#One of the first people to accept me for my gender soup

[myfuckingpenexploded]

Sometime I remember how weird virtual friends are- like yes, I know this man and I trust him with my life! Have I met him in person? no, he lives in a different continent.

There is a random dude who I only got into contact with because a friend's friend knew him in elementary school. And he knows more about me than my family. That's super weird.

The other day I called him to entertain him during a 4 hour train ride, spent one hour on call with him. And the guy next to him aparently wanted to be apart of the conversation so now there's two guys who I've never seen irl who know my name and my weird lore.

We live in a world where this is normal and I love it. He's one of my closest friends now and I never would have met him in other circumstances.

This is a man who has found and read my fanfiction, let me drag him back into the countryhumans fandom after he escaped and he's still here. The internet is good sometimes :D

[water-to-drink]

So this is Life on the Outside

(Pairing): yan!Zhongli x sheltered!gn!reader

(Summary): After spending many years sheltered from the outside world you take your first steps into unfamiliar territory and meet someone who seems to be trustworthy

(Warnings): NSFW, death (not reader’s or Zhongli), reader is very naive (and Zhongli takes advantage of that), dub-con, praise kink, rough sex (at the end though), overstimulation (at the end too)

(A/n): I’m fucking sick with a cold and it fucking sucks, so I wrote this to try to focus on something other than my cold, btw this is my second smut fic, (and let me know if there’s any gendered language here)

꒷꒦˚︶︶꒦꒷︶꒷꒦˚꒷꒦˚︶꒦꒷ ♡ ꒷꒦︶˚꒦꒷˚꒦꒷︶꒷꒦︶︶˚ ꒦꒷

The world was a big scary place, that notion was thrilled into your head for as long as you can remember

You only knew someone personally and it was your Nana. She was the only person you had in this world and it appears it was the same for her

She would tell you that people were not to trusted and that you’ll only get hurt in the end, because of this you rarely went outside and didn’t question it. Being the only person you truly had a connection it was absolutely devastating when she died, leaving you alone

When you had to fend for yourself which meant going outside and you were dumbfounded when it wasn’t the hellscape she described. You walked to the marketplace taking in the sights you’ve been denied from seeing. After reaching your destination you realized how much you didn’t know. You didn’t know how money works nor where it came from

Dejected you decided to cut your loses until a strong hand rested on your shoulder

“Excuse me, but would you like for me to help you?”

You turned your head and saw a much older man with brown hair and golden eyes. He looked friendly enough so you accepted. You learned that his name is Zhongli and works at a funeral parlor, whatever that is

He offered you a meal at a restaurant, which you gladly accepted. The restaurant had food you never heard of before and they had so many options, it all overwhelmed you.

“Mr. Zhongli what should I get?

“I usually get the bamboo shoot soup, is that what you’re going to order?”

“Yep, you look very smart so I can trust you!” You said, your naivety showing through

As the day went on you told Zhongli about your life and there was something that showed up in his eyes that your innocent nature couldn’t decipher

After the meal was over he walked you home on the excuse of there being “dangerous people out at night and he’s someone you can trust.” You missed the hungry stares he would throw at you, especially towards your thighs and waist

“Thank you for walking me home, goodnight Mr. Zhongli.”

“You almost forgot something.”

“What is it?”

“A kiss, it’s customary to give one to people you’re close to. You don’t want to come off as rude, do you?”

You quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek, the same one you would give to Nana, it was meant to be friendly. And you didn’t want to disappoint Mr. Zhongli, and he seemed to be satisfied with your kiss

“Have a goodnight.” He smiled

꒷꒦˚︶︶꒦꒷︶꒷꒦˚꒷꒦˚︶꒦꒷ ♡ ꒷꒦︶˚꒦꒷˚꒦꒷︶꒷꒦︶︶˚ ꒦꒷

The two of you were close after that. Zhongli would accompany you on strolls around Liyue harbor and tell you the history of it.

Nana told you to stay far away from older people, men especially. She always said they can’t be trusted but never told you why, but Mr. Zhongli is different

He always makes sure you get the best deals on items, he helps you carry your groceries to your house, you trust him completely

You trust him so much that you didn’t bat an eye when he offers for you to stay with him and sleep in his bed with him, there’s nothing wrong with sharing a bed with him, right?

He’s so sweet and smart too, he tells you everything he knows about Liyue’s history. He even shows you priceless artifacts he has, you love how smart he is and how he teaches you things other than history

“Like this?” You held your legs open just as you were instructed

“Yes, like that.” He said as he pressed his cock against your hole

The feeling of him entering your walls felt foreign. Halfway in and it almost felt it was to much for you, but he told you it will eventually start to feel good. He finally fully sheathed his cock all the way in your gummy walls. After a while the stretch soon started to feel good, just like he said

“Your doing so well.” He praised as he wiped tears you didn’t know were there. “I’m going to start moving, is that okay?”

You nodded and he slowly began thrusting, the small mewls and whimpers grew into moans as his pace quickened

Zhongli took your left leg from your grip and threw in over his shoulder, getting deeper than before. You looked up at his concentrated face, like he was looking for somethi-

“Nnhhggg!”

A grin appears on the man’s face, he grabs your waist with both hands and starts to abuse that sweet spot

Archons, it felt so good~! Your eyes rolls to the back of your head and your tongue was out of your mouth

“You look you adorable all fucked out like this.” Zhongli’s words of praise went straight to your core, tightening around his cock. “You love it when I praise you, huh angel?”

You weakly nodded, your functions too muddled to form proper words. Too focused on the feeling of his cock dragging through your wall, you didn’t notice how his thrust became more sloppier

Zhongli reached down and captured your mouth in a heated kiss all the while thrusting into you with such fervor, you feel yourself on the verge of passing out

“That’s it, angel. Take my cock just how I taught you!” He said into your ear

With a few more thrust you came with a loud moan. As you fell limp Zhongli thrusted wildly completely disregarding any semblance of control how you lay limp. After a couple of harsh thrusts the man finishes deep inside you

A sigh let out of his lungs as he stood straight to admire you

Legs twitching from oversimulation, your entrance stuffed full with both his cock and cum, and you fucked out expression

He can feel his cock getting hard again, you seem to be coherent enough to go another round

[frauleindermorgen]

this unit values authority and faith

Try recruiting her again when you gain more experience?

tsu's fodlan template

PERSONAL INFORMATION

GENDER. Female

AGE. 25 (technically in toa she’s had two birthday so now 27 *shrug emoji*)

HEIGHT. 155 cm (5'0")

BIRTHDATE: Tenth of the Horsebow Moon (Sept 10th)

Brand/Holy blood: Marked as ? at first until later revealed in supports (obv dont click if u follow this blog + somehow dont know this and want RD unspoiled)

CLASS. Black Eagles Student

AFFILIATION. Kingdom of Daein, Tellius

PERSONAL HISTORY

Tellius calendar: 62…? Born

633: becomes a herbalist and later a fortune teller to make ends meet. Moves to the back alleys of Nevassa.

638: Meets Sothe

645: Attempts to leave Sothe behind in Crimea and take a boat to Begnion. Regrets this when war breaks out and they are separated.

Between 646 and 648: Reunites with Sothe and helps form the Dawn Brigade

648 summer to early winter: Meets Pelleas and is put in charge of first Daein Liberation Army and then King Pelleas's army 

Winter of 648: Accepts the request of Daein’s people and the king himself and prepares to take up the kingdom’s crown

INTERESTS. Magic, herbalism, hiking, games of strategy, divination

LIKES. The quiet, sunrise, her quill and journal, the greenhouse and gardening

DISLIKES. The smell of blood, daggers, sickeningly sweet things (and people), being alone for too long

STATUS.  Queen in training 

CLOSE ALLIES: Elincia, Celica, Pelleas, Leonardo, Edward, Kurthnaga

DINING HALL PREFERENCES

LIKES. Vegetable pasta salad, vegetable stir fry, Saghert and cream, Onion gratin soup, Sweet bun trio

DISLIKES. Anything with meat; fish too, though tends to be standard dishes rather than disliked.

DINING HALL NOTES

FAVORITE DISH.  ✧

To be able to have something like this… I am very grateful.

STANDARD DISH.  ✧

It’s nice to eat together, isn’t it? Oh, but don’t let it get cold!

LEAST FAVORITE DISH. ✧

Ah…  –I sounded sounded hurt, just now? No I’m… it’s fine, it will take getting used to, that’s all.

WITH CELICA/ELINCIA.  ✧

"It's been some time since we could talk to face to face leisurely; please, tell me what has transpired in your life since."

WITH SOREN.  ✧

C rank or below

"I usually do not mind the quiet but… well. Alright, I suppose I should get some reading in as well.”

B rank or above

“There’s an open spot so I’m sitting here. [...]  "Is that all you’re having? Here, eat up.”

WITH EDWARD.  ✧

“I’ll take some bread, but only a bit. I said a bit! Oh, and you can't just keep giving me those vegetables, you know."

(if eating with a third party)

“Can you help me talk some sense into this one? Afternoon classes are about to start and he thinks I should take the bread roll. You need it more, Edward - “new political thought in the Leicester Alliance” doesn’t take nearly as much energy as Gauntlet training!”

(to third party)

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

WITH LEONARDO.  ✧

“This dish is quite tasty! Do you think we could make it together sometime? I think I’d like to try…”

TEA TIME GUIDE

FAVORITE TEA. Mint Leaves, Ginger Tea, Crescent-Moon Tea, Bergamot 

CONVERSATION TOPICS. hopes for your future. books you've read recently. classes you might enjoy. capable comrades. cooking mishaps. a place you’d like to visit. the library's collection. the last battle.

TEA TIME QUOTES

GREETING.  ✧

(1) "Thank you for the invitation!”

(2) “Oh! You’ve already prepared it?”

(3) “I have been looking forward to this.”

FAVORITE TEA. ✧

“Oh, this is lovely. Thank you so much for thinking of me. May I?”

FIVE STAR TEA.  ✧

“Please, this is too much. Next time let me treat you.”

BEING OBSERVED.  ✧

(1) "Staring at me like that, your thoughts become almost… loud. Hm."

(2) "My hair? No, I'm not sure. This color is uncommon where I come from as well."  (3). "Have you been sleeping properly? You seem a bit tense.”

QUIPS.  ✧

Oh no, I wasn’t ignoring you. I saw a bird fly by just now and she reminded me of a friend.

Oh! It's much sweeter than I first thought.

Mmhm.

Of course.

That’s…

ENDING. ✧

"This was nice. I usually spend my down time in the forest or near the mountains but I could grow used to this as well."

FINAL COMMENTS.  ✧

To have even one person by your side to cherish is a truly precious thing, do you not agree?

ANSWER. Nod, Chat 

I do not miss having those visions exactly… but I do wonder if I could lead better, *be* better if I still had access to them.

ANSWER. Admonish, Sigh

I am used to drinking tea made from leaves I gathered myself.

I'd like to try that again some time.

ANSWER. Commend, Sip tea

I am a bit out of practice, but I used to make a living telling fortunes. If you give me your hand we can try it!

ANSWER. Blush, Laugh

MISCELLANEOUS DIALOGUE.

DISLIKED GIFT.  ✧

"That was kind of you."

LIKED GIFT.  ✧

"Something for me? You need not have, but I am glad you did."

FAVORITE GIFT.  ✧

"I... do not know what to say, no that's not right, I do - it's wonderful, thank you."

LOST ITEMS

AGRICULTURAL MANUAL: A large and intimidating tome on all manner of subjects related to large scale agriculture; a handmade bookmark has been left in a section titled “preparing the land”.

Location found: Library

BOOK OF FLOWER MEANINGS A second hand book that looks like it may have been purchased from the bazaar in town, with small pieces of parchment sticking out every which way. Notes are scribbled carefully on each piece of parchment and although the book is worn it is well cared for; it probably belongs to an eager student of its content.

Location found: Dining hall

RED GLOVES

Long, fingerless red gloves that reach past the elbow clearly belonging to someone with a slim and petite figure; you’re sure you’ve seen a pair just like these before in fact. Location found: Second floor dormitory

LOST ITEM QUOTES

OWNER.  ✧

"Yes, this is mine. You found it for me, then? Thank you so much!”

NOT OWNER.  ✧

"No, this does not belong to me; but I sense it is very precious to someone else. Shall we look for them together?"

MONASTERY QUOTES

CHOIR PRACTICE.  ✧

(1) "I’ve only sung by myself before… please let me know if I’m doing alright."

(2) "Everyone's voices coming together, yes, I understand why some would call it divine."

COOKING.  ✧

(1) "This is a bit different than the clay oven I'm used to..."

(2) "Oops!" (3) That technique you used, just now – might I watch it again?"

TUTORING

INSTRUCT

BAD.  ✧

"As I thought… this is quite difficult.”

Critique: "Yes. I will keep that in mind."

Console: "No, do not go easy on me. Please let us run through it again.”

GREAT.  ✧

"I have now seen this work and its rewards.”

PERFECT.  ✧

“I’ve done it! I feel as if I have gone beyond my limits.”

PRAISE. "Oh no, without you I could not have done so. Please keep guiding me.”

TASKS

STABLE DUTY. ✧

“I still fear riding, but being with them like this I can tell these horses are gentle creatures.”

WEEDING.  ✧

"Ah, this brings back memories; do you want to see who can gather up the most, it might be fun!”

SKY WATCH.  ✧

“It’s so high… please just give me a moment.”

CERTIFICATION EXAMS

FAILED.  ✧

"I apologize… next time I will be ready.”

PASSED.  ✧

"One step closer."

LEVEL UP

0 TO 2 STATS UP .  ✧

“This is… no, I can do better than this. I must.”

3 TO 4 STATS UP .  ✧

“If something has gone wrong I will simply correct it.”

5 STATS UP .  ✧

“Yes. For Daein!”

6 STATS UP .  ✧

“Goddess Ashunera, surely this is thanks to you.”

UPON REACHING LEVEL 99 .  ✧

“Yune, are you watching? No… I know you are. I promise to continue making you proud.”

UPDATE GOALS

RIDING.  ✧

“I think my fear of riding has less to do with the mounts themselves, and perhaps more so with my memories involving cavaliers. If I study their actions; their strategy and reasoning, I feel I will become more secure, and I ask that you support me. One day I very well may need to cast in this way.”

REASON.  ✧

“I am not sure if it is the classes or the people here but the offensive magic of Fodlan fascinates me. I think perhaps it is not so different from what my mentor once taught me. Would you like to see my notes – oh, er, of course later is fine.”

AUTHORITY.  ✧

“I came here to find out how to lead my people and I have since discovered that there are as many people as there are lands; so please, let me hone in on this field. I will create a Daein that everyone can be proud of.”

BUDDING TALENT

“I’ve almost grasped it. Once more!”

NEW SKILL

“Achieving something through my own power like this is wonderful; truly I thank you.”

RECLASSING .  ✧

(1) “It’s a strange feeling.” (2) “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” (3) “I will do my best.”

BATTLE QUOTES

WHEN SELECTED

FULL/HIGH HP .  ✧

“Let’s move out.”

MEDIUM HP .  ✧

“I see.”

LOW HP .  ✧

“Compared to them, this is…”

ENEMY DEALS 1 OR NO DAMAGE OR MISSES .  ✧

“I do not fear you!”

CRITICAL ATTACK .  ✧

“For the hope of all!” “Light, surround me!” “The future is ours!” “No more hesitation!”

GAMBIT .  ✧

“Together!”

“Stand down or we strike!”

GAMBIT BOOST .  ✧

“You have my trust and I have your back.”

DEFEATED ENEMY .  ✧

“It is done.” “Goodbye.” “I will not forget you.”

ALLY DEFEATS ENEMY .  ✧

“Well done!” “Magnificent skill!” “I could learn much from you.”

ALLY HEALS/RALLIES .  ✧

“I am in your debt.” “Let me return the favor now.” “This bond is our strength.”

DEFEAT QUOTE

CASUAL .  ✧

“There are people depending on me, I cannot fall here.”

CLASSIC .  ✧

“This thread of fate… cut short…” “I couldn’t… keep that promise.”

[optimismxmagicism]

Ewan in Fodlan!

Personal Info:

Gender: Male (transmasc) Birthday: 22nd day of the Harpstring Moon (May 22nd) Age: 14 Height: 145cm Weight: 38 KG Crest/Holy Blood: N/A Class: Blue Lions Affiliation: Gerik’s Mercenaries, Caer Pelyn

Personal History:

Magvel 791 - Was born to a wealthy merchant couple in Jehanna To protect him, Tethys took him from their home and fled. Grew up on the streets of Jehanna’s capital with his sister, Tethys.

Magvel 799 - Was found and recruited by Gerik’s Mercenaries

Magvel 800 - Started tutelage under Saleh in Caer Pelyn

Magvel 803 - Participated in the war of stones, joining Princess Eirika in her battle against the Demon King.

Magvel 805 - Received a letter of acceptance and traveled to Fodlan, joining the officer’s academy as a student of the Blue Lion house.

Interests: Studying Magic, harmless pranks, Likes: Learning, Magic experiments, brain teasers, sharing sweets with his loved ones, eating sweets, playing pranks on friends, Dancing. Dislikes: Poverty, the dark, being alone for too long, being made fun of for his height, spiders, going to bed hungry, lecherous men. Status: Student to the Great Sage Saleh and junior member of Gerik’s Mercenaries

Close Allies: in TOA: Erk, L’arachel Outside: Tethys, Saleh, Gerik, Marisa

Dining Hall Preferences

Likes: Saghert and Cream, Sweet Bun Trio, Pheasant Roast with Berry Sauce, Peach Sorbet, Small Fish Skewers, Fried Crayfish, Vegetable Pasta Salad, Onion Gratin Soup, Country-Style Red Turnip Plate, Fruit and Herring Tart, Fisherman’s Bounty, Fish Sandwich

Dislikes: Beast Meat Teppanyaki, Pickled Rabbit Skewers, Daphnel Stew, Cheesy Verona Stew, Pickled Seafood and Vegetables, Gautier Cheese Gratin.

Dining Hall Quotes

Favorite Dish

“Wow! This is seriously tasty! Do ya think they used magic to make it?”

Least favorite dish

“Uh…. I’m not hungry right now. ..what? No dessert?! Aw… okay..”

Tea Time Guide

Favorite Tea: Honeyed-Fruit Blend

Favored Topics

A place you'd like to visit / Books you've read recently / Children at the market / Cooking mishaps / I’m counting on you / Our first meeting / Past Laughs / Reliable allies / Someone you look up to / Tell me about yourself / Thanks for everything / The library’s collection / The view from the bridge / Working together / You seem well / You’re doing great work / Favorite sweets / Shareable snacks / Books you’ve reach recently / Heart-racing memories / Hopes for your future / Dreamy Knights

Tea Time Quotes

Greeting

“Thanks for the invite! I always enjoy drinking tea with a friend!”

Favorite Tea

“Ohhh, this is my favorite! Sis sometimes bought it for me as a treat!”

5 star tea

“Gosh, are you sure you wanna spend such a fancy tea on me? Well hey, thank you!”

Being Observed

“Aw, do I have something on my face again? I can wipe it off myself, I’m not a child!” "What is it? Am I just so adorable you can't look away?" "I can see the clarity in your eyes! ..That's what teacher sometimes says, hehe." "You can poke my cheek- it's soft, I promise!"

Introducing Own Topic

“I was studying before you called me here, so getting the chance to relax is so nice!” “Have you ever tried tea made from mountain herbs? It’s surprisingly sweet!” "This school is so fancy.. Kid me would've never imagined attending such a place!" "I wonder how my big sis is doing. I should send her a letter again sometime..." "You're not my first teacher, did you know that? I'm studying magic under someone else too!" "I wonder who got the idea to put leaves in hot water.. I wonder if other plants would work too..." "Hey so, I've been thinking about designing Pegasus-pulled carriages! What do you think? Doesn't that sound fun?" "The air here is so nice. So much better than dry desert air, yuck!" "There's so many pretty people here- but none are as pretty as my big sis!"

Quips

“Hm?” “Oh!” “Yeah!”

End

“Ahh.. I feel so refreshed already! Thanks so much for the tea, Professor!”

Misc. Dialogue

Gift Guide

Favorite Gifts: Armored Bear Stuffy, Board Game, Tasty Baked Treat, Gemstone Beads Disliked Gifts: Blue Cheese, Smoked Meat, Training Weight

Gift Quotes

Disliked gift

“Uhh.. Oh, here’s a magic trick! One, two, three.. and poof! It’s gone!“

Liked gift

“Oh, wowzers! Thank you!”

Favorite gift

“Whoa, is it really okay for me to have this?! I'll have so much fun with it, thanks!”

Lost Items

Doodled Tome - A beginner spell tome full of juvenile doodles, much to the original owner’s chagrin. It probably belongs to a scatterbrained mage. Location found: dormitories

Dancer’s Bracelet - An ornate bracelet usually worn by dancers outside of Fodlan. It’s held on a string, as if to be worn as a necklace. It probably belongs to someone close to a dancer who’s too small to wear it properly. Location found: library

Ribbon Staff - A healing staff decorated with flashy red ribbons, perfect for use on stage. Probably belongs to a mage that likes to show off a little. Location found: Classrooms

Lost Item Quotes

Owner

“Ooh, I was wondering where I dropped that! Thanks so much for finding it!”

Not owner

“No, that doesn’t look familiar to me. Should I use magic to figure out who's the owner?”

Battle Quotes

Mock Battle Retreat

“Owie! Aw.. I guess I still have a lot to learn after all..”

First Kill

“I.. I took on magic to protect my friends, but this is… so much blood…”

Monastery Lines

Choir Practice

“La La laaaaa~ Ehehe, surprised? I used to sing all the time with my sister!”

Cooking

“Hey, do you think this would go well with what we’re making? …no? Aw, okay.”

Tutoring

Instruct

Bad

“Huh?! What went wrong here?! Aw, boo..”

Console: “Thank you.. I-I’ll do better next time, promise!” Critique: “Yikes, that’s harsh! I was trying my best!”

Great

“Heehee, that was no problem at all!”

Perfect

“Did you see that?! Are you proud of me, Teacher?”

Praise: “Aw, shucks, I’m blushing.. keep it coming though!”

Stable Duty

“Aww, you're such a cutie, aren't you? Want a sugar cube- OW! Don't bite my hand!”

Weeding / Clearing Rubble

“Ow, my back is starting to hurt.. why don’t we take a break soon?”

Sky Watch

“W-Whoa, we’re so high up! Don’t drop me, okay Pegafriend?”

Certification Exams

Failed

“Aw, what the heck? I totally thought I nailed that one!”

Passed

“Woohoo! Do I look more like a great sage yet? Huh? Do I?”

Lecture Questions

Approach

“Hey teacher, I have a question!”

Question

“Hey so, I sometimes hear people say magic is lame and that makes me so mad! Yet when I confront them they just laugh me off and call me a pipsqueak.. how should I get rid of them?”

OK: “Just ignore them, they aren’t worth your time.” Bad: “Have you thought about bulking up a little?” Good: “Give them a demonstration! Show em who’s boss!”

Bad Answer

“Uh.. if you say so!”

Good Answer

“Yeah, I totally thought so too!”

Update Goals

Reason

“I wanna be a great sage like my teacher back home as soon as I can, which means achieving total mastery over anima magic! To that end, please help me train my reason skills!”

Faith

“I fight to keep everyone safe, but sometimes injury is unavoidable right? If I can heal everyone I can be even more helpful! So please, help me train in Faith!”

Swords

“I’m not one for swordfighting, but my sister and everyone else in the mercenary company knows how to use them! So maybe a little practice would be good, what do you think?”

Level Up

0 to 2 stats up

“Maybe I should just take it easy for a little bit…”

3 to 4 stats up

“Hey, not bad, not bad at all!”

5 stats up

“With magic like this, I’ll protect everyone!”

6 stats up

“Wahoo! I’ll catch up soon Teacher! You’ll be so proud of me!”

Upon reaching level 99

“Whoa… I’m already so strong, yet I don’t have a wizard beard… phew.”

Budding Talent

“Heehee, I’m just a treasure trove of surprises, huh?”

New Skill

“Ooh, I wonder what I can do with this!”

Reclassing

“Hehe, what do you think of this snazzy new look? Am I tough? Or adorable?”

Battle Quotes

When selected

Full/High HP

“Ooh, I’ll help!”

Medium HP

“Still got energy to spare!”

Low HP

“I’m.. a little worn out.”

Enemy Deals 1 or No Damage or Misses

“That’s all?” “Whoops!”

Critical Attack

“I’ll protect us all!” “Woo, watch me go!” “This show’s over!” “Magicaboom!” “Like a great sage would!”

Gambit

“Let’s do this everyone!”

Gambit Boost

“You can count on me!”

Defeated Enemy

“Oh! I won!” “How do ya like them apples?!” “My magic’s the best!” “Are you proud of me, teacher?”

Ally Defeats Enemy

“Wow, you were so strong!” “Heehee, don’t hog all the spotlight!” “Hey, could you teach me how to do that?”

Ally Heals/Rallies

“Feeling SO much better!” “Yay, thank you!” “Just what I needed!”

Death/Retreat Quote

Casual

“Ow ow ow OW! That was too much! Sorry guys, Time to exit… stage left..”

Classic

"Why can’t I.. move? I don’t.. Sis.. Teacher.. I’m so sorry, I completely… messed up…”

[truckfreaks]

had such an funny array of experiences the other night at that bar and I've been reflecting on it and wanting to write about it very much.....

on one hand i saw my friends sibling who i haven't seen in quite a while, and he was more outwardly open and excited and chatty than hes been for probably the whole ten years I've known him. like, he even invited me to his bands show? he never invites anyone! he's notorious in our crowd for being very, like... idk. ive heard lots of things - "particular", "difficult to work with", perfectionist... but he was totally different.

he brought his new boyfriend along, and we all had a long silly talk about sneaking into cons when we were kids, navigating the precarious world of gender soup (he understands my soup probably better than anyone, cis trans or otherwise, that I've ever met! it felt great!), the different creative projects were working on (he went to college for video game soundtrack composition at a really prestigious school - super talented!), got really excited when we realized we never had any idea one another had bugsonas and excitedly shared art of our respective bug guys... oh and his boyfriend recognized Dr. Habit on my phone lock/background?! it was the first time anyone's ever recognized anything SFM related on me in the wild ! so that was cool!

and on the other hand... my friend (his brother)'s girlfriend who i've been trying to give an honest fair shake in getting to know was there as well. and like, i think surface wise most people look at her and assume she's like, very ... leftist? and I'm sure she thinks she is, too. but every time i talk to her she sneaks in some kinda backhanded comment about women. i get a big internalized misogyny plus Italian familial politics vibe. and i found myself talking to her abt similar topics, because she said to me she's never seen her boyfriends brother so animated before! and i said well this might be my personal experience coloring things, but being out makes a massive difference in someone's ability to just, like, exist happily! and she wasn't sure what i meant by that, so i explained, and she was like "oh, well i guess i don't understand why you're choosing to identify in a neutral or masc leaning way but you dress like a girl?" and i explained that first off, i appreciate not getting it, but the first step is recognizing that there is no one right way to be a man or a woman, and if we accept gender nonconforming behavior from cis people then why don't we accept it from trans people? why do i have to be a caricature of manhood for you to see me as transmasc? and it kind of got through to her but... not entirely, because her line of questioning was a little ... invasive and unkind in a bad faith way (i have a LOT of patience for folks who may "get it wrong" but engage with me in a good faith way). like she was tryna play gotcha or something.

and i suppose the juxtaposition - people who are quietly queer suddenly becoming loudly queer and, as a result, happier, vs. people who are vocally supportive, but only when a person fits their narrative of what a queer person should look or act like... well. it was not lost on me!

and it also reminded me that sometimes, when you get a vibe about a person, you should trust your gut! it's ok to think, yeah, this isn't a nice person, im gonna protect myself! because if i continued engaging with her, the conversation might have gone very poorly. it certainly has in the past. (for example, apparently bee and puppycat was, and i quote, "too woke" for her. she got really mad when i laughed about it and realized with horror that she wasn't kidding). i feel bad for my friend (her boyfriend) for being in the middle of it, sorta. he's a easygoing simple dude who is wildly supportive of his brother and however he chooses to identify, and frankly i don't think he knows a whole lot about this side of his girlfriend because to him, he doesn't really seek out those kinda conversations. not obviously that it's never come up, but yeah. i know him well enough to know he doesn't share those feelings with her, and it's always really shocking to me to hear her express them - but always when he isn't around. so much so that in the past when I've expressed concern about it, he didn't believe me at first! (then other folks started saying the same thing.)

idk. life is cool and weird and i am happy to be a cool and weird little guy.

[richardsphere]

Rwby Catchup V8 E1

Start with little cindy scrubbing floors. Probably hints that they’re finally going to give Ms. Genshin impact a backstory. (Lets hope its not as generic as the rest of her design) How did Cinder know where to land on the whale? Wasnt the whale made while she was down and lost away from Camp Evil? “I have given no such command” Yes you have witch, you just said that she was “to be a vessel for the maidens’ powers”, as in maidens plural. As in “I need a key to get into the vaults, and it needs to be someone of your age and gender”.  Like if you want to do takebacks thats fine, (you are queen of evil after all) but you did just confirm to have given that command. Yup cinder is definitly being set up for betraying Salem. And Salem definitly knows it. So... first mystery set-up: What is salems plan with the relic, and why isnt she using it (besides “operation summon the gods to kill me” obviously). Unless they’re going to claim that, across all human history her agents never  once discovered the name of the spirits (which would make her look hilariously incompetent). ------- Oscarpin is sitting in a refugee camp. Moleman has soup. Kind of dissapointing that last season ended on a “RWBYNPR and Ozcar are seperated” attempt at implying that reuniting would be a problem faced, and this season just starts with Ruby asking him if he needs a ride. Yes oscar, you were indeed stupid to think the general would listen. I agree ah the obligatory “branded criminals by the government” storyarc, Those mugshots suck. Im sorry, you want to evacuate everyone into the crater beneath the giant floating rock? I’d rather freeze to death, at least i’d leave a recogniseable corpse. Why are all the plans the people in this show concoct so critically stupid at every level.  Oh no they’re talking about “getting the message out” again, though i think i can actually stand it now (Salem’s made it clear she’s no longer letting Oz cover her up anyway). Ren and Yangs TMNT Raphael storyarc continues! Hey oscar, can you ask Ozma why he thought “hovering one city overtop of another suspended by a single-point failure” was ever a good idea? (i cant believe we’re still supposed to believe Ozpin as a credible strategist/mentor) More new upgrades? Two seasons in a row? The powercreep is real. *ring ring* Captain Despot on the phone. “everything will be on your hands”, man shifting the blame for his imminent warcrimes before he’s even committed them. Some real “abuser-look what you made me do” energy. Aceops at the hospital, they’re not happy their coleague is dead but also dont seem to be “grieving” per sé. (but then again they are “colleagues not friends” after all) one note that i didnt make in my last one: Last seasons climax, it didnt feel like a plot twist that he was instituting Martial Law, so much as that he wasnt acting under Martial Law already. He had goons patroling the street, curfew and everything the moment Atlas and Mantle were introduced. I was genuinely suprised martial law wasnt in play yet. And the man just assassinated a rival politician. This is seemingly meant to plant the notion to Winter and Harriet (i think her name was?) that he’s now no longer worthy of respect, but it feels weird that this would be their line in the sand but “I have 2 out of 5 votes and vetorights” was an acceptable level of despot for them both. ------- WAIT SALEM ACTUALLY DOESNT KNOW HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS OF JINN? I thought i was JOKING when i wrote that earlier, That is the laziest, most unbelievable plot-contrivance in the history of the show so far. She’s had literal thousands of years to figure this out. Did she never, at any point in human history torture the info out of a trusted lieutenant/Have a Telepath-semblance steal the codes from Oz? This is supposed to be a war between two forces who have been playing this game for most of human history. I can buy her not knowing where the current maiden was, but I cannot buy her not knowing Jinns name this deep into the game. This scene is like seeing a Chess Grandmaster ask, during a televised world-rank game, “how the horsey-piece moves again”.  Presumably this answers my question regarding her plan for the lamp though: ask it to tell her the names of the other spirits (seeing as she might not know those either) Now this is where i inevitably braintangented as i thought” “what would I do if i tried to figure this out and didnt yet have my hands on a person in-the-know to torture the information out of”, and i realised damn near instantly: This is not that great a password (on the hypothetical scope of “an immortal is trying to brute force it” of course). Because its voice-activated, a regular “brute force” aproach would be based on Phonemes rather then Letters, and there are 44 phonemes in the english language. (source: Google) If you were to brute force the name by going all single-phoneme combo’s, followed by doubles and tripples etc.  Jinn is a 3 phoneme name (”dj” “ih” “nn”). So it would take at most: 44 guesses to get past the initial 1-phoneme options an additional 1936 to get past all 2-option phonemes, and you’d be guaranteed success within the next 85.184 guesses. for a total 87.164 guesses until it must have been unlocked. for reference: that is aproximately the same as the 86400 seconds in a day. Assuming she spends only half-days guessing, and guesses at a guess a second, she’d crack it within two days minimum of tedium for the immortal to figure it out brute-force. Now let’s acknowledge she doesnt know its a 3-bit lock and should be worried about the probability of it being a polysyllabic name (like if the third spirit turns out to be named Immanuel or something, thats a lot of guesses there). But what im trying to say is: If it takes her mysterious sniffing grimm more then 2 days to find, incapacitate and abduct Oscar, She’s officially wasted her time here, and i think thats funny.

[books-and-catears]

Im actually unsure if ive sent a request already (if i did im sorry i have1 terrible memory T-T;;)

But if not would it be okay to request for an GN! MC who the brothers realize was a big idol back in the human world but they never said that to them? Like maybe they found through magazines or internet or smth?

Hope this is okay and have a good day!!

Awww honey don't apologize! Also thank you so much for the request! You have an amazing day too!

This is such a interesting and hilarious ask!This is going to be super fun to write hehehe :3

(Oh and just a general fact for anyone who comes across my blog I try to always make my MC gender neutral unless a specific gender is requested.)

Lucifer

Lucifer: For some reason there have been a lot of attempts to summon me from the human realm.

MC: Oh? That really works?

Lucifer: Well not always but we occasionally they get it right. But that's the not the issue here.

MC: Oh did they ask for something weird?

Lucifer: I got 22 summons. 18 of them had your name in their demands. And I checked their identities, they are not related to you, in any way. Mind explaining what's going on?

MC: *embarassed* I was slightly drunk on stage one day and might have told the people as a joke that if I ever went missing, they could try asking the devil for me.

Lucifer: Your people? Do you have cult up there?

MC: Well cult is a strong word. Fanbase is the more commonly used term...

Lucifer: How many people?

MC: Um...

Lucifer: How many more times will I be summoned MC?

MC: Um a few million times?

Lucifer: *exasperated dad noises*

Mammon

Mammon: MC what is net worth?

MC: Eh I'm not sure but maybe sum of assets or something

Mammon: YOU HAVE 20 MILLION WORTH OF ASSETS?

MC: Ah well I don't really accept it as mine cause there's a lot of people involved so I signed it over to my parents anyway.

Mammon: BUT HOW DO YOU HAVE THE ASSETS?

MC: 5 years worth of good record and merch sells are enough for it suppose?

Mammon: Records...MC you were a famous singer in the human world?!

MC: Ah well idol is what they called us. We had to dance a lot too.

Mammon: HOW COME NONE OF US KNEW THIS?! MC THIS IS HUGE WE CAN EVEN MARKET YOUR SKILLS HERE AND WE WILL BE RICH!

MC: *sigh*....this is why none of you knew.

Leviathan

Levi: MC can I tell you something strange?

MC: How strange are we talking?

Levi: Like when I saw you for the first time, you looked awfully familiar.

MC: Ah do I resemble some character you like?

Levi: An idol actually. There was this human world group that was a big hit for five years! But then they disbanded two years ago. You look like my favourite one. *Pointing to old poster*

MC: *looks at themself in ridiculous blue hair* Ahahhaa thanks Levi although I gotta admit that is my least favourite look.

Levi: You even have the same name as them it's almost uncanny- wait. Did you say 'MY least favourite look'?

MC: Guilty as charged....

Levi: YOU'RE ACTUALLY MC! THE MC! THE IDOL MC! *falls on the ground*

MC: Levi you okay?! Calm down it's-

Levi: MC IS IN MY ROOM!? MC IS SITTING NEXT TO ME?! MC IS LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSE AS ME!? MC GOES TO MY SCHOOL!? MC IS MY BEST FRIEND?!

MC: Yes Levi...Yes to all of them now calm down please! You're going to have heart attack!

Satan

Satan: MC come here for a minute would you?

MC: Yes, Satan?

Satan: So I tried to procure some human world magazines for Asmo and ended up going through them myself and *flips to a page and pointing towards an old picture of you* by any chance is this you?

MC: Haha didn't expect you to recognize me with that get up.

Satan: So when were you going to tell us you're about your fame in the human world?

MC: Does it even matter? It has been two years since I've last been on stage I'm sure people have forgotten now.

Satan: The recent article disagrees. *Reads from magazine* "MC hasn't been active in any of their social media accounts recently. While they did tend to go on long breaks of inactivity, this hiatus has been stretching for 5 months. They haven't even appeared in any of their fellow member's pictures either. An interview with one of the members said, 'They haven't even been answering texts nor calls. Their parents tell us they've gone away for a while but won't tell us where."

MC: Jesus I leave for six months and they make a whole mystery novel about me.

Satan: Well it's rather fun to keep the people on their toes. I can think of ways to fuel this fire.

MC: Satan no-

Asmodeus

Asmo: *comes running into your room* MC! How could you not tell me!?

MC: Eh? Tell you what?

Asmo: That you had a partner in the human world already?! And that you both are a FAMOUS POWER COUPLE!?

MC: Eh? Who said I was-

Asmo: Don't you lie to me! *holds up an edit playing on his phone* Look at these two people under the same umbrella! You're the one holding it aren't you!? Who are they MC? Do you love them more than me?!

MC: *sigh* No Asmo, they're just a friend who liked to screw with the paparazzi. And the paparazzi was over eager with us cause a lot of people loved shipping us.

Asmo: And why were you shipped with them?! I'm clearly a better match!

MC: *scratches head* Ah probably I used to pull too many pranks with them on stage and we were given a lot of duets and dances together.

Asmo: Stage? Duets? Dances? MC ...were you an IDOL?!

MC: ....yes?

Asmo: *squealing* WAIT TILL I MAKE YOU BECOME AN IDOL HERE TOO ALONG WITH ME SO PEOPLE WILL SHIP US INSTEAD!

Beelzebub

Beel: MC I heard from the others that you used to be a famous idol.

MC: Ah they told you too? Atleast your reaction is much calmer.

Beel: I heard famous people get lots of gifts from fans! Including snacks and candy!

MC: Haha we did. Only we weren't allowed to eat them.

Beel: ...but it's your gift. Of course you're allowed to eat them?!

MC: *sigh* Being in a idol group meant having to maintain your looks at all times. And weight was a big issue. I remember during tours we only had to live off apples, cucumbers and pea soup for a week.

Beel: That doesn't sound nice at all. *sad Beel noises* Here MC. *gives you half his sandwich* You can eat as much as you like here!

MC: Thank you so much, Beel.

Belphegor

Belphie: Did you get enough sleep being an idol and all? Beel told me you used to be one.

MC: Between late night practices and early morning workouts? I managed on three hours of sleep.

Belphie: That's less than half the ideal amount for humans.

MC: Ah well all of us needed to be perfect with the performance or we'd be screamed at or worse suspended.

Belphie: Performance for people who only need to see your face to start screaming. So much wasted energy. It's good that you left. Adoration from a bunch of strangers isn't worth losing sleep.

MC: I know right? It is nice to have a lot of people love you maybe but if I can't even be awake enough to appreciate them... what's the point?

Belphie: Come here. *wraps you up in his blanket* I help you catch up on the years of sleep you've missed.

MC; Thanks, Belphie.

[grelleswife]

1, 3,4,5,7,8,9,12,13,16,18,19,20,21, 22, 23, 24,25,26,27,28,30 [INHALES] for the man the myth the legend himself SEBASTIAN!!!! 🎉🥳

1. My first impression of them.

One of my earliest memories of the Phantomhive butler is hanging out at a friend's dorm during undergrad and seeing a Season 1 poster on her wall...with O!Ciel in the Little Robin dress and Sebas in his tutor's disguise, tilting the boi's chin up. At the time, I wondered, "Why the heck is that creepy man looming over that poor little girl?" Oh, for the days of my lost innocence. 😭 However, once I learned a few years later that the fujoshi nonsense surrounding the series is (thankfully) not canon, and due to my soft spot for pretty, morally bankrupt anime men, I was intrigued by the bastard. A demon thot who murders people with butter knives? Sounded like a concept I could get behind! And the rest, as they say, is history.

3. A song that reminds me of them.

"Villain" by Stella Jang

4. How many people I ship them with.

Grelle, Agni, Mey Rin, Wolfram, Hannah (sometimes). I also envision Claude and Sebas as hostile exes who parted ways after a bitter divorce.

5. My favorite ship of them.

It depends on the ambience I’m craving. If I want a ship that comforts like eating a warm bowl of soup prepared by someone who utterly adores you, or nestling into a cozy sanctuary of blankets while the rain gently falls outside your bedroom window...an eternal devotion whose magnitude shatters the paltry constraints of time and before whose radiance even the dark inevitability of death must cower...I turn to Sebagni. If I need forbidden romance woven from bloodied ribbons and the taut, knife-sharp threads of animosity transmogified into an impossible love, dancing like a capricious flame in the space between poetry and prose...I go for Sebagrelle.

7. A quote of them that you remember.

"And not even a devil or a god can bind the heart of another in the truest sense of the word." And, of course, his "one hell of a butler" catchphrase is indelibly etched into my memory. 🤪

8. Your favorite outfit of them.

This pop idol attire!

I also have a soft spot for this outfit that Nina made him wear because it showcases his pretty waist. :3

9. Your least favorite outfit of them.

Sir, I love you, but what is this apron? 😆

12. Sexuality headcanon.

Pansexual! A demon's attraction transcends gender; Sebas just falls in the love with the person.

13. Your favorite friendship they have.

His relationship with Agnj. Yes, I'm aware that Yana said Sebastian views the khansama as just another mortal grasshopper (albeit a highly competent and exceptional one), but he's also one of the few humans Sebastian genuinely respects. The demon treats him like a peer, listens to his advice, is deeply impressed by his achievements...and cradles Agni's body in his arms with one of the most poignant expressions we've ever seen on his face after he and O!Ciel discover the khansama's been murdered. Not to mention that Agni was the first mortal to call Sebastian his friend in the all the centuries the demon's lived through! Yet another reason why I ship them—what's more beautiful than getting to be in love with your best friend? >w<

16. A childhood headcanon.

Already answered here!

18. How do you think they were as a kid?

I headcanon that demon babeys tend to be feral beasts, running amok, attacking and devouring those weaker than them, and trying to avoid annihilation at the hands of more powerful devils. Sebastian's first few decades of life were pretty brutal, relying on his own wits and strength in order to survive and be deemed worthy of acceptance by mature, adult demons. Soft fanon Dadbastian tries to make sure that his human foster son doesn't ever need to endure that kind of hardship.

19. The most random ship you've seen people have with them.

The Sebastian/Teletubbies fics still haunt my dreams, oozing into my subconscious like Tubby Custard, and I incurred irreparable psychic damage from Sebastian/Obama.

20. A weird headcanon.

Sometimes, when Sebastian decides to treat himself to a luxurious bubble bath (because sweet legions of hell, he deserves one), he'll keep his hooker boots of glory on even after he gets in the tub. It's about the ✨ vibes ✨

21. When do you think they were at their happiest?

In a perverse sort of way, I think canon!Sebastian is probably at his happiest while eating a soul. He's put care and effort into seasoning it with pain, misery, wickedness...now it's time to reap the rewards in full. For fanon!Sebastian, it would be when receiving love and acceptance even after people were aware of his true nature, whether those affections were platonic or romantic.

22. When do you think they were at their lowest?

I imagine the immediate aftermath of the Campania really set him back on his heels. Sebastian's well aware that he's capable of being killed, but it wasn't until Undertaker stabbed him with his death scythe that this painful reality sank in. The demon was pushed to the precarious edge of exhaustion, rattled by the stark realization that he might have lost his young master if luck hadn't tipped in their favor. The whole incident sent spiderweb cracks running through his veneer of confidence.

23. Future headcanon.

Regardless of his protests to the contrary, the demon never fully recovers from the bereavement he feels after ending his contract with the little earl. Whenever another human summons him to strike a Faustian bargain with the devil, he quietly insists that they call him Sebastian, and refuses to answer to any other name, because he simply cannot bear to let go of the last vestiges of his identity as Phantomhive butler (yes, I'm being sentimental and foolish here, no, I do not care).

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they have never told anyone?

Deep down, Sebastian has always felt inadequate, though he overcompensates for it with perfectionism and inflated arrogance.

25. When do you think they acted the most OOC.

*glares at Season 2*

26. When do you think they were being "themselves" the most?

During scenes with O!Ciel like their first meeting after he was summoned, their terrifying confrontation during the Green Witch arc, etc., when there is no butler's mask to conceal the horrors that lurk behind his servile smile.

27. If they could meet a character from another show/movie/etc., who would be the most fun for them to meet?

I know next to nothing about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, but based on my superficial impressions of that universe, I could see Sebastian fitting in quite nicely there due to how melodramatic he is!

28. The most unnecessary thing they ever did?

Be rude to the other Phantomhive servants. 🥺They're doing their best, you bastard! 😖

30. The funniest scene they had?

The scene from the start of the circus arc where Sebastian leaps into the circus ring like a dork to fawn over Betty the tiger, and she proceeds to chomp on his head. 🤣

[just-here-for-the-moment]

Sick Day, Part 3 - Evening

This is Part 3 for my bby @silverwolf319 💖💖💖 Something soft and comforting for the days you don't feel well. Here’s Frankie Morales making you take a sick day.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Word count: 990+

Rating: soft mature, 18+ only

Outline: Frankie Morales x “You” (gender neutral reader; “blank canvas”/no physical description/no name/no use of “Y/N”)

Warnings: mentions of illness/nausea; food/chicken soup ingredients; tea; the world’s grossest hot drink for sick people (but it works); Frankie being all soft and comforting

You wake up to the music of the end credits of Jurassic Park, and Frankie is nowhere to be seen. There is a note on the coffee table next to your phone that says, “Gone to store. Be right back. DRINK!” You smile and obey orders, sipping down the rest of your lukewarm Gatorade.

You yawn and stretch, and shuffle back to bed. You’re not tired and you can’t sleep any more right now, but maybe a book will do. And when you get into the bedroom you see that Frankie has worked more magic while you were out cold because there are fresh sheets and pillowcases on the bed. You feel a little twinge behind your sternum, but you know it’s not a medical issue, it’s just Frankie and the way that he loves you.

You crawl into bed and pass an hour with a good book, and when Frankie returns you hear him unload all of the groceries before he pops in to see you.

“How you doing, babe?”

You smile, “Better. No more nausea. I finished my Gatorade.”

“Good. I got crackers and stuff to make soup. Do you want some hot tea?”

“Yes please,” you put your book down and reach your arms out to him. “But first I need a hug, baby.”

He sits down on the edge of the bed and wraps one big arm around your shoulders. Now that you’re not nauseated anymore he smells good again, clean and fresh and spicy with his usual deodorant and body wash. He’s warm and safe and Frankie, the smells that you associate with your best memories and experiences.

You let him hold you and envelop you until you’re almost drowsy again. And then he releases you and kisses your forehead, murmuring promises of tea with honey.

He returns in a bit with a big mug of hot, minty tea with just the right amount of honey, and a plate with a small pile of saltines. “Nibble these, sip your tea. I’ll be right back.”

And he goes to get his own book from the living room, and comes back and sits next to you in bed. He’s just right at keeping you company, reading one-handed and rubbing your back, only breaking the silence to ask you how your tummy is handling the crackers and tea. And there’s that twinge again, the little flutter that tells you that your body is in tune with Frankie’s love; and not just when there’s sex or passion or romance happening, but real love, all the time, even when it’s quiet.

And then the sun starts to get low, and your stomach growls, and Frankie laughs and gets up, telling you he got the stuff to make soup, and all you have to do is come out when it’s ready. So you lie down again for a quick nap, and listen to him banging around in the kitchen, chopping chicken breast and celery and carrots, mincing fresh garlic and pouring broth and stirring.

The next thing you know he’s shaking your shoulder gently, and his warm brown eyes are hovering over you, and his soft sweet lips are saying, “Hey, baby. Soup’s ready.” And you stretch and do an inventory of yourself: sore throat, sore muscles from laying around all day, but otherwise fine. You nod sleepily and tell him you’re ready.

And you sit down at the kitchen table to the best soup you’ve ever had, because Frankie’s gone all-out, making his mom’s recipe for chicken noodle soup with fresh garlic and a splash of lemon juice, and you could die right here and feel like you’d gone to heaven. And he smiles at you and asks you, “Is it good?”

And all you can do is moan around a mouthful of broth and egg noodles, and nod vigorously and ask for more pepper. And you don’t know how you’re ever going to repay him for this, for showering you with gentle love all day, on one of the worst-feeling days of your life, when all you wanted to do this morning was crawl into a hole and die. And then you realize you don’t have to “repay” him. All you have to do is accept his love and let it wash over you, let him do his thing and care for you. No repayment needed.

And then dinner is over and he takes the plates away and sets a mug in front of you with strict instructions to, “Drink up. It’s gross but it’s medicine.”

“Cold medicine?”

He tilts his head from side to side. “Kind of. More like folk medicine. It’s hot water, minced garlic, lemon juice, and honey. It’s gross, so you’ll probably hate me until you wake up tomorrow and feel human again.”

You wince and take a cautious sip, but other than the strong garlic it’s just lemony and not too sweet and pretty much just like a weird kind of soup. So you shrug and take a bigger sip and tell him it’s actually not that bad. He grins, happy that you think he’s done a good job.

“Can we watch another movie?”

“Of course, babe.”

He tidies up the kitchen while you fold your legs under you and pick a movie. He brings you a fresh glass of ice water to wash down the garlic-lemon-honey concoction, and you snuggle into his side. You’re warm and full of soup, less achy, less dehydrated, loved and supported and content.

Frankie looks down at you and smiles gently, his eyes crinkling up in the way you love. He tilts his head down for a soft kiss and you stop for a moment. He looks at you with a small frown.

“Garlic breath,” you say.

“I don’t care,” he laughs. “I just won’t breathe through my nose.”

You laugh, and let him lay a gentle, soft kiss on your lips. Then you tuck your head back against his shoulder and sip your ice water.

---

Just-here-for-the-moment’s masterlist

My “all fics” tag list (my only tag list, actually):

@quica-quica-quica

@anaaaispunk @justanotherblonde23 @gracie7209 @nicolethered @honestly-shite @driedgreentomatoes @dihra-vesa @1800-fight-me @the-queen-of-fools @juletheghoul

@kesskirata @honeymandos @silverwolf319 @mourningbirds1 @greeneyedblondie44 @spacedilf @maxwell–lord @anxiousandboujee @cevvie @sherala007 @writeforfandoms @libellule2001 @deadhumourist @mandoalorian

[kuroo-shitsurou]

Weekly Meal Prep (Yandere!Omi Fushimi)

note: this is my first attempt at working with the yandere theme so i don't really know if i did good or bad,,, but something about messed up omi just sends me straight to hell. hope you enjoy!

word count: 2.9k

Monday.

"This is so good! This has got to be one of my favorite curry dishes so far." You gushed, shoving another spoonful of the new curry in your mouth.

"Glad you liked it. The place had bad reviews, but I think it's just because normal people don't know how to appreciate the raw and concentrated flavor of curry." Chikage grinned as he looked at you endearingly

"Ugh," You scoffed, "Why can't people understand that the raw flavor of the spices are supposed to taste like this? I dislike the artificial flavors of watered down and manufactured spices because of how... fake it tastes in curry dishes." You were about to go on a full-on rant about how using real spices in curry dishes should be the only way to cook curry.

Chikage watched you with his emerald eyes, admiring how beautiful you looked when you talked about something that you were so passionate about. Yeah, sure, he disliked women, but being here with you made him realize that maybe the other gender wasn't all that bad. Actually, he still hated women; He just didn't hate you.

You weren't a woman. To him, you were a goddess.

"Thank you for taking me out, by the way." You suddenly spoke, breaking your rant about the whole curry ordeal. "You didn't have to, but you did. I appreciate that a lot, Chikage."

His lips curled up in a warm smile.

"Don't mention it, director."

After you two finished your meals, you had to go back to the dorm immediately to hold several meetings with the troupes regarding their next projects. As Chikage held the door open for you, his eyes darted back inside the bustling restaurant.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Chikage?"

Again, he smiled at you, but it was more strained than the last.

"Of course not. Let's go home, shall we?"

-

Tuesday.

"Oi, careful." Juza wrapped an arm around you and pulled you closer to him. A motorcycle was speeding by and it nearly hit you, but thankfully, Juza saw it before it impacted. "Tsk, careless drivers piss me off. Stand here." He then guided you to walk inside of the sidewalk.

"Oh crap, I didn't see that. Thank you, Juza! You're so nice." Juza blushed at your kind words, but he shook his head to rid of the thoughts.

"'S nothin."

"Hey, look at that! They're selling a new flavor of crepes! Come on, let's check it out!" You grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him over to your favorite crepe place. They didn't have a line yet, which was good, because you were able to purchase the new crepes for you and Juza.

"Here!" You grinned at him, handing him one of the crepes

"Lemme pay for them."

"Nonsense!" You gently pushed the crepe further into his hand, and his mind went wild when your fingers brushed his skin. "Consider this a thank you gift because you saved me earlier."

He took the crepe hesitantly, and muttered a quiet "Thanks." before he bit into it.

His face lit up immediately.

"'S sweet. I like it."

"Marshmallow crepes. Genius! We should bring one home for Hisoka. I'm sure he'd love this!"

Juza smiled. He adored how you were always considerate and thoughtful of other people even when you weren't physically with them. It's one of the many things that he loved about you.

Suddenly, he felt a shiver down his spine. He looked around, but was suddenly distracted when you were spilling the cream all over yourself.

"Crap!"

"Oi, tissue!"

He handed you a few tissues so you could wipe your shirt, and you had to admit that was a little mortifying to be that clumsy in front of the younger male.

"Thank you for being so reliable, Juza. Makes me feel

As you were mindlessly walking home, Juza couldn't help but think to himself why that motorcycle looked so damn familiar.

-

Wednesday.

"Come on, director-chan! I promise you, it tastes good!"

"Kazu, I am legitimately going to HURT you."

"No you're not! That's so mean!" Kazunari wept crocodile tears.

"Come on, director-chan! It's just a bite!"

"Kumon, I'm going to die. If I don't make it, tell everyone in Mankai that I love them and that I always treated them as my own family."

"Director-chan, you aren't going to die here." Kumon sweat dropped.

"No, I've accepted my fate. If this is what I must do for love, then at least I'll go out knowing that I did it for you boys.

"Director-chan, it's just a salad. You don't have to be so dramatic about it!"

"It's a death trap! I know you boys want to kill me so you can always get free time!"

"If anything, we're concerned about you health! That's why we want you to eat this!" Kazunari made sure that the fork had greens, kani, and a mishmash of everything before he held it in front of your mouth. "Here, say ah!"

You wanted to throw up. Vegetables. Disgusting.

"This store sells the best kani salad! You have to try it, I promise you'll like it!" Kumon looked at you with big doe eyes and you sighed in defeat.

You leaned forward to eat the portion on the fork and Kazunari blushed because he realized that he was feeding you. It was an adorable sight, and maybe peer pressuring someone into eating healthy food could be an addition to his growing list of love advice.

You blinked. "It's... actually pretty good."

"Right?!" Kumon beamed before giving the restaurant owner a thumbs up.

"Here, director-chan!" Kazunari filled the fork again, "Say ah!"

Your face bloomed red and you snatched the fork from his hand, "I can feed myself just fine, Kazu!"

"You really are the cutest!"

"I wanna feed you too, director-chan!"

Kazunari watched as Kumon bothered you while you ate the rest of the salad. It was off-putting how there seemed to be a cold atmosphere in the room. He looked around to see that there were just a few customers sitting in the dining area. His eyes landed on a hooded figure who was sitting in a lone booth in the corner of the room. The figure had his face hidden behind a menu, but there was something about the person that reminded Kazu of a certain brunette that they loved in Mankai.

Maybe that was just coincidence.

After all, there were a lot of brunettes in Japan.

Right?

-

Thursday.

"It's odd for you two to take me out for Chinese." You stated. Your eyes were scanning the menu of the new Chinese place that opened just a few blocks away from the Mankai dormitory.

"Tsumugi found out about the egg drop soup because apparently it's famous outside of Veludo Way. He was insistent that we take you to try it." Tasuku replied, eyeing how excited Tsumugi looked.

"I've heard great reviews about the egg drop soup and I've been dying to try it." Tsumugi's usually calm and gentle tone of voice was laced with a child-like glee, and it took all of your willpower not to reach over the table so that you can pinch his cheeks.

"He already ordered individual soups for us, but if you want anything else off the menu, go ahead and order it as well." Tasuku won't admit it aloud, but he liked spending time with you and Tsumugi. Being with his bestfriend and his favorite director made him feel a sense of comfort that just made him feel all warm and gooey inside. He felt at home with you two and he wouldn't exchange that feeling for the world.

"It's refreshing to be with you two, especially since it's a lot calmer whenever Tasuku isn't at your throat, Tsumugi." You giggled, ignoring the deadpan look that the athletic male beside you was giving you.

"I'm glad you feel that way, director-san." Tsumugi chimed, smiling. He took your hand a placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Spend some more time with us, alright?"

Your face immediately felt hot and you pulled your hand back to save yourself from being more embarrassed than you already were.

"Is it just me, or does it feel like we're being watched?" Tasuku murmured as his eyes quickly scouted the room. Ever since you entered the restaurant, Tasuku already had this instinct in his guts screaming that there was someone watching you. Not just you in particular, but the three of you. You heard him speak, but what he said was unclear.

"Sorry, did you say something, Tasuku?"

"Oh, I was just mumbling. Don't worry about it.

"Three orders of egg drop soup. Can I help you with anything else?"

"No, thank you!"

"Enjoy your meal!"

Tsumugi immediately began to eat his soup even though it was still hot. His face melted into pure bliss as he felt the delicious components sliding down his throat.

"It's so good." He commented, masking his elation.

"It really is!" You added, taking quick slurps from your spoon. The soup itself tasted rich in flavor; It wasn't too runny, nor was it too starchy.

"It tastes okay to me."

"That's so disrespectful, Tasuku." You jokingly said with a mocking tone. "This soup legitimately changed my life. I wish I could have it everyday, along with curry."

"You somehow managed to sneak curry into the conversation again, huh?" He sighed, smiling at the way you laughed afterward.

Tasuku continued to consume his soup while observing how you and Tsumugi were practically worshipping the soup. He decided to ignore the eerie feeling building in the pit of his stomach gnawing at him alive.

Maybe it was just the soup.

-

Friday.

"Hurry up. We don't have all day."

"Gee, you don't have to be so mean about it!"

"I told you to make it quick. We have to get back in town because we have another meeting to attend to."

You and Sakyo just got out of a business meeting outside of Veludo Way. It was regarding a sponsorship for the Autumn Troupe's next play. Sakyo, the greatest cheapskate and money-pinching Sakyo, was more than willing to accompany you to the next town over if it meant saving the company tens of thousands worth of yen. As long as it involved finances, the blond always needed to be a part of it.

"I know that, but we need to grab lunch before we head to the next meeting. It's bad to miss out on meals, you know! Come on, we'll just grab something from this store and rush back to Veludo Way."

Sakyo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, but you did have a point. He was also feeling the hunger starting to rise inside of him. It was already lunchtime by the time you guys finished with the first meeting of the day, and he didn't really have a proper breakfast earlier.

You walked into this quaint little restaurant on the side of the road owned by a lovely old couple.

"Good afternoon, may I help you with anything?" The old lady asked warmly.

You felt your heart soften, "Is it possible to get two yakiniku bento boxes to go?"

She smiled, "Of course, dearie. They'll be right out."

"She seems nice!" You whispered to Sakyo, who was sitting across from you.

"She reminds me of you."

"Eh? Don't tell me I'm already aging! I don't wanna be like you yet!"

"I can and will leave you here."

"Eh, but seriously, how?"

Sakyo sighed exasperatedly. "She... sounds nice. Lovely, even. She just has a nice smile and it reminds me of how nice you are when you talk to other people."

"S-Sakyo, is that really you? Who are you? Are you an alien? How are you being so honest right now?"

"I'm going back to Veludo Way without you.

"Hey, I'm kidding!" You pouted.

"Two yakiniku bento boxes to go?" An old man, presumably the husband of the lady they talked to, walked over to you two and handed you the bag of bento boxes.

"Ah, thank you!" You bowed before taking the bag from his hands. You took your wallet out to pay, but Sakyo already left money in the box where you put your payment.

"Hey, I can-"

"Consider it my treat. You'll be working hard today, after all." For a brief second, he gave you a warm smile. However, it was quickly replaced by his usual scowl. "Now hurry up and let's go."

"Geez, I was just about to call you cute as well!

"I am not cute, _____."

As you two were walking out of the restaurant, the old couple gave you a fond smile.

"We were like that too when we were younger."

"Mhm. They look good together, don't you think?"

When you got back to the car, you began to snack on the onigiri part of your bento. You didn't notice how Sakyo's eyes were glaring daggers into the figure who was idly sitting on his motorcycle just a good few meters away from the car.

The figure was wearing a denim jacket and a black helmet, but he could see a few tufts of brown hair sticking out from above the nape of his neck.

His hand grasped the steering wheel in a tight grip until his knuckles turned pale. What was he feeling? Anxiety? Hostility?

The sensation of being... followed?

His mind was racing at the thought, but he decided to rid the negativity filling his consciousness to the brim.

"Sakyo, here's your onigiri." Your voice snapped him out of his daze, and he shot you a small smile.

"Thanks. Let's head back to town now."

"Mhm!"

Seeing the pure innocence, joy, and trust in your smile made him content. He wanted to protect you and your smile forever.

If only he could.

-

Saturday.

You woke up earlier than usual because you promised Itaru that you'd go with him to the game store down the street since today was the release day of the new game he'd been itching to buy.

You sat up to stretch and noticed that Omi was in your room.

"Gah!" You gasped, pulling the sheets up to cover yourself. "Omi?!"

He gave you a warm smile, "Oh, good morning! You're finally up. Sorry for barging in like this, I just wanted to call you over for breakfast."

"Th-Thanks for waking me up but um, do you mind? I'm still kinda in my nightwear." You blushed, knowing that your bra was still unhooked.

Omi's eyes darkened for a brief moment, but it was gone as soon as he blinked. It was replaced by the usual hazel eyes that gave you the warmest and kindest looks.

"I'm sorry! I'll be waiting for you outside." He then left your room, shutting the door behind him without making a sound.

"Jeez, Omi." You muttered to yourself. You quickly hooked your bra together then changed into a more decent t-shirt, appropriate enough for the other boys in the company to see you without being flustered or bewildered out of their minds. Seriously, Azami acts as if he's never seen a girl's shoulders before, what's up with that?

You tied your hair in a ponytail and went out of your room to head over to the kitchen where a bunch of familiar platters were waiting for you.

"Oh, wow, isn't this quite a... variety for breakfast?" You spoke, careful with your words. You always appreciated Omi for making food for the company, but the dishes he served this particular Saturday morning seemed like a mishmash of different food combinations and you just couldn't put your finger on why the food looked and smelled so familiar to you.

"Dig in, my dearest director." He replied, with his back facing you. It seemed as though he was still preparing something by the sink.

You took a seat and viewed the selection he prepared for breakfast.

Curry. Delicious, by the way.

Yakiniku.

Kani Salad.

Egg drop soup.

Crepes.

"Hey, didn't I..." You whispered to yourself, finally realizing that the meals he prepared for you were all meals you've eaten that week.

How did he know? Did the guys tell him about it?

"Well? Aren't you going to eat? You've been enjoying these all week, why not relive the moments one more time? I made sure to prepare them just the way you like them, after all." Omi's voice was laced with something... unknown. Was it possessiveness? He didn't sound like the warm and loving Omi you knew and love.

This Omi was... dangerous. He was terrifying. His back was still facing you, but you could feel a threatening aura from his broad shoulders because of how they looked so stiff.

He turned around and you froze upon seeing his half-lidded eyes. There was a crazed look in his pupils, something that reeked of want, lust, and obsession.

"You had curry with Chikage on Monday. Marshmallow crepes with Juza on Tuesday. Kani Salad with Kumon and Kazunari on Wednesday. Egg drop soup with Tsumugi and Tasuku on Thursday. Then you had a yakiniku bento box with Sakyo yesterday, right?"

Your eyes widened. The boys were pretty aware of the places you went to and who you went there with, but how in the world did Omi know everything?

"Don't worry about it. You don't have to go out with them anymore. I'm the only one who gets to cook for you from now on, okay?" Omi took steps closer to you. You wanted to scream, to run out of the room, to call for help from anyone, but you felt as if you were paralyzed with fear.

This wasn't Omi anymore.

He stopped when he was directly in front of you from across the table, and you could see his thin lips twist into a sadistic smile.

"Dig in, my precious director."

[robininthelabyrinth]

the nie sect is known for strong, angry sect leaders and strong, angry women; nie mingjue is just the first to be both. she refuses to let this burden fall on her little brother, who is far too young for it (he's barely old enough to understand that their father is dead, and still sucks his thumb at night)--she can swing a saber like the best of them, and, well... it's not like there are many nie elders to object anyway

also on ao3

The stories said that Nie Mingjue’s mother was a goddess.

They said she descended down from the mountains, crisp as a winter breeze and tall as a temple statute; they said Lao Nie fell in love with her the first moment he saw her and married her the next; they said that the heavens were jealous of their love and summoned her to return –

It was a little nicer than saying that Nie Mingjue’s mother was a rogue cultivator that lingered in Qinghe just long enough for a marriage ceremony and a baby before remembering that she preferred living alone.

Still, as Nie Mingjue grew up – and she did grow up, up and up and up – people started passing around the old story more and more. Lao Nie rolled his eyes but didn’t stop the rumors, which Nie Mingjue interpreted to mean that he thought they were useful somehow, though she never quite figured out the reasoning there. What difference did it make if she were the child of a goddess or a mortal woman?

Either way, she was still a girl.

Oh, Qinghe was famous for its indifference to such things: in Qinghe they don’t care if you’re a man or woman, the story went, as long as you can swing a saber, and it was even mostly true. No one would raise an eyebrow if you shared your bed with a man one night and a woman the next, no one cared if you said you were one for a week and the other for a month…

Still, for all of Qinghe’s indifference, the Nie sect had never had a female sect leader.

At least, not officially – there were a number of sect leader’s wives who were terrifying enough to have deserved the title – and officially was what mattered, in this case. The sect leader was the fulcrum on which the sect turned, the core of their fearsome cultivation: if water ran downhill, then evil flowed up, and the sect leader’s saber spirit was always by far the fiercest in the sect.

That was why Nie Mingjue’s ancestors died so much more quickly than her cousins – why she had plenty of great-uncles and great-aunts, and a family consisting of only her father, herself, and her younger brother.

“Do you not want me to be sect leader?” she asked her father once, because he had deliberately gone out and gotten himself a new wife to have a child with, showing great relief when it turned out to be a boy. “Is it something I’ve done, or haven’t done?”

“It’s not that,” her father had said at once, with such surety that her fears of inadequacy had been relieved. “It’s only – there are sacrifices that must be made, if the sect leader is a woman. A saber spirit powerful enough to support the sect cannot be allowed to escape.”

She hadn’t understood it at the time, being too young, but then she got a little older and started bleeding, and an old auntie came and told her why the bleeding mattered.

The sect leader’s saber was too strong, too fierce, too alive: full of resentful energy, almost like a ghost, hateful and vicious, and their bond with their master was too close. Normal swords could be used by anyone; only the powerful refused any hand but their masters – the powerful, and the Nie sabers.

A sect leader who was a woman could never have a child, lest that child’s soul be stolen away in the womb and replaced with something else.

“So I won’t have children,” Nie Mingjue said, when her father died before his time. “Easy enough.”

There were elders enough in her sect, those that had been lucky enough not to be part of the main clan line and to escape the burden of being sect leader; they looked at each other with concern.

Nie Mingjue wasn’t about to let them put the title of sect leader on Huaisang, then only a child of seven, not when there was her father to avenge, and so she reached up behind her back and brought Baxia down on the table in front of them, cleaving the old wooden table in half.

“I have the bloodline, and my saber’s strong enough to bear the strain,” she said while they stared: that table had survived more than a few of her father and grandfather’s strikes, only to yield to hers as if it were nothing. “If you want to protest, challenge me now.”

In the end, they didn’t.

And so she became sect leader.

The sacrifice of any future children turned out to be the easy part.

Jin Guangshan stared at her breasts whenever she sat across from him, and tried to stumble into her to take advantage of the fact that the top of his head only reached her chin; she made sure never to accept any invitation to ever be alone with him, especially when he was drunk. His wife glared at her as if it were her fault that her chest and hips had grown proportionate with the rest of her, giving her curves that were relatively rare among her countrymen.

Jiang Fengmian might have been all right, she supposed, if his wife hadn’t hated her nearly as much: Madame Yu had been childhood friends with Madame Jin, Nie Mingjue vaguely recalled, but she suspected the real reason was the Jiang sect’s inclination to keep women away from politics no matter how high their cultivation.

“How are you supposed to ‘attempt the impossible’ if you refuse to let half of your population even try?” she asked Jiang Fengmian once, and he just shook his head and tried to pat her head (she glared death at him until he retracted the offending limb before it could be chopped off), and said she wouldn’t understand, that Qinghe was too idiosyncratic, too indiscriminate, that other places were different.

(His daughter gave Nie Mingjue a flower after that meeting, blushing red to her ears, and followed it up with a bowl of soup, and to this day Nie Mingjue still didn’t know if it was because of what she’d said or if everyone in Yunmeng was just as indiscriminate as Qinghe and they just didn’t admit it to themselves.)

Even the ever-polite Lan sect wasn’t friendly.

The irritating part was that she was sure they would have gotten on well if she had been born a man, or at least presented as one, as she would have if she’d been a misaligned reincarnation; alas, she wasn’t, she was a woman, and the Lan sect rules dictated that men and women could not grow too close or intimate. Lan Qiren guarded his nephews against her as if they were treasures, and it took quite a while before she finally met Lan Xichen face to face.

“Wow,” he said, blinking at her. “They weren’t kidding when they said you were a goddess.”

“No, that’s my mother,” Nie Mingjue said automatically.

Lan Xichen smiled, his eyes turning into crescents. “No,” he said. “I’m sure I meant what I said.”

Nie Mingjue felt something jump in her chest, which had never happened before. But she had fought long and hard to be taken seriously as a sect leader despite her youth and her gender, and she wasn’t willing to give that up by falling, like every other female cultivator her age, for the man ranked first on the list of most attractive young masters.

(Nie Mingjue was ranked seventh. She’s not even sure how she got on the list, but apparently there were plenty of female cultivators who were happy to vote for her no matter her gender.)

Besides, even if her heart did beat a little faster whenever Lan Xichen smiled at her, and even if he indicated through some hints that he might be inclined to feel the same, it didn’t matter. She knew, even if he didn’t, that she wouldn’t bear children in this life – she loved Baxia dearly, she did, but her willful, vicious saber would make a terrible child – and she couldn’t impose that on anyone else.

Anyway, she’d figured out pretty quickly that Lan Xichen’s younger brother was a cutsleeve – whatever Lan Qiren might think, pornography was a perfectly reasonable gift for a teenager, especially given how successful Nie Huaisang’s side business was – and that meant Lan Xichen had to be the one to have descendants.

Nie Mingjue had heard all the stories about what happens when a man marries one woman who can’t give him children and another who can, and she wasn’t interested in that.

So they were friends.

She wasn’t sure if it got easier or harder when she met Meng Yao, who was small and delicate and scheming in a way that she found ridiculously endearing.

He wasn’t expecting her to be a woman, she thought: he’d set himself up on a mountain path, buckets of water at his side and a pitiful expression on his face as he chewed on hard bread without even taking a sip of the water right beside him to wet his throat, and when she’d stopped right in front of him to ask him about it he’d looked up at her and his eyes had gotten to be half the size of his face.

Nie Mingjue might’ve fallen for the gambit if it wasn’t for the way she could almost see the way he was rapidly reevaluating his entire strategy in real time – it almost made her nostalgic about listening to her cousins teach each other the warning signs of a white lotus seductress selling misery and purity.

Still, in the end it didn’t really matter if he was deliberately exaggerating his misery to sell it to her – the responsibility for good behavior was on the bully, not the victim, so she went and scolded the people inside the cave.

Afterwards, she took him out to walk with her.

“I’d already spoken with some people about you; it seems like you’ve established your merits in the battlefield and off,” she told him. “You don’t also need to be pitiful to get my attention.”

Meng Yao smiled self-depreciatingly. “I find that men have a soft spot for people they think need them.”

“Well, I’m not a man, am I?” she pointed out in return. She thought about it for a moment, then decided, as always, to be blunt. “I might spend most of my time now with men, but I spent my childhood with women; a woman’s tricks don’t work that well on me. What is it that you want?”

He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“Do you want to be my deputy? I’m willing, since you seem competent enough,” she said. “But if your goal is to get back into your father’s good graces by reporting on me, don’t bother. He has spies enough for that – he doesn’t need a son to do it.”

“Perhaps I just want to show him what I’m capable of,” Meng Yao said.

Nie Mingjue laughed. “At my side? If you’d like to try, I’m not going to stop you, but I’ll tell you now that the merits that Jin Guangshan values may not be to your taste.”

She made him her deputy, and he lived up to her expectations – he was efficient, capable, competent. He was good at understanding people, which she wasn’t, and he could figure out within moments what any given person wanted.  Just as importantly, he lived up to the principles she prized, valuing the lives of the common folk as well as Nie cultivators; he did what she asked of him, and he did it well.

It would be a shame to lose him, she thought, but she still brought him with her to a wartime meeting with the Jin sect.

Afterwards, she made her excuses to leave early, as she always did, and when Meng Yao showed up later that evening to drop off the usual round of spies’ reports, Nie Mingjue could smell blood from where his nails had pierced his palms.

“He asked you if you were fucking me,” she said, accepting the papers. It wasn’t a guess. “You can tell him that you are, if you think it would help your standing with him.”

Meng Yao seemed repulsed by her suggestion, which amused her.

“Don’t you mind that half the camp thinks I got my position by climbing into your bed?” he asked her, a wrinkle in his brow suggesting that the question mattered to him. “Most of them can’t decide if I’m your boy-toy or merely stupid enough not to notice that I’m deliberately seducing you for my own ends, but either way the implication is highly unflattering. Don’t you care?”

“…not really?” Nie Mingjue said. “I’ve been sect leader since I was fifteen and more than half the sect leaders that currently report to me have been treating me like I’m a walking collection of fuckable female body parts since then; they get extremely irritable any time I open my mouth and remind them I’m not. Keeping a boy-toy is positively tame compared to the rest of it…you must have heard the one that says that I’m a frigid bitch that can only be satisfied by fucking my saber? That one’s a perennial.”

Meng Yao’s expression suggested he had, in fact, heard that one.

“My father always told me that the more people talk behind your back, the harder you have to work to leave them with nothing to say,” Nie Mingjue continued. “But I’ve found that they’ll find something to say, and if there isn’t anything, they’ll make something up. There’s no way to stop gossip.”

Meng Yao was frowning. “That seems unduly pessimistic. Not to borrow our enemies’ words, but if you shine like a sun in the heavens –”

“I’m the sect leader of one of the Great Sects,” Nie Mingjue said. “I’m a war hero. I have a reputation as a upright and righteous person. And yet between me and Wen Ruohan, who’s to say whose name is dragged through the mud more? They curse at him as the man who ordered the rape of their wives in one breath and talk eagerly about how much they’d like to rape me the next…Meng Yao, don’t take insult when I say this, but you could be as wise as a sage, as powerful as a landslide, as beneficent as a buddha and they’d still ask each other behind their sleeves what you learned from being a whore’s son.”

His expression was rather ugly – nothing at all like his usual calm smile.

“I usually get over it by associating myself with better people,” she added. “Have you met Lan Xichen yet?”

It turned out he had, and that they were rather fond of each other, too. Very fond, to judge by Meng Yao’s starry-eyed expression, and wouldn’t it be just her luck if the two men she was attracted to – and which she’d refused on the basis of not wanting to cut off their family lines – ended up pairing up together, which would also cut off their family lines?

Of course, Meng Yao was off limits for other reasons as well…

One day she overheard them talking about Meng Yao possibly leaving, probably intentionally on Meng Yao’s part, and she walked inside rolling her eyes already. “If you want to go, go,” she said. “I’ll write you a recommendation letter, for whatever it’s worth – he’s got a thick enough face that it might not do you any good, but he’s already noticed you, so hopefully that’ll be something.”

“Sect Leader Nie –”

“I didn’t promote you out of a sense of gratitude,” she said impatiently. “You’ve always wanted to get back to him, for whatever reason; I’m not going to hold you back.”

He smiled at that, and Lan Xichen smiled with him.

Really, there were limits to the sort of things you could expect a person to resist, even with willpower like hers.

“Have you decided that you will go?” she asked Meng Yao. “Is it your final decision? Let me know now.”

“It is.”

“Good,” she said. “You’re fired as my deputy. Also, I’d like to take the two of you to bed, if you’re similarly inclined.”

They gaped at her.

“What?” she said, crossing her arms. “He’s not my deputy anymore, there’s nothing immoral about it. Besides, nobody will get any stupid ideas about marriage if there’s three of us involved. It is only if you’re interested, though; I won’t be offended if you say no –”

Lan Xichen was kissing her before she even finished the sentence, so she assumed the answer was not, in fact, no, and Meng Yao’s reaction was equally enthusiastic – though perhaps equally wasn’t the right word, given how both she and Meng Yao ended up tied up in Lan Xichen’s forehead ribbon before the night was done.

“I knew it was a kink,” Meng Yao said, inspecting it with an expression of satisfaction, as if he hadn’t just demonstrated a fair share of his own. “Something so prominently displayed, Xichen-gege, for shame…”

Lan Xichen didn’t show so much as a hint of shame about it. “We’ll have to do this again,” he said. “I’m not even a fourth of the way down my list.”

“There’s a list?” Nie Mingjue asked, stretching out her legs to see how they felt after all that tossing around. “Tell me this is written down somewhere – no, tell me your uncle found it.”

Lan Xichen shuddered. “Thank you, da-jie. I didn’t need that mental image – it’d be like the time you gave Wangji pornography, only worse.”

Meng Yao decided the best way to muffle his laughter was in Nie Mingjue’s shoulder. With his teeth.

Nie Mingjue gave him a half-hearted shove. “Get off,” she grumbled. “I need to go drink some medicine to prevent contraception before we encounter disaster – this wasn’t planned, you know. I was intending on dying a virgin.”

“Da-jie, for you to die a virgin, that would mean – uh – that would – you were…? Mingjue!”

Nie Mingjue gave them both a glare. “Don’t tell me you two listened to those stupid rumors. I don’t take just anyone to my bed.”

“And you decided on two of us?” Meng Yao said, blinking at her. “Da-jie is very ambitious.”

“Not as much as you,” she said, rolling her eyes and pushing away their grasping hands. “What’s your real plan, anyway? You know Jin Guangshan won’t accept you as a son just because you show up and volunteer.”

“I don’t need to be his son, I just need to wear his colors,” Meng Yao said. “It’ll make for a better story when I defect to the Wen sect – as a spy, don’t look at me like that. You know I’d be good at it. And if I get close enough to Wen Ruohan, I can kill him. I’ll give you his head as a present, da-jie.”

“Unfair, A-Yao! I can’t compete with that,” Lan Xichen complained. “You have to let me help.”

‘Help’ turned out to be Lan Xichen allowing himself to be captured and Meng Yao stabbing Wen Ruohan in the back when he was about to start torturing the First Jade of Lan – Nie Mingjue had a headache and a strong desire to kill them both.

Even if they did bring her Wen Ruohan’s head.

“Stop looking so pleased with yourselves,” she scolded them – both Lan Xichen and Meng Yao, now officially Jin Guangyao (thanks to a bit of pointed haggling over which clan got what war merits and how that applied to the division of the spoils of war), looked positively smug. “What if you’d died?”

“But we didn’t,” Lan Xichen pointed out. “And now we’re here to claim our reward from our goddess.”

“Did I promise you a reward?”

Two sets of puppy dog eyes…and they did help her avenge her father.

“Fine. What do you want? If I can give it to you, it’s yours.”

They looked at each other, and Nie Mingjue immediately started to worry: they’d had time to think about it. That was dangerous.

“We want to marry you,” Lan Xichen said.

“Both of us,” Jin Guangyao said. “To avoid any jealousy.”

“That’s…not how that works,” Nie Mingjue said blankly. Men married multiple wives, not women multiple men: they had words for women who did that, none of them complimentary. Or legal, for that matter. “And anyway, I’ve already told you, I can’t have children. Huaisang’s my heir, and he always will be ��� you deserve to continue your family lines. Both of you.”

They exchanged looks again.

“That’s fine by me,” Jin Guangyao said. “Jin Zixuan’s the heir anyway.”

“I have plenty of cousins,” Lan Xichen said. “Can we go to bed now? I was injured in the line of duty –” He had a scraped knee and exactly three bruises, she’d counted. “– and I need some care and attention.”

“And an agreement of marriage from da-jie,” Jin Guangyao said, because he had a lawyer’s eye for such things.

This was almost certain to cause some sort of political disaster.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t settle for sworn brothers or something?” she tried.

They wouldn’t.

(The stories said that the leader of the Nie sect was a goddess – a war goddess, a goddess of the blade, sharp as the saber she carried and tall as a temple statute; they said that her two lovers fell in love with her the first moment they saw her and fought a war that upturned the entire cultivation world just to win the right to claim her hand; they said that they served as her right and left hands, and that when the three of them were together, the venerated triad, they could never be defeated.)

[justasimplesinner]

Hey, I’ve just spent my day admiring your blog... and seeing as requests are open I was wondering what you thought about the dork squad having a much younger, super caring fem s/o. Would it change anything in how they act with them publicly, intimately? Idk it’s vague so please go wild! I’m so down for anything you write!

i'm gonna make this more gender neutral so everyone can enjoy darl, hope you dont mind! gays and theys deserve to read some fanfiction too!

and yet again, gonna need to skip jervis

Jonathan with a very caring s/o hcs:

he is... not used to being taken care of. hell, he's not even used to taking care of himself. and quite honestly, you're the best fucking thing that ever happened to him. not that he'd ever admit it tho smh

you're just always so... gentle. and you pay so much attention to him and his needs. you never push. you always know when, where and how to soothe him. you always bring him food and coffee and insist on making him drink water. you massage his shoulders whenever he's been working for too long. it feels... weird. surreal. he will probably never get used to it

sometimes, he gets really flustered by you. here you are, a little ray of fucking sunshine, making sure he has a scarf and a warm hat on him, fixing it all for him, styling, patting his cheek like you were his parent. you have to fucking stand on your toes to even reach his neck properly, and yet he feels so small with you. and the amount of respect he harbors for you is immeasurable

Jon has never felt the need to ever explain himself to someone, never felt shame at getting caught redhanded in doing something illegal or whatever the fuck, but all it takes is a single look from you and he's spilling the beans, even looking bashful while doing it. you just have that effect on him

he is not going to lie, he does get self-conscious because of the age gap. he's an old cynic, you're young and so full of love, and not only does your relationship sometimes look like the parent-child dynamic in the most unexpected ways (i mean cmon, the rogues were shocked to see how you've tamed him), but sometimes it's just... hard to keep up. and it gets annoying, always being stared at - for a very different reason this time - whenever he walks hand in hand with you, and the whispers really get to him sometimes. even he can't comprehend what the hell are you doing with an old fuck like him

honestly? the first few times it happened, he had ceased showing you any and all affection in public completely. he didn't hold your arm/hand/waist, he walked a small distance away from you, he used the same cold tone he used for everyone else. it wasn't just because he himself was embarassed (and he hasn't given a shit for public opinion in years), but he was afraid that the whispers might get to you. maybe even... make you realize how you're wasting your life with him. he will need some reassurance from you to even consider showing your relationship to the public. he doesn't give a shit that people are going to point fingers at him, he gives a shit that they will do so at you and he'd hate it if you started developing some insecurities because of that or started considering... leaving him. he knows you probably should but he... so doesn't fucking want you to. it might be selfish, but he so doesn't want to fucking let you go. ever.

Edward with a very caring s/o hcs:

this man is just one big fucking baby, you two will get along very well. you complete each other. ying yang and shit. and he honestly needs you in his life. he needs someone to take care of him, he needs someone to love him like you do. it might not seem so at first glance, but he is practically unable to do that himself. he will never take care of himself like you care for him, he will never love himself like you love him

when you just came into his life and started cooking him decent meals, spoiling him with affection, listening to him, just overall taking care of him, he felt the need to cling to you like his life depended on it. you had him hooked immediately

but there's also this little thing...s. like... parental issues... trust issues... y'know, the usual. it's just... you felt so much like a parent sometimes, and he's used to parents aka the people that were supposed to love him abusing their power over him and belittling him. so, accepting the fact that he loved you and you might love him was a very long and tiring process. and then one time you just hugged him to you after supplying him with the best soup he's ever fucking had, he just curled into a ball in your arms, telling you that he loved you and... asking you not to hate him because of that. it was the most fucking heartbreaking thing because it actually felt like holding a hurt, abused and neglected child in your arms

has called you 'Mom' on more than one occassion, regardless of your gender (he'd never call you Dad. it feels like an insult to him) and got very embarassed because of it. honestly, he often gets hella embarassed whenever you do something for him, like fix his collar or pat his cheek. but every time he sees you like, folding his clothes maybe, just doing normal, domestic things and taking care of him, he's got this dopey smile on his red face as he all but stares at you with love-filled eyes

it does feel... weird sometimes. he feels kind of... creepy. you're younger than him, and yet you're the mother-hen, you're the mature one (though he won't admit that, ever) and it almost makes him feel incompetent. because he literally needs you to take care of him since he so often can't even do that himself. he doesn't blame you at all, of course. at first he did, and he threw a huge tantrum over it, many insults were directed at you but your god-like patience made you just suffer through it, comfort him and have a serious talk about the whole thing

and don't even get me started on the stares/whispers directed at you two in public. they really fucking get to him and they make him feel so self-conscious, and are making him doubt your whole relationship. but most of all, he's fucking terrified you will leave him because of that. because of what the people are saying. because he's older and has problems with keeping up sometimes. but every last one of his doubts is swept away whenever you just slide your hand into his or hug him around the waist. fuck it, you kiss him in public, you hug him in public, you call him 'darling' in public - you're not ashamed of your love for him at all, so why would he doubt you? he still does tho, he's so just fucking insecure this man

[snowberried]

Akihiko Sanada dating hcs

(A/N: My first post on Tumblr, starting off with best boy! Hopefully this is good enough for a first post!)

- Character: Akihiko Sanada

-- Fandom: Persona (3)

--- Gender: Neutral (A little bit more feminine, but anyone can still read!)

---- Includes 13 seperate lines for if you have a persona.

----- Spoilers: Yes (Pass by if you don't want to see spoilers!)

----------------------------------------------------------

• Akihiko and you probably met at school, same class (or if you're younger) maybe just passing by the halls.

You not being in his fanclub was a relief to him, finally not some weird fangirl, he wished he wasn't bombarded by a group of girls and could be a normal high school student, and you made him feel that way.

He could hang out with you and not feel awkward, could actually do activities with someone not swooning over him (well, not immediately).

When you do actually start dating, I feel like he'd be the one actually confessing it, probably like the p3p confession, he wouldn't exactly do it in the most romantic way.

If you confess, he'd probably pull you straight into a kiss, a gentle one, he has this huge though soft smile on his face.

He looks like a dork.

"Y/N- I've- felt this way around you.. I think it may be love.."

He would probably take you to Hagakure's ramen shop after he gets done training, sometimes even treating you.

This man would treat you right, hang out with you and buy you things. Ultimate ladies's man. Well- that is if he was actually good at flirting.

This man is also horrible at flirting, awful.

"Uh- the sunset is almost as pretty as your- smile-??"

Actually he's pretty cheesy.

Whether that's cute to you or not is your choice.

Finding it funny and joking about it would make him feel comfortable flirting, him liking to see you laugh, he hasn't been able to do that to much people.

Actually thinking it's cute would fluster the heck out of this boxer champion, him? Being cute? You must have the wrong person, right?

Call him cute, he'll essentially break down, well- him trying to hide it.

He wouldn't try to look flustered, you started dating him because of his strength, yeah, most definitely, just look cool.

Although he would be horrible at trying to hide it, stuttering a bit on his words, and just shutting down quiet style, hiding his face subtly.

You tease him about it? Even more flustered. He'd say things like "Shut up Y/n-" or just telling you to stop. (Well, I mean the joking manner.)

You'd only stop when he'd literally offer you food to stop.

So now y'all asses at Wild-duck Burger, Akihiko ready to cough up some money.

If it wasn't obvious, Akihiko likes giving you gifts, his love language would be gift giving... Well if it wasn't for quality time.

He loves spending time with you! Jogging especially, although it doesn't have to be anything active, it could be baking, or knitting for all he cares. Well- maybe not knitting, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd like knitting.

I'm sure one time he took you to train with him.

If you enjoyed it, cool! Something else to do that you both enjoy.

Though I'm guessing you wouldn't, and in that case, he understands, he'd enjoy coming home from training to see you sitting down or laying on the bed, cuddling with you.

"You're always so cold in bed.. do you wait for me or-?"

He'd probably play with your hair a lot, long or short.

You'd probably go to some of his boxing events, and he gets really happy when you do. Secretly trying better to impress you.

He wouldn't flat out say in the ring that he was trying for you, but later in private he probably would, although kinda bluntly.

"I tried to show off for you y'know?"

After all the boxing matches, you'd be the one to patch him up most likely. Your pretty much a makeshift doctor in the comfort of Akihiko's room.

Speaking of Akihiko's room, you two sleep in there most of the time, though you give it your own touch.

There's all the times your boyfriend won boxing matches, and there's one right near the middle of you winning a spelling bee, or the winner of a 2nd grade art contest.

"I think any accomplishment is good enough!"

"Aki I won that 10 years ago!"

Also of course you're allowed to call him Aki, he finds the name cute, the faintest little blush in his cheeks whenever it's said. (he denies it though)

Hope you don't mind the constant smell of protein while sleeping, he most of the time has 2 whole buckets worth of it at all times in the corner of his room.

He offers you some everytime you eat together, saying it's helpful for if you'd wanted to jog afterwards.

declines everytime.

~It is now angst time~ (Final spoiler ahead warning)

You remind him a lot of Mika.

You know about his past, about Mika. You try to comfort him about it when he gets sad over it.

You knew Shinjiro because of Akihiko, you knew they were great friends, they treated each other like brothers.

So obviously, he didn't take his death very well, or at all.

You were the only one to see him cry, he was in his room sad the entire day. You convinced him to open the door, and you immediately hugged him.

He was devastated, and just started crying on your shoulder. He didn't fight them back or anything. You patted his back and brought him to his bed, and laid down with him.

He thanks you so much for that, saying when he gets better he'll make it up to you. If you try to protest, he'll just kiss you and shake his head.

So you'll eventually wore down and accept.

He promises he'll protect you, if it's the last thing he does. He can't lose 3 people.

~If you have a persona~

Obviously you'd join S.E.E.S. and honestly, Aki is all for it, who wouldn't wanna see their partner kick ass?

Just more time to train together?

At Dark Hour you're suddenly woke up by Akihiko every night.

"Aki it's 13 at night-"

"C'mon! Can't we can get a little training in at least-?"

In Tartarus, although not noticable, Aki does try to protect you if you're ever in critical health.

He'll purposefully make Polydeuces keep Dia just in case you may need a heal.

Yukari and Ken wondering why they can't just heal you.

If one of you is sick or tired, the other won't go to Tartarus, simple as that.

You'll stay at the dormitory and help the other get some rest, laying down with the other and singing lullabies to the other.

Akihiko will offer soup, which if Shinjiro is alive, he'll cook

Though if he isn't, Aki will just try to make it instead, it's always better than you'd thought it would be.

"Have a great night Y/N."

----------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I am finished!!! I hope it was alright for my first headcanons.

✿ Have a great day!! *.✧

[uwua3]

friendly neighborhood poltergeist.

🌻👘 rurikawa yuki.

summary: no one likes a dead boy, especially not you

dedication: trans anon ♂ — i listened to this song and thought of you! 

warnings: angst, death, gender roles, ghosts, hate crimes, heartbreak, identity–based discrimination, jealousy/envy, mentions of violence, murder, paranormal/supernatural, spiders

author’s note: in the spirit of halloween month, please accept this scarily haunting song fic of “friendly neighborhood poltergeist”! enjoy~ ☆★ i haven’t written for yuki in so long so i’m so happy! :D i hope you like it as much as i do~ happy october!! 

word count: 2,595

music: friendly neighborhood poltergeist – rory webley

BEEN STARING AT YOU FOR DAYS,

BUT, YOU NEVER SEEM TO LOOK MY WAY

MY “I LOVE YOU’s” IN YOUR ALPHABET SOUP SEEM TO GO TO WASTE

BEEN KEEPING MYSELF AT BAY

NOW EVERYTHING’S GONE PEAR–SHAPED

Yuki remembered the day he was murdered.

It was Halloween 1987. Boys weren’t supposed to wear girly costumes, he knew that very well. Yet, when Yuki put on that dress instead of his normal uniform for boys only, he felt like himself for the first time in his entire life. It was nearing his high school graduation, he would’ve had another year or so until becoming one of St. Flora’s distinguished alumni. before he was killed behind the school building.

When Yuki died, he came back to see none of those boys were ever arrested. His murderers walked free and lived the life he didn’t, all because he wore a dress. Yuki now haunted this world in the very outfit he was dragged to hell in, the fragile fabric still ripped at the hem and stained by the very dirt students still crossed to this day. Forgotten in his small town and buried six feet under, Rurikawa Yuki became a ghost forever.

Why was he still here? There was nothing to live for, it’s not like he could’ve been resurrected back to life. Yuki wanted to move on, instead of walking the halls of the school that hated him. How could he keep staring in the face of teachers who never liked his bow instead of the usual tie? Why was he forced to watch generations of students graduate when he was removed of that opportunity? Yuki was eternally seventeen, forever and always.

All because he wore a dress.

Yuki haunted St. Flora for decades, just for revenge on all of those who let him die, even if it wasn’t their fault. Yuki was dead—until, you.

I GUESS BOYS WITH BEATING HEARTS

BEAT A BOY BURIED IN THE BACKYARD

EVERY TIME I TRY TO MAKE CONTACT

FEELS LIKE A SUPERNATURAL ATTACK

MISINTERPRET THEN YOU REACT

October. Pumpkin vines grew around his orange–laced boots, the autumn sunsets passing through his invisible form. Yuki missed the way candy tasted upon his tongue, how different fall treats were compared to the rest of the year. As Yuki walked past black cats that gathered, he glanced at the apple tree in the center of the school’s courtyard.

As a ghost, cold didn’t mean anything anymore. Students headed home in their coziest knit garments—no boys in dresses, luckily. Yuki sighed, but his breath didn’t solidify into the usual visible sign like it did all those years ago. Instead, cobwebs were spun in the corners of the building, spiders crawling along the walls. Spiders could feel the chilly autumn season, Yuki suddenly became jealous of those eight–legged creatures.

The crunch of falling leaves made Yuki turn slowly, his orange eyes finding you. You wore the St. Flora uniform, and it hadn’t changed from his years of attending. Not paying much mind, Yuki faced the red apples, watching them ripen away from the previously dismal September. As a boy, he used to reach up and grab it with his own gloved hands, the hard surface of the apple foreshadowing a delicious near future. Yuki couldn’t remember the taste of apples, did they taste any different?

“Do you want an apple?”

I GUESS IT’S BACK TO THE ATTIC,

I’M SO DRAMATIC, IT’S SO SAD

BUT, THE LAST TIME I LET SOMEONE INSIDE,

I WAS BURIED ALIVE

Yuki didn’t move, not until he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Letting out a scream, Yuki stumbled back from the first human contact he’s received ever since his death. Before you could say another word, Yuki disappeared out of sight, the memory of a fading boy wearing a purple and orange dress terrifying you to the core. You looked around, your eyes frantically searching for the witch–themed boy that was just in front of you.

Behind the tree, Yuki rested his hand above his chest, wishing he could feel the rapid heartbeat of fear from his past life. The burn of your touch tingled upon his skin, making him almost feel alive. Yuki had never, ever, been seen by someone—especially... touched. He had forgotten how warm living people were; had Yuki always been this cold all this time?

It was almost harvest moon, so you took a few steps back, about to leave. Until, you didn’t. You reached up and grabbed an apple. Putting it gently on the worn cobblestone bench wrapped around the apple tree, you took another glance before departing for good.

Nothing had changed in St. Flora’s courtyard, where Yuki was murdered. Pumpkins decorated the space festively, welcoming in the frights and scares of Halloween town. The cats spoke in an unknown tongue that couldn’t be translated by the human ear, possibly sharing the ancient knowledge witches passed on to their familiars. Spiders continued building their webs that would be destroyed by irresponsible, wreckless students the following early morning. Autumn browned the apple tree’s leaves as they fell like a goodbye, away they went. Except, a single red apple was left for Yuki.

When Yuki sat next to the apple, his skirt spread out across the seat and the witch’s hat upon his head tilted down. Stopping, Yuki shuddered from his own fear, not of the October cold incoming upon his town. Without wasting more time (after all, he’s had decades to do nothing), Yuki wrapped his hand around the apple.

He could feel it. It was hard and the surface wasn’t bruised at all. You picked the perfect apple. Shakingly bringing it to his mouth, Yuki ate something for the first time in years.

Yuki left the core of the apple in the same spot as before. It was the next day when you found it, searching the courtyard again but finding no one. Yuki was sitting right besides you, however, carefully watching your reaction. Something inside compelled him to say anything, and as Yuki was about to thank you, a male voice called for you just at the gates of the school.

You turned around with a smile, the most alive thing in the season of death. You left without another thought of the witch costume out of the corner of your eye, Yuki’s frown etched on his face as he witnessed another student pull you into an one–armed hug. Subconsciously, Yuki raised his hand, ghosting it above the last place you touched him, his shoulder suddenly cold.

Yuki wanted to touch you like that, too. What did that boy do to deserve your life like that? The apple didn’t taste so good, anymore.

HI, I’M YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD POLTERGEIST

NOBODY EVER LOOKS AT ME TWICE

I’M USED TO BEING SEE–THROUGH, BUT IT FEELS SO BAD WHEN IT HAPPENS WITH YOU

WISH YOU’D SEE ME THE WAY I SEE YOU

Yuki didn’t breathe anymore, not since his last breath with dirt suffocating his throat. Sometimes, Yuki looked at his burial with curiousity, strangely wondering how decayed his corpse was. What if, he never died? Was he still alive under all that earth? Most likely not, he didn’t know if he wanted to be anymore.

Yet, seeing you was like a breath of fresh air. Staying in the same seat on the same bench you liked to visit, Yuki used his eternal time to watch you. You, who liked resting your bag on his lap as you read a book, laying your head on the tree trunk with your ungloved fingers holding the binding. You, who sometimes read out loud, as if you were aware there was a dead boy who was slowly falling for you like the autumn leaves. You enjoyed picking up the courtyard cats even if their fur messed up your pristine uniform, talking to them as if they were human.

Yuki liked how you were often alone, as selfish as that sounded. Between classes, you seldom traveled with friends but instead, started hanging by the courtyard more often. Lunch was Yuki’s favorite pastime, because you spent a half hour or so just spending time with him. You would bring random little things, confidently talking to thin air as if it was elementary show & tell all over again.

“Candy?” Yuki said, looking over your shoulder to see you unwrap a piece of unfamiliar candy. It was a brand he didn’t recognize, times were changing, indeed. Expecting to be ignored, Yuki suddenly felt your hot breath on his cheek as you turned your head, seemingly staring straight through him. You couldn’t see Yuki, but you started anyway.

“Is that you?” Silence. You averted your gaze, your eyes meeting Yuki’s for a split second unintentionally. You carried on, but Yuki froze, as if frozen to the spot. Why did your eyes make him pretend there was blood rushing through his veins, as if he wasn’t buried six feet under? Hovering over the surface of his cheeks, Yuki knew he’d be blushing right now if that was possible.

“I knew it. I knew you were here the entire time.” You gratefully admitted, a warm red tint on the tip of your nose. Yuki wished he was the scarf around your neck, to be so close to you and feel your beating pulse. Yet, Yuki didn’t reply. He wasn’t underneath anymore, but it felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he was being buried alive all over again. What was this feeling? How did you give and take his life all at once?

After a moment or two of the wind brushing rustling the corn maize just beyond the fence, you flinched at the sound of the bell, telling you to go back to class. Yuki wanted to beg you to stay, you were his first friend in so long. Yuki knew it would’ve been stupid to hold onto you, a ghost couldn’t make contact as well as humans did.

So, he let you go. You stood up, about to leave to your last period before looking over your shoulder, sending a bright smile in Yuki’s general direction.

“I’ll bring you all my favorite candies on Halloween, okay?”

It would be the first Halloween where Yuku celebrated instead of mourning his death.

I’VE BEEN SPELLING MY NAME IN YOUR LEGO BRICKS

I DON’T KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT MORE OBVIOUS

YOU’RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO ALMOST TOUCH

BUT, NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO HOLD

BEEN TRYNA MAKE MY MOVE

BUT, THAT DUDE KEEPS STEALING YOU

The weeks leading up to Halloween were the days where Yuki felt most alive, even including his life before death. You gave Yuki a purpose to live, making him stay in the courtyard for good as he waited for you impatiently. You two got to know each other more as you figured out ways for Yuki to communicate without words. Even if it was a slight change in the air or a push of a leave or a meow from a cat, you seemingly understood every intention of his. How did you know him so well? Why did he want to share so much?

As you felt inclined to spend more time in St. Flora’s courtyard, you and Yuki grew your relationship during the season of magic, where anything could happen. You began leaving gifts for Yuki as a way to thank him for being your friend, without ever asking to see him. For the first time in his afterlife, Yuki felt safe. As if nothing could ever hurt him, except... him.

You had a friend with teeth as sharp as the monster under your bed and a laughter that howled like a wolves. How could a person like you enjoy a beast like that man? It was Halloween year round with that boy, and Yuki instantly disappeared whenever he looked for you. In his sleazy uniform that harmed St. Flora’s prestigious reputation, that boy would touch you casually like it was nothing. It made Yuki’s fists clench and energy angry, it infuriated every part of him.

Worst part was, you liked it. Yuki could tell without even trying, you didn’t even hide it. You ate up all the attention like it was an apple pie, returning the gesture with an embarrassed flustered expression across your face. You would leave school with him hand in hand, smiling even bigger than you did with Yuki.

The afternoon before Halloween, the school bell ended your time together as you stood up, waving goodbye to your ghost boy. Yuki’s intuition was twisting his gut, the anxiety making his head spin as he impulsively reached out, his fingers curling around your wrist.

You stopped, feeling a tug holding you back. Your eyes met a green haired, orange eyed boy in a witch’s costume like the first time you both met. You blinked, and he was gone, but you could still imagine his hand and how soft it was on yours.

“You’ll come tomorrow night, right?”

You promised you would, and Yuki let you go, and inkling of suspicion arising in his heart. He trusted you. When that boy yelled your name with a smirk, Yuki closed his eyes to avoid the sight of you smiling back at that monster. He just didn’t trust him, that’s all.

Yuki wondered what types of candy you liked under the full moon tomorrow.

I DON’T KNOW WHY I TRIED

THIS REJECTION GOT ME FEELING COLD AS ICE

I DON’T WANNA DIE TWICE

IT WASN’T VERY FUN THE FIRST TIME

Yuki was ready. Stepping out from behind the apple tree, Yuki could feel himself manifest as a real person, not as a ghost. It had been a long month of practicing and working on this skill he didn’t know he could do before, but Yuki did it. All for you, he wanted to hold you even if it was just once.

The full moon on a Halloween night gave him enough energy to appear as a full apparition, fortunately. In his dress that got him killed, Yuki waited in his usual spot, listening for the crunch of autumn leaves to signal your arrival. Yuki waited, and waited, and waited.

It was midnight when Yuki realized you weren’t coming. You had lied, you broke your promise. A part of him wanted to keep waiting, making up every excuse in the book for your disappearance. But, he knew what happened. You chose that beast over him, you liked boys that were alive. Of course you did, what could a dead boy offer to someone alive?

Was this why Yuki came back as a ghost? To die again?

You ran into the courtyard, slipping past the security in the dead of night, the clock striking three. You were out of breath, dizzy with adrenaline as you carried a basket of candy. Usually, you would feel Yuki’s presence around, but, it was like... he was dead, for good.

You found nothing but a pair of lemon–yellow gloves that belonged to his costume upon the bench. You remembered how many times he insisted you protect your hands more, and tears threatened to fall from your eyes. Why did this feel so much like a goodbye? Was this the end?

He decided to give a gift back after all the ones you brought for him... why? As the pumpkin–shaped bag of candy dropped onto the ground, startling the creatures of October who witnessed you cry, you felt a hand ghost over your cheek. A single warm breath hovered over your lips, then nothing at all.

Rurikawa Yuki died twice.

[hussyknee]

Hi, fellow lgbt+ inclusionist here. It's cool that you've reclaimed "queer" for yourself and use it as a self-descriptor, but do not call lgbt+ gatekeepers "queer people". Hell, don't call anyone (who isn't yourself) "queer" without their explicit consent. Even if you don't think it's an anti-lgbt slur—for whatever nonsensical and ahistorical reason—don't label people with words they may or may not label themselves as; it's just rude.

The whole point of inclusionism is that "queer" is an acceptable term to call the ourselves and each other, excepting individual preference. The way we say "disabled people", unless someone says "I prefer person with disabilities actually" or even "differently-abled for me please" when referred to directly.

By and large the disabled community now severely side-eyes person-first language because of how it's a dogwhistle for anti-austistic ableism, and the second is considered a downright insult. But on an individual level people get to be called what they want. That doesn't mean we can't call each other "disabled" because not everyone likes it.

Hell, I hate being called "Desi". That word comes from the Hindi word "Des" which means "country", and so carries implications of North Indian manifest destiny, which is an ongoing cultural and geo-political concern for everyone else who lives in the subcontinent that isn't Indian. That doesn't mean I get a hair up my ass every time someone calls it the "Desi community" or refers to a group that includes me as "Desi". Because there's a lot more diaspora history behind the word than just that.

Look, we're all gonna get called by some shorthand we don't like when we're part of a larger community. Anyone who doesn't personally want to be called queer is fine. Anyone who wants to make a space for themselves and others like them that isn't called queer is also cool.

But that's not what exclusionists are doing. They're actively trying to smear and degrade a word that is important to a lot of people and shame everyone out of using it. And they have used this rhetoric to bully aces and aros and whoever doesn't conform to their conditions out of the community. There are people with literal PTSD from their bullshit.

So I personally do not give a good shit what they want. I won't refer to a specific person as queer if they decline the word but I'm also not going to take a survey every time I want to refer to non-allo-cishet people or discourage cis hets from using the word. That's literally what stigmatising means.

Also I really need all of you to understand - none of this shit matters. Right now I'm doing an anthropology program and waist deep in academic literature on queer decolonization. I was on a Zoom conference yesterday listening to human rights lawyers talking about queer activists in India and Uganda fighting bills that would allow the state-sanctioned murder of gay and transgender people. We're pulling researchers from various Departments of Queer Studies from all over the world to understand how colonized peoples saw sexuality and gender, completely divorced from whatever we now think of as "LGBT". There are countless cultures that has no innate understanding of a cishet Vs non-cishet binary. Concepts of queerness and queer histories completely apart from the gay liberation movements of the UK and Stonewall.

And we call them all "queer" when we communicate in English (one single colonial language out of six thousand languages, that the majority of the world doesn't even speak) because it's a placeholder term. Nothing more or less.

Stay in your little social media bubbles and bleat about whatever alphabet soup you'd rather use. I don't care. The rest of us have actual work to do.

[grantairelibere]

Hi. Okay. So. Your fic. May I give some feedback? I’ve never properly done this before, please bear with me. :D

I kind of took notes as I read it, so this will be in somewhat chronological order and also include SPOILERS. EVERYONE GO READ THE FIC, NOT MY ASK. (it’s also totally cool if you don’t publish this because of the spoilers)

“soup of pasta” is a stroke of genius, and it was the first thing that made me laugh. you really capture that “not quite adapted to the modern world, but also not completely foreign to it”-feeling, not only on this occasion, but it’s a great example.

Courfeyrac being totally prepared to make his speech more gender-inclusive, but refusing to change “mistress” to “girlfriend” is another great character moment that i loved!

I’m obsessed with the concept of un-undead people? I’ve never encountered it before and it was such a cool spin on ghost/reincarnation stories!

Quick shoutout to Jehan’s “listen, everyone crushes on courfeyrac, it’s fine” moment.

Maybe it was just a joke, but Courfeyrac mentioning Enjolras being inspired by a blank page with the word “liberty” written on it stood out to me. It reminded me of Sophie Scholl, who was part of a german group protesting the nazi government. When she was arrested, she wrote the word “Freiheit” (german for liberty) on the back of her bill of indictment. Before she was executed, she said that she would accept her death, if it meant people would rise up in response. But they didn’t. She died in 1943, and there were no protests, the war and the atrocities of the regime continued and people continued to support it. In connection with the story of the June Rebellion and Enjolras part in your fic, that struck me as a particularly tragic parallel.

On a lighter note: Grantaire probably clipped through the non-ceiling when he came back, right?

Enjolras, wistful: I haven’t seen this place in a long time…

The Corinthe: *loud thud*

All in all, it’s a fantastic fic! There’s so many things I didn’t mention, but this is already very long! The development of the relationship was so well done, and I loved Marius growth!! It’s just such a beautiful piece, I love it very much.

-favtine

Oh my god thank you so much for this, I now owe you a life debt for such in-depth feedback, I really cannot express my gratitude in a way that makes sense

-"soup of pasta" came from me stopping in the middle of writing and going 'If I was from 1832. And I have just seen instant noodles for the first time. What on earth would I think it is??' and then I went down a rabbit hole trying to research the history of pasta

-Thank you! I feel like Courfeyrac would just hate the sound of the word 'girlfriend', not entirely sure why.

-Ahh, I'm glad you liked the concept!! I have always loved ghost stories and ghost/human romances, and I wanted to write one with a happy ending that didn't involve the human party dying. There's this YA series called The Mediator which does it (in a totally different way, though) that I read as a kid, and I'm pretty sure that highkey influenced it

-Jehan is right.

-Oh my god? I need to go read up about her immediately, she sounds amazing. That was an entirely unintentional parallel but I'm so glad to know about it, thank you!

-Re: Grantaire, I'm laughing, that's literally exactly how I pictured it. Enjolras walks by and suddenly It's Raining Man (Hallelujah)

-Again thank you so much!! I'm so honoured you read it and enjoyed it and took the time to write all this, it is truly soup of pasta for my soul. <3 <3 <3