#OR THEM CONSTANTLY LOOKING WITH THE BIGGEST HEART EYES IN THE HISTORY OF HEART EYES AT EACH OTHER

[marragurl]

I have this VISCERAL need for an AU where everyone’s perception of Ratiorine is completely skewed and they all think they hate each other when in reality they’re actually married.

They had a small ceremony years ago, fully live together, have matching pajama sets, cutely bicker and have inside jokes with each other, constantly use endearments when referring to one another in public, have a combined 20 step hygiene routine, are each other’s first choice if there’s a mission that require 2 people, AND NO ONE BELIEVES THEY’RE MARRIED! OR EVEN IN A RELATIONSHIP!

AVENTURINE EVEN SIGNS HIMSELF AS AVENTURINE RATIO ON INVITES OR LETTERS OR PAPERWORK (Kakavasha Ratio on their marriage certificate, I like to think in this AU they’ve worked through their past trauma together already), BUT EVERYONE THINKS IT’S A TYPO AND HE MEANT TO WRITE THEM SEPARATELY SINCE THEY’RE ALWAYS ASSIGNED ON MISSIONS TOGETHER.

The only people who know are the Stonehearts, and that’s only due to Aventurine’s contract/work as IPC, so they were the ones who officiated/were witnesses to the wedding.

Everytime they all go out to get a drink or something, I need Topaz in the back looking insufferable as Ratiorine are in full lovey-dovey mode AND NO ONE NOTICES. I’d be the same girl, they could broadcast their honeymoon and STILL people would think it’s some weird powerplay hate thing, Topaz is later found crying to Jade about how she finally understands why Ratio calls everyone idiots, how are people so blind?! They’ve even started using the same motions and same phrases Jade, WHY CAN NO ONE ELSE SEE IT???

The only reason the Penacony plan goes off without a hitch is that everyone has the biggest preconceived notion that Aventurine and Ratio despise each other WHEN IT’S JUST THEIR USUAL MARRIED BICKERING. NO ONE CAN EVEN FATHOM THE TWO OF THEM LIKING EACH OTHER, LET ALONE MARRIED???

(In this AU, Aventurine gives up his room because the Reverie made the same mistake of not understanding the signature and assigned him and Ratio to different rooms, and now there’s a nice clean way of getting rid of the extra room, making a connection with the Astral Express, AND rooming with his dear husband, what great luck!)

I want it to get to a point where they could fully make out in front of Sunday and the man would STILL believe that Ratio would betray Aventurine. Aventurine during the entire interrogation scene is just constantly in the state of “my husband is such a good actor, I’m so proud of him” *heart eyes and winks to Ratio when Sunday isn’t looking* and Ratio is just straight up looking worried for Aventurine and immediately rushes after him when it’s all over AND NO ONE BATS AN EYE

Ratio just mentally apologizing to Aventurine after every little fake fight they have and dying on the inside and doubling down on every bit of affection he can in between (and even during) the fights, and Aventurine is just having fun having his husband’s attention all to himself no matter the form. (plus the rush of knowing just how much they trust each other always makes him warm)

Aventurine is fully ok with this weird perception people have of him and his husband since it always helps with his schemes and gambles paying off, and while Ratio wants to bash everyone in the head for even daring to think he hates his husband, he keeps quiet because he trusts that Aventurine will always come back to him and make it all work.

But that’s not enough to stop him with showering Aventurine with adoration and love in public. If the public are too much of idiots to realize something as obvious as their love, Ratio won’t stop it from showing his dear husband just how much he means to him.

This is fully AU of course, we all know canon Ratiorine is the longest softest pining game in history. Funny enough, Topaz is still suffering in the back due to their relationship shenanigans. She better be getting some financial compensation for this, I just know Aventurine complains to her about his crush. Ratio is fully at his own place writing out thesis after thesis about the meaning of love and psychoanalyzing his own feelings. He forwards them to Topaz for review because I like to think she’s somehow become a weird bouncing board for his frustrations about her coworker. Topaz is crying.

[flowerandblood]

Green Snake, Red Lion (2)

[Slytherin • Aemond x Gryffindor • female]

[warnings: fluff, mention of injury and coma]

[description: Aemond is a Chaser and captain of the Slytherin team. His biggest rival on the pitch from the Gryffindor team, turned to be his biggest fan, and he hates her with all of his heart. His hatred towards her slowly turns into something else, when she one day stands up for his sister, Helaena. This is slow burn love story.]

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

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Solren didn't wake up until four days later and Aemond couldn't concentrate on anything because of that. After he had gone to see her in the infirmary after her accident he did not return there again, not wanting to be caught in the act. For some reason the thought of her, that she might never play again, made him feel even worse and more depressing than usual.

His secret source of information was Helaena, who sat by her bedside for hours after her classes, embroidering and talking to her, telling her about her day. Aemond chatted to her once a day, pretending to be casual chat, and she told him about her condition. He felt like he had a huge stone in his stomach every time she told him that she still hadn't woken up.

On the fourth day, during breakfast, one of the Gryffindor Beaters, Romulus, ran to his table and loudly said that Solren had woken up. All the Gryffindors received this information happily, a few people got up to go in a larger group to visit her in the hospital wing. He sighed softly, relieved, and went back to eating his scrambled eggs with a little more appetite.

It turned out that Madame Pomfery properly coped with the task, and the severe trauma to the skull healed. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, and within a week Aemond saw her for the first time in the Great Hall, greeted by cheers from the Gryffindor table.

Lots of her friends stood and came over to embrace her and talk to her. Aemond noticed with surprise that several of his team members had also come over to talk to her and ask how she was doing.

He pursed his lips at the thought that he didn't have the courage or the strength to wish her well. He knew that nothing he said would erase what he had done to her.

Due to an injury, she was unable to play in the next match between Gryffindors and Slytherins, while watching from the audience. Aemond was discouraged. Without her, constantly confronting him and throwing him off balance, he won point after point.

They would have won even if their Seeker hadn't caught the Golden Snitch, but he did, and the match was over after half an hour. However, he wasn't satisfied, knowing that their team was weakened and it wasn't a complete victory for him.

He saw out of the corner of his eye, hot, as he took a sip of water from a glass bottle that Solren had come down to them, comforting her team, chatting casually with them about some nonsense. His colleagues would say something to him and he would respond with grunts, but he couldn't concentrate. He looked away as she looked at him, all tense.

He felt a pang of disappointment as he saw her turn and go to the Gryffindor tent, talking to Cregan Stark without approaching them as was her habit.

He thought that he was a desperate idiot, obviously missing her attention which had infuriated him not so long ago. He thought that he deserved it and went to change. He took a quick shower and changed into his usual school clothes. His colleagues sang and rejoiced, bare-chested, happy to win.

They tried to stop him and force him to celebrate with them, but he didn't feel like it. He wanted to go to the library, write his overdue essay for the History of Magic and have some quiet time. For some reason he had a huge migraine and felt like his head was about to burst.

When he entered the common library he immediately took the last free table. He searched the bookshelves, looking for topics related to demonology and wizards' pacts with demons. The topic of the essay was vague to him and too much about legends and superstitions instead of knowledge, but he couldn't help it.

He picked up a few books, returned with them to his table, and began flipping through them. He took a piece of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell from his bag and began to write. He had trouble getting the words out physically, but in his head he could formulate rich, complex thoughts and sentences that he put on paper. He knew that he was one of the best students in the year and if he kept up like this he would have a chance to become a prefect.

He involuntarily looked up as he heard another person enter the room. He froze when he saw that it was Solren, standing in the middle of the room with books clutched to her chest, looking for an empty space.

She glanced at him and his nearly empty table, but turned away immediately, disheartened, thinking hard about who to join. For some reason Aemond felt his heart pounding hard at the sight of her. He had wanted to talk to her, but had no idea where to begin.

He cleared his throat loudly and pulled out the chair next to him, letting her know that she could sit down. He could feel her looking at him, unsure if she should.

After a while he heard her sit down next to him, placing her books in front of her, bending over them, reading. He saw that she was going through the potions chapters that they were already working on in common classes with the Gryffindors. He thought that she had a lot of catching up to do with her injury which she needed to make up.

He wanted to start a conversation, but he couldn't, his voice stuck in his throat. His pride kept him from saying anything. Everything he could think of sounded unnatural and forced.

He didn't want to make a desperate fool of himself and he decided that he should just let it go and doesn't think about her anymore. They sat next to each other in silence, leafing through the pages.

The students slowly began to leave the library, however, she was still sitting, looking through her potions book. He saw that she read the same chapter several times, slowly dozing off, resting her head on her elbow. He wondered what she was doing and then realized that she was afraid Snape would start questioning her tomorrow about lessons she missed.

Snape loved to torment the Gryffindors and often questioned them at the beginning of each class. He watched it with satisfaction, seeing how the boys bursting with their Gryffindor Pride on a daily basis suddenly shriveled up in themselves, unable to utter a word.

But Solren was always prepared.

In fact, Aemond had the impression that Snape was more gentle with her. She always listened carefully to his lectures and took notes, focused. She didn't laugh or fool around with the others, not wanting to annoy him. He did not give her a rebate, but he was not as cruel to her as he was to others, having more patience for her.

In the end it was just the two of them in the library, the dark rooms around them filled only by candlelight. He tore himself from writing, dipping his quill in ink and was surprised to see that she had fallen asleep, her hands on the table in front of her, her face turned towards him, her eyes closed.

He never got a chance to get a good look at her because he just didn't like her. Now, however, he had to admit with regret that she had a warm, gentle, pleasant face.

He flinched as she suddenly opened her eyes and their gazes met. They stared at each other intensely, and the longer it went on, the more he felt like he should say something, because the atmosphere was getting awkward to say the least.

He cleared his throat softly, glancing at his parchment, the fingers from his arm stretched out on the table restlessly, tracing the cover of one of his books.

"When will you return to playing matches?" He finally managed to force himself out, feigning indifference, without looking at her.

He heard her shift in her seat, but she didn't move, her cheek still pressed against her crossed arms on the table. She didn't answer for a moment.

"I don't know." She said softly, weakly.

The sound of her voice startled him and made him glance at her uneasily. Usually she spoke energetically and with verve, bursting with emotion. He thought that this kind of voice didn't suit her. He felt an unpleasant knot in his stomach at her words.

"Meaning?" He asked, looking at her intensely.

He didn't know what he needed this knowledge for. He wanted to mentally prepare himself for when the Gryffindor team would be challenge for him again. He heard her sigh softly.

"I really don't know. When I walk sometimes I get dizzy and suddenly feel weak. In that state I would just slide off the broomstick and be just a burden to the team." She said softly with a hint of regret and sadness, not looking at him but somewhere in front of her, lost in thought.

He swallowed softly, not knowing what to say. The thought that he might not play with her any more didn't pleased him. On the contrary, he felt a surprising kind of disappointment.

"They are no challenge without you." He grunted and pursed his lips, looking away quickly, embarrassed by the way it sounded.

He saw that she looked at him in surprise, he had even the impression that she blushed slightly at his words. She smiled warmly in the way she used to do before when it still annoyed him. Now the sight sent shivers down his cheeks.

"If I didn't know you, I'd take it as a compliment." She said softly, raising an eyebrow in amusement, her expression warm and happy as if she had suddenly come back to herself. He wondered how he hadn't noticed the amount of sympathy that she felt for him earlier.

He swallowed silently at her words, leaning back in his chair. There was an awkward silence between them. He got up after a while, feeling that this small conversation was beyond his social skills, taking his parchment and books in his hand.

He wanted to leave, but decided that it wasn't polite to do so without saying goodbye. He stood there, without looking at her, for some reason his heart was pounding like crazy. Solren sighed.

"You don't have to say anything. Thank you for letting me learn with you. Have a good night." She said calmly, lowering her gentle gaze back to her Potions textbook, a soft smile on her face.

He lowered his head, grunted loudly under his breath and left, feeling immensely embarrassed.

He went back to his domitory and lay down in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. For some reason talking to her unnerved him, but not in the usual way. He felt ashamed that even when he wanted to, he couldn't have a normal, pleasant conversation. He wondered why he had to be such a recluse.

The thought that Solren might never play a match again filled him with some kind of frustration. Every win against the Gryffindors when he fought her on the pitch brought him wild satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment. Only now, despite all his hatred for her did he admit to himself that he had always viewed her as an equal rival.

The next day, as usual, there would be a joint Potions class between Slytherins and Gryffindors. They stood in the dungeons of the castle, waiting for Professor Snape to come and open the door for them.

Aemond felt oddly energized and excited at the thought of seeing her again. His classmates would say something to him and he would grunt back at them, only half-listening as he looked down the hall.

After a while, he saw her walking with a girl from his year, a Slytherin, talking to her about something with amusement. Both seemed relaxed and content with the discussion, the rivalry between their houses was apparently no problem for them.

Now that he had shifted his perspective on her a bit, accepting the theory in his head that she wasn't lying or pretending after all, he had to appreciate the ease with which she made contact with people. Something that was traumatic for him, she seemed to have in her blood.

He had to admit that the famous "Gryffindor Pride" expressed itself differently in her than in other Gryffindors. Just like her colleagues, she was energetic, lively, proud of her house and achievements, but at the same time she appreciated the values and skills of other houses without rising above them.

He thought that his Quidditch teammates liked talking to her because they didn't feel like they had to fight her constantly for supremacy. She didn't mean to attack them, she just liked talking to them.

He flinched for some reason as their eyes met, and Solren suddenly stopped talking, as if she had lost the thread. She smiled warmly at him, and for some reason he felt a tightness in his chest that made him look away. He felt hot even though it was very cold in the dungeon itself.

After a moment, they heard Professor Snape's footsteps, his trailing, black robe flying in the air behind him as he headed aggressively towards them. Solren and the Slytherin made way for him, and after a while they were all entering the hall.

Solren took her usual seat in one of the first pews and Aemond took his usual seat with his best friend, Criston, in the back. They sat diagonally, and when he looked up a little to the left he saw the profile of her pleasant, fair face clearly.

What she feared had happened right after Snape checked for presence. His low, nasal growl echoed throughout the room as he read her name.

"Solren, I see that you've finally been released from the hospital wing. As you know, an injury during a Quidditch match does not exempt you from preparing for this class." He said indifferently, not even looking at her, shuffling the sheets of parchment lying on the table in front of him. Solren pursed her lips at his words, but no displeasure crossed her face.

"I know, Professor." She spoke softly and meekly.

Snape stood up, folding his arms in front of him, leaning his back against the back of the desk so that he was looking straight at her.

"What do we get, if we mix bat's ear, cyanide juice, pearl water, a scoop of Saint Maurice and pour oak juice over it?" He asked impassively, looking at her expectantly. Solren twisted in place, thinking hard.

"Decoction of Deep Sleep." She said suddenly as if she remembered something.

"That is?" He hummed low, deepening the subject. The girl blinked and cleared her throat.

"A decoction that, given a small amount, will put someone to sleep for several hours, and in large quantities will kill him because of the cyanide." She said after deep thought. Snape didn't give up.

"What does "small amount" mean? Please, be more specific in what you say, Miss Solren." He said impatiently. The girl seemed confused.

"I…should I put it in gallons?" She asked uncertainly, and Snape rolled his eyes, looking at her impatiently.

"No, in miles. Do you test my patience, Miss Solren?" He said low and ironically, several people laughed around. Solren pursed her lips to keep from laughing herself.

"N-no, of course not." She said warmly, lightly, lowering her lashes meekly, thinking.

Aemond saw Snape's expression soften and thought that this teacher would torture any other Gryffindor for a long time, making fun of his stupidity. In her case, Snape decided to let go, giving her a chance to correct her answer.

"One-sixth of a quarter." She said after a moment uncertainly. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I can give you one-sixth quart of this brew, do you want to see if you will die or will you think logically?" He asked in only grunts, Solren pursed her lips, her cheeks red with shame. She looked down, thinking hard.

"One sixteen! It was one sixteen." She said suddenly, slapping her hand against the textbook. Snape looked at her indifferently.

"Please open to page 458." He said suddenly, turning away from her, tapping his wand on his textbook, the pages flew quickly to the page he told them to open. Aemond saw Solren, smiling from ear to ear, pull a textbook out of her bag, clearly pleased with herself.

He looked down, flipping through the pages of his book as he saw her start to look around the room. He thought that he should stop staring at her, but he felt like he was rediscovering her as a human being. As if she was suddenly a completely different person, even though her behavior was exactly the same as before.

After class, everyone left the room in a larger group. Solren stepped back, apparently forgetting something, and he turned after her. For some reason he wanted to stop, have a word with her, let her know in some way that he would never treat her as badly as before.

Although he didn't want to admit it, the remorse kept him up at night and he was tired of it. He stopped in the middle of the corridor and told his friends to go without him because he had forgotten something too.

They nearly collided at the entrance to the hall, Solren looked up at him, surprised, her eyes bright with joy. She greeted him, wanting to go past him, but for some reason he blocked her way with his hand, preventing her from passing. She gave him a surprised, questioning look.

"Wait. I wanted to talk to you." He choked out.

Solren nodded and smiled again, taking a step back, clutching her textbook to her chest, looking at him expectantly. No words came out of his mouth. He just stared at her. Her big, bright eyes.

"You don't have to do this, you know that?" She finally said, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I don't have to do what?" He asked more coldly than he would have liked. Solren looked at him with condescension mixed with tenderness.

"Feel remorse for me." She said softly.

He felt a lump in his throat at her words. He pursed his lips, still holding his hand in front of her, placed on the doorframe, leaning slightly towards her. He felt again that overpowering embarrassment that he had felt talking to her in the library. They were both silent for a moment, staring at each other.

"I can not help it." He finally squeezed out of himself, not knowing how else to put into words what he felt.

He saw how surprise and worry crossed her face, her mouth parted slightly as if she had not expected such words at all.

His gaze involuntarily dropped to her pleasantly moist, pink, full lips. He felt a pleasant warmth in his lower abdomen at the sight of them, and he had to force himself to look into her eyes again to concentrate.

Solren swallowed softly, apparently not knowing what to say despite her eloquence. She jumped in place as if she remembered something.

"I'm going back to training starting tomorrow." She said, smiling gently. "As usual, you are my inspiration to keep trying and fighting."

For some reason he felt a strong, painful tightness in his heart at her words. He thought that he didn't deserve her to look at him this way.

Perhaps he was so infuriated by her attitude towards him, because he knew that he wasn't as perfect as she thought he was. In essence, he was a broken, desperate, and tired man. He swallowed loudly.

"I'm glad." He spoke low and distant, his face stone, though his chest was heaving a little faster.

She smiled happily at his words, obviously very excited to finally be able to have any sort of normal conversation with him without his frustration. She bent down, passing nimbly under his arm, her pleasant scent of some floral shampoo filling his nose. She turned to him over her shoulder, smiling sweetly.

"See you on the pitch, my beloved rival."

_____

Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @astral-blossoms @randomdragonfires @amirawritespoorly @apollonshootafar @padfooteyes @darylandbethfanforever9 @fudge13 @snh96

Others: @fangirlninja67 @helaenaluvr

[snailsrneat]

Yandere Epel Felmier Headcanons

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Ooooh boy

If he becomes your yandere I feel sorry for you

Epel doesn't really understand his feelings for you fully

All he really understands is that around you his body gets weak and his heart beat rises a lot

In short you make him feel inferior, and he doesn't like that one bit

He despises the way you make him feel.

And he definitely shows his distate for it constantly

He finds that bullying you makes him feel better. Makes him feel superior.

He always makes sure to point out any sort of flaw on your body or clothing, and laughs when you give him a dirty look

He always makes sure to seek you out. Even when you started avoiding him, he kept on actively trying to find you.

He especially loves you give him angry reaction, it adds fuel to his flame.

"Hey nerd! Why do you keep running from me? You scared? Think I'm soo terrifying that you can't even come face me?"

For awhile he thought he hated you, despised you, that was until he saw how close you and Jack were.

You and Jack decided to have lunch alone together outside instead of inside.

Epel had been looking for you, as he always was. The moment he saw you and the wolf-boy sitting so close, your faces less than an inch apart, his body filled with the most intense rage he's ever felt.

Rage so intense he started to physically shake.

Epel stomped all the way back to his dorm room, slammed the door shut, and started to throw the biggest fit in history.

Epel knew that Vil was going to yell at him but he couldn't care less right now, he needed to get all his anger out.

Once he's done with his temper tantrum he sits in the middle of his room, thinking.

Mostly thoughts about you, he could never stop thinking about you.

You with that dumb smile, you with your stupid pretty eyes, you and your shiny hair..

He can't deal with all the emotions going on in his head, but he can realize one thing.

He wants you to be his and he'll do anything to have you.

From that moment forward Epel becomes a lot less rude, he still makes snide remarks from time to time but he's way nicer to you than before.

He still constantly seeks you out too, but it's welcome this time around.

"Hey nerd! You wanna go eat at the monstro lounge after school? Just you and me."

Eventually when you guys get close enough to eachother and you start to open up to him he makes sure to keep notes of everything in a secret dairy he has.

Honestly he takes a lot after Rook.

He keeps notes of your deepest darkest secrets, fears, trauma, literally anything he deems useful blackmail.

Once you guys get close that's when all of your other friends start to get distant.

You don't understand what happened or what you did to make them not like you all of a sudden but you get lonely pretty quick.

Good thing Epel is there to keep you company.

"They did what!? Oh no, don't cry. They never deserved you anyways. I'm still here, remember? I'd never leave you."

He's so extremely possessive he can't let anyone be close to you but him.

He'll even make sure you get a schedule change and everything.

Now you're with him in every class, he couldn't be happier.

If you start failing some classes? Oh don't worry about it Epel can give you his notes.

Even if you start to oppose him and want to get away, you can't.

Why?

Well cause if you do then he'll get upset, and once he gets upset that's when he brings out his pen.

He doesn't want to do this but if you keep threatening that you're going to leave, what else can he do?

Now look at what you did to yourself, all bruised and beaten.

We were so happy then you tried to leave and now look.

"It's better for you to stay here with me. Without me you're too weak to fight even the smallest amount of magic."

"You need me."

[theemporium]

Could I possibly request a number 46 smutty fic with Charles leclerc 👉👈 loved your Daniel fic!!!

thank you, darling!🖤this was meant to be a blurb and became 1.3k but enjoy!!

46. "leave the heels on"

.

It was funny how quickly you could go from hating a person to fucking them. 

Or maybe when it came to Charles Leclerc, it was really fucking realistic. 

Securing a position as a team member in the infamous Scuderia Ferrari quickly out of university wasn’t something you expected to happen, and yet it was just how your life seemed to go. A handful of interviews and silent prayer of thanks for your supervisor pushing you to take up Italian classes to improve your resume, you found yourself working with one of the biggest and most historical teams in motorsport history. 

And eighteen months after joining the team, you finally got upgraded to join the team as they travelled from city to city with each and every race. 

That was how you came to learn that you and Ferrari’s golden boy did not get along. 

At all. 

The team found it endearing: the quarrels and arguments, the scoffs and eye rolling, the fact neither of you could stand to be alone with each other for longer than two minutes but always found your way next to each other. 

You found it to be the biggest pain in your ass. 

But being a part of the Scuderia Ferrari team meant more than late meetings and travelling the world. It also meant fancy events and over-the-top galas you were constantly having to show your face at. 

Deep down, you hated them. The dressing up in pretty dresses and glam makeup was fun the first few times, but now it just felt like a chore—all for you to stand around the bar abusing the no-limit drinks and get through a handful of awkward conversations when most people at these events just wanted to talk to the drivers themselves.

“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t look so sad.” 

The accent was thick and very Italian, the smile was something quite like charm and mischief and you were pretty sure he was just a guest. But hey, the gorgeous man in the three piece suit seemed like a far better way to kill your time than sitting at the bar alone. 

“What are you gonna do about it, handsome?”

But what you didn’t seem to notice was the piercing eyes of Ferrari’s number one trophy glaring at you from across the room. 

Now, Charles wasn’t stupid. 

Did you irritate him beyond measure? Yes. 

Did you make him want to rip his own hair out? Also yes. 

But were you also one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen in his life? Unfortunately, yes. 

Maybe that was why it pissed him off so much, why you pissed him off so much, because half the time he wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell you to fuck off or to just fuck you. He was left in some weird internal battle that drove him crazy, and usually you were the person on the receiving end of his shitty moods and snide remarks. 

And whilst the driver knew you were in no way, shape or form his, it didn’t stop the burning bitter feeling bubbling in his stomach. It didn’t stop him from downing the rest of the overpaid champagne in his flute and slamming the glass down with little care. And it did nothing to stop him from striding across the room towards you and the mystery man who was all over you, giving you little chance to say anything before he was tugging at your hand and pulling you towards the valet. 

Hissed sneers and bitter words were passed between you, which quickly became hard, sloppy kisses and wandering hands underneath clothing. In some daze of lust, want and anger, you had made it to an apartment—undoubtedly his apartment—and despite your racing heart and the voice in your head screaming this was a bad idea, you didn’t want to stop. 

“Leave them,” his voice was rough and a little husky, matching the darkened look in his eyes as he watched you from the end of the bed. Your dress was pooled at his feet, your hair was sprawled out around you from where you laid on his bed and your hand fell back to your side when he spoke. 

“Leave what?” you asked because you were a little shit, because you wanted to hear him say it. Your body hummed and sang to reach out, to touch him and undo the buttons and see the skin you caught glimpses of during race weekends. But your ego was winning out. 

“Leave the heels on, cherie,” he muttered as he shrugged off his jacket, tugging at the stupid bowtie he was forced to wear and shedding off his shirt as effortlessly as a drunk man trying to restrain himself could. 

“This some weird kink of yours, Leclerc?” you commented teasingly, watching with your painted lips tucked between your teeth as his shirt fell to the floor, his belt following and the unbuttoned trousers he had yet to take off tempting you. 

“Acting like you don’t like it?” he retorted, grinning a little at the way you fell silent as his fingers glided over your heels, along your calves and up your thighs until you were spread for him. 

“Are you going to do anything or just stare?” you muttered, your voice a little breathier than you would have liked. “I had a willing partner before you dragged me off, Leclerc, it would be a shame for this night to be a disappointing performance from you.” 

His eyes gleamed with the challenge. “Pick a number.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“Pick a number,” he repeated, hooded eyes falling to the apex of your thighs as his hand reached out towards you, his thumb pressing against your clothed clit. 

Your breath shuddered. “Four.” 

“Four,” he hummed with a low chuckle, one that felt mocking and twisted but still made the coil in your lower stomach tighten. “Such a low number, not very ambitious.” 

Four. 

Fucking four. 

As it came to be, that would be the number that haunted you for the rest of the night in the best way possible. Whatever snarky remarks or digs you took at Charles, they would quickly fall flat when the boy had you shaking and moaning and begging, when he had you so fucked out that you couldn’t even bring yourself to care about stupid rivalries or the teasing comments. You just wanted him. 

“Please, please, please,” your cries muffled against the pillows, your hands clutching the sheets of the bed and your body jerking with every thrust of hips. “I-I can’t—”

“Can’t what?” Charles hissed between clenched teeth, his fingers digging into the flesh of your hips so hard that you knew there would be bruises in the morning but you didn’t care. Not when his cock was hitting spots inside you that you didn’t even realised made you feel this good. “Can’t give me one more, baby? You’ve already been so greedy, already came five times.” 

You choked out a sob, one hand reaching back for him. “Charles–”

“Shhh,” he cooed mockingly as he reached towards you, your body pressed against his chest and his hands on your hips guiding you back onto his cock. “You sound much less annoying when you’re moaning my name, cherie.” 

“Fuck,” you hissed, eyes clenched shut as your head lulled back to rest on his shoulder as his fingers brushed against your swollen clit. “Charles, I can’t anymore, I-I can’t—”

“One more for me, baby, one more,” his lustful words slurring together as you clenched around him, a sound deep and guttural escaping his mouth as he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck. “Shit, so good for me.” 

Maybe fucking someone you hated was easier than either of you thought.

And maybe it was going to become a more recurring incident than either of you ever considered.

.

[calixcem]

Some post Tsc thoughts! spoilers under the cut :)

I have so many annotations in this book. (668 to be exact), so im just grazing the surface of everything with this one sooo part 1 perhaps?

-Kevin and jean. Jeans unrequited crush on kevin. I need to know more about this and I hope Nora delves into the semantics in the next book.

-Also how this relates to Kevin day famously saying it was easier to be straight. I figured this was a common thought among the ravens or at least Riko’s court,but Jean doesn't mention it once throughout the entire book. He brings up his attraction towards men multiple times ,and there was never any denying it. It was just something he accepted, so how did Kevin get the idea that it was easier to be straight and Jean didn't? Did Jean ever think this way and eventually changed it down the line or what?

-Im a sucker for found family and Nora really delivered with this one. Laila,Cat, and Jeremy are making it known to Jean that they’ll always be there and genuinely want to help him. The dynamic between all of them is so tender and I think it’ll be so healing for Jean. 

-Also I hope we see more of the floozy squad in the next book! 

-I need them to convince Jean to try boba at some point, and i really hope his relationship with food gets better. I really love that he’s cooking with cat and I really hope it develops into one of his hobbies outside of Exy. Let this boy live a little!

-speaking of hobbies: Cat teaching Jean how to ride a motorcycle?? I just feel like it would be beneficial(not to Jeremy’s heart but thats ok) 

-This specific moment with cat and jean 

she ran down to the tide to rinse it off with childish glee. Jean obediently inspected it when she brought it back, and she tucked it into his breast pocket with a cheerful “For you!”

Small things like this just really show how much they care about him.

- What’s up with Jeremy's family?? I really want to know what happened to where Jeremy “tore them apart” like what was the scandal his freshman year??? It was mentioned briefly but then Jeremy just decided it wasn't worth mentioning again considering all that was going on? The biggest “im fine” in history fr. Also when Cat is telling Jean about everyone’s siblings she mentions how when you go over 4 kids there's bound to be one asshole, but she only listed 4. So did one of his siblings die?? I might be reading too far into this but! Or it could be that one of them cut off all ties to the family after something happened? I don't know but I’m excited to read more about it in the next book!

Jeremy has—three. One sister, two brothers. The older brother’s an absolute tool, but there’s bound to be a jerk or two once you pass four kids.” Jean idly wondered what she’d changed at the last minute and why,

- The constant touches everyone gives Jean to ground him and make him feel loved just makes me so happy. 

- also jean constantly touching jeremy’s chin to get his attention??? Hello? 

A hand on his chin startled him into looking up. When he met Jean’s eyes, Jean only said, “Focus on what’s important.” “I am,” Jeremy said. Jean opened his mouth, closed it again, and let go of Jeremy without a word. Jeremy snagged his arm when he started to turn away. “Who did this to you?”

This line in particular really hit me.

-just jerejean in general honestly. The way Jeremy genuinely cares about him and wanting to help him heal 

You are going to be my success story: Jean Moreau the person, not Jean Moreau of the perfect Court.

“Will you help me?” he asked. “Anything you need.” “A blank check is a dangerous thing to offer.” “Try me,” Jeremy said. “I can afford it.”

-neil. Bro was just being a menace and seeing him from an outsiders pov makes me realize just how unhinged he seems to everyone. But him ordering that hit on Grayson without a second thought? Iconic. As everyone else is saying he dropped by to serve cunt and then left. 

-Jean dropping the most poetic line about Neil and Andrew’s relationship and then just not thinking about it ever again is so wild lmao.

Jean noticed how Andrew and Neil moved like they were caught in each other’s gravity, in each other’s space more than they were out of it, cigarette smoke and matching armbands and lingering looks when one fell out of orbit for too long.

-The parallels between Jean and Neil and how they dealt with things. I don't know if you can really call some of them parallels but they are connected in my head bro. 

-JEANS SISTER. Oh this shit hurts from the faint memory we get to the end when we find out that she's dead??? Nora you're paying for my therapy oh my god. And when Jean is mourning her the snippet of the memory of stitching up her dress that she’d get caught in the blackberry bushes???? He genuinely loved her and just when he’d be getting to a point to where he’d feel safe enough to try to get in contact with her again to find out his parents sold her off and she died because of it???? Yeah bitch burn your family to the ground. I hope we get more memories with her in them. 

[sabo-has-my-heart]

Hello :) just want to say I love your fictions especially your law ones :) Might I ask you to write a fluff about law x crush!reader, where the reader is very bubbly and kind hearted and literally forced herself on laws ship because it was her only option to explore the world. Like she annoys the hell out of law with her bubblyness and boldness but somewhen he realized he has a big fat crush on reader :) I know its very specific but I always saw law with a bubbly flower girl, I think the contrast is cute and somehow law always end up with bold and bubbly characters like luffy and corazon. I think he attracts those kind of people :)

Warnings: none, just fluff

Word Count: 1110

     Eye twitching, Law watched you skip down the streets. They were in town to let the log pose reset and gather supplies and you were being your usual annoyingly upbeat self. You’d joined the crew relatively recently, but you were a good enough fighter that he’d allowed you to join, despite how peppy and bubbly you were. Still, your constantly upbeat attitude and and bubbly personality seemed to get on his every damned last nerve! He didn’t mind how kind you were. He was a doctor, doctors helped people, even if they weren’t always pleasant. Seeing you be so kind and giving was something he appreciated in a person. What he didn’t like was how you’d actually joined his crew, how bold you were, how peppy you were. Sure, he kept you on the ship and kept you as part of the crew because of your skills, but when you’d originally joined, he’d wanted to use his room to cut you into pieces. You’d started by stowing away onto his ship, only revealing yourself once they were far enough out to sea that they couldn’t sail back and would have to let you stay until the next island. After while, you’d quickly and easily befriended each and every crewmate… to an annoying degree. Once they’d reached the next island, you’d given the saddest, biggest puppy dog eyes as you pleaded with him to stay, when he’d said no, you’d started giving the crew the most tearful goodbyes, telling them how much you’d miss them and how you’d never forget them and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! He wasn’t sure who’d given him the next biggest puppy dog eyes after you, Bepo, Shachi, or Penguin. After much begging on the crew’s part, he’d finally agreed to let you stay, giving you crew duties, rules, and other things you’d need to know. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that you’d wanted to see the world, to experience new things, to do something other than stay on your peaceful little island. Watching you twirl around in the middle of the street, he couldn’t help but sigh, how were you always so happy? Always so cheery and positive? You hadn’t had the traumatic childhood that some people had, sure, but he’d only ever met 1 other person as bright and sunny as you, and that was Luffy. Though to be honest, he didn’t understand why Luffy was so cheery either, but for entirely different reasons. 

     Looking back at Law, you couldn’t help but give him a bright smile as you tucked a lock of hair behind your ear, the wind blowing past you. You’d enjoyed being a part of the crew, seeing the world, traveling from place to place. It was a refreshing change of pace and it let you see and experience new things you’d never had the chance to before. Moreover, the crew was kind, sweet, and enjoyable to be around, quickly befriending them. It was somewhat amazing, to be honest, that someone as serious and stoic as Law had a crew as cheery and lively as the Heart Pirates. Though it benefited you, fitting right in with the others and easily getting along with them. While befriending them so you could stay hadn’t been your intention, it had helped a great deal when you’d been trying to convince him to let you join, the crew begging him as well. He seemed to have a soft spot for 3 crewmates in particular, you could only guess that they had a long history together. Dancing down the streets, you couldn’t help but laugh and smile, stopping by the occasional store to buy supplies or look at various clothes or goodies for yourself. You had a few days before the log pose reset, so you’d spend today getting supplies and the next couple of days exploring the island, enjoying the greenery, and doing some personal shopping. Sadly, you knew Law wouldn’t accompany you on such excursions, finding them to be rather frivolous. It was too bad, really, you wished he’d join you, wished you could spend more time with him, despite the personality differences, you really liked him. Yes, you knew you had a crush on him, but you also knew that he didn’t feel the same way about you, so you kept your feelings to yourself.

     The next day surprised you, Law following you as you headed for the outskirts of town. You’d heard of a wonderful field of flowers and wanted to check them out, telling your captain where you’d be in case he needed to find you. He’d sighed, stood up, grabbed his coat, and followed you out. It made no sense! Why had he followed you? Why had he come with you? Not that you were complaining, you enjoyed being around him, but it confused you greatly. Picking a few flowers, you quickly wove 2 flower crowns, placing one on your own head before placing the other over Law’s signature hat, surprising the young man. Had you really just placed a flower crown on him? Why? Why make a flower crown for him? Did he look like the kind of guy who cared about flowers? Why was he happy that you’d given him a flower crown? Why did he suddenly feel so flustered? Why had he accompanied you in the first place?!

     These thoughts bothered him for days, even as they set sail once more, leaving him baffled as to his own feelings for you. You annoyed the ever loving hell out of him! Ever the doctor, Law started looking for a medical reason for his ‘symptoms’, anything to explain away his feelings in an attempt to avoid the reality of what was happening. Still, even his medical textbooks were starting to point towards the obvious, towards the one thing he didn’t want to admit. No disease explained all of his symptoms and there was no way he could have everything that would explain the symptoms. No! No he didn’t have feelings for you! Except he knew he couldn’t deny it anymore. He cared for you. You made his heart race, his stomach flip, his cheeks turn bright red, his breath would catch in his throat, his brain would get fuzzy when you smiled at him and laughed. He… he cared for you, he had a crush on you. Now, he could only hope that these feeling of longing would go away.

     They didn’t. They never went away. His feelings for you only got deeper as he fell hard and harder for you with each passing day until he was hopelessly in love.

[mindyco]

I'm bringing back the idol MC because it needs more love! Why can I imagine these scenes so well!!! I just love the love and pride that these boys would give you, fully supporting what you do and love. Honestly, thank you Anonymous for giving me this idea!! ( ´⌣`ʃƪ) Artwork credit: @mys_s3

Scenario: The brothers' reaction to seeing idol MC on TV

Lucifer's pride swells within him as he watches you on TV, feeling a surge of admiration for your talent and hard work.

He can't help but notice the way your eyes light up with passion and determination, and it only strengthens his belief in your abilities.

He watches you with a keen eye, analyzing your performance and stage presence.

Deep down, Lucifer is beaming with joy, his heart brimming with affection for you and the way you shine on the stage.

He may not show it openly, but a small smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he watches you do what you love.

Mammon's excitement is infectious as he jumps up and down, unable to contain his pride and joy for your achievements.

He showers you with praises and adoration, constantly reminding you of how amazing you are.

He proudly boasts to anyone who will listen, "That's my MC right there! Look at how amazing they are!"

Mammon eagerly clings to every moment of your performance, capturing screenshots and sharing them with the other brothers, boasting about how lucky he is to have such a talented girlfriend. (teehee (´つヮ⊂))

Mammon may even try to mimic your dance moves, attempting to match your level of energy and charisma.

Leviathan's heart swells with adoration and devotion as he watches you on TV, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, he secretly learns your choreography and practices it in the privacy of his room.

Leviathan sings along to your songs with unbridled enthusiasm, losing himself in the music and imagining himself dancing alongside you on stage.

Satan's intellectual curiosity is piqued as he analyzes every aspect of your performance, appreciating the artistic expression and the underlying messages in your music.

He appreciates the thought and effort that goes into your work and takes pride in your achievements.

Satan secretly researches your music, delving into the history and meaning behind each song, wanting to fully understand and support your artistic journey.

Though he may not show it overtly, Satan silently supports you and may even surprise you with in-depth discussions about your music and performances.

Asmodeus squeals with delight, overwhelmed by the beauty and glamour that you bring to the screen.

He instantly becomes your biggest cheerleader, spreading the news of your appearance to anyone who will listen.

He can't help but imagine all the fabulous outfits and fashion collaborations he could do with you, his mind already spinning with ideas.

He may even invite you to his room to discuss fashion and styling, excitedly suggesting glamorous outfits for your next performance.

Asmodeus showers you with compliments and offers his styling expertise, eager to see you shine even brighter in the spotlight.

Beelzebub's eyes twinkle with pride and genuine happiness as he watches you on TV, unable to hide his genuine joy for your success.

He reaches for snacks to munch on, savoring the flavors as he cheers you on silently.

Though he may not be the most vocal, his eyes never leave the screen, filled with admiration for your talent.

Beelzebub may even find himself humming your songs while doing daily tasks (working out, cooking, etc...).

Beelzebub's heart swells with warmth and love, feeling grateful to have you in his life and cherishing the moments when you bring happiness not just to him but to the whole world.

Belphegor's initial reaction is one of disinterest and feigned indifference.

He lounges on the couch, barely sparing a glance at the TV. However, as he catches glimpses of your performance, a small smile tugs at his lips.

Belphegor may pretend to be indifferent, but deep down, he finds comfort and solace in your music, embracing the calm and contentment that washes over him whenever he listens to your voice.

～𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

[veveisveryuncool]

TOP 5 FAVORITE KIRBY CHARACTERS

GO

AUGHAHGSBABDH....I LOVE ALL OF THEM SOSOSO MUCH <33 BUT HERE'S SOME OF THE ONES I THINK ARE VERY COOL (plus my thought process when drawing them)

6. cmonn... its kirby. kirby from kirby. he's such a wonderful fellow and so awe inspiring and cute and manifestation of love and friendship. he's a bonus but how could you not love him.

5. pitch!!!!! i love him i love him i love him. og birb with g r e e n colors and squeaky little design. plus he's super fun to use in DL3 :] to me he is a 7 year old kid who wants to be included with the big kids, and tries to act all cool and tough to impress them (but he really just loves his mama). i like drawing him with giant ahoges/head feathers, as well as giving him that long side-beak that i'm pretty sure i got from pato from pocoyo??

4. susie is amazing and wonderful and has a beautifully complex character that more people need to recognize!!! she's a capitalist and constantly has a condescending sales representative demeanor, but at heart she's just a playful girl who loves pink and ice cream and her dad that never got to have a full childhood to experience them. ALSO cyborg susie! i like to think her father let her choose one body modification each year on her birthday, but after the portal incident, she's been giving herself so many alterations that she's barely organic anymore (her voice is very AI sounding to me). uhh i like drawing her with little stars on her cuffs, and as of late i've been making her hair very fluffy (it has the same texture of a barbie doll)

3. RIBBON AAAA!!!!!!!!! i'll admit as a kid i did not like her but god she is a joy. that is a little girl! look at her! i love the idea of her being just a weird little chihuahua girl who performs seances regularly and knows the entire history of weaponry. also her being the crystal knight/guardian of ripple star headcanon!!! 🗣️🗣️ she is 100% the queen's adopted sister prove me wrong. lastly, i try to draw her as heart-shaped as possible— wings, head, hair, bow, eye highlights all vaguely resemble a heart and that is my biggest rule when i draw her. her little coat thing is inspired by @//somethinginworl 's design <33

2. bandana dee is my heart and soul and we tolerate ZERO disrespect for him here. even in canon, he's got one of the most well-defined personalities and backstories for a non-villain character! (in my heart he is the waddle dee from 64 and you can pry this from me with my cold dead hands) he's grown sososo much and i love how hal recognizes his development :]]] he may never amount to the same power as kirby, but goddammit if he doesn't have a heart and will of a true warrior 💜 i don't have a lot of idiosyncratic design choices since he's such a simple character, but his bandana ears must always be HUGE you hear me.

1. um. if you can't tell. i am very normal about adeleine. her moves in SA are super fun to use (and challenging), and oh my goshhhh the angst potential here. i am begging hal to bring her back in future games, especially with the more ancients-focused lore being incorporated recently. at heart though, i just really adore seeing her draw and paint amidst all these magical creatures in her life <3 she's slightly shy but super passionate, and is definitely kirby's big sister with her advice (especially in the storybooks!) and nicknames for him (kir-kun/kirbs in the manga). i caved long ago and gave her curtain bangs, and i really like dressing her up and experimenting with different outfits! *breathes heavily* the happy little artist kid makes me a very happy little artist kid 🫶

thanks for listening to my ramblings! in all honesty all of the kirby characters are my favorites and choosing just 5 is very hard and thought-inducing! :]

[nepristoynyy]

GEPARD & SAMPO

This is part of a breakdown of Sampo's relationships~

The biggest point Sampo and Gepard have in common is that both of them love Belobog and would do everything for their home.

It feels kind of impossible for me to talk about them without expanding on who Gepard is. Gepard is a young man with a messy life: it is duct taped together and the only thing that makes sense is throwing himself endlessly into his job. There is seemingly no difference between the military and the police forces of Belobog, so he has to constantly manage both.

A good boy with a good heart, Gepard looks like a boy whose had an adequate upbringing, but has a hard time figuring out his sense of self. He is a middle child, who keeps trailing behind his siblings: even while Serval is gone from the same system they work from, it feels like he is only in her shadow. Gepard is quite dense and naive, he has not actually ever lived through hard emotional hardships where he was placed in a position to learn and grow, at least outside the battlefield and in his personal life. He blindly trusts the system Belobog is built on and has gone through the military training which indoctrinate people in this blind trust. Given the Landau's upper middle class background, it is implied to me that this systemic trust coming from privilege had their children join the Guards due to the military propaganda.

Amidst her own complex history in the system, Serval had enough critical thinking to eventually see the cracks. However, Gepard does not. Actually, Gepard's lack of critical thinking is shown in small ways, such as him not getting why he sings his sister's tunes and being annoyed at it, how he cannot listen to his plants and take proper care of them, or have proper life hygiene. He blindly follows the system's footsteps and so finds himself unable to develop a proper emotional intelligence.

Meanwhile, Sampo is the opposite. Entirely too self aware of everything, experienced in life, having his environment and life under his own agency and control (so much so he actually figured out that nothing matter *cough in nihility*) and an entire distrust towards any system: he only trusts his own judgement and his own independence.

Sampo transparently sees every part of Gepard, seeing him somewhat in a childish manner. Like someone who is 40 look at someone who is 20: I see what you are smh. For the most part, it makes him roll his eyes, to see this much good will and energy given so blindly.

Gepard's choices are entirely opposite to Sampo's... and yet Sampo cannot bring himself to entirely dislike him. He almost feels sorry for him. Given his status, Sampo cannot help out Gepard. Gepard's blind loyalty and endoctrinated black and white thinking immediately brands Sampo as a criminal and nothing else, he won't listen to whatever he has to say, and their opposite morals just make Gepard unable to trust him. So Sampo does what he can... which is to play cat and mouse, give purpose to Gepard. Give some purpose in all the mess that is his life, and at the same time... Sampo get to have fun and bother a square who is so irritatingly too square for him. And at the same time... it turned on its head. Now Sampo, who has lost any innocence in life, broken between not having any hope for life but desperately looking for a way to renew it, finds himself just... enjoying himself in the present. And something happens. A bond between the hunter and the prey, with an untold endearment where both the love and hate are real.

When it comes strictly to those two, there is no grand scheme or title, no talk of Aeons and world bending madness. They are quite a mundane pair, and... Gepard is the definition of mundane. And it does so much good for Sampo to be around mundane, much more than he thinks it does or even want to admit it period. To feel a sense of normalcy, even when he knows it is impossible for him to live a normal life, or have normal relationships, or to even be appreciated normally... it will never happen. But for a moment, he gets a glimpse of this type of joy, even if it is through quite a violent mean.

And that is another thing... the chase. There is nothing but the chase between them. They agree on nothing, they come from two entirely different worlds (on so many levels). There is nothing except those sparks, and if the chase ends... what else is there for Sampo? Comfort? Routine? Those are illusions. Entirely against his way of life. It is not about it making him happy... Sampo cannot get rid of his views of the world, he cannot find happiness in not doing anything, or contenting himself in the privilege of ignorance and inaction of doing the bare minimum to survive. He needs the chaos to thrive, that is how he came so far: by pursuing his path the way he loves it.

And through his self awareness, he can see himself hanging out in the Overworld and it is... so dull. When there is no maybe, when things are committed, if he actually got to know Gepard more, everything would feel so... empty, he tells himself. No, there is nothing but the chase. The mayhem of it. All the maybes in the middle of those tense exchanges are a hundred times better than any real relationship which could spawn. Thus why Sampo is perfectly content with how things are. He is truly happy about this... even if it is not meant to last. And, at some point, he won't have Gepard chasing him around for some petty crime anymore.

To defile Gepard who is so pure and vulnerable also has an insane appeal to Sampo's aesthetic of Elation. In a cruel world, it is rare to see someone so lawful and uptight, coddled and all soft. To have the power to gain a reaction out of this... it's so enticing!

[viciousland]

Dear Claudia, you will find love.

Earlier I did a post regarding Madeleine as a love interest for Claudia and I need to extend further on that, so fasten your seat belts because this is going to be a long and rocky journey (thank you so much @thefairylights and @burstingbone for indulging and feeding my ideas)

Let's start by talking about one of the the main tragedies in Claudia's existence: she is an outsider, a watcher, an addition. Never the number one, not in her human life and neither in her vampiric one. 

She has never been the center of attention for the two people who are supposed to treat her as such. It is most clear with Lestat, who was forced to make her because of Louis and for his benefit, right or wrong didn’t matter; but Louis can’t be left behind, he selfishly wanted her, to make himself happy, to fix his marriage, to fix his guilt and his sorrow, and in my eyes, Louis’ biggest mistake with her is that he has constantly put her in second place. Never choosing her before Lestat.

Consequently, Claudia has been raised with two parents who are very much in love, even thought it is extremely toxic and she knows it, it is clear how much they adore each other. And that has cultivated in her, a need for a similar connection, just as intimate and all-consuming as the one Louis and Lestat have.

“Who am I supposed to love? You two have each other. Who’s my Lestat? Who’s my Louis?”

And that’s the main issue. She will NEVER EVER have that, because every potential partner will be a little boy or a pervert. And she is not wrong.

Until Madeleine changes everything!

In the book, she was a beautiful dollmaker who expressed her love with her art. Her love and grief, because she lost her baby and the way to cope with that pain was through her art. She made dolls that resembled her child and after she met Claudia, the dolls resembled her. 

But I don’t think this is where the show is taking us. It is clear that Claudia can and is willing to take care of herself. If anything, Louis is the one who appears to have an inability to be alone (we’ve all discussed Lestat’s abandonment issues but I’ve barely read anything regarding Louis’... that’s a topic for another post). What Claudia needs and wishes, is a companion heart, a lover.

This is purely speculative, but in my mind, Claudia and Madeleine work so much better as a romance, and it leaves the doors open for an assortment of possibilities.

Will Claudia, who’s a copy of her maker, become what she swore to destroy?  Will she repeat history and turn into another Lestat, just as he became his father? Will she fall in love with Madeleine because she is incredibly similar to Louis? After all, that’s exactly what Lestat did, Louis is an afterimage of Gabrielle.

Or will Claudia have the self-awareness, to realize the pattern, and be the one to break the generational trauma that has festered their existence? Will Madeleine cope and heal before turning? Will her grief (that I’m assuming will be connected with WWII) alleviate to make her a healthier vampire?

The tragic irony of it all is that, in the long term, we will probably never know. They are doomed. Claudia was doomed since the moment she was given the dark gift, perhaps even before. She was supposed to burn in that house back in New Orleans and she will burn in the end. Her actions to free herself and Louis will get her in the end.

No matter what, I need a taste of Claudia and Madeleine’s fleeting happiness. I would like to get a glimpse of what bliss and love would look like for them.

And also I’d like to look at the small moment in time where Louis and Claudia are able to put at ease their mutual rage and resentment. Because we already know this is what’s coming to them. Their trip through Europe will be ridden by grief and haunted not only by Lestat’s ghost, but by their own natures, traumas, regrets and struggles. What was that Louis said?

“But her absence would lay bare who we were without her... A simmering pot of resentments”

As it turns out, the same will happen without Lestat. The pot will boil to a point where their love will not be enough. Eventually, Louis (maybe manipulated by Armand) but most importantly urged by Claudia and Madeleine, will turn the latter. 

I wish with all my heart that this is done, hesitantly but with love. After all, Sam Reid did say that it’s simply different when vampires turn others with love and consent. Madeleine and Claudia will be happy and in love. Louis will have his moment of peace, respect and restored love with Claudia. They will have their sweet farewell. Madeleine and Claudia will make plans. Louis will start to let Lestat go. He will fantasize plans of his own with Armand. 

And this is when Claudia's diaries will stop.

And Louis will want to stay in that moment. He will dream of how their story stopped there. He will yearn for that because reality is too painful. 

I want to believe Louis will get his reckoning. The man that has always bin a bit of a pyromaniac will get his fire gift and burn the Théâtre des Vampires to the ground. Then dissociation to the highest degree will come. We know he always knew Armand was the hand that condemned Claudia and Madeleine, but what would be the point to part ways with him too? After all, he loves him. And didn’t he do the exact same thing with Lestat? He always suspected that Lestat had something to do with Paul’s death but he stayed.

Because, Louis doesn’t believe he deserves anything good. Staying with Armand is as much of a punishment as it is an act of love. 

And just like that... history repeats itself. And that’s the horror of this show. THAT’S the romantic gothic horror of it all. Destructive patterns until madness or death breaks them. 

But I just want to imagine that in their last moments. Claudia and Madeleine whispered loving words to each other. Promised to find each other in the next life just as they did in this one. Reconciled with death and embraced it with as much love as they had for each other. 

[leopardmuffinxo]

Hi I'm so sorry if I sound like a creepy stranger but I saw your Wyll x Tav edit on my dash and wanted to ask if you would ever be down to infodump about them to me because I don't have time to play BDG3 but would love to know more about them 👉🏽👈🏽

ahhh hii! ♡ i promise you don't sound like a creepy stranger. this is really sweet ask and i'm happy to talk about them. literally said i need to be more annoying about my OCs today, so this is the perfect opportunity. also, please forgive me if i ramble, but i'm bad at eloquently putting my thoughts down and tend to be all over the place lol. (this is why i'll never be a fic writer)

Just a little back story. ♡ Ember Reyavelle is the oldest of three siblings, which definitely gives her a "older sister" attitude. Juniper (tiefling female) is the middle child and River (human male) is the youngest. They were all born to human noble parents (Celeste and Elijah Reyavelle). They adore all three of their children, despite two of them having an infernal heritage, and protect them as best as they can. This family is one of my more wholesome OC backstories, so I always think of them when I need a break from my tragic OCs lol.

She's a very talented wizard and a huge bookworm. She was actually abducted onto the Nautiloid while somewhere far from the outskirts of the city, with her face buried in one of her books. She doesn't smile often and is quite stoic, coming off as very standoffish to anyone who doesn't know her well, which she's usually fine with. She's not the biggest fan of people, because despite the fact of growing up in a noble household, she's still a tiefling and people can be cruel. She sees her stoic nature as a sign of strength and doesn't give in when people push her buttons. Not that she couldn't flame them in an instant, but she tries to avoid violence if she can.

Her first impression of Wyll (at the grove gate) was that he's full of himself. Second biggest eye roll since Ast*rion joined their party lol. (Side note, but her little sister Juniper has a history of terrible partners, so she doesn't think of relationships outside of acquaintances much at all, due to always having to help Juniper mend her broken heart. That and her parents set an impressively high bar for a partner since they still show affection and love to one another to this day.) Of course, her opinion of Wyll was flipped around pretty quickly upon entering the grove and seeing him with the tiefling children. It was rare she would ever see anyone besides another tiefling go out of their way, on purpose, to be kind to tiefling children.

When Wyll joined their party, she of course she offered to help him hunt the "demon" he was looking for. Before they actually confront K*rlach, he spends some nights at camp attempting to get to know her. She and G*le constantly pick up any interesting books they come across, and trade one another after they've finished reading them. Most of the time she's still has her face buried in a book in their down time, which doesn't make much time for conversation, but he is determined to crack her shell. The first time he got her to really open up to him was asking her about the tattoo on her face. Three birds to represent her and her two siblings. It was the first time since she was abducted that her mind was taken off the tadpole, and the first time she smiled in camp. "Talking about your family brings you joy and hope in these tough times. It looks lovely on you, if you don't mind me saying." Smooth talker. Wyll uses it as a talking point from then on out if he sees her face slip into any type of sadness, and as a chance to talk about his past to exchange stories, obviously leaving out the more secretive bits for now.

After the encounter with K*rlach, she joins their camp and Wyll receives his punishment from M*zora. As much as part of her wants to grill him about M*zora, she can clearly see the pain in his eyes as his body was ripped through the hells to be changed forever. Her nurturing side immediately kicks in. She comforts him, offers tips when it comes to having horns, offers him the wax she's made herself for the upkeep. This their relationship close pretty quickly. Wyll starts falling for her first, but suppresses it for the time being while they save the grove. At the celebration, he's immediately caught off guard when Ember approaches him, full of liquid courage, and asks for a kiss. Once their lips touch, he regrets his "just the one" comment but hangs onto that high for the rest of time before they hit their next destination.

The night he asks her to dance in the shadow cursed lands was the night they truly let themselves fall for each other. Just absolutely smitten after that night. Neither of them have felt this kind of happiness in a while, and the peace they bring each other is enough to get them through the tough battles they have ahead. Wyll starts planning his proposal pretty soon after K*theric's defeat. Ember of course, says yes.

Now that that long winded explanation is out of the way, (told you I ramble lol) here's some cute little tidbits about them. ♡

Ember's parents adore Wyll and welcome him into the family with open arms. They have dinner at Ember's parent's house once a week, to get away from the busy life of a duke.

Wyll is a gentleman, but absolutely appreciates Ember's beauty, and wants her to know it. If he can touch or kiss her when she's near, he will. Hands on the small of her back, her waist, her butt lol. If their seated, you can bet his hand is around her or on her thigh. Kisses her hands, shoulders, neck, cheeks, jaw, lips.

He uses his or his father's influence to get her the newest and best books, sometimes even before they're published. Ember tells him it's not necessary, but he only wants the best for his wife.

They're one my rare ships that actually have children. Her little sister Juniper is my G*lemancer, so the kiddos have a pretty cool aunt and uncle lol.

Wyll has fresh flowers on Ember's desk at the start of every week.

Ember likes to wear jewelry, especially on her horns. So when Wyll's birthday comes up, she commissions gold adornments for him to wear on his horns.

They slow dance with one another in their room, whenever they have a chance.

Thank you so much for this ask! I'm sure there's more stored in my brain somewhere, so I'll ramble some more when I have a chance.

[briamichellewrites]

3

Bria was back to her energized self the next morning. Edward told her to run around to burn off her energy, so she found a place away from everyone else and ran around. Brad joked it would take more than that. He laughed. Was she always that energetic? Yeah, it was part of her ADHD. It was why she was homeschooled. She wouldn’t be able to sit still and pay attention in a regular classroom because she had to constantly move around.

She would also distract the other students. It was also just easier keeping her with him and not having to worry about her staying with someone off and on. What about her mother? She was adopted. Her biological parents died in a car accident. Her mother gave birth to her before she died and her father died almost immediately after the crash. He couldn’t tell she was adopted.

Neither could he sometimes. Bria came back over to them out of breath. How was that? It was good. She was thirsty, so she was going to go over and get something to drink from craft services. When she came back with a blue Gatorade, she went to the picnic table and opened it up. Moving around and the warm weather made her thirsty. But her mind couldn’t make her stop. She had to keep moving. The Gatorade tasted great and it made her feel refreshed.

Brad wasn’t worried about her while he worked. He knew where she was and that she would stay out of trouble. After running out of energy, she went back into his trailer to watch a movie. Her energy levels came in waves. She had so much energy, she couldn’t be still for more than a second. Then, that energy burned out and she had to refuel.

She went back and forth between the two until it was time for bed. Her pediatrician was keeping an eye on her to see if it was just ADHD or a sign of something else. They didn’t know her biological parents’ mental health history, so they didn’t know if she was at risk of developing anything. When she was two years old, she was screened for autism spectrum disorders because she was behind other children her age. She was found not to have it.

He was also told that her ADHD should calm down as she matured. She was a goofy kid, who made things interesting. He would have to find something she could use to channel that energy, like dance classes or acting classes. Both would help her move around. He had thought of that idea multiple times but he always forgot to look into it.

If she was too hyper for regular classes, maybe he could find a teacher who would do one on one with her. He also had the idea of taking her to a playground and letting her run around for an afternoon. She would enjoy that. He would ask his parents to take her, but they lived in Springfield, Missouri. They visited every so often. Bria loved spending time with them! Her grandfather joked with her about her nonstop energy. She was like a pogo stick.

George called her a bouncy ball. Both described her perfectly. When she was a baby, he lay on the floor and let her crawl all over him. He and her grandmother usually got the biggest smiles from her little face. They would babble with her and play with her. Was Papa being silly? Yes. Yes, he was. He was very silly. She loved her grandparents as much as they loved her.

He went in to check on her later and found her asleep. As usual, the tv was on. He turned it off before noticing the video case on the bed beside her. Cats, the Broadway musical. She had seen it several times before and she knew all of the songs by heart. He didn’t particularly care for musicals. They weren’t his thing. She loved them! One musical she wanted to see was Rent. He was unsure about that because of its subject matter.

It was about a group of friends, some of whom were living with AIDS. There were also mentions of drug abuse, homelessness, and poverty. He didn’t feel like she was old enough. Maybe when she was sixteen she could see it. Cats were about a bunch of cats. There was nothing controversial about it. Phantom of the Opera was another musical he wasn’t sure about.

He didn’t want it to be too scary for her. The Lion King was one he would definitely see because he heard great things about it! It was also one of her favorite movies, so it would be perfect! Helena was a Broadway enthusiast, so he would ask her what she thought. She thought Bria would love Phantom of the Opera! It wasn’t too scary? Oh, no. She didn’t think she would have a problem with it. He thanked her. She was watching Cats earlier, which made him think of it.

Cats was one of the longest-running Broadway musicals ever. If not the longest. She told him all about it. Since Bria was a lover of all living creatures, she didn’t doubt she loved it. One musical she did think would be too much for her was Sweeney Todd. She would wait until she was at least sixteen years old. He heard about it. It was about a guy who killed people.

He killed them and then baked them into meat pies. She would recommend waiting. There were other kid-friendly options she could pick from. He thanked her again. Around dinner time, he went to check on her wrapped in a robe to protect his costume from getting dirty. She was just waking up. He asked her how her nap was. She gave him a thumbs up. Good. When she was ready, they would go down to craft services for dinner.

She rubbed her eyes before getting up and going to the bathroom to brush her hair. After putting it into a ponytail and grabbing her sweatshirt, she followed him out. She put the sweatshirt on because it was a little cooler outside. It was five o’clock and she was hungry. Her nap helped her refuel. She had to wait in line, so she jumped up and down.

An afternoon nap was wonderful! He wished he could just take a few hours and sleep but he couldn’t. When they were back home, they would be able to sleep in. He needed to get groceries, which they could do together. She liked grocery shopping, even though he found it boring. For her, there was so much to look at and so many options. It was also a way to move around. She also liked helping him find what they needed and putting it on the belt for the cashier to scan.

They were also having George over for dinner one evening. Bria was super excited about that! They just had to come up with a date and time. George loved her like his niece. He pulled harmless pranks on her and she always told him she would get him back someday!

“You can’t prank the prankster”, he joked.

What would they do without George Clooney? As they ate, she looked around at everyone. There were cast members, extras, and crew all enjoying their dinner. He told her to finish eating, so she turned back around. She had become momentarily distracted by the sound of people talking all around her. He was done filming for the day, so they could go home early. That meant she could take a bath before going to bed. He would help her bring her boom box in.

She could then play or watch another movie until it was time for bed. I don’t know what I want to do. That was fine. She could decide that later. Since she was almost done eating, he wanted her to finish before the ants stole her food. She wrapped her arms around her plate and pulled it closer to her. My food. He laughed as she started eating again.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia @boricuacherry-blog

[unkn0wnsubstanc3]

To live with intensity and intention

“I feel that imperfection is much closer to how life is than perfection.”

Anton Corbijn is undoubtedly one of the most impactful photographers of our time. My first encounter with his work was the biopic Control (2007), link to review here, which had me glued to the screen from the very first second. Not only because it tells the story of one of the greatest bands in recent history (Joy Division) but also because every shot, every scene, every movement looks like an individual photograph - intense and beautiful. From capturing iconic artists like Depeche Mode, Nirvana, and the Sex Pistols to the music videos and films he directed, the genius of Anton Corbijn shines through each project he takes on. With a distinctive and raw visual style, he creates portraits that express the unspoken sentiment of an artist, of music… of life. He’s unafraid to lift the mask of perfection and uncover what’s beneath it: his images are honest, timeless and instantly recognizable.

What sets him apart is precisely the sincerity of his portraits. He sees through the public persona of the artist who is constantly photographed and exposed and twisted by the media. We leave the artist behind to get to the person. The public becomes the private. Corbijn abandons the polished look in service of a far deeper dive into the essence of the aura of his subjects. He has a way of seeing that few have that is almost spiritual. To quote Keith Richards, the guitarist of the Rolling Stones: “All great photographers have a third eye and Anton Corbijn has three third eyes.” Three third eyes that help him go beyond the ordinary image and into the realm of closeness, integrity, and simplicity: an important ingredient in his work.

He incorporates this simplicity into the staging of his photographs, transforming backgrounds into protagonists that tell their own story without overpowering the main subject. Corbijn has worked with some of the biggest names in music, film, and fashion and yet he portrays all artists in a common and spontaneous manner. This approach is in complete contrast to the traditional depiction of celebrities that are oftentimes seen as larger than life creatures, living on a different plane of existence than the rest of us. He humanises them and lets their notoriety fade away. The mask dissolves. Most of his photographs are taken in public spaces which opens up the image - the jammed, fake space of the studio does not exist in his world. 

His intense contrasting world is constructed by black-and-white images shot with a slow shutter speed, highlighting movement and gesture and bringing imperfections and hidden details to the forefront. This creates space for him to plunge into the inner landscapes of his subjects and convey an honest and intimate message. At the core of his visual language we find sensibility, sincerity, and elegance and that is what makes him a truly unique photographer. His authenticity draws people in and his bold and unapologetic view of the world makes them stay.

(A story goes that after directing the music video for Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box, Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, asked Corbijn to also direct the video for their next single Pennyroyal Tea. Corbijn eventually refused because he was convinced he couldn’t do better than Heart-Shaped Box. Kurt Cobain then said Nirvana wouldn’t make another video if Corbijn wouldn’t direct it - Heart-Shaped Box was the last music video the band ever filmed.)

Anton Corbijn’s work is a testament to the power of photography (and film) to capture the essence of the human spirit. His work does not fall prey to conventions - or expectations - and has a rare aura of authenticity surrounding it. This is why Corbijn’s legacy will stand the test of time and will continue to inspire and captivate audiences. His sincerity, intentionality, and intensity will never not be noticed.

[0613magazine]

210603 IANS Life

BTS pick their hardest songs

New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) How does a band that has too many monstrous hits pick that one song it may call absolutely special? The biggest boy band in the world today talks about the blood, sweat and tears that goes into their creations, while considering a reply.

The all-boy group from South Korea, known to belt out universally bestselling dance hits with awe-inspiring synchronisation in their movement in MVs like, "Fire", "Not Today", "Dope", "Mic Drop", says it would be a toss-up between their 2018 song "IDOL" and last year's "ON" when it comes to selecting their hardest number.

For the seven-member band it would seem a big task to even narrow down the count to two, given that they've hardly churned out anything yet that doesn't mesmerise their ever-growing fan base.

But then, RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook tell IANS "the harder the job, the greater the satisfaction".

"I think the choreography for ON was the hardest. There were a lot of things we had to pay attention to, including the technical aspects of the choreography and the overall vibe of the dance," says j-hope. SUGA and V chime in agreeing, about "ON" being "the most difficult".

Jimin, who is the lead vocalist and foremost in the dance line, says: "When it comes to the level of difficulty, it's definitely ON. We haven't performed the song in front of our fans in person, so I really want to show them."

"ON was a song with difficult moves and consumed a lot of stamina," Jung Kook says, explaining why it is their hardest.

RM, though, is undecided between the two --  the choice for him could be either "Idol" or "ON". Jin is sure of his reply, though he seems to think differently from his bandmates.

"IDOL was the most difficult for us because it is a song that required constant movement with no break in between," he reasons.

Right now, as their new single "Butter" continues to break records, BTS, or Bangtan Sonyeondan, are touching the skies of massive success as no other group has done in recent times anywhere in the world, riding a wave few musicians have done in the history of popular music.

In the era of inclusivity, when the world is constantly looking for new twists in entertainment, the band has struck a fresh appeal with their difficult yet perfectly synchronised, pleasant-to-the-eyes dancing skills and, of course, their music that they compose.

What is that one thing that the band keeps in mind while composing music?

SUGA, who, along with RM, is the main writer-producer, replies: "Every aspect is important -- trends, sounds and lyrics. It seems that a satisfying song comes out only when all elements fall into place."

It's fallen in place for them every time so far beginning 2013 via phenomenal chartbusters that include "Just One Day", "Run", "Fake Love", "Boy with Luv", "Mikrokosmos", "Spring Day" that have always carried a message for the fans from "self-love" to that voice that will not forget the pain of loss and then their latest release, "Butter" that smoothly melted into every heart smashing their own record garnering 10 million views on YouTube in 13 minutes upon release.

For BTS, it's really all just "getting started" every time, for the Bangtan Boys, never stop amazing themselves and their ARMY fans.

Source: IANS Life

[butwhyduh]

Getting tall

Summary: Damian finally hits his growth spurts and the fam have opinions. Some damijon, timkon, jaytemis, and dickori mentioned.

Damian was an adorable tiny murder baby when he first showed up at the manor. Like a feral kitten. Short end of normal growth at 10 years old and thin too, Dr Leslie found. Make sure he eats 3 square meals and snacks when he wants and he’ll be just fine. Alfred had made it his mission, as he had done for both Jason and Tim, to put weight on Damian.

The first family member he outgrew was Cass. She reached over to ruffle his hair only to reach up above her head rather than below it. She didn’t mind. 5’4 isn’t very tall. She’d just have to remember that the next time they spar. Height wasn’t an important factor to her.

It was a few months later that Damian hit a massive growth spurt and grew 4 inches. He passed by 5’6 Stephanie.

“Hey little dude. What are they puttin in your food, miracle grow?” She asked when she noted how tall he was and how big his feet had gotten. Damian was a bit like the giant puppies all gangly. Alfred was adjusting the Robin costume monthly after Damian rushed to put it on for patrol one day and every time he raised his arms he felt his stomach show. Clothes were constantly being bought that met his newest height increase. The Kents were very appreciative of the barely worn clothing Jon got as Damian went through another pair.

“I’m perfectly normal in growth,” he said pulling on the hem of his shirt that was growing shorter by the day. Stephanie eyed him but left it. Tim hated the height jokes they would make when everyone started passing him in height. Nowadays Tim just rolled his eyes and deferred all short jokes to Bart who Damian was now taller than. Bart didn’t care at all because he was short but he was also at least top 3 faster people ever so who cares right?

For a very short time, Damian was taller than Jon. He liked that. Jon thought it was pretty funny.

“D, I’m going to be taller. My dad and mom are both taller than yours. I’ll be taller in the end,” Jon said with a grin before Damian pushed him off the roof. Jon giggled and stared at Damian with obvious heart eyes. The kid was definitely smitten.

Tim was half an inch taller. He didn’t acknowledge it in any way. But it wasn’t surprising. His mother was tiny, his father lower end of average, and Tim probably skipped too many meals with working during an important growth phase while he was becoming Robin. 5’8.5 is a perfectly normal height for a man. He had an easier time with stealth.

Bruce watched as his son grew more handsome and taller everyday. He recognized things he hadn’t taken the time to see with Dick or Jason and had missed completely with Tim. Aftershave, cologne, and deodorant budget went up exponentially and Damian was barred from bringing any of his shoes in the house and his Robin uniform had to double washed occasionally. He spent far longer in the bathroom doing his hair and agonizing over any spot on his face.

Bruce even once caught Damian do the lean on the doorframe while talking to someone they like when Jon visited once. He had to give the worst birds and bees talk of all time. Bruce also noted how Damian had Talia’s nose and his lip curled the same way hers did when he smiled. He stretched when walking to the breakfast table the same way Dick did.

Damian didn’t get another true growth spurt for 2 years. There was plenty of jokes that he jumped up to his height and didn’t move again. Jon was once again taller than Damian. Alfred was ready this time with the massive amount of food the 15 year old could put away and panels in his costume for easier adjustments.

Talia smiled proudly at her son as he grew taller than her. He was turning out handsome like his father but kept her feature and in her mind, that was the perfect combo. She never told Damian because she didn’t him to grow arrogant.

Dick didn’t notice it right away. He was so busy with Bludhaven and the Titans that he didn’t notice Damian had gotten a full inch taller than him. He only realized when him and Damian practiced a complex move that required a taller and shorter partner while training. They paired up as they always did and the maneuver completely fell apart. Dick was mentally putting together why it failed when Damian walked over and it clicked. Little D was not so little anymore.

“You’re taller than me,” he said brightly. Damian immediately grinned.

“So now you’re little D,” Damian said back. Dick laughed at that one.

“Don’t let it go to your head. I can throw you around like a tilt-a-whirl,” Dick warned. Of course, that’s exactly what happened the next time they sparred when Damian tried to use his height advantage.

“I can beat Jason so don’t think you can beat me just by being bigger,” Dick said standing over Damian who rolled his eyes.

Dick had no problem with Damian getting taller. It was his own height he had a complicated relationship with. See, Dick grew up as an acrobat. Being tall is a disadvantage. More weight to swing, more body to move. And his father had told him growing up that almost every Grayson man has been 5’8. It’s a legacy as strong as flying above the circus crowd.

And so when at 15, Dick was very distraught with the fact that he hadn’t stopped growing at 5’8. It felt like a part of his history and family legacy had died. He wasn’t one of the 5’8 Grayson men. He never told anyone beside Kori, late at night where she told him she loved him tall or small. She had already far outpaced Dick and was on her way to being 6’4.

Duke and Alfred and Damian were the same height for a short while. Duke would joke that he could just wear the Robin’s costume since they were the same size. Damian would threaten to disembowel him if he touched it and that made Duke laugh even more.

When he grew taller Duke once again joked with Damian calling him a not so jolly green giant and Alfred considered his nutrition attempt a complete success. Damian went from a tiny kid to a tall strong young man.

Damian and Jon were practically the same size for a while. Jon barely bent his neck to rest his chin on Damian’s shoulder as his partner worked on a complex mechanical part. Then Jon hit another growth spurt to end in his final height of 6’2, same as Bruce and his father. Damian enjoyed having a taller boyfriend for a while but would never say anything. High school dances were nice.

Bruce could see Damian getting taller and stronger and was practically grown. Dr Leslie warned Bruce that growth could continue until Damian was in his early 20s and he could end up a quite tall young man or stop tomorrow.

Jason liked being the tallest and biggest in the family. He had an entire inch in height on Bruce and was at least 20 lbs heavier. He was built like tank. When Jason had died at 15, he was terrifyingly thin. Alfred had tried his best but Jason had suffered malnutrition and hunger from practically birth. He was short and thin and Dr Leslie had told Bruce he probably always would be. And so when Jason came back to life a giant 6’3 and over 200 lbs, it was a shock. It took him forever to accept his size as anything more than an amour to create fear in his enemies. The first time he had accidentally scared a woman walking in the street at night, Jason had hated that he was so big. But within his family, it had become a source of pride. He was certainly taller than Dick and Alfred and even Bruce.

So when he visited Cass’s birthday party and Jason stood next to Damian and realized that the kid was taller than him, he was a little shocked. Damian had reached his final height of 6’4.

“When the hell did you get so big?” Jason asked while cake was being served. Dick nosed in the conversation.

“Little D is taller than you now,” he said with a teasing grin at Jason.

“And yet you insist on calling me Little D,” Damian said with an eye roll.

“I call him Big D,” Jon said with a smile. Dick blanched and Jason coughed out an awkward laugh.

“Good for you, bro,” he said patting Damian on the back. Jon blushed at the sudden understanding.

“No! I mean- he’s taller than me. I didn’t mean- uh,” Jon stuttered. Damian grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him away from his brothers who were laughing.

“It’s weird you know,” Jason admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

“The fact that he is dating Jon?”

“No, they’ve been together forever. That he’s taller than me,” Jason said.

“Are you- does it bother you that you aren’t the tallest?” Dick asked with a gleeful smile.

“No,” Jason said abruptly.

“It could be like how I learned my little brother was bigger than me,” Dick teased. “All of a sudden you were just massive. My tiny little brother was this big dude. Good thing I’m comfortable with my masculinity.”

“Your girlfriend is like 6 inches taller than you. If that isn’t emasculating then there’s nothing I could do,” Jason answered.

“Yeah, she’s always been taller than me,” Dick said with a fond smile. “You can’t talk with the Amazon you’ve been hanging with.” He pushed Jason’s shoulder with a grin.

“We’re just friends-I guess,” Jason said uncomfortable. “That’s not the same-“

“Well at least Tim will always be our little brother,” Dick changed the subject but mentally noted Jason’s reaction to the mention of Artemis.

“Yeah, he’ll always be a shrimp,” Jason agreed.

“Honestly fuck you both,” Tim said from across the room. With Kon standing next to him he certainly looked tiny.

“Hey, it’s my birthday and I am the shortest and I can still kick all of your butts,” Cassandra reminded them both and they laughed but neither corrected her because they knew she was right.

[shivada-jade]

soulmates!

soulmate!au because im weak. you're weak too.

characters: bennett, zhongli, diluc ➡ mentions: barbara, lisa, guizhong, hu tao, kaeya, crepus warning(s): bennett luck (he gets hurt a lot), wrote this at 2:48am so my writing may or may not make sense

bennett: feels the same emotions from the other, but the emotions have to be strong and genuine

he never understood your sudden bursts of sadness. it would come at the most inconvenient at times.

for as long as he could remember, the emotions that weren't his are mostly sad. he asked his dads about it and gently told him his soulmate system is feeling emotions from the other.

after crying from an unknown pain, he made it his soul purpose to constantly be happy all the time, no matter how unlucky he could be so you can be happy too.

his dads worry when he falls down and scrapes his knee, but he would always reply with, "i'm not hurt! my soulmate is hurt!"

he would then clutch the fabric on his chest tightly, like he's been stabbed with a sword and say, "my soulmate hurts right here."

he heaves a breath, "it doesn't compare to whatever luck i get."

"this pain is bearable," he convinces himself when he comes out a hilichurl camp in cuts and bruises.

"your soulmate needs you to be happy for them," he chastises himself for shedding a tear when another adventurer wronged him.

he visits barbara to heal his wounds and asks how she always looks so... happy, so smiley.

"all it takes is one smile to make yourself happy. it can be a slow process but it works!" she singsongs, "miss lisa showed me a study about it."

ever since barbara explained, he smiles the brightest of smiles in mondstadt. he refuses to let other adventurers let him down, worried he might hurt you more than it is.

soon, he finds out that he feels no sadness coming from you. he feels no weight on his shoulders. he feels happy after Good hunter ran out of food for him.

these are not my emotions, he thinks, a wide grin creeping it's way to his face.

he lets out the loudest laugh, giggles, and various joyous noises. he's never felt so happy in his life. for once, he feels lucky, because for once, you're finally happy in the other end of his invisible red string of fate.

his luck skyrockets when he sees a person around his age, with a gorgeous smile adorning their features. he knows its you, sitting by the fountain making wishes. he knows it's you when he sees your eyes that hold so much emotion.

it was as if his heart was tugging him to where you sat.

he's never felt so lucky to have you as his soulmate.

"thank you giving the best smiles"

zhongli: every time he passes his soulmate, he hears the sounds of bells ringing

now, zhongli never thought he would have a soulmate because of his past title of 'archon.' soulmate systems are a tricky thing. he knows there are so many ways to know your soulmate system.

the common system was their first words tattooed on themselves. many others had the ability to know when they meet them, in other words, a count down.

but zhongli never had those two, nor did he have faith in the soulmate system until the lantern rite festival.

walking by the busy streets, he muses to himself how pretty liyue is under the blanket of the moon and stars. he hears the merchants call to customers, attracting and waving at them to buy their products. he hears the clink of the mora in their bag is loud; the laughter from the children young and old marry a soft smile to his face.

he freezes, hearing something that should not belong in the lantern rite. the sound of bells ringing. it isn't any cow bell, or school bell. it's the sound of echoing, melodious wedding bells ringing his ear.

he vaguely remembers his friend guizhong mentioning about this rare particular soulmate system when she still roamed teyvat.

a soulmate!

zhongli stands straighter, eyes grazing on the sea of people, trying to see if anyone stopped to hear the bells he heard. he mutters a few apologies when people bump into him with lanterns in their hands, but that doesn't matter to him.

fate brought someone for him to love. it's just that... he doesn't know where.

he walks forward, he walks backwards to where he came from. he walks to the docks then to the top of liyue harbour, but he can't hear the sound of the bells again.

he doesn't panic. he doesn't rush, because he knows fate will bring you back together. he just doesn't know how long until he'll hear the bells again.

it came to him a surprise when he hears the bells everyday after that.

everyday when he sits at third-round knockout he hears the sound of bells behind him, but when he turns, he knows you've left already.

he sighs, blowing on his tea before taking light sips. it seems he won't be meeting you today.

one day, the ringing just stops. there's no sign of you, or your presence. zhongli assumes you're just taking a sick day, or you've decided to rest, but after a week of not hearing the bells, he worries.

archons, how he wanted to look for you, but he doesn't even know who you are. hu tao encourages zhongli to take the day off and look for you, so he did.

walking aimlessly in liyue, doubt crosses his mind. what if you were here for a business trip and left? it wasnt until he passes by a stunning figure he hears the bells again. he stiffens and turns to you when you stopped next to him.

"thank goodness," he says, slightly covering his smile with a gloved hand.

your eyes sparkle as you look at him, "thank goodness indeed."

diluc: lost possesions will come to your soulmate

for as long diluc knows, strange things always end up in his possessions: hairclips, pens, coins, and archons forbid- his soulmate's overdue bills.

his father laughs when younger diluc comes home dragging a wagon and the biggest teddy bear in history, because how on teyvat does someone lose a teddy bear taller than a door. crepus watches his son struggling to drag the big toy home and sees his other son pushing the wagon from behind, also struggling.

"what do you have there?"

all the response he gets are grunts. the side of his eyes crinkle with mirth, seeing his two sons having trouble bringing it home.

"father!" diluc calls out with a grin missing two of his front teeth, "i don't know where it came from. it's like it appeared from the sky."

"it actually did fall out of the sky!" kaeya says, "we were at the vineyard and i saw diluc get crushed!"

"i did not get crushed."

"did too," kaeya retaliates, sticking his tongue out.

that was the first time diluc heard of this certain soulmate system. lost things from his soulmate go to his possession; lost things from diluc go to his soulmate's possession.

crepus glances at his boys and gets an idea. he calls for them to follow him, and they do, obediently. he leads them to his room, pulling out a treasure chest full of frilly clothes, dresses, outfits that range from a farmer's outfit to a noblewoman.

"this chest is where your mother kept her favourite things," crepus pulls out a necklace from the bottom of the case. "this necklace was particularly her favourite."

diluc can see why. he's mesmerized by the ruby sparkle it hangs. the gold chain complimenting the red jewel and making it complete.

crepus clutches the necklace, looking at it longingly before placing it back in the chest. he places out all the old clothes from the container and lays it on his bed.

"you can keep your soulmate's things here like i once did. your pops is getting too old anyway, i-"

kaeya interrupts crepus jumps on the clothes that are on the bed, creating a havoc in the room. he jumps on the bed with so much energy even after diluc tells him about the story of the 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed.

though, crepus is having none of that. he picks up diluc by his small arms and flings him to kaeya, looking like a bowling ball knocking down a pin. the two boys gasp for air, shooting dirty looks at their father before they chase him out of the house.

the corner of diluc's mouth twitch up ever so slightly, remembering when he first knew of his soulmate. it would take a very observant person to notice his smile. he polishes the glass behind angel's share's counter. under the filtered sunlight, the glass glints. satisfied with the cleanliness.

the chest his father game him was fill of trinkets his soulmate had lost over the years, and good grief. his soulmate must be the most disorganized person ever. he remembers walking to dawn winery and a sack of mora drop on his feet. it wasn't a pleasant feeling, but the thing that has diluc worried is how his soulmate tends to lose the biggest things like a 7-foot-tall teddy bear.

diluc is about to place the wine glass on a cupboard until SMACK.

a thick paper hits his face from seemingly nowhere and so he knows that is his soulmate losing the tenth thing for the day. he has a room dedicated for the things his soulmate has lost, and he thinks he might need a second room.

he pulls the paper off his face and his eyes widen in shock. this two-inch thick paper are legal documents. loan agreements. overdue loan agreements.

[Name] [Last Name]

he notes the name in his head. [Name] owes the fatui 35 thousand mora as interest. what kind of reckless person- then it hits his mind. that sack of mora that fell from the sky was that 35 thousand to pay off the loans.

he knows where to go. he leaves the wineglass on the counter for charles to pick up and hastily grabs his coat and leaves the door.

"liyue, liyue, liyue, and the fatui." he chants in his head. loans. he greets his maid before ascending to his room. he snatches the mora that dropped on his feet and sprints out the door to retrieve his stallion.

a few hours at most to make it to where his fated partner was at, and so he sets off.

arriving at liyue is strange, seeing diluc's attire did not match the city, and seeing his hands are holding the reins of his horse tightly. a strange traveler from a foreign land... with a majestic stallion. he looks like a prince straight out of a fairytale.

he lightly pats his horse, urging to go a bit faster from the trotting they were doing until he meets the gaze of a distressed person in front of the fatui.

"i swear! i had the money and the papers just today!"

diluc scoffs, knowing who they were now, and they did not have the money today. they lost it a week ago.

"listen," the masked fatui grumbles. "im just here to do my job. if i don't have the money in my hands right now i'll-"

diluc jumps off the saddle and unloads the sack of mora from the side, dropping it on the fatui's hand with a seething glare, yet still polite.

"i believe they owe you 35 thousand? sounds about right, no?" he says, letting his diplomatic side show a bit. "for the sake of it, why not amuse me and take this, david. hmm?"

the fatui goes rigid, hearing his name. he slowly lifts his eyes up, "master diluc." he curtly nods and skittishly walks away. one time david spilled drinks at a mondstadt political gathering. he spilled it on diluc.

the ragnvindr waits for the fatui to walk away before turning to his, supposedly love of his life.

"you're the one who lost a 7-foot-tall teddy bear when i was six," he points out, waiting for your response.

his soulmate sheepishly smiles, "well- i would have a good defense but hey, did you at least enjoy having a 7-feet-tall teddy bear fall on you?"

"i did, along with a glass mug falling on me as well."

"i just cant believe how you never lose your stuff!" they retort, "the only thing i got was a missing tooth from you."

the tip of diluc's ears turn the same colour as his hair, but still wears a stoic expression. "i'm diluc ragnvindr," he greets, slightly bowing his head.

"and i'm yours"

part 2: with ganyu, kaeya and thoma