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sukunasweetheart · 21 days

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scummy ex-boyfriend sukuna...

warnings!!! dark content, noncon breeding, dubcon, sukuna ties your hands together, baby trapping, toxic, possessive and jealous sukuna, manipulative tendencies and mentions of violence (not towards reader), oral (f!receiving)

divider by @/saradika-graphics

3.8k words

scummy ex-boyfriend sukuna who'd always coax you into fucking him bareback without a condom because he swears it feels better...

being so sweet, seducing you into letting him hit it raw, doing whatever it takes to put you in a good mood, get you hot and bothered so you can't deny him for long, swearing that he'd pull out, and that you'd have nothing to worry about...

but scummy ex-boyfriend sukuna who never kept his word. he'd fuck you silly and cum deep into your womb, even though he promised he wouldn't. you wanted to stop him, but you were feeling too good in the moment to fight him off. when you confront him about it afterwards, he simply tells you "my bad, sweetheart. i didn't mean to, but you just felt too good..."

he gets high off the feeling of cumming inside you.

scummy ex-boyfriend sukuna who secretly wished he could fuck you pregnant with his seed. but you told him you didn't want a baby, which he disappoints him, though he may not show it. he wants to see your belly swell up with his child, and to suck on your sweet milk when your tits start leaking. fuck, just the thought of it had made him get hard.

scummy ex-boyfriend sukuna who didn't take you seriously when you broke it off with him. you could see it in his eyes sometimes, the way he seemed eerily quiet when your pregnancy tests turned out with only one line. you felt glad you'd taken those birth control pills behind his back. but you decided enough was enough. you loved him, but you just didn't want to have a child with him.

scummy ex-boyfriend sukuna who didn't even seem phased by the break up. he believed he could coax you back to him again, given with some time. you are his, and nothing will change that. when he sees you around, he shamelessly flirts with you and tries to convince you to come back to him, telling you that he misses you dearly. there are times when he almost succeeds, only because you do miss him sometimes too.

a few weeks into the break up, you truthfully, begin to feel a little sexually frustrated. you don't recall having such a high sex drive before getting with sukuna, but he seems to have permanently altered your body, the way he used to pleasure you so good...

you gather some friends and head into a club, and try to forget about him.

at the club, you re-familiarise yourself with the smell of alcohol in the air, the music that hurts your eardrums, and the crowd of people all around you, wherever you went. it's been a while since you've been here, because you had been with sukuna for over two years now.

an hour or two passes, and you've gotten yourself fairly tipsy at the bar now.

you sync yourself up with the music, but a familiar figure catches your attention from the second floor of the club, afar. it's sukuna. but he's not looking at you.

he's standing with his ex-girlfriend - the one that had gotten hysterical with you after she'd found out about your relationship with him. your mood plummets, for some reason.

you're the one that broke up with him. it shouldn't matter what he's up to after that. liar. you told me you missed me. you try to ignore him, and continue drinking yourself drunk, the edges of your vision already swimming.

sukuna's at the club, only because a friend of his snitched on you and told him that you were out here somewhere. he didn't think he'd meet yorozu, out of everyone it could've been.

"hi, ryo. i heard you'd finally broken up with that girl?" she asks sweetly, standing as close to him as possible.

sukuna gives her a deadpan stare.

"broken up? says who?"

"well, everyone. don't tell me you're pathetically clinging onto her now? that's not like you."

"i'm not you. now get lost, i'm busy."

yorozu grabs his hand, stopping him from walking away.

"wait! i just wanna tell you..."

she continues talking, but his attention has already drifted elsewhere, as his eyes pan toward the crowd downstairs. now...where are you? when he does manage to find you in the crowd downstairs, he doesn't like what he sees. that's an understatement. he hates it.

you're swaying your hips with some other bastard, making out with him on the dance floor.

"damn- you're so fuckin' hot," the stranger chuckles against the shell of your ear, your arms around his neck.

"am i really?" you respond giggling, clearly intoxicated.

"yeah, you are... why don't you come home with me?"

"hmmm? sure, why not? 'm single now, anyway," you mumble, your feet now beginning to stumble. you're starting to miss him again.

"broke up with your boyfriend, did you? poor thing."

"i'll help you feel better." the man grins and helps you walk outside of the club.

on his way out however, he bumps into someone of a large frame. he's all tatted up, and his gaze is holding a mean glare as he stares down at him. he holds out his hand to him, like he's asking for something.

"hand her over, and i won't beat you to death."

oh. he must be the ex. that was enough for the man to quietly place your body into sukuna's arms and exit the club.

tch, he's as spineless as he looks.

sukuna handles your limp body with care, your breath pungent with the smell of alcohol. he's irritated to no end right now, and a vein is bulging from his forehead, but he safely carries you to his car.

outside, the man thinks he's clear of danger, and decides he's had enough for the night. but, someone's heavy arm comes down around his shoulders suddenly.

"hey. you're the one that played it too close with sukuna's girl? how unlucky of you," a man with a scar on his lip talks nonchalantly.

he gets dragged into a nearby alleyway.

"don't take it personally. i got paid to do this."

the man shrieks as he gets beaten to a pulp, just enough so it hurts like hell, but not enough to kill him. sukuna likes to keep his word.

meanwhile... you're taken to your own home. he found the keys to your house in your purse. sukuna tucks you into your own bed, and even dresses you into your own pajamas. and then...

he just leaves.

the next morning - you don't remember a thing. you're left feeling confused, wondering how you managed to get home and how you were even sober enough to get yourself dressed. the only thing you can recall is seeing sukuna with his ex, and then making out with some random guy on the dance floor. everything else is blacked out.

you ask your friends, but they were also too busy getting wasted to know what happened to you. but you feel fine physically, so you brush the incident off.

now the only thing bothering you... sukuna hasn't contacted you again ever since you witnessed him and yorozu talking. so he must've gone back to her. that makes you feel... irritated. upset. sad, even. even though you wanted to break things off first.

you slowly start getting back to your normal daily life again, although with a heavy heart. only change is, that you can't seem to find your birth control pills, wherever you last put them. you contemplate for a moment, wondering whether you should buy a new pack, but you end up shrugging it off, knowing that you won't really need them in the meantime anyway...

you're trying to get back into what life was like before you met sukuna. falling back into bad diet habits, staring at your phone, going back and forth between unblocking and blocking sukuna's number - wondering if he's texted you again in the meantime - but of course, there is nothing new.

he may have had his toxic traits, but you knew he loved you a lot... he cooked you wonderful meals and spoiled you with gifts and knew how to make you orgasm until you couldn't speak. and he was tender with you, even though he teased you a lot.

and now, you're back to using toys to satisfy yourself... it's always like this! you start thinking about him and your hand begins to wander down - you can only hope that you'll eventually lose these feelings soon.

you decide to head out and go on a shopping spree alone, to distract yourself from your thoughts and maybe lift your spirits up.

spending a lot of money for yourself always feels nice. you're buying a lot of cute clothes, accessories and food, jumping between shop to shop. the sun sets rather quickly, and by now, you're at your final stop, mulling over whether this expensive, but beautiful bracelet and necklace set is worth buying. your impulse gets the better of you and you ask for it to be packaged for you.

you reach for your wallet to pay with your card, but someone's familiar voice rings out beside you as he approaches.

"i'll pay for the set." sukuna already has his credit card out, and is handing it to the store clerk, using a tone that makes him difficult to question.

"...sukuna?" you say quizzically, his name slipping from your lips without thinking.

the clerk scans his card, and your items are already paid for.

"what are you doing here..." you ask him, with mixed feelings running around in the pit of your stomach.

"missed me?" he asks with a smirk, very naturally taking your multiple shopping bags from your hand. "i just happened to be in the area."

you're not sure if you believe him. just when you're about to ask him something again, he guides you out of the store with his hand on your shoulder.

"i thought you got back with your ex," you say, taking your bags back from his hand. "i'm sure she'll be upset if she sees you here with me."

"what? where did you get that nonsense from?" he seems genuinely confused.

"i saw you at the club, by coincidence. you were talking with her."

oh... he didn't realise you'd noticed him back there.

"oh, sweetheart... that was a coincidence. i wasn't planning on meeting her. did you really believe that i'd get back with that woman?"

you shouldn't be feeling relieved to such an extent... but your shoulders loosen up after hearing that.

"well... you stopped contacting me after i last saw you with her. of course i'd start believing it."

"oh? i thought you had my number blocked. were you anticipating my texts? you missed me, after all." sukuna leans in closer to you, smiling cockily.

you should have just kept your mouth shut...

"i'll take you home. you have a lot of luggage, no?" sukuna offers, taking your bags back from your hand.

you bite the inside of your cheek. you know you're supposed to decline here. but you let your feelings get the best of you... and end up letting him lead you to his car.

he was supposed to just quickly drop you off home.

"you have a lot of stuff. i'll help you carry it home," sukuna gave his excuse, with something more sly hiding in his eyes. you know exactly what he wants. but when he insists so strongly, you can't deny him. like the fool you are.

you unlock your door and he comes inside to put your bags down on the floor at the entrance. and as you had expected, he doesn't leave right away. instead, he looks down at you with a coy smile, while you return the gaze with a more standoffish one. the tension feels thick and heavy as neither of you speak for a moment.

"well? i'm sure you didn't let me in without knowing my intentions..." sukuna moves forward and closer to you, hands very naturally finding their way to your waist.

he leans down slowly and offers you a brief kiss, a very light and short one, like he's testing the waters. he scans your face for your response. your lips feel all tingly. and all he sees is that you're not pushing him away.

"we shouldn't..." you whisper, but your resolve is too weak. you can't tell him to go away, much less kick him out of your home.

"i know."

in truth, he doesn't really. why should he be separate from you? you belong to him. he pulls you in for a deeper kiss. and you just let it happen.

and, lord, he smells and tastes divine. there's a reason why you always forgave him despite his scummy behaviour when it came to using protection. though you ended up breaking him off, you wonder if it'll be different if you give him another chance.

he wastes no time in lifting you into his arms like you weigh nothing, and heads off to your bedroom, before you can change your mind. you comply, holding onto his strong embrace weakly, having missed this kind of treatment.

when you're laid onto your own bed, sukuna smirks again as he cages you between his arms.

"you're being so obedient. must've regretted breaking up with me-?"

pulling him in with a hand to the back of his neck, you shut him up with another demanding kiss, not letting him speak for long. sukuna groans as you slip your tongue into him, initiating something messier than what the both of you were doing before.

he's quick to unzip your skirt and side it off, along with your panties. in desperation, he doesn't take the time to fully get you naked and instead, pushes your shirt and bra up to fondle your jutting breasts. sukuna then peels his own jacket and shirt off.

"spread your legs for me, sweetheart. i'll spoil you tonight."

you part your legs slowly - and he sees that you're already glistening with slick. bringing his face down, he aims straight for your sensitive clit, wrapping his lips around it entirely. your back arches as you gasp, the warm and wet feeling being so arousing like nothing else in this world.

you feel the tip of his tongue flicker up and down your clitoris in a mesmerising rhythm - knowing exactly what you want, and need to reach your orgasm. and the way he sucks on you with the correct amount of pressure, while making the lewdest noises, forcing your hips to stutter uncontrollably against his mouth, with the way it feels so mind numbing, is just too much in its own way.

you let your erotic moans ring out, because you know he loves it when you show him how good you're feeling - and your hands can't help but hold onto his hair from the intense pleasure, which he never seem to flinch from.

the first orgasm hits you like a truck, with the way you're left breathless and gasping for air as your legs reflexively try to close up - sukuna has to hold them apart with his strong grip as he continues tonguing you even as you're cumming, your cunt thrumming against his lips.

"o-ooh- fuck-! sukuna!" you plead, your blank gaze meeting the ceiling with half-lidded eyes, hips jolting without restraint.

when he does eventually show mercy and remove his mouth from your poor aching clit, you're already on the brink of sobbing, your legs down to your toes feeling all prickly from the overstimulation. your mind is in a haze.

so much so, that you didn't realise that he had bound your wrists to the bed frame until he was already done with it.

"wha- sukuna...? why're you tying me up-?" you question, still a little out of it from your last orgasm.

"shh, love. it's not like this is the first time...relax," sukuna comforts you, caressing your face. you can't help the small uneasiness from growing in your stomach. he suddenly gives your clit a light slap. it startles you a bit, and you gasp.

"you're so pretty. do you know that?"

you see your own reflection in his ringed eyes. your heart races, and you don't know if it's because you're flustered or terrified.

"i just wanna..."

his cock aches in his pants.

he never finishes his sentence. instead, he just offers you a soft, yet sloppy kiss.

sukuna frees his erection, and sighs in relief. it's all messy and leaky with precum. he lines it up against your wet and puckering cunt. you won't deny that you want it...

"sukuna... condom..." you remind him gently, getting slightly nervous from the way he's rubbing his tip up and down your slit.

"... 'm sorry sweetheart. i don't think i can do that."

he pushes his hips in one go, and you're left gasping from the sudden intrusion. you're immediately pushed into a mating press.

sukuna groans from how he immediately feels your wet walls sucking him in, your slick making his cock glisten as he thrusts in and out. he's missed this so, so much.

"fuck- sukuna! you can't- oh my g-god..." your hands tug at your bindings as you try and resist your moans from coming out of your throat, but the way his dick satisfies your cunt is otherworldly, his tip kissing your cervix, over and over again.

"that's it, baby... just enjoy yourself," he urges you on, getting breathless from his own fast pace, cock pulsating inside of you in excitement. god, you always drive him crazy.

still, in the back of your mind you still have a sliver of trust in this man. foolishly so. surely he'll pull out at the last second. surely he won't cum inside you in this situation. it's been a while since you stopped being on the pill.

your bed creaks from how roughly sukuna pounds your pussy, all while groaning with such shamelessness, only caring about the pleasure that is found from the warmth and wetness of your puckering hole.

"fuuck... fuck! to think you were gonna let some other bastard do this to you..." he growls under his breath, brows furrowing. you don't hear him. he remembers his original motive for all of this. to remind you who you truly belonged to.

"ooh-! sukuna! you're being too rough..." you whine, feeling the pressure of an incoming orgasm already building in your abdomen.

he only grips your hips harder, looking down at you with a toothy smile. his dick aches so badly. he's endured through so much patience just for this moment.

your mind goes blank as you forget about the fact that he's not wearing a condom, drool spilling out the side of your mouth from the pleasure you feel as his girthy dick drills in and out of you, a squelching noise happening everytime he sinks himself in. there's the feeling of his heavy balls slapping against your ass. and also the friction from his pants, that he hasn't bothered to fully take off. the juices from your cunt has dampened them, but sukuna couldn't care less right now.

"sweetheart... my love... take- taking me s-so well..." sukuna groans, panting and words slurred. despite the deeply affectionate words, his hips move like an animal. you can't do anything but moan and cry.

sukuna feels himself getting high again. there's just something about you... god, he's so pussydrunk he can't even think properly. only the thought of breeding you is on his mind. make you his, completely. to see your belly get bigger from his seed... a powerful thrum goes to his cock and he shudders again.

he has to make it take, this time.

"i'm gonna cum," he tells you breathlessly, knowing you won't be able to stop him, this time around.

"sukuna!... wait," you protest, weakly tugging at your binds again, but you can't say anything more than that, as his lips come down onto yours, silencing you effectively. he tongue kisses you roughly, desperate and messy as you can feel his laboured breaths on you.

and the final thrust that he gives, where he pushes his dick in so deeply, tip meeting your cervix, sends you into another trembling orgasm. sukuna groans deeply against your mouth as he cums, hips stuttering against yours, eyes shut tightly as he savours you completely. you take your lips off of his, and try to say, "stop...! no- pull out," but he stops you with another kiss.

you sob, because it's over. but you're also sobbing because it feels so good.

sukuna's deep kiss trails down to the crook of your neck.

"you can't tell me to pull out... when your cunt is... seducing my cock like this..." he shivers between phrases, mumbling against your neck, mind all hazy from the way you pulse around him from your orgasm, milking his dick as spurt after spurt of his seed shoots straight into your womb.

you can't even say anything back to him - you're coming off your high as he empties his balls into you, letting out more than usual. you're done for.

"i hate you," you sob.

"i know you don't really mean that. you can't live without me," sukuna tells you, pressing a gentle kiss against your forehead afterwards.

"and the same applies to me. i'll never let anyone else have you."

he begins to litter kisses down again, until he reaches your chest, while his cock is still inside you. his soft lips caress your tits, and then he begins to lather his tongue around your stiffened nipples, making you feel good again, even through the tears.

the night is far from over.

sukuna becomes much more gentle and soft after the first time, opting for slower but deeper thrusts this time around, adding plenty of little kisses in between as well, "loving" you with everything he has. you have no choice but to accept all of him, as he cums inside of you over and over again.

his cock is in its own haven, being trapped in your gummy walls without rest. and at some point, sukuna's even released your wrists, and now you're willingly making love to him with your arms around his neck, coping with the thought that resisting doesn't even matter anymore - it's already too late, and you're tired of trying to fight back.

you can't count how many times he's dumped his load into you, how many times he's said "i can't get enough of you," how many times you've kissed him back when he kisses you.

and when he finally does eventually pull out, his semen oozes out of you in a disgusting amount. you're spent, and completely exhausted. you can't help your heavy eyelids from closing up, and the last thing you hear is his soft voice.

"goodnight, sweetheart. i'll take care of everything, from now on. i promise."

he holds you so closely and lovingly that you believe him.

Masterlist

#sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna #ryomen sukuna x reader #sukuna smut #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #sukuna x y/n #sukuna x you #sukuna #and then he becomes the best perfect husband that kisses the ground you walk so you end up forgetting that he literally babytrapped you <3 #tw dark content #tw dubcon #tw non con #tw baby trapping

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aster-oid · 4 months

Text

To the stranger I knew too well

Summary: When your recurrent dreams about a puppet become out of hand, a reality check feels like the only way to get back to normalcy. Fate proves you wrong.

Pairing: Wanderer & gn!reader (post Irminsul), the relationship is heavily implied to be platonic

Content warnings: Reader is gender neutral, mentions of blood and murders but I don't go into details, slight angst, Wanderer is bad with feelings, platonic content

Word count: 7.2k | Soulmate AU

Comments: A special thank to my beta @ladyfocalors for always brainrotting with me about Genshin characters. We'll platonify the Genshin soulmate AU one work at the time /lh

It took you years to understand that your frequent lucid dreams about an Inazuman electricity-wielder leader were actually the memories of your soulmate.

To your parents' defense, every normal individual would have dismissed the idea. While your soulmate wearing an extravagant hat wasn’t impossible, your tales about a place shrouded in darkness and an Electro-user without a Vision sounded like a child's fantasy. There was no such thing in Teyvat.

You quickly got the reputation of an imaginative kid. Adults liked to ask you about your dreams.

"What a smart child you are!", they cooed once you finished recalling your visions. "You could write a storybook!"

Your younger self would shoot them the dirtiest glare they could muster. Unfortunately, adding that the protagonist was a puppet made hundreds of years ago was not the convincing argument you thought it was. To the layperson, your visions were nonsensical dreams.

But you knew what you saw. It felt real. Terribly, shockingly real. Most often that not, you woke up from these flashes with the taste of iron in your mouth, static filling your sight, your muscles locked into place. You were trapped in your own unresponsive body. Even your breath was stuck in your throat. But the worst part of your awakenings was the sticky feeling on your hands. No matter how many times you scrubbed, it lingered on your skin. You didn't know what it was at that time, just that it made you feel gross and that it would sometimes reappear if you washed your hands hard enough.

You learnt what blood was before you knew how to spell the color red.

When one is repeatedly told that they're wrong, they will come to believe it. You were no exception. As the years passed by, you pushed those fantasies in the back of your mind. The adults in your life must have been right. You were just a strange kid with gruesome dreams, that was all.

Despite knowing that they were figments of your vivid imagination, the sights of snow-covered plains and bloody massacres haunted you well into adulthood. They had grown more complex. Details you didn’t notice as a child seemed obvious now that you had more experience. You could also recall conversations better. That’s how you learnt the name of the body you inhabited. Well, it was more correct to say you learnt multiple names for them. Kabukimono, Kunikuzushi, Scaramouche, the Balladeer... It was like you could never make up your mind.

The puppet you temporarily inhabited was as elusive as the wind: no fixed name to call them and no face to match. They fled mirrors when they saw one, preventing you from seeing their appearance. The only thing you knew about them was their title: number Sixth of the Fatui Harbinger. A seat that was left vacant for centuries according to every Fatuus you asked.

Your constant daydreaming was annoying but manageable until you started having visions about Kunikuzushi taking over Sumeru. You saw them getting experimented on to become one with a robot, wincing in pain at the hands of a masked doctor, rambling about their birth-given right to access godhood, taunting a blonde traveler; a chain of events that could only make sense in a dream. The problem was that your reverie was affecting your daily life. You couldn’t go through a day without getting assailed by memories that weren’t yours. You had to stop halfway through any task, discussing became hard and sleep rarely came to you.

There was little you could do as you didn’t know what had worsened your visions. You were hoping it would go away by itself.

That was until a particularly haunting dream. As usual, you were but a spectator seeing through the Balladeer’s eyes. You saw a hand -their hand- reach for a chess piece, leaning forward as much as they could. Your blood went cold. They were about to fall over the edge of the platform! Your gaze darted everywhere. There was nothing on the distant ground that would break their fall. For the first time in your life, you realized that they could die. Scaramouche, the one you had observed for decades, could die.

You were the only one to realize how far they were leaning. They only had eyes for the violet pawn in front of them, begging and begging with a shaky voice. It had never sounded so frail, so raw with hurt and panic.

"Please, anything but the Gnosis!"

It’s not worth it! you tried to scream. Stop! You didn't know why this Gnosis was so important to them but it was nothing dying for. Alas, no matter how hard you tried to move your mouth, the body refused to answer to you. You were nothing but a witness of a tragic scene, a powerless ghost with a bleeding heart. Your throat was thick with emotions you were not allowed to express.

Your dream ended in a snap, quite literally. A tearing sound erupted from behind you before you were sent falling down, pain flaring in your back. You bit down a scream as the world turned to blurry shades of blue and fluttering black bangs. The increasing speed made your eyes water and your body burn. You clenched your teeth. The fall was inevitable. Maybe it made you a coward but you couldn't bear to see it. You didn’t want to see Kunikuzushi die. Muttering an apology to the stranger in your dreams, you squeezed your teary eyes shut.

The last thing you heard was a wet crushing sound, a mix between eggshells broken under the palm of your hand and a fruit being squashed. Your body jolted in your bed and you gagged, fighting the urge to throw up. You had never felt this sick. Not even when you dreamt of unfair massacres.

You sank to the floor, furiously wiping away the tears beading in the corner of your eyes. You couldn't do it anymore. You had to confront your dreaming problem. There was only one solution: if your brain was so adamant on obsessing over an imaginary character, you had to show it the harsh reality, to remind yourself that Kabukimono never existed.

Your trip to Sumeru was the most spontaneous project you ever planned. You were strolling through the busy streets of Sumeru city the very next day with barely enough money to get back to your nation. You had packed the bare minimum in your suitcase to carry it easily, meaning you wouldn’t be able to stay for more than just a few days.

That was, if you found a room for the night. You had no time to check what the usual prices were in the capital before leaving. Now that you were scouring the streets with your meager funds, unable to find a hotel within your budget, you were bitterly regretting your lack of foresight. You sighed. You supposed that the saying was right. Slow and steady wins the race.

As if it had felt your determination dwindling, the crushing sound echoed in your mind in response. You bit your lip, bile rising in your throat. You hadn't been able to forget about your last dream. It looped in your head like a broken record. Even if impulsively leaving your country was one of your worst ideas ever, the quicker you settled your daydream problem the sooner you'd be back to your normal life.

Your weary steps lead you to an indoor bazaar. The smell of fried food filled your nostrils, making your stomach growl. You winced. The small homemade sandwich you had earlier couldn't compete with the appeal of street food. Unfortunately you needed to save your funds for a room. You let your gaze wander in the crowded marketplace, trying to distract yourself from the appetizing smell. Colorful stalls were full of fresh fruits, potted flowers and intricate trinkets. If you stood on your toes, you could even see a small theater representation in the farthest part of the bazaar. It was a lively place that perfectly encapsulated Sumeru’s charm.

You were about to turn back when your eyes stopped on a blue silhouette near a candy stand. You didn't know how you missed them earlier. In the brown and green crowd, their traditional clothing and their ornamented Inazuman hat stuck out like a sore thumb. They were in deep discussion with the merchant. Turquoise fabric trailed behind them, floating in the wind.

Without a second thought, you cut through the crowd, never leaving the stranger from your sight. Your heart leaped in your chest when they left the small stall.

"Hey, you with the hat! Stop!" you yelled. To your dismay, the Inazuman did not even slow down. They must have been too far to hear you. Breaking into a sprint, you called again. "Hat guy!"

You breached the distance in a few seconds. Just as you were about to grab their shoulder, they turned around. A cold hand snatched your wrist, making you wince. When you looked at its owner, you were greeted with a deep scowl and narrowed indigo eyes.

"Don't." The man’s low voice warned you, his tone full of unspoken threats. You swallowed uncomfortably as your confidence melted away. He managed to be intimidating in spite petite stature and youthful appearance.

As he glared daggers at you, you were hit by a feeling you couldn’t quite place. You pressed your lips together, studying his messy black mullet and his glowing Anemo Vision. The word popped up in your head. Familiar. The stranger felt familiar.

Wiping the feeling of déjà-vu from your mind, you retreated your hand. "Sorry, I was just trying to get your attention."

"Well, now you have it," he huffed. Annoyance was written on his face. He crossed his arms. "What do you want?"

A good question, but not one you had an answer to. Running after the man was a spur of the moment decision.

Self-awareness striked you like a thunderbolt. Why were you even doing this? Your goal was to cure your daydreaming, not to throw yourself headfirst into the rabbit hole nor to annoy a stranger with the tales of an imaginary character.

He clicked his tongue. "Hurry. I don't have all day."

You huffed. It was true that you were taking too much time to gather your thoughts but he didn’t have to be rude about it.

"I'm looking for someone,” you said tentatively. It was the closest you could get from the truth without annoying him. Considering his foul mood, the stranger would have walked away if you told him you were looking for the lack of existence of Kunikuzushi, the Sixth Harbinger, the person who tried to become an Archon, someone that only existed in your mind.

The man didn't answer, encouraging you to continue with a movement on the head. His black bangs flew in the light breeze. Now that you had a clearer view of his face, the man seemed more bored than irritated. He wanted the conversation to be over with but he still had the patience to hear you out. This realization gave you the courage you needed to talk again.

"Their clothes are quite similar to yours, but they're red and black. They also have a hat. A huge one." You opened your arms in emphasis.

He scrunched his brows together, looking at you like you were an idiot. "Right. Because the length of their hat is the most important detail you could give me," he deadpanned.

You fight the urge to sigh. "I wasn't done. I don't know much about them, but they're linked to the Fatui." The stranger's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was back to glaring at you, his face closed. Unsettled by this sudden tension, you quickly added. "Probably. I'm still not sure about that." There was no Sixth Fatui Harbinger, after all. Your brain had made it up.

"Of course." His voice was drier than earlier. What little interest he had in your discussion had melted at the mention of the Fatui. You scrunched your brows. You swore you could read another emotion than ire in his eyes, even if you didn’t know what. "Anything else I should know about that... Friend of yours?"

You racked your brain for more details. There was a lot to say about the person in your dream. Their lack of heart, their coup attempt in Sumeru, their bloody killings, the experimentations they underwent... Nothing you could talk about in public without looking crazy, in sum. The only thing you could still mention was...

"Their name is Scaramouche."

The man went rigid. "What did you say?" he gawked, his eyes wide with shock.

"Scaramouche. I think that's their name?" Truthfully, they were given so many names that it probably wasn't their real one. But it was the one that came up most in your dreams.

As if it caught onto the tense atmosphere, the wind abruptly stopped blowing. You barely noticed it, focused on the horror shining in the man's eyes. He couldn't believe what you had just said. His piercing eyes analyzed every inch of you with a newfound distrust.

“Nobody should be able to-” He interrupted himself with a gasp. Recognition flashed across his face. "Wait. You...!"

His face went from surprise to disgust in the blink of an eye. You had barely the time to react before he pulled his hat down over his head, his scowl peeking from behind the rim.

"Of course fate would string something like this..." He let out a bitter laugh. "Has it ever made anything easy for me?"

You watched as crossed his arms, lifting his head to glare at you as if you had purposely wronged him. You tried to appease him by apologizing. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

Despite your question, you knew you had done nothing worth this cold attitude. You didn’t know why he was overreacting, why he was looking at you like dirt under his soles. It’s as if he was personally offended by your description of the Balladeer. You blinked as pieces fell into place. An Inazuman with a strange hat and dark hair, just like the one you were looking for. Could it be…?

"Is that you? Are you Scaram—"

The man turned around before you could finish your sentence, the blue fabric tied to his hat smacking you in the face. You yelped in pain.

"Don’t use this name." You couldn't see what kind of expression he was making but his flat tone told you enough.

You were standing in front of the protagonist of your dreams.

Reality shattered around you. There were only two reasons for your dreams to be visions of the past. You either were a seer —which was unlikely considering you had no elemental affinity— or you were using your soulmate link. Realization sank in. You had a soulmate. Everything finally clicked together: why you had Scaramouche's memories, why he recognized you, why you never stopped having those dreams… It was because the universe had deemed you a perfect fit.

Your eyes burned with unshed tears. You were not an anomaly without a soulmate, like you were led to believe. You just didn't pay attention to the signs.

"Wait a minute," you gasped. No matter how happy you were about your discovery, it came a lot of terrible implications. "Does it mean that everything is real? The Fatui, the taking over Sumeru part, everything ?"

Kunikuzushi immediately clammed up. Not even bothering to look at you, he said without a trace of emotion. "This conversation is over."

Strong wind currents flared all around you with him acting as the epicenter of the small storm he invoked. You stared at him with wide eyes. He was getting away!

"Please!"

You grabbed his sleeve and tugged hard, adrenaline pumping through your veins. The man gave you the dirtiest glare from above his shoulder as the miniature hurricane intensified. But you didn't let him go. You sank your nails deeper into his arm.

"Listen to me!” you said through gritted teeth. “I'm not gonna pretend I know everything about you because that's not true. I only know glimpses of you. Parts of your past that don't make any sense."

You closed your eyes as the memories flooded your mind. The Gnosis, the laboratory, the crushing sound as he fell down... You didn't understand what those events meant to him. What kind of story they told. It was like you were in front of an incomplete puzzle where all edge pieces went missing. It was impossible to get the big picture no matter how many combinations you tried.

That didn’t mean the little bits of memories you had taught you nothing about him.

"You were hurt. That much is certain."

Your words only rekindled the fire of his ire. He bared his teeth at you. “Huh?! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?” He stabbed your chest with his finger, forcing you to take a step back. “Seeing glimpses of my past doesn’t give you the right to assume things about me, you worm.”

"But it’s not an assumption. You lived a very long and lonely life. A bloody one too.” You briefly wondered if contrary to you, he had grown accustomed to seeing his hands covered in crimson. You let out a shaky exhale. “But you cannot talk about your life to anyone. No one would believe you if you talked about the Sixth Harbinger of the Fatui or what you were doing centuries ago."

You had the experience to back yourself up. You still weren't sure what the Fatui thing was all about but if you could barely believe it after seeing his memories firsthand, no one else could.

"See, you’re just assuming things again out of pity," Scaramouche snapped. He tore himself from your grasp, sneering. "Guess what? I don't need you to feel sorry about me."

You shook your head. "I wasn't about to."

You were never going to forget the feeling of blood on your hands, the crackling of electricity as you saw someone charred alive, the coolness of a cadaver against your skin. You couldn't bring yourself to feel sorry for this man. It wasn't what someone like him sought.

Pity was for those forced to live under the ruling of unfairness, not able to object to its cruel laws. Forgiveness was for those that were mothered by this tyrant and dedicated their life to preach its teachings. For now, the Balladeer deserved none of them.

When you opened your eyes, Scaramouche had tipped his hat down, obscuring his expression. His grip on his crossed arms was so tight you thought he was going to break his fingers.

"You don't understand. You can't understand."

His voice was lower than earlier, almost like a growl.

It wasn't enough to scare you.

"You're right," you admitted. "I cannot understand you. But I really want to."

Maybe it was because you knew him on a deeper level than a stranger, but something had changed. You were starting to notice it. The hurt he masked behind a veil of fury. Until his words, you thought he was just an eternally angry man, bitter at the world and at his fate. Now, you wondered if he was just someone who lived through too much. Someone who was ready to beg and kill himself for a glimpse of a better future.

He snorted, disbelief written across his face. “A human like you, understanding someone like me? Don’t make me laugh.” He leaned towards you. You fought the urge to take a step back, withholding his stare with all of the courage you could summon. His mouth contorted into a twisted smile. “You’ve seen what I am capable of. Not only are you fundamentally unable to relate to a fraction of my existence, you’re also unable to withstand it. Understanding me will only bring you trouble.”

“You already do.” Scaramouche didn't utter a word, turning his back to you. You didn't let it get to you, instead squeezing your hand against your chest. "I spent my life stuck with visions I couldn't control. Seeing your memories at random moments robbed me from precious moments with the people I love. From enjoying a normal life, one where I don’t have to fear falling asleep."

Your hands were shaking. Whether from anger or sorrow, you didn’t know. Scaramouche was the one assuming things. You may only be a human, one similar to thousands that have come before you, but you knew how it felt to be misunderstood. How it felt not to belong. Nobody had believed you for decades, nor understood why you were so uncomfortable when it came to sleeping. Even your friends couldn’t wrap their heads about your constant worry of getting lost in the daydreaming. You might as well have been from a different species.

You took a deep exhale. Your anger faded away as quickly as it came. "I feel close to you, no matter how strange it sounds. You've always been a small part of me.” Determination seeped through your tone. “So I won't be able to move on as long as I don't know what's going on with my soulmate."

Soulmate. The word rolled strangely on your tongue. It was the first time you were saying it out loud.

Scaramouche gagged at your word choice. "I'm not looking for a lover." Disgust laced his voice. Seems like you were not the only one who felt weird about the whole situation.

You shook his concern with a wave of the hand. "Me neither. I'm looking for an explanation. A timeline in a chronological order, if possible."

Your attempt at a joke fell flat as silence fell between the two of us. Your face shifted into a frown. Had you been too insistent?

"It's alright if you find the situation strange," you said, trying to save the conversation. "I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that you saw glimpses of my life. This is quite embarrassing...."

You didn't have the most exciting life but there were private moments you wanted nobody to see. Especially not your soulmate.

He shot you an uninterested look, examining the dirt beneath his nails. "I could not care less about your mundane life."

You blinked. You didn't expect him to get interested in your life as much as you were in his, but was that supposed to be comforting? Unsure how to respond, your face contorted into a polite smile.

None of you said a word after that. You didn't dare move either. Weariness taking over you, you watched as the back of his hair fluttered in the breeze, joining the hypnotizing dance of the blue ribbons. The sound of animated conversations and the ringing of distant bells filled the otherwise tense silence.

You were about to leave when Scaramouche let out the heaviest sigh known to mankind. He finally turned to you, uttering a single word.

"Wanderer."

Whatever you were expecting him to say, it wasn't that. "Come again?"

He rolled his eyes but repeated it anyway. "Wanderer. That’s my name. Not Scaramouche or whatever name you heard in my memories."

You felt your entire face lit up. You could recognize an olive branch when you saw one. "I won't call you anything else, I promise!"

He sighed at your sudden excitement, shaking his head. You were starting to recognize when he was truly irritated and when he was acting annoyed by habit. This time, the look in his eyes didn't match his bored pout. It was not soft by any means, but he did not glare daggers at you anymore.

"I still don’t think someone like you can handle the tale of centuries of existence.” He clicked his tongue. “That being said, I suppose it would be entertaining to see you try. Come to the entrance of Sumeru city in two hours."

Your eyes widened. You thought that you wouldn’t get more than his name, and now he gave you the opportunity to explain his life ? You had half the mind to pinch yourself awake.

"Don't be late Wanderer!"

He scoffed, readjusting the position of his ginormous hat. “If I were, you'd scream my name in the streets of Sumeru until you get ahold of me. No thanks."

"I wouldn't do that!"

"Oh, really?" A smug smirk took place on his lips. He cleared his throat before taking a high-pitched voice. " 'Hey, you with the hat, stop right there ! I really want to talk to you! Stop, I say !' "

You gasped in shock. "So you actually heard me! Do you not stop when someone calls you?"

"I do. I just don't typically talk to pipsqueaks."

His grin deepened at seeing your offended expression. He even let out a short laugh. You playfully punched the cheeky bastard on the shoulder, not putting much force in the blow.

Wanderer didn't budge. He instead grabbed your wrist, pulling your hand away from him. His eyebrows were pinched together in irritation. "Don’t think you can punch me and get out unscathed, kid."

Despite his words, his grasp on you was light, as if he was careful not to hurt you. It was easy to slip from his hold. He was entertaining you, you realized. Considering how harsh he had been when you first had tried to touch him, a light scold was nothing.

Mimicking a fighting stance, you started shifting your weight from left to right.

"You're the one who's gonna bite the dust! I can knock out someone with a single blow!" You punched the air to demonstrate, a smile blooming on your face. "I can take anyone in a fight!"

Wanderer pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated by your playful attitude. "Celestia above, not another Childe..."

You pouted at his words. "Are you calling me a child again? I'll let you know that I'm a fully-fledged adult!" You may not be as old as the immortal puppet but you were no kid by human standards. You were only teasing Wanderer because you needed something light after your heavy talk. He couldn’t base his whole perception of you on a speech stemming from your sleep-deprived self…

He clicked his tongue in his mouth before looking at you directly in the eyes. "You talk big for someone I've seen fall in the stairs several times."

Horror washed over you. Every little embarrassing moment you lived flooded your mind. The fact that Wanderer had seen some of them sent warmth pooling in your cheeks.

"You said you didn't care about my life!" you said, absolutely mortified.

"It doesn't mean watching you was not mildly entertaining. Why would I focus on boring Fatui politics talk when I could be the witness to the mess of your teenage years?” Your expression was decomposing by the second, to his delight. "I especially liked it when—"

You cut him off with a nervous laugh. "Alright, alright, I get it. Aren't you busy?"

His gaze fell into a small pouch at his sides. "I do, actually. Buer must be looking for me."

"Buer? Who's that?" You didn't remember hearing this name in his memories.

"The Dendro Archon," he said like it was the most obvious thing on Teyvat.

"...Right. Of course.”

Maybe you were a bit too optimistic about his ability to open up to you.

Wanderer couldn't believe himself. Three betrayals should have been enough to teach him that closeness only brought pain. Whether because of misunderstandings, lies or the unpredictable and unescapable scythe of Death, the ending was always the same: he was fated to end up hurt. Alone. Cursing himself for loving too much.

He snorted. He knew all of that and yet here he was, wrapping his job up before his meeting with you. How pathetic.

Part of him was not surprised about this new twist of events. Fate liked to throw him in the most ironic situations. He was currently going on errands for Buer, the same Archon he had tried to supplant her months ago and who took him prisoner. Randomly meeting his soulmate in the middle of the streets was not the most unexpected thing to have happened to him. Far from it. At that point, he was surprised it hadn’t happened earlier.

When Wanderer entered the sanctuary of Surasthana, the Archon was sitting on her swing, humming to herself. The melancholic tune didn’t sound familiar but the lyrics in old Sumerian sang the tale of a love long gone. If he rolled his eyes at the song choice, he was polite enough to wait until the end of the song before clearing his throat.

Buer perked up, finally noticing him. She jumped from the swing and greeted him with a small wave.

"Hat guy!" He cocked an eyebrow at the oh so creative sobriquet, making her giggle. "I’m glad to see you. I was starting to think that you had forgotten about me."

"As if my memory would get faulty. I was held up by someone." Holding his hat to pin it into place, he sat on the lush grass. Reunions with Buer always took a while. He might as well make himself comfortable.

Familiar curious green eyes landed on him. "Was it a friend from the Akademiya?"

He rolled his eyes. "I had never seen them before."

He had expected this flow of questions. Buer was very invested in his relationships with other people– well, rather his lack of. She had made him participate in social events like the Interdarshan championship to socialize. She even enrolled him in the Akademiya. Her argument was that it would help him understand humanity better, as well as himself.

The results were arguably mixed. Wanderer admittedly tolerated people a bit better than before. They were predictable creatures but they could be entertaining. Sometimes. On the other hand, he had not grown close to anyone since he started attending classes. Sure, some students followed him around, gushing about the mysterious “hat guy” and throwing a birthday party for him, but he would not call them friends. They were classmates at most. It was for the best: it didn’t matter if Buer claimed he was progressing regarding socialization, talking to him was an experience he wished on no one.

She didn’t seem to agree with him. Excitement and pride shone in her eyes. "Every stranger is a friend in potentiality. That is what makes new meetings so exciting: you might be talking to your new favorite person in Teyvat," she beamed, taking place near him.

"If you say so."

Friendship was a human concept. Something he could neither fully understand or get. Melodramatic speeches and lengthy explanations meant nothing to him. That is why Wanderer didn’t try to counter her argument. There was no point in talking about something he knew nothing about.

What he did know was that Buer was wrong. You were no stranger to him.

His gaze fell to his hands. The first time he had seen your memories, Scaramouche had thought he was defective. He had never been able to dream until then. His creator didn’t see the interest in allowing him to do so. The only reason he knew what dreams were was because Niwa liked to recount his when they worked together in the forge.

One second he was lying down in the laboratory of the Fatui, the other he was in a small bed. Piles of toys were scattered around him, decorating what seemed to be a child’s bedroom. Why on Teyvat was he here? Scaramouche tried to move his arm but it did not move an inch. He cursed under his breath. For some reason, his body refused to listen to him. If it was Il Dottore’s scheme, the man was dead.

Without a warning, his head turned. He was greeted by the reflection of a small child in the mirror of the wardrobe. You.

His mind had been pure madness when he had come back to his senses. He had the time to zap five machines before the Doctor arrived, complaining that his research was being destroyed. The Tsaritsa, the stars, fate itself... He had cursed everything he could think of for giving him a soulmate. There was no other reason behind his sudden ability to “dream”. Fate had decided to intertwine your destinies together. The thought only made him more angry.

He couldn't be mad at the child you were, though. You were barely five. No matter how much of an unfeeling person he was, Scaramouche was not about to hold the situation against someone as young as you. A small part of him, one he had tried to bury for centuries, had even ached to hold your chubby hands in his when he had seen you reach for your reflection.

With the impossibility of breaking a soulmate bond, the Fatui Harbinger had been forced to watch you as you grew. He learnt about your favorite color, the school subject you liked best, the names of your childhood friends, the color of your bedroom, all the details of your ordinary life. He was a spectator to mundane moments, to victories and horrific failures alike.

You had transformed from a kid with shining eyes to a determined adult before his eyes.

If Buer was right and that all friends started as strangers, it meant that you would never be able to grow close to him. You already knew him.

Wanderer plucked a few strands of grass, watching how they fell to the ground. No, hoping for you two to be friends was wishful thinking. You had seen the atrocities he had done as a Fatui Harbinger. Once he filled the gap in your knowledge, you would not want anything to do with him. His erasure from existence didn’t excuse the actions of his past life.

He would not blame you. He deserved your hate. At the end of the day you were another name on the endless list of his victims. Because of your soulmate link, you had lived your entire life plagued by visions you didn't understand, othered because of things out of your control. You were the proof that Wanderer brought suffering just by existing. That he wasn't a fundamentally good person, like the one Buer and Traveler insisted he was. You had every right to loathe him.

That was why he accepted your offer. If he explained everything to you, if he confirmed that every "dream" of yours was true, you would move on. You would forgive Fate for giving you such an unloving person as a soulmate. Maybe you would even want to settle down with someone else... At the end of the day, you'd be free from the chain of destiny. So would he.

The world would let him do a good thing, for a change.

"While it's true that talking it out will appease both of your minds, you shouldn't only see them as a way to atone for the sins of your past life," Buer intervened.

Wanderer gave her an unimpressed look, throwing away the rest of the grass strands. "One day, you will have to answer for all of those breaches of privacy before the General Mahamatra."

"Talking about your thoughts with someone else can help you sort them out and gain new insight. I felt like you could benefit from it."

Her growing smile told him that she didn't feel sorry for reading his mind without his consent. He huffed. She was lucky he had grown accustomed to this habit of hers.

She hummed as she stepped in front of him. "Agreeing to a meeting to ease your guilty conscience is not a bad thing in itself. The problem is that you’re assuming that they can only hate you."

“What other reaction could they have?” The answer appeared in his mind before he finished his sentence. “Pity?” Pronouncing the word made his insides hurl. Wanderer would rather feel your wrath than your pity. The former didn’t feel as disgusting as the other;

Buer shook her head. “That’s not it either. It’s alright if you don’t yet understand Wanderer, you will see in due time.”

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. He preferred it when she used complex metaphors. At least he had the opportunity to understand what was going on in her mind, contrary to when she used vague words of wisdom like a drowsy prophet.

"If I can give you one more piece of advice, you should give this relationship a chance." Seeing his scowl of disgust, she explained herself. "I'm not telling you to pursue a romance with them. Just don't assume that tonight is the only time you meet. Keep your mind and your heart open."

Despite her smile, she had a serious look in her eyes. It was the face of wisdom in all of its assured glory. Wanderer closed his eyes. It was easy for him to forget she was not a young child, like the one he took care of all those centuries ago.

"There is a reason why they're your soulmate," Buer said. "Don't you want to discover why?"

"Someone like them has nothing in common with me."

Your memories told the tale of a simple life. In an ideal world, a normal person like you wouldn't have been paired up with him. How it happened in this one was a mystery. If he was inclined to pity others, Wanderer would feel bad for you. Being his soulmate only brought you experiences that you couldn’t talk about to anyone.

“You cannot talk about your life to anyone. No one would believe you if you talked about the Sixth Harbinger of the Fatui or what you were doing centuries ago.” Their hands shook as they lifted their head to meet his gaze. He stilled. He had expected to read loneliness and fire in their eyes. He only found the glow of loneliness. It was the same he had seen in your reflection all those years ago.

Wanderer hid his face behind his hand. He supposed he was wrong. He could see a few ressemblances between you and him. That didn’t necessarily mean you would become friends.

"Don't expect too much from this meeting. I only plan on retelling my story, not on learning more about them."

Gentle hands covered his, pulling them away from his face before lightly squeezing them.

“You don’t need to. You already know them better than anyone else.” Buer's voice was as soft as her expression.

He opened his mouth but no snarky counter-argument came to his mind. From what little insight Wanderer had gained on friendship over the course of his life, sharing experiences with a potential friend wasn’t enough. You also had to learn about the other person's personality, their taste, the little things they did… Such a process was too much work for a relationship that would eventually decay. But the man already knew you, more intimately than any person ever would.

If to be friends was to learn about someone, he had become yours a long time ago.

Wanderer fought the urge to shield his face behind his hat. It would be as good as admitting to Buer her words had struck a chord. No way he would embarrass himself like that.

“You're not going to give up, are you?" he sighed.

“While I do hope you will form a bond with them, I will not hold it against you if it doesn’t happen.” She took some time to think, trying to come up with a convincing imagery. “Fate is a tricky concept. It steers you in a specific direction but it cannot force you to follow it. No matter what, you can always make your own way.”

He let the words sink in as he laid down on the cool grass. From the Sanctuary, he could hear the entire city’s hustle and bustle. The sound of the streets mixed with the chirping of the birds and the rustle of the wind through the branches.

He felt Buer sitting next to him. Her voice interrupted his quiet reverie, sounding cheekier than usual.

"Don't I deserve something in return for my good advice?"

Her eyes were focused on the small pouch hanging at his side. He had forgotten about it, their conversation had distracted him. Wanderer shook his head in defeat. The Archon didn’t need to use her mind-reading powers to know about the actions of her subjects.

“If you want to be paid for giving lectures, you should think about becoming a teacher at the Akademiya.”

“I would deprive someone from the joy of educating young minds.”

His lips curled into a grin. “Right. Poor them.”

Feeling her gaze on him, he relented. He unclipped the package from his belt and gave it to her, not bothering to sit back up. Buer tried to open it carefully. It was so full that in spite of her efforts, morsels of candied Ajilenakh nuts spilled on the ground.

Wanderer frowned at the sight of the mess. Something churned inside him. If he had known it would be wasted, he wouldn’t have bought so much food.

“Be more careful,” he chastised her. “It’s expensive.”

Buer shot him a perplexed look. He scoffed in response, averting his gaze.

"I didn't buy them. The merchant gave free samples to bystanders and he couldn't take no for an answer."

Another white lie from him. He had noticed that Buer didn't have much candy left and since he had to go to the Bazaar anyway, he had decided to buy some. He watched as she inspected a piece of candy, rolling it between her fingers. He didn't get why she was head over heels for those disgustingly sweet nuts but he had to keep her in good spirits. Otherwise, she might decide to lock him back in his cell. That and seeing her smile so much sent warmth running in his chest.

Her eyes crinkled, amused. "A free sample? How nice," she said, popping one of the delicacies in her mouth. He supposed there was no fooling the Archon of Knowledge. She pointed at him. "Your friend hasn't had the opportunity to try food from Sumeru, have they? You could bring them to Lambad’s and keep some of the Ajilenakh nuts to snack on."

“We have other things to do than distract ourselves with culinary tourism.”

“It’s not a distraction! See it as a bonding experience that will allow you to grow closer.”

He arched a brow, unimpressed. “As if I needed something like this to become their friend.”

He stopped after his own sentence. He blinked, not believing what he had just said.

Wanderer didn't know how he ended up in this situation. Truly. He was never one to let Fate decide for him. He defied it at each opportunity, fighting with all he had. This shouldn't have been any different. He was a traveler, an outcast, an outsider. He had no use for a soulmate– a lover. Especially not a human one, one that would be gone in a blink of his immortal life.

He had no use for a lover, but he supposed that if he had to befriend a single person in the world, it may as well be you.

If you liked this work, please reblog and leave a comment or an ask!

#scaramouche x reader #platonic genshin x reader #scaramouche x you #wanderer x reader #wanderer x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #gender neutral reader #scaramouche #Wanderer #genshin fanfic #Platonic genshin impact #Platonic genshin

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back2bluesidex · 1 year

Text

Like a Brother - KTH (18+)

Pairing: Bad boy!Taehyung X Fem!Reader

Theme: PWP, SMUT

Summary: Taehyung has always been someone out of your league. Honestly, he isn't even your type. But that doesn't mean you haven't felt weak at times.

Word count: 2,288

Warnings: NSFW!! Semi public sex, Fingering, a half ass hand job, a very very awkward position, Taehyung is a tease, reader is a fool.

Strictly MDNI!!

***************

"Shrimp chips! Bring the shrimp chips, Y/N! Second cabinet from left. Top shelf!" Mina screams at the top of her voice from the living room.

You sigh staring at the top shelf, which is most definitely out of your reach. Knowing you need a helping hand or a stool to get the chips, you shout back at her, "Mina, do you have a sto-"

"Need help, sweetheart?" Taehyung appears almost out of nowhere. You stop screaming to Mina and turn your head to him.

"Tae! Yes please! Second cabinet from left, shrimp chips." You point at the cabinet frantically. Tae chuckles as he walks up to you.

Before you could move yourself from his way, he is pressing his body on you.

His firm chest presses on your back, his crotch settles perfectly on the curve of your lower back. His right hand comes to grab you by your waist.

You gulp nervously.

Kim Taehyung is the dictionary definition of campus bad boy. You met him, along with your other friends who gathered here tonight for a random movie night, at University.

Back then, Taehyung was all about black leather jackets, black heeled boots, tight jeans, and getting into trouble during the entirety of university. You only saw him a handful of times before you four accidentally became friends.

That accident though…. Was something else.

The ex-boyfriend of one of the girls Taehyung slept with, poured a bowl full of naengmyeon on his head. When the deadly fight ensued and eventually ended at the DIN’s office, that guy put the blame on Taehyung saying he started the fight out of nowhere. Since the cafeteria was huge, hardly any CCTV camera captured the moment. Taehyung, having a bad reputation already, was about to be expelled. That’s when you, Mina and Hajoon stepped up and testified the entire situation to the university authorities. Even when the other presented students backed off saying that they don't want to get into trouble.

Taehyung was so grateful to you all that he took you to a fancy dinner that can hardly be afforded by a student. That was the first time you saw the real Kim Taehyung, who was mostly about boxy smiles, dark brown orbs deeper than ocean, shy stares and flushed cheeks. And you four became friends unexpectedly. Even after four years of graduating, you guys kept in contact through occasional catch ups and movie nights. Maybe you can’t call them your best friends but they are definitely close. Far closer than your department classmates, who you don’t even recall the names of.

“Here you go.” Taehyung breathes in your ear. He squeezes your waist a little and that pulls you back into the present day.

“Thanks.” you murmur under your breath. You don’t turn your face to meet his eyes, you might lose your shit if you do. And the position you are currently in… ain’t something friends should be in.

Taehyung detaches himself from your body and his warmth is now replaced with the tense air of the kitchen. You turn your body to face him only to find him smirking at your flustered form. He leaves the kitchen upon giving you a sultry wink as you try to catch your breath.

“What’s going on between you two huh?” Mina’s sudden appearance startles you.

“What? What do you mean? What is going on between whom?” you pretend not to understand what she is trying to imply.

“Don’t play dumb Y/N! I have eyes! I can see that there’s clearly something cooking between you and Tae.” Mina narrows her eyes at you.

“What? No! You are delusional Mina!” You defend yourself with a nervous chuckle.

“Oh really? Then explain why you two went on a date last month? Don’t even dare to lie. Tae posted that cherry blossom insta story with you in it.” she puts her arms on her waist as if to emphasize her claim.

“Oh ... that.. He asked me to help him in picking a gift for his cousin’s wedding anniversary.” You reply nonchalantly.

“That’s all?”

“Yeah. that’s all.” you leave out the details of how you two got tipsy that day and you woke up in Taehyung’s arms….. naked. You try not to think about that night, not because you did not like it but because you became another girl Taehyung slept with for a night. And you aren’t particularly proud or fond of this designation.

“You sure?” Mina takes a tentative step towards you, narrowing her eyes even more.

You are sometimes afraid of her. She might be tiny but it’s impossible to deter her scrutiny. So you decide to make a claim that is totally stupid.

“Oh yeah sure! He’s like a brother to me.” These words sound so foreign to your tongue that you almost feel your tongue getting tied. You can’t call taehyung your brother, not when you know how he tastes and how he feels.

Mina cocks her eyebrow at that statement and says, “well yeah… never saw siblings eye-fucking each other for a solid six years.” and with that she leaves the kitchen. You let out a sigh of relief at her departure.

***********

“Why can’t you share this with me? Why are you being a bitch about it?” you whine, clutching the blanket on your lap. You have chosen this cozy corner of Mina’s big ass couch, carried some cushions to support your comfort and chose the fluffier blanket before the movie starts, only for Mina to say she is going to share Hajoon’s blanket, which technically translates to the fact that you will now have to share yours with Taehyung for the entirety of the movie’s running time.

“Come on, Y/N. You’re the only bitch here. Don’t you know I finally asked her out after being a chicken for five years? Let us be! Please?” Hajoon complaints from the other corner of the couch.

You roll your eyes, knowing your friend is absolutely right.

“Plus, Tae is like a brother to you and what’s so controversial about sharing a blanket with your brother?” Mina smirks, settling beside Hajoon.

“I don’t have any issues. Especially when it’s Y/N, my sister.” Taehyung bites back. You didn’t even notice when he came and stood behind the couch and caught the last bit of your and Mina’s conversation, mostly the part you didn’t want him to catch. Now you have some explaining to do, you suppose.

“Okay! So let’s roll the movie!” Hajoon exclaims in pure excitement. Meanwhile Taehyung sits down beside you, drapes the blanket over his lower half and eyes you with amusement.

*************

It has probably been ten minutes or so since the movie started and it’s good enough to attain most of your attention, well, if you are honest then only a little bit of your attention. Because most of your attention stays on the warmth radiating from Taehyung’s body, how his exposed thigh brushes with your exposed one and how his right hand is draped over the headrest of the couch, loosely brushing your nape at times. You are hyper aware of everything, so much so that you notice him shuffling closer to your body. You gulp, for the umpteenth time tonight because of Kim Taehyung.

“So… I am like a brother to you? Hmm?” Taehyung’s baritone voice invades your private space, your peace of mind and the dryness of your folds. You gulp, yet again, even when your throat is nothing short of desert-dry.

You take a look at him. He looks ethereal. The dim light from the television makes him look softer than ever. His long eyelashes, his delicate lips, his sharp jaw, everything is way too hard to ignore. Especially when he is too close to you.

“If I say yes, will that bother you?” You whisper, trying not to be audible to the other pair. You turn your head to the television again.

“You have no idea how much sweetheart. Brothers are not supposed to know how you feel under them. And I would kill to have you pinned under me over and over again.” His lips hover above the shell of your ear and you lose your composure a little bit.

His right hand, which was draped on the headrest, climbs down, crawls under the fluffy blanket and dives right down under your t-shirt. You snap your head in his direction so fast that it could have broken with the sheer speed.

You part your lips to say something but Taehyung beats you, “stare at the screen unless you want to make it obvious that I am not a brother to you.”

You shut up your open mouth and quietly decide that you hate Kim Taehyung.

However, you can’t quite hate the way his hand glides up your abdomen, brushes past your navel and reaches your tits leaving a trail of heat behind it. Your breath gets heavier each passing moment and it hitches the moment Taehyung hooks two of his fingers on your bra cup, pulls it down hastily and reveals one of your tits to his probing hand.

He grabs the flesh harshly. Your nipple pebbles against his rough palm within an instant. He squeezes your tits once and then starts toying with your nipple. He twists and tugs it as if he owns your body. Your body starts reacting as you feel your underwear dampening rapidly.

“You like it when I play with your big slutty tits, don’t you?” Taehyung whispers in your ear right before he bites on your earlobe.

You bite back a moan.

“Scoot forward,” he orders.

“What?" You are clearly confused because people usually ask to scoot aside.

“Make room for me… behind you.” Okay now you understand what he wants.

You do as he asks and make enough room for him to nestle down behind you. Now your back lies on his chest and his hand settles more comfortably on your chest. Your ass rubs against his crotch and you feel his bulge.

He gives your tit one last squeeze before traveling to the south. He tresspasses your personal territory without showing a single sign of hesitation.

He cups your mound and you let out a long exhale.

“Tae…” a low moan leaves your mouth against your will.

“You have made a mess on the couch, babygirl.” Taehyung sighs on your neck while collecting some of your arousal on his middle finger and using that to rub violent circles on your clit.

The amount of effort you are putting to chew down your moans, is appreciable.

"A brother huh? You called me a brother when all I could think of is how your pussy feels around my cock since that night!" He whispers again.

His other hand which was resting on your thigh, grabs your left hand and makes that travel backwards to where his cock is bulging against his pants.

The position is indeed very awkward but that doesn't stop you from chasing the warmth of his rock hard cock that had you on chokehold since the night you gave in to him.

You first palm him through his sweats, because of which Taehyung groans a little.

But it's not enough! You need to feel him properly. So your nimble fingers find the rim of his sweats and your hand sinks in, past the confinement of his boxers.

He hisses when your hand comes into contact with his bare cock. You, too, suck a deep breath. And start pumping him with the help of the precum that gathered on the tip.

Never have you ever thought a day like this would come.

Taehyung has always been someone out of your league. Honestly, he isn't even your type. But that doesn't mean you haven't felt weak at times. Especially, when he always looks at you like he could undress you with his eyes or whenever he throws shameless flirtatious comments towards you or when he leaves lingering touches here and there. But you never thought much of it. You always knew he was just playing around, even if it's for as long as six-seven years, he's just playing.

Even after that night, you refused to think much of it. Taehyung hardly ever sleeps with anyone twice and now that you're in that list as well, you thought his advances would end. But you never ever expected him to finger fuck you, on your friend's couch, sitting just beside them while confessing he hasn't stopped thinking of you ever since.

"You like it, don't you? Having my fingers stuffed in your tight cunt right in front of everyone?" His words are lewd and those arouse you even more. You feel that familiar heat building on your abdomen.

As if to silently warn him, you squeeze his shaft before drawing circles on the tip with your thumb.

You know your orgasm will rip off any moment, especially when Taehyung has started to twist his fingers in a way that stretches your walls deliciously. The heel of his palm is constantly grinding on your clit.

Taehyung bucks his hand a little to reach deeper and within an instant you are cumming, all over this hand, your underwear, your pants and the couch.

"Fuck! You cummed so much. Ah! How I wish it was on my mouth, babygirl" Taehyung says while licking a strip behind your ears.

He removes his hands from you as you do the same.

"I gotta go, finish myself. Good luck on explaining Mina that someone like your brother made you cum all over her couch." Taehyung teases you before getting up from the couch and heading towards the bathroom.

And you decide for the second time tonight, you hate Kim Taehyung.

****************

Taglist:

@phenomenalgirl9 @soraviie @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @sukunabitch

#bts smut #taehyung smut #bts x reader #taehyung x reader #taehyung fanfic #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts taehyung #bts scenario #bts imagines

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livesworthlivingau · 3 months

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Lives Worth Living Chapter 15

ISAT/Two Hat spoilers below. CW: Uhhh.... emotional pain, idk exactly how to tag this one but it's gonna hurt y'all, I may or may not have cried at work just THINKING about this chapter... So uhh, yeah, you've been warned.

(You awaken to an odd sensation. It feels distantly familiar, like a wave of healing and confirmation washing over your very essence… a save point?… Wh… Why are you feeling this now? This hasn't happened any other time so far… was it Loop?! You barely even finish the thought before your hand is placed beside your head in the usual 'call loop' sign… and the connection never comes.)

"Loop…" (You shudder out softly as your hand falls back to your side. You sit there, frozen, mind racing with all the horrible possibilities of what this all could mean. Were they gone?… Were you too late?… Could you even loop back before now if you wanted to? Why is the connection gone?! What happened to them?! They can loop too right?! You have to go back! You have to try!! Yo-)

"Sif? S-Sif are you okay?" (Isa's voice snaps you out of it, perking up a little and looking over at him. Tears have been pouring down your face. Isa sits up quickly, wrapping his arms around you almost instinctively, holding you close to his chest with worry.)

"I-I… I can't feel them anymore… Loop's gone!" (You choke out through the lump in your throat. You can't stop yourself from sobbing anymore. You retreat into the comfort of their touch, and yet you can't help but feel so alone in this moment.)

"I-It's okay Sif, I'm here… We'll figure this out, I'm sure they're fine!" (He tries to comfort you, but you both know his words are empty promises.)

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

"Are you certain they're gone? Maybe something just severed the connection, or there's an interference." (Odile theorizes as her and Mira had entered the room to console you. You sit in bed, holding your legs to your chest under you cloak, hiding your face in it as your expression looks hopeless.)

"I could always feel them… the slightest little blip, even when they never showed back up again… a-and now they're just…" (You start to explain, tears forming in your eye once more.)

"B-But we don't know what they've been doing! It doesn't mean they're gone!" (Mirabelle chimes in, trying to be as hopeful as possible.)

"What else could it mean, Mira?! Why else wouldn't I be able to feel them anymore?! I-I… I have to loop back, I-I have to try and sto-"

"Frin?…" (Your heart stops as you look to the door, noticing Bonnie standing just outside of it.)

"B-Bonbon! I-I-… I didn't… I-I'm not…" (You stammer out, your body shaking. Bonnie looks devastated, clenching their fists with tears welling up in their eyes. They then sprint back down the hall as they start sobbing. Odile sighing and following after.)

"I'll try to talk to them." (She nods to Isa and Mira, as if handing off the problem for them to deal with you…)

"Sif, please, you gotta calm down and then we can try to figure this out."

"What is there to figure out?! They're gone!! A-And if they're gone then what's even the point of going through all this again?! I-I-… I can't! I can't do this!!" (Your voice screams out, gripping your hair so tight it nearly tears out of your head. Tears continue to pour from your single eye.)

"Siffrin! P-Please, you'll hurt yourself!" (Mirabelle cries out as she looks ready to craft some healing for you.)

"We don't know they're gone Sif, we could-" (Isabeau starts to console you before you snap back.)

"Of course they're gone!! Why wouldn't they be?! Everything else that matters to me vanishes! Loop! My home! My memories! MY WHOLE BLINDING LIFE!! IT'S ALL GONE!!"

"…Sif… You've still got us…" (He pleads, you can hear the devestation in his voice.)

"Do I?! Because I just spent the last 30 years with all of you and only I can remember any of it!! That makes me feel pretty blinding lonely right now!!" (You can't even bear to look at either of them, but the silence stings painfully in your ears.)

"... C'mon, Mira, I think Sif just needs to simmer down." (Isa does his best to hide the break in his voice, but he's clearly fighting back the tears. The both of them leave the room and shut the door behind them. You grab the pillow beside you and bury your face into it. You scream as loud as you can, you scream until your voice gives out and your throat is raw, then you try to scream some more. The tears eventually stop flowing from your eye. You think you've just ran out of them.)

(You pull your face up from the tear and saliva soaked pillow, just throwing it to the side. The light from the window flickers as the branches blocking the sun drift about in the wind. You hop up off the bed and open the window wide, climbing out and sprinting to the largest tree you can find.)

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

(The favor tree towers over you. You need a leaf, your favorite one… None of them mean anything to you in the moment. You grab the most Fresh looking leaf you can find. You hold it close and whisper into it thrice.)

"I wish to find Loop…"

(You delicately fold the leaf and drop it at your feet. You wait… You wait some more… You're getting impatient. You pick up another leaf, you whisper into it 6 times.)

"I wish to find Loop."

(You fold and drop the leaf again. You wait. You clench your fists and jaw, letting out an annoyed growl. You pick up another leaf, and scream into it until your voice gives out again.)

"I WISH TO FIND LOOP! SHOW ME WHERE THEY ARE YOU STUPID BLINDING UNIVERSE!!! I HAVE TO FIND THEM!! I WISH TO FIND LOOP!!!!"

(You violently crumple the leaf up and throw it to the ground, panting and shaking, staring angrily at the set of useless leaves you had used. As you prepare to grab yet another leaf, a strong gust of wind flows through, swooping up the 3 leaves you had used and fluttering them along through the tree line... the faintest hint of sugar fills your nostrils. You begin walking the way they pointed.)

#lives worth living au #lwlau #isat au #isat fanfic #isat spoilers #isat #in stars and time fanfic #two hat spoilers #in stars and time spoilers #isat two hats

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beanghostprincess · 9 months

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Sanuso Soulmate AU in which everyone has a bracelet painted around their wrist like some sort of tattoo but it's the color of their soul, and inside there's a circle with their soulmate's color. So, you know, if you both have the same colors but the other way around, then you know you're soulmates, yadda yadda yadda.

The Vinsmoke siblings don't have those because Judge made them that way, except Sanji. Sanji has a blue bracelet painted around his wrist and decorated with a yellow circle. Which would be great if it wasn't because he hates that color. It's always the color Judge chooses for him and it always reminds him that he can never escape that damn thing. But, well, when he escapes and meets Zeff and stays with him, the thought of having a soulmate starts being more and more appealing. He's sure she's the prettiest girl in the world! Cheerful and fun and bright like her color. He checks every girl's wrist in case he sees yellow and blue together, and sometimes he does, but it's never the same tone, and by the way the girls act around him he knows they're not his soulmates. But he doesn't lose hope. He'll find his girl someday.

Usopp doesn't really care much about it. He has a yellow bracelet and a blue circle and meh, he thought Kaya was his soulmate but turns out she isn't and that's just about it. He doesn't think much about it and he thinks that, if they're destined to be together, they'll find each other at some point. Tbh, he thinks it's stupid to be forced to be with somebody just because the universe tells you to. Even if he meets his soulmate, he'll probably choose for himself instead of jumping into a relationship like an idiot. Who does that? Forcing a relationship just because some colors tell you to?

He learns, soon enough after some years, that there's an idiot who does that and his name is Sanji. When they meet at the Baratie, Nami points out their soulmate marks (hers being orange and blue. A wonder who that tone of blue might be) Sanji is, uh, very dramatic. He starts panicking, of course, because he never thought his soulmate would be a man. And Usopp is pretty and all but- And he makes his heart go insanely fast, especially now that he knows he's definitely his soulmate. But it can't be. Really. He can't be. Usopp tells him that it's okay and that they don't even have to be soulmates. Perhaps the colors are just really similar. And if they're soulmates (thing Usopp was not expecting either) they don't really have to be if they don't want to. One thing leads to another and Luffy tells him to come with him and be his cook, and Sanji has to admit that even if it takes a lot of convincing, he goes with them. Both for Luffy and for the All Blue. And... For Usopp. He really, really wants to know more. He knows he doesn't have to listen to the universe and do whatever it wants with him, the way he doesn't have to be a Vinsmoke if he doesn't want to. But the soulmate mark- Love. It's. It's kind of a sign of not being a Vinsmoke. So he really, really wants to know about this guy before he starts panicking because it's, uh, a guy.

He's a bit too clingy with Usopp, he has to admit. He doesn't treat him like one of the girls but he definitely cares about him way more than he cares about other men. He protects him more. Keeps an eye on him. Decides to spend more time by his side. Usopp lets him know that nothing will happen between them if he doesn't want to and that he won't date Sanji just because a soulmate mark says so. Sanji accepts it gladly, but he never stops being this way. He just wants the opportunity to love somebody, Usopp doesn't have to feel the same.

So they grow closer. Become best friends, even. Inseparable. Usopp has to admit that, after all, he enjoys Sanji's company the most. And when he's not forcing the soulmate thing between them, he's a sweetheart.

Then Skypiea happens, and Usopp knows that Sanji is more than what he looks like. Water 7 comes next, and Usopp misses Sanji the most. He won't stop staring at the stupid colors. And he thinks that if he's going to leave for good, he wishes he could take Sanji with him. He guesses Sanji would say yes. But he can't do that to him, or the crew. When he joins them again, he thinks about asking Sanji out on a date or something. Or- Or at least saying that he can feel it too. But it would be like following the universe orders and he wants to be more than what the universe tells him to be. He knows soulmates aren't a bad thing (hell, Zoro and Luffy are happy and Nami and Vivi are insane about each other too) but still... Usopp thinks that they need more time. Sanji waits patiently, too, perhaps he has forgotten about it already. The thought of Sanji moving on from him bothers him in the worst of ways, and Usopp feels extremely selfish for even thinking that. So, he'll confess. At some point. Something. He doesn't know exactly what. Is he in love with Sanji? He- He isn't sure. He needs just more time.

Oh. And the universe gives them time. Two fucking years of time to think on his own. Fucking perfect. And that's when Usopp instantly regrets not saying anything, because the first night alone after so long he dreams about blue seas and blue eyes and blue skies and blue blue blue. He decides, then, that he'll grow into somebody Sanji deserves to be with. And he'll fight against the universe for keeping them apart when they were meant to be together. Sanji, during his two years in Momoiro Island, learns that liking boys perhaps isn't that weird. That it could also be a way of showing he is not a Vinsmoke, because Judge would never make somebody who has a soulmate and whose soulmate also happens to be of the same gender. Well- Talking about gender, he's- He's not so sure about that one either, but he doesn't think about it too much.

When they meet again after two years being apart, it's like they know what the other is going to say. There's a confession. It's emotional. Usopp is the one crying, surprisingly enough. But they're together, and that's what matters, right?

Except that the world sort of happens to hate Usopp, and from the moment they step in Dressrosa they don't see each other for a long time. And suddenly Sanji is getting married to some random girl? He- He just really, really, thinks the universe is against him. But there's a force of power way stronger than the universe. Way stronger that the gods. So when Luffy promises him to bring back Sanji for him, Usopp trusts him with his whole soul.

For Sanji, it's a bit weird. Whole Cake is an experience. His brothers tell him he doesn't have the right to have a soulmate so he can't complain about getting married to somebody else. Besides, as if he had any right to do so. Pudding is a gorgeous, precious girl. How can he complain? Sanji starts thinking the things his brothers tell him, somehow. How could he reject somebody like that? Besides, Usopp deserves better. And he has never been too into the soulmate thing, anyway. He'll find someone else and Sanji will get married to a pretty girl that, even if she breaks his heart, will at least keep the crew safe with the marriage. Then Luffy waits for him. And starves for him. And then his captain says something about Usopp too that Sanji does not want to hear but shatters his heart into pieces anyway. He really, really wants go back home.

And he does, after a wild ride. And he has never been happier, even if he knows this is going to hunt him for his whole life and he'll never forget what happened.

He sees Usopp when they get to Wano, and he looks happy without him. He looks like he is, yet he clearly isn't, when his eyes meet Sanji's. Usopp hugs him and kisses him and hits him and insults him and cries and tells him that he's the dumbest guy in the history of men and that he should've thought about his soulmate before pulling this self-sacrificing shit on him. And Usopp keeps yelling and he's extremely angry but Sanji kisses him anyway. And- And they're fine.

They will be fine, the universe likes it or not.

#i wanted to play with the fact that the strawhats have specific colors #and also i love soulmate aus did you know i love them #they make me go insane let them be happy #i gotta go to work so i can't write more aghh #maybe i write a fic who knows #if anybody has questions or ideas or wants to talk abt this au please interact i actually love this idea #one piece #black leg sanji #usopp #sanuso #zolu #namivivi #< best side couples for sanuso grrr #sanuso soulmate au

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ywpd-translations · 7 months

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Ride 764: Dearest wish

Pag 1

1: The one thing the third year Onoda Sakamichi desires is....?

Pag 2

3: His dearest wish!!

4: Right!!

Pag 3

1: That's definitely Onoda's dearest wish

Pag 4

2: Do your beest

They're so fast!

They move the wind

The jerseys are so brightly colored

3: No no no no

4: That- that's not it

That's not-

Is Sohoku arguing over something!?

Pag 5

1: That- that was just the spur of the moment

I ended up just saying anything

2: That's not my dearest wish at all....

So- uhm

3: Please forget about it, everyone!!

4: No way!!

Yeah

Teh!!

Yep

Yeah

Pag 6

1: That must be our goal this year!! Our third victory in a row!!

Pag 7

1: Yessir!!

On!!

Yeah!!

2: The three day long stage is harsh and long, that's why everyone's strengths will be necessary!!

Yessir!!

3: If we can all unite our strengths and support each other as one...

4: The I'll be able to win brilliantly!! Yeah!!

Just like I did during the prefectural qualification!!

Ohhhh

Tch

Pag 8

1: I'll sprint desperately, Hotshot-san will accompany me, and I'll do a grand finishing dash, just like that day!!

Okay!! You've been saying it over and over again!!

2: You're really a guy who clings to the glory of the past

The prefectural qualification is connected to the Inter High, it's not in the past!!

You're the type of guy I hate the most when you get carried away

Naruko-san was amazing, teh!!

That day, yeah!!

Naruko-san!!

3: Sto-stop iit, you were both amazing that day

4: Come oon... we're in the middle of an important meeting

6: Now that I think about it

Onoda-san's....

7: This is all

Pag 9

1: Can I say one last thing?

2: I also think our goal must be a third consecutive victory

3: There's just one thing I'm curious about we still haven't asked

Onoda-san

5: What's your goal this year?

What are you running in the Inter High for?

6: When I asked you this last year during the first years' race

Pag 10

1: I want to report it

2: You said you wanted to report the victory to your senpai

3: And you

4: Accomplished that

5: Honestly, when I first heard that I thought “what is he talking about, that's such a small goal”

But that day, after the race, when I saw Onoda-san doing it

6: I was shaking

I thought from the bottom of my heart that it was amazing

Pag 11

1: I thought you were super cool

5: Wh- no no

That- I was just reporting, there's nothing cool about it at all, okay

Pag 12

1: So I want to know what your goal is this year

Please tell us what you're thinking about!!

2: Is it “I want to report to that senpai once again”!?

4: Crowning your third victory in a row as the captain!?

6: Is it the mountain's bib!? Is it winning a stage!?

Please tell us... your goal during the race...

7: or maybe for when the race is over!!

8: A.....

9: No no no

It's nothing- yes, it's nothing!!

Pag 13

1: Onoda's goal....

2: I see, what Onoda-kun wants to do....

3: Now that I think about it....

4: What is it!? You started saying it now, “a”!!

Is it “running as an assist”!?

5: Does it mean you don't want to bear the last heavy burden!?

No no no no, that's fine, if the situation calls for it I'll do my best

6: That's enough, Issa

7: There are things Onoda-san doesn't want to say too

No, if it can become motivation for the team then he should say it

Pag 14

1: Onoda-san's goal!!

2: But still, Issa!!

I'm telling you, anything is fine!!

Ah, uhm...

3: It's a really personal thing, so.... don't get your hopes up...

But.... that's... always been.... my dearest wish...

4: Dearest wish!!

5: If we run with all we have in this Inter High.... putting together all of our strengths and deliver our jersey to the finish line

6: If we get the best result....

Pag 15

1: No no, I really can't say more than this

3: Say it, everything's fine. I'm curious too

4: Ah.... if we get the best results.... I....

5: I want to reserve a room somewhere...

6: A room?

8: Prepare teacakes

9: Cakes!?

10: Ask for everyone's cooperation...

Pag 16

1: Gather five people

5: It's something I've been imagining.... since before... entering school in my first year.....

7: Even just for one day

8: Even just a few hours after school

Everyone will bring what they like

9: A.....

Oi.... don't tell me you mean.... you

Pag 17

1: I'm thinking of reviving the anime research club!!

Pag 18

5: No way!!

Pag 19

1: And then, there

2: I think I could call Makishima-san, who likes figures

I feel like you've misunderstood something here

3: And Midosuji-kun who likes anime

Would you be able to hold a conversation with him!?

4: Isn't that good!! The best goal!!

5: You'll gather five people in no time!!

6: Kakaka mine will be the first name you write down

7: Amazing

From England and Kyoto....!!

Pag 20

1: I don't really get it, but somehow that fired me up!!

2: That's Onoda-san's dearest wish!!

3: Ah

4: N-no, it's really nothing much, so I take it back...

Revive the anime club!!

Let's do it, for Onoda-san!!

I don't really know what an anime club does, but I'm in!!

Me too!!

5: Yeeah!!

Let's do it!!

Issa, calm down

Pag 21

2: Your goal is to “revive the anime research club even for just day”?

Oi oi, that's such a small

3: but splendid goal!!

4: You managed to unite the club's intentions as one with such bizarre words!!

5: You're really are an unpredictable guy!!

The plate will soon become green

“Real start”.... the real race will start!!

#yowamushi pedal #yowamushi pedal translations #yowapeda #yowapeda manga #yowamushi pedal manga #yowamushi pedal spoilers #ride 764 ONODA YOU LITTLE WEABOO I LOVE YOU #im so stupid bc this was to be expected OF COURSE THATS HIS DEAREST WISH #but was i expecting it while reading this chapter? honestly no #i love it this manga will go full circle and im already a mess of emotions oh my god #onoda: i want to revive the anime club!!#me: *cries*#onoda could say literally ANYTHING and the other members would absolutely lose it #they get fired up for anything thats onoda-related #they dont even know what an anime club is but theyre excited!! as long as thats what makes onoda happy!!#kaburagi is annoying as usual (affectionate) but at least he got the right spirit saghsdfkasdgf #onoda wanting to invite makishima and midosuji too ahsdsadgad i cant see it ending well lmao #hes so pure i love him #pag 5 last panel is the best thing ever tbh #i love sohoku so much #best team in all sports manga ive ever read

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satureja13 · 5 months

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Beltane - Part 4 It all starts -> here (incl prequel)

The Boys spend a wonderful day together and it was so good to see Noxee again (and even Greg ;) They'd been on their own in the Otherworld (only with Arturo from time to time) for months now. Time for the fireworks and 'traditional' (says Greg) Beltane Canons before Ji Ho's spell fades!

Noxee looks so beautiful. (The way Greg looks at her <3)

And then the 'traditional' Beltane Fire broke out! (We also had a fire at Beltane last year...) The whole Beltane 2023 episodes are -> here

Greg to Jack: "Is this your fault?" Jack: "What? No!" (of course it is -.-)

The spell faded slowly and it's time to part. Greg, Jeb, Kiyoshi and Vlad will stay here, at Hotel Elvis, and Noxee, Jack and Saiwa will spend the night at the Campeggio (campsite), where the Boys had spent their last summer holidays. Before they left, Vlad went over to them to charge the Bond. He felt that Ji Ho will need more than the usual today because he is so exhausted from the ride and the spell. But he wasn't with the others.

Vlad: "Where is he?"

Saiwa: "We brought him to your room. He's too tired to make it all the way up to the campeggio. You will care for him. Properly." Vlad: "What? I told you I wont go any further with him! The spell is still affecting me. If I have to be near him, alone with him - I am not that strong. When he tries to kiss me again..." Saiwa: "He's your bonded and you already did anything imaginable with him! Ji Ho did everything so we can spend this day together! You know he's the most sensible of us and how much he suffers because we are apart from each other! We are going to do our best to be together again with the help from Tiny Can and the Therapy Game and until then, Ji Ho's well-being is your concern!"

Saiwa: "Have a good night!" Vlad to Jack: "Stay with us!" Jack chuckles: "Vlad. I love you - but I won't do that. He needs you." Saiwa: "Let's go, Jack!"

Vlad sighed and went upstairs to their room. He refuses to get physical with Ji Ho as long as he is not able to love him. But Vlad also knows how much Ji Ho longs for physical intimacy with him. When Vlad entered the room, he found Ji Ho collapsed on the floor. He was so exhausted, he must have been trying to take a shower to hydrate but it wasn't enough. They need to charge the bond. Thoroughly.

Ji Ho knows that Vlad is only reluctantly charging the Bond and refuses any interaction that involves anything romantic until he's able to love him.

Vlad approached Ji Ho to embrace him to charge the Bond. Ji Ho: "Vlad. This won't be enough - I tried everything to avoid it but I..." Vlad: "Don't worry. Come."

Ji Ho: "Forgive me." Vlad: "Shh."

It's the same room where Jeb and Sai spent their second date!

Ji Ho: "I will be yours, I promise." Vlad: "I know. Don't worry. Do whatever is necessary for you to heal. I will be fine." Ji Ho: "Wait for me." Vlad: "Always." (They are speaking of Ji Ho's ingame wedding with Caleb.)

'How many beautiful baths together and alter in the night Close, close I shiver a bit Don't try to deny that tonight, if I insist I will have you So small and fragile you seem to me and I'm making a mistake

So small next to me. And fragile, or not. But you're more strong than I am'

'Quanti bagni mozzafiato insieme e poi di sera vicino vicino a me tremi un pò Non cercare di negare che stasera magari se insisto io ti avrò.

Così piccola e fragile mi sembri tu e sto sbagliando di più. Così piccola accanto a me e fragile o no ma in fondo sei molto più forte di me!'

Piccola e Fragile - Drupi

Outtakes

Here they laughed together <3

Until Ji Ho got a message from Leander ^^'

No festival without chaos...

Them :3

From the Beginning ~ Underwater Love ~ Latest Current Chapter: 🕹️ 'The One' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

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yuumcbr · 3 months

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Seven, give me one more chance!!

Hey how's it going? This is the first time I write a story, finish it and post it.

SUMMARY: Leona died in the Overblot, Crowley asks you to use his unique magic "Seven, give me one more chance" and go back in time to save him. However, after many attempts you decide to go back in time much further and cancel the inter-bedroom games, even though Leona hates you for it.

WARNING: Time travel, Death, Overblot, open ending (my heart couldn't bear to write until the end), reader insertion, I don't use Y/N, reader is not Yuu, Reader is in Scarabia, Google Tradutor, mental fatigue for the reader, the reader needs a hug, possible Leona X reader, but it can be read as platonic , like creating a friendship that will last a lifetime, nothing too heavy, just angst without comfort.

There were 58 attempts in a row and no breaks (ok, maybe you caught a few breaks, but you never took your goal out of your mind).

You approach Leona who is dead on the floor in a pool of dark paint.

No matter how many times you see this scene, it hurts worse than you remember the last time!

If you ask anyone, you've only known Leona for 3 days. And somehow you knew exactly everything that was necessary for him to let you stay by her side without stressing, but for you it wasn't like that...

You remember it like it was yesterday, you were excited because everyone on your team had recovered from the weird injuries that happened and would be able to play.

There were rumors among the students that the culprit of the recent "accidents" was Savanaclaw's vice-leader and that he followed his Housewarden's rules in doing so (you later discovered that Ruggie was not the vice-leader and that in fact, Savanaclaw there was no deputy leader).

Unfortunately, before the game started it was cancelled. You and everyone you knew were outraged by the idea.It didn't take long for you to discover that the leader of the King of Beasts' dormitory, the second prince of Sunset Savana, Leona Kingscholar had died.

And with all the companies that would share NRC's long-awaited dorm games all but talking about the death of Savanaclaw's housewarden, it didn't take long for Director Crowley to ask for his help again.

If there's anything you regret putting on your student resume, it was your unique magic, "Seven, give me one more chance!"

Your unique magic allowed you to go back in time a week, and be able to redo something that had happened.

At the beginning of the school year, Crowley asked you to save the housewarden Riddle Rosehearts from the same fate that Leona had suffered, you were rewarded for that and this time it would be no different.

So that Crowley could remember what he had promised, he engraved on a memory stone the promise of his reward and told him to engrave his failures on the stone every time he failed in his mission.

It wasn't because you could go back in time that you could get everything you wanted on the first try, when you saved Riddle, you had to use your unique magic twice before you managed to save him.

Riddle never knew you helped him, because for him. He had never even come close to overblotting.

Crowley promised you that every time you needed to use your unique magic he would pay you 10,000 madols.

Now, in the present you regretted making that deal. You approached Leona countless times until she literally learned exactly how to act around him, you became attached, you created bonds you thought you would never create.

Just to watch him die, over and over again. Attempt after attempt. And in each attempt, you see that he didn't remember anything you experienced.

You didn't care about the money anymore, all you wanted was for Leona to live or just turn into sand and die next to her.

No...You couldn't die, because when you died, Leona would no longer have any chance of living.

When did you start to care about him so much?You just wanted this all to end as you cried over Leona's dead body. Almost powerlessly, you took out the memory stone that Crowley had given you a long time ago.

And headmage who had arrived to see what the mess was about saw you holding her in tears.

"Fa...il 58"

Crowley approached, and saw that the memory stone was black when normally they are transparent.

Memory stones take on the color of the feelings of the memories they carry, and usually the colors are so faint that you need to look at them closely to see them.

It may not seem like it, but Crowley is a smart guy. He knows about his unique magic, he knows that he has already asked you to do several services for him, he knows that memory stones are difficult to get and he knows how many times he has given them to you for you to show him later.

Knowing this, it doesn't take much to connect the dots.

You were in a cycle of endless repetitions to do something he ordered, but from the color of the stone, he understood that you were suffering from it.

As much as he knew that several consequences would fall on him, Crowley knew when to give up, even though he had just discovered that he was on a mission to avoid this disaster.

"Let's stop here!" He spoke, placing a hand on your shoulder, only for you to look incredulous as you understood the meaning of his words.

"No…it's not over yet! I can continue…le..leave it to me!!" You said, your voice breaking and looking at him as if asking for permission, you would do it anyway.

If there's something you learned from your time with Leona that only you can choose when to give up, no one can do it for you, ever!

So you asked Crowley for a power-enhancing potion.

If it was his last attempt, you would throw all your cards on the table! You'd cancel inter-dorm games before they even started.

LEONA FORGIVE YOU, BUT HE'S NOT DYING AGAIN ON HIS TURN!!

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°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The first thing you feel when you wake up is your bed, it doesn't take you even 5 seconds to get out of bed, soon being struck by dizziness.

You take out your cell phone and look at the date and time, apparently you managed to go back long enough to prevent future events.

And just in case you fail, you may have had time to rest and try again.

After getting ready, you run to the building where Crowley's office is, you can't help but feel a wave of hope over your chest.

You barely knock on the door and go in (read that as opening the door with so much force that it makes a tremendous bang).

"Headmage, I bring news!!" You say smiling, then you stop and notice that Crowley was in the middle of a meeting with the housewardens.

Silence

...

"Kalim, you should have more control over the students in your dorm!" Vil says it as advice you find too oppressive.

"Uh...well!?" Kalim ends up having no reaction.

Riddle stares at you, "If you allow me, I can give you a proper punishment!"

Kalim looked embarrassed, it wasn't his intention to do this to his housewarden. And that ruins his good mood.

"Maybe before you scold the students in other people's dorms, you should take care of your own!" You say, taking a few steps forward to be able to communicate better.

It's not that you don't want to get out of there as quickly as possible and hide your head under the ground like an ostrich. You just don't like being told off by your dorm leader.

Kalim may not be the best, but unlike all the other housewardens, he has empathy and this makes him the best when it comes to helping the students in his dorm.

"Pomefiore students don't barge into important meetings without being invited and I dare say those from Heartsbyul are on a similar level!" Vil narrows his eyes at you.

"If a similar level you mean by blowing up the science lab almost every week and burning statues around. Of course!! You guys are amazing! Believe what you want, as long as you don't bother me or my housewarden!" You can see Vil sending you an extremely nasty look which you gladly send back, though Kalim flinches slightly in surprise.

Everyone knows that Rook is always doing new experiments in the science club and almost every week there is a new mess in the laboratory, not to mention that the fact that the statue of the Queen of Hearts was burned at the beginning of the year by students from Heartstabyul and Ramshackle will be remembered for ever.

"If I may" Azul gets everyone's attention dispelling the discussion "As much as I don't agree with this student's actions, don't you think you're missing something?"

"Something?" Crowley tries to remember, but was cut off by Idia's voice on her tablet.

"The student said he had news!" Idia said in a tired, slurred voice.

"The right!" Crowley remembered your entrance! "So tell me young man, what trouble do you bring me this time?" The headmage asked

The 'This time' didn't go unnoticed by the people in the room.

You looked at the housewardens, your gaze stopping a little longer than it should on Leona, he would hate you for that. Then you fixate on the one crow you started to hate with all your might and smile.

"We have to cancel the inter-dorm tournament!" You say in a tone that is way too serious for someone Kalim remembers that the day before he was super excited about making the official dorm team and that scares him.

Apparently he wasn't the only one shocked by the information, you can see Azul's glasses fall a little, Vil's eyebrows twitch, Riddle and Idia's gasp. And the slight twitching of Leona's ears.

Leona gets stressed and gets up from her seat, with her eyebrows furrowed and her tail flicking to one side and then the other. "You seem like quite an audacious herbivore, to just assume you can come in and say whatever you want, as if everyone will accept what you say with their heads bowed!"

You know that expression, and as much as he's a hunter threatening his prey, you can only manage a sly smile.

"And who said I need you or anyone to accept anything, your highness? You can have your say, but Crowley has the final say!" You say sarcastically looking at him.

You know you shouldn't irritate him more than he already is, but something in you knows you can handle it.

If Leona is going to hate him, you want to do it in the same way you did when he still "tolerated" you, as he used to say.

Leona didn't seem happy with her answer. Of course, who in their right mind would be?

"ENOUGH!!" Crowley screams and this makes Leona lower her ears a little at Crowley's scream for a moment.

"Young man, I want you to know that I can't just cancel the games for any reason!" Crowley approaches.

"Apparently the final decision really came from Crowley!" Vil speaks with a smile.

"Therefore!" Headmage walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder, "Give me the stone and I'll be canceling everything related to the games this year!"

"What's/Ah?" Everyone in the room (except you and the director) is shocked by the news.

Crowley knows about your unique magic and knows that you wouldn't suggest this crazy idea without his permission in some future timeline.

"Wait headmage!" Riddle stands up from his seat, "You can't cancel just because an unruly student suggested it!"

"Exactly!" It was Blue's turn to stand up, "We would incur a huge loss due to several breaches of contracts, I would appreciate it if you thought a little more about the matter!"

"I disagree! Overthinking will only make us fail again and we don't have that option!" You tell the director.

"Fail again?" The lion beastman next to you whispers as if trying to record this information.

Crowley on the other hand stares at you for a few seconds before speaking:

"Won't we get another chance?... How much of your magic did you use to accomplish your last task?!" The director looks scared, he finally pays enough attention to notice you don't have your pen.

You furrow your eyebrows, the amount of magic you used to save the second prince of Sunset Savannah almost made you go into overblot and the negative feelings building up weren't helping at all.

You simply keep your pen in a compartment inside your uniform, because you don't like looking in the mirror and seeing that pen with a stone that is practically black and obscured by the stain, with a hint of bright red (Before you start storing it) There you tried to convince yourself that this little red piece was your hope for a better future).

You look at him for a moment and put your hand in your pocket, taking out a small cloth bag inside which there were two memory stones, one black, where you kept your failures and the other yellow, where you kept the good moments of your past. and coming in time.

As the last few times Crowley looks at the black stone in amazement, you also know that the other housewardens who managed to see the stone know that it doesn't bring back good memories.

"If I really need to show this to someone to explain the reason for canceling the games, make sure it's someone who won't bother me later!" You give the stone to the director.

The director becomes serious, as far as he remembered, you were someone quite soft and lively. He understands that he must have asked for something difficult, so he just agrees.

"Wait, wait! So we're really canceling the games?" Reality finally sinks in for Kalim, he looks at you "You were so excited about this yesterday..."

You look at your housewarden, he was always a great mayor for Scarabia and always cheered you up when you were down, you know how excited he was for the games, but he also understands that he has to make a choice.

The games or LeonaAnd you know you would always choose Leona!

"Sorry Kalim-Senpai! That choice was the best we could find!" You bowed your head slightly in a sign of respect. "If you'll excuse me, class will start soon!" You bow towards the housewardens and Crowley as if you had never offended them and leave.

The room is silent for a while, everyone with their own thoughts.

Leona returned to her seat irritated and the meeting continued a little later."Headmage..." Azul called out to Crowley who focused on the housewarden. "That student gave you a memory stone as an explanation for canceling the games, right?"

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During class, you didn't care about staying focused, because besides already knowing next month's material practically by heart, you couldn't get two faces out of your mind.

The first was that of his housewarden, Kalim Al-Asim. If you knew anyone who was excited for the games it was him.

Of course he may have forgotten about the games when Jamil, his deputy housewarden was injured just before the games started.

He had looked at you as if you had betrayed him. You kind of understand, since you remember that before all the mess started, you were one of the most excited people in Scarabia for the tournament.

And the second face was Leona's, his look was one of disgust, you had pulled the rug out from under her and all of Savanaclaw in less than five minutes.

Taking all your effort and planning down the drain You know you're going to get some angry looks over the next few months, and you know your mood is about to collapse.

You don't think isolating yourself is the best option, as it will make you anxious. But facing the stress of school and having multiple students on your tail would also be horrible.

Perhaps the best option is to go to Crewel-sensei and ask for help with your stain, he will probably give you a certificate and send you to the infirmary, which is a safe place to a certain extent.

I probably won't continue, but feel free to imagine what will happen.

Don't feed my work to AI.

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wifelinkmtg · 6 months

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There's "spaghetti western" and then there's whatever the hell this Chef Boyardee shit is

Hello! and welcome back to Wifelink. We're talking about Outlaws of Thunder Junction today, Magic's second product in a row set in a version of Nevada, and let me tell you something: I am not impressed. The mechanics are uninspired, the setting is undercooked, the story is overstuffed, and to top it all off the whole thing smacks of settler-colonialism. AND they yassified Vraska, the monsters!

WE WILL GET TO THE HOT WOMEN, BELIEVE YOU ME, BUT FIRST I AM GOING TO COMPLAIN SOMEWHAT, AS IS MY RIGHT AS AN AMERICAN, AS A HUMAN BEING, AND AS A GAMER

The mechanics we've discussed elsewhere, and I will skim over the main storyline except to say that very few of this Big Villain Heist Team-Up gets enough spotlight to justify their inclusion here beyond getting recognizable names on cards, and that Rakdos' presence on the plane alone ought to be an apocalyptic calamity. I appreciate Jace & Vraska going full blackpilled accelerationist, stealing a baby, and aiming to destroy the multiverse & start over (a novel hybrid of Raising Arizona and Doctor Strangelove,) but I also know, sure as the sun rises, that whatever happens with their villain arc will be a underwhelming let-down.

What I actually want to complain about, though, is the setting. Thunder Junction ain't real, and I don't mean it's fictional, I mean it's plywood facades on a backlot. It's the set for a cowboy film. You feel me? This ain't a plane, it's a god damned sound stage.

Lemme go over the facts: we know Thunder Junction has been settled for a bit over a year. A year! - and yet there's multiple towns, multiple railways, and an honest-to-god metropolis. Less than two years and we already have ghost towns! This is not the product of a bunch of people on various planes all individually deciding to seek a new life in the off-world colonies. All of this represents a staggering quantity of people, material, wealth, and labor, being moved between planes, directed and organized - but by whom? For what reason? How, even? The story is totally uninterested in these questions.

One of the few silver linings to the way the Phyrexian invasion storyline ended was that the Omenpaths had a lot of interesting potential! Different planes would come into direct contact with each other for the first time ever! Different technologies, different philosophies and religions, different kinds of magic colliding, coming into conflict, adapting and adjusting to each other. And after a couple of sets where the interplanar contact was limited to one or two particularly adventurous individuals, we finally get to see what interplanar contact at scale looks like here in Thunder Junction... and it just looks like a John Wayne flick. Did people not bring their culture with them? Is there a big rack of hats and boots and dusters right where people step off the Omenpath? Shuck off those old Ravnican rags, kid, get changed. You'll spoil the aesthetic. I mean, it's baffling.

Luxurious Locomotive (art by Leon Tukker). This is one of the few man-made parts of this plane that I can look at and know where it came from: this is a Kaladeshi design. More of this sort of thing would have made Thunder Junction feel more like a real place and less like a Sergio Leone joint.

There's a side story, No Tells, by Isaac Fellman, which I quite like actually: it's about guilt and betrayal and the inevitable regrets of having moved into a queer housing co-op, and one of the things that makes it great is that we know where Yuma came from (New Capenna), we know why he left (the limitations of "be gay do crimes" as praxis under capitalism), and we know what he brought to Thunder Junction with him (cocktails, pool tables, and his co-op's emergency funds). Fellman has written nothing else for Wizards and doesn't play Magic, and even so he's done more to make Thunder Junction feel like a real place situated in a real history than the rest of the story team combined - which goes to show, one, that we should only let trans people write magic story for the next decade or so, and two, that what I'm asking for in terms of worldbuilding is not unattainable, or even that difficult.

And all of this ties into the colonialism, right? Thunder Junction is being colonized, and asking questions about who benefits, who's sponsoring this breakneck settlement of the plane, what they're after and so forth would require the story to take a good hard look at the process of colonization itself, and Wizards is flatly unwilling to engage with anything that thorny in their products. So, just as Ixalan involved a limp-wristed slant reenactment of the Spanish conquest of the Americas - but it's fine because they're the bad guys and they're technically not even trying to colonize Ixalan and they don't win anyway so no one gets hurt! - Thunder Junction is attempting to present a Disneyland version of Western colonialism. Untamed wilderness! Bringing civilization to uninhabited deserts! How cool and heroic these hard frontiersmen and -women are! I'm told they brought in Navajo cultural consultants for the Atiin, a fantasy equivalent, and I hope those folks were well compensated! The Atiin seem cool, and the one Atiin character we spend any time with is well-written, but the Atiin are not indigenous to Thunder Junction. They're not being colonized. And if there weren't anybody being colonized, I'd probably still dislike the colonial vision of a wild land inhabited only by animals, just waiting for us to shape it to our will with railways and violence, but there is in fact a native race of sapients on Thunder Junction, and these cactus folk get no voice in the story, so if they have some kind of opinion on the rapid colonization of their home and the clear-cutting of their cactus forests, we don't get to hear about it.

Prickly Pair (art by Brian Valeza) Too much of the extremely-limited presence Thunder Junction's only indigenous sapients have on the cards is devoted to cactus-based puns like this one, which is pretty distasteful given, you know, the colonialism.

I'm talking about colonialism not because I think that replicating colonial myths in fantasy fiction is an unethical thing to do - although it is - but because you can see, right, that Thunder Junction's lack of verisimilitude is intertwined with the colonial vision of the world at play here, yeah? The story wants to have cool cowboy shootouts and train robberies and it does not want its cowboy fantasy to be complicated by uncomfortable realities, so it has to avoid all of the basic worldbuilding questions that would tell us who the colonization benefits and how they're profiting off the plane, and in the end we're left with nothing but an empty aesthetic, like a duster hanging off a scarecrow, blowing in the wind.

ANYWAY SO WOMEN

To be honest, under the circumstances I'm not really feeling like giving the fine women of Thunder Junction my usual more elaborate treatment, so we're going to lightning-round this shit, which is at least thematic.

Blood Hustler (art by Anna Pavleeva)

Vampire MILF.

Rattleback Apothecary (art by Loïc Canavaggia)

Snake MILF.

Wrangler of the Damned (art by Michal Ivan)

Cis lesbian haircut, good with a rope.

Obeka, Splitter of Seconds (art by Ryan Pancoast)

BIG

#outlaws of thunder junction

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nevermindirah · 16 days

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I have a hard to answer question how does one handle in a fanfic tog not going after shitler with Jewish!booker on the team without them coming off like assholes in regards to the human cost as well as the personal cost to booker, cause I'm drawing a blank

hi anon!

this is a super duper big large heavy question, and it's also one that might, depending on the context of your fic, have a very simple answer: the immortals are, other than their immortality, human, and therefore they can each only be in a single place at once.

they don't have superhuman strength or speed, they don't have magic, they don't have access to time-travel technology. I'm not an expert in ww2 military strategy but I'm sure allied governments looked into assassinating Hitler, and nobody managed to do it until the shitstain killed himself. the immortals are highly skilled and well-connected but not at the level of for example the agency that would go on to become the CIA, so who's to say they'd be successful in this assassination if they tried.

there's also the matter of when and for what reason the immortals might decide that killing this particular shitstain should go at the top of their to-do list. it's so easy for us to say in hindsight that a catastrophic volume of suffering could've been averted with this one person's death 10-15 years earlier than what happened in our timeline, but even with the strategic benefit of that hindsight, none of us can predict exactly what would've happened after a successful assassination in 1939, 1932, or even earlier. killing one leader doesn't ensure the movement he leads will stop with his death; someone even worse could have stepped in under the banner of a martyr.

things had gotten bad for Jews in a lot of places many times before things started getting real bad again in Germany. again, I'm not an expert, so I don't know when anyone outside of Nazi senior leadership knew anything about plans for the Holocaust — but would any of the immortals have learned about it sooner than international news media did? would they have known about it early enough that it was possible for a group of four immortals to stop? would they have believed such horrific plans if they'd seen them on paper? there's historical evidence that US officials didn't believe early reports could possibly be true.

there are photos on Copley's wall showing the immortals in Europe at several points during ww2 and there's that one panel from one of the comics of some of the boys being involved in liberating one of the camps. but we don't know details beyond that, and we don't know what the immortals were up to in the 1930s. they may have been very, very busy doing what they could to protect people from Japan's horrific war crimes of the same era, which started several years earlier than the Third Reich.

none of that is to say it would be easy for the immortals to know that the Holocaust was happening and not stop it. I'm sure it was devastating for all of them, who'd already seen so much needless painful death in their long lives, to see the ruthless mechanized efficiency of Nazi mass murder. it would be especially devastating for Booker, even without the Jewish Booker headcanon, bc his children died hating him bc he could not save them no matter how much they begged and no matter how hard he tried.

so my hope for the fic you're working on is that you'll show at least a little bit how their inability to stop these horrors weighs on the immortals. show the personal cost to Booker. do the others get why such horrors happening to his people, who are specifically being targeted because they are Jews, hurts him so badly? or does Andy make dark jokes about how God really must not exist or what did Booker do to piss him off.

does Andy make dark jokes like that bc she sees Quynh's face in every woman they rescue from the Japanese army's rape campaigns? it would have been just as impossible for the immortals alone to save every one of them as it would've been to stop the Holocaust. might their personal connections to victims thousands of miles apart in a war causing overwhelming suffering across most of the planet wear on the immortals' relationships with each other? they can only do but so much. how the hell do they choose which people to try to save?

now that I've thought about it, writing a fic where they do kill Hitler might actually be easier. you can just handwave the deeply frustrating logistical realities and make it so that conveniently killing the nightmare in charge happens to cause the whole house of nightmares to fall apart. (you can also handwave that in your new timeline non-Jews across Europe welcomed their Jewish neighbors home with open arms, when very often the opposite happened irl.)

this topic is so rich for all kinds of exploration in fic. you could end up with a long and plotty meditation on how painful it is for the immortals to have to choose between so many people who need their help. you might have only been asking for the sake of some references to this era of the past in a fic set during or after the movie where the historical timeline is set in stone, in which case I hope what I've shared here leads you to writing those passages with appropriate seriousness and care, even if it's ultimately a small part of a story mainly focused on other things.

this was hard to answer, but not intellectually, this kind of analysis is how my brain works. it just hurts my heart to think about how much my people have lost, how much pain so many people have suffered, and how much suffering is happening right now that there's so little I can do to stop. if I were immortal right now how the hell would I choose between Palestinians and Massalit people and Uyghurs and Rohingya and the multitude of Latin Americans suffering at the US border, all the Black Americans suffering systematically in US prisons, all the other people whose catastrophic suffering I don't even know about?

but I'm glad you asked bc this is such an under-considered element of TOG that's very worth the spotlight. I hope my thoughts here help you, and maybe others will see this and think about it as well.

#jewish booker #genocide #tog #tog meta #the old guard #mine

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gryficowa · 17 days

Text

Boycott!

Now that I have your attention:

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slut-for-evans-stan · 11 months

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I've got you.

Pairing: Pete Brenner x reader

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: fluff!!

Summary: after a bad day at work, the reader comes home to her husband Pete who showers her with his love, making her forget all her worries.

(I feel that aside from all the douchiness, Pete is a softie and a very caring lover)

Requested by: @maximeverstappen

a/n: this is my first ever fic in years and I've no clue how stuff works on Tumblr. This is not proofread, please pardon me for errors if any! I tried my best :')

Please like, comment and/or reblog, it'll make me really happy <3

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

To say her day at work was exhausting and grueling was an understatement. From the moment y/n stepped foot in the office, something or the other kept going wrong, and most of it wasn't even her fault but being the Team player she was, she took a big part of the blame on herself.

To add to her misery, while in a hurry she almost tripped down the stairs, the impact of trying to regain balance hard on her left ankle but she had no time to pay attention to that, rushing to get her superior's signature on the required documents.

Y/n was so caught up with her tasks that she didn't even bother having anything for lunch, just wanting to get done with all the workload so she could relax.

Around 4:55 pm, she breathed a long sigh of relief shutting off her laptop and settling her belongings, having finally finished all the work that was in her cup for the week. All she wanted now was to go home and cuddle with her husband till she fell asleep. After locking up her cabin and telling her

"see you tomorrow"s

to fellow colleagues, she left the office walking to the parking lot and getting in her car to drive off.

Once in her car, she checked her phone for the first time since she left for work this morning, seeing about 10 missed calls and texts from her husband, Pete. They'd usually facetime each other during their lunch breaks, eating together and talking about how their day was going so far but today she didn't get the opportunity to do that either. Y/n opened his chat and told him that she's on her way back, apologizing for not calling or responding to his texts and that she had a terrible day at work. Starting her car and playing some calming music she set on her way back home.

Around half an hour later, Pete heard the sound of her car, smiling to himself, excited to finally see y/n after a busy day. Before she could even ring the doorbell, the door to their home opened and she was welcomed with the sight of Pete looking ever so handsome in just his pajamas. Dropping her handbag, y/n immediately jumped right into his arms, hugging him and he held her tight and stayed like that for minutes. When they parted, she had her hands around his neck. He saw tears in her eyes and caressed her face, planting a soft kiss on her lips and temple, smiling, and softly whispered

"It's okay baby, it's okay. I've got you".

He held her hand leading her inside their home. As they entered the living room, y/n was greeted by the warm scent of dinner being prepared in the kitchen, which made her very aware of how hungry she was. Right after Pete had received y/n's text, he'd made up his mind on making her feel better in whatever ways he could. He turned y/n around and said

"Dinner will be ready soon sweetheart, I've already drawn the tub for you, why don't you go ahead and take a nice, hot bath to soothe your muscles? ".

Y/n hummed quietly, planting a kiss on Pete's cheek, smiling to herself wearily as she made her way to the bathroom.

As she soaked in the warm bath scattered with fragrant rose petals, feeling her tension begin to ease, Pete knocked and came in with a glass of her favourite wine, setting it down on a sitting stool beside the bathtub, making her whisper a soft

"thank you baby"

and he planted another soft kiss on her forehead and left. She could hear the sounds of Pete chopping vegetables and stirring pots in the kitchen, making her stomach rumble in anticipation.

After a while, y/n got out of the bathtub, dried herself, and changed into comfortable clothing- Pete's maroon hoodie and a pair of shorts, feeling a little better. As she emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, the soft glow of candles lead her to the dining table, where a playlist of their favourite songs played in the background, creating a soundtrack for their evening. She found Pete waiting for her at the dining table which was adorned with fresh flowers, and a handwritten note expressing his love awaited her, tucked beneath the dinner napkin.

She sat down with a suprised look on her face, and said

"How did you manage to do all this is in such a short time?"

with a cheesy grin and a wink he replied,

"My love for you makes me efficient in a way I can't explain."

As soon as he opened the pot's lid, y/n squealed happily, seeing that Pete had made her favorite chicken stew for dinner, a string of thank yous falling from her lips. Pete fed her the first bite of food and she groaned in satisfaction at the delicious taste, saying

"Gosh you are the best!"

making him chuckle and respond

"I know".

Savouring each bite, she did a happy little dance as she ate, her stressful day at work long forgotten. Y/n couldn't help but notice the way Pete looked at her with so much adoration and love in his eyes, making her wonder how she ever got so lucky to have found him.

"You know, babe" he said,

"I've been thinking. Why don't we take the day off tomorrow and have a relaxing day with each other, not having to worry about anything?"

Y/n's heart swelled with gratitude and she nodded eagerly.

They finished their dinner, chatting and laughing together. They then watched a few episodes of the show they were currently invested in, while Pete gently ran his fingers through y/n's hair, massaging her scalp, making her doze off. He then carried her bridal style, to their bedroom and gently put her down on the bed, under the blankets and got in himself, holding her close, falling in a deep slumber.

The next morning, Pete woke Y/n up with a cup of coffee, presenting her with a carefully planned itinerary for their day off. Their day began with a leisurely breakfast, laughter dancing in the air. He whisked her away to a spa day, their journey to the spa involving a scenic drive with the windows down, and her favourite tunes setting the mood. He had arranged for a personalized treatment, ensuring his wife felt like royalty.

During their drive to the nail and hair appointments, he engaged her in delightful conversation, peppering the day with shared laughter and stolen glances that spoke volumes. His heart so filled with love for her, cherishing every moment by her side.

They spent the rest of their day strolling down and exploring the city, hand in hand, simply enjoying each other's company while the world seemed to pause, leaving room for the warmth of their connection to fill the air. They laughed and joked just the way they did while they had just started dating, and Y/n felt all her stress and anxiety melt away.

They had lunch at a rooftop restaurant, enjoying the view of the city, walked to a park where they laid down on a blanket under a tree, watching the clouds roll by and listening to the birds sing. It was a perfect day and y/n felt grateful to have Pete by her side, grateful for the love and care he showered her with.

As the sun began to set, they drove back home and cuddled up on the couch together, with y/n's head resting on Pete's lap watching a movie and just enjoying each other's company. It was a simple, yet perfect day, and y/n knew that she was loved and cherished by her wonderful husband.

She looked up at Pete with affection in her eyes.

"I love you so much Pete. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"I love you so much more my baby, You're my everything."

He bent his head down, their lips meeting in a passionate, loving kiss. They headed to their bedroom, falling asleep in each others arms, with smiles on their faces, knowing no matter how bad things got around them, they'd always have each other.

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a/n: I really enjoyed writing this fic! I hope y'all liked reading it too. I'd really appreciate if you'd comment any thoughts, suggestions or requests that you have! Thank you ^_^

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jxxji0309 · 2 years

Text

Ticklish

~Made at @sneakylilbartender 's request~

College AU (cuz ya)

Might be ooc

Cussing 🤭

Ctto of the headers

Platonic childhood friends

Kinda smh short

Fluff to romance

I reccomend listening to laufey while reading

It was quite a tiring day for Scaramouche. However, you, his next door dormitory neighbor refuses to let him rest.

"Leave.", Scaramouche said.

"No fucking way", you replied. You didn't want to go back to your dorm room, which was occupied by your sleeping drunk friends.

"Oh my fucking Archons, why did you even have them drink at your place anyway?", he said. He did have to admit he had a soft spot for you since you knew eachother since- who knows your parents introduced you to eachother when you two were very, very, young.

"You know I'm quite generous and I sort of had it planned out... I'll just sleep in my dorm with their stanky asses then". You turned around in quite a rush, but felt a strong grip on your wrist.

"I didn't say you couldn't stay", Scaramouche implied. "But you said- nevermind".

---

There you were, sitting on his bed while Scaramouche was on his phone. But little did you know he was viewing the posts of the friends that drank in your dorm room after partying. You thought about your current feelings for him amidst the creeping silence. Did he find you annoying? Does he want to stay friends?

Does he like anyone?

'Damn my thoughts became deep', you mentally said to yourself . You had a feeling of awkwardness and started to break the silence. So, you had a perfectly and maybe slightly sadistic idea.

'Find his ticklish spots.', is what you thought.

'Okay (Y/n), DO NOT, ABSOLUTELY DON'T FUCK THIS UP.'

"Hey Scara",

"What?", he said with an annoyed tone.

"Are you ticklish?"

Silence.

Scaramouche suddenly felt a slight heat creep up to his face. "So what?!", he remarked. "Oh so you are ticklish, or maybe you're ticklish somewhere...", you said as a devious smirk started to form on your face.

"Then... here!"

You started tickling the spot on his side, just above his waist. He then flinched and started bursting out into a fit of joyful laughter.

"Sto- mph!!" Scaramouche said, getting interrupted as he giggled in between syllables. "Ooh~! It seems that the all so mighty Scaramouche is all so sensitive and ticklish in this spot!~". Scaramouche tried to fit a frown in between his laughter, you were very, very lucky that he didn't lash out at you the first time you said something.

It was quite refreshing though, to both of you. You get to tease the man you like, and he spends another moment of being grateful you're in your life. Honestly, how come you're both still platonic friends?

You eventually stopped as Scaramouche was even more exhausted after laughing. A part of you expected for him to be upset, which was right.

Luckily, for Scaramouche, he knew all of your ticklish spots. "Why you-!", Scaramouche exclaimed as he reached out to the same spot where you tickled him. You bursted out into a fit of laughter as you tried to push him away.

"Aha~! Wait noho~! I'm sorry ok! I'll pay for it accordingl-" you were interrupted with more giggles and laughs. "You should, and you will", Scaramouche said while stopping his revenge to a halt and decided on your punishment.

"For your punishment, I've decided we confess some secret we have to eachother. I won't be unfair with you, so be glad I gave you this kind of punishment."

You were taken aback by his statement. Preparing yourself for this, you've decided to confess this one thing you've been hiding from him all these years.

"Fine, my secret is..."

"Is?" Scaramouche asked. He was curious about what secret you might hold.

"Is that, I've liked you since elementary...."

'What?' Scaramouche thought, a shocked expression painted on his face. He didnt expect this kind of secret, let alone something you've been hiding for years. To think that his feelings were returned by his beloved was the best thing he could ask for.

"Fine then, my turn."

You were getting anxious at the thought of rejection. You thought it was weird of you to just say it to him, but it's better sooner than later since you would become adults soon. You watched as Scaramouche took a deep breath and glanced at you longingly.

"I like you too, (Y/n)".

And there it was, the sentence you've longed for so long, the sentence you didnt think you would be hearing after years. You felt heat rise up to your cheeks as you looked away, embarrassed.

Scaramouche thought you looked beautiful, at this very moment. How weird, wasn'tit? Both of you thinking so similarly and lovingly of each other but ending up hiding it in the end.

Scaramouche reached out to your chin and lifted it up, urging your face to look at his.

"Let's date then".

Your heart was beating so fast, it even skipped a few beats as if it were racing through time.

"I- um-... I don't know. What if-"

"Don't worry about that, nevermind".

You thought he was going to kick you out of his dorm room and avoid you at that moment, but it was rather more of something you absolutely didn't expect.

"I don't like you (Y/n)," Scaramouche stated unfinished, "I've grown to love you", he said with a comforting smile, one you've always adored. It was almost like he was glowing at that moment.

"Sleep beside me (Y/n), let's sleep together."

You nodded as you kept your head down in embarrassment as you laid down with him, your fingers intertwined with his.

"From now on, we're not some platonic childhood friends. We're lovers."

I'm back what's up bitches 💅💅

Request stuff please I want to write more

Maybe every weekend or smth I might get banned from electronic devices (again)

This was supposed to be just wholesome but I wanted to give you all a hearthrobbing read so-

See you again soon!

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shachaai · 3 months

Text

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers!

I was tagged by @zipegs. Thank you, Hunter! These were interesting questions to think about.

Tagging: @needcake and @dr-fumbles-mcstupid! No pressure on either of you, but have at if you'd like.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

198! Hetalia really upped the work count out of all my fandoms, but I also crossposted a lot of my better Yu-Gi-Oh fics from my days back on FF.net. I've still got a huge amount to crosspost from LJ, DW and tumblr though.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

998,583. It's taken me 14 years on AO3 but my next fic update is going to finally take me over a million words and I'm so excited!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My main fandom right now is Hannibal (and the associated HEU), but I'm also working on some uber long Hetalia works in the background. (The latter won't see the light of day until they've got a substantial amount done for them.) I started out posting fic online with Yu-Gi-Oh, then Death Note and Yuri on Ice. I've also worked on a lot of fics for CLAMP's works, primarily Tsubasa, Cardcaptor Sakura and XxXHolic.

4. Top five fics by kudos?

Due to the kudos requirement, this is obviously only from my stuff on AO3 (because I actually think an anon work I wrote on a kinkmeme back in the day would also feature here otherwise). 1. Commencer Par La Faim (Hannibal) - 1,470 2. The Lindworm's Lullaby (Hannibal) - 503 3. if(touched by love's own secret)we (Yuri on Ice) - 382 4. Apples (Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles) - 379 5. Heartbox (Hetalia) - 299 The last one completely mystifies me.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I really try to. I've got much better about responding to comments in the past few years, I think, but I'm still more likely to remember to respond to comments on WIP longfics than on oneshots. (Sorry!!!) Lately, I've fallen into the habit of replying to comments on the most current chapter of a multichaptered fic as I'm doing the final edits on the next chapter, because they often prompt me not to forget things. ;;; (So, if you receive a belated reply to your comment on a WIP, I'm likely going to update it soon.) I really do appreciate every comment though, and they've been such a source of inspiration and good feeling over the years. I'm still going back and trying to say thank you to comments left on my works years ago... It's late, but I do want to express my thanks.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Bold of you to assume I ever finish anything. I don't tend to write works that have endings that fall primarily into the angst territory (I don't think!). Bittersweetness, usually. A lot of my hetalia stuff is technically angsty because it's open-ended and based on real history and history sucks. Obviously it's not posted yet, but the ending to Commencer Par La Faim is probably going to get people coming after me with torches and pitchforks. For posted works, I guess I'll go with my first ever completed multichaptered work from my YGO days: Both Sides of the Border. The whole fic is an exploration of love, remembrance and death (as best as I could write it as a purple prose-obsessed 15 year-old).

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Bold of you to assume I ever finish anything x2. Many of my hetalia oneshots fill me with the warm n' fuzzies due to their endings. Yes, this answer is a cop-out.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

None currently, but I have done on multiple separate occasions in the past.

9. Do you write smut?

I do, but it doesn't come to me easily at all. I wish I was a better smut writer and I'm really working on it, but I still don't think my current stuff is up to where I want it be. People seem to enjoy it though, so I must be doing something right? At least a little?

10. Craziest crossover?

...Sorry, I'm blanking. I wrote YGO/Harry Potter back in the day, and I've Daemon AUs all over the place (His Dark Materials). CLAMP fanworks are all, technically, huge crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Once, a YGO piece I'd rather not mention now. My concepts have gotten ripped off a bunch over the years though - which I wouldn't even mind, I'm delighted to share my ideas freely (and, hell, not have to write the fics I want to see myself!), but if you're going to use my exact phrasing (and hours of research!) in your work could you at least give me a mention? It's a little hurtful sometimes, but I try not to let it bother me unless it's super overt.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I gave full permission for someone on a private Chinese fanpage to translate any of my engport works into Mandarin, and I know they translated a lot of the oneshots! (Obviously, I can't link you.) athousandnights translated the prancing and pawing of each little hoof into Mandarin. VanessaLocke translated Splinters & Mosaics into Vietnamese. @dr-fumbles-mcstupid/Dr_Fumbles_McStupid is also currently poddficcing my WIP fic, Poems - translating to audio.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! In every kind of way. It's wonderful to do with a friend/someone you have a good rapport with, and it's a good way to develop a friendship, I think. I still find the thought of co-writing with a stranger assigned to work with me nerve-wracking though, and those situations have never worked out terribly well for me in the past. @-@ I'm currently doing a lot of 'alpha reader' work for a few friends. It's the writing part of writing a fic that isn't really putting down the words. (Plotting, pacing, research, editing.) I'm too busy with my own solo work to do any more right now.

14. All time favourite ship?

Haven't got one. I've got my darlings across every fandom I've looked at and written for.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

>> << Honestly, if it's something I want to finish I refuse to doubt that I will finish it. There's always hope.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Writing about food and scents. I've been told I'm pretty good with conveying the senses associated with them pretty well, and I've been scolded frequently by readers for making them hungry with my food scenes! (This is a fantastic source of glee to me now that I'm writing in a fandom where the food is, often, people. Accidentally converting people to cannibalism one fic at a time.) I also think I'm pretty good at writing about clothes - how they look, how they're put on and taken off, the sensation and movement of fabric - and capturing the voices of characters. Also, mostly because of a lot of the above, establishing a setting by sneaking in lore.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Long and extremely complicated sentences. I'm trying to get better at this, but commas, hyphens, colons and semi-colons are my comfort blanket. (Periods? Never heard of her.) The utter inability to shut up. Every fic is longfic these days. ...How incredibly slowly I write.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

It can be incredibly interesting, scintillating and useful, adding a lot to a fic - in moderation. Dropping huge paragraphs in the middle of your work in a language that isn't the main one you're writing in is just confusing and offputting, in my opinion, but sprinkles here and there offer insight into your worldbuilding and your characters' backgrounds/voices. I do occasionally write characters speaking other languages in my work, but I've usually got to have a good reason for it. I don't always provide translations either - but when I don't, it's also for a reason. XD;;; It's usually either that I'm keeping secrets from the reader, I think the speech is evident given the context, or I want the reader to have the delight of discovering what what I've written means (this usually means it's a funny pun).

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Cardcaptor Sakura - or Cardcaptors, as the dub was called in the UK. I was 8 and got hooked, and got my two closest friends hooked, and I got so upset that it finished I wrote fanfic for it to tie up loose emotional ends in the plot. XD;;; The first fanfic I ever wrote and posted online was for Yu-Gi-Oh, on FF.net. I was 11. The first chapter was up for a week before I read more works and realised how bad a writer I was, and I took it down immediately. My first months in proper fandom were a sharp learning curve!

20. Favourite fic you've written?

I'm gonna be a sappy loser here and say 'everything I've written (even the unposted stuff) for the Gods AU' and Commencer Par La Faim. I'm so glad I worked up the courage all those years ago to approach Eden (@edencomplex) and Hoof (@hoofae) and ask if I could write something for this cool AU they were chattering about and drawing stuff for. I found two wonderful friends and a wider home in a little corner of fandom, and the AU itself really expanded my ability to research things and develop different writing styles. I'm working on more things for the AU now because I really do want to finish it as my, Hoof's and Eden's legacy - and, of course, in Eden's memory. Commencer Par La Faim is a WIP, but I think it's rapidly become a favourite for me because it's the culmination of so many different things. It's brought me friends in the Hannibal fandom. It's a crowning - and bloody good, imo - example of my developed and mature voice as a writer. And it's so fun to work on. I also think it's a fantastic little bite of the a/b/o trope. I've done a lot with a/b/o across fandoms and over the years, and CPLF has really drawn all my scattered thoughts together and, I think, made something really unique amongst all the different presentations of it online. I'm still working on the fic, of course, but I'm proud of what I have achieved with it so far and I believe it will continue to be beloved to me.

#writing about writing rather than writing again

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