a large aquarium for you on the large ship. He will not give up searching for you. He needs you, he thinks of you everyday. Any crew-mate who dares to object to searching for you, well they’re ‘lost at sea’.

♡ He needs to find you. He will search the entire ocean if he has to to finally catch you in that net. To see you again. You will be his.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Next Part ➸ ♡ Thank you for reading, darling!!

[rising-heroes]

Rookie's about... done

[ambrosialsyrup]

Part 2: As Your Lover - Headcanons

Warning(s): Gender-neutral reader, OOC?, and not proof-read.

Fandom: The Tale of Food

Summary: He loves you. You love him. What more needs to be said?

Notes: I have no excuses for the extremely late update other than procrastination and lack of motivation. It is out now though! I’ll write the “dating/about to kiss but not gonna kiss (or maybe they will?)” for all three of them and post them at a later date. Also sorry for switching out Meng with Longjing, my brain hit a dead end and jumped ship. Now to decide between angst or prompt requests…eh, I’ll figure it out later.

✧—Squirrel Fish

A silent vow. 

❥ From the moment he took off his mask in front of you, that was his promise, his oath, to protect and love you until the day he fades away. At first he tried to push you away, feeling that he was inadequate to stay by your side. Squirrel Fish, a dish meant to bring delight but only brought death upon others instead. With hands stained in blood, he wished not to dirty you with it. A Food Soul unworthy of staying in Kongsang, unworthy of you.

❥ And yet you told him to stay.

❥ Time and time again you told him he was needed. That he wasn’t a monster. That he was loved…by you. And for once in his worthless life, Squirrel Fish felt that he wasn’t just a murderer but instead, a Food Soul who simply loved you. A Food Soul who finally found his meaning in life other than killing and disposing of lives.

❥ Squirrel Fish is very devoted to your every whim. Be it as simple as asking for a drink of water, you’ll definitely find him standing in front of you seconds later with a glass of water in his hands offering it to you. Or maybe you want him to cuddle with you? Ah…if that’s the case then please tell him ahead of time Angel…he needs to prepare himself.

❥ Pet name wise he doesn’t have much variety. In fact, there are only two names that he calls you. Master and Angel, one out of respect for your position and the other out of pure love. And also because he got told off by some of your more romance inclined Food Souls to call you something more endearing than just Master.

❥ Dates are…pretty awkward as Squirrel Fish doesn’t have any experience whatsoever in the field of dating. Assassination? Yes. But a date was meant to be a fun, enjoyable time spent with a romantic partner (at least that’s what he learned from the books Geely Shrimp gave him). That’s why he lets you take the lead and does whatever you want to do that date. But he does have a preference for simple dates inside Kongsang on the farm or in your room where you two are just knitting something together. He’s happy with whatever you’re happy with.

❥ He loves you. He loves you dearly to the point that even if he were to fade away someday. Squirrel Fish was certain that his love for you would remain. However, that doesn’t stop him from recognizing you as the Master of Kongsang. Someone who maintains order over more than a hundred Food Souls and manages a restaurant at the same time. You who has your own duties and hardships, some you can tell to him and some you can’t. That’s fine, whatever it is, Squirrel Fish knows you can’t always be with him. He won’t be selfish and ask that you stay by him always.

❥ But…he’ll do his best to stay by your side, if you allow him, on whatever path you choose to tread.

❥ If you ever need someone to lend you a shoulder to cry on, he’ll be there. Squirrel Fish may not be the best comforter or the best with words or actually anything involving normal emotional interactions…but he promises he’ll always be there for you. No matter what, even if he still feels like he doesn’t deserve you, he’ll be there with you until the end.

✧—Longjing Shrimp

A bet with eternity.

❥ An unexpected romance that only some could see coming. It neither started with a confession nor an overly exaggerated proclamation of love. Instead, it began with a silent agreement and gentle kiss over a cup of tea. A quieter love than most would like to have but a love Longjing gave wholeheartedly.

❥ Who fell for the other first? It’s a question many of the residents of Kongsang started to ponder after you two got together. Actually, even finding out that the two of you were a couple was a task in itself. It wasn’t obvious as Longjing rarely, if ever, shared his affection to you openly or at least to the point that they’re noticeable to the untrained eye.

❥ A lingering touch to your hand, a soft glance in your direction, or a faint smile appearing on his lips whenever you’re near. That’s the most he’ll do in public. He reserves the more intimate and private parts of your relationship with him when you’re both alone. His fan hiding his intentions and love for you put aside when the only company that remains is you and him.

❥ He isn’t great at giving compliments, much less flirting or being a lover. Expressed affection is something Longjing knows not of, much less is capable of properly giving it to you. But he is…attempting to learn in certain ways. Longjing will never be the best at showing his love for you openly, not in public or in private unless the time is right, that’s simply not him. His words are sharp and his compliments sparse but for you…he’ll try to improve.

❥ Doubt not his love and fear not his eyes, he’s only like this due to his inexperience in such a relationship.

❥ Dates with Longjing Shrimp tread the line between “date” and “learning”. The most common “dates” between the two of you are merely conversations over tea as he teaches you about the different methods and leaves. Occasionally he’ll show you his stamp collection or suddenly offer you a “riddle” of sorts and expect you to give him the correct answer. If you don’t answer…that’s fine too. It gives him more time to spend with you so he’ll let you off. Hm? A scheme to spend more time with you? Hmph, don’t push your luck (The reddening of his ears gives him away though..).

❥ Longjing Shrimp has recently discovered that maybe treating you more tenderly during those “dates” would provide a more intimate experience for the two of you. Now it’s just a process of getting there but he has upgraded to having your favorite snacks prepared ahead of time before you arrive.

❥ That doesn’t mean his love for you can’t be passionate though. In fact, despite what his cold demeanor shows, his love is far too passionate. He wants to kiss you, he wants to hold you. The supposedly cold and strict Food Soul wants nothing more than to spend everyday with you and you alone. A love that threatens to devour you from head to toe but restrains itself in acknowledgement for your position and his own lack of knowledge in emotional matters.

❥ That’s why even pet names are troublesome for Longjing. You are free to call him whatever you like, as long as it’s reasonable, but him? That’s…not something he had ever expected to think about much less do for a partner. In all honesty, he’s never once though of having a lover, someone he could share his thoughts with intimately, until you came along.

❥ That’s why, even now, he still has yet to give you a pet name. Not because he doesn’t love you but partly out of embarrassment and partly because he believes no pet name would be able to fully express his love for you.

❥ So until the day comes where such a thing arises and Longjing’s able to properly show his feelings for you…he’ll call you by name.

❥ People have admired him, people have gossiped about him, people have desired him, and never once did Longjing spare them a passing glance. That’s why…you’re his first and last partner. While he may not be able to provide you with a thrilling romance or overdramatic gestures of love, Longjing Shrimp can provide you a safe haven to turn to whenever your need; for all of eternity.

✧— Buddha’s Temptation

All for you.

❥ Buddha’s Temptation never expected for this to happen. For his love for you to be reciprocated; to be accepted by you who he had been yearning for dearly. He had planned to run far far away, to a place even the gods could not reach, so that he’d never have to face you with this emotion of his. The ugly yet beautiful emotion called love.

❥ Buddha’s Temptation has admired many things, people, and sceneries but never once has he ever truly loved someone. He’s dreamed of it, yes, longing for such an experience. The engulfing passion that comes with the emotion called love. And when he did experience it, he experienced all of it. The burning, the yearning, and the sense of loss he felt when he realized you were the one who caused him to feel it.

❥ It’s not your fault. It’s his for not keeping his feelings in check. Fushou didn’t want to trouble you, not when you have numerous other Food Souls to worry about. This…this desire of his was far to strong to keep contained, a dangerous need for you attention, for your love. He feared your rejection, your hate, and your look of disgust towards him for having such wants. That was why he wanted to run away, pack his belongings and all the necessities he would need before he left your sight for good.

❥ But in a single night, you demolished all his plans with three simple words. The words Buddha’s Temptation longed to hear from you and the words he kept to himself for your sake. And never before in his long life had he ever been happier than the day you told him “I love you”. Looks like he can’t run away now, not when you look at him with such determined eyes.

❥ Haha…Butterfly…you’ll take responsibility for him, won’t you?

❥ Buddha’s Temptation absolutely adores pet names of the nickname he had for you before the relationship became official wasn’t obvious. He still keep its, naturally, how could he get rid of it? But it felt unjust for it to be the only one so another had to be made. “Butterfly” and “My Star” were the ones that were decided upon with help from Goldie.

❥ Being in a relationship with Buddha’s Temptation feel like an enchanting dream pulling you deeper and deeper into it. Sweeting nothings whispered in your ear, eyes filled with adoration whenever he sees you, and gentle kisses across your face. Never once touching your lips until he whisks you away to a private location for only you and him.

❥ Dates with him are whatever you like them to be. As long as no other Food Souls are around, he’s simply content with you being by his side. Be it accompanying you for a grocery trip in the Qing Dynasty or going to an extravagant jewelry shop and buying whichever piece catches your eye. Actually no, scratch that, he’ll order you a custom made one so that no other can wear it. Ah…and a matching one for him as well.

❥ So long as he’s able to take even a second of your time, that’s good enough for him (or at least that’s what he tells himself whenever he sees you being taken away from another).

❥ He pays attention to your every need, has enough money to last for a lifetime, and despite how often he charms people with his honeyed words and looks. There’s nothing in the world he loves more than you, yes, even the very embodiment of beauty could not stand up against you. Then again…you would be the very embodiment of all that is beautiful in the world in his eyes. But to be clear, Buddha’s Temptation love and adoration is dedicated to you and you alone.

❥ However…there are a few flaws he’d like to ignore about himself but simply can’t.

❥ By accepting his love, you’re also accepting the feelings he considers ugly alongside it. Jealously, envy, sadness, all the emotions that used to not come easily to him until he met you. Feelings he kept covered with a smile and a lie of admiration. Or perhaps it was the truth that he admired you first before falling? Or did he fall for you and confuse it for admiration?

❥ None of that changes the fact he loves you.

❥ Desperately, dearly, and to the point of death Buddha’s Temptation loves you. He is a jealous man and a clingy one to boot. Hell randomly appear beside you and hold your hand while giving his most charming smile to whoever you’re talking to despite how obvious the jealously contained in his eyes is.

❥ He knows it’s ugly of him to want you only to himself. You’re the Master of Kongsang first before you’re his lover. A fact he painfully acknowledges no matter how much it hurts him to. Buddha’s Temptation knows the envy he feels towards the other Food Souls are childish but it’s something that just won’t go away.

❥ Love truly does bring with it such troublesome emotions but for your smile…he’ll endure them. You’re free to scold and hit him if— no — when you find out about this. About his jealously. Please do, he doesn’t want such a beautiful emotion to be stained by his repulsive wants. He doesn’t want to stain you.

❥ But alas, that’s the beauty of love isn’t it? An ever changing emotion different from person to person. But do rest assured Butterfly, his love for you will never fade.

[forgotteneilionora]

OOC | Vernacular Astairan Architecture

ok so obv we've got ideas abt the various castles, and i do think they're an independent thing, but being who i am, since doing that pc on the fens, i got thinking abt the more average buildings -- peasant homes and barns and such! -- throughout astaira -- and idk i wanted to hear your thoughts!! anyway, this one is def gonna focus on sorta general thoughts abt mostly housing, and is largely inspired by native irish (but also welsh, scottish, and breton) architecture! but a few of them are pure fantasy too bc, well, why not! ;D

i feel like a lot of these pop up throughout astaira, but i was just tryna think in terms of like...places of origin and/or where you might see them most?

BARROWS -- ok so...think of a hobbit hole! that is basically what a barrow is. the term has been used largely to delineate burial mounds, in more recent centuries, bc that's largely what've survived as architecture evolved, but just look at skara brae! and laura ingells wilder! and i just feel like this ~has to be a big thing in malconaire!! i mean, what could be more ~earth elemental culture~ than literally living in the side of a hill???? its just so them coded idek!!! anyway they're also probs scattered ~throughout astaira but i can see where they may have originated in malconaire? also hc that a lot of the malconaire barrows have a tree growing out of/through them sprouting from atop (along w a garden im sure!), and tending to their home tree is a big cultural practice <3

CLOCHAIN -- so these are those famous rock ~beehive huts ireland! and they feel oh-so astairan to me! my main thought is that they are probs lorcan/kil-kennar: v rocky and high-up places where you can easily roll and even carry smaller stones over to your project etc! (i also feel like this is probs a popular design in hanthom along the coast, but i feel like they also get a ~lot of influences from that bygone place from across the sea both in hanthom and in calleary, but ill probs speculate more on ~that in other posts bc that isn't strictly astairan etc), anyway, i can see where the interior parts of the stones might be treated like mosaics and painted to give rooms artwork and/or carved w the names of the ppl who built the house perhaps as a cultural practice so later generations can still say their names and welcome them back inside for samain?

CRANNOGS -- this defffff feels like a big fen thing, but i can also see where you might see a lot of these in lorcan w its lakes and loches etc! somewhat related to both dams and roundhouses, these stilted homes tend to be wooden and perch upon still(ish) inland bodies of water and/or islands, some of them even man-made, and feature outer porches w a thatch-roofed interior w a long, narrow path leading from ground out to it to meet the porch. i like to hc in our verse that they also have lil water-access bits so boats can come right up to them, and they can climb a lil rope ladder in <3 and that they have lil watergarden root plants and flowers and such that they grow beneath, to cultivate both vegetable and fish/aquatic life both for food and pleasure

COTTAGES -- whether stone or wattle-and-daubt or straight up wood, i feel like all astaira is rife w your charming traditional cottage <3 i like to think they all have a lil like...~home altar where you can make offerings to any local guardians taht might be in want, wandering abt locally at any given moment, or living in your home too!

DAMS -- ok so hear me out! this one's largely a fantasy kinda thing (at least as far as ~i know?) but i read narnia as a kid and i just KNOW beavers live pr rad lives in those things ;D and i don't see why an even more inventive creature -- a human -- couldn't as well! ;D and, when you think abt it, isn't that effectively just what a mill is??? anyway i feel like this is another thing you probs see largely in the fens/lorcan and probs any river counties we've yet to invent as well! and just like a heaver's dam, they have both a terrestrial and aquatic entrance, so you can swim in or walk in etc! i also def feel like water wheels tend to be a thing here like w your traditional mill and just!! yes!!

FLOATING HOUSES -- ok so this feels hanthom/calleary as well as fens and perhaps a few in lorcan, and is, basically, a houseboat concept, but fantasy! but basically these are houses that just sort of float along on the waves and you travel while at home <3 i doubt you'd want to do super choppy waters this way, so you probs try to largely keep to harbors and such but on clear days you can go wherever! this is also super convenient when your home gets suddenly invaded and you can just...float away ;D

ROUNDHOUSES -- so this is another thing that i think you'll be seeing everywhere! the body of this house is round and that's basically what defines a roundhouse! its usually wattle-and-daubt w a thatched roof, and generally single storey, tho there are examples of multi-storey ones as well as some that are basically a giant donut w a courtyard at the center, which tend to have interior porches overlooking the courtyard if multi-storey, so they legit come in all shapes and sizes! i feel like the multi-storey w courtyard thing may be pr popular in stafford for its night sky possibilites!

TOWERHOUSES -- this is probs a lil rarer bc itd deffffff be a richer kinda house. irl this is where you would get your knight- and baron-class kinda folks living, esp bc it was largely defensive, etc, so since astairan society is much less stratified, id guess these are quite new but becoming more and more popular, as im ~guessing this is a largely varmont thing, and they're meant to lookout against invaders/quell the public/etc! they're made of stone w wooden steps up to the second storey entrance, so that you can burn the stairs and be left safe inside while invaders can't really get in at all etc -- however! i can also see where there may be a few old astairan examples in places w lots of trees and rocks (such as lorcan) so that basically you can have a tall, narrow house, going straight up rather than spreading out on the ground, but these probs have a ground-level entry as they weren't design-built to guard against your neighbors. i also feel like this may be a thing in stafford -- loving up amongst the stars/in the sky as much as possible, and the varmonts were probs initially quite intimidated seeing all these towerhouses and thinking them these shrines to invincibility!!! until they saw the ground floor entries and were like ????? lakjflkjsfkjl

TREE HOMES -- this is another real (and ancient! esp in new guinea and india!) thing! there're sort of two types of which im aware -- one where you build your home amongst the branches of a tree (or trees!), and another where you effectively hollow out a huuuuge tree and live in there! either way, this ~also def feels like a suuuuper malconaire kinda thing to do!!! but in terms of the homes up amongst the branches, i'd venture this is also pr common in, say, the fens or on riverbanks where the ground is less solid/prone to flooding/inhospitable in some way

probs lots others toooo!!!! ive been tryna dream up more like ~sky homes for stafford too but yeah!! these were the things that came to mind????

idk!!!!!! this is v random w v randon thoughts attached, but ive been thinking a lot abt this and wanted to share and see what you guys thought!! id love love love to hear any additional thoughts or even other ideas you might have, too? ngl ive had sm fun dreaming these up so far!!

[iceiclehorned]

Hello! I have some positivity mail for you, here's what they wanted to say:

"Thank you for all the effort you've been putting in all your current threads! It might be a bit presumptuous for one message to try and speak for everyone you've been in contact with, but I truly believe that the amount of attention and effort you've been putting forward as of late, towards everyone you're currently writing with, is incredible and should be highlighted, and celebrated, whenever possible.

So! On behalf of everyone who has not yet had the opportunity to say it, we'd like to thank you very much, wish you the absolute best, and hope that you're able to feel happy and proud of the writing work you have been putting out there, because personally, I find it amazing! We also urge you to take good care of yourself in the meantime, and hope you're enjoying the act of writing at least just as much as we enjoy reading it!"

Have a lovely day!

OOC Post ;;

When I received this message in my inbox, I was instantly floored at the admiration stemming from a certain somebody. You know who you are, and before I ramble on, I'd like to say that I freaking love you! You've made yourself a little home in my heart, and you are so appreciated. Getting to know you has been one of the greatest experiences of my entire life, and I hope to be able to articulate that well. Opening up to you has been such a soft experience and a first for me, so thank you so, so much, my love! Platonically by the way hufhefiwd i rambled too much before the rambling.

Onto the rambling!

I remember when I started out, I felt like like a fish out of water, so to speak. I was pretty disorganised, even throughout my many, many hiatus' (sorry guys dyuefh). This period, where I have been active the most, is probably the longest I have been here without disappearing, and I could not be more grateful for the people I have come across from start to finish.

Even if there comes a time where communication is lost, I hold an immense love for everybody I have had the chance to become friends with. I do also owe those people who have been there since the beginning an apology for always being so flakey, and I am so thankful that you remained by my side throughout the years. You're wonderful, compassionate people, and I hope to keep doing this a bit longer with you all.

I am also appreciative of every mutual I have, even if we do not interact (ic or ooc). You're working so hard, I hope your blogs continue to flourish beautifully.

[huntinglove]

hii hope you're doing well!!

first of all sorry for all the spam. I'm a little obsessed with erena and muichiro😩 they have a really cute dynamic and it doesn't help with my kny hyperfixation🤡 I'll try to tone it down but sorry in advance if I end up stalking the tag again /hj /lh

second of all!! I really love the way you've written erena!! this might sound dumb but when I was still new to selfshipping and started making s/i's I used to stress a lot about how to incorporate my culture into the story.

I'm south african so uh the timeline wouldn't have been the most favorable for a coloured (or "mixed) person. and I never really saw any shippers (at the time) incorporating their culture into their ships? it was more oc x canon so there was a separation I think..

long story short: I find it really inspiring how you so flawlessly tie your own identity into your ships. it's inspired me to look at my ships at a new angle, since this has always been something that bothered me.

third of all (I'm almost done I promise😭) I'm curious about the other hashira's reactions to meeting erena!! esp shinobu and tengen (or even the kamboko squad!!)

sorry if this sounds forceful, I just would love to hear more about erena. and I loveee seeing people's s/i's and ocs interact with canon characters. soo healing to me

sorry again for this long ass ask. I hope you have a good day🍀✨

thank you again for gracing my dashboard with your writing, it really brightened my day!! /gen

@i-put-the-s4p-in-s4pphic

Hi hi!! Thank you so much for this wonderful message!! And hey, please don't apologize for spamming any of my selfship related posts, it absolutely makes my day every time!!

About the hashira and the kamaboko squad meeting Erena, I've been thinking about writing two other mini fics for those scenarios!!

I already have some stuff planned out for her interactions with the Kamaboko squad, especially Zenitsu, but I don't wanna spoil anything for now 👀

As for the hashira, I also have a couple things in mind, but for now, have what each of them think of Erena:

Muichiro: My future wife. She's like a giant squid... Large, clingy, squishy and very white (ooc: she's not asian, she accidentally got to Japan by sneaking into a boat when she ran away from home) But she's also strong and scary if you don't know her too well.

Giyuu: My apprentice. She's actually sticking to something similar to water breathing, it makes me happy. I don't think she'll be my replacement, but at least something close to the tradition will live on. Very kind, genuinely enjoys being around me for some reason... I hear her new breathing style pays homage to all the other hashira, inspiring.

Shinobu: An interesting person. Hides her emotions quite well, especially when taking care of other people. Kind and caring, has given me tips on how to care for my pet fish. A bit overbearing and scaredy, but trying her best with her training. Odd physical aspects, quick to heal but hardly loses body weight through dieting and exercising.

Uzui: A bit scared of me for some reason, shy and awkward but very respectful and kind. Can get pretty flashy when she's happy or excited, like a random burst of fireworks. Looks a little out of shape but gives nice hugs because of it. She will be a good wife to Tokito, they're a good match!

Mitsuri: So full of love and kindness, very nice to be around! We often have eating contests and sleepovers too! Asks for advice on how to charm lord Tokito, but gets very shy around me and mister Iguro... Hypermobile and very flexible, I had an awesome time training her!

Gyomei: A kind and loving soul, we talk every now and then. I taught her how to meditate and have complete control over her body weight during battle. A bit hard on herself sometimes, but has a promising life.

Kyojuro: Met her briefly, seems chipper and joyful! Talks a lot when she's happy, has sent me letters during certain missions with sweet doodles on them. A good listener, let's me ramble for hours on end!

Obanai: Sweet but looks a little dumb. I admire her for how quickly she's managed to improve her combat skills while remaining humble and respectful to all of us. Lord Tokito is quite lucky...

Sanemi: Looks scared of me, sounds like the blonde kid that walks with Kamado... We've probably only spoken a couple of sentences to one another. Surprisingly good at combat for her cowardly demeanor, it's respectful.