#I guess? again it's supposed to be exclusively one sided and not really romantic lol

[lm-tomatito]

since you are answering asks, you are legally required to make fleetway content. like tekamy, some super sonic ships, maybe the gay robots

AND ALSO MY BOY, LETS GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I mean, I still don't feel very good about drawing characters from media I don't know or don't plan to see, fear of making them ooc and not being that interested in them.

But whatever, I'm also allowed to answer however I like, so you get this, and only this, because I think it'd be fun lol One sided toxic not necessarily romantic hyperfixation from the chaotic entity with a murderous crave, the other just wants to end him and that's it. Still guessing there's some sad aspect since I think this would mean normal Sonic also has an unrequited feeling?

[innerchorus]

in honor of kubard getting a volume cover, are there any kubard x shapur meta / hcs you want to share?

YES! I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to finish drafting this post, thank you for being patient! I wrote a whole essay and it’s kind of embarassing. I guess I really do have a lot of Kubard/Shapur headcanons? Anyway, here they are. Some of them are firm, some of them are situationally flexible – I often have different ‘versions’ of the same headcanon but the core components tend to remain the same.

(Just a warning that there are a few mentions of sex in here, nothing explicit though!)

Shapur is VERY VERY GAY

Kubard is not quite exclusively into women, though he has a strong preference for them. He just doesn’t particularly see the point in ruling anything out, and if he ends up in bed with a man on occasion then so what? He’s got pretty broad tastes as far as women are concerned, but a very definite ‘type’ when it comes to men. Shapur is an exact fit for that type, much to Kubard’s displeasure.

While Kubard is aware of his attraction to Shapur right from the start, for a long time Shapur doesn’t even realise that his dislike of Kubard also comes with a side order of wanting Kubard to fuck him.

They don’t plan to act on it; Kubard because he’s 100% sure it’d result in more trouble than it’s worth, and Shapur because he’s trying to deny that he’s interested in Kubard in that way. (I don’t think Kubard is much like the type of person Shapur would imagine himself ending up with, lol).

The first time something happens between them, it’s during an argument where all that sexual tension just spills over and suddenly they go from fighting to something else entirely, and it’s desperate and rough and they both utterly regret it and don’t say a single word to each other once it’s over.

Afterwards, they both swear to themselves that it’ll never happen again, and it doesn’t.

…until it does.

More than once.

(They really don’t want to be in the same room as each other the next morning, but if Andragoras III summons his Marzbans it’s not like they have a choice. When that happens, they stand at opposite ends of the line as usual, except they both seem to be hungover, Kubard is clearly in a bad mood, Shapur is lacking his usual composure and they’re refusing to even look at each other, while everyone else is exchanging dubious glances like ‘did they…?’) 

Kubard’s thoughts after the first time they fuck are along the lines of ‘Ugh, well at least that’s over with now.’ He doesn’t expect that they will end up doing it again (and again, and again…). 

As for Shapur, he immediately resolves to never think of what happened that night and is determined to forget it somehow. (Spoiler: he thinks about it a lot and it really pisses him off.)

It takes a loooong time for their relationship to progress. To begin with it’s just sporadic unplanned hatesex, then they start deliberately causing arguments for the sake of getting it to happen, before eventually they no longer bother with that step because by now it’s obvious that they both want to keep doing it.

(This is a super long post so the rest is under a Read More; some of it is serious, some of it is cute and/or amusing, and there’s a few more general headcanons too.)

They are both still certain they’re never going to like each other, but it’s reached the point where perhaps they are not so quick to go their separate ways once it’s over. A flicker of curiosity creeps in, and they start to talk.

It’s exasperating at times (until they reach an unspoken agreement to avoid certain topics when they’re alone together) and somewhat awkward — they avoid any mention of what’s going on between them because they both know that might bring the whole thing to an end— but slowly they begin to get to know each other better.

Back when they first met, their quickly-formed initial dislike of each other meant that they never really questioned their initial negative impressions of each other after that, but now they find themselves reconsidering those preconceptions.It’s gradual at first, but over time conversation becomes easier.

To their surprise, they realise that they have started to enjoy each other’s company. 

At some point, feelings happen.

(I think they’d both struggle with that for different reasons; more on that later). 

By this point, their relationship is one of Ecbatana’s worst-kept secrets and everyone knows that they’re fucking the two of them are fond of each other despite their continual public disagreements about duty and attitude etc. The other Marzbans realised what had happened straight away, except for Daryun who was oblivious. (Andragoras isn’t interested; all he cares about is that they do their jobs.)

Kubard knows that everyone knows. On the other hand, Shapur is still under the impression that the others are unaware, and nobody dares to mention anything that might let on the truth. Kubard finds all of this to be highly amusing and is just waiting for someone to fuck up and let it slip.

Shapur’s household staff and captains also figured out what was going on pretty quickly, but are gracious enough to allow Shapur to pretend that they don’t know long after the point where he’s realised that surely they must. To begin with they are dubious about the whole thing and bemused by the fact that it’s Kubard, but as the relationship improves, the majority are relieved that Shapur has someone to spend the night with from time to time (let’s just say that over the years he’s rarely shown any interest in pursuing romantic relationships).

Shapur has a reputation for being strict and is renowned as someone who is both firm and fair. His troops are fiercely loyal to him, but it’s widely known that he is exceptionally bad-tempered when he and Kubard aren’t getting along so well —  back when they were still at the stage of having arguments that led to sex, anyone who made a mistake the next day would receive a far sharper rebuke than normal.

(His captains do their best to cut down on gossip among the lower ranks, but in those early days his men often shared a common and unspoken thought: ‘He let it happen again, didn’t he?’).

Kubard is basically allergic to monogamy, whereas Shapur prefers a committed relationship. The fact that neither of them is prepared to admit that they are even in a relationship in the first place limits their ability to talk about this, although Kubard’s not oblivious to the fact that Shapur is unhappy about it. Tbh it might not help much even if they did discuss it, because Kubard doesn’t really seem like he’s the type to compromise himself for a sexual partner.

(Having said that, I do tend to headcanon that after he starts sleeping with Shapur, Kubard no longer takes other men to bed. He sees no need to mention it, and it’s not something that happened very often anyway, but when Shapur finds out about it later he is grateful for the concession.)

I mentioned earlier that Shapur hasn’t really spent much time looking for romance, but he’s not inexperienced. He had a few short relationships when he was younger, and once spent the night with one of his captains (a mistake, and not something he allowed to happen again). He knows what he likesand has visited brothels on occasion to satisfy the need. Kubard can still teach him a few things though.

The reason for his tendency to avoid romantic involvement isn’t because he prefers to be alone, but rather because he intends for Isfan to be his heir and for a long time the situation is quite delicate, to say the least. 

(That’s the short version; to expand on it a bit, Shapur is someone who stands by his decisions no matter what, so he won’t do anything that might compromise Isfan’s safety or allow his future status as heir to be contested. This includes refusing to get married despite coming under pressure from his parents to do so, while also trying not to draw too much attention to his sexual preference lest it complicate matters.)

When Kubard eventually learns of how Shapur saved Isfan and then raised him as his heir, it results in him overturning a lot of his assumptions about Shapur. He’s both surprised and impressed by it since he’d previously believed that Shapur would be the type to staunchly follow tradition.   

(As an aside, Shapur would definitely have made a good father and a dutiful husband except in the bedroom, and he seems to have been very involved in Isfan’s upbringing. I get a little sad to think he missed the chance to have a family, even though I’m sure he viewed Isfan as more than enough.)

I definitely see Shapur as someone who prioritises what he sees as his duty above all else. His responsibilities to his country and his brother come before any other personal wants. He’s very proud to be a Marzban, and I think it’s important to his identity in a way that just isn’t true for Kubard.

There’s nothing to stop him from taking a lover once the ‘family drama’ is over, but although the thought does occur to him, his focus remains elsewhere. I suppose he might have ended up going to a brothel a few times, but at the point when he first ended up in bed with Kubard, it’s been a long time since he last got laid.

(No wonder he can’t stop thinking about it, right…?)

As for Kubard, he’s fucked more people than he can remember, not that he was interested in keeping score. He enjoys sex as an uncomplicated physical pleasure while relationships seem to him to be more trouble than they’re worth. (He’s the opposite of Shapur here, who I think much prefers the intimacy and connection of being with someone he cares about.)

The closest Kubard had come to being in a relationship prior to his involvement with Shapur was any one of a handful of short-term casual arrangements based on convenience and mutual sexual gratification (mostly with women but it’s worth noting that a couple of times were with other men while on campaign) and outside of such situations, it’s unusual for him to spend the night with the same person so many times. He sees what’s going on between him and Shapur as the same sort of thing, even as weeks turn into months and the two of them grow closer despite their previous enmity.

To begin with, it doesn’t occur to him to consider that it could be anything else, and later on he’s reluctant to do so, because to acknowledge that it might be something more than that would complicate things, so he tends to avoid thinking about it. (That wouldn’t work for Shapur, but Kubard’s very good at not overthinking things.)

Kubard has the same attitude towards love as he does towards religion. He doesn’t particularly believe in it and he doesn’t feel a need for it in his life. It takes him a long time to arrive at the realisation that when Shapur is not there, the reason he doesn’t feel right is because he misses him. He’s definitely never felt like this about anyone else before.

Shapur knows what love is. He’s been in love before, unlike Kubard. So when he and Kubard begin to form a grudging friendship, he knows what his feelings might be leading to. He’s not exactly happy about it. He might try to resist it or deny it for a while, but it’s useless. The heart wants what the heart wants, you know?

I see them as opposites a lot of the time —Kubard is much faster to recognise his sexual attraction to Shapur, but further down the line Shapur is aware of the emotional sigificance that their relationship has for him, while Kubard is fairly oblivious to the fact that feelings are involved (especially his own).

(I have some fairly complicated thoughts about whether or not they’d ever admit to their feelings for each other. I doubt it. Shapur might, if the situation called for it. I can elaborate if anyone wants, or you can let me know your opinion. it’s my OTP and I can’t even get them to say ‘I love you’ lmao)

Kubard is far more likely to be physically demonstrative in his affections than Shapur, who is more reserved in that respect. Shapur might act like he’s irritated at first, but actually he likes it. I can’t help it, I really love the thought of Kubard softly stroking Shapur’s face, kissing his face and/or nuzzling his neck, rubbing the tension out of his shoulders, being gentle where he used to be rough. He wouldn’t think twice about making casual physical contact, though he might sometimes have a moment of ‘Huh, don’t know why I did that’ afterwards.

(He knows better than to touch Shapur in public, though.)

So yeah, Kubard tends to show his feelings in his actions even if he’s not necessarily aware of it. At first, Shapur is wary of these small signs of intimacy because he’s unsure whether they mean anything or not. He fears that his own feelings for Kubard are going to result in everything ending badly, and so he’s hesitant to do anything that might show just how much Kubard means to him — he wasn’t expecting Kubard’s new affectionate behaviour, and it takes him a long time to become comfortable enough to reciprocate.

(All of this gets easier in time; eventually they stop feeling so conflicted about it.)

The rest of these are a bit more of an assortment rather than following their journey from allies-who-hate-each-other to fuckbuddies-who-start-to-not-hate-each-other to lovers. (I’m really glad didn’t put in any modern AU headcanons or this would be even longer.)

Shapur lets Kubard play with his hair because it feels nice (though the one time Kubard tried to braid it, he got it tangled and Shapur was not pleased and told him that he was making it worse when he tried to help — Kubard knows that the fact that Shapur allowed him a second chance rather than forbidding him from touching it ever again means he really likes it, though he won’t admit it).

(Shapur also gets amusingly self-conscious when he first notices Kubard watching him re-do his braids after sex, probably because he never used to hang around for long enough to see him do it before.)

The first time Shapur smiles at Kubard in public, it catches him unawares and he gets a bit flustered by it. Shapur is usually very stern and serious when on official duty, and this takes place when he’s riding back into Ecbatana with his men after spending some time reinforcing the border. He sees Kubard in the crowd and offers him a small smile, to the surprise of everyone who sees it.)

(The smile was a surprise, but what might be an even bigger surprise is the fact that Kubard is blushing. I really enjoy the idea of Kubard being caught off guard by his feelings, haha.)

Shapur has a sweet tooth (and I know I’ve seen someone else who has the headcanon that he likes sweet things!). It isn’t a widely-known fact, but once Kubard figures it out, if he happens to be passing through Ecbatana’s bazaar he will quite often pick up some sugary delicacies if he’s going to be visiting Shapur later —a gift of something sweet goes a long way towards softening Shapur’s demeanour.

Kubard is a heavy drinker (and that’s canon, of course) but although Shapur does drink, he’s a lot more moderate about it (apart from when he’s picking fights with Kubard).

Though Shapur is much less prone to making rash decisions now than he was in his youth, if those he cares for were hurt or killed in battle he’d lose it and go after those responsible even if it put him in danger. Kubard is more likely to stay rational and think clearly on the battlefield no matter what happens —it’s why, despite his ‘difficult’ personality, he makes a good Marzban. (I also have a headcanon that Kubard became a Marzban at a younger age than Shapur did and Shapur really hates it lmao.)

I have a couple more individual headcanons about Shapur: 1. he is a very bad swimmer, and 2. he’s actually very tolerant of other religions even though he himself is a devout follower of the faith of Pars.

I tend to avoid thinking about Shapur’s fate unless I’m thinking about Kubard somehow rescuing him but here’s a canon-compliant headcanon to end with. At some after he is captured at Atropatene, Shapur hears from another Parsian captive that Kubard escaped, and despite his harsh words earlier, he is glad and later offers up a prayer to the gods on Kubard’s behalf.

(As for Kubard, he must have heard about Shapur’s death at some point. A lot of people witnessed it and word would have spread. I don’t see Kubard as the type to go looking for revenge, but after hearing what happened to Shapur he takes extra pleasure in slaughtering the next bunch of Lusitanians he comes across.)

I think that’s everything! Or at least, everything I can remember at the moment. I’m not sure how many people will have read this far, but if you have and you have any headcanons of your own about these two (either as a ship or as individuals) I’d really love to hear them! Or if you want me to elaborate about anything in particular (as if I haven’t talked enough already lmao) then let me know!

[imagitory]

The Cast of Yu-Gi-Oh...Sorted!

Hey guys! I’ve done several other posts like this for other fandoms and I’ve even Sorted some of these characters in other Sorting Hat asks in the past, but...well, I just decided, why not compile all of those thoughts in one big post to answer the question: where would the main cast of characters from Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters be Sorted, if they attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

Yugi Mutou ~ Hufflepuff!

I’ve seen a lot of fictional Sortings favor putting “the hero” in Gryffindor with his “best friend” types all being in Hufflepuff, but Yugi, in my opinion, is a perfect example of how heroic Hufflepuff values can be. Whereas Atem uses clever strategies to outwit his opponents and save the day, Yugi’s greatest strength and magic is his compassion. It’s what transformed a bully like Jounouchi into a loyal comrade, what opened up fiery, distrustful Rebecca to friendship, what strengthened the bonds between the many different friends he’s made, and what moved the ruthless spirit of darkness inhabiting his body so much that that spirit saw him as his partner and equal. Like many Hufflepuffs I know, Yugi always puts his friends first, putting their safety and well-being over his own every time -- self-sacrifice is a tenant of Hufflepuff house, and Yugi has that in spades. Still, Yugi is just and noble enough to also protect those who might not necessarily “deserve” his help: he values all life, regardless of whose it is or how terrible that person has been to him. Yugi is warm, dedicated, loyal, and modest, and being a connoisseur of games, he also esteems fair play, hence why he reacts so bitterly to Insector Haga throwing his grandfather’s Exodia cards off the boat in an underhanded way to keep Yugi from using them to win any more duels.

Yami Yugi / Pharaoh Atem ~ Slytherin!

Atem is the yin to Yugi’s yang, the darkness to his light, and therefore the Slytherin to his Hufflepuff. Whereas Yugi’s soul room is light, airy, and open, Atem’s is a dark labyrinth of endless tunnels and traps -- and yeah, Hufflepuff’s and Slytherin’s commonrooms, despite both being underground, have that same dichotomy, with Hufflepuff’s being sunny and cheerful with a location next to the kitchens and Slytherin’s being dark and dungeon-like by the underground lake. Atem’s eternal goal is to win every game he plays, regardless of whether or not he initiates the game or not, and he will do anything to win, even if it ends up compromising his morals. (See his duel with Kaiba during Duelist Kingdom or the Orikalkos duel with Raphael for evidence of this.) When he or his friends are threatened, Atem also retaliates ruthlessly and mercilously, as Insector Haga or any of his Shadow Game victims from the early manga or season 0 can tell you. Fortunately, despite his intense drive to win at all costs, Atem does always follow the rules of whatever game he’s in and he almost always wins because he’s both clever and resourceful enough to outwit his opponents. Appropriate to Slytherins as well, he has a great desire and focus on his past, wanting to learn more about it so as to better understand who he is, what he’s supposed to do, and how he can approach the future. If Yugi showcases Hufflepuff heroism with mercy and kindness, then Atem showcases Slytherin heroism with brilliance and passion.

Katsuya Jounouchi ~ Gryffindor!

Admittedly Jounouchi does fit the hot-tempered, aggressive, yet noble stereotype of Gryffindor pretty well off-the-bat, but there’s more to it than that for me. Jounouchi is a very active person, ready to jump in to protect his friends from whatever slight is thrown their way -- all of the Gryffindors I know have a very “knight”-like affect to them where they just can’t sit back and do nothing when people are being mistreated. I would also argue that in the series, Jounouchi is motivated to become a stronger duelist not just because of him wanting to help his sister (which is why he entered Duelist Kingdom), but because he wants to improve himself. As he tells Kaiba at one point at the end of Battle City, even after he lost to Marik on a technicality (JOUNOUCHI SHOULD’VE WON THAT DUEL AND BECOME THE OWNER OF THE WINGED DRAGON OF RA AND I WILL SCREAM THAT ‘TIL THE DAY I DIE), “his Battle City isn’t over,” because he hasn’t yet earned his Red Eyes back from Yugi in the duel they promised to have after the tournament was over. And honestly, I’d say Jounouchi’s “Battle City” will probably never be over for him, because every duel he fights only makes him love the game more and makes him push himself to become even better. Jounouchi’s nobility also shines through multiple times in the show, whether it’s promising to save Ryuzaki’s soul from Dartz after he defeats him in their duel, ordering his Red Eyes Black Dragon to protect Mokuba from a blast from the Five-Headed Dragon even if it meant dooming himself, or getting Yugi the last piece of the Millennium Puzzle back after he threw it into a pond. 

Hiroto Honda ~ Hufflepuff!

Honestly, thanks to his lack of character development in the Duel Monsters anime and the shifts in his limited characterization between his manga, season 0, and anime selves, this Sorting is really tricky. In season 0 exclusively, Honda is portrayed as more of a rule-keeper and is the head of the “beautification department” (which I guess is sort of like a janitorial thing, but for students?). It hints to a love of order that seems very Ravenclaw-esque and could’ve been an interesting twist to set him apart from Jounouchi and the others, but alas, it’s something that really isn’t reflected that much in either manga!Honda or DM!Honda’s characterization. In all three mediums, though, even though he’s depicted as having been Jounouchi’s friend long before he met Yugi and Anzu, Honda still comes off as more level-headed and cautious than Jounouchi. If Jounouchi is a raging hothead, Honda is the down-to-earth voice of reason. We also see in all three mediums that Honda has a romantic side, whether it’s with classmate Miho Nosaka or Jounouchi’s little sister Shizuka, and really, it’s in that capacity that we see that Honda can be pretty darn stupid too. (Not trying to bash Honda, truly, but this guy does not know how to play the game of love at all.) In the end, no matter which series we see him in, Honda’s main motivation is sticking by his buddies. He’s no duelist and he has little interest in being so, but he deeply cares about his friends’ safety and will always be right there to protect them and cheer them on however he can. So as much as I lament that I don’t have more to work with when it comes to Honda, his loyalty and down-to-earth demeanor do seem very consistent with Hufflepuff. 

Anzu Mazaki ~ Gryffindor!

Anzu is another character whose characterization fluctuates between the manga and the two anime series. In all three mediums, she’s a dedicated, romantic person who although not being talented in Duel Monsters herself is always there to cheer her friends on in their struggles. In the manga, she’s depicted as a little more flighty and girly, using love charms and getting her romantic fortune told, and at one point even recklessly putting herself in danger in the hopes that “the other Yugi” will appear and rescue her. In season 0, we see her being braver and more vocal in standing up to people -- she tries to protect a girl from punishment after she gets caught trying to confess her feelings to Jounouchi in a love letter; she helps catch a criminal hiding out in the fast food restaurant she works in by lying about what ingredients are used in their burgers; and she resolutely decides to have her soul transferred into a doll alongside Yugi and her friends when Yami Bakura challenges them to a Monster World Shadow Game. In the Duel Monsters anime, some of that courage is shaved off of Anzu and she’s depicted as less reckless and more grounded, but there are still points where her nobility can shine through, like when she decides to fight in Yugi’s place to win Mai’s star chips or she stops Atem from attacking Insector Haga over and over again after he’s already won. Although I could very easily see Anzu fitting into Hufflepuff as well (especially in the Duel Monsters anime), upon a lot of reflection, I think that, since I would put two out of the three versions of her in this house and even the third version could still work there, Gryffindor is her ultimate best place. 

Seto Kaiba ~ Slytherin!

I’m sure a lot of you were expecting Ravenclaw, and yes, I do think Kaiba is on the cusp between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, but let me explain why Kaiba is a Snake in my mind and not an Eagle. Kaiba is a very intelligent person with a great love of achievement, yes, but his sole focus is always on getting what he wants, whether it’s defeating Yugi, winning all three Egyptian God cards and then defeating Yugi, opening up his own theme park where he can defeat Yugi -- LOL, okay, I’m partially kidding, but...yeah, Kaiba’s focus is solely on what he wants, even if it is to win at something. Ravenclaws tend to have a very “worldly” view of the world and try to find their own distinct place in it, whereas Slytherins don’t give a damn about the rest of the world as long as their inner circle is safe. Throughout the series, Kaiba consistently chooses his little brother and the well-being of his company over everything else. In fact, in the Japanese dub of the Duel Monsters anime, the reason Kaiba barely reacts to all the crazy magic stuff going on around him isn’t because he doesn’t believe it’s happening like English!Kaiba, but because he simply doesn’t care. All he cares about is beating Yugi and looking after his company and brother. Everything else going on in the background, even if it does involve unknown magics that could shake someone’s entire world view and their place in it, just isn’t that important to him. Plus Ravenclaws aren’t just known for their intelligence and love of achievement -- they’re also known for wisdom and open-mindedness, both of which are very unKaiba. Kaiba is incredibly judgmental of everyone he meets, only deigning to show respect to those very few people he deems as being on his level, and although in the Japanese dub of the Duel Monsters anime, Kaiba showed moments of deeper thought and good judgement, the only wisdom English!Kaiba showcases on a regular basis is his assortment of snarky wisecracks. But if we look at Slytherin’s values, I think they line up with Kaiba and his characterization a bit better. Ambition -- well, considering that he challenged a CEO to a game of chess just to get him and his brother adopted, forcefully took over that same CEO’s arms and weapons business, and turned the whole thing into a gaming company complete with its own gaming products, Duel Monsters tournaments, and friggin’ THEME PARK, all before he even became a legal adult, I’d say that fits. Resourcefulness -- as Kaiba brings up to both Amelda and Ziegfried, he started off with nothing and could only use his talents and smarts to outwit his stepfather, take over KaibaCorp, and make it successful. Cleverness -- Kaiba may not be the King of Games, but he’s probably the only duelist who truly stands toe-to-toe with Atem in the dueling arena without cheating. Even Bakura, another one of Atem’s most prominent rivals, has to cheat in both the manga and the anime series to try to stay ahead of him. A certain disregard for the rules -- honestly, Kaiba tends to follow the rules of whatever game he’s playing, BUUUUT he does still seem to find joy in bucking other people’s expectations and doing whatever the hell he wants because he can. I mean, this is the guy who bought an entire city to host a gaming tournament, quickly wrote a ridiculously high check to a car salesman before driving off in one of his cars without another word (does he even HAVE a driver’s license??), and who blew up his own Duel Tower on KaibaCorp island just so he and Mokuba could fly away on their Blue Eyes White Dragon jet out of the rubble. (There is a reason why in Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged, his catchphrase is “screw the rules, I’ve got money” -- just sayin’.) And honestly, as much as Kaiba claims he doesn’t look back at the past, he is still clearly haunted and defined by it. The wounds of Gozaburo’s mistreatment were so deep that Kaiba felt like he had to blow up the ruined remnants of his old headquarters just to try to move on with his life. Atem defeating him affected him so much that he spent five whole seasons and an entire movie obsessing over their rivalry and how he would eventually defeat him. Hell, in DSOD, he even tried to put the Millennium Puzzle back together in a vain attempt to get Atem to come back and duel him again, and when he failed in that, he actually made a device so he could crash Atem’s friggin’ AFTER-LIFE just to try to duel him! “Bury the past,” my ass! As much as I could see Kaiba fitting pretty well in Ravenclaw too, I think part of the reason he and Atem are so at each other’s throats all the time is because of their two massive Slytherin egos constantly trying to one-up each other.

[crqstalite]

part 14, partner in crime #2 (torian && ba’shira)

bleh, this one’s kinda slow because it’s just torian thinking about ba’shira and ghenkl misaging them. probably will be re-written later lol.

written: 9.5.19. word count: 2,235

════ ⋆★⋆ ════ character song: miss jackson, panic! at the disco

character file: ba'shira cadera, champion of the great hunt.

-

when they first met, ba'shira had flipped him onto his back and held him at gunpoint. all with some clever quip too, which is what he remembers most from that experience. other than the fact that the noise could've attracted some unneeded monsters, but the verdant green orbs of her that glowed in the darkness of the transport station took his mind off of his impending doom immediatly.

"i just wanted to see you again." she says so smoothly, turning around slowly as her hair just barely covers her eyes. she's quick, agile as she kicks his legs out from under him and flips him over with ease. "now what are you doing out here?"

torian is sure that's when he first fell in love with the companion to the champion.

(he's also halfway sure that at that point, she barely even knew his name. and intended to shoot him if he didn't answer.)

companion is the wrong word, the charming (if not also brazen) female bounty hunter is much more than just a side character. even if she didn't take the shot to end their target, ba'shira has been part of theksevoy's crew since the beginning (well, mako holds that title, but ba'shira claims a close second). they have a special relationship (one he's jealous of if he's being honest), they always know what the other's about to say, when the other needs backup, exactly when the other's beskar'gam needs cleaning or repair. she was part of his crew when the great hunt was still in session, and apparently often accompanied him to targets. like a brother and sister, the two do not take shit from anyone.

it's amazing. watching two of the galaxy's finest piggy back off each other (sometimes literally, the smaller female leaping off the taller male with her jetpack and proceeding to incinerate the surrounding area) it's something different than when she and torian are out alone.

stars, he really needs to stop thinking about his boss like this.

however, the dark haired woman made it clear she didn't want to be just his boss anymore. from the sly looks and coy answers to his questions, ba'shira isn't exactly shy about her desires. his first major fear was that she wasn't exclusive to him due to her less than conventional tactics to earn her way to the targets' names and locations, but it seems that fear was absolutely baseless. after his confession, he's not even sure she looks at other men or women.

or, can keep her hands off of him.

it makes him nervous, he'll admit that. she makes him nervous. he hasn't really known many other women in a romantic sense, but meeting a woman who wasn't born or raised mandalorian changes his outlook on the galaxy. she interprets their culture as she goes along, follows laws as loosely as possible. but, she doesn't hold back when it comes to him. ba'shira just leads, and he follows. the armored woman isn't afraid to either, as she yanks him by his armor to smash her lips on his.

stars, she is strong. he knows this too, watching her train and as they spar. she's fast, but muscular as well. her loose clothing hides it, but once she's in little more than a sports bra and sweatpants, he can see their excursions have turned her into a very brawny warrior. as the sweat shines off her forehead during their brawls and she straddles him, she asks him to call uncle before she releases his arms from her grip.

he can see their future going far.

"she still isn't down yet?" theksevoy startles him out of his thoughts, though he keeps his poker face up. the man is a hulking 6"3 beast, dark skin with blonde hair and caramel brown eyes. he stands quite a few inches taller than torian himself, and can lift so much more. at this point, he can see why the galaxy's most wanted is such an icon, women nearly chasing him down at every outpost they stop at.  "thought you guys were supposed to be gone like an hour ago."

"trying to get rid of us, champion?" he asks as thek chuckles.

"i'd never, torian. guess we're playing by the no curfew game again tonight, huh?" the older male asks, winking as torian tries to catch on to whatever joke he's trying to get across. "when can i expect you back?" he asks, once he realizes his sly joke flew right over the young mandalorian's head.

"depends on her." he answers. "if she stays out, i stay out." and that's true enough. torian would never come back without her.

"cool. don't do anything stupid. ghen needs this job." theksevoy answers, tucking his hands into his lounges and heading back up the stairs to his and mako's quarters. torian's mind wanders to the slicer that's the closest in age to him other than his partner. he's curious what's she's been up to lately. but, he'll catch up when he and ba'shira get back.

torian had yet to meet this ghenkl, though he figured she wouldn't be too much trouble if thek trusted him and ba'shira to arrange the details. she'd only been described as meaning well, if not a little all over the place. a tall, buff pale zabrak woman in a cantina should be easy enough to find. the only things he knows concrete about this woman is just that, and the fact she'll probably see them first.

"of course, champion." he answers, the other male disappearing back to his quarters after nodding. thankfully, he doesn't have to wait long for the woman of the hour once he hears her her boots clank on the durasteel of the mantis. she isn't dressed up, which isn't surprising (he never expects her to, and she hasn't broken that expectation except for once). she's got a mischeveous grin on her face as she takes his hand in hers.

"you ready to go, torian?" she asks, shaking out her messy ponytail and letting the shaggy haircut fall around her shoulders. the tawny curls accentuate her face in a way he can't describe as her eyes twinkle in the dim light of the mantis.

"always."

-

carrick station is busy, as always. when they disembark from the mantis, ba'shira is (as always) attracted to all the shiny new blasters the gtn is advertising. of course, she's also wary. (the last two nearly killed her and left her face wishing that she hadn't been swayed so quickly.)

of course, the two youngest members of the crew get distracted by all the weapons on display. now, ba'shira knows what torian has his eye on for life day, and intends to sneak back out later to retrieve the vibrostaff. it's not even close to the holiday yet, but even she knows she's gonna forget when it is.

they head down the cantina after they've wandered the expanse of carrick station for a bit. pulling out her holo, the photo of the zabrak woman is compared to everyone she can see. humans, more humans, a few twi'leks and torgutas mingle among each other. in the dim light, she's considering just spending the rest of her night and allowance on drinks for her and torian to spend the night out. his pale skin nearly shines in the yellow lighting, and she figures it'd look better with a few kisses of her painted lips on it.

"oi!" a voice makes her turn, and looking up a woman fitting the description is waving at her from an alcove above them in the vip area. "come on up, would you?"

she and torian share of look of confusion before heading up the elevator. the bouncer gives them a look at first before turning away in a gruff of approval. a moment later, they step out onto the vip area of carrick station, turning this way and that to find the woman who had been speaking to them. eventually, ba'shira finds the scantily dressed woman who wears little more than a bikini and a jacket over a pair of greaves and boots. she's sitting with a dark skinned male, who gives her a small grin. "ba'shira, yeah?"

"that's me." she says, pulling out a chair for torian before taking her own. "i presume you're ghenkl?"

"you'd be right." ghenkl responds. she's tall, taller than ba'shira had originally assumed, and buff enough to go along with it. in the back of her mind, she figures this is why she and thek are friends. "alright, now this elusive job thek couldn't come down and give me himself."

ba'shira looks around once, then twice before handing over the datapad with the details. she's already technically trespassing (the entire crew of the mantis is, in fact, on republic soil) and there's no reason getting into unnecessary trouble because of one little slip up. her contact grins, handing the datapad back. "just like the old days then."

"i'm sure it is. you want in?" ba'shira asks. ghenkl nods adamantly. "tell thek whenever he needs me, i'm ready to jump in."

"great." ba'shira says, moving to get up from the table.

"hey, wait a sec kid." ba'shira pauses, as ghenkl gestures to sit back down. "spend sometime with an old woman for a bit, yeah? you're legal aren't you?"

"i am." ba'shira says warily. "i should really get back though."

"bah, you take after thek. always so quick to leave the party. given, corso and i were just waiting for you two. but sit down for a bit, lets talk. we're going to be working together anyways." ghenkl says, hailing down a passing server droid and ordering a round of some unpronouncable drink. once she and torian take their seats again, ghenkl asks, "how long have you known thek anyways?"

"a couple of years. least since the great hunt." she answers. her features are dulled by how her hair covers her face. scars decorate her face as she smiles, the lines under her eyes crinkling. ba'shira wonders how old she is. "why?"

"just curious. wondering why he wouldn't come down and see me himself, but that's none of my business." ghenkl says sarcastically. "it's been so long since i saw him last."

"i'm sure he had something else to attend to, captain." corso says. he has an accent that ba'shira typically associates with backwater planets. she wonders where he's from. "'sure he'd be here if he could be."

she's also curious whether she should tell the smuggler that no, theksevoy had nothing better to be doing today. but, he had promised mako he'd take a day off and spend it with her, so she figures he did have something important to be doing. "he'd be here if he could."

"good to know. alright, i asked you one thing. got any questions for me?" ghenkl quizzes.

"how do you know theksevoy?" ba'shira asks, curious. it doesn't seem like the two of them would be good friends exactly, especially hearing that ghenkl is allied with the republic for the time being.

"we were lovers for a period of time. partners in mostly general crime now." she says lazily. the droid rolls back over to their table with drinks in it's metal claws, placing all four down on the table before rolling away again. "you drink, kid?"

"i'm not a kid." she feels like she's had this conversation with her boyfriend before when the words leave her mouth, but doesn't overthink it too much. "and not really."

"really?" she cocks an eyebrow like she doesn't believe her, turning her gaze to torian, who looks more bored than anything. "eh, suit yourself. who's this kid?"

"still, not a kid." ba'shira answers before torian can cut her off.

"ya'll look younger than you should be, alright?" ghenkl shrugs, sipping on her glass of alcohol. "too young to be involved in a war."

"torian cadera." her boyfriend answers before ba'shira can give a retort, "we're not kids."

"hey, didn't mean any offense." she says.

"how old are you?" ba'shira questions, crossing her arms over her breast plate. "calling us kids."

"thirty three." ghenkl throws back her cup, putting it back down on the table. "i'll be thirty four in a couple of months, why?"

ba'shira admittedly had not believed the smuggler would be that old. she'd assumed there had only been a few years seperating them, not nearly a decade. ghenkl definitely didn't look that old either. "what about him?"

"who me? twenty-six." corso answers. damn. he's still older than both of them. both she and torian were only twenty-two (torian was turning twenty-three soon), making them both really the youngest.

it's silent for a while longer before ba'shira really does make the motion to leave. "it's late, i think torian and i are just gonna go."

"alright then. don't be a stranger." the zabrak woman responds. "hope to see you around!"

ba'shira doesn't wave back. she's not scared of her, how much damage can she do to her, but rather wary. something she typically isn't of anyone. but, she's working so closely with them now, ba'shira can't help but be cautious.

"don't be too afraid." torian says just before they step back into the hangar, lacing his fingers into hers.

"i never am." she says, turning to face him. "don't worry too much about me, cyare."

"of course, shira." he responds, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she smiles, but not before pressing her lips to his.

[cupkayke]

The character ask thing: Boueibu A's aka Akihiko, Akoya and Atsushi (if that's too many you can just pick who you want)

WI already answered Aki, so here I’ll do the other two A’s!

Akoya

NOTP: I don’t really have NOTPs like at all so this question is always really hard, but I guess I’m pretty ‘meh’ about Akoya with Kinshiro. Like, could I see it working? Maybe. Do I think they’d actually be attracted to each other in the first place? Probably  not...

BROTP: Everyone Brotps Akoya with Ryuu and I agree with the sentiment. Pinks gotta have their silly rivalry. Could definitely also see Akoya being besties with Aki and/or Haru, once the third years graduate.

OTP: Here I go again with my OT3s but AkoIoRyuu is my jam. But I suppose I’ll talk more about the OT3 in the poly question. If I had to pick ONE, I do really like AkoRyuu because the angst dynamics have a lot of potential and they just seem like they’d be really... explosive. Passionate. Ooh la la. That’d leave poor Io alone though so it kind of makes me sad lol.

Second Choice Pairing: AkoRima, considering that seems to be everyone’s OTP with Akoya. I like the dynamic well enough; it seems like Ibushi would pay a shitload of attention to Akoya and Akoya would eat up every second of it but idk I feel bad saying this but Ibushi as a character still doesn’t really stick out to me :/ So like... I’m pretty blase about all the ships including him.

Fluffy Pairing: Yumotoooooo because smol fluff child. Despite pretty exclusively shipping Yumoto with a/both Beppus this would be the only ship involving Akoya that I could see being tooth-rottingly cute. Akoya screams sophistication and like old-school romance or fiery passion and Yumoto would be the only one who could probably bring out his softer, cutesy side. Let Yumoto brush and play with his hair? Yas. Snuggle pajama party? Yas. 

Angsty Pairing: The aforementioned AkoRyuu. Because holy smokes I feel like I am alone in pinkship land but like two words; hate fucking. I have a fanfic premise for them built around an enemies to frenemies to frenemies with benefits to friends with benefits to boyfriends and it just sounds so delicious. Imagine the snark, the sass, the spontaneous makeout sessions. Y’know these boys would be passionate and put in 110% to whichever emotion they were processing. Which likely would be a combination of annoyance and lust. Damn I need to write this thing. Along with my twelve other fic ideas -cries-

Polyship: AkoIoRyuuuuuuu and now I get to talk about it. Like okay. Take the fiery spark that is Akoya and Ryuu together and add in the mutual pining for Io (the other element to the pinkship) and then lo and behold Io is a willing participant...? Io would balance the pinks out, bringing a level head to their sometimes rash behaviors yet spoiling them silly when he’s feeling particularly mushy. The pinks would probably have their strengths and weaknesses in meeting Io’s needs- like Akoya knows about the finer things and would definitely look good on his arm at any fancy business events whereas Ryuu would be the more lowkey one and their strong friendship would form a foundation for Io’s emotional support. Idk they have such potential for their dynamics and again, there need to be more fics with them. And by that I mean fics that aren’t AUs (because I swear it seems like half the boueibu fics are AUs and... I’ll shut up before I start ranting).

Weirdest Pairing: Um, Akoya/En? Akoya/Atsushi? I can’t see either of those really happening but then again in weird ways they may work. Unfortunately I can’t put words to it, though.

Atsushi

NOTP: Atsushi/Yumoto? Idk I see more brother/senpai/parental dynamics from these two and I just... cannot see it romantically at all. Hm, maybe I do have some NOTPs. But does anyone ship this anyway? Lol.

BROTP: The obvious En/Kinshiro when they aren’t shipped romantically. Atsushi has his best friends and they’re all so precious. Also weirdly if the boys started hanging out at Yumoto’s house more instead of in the onsen I could see Atsushi getting along well with Gora. They seem to have a similar personality.

OTP: Enatsu all the wayyyyyyy. If we’re picking a non-poly ship, that is. Like isn’t that everyone’s OTP with him? Maybe? Best friends blossoming into boyfriends is my shit. It’s adorable. Atsushi takes care of En in all the best ways and En helps Atsushi lighten up a little.

Second Choice: I ship Enatsu more than Kinatsu so I guess Kinatsu is the second choice here. Still cute dynamics but with a more unrequited love becomes requited vibe on Kinshiro’s end. It does feel weird to me though to have these two as a standalone ship because then... where does that leave En??? And in my boueibu-verse everyone gets paired off and is happy but I just cannot decide which pairings I like best lol (someone save meeeee)

Fluffy Pairing: Kinatsu has more potential for just sheer fluff like I can’t. Kinshiro being the delicate thing that he is needing reassurance and attention and Atsushi, having learned his lesson with the curry thing, won’t let anything fester or settle and they talk things out and cuddle and go on cute dates and aldsfjasldkfjal;sdkj -explodes- okay maybe they’re cuter than I thought they were.

Angsty Pairing: ...actually, literally the same answer, but twist Kinshiro’s response to a jealousy angle over En and you have the makings of some drama right there. Or the OT3 could have Atsushi be caught in the middle for even more potential angst.

Polyship: Enatsukin? Kinenatsu? Enkinatsu? What is this ship name even? BUT YES THAT ONE. I ship this OT3 even more than the other polyships I like and that’s saying something. Because this way, none of these three are left alone and both En and Kinshiro get Atsushi’s caretaking and empathetic nature and Atsushi gets the strong friendship foundations he has with both of them and they all have this mutual trust going on once En and Kinshiro come around to the idea and deal with their feelings for one another as well as for Atsushi. 

Weirdest Pairing: I can’t quite wrap my brain around Atsushi/Arima but then again it kinda works to put the two ‘mom’ characters together. And the two sass masters. Like, it fits but it’s weird to me.