#He would let me die if it benefitted his research but I love him despite this

[lastweeksshirttonight]

All righty, I managed to get back home despite the hurricane, let's talk about the show.

Tl;dr - I traveled cross-country to see John Oliver and Seth Meyers. It was amazing and I am still giddy about it!! Gonna put all the details under a cut to not clog up your timeline/the tags.

(All jokes will be paraphrased/guestimated bc my adrenaline and ADHD played havoc with my memory recall, lol.)

Firstly, the Beacon Theatre is absolutely stunning. It reminds me a bit of the Theatre at Ace Hotel in LA, in that it's clearly had its old elements lovingly preserved and harkens back to an older time. It was truly a gorgeous venue.

I missed getting a pic of the other side of the stage, which had a massive sculpture of shields and spears. John made a joke about the opulence of the room not matching the entertainment for the evening, and noted that "even Coco Chanel would say to keep it to one shield". Really wish I'd thought to get a picture of it, he was not wrong.

I was extremely close to the stage - 3 rows back and dead center. I definitely had the anxious excited adrenaline jitters because of it.

I mean COME ON.

The opener was Brooks Wheelan, who I remembered from his brief stint at SNL. He talked a fair deal about that, and told a great story bit about getting fired from there and opening for John shortly after, wherein he drank an entire bottle of "HBO blood diamond whiskey" from John's dressing room and had, in Seth's later words, "a nervous breakdown". I'd heard Brooks has opened for John before and was glad I got to see him, he's a lot of fun.

He also told a joke about not wanting to learn karate because of the huge glass windows in front of every karate studio and not wanting anyone to watch him learn karate. Lots of very understanding laughter there, including from me. (Why do all these places have massive plate glass windows?!)

After Brooks was John Oliver, and y'all. Let me get this out of the way.

He is fine as hell. Look. Just LOOK. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS

I would also like to take the time to gush effusively about John's mastery of set structure. The set was, aside from the typical "before we get started, I need to let you know I'm British" pseudo-opener he's used since like 2005, entirely new material -

(As an aside... !!!!!! I KNOW!!!! A FULL FUCKING HOUR OF ENTIRELY NEW MATERIAL!! THAT I WAS NEAR THE FRONT FOR!!!! I'M SO VERKLEMPT STILL YOU HAVE NO IDEA)

- and it was just beautifully written from a structural standpoint. It was pretty much all political material all centered around history and the need to understand it for context on the world as it currently stands. There were some digressions from that point but they were seamlessly woven in. He is such a goodamn incredible stand-up comedian.

A few things he talked about in his set:

That time the US dropped nukes on itself twice (which was briefly mentioned on LWT but not in this detail and not including a reenactment of a man dropping a bomb while working on a plane and him reacting to watching it roll away).

That the current British royal line of succession exists because of a "cousin-fucker who cut someone into pieces like a Benihana chef". (John told us this is something he learned researching this bit, which caused me unending joy. I love that he's making new sets!! :D)

John delights in the misery of billionaires and wished that the rocket Jeff Bezos was on would blow up. He doesn't want him to die, though. Through this he also talked about Elon Musk and his favorite fake blue check company tweets, mainly a series made by a fake Chiquita account claiming to have overthrown Brazil, followed by Chiquita saying they hadn't actually overthrown any governments since 1954.

John got booed at a Sesame Street benefit and told a killer set of jokes about Bert judging him for it. ("The man lives with Ernie! He knows chaos!")

He claims we will all know things are okay with the US again when we are all irrationally mad at Anne Hathaway for no reason again. Told an incredible story about how he just blundered into the street in LA once, almost got hit by a car, looked up, realized it was Anne Hathaway in the car, saw her wave at him, and, despite the scenario being objectively his fault, being somehow mad at her.

Shaded Dave Chappelle in an analogy about how we are not at Civil War division times because "somehow our level of division is people debating whether Chapelle's SNL monologue was okay or not", in a way that suggested it was very much not okay. 10/10 no notes.

Okay so there was one recycled bit - him being informed the Queen wanted to give him an OBE. He added to it fantastically though, by personifying the man from the embassy as the most offensively British stereotype you could possibly imagine. He said the man sounded like "if a British person rubbed a teapot and a genie came out".

There was definitely more but I could gush forever so let's move on.

Brooks came back out to introduce Seth and forgot the name of his show, lol. For a brief moment we all contemplated what Last Week Tonight with Seth Meyers would look like. (I assume the show's Adam Driver would be Stefon.)

Anyways, here is the only good photo I took of Seth.

Seth was great as well - not as good as John, but I'm very biased in that regard. The material was also pretty diametrically opposed to John's, much more domestic comedy about his wife and kids and their idiosyncracies.

I really liked Seth's energy and approach. I don't quite know how to explain this, but he had a touch of Dennis Reynolds energy to him, a restrained manicness, that was really interesting to watch. That's not my normal association with Seth's energy, either, but it was very fun. Definitely puts some of the more deranged things from his tenure as Weekend Update host in context.

Some highlights from Seth's set:

He had an amazing brick joke about doing accents as a comedian, where he imitated a Swedish accent and talked about how everyone's Swedish accent is basically the Swedish Chef from the Muppets and how the only Swedish food anyone has nearby is the meatballs at IKEA. Funny on its own, but later in the show, Seth talked about how people assume he's fully Jewish, including people on the street. He noted that he's 25% Swedish but no one comes up to him on the street and goes -insert Swedish Chef impression-. (This straight up killed the guy sitting next to me, who ended up laughing with his head in his hands for a solid 30 seconds.)

His kids eat very healthily, so when they end up going to friends' houses and eat one Skittle, they turn into demons. Literal demons. Seth's impression of an actual demon trying to undo a double-buckled car seat was the hardest I laughed at his whole set.

Seth also had a section which he claimed would be the part where he'd tell anti-trans jokes "if he was a complete asshole". I enjoyed the trans affirmation the whole evening, ngl.

Seth's family and his wife's family have very different ways of conversing at the dinner table, which directly mirrors my and my partner's family - Seth's family (like Mr. Lee's) is big on listening to everyone and contributing to conversations only when someone else has talked; Alexi's family (like mine) is constantly screaming over each other.

After Seth's set, everyone (including Brooks) came out to do a Q&A. I could not think of a song in the moment, but realized at the hotel room an hour after that I should have made @chiijohn 's evening by asking John's opinion on Planet of the Bass. :facepalm: Sorry mate!

Still, some great questions were asked, and it was about 30 minutes of just audience interaction. I've never experienced anything like it at a stand-up gig and genuinely loved it. John, of course, told people they were free to leave before the Q&A because why would they want to stay; the man is incapable of thinking anything good about himself and much as I hate his bad self-esteem, I would have been concerned if he hadn't said something to that effect.

Brooks was asked almost immediately if he remembered the name of Seth's show, which was honestly hilarious. Brooks said "I conferred with John backstage and we're both pretty sure that it's Late Night with Seth Meyers".

Someone asked how fearful Seth and John were of their shows being cancelled after one year, and Brooks snarked that he knew that feeling. (Brooks seems to have a good sense of humour about not being a huge presence on SNL.) Seth said that he wasn't super worried but that they redid his entire set (background set, not stand-up set) because Alec Baldwin said it looked like "a sushi restaurant in Burbank". (theoniontheworstpersonyouknow.jpg) John said he was told most HBO shows don't get cancelled at one season and he said "we'll see about that".

There was definitely some extended riffing on Alec Baldwin being a piece of shit afterwards, while John giggled helplessly. I love John's giggling.

Seth and John's favorite Muppet is Cookie Monster. They talked about how interesting it is that you can have amazing chemistry with Muppets, and then meet the puppeteer and have literally nothing to talk about. Seth also talked about how low-tech Big Bird was, and how the late Carroll Spinney, when on SNL, held a script in one hand, the controls of Big Bird in the other, and a flashlight in his mouth to read the script.

Everyone is upset they didn't get to cover the indictments because of the Writer's Strike. John thought there were only 3, but I honestly don't know if one of them came down before the Writer's Strike and he was just referring to the ones since then. It's been a long few months for us all.

Brooks basically forces John and Seth to get out of their hotel rooms when touring. Otherwise, Seth said, "they both just sit there anxious". That tracks, especially for John, who literally said on Seth's podcast that he is physically incapable of relaxing.

When asked about their influences, John said (rather obviously) that he wouldn't have a career without Jon Stewart, and Brooks talked about how both Seth and John really uplifted him and cared for him after he got fired from SNL. Seth talked in a really lovely way about how Amy Poehler basically adopted him and got him out of his shell and was a real friend to him early on.

I really wish I'd written down every stand-up that the three of them recommended when prompted, because I've completely blanked on half of them. Seth said Joe Pera (who I also highly recommend); John recommended Maria Bamford (again, also highly recommend). He also said that most people in the room would have probably not heard of him but that the best in the UK was Daniel Kitson (paging @tellthemeerkatsitsfine to provide her recs bc she knows Kitson backwards and fronts). Brooks gave a shout to Kyle Kinane (who I am not as familiar with as I should be).

There was so much more, but honestly, I was just so in the moment that I feel like I remember things in waves. It was an amazing evening and I was honestly so blessed to be there at all.

I did not wait at the stage door or anything, because I am truly not that kind of person and have consistently been sure that if I ever met John, I'd barf on his shoes. I know on Instagram some people had gotten stage door photos, though, and I'm happy for them!

Thank you all for always being supportive of this dumb blog. I don't think I would have had the confidence to go on this cross-country journey without you all randomly egging me on all the time. It was one of the best nights of my life. 💖💖

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Evocation by S.T. Gibson

2.5/5. Releases in audio 5/28/24.

vibes: dark academia, occult societies, polyamory, ex damage

Heat Index: 4/10

The Basics:

Former psychic prodigy turned lawyer-by-day-medium by night David is in danger. A Faustian bargain is about to come due, and his life hangs in the balance--which leads him to the doorstep of Rhys, his ex-boyfriend and rival in their secret occult society. And also Moira, Rhys's wife. Moira is the key to getting Rhys's assistance; but she doesn't exactly trust David. If he's going to survive, the three of them are not only going to have to work together, but truly trust each other.

The Review:

I............. am feeling a lot of feelings. Many of which aren't exactly positive.

The reason this doesn't have a lower rating is that I do like S.T. Gibson's writing style, and in general I enjoyed this overall world. I love a secret society. I love an occult moment. I honestly feel like we need more of this in romance (though, is this romance? Mmmmm). It's all compelling. You can tell that Gibson has done her research on that level.

I was really excited to hear about this book, after enjoying A Dowry of Blood. It was pushed as the beginning of a poly romance series, and it sounded like it sat somewhere between paranormal and fantasy. It does that, and it is poly. But...

I'll go ahead and get the "is it romance?" question out of the way, because you'd think that would irk me the most, but it really doesn't. I feel like this really toes the line. The triad relationship is a core part of the story. In fact, I would say that it basically did drive the plot, as you couldn't really have the rest of it if these three weren't engaging with each other. But somehow, it still didn't feel completely like a romance to me. Perhaps it is. Perhaps it's just not a good romance.

I was initially so intrigued by this tension and anger, this push-pull between David and Rhys. I love messy exes, and I was totally down for the angle of a wife also being in the mix, someone who knew what these two were to each other and like... didn't exactly hate David, but did express wariness. Because nobody wants to get cheated on.

This seems to be a controversial take among people who have critiqued this book, but I actually did like Rhys. Probably because I enjoy the Stern One Who's Trying To Do The Right Thing. And I was into his connection with Moira! They seemed like a real married couple--trying to make their relationship work despite some tough odds and trials of the past. David I was less into because it became abundantly clear to me that, though this book does offer POVs from everyone involved, I was supposed to really like David and be into his mess and he was the snarky guarded white guy and so on and so on and so on......

Moira is where we started running into issues. And not because I disliked her! Nope, not at all. Because of how she functioned in the story.

To preface, Moira is a Black woman from the South. I am from the South, but I am white, so please take anything I have to say regarding her characterization with a grain of salt. I hope that by the time this book is out for a bit, there will be more reviews from Black readers (specifically Black women) who can offer more insight.

I did begin narrowing my eyes fairly early on when it felt like Moira was coming in to offer mystical help to these two white guys--well, more one than the other, as Rhys clearly wanted to help David but also didn't want to fuck with his own marriage... David was the one who needed help--when it really didn't super benefit her. I get not just wanting to let someone die, that's human decency, but I didn't really get as much... conflict? As I wanted. Like, she knows this guy had a very tumultuous relationship with her husband, she knows there is unresolved shit going on, and she knows that David would FOR SURE want another go with Rhys if he could have it (even if it was only momentary). So... while I'm sure I would ultimately help to save a life, she seemed rather magnanimous about it.

And I thought... Bonnie Bennett warning bells.

However, as Moira and David began hanging out together, I liked it. I liked their chemistry. I liked their friendship. I liked their platonic love for each other. And yes, it is platonic, because while this is a poly romance, it is not so much MMF as it is MM .... FM. Big difference. Rhys is bisexual and loves both Moira and David, romantic and sexually. David is gay. David and Moira do grow to love each other, but it's not romantic or sexual. Rhys is the only person in this trio who is with two people, ultimately. Which isn't inherently bad, but, as I've expressed in romance commentary, I do think it's harder. If you don't thread the needle, it feels like one person is getting "everything", where at least one other person is just sort of having to give.

That's where we ended up here. Like, I believe that Rhys loves Moira... although that love also was expressed in a way that felt REAL PACIFYING. Not pacifying her so much as the reader. He calls her "little goddess" and worships her and talks about how good she is... Whereas his relationship with David is fraught, crackling. Yes, one of those dynamics is on paper "healthier" than the other, but one is also more stagnant and safe and seems to have less depth invested in it, compared to the other. When you have Couple A over here tra-la-la-ing their way through problems and Couple B fighting and angry kissing and oh damn he just hit his knees in a Walmart (not in a Walmart, elsewhere, but you get me) it becomes clear that the writer is having a lot more fun with B than A.

And it felt like, frankly, we were being pacified with this idea that Moira was loved and cherished and worshipped in theory, when in reality she gave and gave and gave. She's saving David; she's becoming his friend, even though he's kind of an asshole; she's endlessly understanding of Rhys, except for when she needs to protect David, because we wouldn't want her husband to hurt the feelings of the guy he's cheating on her with...

Because there is cheating; and I'm not inherently against that. I am kind of against the person who was cheated on being like "welp, it is what it is, I FIGURED" about it. Especially when the person who was cheated on is this endlessly giving, nurturing, understanding Black woman who's sort of shuttling between these two white guys who mostly just seem to draw from her "strength". She's so strong that when she finds out her husband cheated on her--with his ex at that--and wants to be with the other person AND her, she's like.. already picked up a book on healthy polyamory? Because she saw this coming?

And like, maybe that book would also have something to say about how to deal with your polyamorous relationship sort of kicking off with infidelity, and how to handle that beyond "I'm good with it, and maybe down the road I'll get someone too, who knows".

So yeah. For all that the book has interesting points and interesting character beats, I really couldn't get past how it felt like Moira was this long-suffering, really cool Black woman with supernatural abilities whose white companions basically kind of jerk her around. And she just takes it like a champ, because she's Strong. It's the Bonnie Bennett issue I referenced above (if you've seen The Vampire Diaries, you get it--if not, then, well, I hope you get it anyway based off of this review). It's not that I didn't like Moira. I did, for sure. I just felt like she was there to serve Rhys and David's narrative, and that made me feel really shitty. Like, I don't want to read white guy m/m with the one dude's wife, a woman of color, going "Have fun, boys!" I want her to have her own role, and I want her to RECEIVE things, versus giving.

The Sex:

There are a few different sex scenes. Nothing crazy, nothing super explicit. Kind of euphemistic. I feel like it would've been hotter if I believed in the relationship(s) more.

If I'm being honest, while this isn't totally without merits, I'd recommend checking out other poly romances over this. I'd also say that if you want to read a Gothic romance series with polyamory and queerness, you could always check out Sierra Simone's Thornchapel books!

I don't think S.T. Gibson intended for the portrayal of Moira to be off the mark; but ultimately, to me this was a case of a writer being much more invested in the M/M than the F. Which is a common issue when you have a "V" triad versus a triangle triad in romance.

Good ideas, and outside of the context of the narrative, good characters. I just think this one needed another draft, at min.

On an audiobook note, Oscar Reyes does a really good job; I've listened to him (actually, on Sierra Simone projects) before, and he's always great.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with an audio copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[miniscrew-anon]

okay!!! i was thinking!!! and i have An Idea!!! it might be vomited into the inbox tomorrow. but in the meantime here are Fourshadow headcanons :D

-four is aroace but it took him ages to figure it out because he never really cared. he eventually sat down and researched it and figured it out.

-shadow is still uncertain. he doesn't really experience any attraction, but he still likes sex and romancey things so he's maybe on the aro-romance positive ace-sex positive side (but he's not going to research that- four will find it out and he'll be like 'alr cool sounds accurate' and move on with his day)

-they'd known each other for like a year or so when they started dating BUT FIRST they were literally friends with benefits (except like. that whole drabble.) because shadow was Horny (tm) and four was like 'ig i like him??? maybe???? whatever' and that lasted for like 5 or 6 months until they said they were dating

-but four realized he didn't really have romantic feelings for shadow and felt really bad for like a while

-and then shadow realized something was wrong and asked and then four was like 'i think we should break up i don't actually love you'

-and then shadow was like 'wait but??? idc??? we can stay friends but this is working' (because it was working fine (and also shadow wasn't sure if he felt romantic feelings but still liked what they had going on hence the possible aro-romance positive so he just didn't say anything because he liked what they had and felt like it was fine))

-and so they took off the Dating label and just continued doing the exact same thing

-so if you were to be technical about it they are in a Queer Platonic Relationship but neither of them know the term (yet...four will eventually look it up but it won't change anything for them) so they just say partners :D

wow that got long. hopefully i will be able to write more this summer because i passed all of my exams after a stressful semester but thank hylia. i will have more time to write! (maybe i'll make an ao3...that would be wild can you imagine) hopefully this was coherent if there isn't another drabble in your inbox in like 2 days call me out and i'll write it

-secret third thing

GOD YES PLEASE I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE SHARE THEIR HEADCANONS WITH ME

All the sexuality stuff for them I big agree - Four is pretty solid in his aroace-ness but Shadow likes to avoid labels. He enjoys being a big ol’ mystery in every way he can and just hovers around the grey-romantic area. He does like sex and he’ll go seek it out but he doesn’t bother with dating because he doesn’t find the concept appealing. Someone you have to text frequently and who you have to periodically see at arraigned times for dates? Nah, he prefers a very flexible relationship that lets him slink in and out of someone’s life at his own leisure. Maybe disappear for a month at a time. Then crawl in through their bedroom window and steal their bed for four days. He’s very much like the feral alley cat you feed but can’t take home with you because he’ll scratch and claw.

And I love your thoughts on their relationship! It’s funny but I always pictured Four and Shadows relationship working almost backwards to yours lmao. From friends to completely unspoken QPP to QPP with benefits

They meet young and go through Some Shit. And by the time they get through it they end up kind of attached to each other despite their differences. So they stick together during a very turbulent time in their lives when they’re drifting along trying to keep their heads above water. During this time nothing is certain and so their bond gets even stronger because it becomes the one thing they can both kind of count on even if everything else is burning to the ground around them.

Finally they get their shit together (kind of) and at that point they’re literally inseparable. Except when they want to be separated. Then it’s a whole lot of ew get away from me you’re so annoying go die in a ditch (affectionate) lmao. But they end up in it for the long game. And yeah they might go off and experiment with others (Four with dating, Shadow with sex) but nothing ever really comes of it. They figure out what they like and that’s kind of that.

The QPP is never brought up. They just find their way into it. Like everything between them, it goes completely unsaid but clearly understood. They have never said it aloud but they very much understand that they are eachothers person.

(Then one day Four gets curious enough to take up Shadow on one of his billion joking pick up lines. And Shadow is like “wait really? You sure?”

And Four is like “I can change my mind if you want” and Shadow immediately takes off his clothes like “no takebacks let’s do it”

And now they’ll sleep together whenever Four feels like indulging Shadow. And if he isn’t into it at the moment Shadow can go off and find someone else if he wants. Four’s not possessive)

Anyway that’s how I’ve always seen it. I do love the way they literally never speak to each other and kind of just read each others minds so I wanted to build that into their relationship. I imagine one day they’ll need to talk it out but both of them are comfortable with what they have now so as per usual they will refuse to talk aloud about anything serious lmao

But I do love your headcanons too. I do love the one about Four feeling bad about not being “in love” with Shadow meanwhile Shadow can give less of a shit about what label they’re using. It’s very much a Them thing to do ❤️

ALSO WOOHOO CONGRATS ON PASSING! The end of semesters were so dang stressful I could not be paid to go back to that. Don’t stress about send me anything - go take a nap instead omg you deserve it lol. (Although I do eagerly await anything you happen to drop by into my box. It’s always the highlight of my day 😆)

[tiesthatbind-tf]

I sell the things you need to be I'm the smiling face on your T.V. I'm the cult of personality I’d exploit you, still you’d love me I’ll tell you one and one makes three I'm the cult of personality

An unrepentant, manipulative schemer and a social chameleon with the gift of gab, Stefan Scavarro or ‘Starscream’ as he’s become known in the Decepticon ranks was never meant to rise above his station as a military-commissioned Cold Construct, but through wit, determination, and questionably-underhanded tactics, managed to claw his way up the political ladder and eventually, the Decepticon chain of command.

Most will tell you to never take his words at face value and to listen, and listen carefully, because he’ll tell you first and foremost that he doesn’t stoop so low as to lie to your face—-not outright anyway, no. 

Despite all this, it would surprise people to find that everything he did to tear his way out of the box society had set for him, and behind every whispered threat, is the genuine desire to do good for those under his jurisdiction and to make a better world  than the one that created him.

He just knows from first-hand experience that not everyone has the privilege to do that from a position of playing by the rules and keeping their hands clean—-If the deck is stacked against you, you’d bloody your hands by  breaking the legs of the ones doing the stacking.

It’s complicated, he’s complicated, is what he’d say, and he’d leave it at that.

(More under cut)

Stefan started out his life as a Cold Construct made for the Italian Air Force and was raised from childhood at a military academy. Here, he was trained to be a government asset—-taught to shoot, to fight, to fly in jet simulations.

It was a cutthroat environment, with young Cold Constructs who didn’t preform to expectations being pulled out of the academy to be ‘conditioned’, and his fear of seeing what they became when they came back—-emotionless, monotonous machines—pushed him to excel in what he did beyond his handlers’ expectations.

He learned to ignore pain and abuse as much as he could—-he would heal they said, and they were right; he healed faster than anyone else, and he prided himself in it. He learned to read people to know who he had an ally in or who could be easily manipulated for him to benefit from—-everyone here was either someone he could use or a rival and he was hell-bent, in knowing that Cold Constructs like him were often expected to die on the field,  on getting through this ordeal in one piece.

Despite all this, he still couldn’t break away from the military chains until he found out that class exemptions existed as ‘gifts’ for those in the lower classes who rendered exemplary services to the government or someone of importance. However he knew that his superior had become too comfortable with his presence at their beck and call to let him go, and so began scheming to buy his freedom.

He took action the next time he was on the field during a skirmish with insurgents at the border, deliberately sabotaging his superior’s intercom prior to taking flight so it would only page to him when they needed help and he laid in wait for them to be cornered by enemy forces. At the most critical point, he swooped in to make the dramatic save and managed to save them when they were shot down. While they were hospitalized for their injuries, he spoke to their wife and children, painting himself as a humble pilot whose only thought was of saving their captain during their skirmish.

As he expected, they became his advocates and combined with his superior’s sense of gratitude, he walked out of the Air Force base a free man at 20.

He enrolled in a night class at a community college, studying  political science part-time while working manual jobs in the day time to support his education, and it was in this period that he became involved in unions and working class movements. He felt a powerful sense of solidarity with their struggles and made it his mission to put his knowledge of people and politics to good use, by taking their fight to the Senate.

He decided to run as the district’s younger senator, riding on a wave of grassroots support as a charming, affable man in touch with people with a wining smile, and won enough votes, beating a government-favorite to represent them on the Senate floor. (This remains his the proudest moment in his life for a very long time)

At the Senate however, he faced pushback and classism  from the old vanguards who were career politicians taking umbrage with his youth, ‘lowly’ background and lack of polish. Here, he was a fox among wolves for the first time and he truly realized why it was so hard for changes to be made. His first attempt to pass a bill to push for more rights for Cold Constructs failed miserably, but his earnest attempts to fight for a cause no one else would caught the attention of Senator Shockwave, who saw a kindred spirit and decided to take him under their wing.

With Senator Shockwave who was the first true benefactor he’s ever know, he found a noble, caring figure as beautiful inside, he thought, as they were out, and the two of them spent more and more time together doing legal research to introduce reforms and looking for legal loopholes to use to fight for the working class. At this point, he grew to love Shockwave although never admitted it to the man. 

When the Decepticon movement began growing and two Senators who were openly supportive of their cause were murdered, which lead to whispers of corruption within the Senate traveling  around, he became Senator Shockwave’s trusted confidante and followed then man on the ground as they touched base with ‘Orion Pax’, a former cop now-dockworker who had been running an underground publication spreading Megatron’s samizdat writings ‘Towards Peace’ which was fostering a revolution around the world, and Megatron himself.

He formed a friendship with both and all four men began working together to uncover the depths of the Senate’s corruption, all while staying one step ahead of an increasingly-oppressive Clampdown.

When Megatron began resorting more and more to violence however, Shockwave and Orion Pax began distancing themselves from the man’s rhetoric and Starscream sought to follow them even as he took with him Megatron’s warnings that they had to ‘speak the Senate’s language’.

His uncertainty fired up into rage however when, during a mission which he couldn’t be part of due to his presence being required elsewhere, Shockwave surrendered to government agents to save the lives of Orion Pax and members of Shockwave’s institute.

In that moment he decried Orion Pax as weak and unwilling to do what it took to get the job done (he had made Orion promise prior to the mission that Orion would not leave Shockwave’s side) and went to Megatron’s side, seeking for a way to rescue  Shockwave and enact vengeance on the Senate for the full extent of their crimes.

If he was to speak the language of the Senate to the, he would make sure they were floored (in a pool of their own blood) by the time he was done with his soliloquy.

(And then of course, a certain delegate from  the Caminus colony came around and made things interesting for him)

[mxvladdy]

I would like to request! Can I request? Well I wish for you to consider what type of person/what kind of situation would cause the brothers to make a pact with someone. Maybe even what they would request in exchange? This can be before or after they met MC. With that out of the way, I totally binge read all of your works after my sister gushed to me about the True Form series, and just thank you??? It made me really happy reading them and it's always impressively detailed and well thought out.

Awww thank you! I’m glad it’s rave-worthy! I plan to add to it soon bc it was an absolute riot to write and research for lol

And wow this one is a toughie! I’ve actually never thought of what would make them want a pact! Hope ya like it!

Lucifer- Pact of Success

Absolutely the hardest brother to do business with, but that is probably a good thing. He is incredibly selfish with his contracts. Sure, they’ll benefit from his pact mark, but he will get the most out of it. Aside from MC he only takes requests for contracts from the human “elite”. They make wonderful feathers in his cap.

But also he takes some enjoyment in breaking them. They always get so cocky with his contracts thinking that they have him on the ropes and at their beck and call. It gives him a good chuckle, humans are so brazen considering their very short lifespan.

He destroys them slowly over time- all the little minutia he peppers in his legal bindings adds up. Not that his normal clientele ever read the fine print. But he designed it that way to make sure they don’t. All their requests are the same and so simplistic. Big boats, fancy cars, climbing the proverbial ladder faster than their friends or enemies - blah-blah-blah. At least the paperwork is easy to complete.

Very rarely does he find a contract he is excited to make. Those contracts are given to artists and craftsmen he sees potential in. He loves good art, and every artist should take pride in their work.

When it comes to the “price” of his pact it is worryingly simple. All he wants is some of their time. It sounds simple, and it is. Which is why it’s dangerous. The contract doesn’t specifically say how or the rules of it. How he takes your time is completely up to him.

Sometimes he simply comes for a drink and to ask how business is going. Or with the pacts he gives a damn about- he pops in to see progress on their artist visions or listen to their latest musings.    

Other times if he grows tired of his pact holders’ ever-growing demands or ludicrous requests he comes and takes time right out of their lifespan. His visits leave them weak and fatigued though they can’t place why. He is a slow siphon of death and they are too foolhardy to notice. If he is feeling especially cruel, or sentimental he takes memories, things that a demon generally wouldn’t want.

Time with family, the first time they met the love of their life, a child’s birthday. He takes them all and leaves them with only a blurry recollection in his wake

When MC crosses his path though he is very apprehensive. He doesn’t want a pact or anything that could jeopardize Diavolo’s upcoming plans. But they make his skin itch with want. He doesn’t want them to be another trophy on his wall. He wants a mutually beneficial pact, one that almost leans in their favor and it grates him. Should/ when a pact is made he won’t use his powers on you as then he would have to take something in return. Instead, he takes his time and coaches them to be successful by their own right, though if he has to eliminate some obstacles- well they don’t need to know that.

Mammon- Pact of Riches

I love his man with all my heart, but even when he isn’t losing bets or getting tricked into pacts he still isn’t the most selective with who he conducts business with. He is the avatar of greed, after all. I guess it comes with the territory.

He scouts for already wealthy humans or people with a good head for numbers and is money smart. Some are too smart to deal with him, knowing that whatever monetary gain they are granted from him will backfire in the end (or their mama’s taught them not to make deals with strange demons). But a sucker is born every minute, and he has nothing but time on his hands.

His pacts are pretty simple and upfront. Sign on the dotted line and they get some of his wicked gamblers’ luck and more riches than one human life span could do much with. While he gets a glorified accountant and a nice percentage of their profits. It’s a win-win… for him.

See he forgets to mention that there are two sides to every coin, and his flip side is particularly detrimental to one’s health. He just so conveniently glosses over that his luck will wear out over time depending on how frequently the pact holder uses it.

But the hunger for more doesn’t. If anything that particular sensation grows into an all-consuming fire in the pit of their pitiful guts. It forces them back into the seedy basements or griming gambling halls. One more roll, one more stack of bills, just one more time and they will hit pay dirt surly! But the losses just keep coming. If one of his pact holders ends up face down in a ditch after one too many bad hands and uncontrollable greed… well ain’t nobody’s fault but their own.

He has a softer spot for humans that seek him out and treat him like a living being instead of some tool to be tossed around at will. It’s refreshing. He will actually take some care with these pacts and tell them to temper their use of his magic so they can get the most out of it in the long run. They still might run into misfortune and he is genuinely sorry for that but there is only so much he can do in the end.

With MC he doesn’t even tell them about what his pact can do or how to use it. He doesn’t want anything bad happening to his human. If they want something tell him he will do it himself no magic or pact summoning required. He wants to keep them happy and healthy for as long as his lifespan will allow.

If MC should find how to use his pact mark he will get pissed. Not so much at them but the situation in general. He’ll be upfront about the whole thing, judge him how they want but he refuses to let greed consume them too. He focuses a lot of time and energy on learning how to reel in his magic with them so they get some of the perks but none of the major downsides. Unlike with his other pacts where he lets it all just run wild (just means they use up their contact faster and he can move on to even bigger fish).

Leviathan- Pact of Wisdom and Skill

Surprisingly, despite his antisocial tendencies with “normies”, he gets around when it comes to contracts. Perhaps it’s jealousy at his other brothers or perhaps he finds collecting contracts a bit of a game on its own.

He has a small niche of people interested in his pacts. Pacts with him give people a strategic advantage in nearly any situation. Seemingly overnight his humans turn into near tactical geniuses. Because of that, he is very popular with military leaders and humans with dangerous careers.

He also makes mini contracts with foot soldiers and humans with dangerous oceanic jobs. They just want to make it out alive and he gets that. With contracts like these, he is more lenient and doesn’t ask for much. Make an offering of fancy food to Henry 2.0 or wait in line for a rare human figuring he wants. Wam-bam thank you ma’am kinda business.

This is completely different from his larger contracts. With the military contracts, he expects them to continue with their duties until they die in the field. Simple as that, he doesn’t mince words in his contract. It’s what he would do as General so he expects it from them. Should they try to define him he will get rid of them.

He takes delight in defiant contract holders. They think they are as clever as he is now. But they forget that they are using his magic. He could take his magic away right after they defy him sure...but he won’t. He lets them stew for a bit, thinking they have had the last laugh on envy. If they wish to play games with a General then he will make sure it’s good.

With MC he plays on easy mode, granting them insight and little touches of his magic during exam week or when playing a game against his brothers. He wants nothing in return from them but some quality hangout time.

Satan- The Pact of Retribution

As the only pure-blooded demon out of the seven, he does these pacts out of necessity like most other demons. While the others do it more so out of monetary gain and an obligation to the crown. Or if you’re Belphie, sheer enjoyment.

He does it because he hungers, it a hole in his very self that he is trying to fill. He hunts for one reason only- relief from his cardinal sin. He will never feel the calm after a storm of rage naturally. Patience and tranquility are the antitheses of his very creation. So he gets it artificially through his contracts.

He looks for the downtrodden, angry, and the most bitterly despondent humans he can find and gives them the chance to seek vengeance. He is very upfront with what his pact entails. Once the vengeance is complete his rage will consume them and they will become another soul for him to consume.

He isn’t cruel about the process or tries to trick a human into a mark. Very few of the ones he approaches turn him down even after hearing the details. It is possible that humans once shot to get even and he gets to feel bliss, to feel calm. He finds out that the longer or more obscure the plan for retribution is the sweeter the outcome is for Satan.

If he is feeling super ornery he will go after people affected by the outcomes of Lucifer’s pacts. They are easy prey and almost as wrathful as Satan himself. Bonus it aggravates Lucifer to no end when he has to go out of his way to clean up the mess Satan’s contract made of his own.  Anything to piss him off makes Satan feel all the better.

With MC he doesn’t need to use his pact magic. Mostly because they are always around him in the Devildom, and no one is stupid enough to mess with someone Satan favors. If someone or something does irritate his MC he will take it out before it can fester into something his magic will try to latch onto. Keeping you calm and happy makes him feel almost tranquil as well.

Asmodeus- Pact of Gratification

Another very popular pact to try to get, and how could it not? He is fabulous~ But as much as people try to find him, he only goes for a certain type of contract. He has his perfectly manicured fingers on the pulse of the fashion and beauty industry.

His name is a whisper among the up and comers in the business. Many-while not looking for a pact - at least want to see him at least once. Many never will, they get cut from their agency or quit before they could get a foothold. It happens, and he hates to see it. Everyone deserves to feel gorgeous, or at least get a chance to be in the same room as him!

But for the ones the perceiver and climb the ranks get invited to one of his many parties. They can only get invited by someone wearing his mark. He trusts them to know who would be amenable to his contract.

His pact grants its bearer a glamor that can’t be broken by any meer mortal or mage. It makes them absolutely irresistible. How they wield that power is completely up to the user, he won’t judge or intervene.

Once they sign the contract all his holders see him frequently. He absolutely loves dropping in on their shoots or fancy dinners to say hi or get a recap on how they are fairing. Not because he is a nice demon or just super friendly (though they would like to think so). No, he just likes to watch.  

His payment is slow, methodical and no one sees it happen until it is already complete. In exchange for beauty and the graduation of getting whatever their little hearts could as for he gets their ability to love, whether that be familiar or sexual. Asmo loves the feeling of being loved; he wants it in all ways possible.

Some pact holders don’t have an issue with this. They got their looks, a successful career, and people to manipulate to their heart’s content. Not having strong contentions with anyone works in their favor. But others don’t and while they search for him to try and get that little slice of humanity back he is long gone. He got what he wanted anyway.

MC is his darling. He can and will make a special contract just for them (reviewed by Lucifer). A beautiful new contract for a beautiful soul! He wants you as unchanged as possible because this MC is the one he fell for.

Beelzebub- Pact of Prowess

His pact is a very elusive one as he isn’t keen on going and looking for one. Beel isn’t a big fan of these trades, but he needs them every once and a while. Nothing is more filling than a contracted soul.

His trade is basic, make a pact and you get his strength. He, like Satan, is upfront about what his payment is and what side effects will plague them. He sees no reason to lie about it. The more they draw on his power the more the host's body gorges itself. Their bones will collapse in on themselves from the stress of it- the magic feeds on anything in the host bodies. It will deplete the iron in the blood, go after the calcium in the bones, sink its teeth in their muscle system.  

It’s all rather gruesome and Beel does feel bad about it. He tells though who are still adamant about binding with him ways they can negate some of the side effects by taking supplements and augmenting their diets.

But it is like patching a deep cut with a bandaid, it just won’t work. His stomach is near bottomless- humans most certainly aren’t. They simply can’t eat enough to sustain their body like he can.

It surprises him that people still seek him out. To some, the pros outweigh that very huge cons. Some really do believe that they can find a loophole or find the right mix of medication to offset it.

He doesn’t get beaten up about it anymore but it gets on his nerves how obstinate humans can be about his very clear warnings. When his magic finally consumes them he takes both the body and soul back down with him and feasts on both.

With MC he keeps an eye out on them. Consistently checking in, making sure they don’t skip a meal, and join him at the gym often. He wants them to be strong and healthy enough to not ever want to use his pact. Though he does speculate that their angelic bloodline buffers both his and his brother’s magic a good bit.

Belphegor- Pact of the Visionary

Dreamers come in every shape and size and from different walks of life. But they are are all suckers to Belphie. He is known as the Lord of Decet for a reason.

He will promise them everything and anything their heart desires. That invention that will change the world? Done. A patent that is long overdue. Easy enough. A sudden rush of ingenuity to complete that nagging project. He is a devil of his word, it will be done. It- just won’t be done in the way they would want it.  

See manipulating the physical realm is hard work. Like a lot of hard work. More than he would ever do for some stupid little human. It’s a lot easier to control outcomes in his realm.

The moment the contract is signed his hosts fall under his control and he takes it from there building a perfect little dream world for them to frolic in and believe they are getting what they want. He feeds off of them here, taking little sips from their energy and exploring these new fresh dream worlds. His dreamscapes get boring every once and a while, so having a new human under his influence is always refreshing.

While his humans thrive inside their minds their bodies waste away in bed as his magic draws them further and further into an endless sleep.

He doesn’t see anything wrong with his contracts. Who would argue with him that the dream realms aren’t real in their own sense? Did his humans not accomplish their goals in the end? He doesn’t think of the outside effects of his magic and pacts. Belphie really doesn’t care about what families he broke apart or lives he inadvertently affected.  

MC is different to him though. He doesn’t keep them under his spell hardly ever (maybe if they are spending too much time with Dia or Lucifer. But he doesn’t push it with them.).He still walks into their dreams whenever he feels but he comes just to visit, not to change. He simply just enjoys keeping you company and relaxing in the little mini paradise you always seem to create in your dreams.

[cherriesink]

Takeuchi - Murmurs

Murmurs are snippets of character reflection earned by increasing Explore Points during Exploration. They usually include 6-7 monologues about other characters and 3-4 monologues about things important to the specific character.

These lines are taken straight from the English translation of the game, so fair warning of bad grammar.

About Yatsufusa “According to my statistics, older vampires tend to rank above C-Class... Presumably, D-Class and under end up dying. 

But it’s a shame with Yatsufusa. Because he is a C-Class that has all the potentials to fight in a battle. Yet, he cannot demonstrate that in a different way than Kurusu can’t. 

It seems he occasionally uses the umbrella I gave him... He’ll end up hurting himself if he carelessly swings a sword since he has never trained for it. And he will break it if he uses it with all his strength. I can’t let a civilian hold a sword anyway. So, an umbrella was the best solution.

...Oh! I have an exciting idea that improves his umbrella. Haha, this will help him even if he’s not a good fighter...”

About Kurusu “Kurusu is very intriguing. He is the strongest vampire in Japan! How is he different from other vampires?! Unfortunately, current science does not allow me to analyze blood at a micro-level... In that case, I must invent a machine that can. I’d love to improve Kurusu’s abilities from an A-Class to S-Class and above through my inventions. 

If Colonel Maeda who is a human can defeat unranked vampires, then that means dynamic visions can be improved through training. This then leads me to the question- do I use a drug or machinery to improve his speed and muscle strength...

But Kurusu must improve his speed of judgement more than anything. That, I cannot help him no matter how great I am. It probably comes from his kindness. But, oh well. I’ll let Colonel Maeda deal with that.”

About Maeda “Colonel Maeda is certainly an intelligent person. A true rationalist and finds the best course of action in an instant- because how else can someone decide to amputate their right arm after being bitten by a vampire before the poison enters their system? The surgery went well because he was in luck with a series of events. His wound was a clean-cut, he was able to stop the bleeding, and the fact that Code Zero has plenty of blood supplies for us vampires...

I’d say he was still lucky to survive despite having an aftereffect due to hemorrhage of the heart. I must say he is an astounding human being since his combat skills are still the same where he is capable of beating vampires to death with his prosthetic arm.

Ah- that reminds me that he asked me to fix his arm. What next functions should I add next?”

About Yamagami “Yamagami is the best to experiment on. I wonder what will happen... if I can make him strong enough so he can fight with my inventions? Alas, the greatest assassin will be born! We vampires cannot detect ones that rank below us- they appear like an ordinary person to us.

Yamagami on the other hand is capable of detecting every vampire out there since he is unranked. Which makes him the best candidate to become an assassin sneaking up on vampires from behind! I must conduct every experiment on Yamagami then! It will become a revolution for us vampires if the experiment succeeds.

However, there is just one problem... Yamagami’s personality is not ideal to become an assassin...”

About Suwa “We did not have any vampires that specialized in combat at the time when Code Zero was established. That is why we induced Suwa into our team. I knew the moment I heard the rumor about a vampires that hunts other vampires that he will join our unit.

One of the reasons was that I heard he was alive even before the Edo period... He must be clever if he managed to survive hundreds of years since it is not easy for vampires to survive such a long period.

Secondly, we carry the same goal if he enjoys hunting vampires, whatever his reasons may be. Back then, vampires in the Imperial Capital shivered when hearing “Vampire Hunter.” It’s very promising if that “Vampire Hunter” joins Code Zero.

His body was of a child’s, so his arms were too short for Japanese swords. That is why I made him two daggers.”

About Defrott “I wonder if Defrott will allow me to study his blood... We don’t have any blood samples of S-Class vampires nor any data yet. But he’s not the type that goes with “Please” and “Thank you.” After all, I do not want to die either.

...All I want is to conduct my research peacefully. No need to panic or rush. It’ll become available someday. I can get close to the birth of vampires- if I can learn about S-Class vampires. When, why, and how did we derive...? The only thing we know is that the oldest vampires on the recond spoke ancient Greek... Were they the first? Or did vampires exist long before that, but the records got lost...

It is a mystery how humanity began, but it is even a bigger mystery how vampires started. Was it a strain that occurred during the evolution process. Or mutation... Some call it evil or the devil’s doing. However, I do not believe in unscientific things.”

About Tenman-ya “Come to think of it, our relationship with Tenman-ya has been going on for quite a long time. Considering Colonel Maeda’s personality, there is no way he will miss a vampire’s nest like them...

But perhaps they’re untouched because of the amount of information they’ve accumulated about vampires since the Edo period and the fact that they’ve been confining vampires that are in the Imperial Capital. 

As far as I’m concerned, it’s a give-and-take relationship since they refer me to wholesales to sell my drugs I invented. The vampires referred through Tenman-ya are all clean and diligent. Some practice Western medicine like me so it helps. 

It appears vampires fight all year round when just looking at Code Zero, but the one that avoid battle are the ones that live long. Tenman-ya supports those vampires.”

About the Experiments “There are three ways to kill a vampire. One, have them fight a vampire that outdo them. Very primitive method. Two, make them powerless through science. What we are currently doing. Three, obtain strength that overthrows higher rank vampires through science. This- is our homework.

Creating heavy firearms is easy, but we are dealing with swift subjects... Even unranked vampires may be described as “...at lightning speed” to an ordinary person. 

Thus, I am working on a drug that improves our physical ability... I mixed some into Yamagami’s food the other day, and the results were quite surprising. It was as if he got drunk. I thought I developed a drug that makes the world seem slow, but Yamagami said “The world is spinning! You blockhead!”

My work is trial and error. Well, I do have plenty of time.”

About the Past “I never would’ve imagined that I would end up being a serviceman when I was just an ordinary human being working at a pharmaceutical company. It all happened when the military authorities asked me to research a certain blood sample. I accidentally exposed it to sunlight without knowing that it was vampire blood. The flask exploded from the boiling blood...

Luckily, I did not die from the poison and gained a brain that never degenerates. It was pure coincidence, but I was lucky indeed. I can come close to the secrets of this world with an eternally young brain. 

I don’t mind not being able to walk under the sun. I was in the lab day and night in the first place. Not feeling time or seasonal changes aren’t important to me. I don’t care much about food either. 

Research is my life! I am the happiest vampire on Earth!”

About the Side Job “Code Zero hardly has any budget for R&D... But we aren’t a special unit that simply gathers vampires for combat. Weak, domestic ones can benefit from my drugs and put up a decent fight with the ones ranking above them. I believe- that is the purpose of our unit.

Colonel Maeda couldn’t care less about the name of the unit. So I named it “Zero”- implying “Starting everything from zero.”

Either way, you need money to experiment. That is why I sell my inventions beneficial to humans to department stores and medical institutions made in the process of my vampire studies. The profit I make all goes to my research. Every purchase helps us foster future vampires.”

[kakashiswilloffire]

Hm, the Tsunade singing 'Who lives, who dies, who tells your story' seems interesting, may I request that please?

absolutely!! i love your writing and i'm so glad you wanted to request something of mine!!

***

who tells your story

ao3

words: 1.6k

angst, mention of canon death, war era

***

Despite the intense battles surrounding her, she was unable to move. It really did seem like he was there, right in front of her. Was she dying? Was this heaven? If it was, she had no complaints. No one could ever accuse her of not doing her part on behalf of the village. She deserved to rest after the hells she had seen and been through, and if this was it, she would welcome it.

And then his touch was so real, and it was him, and she could feel the pain in her body that told her she was awake and alive but god if he wasn’t, too.

***

“Who’s that, dattebayo?” Naruto asked, nudging Chouza and gesturing toward the pair.

He allowed a grim smile, fond memories overpowering the knowledge that this reunion would be temporary.

“Lady Tsunade’s fiancé. That’s Dan Kato. One of the finest shinobi the Leaf ever had, and one of the biggest pains in the administration’s ass I had the honor of knowing.”

Before Naruto could interject with any other questions, Kakashi stepped forward and held him back with a hand on his shoulder.

“Listen. Let me tell you what we all wished we had known when we were your age, fighting in our first war.” The serious tone he maintained was enough to keep the antsy shinobi at attention. “You want to be in all these cool fights, and everyone wants to die a hero, but at the end of the day, what makes you a hero in history is who tells your story.”

He swallowed hard, surprising himself with the emotion that had suddenly forced itself to the surface. “Remember when we talked about the White Fang on the way back from Suna last year?”

Naruto nodded, uncertain where the conversation was going.

“He did great things for the village, and he died, and to some people, he’s a hero. To some people, he isn’t. The difference is in who’s talking about him. What happened is fact, and that can’t be changed. But his story can only be told by whoever lives.”

“Yeah, and you told us that he was a hero, and you took us to his grave that one time, remember?” Naruto thought back to that first day on the training grounds where his sensei had brought them to the memorial stone and explained the significance of the names engraved in its marble surface. “What’s that got to do with him?” he asked, pointing firmly at the man in front of the Hokage.

Kakashi took a beat before responding. “He died, Naruto. And for a long time, we didn’t get to know his story because there wasn’t someone who could tell it.” He focused in on Tsunade’s face, seeing the shock, confusion, and love displayed like a bakery shelf. “It’s only been in the last few years that his story has been explored.”

***

Tsunade shook, her mouth slightly agape. “It’s really… Dan?”

He smiled, rushing forward to hold her. They embraced, her covered in dirt, sweat, and blood, and him bathed in a warm glow. She continued to shake, her body wracked with emotion.

“Were you—did Kabuto—”

“Don’t worry, love,” he reassured her, brushing her hair behind her ear over and over. “Just focus on the moment, okay? I don’t know how much longer I can maintain the jutsu.”

She agreed, letting herself sink into his body. It had been so long, and yet he still felt like a home she had always been trying to find since she had had to move away.

After a few beats, Dan pulled himself back slightly to ask the question that refused to leave his head.

“Chouza—he said you became Hokage? Is that true? I was able to watch over you for the first few years after I—you know. I thought you left the village with Shizune. Traveled, healed others, caused lots of trouble. Tsuna, you came back to the Leaf?”

She took a couple of steps back, wiped the tears off her face, and stood tall.

“I put myself back in the narrative, Dan. I got a reminder of what you, what we were fighting for, and I stopped wasting time and got my ass in gear.” She flipped her ponytail off her shoulder, feeling it settle in the middle of her back. Her confidence returned to her along with her smile as she explained.

“I led some late-stage recovery efforts to find bodies lost in the war that still hadn’t come back to us. They’re almost all back now, we’re missing less than a dozen fallen shinobi. And the work you did on getting one medic on every team of four—we’re almost there. My four youngest teams on the battlefield today, two of them have medics that trained directly with me. You’d be proud of Sakura, Dan.

You really wrote so many grant applications and proposals to change our shinobi education system. It took me a while to get through them, but I’m putting everything in place now. You really did write like you knew you wouldn’t have long to get it all on paper,” she finished, feeling the bittersweet sting set in.

She cleared her throat and continued. “I rely so much on Shizune. She’s led efforts in telling the stories of shinobi who fell in the Third Great War so that no one will be forgotten. She visits your grave almost as often as Kakashi visits his old teammates. She actually just got done fighting with the caretaker to make sure she has the burial plot next to yours. I don’t have any idea what I would do without her, honestly. When I needed her most, she was right on time.”

“There’s more,” Tsunade brushed another stray tear away. “I ask myself all the time what you would do if you had lived, if you had had more time. Thinking about that is how I get my best ideas. Like fundraising for the memorial stone—the Leaf had just been mourning all these fallen comrades, and building the tribute to them gave more hope in the shinobi population that they would be remembered and respected, no matter what. That someone would tell their story.”

“Tsunade—that’s incredible,” Dan began, crossing over to wrap her in a hug again. “I can’t believe you’re making all these changes we wanted to see in the village! The next generation will benefit so much—”

“I know, I know, but have I done enough? Can I ever do enough? There are so many tragedies in the Leaf, and I’m only one person, Dan. I don’t have you.” She leaned in to his embrace, feeling the tears begin to choke her throat again. He again tucked her hair away, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

After a moment, she pulled back. “Can I tell you what I’m proudest of, out of all that?”

He nodded immediately. “You can tell me anything, Tsuna.”

Her face softened in a way he had never quite seen it before. She seemed to be drinking in his expression, trying to save his coming reaction in her memory forever.

“I established the first orphanage in Konohagakure.”

Dan’s jaw audibly popped as it fell open.

“It’s only a couple of years old, and Shizune and I researched the staff there so thoroughly it’s a wonder they accepted the position, but it’s a real orphanage. I visit as often as I can. I’m helping to raise all these children, and they’re growing up, and I can see Nawaki in them, and you, Dan, I see you every time I see the will of fire in their eyes, there’s this little one who talks about being Hokage—”

She was cut off by Dan crushing her into a hug. “Thank you, Tsuna,” he whispered into her shoulder. “Thank you.”

His presence flickered, and she grabbed on to him tighter, trying to anchor him. Tears began to roll down his lean face as he gave her a squeeze and leaned back, not letting go.

“I can’t hold the jutsu much longer, love. But you need to stay here—you’ve got so many amazing and beautiful things to do here, for the village, for us.”

She worked her fingers into his hair, croaking through a choked voice “It’s only a matter of time before I’ll see you again, right?”

Dan brought her back into the hug, pressing the side of his face against hers. “I can’t wait to see you again, Tsuna. It’s only a matter of time.”

He seemed to fade and flicker again, and they wasted no time in speaking, opting instead to cling to each other and look into the eyes they had missed for so long. When Dan knew his hold on the jutsu had only another moment, he brought himself closer and pulled his fiancée into a last kiss, for now.

Then he was fading, and floating, and Tsunade could at last feel the warmth of him watching over her.

“For you, my love,” she whispered, reaching for the necklace she had given away. Then she caught sight of its recipient, standing on a small hill nearby, and for a moment, she saw Nawaki in his place. He grinned and she felt her heart catch, then she brought her hand back to her side.

“Let’s go, Naruto,” she called out. “We’ve got stories to tell.”

[rainofaugustsith]

SWTOR and Companion Death

So. Some thoughts about companion deaths in SWTOR in general.

I'm not a fan.

SPOILERS FOR KOTFE ONWARD.

I do know the name of the franchise is Star WARS, and people die in wars. It would probably be extremely unrealistic if we had a scenario where our characters spent literally 17 years of their lives (and counting...well, 12 if we don't count carbonite) fighting and nobody around them died.

However, in SWTOR I think that most of the deaths could been avoided. I don't think they benefit the story. I think that all they really do, in the end, is deprive the audience of a lot of interesting characters. 

I do think there are occasions when a player's character may wish to reject or kill a companion, but I also feel that there are ways to write so that it is an exception, and not commonplace.

And we have not even gotten to the NPC deaths. It has been a bloodbath for years with SWTOR and the writers show no signs of stopping it. Nathema - the body count from Nathema has taken almost twenty NPCs out of the main story. Onslaught? Yeah. Many more. It's become more unusual for an NPC to actually survive for the duration than to have a kill option.

I feel there are better ways to write than to take a Game of Thrones approach and kill everyone. When you eliminate everyone's beloved characters, and you leave the player with nothing more than a rotating cast of strangers, it's quite difficult to get into the story after a while.

Going through the companion deaths from KOTFE to Iokath:

Tanno Vik: The voiceover artist who played Tanno Vik died several years ago, and apparently the devs decided not to make the character recruitable in KOTFE because of that. I can understand this one. It seems that Tanno may die regardless of your choices, too. If you spare him during your meeting, he may not have survived the attack on Asylum, especially if the PC chose to use Valkorion's power.

HK-55: Yes, we get it, you wanted to show everyone that Arcann is a big old monster. The "thrown into carbonite," "slaughtering the Scions" “subjugating both the Republic and Empire” and "ruling as a harsh dictator" plot points didn't get it across quite enough. Dramatic. Yes. And they do bring HK-55 back

My objection to this death is not that they did it - because it actually does fit, even if it's a little extreme - is that they didn't make HK-55's return available to all in the actual main story of the game. I can understand making Shroud of Memory a bonus, because it's cute and funny but doesn't tie super directly into the main plot. But Arma Rasa? I think that should have been for everyone. Yes, I know you can buy it now - and I did - but I still think it should have been main story. If it were, we could have enjoyed HK-55's commentary in the rest of KOTFE and KOTET.

Kaliyo Djannis, Aric Jorgan: Fan service. But it makes no fucking sense. What exactly are you killing them for? They didn't listen, after they tried to compensate and salvage a mission that had gone south? They were left in the lurch because your PC was mission critical and went on a hallucinogenic hiking trip and didn't show up? There's literally nothing you can do to make the mission go right. It always fails, no matter who is in charge or what you tell them to do.

In Kaliyo's case, I really question why the devs thought that she, of all people, would be the character that most players would just love to spend an entire chapter with in one-on-one quality time in KOTFE. I think her kill option was a response to that - "yes, we forced you to play a chapter with this character but look, you can let her go now." Or perhaps it was a response to the frustration some players had with not being able to kill or reject her in the class story.

I think the class story could have sustained a branch where Kaliyo was asked to leave after the Wheezer incident. I think it's reasonable that a player's Agent may not have wanted to continue associating with her at that point. There were four other characters who could have taken her dialogue in the class story missions. But to do it years later? Eh.

In Aric's case, I have no idea what they were thinking. I've never had the feeling he's a character that is widely disliked. They needed to give an option to kill someone along with Kaliyo. I don't know. But it's weird and doesn't make sense IMHO.

Senya: So she's saved her boy. We get it. But considering that Senya also spent several chapters insisting that her children needed to be brought to justice, and was fully willing to engage Vaylin in combat if not kill her - the change of heart was confusing. I think Senya's fate was attached to Arcann's simply to give Arcann greater odds of survival. It seems that people like Senya even if they don't like Arcann. If the two had been separated, I really think less people would have saved Arcann.

Koth: Fan service. Nothing but fucking fan service. I'm sure it had nothing to do with Koth being a LGBTQ+ Black man who actually protested the player's actions and didn't let them off the hook. No, nothing to worry about here with that. That;s sarcasm in case I need to clarify. If things get to the point where Koth has left, your character literally works with him to save the ship and then can kill him while Lana stands there and watches and not a single person protests. After Koth has hijacked the ship and planted a bomb on it. The ship he adores. I can’t even. They could have done so much with this character and they just...did this instead. And then chose to completely ignore him even if he remained in the player's story. I still am salty, years later, that he didn't even get a cameo in the Nathema story. It's not as though the Gravestone's fate would have bothered him at all, amirite?

SCORPIO: One of the few kill options that actually might be justifiable, but the larger question is why she was trusted so much to begin with. And why the game feels it's light side to let her merge with a planet that keeps a necropolis of billions of organics it has slaughtered as research subjects.

Arcann: I feel Arcann should be handled and considered separately because he was not established first as a companion. He was framed and written as an adversary for all of KOTFE. But here we are forced to choose between "let Arcann live and become your new BFF who takes over Lana and Theron's place of trust with no punishment for his crimes" or "kill him on live television! I'm sure I'll be an Instagram Influencer now! Follow me at AllianceCommanderOdesssen uwu!"

Vette; Torian: Completely unnecessary. You have an Alliance that is so large that fighters are literally on the cliffs and in the trees helping you as you progress through the chapter. The Gravestone's taken to the skies. And yet nobody is available to swing by Torian or Vette's position to help them. You and Lana/Theron or Senya/Arcann are literally THE ONLY PEOPLE EVER who can do that. Oh, and the super-smart Hutt scientist in charge of your Research and Development team has given Vette an assault cannon for this huge battle against strong, skilled forces, despite the fact she's only operated an assault cannon...once? For a few minutes? *thumbs up, Oggurobb!*

I feel this was simply done to try to evoke emotion and to erase any sympathy the player may have had for Vaylin, since it immediately follows the Nathema sanitarium visit.

If they really felt the need to go with this, I feel they could have tied it to player actions earlier in the game. Did you do a lot of Alliance Alerts? Did you raise the Specialists' influence above 10? Did you do some of those veteran Star Fortresses and pick up a few extra companions? Then maybe you have enough extra personnel to save both. Quinn: More fan service, served up for those who would have liked to kill or reject Quinn all those years ago in the class story.

Just like Kaliyo - and Skadge, and Tanno Vik - I think the class story could have gone on without him if the Sith Warrior had been allowed to reject him after the Quinncident. I would have rejected him at that point. The writing in the class story could have sustained it. They could have given the healer role to one of the others. And then you'd get a branch where if Quinn was present, he'd show up on Iokath. If not, it would be someone else from the Sith class story, like one of the many Moffs the Warrior meets. Maybe the dude from Ilum, since he doesn't die. Or Hesker.

Theron: Now, here's the issue. The story sets up a scenario where asking Theron to leave because you no longer trust him is understandable. But I plead the case that it never should have gotten to that point. The entire betrayal story was completely unnecessary. Theron NEEDED to go undercover like that? He had a secret language he and Lana developed and just never used it to tip everyone off? He thought frying the Commander on Iokath or throwing her out the train window would be fun? After working so hard for peace, he literally sparked the next galactic war by tipping off everyone about Iokath and manipulating them all into going there so they could learn lots of fun new ways to kill each other?

Come. On. It doesn't make sense. Even in a spy game, I don't think Theron would have really thought that prodding the Empire and Republic to war with each other and the Alliance would have been worth it.

I feel like they could have done so many other things with the Order of Zildrog, and even had the same flashpoints, without making Theron appear to betray the Alliance. 

DS Jaesa: *sigh* So she saw the Commander on the Holonet, never thought of coming to Odessen and instead went to Iokath to slaughter Alliance troops. Oh, and threaten to kill Lana, who may be the player’s partner. Again, it sets up a scenario where it makes sense that a player might kill her, but why was that even necessary? The scenario itself doesn't make sense. If you have Master Ranos, she says that Jaesa was spotted hunting for artifacts, I think? Maybe just maybe they could have worked with that?

Xalek: You're killing Xalek for...um...terrorizing miners...and...yeah. Okay. Dude was in the class story for about five minutes so I don't think anyone knows what is going on here.

Broonmark: Yes, he's basically a cold-blooded killer. But he's going after this Wookiee senator because he's allying with the Republic? Or getting some Talz to be allies? The Talz already seem to be aligned Republic. He's a bit late to that party. Why is it that I don't think Broonmark would be into politics or watching the news and would not care about this?

Rusk: Um, yeah, Bey'wan, about that guy you wanted me to recruit, he's, um, dead. Because I decided to sell him out to a Black Sun gang leader. Don't be mad?

Skadge: One of the few kill options I think most could agree is...not that bad. Your mission with Rusk is to kill him. He was an adversary in the game. My headcanon for my bounty hunters is that he never gets on the ship after Belsavis. There’s no way they would have ever brought him along. Another case of correcting something from the class story?

[holicanth]

Hanging On Threads (2)

@shinoweek​ 2021 Prompt 3 - Sunset/Canon Divergence

Words: 3.7k

Genre: Angst. Drama. Shinohina. Tragedy

Warnings: -

Additional Tags: Shinohina, Kibahina, Naruhina, family issues, Konoha’s noble clans, nepotisme and collusion.

Author’s Note: I’m so sorry y’all. I’ve been extra busy :( Here’s chapter 2 (?) of my Shino week series. I hope you have a great day :)

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

It has been 3 days since Shino disappeared from the Aburame compound.

It has also been 3 days since the Konoha elders re-welcomed the Aburames and reintegrated them into society.

Ever since, Shino has been staying at ROOT, hiding undercover while waiting for Danzo's orders.

And with that, Shino is handed the dreadful task of explaining every little detail to Torune.

 "I just can't understand your logic, Shino." He says, clenching his fists on the table. "You should know better than to just run away from home like that!" 

"What do you think you'll achieve with this?" Torune grits his teeth, "You cant escape this--there's no way Danzo will let you out anymore!"

 Guilt that has previously bubbled inside him was now gone. Shino felt close to nothing as he stays cooped in ROOT. No fear. No anxiety. He was obviously feeling full of himself, believing to have won his side of the bargain. As such, none of Torune's words were ringing bells inside his head. 

Shino tries to keep his facade well-put.

"How is Uncle Shibi taking the news?"

"I've sent some beetles to Father. I can tell he's doing well even without me. Nothing else will change in the household." 

"Not until," Shino's words come to a startled halt. "Until I finish my promise to Danzo."

His brother bangs the table in a display of panic that Shino has never seen. " You don't know what he'll do to you. Shino, you don't know anything..."

His words cut off abruptly. In a split second, Shino senses a tremble in Torune. A slight quiver of his lips. 

 Torune used to live with them, and had expressed massive gratefulness towards his uncle. Shino didn't realize at that time (he was but merely eight), that more than anything, Torune's sacrifice was addressed more towards Shibi. The boy would do anything to protect his uncle—you can see it in the way he devotes himself to his work.

A kindred sort of regret rose in Shino. To think that  he had so easily thrown away the ideal life that Torune had bestowed upon him—and voluntarily at that. 

But both of them know that there is no safer alternative. 

(It's an inevitable fate, they console themselves. It is a necessary sacrifice.)

 "I had to do it for our clan." Shino repeats the fact to his brother. "We were to be killed soon enough. And it would have been Father first."

Shino's eyes flit nervously as he spoke. 

"And who do you think would pull the trigger, Shino?"

Torune didn't ask why. Like he knew all of the details already. 

Shino glanced around the room, thinking. He already knows the answer. Rather, he's trying to figure out how to word it in a manner that doesn't...offend Torune.

 (Shino could list all the names of the ANBU members that have been in contact with particular individuals. Journalists, Governors, Clan heads, people of high posistions. Their agenda was blatant. Shino knows because their names have been whispered in contemplation throughout the Aburame compound.)

"The jonins," Shino says, in a hushed voice. "The jonins will work together with the ANBU. The Sarutobi clan will be extremely involved too."

There is a pattern Shino notices in Konoha's history. It's that the types of people who reign over the village are identical and identifiable amongst each other. A teacher to their student, A blood relative to their predecessor. Lesser clans would do anything to grab ahold of that social circle. 

Replacing an unliked noble clan would be one of such tasks.

 Torune listens keenly, in a hum that neither denies or confirms it. 

 "Not only that," He resumes, "There seems to be equal participation from other clans. Such as the Nara. You know they've been looking to steal our research on bugs."

"They're especially interested in yours, Torune."

He doesn't oblige. Torune was aware of this well before he came to ROOT, too. Fear and suspense were not things Torune had to be worried about. But today, he finds that he had to face it--the abject horror of seeing his little brother in a hostage situation. The pure fear of knowing how hopeless he is engulfs him. Was there nothing that Torune can do?

 (A shinobi must constantly opress their emotions, follow a strict set of rules that they decide among themselves, and avoid extraneous conflict.

This was the first lesson Danzo had stamped inside Torune's memories. 

To disconnect oneself from the act of murder—it was the essence of a shinobi.

Or so Torune thought.)

 "I was to be sent as well, Shino." Torune looks down as he breaks the ice. "They want us gone because of our power. Of our potential. They'll take our knowledge and use it to their own benefit. All the research, medicine, poisons and bugs."

 (The Aburames are notorious for being mysterious. All done in order to conceal oneself, to prevent oneself from having their secret techniques outed in public. Ensuring, that they stay formidable, underestimated,

 and strong.)

 "You heard Danzo say it. They think we're weird. Unsanitary. Off-putting. That our secrecy is a form of betrayal, even when we've been constantly obedient to Konoha."

"And will you die as well?" Shino asks cautiously, "After you've killed all of us, will they dispose of you too, Torune?"

A sorrow smile lit up Torune's face. There was, again, no answer. Shino knows—No, he had plenty of ideas already. Torune’s predisposition was already a valid enough reason for Konoha to justify his death. Killed or not, there are many ways to make a man break. Danzo would have his merry time trying out which one of those methods satisfy him best.

What Konoha was capable of bringing unto the Uchiha was just as likely to happen to the Aburames.

(This exchange ended on a heavy note. Nothing Shino says will add or subtract from the issue at hand. Just a hanging air of dread, looming over their clan's future. Both of them did what they had to preserve their clans. To protect those important to them.

 But this sense of kinship—to protect those that they love. Is it not what Konoha preaches to their young, too?

Or was it the reason that Konoha wants to tear apart the Aburame family ties?)

A knock on the wooden door brings an end to the brothers' conversation. The Yamanaka boy comes in, head held high. 

"Lord Danzo has requested for you, Shino Aburame. Come along, now." 

Shino leaves Torune in the room. Torune knows best that he should not interfere lest he wants to live a day beneath the soil.

 It can be said that ROOT was an illegal form of bodyguards, acting as Danzo's personal squadron. A blatant display of political corruption, despite Danzo’s "fancy" position as Konoha's elder. The facility was well maintained, and there was never a shortage of child soldiers sent there. The clan leaders know Danzo as a demanding figure. 

 The Yamanaka boy—Fuu  Yamanaka stops to knock at a set of tall doors. Shino stops to ponder whether he was related directly to Ino Yamanaka.

An oddly lit room opens up by Shino, displaying machines, scrolls, and different books that are perfectly arranged inside the giant walls of bookshelves. Danzo stood in the center, on a throne chair that he does not deserve.

"You may leave now, Fuu." He spoke in a low tone. 

 Something in Shino buzzes as he watch the Yamanaka eye him begrudgingly while he closes the door. The buzzing didn't stop after he went out.

(His bugs were reacting to something. A feeling that Shino doesn't want to name)

 "You. You're the son of Shibi Aburame, aren't you?" Danzo sneers, "So the Aburames have a dojutsu now, huh? What a nuisance. What, is your dojutsu like the Uchiha's? Prompted by deep emotional pain?"

 (Shino feels the buzzing again. His bugs were on guard, but for what?)

 "Does Shibi have this ability, too?"

"No." Shino spouts a half-lie. 

"And how did you get your hands on this? Are you saying that it just appeared out of nowhere?"

Danzo was gauging for answers. Shino was never good at communication himself, but he was naturally gifted in speaking conspicuously

"It was always in the Aburame blood. Just forgotten through time. Nothing new."

"And you vermins have been hiding this to yourselves, haven't you? Yet you wonder why Konoha has no trust in you."

"The other clans have aces up their sleeves, too. It's why they call it a Hidden Jutsu."

Shino didn't mean to sound snark. But Danzo himself might not have the mental intelligence to understand sarcasm, so Shino thinks it's okay. 

"So this dojutsu of yours—The Senrigan—tell me how this is more useful than the Byakugan."

 Shino bit his tongue before answering. Once more, he'll have to cherry-pick his words exceptionally well. 

"I transfer my sight to my bugs. Depending on how many bugs there are and how they're aligned, my sight can reach other countries."

"The Senrigan requires one to be perfectly still, but the bugs can collect all sounds, sights, and other details without having their chakra traced. Hiding my chakra under the bug's natural chakra will make them unnoticed by sensors"

 Danzo squints his eye, thinking. "Quite the useful spying tool, huh." 

"Still, we need to make sure you're telling the truth. Take off your glasses."

Shino was taken aback from the sudden request, 

 "Now."

 He does as he's told. The sunglasses are safely kept in his pockets. Shino's eyes were dark under the sunlight, and an even deeper shade of obsidian indoors.

"Let's have you demonstrate your Senrigan, shall we? I've sent Fuu to loiter around Konoha's busy streets. Locate him using the senrigan, and tell me every word he's speaking."

And without further ado, Shino created some hand seals, took a deep breath, and a swarm of kikaichu flew out of his body, travelling through the doors and crevices of the ROOT headquarters before dispersing overground. The emerald hue of Shino's eyes looked stunning in the dark. 

 Even from a distance, Danzo can sense an intricate, huge web of chakra dispersing from the boy's body, Undulating, stretching outwards, and going back and forth between Shino's body and his bugs. Then, as if on command, the chakra fell silent and Shino lets out a long exhale. He's successfully established the connection. 

 As Shino stills his senses to callibrate himself to the beetles, he orders them to trace any signs of the familiar Yamanaka chakra signature. He steadily reduces his chakra input. When a preferable balance is reached, Shino waits in silence. Until a bug notifies him of any significant clues

 (Go to the streets. He instructs them. Hover around in small swarms and don't terrify the people. 

A short pause. Don't bump into anyone that I know, He commands again.)

 Danzo watches as the Aburame in front of hin froze into a lotus pose. The stare in his eyes blank, but definitely buzzing with intel and chakra. There is much to be studied with this new forbidden jutsu.

 Shino is notified of a sighting near Konoha's marketplace. He checks in with the bug, and once their visions link he can tell that the person had the same chakra signature. 

"I've located him." Shino said. "He's using a mask and brown cloak, performing jutsus to the local children."

 "And what is he saying?" 

 Shino tries to concentrate as hard as he can. The hand seals that Fuu was using was something he didn't recognize. Apparently memorizing while the Senrigan is activated proved to be more dizzying than he thought.

"Tori, Uma, Ne, Inu, Ne, Tori, Hitsuji, Tatsu, I, Ushi..." Shino recites slowly, making sure that he isn't wrong. "This is a variant of the Water-style technique. He's forming water spouts from his fingers."

 That's absolutely correct, Fuu signals to Danzo, who had been telepathically communicating with him all this time.

"Well done, Shino. You've proven to us that you and your clan can be of use."

And with that Shino scrunches his eyes shut. A little bit disoriented from having to memorize while using the Senrigan. His beetles swiftly fly back to him, bringing him a small amount of chakra they absorbed from the villagers.

 "I've done my part in reintegrating the Aburames. Give me a month and things will be back to normal. Are you ready to fulfill your side of the promise?" Danzo asked, as he stood up from his chair.

Shino gulps nervously. He didn't really plan out what to do next. But Shino was a master at lying, and with a countenance that no one can read, he was indecipherable.

 "Why did you want us gone in the first place?" Shino asks, not realizing that he had voiced the thoughts out loud.

Danzo Shimura was a man who took the Second Hokage's manifesto to heart. Perhaps a bit too much. Shino had suspected, backed with the evidence and observation of his clansmen, that Danzo was pulling strings that led to the Uchiha massacre. It was easy to connect the dots, especially with Shibi and Shino's ability (they were tasked to clean it up. Shibi was fast in doing so, while Shino tended to the unconscious Sasuke.)

From the very formation of Konoha, the Aburame clan was in charge of the most tedious work. Often times having to deal with the brunt of it while Konoha lives scott-free. Border patrols, cleaning up after crimes, interrogation. The Aburames are efficient, but this efficiency ultimately lead to their public consternation.

"You Aburames are skilled, I must admit." Danzo's croaked voice echoed through the chamber. "So much so that any village would want to use you as weapons."

"And that's all there is to it, really. You bunch are too strong. Too skilled. There's too many unknown factors. The higher-ups have agreed to eliminate these threats. After all, Konoha prides itself in being a friendly nation. Your blood brings filth to our soil."

 Shino knows that there is a lie slipped between those words. Danzo was not a friendly type of leader.

 "The Four Noble Clans of Konoha are in need of a change. The Uchihas have proven to be evil. It is in Konoha's best interest to discard the bad, and salvage whatever is left. Haven't you noticed? The only reason we keep the Akimichi is because they're dumb enough to be controlled by the Nara and Yamanaka. And the Hyuuga's reputation are held at our mercy. You're smart enough to figure the rest." Danzo says, walking to approach Shino.

What?

Did he hear his words right? The Akimichi clan? All along, Shino had thought that the lucky title of a 'Noble Clan' are given to clans who had body modifications that cannot be replicated by other ninjas. To think that his fellow team had such a scheme hanging around their backs...Shino wants to believe that Team 10's friendship is genuine.

"Tomorrow," Danzo says, patting the chuunin's back, "You will be promoted as Jonin and will be registered as a member of the ANBU. Of course, that's a lie. Because tomorrow I will personally have you run... special errands for me."

Shino gulped. He didn't like the close proximity.

"Make sure you say your goodbyes today. You'll be listed as dead for security reasons."

 And with that, Shino is let out of the facility. He finds himself pondering aimlessly on a nearby park bench. Autumn has turned the Konohagakure into a beautiful display of warm colors. The trees looked like they've been covered in a rich, velvet cloak and the air was sublime. Shino wonders how long it'll be till he can bask in this scenery again.

 First, he'd visit his father. Then, he'd visit his other family members. After that he'll visit...no one. How could Shino bear to look at his friend's faces after resolving so adamantly to despise them? After convincing himself that they've forgotten him. 

(And Shino still hopes. He hopes that somehow someone will notice eventually.)

But he supposes he'll finish his priorities first. Evade a civil war, restore his clan's honor, and the rest will be his secondary concerns. It is dire that he doesn't get emotional, especially in the current state Konoha is in.

 He looks at the children, playing games under a nearby tree. They were too young for the academy, of course, but if they were old enough to attend, would they all turn out like him? Cold and efficient? 

Shino thinks that he used to be a perfectly good student. A good ninja, but perhaps not so good as a friend. One can see plenty of differences between Shino and the rambunctious Naruto, but do they realize how much he envies his cheerful personality?

(And Shino envies him so much. He's taken the attention of the girl he favors. And now, he has taken everyone's attention away from Shino's disappearance.

 Naruto had outshined Shino. As if Shino was a shadow that should not exist.)

He's had enough of the pointless thoughts. It was almost noon and Shino has to hurry home if he wants to say proper goodbyes.

 But a shrill bark had frozen him to his seat.

 "Akamaru, calm down!" A familiar voice shouted.

 Shino jolted at the sound. It was coming from behind him. He senses two people walking by, and a dog beside them. Shino was already certain of who they were. 

 "Akamaru, what's wrong boy? You shouldn't be barking at strangers." The man—Kiba himself said, as he crouched to rub Akamaru's head.

"Maybe he sees someone, Kiba-kun? I don't think anyone's back home from missions..." Hinata replied, looking around the park.

 Oh heavens. If there was anyone who Shino would avoid the most, it'd be these two—Hinata  and Kiba. He doesn't want to face them. He doesn't even want to be near them. Alas, everytime Shino denies this thought his heart urges him more and more. To simply turn to them. To tell them everything.

(But who was it really who had decided to forget about him in the first place? No one had bothered to ask where he went after the Chuunin exams.)

 Akamaru's barking turned into a soft whine. The canine was visibly confused.

Shino has yet to move from his spot at the bench.

 "Come on now. No one is here. You've mistaken him for someone else, buddy." Kiba says, sounding a little harsh for someone who claims to be Akamaru's partner.

 (Shino wanted to burst out laughing. Doubting a ninja dog's nose? Especially one who has worked with Shino for years? Kiba was a bad liar.

See, even Akamaru notices! Shino thinks to himself, proud to have concluded that the fault was theirs all along.)

 Akamaru still whines when Kiba motions him away from Shino's bench. 

"Why are you being so difficult today?!" Kiba grunts, frustrated. "Come on Akamaru, you don't want to upset Hinata on our date!"

 Oh.

 Oh.

 So it’s like that, huh.

 "K-Kiba-kun! Please don't shout in public..." Hinata whimpers, fiddling her thumbs together.

And with a little nudge, Akamaru finally moves on with them. The couple enjoying the beauty of Konoha's Autumn, oblivious to everything behind it.

 It took minutes. Hours, even for Shino to compose himself enough to process the ordeal.  

 And those hours were filled with empty pondering. With words that were on the tip of falling out of his mouth. With feelings that he had not been brave enough to admit before. With the eternal, everlasting regret of not speaking up.

But there was nothing he could do.

A shinobi must constantly suppress their emotions, follow a strict set of rules that they decide among themselves, and avoid extraneous conflict

 This is for the best. he repeats to himself. Hinata would be better off without him, he thinks.

(But he could have made her happy too. He would've given everything for her.)

 A stroll to wash off these thoughts. Yes, Shino thinks that all he needed was to cool his head, shrug it off, and return to his obligations tomorrow. The warm glow of sunset was eager to mask his unease.

The sunset was particularly shy that day, and had swiftly sank to allow the moon to greet him instead. It's already past six o,clock. He knows that he needs to greet his family, but Shino's distraught conscience told him to look at the sky. The moon was still as luminous as usual.

 Shino had always known how beautiful the moon is. How beautiful its pearly shimmer is. 

(How gentle her eyes were, radiating such a serene, pure love)

 And like an opened dam, suddenly Shino feels his chest aching. Like a hole had opened inside him--one that he can't touch nor see. A hole that, no matter how hard Shino tries, would always engulf him in rain. In a downpour that feels like a thousand needles showering on him.

It feels like such a distant memory. Months ago they were still fine. Hinata was still his comrade. And now, she's floating further away from his grasp.  Was there no more space for Shino in her heart?

 (But Shino was a fool to believe—

 A firefly can't love the moon.

 Its language can't be heard,

Its wings can't reach the sky,

Its light can't compare to the sea of stars.

 It can only do what a firefly does best.

 Illuminate the night in its own glow. 

A token of a love that falls on deaf ears.)

 By the time Shino reaches the Aburame compound, his tears were already dry. Shibi waits for him near the estate gates, and without speaking a word, held his son in a deep embrace. A fitting greeting for a child who's always been forced to grow up before his time.

Shino was going to stay the night in the estate. Saying goodbyes and packing things up. Of course, no further information would be given—everyone was in a state of wary due to the constant supervision.

He had to console them the best he can. Explain the situation. Share his insights. Assure them that this is his job as the Aburame heir. And for that, he would do everything in his capacity to make sure his loved ones don't perish.

 A night is never enough to tell stories. By tomorrow morning, Shibi would have said goodbye to two sons.

[dailysuna]

Baki headcannons time! I'm writing a fic (it's gotten too long btw) and Baki is a key player. I characterized him as aloof to his charges with a hidden soft spot for them, but that's only because I don't think of him very much. If it's alright with you I'd like to dig into your headcannons more since I don't honestly think of Baki often... But!! I need him now! For my fic! Please send me your headcannons! Also no need to shorten your answers, I love reading them.

Yes, of course! We love Baki in this household. To be honest, I cannot quite remember how our headcanons about him started, attraction to him, adoration for Suna, blatant inability to remember exactly what happened in the first arc of Shippuden. What I do know is I researched him a ton on his Narutopedia page (that website is the Bible) and frankly they had basically nothing on him. There is also very little on Suna itself, so, all of the shaping of what we have made Suna to be came from what we did know about the characters that lived there as well as what we came to believe about those characters.

Baki is described as someone extremely loyal to his village, but knows how to set priorities and is willing to go against what the council has said if that means benefiting the village. This is seen after Gaara is kidnapped and he goes to Chiyo and Ebizo (we stan these two in this household) for their help in saving Gaara. I read into this, a lot, because it was pretty much the only personality trait given to us. Baki recognizes the importance of Gaara, and the rest of the council basically agreed it might have been a blessing in disguise for the village because they still did not like Gaara. Why would Baki, someone just as dedicated to the village as the other council members, not believe the same they did? Its basically a known fact Suna shinobi are willing to sacrifice their friends, family, and lovers if it is required for a mission to be successful. They are willing to make sacrifices, so even if Baki cared about Gaara he would be willing to sacrifice him if that meant saving the village. Honestly, he may not even know Gaara that well in a case such as that. Thinking of that, I knew Baki had to be different from the rest of the council, but how?

I had absolutely all the freedom in the world to develop Baki how I wished, which is actually more terrifying than having no freedom, but when I looked at him, all I could think was that he looked perfect. His skin? Flawless. His makeup? On point. His body? Oh man that dude is so muscular and we all know it. Baki is just walking perfection looks wise so I said why not make him an actual angel? Why not make his personality just as good? Of course, this needed to be justified and I found a way to make that true (I will post the backstory I developed for him some other time).

Because he is the epitome of perfect, he would have thought letting their kazekage die for the village was awful, right? Actually no. Baki's flaw in his perfect persona comes from the fact that he would have grown up in Old Suna, so he would possess the same mindset as the old geezers in the council. He wouldn't think sacrifice was bad because he grew up thinking it was necessary. Then there had to be some other reason he thought saving Gaara was the answer, some way he knew the boy was necessary. That decision would have to come from knowing Gaara and what he was capable of, aka being close to him. Baki would need to know Gaara's motivation, Gaara's skills, just Gaara in general to think that he needed to be saved. How else could Baki have known this unless he got close to Gaara? As I have stated previously, I believed Baki would not pursue getting to know him had he not had a specific type of personality and Gaara would never reach out to make them become familiar with one another as we know.

This led me to develop Baki as I have. A village oriented angel man, who cares deeply for those he once lead. Baki had to be the type of person to be kind and open minded for the 3 siblings to even accept him in the first place. Yes, in the chunin exams arc we see him only ever act seriously and only ever look like he could kill someone with a single glance, but that is because they were on a mission. He went serious murder Baki mode because that's just what Suna shinobi do. What we don't see, is much of any interaction between the siblings and Baki. The way I read this was yes, there was no heartwarming interaction or something to make us believe Baki was an angel, but there was also no disrespect or disregard towards Baki. To me this meant they sre on a mission so they all need to be serious, and because it was still Old Suna they would have been more serious anyways, but that Baki and the siblings had a mutual respect for one another anyways so as not to say anything bad towards him (we do see Gaara was kind of awful to his siblings at the same time so he totally would have said something to Baki if he wanted because little emo baby Gaara doesn't respect authority).

To me, this meant Baki and Gaara, and Temari and Kankuro, had to have built up that respect somehow. This is something I will go into more depth later, but for now I shall simply state the following sentences. Gaara was feared by everyone because of Shukaku so it was clear his siblings, the ones less afraid to stand next to him, were the only option for his team. For their sensei, I'm sure many ninja were given the task but quit it not long after because ALL three siblings were being brats (none of them respected authority). After going through numerous other shinobi, Rasa would have turned to Baki, someone he knew was more dedicated to Suna than most and would have given him the task, stressing that this would highly benefit the village. Baki is someone who serves the village, thinks only of the village's benefits, and only goal in life is to be of use for the village. This would have been a task he recognized was highly important and him quitting as others had would only mean he hadn't lived up to his only goal in life, he would have failed Rasa and Sunagakure. In desperate attempts to not let that happen, Baki would make the best of the situation. After dreading his new job for the longest time but still trying his best to connect with the three so it was more bearable, I believe the siblings would have started recognizing he wasn't planning to leave and despite suffering from their punches and kicks was still trying his best to be educational and supportive. I think that, even if they weren't super close or caring towards Baki at that time, each would, at their own pace, begin to recognize that and respect him, meaning they would slowly stop being as bratty as they originally were. This would make Baki relieved and happy because his job wouldn't be as much of a hellhole as before and he would try even harder to be there for the three even if they did nothing in return or acted as though they didn't like it. The siblings lost their mother at a young age and Rasa was too busy or pressed to spend much time with them so they had likely never had the support Baki offered, and if they did it never lasted long, so they likely would have at least been decent towards Baki until all grew and realized that he had become a wonderful role model and shoulder to rest on for them.

Baki's character has so little development and his actions can be read so many ways, but this was what I chose and both D and E grabbed it up like little goblins. Personally, I believe that unless they were a caring and kind person someone would not be willing to get to know Gaara, who was feared by literally everyone, and thus would not believe he was necessary for the success of the village. So basically, we all see Baki as a relatively open and caring guy who eventually learns to love the siblings unconditionally and becomes their parental figure because they have no one else to turn to, for he is the only willing one and their actual parents are dead.

[loveafterthefact]

Love After the Fact Chapter 26: Loyalty

Lance makes an offer to a not-so-distant friend

Also, headcannon that Lotor has orange scales like his mom :)

First  Previous  Next

Lance sits on the ground in the grotto, pulls a comms device out of his boot. All he has to do now is wait. So that’s exactly what he does, tossing the comms device back and forth between his hands. He’d managed to lighten his mood for a dobosh or two, long enough to put Keith at ease for a bit, but now he can feel himself starting to shake.

He stops playing with the comms device once his hands start shaking so bad he nearly fumbles it into the pool. The little fish don't know to dart away, unfamiliar with predators from above.

“Lance, what’s going on?” Keith whispers, voice low. He sits off to the side, knees tucked up, tail curled around his feet, twisting the end of his braid between his fingers. Galra, Lance thinks. They’re so instinctive, so insightful. He couldn’t pull anything over on Keith if he wanted to. To the kit’s credit, he looks more ready to draw a weapon than to cower in a corner.

It’s amazing what agency does for a person’s spirit. Since being allowed to do things and be useful, Keith's become fiercer, less aloof, more prone to humor.

“Those rumors Lanval talked about? I’m worried they might not be rumors. I’ve asked Shiro via Adam’s comms device to set up a conference between me and Lotor to discuss strategies.”

“Strategies,” Keith grumbles. “Lance, you’re just a prince. You only have what power Alfor bothers to give you. And then I only have what power you bother to give me.”

“That’s appointed power, beloved. Lotor and I have much more than that. We’re attractive and charming, and so are our spouses.” Lance smiles. “The people don’t know what we are and are not allowed to do. But they want to follow us and be like us. We choose how we want them to behave, and then that is how we must behave ourselves.”

Keith stares into Lance’s eyes. Lance lets him, lets him seek out whatever he’s looking for. After a moment, Keith sits back. “I’ve never had power or influence. I don’t really know what they are or how to use them. I can only trust you.” He reaches out, brushes some of Lance’s hair out of his face, smirks. “So don’t fuck it up, okay?”

“But you-” The comms device buzzes in Lance’s hand. He answers, letting it hover in front of him. “Prince Lotor.”

“Crown Prince Lancel.” Lotor smiles, the orange scales glittering on his cheeks. They shine with green iridescence when the light hits them and they have a different shape, more like bolts of electricity than the spread wings of the Alteans. “It’s good to hear from you. Though,” Lotor frowns, “I can’t imagine this is a social call, given the secrecy.”

“Not, it is not… Shiro. Are you listening?”

“I’m here,” Shiro murmurs, stepping into view. Keith notices from the corner of his eye as Adam slips into the grotto. Keith stays out of view of the call, leans up against the wall, arms folded. He can practically see Lance shaking, hands twisting in his lap.

“Right. Where to begin…”

“Take your time,” Lotor says, tucking a lock of silver hair behind his ear. “I will listen.”

Keith suddenly remembers that Lotor is several decaphoebs older than they are, has been given more power and responsibility. Lotor actually knows what he's doing. Lance is just doing the best he can.

“Right.” Lance takes a deep breath. May the Ancients forgive what he’s about to do. “I recently received word that there are rumors running through my court that Altea still prepares for war with Daibazaal. Looking into it, one of my associates discovered a hidden war room we believe is connected to my father’s laboratory.” Lance closes his mouth, waits to see if Lotor has anything to say.

Lotor’s frown deepens, brows furrow, but he merely gestures for Lance to continue. Lance sits up a little straighter, hands in his lap. His fingers clench so tight his knuckles are white even against his brown skin. Keith can see him tremble, hear every rattle of his lungs as he takes a deep breath.

“I do not know if King Alfor intends to invade or if he is simply concocting contingency plans in case you choose to betray us, but… In the event that my father does launch an attack on Daibazaal and her people, I humbly request asylum for myself, my husband, and our associates. My people will not survive another war with Daibazaal. They are tired, and our numbers have begun to dwindle. Children are fewer and we have lost many soldiers. I do not wish to put them through another war.

“I am quickly gaining the respect and love of my citizens. If I side with you, they may yet turn against my father if such a thing occurs. Siding with Daibazaal is my people’s greatest chance. And… It is my husband’s only chance. If King Alfor chooses to turn on Daibazaal, he will surely kill him. I would not have him die.

“Please, Prince Lotor. I beg of you, help me save my people.”

There's a long stretch of silence where no one speaks, where the entire grotto holds its breath. Keith gapes, eyes wide, mind reeling at the image of his spouse. He hasn’t seen this version of Lance yet, this version with the one thing his father lacks entirely: humility.

Lance kneels with his head bowed before a foreign prince, before the man he only a little while ago called his enemy. The circlet on his head, shining in his white hair suddenly means so much more than Keith ever gave it credit for. It’s a heavier thing than ever he knew.

“It’s a little early to commit treason, given your evidence.” Lotor hums. “But not necessarily inappropriate given our circumstances. I find it interesting that you have heard the exact same rumors I have, seemingly within a movement of my hearing them.”

Lance lifts his head. Keith can see his throat bob as he swallows. “You have heard the same?”

“Yes, though it is not clear who is the assumed aggressor… I silenced the rumors as soon as I heard them. The only Altean to travel to Daibazaal since your wedding has been your attendant, Adam. Do you trust him?” In a manner of speaking, Keith thinks.

“Completely. I sent him to investigate the rumor and do some research for me.”

“So he traveled here after you caught wind of the rumor. Very interesting… What of outside our little system?”

“You’re implying we may share an outside enemy?”

“It’s more than possible.” Lotor sighs, leaning back in his chair. “Let us look into outsiders before we look into each other, shall we? We’ll give our fathers the benefit of the doubt for now. But should King Alfor turn against us, you and yours will be welcomed. I would not have your people condemned based upon the wayward whims of their king.

“In the meantime, let’s you and I come up with ways in which we might better present a united front. Perhaps I could come visit. I’ll bring Allura, and Romelle is well enough to travel. We can… I don’t know, wander together about the city or something.”

“There is the Frost Ball. It’s as tedious and lame as it sounds, so you might as well come and shake things up. I shall tell my father that I invited you. I’m deeply sorry that I forgot to run it by him first.”

Lotor smiles. “That sounds perfect. Hopefully we can find an excuse to bring you to Daibazaal soon enough.”

“I think Prince Yorak would like that.” Lance finally smiles, eyes sliding to Keith. He’s still shaking, having essentially promised to commit conditional treason, but Keith sees that weight on his head lighten just enough for the crown prince to straighten his shoulders again. "Truth be told, I would like that as well."

“Excellent. In the meantime, let us look into our outside relations and see what we can find. I will confer with you as soon as possible.”

Lance bows his head again. “You have my deepest thanks, Prince Lotor. From myself, and my people, though they do not know it.”

This time, when Prince Lotor smiles, it’s sad. “And you, Crown Prince Lancel, have my deepest respect. Let us pray that your people never need know what transpired today. Farewell.”

“Farewell,” Lance whispers, head still bowed. Lotor ends the conference, and the comms unit goes dormant. Lance heaves an exhausted sigh.

Keith stares. Lance would give up his seat, give up any chance at a relationship with his father, give anything, everything to see his people safe. Keith knew this already, of course. He’s known it from the quintant they met.

But to betray the Crown is to surrender his crown, and Lance stares that possibility in the face, trembles, but does not flinch. Keith moves from his place against the wall, begins working feeling back into Lance’s cramped hands.

Keith has spent his entire life resenting royalty. They’re the ones who took his mother away, the ones who caused the death of his father. Thanks to them, Keith spent eleven long decaphoebs of his childhood alone and isolated from civilization. Still, it’s here, in the presence of a fearful, inexperienced youth destined to one day be a king, that Keith feels at home for the first time since he was six decaphoebs old.

So, he makes a move in its own way as bold as Lance’s. Keith lays a gentle hand against Lance’s cheek, coaxes the Altean to meet his eyes. Despite the fear there, those eyes do not waver. Lance does. not. flinch. And neither does Keith as he gently presses their brows together, brushes his thumb over those blue scales. They’re iridescent like Lotor’s, Keith suddenly notices, shimmering red where the light hits them. A heart full of love for his people and fire for their survival.

Lance’s breath comes ragged and fast. Keith closes his eyes, takes deep, cleansing breaths, waits for his spouse to match up with him. There’s a sniffle, something wet where Keith brushes his thumb over Lance’s scales again. He takes Lance’s hand -It’s larger than his own, he finally realizes- and holds it against his chest, over the greater of his hearts.

Lance shifts forward, rests his brow against Keith’s collarbone, and Keith embraces him without a second thought. It matters not what happens next, what the higher royals choose to do with the toys they call people. Keith will not be coming back from this.

He will not be coming back from Lance.

[orsino-the-enchanter]

📕 - "Read to my muse" perhaps? (the-old-and-the-hapless)

Orsino’s brows furrowed as he scanned the shelves of the old Skyhold library one more time.

Both he and Alexius had agreed that it was the best place to turn into a proper arcane laboratory and study spot for the needs of the Inquisition, but despite their combined efforts to make the place as welcoming and cozy as possible, still they were the only ones who’d venture into it with delight. Dorian always complained that it was too dreary for his tastes and that it reeked of blood magic, Vivienne looked down upon it for being too cold and humid; even Solas found some excuse to make the rotunda his studying place instead. Orsino was pretty sure that Alexius wouldn’t set foot into that place either if it wasn’t for the fire glyphs they had drewn onto the stone floor -of course neither he or Alexius bothered to inform Vivienne of that development because noone would want her stick her snobby nose into their research-. Or if it wasn’t hosting all the equipment and books he had shipped from his family home in Tevinter, for that matter. 

For now, the ex magister layed on a velvet recliner under four blankets, cradling a cup of herbal tea -a dalish cold remedy that Orsino tried to make a bit more palatable for the tevinter’s refined tastes, to little avail as he suspected-. It was only natural that sooner or later the harsh weather would wear upon Alexius’ disposition, which was already burdened by all manners of hardship since he came south -be it his imprisonment, his crossing of the freezing fereldan terrain upon his escape from Haven, his endless hours of resarch and teaching and so on. It certainly wasn’t like Alexius was going to die because of a simple cold, but knowing how stubborn the magister could be, Orsino didn’t want to take any chances either. 

However, of all the books there, there were so few to read to a sick person. 

Sighing, Orsino retrieved an old dusty tome and returned to Alexius side. 

“Forgive me for the poor selection, vhenan. I am afraid our library is lacking in the literature department, although its academic one is oversupplied I’d say. And before you complain, yes, I used to read this to children back in the Gallows; if it benefitted them it will benefit you also.”

He added some more tea to the magister’s cup, opened the book and assumed the grandiloquent tone that bards usually used when reciting their tales.

“The  circle's  turns  that  rise  and fall, and those  of the  wheel  that  now  mount high  and  now  plummet  to  the  depths, time's changes  that  never  rest  but advance   and  speed  to  good  and  evil,  the  turmoil   of  arms,  hostilities, suffering,  the  power  of  Cupid and the  charm  of  friendship  -  all  these  have today  moved me to tell the story of what they caused and  brought for a maid and  a  youth  who  were  enmeshed  in  a  pure  and  blameless love. So whoever  has  at  some  time  been  a  slave  to  passion,   let  him  come  and hearken  to  what  is  here  written...” 

[kirayun]

The Journey Of Destiny (Eng Version) - S1E00: Prologue

(This is the version translated with Google Translate of my fic in Italian. And just an attempt to see if posting in dual language can work. Let me know if for those who read in English it is understandable or is it better if I leave it alone, do not worry about tell me.)

AO3 Link

Summary: "Billions of dollars of equipment at your disposal, and I beat you with a laptop that I won in a bet?"

In a similar universe, but at the same time different, the meeting in advance of two destined souls changes the unfolding of events forever. 

The cell phone alarm woke her from sleep, her eyes opened in the darkness of the van and one arm reached out to light the lamp so as to illuminate the tiny space on wheels where the girl lived.

For Skye a new day had begun, a day she would normally use to take a step closer to her goal, her constant pursuit, research that was now hampered by the empty space between her electronic equipment where she normally kept her computer. Just yesterday the laptop had abandoned her forever, deciding to die beyond repair.

After a last look and a sigh, Skye got up to begin her usual morning routine.

.

Skye came out of the diner's employees' bathroom next to the alley where she used to park the van, she had an agreement with the elderly owner couple that allowed Skye to use it to freshen up in exchange for her help in advertising the place on the internet and social media.

She nodded to the clerk behind the counter, a short red-haired young girl under twenty, although she couldn't see him because she was busy with the coffee machine

"Hey Grace"

The waitress, Grace, looked around and smiled at the sight of who had called her

"Skye hello, the usual?"

"Sure, you know how I like it," she said ambiguously and adding a wink, knowing it would provoke a reaction in the younger girl.

Grace's reaction was as expected: flush in her cheeks and she stumbled backwards slightly bumping a jug of coffee that nearly fell off the shelf behind her. "Skye!"

A small laugh went out from the hacker. "You know I only make fun of you."  

A nod from the redhead confirmed his statement. "Sure, sure, but in the meantime you almost made me break a jug ... again!" She made the point by waving the object that had nearly been destroyed in front of her.

After another little laugh from Skye, things resumed normally. She hadn't lied that his behavior was just to tease her, in fact, despite her bisexuality and her penchant for pretty, innocent-looking girls, the younger redhead was almost like a younger sister to her. Ever since she started going to the diner, the two had empathized with their similar family background, not knowing where you really come from and who your parents were.

The only difference was that as much as Grace accepted the life she now had and moved on with it, Skye couldn't do the same and was determined to find the answers she sought.

If only his computer had not dumped

.

Jemma Simmons walked along the sidewalk with her laptop bag over her shoulder and her cell phone to her ear.

"Mom I told you, I'm just waiting for Fitz and me to be assigned to the new job, Agent Weaver assured me it will be high profile but it still takes some time before it's ready."

As she continued to advance the girl noticed a small diner, an ideal place where she could stop and try to solve the problem that had arisen the night before.

"Look, I have to leave you…," she listened for a moment. "Yes, I love you too, and tell me ..." But she was interrupted by a man in a hurry who bumped into her and who continued to advance without even looking back.

After glancing disapprovingly at the direction where the man had gone, she put the phone back to her ear hearing her mother's voice asking if she was still on the line. "Yes, sorry ... yes, everything is fine ... yes I'll call you soon ...," and after a last goodbye the call ended and she walked into the diner.

.

Jemma had sat at a small table against one of the windows and was trying to solve something on the laptop while she was sipping the tea she had ordered earlier. She was thinking of having something to eat, but she wanted to fix this first.

The counter was behind her but she could hear the red-haired waitress, Grace if she remembered her nameplate correctly, jokingly arguing with another girl named Skye. Out of curiosity she was about to turn her head to see the scene when a large error message appears on the computer.

“No, no! Don't do this to me… ”But nothing, as she typed in several commands, the machine didn't respond.

All this attracted the attention of Skye who seeing the laptop and the girl from the back decided to get up from the counter and approach her table. "Any problems with the computer?" She asked and waited for the other girl to notice her.

When Jemma looked up at the new voice, she and Skye met eyes for the first time and for a moment everything seemed to stop. Both girls momentarily forgot what they were doing there or even who they were, too busy examining who they were in front of and the particular and invisible energy that a single glance had created between them. It didn't feel like a look from two strangers, it was as if they had always known each other and were just re-meeting after a very long time. Neither of the girls, however, had processed all this in their mind, it was more an unconscious feeling hidden inside them.    

After a few seconds, Jemma's brain finally processed the question. "What? ..." she was the first to recover from that strange feeling that was soon forgotten by both of them and that brought them back to the present. "... Oh yeah, and since last night he's been giving me trouble and today he seems to be totally crazy opening a bunch of random stuff at once and not responding to any commands I give him which is really weird because he's new and just for I use it for work but I didn't even have time to do anything about it because it immediately created problems, by now I have resigned myself to the fact that it must have some manufacturing defect and that I will have to change it. " She said it all at once and so quickly with even a few hand gestures that Skye couldn't help but find the lovely thing, that accent then…

Skye glanced at the screen as she ducked a little toward it. "Trust me, I know something about computers ditching you, mine just melted a few days ago ... but yours doesn't seem hopeless ...," she raised her posture and pointed to where the other girl was sitting. "I can? I'm Skye anyway. " Taking advantage of the moment also to introduce yourself.

Jemma understood the meaning of the question, nodded affirmatively and moved over the bench, letting Skye sit next to her. After all, what did it cost to let this girl give it a try? She knew that SHIELD would pay her another without a problem, part of her benefits as a scientist was the ability to have various equipment put on the expense account. And if while observing yet another failure to save him she was stirred inside by the close presence of this girl ... well Jemma certainly wouldn't have objected. "Jemma, and I don't think you're going to get anything out of him." By now she had already given up anyway.

Skye turned her head to Jemma looking into her eyes again. “So little confidence in my abilities ?,” she said using a slightly softer voice but not over the top.

"I don't know you, I can't know what your abilities are." Jemma replied with a smirk and a little playful voice, without even realizing the subtle flirtation the two had started.

"Yet you did not hesitate to immediately assume that I would fail." Skye said in the same tone as the other girl.

"I wasn't underestimating your possible computer skills, I'm just stating the facts based on the evidence I've been subjected to in the last fourteen hours." Jemma was trying to use logic in this "discussion". It was no longer about the computer, but who would have the last word on the other first.

Skye, sensing a slight hint of defiance in Jemma's argument, decided she definitely needed to impress the girl while at the same time keeping her hacker ego high. She brought her face a little closer to her. "Do you bet I can fix it?" His tone was doubtless defiant now.

Jemma didn't pull back and fold her arms as if to affirm it. “Let's do this, you said yours broke a few days ago right? If by a miracle you manage to make it work properly you can keep it, as I said so much it's new and I haven't put anything personal on it yet. "

Skye raised an eyebrow at this. "What if I don't succeed?"

"Then you buy me breakfast." Jemma answered without hesitation. At least she could get a meal with Skye and the morning wouldn't be ruined by the laptop disaster.

"This sounds like a win either way to me." Again the flirtation had made its appearance and to increase it all she even gave a wink.

Taken aback by the sudden audacity, Jemma looked down and blushed. The two remained in their positions for a few seconds, until Skye stopped looking at her and focused again on the laptop.

So for the next few minutes the young hacker did her magic and the biochemist watched her sipping her tea. For Jemma there was something special about this girl she had just met, she didn't know why, but she felt that today something had changed. She did not know what, in what quantity and how this would affect her from now on, she only knew that the meeting with Skye had shifted the axis of her life in an unpredictable way and she was curious what this would bring. The logical part of her brain, which was the one she usually used, said that it was a bit of an exaggeration to think so of a person with whom she had just exchanged a few words and who was now trying to solve her laptop, a laptop that moreover she had promised as part of the bet. But this time Jemma couldn't listen to that logical part of her, too busy with these new sensations. Nor was the "girl" part the problem since she never hid her bisexuality from anyone.

"Done! Like New!"

Skye's sudden voice roused Jemma from her thoughts, and once she understood what she had said, she moved the laptop towards her and stared at the screen. And indeed the computer now seemed to be back in place, the desktop in front of her was normal, and after a few tests, she could confirm that the device was responding to every command she gave it. "How did you do that?!" Jemma was not ignorant on the subject, you don't get two doctorates at a very young age without using computers, let alone having attended the Academy of Science and Technology at SHIELD, and yes perhaps this would have been more subject for the Academy of Communications, but she could say she could manage a little and recognize when a case was lost. But Skye had managed to solve everything in a few minutes.

"Secrets of the trade." These words and a small shrug were Skye's only response, along with a satisfied smirk that wouldn't leave his lips.

Jemma smiled along with her, and after looking at the laptop one last time, she closed it and lifted it with one hand to give it to Skye "Well, so now this is yours"

"Wait, were you serious ?!" Honestly, when Jemma told Skye the stakes, she didn't think she would actually have her laptop if she fixed it. Who does it with a stranger ?!

"Absolutely, a bet is a bet, and then my job will pay me a new one without any problems, it's part of my benefits." Jemma said with conviction.

"But won't they want the old one to check?" It couldn't be that simple.

“I will say that it ended up under a car and that there were only so many pieces left to throw away. Quiet I'm a pretty respected girl in my work area, I'm not usually the "Bad Girl Shenanigans" type. " The advantage of being a girl who usually never breaks the rules is doing what is expected of her, but spending time with Skye kept making her question a lot of things. Jemma handed the laptop to the girl once more, hoping that she would finally take her winnings.

Skye eventually gave up and accepted it, not believing her luck: she had met a beautiful girl and won a new laptop that only needed a quick reprogramming, or at least quick as far as her personal computer skills are concerned.

Once again the two girls were staring at each other, trying to figure out what they should be saying now, but then Jemma glanced at the diner's wall clock and revived all at once. “I didn't realize it was so late! My best friend is waiting for me! " She was due to meet with Fitz very soon. She stood up and quickly gathered her things, minus the laptop of course, "can you ..." she waved her hand to the fact that being seated next to her could not leave the table.

Skye, who had been immobilized by this sudden turn of events, realized the request. "Uh, sure ..." she got up to let her pass, still wondering how it was all ending so quickly.

Once clear of the table and leaving the money for the waitress, Jemma looked at Skye. "Sorry but I really have to go, my friend will kill me if I'm late, we have this dendrotoxin project and soon we'll be called back to our work ...," she quickly realized that the other girl looked confused about that. who had just said, "... sorry, forget it, big words from a scientist." The smile Skye gave in return made her smile too. "So I'm going ..." And after a last hesitation, she headed for the exit of the diner.

Skye finally recovered and ran to join Jemma who was now on the sidewalk outside the diner looking for a Taxi. "Jemma wait ... and what about that breakfast?" She asked trying on one last note of flirtation.

As the Taxi arrived, the biochemist turned to her. “You won the bet, didn't you? You'll have to settle for the laptop and wait for the next time. ”The big smile on Jemma's face confirmed it all.

"Look, I'm counting on it!" Today it seemed that neither of the girls ever stopped smiling at each other.

Jemma nodded and after having a final look at the other girl got into the Taxì, leaving a few seconds later.

Skye stood there staring until the car was out of sight, then returned to the diner. Only once inside did she realize something… they hadn't exchanged phone numbers! She immediately ran to the table with her new laptop hoping Jemma was lying when she said she hadn't put anything personal in it yet, but unfortunately for her after a few minutes she realized that in fact there was really no information that would allow her to track it down. Skye didn't even know her last name! This was an absolute disaster for her, far worse than how she had felt when she woke up without a computer to work on.

Grace, seeing her agitation, approached her. "Are you all right Skye?" Asked the young waitress.

Skye shook her head and looked up at her friend "I feel like I just missed the chance of a lifetime ..."

Grace, who had been watching Skye and the English girl interact the whole time, immediately understood what she meant. "Well you know ... if it is meant to be I'm sure that in some you will be able to meet her again, who knows, life always has a way to surprise you, you'll see," also adding an encouraging smile.

As the redhead got back to work, Skye stared out of the diner window reflecting on her words and the entire encounter with Jemma. Even though she didn't have the same confidence as Grace, just looking at how long she still looked for where she came from and who her parents were, she had the feeling that something really special had happened today and maybe this wouldn't be the only time. she would see Jemma.

But for now she no longer had time for these thoughts, or rather, she had other people to look for. And thanks to her new laptop, she could get back to work to attract the attention of a certain secret organization…

The End... or not?

What do you think? Should I continue? Is the translated version understandable and legible or should I leave it alone and limit myself to those in Italian? Don't worry to be honest, I prefer to know right away if it works or not.

[wispyatomica]

Vyori’s Crew

 So this is just a compilation of the crew mates on Vyori’s ship and a little bio on them. I might actually start writing a story for my characters, but I’m not sure yet. We’ll see. There is a long read under the cut, hence why its a read more past Vyori’s bio. If anyone is interested in helping me write a story or RPing with my characters just DM me <3 :3 

Vyori - Captain - Vyori was born to modest Hylotl parents in one of the various undersea cities established in wake of the Floran/Hylotl war. When Vyori was born, she was unfortunately born with a defective third eye. Her parents were able to remove the non-functional eye and repair the indenture to her skull so that it would seem mostly normal. Despite her parents doing this, she was less favored than her brother who often received more praise for less work and effort. Her scar made it hard for her to blend in to her surroundings in the city, often picked on by other Hylotl kids for her “lack of true sight.” It made Vyori despise most of her own people as she never valued the Hylotl above other species in the world. At the first opportunity she saw she left her ocean city for the Protectorate program on Earth, and after escaping the destruction of the planet on a dead Hylotl’s ship, she started a new life for herself. 

After repairing her ship’s FTL drive, she began to explore the stars as she had dreamed of doing as a young Hylotl. She was able to make a new family of her own, meeting up with Stormspear, Windmarch, and Finn shortly after her ship was repaired and expanding her crew-family from there. Happily married to Windmarch, Vyori is very level-headed and mild mannered. She strives to analyze a situation without rushing in on emotions. If you threaten her loved ones however, there is little mercy left for you. (Especially if you dare threaten or harm Windmarch) She is respectful to her elders and to other’s cultures, finding the varying species and their traditions all intriguing in their own way. (The only race that Vyori is skeptical of is the Avian race, as she feels that they are too dependent on their deity.) 

Stormspear - Medic - One of the original three members of Vyori’s crew, Stormspear is the senior most officer on the ship with Vyori’s highest level of trust and respect. He is much of a father figure to Vyori after her a shaky relationship with her birth parents due to her birth deformity. Stormspear provided a much more nurturing and loving relationship than her true Hylotl parents, and after discovering her poor history with said parents, Stormspear declared Vyori to be his adopted daughter.  Vyori gave him a necklace she had intended to return to her birth father, feeling as though it belonged to her new “father” instead. Stormspear wears this necklace with pride. 

As the senior most officer on the ship, Vyori consults with him and Windmarch when it comes to on ship disagreements or salvaging missions. He is always ready to dispense his wisdom to his adoptive daughter. 

Benyahi - Soldier - A Floran soldier recruited by Vyori after he saved her life in a Floran hunting ground. Ben, for short, is very short tempered but loyal to the core and will always be there for his team. He finds his best companionship in Finn and Bebi aboard the ship, as well as his lover Zahia. It is Zahia who is often able to calm him down should someone or something set of his anger. Vyori is mindful of his temper, but she takes advantage of his combat skill in training with him aboard the ship to improve her own combat abilities. 

Chiyoko - Medic - A Hylotl student taken under the wing of Stormspear after showing an increased intelligence in the medical field. Due to her Hylotl species she is much easier adept at taking care of and treating Vyori herself when she is incapacitated. Chiyoko has a soft temperament, and prefers to not go out on excursions from the ship. She has done extensive research on genetics and has done her best to help Vyori with her birth defect. Through her work she has been able to make the indenture in Vyori’s skull virtually non-existent, improving on the surgeon’s work from her childhood surgery. 

Bebi - Mechanic - Befriended not long after Benyahi and Zahia joined the ship, Bebi showed an interest in the mechanics of the ship versus the typical fighting nature of the Florans. He quickly took to Windmarch, the ship’s head mechanical engineer and learned quickly how to assist in repairs to the ship as well as keeping the on board research equipment up to date and functional. 

Ren - Tailor - As the older brother, Ren and Vyori have a very strained relationship. While their anatomical similarties are stunning, leading many to believe that Ren is her twin brother, their personalities are strikingly different. Ren deserted their family when he was old enough to escape, and ended up becoming a wandering fashion designer. Through the years Vyori truly never expected to find him again, but she found him struggling to survive on a lunar base. Being sympathetic, she decided to let him come live on her ship in exchange for his tailor services for her crew. Their sibling relationship was further strained when it was revealed she was married to Windmarch, a Glitch. Ren does hold strongly to Hylotl values of purity and tranquility, and doesn’t take very lightly to her mixed marriage, as it often results in many many arguments. 

Ren is very spiteful, and willing to take advantage of anyone and everyone in order to further himself until his luck runs out and he has to start over from the beginning. Having very little sympathy for any race or species aside from other Hylotl. A explosive physical fight aboard Vyori’s ship resulted in her dropping her brother off on a desolate planet to fend for himself, rendering him no longer an active member of Vyori’s crew.

Windmarch - Lead Mechanic - Windmarch joined Vyori’s ship right along side Stormspear. He was one of the original three members of the crew, and while he was always a little bit more quiet, he was very adept at learning and adjusting to new environments. Working closely with Vyori to keep her ship in working order until another mechanic could be employed he developed a crush on her. With encouragement from Finn, Windmarch gained the courage to actually ask Vyori to be his girlfriend. Their first year together aboard the ship saw both Windmarch and Vyori just barely escaping death, with Vyori bringing a severely damaged Windmarch back to Stormspear after being ganged up on by some bandits. Later on it was Vyori who was victim to a group of Avian she had encountered in her first few months aboard her ship who swore vengeance on her for claiming the treasures of a Avian tomb for herself. When Vyori was in recovery with Chiyoko, Windmarch proposed to her and as soon as she was healed the two were happily married. 

Windmarch is a very happy and go-lucky Glitch, always preferring optimism to pessimism. While he is typically a very open Glitch, he still has his serious side that will show when those he loves are threatened. (Seriously, if you threaten Vyori or Finn you are going to fucking die by his hands.)

Finn - Soldier - As one of the few survivors of Earth’s destruction, Finn was recruited on Vyori’s ship alongside Windmarch and Stormspear. Finn was very close to Windmarch, and was the biggest supporter of his pursuit of Vyori. It was through Finn’s encouragement that Windmarch and Vyori ended up in a happy relationship. Despite being a soldier, at heart Finn only fights to protect those that he truly cares for, having found that in his found family aboard Vyori’s ship. 

Badde - Chemist - As the sole chemist aboard Vyori’s ship, Badde is the first consult for Stormspear and Chiyoko when it comes to adapting new medications and other supplements that can benefit the health and performance of others on the ship. Badde was a sort of outcast in his home town, having desired a higher calling than the simple country life of his fellow Novakids. 

Zahia - Engineer - As far as Florans go, Zahia is one of the smartest, becoming a master of engineering at a young age. Zahia was brought aboard Vyori’s ship accompanying Benyahi as they were secret lovers looking for a chance to flee their home. With Benyahi saving Vyori’s life in the Floran Hunting ground on their native planet, Zahia quickly jumped at the opportunity for adventure. Should there ever arise an issue with the ship, Zahia is the one to call for the quick repair and fix.

Yach - Engineer - An engineering student to Zahia, Yach was promising on his home planet as he strove to discover the truth behind the ancient technology of Avian temples and tombs. While Vyori, Chiyoko, and Zahia were on a frozen tundra taking refuge from a particularly bad snowstorm in his home village, Yach was inquisitive about their travels and everything they learned. Zahia was eager to share his knowledge with the fledgling, and with the blessing of Kluex and his family he joined Vyori’s crew. 

Yrian - Janitor - Yrian was part of a wandering group of humans traveling from star to star, struggling to survive on what little resources and a derelict dying spaceship. When Vyori touched down to the planet they had resided on temporarily, she helped to repair their desolate ship as best as they could so that they had a better chance of survival. Yrian was so moved by her compassion, that he practically begged to be a part of her crew, offering his service as a cleaner and janitor for the ship. While most would look down on this position, Yrian is perfectly content with his job and strives to make sure the ship is immaculate. 

[jawnjendes]

bonus: why is their luck in a deeply sad moment? | shawn mendes

some type of au idk man, shawn x goth ex gf

WARNING: there is talk of death and suicide in this chapter. read at your own risk.

AN: i cant squeeze this into the next big fic nor can i fit it into shawn meets bc everyone hated it so its a bonus in the gg story lmao also im starying the Next Big Fic in a few days :)

masterlist | annalise’s playlist

2026.

"Sometimes I think about the what ifs,"  Ann said, “but I like where I am. I like what I’ve made for myself.”

Shawn had to invite her over to his house a second time, because the first time left him with many questions unanswered. He couldn’t be mad at what she said, though. He was in the same boat; he liked the life he made. You know, without the crushing loss and run in with the supernatural.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” he told her, and he really meant it. “I’m glad we were able to successfully do our own things straight after breaking up.”

“Nothing like filling the void in your heart with work!” Ann replied with a giggle. She moved a strand of hair behind her ear, and that’s when Shawn noticed something.

He took her hand and noticed a tattoo on the side of her middle finger: The Triforce.

“You got inked?” he asked, impressed.

“Oh, that’s nothing,” she replied, grabbing her sleeve to roll it up.

There was a sword on her inner arm. It was varying in shades of blue, and it also had the Triforce on it. Shawn recognized it as the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda games.

“All this is is proof that I’m a nerd,” Ann said as she rolled her sleeve back down. “I notice you have some more ink also… and that you still wear shirts half buttoned.” She pointed to his chest.

Her finger poked the exposed skin. It shouldn’t have been as tingly as it was. Shawn smiled and placed his hand over his chest.

“More than just that,” he told her. “But I can’t show you all of them.”

Maybe it was a little risky to say that. Shawn would have taken it back if Ann’s cheeks hadn’t gone a shade of pink.

“I could say the same thing…”

Shawn quickly came to learn just how many tattoos Ann had gotten over the years. A snake and tombstones on her other arm. Feather on her collarbone, roses on her shoulder. A quote reading, “...but I’m not anymore” with stars around it on her ribcage. Something on her wrist that Shawn didn’t catch because he was busy pressing his lips to her hips and taking off her pants, where he found another tattoo. “Lucky you.” He certainly felt it.

Everything about their time together was so familiar, so easy and almost home-like. Ann’s skin touching his. Her lips perfectly molding over his. The quiet, needy gasps they both released into the bedroom. It was like going back in time, and they were in Shawn’s Toronto apartment instead of his multimillion dollar condo in LA. It was soft and slow, despite Shawn pinning Ann’s arms above her head. He didn’t outgrow that particular move, and she still seemed to like it.

Shawn had never been happier to have been on a break more than now. Most one night stands in the past began and ended very quickly, because he was on tour or in between interviews or on a break for one day. This was one person that he didn’t want to leave behind. They lied down, sweaty and dazed, facing each other. It was silent, but not awkward. Everything had a nice haze around it.

That was also when Shawn finally made out what the tattoo on Ann’s wrist was. He picked his head up in confusion.

“Is… are those torches?” he asked. “Upside down? Just like mine… and are those my initials?”

It was simple line art, less intricate than his own. Torches in an X, with “SM” right below them. Shawn has been floored many times, and this was no exception.

Ann picked her head up as well. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Shawn looked down at his chest, his torches were exactly the same, sans the initials. He wanted to give Ann the benefit of the doubt, that this wasn’t some creepy fangirl thing. Some of his one night stands ended up like that, and it wasn’t exactly easy to forget.

“It’s for a friend of mine,” Ann explained, sitting up and covering her front with the blanket. She took note of the look on Shawn’s face. “Keeping someone’s light on beyond death, remember? I assume yours is for someone too.”

They were both sitting up now, and Shawn relaxed. However, he only relaxed a little bit because now it was time to get deep.

“Mine’s for Brian. He died last year.”

Ann’s face fell. “No. Brian, your best friend? Brian, the one who constantly took the piss outta me?”

He nodded. “He was… there was an accident. Flight of stairs. Instantly killed.” It was all lies, but no human would understand.

A hand went over his, squeezing. “I’m so sorry. He just, he just fell down some stairs?”

“A lot of stairs. I don’t know I guess he was running or something. There was no way to save him. People in the house heard the crash, but by the time they found him - when I found him - it was too late.” He had told this version many times, enough times to where he could almost believe it himself.

“Fuck, man. That’s… that’s fucking terrible,” Ann said sympathetically. “But I seriously can’t believe you just told me that.”

“Why?”

“Because now I have to tell you that mine is for Stella. Those are her initials.”

Stella Martinez. Now Shawn felt a little stupid… but surprised, and he was met with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He couldn’t believe it for a second, but it fully processed in his head, and his heart began to break.

“Stella from college? Stella, who was your literal opposite and also your best friend?”

Ann solemnly nodded. Then she looked down. “She… she killed herself.”

Shawn was stunned into silence, the tightness in his chest only intensifying. The entire time he knew Stella, she was always so positive and bubbly. She was the opposite of suicidal. That’s why it was such a shock… and so sad. Oh god, who was going to tell Camila?

“When did Brian go to the other side?” Ann asked after a moment.

“A year ago last month,” Shawn replied. “And Stella?”

Ann raised an eyebrow. “Two years ago last month...”

It was a strange coincidence, but still upsetting. Both Shawn and Ann lost their best friends at the same time of the year. The urge to spill everything was thick in the air. Still, neither of them said anything for a while.

Instead, Ann reached down to the floor to pick up her clothes. Shawn’s eyes were stuck on her and that was when he spotted another word on her back. Nightmare. Small font, right shoulder blade, surrounded by a cluster of skulls. Then, he realized what she was doing.

“Are you leaving?”

She looked up, bra in hand. She was quiet as she put it back on.

“No. No, I’m not going anywhere.”

And she crawled back into bed. She made the point to keep a distance from Shawn, who was still naked. He was on his side, looking at the woman before him. Only Ann could have sex with him and bring up the subject of death. That brought a new point to mind.

“How do you enjoy death?” he asked. “I think I’ve asked you this before, but after losing someone and attending their funeral, I’m having a hard time understanding your perspective.”

Ann took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t enjoy the act of dying. People die every day in horrible ways. People mourn and fall into depression because of death. That’s not something to enjoy.”

“So what’s your deal with it?”

“I’m just embracing the face that it’s inevitable. I do that for myself. I will die eventually, or tomorrow-”

Shawn made a face; he didn’t like that thought.

“It doesn’t make it any easier when someone I know goes,” Ann continued. “You’d think with all the research I’ve done it would be. The ones we love leave this mortal plane, and all they leave is their absence. And that alone is a lot to process.”

“What’s the hardest part?”

“The what if’s.”

Shawn asked because he really wanted to know more about what happened to Stella. He had to know the things that led up to the tragedy, mostly because he knew Camila would ask for details, even if they were hard to hear.

He figured he should spill his side first.

“The last thing I said to Brian was to get the hell out of my room,” he began. “We were fighting, fighting over something so fucking stupid, and I was so pissed at him. That was our last interaction. He fell down the stairs because he was trying to find me in this big huge mansion…”

Ann sat up a little bit, hand over her chest. “Here?”

“Oh no, not here. I was staying at a friend’s house in London for a work thing. Place was huge, easy to get lost in,” Shawn clarified. “Brian, Andrew, all of them were leaving back to Toronto and I didn’t want to go just yet. Part of it was because I was still pissed. Maybe if I had run into him first before he fell… If I hadn’t kicked him out of my room a few nights prior… If I was less of an asshole…”

“Maybe you would have slipped on the stairs,” Ann told him. “Maybe you guys would have had an even bigger argument later that would have ended your friendship. There’s no way to tell, and sometimes that’s what sucks the most.”

Huh. Most people tell him not to dwell on it. No wonder Ann was a shrink now.

“Losing someone is one of the hardest things we, as humans, have to face,” she said. “It’s not easy in the slightest. Besides, the grieving period takes about three to five years, so you - we - are still in the beginning stages of it. Thinking about the what ifs, what you want to change, what you wish you could say to Brian - all of that is normal.”

The two of them let those words settle for a moment. Shawn’s eyes were a little misty, and redirecting the topic was probably not going to help. But he laid his stuff out on the table.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Me?”

“Your what ifs?”

Ann paused, looking around the room. “What if I had put my Master’s to use and noticed the goddamn signs?”

Shawn watched her, hoping she would at least return the eye contact.

“I’m an expert in this shit,” she said. “I have the years of school, the degrees, and the licenses for detecting things like this. I only figured it out the moment her dad called me.”

“How do you detect when someone is suicidal?”

“In her case, she was elated. When someone makes that decision, they reach a state of euphoria because they know their pain is about to end.”

“But Stella was always-”

“Believe me, I know. I hadn’t talked to her since graduating in Toronto, so I thought she hadn’t changed at all. But I would see on her social media, she just moved back to her parents’ house in Florida, and she hinted that she wasn’t happy about it.”

As if Shawn couldn’t take another blow. Come to think of it, he never heard much about Stella’s home life. He didn’t even think that it could be a negative place for her.

“I was in Jacksonville for work,” Ann continued, “so I hit her up, and we met up for lunch. We talked for about an hour, and she said that I was always a good friend and college wife and that she’ll always love me. And my stone hearted ass just said ‘cool, you don’t suck’ and that was that. A month later, she’s as blue as the pills she took.”

“Ooo…” Shawn sighed, cringing at that mental image. Sweet, warm hearted Stella cold and lifeless. Call it morbid, awful thinking, but Shawn wished Brian looked like that in death instead of the bloody mess he turned out to be.

“Yeah. And her parents had her embalmed and put in an airtight casket, but that’s a whole other rant.” Ann waved it off and lied back down.

Shawn didn’t know what else to do except lie down as well. While sharing the stories of how their friends died, he couldn’t help but feel just a little bit closer to Ann. The first time they met, it took fighting tooth and nail to get her to open up. Now, Shawn felt okay silently reached for her hand, and tenderly holding it in his.

Both of them winded up at the same awards show. Both lost their best friends. Both got the same type of tattoo to honor them. Neither of them anticipated meeting again. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

_______

goth gf taglist: @normalcyisoverrated-beyou @ilsolee @mendesromano @kitykatnumber @strangerliaa @iloveshawnieboi @someoneunimportantxx @goldenmndes @calyumthomas @shawnsunflower @shawnvvmendes @parkeraul @havethetimeeofyourlifee @chillingbythesea @wronglanemendes @softmendesss @peruvian-bae @theprivatewritings

[kaizerssaucywritings]

Champion’s Heart - Chap 1

Here is a hot little Voltron fiction where Lotor has discovered a certain Black Paladin out in space and is determined to break him in no matter the cost.  Original work: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13614250/1/

Lotor scowled ever so slightly at the stars outside his window. The open region of space was a reminder of what separated him from his goals. He had managed to capture one of the strongest in the universe, not just one of the ones who had nearly killed his father and crippled his empire, but the leader himself! The Black Paladin, the captain of the pitiful paladins that had thwarted the realm at every turn for nearly a year.

They had found him floating in space miles from the battle that had rendered his father comatose and brought him to their testing facility. There was something about the Black Paladin that enticed Lotor immensely. The amount of work they had put into his arm and the conditioning they had once tried to instill in him was incomplete! His warrior's heart had been fighting off their suggestions and their control and freeing him of it. Pouring over the research of the witch, he had found the cause. Although the alchemy they had performed on the man from the planet Terra Gaia was unbelievably powerful, the one component that was required to make it everlasting was for the Paladin to break - to shatter -  and give his consent. Something the witch had never managed to do, which was why he was going to do so!

Smirking, he stepped into the cell once more, his eyes lighting up with glee as he watched the dual haired man thrash in his bonds, his eyes open and unseeing, the Champion lost in the visions he was showing him. Lotor loved the cries of that one name!!! The Paladin of Red and fire would be his key! It was why Lotor had already sent out "leaked" footage of the Black Paladin in his torture. Lotor had set the bait, and now he just needed the little kitten to come and fall into his trap!

~~~

"Shiro! Shiro!?" Keith's voice rang out through the cold halls of the Galra battleship. There was no point in trying to be quiet now. Any benefit the element of surprise might have offered had been lost when the black-haired Paladin had run across the sentry guards moments before. He had to find Shiro, and it had to be quick. He could already hear the footsteps of the back up coming his way.

The Paladin of the Red Lion didn't want to admit it to himself, but this was when he was starting to regret coming here alone. Of course, he had come by himself. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. A quick in and out to get Shiro with none the wiser. One person would have an easier time infiltrating than four. At least that was the plan at the time. Now though, he wished the others were there to back him up.

Keith frowned as he readied his Bayard. The footsteps were getting closer. "Shiro!" He tried again, hoping the older Paladin could hear him and would be able to reply. That's when the guards showed up, and the Red Paladin had to move. Keith's sword sunk into the closest of the guards as he spun around and jumped to kick another away from him.

"Damnit!" There were more of them than he had expected. Way more. Perhaps too many. But of course, he refused to give up. He'd never give up. He had to find Shiro! He had to get Shiro out of there, away from the bastards torturing him. Unfortunately, even his relentless attacks couldn't keep up with the sheer amount of the guards coming at him. There were just too many.

The black-haired Paladin cried out when one of them managed to get in a hit that sent him flying. His back hit the wall hard, followed by his skull smacking into the smooth surface. It was enough to stun him as he dropped to the floor, losing his hold on his weapon and, for a moment, unable to move. A moment that they used to rush him and overpower him. For that moment, the Red Paladin couldn't help but think it was almost as if they had been ready for him. But that couldn't be possible, could it? Had Pidge been right? Had this been a trap? No... no... fuck! "NO!" He tried. He fought hard, but there was nothing he could do but struggle helplessly as the guards dragged him off.

"Let go of me! Get the fuck off me!" Keith hissed as he struggled against the hold the guards had on him, trying to pull his arms free of their grasp, trying to kick them. He just needed one of them to lose their footing, and he could fight free. He could punch the other one.

But there was no such luck. The Galra seemed to be ready for any move Keith made, and it was frustrating, only making the Red paladin curse louder and more viciously. Never had anything pissed him off like this situation. Keith felt so stupid as his mind began to badger him. He should have waited. But he couldn't have. Not knowing Shiro was there and hurt. He couldn't just sit back and wait for Pidge to check on the footage for them to form a plan. Keith HAD to go. He'd just had to. They finally knew where Shiro was, and they knew he was being hurt. How could anyone let that go on?

But now he, too, found himself stuck. The dark-haired male was bruised and hurt from his battle. He was tiring out quickly but, still, he refused to give in. To give up. That was until he saw where the guards were dragging him.

The moment they entered that room, those dark eyes grew wide. "Shiro!" Keith gasped, seeing their fearless leader strapped down like that. Helpless. Hurt. No one would know how seeing Shiro like that broke his heart.

~~~~

Shiro jerked from the confines of the visions. " KEITHHHHH!!" His voice was ragged from the scream of pain and fear, though not a concern for himself. Shiro had long since given up fearing for himself! The emotion was for the fiery black haired Paladin.

Lotor had made his intentions all too clear throughout his tortures here. He had even mocked Shiro as soon as he had sent out the footage of one of his more vicious sessions with the prince.

"Oh, imagine weak Keith's breaking heart as he sees you here, screaming and thrashing," he had mocked.

Shiro cringed as he felt those all too familiar fingers curling into his short black hair and pulling his head up to meet that gleeful yellow gaze. Shiro could almost hear the moment his heart stopped beating, and his breath left him as if he had been punched. Lotor was happy!!! Far too happy!! Oh god, what had he done? Had he given in without meaning to? His mind scrambled back over everything. No!!! It had been like always… images upon images of Keith thrashing and screaming in pain, moaning in forced pleasure... god... the memory made his aching rod throb all the more.

"Shiro!!!"

It was then that he heard it... and Shiro felt his soul die a little as he listened to that voice, that voice he had heard so many times… but now… now it was all too real. Shiro could hear it echoing off the walls in the hall... and he could see from that sick glee that it was not a vision! Keith, brave, foolish, innocent Keith had come for him... had arrived and was about to be captured because of him!

"Don't... god don't..." Shiro groaned weakly, tears welling up in his eyes as he saw that grin twist into something so sinister and evil he felt bile rising in his throat.

~~~~~~~

As the door opened, Shiro grimaced as that hand in his hair tightened, and his face was twisted towards the door, his eyes going huge as he saw Keith in amongst the guards. "Gods... Ke..ith... you shouldn't... be here!" he gasped, shaking his head only to groan as his hair was pulled so hard some of the locks ripped from his scalp.

Keith frowned, hearing Shiro and was, for a moment, angry. "What the fuck do you mean? How could I no..." The Red Paladin had more to growl but was cut off hearing Lotor.

"Now, Champion!!! You should be thanking young Keith!!!  After all, he came here for you," Lotor purred, leaning in to run his claw-like nails over Shiro's sweat-soaked cheek. Resting his chin on his arm and looking at Keith, his gaze was mocking and oh so happy. "You have no idea how much he has wanted to see you, Paladin!!!" he mocked.

Keith didn't want that bastard agreeing with him! His dark eyes seemed to darken more with anger at the way the Galra prince was treating Shiro. "Get your hands off him! Don't touch him!" He hissed for a moment, seeming to forget that he was captured now too. Maybe he hadn't quite accepted that he was caught yet? He was still struggling to break free so he could kick their asses.

Carelessly dropping Shiro's hair, Lotor stepped around the table to approach Keith. Catching his jaw with one steady hand, he tilted his head this way and that to scrutinize him. The Red Paladin glared at Lotor when the other stepped towards him, trying to jerk free as he wanted nothing more than to beat that smirk off his face. Apparently, the prince thought they had lost, that he had them right where he wanted them. Keith refused to let that be the case. He wouldn't give up and allow this guy to win! The fingers catching Keith's jaw surprised him, though. Lotor's grip was stronger than he had expected and the Paladin winced when his head was pulled like that despite all attempts to stop it.

“He's prettier than in your thoughts, Champion!!! I wonder if he'll look even better than you imagined him!!" he mocked the other, smirking as Shiro struggled violently against his bonds. "Oh please, when has that ever worked in this situation!!! Just sit back and enjoy the show! Know that it is a hundred percent real this time!"

"Get off me!" Keith hissed, but those words coming from Lotor surprised him, put him on edge. He glared at the purple-skinned male to hide it, but it made him nervous. Why was he calling him pretty!? What kind of thing was that for their enemy to say?

"Stop it, Lotor!!! Get your filthy hands off him! Don't you hurt him!!" Shiro yelled

Keith couldn't help the glance towards Shiro's struggling form. Something wasn't right here. It sounded like Lotor had expected him to come like he had been waiting for him. But why? Any one of them could be tortured to get whatever they wanted from Shiro, so why were they talking about him as if he was special. No! He refused to let the uncertainty take over and make him uneasy. That glare soon came back to the male in front of him.

"Oh, how delicious!!! You think you have a say in this, do you, little kitten?" Lotor laughed as he leaned in and ran his tongue across Keith's jaw and up to his ear, nipping at the curve of it and then whispering into it loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Keith's glare darkened. What was this little kitten business? Like he was some small pet? He didn't get a chance to ponder it for long, though. The sensation of that wet warm tongue against his skin, making the Red Paladin jerk. He'd try to pull his head away, bucking violently in his attempts at escape. "What the fuck!?" The black-haired youth had to bite his lip to keep the yelp from escaping. To avoid showing that that had both startled and disgusted him. Why was the Galra prince licking him!?

"You have no say, Paladin!!! Your body and soul belong to me now! Mine to bend, mine to break!!!" he reached up and began to strip the black-haired male of his armour, taking devious pleasure as each article of it was removed.

The words at his ear made those dark eyes grow wide. A touch of fear showing through that hard façade he always put up, something that seemed to grow at that first pull at his armour. "What are you... fuck... let go! Let go of me!" Keith growled as he tried to kick the price. Only for a dominant hand to grab his leg and pull it aside. Another attempt at his other leg ended up in the same position leaving him even more helpless and exposed than before. A deep flush covered the Red Paladin's cheeks, the only thing revealing his embarrassment at being left bare and vulnerable like this. His glare was darker than ever, and he was trembling... in rage... or growing fear?

"Stop it!!! Get the hell off of him, Lotor!! You sick fuck!" Shiro cried out, bucking and thrashing so violently the metal of his bands began to creak and groan while still holding steady. This wasn't happening!! This couldn't be happening! Not to Keith! The kid was just that... he was a kid! He might be a Paladin, a warrior of Voltron, but there was no way he could ever be prepared for something like this! There was no reason he should ever have had to be.

"The things I will do to you will make what we have done to your captain look like a declaration of my undying love!!! And the best part? He is going to watch every moment of it..." he purred, leaning in now to catch his chin again and force his lips against Keith's. Not daring quite yet to press his tongue past his lips, he did, however, take a long moment to kiss him and tease his lips with his tongue.

Before Keith had a chance to yell at Lotor, he felt that hand on his chin again and tried to jerk away... only for a muffled yell to escape against the prince's lips. The kiss made more of that fear show through, that front crumbling a little bit more. Why the fuck was the prince kissing him!? Why was he naked!? This was not like any torture he had expected. It left him unsure. This was new, and he didn't like it. No. He wasn't prepared for this.

"Take me instead!!! Leave him alone!" His voice was loud, and he was feeling more and more as if he was going to vomit.

"Hmmm, I will, unfortunately, have to refuse. You see, you're not really to my taste!" Lotor sneered and glanced around before smirking darkly as he gestured for his men to drag Keith towards Shiro's bound form.

For a moment, the red Paladin was stunned... unable to react. Then he jerked, trying to bite at those lips against his own. But he had moved too late. Now being dragged towards Shiro, the naked Paladin tried to struggle again, helplessly kicking at his captors, but now he had another worry. Trying to keep his legs together to maintain some sense of dignity. His pride was hurt. Not just being captured so easily but being stripped naked and kissed? He didn't like where this was going. Starting to feel lost and confused, Keith looked up at Shiro as he was in front of him. Hoping to see some sort of plan forming. Hoping to find a way out of this. Anything to strengthen his weakening barrier.

“Hmmm, delicious!!! You taste amazing, little Paladin," Lotor purred, his smirk growing wider as he saw that flush and the growing fear building in the black-haired man's eyes.  Lotor loved it, and it made him want to see more, to push Keith until he couldn't keep up that pitiful front any longer. Running his hands over his hips and up along his sides, he licked his lips and grinned deviously at him.

"I can see what you see in him, Champion!!! He's far more beautiful than I imagined!! And when you wash away that sour glare and add a dash of fear to it… hmmm simply delicious!" he purred, laughing as he spotted Shiro jerking and thrashing. Hearing the two-tone haired man, he laughed. “And best of all? You are powerless to save him!" he jeered, resting his chin on Keith's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around the smaller male's delicate frame and pressed himself against him, grinding his now growing erection against Keith's ass and moaning in delight as he pressed himself against those pearly white globes. Nipping and suckling along his ear, he kept his eyes trained on Shiro, loving the sheer anguish and agony etched so clearly on Shiro's face.

Keith frowned as he took several deep breaths, trying to keep himself under control, trying to tell himself that it was okay. He'd find a way out of this. Find a way to beat that smirk off Lotor's face and maybe break his fingers for touching him and hurting Shiro. He was trying to find that space where he could focus, where he could figure out what to do. The hands running over his body startled him and he jerked again trying to kick and struggle free. "Get... OFF... Me!" the Red Paladin hissed, trying not to let those words scare him. Lotor was messing with them. That had to be it. With everything he knew about the Galra, it couldn't be possible that the prince really wanted to do this to him. Right? Still, Keith grew tense, feeling those arms wrap around him, pressing that body against his own naked one. He felt small in that grip and it was a feeling he didn't like.

The dark-haired male couldn't help the groan that escaped him at the attention at his ear even as he tried to jerk his hips away from that... holy shit! Was that an erection pressed against his butt!? "Get off! GET OFF ME! Let me go!"

"Get your.. hands off of him!" Shiro growled dangerously. He had never made that sound before... he had never felt such unabashed rage and bloodlust! Shiro wanted to watch the life drain out of Lotor's eyes as he strangled the life out of him. He desired to see this bastard burn for daring to touch Keith this way… for threatening to hurt him in such a way!

It was getting harder for Keith to fight down that rising panic. This was NOT how his first time was supposed to be! Not like this. Not with Prince Lotor. Not with Shiro watching! Shiro…! The next glance towards the Black Paladin was one Keith instantly regretted. The look on the white and black haired male’s face only made his own fear rise more. The words mirrored his own, giving him no comfort that this would be alright. For a moment, the Red Paladin froze. This was not happening. It couldn't be happening.

Lotor chuckled deeply into Keith's ear, hearing him. That faint shrill of panic was now audible in the Red Paladin's voice and it only made him all the hotter. "Ooh, such a beautiful sound! That sound of terror!!" he purred and taunted more.

"Breathe Keith!!! Breathe… it's going to be fine! You're going to be okay!" Shiro said, breathing heavily through his nose His eyes were locked on Keith's, trying desperately to help ease the other. He could see just how close to falling apart Keith was coming and he couldn't let that happen. Not to Keith!!!

Keith looked to Shiro. He hated relying on others, but if there were one person, he would depend on... It was Shiro. He could lean on Shiro's strength just as Shiro could lean on his. So he took a deep breath. It would be okay. It had to!

"That's right, Keith… just relax... just… breathe!" Shiro sighed, nodding along as he kept his eyes locked on Keith's. He flinched and cried out alongside him, hearing that choked gasp. His eyes were burning with horror and fear for Keith. Oh, what he would give anything in the world to prevent!

“Now, now... do not lie to young Keith! How will it ever be okay again?" the prince asked before shoving two of his fingers into Keith's mouth, running them over his tongue and deep into his mouth.

The Red Paladin's lips parted, to protest, to tell Lotor to shut the fuck up and let him go, to release both of them. But no words were able to come out. Instead, a shocked gasp escaped as those fingers were shoved into his mouth, surprising him enough to make Keith try to jerk away and fall back into the prince standing behind him. Those dark eyes were squeezed tightly shut at the sudden discomfort of the fingers being shoved so deep in his mouth, and he tried to turn his head away to dislodge them.

"Hmmm, such a hot little mouth you have, Paladin!!! I'll enjoy getting to break it in just like the rest of you, but first..." he let Keith twist his head away, slipping his fingers out of his mouth before reaching down to run his fingers across his lower back and down between their bodies. Teasing over his ass and then delving between his cheeks, teasing around that puckered hole before finally slamming his fingers inside knuckle deep.

When those fingers slipped from his mouth, Keith took in a breath and coughed. Wincing, his whole body seemed to protest the invasion he had felt just from that. He felt violated and abused and that was only from fingers in his mouth! But this was being forced on him. That was why he was fighting it like that. It was either that or breaking, and he really didn't want to give Prince Lotor the pleasure of seeing him breaking. Not while he could fight it.

Seeing Lotor reaching for Keith's puckered hole, Shiro felt bile building inside of his throat once again as pure terror filled him. God.. no... no, this wasn't really happening! But it was!! This was real! This was really Keith before him, and it was Keith who was about to be raped by their enemy. It took every fibre of his being not to vomit right then and there as he struggled.

The feeling of the fingers running down his body made the Red Paladin grow tense, a natural reaction for someone like him. He was a fighter... a warrior. Keith wasn't going to just let someone do this to him. Especially not the enemy! He was going to fight it. He would try to keep him out, shut him out… something!

"God, you're so tight!!! You're not... oh my god, are you actually a virgin? How is a pretty thing  like you a virgin?" Lotor laughed, feeling the way Keith's body clamped down around his fingers.

Keith screamed when those fingers rammed into him, breaking through all the barriers he tried to put up. His body jerked helplessly in the guards’ hold as his eyes grew wide and he tried to escape the pain those invading fingers brought him. Those words brought a look of anguish to his face even more potent than what the pain had caused. Those dark eyes locked on Shiro, horror showing through now. Not only was he being violated, and apparently about to be raped, but Shiro saw this. Keith was horrified at this reveal, the fact that Shiro was right there in front of him watching it all, and there was nothing he could do to hide it.

Shiro met Keith's eyes, his own shout leaving him as Keith screamed like that. God... how he wished he could spare Keith this pain. Shiro could see the horror and the fear in those dark eyes, and the Black Paladin felt his breath coming in heaving gasps now as Shiro shook his head. He wanted to take away this pain and spare Keith, but he knew he couldn't.

Keith tried to struggle away. Not seeming to realize that he was really only causing it to hurt more... either that or Keith didn't care? Was he just that desperate to get away from those fingers thrusting inside of him? When they were removed, the Red Paladin slumped in the guards’ hold, his head falling forward as he panted and gasped for air after screaming like that. The black-haired Paladin hated the fact that his will had broken enough to cry, to show Lotor how much he had hurt him. But the pain had surprised him and gotten the best of him.

"This isn't… going to get you what you want, Lotor, so why hurt him? I didn't break as you made me see those visions!!!" He growled furiously. The sound of Lotor's amused laugh and his words made his face flush worse and his chest ache all the more

"Oh, but I think you will! I think knowing that Keith here is the real thing… that he really is about to lose his virginity… that he's really being raped… all of that will get to you." With that, Lotor laughed and pulled his fingers free and undid his pants before gripping Keith's hips in a bruising grip as he lined himself up against him. He knew there was no way the Red Paladin could ever be ready. Lotor hadn't prepared him nearly enough, and Keith was dry. Still, that didn't stop him as he pushed himself forward, forcing himself past that protesting ring of muscle to drive his throbbing cock deep into his protesting body.

"Godddd Yesss!!!! So tight!!! Such a hot ass!!!" he moaned loudly, mocking both of them. And his eyes met Shiro's as he smirked. "I will always be the first cock his pretty hole serviced!!!" he mocked.

The dark-haired Paladin twitched slightly, hearing the words. He wasn't sure he understood. Visions? Lotor was doing this to him to break Shiro? Was this his way of torturing him in front of his leader to torture the Black Paladin? That only gave the dark-haired male new resolve not to let the Galra prince get to him, not to allow Lotor to break him to break Shiro.

A resolve that already faltered, feeling the grip of those fingers on his hips. Keith jerked. He couldn't help it. Fear of what was obviously coming next getting to him despite his desperate attempts to keep it from showing. "Don't..." was all the Red Paladin managed before he felt the tip of that cock against him. His body trembled as he grew even tenser, if that was possible, only to wind up screaming.

Shiro screamed, seeing Lotor thrusting forward, knowing that Keith was about to feel pain. So much pain... and he was utterly helpless to stop it. Worst of all, it was because of him that the black-haired Paladin was even here. Clenching his eyes shut, he twisted his head away, the warm wetness on his cheeks telling him that a few of his tears had broken free of his eyes.

Keith’s head was thrown back as his body was hit with the pain of being torn open like that. That first thrust was enough to make him bleed. He wasn't ready. He wasn't prepared. The pain was even worse than the fingers, and he couldn't stop the pained scream being torn from him yet again.

Lotor moaned in absolute delight at the scream that ripped itself out of Keith, and the one that joined it from Shiro as the Paladins' leader cried out in anguish, hearing Keith's suffering. "Oh, how cruel of you!!! You can't even look poor Keith in the eyes and reassure him that everything's going to be okay? Hmmm, I suppose that is better than lying to him," Lotor laughed as he slowly pulled his cock out of his now bleeding hole. Gripping his hips harder, he thrust forward hard and moaned as he buried himself balls deep inside of him once more. He continued working in a cruel and brutal rhythm. Smirking more, he ran his hand through Keith's hair and pulled harshly on his soft locks, arching his back and baring his throat.

Keith hadn’t heard Shiro's scream, his own still ringing in his ears. He had been beaten and thrown around in battle before, but this... this was different! This pain was nothing like a blow to his body. This was an invasion, a violation he wasn't prepared for and couldn't naturally fight against. The half Galra Paladin had never thought something like this could happen to him. It had never entered his mind as a possibility.

Shiro felt as if his very heart and soul were shattering, seeing that fear in Keith's eyes. But hearing Keith scream, he couldn't help but picture the visions of Keith's rape against the insides of his eyelids. Tears running down his cheeks as he cried out with him, shaking his head and struggling desperately.

"Look at him, Champion!!!.... LOOK," he bellowed, waiting until Shiro's eyes fluttered open before leaning in to run his fanged teeth along the column of his throat. Lotor lapped at his soft and tender skin, slowly licking his neck even as he set a more brutal, pounding pace inside of him.

Dark hair covering his face, Keith slumped forward, trying to breathe, trying to detach his mind from what was happening to his body. Anywhere... anything was better than this. He didn't know how to deal with this. The Red Paladin trembled as he felt that punishing rod retracting from his body. He wasn't stupid. He knew this wasn't the end of it. Keith was trying to brace himself for the thrust back into him, but any attempts at distancing himself, preparing himself, were in vain as that hand pulled his head again. He couldn't help the pained groan as he was bared more or the anguished cry that escaped his parted lips at the thrust into him.

Hearing Lotor's bellowed order, he slowly dragged his eyes open and looked towards him. Swallowing hard as he saw Keith bent backwards by Lotor's grip, his body rocking forward with every brutal thrust inside him. He hated it, but soon he couldn't help the way he responded to that feeling, his eyes going wide. Gods, how Shiro had daydreamed about having his hand buried in Keith's hair, pulling his head back like that. He’d dreamed about filling the Red Paladin like that. But instead of tears and screams, he had always wanted to hear moans, hear him moaning his name.

"..Keith!!!"

The Paladin winced at the words and trembled at the assault on his body. This was too much. He couldn't handle this. None of his defences were able to handle this, and he felt the first pained tears wetting his cheeks as he closed his eyes. There had to be some desperate last attempt at regaining some sense of control, some way to fight this...

That was when he heard Shiro cry his name and those dark eyes of his shot open with a pained gasp drawn from the Red Paladin. He stared up at the cold ceiling and the leering faces of the guards holding him immobile for Prince Lotor's attack. Keith's fingers curled into his palms, helplessness washing over him. He couldn't fight against this, and his body was starting to adjust to the intrusion… beginning to welcome those thrusts into him despite what he wanted.

Lotor loved the way Keith slumped against his body. Keith was clearly giving in a little despite himself and, when he felt him tense as he was pulled up by his hair, Lotor moaned louder than he had to at the feeling of him around him. "Fuck, you feel so good, little Paladin!!! Hmmm, your ass is so tight and it's suckling me like a greedy slut!" he whispered into his ear, loving the look of pure rage and fury from Shiro and the sensation of that hot body around his cock.

Keith groaned despite himself. He was trying hard to keep any sound away spilling from his lips, not wanting to give Lotor the pleasure. But he only could do nothing to stop the pained whimpers and groans those thrusts drew from him. They were too much.

The words made the Red Paladin flinch, almost hurting worse than the thrusts. Of course, he had imagined having sex, fantasied about being held down and taken like this. Just not by Lotor. The Galra prince wasn't the one in his mind. He was not supposed to be the one to be the first inside him. But there he was, being taken forcefully in front of Shiro.

"Don't listen to him, Keith! He's just trying to get in your head!" Shiro shouted desperately. He knew what the other was saying to Keith. He had said it so many times in the visions. He would not let Keith think less of himself for this!

"Me? Get in his head? You mean like I've been in yours? Like I’ve seen every depraved and dirty thing you wish you could do to the Paladin of the Red Lion, Champion?" Lotor chuckled, seeing the flush of shame and knew he had hit a nerve. Arching his back, he slammed into him harder.

Shiro... The leader's voice startled the black-haired Paladin. He had almost managed to make himself forget where he was, that Shiro was forced to watch every moment of his violation. The words made him swallow. Shiro was right. He couldn't let Lotor do this to him. He couldn't stop him from getting into his body, but he would not allow him into his head.

Wait... What did Lotor mean what Shiro wanted to do? Keith yelped at that thrust as he tried to pull his head away, trying to glance towards the Black Paladin in front of him. Lotor had to be lying!

"Oh yes, little Paladin! He has dreamed of fucking you just like this... Slamming you against a wall in the shower room and driving himself into you over and over while you ride him just like you're doing to me! All while your slutty hole takes his cock!! But it's not his cock inside of you now, is it? Whose cock is fucking you right now, Paladin?" Lotor laughed into Keith's ears, his thrusts were harsh and deep as he tried to angle… wanting to further humiliate the black-haired Paladin by hitting that bundle of nerves he knew would indeed turn him into his personal bitch.

"N... No..." Keith tried to tilt his head away from Lotor as the other spoke like that. The fantasy hit so close to his own, hard enough for his body to react with the thrusts driving into him. He didn't want to respond to this. He didn't want to get hard while being raped. Especially not in front of Shiro! Having the Black Paladin seeing him like this was bad enough. Weak... vulnerable. Unable to defend himself against Prince Lotor's attack.

"Don't listen to him!!! He's lying to you," Shiro groaned, hating that he was lying to Keith. But the last thing Shiro wanted the other to think while he was being raped was that Shiro himself desired to rape him. That was the last thing he'd ever wanted!

Hearing Shiro shout that Lotor was lying, of course, the Red Paladin believed that. No way did Shiro want to do this to him. Lotor was tormenting him trying to... trying to what? Get Shiro to do something? Keith's mind was muddled from the pain and growing pleasure the Galra prince was forcing on him, and when he hit that spot inside him, the dark-haired male cried out in shock. He tried to jerk himself away only to arch his back as his body trembled. His legs were weak, and it was all he could do to stay standing. If those guards hadn't been holding him, he might have collapsed right there. The unexpected pleasure shooting through him made him shake his head, trying desperately to break free. That was what finally broke him. "N... No... No! Please... Stop!"

"Ahhh, there we go! And a slut is born!!" Lotor roared with laughter, hearing those cries and feeling the way Keith's body clamped down around him in pleasure. Releasing his hair, he reached around him to run his hand down over his chest, tweaking a nipple and then slowly running down to tease along the underside of his cock. Teasing it and running over it before wrapping his fingers around him. "Hmmm, look at how hard you are! You're enjoying this! You like having me rape you!! You're a natural whore, aren't you?"

"N... No... Nnnggg....!" Keith protested the best he could. But the moan drawn from him as those fingers touched his nipple seemed to only break him further as he slumped in their hold. His body trembling at the touches and jerking with every thrust into him. He couldn't ignore the sensations Lotor was causing in him despite trying his best. And when that hand found his cock, a sob escaped those trembling lips.

"Stop it! Stop doing this to him, you bastard!" Shiro demanded, his eyes going wide as he saw the way Keith's body was flushing with the forced pleasure, his hips shaking, and his body responding to the stimulus of his thrusts into him. "It's natural, Keith, what’s happening!! It's not your fault; you're not doing anything wrong! It's a body's natural reaction to sexual stimuli!”

Shiro's words weren't helping the Red Paladin either. He was horrified at what was happening to him and embarrassed that he couldn't resist it. His body was giving in to the touches and thrusts into him, leaving his cock growing hard in Lotor's hand and his body willingly accepting of those thrusts into him. Whenever the cock inside him scraped over that place, he would jerk and gasp, moaning and biting his lower lip till it bled, trying to keep those sounds from escaping. Those embarrassing and slutty sounds...

"Good little slut!! Good boy, what a good little toy! Just like that! Press back onto my thrusts~" Lotor purred into Keith's ear as he gripped his bruising hip with a tighter hold and pulled him more onto his thrusts even as he stroked him with the pace of his thrusts now slamming into him. He was working himself into a frenzy. Yes, he had started this to hurt the Paladins and to break them but he was enjoying Keith's body more than he had thought he would. "I think I'm going to keep you, whore! I'll make you one of my harem whores!!!" he purred, licking the outer shell of Keith's ear.

Keith shook his head helplessly, trying to pull away from that touch to his ear. He was trying to focus on the pain of that bruising grip rather than the pleasure the hand and cock inside him were causing him. But it just wasn't enough. He couldn't get away from the heat soaring through his body and making him arch into those touches. His body was betraying him in a way he had never imagined it would. The dark-haired Paladin tried to gasp out a protest, but all that would leave his lips were moans of pleasure and defeat.

"Fuck... this is enough, Lotor!!! It's enough, now leave him alone!" Shiro gasped his own tears running down his cheeks as he watched Keith sobbing. Strong and stubborn Keith looked so lost and so helpless, sobbing and slumped in the hold of the guards holding him up.

Shiro's voice made him jerk at his bindings. Even Shiro couldn't help him now. Keith always looked for Shiro's guidance and leadership. When he couldn't go it alone, it was the Black Paladin he trusted. But even that couldn't get him out of this. He could feel his body being pushed towards release. That surge that he had only ever handled alone in his room now threatened to overcome him from a Galra's touch, Lotor's touch... and in front of Shiro, no less.

The Red Paladin trembled, bared and helpless. The worst situation he could possibly think of... no... worse than even that. A cry of anguish escaping those red lips as he broke, unable to hold it together anymore as he came.

Shiro's whole body jerked, hearing that anguish filled cry. He could feel as well as see Keith's resolve breaking as he lost against the pleasure and came. God, he hated how his cock throbbed in his too-tight pants as he heard him and saw him like that. He had always wanted to know what Keith looked like when he came...but not this... this was not it, this was wrong! So wrong.

Lotor loved every moment of this. He loved the helplessness he could practically feel radiating from Keith as he was losing that battle with his body, losing it to pleasure. He loved the fury and rage and utter helplessness and hopelessness that he could see in Shiro's eyes as the Black Paladin watched as he violated Keith in front of him. When he felt Keith cum, his body clamping down on him and trembling, he let out a roar of his own pleasure as he slammed himself into him hard once, twice, three times more and then came with another boom as he bit down on Keith's neck.

Keith trembled in the guards' firm hold on him. His body shook with the rough thrusts into him. The pain was obvious on his face as he winced. Cumming like that had left him more sensitive and he could feel every thrust into him like a painful stab. Feeling Lotor's cum pouring into him, he felt sick. How could this be happening to him? Why would the Galra prince even think to do this to him? And even worse... Why had his body given in like this? Natural or not, he should be able to fight it.

The bite to his neck made the Red Paladin cry out again, a cry that ended in a defeated sob as he went limp in their hold. His body was slick with sweat, black locks clinging to his skin and his muscles trembling. He was exhausted, unable to keep any barrier up against this.

Shiro slumped against the binds holding him as he saw Keith slump like that. Shiro couldn't let him break. This was Keith, his Keith, the Paladins’ Keith. Brave, reliable Keith who had risked himself for Shiro time and time again. He flinched as he saw Lotor pulling himself from inside of Keith and watched as the blood and cum ran down the young man's thighs as Lotor walked over to him. He could feel the fury burning inside of him as he met those yellow eyes.

"You son of a bitch! I will kill you for this! I will make you beg for death before the end!" Shiro promised only to flinch away as the Galra prince reached up with his cum splattered hand and wiped it off on his face.

"Here. Have a taste of his cum. Know that it was for me! His body is all mine! I will take him whenever I decide, and I might even give him to my guards! Just to watch you really suffer!" Lotor promised before pulling back. "Take the whore to the cells and let him recover. He's going to need all his energy for our next playtime!"

Keith tilted his head back when he felt Lotor pull from his sore, abused ass. He could feel the warmth of the liquid spilling down his legs, and he almost threw up right there. The words Keith heard the Galra prince speak to Shiro promised there would be more of this. He didn't think he could handle more. Not like this. Not in front of Shiro.

Trying to catch his breath, Keith hung his head. Unable to keep his legs from giving out on him now that Lotor's cock wasn't inside him holding him up. He was sore and bruised, but worse yet was the emotional anguish from what the purple-skinned male had just done to him. Maybe that was why he didn't protest when the snickering guards pulled him off.

Watching helplessly as Keith was dragged from the room, Shiro strained. " Find your place... find your focus!! You're stronger than this! Stronger than anyone I have ever known, Keith!!! This isn't going to break you! You're too strong for that! That's an order!!!"

Shiro's words rang in Keith’s ears. Was he really that strong? He hadn't been able to resist this. He didn't think he could handle more of this happening. Still, hearing Shiro call it an order, the Red Paladin drew a deep breath. Once in the cell, he would throw up. Keith would curl up on himself. Naked. Sore. Humiliated. But he would recover, too proud to give in this easily. He would fight, if only because Shiro ordered him to.