#I edited a grammar error

[silvertonguedcharlatan]

I want to run a durge cleric because it would be equal parts touching and funny, imagine waking up with cleric powers and knowing you at one point worshipped a god and you have to in the moment try to figure out which one it is and hope you pick right

AND THEN you very obviously do not pick right but the god you do pick takes you in anyway!!! Maybe it’s mercy or maybe all the gods LOVE fucking with bhaal and this is the best opening they’ve had in YEARS

Like a drow durge cleric of eilistraee, goddess of freedom and expression, would go SO HARD or any durge cleric of tyr trying to atone for sins long forgotten, they take durge in out of divine mercy and hope

Or a durge that picks another evil god like talos or umberlee because they know at their core they were made for destruction, they take durge in and immediately break down bhaal’s door and say “remember your kid????? I’m their dad now fuck you”

[niteshade925]

Saw these tags in a reblog of my Chinese museum posts, and thought I have to make a response just so everyone is clear on how archaeological studies are carried out in China:

^Well, the Shaanxi Archaeology Museum is a Chinese museum displaying artifacts found in China, it's not the British Museum lol.

But anyway just so everyone knows, modern Chinese archaeology has a rule, which is that unless it's absolutely necessary, an ancient tomb/mausoleum should not be disturbed. This means that many of these artifacts in the museums are found in a few main ways:

Tombs that absolutely had to be excavated because there were clear signs of grave robbing present, for example when tunnels left by grave robbers were found near a known tomb. This is called "excavating to rescue" (抢救性发掘), it's done by teams of archaeologists, the artifacts found will then be studied and eventually find a home in museums in China. In comparison, actual grave robbers would steal artifacts and sell them for money; many stolen artifacts would end up in auctions, mostly outside of mainland China. This is why there is no "general positive sense" in the phrase "grave robbing with grant money" when it comes to archaeology in China. Modern Chinese archaeology and grave robbing are simply not comparable in any way whatsoever.

Tombs that absolutely had to be excavated because new infrastructure will be built in that location. Such exacavations are also included in excavating to rescue. Examples include tombs in Xi'an city that had to be excavated because a metro was being built. Since Chinese people and Chinese culture are native to China, there are no ethical problems whatsoever, this simply a question of what matters more, the welfare of living Chinese people or the abstract afterlives of ancient Chinese people. Obviously, the welfare of living Chinese people is a more important matter. As for the argument of "but this goes against traditional culture", first, a culture is only alive if the people of that culture is alive and doing well, otherwise that culture is as good as dead; second, a major part of traditional Chinese culture IS focused on the welfare of descendants (ex: the belief that the spirits of ancestors will protect their descendants), so I'm sure our ancestors would be proud to see us doing well.

Tombs that were excavated because archaeologists were absolutely sure that artifacts discovered within would make major contributions to the study of Chinese history. This is pretty much the only exception to the rule of "excavating to rescue", and it is very rarely allowed. An example is the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project (夏商周断代工程), where the main focus is to gain a clearer picture of the timeline of ancient Chinese history, when dynasties began/ended, when major events may have happened, etc.

Artifacts that were found when arresting grave robbers. These are called "recovered artifacts" (追回文物).

Artifacts that returned to China from foreign countries, these are called "returned artifacts" (回归文物). A big portion of these artifacts ended up in foreign countries precisely because of grave robbers, and another big portion were and are still lost for the same reason as why the British Museum has so many artifacts from around the world.

Artifacts that were discovered scattered throughout China. There are three facts to consider here: 1) China has a long history and as a result, there are vast amounts of existing artifacts; 2) tombs are material things and thus are subject to the elements; 3) not everyone is an archaeologist. Combine these, and you have situations were valuable artifacts were found in places like the chicken coop of a farmer (this is how the eagle-shaped pottery ding was found).

Donations. Some artifacts were family heirlooms that were donated to museums.

[azen13]

CW: Yandere Themes, Arranged Marriage, Stalking, Forced Kiss

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

You had thought for years that the prophecy wouldn't be true. It hung over your head like a crimson moon, equal parts beautiful and haunting, words lingering on your lips like a young lover.

As decreed by the Mnestia long ago, Kephale would one day take up a lover who would wield witticisms and words as weapons forged in an ever-burning mind. At the time, it had seemed preposterous that a Titan, much less Kephale, would take up a lover. If not for a servant scribbling those utterances down and telling his children, who told their own children, who told their children, so on and so forth, the prophecy would have been lost to time.

If it had, would you still be in this predicament?

The first time you had heard of the prophecy when studying poets of old, you had brushed it aside as a simple legend. Kephale had already laid down a prophecy of his own by this time of how new heroes would soon conquer Coreflames to inherit the Titans' divinities, but you knew none of the Chrysos Heirs.

After a period of study, you soon began to craft your own verses. You much preferred the solitude of your home to the bustling crowds of the city, so you didn't hear how quickly your works began to gain popularity. Bards had a new repertoire to learn, and schemes and conceits never once imagined flowed through the air.

When one of the Chrysos Heirs himself began knocking on your door every day, demanding your attention, you realized your popularity had shattered any preconceived zeniths. Phainon was his name, he said, and from what he had heard of you, he was enchanted. The look in his eyes was such a hazy, skylit blue, it seemed like he truly had been the victim of some bizarre spell.

Every day he came and encroached more and more upon you and your home. At first, he stayed outside of your door, but eventually, he began to barge in, sitting at your table or searching amongst your shelves for any subjects he could strike a conversation with you on.

Despite his idiosyncrasies and his forthright behavior, despite the occasional memory igniting in your mind, reminding you of the prophecy, you didn't worry about it. Phainon had told you many times how he longed to take the Coreflame of Nikador, not Kephale. When word spread through Okhema over Nikador's defeat, whatever lingering doubts seemed to be extinguished. You were fine. The prophecy wasn't true, or perhaps it was meant for another Chrysos Heir, another poet.

Weeks later, you found yourself regretting your assuredness. It started, as many no-good things did, with a knock on your door. As you begrudgingly walked to open it, expecting to see perhaps a bard or a fool, you instead were greeted by Phainon. Despite the weariness in his eyes, his hands shot out and clenched your shoulders with such speed and strength, you nearly leapt out of your skin. His nose nuzzled into your neck, taking a deep breath. For what seemed like hours, he mumbled and babbled and blathered and prattled about Coreflames, Nikador, Kephale, and the prophecy. After his tirade, his grip tightened.

"But, at least you're mine now." The words seemed to shackle themselves around your wrists, binding you and your attention.

For a moment, you were so dumbfounded you couldn't find the words to express what you wanted to say. Had your situation been any less confounding, you would've found your speechlessness a wonderful little paradox. "Phainon, wha-what do you m-?"

Before you could finish your sentence, Phainon sealed away any remaining restraint he had with a brutally tender kiss. He seemed to push against your lips with the goal of wearing them down until they molded perfectly against his. The kiss itself seemed to metamorphosize with how long it lived; at first it was tender, like new shoots of life growing in spring, but as it grew in age, so did its greed. Phainon seemed intent on savoring every second as an eternity in its own right.

When he did break the kiss, he gazed at you with an otherworldly devotion. It was a look of such sweet softness that it could kill. "I might not have Kephale's Coreflame yet, but I will. I'll do it. Just for you." Though he said he didn't have a Coreflame, his eyes burned with passion brighter than the sun. It scorched your tender skin, branding you with illusory markings of possession. A declaration, almost, that you were, in fact, the subject of Mnestia's dreadful prophecy.

[chai-berries]

thinking..thinking about napping with abby..

OOOOOOF one of my favorite topics <333

now i don’t know if abby is a nap girlie but she’s gonna have to learn to be!! whether she’s coming home to you, already asleep, warm and waiting for her to cuddle up against you, under your (very specific) napping blankets. all the tension leaves her shoulders when you unconsciously tuck yourself into her :(

or maybe she’s the one taking a midday nap on the couch. she sleeps like the dead, her arms crossed and tucked into her armpits even in sleep. the hood of her sweatshirt is synched up to block out the light from her eyes. when you get home, the door wakes her up, a sleepy “baby?” calls to you from the hallway. and there she is looking ooey gooey and sooo fucking cute you could EAT! HER! UP! but you would never do that so you just lay on top of her for twenty minutes getting a mini post-work nap in before dinner. don’t forget to kiss her all over her face!!!!

abby’s favorite is when you guys are watching tv or reading in the living room, limbs tossed over each other. you’re both straining against that sleepy phase that hits at 3pm but it’s just soooo cozy!!! you have a good book in your hands, one of abby’s hands is softly massaging your calf muscles. the other hand is holding her book open (which is one of the hottest things you’ve ever seen). and you’re so warm, like you can’t help it!!! you fall asleep. it takes abby two minutes to realize you’re asleep, when your book drops to your chest. she gathers both the books and puts them on the coffee table. rearranging a little to put her feet up and sink into the couch more. she keeps massaging your legs until sleep takes her.

…, sooo idk if you can tell but sleep is my love language. thank you for listening 🫶

more abby napping content below!

sharing a bed

midday nap

morning kisses

[nabaath-areng]

" What a pitiful child... so thoroughly trained in the art of curse breaking, yet not once has your teacher taught you however you shall break your own. Did she ever tell you why? Has she ever allowed you ask the questions you have, rather than coldly shut you down for being nosy? Wouldn't you like to know why you were born like this? Why you consume that which corrupts others without harm to yourself? Wouldn't you like to know why those beyond the rift are so heedful to your call? Wouldn't you like to know how much your teacher has kept from you? And lastly, perhaps most importantly, Wouldn't you like to know about me? The sun is rising, and so I shall bid you farewell for now. Whether you will remember our meeting upon waking up or not, it matters very little, for as surely as you are alive and air flows through your lungs, I would never lose sight of you. "

[scalpelsister]

Introducing Theodora Larson- my outlast trials oc! A 22 year old nursing student in the year 1960, who's just recently landed into the lap of Murkoff's project lathe trials.

template is by @chocohybrid, and you can find it here. as a note- language used in this file is meant to be as period specific as possible, including diagnostic terms from the dsm-1. as a result, parts of it are kind of a grim read, but I attempted to toe the line as best as I could. I also stayed up late to complete this, so don't look too hard at spelling or grammar <3

[starswornoaths]

In Light of Day

Follow-up for In Shade of Moonlight I had thought lost to the ether years ago (although if you want to read this whole scene from start to finish, Something Like Home is the start of the evening referenced in the fic, followed by First Steps and then In Shade of Moonlight but god. I haven't gone back to edit them please lower your expectations they're old.) Once I found it, I couldn't stop picking at it until I eventually had to just post it already. Hopefully I'll get more of what I've already written posted at some point.

Post 3.3, pre-3.4, it's the morning after the festivities. While there is no hangover to be found in Borel Manor, yearning that spilled over in the moonlight is now examined and re-examined in the light of day. Duty and Devotion are inextricably tied, yet where one can so often subsume the other, other times either may be consumed.

Word count: 4,400

~*~

Serella was relieved to find the sun was rising to greet her the second time she opened her eyes that morning. As mind and body reconnected, she found herself bundled into blankets beside another warm body and comfortably in bed rather than flung to the floor in her sleep. She took in the sight of a barely-familiar room and the faint creak of howling winds pressing an old house, and she knew with immediate and delightful certainty that the previous night hadn’t been a dream.

More pleasant still was the weight of Aymeric’s arm slung over the curve of her hip.

Truly, it was always the small mercies that kept Serella aloft.

With great care so as to avoid waking him, she negotiated the slide of his arm to drape across her back, that she might turn to watch him sleep. There was no force strong enough to stop her from smiling as she took in the sight.

Bereft of the waking world’s worries to weigh on him, his features were slack with rest and smudged into the pillow without care. Once removed from the mantle of his station and free of the pinch in his brow, he almost looked like a different person entirely. In a kinder world, he might know this feeling even when awake—but then, so would she.

Her hand itched with the want to run her fingers through his silken curls, strewn wildly all over and haloed in the morning light. He looked so utterly endearing to her in that moment, with an almost boyish pout pushed into his full lips by the pillow he burrowed into.

Serella felt her heart squeeze. Two things occurred to her in that moment, one right after the next: that she had never seen Aymeric so utterly unburdened and unreachable to the rest of the world, and she wanted to do all in her power to make more moments like these, if only to hoard for herself like a dragon.

Assuming such a thing would even be welcome.

If last night had been a fairy tale, this morning was the stumble out of the fairy’s circle. The moment where everything became real again, and the world was sustainably imperfect.

Still asleep, Aymeric shifted such that his other hand knocked into hers in the scant space between them. Even in dreams, the touch was enough to curl his lips in an unguarded smile he half smothered into his pillow, fingers flexing for a fleeting, blind search of her.

But time was liable to take notice of Serella if she further entangled them. If not time, then certainly duty or any number of things that would rip her from this peace. Rather than risk it, she gathered the pillow beneath her in a white-knuckled fist. As she watched the gilded fingers of dawn blindly fumble for the shape of them through the parted curtain, she prayed the city—the realm—would forget them a little while longer.

In this liminal space between what she had dared to want and what was real, scars from flesh to marrow and deeper still threatened her with their phantom pains. Muscles in need of stretching burned, and the chill in the air threatened to make every joint ache the second she left the blankets. Bones creaked in protest after being still for so long in sleep when she tried to address those aches that howled first. For several long moments, her body was caught in its own space between thrumming soreness from stillness and lancing ache from movement, waiting for the worst of both to ease.

And from below the monotonous agony, a long-standing anxiety welled up from the pit of her rib cage to form a roiling bubble of intrusive thoughts that pressed at her throat. The what-ifs began to whisper in her ears again. Despite her best efforts, what had been muffled to a distant buzz in the previous eve’s heady rush was given crystalline clarity in light of day.

For her heart was but a muscle, and it ached like all the rest.

Such worry always came on the heels of vulnerability. Of course it did; fear was an old and familiar stalagmite that had gradually emerged from the pit in her stomach through years of buried feeling being left to itself. Crystallized and jagged monument of unaddressed pain that it was, its sharpest and highest facets had long since lodged themselves in the spaces between her ribs. To dislodge even a piece of it, something inside of her would surely have to break. The morning light bounced off its raw facets in her mind’s eye, sending her vision swimming with spots until she realized its true source was the thinning of her own breath.

To persevere in silence would be to welcome the press of a blade to her heart, trusting that it would not be run through—and oh, how Serella had bled in the past.

It wasn’t as though the fear was unfounded, even knowing Aymeric to be a good man; blunt though the instrument be, duty could well be what he might wield to beat all they were back to the shadows. Worse—it could well be his expectation that she was of like mind.

Surely not—surely not. And yet…

If Serella had been wrong to let herself be vulnerable, to want—if she had guessed wrong again—

Scratching at the door ripped her from her spiral so suddenly that she nearly jumped. No doubt it was Duchess, whom she heard rumbling from the depths of the manor last night.

A more insistent scratch came as if in answer. Serella strongly suspected such a temperamental old thing would start to yowl if her demands weren’t answered in a timely fashion.

She knew the type.

Peering back at Aymeric, who seemed yet unperturbed by the sound, she found even the thought of waking him to border on criminal—and he doubtless would once Duchess kicked up enough of a fuss.

The lady of the house needed feeding, and Serella was already up. No sense in robbing him of what little extra sleep he could find, after all. Not when her anxieties were so chatty this morn as to already rob her of it.

Decision made, she eased herself from the loose tangle of limbs and tucked the covers around him as he continued to doze. When he pawed at the empty space left by her absence, she compensated him with her pillow. Once freed of darling and duvet both, she slid from the bed entirely with immense care and only minimal popping sounds from her joints as she ambled over toward the door.

Sure enough, Serella was met with the lady of the house peering up at her once she’d eased the door open. More fur than feline, she sat at the doorway like a prim little tumbleweed with indignant green eyes, all dense fur patterned with beautiful mottled browns and brushed to its utmost fluffiness.

“Good morning.” She greeted, slipping out into the hall and twisting the doorknob to soften its closing behind her. “Breakfast?”

Mrr, Duchess rumbled in assent. Serella felt it in the floorboards.

“Well go on, then,” she said with a gesture to the hall, “I know you know where it is.”

With a thump of her tail and a wheezy huff, the acting Viscountess trotted off down the stairs. Her house guest followed gamely, hopeful that she behaved as most cats would and make a dash for her food at the promise of being served.

Blessedly, Duchess was no different: with a startling amount of speed for her apparent age, she made a beeline down the stairs and around the bend to a specific cabinet in the kitchen just beside the pantry. Once sat primly before the little door, she began to paw at a worn patch of scratches at its bottom corner and look up expectantly with the widest, roundest eyes that she could and the softest trill she had managed thus far.

Oh, this was manipulation if ever she’d seen it, doubtless perfected over eight lifetimes’ worth of practice on family and guests. Must have the same teacher as her owner, Serella mused to herself.

After a brief scan to find her feeding bowl—full but for the emptied center of the dish, of course—Serella was soon scooping an appropriate amount of food for the lady.

“Your breakfast, madam!” She said, presenting the bowl in a with a flourish.

Duchess sniffed up at her, nearly thankful, before promptly burying her face in the kibble and paying her guest no further mind.

“You yet possess your hand.” Aymeric’s amused voice drifted in from behind her.

Startled, Serella spun to face him with eyes wide and hands held up to her heart as if she had been caught doing something wrong. It was effortless to find her ease when she saw him leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed and a sleepy smile on his face.

“Of all your accomplishments, that may well be among the most impressive,” he teased with a chuckle, “not even I have managed unscathed every time.”

“I’ll count that as a personal victory, then.” She said, at a loss as to what else to say.

Though she wore a set of his pajamas, she might as well have not changed from her gown last night for how reverently he looked at her. Even at barely seven bells in the morning and doubtless with a bird’s nest in her hair he still looked at her as though she were spun from starlight and woven in his dreams.

Her gaze shied from his, all at once overwrought with raw and tender ache.

“I’d hoped to avoid waking you,” she explained as if she were trying to get out of trouble.

Which was silly, she knew. She’d only fed his cat.

“Seems my stealth could do with a bit of work, though,” she added with a lame gesture between them.

She wasn’t even sure it was meant to be a joke, but he offered her a huff of laughter all the same.

“In truth, your absence woke me more than you leaving,” he admitted, his smile turning bashful when his gaze demurred as he added, “though the decoy was almost as charming as hearing you through the door.”

His ears flushed a faint pink when he glanced back at her and explained, “I reached for you—and when you were not there, it alarmed me.”

Not entirely unreasonable—she had flung herself off the bed in the middle of the night. He’s gracious enough not to mention it.

“I would have otherwise been tempted to lounge with you all day,” she mumbled, and felt near feverish for how hot her face burned at the admittance, “if I thought we could get away with it, at least.”

It seemed to please Aymeric greatly, however; as his smile grew wide enough for his eyes to crinkle at the corners as he looked at her in full again. As if that helped him decide something, he pushed off the doorway and moved closer with steps merry yet unhurried.

Serella still startled when he stopped within arm’s reach. He could have already made contact with her, yet he hesitated, as if wondering what she would do.

Nothing. She did nothing, save for white knuckle the counter behind her with the want to.

She wasn’t surprised at her struggle with letting that last wall between them fall, not after a year or so of skirting around one another. Not with her thoughts swarming her head like an agitated hive. Understanding it did not ease her lamentations. Did not quiet the buzzing.

“That may yet be arranged,” he murmured, unaware of her struggle.

His hand drifted to skim the thin shirt sleeve she wore with his knuckles, his expression almost shy. At no point on its dutiful march down her sleeve did his hand make contact with her. She felt the comet’s trail of his warmth all the same.

It wasn’t until the tip of his finger hooked on the cuff of her sleeve in a vague pantomime of holding her hand that she realized she had let go of the counter behind her. Startled, she looked up at him with a thin gasp to find him already peering at her through his lashes.

Holding her gaze steadily, he asked, “...If it should please you?”

It’s too early to be this sweet, she huffed at him in her mind.

She shivered despite the warmth of his knuckles against hers when his hand drifted those few ilms lower. Under his attention, her heart felt both deeply tender and fit to burst.

“It would.” Serella said softly, though refrained from giving in to the temptation to unmake the scant distance between them entirely.

Last night had been…perfect. Beyond perfect. Sharing their hearts, even an onze, even for a moment, had been more than she had ever dared hope for. In the light of day, where the dream was over and yet they still remained, she could hardly contain the affection she’d withheld for so long. Just the effort of it made her skin burn.

And yet…

That sharp, anticipatory pain in her heart where the blade could well find its purchase seized her bodily in that moment. The fault lines where it would break from such piercing groaned in warning.

Aymeric seemed to sense her hesitation, as he dropped her sleeve and moved a few ilms away. The hollow space where she had meant to lace their fingers together howled yet she could not force herself to move before at least this fear could be exorcised. She had no more room to bury it, and it would not help her exhume the rest.

“I,” she tried to croak though the words tangled in a lump in her throat.

Swallowing it, she tried again, “I don’t…I don’t know what you hope for us to be.”

At that, Aymeric stilled with a short yet shuddered intake of breath. Even his aether seemed to recoil in response but what startled Serella most was that for all the emotions that rippled along the surface of his heart, surprise was not among them.

The tangle of feelings radiating off of him was familiar—too familiar; not for the first time, she had nearly missed it for how similarly his struggle had mirrored her own. That tense anticipation for pain, the pre-emptive flinch before impact, she could feel every twitch that spoke of routine. The morbid vindication of ah, and there it is, to greet disaster after awaiting it for so long.

Expectant rather than dreading. Because this had happened to him before, she remembered.

In the few seconds it had taken her to make the connection, he had thinned his breathing, as if to make himself as scarce and unobtrusive as he could in this moment. Already, his body language began to shape itself in the familiar form of an apology, starting with the inward flinch of his shoulders.

Even blind, she would feel the way his aether roiled and his stomach dropped out from under him. Sensitive to it all as her Blessing had made her, it was impossible not to know the waves of his emotions as they crashed into her.

In a grim way, it was reassuring: he was just as much of a nervous mess as she.

Suddenly desperate to soothe it out of both of them, she took his hand and chose to be brave.

Body and soul, that surprised Aymeric. He could not catch his expression ere it crossed his face.

“I want to be with you.” she said—and though the words felt strange, like tasting an old secret on her tongue, she relished in the relief at saying them.

The breath left him as though he were struck, even as he beamed at her. As if given permission to breathe again, his chest rose with the slow, relieved inhale that left him in a sigh so deep as to sag his posture.

“Serendipity itself,” he said on the tapered end of his exhale, more air than words.

His hand was gentle when it brought hers to his lips. His warmth splashed across her knuckles in soft breaths as he kissed them once, twice, thrice in reverence.

“I want much the same—it feels at least a lifetime that I have yearned,” he admitted against her skin, peering at her through fanned lashes and a deep flush.

Relief and happiness crushed her heart from all sides at his words, enough that for a moment the swarm in her head scattered in dissaray. How could such an otherwise even toned and collected man have such infectious joy? The nerve of him. The unmitigated gall.

Turning her hand within his hold she instead curled it to cup his cheek. When he leaned into the touch and eclipsed her hand with his own, his lips sought her palm as though they were made solely to kiss it.

Her thumb traced the angle of his cheekbone as she struggled to find the words to say to help him understand. His thumb idly mirrored her movements, blindly pacing the length of a scar on her thumb he had come across as if in a trance as his lashes fluttered.

Seconds passed in the sort of sunlit slowness that moved like honey on a spoon, but Aymeric was eventually stirred to shift within her hold and face her fully. All syrup-slowness, his lashes lifted to let him regard her at length.

“You have concerns,” he said at last, his eyes still searching hers.

“Only one.” Serella answered, relieved and horrified all at once for his perceptive nature.

“I imagine you will find more in time, yet if there is only the one for now, then I would hear it.” he said, and let her hand slip from under his when she pulled it away. “I would help you find your ease.”

Words swam in her head, only forming coherent sentences at certain angles through the muck of her fears.

“I don’t…need any grand gestures. Nothing…announced.” Serella fumbled to explain, the words clumsy and anxious. “And I don’t want any of that—gods, it makes me anxious just to think of—“

“You are not one for ceremony.” Aymeric agreed, smiling.

Serella nodded. Wetting her lips, she tried to persevere, saying, “And—and I know there will be times where professionalism is more important. For both of us, really. I would want that distinction regardless, lest we be accused of corrupting one another’s stations.”

It was his turn to nod. “I agree,” he said.

“But that—” she cut herself off with a wince, bracing for the fall with a deep, steady inhale as she said in a rush, “that doesn’t mean I would be content to be hidden.”

“…Hidden?” Aymeric asked, and it was obvious he was taken aback for the way he almost physically jumped at the thought.

“I only mean—“ Realizing she was wording it poorly, she flustered. “I—I’m not really making myself clear, am I?”

“You are—I am merely struggling to see.” He reassured her.

With a tilt of his head, he asked, “Help me understand? How—why in the name of the Fury would I hide you?”

“It’s just…we’ve fought so hard for so long to reveal the Holy See’s secrets—both small and large.” she began slowly.

“A victory that has cost us much.” he agreed in a soft murmur.

“And…I don’t know if your station allows you to have room for me—but—”

Wetting her lips, she finally sighed and said, “for how hard we fought for the truth of the Theocracy, I would not want us to be the Republic’s first secret.”

Realization dawned on his face for the briefest moments before melting away into relief.

“Ah,” he sighed, gently, before asking, “is that what it was?”

When Serella looked at him again, his smile was impossibly soft.

“Aye,” she said, posture slumping over as the last of a sigh left her, “that’s it. My one concern.”

“Certainly a valid one, but permit me put it to rest.” Aymeric said, reaching for her again.

The first brush of his fingers on her face was enough for the tension in her shoulders to snap with such a force she almost felt lightheaded. Her head fell into his palm like the architecture of him was made to hold her.

He waited until she met his gaze before speaking again.

“There is naught preventing me from being with you, so long as we both wish for it.” Aymeric said, his hand soft as it stroked the apple of her cheek. “Nor would I ever wish to hide—I do not even think I could. Not after,” he flushed clear to the tips of his ears as he finished the sentence in an almost mumble, “not after so long pretending. I could not go back.”

She flushed in kind and resisted the urge to hide her face in his hand. Or his chest. Or the countertop. How many times would she be made to damn his earnest nature before noon? Before the sennight was over? Before the world ended?

May it happen enough that I lose count, Serella prayed.

“Well, then,” she said around a hum, “consider my concern addressed.”

“Good.”

He smiled, though the relief that rippled through him felt tentative to Serella.

“Do you have concerns?” she asked with a tilt of her head and an arch of her brow. “Since we’re clearing things up now—which, by the way, an important start to things, I should think.”

“...Only—only one for myself as well,” he said slowly, all the ease that had found him leaving in fits and starts.

As if wandering, his hand drifted to her hair and began to twirl a lock of it loosely around his finger. His gaze focused on his fidgeting.

He only did that when he was uncomfortable with what he was going to say next, she noted to herself; it was the only time he would ever look away from the person he was speaking with.

“I had not thought to address it—I presumed it was taken as given, but—“

“Better to say it,” Serella said. “Whatever it may be.”

“You have the right of it.” Aymeric agreed, even as he seemed almost reluctant. Still, his tone was even, almost detached, as he explained, “I would never want you to enter a courtship with me bearing—“

“Relationship.” she said.

When he looked at her in surprise, she added, “If you feel the need to court me to make up for lost time, I certainly won’t object, but I’d argue the past year or so has been exactly that. More or less.”

“…Relationship, then.” He said, and for all his trepidation, that seemed to please him greatly. “With perhaps some courtly romance for lost time.”

Though the troubled expression hadn’t fully left his face, even the thought of their bond had let joy rally in the corners of his lips. The melancholy almost immediately regained its dominance as he slowly continued, “I would not want you to agree to such a relationship bearing any misconceptions as to my…dedication.”

“...I don’t follow.” Serella admitted with a shake of her head.

“Pray do not misunderstand,” he pleaded, and she felt his anxiety in her throat. “I would never do aught without consent—“

“I know,” she reassured him. “I trust you.”

“That does not mean, however,” he spoke like it tortured him to do so as he said, “that I could always prioritize you over aught else. If at all, really.”

“Hmm?” She arched a brow—not offended, but still not entirely sure what he meant.

He must have taken her confusion as offense, because he spoke with just a tinge of desperation, as if frantic to articulate, “For however deep my feelings for you might run—so long as I hold even one office—” he winced before continuing, “—never mind two, I cannot hold you above my duties to Ishgard.”

As she thought. She resisted the urge to laugh, knowing how upset he was and how that would look. He had little and less to worry about in that regard—or at least, just as much to worry about as she did, which all evened out in the wash so far as she was concerned.

“Even were I not an officer of the Maelstrom,” she began, searching for the words, “as the Warrior of Light, I have to ask you much the same: can you feel comfortable, knowing I must put not only the needs of Limsa Lominsa but also the realm over you? That I most often must answer to a title before I can answer to my name?”

Aymeric blinked owlishly at her, and then she did laugh at his incredulous expression; clearly he had been so caught up in his own fears he had not perceived aught beyond them.

The sweet fool, she thought with infinite fondness.

“I can,” he said, almost excitedly.

“Then promise me,” she said, moving to lay a hand over his heart. “That you’ll never prioritize me over Ishgard and Her interests.”

“I swear it,” he said.

With a huff of relieved laughter he kissed her forehead.

His eyes were alight with relief and crinkled at the corners with his smile when he spoke again, “promise me in kind that you will never place me above the realm.”

“I would never,” she said—and spoke true.

As if her words dispelled his every trepidation, he smiled in that way that felt like the first rays of sunshine after endless rain.

“Any other concerns?” She asked, her grin returning in the wake of her relief. “Any at all?”

“None,” he responded, at last crossing those last few ilms of distance and curling his arms around her. She met him readily, hands smoothing away the singular cowlick in his hair. “None whatsoever.”

“So it’s us, then?” she asked, both for clarity and because she would never tire of hearing it. “For as long as we want?”

“Please,” he breathed, barely getting the word out before Serella discovered her new favorite feeling: his laughter, humming gently against her lips.

[unreal-unearthed]

bangel x like real people do

for the @iwillrememberyoumarathon 2024 <3

[vagueeyes]

Hello In9 fandom! For context, I've recently recommended the show to a friend of mine and I'm also planning on recommending it to another person, whom I'm meeting up with next week.

This got me curious to know how you all approached the show and whether knowing or not knowing about PSYCHOVILLE influenced your opinion on DEATH BE NOT PROUD. Some follow-up questions for anyone who wants to answer via reply/tags/dm:

-If you voted No: Did you enjoy the episode? Would you have rather watched PSYCHOVILLE first? Did you go back to watch it?

If there is any more context behind your vote, feel free to let me know!

[todidot]

The Development of Four and Legato's Friendship in LU Doppelgänger AU: Part 1

Ok so if you are here and you don’t know what LU Doppelgänger AU is—you are in the wrong place because this is basically me screaming about it for multiple pages! If you are still here despite that disclaimer—welcome!

Part 1 since this is already way too long. This covers events from Puppet Show to Velveteen Rabbit!

@starlight-eclipsed is the writer for the series and I strongly recommend giving it a chance! The series gave me severe brain rot hence this entire post so give it some love if you enjoyed me screaming about it here!

(Also shoutout to Kit_Kat_Weirdo_27 on ao3 on chapter 1 of Matrioshka Brain for causing this! They made a comment mentioning Four and Legato’s relationship which triggered this entire thing!)

Four and Legato's relationship is one of my favorites in the LU Doppelgänger series and it's partly due to the exploration of Four as a character.

Four in Linked Universe

When comparing the main series–Linked Universe which will be referred to as LU throughout this–Four isn’t particularly close to any member of the group. He’s a good teammate—willing to lend a helping hand or listening ear but there is no one that he regularly seeks out in LU.

Though that can change thanks to some recent developments in LU (e.g. Wild knowing about the Four Sword’s ability and Four and Wild subsequent reconciliation, Four, Wind, and Time teaming up in the dungeon). In general, Four doesn’t have many individual conversations with members and mainly interacts with everyone in larger group settings. We know that he is close to Twilight on account of Four knowing about him being Wolfie. He and Twilight also go exploring the town in Divine Dark Reflections pt1 so they do seek each other out to explore together occasionally. He is also seen working with Legend and Hyrule to create Wild’s new sword the first time. Additionally, if the doodles are canon, Time would be privy to Four’s ability to shrink to Minish size. He and Time are seen fighting as a duo in some fights and make use of their size difference well so there is familiarity there as well. However despite all of this, we don’t really see Four consistently interact with any one character. He gets along well with each member but he doesn’t seem to be particularly close to any of them individually. 

(We don't see him interact as much with Wind, Sky, or Warriors but in larger group settings they seem to get along fine. He is seen bandaging Sky in one doodle though! He, Wind, and Legend also get into an argument during Sunset Arc about Twilight's usage of Twili magic.)

There is a chance of Four and Wild becoming closer though since Wild is now the only character aware of the Four Sword’s ability and they’ve gone through a major fight and reconciliation. That sort of event usually helps characters in understanding the other better and the vulnerability revealed usually aids in bringing people closer. Furthermore, the dungeon trio of Time, Wind, and Four has the potential for some more insight into how Four interacts with other members of the group. 

Four has an interesting role in the group dynamic in the sense that he’s in an ambiguous age region. He’s a young hero but he doesn’t showcase it in the way that someone like Wind does. He’s got his own pride but it’s been tempered by experience and patience. I honestly view him in a similar way to how Four perceives Legato in LU Doppelgänger AU.  In an ask that Starlight-Eclipsed answered on tumblr, Four believes Legato is older than he appears because "Legato doesn't think like a child" specifically how Legato thinks in the long-term and how his worldview isn't centered around himself--which isn't bad but just a symptom of a developing worldview. This same line of thinking is applied to Four in LU because he's small but he's too mature, self-assured, and considerate to be a truly young hero. It’s evident in how the other heroes treat Four in LU as well. We see the older heroes trying to protect Wind early on in the series and he calls them out on it but Four doesn’t get the same treatment.

I think a good example of how mature Four is  in the comic is in the swords comic in which Four protests against picking up the Master Sword. In that comic, he calls out the other heroes for pushing him for his reasoning because they're also hiding secrets. However, once he sees everyone's reaction to his words, he defuses the situation—soothes the tensions by being lighthearted about it which gets Wild and Legend to join in. He has high emotional intelligence and is able to stand up for himself without increasing tensions within a group. He’s very familiar with working with individuals with colorful personalities and knows when to assert himself and when to lighten up. It’s a very good scene demonstrating Four’s maturity.

Though he definitely has his childish moments like in the comic when your fish story turns into a “fish story” in which he is regaling his adventures to the group without telling them he spent it being very very small. Generally though, Four’s ability as a hero is never called into question and his age is rarely commented on. 

Four and Legato in LU Doppelgänger AU

Anyway I think that's enough on Four's relationships in LU, now let's talk about his relationships in LU Doppelgänger AU! Most of his relationships with the others are the same with the exception of Wild and Hyrule and this is directly due to the addition of Legato into this adventure. In the LU, Four is on good terms with these two heroes but he isn't especially close to them. Wild's weapons and his treatment of them step on his pride as a blacksmith and he takes that as a challenge to make a sword that can hold up against Wild's treatment. Four creates this sword with the help of Legend and Hyrule but outside of this interaction, these characters aren't seen talking together often. 

In LU Doppelgänger AU, Four has Legato.

Legato and Four have many similarities though Four isn't aware of all of them currently. They're experienced heroes who have been on multiple quests but more importantly they've been on quests in which teamwork was a core lesson. As such, they both came into this adventure with a solid understanding of how to work in a team and navigating conflicting personalities. This helps them integrate in the team and generally get along with others. They also have some shared interests: mainly weaponry and magic enchantment. Furthermore, Four's a career blacksmith with a Minish magic background and Legato had a (unfinished) blacksmith apprenticeship and a broad magical expertise. This results in the two of them being able to bounce ideas off each other about their differing expertise and filling in the gaps in the other's knowledge. 

Most importantly, there's an equality between the two of them. Four is currently the only hero with suspicions that Legato is older than he appears--much like Four himself--but regardless of that, Four never treats Legato as a child. I think that is partly that Four is able to see past Legato's physical appearance and judge him based on his actions since many of the other heroes see his short stature and general positive disposition and assume that it's because Legato is young without looking too far into it. Admittedly, Legato is playing into that assumption but he's honestly not doing much to sell the act and just relying on the others' biases.

Puppet Show

In chapter 1 of Puppet Show, Legato receives a Jabbernut from Four. This is the first meeting of the entire group so everyone is wary around each other and trying to create order. Legato, in particular, is going through it in that chapter. Comparing chapter 1 of Puppet Show Legato to the Legato we see later on in the series, it is immediately obvious that he is reeling from the situation. Albeit, Legato’s version of freaking out is all internal with only a few physical signs but he is definitely worried that he just potentially erased the version of his brothers that Legato–as Legend–went on this adventure with originally. Physically, Legato is withdrawn and observes the group instead of conversing with them and fidgeting throughout the entire chapter. When he does contribute, he’s noted to be mumbling instead of his usual outgoing and friendly behavior in later installments. While the fidgeting isn’t necessarily a sign that Legato is anxious since he picked up the habit from his most recent adventure–it combined with his unusual silence demonstrates how unnerved by the whole situation Legato is. Moving on towards his thoughts throughout the chapter, there is this constant grief that underpins all of Legato’s thoughts. 

Legato’s first assumption was that this was a dream since he mentions already checking if was having another dream adventure. Legend is immensely haunted by Koholint Island and Marin so that speaks volumes on just how much Legato is freaked out. He’s constantly getting the fact that these aren’t his brothers thrown into his face during the entirety of chapter 1 of Puppet Show and it hurts him deeply. He knows the story beats already but the others don’t and it shows. They don’t know him. They’re winded after the encounter with the first black-blooded monsters. They’re not his brothers. But, they look like them and he misses them so much. He’s constantly comparing them to his group and the loss of them drags down his enthusiasm. After the encounter in the woods, he stays behind to clean his blade and he comes to the conclusion that he will stick around to ensure that this group will stay together because collectively, the group heals and supports each other. Legato won’t risk destroying his brothers even if they do not know him. 

Anyway, Legato is going through it and no one has noticed since they don’t have a baseline expectation of Legato’s behavior. But this is very telling on what sort of mindset Legato is entering this adventure with. Legato is sticking around because he cares about his brothers but he doesn’t really see himself as part of the group. He’s just a tag-along that isn’t supposed to be there but is. 

Due to Legato’s prior experience with his group–now referred to as Chain ver. 1–he already knows some secrets and vulnerabilities of the other heroes so while he is grieving, he also has a generally positive and empathetic perspective of the new group–now referred to as Chain ver. 2. 

Four, on the other hand, has none of this. This is the first meeting after all and he has no expectations of any of the other heroes yet. Legato remarks that Four gave him a jabbernut in chapter 2 of Puppet Show, though the actual action occurs during chapter 1 off-screen. Legato specifically mentions that Four walked up to Legato and offered him the jabbernut while Legato was hanging back from the group discussion. At that point, everyone was speaking different languages due to how vast the time between each era is so Four took the prerogative to ensure stable communication once he came to the conclusion everyone was non-hostile. Legato isn’t a special consideration at this point and Four is literally the only hero that can solve the language issue given the fact that jabbernuts only appear in his games. But based on how withdrawn from the group Legato was initially, Four most likely noticed that he was uncomfortable with the presumably unintelligible conversation going on and most likely wanted to solve the issue without drawing attention to Legato who clearly didn’t want the attention. 

Admittedly, that is mostly speculation since we don’t know Four’s reasoning but based on how he views his duty as a hero and his maturity, he would probably feel some obligation to help out Legato during the first meeting. It isn't a special consideration for Legato as an individual though but just an extension of Four’s duty as a hero. It also demonstrates Four’s practicality since at this point he has already determined that everyone is friendly and it will be easier for them all to be able to properly communicate. Four is a hero whose adventures have taught him the value and importance of teamwork and that’s evident in the way he gets the group on the same page with the jabbernuts. 

Four and Legato's relationship starts in chapter 3 of Puppet Show when Legato tells Time that he has some magic items Four might want to experiment with to make a traveling forge. Legato makes this overture because he knows that later on in Four is supposed to make a sword for Wild and wants to give the group the extra support and time to prepare for it. Four doesn't know that of course but it's what prompts Four to start interacting with Legato. Regardless of why Legato offered Four his magic tools, the action demonstrated some key information about him. 

It shows that he's observant since he made note of Four's occupation which presumably happened during the introductions or in the indeterminate amount of time it took for Chain ver. 2 to reach Lon Lon Ranch. 

It shows his ability to plan ahead and foresee potential obstacles like a weapon breaking or general weapons maintenance.

It shows how considerate of others Legato is seeing as he's offering the use of his own materials to help jump start this project.

It shows that Legato has some familiarity with blacksmithing as he understands the importance of temperature control and the tools of the trade. 

All this together shows Four that Legato is a considerate teammate who might also share knowledge on his specialty. Naturally, Four ends up with a positive impression of Legato and while they haven't directly interacted at this point, Four has enough information to be curious about Legato. 

The consequences of Legato lending Four his magic tools is immediately evident in chapter 4 of Puppet Show. While the group is a few days out of Lon Lon Ranch, Four notices that Legato is on edge. This is because Legato is waiting for the Postman's appearance but once Legato mentions that everything has been too quiet, Four takes that response seriously and gets ready for a fight. Legato quickly clears that assumption but it's a good indication for the level of respect between these two even early on. Four and Legato aren't close but Four trusts him as a fellow hero and even if Four hasn't noticed anything yet--he's willing to listen to the perceived warning.

Additionally, Four being the one to call out Legato's restlessness is interesting because it demonstrates that he's watching Legato and that the two of them are presumably walking close together. This might just be because they're the smallest in the group and as such have been assigned to walking in the center of the group for easier protection as shown in LU but it does show that Four is interested in Legato and is a good teammate. Once the Postman has gained everyone else's attention, Four approaches Legato again. Notably, Legato is being quiet during this segment and allowing the rest of the group to discuss the Postman's presence and essentially has it play out as it does in LU. 

Early on, Legato sticks to the background in group discussions. He doesn't really want to make any drastic changes at this point and is content to let everything play out as if he isn't there. He's very much in the mindset that he's a tag-along. Except Four goes out of his way to interact with Legato. He bumps Legato's shoulder in order to get his attention and makes a comment about Legato getting his "weird thing" and sticks by Legato's side once the group gets moving again. Four then thanks Legato for lending him the ice and fire rods and then mentions what Legend and him were able to figure out with them. This then prompts Legato to ask questions on how magic interacts with blacksmithing and results in the entire group learning about Legato's magical expertise. Now this scene is important to Four and Legato's relationship because it demonstrates how Four is able to get Legato to interact with the group. As mentioned, Legato is okoy with fading into the background in the beginning especially during these calmer moments but Four notices that Legato is withdrawing from the group and gets him to re-engage. Now Legend has done this in chapter 2 of Puppet Show by sending Hyrule to Legato when Wind was busy talking to Wild but Four does it more discreetly and gets Legato to address everyone in the group. Do I think Four is consciously taking into account these factors? Maybe a little bit because he's definitely crafty enough and prioritizes team dynamics enough to go out of his way to get Legato to integrate into the team but he's also probably just interested in Legato as a person by now. 

So this conversation provides this information to Four about Legato:

 Legato definitely has some background in blacksmithing because he was aware that magic could potentially alter the effects.

Legato has a broad and in-depth knowledge of magic (elemental, time, magic deflection, etc.)

Legato has a tendency to retreat into his head.

All of these make Legato an appealing person to talk to about magical craftsmanship. He might not have the same background blacksmith knowledge as Four but he can cover the usage of magic in enchanting weapons. Furthermore, Legato mentions having some rare crafting materials like fairy dust that could have caught Four's attention so Four now has more motivation to get to know Legato on account of them both having interest in aspects of craftsmanship. It also informs Four that Legato isn’t likely to get into arguments with others and that it might be difficult for Legato to engage with everyone. Four was in the clearing when Legato and Wind came back from their water run in chapter 2 of Puppet Show and most likely saw how Legato retreated once his companion was gone so it is possible that Four noticed that Legato does better in one-to-one interactions compared to large group conversations. 

Additionally, chapter 4 of Puppet Show is when Four and Legato start having friendly physical touch. Examples of this are Four bumping Legato's shoulder to get his attention, and Legato later reciprocating by jabbing Four in the side for laughing at everyone's reaction to Legato's magical knowledge. We know that from from later on in LU Doppelgänger AU, the other heroes aren’t used to initiating physical contact with each other by the time that Legato gets axed by the Shadow courtesy of a comment from Starlight-Eclipsed on chapter 1 of Matrioshka’s Brain to t4d0. So, it is significant that Four feels comfortable with Legato at this point to initiate contact first. Legato has an easier time than the other heroes on account of his familiarity with their alternate selves (Chain ver.1) but Four doesn’t have any of that background. Four’s ease with Legato is purely based on their interactions now. 

 If you go through LU, while Four isn’t self-contained completely, he occasionally slaps/pats people on the back but that happens twice throughout the entire comic and he only allows someone to touch him in a friendly manner outside of a life or death situation only directly after Twilight enters the room after being cured and stabilized. Even when reconciling with Wild, he offers the item without ever touching Wild. So these friendly touches, Four has with Legato this early on in the story is an indication of Four's growing comfort with interacting with Legato.

Baby Doll

Alright so now that we’ve established that by the end of Puppet Show Four and Legato are friendly with each other and that Four is growing more comfortable with Legato we can move onto Baby Doll!

Baby Doll is not a very Four and Legato centered work but it does establish Legato and Four interacting with each other outside the scope of what we observe. It’s essentially sets up Four and Legato spending more time with each other in the background of the greater narrative.

In chapter 1 of Baby Doll, Four and Legato briefly interact near the end of the chapter when Chain ver. 2 begin discussing their inventories. Four and Legato briefly interact when the group’s attention is drawn towards Legato’s sword Caladbolg. Four leans in to examine the sword and comments on how cumbersome such a large sword is for Legato but he still manages to wield it. It’s a small interaction but it is evidence that Four and Legato are comfortable enough with each other that the other can intrude into their personal space. 

There is a funny comparison between LU and LU Doppelgänger AU in this chapter since in LU, Four is the one compared to Time’s large sword and the group jokes about it. In LU Doppelgänger, Legato is the person whose height is being compared to his almost disproportionate sword. It’s a fun little difference between the series and draws a small parallel between both characters!

Later on in the same chapter, Legato goes to join Four and Wild's discussion on the advantages of different weapon types which reinforces the conclusions that Four most likely drew from Puppet Show. At this point, Four has probably gotten a good grasp on Legato's magic and weapon interests and realize that the pair have a few common topics outside of hero work to share! 

There's also some implied hangouts between the two characters in chapter 2 of Baby Doll as Legato starts the chapter by coming back from getting water for the group with Four. I can't imagine that the two of them wouldn't talk to each other during this so we know that they are getting to know each other more. After all, when Legato went on a water run with Wind—the two of them ended up talking more about their respective lives and bonding. Furthermore, given how much Legato already cares about Four—there is no way he wouldn’t try to get closer as he is “speedrunning his found family arc.”

After comforting Wild, Legato goes out of his way to tell him to leave Four and him out of the tampered food which makes sense since neither was involved in messing with Wild but also shows Legato going out of his way to look out for Four which was something that Legend nor any other hero does in LU.

So while Baby Doll doesn’t have many Four and Legato interactions, it does show that the pair are gradually becoming more comfortable with each other. Legato already comes in with a high level of comfort with the others but Four is showcased to be more willing to intrude into Legato’s personal space and include him in conversations about weaponry. 

To Dance on a String

Now we're going to discuss the work that really cemented Four and Legato's relationship: To Dance on a String.

This is the work in which we get the first major Four and Legato hangout and it is a turning point in their relationship. I would consider this work to be when Four and Legato go from just being friendly with each other to genuinely being friends. 

In chapter 1 of To Dance on a String, Chain ver. 2 arrives in Legend’s Hyrule and the group is quickly divided into groups to explore the town. Four goes out of his way to ask Legato if he wants to partner with him and find the town’s blacksmith. Legato is surprised at the offer and notes that he usually gets paired with whoever is left which demonstrates that this is the first time that Four has initiated a proper hangout with Legato. Four doesn’t usually go out of his way to seek out specific members in the group in LU—we see him with a few characters but have no idea if he is the one initiating these encounters. Furthermore, most of these encounters with the other heroes in LU are centered around some sort of task rather than something to just unwind or low stakes. There’s always some kind of purpose behind those encounters—Twilight and Four went into town to figure out what time period or unusual activities they could find in Divine Dark Reflections pt1 and he enlists Legend and Hyrule to work on the sword that Wild presumably needs to fight with. When it’s downtime and there’s nothing urgent to be done, Four rarely seeks the other heroes out. So Four’s decision to seek out Legato to do a low-stakes activity in Legend’s presumably safe Hyrule is very telling on how Four views Legato. Four wants to spend time with Legato in a context entirely separate from their roles as teammates and as heroes. He wants to get to know Legato as a friend.

(I want to clarify that I’m not saying Four is only using the other heroes but he tends to be a bit more reserved compared to some other heroes. This results in him taking a backseat in some of the group interactions unless he has significant reason to enter the conversation. There is nothing wrong with Four only usually seeking company when it is easier to get a task done with more people but the task tends to take more priority in those situations. There is an exception when Four and Twilight are investigating the town since they have a heart to heart conversation in which Four comforts and advises Twilight and reveals a little about his own experience as a hero so these interactions are still bonding activities. I just think that most of the time Four focuses on whatever goal rather than bonding with the other character(s) in the interaction.)

Furthermore, Four is offering for the two of them to go find the town’s blacksmith. While there are definitely some practical purposes for finding a blacksmith, restocking arrows for example, blacksmithing is a topic that both Four and Legato have brought up with each other. Four is a career blacksmith and Legato has proven time and time again that he understands weaponry and the magical side of weapon and tool creation. It shows that Four has been paying attention to Legato’s interests! 

Additionally, while Legato and Four start off their outing with the goal of trying to find the blacksmith—they aren’t very focused on finding one throughout the chapter. They get sidetracked into a conversation about enchantments—Legato’s specialty. Four is curious about Legato and he knows that Legato is passionate about magic based on his answer on Wild’s usage of time magic in Puppet Show. He’s letting Legato talk and fill up space—something Legato only does on occasion in the group. Remember, Legato still views himself as a largely inconsequential tag-along to this version of his brothers. He stayed because he didn’t want to accidentally ruin the bonds that come from this adventure for any of the others. While LU Doppelgänger AU follows Legato and how he is making changes to the timeline, Legato at this point wants the timeline to follow as closely to how it was when he adventured with Chain ver. 1 which means he actually sticks to the sidelines during big events early on. That’s why it’s so important that Four let’s Legato guide the conversation while only chiming in to add an anecdote or ask for clarification. Four has noticed that Legato retreats into himself and has repeatedly gone out of the way to get Legato to interact with everyone and the fact that he’s doing this outside of a larger group setting indicates Four’s care to Legato as a friend more than a teammate. 

Their conversation is cut short when Legato notices Hyrule and Wild up ahead and he runs after them causing Four to follow suit. With practically no words, Legato conveys to Four about a plan to surprise the Explorer duo and Four joins in readily. Four doesn’t know what Legato has planned for the duo but he’s down for whatever scheme Legato has concocted. Four is so playful in this moment—something we don’t get to see as often in LU. Of course, Four and Legato don't spring a surprise on the Explorer Duo since they are having a serious heart to heart about the differences between eras. The two are resigned to simply waiting for Wild and Hyrule to move on so they can leave without having intruded on their talk when Wild mentions in a roundabout way that Legato is lucky to have grown up in an era so plentiful. Wild says that Legato’s insistence on teamwork and his adventures are so strange compared to what he’s used to. He inadvertently looks down on Legato’s experience. 

And that hurts Legato.

Deeply.

Legato just shuts down after hearing Wild say that about him and Hyrule’s sort of agreement. He’s unresponsive even when Four repeatedly calls out to him. He’s spiraling badly and Four yells out Link to finally shock him back to awareness. Four’s remarkably gentle with Legato once he’s gotten his attention since this is the first time Four has seen Legato ever shut down like that. He can tell that Legato isn’t okay despite Legato’s reassurance but is hesitant to push him. 

Anyway that’s when everything goes to hell in a different way as the knights descend upon our tiny duo and they have to flee the scene! During their encounter with the knights, Four is initially confused and outraged as to why the knights have decided to attack them and fights back. Legato manages to grab Four while the knights are disorientated and gets them to safety by using his speed boots. Four doesn’t know where they’re going at this point besides “away” but he trusts Legato to get them out of this mess. Which shows a remarkable sense of trust that has built between the two of them over the course of this adventure—since Four complies with little questioning.

Four is aggrieved by the entire situation and his indignation and insults towards the knights gets Legato to laugh after everything. Unfortunately, this means that Legato is going to have to Talk about his Feelings now. 

Now we are going onto the scene that really sold Four and Legato as a duo to me—Four listens to every argument Legato comes up with in defense of Wild and Hyrule and advocates for Legato against Legato himself. 

Four tells Legato that he’s earned his title as a hero. Four tells Legato that he’s allowed to be hurt by what they said despite them being Legato’s friends. Four reminds Legato that all of them were only able to get so far because of the help they received from others. Receiving help isn’t shameful and that actually gets through to Legato. 

What sells Four and Legato’s friendship to me, is just how much both of them support and understand each other. Legato drags Four out of his shell just as much as Four drags Legato back into the world. Legato got Four to agree to a prank toward Wild and Hyrule because he knows that Four wouldn’t pass on an opportunity to mess with someone. Legato got Four to talk with the others early on by introducing Four’s blacksmithing ability as a useful skill for the group. Legato extended his hand towards Four first. Four continuously reaches back and pulls Legato into the larger group right with him. Four treats Legato’s presumed two adventures with respect even if Legato only ever jokes about them. Four listens to Legato’s warnings and interests. Four cuts through Legato’s self-depreciation with so much care for Legato. 

The reciprocity of Four and Legato’s friendship is what makes these two my favorite duo in the entire series.

Now this isn’t the end of this post! We’re moving onto chapter 2 of To Dance on a String!

In the aftermath of chapter 1’s emotional conversation, Four and Legato decide to stay out in the fields outside of Legend’s Hyrule. The pair are eventually found by Wolfie and Legato makes some allusions about Wolfie being Twilight without being too obvious that gets Four too laugh at Twilight’s expense. 

There’s a noticeable ease between Four and Legato after everything. Legato is mostly honest with Four about how he feels after anything. He’s emotionally exhausted and he tells Four that “Today sucked.” Four and Legato joke about the previous event and there is a general light-hearted atmosphere between the two of them as they travel to Legend’s home. 

What’s important to notice here is that Legato is honest with Four. Legato is a person who has repeatedly avoided talking about his emotions throughout the series. While not referenced directly here, Legato had an emotional reaction towards a physical change he undergoes on Wild’s Hyrule that Warriors and Hyrule stumble upon. This is in chapter 3 of Porcelain Veneer and noticeably, Legato does not explain to either heroes why he had such a bad reaction. He skirts around the actual issue there but is honest in the aftermath of his conversation with Four. Today sucked is a small line but Legato’s being honest about how he feels. 

Upon entering Legend’s home, Legato and Four are confronted with Time who asks if they are okay and then immediately follows up with frustration at the two of them for disappearing for 3.5 hours after confirming their condition. Four is annoyed at the perceived slight against his and Legato’s ability to handle themselves. Time and Four start to argue before Legato intervenes and tells Time it was his fault that they were gone for so long. Legato claims incompetence on his part—telling Time that he panicked and grabbed Four and ran from the knights. Legato tells Time that Four and he got lost in Legend’s Hyrule. 

Time drops his interrogation of Four and Legato and tells the two that Wild made food which Legato awkwardly declines stating that he’s tired and is going to bed early. This is very out of character for him and Four is immediately on high alert but doesn’t confront Legato on his actions. 

Four is right to be concerned by Legato’s retelling of events because it inaccurately portrays what happened. During that fight, Legato pulled Four out of the way of an incoming arrow since Four hadn’t registered the knights as a threat yet. Legato breaks the horde around Four by using his Deku lead to blow two of the three knights into the street while Four deals with the last one. Lastly he was the one that navigated the town to get them away from the knights. So while Four could have dealt with the knight any himself—since he could split to get a numbers advantage—Legato still significantly contributed to the fight. Legato doesn’t explain any of this to Time and instead puts all the blame onto himself when in reality the only reason everything went so smoothly was because of Legato. So Four, who knows all of this and knows that Legato took Wild’s words badly earlier in the day has some very important reasons to be concerned by Legato’s recounting of events. Legato is none of what he described himself to Time and it shows that Legato’s perception of himself has been negatively affected by Wild and Hyrule. 

In clarification from Starlight-Eclipsed in the comment section of chapter 2 of To Dance on a String, they state that Four is taking Legato’s explanation of the events and his subsequent actions as evidence that Legato took what Wild said about him to heart—that Legato is incompetent and irresponsible. This worry is further compounded by Legato skipping a meal to go to bed—something Legato always fights about normally. 

Now seeing as how Four and Legato were friends prior to this event and then became even closer afterwards, Four is going to harbor some negative feelings about Wild and Hyrule due to how they hurt Legato. He won’t allow these feelings to negatively impact the group as a whole but he is siding with Legato. From his understanding, Wild and Hyrule hurt Legato. They were not aware of his presence there but they went behind Legato’s back and diminished his accomplishments which negatively impacted Legato’s self-esteem. His opinion on the two heroes has been lowered after the events of To Dance on a String and will influence how he treats these two heroes as the series progresses. 

Four is a good friend and a good teammate. Legato is both his friend and his teammate. However, from this point on, Wild and Hyrule might end up as just temporary teammates due to their actions.

Velveteen Rabbit

Velveteen Rabbit covers what happens shortly after the To Dance on a String as the work opens with Chain ver.2 leaving Legend’s Hyrule. There are not many Four and Legato interactions in this work but it does demonstrate the impact of what happened in the previous one. Since Legato took the blame in order to prevent a fight between Time and Four, protecting Four again–similar to when he reminded Wild that neither Four or he were involved with messing with Wild’s belongings, it has been decided that two are currently banned from partnering. Which is a shame because it was neither Four’s nor Legato’s fault for what happened in To Dance on a String. 

Four is annoyed at how Chain ver.2 are not taking his experience as a hero seriously after what happened but he doesn’t start an argument about it. Once again, Four is demonstrating his maturity and his experience with teams by not making a scene and acquiescing to the ban. He’s willing to wait it out in order for the team to work smoothly. Now that Four is unavailable, Legato searches for someone else to partner with but Wind–the other person Legato is close to–asks to join Time in order to sort out timeline confusion so Legato is last to find someone to pair with. Legato and Sky do pair up together but that only occurs once everyone else pairs up so it is proving Legato’s earlier statement that no one chooses him during group outings. The only time someone has reached out to Legato unprompted was Four and while Legato definitely loves the other heroes, it is telling that Legato usually has to pair up with whoever is last. 

Legato and Four don’t interact until the end of the work when everyone regroups. This is when we see a major divergence from LU.  Chain ver. 2 are discussing cultural differences when they start talking about the properties of gold. Four is telling Twilight that gold is the most malleable metal to work with when Wild chimes in that the gold weapons he’s used to are strong. There’s nothing inherently wrong about Wild explaining his experience with gold weapons but Four becomes visibly annoyed at the comment and fires back that Wild is being hypocritical considering how he just lost his sword. This prompts Time to confirm that statement and then ask Four if it would be possible to craft Wild a new sword. In LU, Four would have offered to start working on a sword for Wild if he wasn’t already working on one but here Four flatly refuses. He tells Time it would take too long to craft one which is true but he doesn’t offer to even start crafting a new sword for Wild. Legato notes that this is uncharacteristic of Four and this difference is because Four has a lowered opinion of Wild in this timeline.

Essentially, Velveteen Rabbit is a showcase of how Legato and Four’s friendship has altered the timeline. It demonstrates Four’s maturity in how he deals with the questioning of his abilities after leaving Legend’s Hyrule but also his defense of his friends–in this case, Legato. Four’s decision to not make Wild a sword despite it being a presumably net positive for the group since they would have all members at full capability showcases just how important Legato is to Four at this point. Four is putting Legato’s pain above providing Wild with a new sword that would have been made to withstand Wild’s fighting style. Four isn’t massively harming the group in that decision seeing as Wild can scavenge for a sword and has ranged weapons to draw from but his dissatisfaction with Wild is immediately evident to anyone familiar with him. In some ways, it shows a childish side to Four that we only really get to see because of Legato. Childish in how he’s addressing the problem but his heart is in the right place. 

In conclusion

The first five works in LU Doppelgänger AU essentially set up Legato and Four’s friendship. Puppet Show covers first contact and Four and Legato gradually come to understand and warm up to each other. Baby Doll establishes that Legato and Four are spending down time with each other outside of the viewpoint we have access to. To Dance on a String showcases the events that cement Four and Legato being genuinely good friends as it allows Four to see Legato’s vulnerability and help deal with Legato’s self-esteem issues. Legato also gets the opportunity to be honest with someone about what’s going on even if he doesn’t share the totality of the situation. Velveteen Rabbit demonstrates how much Four values his friendship with Legato as he prioritizes Legato’s pain over supplying Wild with a proper sword. 

Legato and Four work so well as a friendship because they both push the other into more active roles within Chain ver.2 and allow each other to be vulnerable, childish, bold, and respected despite their appearances. Through their relationship in LU Doppelgänger AU, we are able to explore more sides to Four and Legato has someone who will call him out on his self-deprecation and spiraling while supporting him.

[hexgaywire]

"Wedding (Photographer) Crasher"

Hex Haywire × Reader Wedding Photographer AU

»»————-　☾　————-««

Rating: Explicit

Gender: Gender neutral until Smut hits, then it's Female (you can still read it but during smut reader has a vag sorry 🧍🏻‍♂️)

Warnings: OOC Hex, Swearing, implied mentions of stalking (but not really), drinking, unprotected seggs, biting mentions, other then that it's pretty vanilla, slow burn 🗣️, happy ending 🫰

Word count: 9,364 (JESUS)

Guide to read this: "chapter will be separated with a "-" and a gap. Smut will not be marked so please be warned.

A/N: Ladies, gentleman, theys, WE FUCKING DID IT. It's a long read but honestly, and I'm biased, a good read. Thank you to @mystaposts for giving me ideas and input and genuinely letting me keep track of my progress while I write. Love you mwah. I genuinely have never written something this long and it's been a journey. I've also never written and AU this obscure before. I started this on vacation and then finished it a month after I got back LMFAO. Anyway please enjoy!

You can also read this on AO3 if you prefer that format better here

»»————-　☾　————-««

It's your friend's wedding, you're a photographer, she's having a destination wedding; how could you say no! You arrived in Mexico, struggled through customs with your broken Spanish and got to your hotel with nothing but coffee and sheer willpower alone. You text the wedding coordinator and she tells you you'll be meeting with her and the... other photographer ,which you are just NOW finding out about, at the venue to set up. You've shot weddings before; loads of times actually, it's actually one of your favorite events to photograph. You don't work for a company for a reason, you hate other people ruining your creative vision, plus once you're in the zone you hate being interrupted. Your friend left that detail out that you'd be working with.. another photographer.

You take a deep sigh, you really can't complain. It's her wedding day, you got free accommodations in exchange for taking some photos. You really can't complain. The hotel was gorgeous. It had a nice view of the city despite only being on the 3rd floor. You change and pack a bag full of all the equipment you don't wanna be taking to the venue the actual day of the ceremony and a few tripods and head off to go meet this mystery photographer you'll be working with for the weekend.

Lucky for you the venue was only a short stroll away from your accommodations. The venue vastly understated on how gorgeous it was, decked out in beautiful flowers and extravagant decor which went beautifully with the Spanish inspired build of the place, it had two staircases and a little inside balcony overlooking the venue (perfect place to shoot) which eventually led out to a huge outside balcony looking over the ocean. You pause to wonder how much this must've cost but quickly forget about it when another man walks in looking just as in awe as you probably did. He was tall, dressed in all black, messy steel colored hair, some black dispersed in different parts of his hair and the most gorgeous green eyes that peered out at you over a pair of glasses. He stares at you and before he can open his mouth the wedding coordinator runs in.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, there was a cake mishap, it's all handled now but let me tell you I'm-" she pauses and clears her throat. "Apologizes... I see you two have at least seen each other. Y/N, Hex Haywire. Hex, This is Y/N." You glance at Hex again as he glances back at you. "I thought I'd be working alone." You respond flatly. Hex scoffs. " Me too, I wasn't told I'd be working with a rookie." Your jaw must drop to the floor because Hex gives a sly smile. "I'm a friend of the bride thank you, and also own my own photography business." You grit your teeth. "Friend of the groom. Also own my own business." He shrugs and produces a business card from his pocket holding it to your face. You roll your eyes and before you quip back on a 'my dick is bigger than your dick' contest the coordinator jumps into the conversation.

"Ehm let's get back to discussing when I'll need you." She glares at you. "Both of you." She continues. "Tomorrow we need you here early to take photos of the finished venue. There are still a lot of little details we have to get done tonight and tomorrow morning but regardless it should be more flushed out tomorrow. After that the bride and groom will get ready and respectively you'll be taking photos of the getting ready process. Then the first look both the bride and groom specifically asked for to get photographed so please be on your A game for that. Then the ceremony takes place, you'll be taking photos there during the ceremony as well as the after party. The bride also requested before the ceremony so you can take photos of the family, all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Do you understand what's being asked of you?" The both of you nod. " Great! Feel free to get familiar with the venue, discuss how you'll be conducting the process... Civilly… please… ." The coordinator sighs before setting off to continue her duties.

You sigh, setting some of your equipment in the corner. Grabbing your camera from your bag you glance around to figure out where you're going first. Hex follows suit and the two of you stare at each for a moment. What the fuck was the bride thinking. This guy is a total dick, sure you don't know him but the vibe he gives off.. you can't quite place it but you just wanna rub his face in the dirt. So you resort to something a bit more sinister. Lying. "Honestly I don't know what the bride was thinking about getting both of us, I can handle all of this by myself. I don't work with other photographers because it makes the editing process so much worse because you walk into my shot and I have to Photoshop you out-" " I won't, I'm not an idiot." He cuts in. " I don't like other people fucking with my business either." He folds his arms. "If anyone is getting in anyone's shit it's gonna be you for sure Rookie." He states flatly before turning heel to go scout the venue. You glare and consider lying and telling your friend your flight got canceled. But you're in too deep, and she bought your flight… you're not getting out of this one easily.

"Aren't you gonna survey the area?" Hex calls down from the inside balcony. "What is your problem? I went to school for photography and have a degree. I'm not a rookie, and I'd advise you to keep your remarks to yourself." You call up before grabbing your camera from your bag to take some test shots. “Whatever you say, Rookie." Hex scoffs and before you can retort you find a good spot to test shot. You can't let some dude get in the way of your work.

-

A few hours pass, and you think you've mapped out a pattern that'll work best. You also found spots where photographers definitely had their tripods so you had a location for those as well. Hex has also been working diligently. He may be a dick but he's a dick who knows what he's doing at least. You can give credit where it's due even if you aren't thrilled about it. He seems to have also made peace with where he is gonna shoot. The two of you both head back to the equipment you set out and The coordinator meets you both outside on your way out. "I'll see you both here tomorrow morning! Thank you for your cooperation." You smile and begin your trek back to the hotel... But Hex is following you.

You knew it he had to be a fucking weirdo or something. After a couple minutes where it's no longer deemed a coincidence you turn around. " Do you have a fucking problem? " You ask sharply. " He looks a little taken back. "Sorry?" He looks around. "Are you talking to me?" You sigh exasperated. "Yes you, you're following and have been for the last several minutes. I knew something was off about you stalker." He laughs, your frown deepens. " This isn't funny, I don't know you and the fact that you're tailing the competition is honestly a little fucked." " What hotel are you staying at? " He asks. " I'm not telling you that. Again I don't know if you're following me or no-" " You're an actual idiot you know that? The bride and groom probably put us in the same hotel. You got your room and flight paid for by them right? " He asks with a sly smile. You wanna crawl into a hole and die. " Yep. No, that makes sense. I'm sorry I... Competition makes me kinda nasty. That was a strong accusation I was making." You laugh uncomfortably. He walks past you. "Whatever rookie. See you tomorrow. Try not to wake up late and miss work." As he walks close to the hotel and turns into the lobby you grone to yourself. You really are an idiot.

You enter the hotel, but the growl of your stomach stops you before you can even make it to the elevator. Maybe getting dinner at the hotel's restaurant isn't such a bad idea, you didn't really have time to scope out restaurants before leaving so the hotel one seemed like the safest bet . You turn to enter the restaurant adjacent to the lobby. It's a Friday night... It's fucking slammed. All the tables full wait staff looked flustered and overwhelmed. Regardless, you walk up to the host stand. "Excuse me, how long is the wait for a table for one." The host looks through a computer system on the stand. "Probably about an hour, possibly more…. though if you'd like to sit at the bar I can seat you immediately!" She responds. You shrug, it's not like you're eating with someone anyway. "That's fine, I'll take the bar seat thank you." You smile and she leads you over to almost an empty bar.

The bartender serves a few drinks and finally makes it over to you and asks what you want. You shouldn't have to be up tomorrow. "I'll take a glass of Chardonnay and..." you look down at the appetizers. "Just a side salad if you can get me that." He smiles and goes off to retrieve your items. You sigh, putting your face into your hands. You can't believe you accidentally accused your temporary coworker of stalking you and implying he'd do something to sabotage you… You groan, though it's definitely muffled by your hands.

As you stue in your misery someone sits down next to you. "Tequila shots..." The man's deep voice pauses for a second. “Two please." Your head shoots up, you know that voice. Hex tosses a sideways smirk. "You'll take a shot with me won't you rookie?" Not wanting to be rude you nod. "I thought you went up." You said softly. "I was gonna get something to eat but I saw some sad person at the bar. Had to do a welfare check." He shrugs. You snort. "I'm not sad. Just tired today has been a journey." "You must be a rookie then, can't handle a of day surveying." You roll your eyes at his remark. "Maybe it's the person I was with that made it exhausting. Has anyone ever told you, you're kinda insufferable." He laughs. "Once or twice. The bartender comes back with your drinks and food. Hex holds up his shot to yours. “Cheers."

You and Hex talk for a long time and drink a little more than you should.... Or at least you do. You feel that familiar buzz in your body as you focus on what Hex is talking about. "Anyway long story short it's kind of the groom's fault I got into photography in the first place." He's a lot more chill when he isn't in a work environment, still pretentious but the way he holds himself in a conversation is almost attractive, in fact all of him is rather attractive. You won't deny you've been sneaking glances at him all night. "Life throws stuff at you fast and it's up to you how you choose to deal with it." He smiles at you and you instinctively look away. He chuckles slightly but doesn't comment on your sudden shyness thankfully.

"So do you just do wedding photography?" You shake your head. " Nah I got a degree remember, I do headshots, family portraits, pretty much everything.... Though my dream is to travel around the world and do photography. After the wedding I wanna spend a few days here traveling around taking photos of the scenery." You respond dreamily. "You've got some strong ambition. I admire that. I'm kind of in the same boat, but primarily I do weddings." His face softens a little. "I think there's something beautiful about capturing such a precious moment between two people so in love they devote their lives to each other." You nod in agreement. "There is something definitely magical about it all. Though I wouldn't take you for much of a romantic Hex.” He shakes his head chuckling. " Can you blame me? I'm a guy with layers! I'm allowed to be a hopeless romantic aren't I?” You shrug, you honestly can't blame him.

Another glass of wine is ordered and in your head alarm bells are going off. You've been talking with Hex all night, but now there's a lull in the conversation as you look out over the now near empty restaurant you realize how late it actually is.

"Have you ever been in love?" He asks suddenly, so suddenly you almost spit out your drink. "It's a little personal to ask your temporary coworker, don't you think?" You joke. He's silent. You chuckle awkwardly before going back to nurse your final drink. You don't know if there is alcohol or something in the air but the words start tumbling out of your mouth. "I have, I think. But only once. I.... Uh met him my junior year of highschool, we instantly clicked; Only problem is he lived across the country. Told me he didn't want anything serious when I eventually cracked and confessed in college. It crushed me for a while but eventually I got over it." You muse swirling your finger around the edge of your now empty wine glass. " After that I've been kind of lukewarm about dating, I miss it though.... dating I mean.... Having a crush, feeling your stomach erupt in butterflies. I'm not the kind of person people fall in love with I guess." So respond dejectedly. A bitter feeling swells in your stomach and your eyes gloss over for a second.

Hex opens his mouth to say something but you shut him down before he can. "What about you, ever been in love?" You ask quickly. " If I answered honestly, you have to too." You add. He sighs. "I have. Many times actually, guess it's the hopeless romantic thing. Nothing's ever really worked out though." He looks over at you with a small sympathetic smile. "Love might not be for me either."

"It's a shame. All that handsomeness is going to waste." You blurt out nonchalantly before you can even process the words coming out of your mouth. Too many glasses of wine for sure. His eyebrows shoot up, you can feel the heat rise to your face. You must be drunk there, no way those words came out of your mouth. "You think I'm handsome huh?" He smirks. Annnnd the pretentiousness is back. "I need a lawyer present before I utter anything else." You mumble embarrassed. He stares at you smugly as you fidget in your bar stool. "I uh think it's time for bed. It's definitely way late. We both have to be up early anyway so uhh goodnight." You push yourself out of the bar table and immediately the alcohol hits you hard and fast. You feel your body fall.

You expect to hit the ground, you squeeze your eyes closed and brace yourself. But you don't hit the ground. Instead Hex leaps up and catches you before you hit the ground. His chest is a lot more toned than you thought, his arms are strong around you and he's warm. You look up and he looks down at you. "You okay?" Your mouth opens and closes like a fish. You push him away and nod quickly. "Completely fine. Uh Thank you. I'll uh see you tomorrow!” You retreat with your tail between your legs mentally slapping yourself for speaking too much and drinking too much.

Arriving back to your room you shower and change. You do your skin care routine and brush your teeth. You can't believe you'd be an absolute nightmare like that. All you can do is go to bed and replay the scene in your head over and over.

-

You almost pass Hex in the lobby, you can't tell if you were subconscious trying to block him out or you were just nervous about the job but he grabs your arm and yanks you back with a smile. "Morning Rookie." You groan. "Morning…" Hex releases your arm and hands you a coffee. “You had a rough night I'm sure, I figured I'd extend an olive branch with this.” You stare at it for a moment, a mere delayed sleepy reaction, before taking it. "Thanks." You say take a sip cautiously. "I didn't poison you, if that's what you're worried about." He jokes. "That's exactly what someone who totally poisoned me would say." You laugh. He shakes his head with a chuckle. " Let's get moving, yeah? Big day today." He states playfully nudging your arm before adjusting his backpack holding the equipment. Your heart does a weird tug in your chest at the contact. You both exit the lobby and begin your walk to the venue.

You awake the next morning with a killer headache and for a brief moment before taking an ibuprofen, you forgot about the events of last night. It wasn't until halfway through your morning shower, when you were finally awake and no longer operating on autopilot, that all the events of last night came rushing back to you. You grumble to yourself how stupid that was, no longer needing to apply blush as you put on your makeup.

As you prepare your heavier equipment and get ready you soon remember that you're in fact actually shooting with the man you drunkenly fell all over last night…. Fuck… You shake off your nerves and head down stairs.

As you approach the venue you exchange small talk with Hex. Neither of you bring up what happened last night. As much as it bothers you, it also spares you the embarrassment of having to relive those events. You hate to admit it but you actually think Hex is a decent guy. Of course you'd never admit that to him, especially on the way to a work event where you know things will get dicey. For now you just enjoy sneaking glances at him while the two of you chat.

You didn't think the venue could look any more beautiful than it did yesterday, but man were you wrong. Orange, yellow and pink flowers scattered around various parts of the venue. Fairy lights line the aisle with petals already pre-scattered on the ground. The look on your face must've given it away how breathtaking it was to you because you hear Hex snicker. "What!? It's gorgeous... You can't deny that either." You frown, folding your arms. "It is. Your face just lit up like a Christmas tree, I dunno it was just… endearing I guess..." He clears his throat. "Anyway, we have a job to do. I have my spots picked out and I would hope you do too." You nod. "Perfect. We'll check in with the coordinator after we're done." You nod again as he turns to leave. "Yeah yeah. See you in a bit.... Hexy." You smirk. He whips back around and raises an eyebrow. "Hexy?" "What, the tall booding eboy never got a cute nickname before? Besides you call me 'rookie', I think it's fair we're even on playing fields." You flip your hair before grabbing your equipment and heading to your first shooting location.

While taking your final photos at the flower arch, the bride and groom arrive with their respective groups to get ready. You hear your friend audibly gasp as she enters the venue, you could pick her voice out in a police lineup for sure. You take a few more photos and meet up with her. "Hey you! Thank you again for doing this. I hope this hasn't been too um… annoying you." She flashes you a sympathetic smile. "Eh I've managed but we definitely are having a serious talk about keeping 'surprises' from me when you get home from your honeymoon." She erupts in laughter. " Fine fine. My fiance insisted on Hex and I insisted on you; so we came to a compromise." She sighs. "I hope the two of you are getting along at least. I've met Hex a handful of times and he seems like a nice guy." She nudges you. "He is. A bit pretentious but in an insufferably charming way... I guess." She smirks. " Charming huh? He is pretty cute." You roll your eyes. "Girl you're about to get married you can't be saying stuff like that." She laughs again as you jokingly smack her hand chastising her.

"Did I hear married? If so, not yet still a couple hours to go." The groom jokes as he approaches the two of you. Hex and the coordinator in tow right behind him. "There you are, I was just about to come find you." Your friend kisses her fiance. "It's nice to see you again Hex, I'm sure you've already been thanked but I'll do it again; thank you for doing this." Hex hums. "Not a problem. I'm just happy to capture the magic for the two of you." "Hex has already shown me some of the shots he's taken of the venue unedited and they're gorgeous. I'm excited for you to see them once they're all edited." The corridentor chimes in. "Now then, your makeup artist has arrived as well as your dress, so why don't you and Y/N head off to go get ready." You nod. "I'll see you in a bit, honey." Her fiance calls out as the two of you walk off to the dressing rooms.

The two of you talk as her and her bridesmaids get ready, you snap candied moments, which is after all what you're here to do. Somehow you get roped into the conversation that happened last night. "I don't know, I'm not saying I wouldn't be opposed...to be caught in his arms again. If only he wasn't such a prick you know?" You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. Your friend laughs. "You always enjoyed a little bit of challenge though. Remember that asshole you dated right out of college?" "Ugh don't remind me. He was a real piece of work, we fought all the time but.... The sex was amazing and I think the only thing that kept us together for so long." You shake your head. "I guess I do have a type then. Men who get on my nerves." " Hon you definitely do, I'm glad I'm able to play therapist on my wedding day." She laughs.

The makeup artist steps back and you finally get the shot of your friend seeing herself for the first time. Tears well in her eyes. Click. You snap a photo. Just before the makeup artist chastises her. " Cry once you're down the aisle at least!" Your friend sniffles and smiles. Click. She turns around and all the bridesmaids and her mother ooo and awe at her. Her mom gives her a big hug. Click. She smiles at you. Click. You can't help but wonder in the back of your head how euphoric she must be feeling right now.

Once everyone had their fill of taking in the bride and all her glory, as she deserves, it was time for the first look.You meet back up with Hex, buzzing g with excitement. First looks are optional, not all couples do them, since it's considered bad luck to see the bride before the actual ceremony but recently it has been a trend to do first looks. "How was prep for the groom?" You ask. He smiles. "You mean letting the man get dressed and taking a few candids and then shooting the shit? It went great." You shove him and he laughs. "Bride's really pretty. I'm really happy for her. Her fiance isn't gonna know what hit him." You grin. " Are you getting soft on the job rookie?" Hex raises an eyebrow and you swat him again. " She's my friend, just this once I'm allowed to let business and work mesh this one time okay!" He shoves you this time and you both laugh. The corridentor clears her throat. The both of you immediately straighten out. " Happy to see the two of you getting along but as you've already gathered it's time to prepare for the first look." She turns to Hex. "Where's the best place for you to shoot in this area?" He points to a clearing in the hall and she nods. " Please go prepare yourself." The smile on your face wavers as Hex leaves. “As for you,” the coordinator continues. “I want you on bridesmaids and groomsmens photos. That way we aren't dragging people away from the after party to take individual pictures." " But-" "Please, Hex has this under control and will join you after the first look photos are finished." You want to protest. This is unfair. You had a really cute idea but I guess a photography degree means nothing these days. A selfish part of you, the hopeless romantic part, also wanted to see the first look. The special moments between the two before they're officially married. That selfish part of you wanting to see your long time friend and her soon to be husband light up at the sight of each other. I guess for now… You have your job to do.

You begrudgingly head off all of the flowers and fairy lights to take photos. You have to shake off your wants for a second. You're here to do a job. But why the fuck did the coordinator pick Hex- you're just as capable.

You're angry the more you think about Hex so you lock in. You get back into the zone instructing poses and filing different people in and out of shots. You're so in the zone you nearly jump 50 feet in the air as a tap on your shoulder startles you. "Woah you good?" Hex's stupid deep voice seeps into your brain. "Fine." You respond shortly before getting back to work. "Do you need any help?" "No Hex I don't. I've got this okay. I'm almost done anyway." He nods slowly. "Do you at least wanna take a short break? I can show you some raw shots of the first look. They turned out really cute, I think." Your jealousy rears its ugly head again and you glare at him "No! I don't care about your stupid photos okay. Please just go get set up for the ceremony." "Jesus Christ rookie, you don't have to bite my head off. Alright I'll see you later when you decide to play nice again." You admit you definitely lashed out at him a bit. Were you a bit jealous, absolutely, but taking it out on him after you guys finally became civil definitely wasn't the answer. You watch him walk away, you open your mouth to call out to him but the group of eyes waiting for their pictures to be taken stop you. You'll have to apologize later.

-

Guests start arriving shortly after you're done with your photos and you set up your location to shoot during the ceremony. Across the room Hex is setting up a tripod on one of the balconies to take automatic photos so he can be on the ground when the ceremony actually starts. You can't help but keep glances up at him. You feel awful about what happened. You go to set up your last tripod on the balcony to do the same thing he was planning to do. As you climb the stairs, he descends, you open your mouth again no words come out, he walks right past you. Doesn't even glance in your direction. Did you strike a cord? You were rude, sure, but you did mention you can be an ass. It still doesn't make it right but. Argh this is so stupid none of this would've happened if you had gotten to take those first look photos. You contemplate going after him explaining why you're upset and fixing this, but the pull of the job grapples you to continue.

You glance down over everyone chatting and finding their seats as you set your own camera on the tripod to automatic. There's something about a wedding that always makes you feel melancholy in the most gut wrenching way. Maybe it's the fact you've been single for so long now that a wedding seems unattainable. It's selfish but you can't help it. That familiar ach twists in your stomach. This one isn't jealous or butterflies, this one is just pure hurt.

You descend down the steps. You retrieve your bag to grab the camera you'll be using for the ceremony. Just as you're about to head to your shooting location you spy Hex. He's there chatting with a few of the other guests. One girl in particular catches your eye. You've seen her before somewhere on your friend's Instagram… She hugs Hex and is oddly touchy with him. He ruffled her hair affectionately before walking away. Your gut lurches again at the interaction but you ignore it. It's almost show time anyway pretty soon you won't have to worry about Hex Haywire, and this will be just a bittersweet memory.

The ceremony starts and you and Hex spring into action. The bridesmaids and groomsmen make the way down the aisle. Click. The groom makes his entrance. Click click. The flower girls toss beautiful petals down the aisle joining the ones already scattered. Click. The bride enters and is walked down the aisle. Click click. The groom almost cried. Click. The exchange vows. Click. Finally they kiss, everyone erupts in fanfare. Click click click.

The after party starts not long after. Your friend, freshly married and looking the happiest you've ever seen her, brings you a glass of champagne. “Thank you again for today. I owe both you and Hex my life." She hugs you. “I'm just happy I could help!” You smile. Before she can leave you catch her arm, pointing subtly at the girl Hex was talking to earlier. " Who's friend is that? Your's or your husband's?” She giggles. " I'm still not used to people referring to him as my husband.” She looks at the girl and immediately laughs. " That's my husband's younger sister! In turn; that's also Hex's honorary younger sibling." You must make a face of relief because she swats you. “Was someone a little jealous?He does dote on her quite a bit since he doesn't have any younger siblings." You frown. “No! A little… I don't know, okay..." You sigh and take a drink of your champagne. “Talk to him.... You both are extremely stubborn but extremely passionate. Plus…. Hex definitely keeps glancing at you when you aren't looking.” She says in a sing-song voice as she heads back out to join the party. You glance over and lock eyes with Hex, both of you left alone in the back part of the hall where the after party was being held.

He approaches after an uncomfortable amount of prolonged eye contact. "Hey.” He tosses you a lopsided smile. "Good work today.” He says patting your head softly. You want to relish in the praise but you have your own amendment to make. "I'm sorry… about being an ass earlier. I was jealous over something childish and got mad. " You sigh, hanging your head. Hex sighs. “I could tell.” “I'm really sorry. It's just first looks have always been special to me and the fact you got picked to do over me ignited something in me and I don't know. Then I saw you with the bride's sisters and I got even more up and-" Hex cuts off your sprailing. “Hey! Seriously, I forgive you. Don't worry about it. Okay?" He lifts your head with his hand, holding your chin in-between his fingers. “Besides….It's kinda cute. When you get all competitive and mad." He murmurs. You scrunch up your nose. "It's not cute. It's irritating for me and supposed to intimidate you.” He pulls you in a little closer with his other hand making contact with your lower back. " You're gonna have to work on that darling.” He quips. You stare into his eyes, almost get lost in them for a second. You then notice how close your faces are together, he smells good. You both lean in a little closer, eyes still locked. Hex glances at your lips and back at your eyes. You lean in even closer. You feel his breath tangle with yours. Your eyes flutter shut in anticipation- "Sorry to interrupt. I wanted to thank you both for your work today.” The coordinator's voice rings out and the two of you immediately put distance between each other.

“I wanted to let you know you're both released from duty. You can enjoy some well earned champagne if you'd like. But perhaps you'd like some time to yourselfs?" She raises a knowing eyebrow that causes you to laugh awkwardly. “I think we're both gonna turn in for the night. It's been a long day." Hex smiles at the coordinator and goes to pack up his stuff leaving you alone with her. “I should um... probably do that too…” you sputter out. The corridentor smiles, shaking her head as you shuffle off to go pack your things as well.

-

You and Hex both do your own version of an Irish goodbye and get separated in the process. Things were awkward now in your mind at least, you almost kissed him! Worst of all he almost kissed you back!? The tension was undeniably now. You muse to yourself as you stroll along with your backpack of equipment on your back and both hands carrying a tripod case.

You swear Hex must've been a ninja in his past life. He somehow got behind you again without you being none the wiser. “You know..” you nearly jump ten feet in the air this time. " It's really not safe to be unaware of your surroundings regardless of you being in a public space.” He ruffles your hair and as you set down one of your tripod cases down to fix your now ruffled hair he picks it for you wordlessly. "You really don't have to do that.” You reach out to grab it but he pivots his body so you can't. " Please let me.” he says quietly. " Fine…" you mumble back softly.

You're almost at your hotel. The two of you chatted about all the editing to be done and the notes you'll have to compare. “Does this mean we have a temporary truce between us again?" He asks, lifting a questioning eyebrow. “I suppose it does." you smirk, nudging him. That little bit of contact sparks something in you, something much deeper. You felt it, the bolt of electricity, the undeniably feeling you've been having, it all culminated in a very clear thought at last. Desire… You wanted Hex to kiss you, you wanted him to dote on you, you wanted to get more praise from him. He coughs awkwardly as you stare blankly. “So are you turning in for the night? It has been a long day." You shrug. "Maybe… I'm not super tired yet so I'll probably end up editing for a few hours.” You admit. "....I know you prefer to have your creative space to yourself, but would you want someone to edit with…? I mean I'll probably do the same on my own anyway to be honest so… yeah…” He smiles softly. The pitch seems innocent in nature but deep down you feel those butterflies in your stomach. "Yeah? How about you give me my tripod back thief, I'll go up to my room and shower and change, all that junk and then I can stop by your room?” He smiles nods and hands you the tripod sealing in your ‘editing date’.

As you round the corner of the street then through the entrance of the hotel, you both pile into the elevator with your equipment. “I'll see you in like thirty minutes?" Hex asks before the doors open on your floor. “Yeah sounds good! What room number?" You ask. “512! See ya there!" He smirks as the doors close. You hum happily as you go back to your room. You stop. Holy shit. You have a non-conventional date with a guy you hated like a day ago. You throw your equipment down, shove your SD card in your laptop to upload files and sprint to the shower.

You shower fairly quickly despite needing to freshen everything… just in case… You throw on something cute but still comfortable and throw on some light makeup. You took a lot of shots today so your SD card only had a bit more to upload. In the meantime you maule over every scenario that could play out tonight. You maule over not going at all, protecting your peace not getting attached, because as much as you wanted this you know how this ends. However the butterflies in your stomach protested and once your photos were done you grabbed your laptop and you headed over to Hex's hotel room. Mind whirling…

Your heart thumps as you step back into the elevator. You press the number 5 on the wall and feel the elevator lurch to life following suit with your stomach. The elevator reaches the top and you follow the signs to 512. You knock on the door lightly. You hear some shuffling inside before he opens the door. He looked a lot more disshovled, hair still slightly wet from his own shower no doubt, black T-shirt on… gray sweatpants… “Perfect timing! My photos from my main camera just finished. Anyway, come in!" He ushers you inside. “I know this isn't my house technically… but can I get you anything to drink; water, tea, shitty hotel coffee?” You laugh. " A tea sounds great if you don't mind.” You sit on the couch and take out your laptop as you hear Hex shuffle about in the kitchen area preparing the tea.

You open up your laptop and scroll through the photos starting to delete the off shots and the ones that were obviously unsalvageable. Hex sets a cup of tea down on the coaster and sits on the couch with his own laptop and starts to do the same. “How many raw shots do you have currently?" He asks. You immediately sigh. “Around 1300…” He sighs, shaking his head. " I'm also in the thousands. I always forget about the aftermath." He groans. You glance over at his computer screen and see some of the photo previews in the folder. One of them looks suspiciously like you are locked in, focused on taking photos. You're about to point it out but Hex turns his laptop away.

"I guess we should get started." He sighs. “Yeah unfortunately. At least it won't be lonely editing these. I have you to bug me the whole time." You smirk and give a teasing squeezing his knee. You don't realize how intimate the action is until after it happens. His eyes lock on yours. You almost regret it for a moment because he hesites, his eyebrows not together. You blink. The next second Hex's lips crash into yours. Your eyes flutter shut as you practically melt into the kiss. Your lips mingle for a short while, then he pulls back slowly resting his forehead on yours. “You are the most insufferable person I've ever met. You're also gorgeous and smart and witty… and I've wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you.”

You're speechless for a second. Physically stunned. “Sorry I just-" Hex starts, but you kiss him again, just a quick peck to shut him up. “You're an enigma. I hope you know that. You're also insufferable but in a way that keeps me coming back for more… I dunno.” Hex smiles and tucks a stand of hair behind your ear. "Is this all because you thought I was handsome? Because I'm starting to get the feeling it might be.” He teases. You wack him lightly on the arm and he erupts in a fit of laughter. " You keep calling me out but you kissed me first, so dare I say you think I'm pretty-” "Of course I do, I thought I made it really obvious.” You pout. " You kept calling me rookie… is that what is obvious to you!? How was I supposed to know?" He laughs again. “Okay fine, what do you want me to call you.” You freeze. You have an opportunity to do several corny things here but you don't. "What do you want to call me?” You hurl back in his direction, you know where this is going but you need to know his boundaries now or die without knowing.

He sighs, setting his laptop on the table. “There's a lot of things I wanna call you." He starts. "Pretty, annoying, adorable, incredibly career driven… but most of all I think calling you darling would be really nice.” His hand snakes around your chin, anchoring towards him again. "What do you say… Darling?" He tests. “I… I really…" anyone could tell how flustered you are at this moment. But that sadistic part of Hex kind of liked watching you squirm and struggle to find your words. “I really like that. I think." You finally gasp out. A smirk takes over Hex's face as he grabs your laptop, setting it next to his on the table. He pats the couch beckoning you closer to him. “We'll edit in a bit." A lie, obviously, at this moment work is the last thing on your mind.

The second you scooch closer to him he scoops you up in his lap. You're a bit disoriented for a second but the second you realize the compromising position he put you in your brain fogs up. “Hi…” you whisper shyly. " Hi gorgeous.” He smiles before pulling you down to kiss him again. This kiss is different from the other two; it's deeper, needier. His tongue tangles with yours and you instinctively shift slightly in his lap, looping your arms around his neck. He continues to kiss you, eventually you feel his hands at your waist, toying with the fabric of your shirt. You part the kiss for a moment, glancing at him, giving him a nod. After all, consent is hot. A smirk plastered on his face he watches your expression as he runs his hands under the fabric of your shirt.You feel the heat rise from the tips of your toes all the way up to your face when his hands trail up your stomach to your chest. Your head falls on his shoulder to muffle the small noise that emanates from you as he softly cups your chest, squeezing gently as a test.

He tugs at your shirt and you take it off, top half exposed you feel a little self conscious and instinctively cover yourself. “Hey, it's okay. If you aren't comfortable we don't have too." Hex coos softly stroking your back. “Sorry it's…been awhile…” you mumble. He kisses your forehead. " Me too. We can go slow if that makes you more comfortable.” Why did he have to be so fucking understanding. "I can do slow.” You nod, almost as a gesture to assure yourself. You slowly unfurl your arms and bare yourself to him. Hex's hands land back on your chest slowly massaging your sensitive nipples. Your hands fists his shirt. “You're really responsive." He teases. " Shut up…” you flush. He places kisses along your neck slowly trailing down your clavicle, drifting towards your chest. Your grip on his shirt tightens as he slowly takes one of your nipples in his mouth, slowly toying with it. Your head falls back on his shoulder, you pepper soft kisses on his neck. Once he's satisfied with your nipples he releases them with a lewd pop.

He pulls back and takes off his own shirt. You can't help but stare for a second. He isn't ripped or anything, definitely has some well defined muscles. You cautiously move your hands feeling the soft skin of his lower abdomen. He lets out a low hum of approval. You shift again, you're still in his lap after all, you feel him hard underneath you. He looks at you. “Are you sure you wanna keep going?" He prods gently. “Please." You say, it comes out a lot more needier than you wanted it to. He chuckles darkly. “God I was hoping you still did."

With that he picks you up and carries you to the bed nearby, gently tossing you on it. “You definitely got a nicer bed than I did." You mumble. He leans in close to your ear. “Maybe you'll just have to sleep here tonight then." He playfully nips your ear, easing down your sweatpants. One your pants around your ankles, you do the rest and unceremoniously kick them off your legs. He goes for your panties next, kissing down your stomach. Your panties are tossed somewhere on the floor along with your sweatpants.

Hex takes a moment to stare down at you underneath him. You squirm under his gaze and a sly smile falls on his face. “You're so fuckin pretty." He whispers before parting your legs. “And really wet too apparently, all this is for me?" He teases. You open your mouth to reply something snarky but the words die in your throat and morph into a whine as he swipes his finger along your slit. With that firm confirmation you obviously (and embarrassingly) enjoyed that he continues to toy with your pussy. His fingers dances along your clit and you let out another guttural moan. “Need more." Your voice sounds foreign to you. He snickers, amused by your neediness. “Patients, what happened to slow?" “Fuck slow, your fingers feel really good." You pout. “Fine, you want more, I'll give you more." With that ominous statement he sticks two fingers in front of your mouth. " Suck.” He commands with a shit eating smirk plastered on his face. You obey obviously, slowly engulf his finger in your mouth sucking gently. You hear his voice hitch, this is doing something for him and as much as you want to tease him back your mouth is a little occupied.

Once he's satisfied with your work he removes your finger out of your mouth. Two fingers, now glistening with your spit, toy at your entrance. You squirm again, and Hex uses his other hand to hold your hips in place. Then gently he enters both of them into you at once, with your hips pinned all you can do is trash your head and pleasure. He slowly removed them and entered them again, setting a decent pace. He leans up to kiss you again. It's deep and sensual, you can practically taste the desire. His fingers hit that spot inside you and you mewel. “There, holy fuck right there." Hex takes the very obvious lead and continues to hit that spot. Your vision blurs and stars form behind your eyes, before you can get the words out you cum around his fingers.

Hex continues to help you ride out your orgasm; he slows his finger in and out of you, and once your eyes degloss he removes them, much to your disappointment. His eyes lock on to yours and he immediately inserts his cum covered fingers into his mouth. You shiver, not breaking eye contact he completely cleans his fingers. “Are you… still good to keep going darling?” He asks. You glance down at his pants, which now have an obvious tent from how hard he is. “Absolutely, I think it's your turn pretty boy." You tease and make grabby hands for his pants. He holds your wrist and pauses for a moment. “I don't think I can wait any longer…. If that's okay.” He admits sheepishly. "That's completely fine, but just know I have to get you back next time.” He begins to pull down his sweatpants with a raised eyebrow. " So there's a possibility of a next time huh?” You flush and turn your head. " Perhaps." He chuckles. “Hey I'll take it." You turn your head back towards him as he slides down his boxers. His cock springs free and… you saw the tent in his sweats, you registered it. But seeing his cock he's a lot bigger than you initially thought. Your mouth falls open and Hex laughs at you. “Do you like what you see? You can always take a picture if you want, since you are pretty good at that. " He teases. "If I weren't so turned on right now I'd slap you.” You joke and pull him down for another kiss, you feel his cock rub against your thigh and you feel the excitement swell in your stomach.

He pulls back and lines up with your entrance. " You ready, pretty girl?” You nod, biting your lip to brace yourself. He enters just the head of his dick in your entrance. He lets out a shaky breath continuing to slowly slide inside you. You grip the sheets, you knew he was gonna stretch you but you weren't expecting the sheering pain mixed with pleasure. Once he finally bottoms out inside you he moves his hands to your hips and rubs gently circles into the flesh there waiting for you to adjust. He leans down and peppers your faces with kisses cooing sweet nothings. After a bit of time you give an experimental buck of your hips, both of you moan in unison.

That ignites something in Hex, knowing you're adjusted he pulls almost all the way out of you and roughly snaps his hips back into you. You fist the best sheet underneath you to hang on to any shred of sanity you have left. He continues to rut in and out of you like a starved man. “Fuck you're so perfect, it's like your pussy was made for me." He whines, leaning his head on your shoulder and biting it. You are a mess, you don't know when tears started streaming down your face but they are and you can no longer form complete sentences, just broken ones with Hex's name thrown in. His pace quickens and that familiar feeling forms in your gut. “I'm close." You moan. “Me too, don't worry me too." He responded hastily. “Cum for me darling." He mumbles against your shoulder. After a particularly hard snap of his hips you do. The sheer euphoria that shoots through your body makes your head fuzzy. You tighten around Hex as you come, he thrusts become sloppy. “W.. where do you want it?" He frantically spits out. “Anywhere, I'm on the pill, don't worry." You respond on cloud nine. That was all it took and a moment later you feel his warm cum flood your pussy, he collapses on top of you.

The two of you stay like that for a moment basking in the afterglow of both of your orgasms. Eventually Hex boots back to life and slowly pulls out. You whine as he exits your very sensitive hole. “I'm gonna grab a wet washcloth and I'll be right back." He murmurs. You feel the warmth of his body on your leave as he goes to retrieve it. You don't move and continue to lay there, you hear Hex pad back over to the bed and then the warm washcloth hits you. He gently cleans you up and you thank him… you think, the words coming out of your mouth sound foreign to you. The bed dips and you hear the rustle of covers. You crack one eye open finally and you're met with Hex staring back at you. “Come here." He smiles, it's gooey and affectionate. You oblige using the rest of your strength to scoot back into his arms under the covers.

The two of you cuddle in silence for a while. It's peaceful. You're sleepy and the energy is zapped from you. “Thank you for letting me stay here tonight." You whisper. “You're warm, I'd be stupid to send you back to your own room." He jokes, placing a kiss on the top of your head. “We have to edit…” you groan, eyes shooting back open to the pair of laptops where this whole thing started. “You don't leave for another couple days, neither do I. It can wait, for now let's rest. I think we've earned it." So you do. You shut your eyes and snuggle into Hex's chest falling asleep almost instantly.

-

The next few days are great, Hex and you edit alternating from sleeping in his room and sleeping in your room, his bed is still better than yours. You learn more about him as a person. He's funny, smart, extremely witty, but still can be a pretentious jerk; though much less of one now. You also end up going to do some shooting around the area, just like you planned and Hex happily accompanies you taking some shots of his own.

The last night the two of you were together in Mexico, you finally asked the question. “So what happens when we go home?" You blurt out suddenly. Hex peers over at you from his laptop. “What do you mean?" You bit your lip anxiously. “I dunno… We've been spending a lot of time together and I like being around and… I guess this is me asking…what are we?” You want to crawl into a hole. You went into this knowing things would probably end here but after the last couple days, that feeling you had morphed into something far more dangerous, attachment. “What are we….” He repeats. " Well I guess that's something we both have to agree on.” He sets his laptop down and faces you. “What did you want us to be?" He asks. “At first when we met, I wanted nothing to do with you. Now that I know you and have spent some time with you…I guess I can say I've grown very fond of you.” You mumble. " I like you a lot, Hex.” He gets up walking over to you. " Listen, I echo that same sentiment. I thought you were some rookie who was just gonna get in my way. Now you're so much more than that and if you're open to it, I would love to continue exploring and expanding our relationship…. together.” He takes your hand and squeezes it gently. You enthusiastically nod. " I would like that a lot. Does that sorta make us a couple then?" You ask cautiously. “No idiot, I want nothing to do with you. Of course it makes us a couple." He rolls his eyes ruffling your hair.

You smile and he smiles back at you, with the sun sunsetting behind him. You can't help but think how lucky you are for hating to work with other people.

-Epilogue-

“3….2…..1….. you may turn and see each other now!” You turn around fist looks strange when you're the one doing them. Hex is dressed in a dark blue tux and looks as charming and strikingly handsome as he did the day you met him at your friend's wedding all those years ago. Tears well in his eyes as he gazes at you with such affection that makes your heart swell. “You're gorgeous, fuck you're so gorgeous." He runs over and hugs you, twirling you around. “Okay show off, I know you're doing this for the camera." You tease him.

Glancing at the poor wedding photographer who's had to put up with you and Hex micromanaging shots since your engagement photos. “I'm a lucky man, what can I say!" He shrugs. " I'm about to marry the love of my life in a few hours and the first man who got to see her in a wedding dress.” He boasts proudly. You laugh, because how couldn't you. Your soon to be husband is just as pretentious as the day you met him, but you wouldn't have it any other way.

»»————-　☾　————-««

[azen13]

CW: Yandere Themes, Mentions of Blood

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Yandere!Childe who stares at you with the most loving, affectionate eyes imaginable. When he is home, he trails behind you from room to room, desperate for your attention and love, for sweet little kisses and quips. Yandere!Childe who loves combat and fighting and the thrill of a hunt, except when it comes to you. Oh, how he hates it when you try to run; he wishes he could kiss all your fears away. The idea of you in pain is unfathomable. Childe knows his hands are stained with blood, but whenever he returns home to you, for just a short period of time, he can be clean.

Yandere!Childe who wishes he didn't have to whisk you away to a safe and secluded cabin in Snezhnaya, but knows that if any of the Harbingers find you, it only gives them more leverage against him. He can't let that happen. Can't let them take you away from him. Every time he intertwines your hands with his, he swears you have magic in your bones, a piece of divinity tucked away in your soul. You heal the invisible wounds that mar his mind. Yandere!Childe who watches fondly as you drift off into sweet dreams one night, brushing away a strand of hair from your face. So fragile. So beautiful. So powerful. You're so dangerous that you have disarmed one of the Fatui Harbingers, tamed him beneath your unwilling touch. Yandere!Childe who wields his delusions like weapons. You don't hate him, you're simply adjusting. Soon enough the two of you will be dancing to invisible music on hardwood floors and cuddling on couches, protected by wood walls from the harsh chill of winter. And even if it takes time, he'll be sure to pierce your heart eventually with his love, and claim victory in this battle.

[chevs-and-spiders]

a trailer i did earlier this year bc im still proud of it ✌

[thisfan-thismonster]

Hiiii late post that should probably wait until morning but I finished my Toyhouse code for my custom Eltingville Club wiki!! I'm like 90% sure it's completely mobile friendly, too :D

Idk how many others in the fandom use TH or have their OCs or eltingsonas up on there, but here's the code if you wanna use it for yourselves. Just keep my credit intact somewhere please!

[a-mossy-amethyst]

For the Malevolent writing prompt, maybe blind faith first kiss?

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted but alas, I am not a blindfaith shipper and love using religious imagery for angst

That being said, this fic has a lot of Christian (particularly Catholic) imagery. Take care of yourselves!!

This is an alternate scene for episode 38's ending, so some of the dialogue is taken from there.

“But when we get back, after I drop you off at the hospital, when this is done… this is done. I can't… our partnership is over.”

Arthur’s breaths line with the beat of his steps. He struggles to stay upright through exhaustion and carrying Oscar’s weight.

Said man's voice is ragged and weary, words lined together hesitantly as he struggles to form sentences.

“Arthur… you're my…”

Arthur shakes his head. “No, no, Oscar, no.” Guilt and grief crash like waves against his ribcage, a torrent of emotions amplified by his sleep deprived mind. “I'm not–”

The door, right before us, John chimes in, silent save for his directions.

He tries again. “I'm not… no.” He can't get the words out.

Oscar worships a god Arthur refuses to believe in. He worships like a lifeline, alcohol his temptation and the Bible his savior. A struggle between the pew and the bottle, the confessional his judge.

Arthur does not understand this. He had drank and hoped it would do him in. Hoped, not prayed. Even in the depths of his grief he dared not do that.

He does not seek redemption in God. The problem of evil is not an argument he is willing to have lest his anger get the better of him. Not when he is the evil allowed to live and Faroe's fate the tragedy God let happen.

“Arthur.” His name rolls off Oscar’s tongue like a prayer.

Arthur is not a saint; he will not carry his prayers to the Lord.

“I know you feel that, but it's not true,” he says, remorse draped on his shoulders, the weight of his sins against this man. “It can't be true. I'm sorry, but I can't help you anymore.”

He wonders if he ever helped him at all. Was his speech at the bar for Oscar, or for himself? He needed Oscar's assistance. The effort granted him that. Arthur is perpetually left asking if he wants to help others or is only interested in how they can aid him in return.

“Alright. Okay.” Oscar takes the rejection with the acceptance only the most devout can achieve. Sinners like them were not taught to question, only to bow their heads to the word of the Almighty.

Arthur is not a god; he will not bring mercy in exchange for humility.

The car is–

Arthur cuts him off. “I know. I can hear it.” He doesn't want to hear John's voice right now. He's giving this up for him, but it hurts. He can't get angry again. It'll make him feel worse about himself.

“Hear what?” Oscar asks.

“No, no, I hear…”

“Hear…?

Arthur changes the subject. “Rest, Oscar. Here.”

He opens the car door, gently pushing Oscar into the backseat.

“Aye.” Oscar sighs in relief. “Thank you.”

Arthur nods, moving to shut the door.

“Wait.”

He stops. “What is it?”

There's the ruffle of paper. “Here,” Oscar says, “It's where Daniel's Freemasons meet. You told me to… find out. I did. Forgot to tell you. Or, rather, I thought we'd end up looking together.” Grief tints his tone.

Oscar's holding a paper out to you. Just reach out– yes, there.

“Thank you, Oscar,” Arthur says. “Thank you.”

“Of course. You…” Oscar's breaths come out ragged. “What happened, it's not your fault.”

Arthur's heart immediately rejects the comfort, tightening in his chest.

He dragged Oscar into this, desperate for someone to rely on. If it's not him at fault, then who?

“Just rest.”

“I'm serious. I chose to help you. You're my–”

“I'm not your purpose–”

“–my hope.”

All the air is pulled from Arthur’s lungs. Oscar continues.

“You're what I've been waiting for. What I thought I could never have. I thought I could let myself believe that… maybe it's okay.”

Arthur presses his lips together. Nothing would be okay around him. Death surrounds him like a curse. Oscar’s already lost an arm. He won't let him lose his life. “I’m not what you think I am. No god sent me to save you.”

Oscar’s voice is remorseful. “You don't understand.”

“I… I do, Oscar. I can't–”

“No.”

Oscar is shaking his head, John narrates. He's reaching out, his hand shaky from blood loss.

Something pulls at his collar.

… Arthur, he's grabbed the front of your shirt.

“You don't.”

Oscar pulls him in closer. Arthur stumbles forward, caught off guard.

“If you did,” he whispers, his breath hot against Arthur’s lips, “you'd never have taken me along.”

Then he kisses him.

Arthur’s eyes widen. He doesn't move at first, startled out of a reaction.

Oscars’s lips taste salty from the rain. He presses forward lightly, characteristically soft.

Arthur finds himself frozen. He doesn't want to hurt Oscar by pushing him away.

But he needs to end this.

Arthur, what the fuck is he doing?”

John’s voice snaps him out of his shock. He leans back, breaking the kiss.

“I…” His grip on the car door tightens.

Oscar was right, Arthur didn't understand. He does now. He doesn't like what he sees.

Oscar loves like a martyr. A sacrificial devotee to his tragedy.

Arthur is not a romantic; Oscar will not find a heart beating the same rhythm as him in Arthur.

Arthur wanted someone to trust. He'd like to be trusted in return, but this doesn't feel like trust. Oscar's devotion feels like blind faith, and Arthur feels too much like a false idol. Pretty and promising but lacking anything to give in return for worship.

“You don't feel the same way.” Oscar doesn't frame it like a question.

“I'm sorry.” Arthur means it. Wishes it didn't have to end this way. Knows there was no other way it could go.

“Who's John?” Oscar asks, voice wrought with… something. A feeling Arthur can't decipher.

He sighs. “No one. No one you'll ever meet. Goodbye, Oscar.”

Oscar doesn't respond. Arthur shuts the door.

Arthur, what the hell was that? John asks harshly.

“I don't want to explain right now. Later, I will,” he promises. When the wound is less fresh, when he can talk about this like it was an inevitable mistake he made. Always flawed, always hurting others. Arthur can talk about it when he convinces himself it's in the past and he is still capable of helping people.

… Okay, John agrees. The lack of argument makes Arthur wonder how wrung out he must sound.

Cold rain beats harshly against him, numbing his skin. He takes a deep breath.

In. All his feelings, threatening to overtake him like a tsunami.

Out. He exhales. The pain is still there.

[honeycreammilkshake]

hello there honey i really enjoyed your analysis on sukuna and yujis relationship they're so overlooked by the vast majority of the fandom despite being the mcs and it makes me happy some of us appreciate their dynamic i might be unsatisfied with geges overall handling of the story and how it took so long to really focus on these two but he wrote them very compelling despite everything. it makes me frustrated because it could've been even more of a punch if we didn't focus so much on everything else and i adore some characters but it came at the expense of not doing enough with his mcs which even if some people don't want them to be its still yuji and sukuna.

anyhow a small little detail i wanted to point out about 265 is yuji up to that point had been treating and referring to sukuna as a curse, but while in his domain while they're fishing he baits him by saying "cant the strongest sorcerer do this?" and its baiting him obvs and hitting at his ego but he still referred to him as a sorcerer and he's the only one to do so to my knowledge everyone else including himself refers to him as the king of curses, something that he was seen as by everyone since the heian era, a curse, and that he still believes he is right to 268. i really wanted gege to expand on why yuji sympathies with him, we can deduce why and it he clearly does but i wanted to see his exact thoughts what changed, maybe he found out by gojo about his family when he talked to him and realized sukuna was his relative? i mean there's more reasons why he sympathized with him clearly as you very well pointed out in your post but still this is why im dissatisfied with the writing they could've explained it better.

what are your thoughts? i hope we get to focus on yuji at least in the next chapters or im going to lose it. do you have any hope that sukuna ended up accepting yujis offer? i think the scene ended abruptly... i want them back together its so frustrating and while it fits and i can see gege leaving it like that it just doesn't feel right to me

hi, jenjen!! (do you mind if i call you that?)

thank you so much for reading that mess of a post. i had a lot of sukuita feels and just spilled my thoughts in one entire go. it's sad that they're so overlooked because they're unironically the best thing about jjk. like yeah there's a lot of cool characters in jjk but sukuna is literally a god of chaos and devastation that somehow got stuck in the body of an unhinged teenager who would sacrifice his own life for strangers.

they're two different extremes trapped within the same body, but as the story goes on we see they're a lot more similar than they first appear. like yin and yang, the two extremes that often oppose each other but are also inseparably complimentary to each other. there is soooooo much to explore with that dynamic, and i'm forever heartbroken we didn't get to have more focus on these two because they are honestly amazing.

anyhow a small little detail i wanted to point out about 265 is yuji up to that point had been treating and referring to sukuna as a curse, but while in his domain while they're fishing he baits him by saying "cant the strongest sorcerer do this?" and its baiting him obvs and hitting at his ego but he still referred to him as a sorcerer and he's the only one to do so to my knowledge everyone else including himself refers to him as the king of curses, something that he was seen as by everyone since the heian era, a curse, and that he still believes he is right to 268.

your point about that one scene in 265 is so goooood <3

as you said, up until that point yuuji had only been referring to sukuna as a curse, even though that's not technically true. but to yuuji, sukuna is more of a curse than some curses are. this is part of my theory that yuuji is the only one that sees right through sukuna. almost everyone else admires sukuna or only sees him as something to test their strength against.

yuuji is the only one who actually hates sukuna. yuuji even wants to destroy him because he knows sukuna is a murdering, cannibalizing force of death and devastation. and sukuna hates yuuji because the brat represents everything that goes against sukuna's cursed and selfish nature.

they both stand for everything the other hates, yet it's so interesting that they somehow understand each other better than anyone else does. (more on that later >.<)

what i really love about this scene is yuuji's teasing nature. he's not being mocking or sarcastic. he's both stroking sukuna's ego and, with light playfulness, is giving him a kind of recognition (as a sorcerer, not a curse) that nobody else has. you were completely right with that, jenjen.

and it's just so sudden that it happens. actually, everything about this chapter was so sudden and unexpected.

the fact that sukuna is willfully going along with all of this when he would strike down and destroy people for daring to even order him about (like nanako and mimiko). yet he indulges yuuji over and over again.

yuuji is literally telling sukuna what to do, but sukuna doesn't even reprimand him. actually, he pays attention to yuuji. (also i love how everything is always so "special case" and "different" with them like that don't even know how they arrived in yuuji's little mind palace and sukuna looks freaked out about it but he still listens to yuuji, he still does whatever yuuji asks him to... that's truly amazing.)

this scene in particular was really interesting to me. as you pointed out earlier yuuji only ever referred to sukuna as a curse and treated him like one, too. during his conversation with mahito, yuuji says that his purpose in all this is to just kill curses, sukuna especially, as that's the end goal of everything yuuji did.

yet here yuuji is, decidedly not killing sukuna and instead giving the king of courses his entire life story. yuuji's being the most open and vulnerable about himself than he's ever been, and it's all for the infamous king of curses who cares only for himself, the enemy yuuji hates and wants to see destroyed.

yet the way sukuna remains uncharacteristically quieter through all of it, looking like he's honestly reflecting or considering what yuuji just said, and how he gives this meaningful pause after yuuji describes how empty the town he was raised in became. yuuji says he expected it to be that way and sukuna looks almost thoughtful about that.

something similar happens a little bit later on when yuuji's talking about how there's a smaller amount of insects now than when he was younger.

what i noticed about both of these moments is that yuuji is talking about changes that happened for him. changes in the place he was raised and changes in the life he used to see more of that he doesn't now.

sukuna isn't affected by change. he's the strongest, he does whatever pleases him and doesn't care about anyone but himself. but yuuji cares about these little things, these changes that affect him, these small details that stay in his memory. that's such a contrast to sukuna's mindset, which is that every human tastes fleeting. and here yuuji is, sharing his memories about these tiny things with sukuna, these "tastes" that have stuck with him. because it's little details like yuuji losing his slime toy or drinking sweet milk tea when it snows that makes him who he is as a person. but does sukuna have any kind of memories like these? anything that connects him to being human like yuuji? maybe that is why yuuji is showing sukuna all these everyday normal things. he knows sukuna doesn't have memories like this, so maybe showing him yuuji's own might trigger something in him, something deep down. he wanted sukuna to open up with him too, maybe.

all of this is such a strong contrast to how other sorcerers and curses treat sukuna. they only approach him with the intent to try to overpower him or maybe to try to gain his favor. yuuji isn't doing anything like that. he isn't bargaining or making violent demands. there's no fighting. it's the most tender they have been with each other so far. (sukuna not killing yuuji the moment that brat asked him to do anything is sukuna being tender imo... he would have crushed anyone else for daring to do such a thing.)

it's just... it's so fascinating how yuuji hated sukuna for being so inhuman before, but now he's suddenly treating sukuna like he is human. he's acknowledging that sukuna was human even if the king of curses doesn't want to be seen as that anymore. and it's beautifully complex and should have been explored far deeper.

i really wanted gege to expand on why yuji sympathies with him, we can deduce why and it he clearly does but i wanted to see his exact thoughts what changed, maybe he found out by gojo about his family when he talked to him and realized sukuna was his relative? i mean there's more reasons why he sympathized with him clearly as you very well pointed out in your post but still this is why im dissatisfied with the writing they could've explained it better.

i am right with you on this one, too. chapter 265 was almost like a dream for me. jjk is hardly romantic at all. even a lot of other action manga includes at least a little romantic subplot... yet the most romantic scenes we get in this series are these date-like interactions between sukuna and yuuji, who supposedly hate each other, yet i guess they're out there doing archery together??

(sukuna getting another perfect archery shot just to impress his demanding little boyfriend <3 i love how serious he looks here, too, he's really playing up that coolness factor)

you also made another great point about how yuuji suddenly took a lot more emotional interest in sukuna now than he did before. i wonder if that conversation yuuji had before gojo died was about sukuna being related to yuuji? maybe part of him lit up on the inside because he actually has family, even if it's the murderous demon god that wants to destroy him and everything that he loves? or maybe he felt some kind of closeness while sukuna was inside of him that he misses now?

i really wish that we got more scenes like this with these two. i want to understand yuuji's thought process for trying to reason with sukuna and to maybe even get him to open up, too.

it's sad that gege took so long to focus on these two again. there were so many more interactions we could have had, so many more meaningful insights into both of their characters.

but this chapter did a lot all in one take.

i said earlier that sukuna and yuuji understand each other really well, and i believe that's true because not only are they the only ones who spent so much time being soul-crushingly close to one another, they also get under each other's skin far more than anyone else does. sukuna loves to torment yuuji because he knows just how caring and compassionate yuuji is. he rubs it in that he killed thousands of people during the shibuya arc and that he possessed the body of yuuji's friend. but yuuji also knows just how to rile up sukuna and he fights sukuna hard, he never gives up, and i think sukuna secretly admires that about yuuji.

and this chapter showed us how they understand each other yet again.

this conversation, to me, shows two very important things. one is that, despite already feeling it's a lost cause, yuuji still tries to convince sukuna to accept the mercy he's showing him, to understand yuuji's perspective as well. but sukuna's response to this is more layered than it first seems, in my opinions.

as we've seen, sukuna uses a lot of backhanded insults and contradicting statements with yuuji. he simultaneously calls the brat weak and uninteresting, but is disappointed when yuuji lost against choso (sukuna was paying a suspicious amount of interest during that fight scene for someone who considers yuuji to be so worthless) and looks reluctantly impressed or even surprised at yuuji's abilities.

yet when anyone else gives sukuna a hard time or challenge, sukuna shows them respect or even gives them praise. he does no such thing with yuuji, at all. in fact, all he does is mock and discredit yuuji, so sometimes the actual words he uses is a roundabout way he's actually acknowledging yuuji getting under his skin. and i think his words here, "i'm astounded at how spineless you are," can be taken as a form of that reluctant and contradicting acknowledgment.

even if sukuna doesn't accept what yuuji is saying, i think he knows yuuji is being sincere. he has to feel like he's guarded against it though, so he easily dismisses yuuji, and that's why my second important thing from this conversation is how yuuji still doesn't give up.

sukuna knows yuuji can kill him. he's getting back up into a corner now. but instead of going in for any kind of demands, yuuji is giving sukuna mercy. a second chance. a choice.

even though he knows sukuna refuses to see things yuuji's away, to accept yuuji's ideals of valuing life, he still offers a chance at mercy for sukuna.

sukuna, who has deliberately proved over and over again that he doesn't deserve mercy or empathy, and yuuji understands this. he accepts that sukuna is unsympathetic and a monster.

even when sukuna is dying, yuuji shows him that mercifulness once more. he's far more gentle and compassionate to him than sukuna deserves.

the fact that he still wants to live with sukuna. either a longing for family or the closeness they once shared when yuuji was his vessel or both. he genuinely cares about sukuna. and i think sukuna knows that.

so that's why it's another insult to undermine yuuji's efforts and empathy when sukuna says this offer is yuuji just "acting the fool" when i think he knows truly that yuuji wouldn't be so unserious about such a big thing.

but one thing that hit me hard is how sukuna calls the brat by his full name this time. something he has never done before. just like yuuji called him a sorcerer that one time too. it's like sukuna's admitting deep down he was touched, but he just can't accept yuuji's mercy. that would kill his persona, his reputation as the king of curses. it would make him more human. and he refuses to be anything but inhuman.

the original japanese had quotes around "curse" and that was important for a reason. sukuna wanted to be seen only as a curse would be seen.

as gojo said. love is the greatest curse of all. and sukuna is the king of curses. so it's very fitting indeed that sukuna died in the hands of perhaps the one person who ever really saw him, or understood him, or loved him.

thank you for your ask btw, jenjenpup. i really loved reading your thoughts on this. thanks for bearing with me on all my rabid rants about these two. i hope i answered your ask well enough.

so glad to have you in the sukuita cult, too <3