#I’ve been fighting with this for like two months so this is me admitting defeat and just posting it lol

[skyward-floored]

Volga gets some spotlight for a change (hdw au)

Comes after Volga confronting Cia (and Link on Skyloft, but it’s slightly less necessary to understand this)

...

Volga seeks out and fights the strongest. That is his objective.

He goes where the sorceress tells him, leads monsters into battles as she deems fit. He sees others only as adversaries, evaluating them solely on the threat they pose, the strength they wield.

Nothing else matters.

Only his orders, and strength.

The Hylian army is at their gates, working steadily through the valley, and despite the sorceress increasing Volga’s power, they’re still advancing, calling upon the Great Fairy to aid them. Volga himself is forced to retreat back to Cia’s side, and he stands silently beside her, waiting for her orders.

She’s watching the battle with a look in her eye that grows steadily more enraged, her knuckles whitening on her staff. It isn’t long before she orders him back out, commanding him to find the princess and crush her.

Volga nods, preparing to obey, when the sorceress stops him, a manic look in her eyes.

“This time you will destroy them,” she snarls, and thrusts her hand against his chest.

Power rushes through him, greater than what he had received before, and Volga roars as it fills his veins, turning into a dragon and leaping into the air.

This time he will be the strongest.

Volga glides across the valley, making a beeline towards the army’s leader, the princess’s sword flashing across the battlefield. He lands with a roar, and she quickly turns her attention to him, eyes widening as she leaps out of the way of his first attack.

Volga is merciless, using his weapons of both spear and claws, shooting fire and dive bombing with his dragon form. The princess is annoyingly stubborn though, avoiding nearly all of his attacks, parrying blows and dodging flames.

Some distant part of Volga is impressed.

He snarls as she avoids yet another thrust of his spear, and the princess looks at him, something odd flashing in her gaze.

“Volga! Come to your senses!” she suddenly shouts, parrying an attack. “I know you to fight with honor! What glory is there to be found in using dark magic to win all of your battles?”

“Don’t mock me!” Volga snarls, slamming a clawed hand towards her. How dare she?

“Open your eyes!” Zelda shouts as she dodges, still not giving up. “I believed you to be a proud dragon warrior, not a mercenary for darkness!“

Their weapons clash, and Zelda looks up at Volga without fear, her blue eyes bright.

“Think of your family, Volga. Look past the darkness clouding your vision.”

Volga falters just a hair, a snarl dying in his throat. There is certainly no darkness clouding him, merely the extra power the sorceress provided, but Zelda’s words of family carry a spark of something different. Something... important?

Volga shakes his head, frowning.

...What had she said again?

The spark fades, and Volga roars, hitting her backwards with a clawed hand. The princess is thrown to the ground with a cry, but before Volga can press his attack, there’s a flash of blue and green, and the Hero stands in his way, sword raised.

He has a stricken expression on his face, but Volga barely registers it, roaring again as he goes to face the both of them. The princess regains her footing as the hero slams his shield up to block Volga’s spear, and the three of them resume the fight.

Other monsters join the attack, and the hero’s attention is drawn to keeping them away from his princess, mostly leaving her and Volga to fight alone. Volga draws constantly on the sorceress’s power, and it’s soon obvious the princess begins to flag against his brutal attacks.

She fights on though, tenacious as ever. Soon enough Volga finds their weapons locked again, her eyes fixed on his face.

“Knight Volga, I thought you a protector, a dragon of honor,” she says, voice breathless but earnest. Blood drips across her eye but she doesn’t loosen her grip to wipe it away. “This isn’t who you are, drawing on dark power, fighting in wars for a cause you don’t believe in!”

That persistent spark of something comes back in Volga’s mind, flickering in his thoughts, buzzing in his memory. It makes him falter, just a little.

“Please,” Zelda repeats, still straining against his spear. “For Link’s sake.”

The name rings familiar, and Volga stumbles as a face flickers in his mind, blue eyes shining through the murk. Looking at him in trepidation as information spills from hylian lips, scales glittering in places they have no right to be.

What is this memory?

He can’t recall the events that led to it, or what came after, or even where he was when it occurred. In fact... all he can really recall is the sharp urge to fight the strongest, destroy the enemy, do as the sorceress commands.

Who is the boy with scales on his arms, and hair nearly the same color as his own?

“Volga,” the princess speaks again, less strained now, and Volga belatedly realizes he’s stopped fighting. “Fight past this darkness. I know you are more than what Cia is letting you be.”

Cia.

The name is like a clap of thunder in his head, and suddenly the darkness he’d denied was choking him is all too evident, coursing through him alongside his fire, constricting his thoughts and twisting his actions. Its influence is overwhelming, and Volga clutches a hand over his chest, thoughts whirling as memories rush back.

Cia invading his home and forcing him under her service, ignoring his wishes to be left alone. Using her magic to make him fight, starting a war over lust for his son, putting him on the opposite side of his own kin.

Purposely obscuring the fact that he had a son.

Volga snarls, anger rising as flames drip from his lips. Cia used dark power, foisted upon him without his say, using him as nothing but another pawn in her game and his son—

“No... no!” Volga shouts, gripping at his head with both hands. “I won’t be ruled by darkness!”

He won’t remain Cia’s puppet for another second.

Volga lashes out at the darkness coating him, tearing at Cia’s influence in his chest. He can feel her power fight back the moment he pushes against it, darkness reaching up to claw at his mind, but Volga tears back with claws of his own, refusing to succumb to it again.

He pushes back with his own power, not that of the sorceress, fire clashing with darkness.

A roar builds in his throat as he gains a solid foothold, and he pushes it out, Cia’s dark power leaving him all in a rush.

And he is free.

Weakness follows the loss of power, but even as Volga drops to a knee, he feels more clearheaded, more alive, then he has in weeks.

And it’s overwhelmingly refreshing.

Volga curls his fingers into the dirt as he regains his bearings, clutching his spear as he raises himself up off the ground again. The princess stands a few feet away, watching him with a hopeful look on her face, and Volga huffs, looking away.

...right into the eyes of the hero.

His son.

Volga stares, the boy staring back with an uncertain look on his face. The hero’s gaze is interrupted by a monster slashing at him, and Volga shakes himself, then looks around the battlefield, taking in what he’s missed.

His gaze falls on the princess again, and something burns in his chest, a need to finish what he started. Volga raises his spear in challenge, pointing it at her and the hero.

“This time I will duel you properly. I will win this fight under my own power,” he declares.

He has other business, important business even (Cia will pay, he swears it), but his pride insists he finishes this fight. He wants to show the two of them how he really fights, no dark powers, no false strength.

To finish the fight he began in an honorable manner.

The princess hesitates at his request, exchanging a loaded look with her hero. But he nods, and she nods as well, pointing her sword back.

And they start the fight anew, dragon, princess, and hero.

The fight is invigorating, to say the least. Volga’s very scales seem to buzz with excitement as he battles the two, the old fire coming back to his blood. They’re an incredible team, truly powerful, and fighting them helps immensely with continuing to wake him up, forcing any remnant of Cia’s power from his bones.

They weave in and out in tandem, one of them striking, and then darting out as the other attacks. Despite the remaining weakness from the loss of darkness, Volga matches them blow for blow, his blood singing as he duels the two.

He hasn’t had a fight this challenging in years, and it reminds him of older days, of other duels.

A smile on a tanned face, ruby-red eyes, hair the color of new-fallen snow...

Volga promptly pushes that image aside. He needs to focus on the here and now, and his strength is fading, the hero and princess still pressing their attack.

As much as he hates to admit it, Cia’s actions have left him low on strength, and as enjoyable as this fight is... he’s fading. Rather fast.

And suddenly, he finds himself on his knees, a sword pointing at his neck.

Volga looks at Zelda, then over at his son, both of them breathing hard. An odd feeling of pride runs through him as he looks at the boy, and he almost smiles. Only one other person has ever been able to truly best him in battle, and it’s clear both of them learned from her.

Impa taught them well.

...It was no wonder Cia wanted one dead and the other her captive.

Anger courses through him at the reminder of the sorceress’s treachery, but his energy is spent. Too spent for him to reasonably mount a successful attack on her.

His vengeance will have to wait.

The princess opens her mouth to speak, but Volga beats her to it, closing his eyes as blood runs from a cut over one of them. “I accept my defeat with honor. I lose, but I do so without regrets.”

He exhaled and looks up at the two of them, and his son meets his eyes again, blood and dirt smeared on his face.

Volga gives him a singular nod, then despite his weariness, turns into his dragon form and takes off into the skies. He needs to rest, and recover from his wounds before figuring out what to do next.

And... process the ramifications of having a son.

Impa...

Link and Zelda watch him go in silence, Volga’s wings bright as a comet as he glides away. They’re both breathing heavily from the battle, small injuries bleeding, burns stinging. Zelda is smiling though, and there’s a hesitant sort of hope in Link’s eyes as they watch the dragon grow smaller in the distance.

Zelda squeezes Link’s shoulder as Volga finally disappears from their sight, but they don’t have time to dwell on what just occurred.

Cia still needs to be taken care of. But then...

Link supposes they’ll figure it out.

[goldenempyrean]

"Is it getting colder in here, or is it just me?" and “Thats it. You're going to bed.” with female sick reader and caretaker Natasha?

A Domestic Life

〚 Notes - I'm gonna try super hard to get through a load of my older requests, if you've sent one AGES ago (we're talking over months ago), it might be done soon :D ALSO! I updated my taglist so hopefully everyone who wanted to be is now on! 〛

〚 Pairing - Natasha Romanoff x Reader 〛

〚 Summary - Nat notices how run-down you are and takes care of you. 〛

〚 Wordcount - 720 〛

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙

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“Is it getting colder in here, is it just me?” You mumbled quietly, fighting back a shiver as you pulled your sweater tighter round yourself in an effort to warm yourself back up. You’d been like this all day, going through stages of being freezing cold then boiling hot. 

Natasha hummed lightly as she stirred a pot of simmering pasta, “It’s quite warm in here darling.” She carefully lowered the temperature of the stove before turning around. She raised an eyebrow, her keen eyes studying you closely. She noticed the subtle flush settled on your cheeks and the way you seemed to huddle into yourself, despite the relative warmth of the room. 

You watched as Nat set down the wooden spoon that she'd been using letting it sit at the edge of the pot before turning back to you, concern etched into her soft features. "You don't look so good," She remarked after a moment, her voice gentle yet firm. You nodded, sniffling quietly as you stood up from the stool you’d been perched on and made your way over towards her, wrapping your arms around her slim waist and letting your head rest against the back of her neck – she was so warm, you just wanted to soak it all up. 

You tried to offer a reassuring smile, but it faltered as another wave of chills swept through you, making you cling to her tighter, craving her warmth. "I'm okay, just feeling a little off maybe." You replied, though your voice lacked conviction, “I’ve been like this all day.” You grumbled, not holding back the trace of annoyance hiding in your voice. 

Nat couldn’t say she was surprised. You’d both been so swept of your feet lately, mission after mission with almost no breaks. Hell, the closest the pair of you had come to resting lately was the night the two of you had been sent to take over a stakeout a few days ago. It was only going to be a matter of time before exhaustion caught up with one of you. 

Natasha sighed, her worry deepening as she reached out to gently cup your face. "You're burning up darling," she stated, her thumb brushing against your cheek. "When was the last time you had a break or a good night's sleep? Be honest with me.” 

You hesitated, realising that you couldn't even remember the last time you had taken an actual moment to rest. The constant adrenaline from the rush of missions had kept you going, but now your body was paying the price. "I... I can't remember," You admitted quietly, feeling a bit defeated and silly now that you’d realised actually how much you’d run yourself down.  

Natasha's expression softened, her concern turning into a determined resolve. "Well, that settles it. You need to rest. No arguments," she declared, her voice leaving no room for negotiation. 

You opened your mouth to protest, but she quickly placed a finger against your lips, silencing you. "No 'buts'," she said, giving you a stern look. "You can't take care of anyone if you're running on empty. And right now, you're beyond running on fumes sweetheart." 

You sniffled softly, crossing your arms with a small, defeated pout, “What about helping with dinner though?”  

Your girlfriend chuckled softly, her fingers gently brushing a strand of hair away from your forehead. "Dinner can wait. Right now, the only thing you need to focus on is getting better. Plus, it’d be a bad idea to have you help with dinner anyway, we don’t need you passing out and falling in the pan, do we?" She smiled as you gave a small giggle, but Nat could still feel the warmth radiating from you, "Come on, that’s it, you’re going to bed." 

You reached out, intertwining your fingers with hers, and pulled her closer. Looking up into her eyes, filled with worry and love, you felt a surge of affection wash over you. Leaning in, you pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, conveying your gratitude in the soft touch. 

"Thank you love," You whispered, your small voice came from beside her. "For taking care of me.” 

Natasha's lips curved into a tender smile as she returned the kiss, her warm touch was comforting against your skin, "Always," she murmured against your lips, "Now let’s get you into bed.” 

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[harlequinlestat]

To Hold Me Like Water

Pairing: Astarion/GN!Reader or Astarion/GN!Tav Word Count: 1.4k+

Notes: This fic was completely inspired by this post by @skitpost. It's just a little fluff piece exploring Astarion's ears. It's my first fic ever, and it the first time I’ve written something that wasn’t a research paper in years. I was just really inspired to write something for Astarion. A huge thanks to the incredibly talented @redrocketpanda for editing this for me and making amazing suggestions on how to fix it up!

You had always been intrigued by Astarion’s ears. 

Though you would never dare admit your fascination to him or anyone else in your party, you routinely caught yourself watching how his delicately pointed ears subtly twitched whenever he was listening intently to his surroundings. In fact, the way his ears moved ever so slightly when he became particularly emotive was one of the first things that endeared him to you after he made your acquaintance by throwing you to the ground and holding his blade to your throat.

His ears were irritatingly distracting to you, and you longed to touch them. Partly because you were curious how they would feel against your fingertips, and partly because you yearned to see his reaction. You had never touched an elf’s ears before, and you had heard rumors that they were particularly sensitive.

Your relationship with Astarion had progressed in an altogether unpredictable manner over the past few months. What had begun with flirtatious banter and trysts in the woods had developed into something much more profound and intimate. Yet no matter how close you felt emotionally and physically to Astarion, you could never quite convince yourself to reach out and caress his ears. The thought perplexed you. It didn’t matter that you had shared your body with Astarion and known the feeling of his skin against yours - the sheer act of providing a gentle, comforting touch to what you assumed was a particularly sensitive part of his body felt far too intimate. 

You assumed your daydreams would remain simply that, until one evening in camp.

The evening had started as typical, with your party enjoying a simple dinner. The day’s battle against an Absolutist stronghold had been particularly bloody, and your friends were exhausted as they sat around the campfire, barely sharing a word. They had all retired early in preparation for the fight ahead, and you and Astarion had withdrawn to his tent to perform what had become one of your nightly rituals. 

There had been subtle changes in Astarion’s character since he defeated Cazador and gained true freedom. Rather than hiding his true emotions with sarcasm and charm, he had gradually become more sincere in his interactions with you. Despite this, there were certain parts of him that you assumed would never change, one of the most irritating being his vanity. What had started as a joking offer to pick the remnants of battle from Astarion’s perfectly coiffed locks had become a near nightly routine for the two of you.

Astarion lay languidly between your thighs, his weight resting entirely against your chest as he read through another one of his countless tomes. The two of you sat in silence as you meticulously began removing the gore from his still nearly perfectly wavy hair. He occasionally hummed in appreciation or made a stray sarcastic comment about your hands being too rough for his liking, but the two of you were relatively silent during this time, simply enjoying one another’s company and the dimming glow of the fire.

Tonight, Astarion’s hair was caked in some particularly dense patches of dried blood, and your typical routine was simply not enough to cleanse him to his liking. You had aided him in bathing in a nearby stream prior to this, your hands massaging and tracing his muscles as you removed dried blood and dirt from his skin. He had been unwilling to completely submerge himself in the water, and thus you had resorted to using a damp rag to lift the small amount of remaining blood from his hair and scalp. He appeared at ease against your body as you gently scrubbed with the rag. As the exhaustion of the day set in, your hands became sloppy in their movements as you rushed to finish the task so that you could sleep. Your eyes felt heavy, and you weren’t aware of your proximity to his ears until it was too late. 

Your fingers delicately grazed the tip of Astarion’s ear for just a moment, your boddy immediately tensing in response. Astarion’s breath hitched in his chest, the muscles of his back tense against your chest. You couldn’t see his expression from this angle, but you assumed it expressed discomfort.

“I’m sorry, Astarion. I didn’t mean to,” you practically whispered, a sudden fear taking root in your chest. Astarion remained silent, but he did not immediately move to leave you. Your mind began racing, trying desperately to figure out how to fix the situation.

“It’s…quite alright, darling,” he stated. He slowly turned his head to face you. The first thing you noticed was the uncertainty in his eyes as they cast downward - then the slight blush to his cheeks. As his eyes returned to yours, you began to piece together what had happened - Astarion had enjoyed your gentle touch.

“I’ve never been touched like that before.” His words were quiet and tinged with an uncertainty and lack of confidence you rarely witnessed. 

“Did you like it?” you asked, a blush beginning to creep onto your face against your wishes as you began to hope against hopes that Astarion would allow you to touch him again.

Astarion thought carefully for a moment before slowly nodding his head. “You know I love your touch, pet,” he attempted to smirk. You knew him too well -  this was an attempt to hide his apparent embarrassment and confusion with his usual sarcasm. Yet he seemed to know the charade was no use with you. He sighed. “I did enjoy it,” he stated plainly, allowing himself to lean back against you in defeat.

“Would you like me to do it again?” you questioned, waiting with bated breath.

Astarion’s eyes met yours again. Despite the conflict you could see within his eyes, you also saw the inherent trust he had in you and your relationship. “I think I would like that,” he whispered.

You smiled reassuringly at your lover as you gestured for him to lie back against your chest once more. He quickly complied, closing his eyes as his head rested against your chest once more. You could still feel some residual tension in his muscles as you prepared your hand. You started by gingerly running your fingers through his mostly cleaned hair, faintly scratching his scalp with the edges of your fingernails. Astarion began to relax against you once more as you massaged his scalp. Once his breathing slowed and he began melting to your touch, you allowed yourself to carefully begin tracing the outer shell of his ear with your index finger. 

Astarion kept his eyes shut, his head turning toward your touch, as if seeking it. 

As your fingers began to trace the pointed tip of his ear, you heard him release a sigh.  A smug smile began to pull at the corners of your mouth as you watched the normally ever-composed man melt into your touch. This is what you had desired for so long, and you now realized that you had admired Astarion’s ears not because they were so different from your own, but because they were his. Pride swelled in your chest as you realized you were the first to touch your lover’s ears and make him feel this way. This was uncharted territory for the both of you, and you were not going to let the moment go to waste. The outer shell of his ear felt firm and strong against the gentle touch of your fingertips. You admired the subtle variations in Astarion’s breathing as your index finger danced from his lower ear to the tip. You lavished particular attention to the tip of his ear, staring in near wonder as it twitched against your hand in response. Once you were certain Astarion was comfortable with it, you allowed your second hand to begin tracing the shell of his other ear. The elf looked at ease in your hands.

It was then that you realized you were probably the first person in centuries to see Astarion in any state of vulnerability.

Tears stung at the corners of your eyes as you continued your gentle ministrations. After a few minutes, he gently reached for your hands, letting you know that his sensitive ears were beginning to feel overstimulated by your touch. When he turned his head and observed your soft features and the tears you attempted to hide, he repositioned himself to kneel between your thighs. His deft hands carefully clasped your cheeks, and he pressed his forehead to yours.

“This is a gift, you know. I won’t forget it,” he whispered, then slowly pressed a gentle, yet firm kiss to your lips.

[sunnynwanda]

Surrender

"Seems like I've won again," Villain gloats, their smile all teeth as they land near their panting nemesis.

“Oh fuck off,” Hero groans, pulling themselves up from the ground. Every bone in their body feels worn down and ancient. The past two months have taken their toll on their body. Hero brushes their fingers over their sore thigh, a huge bruise already forming along the outer side of it. “Asshole.”

“It’s your fault, sweetheart,” Villain claims, unfazed when Hero grants them with a scowl. “I thought you knew how to put up a fight.”

And no, Villain did not intend for it to sound insulting. It just came out wrong. It’s not like they did not enjoy their battles. This was their favourite pastime. What could be more fun than an intense clash with a worthy opponent? 

Except, Hero did not seem to appreciate their efforts anymore. Not for the last couple of months, they did not. And that would hurt Villain’s pride if only they weren’t so confident. Hero had hoped the evident lack of enthusiasm and vigour would make Villain question things, but alas. Villain was oblivious. Blissfully so.

Hero clenches their teeth, suppressing a growl when Villain decides they didn’t take enough beating yet and charges at them again.

“How many times am I gonna have to beat you for you to understand you can't defeat me?” Villain’s tone is scornful, almost mocking. Hero is on the verge of plain eliminating them. Solely for attitude. 

Oh, how they want to show Villain what they’re capable of. Give the dense little shit a taste of their own medicine and send them flying across the city straight into the hospital. A month in intensive care would do them good. 

But they cannot. 

“How many times am I gonna have to lose for you to realise I'm not trying to defeat you?” 

The words slip out before Hero can stop them. Villain freezes in their tracks, and Hero mirrors them. Maybe this is for the better. God knows how long it would take their fool of a Villain to figure it out.

“Excuse me?” Villain looks scandalised, eyes wide open as they take a step back, hands gesturing between them. “What the fuck are we doing then? Ballet?”

“Well, you're obviously trying to beat me to a pulp,” Hero scoffs, grateful for the shock that reserves Villain from another attack. 

“I’m really... not. I just want you to surrender to me.” They explain, surprised at the easiness of their own revelation. Their eyes roam over Hero’s frame, bruised and bloodied. “That leaves my question unanswered.”

“Hm?” Hero straightens, pushing off the wall and striding towards Villain, who remains frigid despite the wheels in their head, turning at an ungodly speed.

“If I'm the only one fighting to slay you,” they start, watching Hero’s every movement with caution and... anticipation? Villain shakes their head to set their thoughts in place, yet they are left floating around aimlessly. “What are you doing exactly?”

Come to think of it, Hero was much stronger than them. The only way for Villain to score a win was by outsmarting them. Which they often did, but now it felt like Hero was the one that tricked them. A revolting thought for a genius with a reputation to uphold. 

“Struggling to get you to realise a thing or two,” Hero sighs in exasperation, hopeless at this point. The charming dumbass they called their archnemesis was never gonna get it, were they?  

“Like?” Villain persists, refusing to admit their agitation. Hero is within reach now, and Villain struggles to keep their hands at their sides. Their fingers curl into fists to resist the urge to grasp them and demand an explanation. 

“Like the fact that I've been slayed a long time ago,” Hero’s voice is a whisper as they take one last step, coming face to face with their enemy, their noses inches apart. It takes Villain a second to register the words and the meaning behind Hero’s smile. “I surrender.”

With an audible growl, they push Hero back and press them against the wall with a hungry kiss. 

“Took you long enough,” Hero grins, earning a pointed look. Villain shakes their head, leaning in for another kiss before taking their idiot of a hero home to patch them up and lecture them on the virtues of oral communication.

Masterlist

[sadlybeans]

No More Batman AU Part 4: The Prodigal Son

AO3 Link || Part 1, 2 & 3

Dick could pretend all he wanted and play at being a strong, reliable hero, but he wasn’t.

Nightwing had become a beacon of what any new member of the Justice League could aspire to be, standing next to the founding members after winning his own place and not as a replacement to Batman after his retirement. He had worked hard to be the person everyone could rely on, and in turn he had won many wonderful friends that would undoubtedly give everything for him if he just asked— But Dick Grayson? Dick Grayson was a coward.

Dick Grayson was scared to death every day when he didn’t have his siblings in sight, anxiety building up on his chest until he could call or visit to see them, make sure they were safe, they were home, they were alive. He had lost every drop of courage the day he returned home only to be told his little brother had been killed. There wasn’t a single day since those news that he didn’t feel fear, even if he knew his little siblings were strong and capable on their own.

But… well. He wasn’t sure if he was afraid for Damian, or of what he could do.

Dick had started his vigilante career as a child of all of nine years old when his rage was too much to contain and Bruce had lost every battle to keep him home. He had trained with and against many people and he had grown so much that it was said he had long ago surpassed Batman, and yet— yet he felt that Damian was almost, just almost, as good as him.

Damian, the fifteen year old child that had just been dropped on their doorstep a couple months ago. Damian, who refused to acknowledge their presence most days, who swore in expletives that scandalised even Alfred, and who was a trained and seasoned assassin. Damian, who could heal inhumanely fast, who could see in the dark and move without sound, and who had broken Tim’s arm in three with two strikes too fast for any of them to stop.

He was just a kid who shouldn’t have been in their business -much like none of Dick’s siblings should be- yet he was proficient in many of Bruce’s and Dick’s techniques, and he was unfairly fast in learning amidst a fight… Dick had tried setting him up against Cass, and had thought it worked for a moment… until he learnt to use her own moves and set them equally until they were both exhausted. He had mopped the floors with Tim and Steph, and then almost defeated Dick all in a row.

When Tim had asked sarcastically if that was all he had, Damian had frowned as he opened and closed his fist.

“I’m still adjusting to fight without weapons”

A frightening phrase that had made them all fall silent, and then he had to ask cautiously if he’d like to spar with wooden swords. He could’ve sworn Damian almost brightened to that suggestion, but it was such a quick expression he couldn’t be sure. He then picked a katana and won. Against everyone.

And so, after an entire week of testing, they sat in the batcave and Bruce took a deep breath as he stared at all his children, and Dick for once didn’t know how to feel knowing that there was absolutely no excuse to not let Damian out onto the field.

“It’s… clear that your mother trained you well” he started.

“She didn’t” Damian interrupted immediately “Mother had tutors for me, but baba made me better“

Dick mentally filed another tick for concern on his thoughts about Damian’s mysterious baba.

“Right” B cleared his throat “your baba trained you well, I admit that you’re strong enough— But!” the boy scowled and he continued “Things here are not like you’re used to and….”

“I’ve been told on your family’s stand on killing. It’s stupid, but I’m willing to play along” he grunted reluctantly.

Bruce stared at him, and so did Tim and Dick, but there was no trace of deceit in him. For all his intensity and temper, he wasn’t really the type to lie as they had learnt, so Dick was inclined to believe him this time.

“… Very well. You can’t be Robin”

“You have said that already” Damian rolled his eyes “I’ll take another name”

That is certainly not the point, and none of them were comfortable with him being out there when they didn’t even know why he wanted to.

Things in Gotham had gone downhill when Jason died, and when Batman was put into the case that stood next to Robin, it was up to everyone else to keep the order in the city. They’d done a good job of keeping up the illusion, of pretending Batman still existed, but those who knew him well knew the truth… Joker hadn’t escaped in ten years, not since a week after Jay died and Nightwing beat him half to death before tossing him in Arkham. But now the asylum was on high alert, and a certain clown was said to be in a good mood after those photos of Robin were leaked.

The news had exploded and the topic was trending online, hence why Damian was actually needed despite their reluctance; he was the only one that fit the build and size, and who could also perfectly replicate Jason’s body language as terrifyingly confirmed by the photos and footage. They didn’t look that much alike and Damian’s skin was darker, but the pictures were taken at night and from far off, nobody could spot the difference unless he was close enough and standing still.

“Can you promise that you’ll be careful and follow Dick’s rules?”

The boy frowned.

“I’m not a child, I know what to do”

“We already discussed this, it’s my way or nothing”

“… Fine, I promise” he said in a grunt, crossing his arms across his chest. “Any other ridiculous demands?”

“You never patrol alone, ever” Bruce held up a hand before he could protest “that’s a rule all of them follow, not only you”

He didn’t look any more happy but nodded.

“And one last thing… you’re going to need to learn the ropes of how this works, and Dick can’t supervise you all the time. For obvious reasons, I don’t believe anybody else is qualified to supervise you, so after talking it through with Clark… Superboy is going to be your partner whenever Nightwing is not available”

Damian didn’t say anything, no immediate explosion of anger, nothing. They all waited with baited breath as he just stared at Bruce.

“He’s a child” he finally replied, with actual bafflement in his voice.

“Jon is thirteen, yes, but he’s been in the business for longer than you, and he’s kryptonian. It’s safer”

“So I don’t kill him”

“Safer for both of you”

“No, you really just want to prevent me from killing him because I don’t have access to kryptonite at the moment”

“I… Like to believe you would not attempt to kill a child”

Damian shook his head in disbelief and Tim pushed past Dick.

“Are you serious, B!? Jon’s way too good for him, it’s not safe! Why not— hell, if you want him to be supervised by a kryptonian then Kon might be able to!”

Bruce sighed deeply.

“Supernova is as busy as you are, son. And there is an undeniable advantage on Damian being around a boy his own age, it will raise less suspicion”

“B, this is madness!”

“I don’t think this is a good idea….”

Slowly they all started to argue and Bruce tried to appease Steph, Tim and Duke, with Cass staying silently frowning in the background and Dick letting himself fall seated on the chair next to the computer, exhausted both physically and mentally. Damian didn’t look too upset but he was definitely over the whole conversation and completely tuned it out, moving through a couple sword forms with his wooden katana. God… when had things fallen apart this bad?

A phone rang in the silence and Damian turned his head towards the computer, where his burner phone rested. Dick’s eyes widened and slowly the discussion died down as the teen crossed the room and picked it up, looking down at the screen for a second before he answered it.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, you ungrateful little brat!?”

Dick fully winced at the furious voice that hollered at the other side, audible in the sudden dead silence of the cave. Damian looked wholly unimpressed, and he wasn’t sure if to think that was stupid or brave.

“I’m fitting in, like you said I should. Wayne has agreed to let me patrol with them”

Damian please, don’t you have any self preservation instincts? Why are you talking to your father like this? Damian, I beg you—

“If you so much as step a single foot out on the streets on patrol I WILL DRAG YOU BACK kicking and screaming if I have to!”

“Ok”

“You have no idea of—! … What?”

Damian’s lips turned into a smug smirk and Dick gaped at him.

“I said ok. You can come drag me back inside the house”

Oh.

Oh, this sneaky little brat… It was such a simple trap but it worked. This mysterious “baba” of his obviously wanted nothing to do with the bats -so far their leading theory was that he didn’t want to risk getting arrested-, which was why he couldn’t check on Damian personally, but if the boy did something so reckless that he wouldn’t approve of, something he knew only he would be able to stop… then he had no choice but to come to Gotham and set him straight.

“Damian Al-Ghul, you know exactly why I don’t want you out playing superhero” the man hissed in a low dangerous tone.

“I know” the teen agreed calmly “and it’s not going to stop me. I didn’t want you to go either and you didn’t listen to me”

“I’m the adult in this relationship you little shit, you don’t get to make demands”

“Well you gave me away so it’s not up to you anymore!” And he hung up. He turned off the phone and turned away to stare directly at Bruce. “When can I go out, then?”

Fuck…. Dick seriously needed a drink.

Robbing a store in Gotham was frighteningly easy, as long as you didn’t run across a very pissed off owner or a vigilante. But hey, Mark was very sure that none of the Bats patrolled that area at that hour, giving him a window of time to act and leave silently without anybody being disturbed.

After emptying the safe and putting a few semi valuable items in his backpack he sighed and turned around towards the door, and nearly had a heart attack right there and then, a strangled yelp coming out of his mouth. There was… god, that was a new one!

The figure was perched atop a car at the other side of the narrow street, crouched and staring directly into him through the soulless white eyes. They wore a black hood that obscured most of their face, but the bat cowl they wore was still visible and the ears poked out of it, easily making them identifiable. The rest of the suit was mostly black and red, with a somewhat childish touch on it that gave it a creepy vibe; the chunky boots of a bright red that matched the knee and elbow pads, the crimson palms of the black gloves, and the bright bat on their chest. Something about this miniature Batman reminded Mark of… of Robin, whose pictures had been supposedly taken not long ago.

Fuck, no, it couldn’t be him! Robin had died ten years ago, this was impossible—

The figure stood from his crouch and jumped down to the pavement to start making his way over, and Mark screamed in terror.

New Vigilante in Gotham! Could This Be Robin!?

Dick folded the newspaper and sighed, looking up to the many screens of the computer again. The media had been in a frenzy the entire week, and the internet was blowing up even more. Hardcore fans had dug up every single video and photo they had of Robin from ten years ago and were comparing them side to side with little Batman, and incredibly… they were thoroughly convinced that they were one and the same, which had sparked an avalanche of theories as to how had he come back from the dead, and why so late. If any of them had been skeptical about Damian’s ability to imitate Jason, then their doubts had been eliminated— hell, he could do it so well that he had added details not even Dick or Bruce could remember until they rewatched old footage to compare.

In just his first night the new Batman had turned the city upside down, and so far after a week of continuous work, he seemed to be doing just fine… which was why now, Bruce wanted them to focus on finding that mysterious ‘baba’.

Damian was still not aware of their active investigation, but either way they had found absolutely nothing, not even Babs had managed to dug up any evidence or record, and it didn’t help that the info they had was severely limited to little facts the youngest Wayne dropped here and there.

“I don’t think we’ll find shit” Tim declared next to him, grumpily staring at the nth file they had on the League of Assassins. “We don’t even know what this man looks like”

Dick let out a long sigh and leaned back on his chair as another article popped up on screen, one mentioning the date of Robin’s death, and a vague memory popped up in his head.

“Hey Timmy, do you remember I told you about that kid I ran into at the faire?” he asked quietly as he straightened back up.

“Yeah, the rude little shit that didn’t even say thank you”

“…. I think that was Damian”

Tim finally looked up and frowned.

“What?”

Dick nodded as he turned to look at him with wide eyes, now remembering clearly.

“He was wearing sunglasses so I didn’t see his eyes, but the skintone and face shape is the same, and he was wearing his black hoodie that day, I’m a hundred percent positive it was him”

And come on, the way he talked was a dead giveaway too.

“Dick, why is this relevant?” his poor little brother asked in annoyance.

“Because I saw his dad too!” he declared triumphantly at last, grinning like a mad man, before he turned to the computer and started typing frantically “I couldn’t see his face either, he wore sunglasses and a mask, but he was tall— hell, I think he’s taller and broader than Bruce. And he— he had white hair, I remember I saw white hair beneath his hood”

Tim scrunched up his nose.

“He’s old….? But that can’t be, his voice sounds way too young… dyed hair?”

“Possibly. It would make sense if he doesn’t want to be recognised”

It was a small trail, but a trail nonetheless. With those small identifiers they could check across the security feed of thousands of cameras in Gotham, and narrow the search to big tall men with white hair that had been spotted around the time Damian arrived and right before it. If they clocked a single glampse on him from one of those, they could follow the lead until it brought them to his doorstep. The man was good at hiding, they had to admit, but they weren’t the world’s greatest detectives for nothing.

Before they could truly start digging on the new lead properly, one of the screens was overaken by Babs.

“Sorry to crash your party boys, but I think you should clock in early today— I just got an alert on East End for way too many gunshots. Mini Batman is requesting to go out”

“I’m not a mini anything, Gordon” Damian called from the stairs, where he was walking down followed by a silent Cass.

Babs completely ignored him and Dick frowned.

“I don’t think it’s wise to bring you to a possible gang war, Damian”

The fifteen year old raised an eyebrow at him.

“Should I remind you that of anybody in this room, I have performed best the entire week?” he replied dryly.

Dick frowned but Cass surprised them by raising her hand to interrupt.

“We need all the help. Batman will play nice”

They glanced at Damian, who rolled his eyes but nodded in accordance to their sister. Well then… time to work.

What they found in East End was not a gang war in fact, but clowns… Joker’s thugs. While Joker himself hadn’t stepped out of Arkham since Dick last tossed him in ten years ago, his clowns usually came back every few months to remind Gotham they still existed, that Joker could come back every time… It didn’t seem like he had escaped, not yet at least; when and if he did, he would definitely try to make it memorable for ‘little Robin’. At the very least, it meant there was no rogue running rampant and the cleanup was dealt with almost completely smoothly—

That is, until Damian was snatched mid air by the tall and imposing figure of a man, grabbed by the collar of his cape like a kitten as he kicked to struggle to get free.

Dick -or well, Nightwing- turned to attack and then stopped in his tracks. That man was big, definitely bigger than Bruce was now, with a shock of white hair amidst black and his face covered by both a domino and a red metallic mask over his nose and mouth. None of them heard him move near them, despite the fact he was not a few steps away… he had managed to sneak up on all the bats, he could’ve done anything before they even relised he was present.

“I warned you, and you didn’t listen” the robotic voice came from the mask and its modulator “You’re fucking grounded, you little piece of shit”

Damian twisted to kick him in the chest despite being held up in the air, although the man didn’t even react or move at being hit. The boy wasn’t upset though, grinning as if he’d just won their little spat, which in a way he had.

“Hi, baba” he said innocently “you look really nice tonight”

[fastandtheformula1]

Harry Styles- No

//

a/n: we’re back with the angst! haven’t done one with Harry in a while so here we go. requests are still open!

summary: you and harry get into a fight , waking your daughter, Darcy.

pairing: harry styles x female!reader

warnings: cursing, angst, tears

word count: 990

not my gif!

~

It had been a rough few months to say the least. Harry had been on tour for about five months, without any time off. You’d been patient, but since your daughter just turned two, she needed a strong father figure in her life. Not to say that Harry wasn’t, but he did need to be around more.

“I’m not saying you need to quit your job, Harry. Just take a break. Darcy’s starting to grow up now, maybe you should be here more than you have been.” You were currently looking at your husband of two years standing opposite you across your kitchen island.

“You think I don’t know that?” Deep down, he knew you were right. Though he was scared to admit it, he could sense Darcy was starting to grow and understand her environment, so who was she going to see him as? Some guy that occasionally lives in her house?

“Haz, look. Just take a break for two months. See how you feel.” You sighed.

“I can’t. Everything’s crazy right now, Y/N.”

“Crazier than leaving your family for four months?”

“I’m trying my best here, Y/N! Why can’t you see that?!”

“I see it, Harry. I just-”

“I’ve been gone for a longer time.”

“I don’t want you to be gone longer or for the same amount! It’s like you’re absent in her life and mine, Harry!” Your voice was just above a loud whisper. Tears started to attack your eyes, leaving them feeling stung.

“You knew this before you married me, love. You knew about it all, and still wanted this!”

“You told me when we got engaged that you’d always be here, Harry. No matter what happened careerwise. You promised me.”

“So then why’d you marry me?” His green eyes, bordered with tears, pierced yours, causing a tear to fall from your eye.

“Mommy? Daddy?”

You both froze. Your daughter, Darcy, was standing in the hallway connecting the kitchen and family room, with a soft light illuminating her. She was holding her stuffed bunny Harry had gotten her the day she was born.

Harry walked over to her, crouching down, taking a knee on the floor. “Hello, darling.”

His voice changed immediately, a soft smile coming from his face to comfort your daughter. You never got tired of seeing him in father mode, leaping to his daughter’s side when she needed him most. Though his quick change of tone scared you a bit.

“Did we wake you?” Harry said, carefully pushing her hair out of her face.

“Yeah. S'okay though.” She looked down at her stuffed animal. Harry looked at her with such concern and attentiveness in his eyes. “Daddy, is mommy okay? She’s shaking.” Suddenly, he turned to look at you.

“Mummy and I are just having an argument, love. It’s normal. It’ll be okay.” He smiled at her, holding her hands for comfort.

Darcy looked at you for a confirmation.

“I’m alright, sweetie. I promise. Head to bed, okay? We’ll be there in a few minutes to tuck you in.” You smiled, leaning against the wall.

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you.” You both said at the same time.

After a few moments, you heard the door close.

Harry dropped his head, looking defeated. You walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder as he rubbed his temple. You knew it had been hard for him to see his family grow closer without him. He always voiced it, but it broke your heart to see him so upset.

“You okay?”

He didn’t respond.

“Haz?” You pulled his shoulder so you could see his face, revealing his red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

“Hey. Hey. It’s gonna be alright, it’s okay Harry. ” You lifted his chin with your finger, as he wrapped his arms around your waist. You wrapped yours around his neck while he nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck. You never knew how much this could weigh him down, especially right now.

He mumbled something into your skin. You pulled his face away from your neck. “What, honey?”

“I just- I just feel like you’re going to leave me. You should. You’ve been with me for four years; you’re probably sick of this shit. You deserve better. I mean, why haven’t you left? ‘M hardly ever home. You guys shouldn’t have to go through this.”

He was right. You were sick of this. You wanted him home for the smallest things, be it that it was stupid or not. You missed him walking around the house shirtless, despite his relentless teasing comments about you about staring at him. You missed hearing him and Darcy laugh in the morning over him not pronouncing things correctly, and her telling him how he was actually supposed to say it.

“That’s not gonna happen.” You reassured him.

He sighed. “I just- sometimes I feel like I’m losing you two. I feel so disconnected. I don’t know what to do sometimes.”

“We’ll figure this out, baby.” You said, wiping the tears from his face.

“I know we will. I love you.” His voice cracked.

“I love you too.”

“I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I’ll always be here, Y/N.”

“I’m sorry, too. I know how hard you work. We just miss you, that’s all.”

“I know, darling. I’ll see what I can do about that, yeah?” You nodded.

You both stood up from the floor, and started to walk towards Darcy’s room. Right before you entered, you looked up at him.

“Hey.” You whispered.

“Mmm?”

“I know how this is going to sound, but I married you because you made me feel like myself again.”

“Aww, angel.” He cooed. He wrapped his arms around your waist while yours was around his neck.

“The only reason I married you is because you’re good in bed.” He joked. You laughed, making him smile.

You smiled. “Our daughter’s walking proof of that.”

[grippingbeskar]

begging for 12 & 14 with obi-wan 🥂 love your work!!!!

— omfg. anon you are making obi-wan A FREAK i love it for this one!! i didn’t even think of these prompts for him, but holy fuck the ideas came and i was like…brb. thank you for ur brain omfg. i think this is one of the DIRTIEST things i’ve written and it’s for sweet little obi-wan. screaming.

— prompts

🥂 12. open your mouth for me

🥂 14. do you think you deserve this?

—warnings: explicit content 18+ minors dni, (fingering, oral f receiving, dirty talk, obi wan is a SLUT and spits in ur mouth. i literally need to shower) swearing, mentions of canon typical violence

[grippingbeskar’s 2k night out celebration!]

“You are unbelievable!” Obi-wan paces the empty council room, free to shout as much as he wants now the council has cleared out.

“The council didn’t seem to think so, and we all know how much you love to follow their orders.” He stops pacing, and the sudden halt of his movement and voice makes you think you’ve stepped over a line.

You had been arguing for weeks over this council meeting, Obi-wan believing a covert operation would be best, while you challenged him with an open, honest approach to gain the allied planets trust. The leaders were fair, and had offered their support, so you had no clue why he was pushing this so much.

It had come to the point where you stopped going to his room at night— something you had been doing for months at that point. It was technically your first fight, and the lonely nights nearly became too much. There had been so many times you almost swallowed your pride and broke down his door, admitting your defeat just to have him take you like he does so well. You knew you were right, though, and if you didn’t know for sure Obi-wan’s plan would lead to yet another ally turned enemy, you would have done just that.

After the meeting, when the council had unanimously decided to go with your plan instead of Obi-wan’s, you should of graciously made amends. Instead, you poked him even more, which lead to the two of you yelling at each other in an empty room.

“This is futile. You clearly do not want to fix this.” His jaw is set tight, hands fisted at his sides.

“I don’t want to fix this? You’re the one who’s shut me out for weeks over this!” A bitter laugh cuts the sudden silence, and you walk over to him, anger making your ears hot.

“I have never shut you out. You have had a vendetta against me ever since we disagreed.” You roll your eyes, shaking your head.

“That’s bullshit.”

“No, it is not. You stopped—“

“It is bullshit!”

“Do not interrupt me.” Obi-wan doesn’t need to shout. It’s the tone of his voice that stops you right in your place. Makes all the muscles in your body tighten and the air rush from your lungs.

Of course he notices— he’s the only one who could ever do this to you. Make you want to listen. Cater to that thing in the back of your mind, the one that sees him and wants to just let go, let him think for you. Your position on the council, your work, these past few weeks have been so much— the idea of doing this kind of thing, with him, the man you had been missing so much…

“That is what is it?” Obi-wan calls from his position in the room. He’s standing next to the largest chair in the room, a few steps higher, looking down at you. His arms were folded, body leaning slightly to one side. With his robes still neatly tied, he was the embodiment of authority. Discipline. “You have been cold. All week. Shutting me out, ignoring me. I thought you were angry with me.”

“I was.” Your voice is small. You want to kick yourself, but there’s something else, something stronger than your pride that’s taking over when he looks at you like that.

“You were? But not anymore, it seems. You need to tell me these things. I would never come to you if you did not want me to.” You nod, taking one step up to his level. “I guess I have not been entirely fair to you, either. Letting this come between us.”

He beckons for you to come up another step, and you are close enough that you can smell him. He always smells like something a little woodsy— like a forest planet, no matter how much time he spends in the city.

“You stopped coming to my room.” You open your mouth to explain, but he shakes his head. “How was I supposed to know all you needed was my full, undivided attention?”

“I just— I was angry at you. For not listening to me.”

“I’m listening now. Tell me, what is it you need?” His voice was sending shivers up your spine as you took the final step to meet him next to the chair.

“I need this.” You whisper, instinctively arching toward him, toward his touch.

“Do you think you deserve this?” He hooks one finger under your chin, making you look up. His eyes are shining, more alive than they have been in the last few weeks. You missed this; him, and the guilt of shutting him out would eat at you if he wasn’t already occupying every one of your senses.

“No.” He hums at your squeaked response, a small smile etching onto his face.

“You don’t.” He slowly walks you back, the backs of your knees hitting the chair. He keeps going, and the momentum sends you back into the seat, Obi-wan fitting his looming figure between your already open legs. “However, I feel there are… extenuating circumstances today.”

He bends down slightly, hands on your knees, parting you further. His fingers start slow, sliding up the most sensitive parts of your inner thighs, having you trembling before he’s even really started.

“Obi-wan.” You whimper, and his hands stop.

“Princess?” He almost mocks you, that sweet nickname he coined having a double meaning when he’s like this.

“I—i’m sorry. For before.. just please—“ He shushes you, leaning down and pressing a kiss to your forehead. The gesture has your mind spinning, and then his hands start moving again, slipping under your dress and pulling down your underwear.

“You don’t have to beg, my love. Just ask. This is not a punishment.” He drops to his knees, hands pushing you apart as far as they can, hooking the backs of your knees over the arm rests. “Although you sound beautiful doing so.”

The position should make you feel…insecure. Exposed, at least, but Obi-wan just stares at you with awe and hunger. There’s no possible way you could feel anything but the connection you two have, and when he leans down closer to you, his lips graze along your skin, kissing everywhere you can.

That’s the thing about Obi-wan. When he gets like this— all controlling and authoritative, he never loses his kindness, nor his dedication towards you. Even if he was ‘punishing’ you, it was never cruel, always only what you could handle, what you asked him for. That was always the most important, that it was what you needed, wanted, asked for. In some round about way, you had really asked him for this, too.

He brushed over your clit with his tongue, lightly, and even at the smallest stimulation your hips bucked into him. His hands held your hips, and he tried again, but you still couldn’t help how you reacted, squirming underneath his hold. It had been a long few weeks, and now he was finally here, it was increasingly difficult not to dive head first.

“Stop moving, princess.” He murmured from somewhere under your dress, and then his mouth was everywhere— hot and wet, tasting you deeper than you ever thought possible.

His tongue flicked over your clit, and he slid two fingers inside of you, knowing you could take him this early. Sometimes, he knew your body better than you did, and it’s how you knew you could trust him to never push you more than you could take.

“Still taste so sweet for me.” He says, voice low.

“Oh, stars— I missed you so much.” You sigh, melting into the seat as he works you inside out. Sparks of electric pleasure awaken your entire body, and he curls his fingers, hitting something absolutely devastating inside you. He hums against your clit at the praise, and keeps working you closer and closer to your release; unrelenting.

It wouldn’t take much. It never would with him in normal circumstances, let alone after you had been deprived for weeks on end. You can’t count how many times you had tried on your own, squeezing your eyes shut and trying to mimic what he manages to do to you, only to end up more frustrated than before. You could feel the muscles low in your stomach, tightening and simmering with pleasure, knowing it would come.

Only it doesn’t, and just when your body feels like it’s about to give in, Obi-wan pulls back, pushing off the chair and standing above you.

“No… no Obi, please don’t—“ His thumb presses against your lips, and immediatly you take it into your mouth, sucking the taste of him and you combined as deep as you can go. He smiles, somewhat akin to how he would watch you when you train, something like a proud smile at watching you be so obedient to him.

“Shh. I told you, I am not punishing you. You do, however, deserve to know just how perfect you are.” Your eyebrows scrunch in confusion as he removes his thumb from your mouth, dragging it down to hold your chin. “You were incredible today. The council are in awe of you, as am I. Even if you are tearing down everything I spent weeks gathering evidence on, I cannot help but be amazed.”

“I just—“

“I know. It’s okay. It seems you were right, in the end.” He leans down a little closer, and you arch your back to lift yourself up. His mouth is sinfully wet, and you know it’s with the taste of you. For some reason, you want to reach up and pull it to your mouth— tasting what you and him are like together, salty and sweet, you imagine. “You are curious?”

“What?” You whisper, and you almost forgot who he is. What he can do. Why he knows your body so well. It’s because he can read you— not just in the subconscious sense, but literally. He can read your thoughts; you always open up to him when you do this, and he would find no resistance if he looked into your mind, like he is right now. You want him to. Want him inside you in every sense of the word.

“You want to taste yourself, my love?” He leans down even further, but teasingly pulls away when you go to kiss him. “I don’t blame you. It’s… heavenly.”

“Please…” He cups your face and guides you back down, so your body is pressed flush into the chair while he hangs over you.

“Open your mouth for me.” You obey, immediately. You make a show for him, sticking out your tongue, and you see him shudder, just for a second. “Good girl.”

The words have you keening, and when his tongue darts out, collecting your heat, your eyes nearly cross, but it’s nothing compared to when he leans down and spits it in your mouth.

You swallow, the intimate act having your brain go fuzzy with need. Obi-wan drops to his knees and you don’t have a second to recover as he dives back under your dress, a new kind of desperation filling his movements.

You cry out, only able to think of his name as he works, fast and hard, to bring you to that edge. All you can think of is the hunger in his eye as he watched you do whatever he asked, and his mouth. His mouth— stars, is it fucking perfect.

“That’s it. Show me what I’ve been missing. Let everyone hear you.” The words vibrate your entire body, and liquid heat has you sticking to the chair as he cracks any resolve you still had for him easily and folds you to how he needs.

You come with a cry of his name, and he holds you down through it, coming to lazily lick at the release that is no doubt all over the council chair. He doesn’t stop, only when you stop flinching from his touch does he return to that pace, and you know you are in for a much longer night than you could have planned. You don’t care, falling into the routine with him again, and in the back of your mind, you know that whenever you disagree with him again, you’ll just ask for this, and he will give it to you.

[starry-blue-echoes]

Alright I’ve been “following” (in the sense that I’ve been reading it consistently, I only actually pressed the “follow” button recently) your blog for about a month, I really like a lot of your AU’s, and I would like to contribute some of my own thoughts to them.

I’m going to start with Dual Trip (the Part 3 version, since there are now multiple Dual Trips in existence).

Specifically, how the first half of the fights would be split between the two groups (since the second half has already been thoroughly discussed)

The two groups will be referred to as the “Jotaro Crew” (Jotaro + Kakyoin + Polnareff) and the “Jospeh Crew” (Jospeh + Avdol + Iggy) 

Tower of Grey - Joseph Crew

(Because Jospeh cannot enter a plane without fate causing it to crash)

Joseph is probably the one to defeat it dye to a combination of Hermit Purple and Joseph Joestar(trademark) Bullshittery.    

Dark Blue Moon - Jotaro Crew

I feel like an idea for this was discussed in a previous post, but I will expand on it a little bit. 

In this version, Imposter Captian Tennille is not an imposter, instead, Kakyoin and Polnareff pretend to still be servants of DIO for the purposes of getting a quick boat ride to Egypt. 

“Hello, fellow servant of DIO! Don’t you just love serving our wonderful master DIO today? We are bring this Joestar descendant as an offering to lord DIO, who we love serving so much!” Unfortunately, Polnareff talks to much and Jotaro talks too little, so the Imposter Captain catches onto their ruse. 

A fight breaks out, and the ship ends up getting destroyed, forcing the Jotaro crew to make the rest of the journey by land. 

Strength - Jospeh Crew 

(Because this way, we can avoid… that particular scene with Anne)

After the plane crash, Jospeh requests a boat from the Speedwagon foundation, but when it arrives, all of the crew are dead. After some suitably scary haunted ship action, Avdol resolves the situation by burning down the entire boat.  (And that wretched awful horrible ape along with it) 

Ebony Devil - Jospeh Crew

This is probably where Iggy shows up. Jospeh spends the whole encounter running away from a killer doll, while Iggy uses his sense of smell to track down Devo the Cursed. 

Yellow Temperance - Jospeh Crew

This fight was another one discussed in a previous post, where Rubber Soul disguises himself as Jotaro, which complexly fools the Jospeh Crew for longer than they would like to admit. 

Hanged Man + Emperor - Both Crews

This was similarly discussed in more detail in previous posts, but Avdol and Polnareff accidentally cross paths, Avdol gets shot, and then Polnareff and Kakyoin finish the fight just like in canon. 

Empress - Jotaro Crew

Admittedly I don’t have any strong ideas for this once, except that maybe Polnareff getting targeted by Empress, and Nena guilts him into not destroying it because “How could you hurt a poor innocent girl like me?”

But I’m not 100% sold on this idea, so I would be interested to hear if you had any other ideas for how this could go. 

Wheel of fortune - Jotaro Crew + Iggy

Alright, so what if Iggy used the Fool to make a giant car made out of Sand, and then (smashes toy trucks violently together like a 5 year old)  

Justice - Jotaro Crew

This probably plays out pretty much like it does in canon. Enya’s death is probably what clues DIO into the fact that “Hey wait a minute, Polnareff and Kakyoin aren’t actually working for me!” 

Lovers - Jotaro Crew

Jotaro is the one who gets the Lovers stuck inside his brain this time,  Polnareff has to have Steely Dan step on him because Polnareff is the universe’s punching bag, and Kakyoin is left on his own to get the Lover’s out of Jotaro (which is much more difficult than in canon since Hermit Purple isn’t there to provide helpful visuals)   

Sun - Jotaro Crew

Goes the same as canon. The crew walks into the desert, gets heat exhaustion, laughs at two identical rocks, and then Jotaro throws another rock and saves the Day. 

Death Thriteen - Joseph Crew

Like Empress, I don’t have any specific ideas for how this fight should go, since I don’t know if it is funnier to have Avdol, Joseph, or Iggy be the one to figure it out that the baby is the stand user.  

Judgement - Jotaro Crew + Iggy

Probably starts the same as canon, with Judgment appearing before Polnareff, offering him the wishes, Polnareff wishing for his sister and Avdol back, then getting attacked by zombies. 

However, this time It is Iggy, instead of Avdol, who saves the day. 

My reasoning for how this goes is that the “Zombies” that Judgment makes are just made out of earth, and the Fool generates itself out of the earth, meaning Iggy could just…. immediately win the fight by turning the “Zombies” into his stand. I don’t know if that is how those stands work, but the idea is funny.

Then Iggy farts in Polnareffs face and leaves. 

High priestess -Joseph Crew

This is another one where I don’t have any specific ideas, I just knew that the Jotaro crew don’t have the resources to acquire a Submarine, so this had to be another Jospeh Crew fight. Other than that, I got nothing. 

And then previous posts already outlined how the rest of encounters in Egypt would go.

If you liked these Ideas, I have some a few more to suggest about the other dual trips, as well as a lot of ideas about the StarSwap AU (which is my other favourite AUs you created), as well as an AU suggestion of my own (albeit one inspired by a comment you made), all of which I would be willing to share if you are interested. (Whenever I next get the time to type up something as long as this)

OOOOOOOOOOO YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

Joseph is forever cursed on planes, that is one of the few universal constants that no AU can change

You took the thoughts right out of my head with Kakyoin and Polnareff pretending to have Jotaro hostage. And what if in an attempt to sell it more, Kakyoin ends up looping some of Hierophant's tendrils around his hands and feet like cuffs. It's not enough to actually impede him in any way nor tight enough to be uncomfortable, but it comes across as "making sure Jotaro won't try anything" thing. Maybe Tennille tries locking Jotaro below deck but Kakyoin explains that Jotaro was a crafty one and it would be best to keep him within sight at all times

and what if Anne is almost indirectly responsible for them being found out, in a way. Similarly to canon she's a stowaway, but what if at that point Tennille was starting to get suspicious so he tries killing her to bait a reaction. Lo and behold Hierophant's tentacles do almost nothing to impede Jotaro from attempting to cave his skull in

Given the fact Tennille didn't need to pretend to be an impostor this time around, it's entirely possible the crew of the ship could be some nameless extra Stand Users under Dio's command. So while Jotaro's fighting Tennille in the water, Kakyoin and Polnareff are fighting the rest of the crew on the boat while also trying to keep Anne safe. Maybe blowing up the boat was a sort of last ditch escape attempt which thankfully worked out in the end and now they have a new member of the crew :D

A BIG yes with Avdol burning the ship. These two take one look at this creepy horror movie looking thing and all the bodies and decide "yeah, how about we didn't-"

Ebony Devil could possibly have some moments similar to the N'Doul fight in how Devo doesn't see Iggy as a threat nor an enemy until it's too late. Also I think Joseph should be allowed to Yeet Iggy with Hermit Purple, just because it would be funny. And possibly to add even more insanity, what if Rubber Soul ends up teaming up with Devo so both attacks are happening at the same time. Devo was acting as a distraction so Rubber Soul could get close enough and get an opening to kill them, but in the end and possibly thanks to Iggy and his sense of smell, they realize he's a fake

Joseph........ is NOT happy, to say the least

And while the Hanged Man + Emperor fight has already been mostly covered, there's going to be a bit of added fun in Polnareff striking out on his own. After all, despite his immaturity, he's been the only adult supervision these two(technically three if you count Anne) have had for the whole trip. It hurts even worse for Kakyoin because for once there's someone else like him who's not an awful human being. Kakyoin has learned more about Stands in the last handful of weeks than he has in his entire life, and now Polnareff decides to up and leave them

He knows why, and as an explanation it's perfectly logical and should make complete sense. After all Polnareff had made his intentions very clear when he had joined up with them and Kakyoin knew him leaving was inevitable........ so why did it hurt so much?

Unfortunately I'm drawing just as much of a blank when it comes to Empress. Maybe it could play into Polnareff's actions during the previous fight? After all, they did occur within a very short time frame of each other, and the emotions and slight betrayal (plus the grief of getting someone killed) are probably still very fresh. I can honestly see Jotaro taking a bit of a backseat in this one, mostly dealing with Polnareff and Kakyoin's traumas and how they accidentally hurt eachother

I love the idea of Iggy making a giant sand car thing. He's doing all sorts of crazy tricks just to fuck around and have fun, mostly at the expense of Joseph and Avdol who are trying to hold on for dear life and not get thrown off

You're right about Justice being almost completely the same, and off the top of my head I don't see much being all that different at all. Kakyoin is absolutly going to tease Polnareff relentlessly for licking the toilet

But Steel Dan though :)

When it comes to the Lovers, I'll admit I had a slightly different idea: so as you've said, at this point Dio's starting to become aware of how Kakyoin and Pol might not be on his side anymore and thus likely wouldn't trust them with Jotaro's "transport" anymore, right?

What if Steely Dan had been sent as recon. To check it out, to secretly watch the four when they arrived and see how they acted when they thought no one was watching

Needless to say, it's pretty easy to see they aren't enemies...... so Steely Dan ends up enacting the instructions Dio had given him if they turned out to be traitors after all

Taking over Jotaro's escort to Dio. After all, his Stand is exceptionally useful in taking hostages :)

And as we've seen, Steely Dan has no qualms with putting children in the line of fire :)))

So now Anne is the one to get put under the Lover's influence and Jotaro is forced to go with Dan unless he wants her to suffer

and this is....... really not fun for them to deal with. They're all on a time limit because while Steely Dan is still toying with Jotaro and being a smug motherfucker, he's already called Dio to inform him about the situation and is slowly making his way to some transportation to take Jotaro to him, and if he does end up leaving they're going to be screwed. The man made it very clear that any attempts at following wouldn't be tolerated, and once they leave the town proper there wasn't a whole lot of cover to hide behind to conceal any attempts a tailing them

So yeah. It's stressful.

Jotaro is fucking SEETHING while this whole thing is going down. He wants nothing more than to pummel this asshole into the ground but he can't because that would mean hurting a child, hurting Anne, and after the weeks of travel he has to admit he's grown attached. He wants to fight, to yell, to do anything, but he's completely trapped right now and can do nothing but rely on his friends to save him

The Sun is at least going to be a nice break. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely terrifying, but they got a good laugh out of it

Death Thirteen....... while I don't have too many thoughts, I think we should give Avdol some time to shine here. Maybe we could play around with the fact that as sadistic as this little shit is, he's still a baby and Dio is using said baby to try and kill people. Maybe there's some kind of motive we could put in, maybe with the kid's parents (or possibly lack thereof?)

Judgement....... OW that one's going to hurt so much because this time Avdol isn't going to be there to help comfort. As far as Polnareff knows, Avdol is still dead and gone. Nothing's going to be able to bring that man back and he got taken advantage of because he thought otherwise. Iggy definitely helps serve as a wake up call here in confirming no Stand can bring back the dead, but it's still going to sting

And yeah, Submarine Shenanigans are going to be....... wild. Also fun fact, did you know that dog scuba gear exists?

and I would LOVE to hear your thoughts for the other encounters, you did an absolutely amazing job with these ones, it was incredible and so well put together and a joy to read. Definitely one of the more fun asks I've had to answer

[snowbellewells]

Birthday Fic Update: “One More” (part three)

Okay, I realize that it isn’t morning anymore (as I promised @kmomof4 Sorry Krystal!) But it is still Monday, and I’ve kept you waiting less the a week after the painful update. This one won’t fix everything, but you’ll have a better sense of what’s going on, and hopefully things will look less bleak. Also, this update marks the halfway point in the story - so there’s a bit of a hinge point with this one - the first half is from Emma’s point-of-view as usuall, and the second part shows us what’s been going on with Killian.

I hope you’ll enjoy (and perhaps feel less likely to keep out your pitchforks) after this one!

Still a Birthday Fic for @searchingwardrobes -- who I hope will trust me just a little longer, despite the momentary pain.

Also available on AO3, if that’s your preference, or from the start here on Tumblr

Summary: Through the years, Emma keeps waiting - one more placement, one more year, one more separation - until she can find where and with whom she truly belongs. It turns out the person to show her has been right beside her all the time...

by: @snowbellewells

iii. nineteen years old (two years later)

“Just one more good push, Emma!” the nurse at her elbow cajoled, urging her on intently, knowing the young woman was almost out of strength, at the very dregs of her reserves. “You can do it, I know you can.  …Ready? Push!”

Gritting her teeth on a last effort to free the little one inside her, whom she had clung to the hope of meeting, despite the heartache and worry that had hung over her as he grew. She couldn’t fail him now. They would both need every ounce of her resolve to face the world, just the two of them.

Shakily, Emma attempted to give Nurse Green a tremulous smile, though barely able to hold her head upright through her exhaustion. “Just one more, huh?” she huffed, her breath ragged as she exhaled and tried to draw in another. “I think the little guy has other plans, Tink.”

Tina Green, known to many of her patients and co-workers at the small women’s clinic in Seattle where she worked and where she had met Emma as ‘Tink’ for her petite, blonde, pixie-ish looks and chipper manner, merely shook her head. “Whatever it takes to keep you fighting to see him,” she countered stoutly.

The doctor broke into their back and forth from the foot of the bed - matter of fact and as though he had heard none of the women’s conversation that had come before. “Alright, Ms. Swan. The baby’s head is crowning. Now is the time for that final effort. You’re about to meet your son.”

Emma didn’t know that she had more to give; she had been laboring so long now that drawing breath and retaining awareness seemed almost too steep a battle. All the same, she bore down again, praying this truly would be the last push, that her little boy would finally join them. She could only hope she didn’t break Tink’s hand as she clutched it for some minor amount of support.

Over the last several months, there had been so many times; moments when she tossed and turned unable to sleep, when she tried to read maternity books to prepare and only felt inadequate and overwhelmed, or when she stood in the corner market near tears over boxes of cereal, wondering how she would ever keep her child fed and clothed with her meager sole income, when she had almost admitted defeat. She’d considered giving her precious little one up for adoption; thinking even as her heart bled at the idea that he would have to be better off with a family who couldn’t have a child of their own than with her - not even out of her teens, who’d never had a mother herself and could barely keep a roof over her own head. But then Emma remembered her own experience in the system, always alone and never wanted. What if her baby wasn’t adopted either? She simply couldn’t leave him to the same sort of childhood she’d lived through. 

Emma kept herself fighting because, in getting to this point, she and her child were already survivors. They would find a way, because they would have each other. Drawing in a ragged breath and forcing herself to exhale it slowly, Emma refocused on the goal before she was urged to push yet again. If nothing else, she would give her child what she’d only had for a short, golden period in her life - someone to love him unconditionally… a family.

The contracting pain inside her swelled yet again, feeling as if it might tear her apart. ‘One more, one more, one more…” she repeated to herself, almost a mantra that matched her heartbeat, urging her to carry on.

The pressure crested to almost unbearable proportions, and Emma couldn’t hold back the cry torn from her thoat as she gritted her teeth and strained to finally see her baby enter the world, to finally hold him in her arms. 

“There you are, I see the shoulders,” the doctor reported, guiding the newborn on his way. “You’ve got this, Ms. Swan.”

Falling back on her pillow, winded and drained like a deflated balloon, Emma tried to catch her breath, even as she listened intently for the first cries of her little boy, the announcement that he had arrived alive and well.

“Did you hear that, Emma?” Tink’s voice chirped happily at her side, brushing the mussed, sweaty strands of her hair off her forehead and offering her a gentle, encouraging smile. “He’s here! Your little guy’s finally here! You did it!”

“I did, didn’t I?” Emma slurred blearily, her eyelids hovering exhausted at half mast but determined to see the bundle who had caused such worry and excitement before she could fully relax. “Can I hold him yet?”

As if knowing his mother’s voice and prompted to answer it, just then a high, thin wail rang out in the delivery room, the reedy cry of a babe cold and scared outside of the cozy home he had known in his mother’s womb. The plaintive sound reached out as distinctly as an outstretched hand to squeeze her heart. Emma struggled to sit forward, straining to see and comfort her little one in his distress.

Only moments later, Tink moved toward her cradling a white-blanket-swaddled bundle passed on from the doctor as he had finished washing the newborn and clearing his airway. “Here he is, Emma,” she crooned, leaning over to carefully hand the baby off to his eager mother. “He just wanted to see his mama,” she added sweetly. The little boy’s cries lessened the moment he was nestled in Emma’s arms, and the angry red of his tiny wrinkled face lightened as he calmed.

Predictable as it might have been, Emma felt tears welling in her eyes, pooling and streaming down her cheeks. Her joy at holding him in her arms after nine months of waiting - her son, her flesh and blood - overwhelmed and spilled from her in an unchecked torrent. His little upturned nose, chubby cheeks, thin tufts of damp, curling bown hair were already cherished, even as they blurred before her eyes.

Naively, she had feared that he would remind her of the man who’d fathered him; someone she’d met not long after landing in Seattle a year ago, roving blindly in a lost and broken haze, barely remembered beyond messy brown hair, teasing cocoa-colored eyes, and a handful of rushed, less-than-incredible couplings in the back of the stolen car he’d left her with. She fallen in with the older guy almost solely because he’d shown an interest, she’d been running scared, almost starved and out of money to rent a motel room another night, and simply tired - tired of having to figure it all out on her own. When she’d wakened to find him gone about a month after they’d met and thrown their lots in together, she hadn’t even been surprised. She probably should have been hurt, but after Killian’s loss, Neal’s desertion was more like the prick of a thorn than a lasting wound. The positive pregnancy test stolen and then used in the Target bathroom had been the shock that had almost felled her.

Instead, gazing down at her little boy’s placid face, relaxed and nearly dozing once held again in his mother’s soothing warmth, Emma could only see his beautiful sweet innocence. She would give her own life - mere minutes after meeting him - to see that preserved. He should always be able to have the sort of hope she had lost long ago.

Unable to look away, afraid to even blink for fear he might vanish, Emma loved her baby on sight, as if she had never even understood love before. This was one thing at last she knew she had gotten right.

“Henry,” she breathed out softly against his baby soft skin. “Mama’s here… I love you so much, okay? No matter what.” And she vowed then and there, whatever came, Henry Swan - her Henry - would always have his best chance.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

eighteen years old  (not quite three years ago)

When Killian Jones first woke in a base camp mobile hospital overseas, he couldn’t remember where he was or what had happened to him. As he tried to regain his bearings, glancing around and intently tamping down the beginning flickers of panic and that blank canvas within his mind, he knew who he was, but who might be missing him, and why he might be lying there injured in the strange bed beneath him were completely beyond his capability to recall.

Thankfully, as he remained conscious, and doctors and nurses came to check on him and report on his condition and what was being done for him, more of Killian’s awareness and memory came trickling back. He had enlisted in the Navy and reported for basic training. He was had hoped to do his duty, to travel, find his purpose, and also pay for his chance to pursue college study for a career that truly inspired him. He’d been thinking of those possibilities, along with the more mundane pleasure of cuddling with some clearly familiar and comforting blonde beauty in some off-campus coffeeshop, humming along softly to some unknown singer, ignoring his school work and hearing of her day, even as he had been going about the tasks of a routine patrol in what were supposed to be friendly waters, when something had gone wrong. He’d been gladly thinking of making his older brother proud and the happy future stretched out before him when their vessel had been struck.

His brother! An alarm blared in his mind suddenly. Liam! How could he have forgotten?! He’d already wasted so much time! He shook his head in agitated frustration as his realizations multiplied. Bloody hell! Would they have already told his brother he was missing? Or dead?

Quickly flagging down the first orderly who passed, Killian urgently attempted to make the person understand just how desperately, how immediately, his message needed to be sent. He needed to find out if he had already been listed as missing, if his brother had already been notified, and if - 

Emma! This second remembrance was like a bolt of lightning slashing right through the center of his being. How could he have forgotten the most important name he had ever known? She was the beautiful girl beside him in his fantasies of quiet afternoons in a peaceful college town; the smile and sparkling green eyes looking back at him in his dreams. They had been nearly inseparable from the moment they’d met, so how was it possible her memory had not been the first to return to him?

Killian’s stomach fell away, gut clenching in fear and regret at how bravely Emma had tried to seem happy for him when he’d told her of his enlistment. How he had promised her he’d be back at her side before she could even miss him. Tears swam unbidden in his eyes, knowing how it would have devastated her to hear he was lost. Of course, Liam would have tried to tell her gently, but she would have assumed the worst. Life had given Emma Swan little reason to do otherwise in her first seventeen years. And he would, for all that she knew, be just one more person to desert her and leave her behind.

Mercifully, once Killian calmed himself enough to make the situation understood, and to speak with the right higher-ups to ascertain what had been reported and how he should proceed, it didn’t take long for them to help him contact Liam stateside. The relief and joy in his brother’s voice, at what seemed no less than a miracle to the elder Jones brother, was a balm to Killian’s fraught and anxious soul.

But when Liam balked at taking the call next door, not letting Killian speak to Emma, his insides turned to ice. Haltingly, in a voice full of pained regret - both for Killian’s hurt, and as one who had loved the neighbor girl as an older sibling himself - Liam managed to explain that they had no way to tell Emma of Killian’s return. The moment she had turned 18 and was free of the foster system, Emma had vanished. As if she hadn’t been able to look at Killian’s house next door without him there, Emma had fled; no one had seen or heard from her since.  She was just… gone.

Tagging:  @jennjenn615 @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @cosette141 @stahlop @xarandomdreamx @sotangledupinit @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @nachocheese-itsmycheese @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @xsajx @lfh1226-linda @winterbaby89 @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @motherkatereloyshipper @booksteaandtoomuchtv @thislassishooked @blackwidownat2814 @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @scientificapricot @tomeandflickcorner @ineffablecolors @drowned-dreamer @let-it-raines @justanother-unluckysoul​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​ @hollyethecurious​ @bdevereaux​ @zaharadessert​ @kday426​ @darkcolinodonorgasm​ @artistic-writer​ 

[melanielocke]

Alastember - day 30 - free choice 2

I am tired. Still, I was determined to finish Alastember and wrote this piece as a sequel to the Winx AU. I might write more pieces in this AU if people would like that, but for now I'm leaving it at this, because I'm too tired to keep writing. I hope it's not too obvious in the story itself. This concludes 30 days of posting daily for Alastember, and I was very lucky that the first two were during my break before psychiatry, otherwise I would have been very unlikely to finish. Thank you so much @life-through-the-eyes-of for organizing the whole time table, it worked really well for me because it gave me something to write about every day. My word document for this Alastember is currently at 47.022 words and it does not include headcanon week as I posted those on tumblr immediately. Thank you so much for reading my posts every day! @alastair-appreciation-month

‘So how does this fly, exactly?’ Cordelia asked. ‘I’ve never been much of a technology expert. But I do love to fly.’

They were all on a mission to find a secret weapon that would defeat Tatiana and the Trix, and Alastair had come along with them. Since the secret weapon was hidden on a different planet somewhere, they were traveling by spaceship and fortunately the specialists still had one they could use.

‘Christopher would probably be better at explaining the particulars,’ Thomas said. ‘He’s a technology fairy, magic like his is what powers all our equipment.’

Alastair sat down on an empty chair next to Thomas, he was getting tired. There were too many people on this ship. Three specialists, Thomas, James and Anna. Five fairies, Cordelia, Lucie, Kamala, Matthew and Christopher. And then Alastair and Eugenia as the two witches of the group.

Alastair did not get along with all of them. Some of them were loud. He had to work harder and harder to bite his tongue and not snap at anyone. Getting into fights while in a spaceship might not be such a good idea.

‘His power is pretty cool,’ Cordelia said. ‘Mine mainly sets things on fire.’

‘It is the origin of life too,’ Alastair said. ‘It does a lot more than set things on fire.’

‘True,’ Cordelia said. ‘But I still mainly set things on fire. So do you.’

‘I’m a witch. My power has less to do with life,’ Alastair said.

‘You were pretty powerful when we fought the trix,’ Thomas said. ‘Did you recover from your injuries?’

‘Kamala treated me, I’m fine now,’ Alastair said.

Kamala was a nature fairy and she grew medicinal plants in her greenhouses. She often helped out in the infirmary after battle. Of the fairies, she was probably the one he liked best.

‘That’s good to hear,’ Thomas said. ‘I hope you don’t plan to fight the Trix alone again.’

‘I’m not,’ Alastair said. ‘Even though I have disenchantix now and could probably take them.’

Cordelia groaned. ‘No you can’t.’

‘Says you. I have been practicing with my new power and I am a lot stronger than before. I won’t try it by myself since it makes no sense to fight them on my own when I can fight alongside five enchantix fairies.’

‘And a few pretty good specialists,’ Thomas said. ‘Don’t forget the specialists.’

‘You’re pretty good in battle,’ Alastair admitted.

When fighting alongside specialists, witches and fairies were a lot less likely to get injured. They were the tanks in battle, good at deflecting attacks and keeping the fairies and witches safe so they could use their magic to attack or heal. Perhaps it bothered Thomas that Alastair had gotten injured.

‘Hang on, there’s something here,’ Thomas said.

They’d left outer space and breached the atmosphere of the planet they were supposed to find the weapon on, but from there it might still be quite a search since no one knew exactly where the weapon was.

‘We’re being attacked!’ James shouted. ‘Launch the protective shield.’

‘Christopher, I need you to support the systems!’

Christopher transformed into his enchantix form, which was a lab coat over pants and lab goggles. It was an unusual fairy costume for sure, nothing like the sparkly dresses Cordelia changed into.

He put his hands on the computer, and the buttons and screens all lit up. ‘The defense shield is up, but there is something outside freezing the ship,’ Christopher said. ‘We have to keep up the temperature of the ship.’

‘I can go outside and see what’s going on,’ Cordelia offered. ‘If it’s anything cold, my fire should be able to deal with it.’

‘I’ll go too,’ Alastair said.

Cordelia frowned. ‘We’re in the air.’

‘I can fly with my disenchantix,’ Alastair said.

Most witches could only fly with a broomstick, but the Trix had always been able to fly without one and Alastair had learnt too since he’d earned his disenchantix.

‘Good,’ Christopher said. ‘Matthew, I need you here to help from the inside.’

Matthew transformed into his fairy form too, which was an orange sparkly waistcoat and trousers with a white blouse. It matched the fairy aesthetic better than Christopher’s lab coat for sure.

Cordelia transformed too and Alastair wondered what their mother would think if she ever saw Cordelia wearing that. Fairies didn’t choose their transformation forms, exactly, but if Cordelia were to wear something like that by her own choice Maman would surely kill her.

Alastair and Cordelia walked to the baggage room, which was also where the spaceship could open for them.

‘Opening the door,’ Thomas said through the intercom and moments later the door opened.

‘You have to be careful jumping out,’ Cordelia said. ‘Since we’re moving at pretty high speed. I’m not actually sure how you fly considering you don’t have wings, but you have to catch yourself as soon as possible before you end up far behind the ship.’

‘I can figure out how to jump out of a spaceship, Cordelia,’ Alastair grumbled.

Cordelia jumped first, spreading her wings to catch herself, and Alastair followed her. Turned out, Cordelia was right. Alastair was blown back into the sky before he could catch himself, his arms around his head to protect himself. He wasn’t as used to flying as the fairies were yet.

Cordelia groaned. ‘I told you so!’

She then grabbed his arm and started flying, faster than Alastair had ever gone, until they were back above the spaceship and Alastair landed there, his feet steady on the moving ship.

‘Ice harpies,’ Cordelia said. ‘Great.’

‘By the dark flame, protect us,’ Alastair said, and he threw a ball of dark fire at one of the harpies.

She dodged, but barely, and screeched in pain as some of the fire hit her.

‘You focus on protection,’ Cordelia said. ‘I’ll fight them. I move easier and my aim is better.’

Cordelia’s aim was indeed better, Alastair was better at creating massive walls of flame as a protective move while Cordelia specialized in hitting her targets. He did as Cordelia asked, casting a wall of dark flame to stop the ice from hitting the ship, coordinating his movements with where the harpies attacked.

Cordelia flew around with far more grace and coordination than Alastair had been able to grasp so far, throwing fire ball after fire ball, hitting the harpies until all collapsed.

‘That should teach them,’ Cordelia said. ‘How’s the ship?’

‘We’ve taken no further damage,’ Alastair said.

‘Good.’

The ship stopped abruptly, throwing Alastair off his feet while Cordelia had to slow down to stay near the ship.

‘Watch out!’ she shouted.

She grabbed Alastair by his arm as the ship started going down, and Alastair reactivated his own flying ability until he could stay in the air by himself.

‘I took out all the harpies,’ Cordelia said. ‘What hit the ship?’

‘Nothing I saw. But perhaps it came from underneath us,’ Alastair said.

The two of them descended toward the ground, where Kamala’s plants had barely caught the ship from crashing completely. Thomas came running outside, followed by the others.

‘What happened?’ Thomas asked.

‘I took out the harpies, we didn’t see anything.’

‘Suddenly the ship had a huge disruption, even Christopher’s magic couldn’t stop us from crashing,’ Thomas said.

‘Is there anything we can do to repair it?’ Alastair asked.

‘Christopher is working on it along with James,’ Thomas said. ‘It’s really cold here and it might take some time until Christopher gets the heating back online.’

‘Meaning heating will fall to me and Cordelia, got it,’ Alastair said.

‘Matthew can help too,’ Thomas said. ‘He kept the ship at temperature.’

Eugenia got on her broomstick. ‘I’m going to check the sky.’

‘I’ll come too,’ Kamala said, changed into the green sari that was her enchantix form.

Kamala and Eugenia went up to explore the air, but Alastair had had enough flying for now.

‘Cordelia and I can make fires, but it’ll take a lot of energy out of us to keep it going,’ Alastair said. ‘But if we gather some firewood, we can just let that burn up instead.’  

‘Okay,’ Thomas said. ‘We can go gather firewood. Cordelia, maybe you can help Matthew for now?’

Cordelia returned into the spaceship and Alastair and Thomas walked into the forest. There had to be something burnable here. The cold and the snow didn’t help, wet wood didn’t burn very well, but that was nothing a little magic couldn’t fix.

‘Cordelia took out all the ice harpies before the crash,’ Alastair said. ‘I am not sure if they caused it, or if there’s something else out there.’

‘I didn’t see it happen either,’ Thomas said. ‘The system just started malfunctioning. Are you alright? Did you get injured in the fight?’

‘I’m fine, don’t worry about it. It was nothing Cordelia and I couldn’t handle. I’m just not used to flying yet, since it’s a new ability for me.’

‘Eugenia flies on her broomstick.’

‘Have you ever tried sitting on a broomstick?’ Alastair asked. ‘It hurts. I never bothered to fly, but now that I have the ability I might as well take advantage of it. Otherwise, Matthew would have gone with Cordelia and I don’t think that would be a very good idea.’

Matthew’s magic was powerful, but Alastair was never quite sure if he could trust him. Not because he was a bad person, or worked for the enemy, but more because Alastair didn’t think he functioned well enough for battle. He’d noticed how Matthew’s breath would regularly smell of alcohol. It was dangerous.

‘He was a great help for Christopher,’ Thomas said. ‘Makes me feel stupid sometime, to be the one without magic.’

‘Anyone can develop magic,’ Alastair said. ‘It just requires practice.’

‘I never had much aptitude for it, while I was pretty good in sword training. Becoming a specialist just seemed like a better choice,’ Thomas said. ‘Barbara and Eugenia are both very talented with magic. You have to be the most powerful witch alive right now. I just have a nice sword and a spaceship.’

‘A spaceship without which we wouldn’t be getting anywhere.’

‘And without Christopher it wouldn’t run at all,’ Thomas said. ‘I guess I’m happy with the choices I’ve made. I like being a specialist. I just wish I could protect you better.’

‘I’m the most powerful witch alive, remember? I don’t need protection.’

Alastair wasn’t sure if it was true, if he was really the most powerful witch alive. The Trix were quite strong too, descendants of the primal witches, the first evil. And Tatiana was quite the powerful witch too.

‘But you got hurt,’ Thomas said. ‘I was too late and I couldn’t protect you.’

‘Kamala fixed me all up.’

Thomas sighed. ‘I know you’re right. I know you’re powerful and a good fighter. But I’m just scared something will happen to you. To my friends too, to Eugenia, but you most of all. I just… can’t stop thinking about you.’

Alastair took Thomas’ hand. ‘You’re in love with me, aren’t you?’

Thomas’ cheeks flushed a deep red. ‘Yes.’

‘It’s alright. I love you too,’ Alastair said. ‘And to be quite honest… I love that you want to protect me.’

‘Then maybe you should let me.’

‘Maybe I will,’ Alastair said. ‘Can I kiss you?’ Thomas nodded, and Alastair grabbed Thomas’ hips, pulling him closer. He had to stand on his tip toes, but then he could reach Thomas’ lips, and they kissed.

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @styxdrawings @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @broodyhawthorne @ikissedsmithparker

[thotsforvillainrights]

Anon who asked if you rewatched season 5 at all! (Btw I’ve also rewatched s5 the league vs the MLA countless times I get the feeling). So the request I had was Spinner x reader: spinner and reader let’s say have been together for a while now, they where fighting alongside each other during the battle when his s/o overheard Trumpet say how Spinner wouldn’t contribute much to society (when he fell infront of his van) so after Shigaraki is officially dubbed the new leader (1/2)

(I was re-watching earlier today haha!)

~Spinner’s S/O defends Him~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

-Dating and being in love with a member of the league had its ups and downs. Here lately it was more down than up. For the past month and a half you’d been helping them battle the giant for Shigaraki’s sake. Usually Shuichi had never wanted you to feel as though you were weak to him. He worried for you but he never wanted to underestimate you. So he let you fight alongside the league for all their endeavors. However, this is where he deeply wanted to draw the line. He reminded you every time it was your shift to just sit it out or to get to safety. Afterall, the giant only really wanted Shigaraki so technically you were safe if you really wanted to be. Of course you denied the offer and continued to fight alongside him. He was quiet about his internal complaints, and instead opted towards protecting you during the battle. Eventually you’d never managed to help defeat the giant considering your group had gotten a rather annoying call interrupting your current goals. This is where the Meta Liberation Army had come into play. 

-”Listen, I want you to sit this one out...”He whispered in your ear as the group followed a hero into the mountainside city of Deika. You rolled your eyes and smiled at him. “Absolutely not. If they’re serious about the amount of soldiers they have then you’re going to need all the help you can get. I’m not going to stand aside knowing you’re going to be in the middle of all this with everyone. If you go down during this fight then I’m coming with you.” You reached down to squeeze his hand before kissing his cheek. “Nasty. Get a room will you?” Dabi spoke up from behind you two. Once in Deika, Slide N Go stood to the side as you were greeted by two people, one a woman who exuded a bit of high confidence from just her look alone, and two...some guy with a mustache? “Isn’t that Hanabata from the hearts and mind party?” Compress brought to your attention. “He important?” Shuichi asked in confusion. No time was wasted when the ambush began. 

-Somehow you and Shuichi had gotten separated on the battlefield but you knew he could hold his own just as you, if not better. Right now you had to focus on the near constant flow of soldiers that seemed to keep coming no matter what you did. As the battle dragged on, things had gotten more and more serious. Toga disappeared somewhere and Twice went off after her. There was barely a sign of Compress since he was near Dabi and the blue flames he was letting off while fighting an ice user. You were getting overwhelmed by the number of soldiers coming at you and just when you felt like you’d have to lay down and take it, Shuichi appeared to help you get rid of the small crowd in front of you. “Follow me!” 

-Somewhere along the line Shigaraki had obviously gotten stronger and Twice must’ve overcome his trauma considering his clones were running rampant along the city. While Shigaraki went ahead of you and Spinner to bring down the tower that housed Giran, you and Spinner agreed to stay behind and take on the large group following the mustache man you’d come to understand as being Koku Hanabata...a politician apparently. He had a rather annoying quirk to say the least. The more he spoke to the crowd, the more worked up they became. You didn’t want to admit it but they were really kicking the shit out of you two. “Shuichi!” You could just feel your blood boiling when he’d fallen to the ground AND had to endure rude words running from the mouth of that greasy bastard on top of the van. “Remember my face because I’m going to make you eat those fucking words, greasy bastard!” You spat at him as you helped Shuichi up from the ground. You glanced at him apologetically and he nodded to let you know he was okay. 

-It would seem things worked out just fine in the end. Tomura had leveled a large part of the city, but successfully beaten Re Destro and gained control of the entire MLA. Toga had gotten injured very badly during her battle with the woman you’d learned was Chitose Kizuki, but it would seem she was okay! Twice had gotten over his mental hurdles stopping him from cloning himself. The giant... Gigantomachia had accepted Tomura as his new leader as well. You’d had money thanks to the funds of the MLA, and finally a little time to relax given there was nothing standing in the League’s (PLF’s) way right now. Well, so far at least. That left you just enough time to do one last thing you were stewing on.

-Hanabata stood there with his hand on his cheek and his mouth wide open in shock. Had it not been for the shock then he likely would’ve felt the strong sting on his cheek right where the handprint was forming. Spinner was just as shocked as the politician. Unfortunately no one could do anything in that moment considering Tomura was the new leader. He simply turned a blind eye to the whole thing, knowing that there must’ve been a reason that warranted that angry reaction from you. Later that night while you were curled up in the plush bed of your new room with Spinner, he’d finally found words too lost in his mouth from earlier. “Y/N why’d you slap him? That politician I mean...We’re supposed to be working together now I mean.” You shushed him with a kiss before pulling away and cuddling closer into his chest. “I wasn’t about to let his bullshit slide on any given day. I’d do that for you no matter or who it was against. I care so much about you, I love you Shuichi. No matter what anyone says about you, you’ll always be really special in my eyes. Sorry for being so sappy about it though.” He squeezed you tightly and smiled. “No need for apologies or whatever. I love you too.”

[thezanyarthropleura]

The Not-March Ones (1 of 5)

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, or so I’ve heard, and what better way to celebrate than with the Gamera film about a monster crocodile(?) that shoots rainbows? Enjoy this, the first of the reviews for the five Gamera films not released in the month of March.

Gamera vs. Barugon actually was released on the 17th of the month, just in April of 1966, so its actual 57-year anniversary is next month. It’s the second film in the Showa era, and the only Showa film not directed by Noriaki Yuasa. It’s also one of the scant few mainline Showa films (i.e. the seven original Daiei films produced from 1965-1971) to have a female protagonist of any real plot importance, so let’s talk about her—

…Wait wait wait wait wait, hold up, her name’s Karen? All this time and I’ve never picked up on that? She doesn’t even get a last name? A classic Japanese kaiju film and I have to talk about a character who’s just named Karen? *sighs* Fine, here we go…

Karen, a woman living in 1966 blackface New Guinea, who positively radiates step on me energy in every scene she’s in and may or may not be a vampire, joins the film relatively early on and is easily distinguished among the islanders by her seductive death glare and lack of racist makeup. She tells the three treasure hunters not to go into the cursed cave, but when they, of course, do it anyway only for one of their number to betray the other two, she helps nurse the surviving man back to health. She then agrees to accompany him back to Japan to help track down his attempted killer and retrieve the stolen giant monster egg.

She fills a stereotype fairly common for women in these films, an island native who serves as an exposition character, but she has a far more commanding, rational presence than most examples. Throughout the film, she relays the legends told in her village about how they’ve defeated the enemy monster, Barugon, in the past, which get put to use as the standard slew of soldiers and scientists work on various (ultimately ineffective) plans to stop the one that’s now hatched from the stolen egg and has been set loose on Japan.

There’s a background romance arc between her and the redeemed treasure hunt survivor, which like most relationships in these kinds of films, is conveyed more subtly than overtly. I’ll admit it’s kind of cute at points, especially in a scene cut out of one, and possibly both of the English dubs, in which Karen expresses her frustration and distress at being taken less seriously by the military than the 10-year-old boys in the other movies. The hero is slow and careful in offering her comfort, which she takes to like a lifeline, then boldly and firmly defends her expertise on the problem to all the old men in the room. I don’t really like het romance in my movies but this one doesn’t bother me too much.

Also, the scene where she rushes to drink the blood from his bleeding injury after a fight with the villain is… weird, and kinky, but is presented entirely as a sweet and genuine act of affection. The technicality of her drinking blood feels like it definitely has some unfortunate, probably racist connotations, but the film seems to see it as a positive way to acknowledge the different culture she was raised in while establishing her feelings of love and care.

Unfortunately, despite looking like she could carry all the human fights in this film by herself, Karen is relegated to the stereotypical “breaks one bottle over the bad guy’s head while the man does the actual fighting.” It’s a scene in blatant contrast to how her character is presented otherwise, to the point of being completely ridiculous when she just… stands there confusedly in an extended wide shot while the two dudes are beating the shit out of each other. She does look a bit like she’s looking on in disbelief and silently judging them, so there’s at least that.

For comedy’s sake I’ll also mention that one guy on the boat trip back from New Guinea, who keeps unknowingly complicating the villain’s plan to pretend he went to the island to exhume a relative’s bones by latching onto him as a fellow war orphan and making grand, genuine gestures of respect and comradery for the made-up relative – up to and including saving the fake bones as the ship is sinking and finding the villain afterward to return them. You can’t help but feel a little bad for him when the villain brushes off his sympathies and finally yells the truth at him in frustration.

Barugon himself is probably the closest thing to a crocodile/alligator kaiju ever depicted in a classic kaiju movie. He doesn’t exactly look it when he’s walking around like a cross between a lizard and a dog, but the resemblance really shows in the fight scenes, whenever his huge jaws are opening and snapping shut next to Gamera’s much smaller head. Unfortunately, there aren’t many fight scenes. The first one is a bit longer than you think it is if you’ve only watched the MST3K cut, but still consists mostly of the two monsters sizing each other up with few actual hits exchanged. The ending fight at least has the good heroic vibes going for it, as it’s the first time Gamera is shown to hunt down and kill a monster that threatens humans where it can’t be explained away as being done for personal gain.

The warnings here will mostly concern the death toll, which I believe is the second-highest of any Gamera film in terms of major characters. First, we have the third member of the treasure hunting expedition, who is left to die from a fatal scorpion sting moments after mentioning he has a wife. Then, the two human fight scenes of the film concern the main character and his brother, both individually confronting the villain because they believe he’s killed the other brother. Only one of them ends up being right, and the other is tragically killed before he can learn the lead brother survived the attempt on his life (thus leading into the second fight). Also, the brother who dies is disabled and uses a crutch, and both he and his wife are left either beaten to death or to the point of immobility while their home is destroyed from Barugon’s attack on the city. You know, in case you were still convinced there was a chance for this film to have a good look after the New Guinea scene. Aside from that, a closeup of Barugon’s tongue when it captures and draws in the villain may be a mildly uncomfortable visual.

Yes, when all is said and done, the villain is eaten by Barugon, after a long spree of murder and world-endangerment done all for the sake of greed. He specifically dies thwarting a plan that almost manages to kill Barugon, stealing Karen’s diamond right before it can be used to lure Barugon to drown in the depths of the lake and instead, getting it swallowed along with himself. When I bring up this film’s and Gamera vs. Gyaos’s similarities to Ishiro Honda films, it’s these larger moral themes that complete the comparison – just about all the evil of this film, including Barugon being set loose in the first place, is squarely the fault of the villain’s greed and disregard for others. And all the while, through his actions, the heroes continue to suffer and have their efforts undone, ultimately requiring an unforeseen assist from Gamera to save the day (after the most long, grueling, drawn-out, preemptive literal justification for Gamera’s title of “the last hope” that’s ever been put to cinema).

Does this film have flaws? Yes. Is it generally considered the absolute best the Gamera Showa series has to offer? Also yes. Is it my favorite Gamera Showa series film? Definitely not, but it’s one of very few that I appreciate for its themes and characters instead of lmao look Gamera’s doing gymnastics! Still, it remains to be seen whether that will give this film an edge over several close competitors in the middle-tier bracket.

Enjoy this movie with skittles and grape Kool-aid.

[harmonizingsunsets]

Episode 8…need some fluff now please

Anthony carrying her and yelling at the doctors like in the book. Benedict trying to soothe him THIS IS PAIN BUT GREAT PAIN.

Jonny crying is too much. SIR THE EMOTIONS YOU MAKE ME FEEL is UNLAWFUL.

Colin don’t be a dumb dumb, his accusation has merit.

I’ve avoided talking about Portia and Jack nonsense but now I must speak, only one word: Ugh.

She’s awake!! Her asking after Anthony. OH NO, SHES GOING TO THINK HIM NOT VISITING IS PROOF THAT HELL ONLY PROPOSE BECAUSE SHES AWAKE AND THAT MEANS CONSEQUENCES AND ITS THE HONORABLE THING TO DO NOOOO.

Anthony breaking down when he hears Kate is awake IM SOBBING.

Violet apologizing for Anthony being the one to find Edmund and he had to pick up the pieces. True love is worth it, hell yes.

HE HAS TULIPS I AM NOT OKAY.

“You are running away.” The way he knows her ahhh.

Finally Edwina and Kate communicating. Bless. Love them finally being on equal footing.

E & B on the swings again 🥺.

Anthony and Gregory bonding LOVE IT. The theme of time with Anthony hits me hard.

“You never had to earn a place in this family. I loved you from the day I met you.” Mary I LOVE YOU. 😭

HE LOVES YOU KATE SWEETIE YOULL SEE

E & K dancing is so precious.

I was so starving for Polin content that when he took her hand I gasped lol

Edwina telling Kate to shine on her own 👏

Anthony asking her to count how many fingers he’s holding up, lol love that lovesick goof.

THE WRECKING BALL DANCE. NO ONE ELSE MATTERS. THE QUEEN SHIPS IT SO EVERYONE ELSE MUST. Ok their hands slowly sliding down their faces to reveal their eyes; I SEE THE SYMBOLISM AND APPRECIATED CHOREOGRAPHER.

Ohhh Eloise finding out, I like this change, it makes more sense. But the friendship pain nooooo.

No, the Colin “I will never marry Penelope featherington” thing happened. I knew it was coming but still hurts.

THE I LOVE YOU SPEECH. HOW HE EXPLAINED WHY HE DIDNT VISIT. HOW HE LOVED HER IN EACH MOMENT. KATE SAYING SHE LOVES HIM TOO. THEM FINALLY AGREEING ON SOMETHING. THE PROMISE TO VEX ONE ANOTHER FOREVER AHHH.

Anthony and Kate in bed and calling her viscountess IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED. Ok the marital bliss they’re in is too adorable, it’s melting my heart, a lot like the books. The fact that they’ve been traveling for six months after marriage and are still all over each other speaks VOLUMES.

Them being proud parents of Newton 😭❤️

The way they fight over the mallet of death, and consider just continuing their marital acts upstairs but Kate doesn’t want to admit defeat and neither does he. But they both one by allowing themselves to love one another IS THE VICTORY THEY SHARE.

All the family happy for Anthony and Kate but finding them insufferably in love and walking away.

That last shot of them is PERFECT.

Woooow up all night and now am finished. But am so not finished with these two. Book Kathony has such a special place in my heart, and so does show Kathony. I’m so glad I learned of the spoiler/changes before so I could better embrace the season and EMBRACE IT I HAVE.

[moemammon]

I wanna request hcs of brothers getting surprise tickles from MC. Like, everything's going okay and suddenly MC starts tickling them (idk why, this idea just seems funny to me, especially when I imagine Levi's reaction)

Tickle Fight: Demon Bros vs MC

Lucifer

The fact that you thought you could sneak up on him is enough to make Lucifer laugh. There's no way to tickle this man unless you're crafty enough, so you've gotta get real creative.

But in the event that this is your first time tickling him and you DO catch him off guard, just know that you'll never get him again.

This man watches like a HAWK, especially after you found your pesky fingers tickling at his sides and made him choke on his coffee 🔫

Not necessarily ticklish, but still sensitive to surprise touches like that. When do you think was the last time he's been touched there, anyway?

"Clearly you have plenty of free time, if you're running around pulling pranks like this. Why don't you spend your time studying instead? Unless.. you're asking for my attention?"

Mammon

When I say this boy has the strongest fucking reactions-

He practically LEAPS away from you to escape your evil, tickling fingers. Destroys everything in his path and thrashes around like a fish out of water.

Mammon is probably the most sensitive to touch, especially since it's you. You've triggered his fight or flight instincts and he's ready to square up 💪💪

Once he's put a safe distance between the two of you using a broom for protection, he's prepared to get revenge. You thought you'd get away with tickling THE Great Mammon?!

"O-Oi! What're ya touching me for?! Don'tcha know that tickles?!" "Grr... that smug look on yer face is tellin' me ya did that on purpose! Don't think I'll hold back!"

Levi

All of his years of dodging unwanted physical touch have prepared him for this very moment. His ninja-like reflexes are so sharpened and honed that there's no way you can possibly tickle him!

...Is what he assumed, until you?? Tickle him?? Because you pull that stunt when he's dead focused on a game, and doesn't have time to notice how you're creeping up on him

Flinches so hard he slams his knee on the bottom of his desk-

Will use EVERYTHING at his disposal as a shield and makes empty threats about getting his revenge, but we all know he won't do it. Probably.

"M-M-MC!! That's no fair at all! I wasn't even looking! To think you'd stab me in the back like that... I won't forgive you! I'll get you back! I definitely will-!"

Satan

So you have chosen death.

The fact that you have the AUDACITY to tickle Satan is what he's most impressed about. Then there's the fact that you startled the hell out of him-

But he can't stay mad for long when he realizes it's you, and catches that cheeky look on your face. So you wanna play that game, huh?

Petty as hell. He'll cast a curse that makes you feel ticklish for an indefinite amount of time (or until you complain to Lucifer about it and he makes Satan undo it)

"What, do you give up already? I thought you'd have more in you, since you're the one that came up with this game. But if you admit defeat, I might remove the curse."

Asmo

As the second most ticklish of the brothers, Asmo immediately senses your intentions from a mile away (and because he heard you were going around tickling everyone-)

He secretly wanted in on the fun, so he was thrilled when you finally came his way! ❤️

100% tries to make it lewd (horny bonk). Tbh he's used to light tickling thanks to his 'social life', but he can't handle anything more than that.

That being said, he prefers to tickle you, as opposed to being on the receiving end. He'll literally use his brothers as shields if he needs to in order to get away from you.

"Enough alreadyyyy!! I told you, you're messing up my entire outfit! I've got creases all over it, and my hair is- hey! Stop tickling-! Ahaha! MCCCC!!!"

Beel

You discover pretty quickly that Beel isn't exactly,,, ticklish. Maybe it's the layer of rippling muscle that protects him from your assault? Or maybe the call of hunger is too strong for him to notice what you're doing.

Either way, he hardly notices your tickling, and just looks at you like "you good?" Enjoy awkwardly explaining that you were trying to tickle him-

He does pick up on the fact that you're trying to be playful, and he’d feel bad if he didn't play along too, so he decides to tickle you back....And there's no escape.

His stoic face has the slightest smile on it while he watches you desperately try to escape his tickling, and your laughter makes a fluffy feeling flutter in his chest.

"Is it really that funny? ...You know you can't pull away from me that easily, right? But if you really want me to stop, I will." "....In exchange for a month's supply of pudding."

Belphie

YOU FOOL... YOU COMPLETE, UTTER IMBECILE....

This is literally his domain, and you're a fool to challenge him in what he reigns champion...

What do you think that vice grip of his is for? Not only does it keep you from escaping when you nap together, but now you can bet you're not getting away from his tickles.

Somehow he KNOWS what you're about to attempt, and the next thing you know, you're being pushed onto the bed and tickled until you're read in the face.

"You can do better than that, can't you? Come on, where's the fight you had earlier? Should I tickle it out of you? Answer properly. I can't understand you with all that laughter.... heh."

[tartglias]

Xiao, Zhongli and Venti with an immortal s/o

“Sooo 👀 can i request so some fluff hc for venti, xiao and zhongli with an immortal s/o?”

thank you so much for requesting!! this is my first time writing for more than one character at a time so it was a challenge lol thank you sm!!

Xiao

Xiao never understood the importance of time. Days, months, even years feel like nothing when you’re immortal. What a funny thing that is, immortality. He knows normal humans would do anything for it, and he despises them for that. Nothing so great came free, he knew that well. He was freed from tortures, only to get tormented by karma. He could still hear the voices and screams calling for help from tortured souls, these still haunt him daily. But the worst moments come when he sees that figure, that person who he once considered close. So close he could use the human word “soulmate”, if he believed in those, to describe who that person meant to him.

Many centuries back he met you, such a gentle person who got to break down his hard walls. A smile, a touch, a kiss. That’s all it took. So many meaningless years, and he never once encountered a person as kind yet strong like you. Someone who made the daily nightmares cease, with a simple smile and brush of fingers.

He remembers your last words like it was the day before. You were on top of one of the tall stones in Huaguang Stone Forest, Xiao laying his head on your lap and you placing small qingxin flowers on his hair. He wouldn’t allow anyone do that to him ever, but in the end, you were you. And you were different.

“Xiao” you called, once you were done placing the flowers. He opened his eyes and muttered a “hm?” in response. “I have to leave soon. Mondstadt calls me”

He sat up.

“What do you mean?”

“By tomorrow morning, I’ll be on my way back to Mondstadt” you said, quietly standing up.

He stood up too.

“When will I see you again?” he asked, now not being able to look at you.

“I don’t know” you said, reaching out for his hand and taking it. You placed a soft kiss on his knuckles, and he felt himself calm down at the gesture for a moment.

“I meant it when I said I’ll love you forever, Xiao” you said, finally locking eyes with him. You had teary eyes, he dreaded to see you like that. If it were up to him, he would swallow every bit of pain in your body and soul, just to see you smile.

And with that, you disappeared. As quickly as you broke down his walls, you disappeared just as quick the next day. Days, months and years became even more meaningless, but somehow he felt them longer. He missed you every day, he whispered to the moon every night, wishing that some archon would hear and bring you back to him. He knew you were like him, but he never heard from you again. Were you able to finally cross to the other side? He tried to erase those thoughts from his mind.

He later found himself in that very same stone, the one in which he last saw you. New Qingxin flowers blossomed, and they reminded him of you. He sat down, staring at the horizon. But then, he felt a strange swift of wind, and a presence behind him. He quickly stood up, ready to put his mask on and kill whoever dared to interrupt his solitude. But he didn’t. The mask in his hand dropped to the floor, next to the flowers.

“I’m back” you said, with a shy smile.

“You’re back” he said, more to himself than to you. Were you really there?

His question was soon answered, once you stepped closer and pulled him in a hug. He found himself wrapping his arms around you, holding you as close as he could, while trying to hold back his tears.

“I’m sorry I took so long, my beloved” you said as you locked your eyes with his. You grabbed his hand and held it, but you never once let go of the hug.

“I’m here to stay now” you whispered.

Zhongli

“You need to stop playing with people’s hearts” Zhongli said, as he sipped on his tea and looked at you questioningly. You rolled your eyes in response and put your focus back on your potion. A few petals from the most exotic flower in Teyvat, a little bit of juice made from vines and a teaspoon of slime condensate.

“Sometimes mortals need a little push in the right direction” You said, finishing up the mix and transferring it to a small bottle made of glass. “Plus, we’ve been here for centuries, I’m bored and I need a hobby”

“I don’t think that messing with human’s love lives can be considered a hobby. I don’t think it’s morally correct” he said.

“You’re very dramatic. I can feel the true desires of every being that touches the soil in Teyvat, and if I sense that the desire is mutual, I simply work my magic” You said, sitting back on your chair next to the tall man.

“Can’t you let them figure it out by themselves?” He asked.

“That’s no fun Zhongli” You said, finishing up the sweet perfume-potion you were creating.

You and Zhongli have been friends for centuries. You met when you moved to Liyue as the representative of the Dendro Archon, someone you really looked up to. Zhongli was kind enough to make you feel at home, and soon became friends with the Geo Archon. Though you must admit, you always wished it was something more.

Maybe that’s why you picked up this “hobby” of yours. Unrequited love is something painful and mortals only live a short life, you believe they should live it fully, if possible.

“Are you alright?” Zhongli asked, interrupting your thoughts with a concerned look on his face. You didn’t realize you had a sad look on yours.

“Oh? Yeah of course” You said, quickly brushing it off and proceeding decorating the small glass bottle.

“Y/n-“ he started, placing a hand on top of yours in order to get your attention. “I’ve known you for a long time. I know when something is wrong”

It was funny. He knew you like the back of his hand, he knew how to read you since the first time he laid his eyes on you. Yet he never found out how you truly felt about him, how your heart made like a million flips whenever he did something as simple as hold your hand, or brush a hair away from your face. All these little things and gestures, have been making you swoon over your closest friend for years, centuries even.

“Time and love are strange concepts, aren’t they?” You asked, looking straight at him. Here goes nothing, you thought.

“I believe those are rather simple concepts”

“You can spend a lifetime with someone, know every habit and expression but you don’t know how they truly feel about you” You said staring at him, searching for any hint that indicated he knew what you were talking about. But you saw nothing. Who were you kidding? He’s just your friend, has been for a long time.

You let out a defeated laugh, standing up and letting go of his hand. “Forgive me, I don’t really know what i’m saying” you said, grabbing the potion and starting to leave. But you felt his hand on your wrist, stopping your movements.

“You said you felt the desires of every being that stepped foot on Teyvat’s soil, am I right?” he asked, looking at you. You nodded. “Does it work on me?”

“You wanted to get close to me, as a friend”

“My apologies my dearest y/n, but I think your blessing is wrong” he said, standing up and holding your hand once again. “I did want to get closer to you as a friend at first, but not any longer. I’ve been observing mortals for a while as well, on my daily walks through Liyue Harbor, and I think I finally understood my feelings”

You were sure that if Zhongli listened close enough, he would hear the fast beating of your heart.

“I’ve been waiting for you to use your love potion on me, my dear y/n. I’m sure it wouldn’t have worked anyways since I believe it would take a lot of effort to make an effective potion that could work on me. But it would have given me the excuse to tell you how I really feel” he said.

“How do you feel then?” you asked him, looking up at the tall man.

“I think I’m very lucky to have you by my side, and it makes me want to travel to the Dendro nation and personally thank the Archon for assigning you to Liyue. I also want you to still be by my side for the centuries to come, if you’re okay with that” he said, lowering his voice by the end.

You acted before you could process your thoughts. You stood on your tippy toes and kissed his cheek gently, never letting go of his hand. He liked you, he felt the same way about you. It was real.

“I’m okay with that” you replied.

Venti

It was almost noon, almost an hour after the original time you accorded with Venti to meet. You planned a picnic date by the big tree near the statue of the Seven, your favorite spot. The same spot which later, became Venti’s favorite spot as well.

He wasn’t a person who would jump straight to conclusions. You were late. Maybe you fell asleep, maybe you couldn’t find the guitar you promised to bring so you could play a duet. Being late doesn’t mean something bad happened, right?”

He decided to wait a few more moments, but once the sun set, he had enough. He went out to try and find you. He went to your house, but noticed the door was locked and no one was inside. “They left” he thought.

He slowly but surely started to get desperate. Where were you? Were you hurt? Did you get lost somehow? He went to Angel’s Share, and not even Master Diluc had seen you. If Venti wasn’t in such a panicked state, he would have noticed the rare concerned and worried look Diluc had on his face.

If any traveler walked by literally any road in Mondstadt, they would soon encounter a big rush of wind. Venti went from here to there as fast as he could, trying to find you.

He soon enough found you in Stormbearer Mountains, fighting hilichurls and two pyro mages. You looked tired, sweat covering your body and your clothes were dirty. It was obvious that this has been going on for a while. You gripped your sword as hard as you could, and kept fighting. Why didn’t you call for him? With no exception, Venti tells you daily to call for him if you ever encounter a problem. It’s not that he doesn’t think you’re strong, oh no, he believed you were the strongest mortal in Teyvat. But in the end, to him you were still a mortal. Fragile and over-sensitive. He often told you to call his name, that the wind will carry it and he will appear there to help you out. So why didn’t you?

“y/n!” he screamed, once he laid his eyes on you. You turned around and saw a rush on wind, and felt his presence. What you didn’t feel though, was the pyro attack coming from one of the mages. The mage summoned three pyro artifacts that surrounded you, and burnt you. You felt your energy slip away, your head dizzy and your body burning. Then, you felt the cold wind, Venti quickly finishing off the mages and the remaining hilichurls.

Venti thought it was over. You were kneeled down, burnt skin, gasping for air. It was over, you were going to die. He felt his eyes water and fear running through his veins. He wrapped his arms around you, making you lean on his chest.

“Don’t leave me” he begged. “please”

“My dear, I don’t think I can” you said, letting out a short laugh.

“Please stay strong, I think I can carry you to the cathedral but you need to hold very still so-“ he started saying, now fully crying but you interrupted him by putting a hand on his cheek and wiping his tears with your thumb.

“I’m serious, I don’t think I can leave anyways. Venti, I literally can’t die.” you said, with a laugh and slowly standing up.

“You... you’re immortal?” he asked, looking up at you, not being able to leave the floor.

You nodded. “I thought you knew”

“I hate you” he said, standing up and wiping away his tears. “I do”

“No you don’t. But you’re cute though!” you said, grabbing his face and kissing the tip of his nose. “I’m very sorry I’m late though, my commission took longer than I thought but let me compensate you with dinner and a bottle of wine”

“But you’re still burnt?” he asked you, concern still in his face.

“Oh don’t worry about that, it will rip out when I start walking. I have healthy skin underneath” you said, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Why do I feel like this is not your first time getting so hurt?” he asked letting out a soft chuckle, suddenly feeling lighter now that he knows you’re okay and will probably be okay for a long long while.

“Eh, been there done that a few times” you simply said, taking his hand and walking back to the city of Mondstadt.

[ladyanput]

Ok so this is the third time that I'm sending you an ask tonight. (or is it night time in your country?) I'm being annoying right now but whatever. So I've been cackling about those salt fics you wrote because they are just amazing. I have a request, though it is up to you to write it or not. So, can you write a salt fic where someone got an interview with Ladybug (probably Aurore) and then they ask her why they replaced the old heroes like Rena Rouge, Carapace and etc. and LB is just like I don't work with dumb shits or somethin'. Then there is also a new Black Cat (Probably Luka, Felix, or Damian) because Adrien here is an asshole and this fic is saltier than salt water. Then LB also insults Alya's blog and their school. Those foolish mortals get some lawsuits and the rest is up to you. (This request is probably messed up since it's already midnight here and I can't sleep.)

You're never annoying, I just apologize that it took me so long to get to you. I do hope you don't hold it against me, darling.

A one on one interview with Ladybug was basically unheard of if you weren't the Ladyblog or Nadja Chadwick. Ladybug had made it firm that she wasn't a celebrity, she was a hero. She wasn't there for clout, for attention, for fame or fortune. She just wanted to keep Paris safe.

That's was Aurore admired about her. And why she felt queasy as she sat across from the heroine, who had given her of all people an interview. But she got ahold of herself, taking deep breaths as the cameraman began counting down. And when he hit 'one', she put on her best smile and straightened in her seat.

"Hello Paris! Welcome back to 'Latest Buzz'! I am your lovable host, Aurore Beauréal. Today I am here with a very, very special guest, our very own heroine of Paris; Ladybug!"

Ladybug beamed right at the camera, but gave a shy little wave, giving away the nerves she obviously had.

"Now, Ladybug, I'm so glad you requested to be on the show. You know, I initially thought I had misheard when Estelle told me. Usually you're not big on personal interviews." Aurore gave her full attention to Ladybug, but keeping the bright, friendly smile and perfect posture.

"Well, I tried a few times actually. But when I did, none of them were really great experiences." Ladybug admitted and both girls immediately thought of that disastrous Face-to-Face interview. It left a bitter taste in their mouths. "My issue is that misinformation has been spread around a lot recently. It's made me realize that I need to find more trustworthy sources."

"Ladybug. I vow on my integrity as a host and Estelle's reputation as a journalist that we are people who research facts. We don't ambush our guests, we respect them." She said, placing a hand on her heart. Ladybug saw an honesty in her eyes that she hadn't seen in such a long time. It honestly made her feel.. Respected. "Now, Ladybug.. We both know you have a lot of fans. A lot of admirers. False information can be spread so easily these days, which sources specifically are you telling people to avoid?"

"Well.. With Face-to-Face, I found that I was entirely ambushed in that interview. I wanted to speak about my hero work, but instead Nadja kept trying to needle her way into my personal life. That picture she had shown in largely out of context; when Dark Cupid attacked and Chat Noir was under his spell, it was the only way to get him free."

"Yes, I remember watching that. I'll be honest Ladybug, I felt bad for you." Aurore bit her lip, but smiled a bit when Ladybug nodded. "I mean, Chat Noir wasn't helping either. He seemed to be trying to push this narrative forward that you two are a couple."

"And we're not!" Ladybug burst out before she could stop herself. Everyone in that studio could hear the utter stress and frustration in her voice. "I've begged and begged Chat Noir to stop with the flirting, the 'telling people we're dating', everything! I just wanted him to focus and he couldn't seem to do that!"

"Is that why you replaced him? Because of his slacking off and refusing to take anything seriously?" Aurora sat up an bit straighter, her eyes going wide.

".. Not exactly, no. It was a bunch of issues that eventually piled up and boiled over." Ladybug made some gestures with her hands, trying her hardest to find the words but just letting out a long and pained sigh in the end. "I do enjoy my new partner now. He is more serious, more stable. I know he won't go off and pout if I deny something he wanted. I needed an entirely new team, as a matter of fact."

"Well I am going to say, on behalf of everyone here, that we're glad. We swear on our integrity as journalists that if such rumours were to ever surface again, we will do our proper research." Aurore beamed and many of the staff and crew behind the cameras nodded and gave Ladybug their thumbs up. Honestly, it warmed Ladybug's heart to see such support.

When had been the last time someone had supported her like this? Sure, her parents supported her, but her friends..? Her peers? No, none of them had supported her in a long time.

"Speaking of research, I'd say to stay away from the Ladyblog." It burned to say it but it had to be said. Alya had crossed so many lines it wasn't even forgivable at this point. She had gone too far, had betrayed too many.

"Wait, what?" Aurore nearly jumped out of her seat but quickly composed herself, taking a deep breath. "Pardon me Ladybug, but the Ladyblog has been a vital source of information since the very beginning."

"And I'm not denying that!" Ladybug quickly held up her hands, her eyes desperate now. "But please let me explain. The Ladyblog was amazing in the beginning, but like all things, it started to go astray. It was things like trying so hard to find out my identity. Trying to push that narrative of that whole superhero couple thing.. Ladyblogger Alya Césaire has proven time and time again that she is not trustworthy. I mean, I thought she was my biggest fan. Why does she keep pushing my words aside?"

Many people who watched the interview would agree. If you idolized someone, respected someone, truly looked up to them.. Why would you push aside their words, their wishes to try and push the narrative you're so convinced is true, but isn't there?

"And don't get me started on the whole Lila Rossi craze she seemed to be on now." At Ladybug's mention of Lila Rossi, both Estelle and Aurore had to keep from rolling their eyes. They knew all about the girl.

"You speak as if you are quite frustrated, Ladybug. What an odd reaction to your best friend." Aurore leaned forward a bit in her seat. Everyone else got to the edge of theirs. Ladybug only shook her head, looking utterly defeated.

"That's the thing, she isn't my best friend." It took everything to keep from satin that she hated her, that she had taken away her friends and her life. "The only times she's met Ladybug is when she's been akumatized, which has been around six or seven times at this point. And the other things she's claiming are so outlandish! Saving Jagged Stone's kitten from a airport runway? Clara Nightengale stealing her dance moves? And the Ladyblog just posts it out there, claiming every single story is true. I'm just scared that people are taking this one hundred percent seriously. That's why I had to drop Rena Rouge and Carapace from the team as they believed Lila Rossi over me. They didn't even try to confirm these rumours! And it hurts to think that one day, someone will take Lila's words seriously and get hurt. What if she says it's safe to dip strawberries in bleach? Or tells someone that she found a way to tame some kind of wild animal? Someone would get hurt because they believe her story and try it out for themselves!"

"My goodness, I can definitely see how that is a problem. Misinformation is very easy to spread thanks to the internet, so you being worried is a very relatable thing." Aurore nodded, then tilted her head ever so slightly. "Ladybug, do you know anyone who has taken her word seriously? This is besides the Ladyblog of course."

Ladybug closed her eyes briefly, mentally debating with herself before finally giving in. These things needed to be said.

"Collège François DuPont. Now I wasn't there personally, but I heard about this situation and looked into it. The entire situation was appalling. Apparently a student was found to have cheated, assaulted another student, and commited thievery. But the thing that stuck out is only one person saw her do all of these things; Lila Rossi. No investigation was done, no questioning other students. This student was then expelled immediately. Her teacher and her principal didn't even give her a chance. And from what people have been saying, Miss Rossi's behaviour is actively encouraged in that school. She misses countless days, no, months of school, claiming she's traveling. But when she was supposedly in Achu, doing whatever it was she was claiming with Prince Ali, I was fighting her akuma here in Paris on Heroes Day!"

"I was at school the day that happened. I knew the student that happened to. They're the nicest person in that school! Never a bad thing to say about anyone, always willing to help! I agree with you on how things were handled, it's a level of incompetence that is baffling." Aurore's hands slowly curled into fists as she remembered it all. She slowly shook her head. "The principal, their teacher, their class who backed up Rossi. It must have hurt them so much, made them feel so alone."

"That's why I want people to be more careful with what information they take as fact. It's so important, because stuff like that can lead people to a desperate place. They feel alone, like the entire world is against them. I wouldn't have let the principal and the teacher get away with that gross negligence in their jobs." Ladybug leveled her gaze directly to the camera. "People of Paris, please listen to what I am saying. I am here to be a hero, to protect you from the terror of Hawkmoth and to defeat him. But please, do not be like Principal Damocles, do not be like that teacher and her class at DuPont. Do your research, look up your facts. Do not let a liar lead you to do something dangerous and hurt yourself as well as others. Respect each other, talk and be honest. I swear on my life that I shall do the same. You are the people I swore to protect and I love. I am saying this all to protect you. And I'll hope you'll all forgive me for not protecting you sooner."

...

The interview rocked Paris. Ladybug speaking so openly about her frustrations, about the discrepancies in the Ladyblog and Lila Rossi had many people double checking the sources of everything they learned from that blog.

Alya could barely show her face as she made her way though the school hallways. Her reputation as a journalist had gone down the drain. People had basically started boycotting her blog, harrassing her, or trash talking her on other forums and sites. Even a lot of news outlets picked this up.

What hurt the most from that interview last night was Ladybug's words towards her, both as Rena Rouge and as Alya. Surely the heroine had to be mistaken, she had never beytrayed Ladybug! And that Oblivio incident, it was just to show Chat Noir and Ladybug that they were meant to be together!

Her family was upset with her. No, upset was too tame of a word. They were pissed.

"I can't believe she lied to us.."

"Well what do you expect from someone who keeps harrassing Ladybug?"

Alya flinched when she heard the whispers and rushed into Miss Buster's class. The entire class was there, all seated, all looking utterly miserable. Many of them looked as if they had been crying all night. A lot like she had.

"W-where's Miss Bustier?" Alya asked when she eyed the empty desk. Many of her classmates shot her glares, but didn't say anything about the interview last night. After all, they had no room to talk.

"She and Principal Damocles are with the school board now. We're getting a new teacher." Adrien was the one that spoke up. He looked utterly miserable. So unlike his usual self.

"Lila isn't coming back. She was pulled from school when her mother found out what happened." Alix muttered from her seat, arms crossed and shoulders hunched.

The class went quiet as they all internally contemplated how things had gotten like this. Their eyes focused on the door when it abruptly opened and Marinette came strolling in, carrying a box.

"Good morning everyone!" She said brightly, pretending not to notice the downcast expressions on their faces. She set the box on the teacher's desk before she turned towards them. "Oh? What's wrong everyone?"

".. Did you not watch the interview with Ladybug on 'Latest Buzz'?" Alya stared at Marinette, a bit dumbfounded by her friend's lack of awareness of the situation. She had been expecting Marinette to rush in with support and a fiery vengeance against those who had humiliated her best friend, maybe even a fresh pastry. But instead she was greeted with empty hands and a cheerful hello?

"Oh, well I haven't really had the time to watch much television. I mean, with my transfer papers, needing to plan out my new schedule with all of those new classes. Busy as a bee, that's me!" Marinette just beamed, giving Adrien a playful wink that had his stomach churning.

"Wait, transfering?" It was Rose that spoke up, her large eyes seeming impossibly large now. "Transfer what?"

"To my new school, of course." Marinette giggled and clasped her hands together. "I start on Monday."

"New school?!" Alya was on her feet and rushing towards Marinette. The others quickly followed, crowding around her. "What do you mean new school?! When did you ever say you were going to a new school?"

Marinette blinked, as if stunned, then tilted her head ever so slightly.

"I told you all last week, don't you remember?" Marinette tapped her lower lip, seeming to be wracking her brain before she abruptly snapped her fingers. "Oh! I forgot, you all were deep in conversation with Lila about her upcoming event with Jagged Stone and Clara Nightengale. You know, the one she said she'd be attending with Ladybug, since they're such good friends. Did she ever say how it went?"

All of the students shifted uneasily, suddenly seeming to refuse to meet her face.

Alix murmured something so barely audible, Marinette held a hand to her ear and leaned closer.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Lila was lying to us!" Alix snapped as her cheeks went a flaming red.

"About everything! She never knew Jagged Stone!" Juleka spat out in fury.

"Or Prince Ali!" Rose sniffled.

"And she wasn't friends with Ladybug? They were barely acquaintances!" Alya wailed out as tears welled up in her eyes.

But Marinette hardly reacted the way they were expecting. She just gave them a small smile and nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I know."

Alya sucked in a breath sharply.

"You knew..? But why did you never..?"

"Oh Alya, you silly forgetful thing. I told you the day she returned from her long 'trip', remember? I told you she was lying." Marinette gave Alya a smile that said 'oh you silly thing'. "But you told me that I should really check my sources. And I got tired of trying to bring up any lies, since that was always your response. So I decided to just stop. I mean, since you're such an inspiring, honest journalist you must double and triple check every source you come across and found every story to be true!"

Alya flinched and looked away, feeling the churning feeling in her gut again. No, the Ladyblog had been the only source for the stories. The. Only. One.

"And I'm sure all of you knew what you were doing! I mean, it makes sense; trusting the words of a complete stranger over someone you've known for a while now. Some of you since we were in diapers!" She focused her gaze on Nino and Kim, who had the grace to at least look ashamed.

"Marinette, you really should-" Adrien began, reaching out for the girl, but was cut off by her clapping her hands together.

"But it's alright! I decided that fighting with you all wasn't worth it, so I took Adrien's advice and took the high road! Don't bother exposing Lila, she isn't hurting anyone!" Marinette announced brightly, giving her hands a little wave.

The temperature in the classroom dropped by several degrees.

".. Adrien, she's kidding, right?" Nino glanced over at his friend, his eyes pleading for him to deny it all. But the sight of the blood draining from the model's face and the sweat starting to bead at his forehead told him everything he needed to know. "Dude.."

"How could you?! You knew this entire time and didn't even try to tell me?!" Alya rounded on Adrien, fury in her eyes.

"Now, now, don't get mad at Adrien. I'm sure he knew you all were going to do you research. Besides, it's not like this did anything bad for anyone." Marinette pressed a hand to her cheek, still grinning. "I mean, it's not like you all took her advice without doing any research. You didn't try the things she suggested without actually checking them out to be true, right? No one lost any scholarships or job opportunities. No one's relationships were ruined. No one was hurt."

The nauseous feeling spread to all of the class as the reality of everything caught up with them.

"I'm sure everything will go back to normal, right? I mean, I'm sure that that woman from the education bureau isn't here to fire Damocles and Bustier for their severe neglect in their duties. Expelling me with the most mediocre and shaky proof. Surely that's a school I should feel safe in! That I should be proud to be a part of. But alas, my preparations for my new school are already done, so oh well."

Marinette shrugged and adjusted her purse strap.

"Anyhow, I wish you all luck with the amazing things Lila has helped you to do! I know it must have been worth ignoring me and convincing me I was crazy. With all of the free time I've had, with you guys practically replacing me with Lila in the group, I've had tons of time to spend with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!" Alya's eyes went owlishly wide as she gaped at Marinette. "But what about Adrien?!"

"Oh Alya, I fell out of love with Adrien forever ago." Marinette shook her head in an almost patronizing way that had Alya's cheeks burning with embarrassment. They didn't even pay attention to Adrien's noises of surprise. "I mean, you claimed I was jealous of Lila getting close to Adrien, that I should let the jealousy go. And you know what? You were right! So I decided Adrien wasn't worth the stress, the embarrassment.. I mean, I couldn't even talk to him straight. I thought he was the most perfect guy in the world! Goodness, did I learn my lesson!"

She giggled as if she found the entire thing amusing. She then beamed at the class.

"Well, ta-ta! I need to get back home and make sure everything is ready to go. I wish you all the best, I really do!"

They all watched, shellshocked as Marinette breezed out of the classroom like it was nothing. Like she wasn't leaving her friends, her school, her life behind. And they all would wonder exactly how badly they screwed up, if she could walk away do easily, without a care.

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