#aint burned all the bright

[ackb]

2022 Reading Challenge Report

Creating this spread in my journal has become a highlight of my year. Past efforts are here: 2019, 2020, 2021. Each year I spend a little more time on my mini cover drawings and each year I'm a little happier with how they turned out.

My reading goal for the year was 100 books and I barely made it: 101. I had to really book it to reach my goal (heh, see what I did there)

Some years it's sort of hard to pick my "Best Books", but this year it was relatively easy. Eight books in particular really stood out. I could have just left it at eight, but there were two additional authors that I came across this year that I read several books by and am quite sure I will continue gobbling up their oeuvres as long as I can. (I've never in my life seen that word as a plural—can that be right?) So as a 9th pick, I just named them both: Ashley Herring Blake and Alexis Hall. I read several of Blake's books this year that would have absolutely changed my life if they'd been around when I was a kid/teen and Hall is here because literally everything he writes is fucking hilarious.

The full list with metrics are after the jump:

My top 8 and other stand outs are in bold below

Non-Fiction (23)

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler, Ibi Zoboi

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Kiese Laymon

(gn) The Drawing Lesson, Mark Crilley

The Art of Visual Notetaking: An Interactive Guide to Visual Communication and Sketchnoting, Emily Mills

(gn) Windows on the World, Robert Mailer Anderson, Jon Sack, Zack Anderson

All Boys Aren't Blue, George M. Johnson

Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like "Journey" in the Title, Leslie Gray Streeter

(gn) WE HEREBY REFUSE: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration, Frank Abe, Tamiko Nimura, Matt Sasaki (Illustrator), Ross Ishikawa (Illustrator)

(gn) Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts, Rebecca Hall, Hugo Martinez (Illustrator)

(gn) Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, Lucy Knisley

(gn) Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty, Jing Liu

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, Beth Macy

Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement, Tarana Burke

(gn) Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood, Lucy Knisley

Notes on Grief, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

(gn) The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History, David F. Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson (Illustrations)

BLUU Notes: An Anthology of Love, Justice, and Liberation, Takiyah Nur Amin, Mykal Slack, eds.

(gn) Passport, Sophia Glock

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People, Kekla Magoon

(pb) Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued, Peter Sís

Refugee High: Coming of Age in America, Elly Fishman

(pb) Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan, Tony O'Brien, Mike Sullivan

(pb) Wishes, Mượn Thị Văn, Victo Ngai (Illustrator)

Fiction (59)

Red at the Bone, Jacqueline Woodson

American Street, Ibi Zoboi

Husband Material, Alexis Hall

Rise to the Sun, Leah Johnson

(gn) The Last Session, vol. 1, Jasmine Walls, Dozerdraws (Illustrations)

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within, Becky Chambers

(gn) The Montague Twins: The Devil's Music, Nathan Page, Drew Shannon (Illustrations)

Record of a Spaceborn Few, Becky Chambers

Something Fabulous, Alexis Hall

Honey Girl, Morgan Rogers

(gn) Fantasmas, Raina Telgemeier

Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie

The Violence, Delilah S. Dawson

(gn) Coven, Jennifer Dugan, Kit Seaton (Illustrations)

Children of God, Mary Doria Russell (re-read)

Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall

Skye Falling, Mia McKenzie

Liar & Spy, Rebecca Stead

The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell (re-read)

A Psalm for the Wild Built, Becky Chambers

(gn) Oddball: Sarah Scribbles #4, Sarah Andersen

Girl Made of Stars, Ashley Herring Blake

Everything, Everything, Nicola Yoon

A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers

(gn) Slaughter House Five, Ryan North (adaptor), Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Albert Monteys (Illustrations)

Pretend I'm Dead, Jen Beagin

(gn) The Crossover, Kwame Alexander Dawud Anyabwile (Illustrations)

Don't Check Out This Book, Kate Klise, Sarah Klise (Illustrations)

Light From Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, Ashley Herring Blake

Hang the Moon, Alexandria Bellefleur

(gn) Alice in Leatherland, Iolanda Zanfardino, Elisa Romboli (Illustrator)

Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green Doesn't Care, Ashley Herring Blake

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, Anissa Gray

(gn) Across a Field of Starlight, Blue Delliquanti

Ain't Burned All the Bright, Jason Reynolds, Jason Griffin (Illustrator)

Count Your Lucky Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur

I Kissed Shara Wheeler, Casey McQuiston

(gn) The Bride Was a Boy, Chii, Beni Axia Conrad (Translator)

Payback's a Witch, Lana Harper

The School for Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan

(gn) The Sacrifice of Darkness, Roxane Gay, Tracy Lynne Oliver, Rebecca Kirby, James Fenner

Read Between the Lines, Rachel Lacey

The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend Is My Girlfriend: Advice on Queer Dating, Love, and Friendship, Maddy Court, Kelsey Wroten (Illustrations)

(gn) A Shadow in RiverClan, Erin Hunter

How to Find a Princess, Alyssa Cole

The Girl in the Well is Me, Karen Rivers

American Spy, Lauren Wilkinson

Stay With Me, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

(gn) Be Gay, Do Comics, Matt Bors, ed.

(gn) Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms, Crystal Frasier, Val Wise (Illustrator)

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Becky Chambers

This Winter, Alice Oseman

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Abbi Waxman

(gn) Stone Fruit, Lee Lai

Heartstopper, vol. 4, Alice Oseman

(gn) Squad, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Lisa Sterle (Illustrator)

(gn) Shadow Life, Hiromi Goto, Ann Xu (Illustrations)

Read with the kids and/or for Homeschool planning (19)

Front Desk, Kelly Yang

The Midwife's Apprentice, Karen Cushman

(pb) Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, Daniel Minter (Illustrator)

The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt

(gn) Twelfth Grade Night, Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, Jamie Green (Illustrator)

(gn) The History of Western Art in Comics Part One: From Prehistory to the Renaissance, Marion Augustin, Bruno Heitz (Illustrations)

(gn) Magical History Tour #4: The Crusades, Fabrice Erre, Sylvain Savoia (Illustrator)

A Year Down Yonder, Richard Peck (re-read)

A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck (re-read)

The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman (re-read)

The Night Diary, Veera Hiranandani

The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman (re-read)

(pb) Prisoners of Geography, Children's Ed.: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps, Tim Marshall

The Great Brain at the Academy, John D. Fitzgerald

(pb) The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Renée Watson, Nikkolas Smith (Illustrator)

(pb) Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, Carole Boston Weatherford, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)

The Whale Rider, Witi Ihimaera

(pb) Mr. Watson's Chickens, Jarrett Dapier, Andrea Tsurumi (Illustrator)

The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (re-read)

(gn) = graphic novel or graphic novel format (pb) = picture book

I read 101 books this year

Authors of color: 40 Black authors: 28 Cis-women, trans & nonbinary authors: 73 Graphic novels: 34 Queer characters: 47 (34 main characters) Audiobooks: 22 Picture books: 8

Read 25 Books by Black Women Authors: Only read 23

I think next year I won't do the Black Women Authors challenge. I hope I will still read as many or at least a significant number of books by Black women, and I think it's a really great idea. I'm going to resist doing it this year, though, because I noticed a crummy impulse in myself as I was keeping track of the books, like I was "getting credit" for reading books in this category and that feels kinda gross. We'll see how I do without striving for a cookie.

I would like to read more picture books in 2023, and maybe be a little choosier about the graphic novels I read. I really love graphic novels, but I read some clunkers this year. I was also pretty light on nonfiction and I'd like to read a little more this year. In any case, I know it will be another great year of reading! See you next year!

[zeldasnotes]

MARS IN THE HOUSES

Things your placement makes me think of ❤️‍🔥

MARS IN THE 1ST HOUSE: Gorgeous eyebrows, jawline, being competetive, scarring, martial arts, animal magnetism, gymrat, mma, having to do the dirty work, standing up for those who cant stand up for themselves, overly courageus, a need to show you can do it, fitness contests, you are seen as someone whos not to mess with, hard working, red hair, looking good in red, easily irritated, walking fast, bragging, easily irritated when people do things too slowly, blunt, saying it like it is, prefering to hang out with men, fierce look, model body, a strong need to get stuff done everyday, forgetting to rest.

MARS IN THE 2ND HOUSE: From nada to prada, the amount of money you have affects your self esteem, people constantly wanting to borrow from you, the first one in the family to make it, wanting the best looking house in the neighborhood, a need to own a lot, a lot of conflicts in the family, overprotective, envious of others possessions, velvet and silk clothes, if it aint high quality you dont want it, quality over quantity, practical, irritated by people who are irresponsible with money, generous, materialistic, overworking yourself, a harsh tone, putting on a scary voice when angry, people feel safe around you, cozy.

MARS IN THE 3RD HOUSE: Straight to the point, online conflicts, blunt, sibling rivalry, arguing for the sake of arguing, sassy, cursing, driving fast, rapper, rap battle, formidable debater, gossip as a way of fighting, ”im gonna tell everyone what you did”, outspoken, too blunt, looking for conflict, neighbourhood bully, sounding rude when you didnt mean too, passive aggressive digs, an addiction to confrontation, sexy voice, mentally competetive, strong need to defend yourself, dirty talk, being able to convince everyone, beef with the neighbours, honest, extremely alert, hard to to fool.

MARS IN THE 4TH HOUSE: Issues with citizenship,raised by a single mom, being raised by an angry or stressed out parent, having to raise yourself, a mother whos obsessed with rules, a mom who takes anger out on you bc daddy left, home is like a warzone, a family of bullies, hearing your mom talk shit about people on the phone all day, learning early to stand up for yourself, nostalgic, being uncomfortable at home, you can be a patriot or the opposite a dislike for your homecountry and wanting to leave it, being the ”man of the house”, sensitivity turned into anger, strong desire to move away from home, moving a lot, renovation business, your mother affected your view of women and sex.

MARS IN THE 5TH HOUSE: An obsessive need to feel seen, wanting to be admired, pride, viewing sex as art, wanting to be one of the popular people, gambling, creativity, feeling a strong need to come across as confident, being competetive, very sexual, drama queen, boy/girl crazy, fashionista, lucky, naturally entertaining, not afraid to express your sexuality, not afraid to show off, stage presence, custody battle, having a martian child, attention seeking, needing competition to feel alive, flirty, high libido, bad habits, a style that stands out, glamorous, being a diva.

MARS IN THE 6TH HOUSE: Obsessive need to feel productive, finishing 100 tasks in a day, strong need to be of service, sexy body, gymrat, gym receptionist, sexy maid costume, competing with people in the same business, sabotaged by coworkers, diets, veterinary, irritated by lazy people, being surrounded by lazy coworkers, you are annoyed by people who dont follow the routine, submissive, exhausting yourself, organizing, ”lady in the streets, freak in the sheets” energy, people expecting you to do it, working 3 different jobs, working until you collaps, refusing to rest until you are done.

MARS IN THE 7TH HOUSE: Dating bad boys, moving in together the same year you meet someone, a strong need to prove who you can get, attracting very sexual relationships, flings that burn bright but quickly, might get involved in more conflicts than others during your life, attracted to arrogant people, attracted to people with a lot of masculine energy, having a lot of enemies, relationships ending on a sour note, wanting to dominate the relationship or wanting a partner who dominates, wanting relationships to move fast, being aggressive towards partners or them being aggressive towards you, needing a relationship thats passionate, breaking up and getting back together a thousand times, constant bickering, passive aggressive comments.

MARS IN THE 8TH HOUSE: People with masculine energy becoming obsessed with you, sex appeal, being a victim of violence from men, early painful experiences with men, men you dated coming back years later to get with you again, trauma surrounding sex, a bad first time, taboo relationships, attracted to the forbidden, attracting envy from masculine energy people, vengeful, intense anger, threaths, seeing the worst side of men, animal magnetism, attracting people wherever you go, people being innappropriate with you, people seeing you as someone whos good in bed, sexually charged, oozing it, enjoying scary movies and documentaries.

MARS IN THE 9TH HOUSE: Forcing your opinion on people, a lot of enemies at school, people attacking bc of your cultural background or religion, not liking people who disagree with you, strong opinions, comedian, disliked by teachers and students, having to change schools, you come across as ditzy, people constantly asking you where you are from, well known at school, funny stuff in the school bathroom, people underestimating your intelligence, getting into heated discussions about religion, gambler, breaking tradition.

MARS IN THE 10TH HOUSE: Top model, CEO, sex symbol, models stealing eachothers outfits backstage, go hard or go home, dog eat dog, seen as someone bitchy, everybody knows who you are, posting gym selfies, being forced into sports as a kid, a parent who shamed you for being a pussy, wearing the latest, intimidating people without doing snything, catcalling, fitnessinfluenser, fitspo, only one can win, leaked sex tape, a reputation for being sexy, it girl, sex symbol, baddest b in town, public fights, the best at whatever you do, raised by a single mother, afraid of not being seen as high status.

MARS IN THE 11TH HOUSE: Protesting, fitnessinsta, posting pictures at the gym, ”haters make me famous”, teamplayer, being cancelled, attracting anger on the internet, cyber bullying, humanitarian, people love to hate you, a striking look, friendships ending on bad terms, leader of a group, activist, rally starter, cheerleader, it girl, Regina George energy, hanging out with the guys, exposing the bad guys, friends with benefits, from enemies to friends, befriending someone you disliked at first sign, a friendscircle of bitches, onlyfans, needing the latest technology, the power of knowing everyone, wanting to know everyone, rebel without a cause.

MARS IN THE 12TH HOUSE: Passive aggressive, men playing you for a fool, being decieved by men, dating the town drugdealer, being surrounded by men who lie and drink, passive aggressive comments, afraid of confrontation, finding comfort in an addiction, men turning you against other women, wanting to be the saviour, making someone else fight for you, working at a mental hospital, working with addicts, not knowing who the enemy is, a good actor, being used by men, men giving you compliments to get something from you, repressing your sexuality, secret relationships, isolation, unknowingly being the side chick, scared of standing up for yourself.

© 2023 Zeldas Notes

[jyoongim]

~BLOOD & BLISS~

Human!Alastor x wife!Reader

Themes: 1930 based! Human!Alastor x wife!Reader, domestic life!fluff, smut, slow burn plot, devotion, slight manipulation, mention of children, pregnancy,  blood, murder, secrets 

————————————————————————

Chapter three chapter five

Chapter Four

“Oh darling look at you! And here I thought you wouldn’t give me grandchildren” your mother laughed as she hugged you.

Your mother had invited you and Alastor over since you had sent her a letter about some exciting news you wanted to share.

You didn’t know whether to take her comment as a compliment or insult.

”Why ain’t your husband with you? I know that man ain’t have you travel here all alone in your condition” she frowned displeased.

”Momma you know how busy Al is. He’s been trying to catch up on work so he can take time off for the baby” you pouted.

She sucked her teeth, before a smile dawned her face

”well that means we can go shopping! Have you decorated the nursery? Do you have a nursery? Oooh honey why don’t you come home when you have the baby? A newborn is a lot of work” she was ranting and you sighed, rubbing your heavy stomach.

”Momma im perfectly capable of taking care of my baby.  I’ve read all the books” your mother gave you a funny look

”books? Oh girl those books ain’t gonna help you. You need experience. Youre a first time mom, you have no instincts in raising a youngin ”

You pouted. You felt like a teenager being chastised.

You knew your mother meant well, but sometimes you had to stop her ‘good intentions’.

”Ill be fine. Alastor’s gonna be there and Im sure we can figure it out. Aint that what parenthood all about?”

She hummed “If you say, now lets head to town. I want my grandbaby to have the best!”

—————————————————————————-

You fanned yourself as you finally sat down. The summer heat was not kind to you as your mother had dragged you to every shop in town.

The two of you had finished up shopping and were now at a little restaurant. You smiled in thanks as the waiter sat a glass of cold water in front of you.

Your mother cooed as she looked over several items she had bought.

You think she was more excited than you and you were the pregnant one.

”Momma I think you overdid it. There’s no way the baby is gonna wear or use any of that” you mused, sipping the water.

She waved you off.

”so…how has Alastor handled the news?” She asked.

You blinked “he’s very excited. He says he don’t care about the gender, but he’s taken to thinking it’ll be a girl” you giggled.

”haha a girl? Oh no you’re definitely having a boy darling” she laughed.

You titled your head in confusion.

Your mother smirked “Your belly is big and low and you’re not even halfway through your term, that means you’re having a boy. ”

She continued “Most men want a boy on the first go. A scrappy boy is the jewel of every man’s pride”

You rubbed your stomach, smiling “Well it don’t matter im sure hell adore the baby no matter what”

She hummed and picked up the newspaper that was on the table.

The headline read ‘fifth body found in canal’

”Such a shame the authorities can’t find killer. Those poor souls. This is the fifth body that’s been found and practically in your backyard. You really need to careful dear” she said grimacing.

You weren’t too worried. All the victims were random, but they weren’t pregnant women. “I don’t think the killer is slaying harmless pregnant women momma”

She shrugged “Can never be too sure dear”

———————————————————————————

Alastor whistled as he cleaned the kitchen. Bright red water filled the sink as he wronged the sponge. You would have a fit if you saw the state of your kitchen and Alastor couldn’t have an upset wife.

You had went to visit your mother, thinking it was time to tell the woman that the two of you were expecting. You had wanted him to come along, but he thought it would be better if the two of you spent some time together.

So he took the time to go hunting. It had been a while since he had a good hunt and he had a taste for deer meat.

Once the kitchen was spotless, he discarded what he didn’t need into a bag. He headed down to the cellar with the rest of the trash.

He tied the bag and reached for the other one.

Hauling it back to the kitchen, he turned on the radio to listen to some tunes as he prepared to cook. You should have been coming home in a few hours and he was sure you would be hungry. It was rather hot today, so instead of slaving too much over the stove he opted for a simple stew.

He pulled the meat out of the bag and began to cut it.

He pulled a pot from the cabinet and filled it with  onions, carrots, and a little water were added into the pot as he cleaned the meat.

As the pot boiled, he plopped the meat in a pan to cook it down.

The kitchen filled with the smell of herbs and meat as he worked.

He added some seasoning to the meat and transferred the chopped meat to the pot.

He turned the heat low and let it simmer.

He nodded in satisfaction and took a look at himself. Disgusting

He was covered in blood. He sighed and went upstairs.

Light red swirled down the drain. Alastor rolled his neck, a soft pop was heard and he sighed in relief.

Once finished in the shower, he gathered the dirty clothes and headed out back in the yard.

He waved to the passing neighbors as thee fire crackled, a pleasant smile on his face.

Once the fire died down, he headed back inside to check on the stew.

He stirred it and turned it off.

He fixed a cold sweet tea and took a seat at the dining table.

His mind wandered to you. He wondered how you were fairing in this heat. He was sure you were ready to come home and relax. Your mother was a handful.

Your pregnancy was coming along nicely.

You had rounded out and now you sported a big belly. His cock twitched in his pants. He couldn’t believe how insatiable  he had become since you had become pregnant. He couldn’t keep his hands off of you.

You had transformed beautifully. You always seemed to be glowing, though you swore it was sweat. You had become incredibly sensitive, your mood swings putting you both through the ringer.

You had voiced your concern about your image as you had filled out nicely, gaining weight from the baby you now carried. You couldn’t fit any of your usual form fitting outfits, opting for loose dresses.

Alastor reassured you that you looked beautiful no matter what. He enjoyed a little meat being on your bones. 

You were softer and he loved every minute of it.

His eyes traveled to the pot, he wondered if you had ate. He really wanted to see how you would react to the meal he prepared. While you love his cooking, the baby was picking, which resulted in you being sick a lot.

The buzz from the hunt still rippled through him as his lips curled in a smile.

yeeesss how would his little wife enjoy the meal he prepared for her?

He made a mental note to take out the trash later but for now, he waited for you to return home as he opened a book about parenting. 

He should ask you what color you wanted the nursery….

——————————————————————————-

Your mouth watered as you came through the door “What did you cook Al it smells really good”

Your husband chuckled as he closed the book and walked over to you. You were trying to beeline it to the kitchen, but your husband wrapped his arms around you and pressed his lips to yours. He grinned as your stomach created a space between the two of you, running an affectionate hand over the bump “Well hello to you too my dear. How was your mother? I see the two of you went shopping” His eyes took in the amount of bags you brought back.

You huffed “Yea Ma would have bought out the entire store if I let her, i tell you I think she’s more happy about a grandbaby than when we got married”

Alastor coaxed you to the couch, smiling as you sighed as he massaged your aching back. He pressed soft kisses to your exposed shoulders “I didn’t know if you had ate already, so I made a stew. Let’s hope the baby like it. I read that warm foods were better than the ice cream you’ve been sneakng” he snickered as you pouted.

”Just relax a bit and Ill make you a bowl”

You smiled at him “I want crackers too!” You called after him.

Alastor returned with a steaming bowl of stew. It smells so good and your stomach growled in hunger. “I tried a different meat but I hope you like it my dear”

You thanked him and rolled your eyes as he picked up the spoon and held it to your mouth. You blew on it softly before chomping on the spoon.

Your tongue tingled as you savored the flavor. 

The meat was softer than you were use to, maybe pork or a different beef?

Whatever it was it was good!

”Mmmhmm this is so good. The texture of the meat is a bit off but its really good Al” you complimented.

He beamed at you, pearly whites glistening at you. “Im happy you like it and you didn’t throw it up im proud baby”

You quickly finished the meal and showed him everything your mother bought for the new arrival.

Alastor smiled in content as you happily showed him the baby wares; clothing, toys,and other gadgets. Seeing you so excited filled him with an unexplainable feeling. His hand caressed your belly as you ranted.

”Did you know that there’s a killer on the loose?” Your sudden question brought his attention back. Your face was filled with worry.

Alastor tensed, but relaxed “We had gotten a few reports down at the studio but no real leads. Why do you ask dear?”

You placed your hand over his that was on your bulging belly. “I-Im just concerned. I mean we do have a child on the way and i dont really feel safe walking the streets in this vulnerable condition. My mother suggested we move into the summer house.” You looked down, Alastor kissed your forehead “Im sure well be fine. Besides it seems the killer has a little mortals. No woman has been harmed. So dont fret my dear” he assured you. 

You sighed, he was right.  There was no need to worry.

“I would never let a soul hurt you” he whispered against your forehead.

You hummed and started giggling as he nipped at your ear “Al!!!”

You tried to wiggled away, but your husband softly pushed you back on the couch, being mindful of your belly.

”Now why dont I show you that I am more than capable hmm?” He grinned down at you.

—————————————————————————————————-

@nightshadelm@th3-st4r-gur1@southern-bayou-beau@yourdoorisunlocked@alishii@nettaw@simphornies@jellibean2018@purplecatsandhearts@missgurlsstuff@alastor-simp@alastorsgirl48@dasimp777@hazelfoureyes@thewinchestah@catherine1206@peachedtvs@luzzbuzz@markster666@preciousbabypeter@dennsfz@nanami1chu@chewbrry@smoky000@karolinda007-blog@alastorsaries@altruisticalastor@evedenn@alastors666creampie@siiv3r@yunimimii@popamolly @okay-babe@catmunist@wonderlandangelsposts@certifiedcrybabyyy @theangeliclibrarian@ilikemyteawithmilk@boney-horse@blubugg13@zombiesnips-blog@rulesareshadesofgrey@doggone-devil@amurtan@yuzurixx

[jrueships]

Sagittarius (Diggs 😳)

I LOVE SAGS but i hate sags because i get mad toxic with sags. Not exactly TO them, more like me bein with them n tryin to keep em entertained cus they want that so bad n i want so badly to GIVE that to them... it makes me a menace to the public. Like mm i used to have this lil gang of me and a bunch of sags. N Like one pisces. Some scorpios. I used to think we were all funny n great friends, n we WERE.... but others DREADED us. Like not even funny dread bro straight up locked their doors when they saw us on the street dread

BTW i learned their signs cus a teacher actually used it in a lecture lmao like 'how can a bunch of kids be so disrespectful to authority? Oh its because YOURE a leo and you're a xx' .... we remained disrespectful to her. I feel bad n apologized to her when i grew up LMAO. In actuality we weren't BAD BAD but cus we were young n actin wild, everyone was scared for our future n treated us like we had the plague around other kids cus we'd affect em

So like the pisces, he was ALWAYS stuck in this ONE relationship tryna make it work. Girl kept cheatin on him, he kept struggling to understand why. It was a WHOLE mess. Everyday he would complain about it. N everyday the sags would make fun of it. Because they were honest! They thought he was a clown n shit ig? The pisces kept trying to make stuff work with his gf and us because idk HOW he didn't end up leaving our group. The sags just never understood him ! He was the exact opposite of them. But not really because they both like living life FULLY... just living fully can mean high emotions though

I enjoyed the sags but i hated seeing them interact with others. I thought they could be too mean or annoying, yeah, but also i think i was gettin possessive too. i never got how they could still remain close friends with the pisces guy after dumping on him all the time and getting dumped on in return. Like, oh a sag is so funny n creative n lovely, when they got a friend they'll love that friend forever. But if you ain't their friend, they can seem terrible. Too loud too annoying etc. N I was terrified of losing that friendship n having it turn that bad. So i clung to the sags and you don't do that with sags. But cus i was like the leader of our lil group, they expelled their feelings of being tied down onto others instead. Like girlfriends n shit, cheatin n treatin their emotions like they were just some fake shit. Just some funny shit to them.

N like i caused that cus i wasnt givin them that freedom, that space, to continue thriving without toxic action. Like a sag can be really great or really horrible. You want to love them so much because they're so great, but you might risk making them horrible. Which is like ruining a butterfly

[bitterbeanren]

I spent days writing this self-indulgent basically a self-insert/self-ship (but I made it second person with the hopes that others could enjoy it) fic because holy shit am I down bad. Story under the cut.

Jing Yuan x AFAB nonbinary reader. Slow burn. I tried to not mention skin tone either, skin just heats up, warms, etc. because THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS TO ME WHEN I GET EMBARRASSED!!!! Reader has boobs but size aint exactly specified. I think they’re only mentioned like once. Also, like, literally fam I wrote this for me and with my experience as enby in mind, which is gunna be different from other people’s.

This is long. This is bad. This includes some of my favourite tropes. It’s for me, IT’S FOR ME!!! But I wanted to SHARE so yeah.

THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS MAYBE SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK I HAVE NOT GONE OVER THIS AT ALL I JUST WROTE AND WROTE AND WROTE—

Warnings: character deaths(?), loss of a parent figure, slightly possessive Jing Yuan, author being a bit feral, exactly three underscores being used for your name, and reader has hair on their head for plot reasons. JING YUAN IS TALLER THAN YOU(because he would easily be taller than me ;-;)!!!

Moments in Time

The first time Jing Yuan meets you is after he is taken in by Swordmaster Jingliu. It’s at his new mentor’s estate while he’s still getting used to living there instead of at home— you poke your head out from behind one of the courtyard veranda’s pillars with a grin. The two of you are around the same age, though you might be a bit younger.

Jing Yuan is practicing his strikes, 586, 587, 588… and you watch him with a spark of mischief in your eyes. “Hello!” You greet, he ignores you. 589, 590, 591–

You dart towards him and he stumbles back, keeping his sword in his hand but twirling it so you’re staring up at its flat edge. “Hey!” Jing Yuan snaps at you with a glare, “That’s dangerous, be more careful!”

“You weren’t going to hit me,” you state, poking the blade before returning your gaze to him, smiling. “You’re Jing Yuan, right? I’m Yingxing’s apprentice!”

Sheathing his sword, Jing Yuan quickly wracks his brain— Yingxing… Yingxing… ah, the furnace master of the Artisan Commission. Jingliu’s friend. He remembers the sandy-haired man and Imbibitor Lunae visiting for tea. “I didn’t realize that the furnace master had taken on an apprentice. Is he here as well?”

“Yes! He’s in a meeting with the swordmaster, so I decided to look for you.”

Jing Yuan frowns. “You… decided to look for me?”

“Yeah! Jingliu mentioned you were training, and I wanted to meet you!”

The white-haired boy places one of his hands on his hip, looking at you expectantly. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, apprentice swordsmith.”

“Oh, I guess I should have introduced myself better…” you let out a laugh. It’s cute. Then, you hold out your hand to him. “Nice to meet you, Jing Yuan. My name is ___.”

~*~

Whenever Yingxing comes to visit Jingliu, you come along to visit Jing Yuan. You remind the boy of a duckling— you follow behind Yingxing like one, eyes bright, and usually chattering cheerfully. It’s cute… you’re cute, Jing Yuan thinks. Especially when Yingxing ruffles your hair and you pout.

Jing Yuan starts ruffling your hair too, and you complain and scowl, but then you laugh and try to ruffle his unruly hair in response, and Jing Yuan compares you to a sun. Warm, cheerful… your smiles and laughter brightens any space you’re in.

“It’s people like that who we as Cloud Knights aspire to protect,” Jingliu tells him one day, the two of them watching as you animatedly tell Dan Feng a story while Yingxing looks at you and the Vidyadhara fondly. “They’re the ones who make what we’re doing worth it, Jing Yuan.”

The boy nods his head in agreement.

You’re the bright-eyed apprentice of the furnace master, and he’s the apprentice of the swordmaster. As your mentors are friends— along with the High Elder of the Vidyadhara— it makes sense that the two of you would become close as well. And Jing Yuan doesn’t mind.

Whenever you visit, he’s the first one you look for. Jing Yuan teaches you starchess, and you show him sketches of weapons you want to make. Some days you practice basic combat with him in the courtyard. Your mentors sometimes sit on the veranda and watch the two of you while chatting over tea, and once you’re both worn out from training you dart over to claim some snacks for yourselves.

The years pass and Jing Yuan is significantly taller than you now. It’s more difficult for you to ruffle his hair. So now, Jing Yuan mostly just pats the top of your head, only ruffling your hair when he feels particularly playful. Both of you are now in your early twenties: Jing Yuan is an apprentice Cloud Knight and you spend your days designing weapons and continuing your apprenticeship under Yingxing. On your days off, the two of you often sit together in the courtyard where you first met, relaxing under the pomegranate tree and enjoying the shade it provides. You lay on the ground, arms and legs splayed out, and let out a yawn.

“Tired, are you? I hope I’m not boring you, apprentice swordsmith,” Jing Yuan teases.

“Sorry,” you smile sheepishly. “Yingxing always scolds me when he catches me napping in the middle of the day, but I just feel so tired sometimes, you know?”

The white-haired apprentice Cloud Knight chuckles, shaking his head. “I’m sure that Master Yingxing is just concerned about you.”

“Yeah, I know. Ugh, it’s so embarrassing— I accidentally called him Dad the other day when he was scolding me,” you groan, covering your eyes with your arm. “He looked so taken aback, I didn’t know what to do.”

Jing Yuan lays down next to you, crossing his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow. It’s comfortable. “Really? I assumed that the Furnace Master would be overjoyed to hear that from you. You’ve always acted like a kid around him, and he always struck me as the sort of man who would treat his apprentices like his own children.”

“I—“ you pause, removing your arm from your face. “I mean, you’re not wrong. It’s just… been a bit tough for me to face him lately. He has basically raised me since I became his apprentice over a decade ago, but… it’s a weird situation.”

“Ah…” Jing Yuan lets out a thoughtful hum. He knows you should just talk it out with Yingxing, but understands that it’s a tough thing for you to discuss. Unlike you, the furnace master is a short-lived species— you’ve obviously become attached, and though you’ve spent a good amount of your youth being trained by the man, you knew that he would be gone in the blink of an eye in comparison to you. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, ___. You’re smart, after all.”

“I am smart, aren’t I?” You grin widely at the compliment, then look a bit sad. “I… won’t talk about it much more than this, Yuan, and we should talk about something else soon because I know thinking like this could get me in trouble, but… I wish Yingxing could be long-lived like us. I want him to be around for all my milestones, you know? It’s… selfish.”

“It’s not selfish for you to wish for,” Jing Yuan assures. “Sadly, it is not a wish that can be achieved.”

“I know, I know… let’s change topics now,” you sigh, then turn your head to smile at him. “You have an expedition coming up with Jingliu soon, right? Man, I can’t wait to hear all about it…! Do you think you’re gunna lose another sword?”

“That happened once, ___!”

The two of you banter back and forth for a bit before just enjoying the quiet and the artificial sunlight, and the next thing Jing Yuan knows he’s dozed off.

Later, when he wakes, you’re curled up against his side. Your head is laid on his arm, one of your legs is slung over his, your arm is loosely resting across his waist, and your chest—

Jing Yuan feels his face go hot. Your chest is pressed against his side and now it’s all he can think about. He’s a young man after all— and though you prefer to live as gender neutrally as possible, you have the body of a beautiful… person and it’s one that Jing Yuan is undoubtedly attracted to. Often it’s hard to remember due to your preference for unisex clothing and tops a bit too big for you, but you’ve matured.

“Aeons,” Jing Yuan curses under his breath. When he tries to carefully untangle himself from you, you whine, nuzzling against his arm in your sleep and the white-haired man knows he’s absolutely fucked.

With his other hand, the one attached to the arm you aren’t currently resting on, he runs it down his face, covering his mouth and willing his heart to slow down.

He shouldn’t be attracted to his best friend, but he is. You’re kind, funny, and dedicated— your smile is something that never fails to brighten his day. Everything about you, even your flaws, were things that Jing Yuan found endearing and cute and—

Oh. Oh no. He’s in love with you. You snicker a bit in your sleep as though you’re amused by his realization, then roll onto your back, allowing Jing Yuan to gently remove his arm from under your head.

You’re precious to him. You’ve been precious to him for years. For Aeons sake, he can’t figure out when the friendship shared between the two of you blossomed into something more for him.

Before the artificial sun sets, he shakes you awake with a lazy smile and lets you know that you wasted the day napping. You complain that if he was awake, he should have woken you up sooner.

Jing Yuan loves you, he realized it. But he isn’t going to tell you unless you realize it yourself. Instead, he teases you and thinks how he understands now why you’re wary of your attachment to Yingxing, even if his empathy comes from a different place.

After all, the idea of losing you in any way terrifies him.

~*~

You craft something that isn’t a weapon. A floral hair stick with a hair slide, both made of steel.

“And what is this for, Apprentice Swordsmith?” Jing Yuan asks you after you show him.

“It’s for Da—“ you cut yourself off, smiling sheepishly. Ah, you’re still doing that. Thinking of him as your father, but doing your best to use his name and title as if it’ll lessen your attachment. “For Master Yingxing. It’s a gift for his birthday tomorrow. I worked really hard on it— small things like this are much harder to make than weapons... I broke all my other attempts.” You look up into Jing Yuan’s golden eyes, your worries etched on your brow. “Do you think it’s good enough? Should I have crafted him a weapon instead?”

“He’ll love it,” Jing Yuan assures. At his words, you perk up, practically bouncing from foot to foot. “Am I to assume that Master Yingxing’s birthday is the reason why you invited both myself and Master Jingliu to his estate tomorrow night?”

“Yes! I also invited Baiheng and Dan Feng,” you tell your friend cheerfully. “Birthdays are important, after all.” The ‘for short-lived species’ goes unsaid.

“I’m impressed, though,” Jing Yuan picks up the hair stick and slide. “I never thought you of all people would make something so delicate.”

“Oh, shut up,” you laugh, snatching it back and placing it carefully into the box. “I wanted him to have something nice to put in his hair, but I couldn’t find one that I liked in the market… so I figured I could design one myself.”

“It’s well crafted.”

“I’m sure that Master Yingxing could make a better one. He’s so talented— I need to learn as much from him as I can. I mean, look at your guan dao. It’s a work of art— all of the weapons of the High Cloud Quintet are masterpieces.”

Jing Yuan has heard this before. “You should give yourself more credit, Apprentice Swordsmith. The weapons you make for the Cloud Knights—“

“Aren’t good enough,” you interrupt, shaking your head stubbornly. “Not yet.”

Though he doesn’t like it when you’re so hard on yourself, the determined glint in your eyes is more than enough to make his heart flutter. For years, Jing Yuan has allowed his feelings for you to grow, and now they simmer under the surface of every action, word, and thought towards you.

You tuck the box into your bag, then reach out and clasp Jing Yuan’s hand between yours, beaming up at him. Your smile is a sun and it’s all he can do to revolve around you. “I’ve gotta go and pick up supplies for the party tomorrow— see you then?”

“Of course,” Jing Yuan replies, grinning back down at you.

The next day, Jing Yuan arrives at the Yingxing estate with Jingliu, whose red eyes are cold but soften slightly when Yingxing waves at them from the courtyard. She’s close to them, but not with Jing Yuan. The spider lilies are in bloom in the garden, and the leaves of the courtyard’s maple tree almost match them. The aging man stands tall in his casual clothes as they approach, smiling brightly, his long, sandy hair blowing slightly in the breeze. “Jingliu! Jing Yuan! It’s good to see you both, are you well?”

“Yes,” Jingliu answers with a curt nod, a smile forming on her lips as she rests a hand on her hip. “Happy birthday, Yingxing. Have you enjoyed it thus far?”

“I have! Dan Feng arrived earlier and is currently helping ___ bring dinner into the sitting room. Baiheng is there, too,” Yingxing turns around, showing off hair accessories that Jing Yuan recognizes. “And look what my kid made me! Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Your kid?” Jingliu lets out a short laugh. “It’s… sweet how attached you are to your apprentice.”

“They called me dad, Liu. Let me be happy about it,” the furnace master chuckles. “We practically raise our apprentices, after all. And ___ will probably be my only one,” Yingxing adds. His expression changes slightly for a moment, sad, but then he grins and gestures towards the main house. “Let’s go join the others.”

“…Yeah,” Jing Yuan’s master nods. Her expression is more guarded, now, and she glances over her shoulder at Jing Yuan. “You better not be thinking of calling me Mom, Jing Yuan.”

Ah.

As Yingxing bursts into laughter, Jing Yuan understands. This is yet another difference between short-lived and long-lived species… and his master is trying to cheer her friend up. Jingliu is, at times, stubborn to a fault, but she quickly realized what she needed to do for her friend after unintentionally reminding him of his mortality.

Jing Yuan smiles, following after the woman he respects so much. “What, you won’t find it cute if I did?”

“Not at all. It would be much cuter coming from ___.”

“I’m hurt, Master.”

“I agree with Liu— ___ is far cuter than you in every way, Jing Yuan,” Yingxing teases. “But I’m sure you already knew that.”

“You’re correct,” Jing Yuan smiles. “___ is incredibly cute. I don’t think a cuter person exists.”

Yingxing shoots Jing Yuan a knowing look, and Jing Yuan grins back at him boyishly. Jingliu lets out a small sigh, and the three continue to walk towards the main house. “Are you ever going to tell them, Jing Yuan?”

“I’m waiting for them to realize it themself,” the white-haired knight replies. The three of them drop the conversation as they enter the building, seeing you balancing multiple plates while Baiheng and Dan Feng arrange the dishes on the table.

“Jing Yuan!” Your eyes lock onto his instantly, and a happy look spreads across your face. Then, you look at your mentor and his. “Welcome back, Dad! And hello, Jingliu!”

Jing Yuan smiles. You two must have finally talked it out.

“One would almost think that it’s your birthday today with how excited you are, little ___,” Jingliu comments, crossing her arms.

“I’m just really happy that everyone showed up to celebrate Dad’s birthday with him today!” You respond easily, and the sandy-haired man chuckles, ruffling your hair fondly.

Though you’re all adults, the other four members of the High Cloud Quintet sometimes treat you and Jing Yuan like you’re still kids at these events. The two of you sit together, pouring sweet wine for your elders and feeling happy. At the square table, only three sides are used. Baiheng sits next to Jingliu, Yingxing and Dan Feng sit together, and you sit at the corner between Dan Feng and Jing Yuan. You take pictures of everyone and pass food around and drink along with them, your smile never leaving your face even when it’s time to say goodnight.

Yingxing has an arm slung around your shoulders as you grin up at him in the courtyard with everyone under the maple tree. “Dad, Dad! Did you have a good birthday?” You ask the older man, who ruffles your hair with his other hand.

“Of course I did. I can’t wait for next year.”

Dan Feng watches the two of you with a fond expression, and Jing Yuan feels his heart clench as he realizes that the corners of Yingxing’s eyes didn’t used to crinkle like that when he smiled.

Every year, Yingxing looks a bit older than the rest of his friends.

~*~

Time takes away from you, again and again.

Dan Feng is going to be forced to reincarnate and lose all his memories. None of you are allowed to see him. Once his new incarnation comes of age, he’ll be banished. At the same time, Yingxing is being kept under close watch by you and the remaining members of the High Cloud Quintet.

You’re mad at both of them, but you still feel grateful. Your wish came true, but it’s at the cost of someone else that you cherish. You’re heartbroken, but Yingxing is your dad. He’s the one who taught you how to use the forge, the one who encouraged you, the one who would help bandage your burns, cuts, or scrapes.

For the next century you enjoy your borrowed time. He teaches you more and more and more. Then the mara strikes him— his sandy hair turns black. His eyes change, and he doesn’t recognize you anymore.

“…Dad?”

He doesn’t smile at you. Doesn’t call you his kid, something that always made you happy even though you weren’t a kid anymore. His arms are bound behind his back and he stares at you with empty eyes, now blood red.

“He’s gone, ___,” Jingliu tells you. She looks tired. “…To be struck with mara is to be a long-lived species. It just… happened sooner than we expected after what happened.”

It hurts more, this way. Before, you knew he would be gone before you, but after what Dan Feng and Yingxing had done you let yourself believe that maybe you would still have one of them around for a long time.

It hurts more, this way. Now Dan Feng is gone, and though physically Yingxing is here, he isn’t.

You’re led away by the Cloud Knights after you say your one-sided goodbyes. Time keeps on taking from you.

Jing Yuan comes to visit you. The spider lilies in the garden are blooming again, but now you sit under the maple tree alone, feeling empty. The Cloud Knight Lieutenant says your name, and you look up at him with tears in your eyes.

“…A momento,” Jing Yuan says softly, kneeling down in front of you and taking your hand in his. In it, he places a familiar hair slide and stick. “I’m so sorry, ___.”

Your lip quivers, and you throw your arms around your friend’s neck with a sob.

~*~

You are asked to take on an apprentice after Baiheng passes away, but you don’t take one on. Then, after Jingliu is struck with mara and Jing Yuan goes to confront her, you are offered the position of furnace master. You refuse.

You continue to live in and care for your adopted father’s estate, though you opt to live in the east wing rather than take the main house. Whenever Jing Yuan needs his weapons maintained or repaired, you are the one he goes to. He's an arbiter general now, and you’re proud of him. But now it’s more rare to see him, and now that there are guards stationed at his estate you don’t feel comfortable visiting him. Today, he’s visiting you, and you’ve set up tea in the courtyard under the maple tree.

“I heard you were offered the position of furnace master,” Jing Yuan mentions. You wince under his stare. “Care to explain your refusal?”

“I don’t want to deal with all the politics that you need to deal with now that you’re in a position of power,” you shrug. The man pouts. “Plus, I enjoy what I’m doing now. The forge here is all I need— I don’t need more.”

It’s true. The forge and workshop that Dad had created in the west wing has everything you need to do your work, alone, without strangers peering over your shoulder and commenting on what you should do. What you should make.

“I’ve also heard whispers that you’ve been refusing weapon commissions.”

With a sigh, you put down your teacup. “What is this, an interrogation?”

“Just curiosity. What have you been crafting instead?”

“Tools, armor, and other such things,” you lean your head against your hand. You’re tired of war. Of battle. You’re tired of losing the people you care about. “Your weapons are the only ones I’ll work with now.”

“Oh? I’m the exception then?” Jing Yuan gazes at you curiously, and you smile at him.

“Yes, you’re the exception,” you tell him genuinely. “See, I like making armor and tools more now. I don’t like fighting— I know that it’s necessary sometimes, but I want to help people create. I want to protect them in my own way… I know you’ll use your weapons to protect, so now the only weapons I create will be for you.”

Jing Yuan’s expression softens and he reaches out to place his hand on yours. “You want peace?”

“I do.”

“Then that is what I will aim for as well.”

~*~

Jing Yuan visits as you’re tending to the garden.

“Look, ___! A grimalkin! I’ve named it Mimi.”

You stare at the white fuzzball in your best friend’s arms, and can’t help but reach out to pet the little thing. “A grimalkin? It’s so cute! But aren’t you too busy to take care of a pet?”

Jing Yuan’s eyes hold a spark of mischief. “I’ve decided that Qingzu is going to be responsible for it while I’m busy with my duties.”

Your heart sinks for the Vidyadhara. “Yuan… it isn’t very nice of you to purchase a pet, then have your subordinate be the one to care for it.”

The man had the gall to look offended. “I will care for it. I already feel incredibly fond of Mimi, after all.”

Arms crossed, you give Jing Yuan an unimpressed look. “You know that isn’t what I meant, General.”

“Please, my dear friend, you know I prefer it when you call me by name.”

“Which I would be more than happy to use… were you not using your position to sic your responsibilities on others.”

“You wound me, ___.”

You let out a long-suffering sigh, then bury your hands in Mimi’s fur. “Your owner is awfully irresponsible, isn’t he Mimi? I would like to apologize on his behalf.”

The little grimalkin stares at you with big blue eyes. You feel your heart melt at the sight, and you lean forwards to press a kiss to the top of the pet’s head.

Jing Yuan watches you interact with Mimi and decides that the sight of you and the white-furred grimalkin together was worth every cent he paid to that merchant.

“If you’d like, please feel free to visit Mimi at the Seat of Divine Foresight,” Jing Yuan offers. Since he had taken up the position of Arbiter General, you hadn’t visited him at his home or workplace. If he wants to see you, which he always does, he has to visit your estate or chance to see you at the markets. “Or at my estate, should we not be there.”

You let out a small laugh. “And what reason would a lowly artisan have to even enter the Seat of Divine Foresight, General? I don’t think it would make sense for me to visit your workplace. Especially if I say it’s to play with your pet.”

“The guards at both my estate and the Seat of Divine Foresight know that if you ever come by, you’re to be allowed in regardless of reason, even if I am not there,” Jing Yuan tells you firmly. “And you aren’t a lowly artisan. You’re the only swordsmith who I will allow to handle my weapons as well as my dearest friend.”

You’re surprised by his words. Ever since Jing Yuan had become Arbiter General, you felt like you couldn’t visit him. To learn that the man had given his guards specific instructions to let you in was enough to make your cheeks warm in embarrassment.

“Yuan, you really didn’t need to go to all that trouble!”

Jing Yuan grins down at you. “I’d love for you to visit me personally, but if Mimi is the one you come to see, I completely understand.

“Yuan!”

~*~

After Jing Yuan introduces you to Mimi, you try to visit the adorable creature every few weeks when you have time. This continues up until early November, when you leave to spend a couple of months on another Alliance ship to deliver some non-Luofu commissions. When you return in mid-January, it is clear that Mimi is not a grimalkin. Mimi is, in fact, a lion. You have never felt worse for Qingzu. The Vidyadhara looks frazzled when you drop by the Seat of Divine Foresight to play with the not-grimalkin upon your return.

As soon as Mimi sees you, they rise from where they were laying down and pad over to you, brushing their head against you. You look around in alarm, burying your hands in familiar white fur, and soon spot an exhausted looking Qingzu approaching.

“Ah, ___,” Qingzu greets you with a bow. “It has been awhile. Are you here to play with Wave-Treading Snow Lion?”

“…Jing Yuan shouldn’t be allowed to name anything. When and why did he change their name?”

“A couple of days ago,” Qingzu smiles at you but her eyes look empty. “He decided that Mimi didn’t fit as a name anymore.”

“They were raised with the name Mimi. We shouldn’t confuse the poor thing,” you sigh, running a hand through your hair. “And I’m assuming he’s been making you the primary caretaker of a lion you didn’t ask for?” A nod. “I’m so sorry, Qingzu. Thank you so much— Mimi’s still so sweet and behaved thanks to your care… I’ll talk to the general about this, though. Is he here?”

The exhausted Vidyadhara gives you a thankful look. “Yes, he’s in his office.”

“I’m going to kill him. Ignore the screams.”

“Of course, ___.”

You move through the Seat of Divine Foresight with a mission. Mimi makes a sound akin to disappointment, padding after you. Despite you being away the last few months, it still isn’t unusual for you to visit. You get along well with most of the staff, even. Plus, you’re the only one that seems to be able to talk sense into the general. Some jokingly say that you’re the only one who can tame the man, which always earns an eye roll from you. You don’t even knock before you enter Jing Yuan’s office, and the white-haired general blinks at you sleepily, a lazy smile gracing his lips. You could throttle him, you’re sure of it.

“Ah, ___! You’ve returned. How was your trip?” Jing Yuan asks, and after Mimi has entered the office, you shut the door, storm up to Jing Yuan and place your hands down on his desk, leaning over it to glare at the man. “Ooh… you don’t look happy. What have I done this time?”

“Stop siccing your pet on others!” you snap. Mimi senses your fury and opts to head towards a large pet bed in the corner of Jing Yuan’s office. “And for goodness sake, Mimi is a perfectly fine name. Don’t go changing it on them!”

“But Qingzu does such a good job of feeding and watering Wave-Treading–” Your glare darkens, “Apologies, Mimi. And Qingzu hasn’t complained–”

“You are taking advantage of your position as arbiter general, Jing Yuan. How is she going to complain to you, her superior, about how her superior is taking advantage of his position to make her take care of his pet?! If the next time I visit, Qingzu looks as tired as they do today, I’m going to personally drag you to her by your ear and make you apologize.”

Jing Yuan begins grinning cheekily, as though the idea amuses him. “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad…”

“Oh, really?” you reply dryly, moving around the desk and reaching for Jing Yuan’s ear. The man dodges, easily catching your wrist in his hand and tugging you towards him. “I thought you said it didn’t sound so bad.”

“Mmm… But this isn’t the next time you’ve visited. You haven’t yet given me an opportunity to rectify my previous actions,” Jing Yuan pouts. You roll your eyes, moving to sit on the man’s desk. “Though, I don’t particularly mind the idea of your manhandling me.”

Your face heats up. “Don’t talk like that, Yuan!”

He seems to relish in your embarrassment, standing from his desk and leaning in close to you with a spark of mischief in his eyes. “Talk like what, ___?”

“You know what I mean, General,” you grumble, pushing his shoulder. You’re not unused to being physically close to the man— you grew up together, after all. But this feels… different than usual.

“I missed you while you were away,” Jing Yuan tells you genuinely. “Mimi missed you as well. It was incredibly cute how they followed you in here.”

“Don’t change the subject. You were the one that accidentally adopted a pet lion so—“

He leans in again. “Did you not miss me?”

You feel your heart speed up. “Why are you being so… clingy, Jing Yuan? This isn’t the first time we’ve been apart.”

“Normally you don’t leave the Luofu,” Jing Yuan sighs, resting his head on your shoulder and loosely wrapping his arms around you in a hug.

Your ears feel hot and you have no idea why. This wasn’t the first time Jing Yuan hugged you like this. Why did it feel different now? His unruly hair tickles your cheek, and you hesitantly hug him back. “You’re not going to avoid this conversation forever, you know.”

Jing Yuan hums, nuzzling you, then releases you from his hold with a relaxed expression. “Should I get Qingzu to bring tea—“

“No! I’ll make it myself,” you huff, hopping off the desk and heading towards the door. “I’ll be back in a few moments, and then we’re having a long talk about how you should be treating the ones who work under you.”

“So long as I also get to hear about your trip, then that sounds fine to me.”

~*~

Some of Jing Yuan’s employees had invited you out. They said it was to thank you for helping them deal with the General.

Since your return to the Luofu, the dozing general had stopped giving his subordinates Mimi-related tasks and was handling them himself (although Qingzu was given a raise to continue handling Mimi’s food and water when Jing Yuan was tending to business away from the Seat of Divine Foresight). You personally assisted Jing Yuan with the budget and planning of Mimi’s meals— Mimi did not need fancy cuts of meat and also did not get nearly as much exercise as a wild lion. Therefore, Mimi’s diet was adjusted to suit its lifestyle. Which was, thankfully, much more affordable for the man.

Jing Yuan’s sudden change in behavior in regards to his pet coinciding with your timely return had essentially made you a living legend to all who worked at the Seat of Divine Foresight. So, not seeing a reason to refuse, you joined them for food and drinks at a nearby establishment.

A few hours have passed since you joined them… and you have had far too much to drink. It wasn’t entirely your fault, though. Everyone was offering you drinks and you had trouble telling them no. When you stand to use the restroom, things feel a bit wobbly, and the edges of your vision blur a bit.

Qingzu steadies you. She looks a bit worried. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” you laugh. “Just had a bit too much to drink. Be right back.”

After your restroom visit, as you head back to your table where the others are, Jing Yuan enters the eatery. His hair is down, he’s dressed in gray pants and a dark red linen shirt, and the moment he sees you he smiles.

“Yuan!” You greet him cheerfully, taking his hands in yours and smiling up at him. “I didn’t realize you were coming!”

The general notes how you seem a bit off balance, how your eyes can’t seem to focus, and how unguarded your smile is. Ah. You’re drunk. “Qingzu mentioned it to me, so once I was finished with Mimi I came over.”

“Everyone’s been buying me drinks and stuff,” you tell him with a grin. “How much trouble did you put them through while I was away?”

Jing Yuan gazes down at you, feigning innocence. “Oh, I don’t think it was that much.”

“The amount of glasses I’ve been handed tells me otherwise.”

“They could be handing you drinks because of how cute you are,” Jing Yuan offers. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you like this. Perhaps I should thank everyone.”

“You look smaller without your armor.”

Jing Yuan nearly trips over his own feet, and the look of genuine surprise on his face at your unexpected comment causes you to laugh. “I… didn’t expect that.”

“I mean, you’re not a small person by any means, but it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you outside of your armor. I like it, you look cute,” you begin to ramble. “You’re always cute, though. Except you always seem tired now, so I feel bad wanting to spend time with you since I know you should rest. And you need to get your bangs trimmed, because it’s hard to see both your eyes. They’re very pretty, you know.”

Your best friend begins to laugh, placing his hands on your shoulders and moving to stand in front of you. He looks down at you with an amused, happy grin on his face. “My dear, if you keep talking like that, people are going to get the wrong idea. Come now, let’s return to the others and let them know we’re leaving… I am suddenly feeling awfully tired, and would rather spend my off-time with you privately.”

“But you just arrived! Shouldn’t you have a drink with everyone too?”

Jing Yuan leans down, his voice low. “Oh, I don’t think it would be wise for me to be drinking tonight.”

A shiver runs down your spine, and you agree with a hint of uncertainty. Jing Yuan keeps a hand on your back, guiding you towards the employees of the Seat of Divine Foresight, and thanks everyone for treating you and being so welcoming as you follow the general’s lead, being guided to his estate and led inside where Mimi greets you.

Yuan brings you water, and you rest on the floor, using the pet lion as a pillow while you sober up. Your best friend sets himself up next to you, also resting himself on Mimi lazily, and he gazes at you with a softness that makes you feel warm inside. You reach out with both hands and pet Jing Yuan’s hair with a cackle.

The man catches your wrists in one hand, chuckling, and you feel your chest tighten as you stare into his golden eyes and see his boyish grin.

Oh.

Oh no.

His free hand reaches down to ruffle your hair, and you take the opportunity to lower your head and hide your expression. Your face and ears feel hot, feeling mortified by how touchy you’ve been with him— has it just been you being friendly, or were you subconsciously gravitating towards him because you’re attracted to him? And you feel guilty. Because Jing Yuan has always been a good friend to you— your best friend. But maybe you haven’t been thinking of him as a friend— you’ve overstepped. You’ve hugely overstepped.

You ask for more water, your throat feeling even dryer, and Jing Yuan stands to go grab some for you. When he returns and you take the glass, the man gazes at you a bit worriedly and asks if you feel okay.

You don’t.

This realization has made you feel sick, and your head and your heart are starting to hurt because you have drunk way too much and you feel like you have taken advantage of your friendship with your best friend to be so close to him. And he’s sweet, he’s so sweet, rubbing your back as you place your head between your legs and try to sort out your thoughts and blame your nausea on all the alcohol and not your internal crisis.

He doesn’t want you heading home while you aren’t feeling well, even though you insist on it. So you end up sleeping in his guest room with Mimi.

You don’t get much sleep.

~*~

Jing Yuan can tell that you’re avoiding him.

After that night, you seem to only visit Mimi at the Seat of Divine Foresight when he has responsibilities elsewhere. If he sends you a text you respond much like normal, but attempts to call you go straight to voicemail. When he asks you to visit him, or if he can visit you, you’re always too busy, which might have been true… but you still seemed to have time to visit Mimi. Then, the last time he chanced to see you in the markets, you mysteriously disappeared, when before you would cheerfully greet him and chat for a bit.

The Arbiter General feels a tad neglected.

Not wanting this to go on any longer, he decides to drop by your estate unannounced. If you really are just busy, then he will apologize for his rudeness… but Jing Yuan feels that there is something wrong because this feels different.

At your estate, he sees you sitting in the garden under the maple tree with numerous envelopes surrounding you. As soon as you see him, your eyes widen and you stand. “General! What are you doing here?”

General.

Before, his title was only used to tease him. You are not currently teasing him. Still, he stays level headed and places a smile on his lips. “Am I not allowed to visit a friend?”

“I mean, you are… but I’m very busy, see?” You hold up one of the many envelopes surrounding you as Jing Yuan approaches. The General picks up one of the open documents, and you try to snatch it from his hands, horrified. “Don’t— those are personal!”

The General clenches his jaw as he reads over the letter. “These are courtship requests,” he states, voice flat.

You look down at your hands, feeling embarrassment coming off you in waves. “Yeah. I’m looking into them. They’ve been piling up since I returned— apparently I’ve caught the eye of many artisan families.”

The General crosses his arms. Jing Yuan feels… resentful. He isn’t surprised that you have received courtship requests— you’re hardworking, kind, and attractive. However, you have never shown an interest in dating before, happy with his friendship and building positive relationships with the staff at the Seat of Divine Foresight. And your business relationships were all going well from his understanding. Yet, suddenly you’ve taken an interest in more?

A possessive, primal part of him wants to tear up all the requests and make you only see him. After all, no one could care for, cherish, love you more than he has these past few centuries. But the other part of him is just hurt. “And these potential suitors… matter more than spending time with me?”

“No!” You shake your head frantically, reaching for his wrist, then faltering before you actually touch him.

This won’t do. Jing Yuan thinks, frowning. You had never held yourself back from touching him before. But now, you’re lowering your shaky hands down to your side, refusing to meet his gaze and staring down at the ground. “Dearest, what’s wrong?” He asks, concern lacing his words as he reaches out to hold your hand.

You step back, barely dodging him, holding your hands to your chest, and when your eyes lock onto his he can see it— fear. You’re scared and Jing Yuan has no idea why. The white-haired man’s golden eyes widen, and he feels his throat tighten uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry,” you blurt, hiding your face in your hands. You seem so small like this. Jing Yuan hasn’t seen you this scared since… since Yingxing was mara struck. “Please don’t touch me, Jing Yuan. I can’t— I don’t think I can handle it right now, it's too much.”

“___…”

“I’m so, so sorry,” you tremble, now wiping your eyes as tears form. “Please don’t be mad. It’s all my fault, I’m sorry. I’m just looking into them to try and fix things, then I can be around you again.”

Jing Yuan steps forward, grabbing your wrists and forcing you to stop hiding from him. You weakly try to tug yourself free as you cry, and Jing Yuan lowers the two of you to the ground, kneeling in front of you. “Tell me what’s wrong, ___. Please. I can’t stand to see you like this.”

“I’ve been a terrible friend,” you sniffle, staring into Jing Yuan’s eyes. You look pained, and he wipes away your tears with his thumbs. “I’ve been hugely overstepping and taking advantage of our friendship, and it’s unfair to you, and I’m so, so sorry.”

Jing Yuan releases your wrists and pulls you into his chest, hugging you close. “You have never taken advantage of our friendship,” he assures, but you shake your head as you melt into his hold, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“Even now,” you cry. “I can’t stop thinking— My heart shouldn’t feel like it’s about to burst because you’re here. I’m so happy that you’re here, and I feel so guilty, because I still want more. It’s selfish. I should be happy with just this, I shouldn’t want to be closer to you— when did I start wanting to be closer?!”

His hold tightens on you, and his heart beats faster. You’ve realized it. You’ve finally realized it. Jing Yuan can’t help it, even as you’re crying and rambling into his chest, he grins. And, Aeons, he’s going to take his time with you. Everything has hit you all at once, but he’s been patient for centuries.

It’s time for him to be selfish.

“Trust me, ___,” he chuckles into your ear, pulling back and smiling down at you with half-lidded eyes barely concealing his joy. “You aren’t being selfish at all.”

[2frosty4you]

Fem reader accidentally flustering the mercs by something she did or said and not understanding why (merc) is so flushed and stumbling over his words? :3

Flustering the mercs [Drabbles]

Fem Reader flustering the mercs :3

| Masterlist | ask/request box | Words: 1090 |

i had to stop myself from just continuing some of these 😭😭😭

Also using tumblr on mobile 😭😭😭

╔═════════════════╗

Scout:

You grab his arm and pull him back to cover as a bullet remains where his head was.

“Jesus christ scout at least be careful”

“i - “

He’s speechless, your hand still gripped around his wrist. You look angry with him, but the feeling of your touch on his wrist makes him red, you drop his hand.

“You aight there?”

“Yes! yeah i- i could’ve totally avoided that without ya y’know aha”

He would quickly spit out, messing up words as you raise an eyebrow as he stumbles and runs around the corner. Heart beating fast and his face red.

Soldier:

Im sorry but soldier does NOT get flustered, but you make his heart beat widely when you talk with his racoons in a baby voice,

“Awww aint ya cuties, whats your names huh”

“Sergeant Smith, the one with the medal is lieutenant bites

“what cuties they all are”

He says with speed as you nuzzle the raccoon and baby talk it while laughing, he’s staring for a while before you look up to him.

“You okay solly?”

“Affirmative!”

His heart is widely beating as you treat his pets like your own, giving them food while you think he isn’t looking and always happy to see them when he takes them into base. (even if medic hates them)

Pyro:

They laugh and clap as you flick open a lighter to show them the hello kitty lighter you had bought.

“See! its a pink flame, isn’t that cool!?”

“mpHmH!”

“Anyway this is for you anyway, gotta go see medic; dont burn the place down!”

You toss them the lighter, and wave.

Pyro sits there, holding the lighter in their hands as their face is a bright red under their mask. Laughing as their body buzzed and felt her hands move to flicker the lighter

Happy knowing it came from you.

Demoman:

“Yeah, an she carried your drunk ass to bed; what a sight HA”

Scout teased, demoman’s face flushed red as you walk in. Waving.

“Hey you three, what's up?”

“Tellin ol’ demo here how he ended up back in his bed”

“Yeah! an look at the drunkard”

His face was a dark red, a. hot feeling radiating as he grummbled and burried his head in his arms.

“Hm? oh yeah did you drink the water i left you?”

“y-yah”

He mutters, you raise an eyebrow but the other two men laugh to themselves as demo grumbles into his arms.

Heavy:

A bowl of hot soup laid before heavy, you standing with a white apron tied around you with a smile.

“What are you waiting for? taste it”

He takes the spoon, blows on the soup and takes a sip. His eyes widen as he feels the taste of his mothers soup on his tongue.

“Does it taste right? not sure if i got it all correct, russian is hard for me to read”

You smile, he coughs softy. Nodding, face a soft pink as you stand like a sun in the kitchen.

“Da, its like how my mother used to cook”

He stumbles over a few words, yet you look at him with a tiled head and a bowl of your own.

Engineer:

Engi had been tinkering on his sentry all night, large bags under his eyes as you place down a place of cut red apples with a bottle of juice.

“Engi, eat something”

“I- oh thanks darlin”

He would say with a smile, face red as he ate. You standing there with crossed arms.

“Take a break soon, we need you tomorrow”

Your small act of affection causes him to stutter and laugh softly, scratching the back of his neck slowly sipping the juice you gave him. Looking over his blueprints, just waiting there for him to finish and take a break.

Medic:

It was a hectic battle so far, medic was tired healing the scout and not noticing the enemy demoman behind him he dropped his gun and readied for the impact of sword against his neck, when it didn’t come and the sound of a body dropping make him look up.

You turn back to him with blood dripping from your face and body.

“You okay doc? He didn’t hurt ya did he?”

“i- nien- nien he didnt”

He’s red, standing there staring at you as you look feral with the demoman’s blood soaking into your clothes and skin,

“Doc? ya there?”

He stumbles over his words as he holds his medigun close, waving to you as he speeds away to go heal heavy who was yelling for him. Almost tripping over his feet as he couldn't remove the image of you from his mind.

Sniper:

Sniper grunts, holding the wound on his arm. The blood bleeding through his fingers as you come around the corner, head perking as you walk back.

“Snipes?? what happened jesus,”

“nothin nothin”

He bites back a groan of pain as he went to grab the med back, you kneel before him.

“Snipes move your hand, jesus what even happened”

“its foin, its nothIN-“

He takes a sharp breath in, and with a delicate touch you move it, which feels like electricity through his body you take the hand holding the wound and place it down.

His face was growing a thick red, heat radiating from his cheeks as he looks away from you, treating his wound like glass even if both of you were war criminals.

Making quick work of the bullet wound, you wipe your hands on your pants and look at his red face.

“Aight, should be good. I’ll get medic to heal ya if we come through”

“tha, thanks mate”

“Try not to get hit again”

Spy:

It takes a lot to fluster the spy, but with you?

You grabbed the spy's arm, pulling him down as a soldier walked past you two. The two of you cramped against each other behind the crate, him in for lap with his two lanky legs just strewn around you two.

His face is red under his mask, breath quicking as he faces away from you.

You look up, and then push him up.

“Be careful, next time i ain't saving you”

“oui, merci,”

His words slip into french as his feet stumble and you catch him before falling.

“What, are you sick? Is that why your head is out of the game?”

“no, non, its nothing ami, merci for hiding me”

He cloaks and quickly leaves as his face was red and his head was clouded with you. As you stood there, a confused look on your face as you kill the other spy.

╚═════════════════╝

[lythecreatorart]

So……

How to integrate my @the-galactic-hunters fixation along side Hazbin fixation, so why not combine it!!

Gosh Viv’s design and style still hard for me to wrap around

It all start bc I want to Seek and Husk in the same room and bond over their addiction (and how the fuck Seek got out of it). And I was like Seek should have a “disguise” in hell and I just go overboard it XD

The design is too simple for Viv’s style but I want to have some of her shapes down (for Seek at least, HZ have similar body type to Angel but can’t change his face or else it just weird. Heck, idk how Hz’s body is similar to Angel bc I’m not inspired for it-)

Seeker- rat man got ratted lol His mindscape form always a flame so, flame rat he goes! A furnaces that keep burning from his core, where his heart on his sleeves and it ready to burn others who dare touch it. His hand and leg shape actually base on his weapon. If he died (which in his canon means never-), probably burned by his own flame magic while protecting HZ in their mission. He might be better person now, but all the killing they been do for years aint let them go of heaven.

HZ- ….he is hard to change, especially his face I DID TRIED I DID MANY TIMES. HZ just hard to unIZ. His body already similar to Angel so it not really make it change. Since Seek is furnace that shine bright, HZ is the black hole that suck all the attention away from everyone (Seek-). The cold emptiness of black hole will still be warm with constant flame feed him. Probably die from can’t handle see his partner dead, he did what they promised. They must be each other’s down fall, one die and other go with them. Drive himself in to the florpus to surely make sure he die.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Heck yeah youre back!

I hope you had rested plenty and ate some yummy food!

I would very much like a tiny but mighty reader with her tall and skinny boy jack the ripper!

She is constantly picking him up and carrying him around calling him her little bunny because of his hair.

One time during a practice fight his pant leg was torn and GASP! LITTERS OF HICKEYS ARE COVERING HIS MEATY THIGH!(Have you seen them? Perfection~)

Reader is the embodiment of " this is my baby and aint no body better touch him"

-Jack adored you, you were beautiful- stunning evening, had a heart of gold, always willing to help out others, and you smothered him with so much love that he was ready and willing to drown in your love.

-While hesitant at first, seeing your genuine concern and affections for him, Jack fell pretty fast for you, as he had never had someone treat him so gently and in return, he treated you like the goddess you were, showering his own praise down upon you.

-You wouldn’t allow him to talk badly about himself, telling you how he is not worthy of being by your side and that you deserved someone better. He learned the hard way that day that you are way stronger than you look, as you picked him up, holding him over your head and took him inside to your couch and proceeded to praise and smother him with kisses for the next several hours.

-He rarely does it now, knowing that it upsets you, but you know that he only does it now because you give him extra attention, which you think is cute because he is rather shy about asking for affection outright.

-To anyone else, the two of you looked like the perfect couple, despite your strength, he treated you as if you were made of glass, carrying your bags for you, not letting you hold a single thing other than his hand. His was always such a gentleman to you, pecking the back of your hand in greeting and parting, gifting you flowers, and reading you poetry.

-The two of you kept your personal lives more private, because behind closed doors you were both unhinged and partaking upon your most carnal desires on the regular. It was especially fun to rile Jack up while you were out and about with him, getting him flustered, because his ‘punishments’, if you could call them that, were always very enjoyable.

-This little secret was revealed when Jack was selected to fight in Ragnarok this year again, and he was delighted to see that he would be fighting against Hercules, his very good friend, once again, and the two were quick to poke fun at each other, like Hercules telling Jack not to hold back and Jack teasing back that he might even let Hercules win this time.

-The match was very entertaining, as Jack always seemed to have something up his sleeve, and Hercules never failed to surprise everyone himself with his own new combat skills.

-The fight ended in Hercules’ win but all attention was on Jack instead, who had his pants ripped off due to not dodging Hercules’ weapon in time, revealing Jack’s very nice muscular legs, but that’s not what everyone was staring at, everyone was looking at the deep purple hickies covering his thighs.

-Jack’s bashfulness as he used his hat to try to hide them away was actually quite endearing as his face was bright red, especially when Hercules snickered at him, teasing him as they walked backstage while many of the spectators were whistling and cheering for Jack, making him even more embarrassed.

-You met your lover backstage with a spare pair of pants, and Hercules teased you, nudging you with his elbow gently, “You sure did mark him up for me, Y/N! Kinda hard for me to fight someone who’s already so bruised up.”

-You pouted lightly at his teasing before picking up Jack, holding him princess style, “Jack is my baby- and I gotta make sure that nobody will ever be able to take my baby from me!!” Jack hid his face behind his hat as his ears were burning red, “Y/N- please!”

-Hercules roared with laughter as you headed off, carrying Jack to the infirmary, holding him carefully to not aggravate any of his wounds.

-Once you sat him down in the infirmary you pulled his hands and hat away from his face, smiling up at him and you gently cupped his cheeks, kissing him softly, “My handsome baby~”

-He pouted at you, giving you a small glare which made you grin, “You won’t be able to leave the house for a week after I get done marking you up!” you squeaked cutely as he pecked your cheek softly, tickling you with his mustache before wrapping his arms around you, hugging you close for a moment before the nurses walked in to treat him and you stepped back, giving him a small smile.

[herrscherrofyatta]

End to Beginning

prologue

pairing: Tomo x F!reader

warnings: a hint of Kazuha x reader could be taken platonic or romantic, Ei/Shogan slander, future spoilers for Scaramouche lore, reader is described to have long hair like Ei, tomo aint dead, I changed a few things obviously cuz Tomo is alive..., slow burn, death, betrayal, one sided for a couple chapters, blood, angst, angst and more angst :)

just a heads up, I already commissioned a couple fanart of reader so I'm not changing how she looks, I got hate for it in the past

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

The unconscious bodies of Watasumi's soldiers lay on the cement floors. Gorou and Kokomi lay among those unconscious as two figures stood in the middle of this scene.

"Why did you....who are you really?" It began to rain, soaking Tomo's blonde hair as the loose strands began to stick to his face as he stares wide at the figure in front of him.

Cold, emotionless eyes stare back at him, they seem to glow a bright purple as thunder roars in the background, finally illuminating the answer to his question.

It was only for a quick second, showing the true side, but Tomo finally realized who this person finally was.

Taking a step back from shock, his eyes only seem to widen more in fear and anger.

"Raiden...Shogan..." He mutters, "why are you a complete split image of her?"

The purple haired woman remains quiet, her gaze never leaving his as he begins to think of everything they been through together.

"...was everything a lie?" He said angrily, gritting his teeth at her.

Her brows almost seem to furrow in sadness of a moment as she quietly sighs before turning around.

Her hair that was usually up in a high ponytail, tied with a ribbon, was let down.

"Answer me!"

He shouts after her as she begins to leave only for him to be met with a blade pointed at his neck.

He glances down at it before closing his eyes.

"Kazuha knew, didn't he?"

The woman stays quiet, her eyes seeming to soften at the mention of him. Tomo opens his eyes again to look at her.

"He knew who you really were all this time and never said a word..." He let out a dry laugh, the rain around them started to pour harder but neither of them cared.

Looking at the woman in front of him, he takes in her features, (h/c) hair with light purple strands, he eyes the necklace hanging from her neck, remembering the day he gave it to her.

"It was you, I should've seen it from the beginning."

He mutters, his finger twitch slightly at his side, itching to summon his sword.

"You killed her," her eyes pierced down at him, reflecting no remorse, "it was you who killed my mother all those years ago."

The sound of thunder always reminds Tomo of that day

It was supposed to be him, he was supposed to be the one dead and not the other way around.

Alive, breathing...

His eyes wander to the dead vision in his hand, the electro glow that used to glow....only the dead gray color takes its place.

His fingers grasp the item because he takes a deep breathe, taking one last glance at it before putting it back in his pocket.

A raindrop hits his face face as he looks up at the darkening clouds growing above.

Calm before the storm. As they say.

"Tomo," he looks to where his name is called, to see Kazuha holding a crate in his hands, "Beidou said to take these to the Harbor."

He smiles at him, "right, let's get to work." Walking away with his friend, they take a small boat and take it back to Liyue Harbor.

Hours later, finishing up the work Beidou left for them, Kazuha waves at the salesman after tidying up the crates they delivered.

As they walked back to where they left the small boat they tied up, walking by the Funeral Parlor and the bridge.

"Comrade, I haven't seen you in some time." A voice says as they walk by two tall people, one with ginger hair and the other wearing a straw hat, hiding their appearance.

"What business do you have here? Or did he send you here for something?" The ginger says to the other and as they walk by each other, time seems to freeze for Tomo.

He looks at the figure, catching a glimpse of purple hair before time went on as usual.

Frozen in place, Kazuha seem to notice and stopped walking, glancing back at him confused.

"Tomo? Is something wrong?"

He looks up at him before looking back rapidly, watching as the ginger and the other figure walk away.

Kazuha tilts his head to the side, confused at his friend's strange behavior.

"No...nothing." Tomo turns back around, feeling a bit off.

"Let's head back."

a/n: finally got this published, I'll probably update like once a week, I want the chapters to be longer

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Taglist: @thetwinkims @xiao-loyal-simp @somemydayy @slvdsjjk @valeriele3

[rechenzentrum]

got tagged to do my top 10 songs that have been on repeat by @gliscor so heres... a selection from spotify on repeat playlist. and then some honorable mentions i pulled from my last fm :P that may or may not overlap with the ones from spotify because i wrote them down before taking the screenshotss

and now. the encore

pictures of you. "and i said no👿... and i said yes😈"

my friends made that solar winds track i need to relisten to that album

uuurrrgghhhhh i loooove Puzzle. cuz all i haaaaaavee is yoursss. standing in front of meee..... and the sections where hes not singing are so upbeat it makes for a real good contrast. and i enjoy his voice it almost sounds like conversational. urgh idk it just kinda fits the music. and overall i do think the notwist have a rather unique sound . so cool

Limitation of Lifetime... Hauschka released rhis track in the EP leading up to his latest album, on it was the track "Loved Ones"... but i do think i enjoy LoL over the latter, despite both being rather short and uneventful

what a shitty thing to say... djd you really mean it? elliott is really good at painting picture with words on this album and his use of chords and rests really enhances the way he leads the listener through every single musical journey

Your black hair is like black hair. My Hair is like a jerk's hair. I'm Not Like That.... and. the unapologetic approach to the composition and effects they had on this track. and the little details, how the dissonant choir is played in reverse the mext time its played, the way the dry vocal track is on one side and its reverb on the other. the loud snare thats clearly not just one sample constantly played back, but a continuous banging of the same drum over the course of the track. and the bass synth that only plays octaves. enamored captivated. urgh

so clever to view the good you have in you as something material, physical, so you can go to the doctor about it. clever . in its entirety this song does remind me of ... Bright Eyes

Randomly got this recommended to me by youtube, had it in my Watch Laters probably. listened to it on loop for a bit some time ago... good song

IF YOU SEE THAT MAN OF MINE TELL HIM ONCE FROM MEEEEE...... IF HE WANTS ANOTHER GIRL YES ILL SET HIM FREEEEE BOWLING GREEEEN.... going through this whole wide world i aint got no home...... i aint got no home bowling green...... ;(

im halluuuuuciiiiiiinaaaaatinggggg.... i want to hurt him....... my head is full of flames. i dont know . theres something so raw about starting your debut album with a song where you reveal that anytime you think about a certain man, you lose sight of everything, you get tunnel vision, you can only think of all the ways you want to hurt him because hes hurt you so deeply. you hear his name and you get so filled with rage you cant see straight, hallucinating. and it feels like your mind is racing, burning with anger, madness... i waaaanntttt to hurt himmmm.... ;,(

[annonniiiiieeeee]

I think one of my question just got eathen by tumblr-

Anyways how or what are going to be the kids nimpos? like example Kaida has fire- /imagine the chaos of that/ or smt like that when do their nimpos unlock? ect. /u dont have to answer complety but im curius since you know Ume and Sakura arent related to the Hamatos even tho it isnt neseceraly to be biological but since they are from Usagi word/

.... Now i have a mental image of Kaida nimpo being fire- and boy aint pretty hjshdjkshdjshdsjhdsk

Sorry friend I’m behind something g force with my responses. I’ll get to them all but life is crazy right now.

All the Hamato clan members get nimpos. It is the power of the families love for one another. Bio kids and adopted kids all get powers (even in-laws might get power) as long as the clan accepts you your good.

I am still planing some of the powers out for characters. I know the twins for sure.

Sakura

Her nimpo is a pastel pink

Her’s is based of of the spells sunbeam or sunburst in dnd with my own flare.

She glows. As she gets control she can determine the brightness and also manipulate other light sources.

When she is young they are blinding flashes of light that blinds the people around her.

She learns how to control her glow. She can limit it to certain parts of her body (glowing eyes) and she will act as a walking glow stick in dark areas.

Later she learns how to manipulate other light sources, such as fire embers into dancing shapes. Sparkles of light dancing around. She used this to enhance dance performances but also to distract enemies.

She thought it was a little lame when she was younger but grew to really love her power. She plays with light all the time bending the shape and creating colors.

It will be fun to play with this as both a combats power and a defensive power.

Ume

Her nimpo is a pastel orange

She actually has two abilities.

The fist is invisibility. This makes her the opposite of her twin. Where Sakura glows Ume disappears. I think she often feels in her out going twins shadow and their powers show that dynamic.

Eventually Ume comes into her own. Her ability is super helpful on missions and Sakura often used her light to distract from where her twin is.

The second power is astral projection. Her spirit appears as a pastel orange version of her. She can move around unknoticed at first but as she gets more practice her projection can have a caporal form as well.

She is the spy of the group.

Jotaro and Kaida

I am still debating these two.

You suggested fire for Kaida but I already have some fire plans for someone else.

But it did make me think of ice and fire for them but as stated I have fire planed for someone else.

I will let you know when I have the two of them figured out.

(Though Kaida with fire reminds me of a dnd campaign I did with my friends. I got chese/blessed with fire powers. I tried to make a flame in my palm to light up a cave for my companions but I failed the roll and set myself on fire. My dm tried to give me damage and I argued back that I was Tiefling and was fire resistant. They agreed that I took no damage and oh boy was that a mistake. I lit myself on fire all the time from then on. We need light? I’m on fire. We need to intimidate an enemy? Fire. Poor sales man doesn’t discount items? I set myself on fire and threaten to burn down the store. Needless to say fire abilities and me do not mix well.)

[ryuseibutgayer]

𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓘𝓼 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝓰𝓷,, 𝓣𝓸 𝓖𝓸 𝓣𝓸 𝓑𝓮𝓭 - 𝓟𝓽. 2

𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵: 𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓜𝓲𝓽𝓼𝓾𝔂𝓪, 𝓟𝓮𝓱 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓟𝓪𝓱 𝓼𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓹. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮, 𝓘 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮 - 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓸𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓽𝓱

𝓜𝓲𝓽𝓼𝓾𝔂𝓪 𝓣𝓪𝓴𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲

● You simp (*σ´ｪ｀)σ❤️

● Buddy with those two kids running around, you'd think he goes to bed early to rest up, but ohohohohohohoe.

● He needs to stay up all fuckin night to make sure they don't wet their beds 😭

● Of course he obviously does not have bags under his eyes in the manga nor anime, he still gets adequate sleep- it's just all over the place, and he may be just about 15 minutes late for his first period class every now and then

● So he *tried* to use horror movies to keep himself up, but he ended up scaring Mana, who wandered into the living room at one in the morning, with that technique. So now, he's sitting in the pitch dark living room of his apartment while his mom runs an early morning/late night shift, brainlessly eating popcorn as he does his homework (to catch up on his first hour, which he may miss some things in due to possibly falling asleep from now and then in that class) with fucking Sanrio shows playing on the TV in front of him. Bright ass pastels on a retro awful looking ass TV screen filter with the volume at like 12

● Yall think he's the sane one of TR, h a h

● When he actually manages to get some sleep, he gives zero fucks less about how he is, how gar off the bed he is, how much he needs to pee, the temperature, 3am munchies, that assignment sitting on the corner of his desk, NAH. All of it goes straight to hell when he hits the lights, slips off his shirt, and dives straight under the covers.

● On most days he'll just flop onto the bed and roll over to the other side like once, only once in the middle of the night

● Please he's so tired, stop the bullshit and raise awareness of Mommitsuya Appreciation Week (ToT)

● Dead tired, you can see the pure effort and exhaustion in his tired silver lashes as he just snoozes away

● Snores, but honestly it's tolerable

● Just let the boy sleep (TvT)

● MANA QUIT THROWING THE TEDDY BEAR MITSUYA MADE FOR YOU AT YOUR DAMN SISTER

● ..Luna put the toilet plunger away- GODFUCKING DAMNIT THIS IS A HATE CRIME-

● Just avoid remembering Mitsuya's existence at 3am for yours and his best

𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓾𝓴𝓲 (𝓟𝓪𝓱-𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓷) 𝓗𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓭𝓪

● Bear-Man

● He just lifts himself up to sit in the corner of his bed, collapses under the giant heavy ass comforters, and snores like a meme

● He feels like he's on fire while he's asleep, so he'll stick out a foot from under the blankets

● 𝓟𝓪𝓱-𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓷 𝓪𝓼 𝓣𝓸𝓴𝔂𝓸 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻'𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓼𝔂𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓹𝓪𝓽𝓱?

● (I said that forgetting about the beginning of the anime lmao)

● Sleep talks but no one can hear it and it wouldn't make sense anyways

● He's really not afraid of anything grabbing him cause he's like "Well then let's see the bastard drag me away"

● I feel liiiike he's got a weighted blanket, 3 pillows, and a sleeping mask lmao

● He really seems like the guy to have an intense facial care routine before bed and bitch about not getting beauty sleep.

● Who's gonna break it to him-

● From 9 to 11. He sleeps. 14 hours.

● AND IF HIS WHITE NOISE MACHINE AINT PLAYIN RAIN HE AINT GOIN TO BED HES GONNA CREATE ANARCHY (oh please)

● He's always burning up in his sleep, but refuses to do anything about it.

● He sweats gallons, but is so dry- it doesn't make any sense- 😟

● He's pretty hard to wake up, but if the lights change at all in the room he's sleeping? Immediately up and Karen pterodactyl screaming

● Window is always cracked about 2 centimeters. It's broken.

● You can just like feel his body vibrate each time he snores lmao

● Very great cuddly buddy tho :> (Just raise your feet up so they aren't scratched by them toe nails-)

𝓡𝔂𝓸𝓱𝓮𝓲 (𝓟𝓮𝓱-𝓨𝓪𝓷) 𝓗𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲

● I truly don't know what it is with this stick bug lookin crooked neck motherfucker and attracting bugs in his sleep

● AND HE TWISTS HIMSELF LIKE A BRICK HEADED PRETZEL TOO

● OK so get this, he's barely on the corner of the pillow with a foot off the bed, another propped up onto the wall, a hand by his side and the other off the bed

● And there's fucking flies buzzing around his face as ants just raid the crumb filled sheets

● a c k

● Maybe it's the whistle breathing sounds from his nose???

● I don't know

● Everyone in his house wants to suplex twirl, slam, then smother a pillow into Peh-Yan's face while he's asleep, it's disgusting

● He's so freezing cold oml

● Always has his window open. It's snowing. It's raining. It's sleeting. It's a tornado. It's a wildfire summer. WINDOW. 👏 OPEN. 👏

● Very cuddly tho, so that's,,, idk

● 1/10 recommend but not 0 at least

● You know he goes to bed at 11 and wakes up at 6. He's just. Weird.

● He eats a box of taco bell before bed routinely

● Raids the kitchen for milk in his sleep

[coolkidstuffsblog]

red

misty x nat

"misty..i dont wanna wear a dress." nat spoke "fine..just wear pants or whatever, its your choice dear." nat smiles as misty didnt even try arguing with her about who wears the pants or not.

misty giggles in the other side of the door "nat are you done?" nat hums "yeah you?" "yeah! kay im coming out now." misty heels click on the ground as she rushes to open the door and there revealed the beauty herself.

misty had red lipstick on with a bit of black eyeshadow, eyeliner and to top it off she had a red dress and her hair was in a bun held by a rose hair clip but a strand was out, her red dress exposed her cleavage just enough that the hickie nat gave misty almost showed "you should lift that a bit, the hickie is still there." nat chuckles "check it out nat!" misty lifted her dress a bit to reveal a thigh knife holster "hey how come i didnt get one!" nat says in disappointment "i told you to wear a dress but now i have to, plus i need to lure them in..remember?" nat nods "thats sick." nat smirks "thanks..i made it myself." nat smiles and places a hand around mistys waist "one kiss?" misty shakes her head "you'll ruin my lipstick and plus we may get there a bit late." misty winks as she turns to the door "come on mistyy! theres a couple minutes left." nat huffs as she follows misty downstairs.

__

misty sat in the passenger seat and pokes nats side with her red nail "nat..you arent mad at me are you?" nat scoffs "not even one kiss misty." misty shook her head "one kiss and all this is ruined."

nat sighs "fine..but you owe me." misty nodded "ofcourse." misty places her hand onto nats thigh to her satisfaction.

__

misty sat across the two men and shook both their hands "hello gorgeous." one of them spoke, he was very nerdy looking and he barely even dressed up for this interaction and the other guy was in a plaid shirt with a scruffy beard.

nat sat next to misty and the beard guy shook her hand "names scott." the nerd spoke "my name is joe." misty leaned onto the table and made eye contact with scott "my names clara..can you tell me more about you scott?" 'misty made a fake name so i should do the same.' nat held back a smirk as she watched the nerd burn into a bright red "my name sarah is..its nice to meet you joe." nat leaned onto the table and crossed her arms "tell me something..where are you from." nat secretly places her hand on mistys thigh making mistys breath hitch "well i work at a flowershop." scott spoke.

mistys eyebrows furrowed as she looked at nat but nat wore a smug look as she kept speaking with joe.

misty felt her hand go a bit closer to her crotch so misty places back on her thigh and whispers to nats ear "bathroom now." nat nods "excuse me boys, we gotta go to the bathroom." both men nod and watch as both ladies go and soon turn to eachother "mine is so hot." scott spoke "mines badass..wish i had yours tho..shes sexy as fuck i mean look at those tits man." joe smirks "man we aint switching..this is a one night stand so we better finish with this talking stage."

__

misty slams nat on the wall "what the fuck nat." misty growls "what..im just having fun." misty scoffs "nat! your gonna stop this..because how will i-" nat cut her off "yeah yeah one nightstand and shit..i know what im doing." misty sighs "fine..whatever." misty pulls away but nat presses a kiss on her collar bone "i'll stop..i promise." misty smiles softly as she opens the door and walks to the table.

scott and joe smirk "tell me..what color is it?" nats eyes widen in shock as scott asked misty the question "what is?" scott eyes down to mistys breast and that makes misty tense a bit "oh..well." she smirks and rubs the tip of her heels on his ankle "stick around and find out." misty winks at him making him turn a bright red.

"how about we go back to my hotel yeah?" scott stood up and took mistys hand "ofcourse, goodbye sarah..have fun." misty turns and begins walking off with scott, scott immediantly gets handsy and places his hand on mistys lower back then it slid down farther and that made nat pissed off "so where do you work at?" joe asks snapping nat back into the conversation.

__

misty sat on scotts lap as he tried unzipping her dress "wait wait wait..i gotta get ready." scott raises an eyebrow "oh alright." he lets go of misty and misty walks behind him.

pulling out the gun and gun whipping him causing him to fall off the bed to the floor "fuck." misty pulls out her phone from her purse and texts nat 'gotta find the files.' misty puts her phone back and began looking around but first she took his wallet and began looking thru everything.

__

nat drank beer and stares to joe as he kept speaking 'fuck this guy needs to shut the fuck up.' nat rolls her eyes as she remembers the plan again.

'whats taking her so long.' nat sighs "lets go to your room..yeah?" joe nods and stood up not even taking her hand but wrapped an arm around her waist 'gross.' nats face scrunched up but she quickly got rid of it.

__

misty and nat met at the parking lot "i got nothing..what did you get." misty spoke "i got his wallet and some stuff, you?" nat sighs "i got his wallet, turns out joe has kids and a wife but is out here cheating on em." misty sighs "god..men." she makes a fake gagging sound making nat bark out a laugh

"cmon lets go yeah?" misty smiles but before nat can go into the car nat pulls her in for a small kiss.

misty goes into the car with smudged lipstick and nat goes with lipstick on her lips "jesus christ,you were waiting for this huh?" nat spoke and misty nodded "wait til we get home." nat smirks at the words "fuck yeah."

[poetdreamerfool]

[freestyle poetry] 101 swords

I. when the ops eyein me I'm moving like lion be silently if its antelope violently work hard like I don't know what talent be where I be niggas just roar there aint no growling we disciplined like this Shao Lin the beatings continue til you find zen when they give 100 give a 1000

II. these ain't punchlines this kung fu I'm van damme bruce and jackie mixed with monk who taught Sun Tsu thats what a life time of trauma wins you when a limb is cancerous its a cut like Ginsu excalubur sword of omens masamune with the scabbard with the runes my family toxic and I'm Mr. Manhattan on the moon cooking up the dreamscapes III. never save em edna mode no capes! but I got a full vape hit it twice my soul escapes then its found on the microphone channeled through my pen my words hit you spine like a xylophone

gun to my head I couldn't spell xylophone but I can spell g r i n d m o n e y on my mind over matter mirror mirror on the wall took my gaze and shattered cause my likeness is paradoxes and anti-matter irony and the shit that goes bump in the night

IV.

me and my demons tight like the grip of a shark bite getting chewed but in this story like the apple gave god a bite if all I see is tunnel then I am the light born from a darkness that says I can't cast a shadow right even though my shadow like a ninja in a shadow fight how else could I be so fucking bright? how could doing something wrong feel so fucking right? V. but its a loss-- karma isn't automatic someone has to to pull the string knotted to the thing

VI. growing up is the accumulation of left over pain fibers clumsily woven into armor for the elightened warrior who puts down the sword put your rage away lick and seal it like an envelope hope is dope they ain't lynching niggas but they selling rope the sword in my hands feels like a homie's handshake forgiveness isn't noble its a passage to a giant blinking neon sign: Dream big or don't live

VII. the weed jar like a koi pond blunt bridge we burn those other people's lessons we learn those the next question I'll ask my parents is where the urn go? ashes to ashes dust to dust to the fire to burn is to exist and existing is just so giveth the tree shine and be free.

[moriihana]

we can't fix each other but we sure as hell can enable each other instead || ten: i really hate overhaul

pairing: dabi x disabled!gn!reader

overview: you meet dabi pre-canon because your cat, nugget, literally won’t leave the guy alone. friendship, fluff and (eventual) angst ensue.

chapter summary: you get anxious over shigaraki's meeting with overhaul, toga and twice get upset, and you push for shigaraki to get some rest. you also threaten dabi's dick.

content: angst and fluff

word count: 1446

a/n: technically this gif isnt related but he's so pretty in it so we're using it

*previously known as “we can’t fix each other (but we can heal our wounds together)”; i changed the title bc these assholes aint healin shit they’re just being overall menaces

taglist: @iincandescenttt

AO3 link

← previous ; next →

“I really don’t like that Shiggy went to meet with Overhaul by himself.” You paced around your room, twisting your fingers and chewing on your lip. Boo watched you nervously, laying next to Nugget on the bed. “I mean, this is the guy who took Compress’s arm and killed Magne! What if he attacks him, too? He should’ve at least taken someone else with him—hell, he could have taken me with him! I’m basically harmless! Not at threat at all!”

“No fuckin’ way, doll.” Dabi glared at you. He was sitting by Boo while petting Nugget and had gotten tired of just listening to you anxiously ramble and fret about. “I’m not letting you anywhere near that prick. Like you said: he killed Magne and took Compress’ arm. If the asshole did try something, Shigaraki can handle himself perfectly fine—besides, he wouldn’t be able to protect you and deal with whoever attacks at the same time. And stop your fuckin’ pacing, you’re freaking the dog out.”

You stopped and ran your hand down your face. “I can’t believe we just let him waltz in there alone! And now we’re just supposed to sit here and hope that he comes back unscathed? I don’t like it.” You picked at the sides of your nails, furrowing your brow. “I know he can handle himself, but I’m still gonna worry. He’s my friend. I don’t like when the people I care about are risking being ripped apart at the atomic level.”

Dabi sighed, exasperated. “You understand that this is what we do, right, doll? We’re gonna be in danger—we signed up for it. Though I didn’t exactly think we’d be signing up that specific fuckin’ risk…”

You sat down between him and Boo with a huff and scratched behind her ear, murmuring an apology for making her nervous. “Yeah, yeah. Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it, though.” You groaned and knocked your head against his shoulder. “Dammit, I really didn’t think I’d get attached to these people when I joined. It was difficult enough knowing you got into danger before we joined the League, now I’ve got a handful of other idiots to worry about.”

“You care too much, doll,” Dabi chuckled. “It’s cute.”

“I only care about you, the animals, and the League. You know that.” You closed your eyes and sighed. “I’d do whatever it took to keep you guys safe. Kill whoever I have to. Consequences be damned.”

“You’re somethin’ else, y’know that?” Dabi smirked lazily. “Sometimes I think your fire burns just as bright as mine.”

You cracked your eyes open. “I know, pretty boy. I don’t think I could keep up with you if I weren’t just as insane.”

Dabi snorted, “You really are somethin’ else.”

“So you’ve said,” you remarked with a roll of your eyes. “Tomura should be getting back soon, yeah?”

Dabi raised his eyebrows, the amusement draining from his expression. “You’re calling him Tomura now?”

“ Oh , don’t get your panties in a twist, pretty boy. He’s my best friend, nothing more. And I only call him that in private—he threatened to kill me if anyone else heard me call him by his first name.” You gave a dismissive wave of the hand. “There’s no need to bare your teeth and snarl. You know I love you more than anything.”

Dabi grumbled his discontentment, “Still gonna bare my teeth and snarl. Told you I’m possessive of the things that I like.”

“Mmm. Because I know that’s just how you are, I’ll let it slide, as long as you don’t make it Shig’s problem. No dick measuring contests, got it?” You squinted at his growing smirk. “I swear if you say anything about your dick being bigger, I will take it off entirely.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Dabi rolled his eyes. “No need to threaten my dick. That’s a low blow, doll.”

“Literally.” You grinned. “C’mon, let’s wait for the boss to get back. Pretty sure everybody else is already out there.”

You sat in front of Dabi on the bedframe, studying the other members of the League and their faces. Toga looked like she was in shock, Spinner and Dabi just looked bored. Compress’s mask had a sorrowful expression on it. Twice looked… angry. Rightfully so.

“Work with the Hassaikai?” He walked towards Shigaraki, fists clenched.

Shigaraki sighed. “Yeah, don’t make me keep saying it. Their plan has enough potential. Toga and Twice—you two are yakuza from today on.”

“You’re kidding, right? Shigaraki, you’ve got to be kidding.” Your eyes widened. 

“That’s an unfunny joke.” Twice narrowed his eyes. “Sounds interesting, Shigaraki!”

“They almost took Kurogiri, too, but I held out.” Shigaraki’s shoulders slumped as he walked past him, clearly drained by his meeting. “Anyway, that guy’s got his own important job to do right now. You’ll be moving through an underground route—”

Twice grabbed his shoulder and shouted, “—what do you mean, ‘potential’?! Can you be the leader if you just pretend to keep cool? Are you being influenced by that masked bastard? That guy killed Big Sis Mag! He blew away Mr. Compress’s arm! He’s the guy I brought carelessly to us…!” He pulled off his mask, showing his distressed expression. “I’m human, too, you know, Shigaraki! Toga, you too! Say something!”

“Twice—” You moved to get up and placate him, but Dabi placed a hand on your leg, shaking his head. 

“Don’t intervene. It’s best they work this out among themselves,” he murmured. You nodded slowly and instead watched Toga get off the desk.

“What are we to you, Tomura-kun? To me, the League is a place that’s comfortable. Mr. Stainy is what brought me to you.” She twirled over to their leader, knife in hand. “I want to make the world a place where I can do what I want and live easily. I’d like to do that if I can.” She stopped in front of him and swung her knife up to his neck. You clenched your jaw when she did, itching to interrupt. Dabi pressed his hand down as a reminder, then lightened the pressure when you relaxed.

“Hey, Tomura-kun, why do I have to do something that’s hard that I don’t want to do?”

Shigaraki tilted his head down and took Father off of his face. “Well…” He looked back up with a slight frown, speaking softly. “It’s for me, and for you guys. They probably want to restrict the League’s mobility and win you useful guys over gently at the same time. I want you to flatter them from up close and conquer them. I never thought of them as equals.

“Twice, you said you wanted to take responsibility, right? This is one way to do it. I… trust you guys.”

Toga lowered her arm and stepped back with a hum. “Alright, Tomura-kun. I trust you too.”

Twice agreed, albeit he sounded a bit more reluctant. You sighed and looked at Shigaraki, noting his exhaustion.

“Shig, can we talk real quick? In another room?” You asked. Dabi’s fingers twitched, but he didn’t protest audibly.

“Sure, whatever. C’mon,” Shigaraki sighed, pocketing Father as he left the room. You nodded and gently moved Dabi’s hand, getting up.

“Meet me in our room, okay? I’ll be in there in a few.” You smiled at him, then grabbed your cane and followed Shigaraki out. Once you were out of earshot of the other members, you spoke carefully, “You need to rest, Tomura. You look dead on your feet—moreso than usual.”

“Thanks,” he scoffed dryly. “Real helpful comment. But I need to make sure everything goes smoothly with Toga and Twice.”

“They’ll be alright. Twice will keep Toga safe, and vice versa. You said you trusted us, right? Then trust Dabi to run this operation while you rest—he is technically your second-in-command. Plus, you’re not gonna get much done if you’re falling asleep standing up.” You gave him a small smile. “You’re doing well, Tomura. You’re a real leader, y’know? The way you handled the situation with those two was perfect. You deserve to take a moment to breathe. We can play some video games together or something, okay?”

Shigaraki was silent for a moment, then exhaled slowly. “Fine. Tell Dabi he’s in charge of overseeing the operation until further notice. Don’t think this means you can tell me what to do, though. This is a one-time thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Your smile turned into a playful grin. “You know, Tomura, you could just say that we’re friends. It wouldn’t kill you.”

He glared at you. “Don’t be a brat.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Shiggy. Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I said not to call me that!”

[fuckedprophet-arch]

the  cigarette  on  his  lips  glows  eagerly  as  he  takes  another  drag  from  it. brows  are  arched  high  on  his  face  as  he  squints  against  the  bright  mid  day  sun,  a  hand  raising  to  shield  his  gaze  from  the  harsh  rays. "  c'mon  baby  doll  we  aint  got  all  day!  we're  burning  day  light  and  precious  hours. "  the  remark  is  shouted  out  toward  elizabeth's  house,  the  familiar  faces  of  both  gen  and  liz  scurrying  through  the  living  room  and  toward  the  front  door  made  dallas  grin. this  trip  was  going  to  be  sick,  a  four  day  weekend  out  in  joey's  uncles  cabin. it  was  too  perfect  to  pass  up. "  gen  get  your  taunt  ass  in  this  truck  c'mon!  or  i'm  sending  joey  in  after  you  two!  "

@ohlazrus liked for a fs thing!