#all these pieces have brought so much joy and taught me a lot too

[stellorc]

the lovely @kirnet tagged me to curse you all with wips so enjoy >:3 if anyone fancy sharing some goods in the oven pls do!!

Not many of my wips are decent/have hope to be finished so this was hard as hell. They're all self-indulgent so idk if it's interesting, but i tried to pick different stages/process.

portrait of the wizard man himself (i lost count of how many times i've started this shit and i may do it again). Painting this man is infuriating and i don't do him justice.

my fable girl Alice bc i got into fable 3 (thanks hnnny and xeph luv u <3). I'm procrastinating bc of the hair and clothes, i'm a Coward.

kotor cowboy au starring Alek, Phebe and Revan. I still need to do the color etc, but the process is actually Fun!

my most recent (and terribly messy) wip is a knight revalek au just bc i really wanted to paint them and quench my thirst to play ck3. I kept giggling like a fool during the sketch, i'm very excited hshsh

[bravesung]

( scarlxtleaves. ) ━━━━━━

The events of the night before were JUST as crazy as he could have thought.. especially when it came to Yusuke. But it was not the typical bachelor party he's seen in movies. Hell they didn't even have a stripper, all the boys really done was enjoy a few matches of Sumo which was followed by a night of paintball. And as promised Yusuke had gotten him back to the church, just in time (Terry can also be around because he's the best man). The young man stood at his position where they've rehearsed and from here on out it was just a wait. The music began playing and before they knew it, here came Hanamaru walking side by side with her cousin Jin. Something happened the moment he saw her, his heart was overwhelmed with sch happiness, there wasn't no threat to the city, just him, her and their friends and family. She looks so beautiful and today is the day they will be bonded in matrimony. A moment he's been waiting for for months now, and now that it's here..and her in that dress, the blond couldn't help but shed more than a few tears. She was brought before him and he held her hand with a smile before things proceeded once more.

The Priest had done his job and they've arrived at the vows. Rock had something prepared of course. A light chuckle and grin appeared on his face before he took a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Hana, you've truly made me the happiest man in the world. I know this is cliche to say but life was truly dark before I met you. I've known a lot of things before I've met you. My mother has taught me the love a child can receive from a mother, an unconditional love at that. Terry showed me that a family isn't made of the people you were born with but the people you meet and through that I learned what it was like to have the love of a father, Jin of course whilst he wasn't too accepting of me I could tell that he loves you very much and yes eventhough we might still butt heads and have disagreements here and there, I still can't help but feel that this is what it's like to have a brother and then I met you through Sachiko. You know I can't exactly go through all of this without mentioning Sachiko..she might fire me." That was at least his attempted at a joke, now before one little sniffle he continues. "Sachiko unlike many people saw an outsider and decided to take a chance on me, regardless of my academics..when an establishment digs deep enough into my past they'll see something about me that makes me a professional liability..but not Sachiko. She doesn't always show it but there's a lot of love in that woman and kindness and believe me it doesn't exactly show all that easily, but it was because of her kindness I was able to meet you. I still remembered when I locked eyes with you, you were meeting up with Sachiko at table three and I instantly lost myself in your beautiful eyes and not to mention that smile. OH the kitchen staff told me to just forget the idea because of how important you were...but day in and day out you'd come back and hang out with Sachiko..if she didn't just make us greet each other I might have been admiring you from afar even today. But I'll always be grateful to her for introducing us..for that alone there will always be a place in my heart for her, like everyone close to me she's become my family too. Hana, after getting to know you, I jst wasn't aware a person could radiate such warmth, I've never had the fear and anxiety of loving someone else before I met you. Now with you the world is so much brighter, food tastes so much sweeter, you’ve truly given me an appreciation of life, you’ve filled me with so much joy and love that I promise to give you All of that and then some. Do you understand me Hana, from today for the rest of your life the only thing you have to do is wake up in the morning and from the moment you rise I will show you how you should be cared for, how you should be loved because you are more than just my girlfriend, fiancee or wife. Hana you’re more than my soul and my heart, you’re my very essence, you make me because I’m NOTHING without you! I vow to love you with all of my heart for the rest of our lives.”

it  was  showtime.

adorned  in  your  beautiful  dress,  your  made-up  face  was  concealed  under  the  shimmering  veil.  everyone  took  their  places:  guests  in  their  seats,  the  bridesmaids  and  groomsmen  at  differing  sides  of  the  alter.  this  made  you  the  last  to  come  out.

everyone,  please  stand  for  the  bride.

the  doors  opened,  and  with  your  arm  entwined  around  your  cousin’s,  you  proceeded  to  walk  down.  you’ve  walked  various  runways,  but  this  particular  aisle  swelled  your  heart  the  most.  you  felt  eyes  on  you,  heard  the  violins  play  their  soft  melody,  and  saw  the  videographers  and  photographers  getting  the  right  angles.  this  was  what  young  girls  dreamed  of:  wedding  bells  and  happily  ever  afters.   this  was  yours,  hanamaru.  you  were  one  of  them,  now!

you  stood  in  front  of  your  fiance,  thankful  the  veil  was  hiding  your  attempts  at  holding  back  your  tears,  but  they  came  out  without  your  permission.  thankfully,  the  setting  spray  and  waterproof  makeup  was  doing  it’s  job.  no  matter  where  you  two  were,  rock  always  smiled  at  you:  that  promising,  charming,  grand  smile.  that  same  smile  that  bought  him  your  heart.  when  it  was  time  for  the  vows,  by  the  time  rock  was  finished,  you  grew  emotional,  no  longer  able  to  contain  your  tears.  you  could  hear  the  various  ‘aww’  throughout  the  audience.  rock  remembered  from  the  first  time  you’ve  met,  that  very  second,  the  first  time  the  both  of  you  exchanged  glances.  everything  from  beginning  to  end  strengthened  and  weakened  you  at  the  same  time.  oh,  how  your  heart  felt  so  full,  your  eyes  alit  with  affection.  you  never  thought  you  could  love  rock  any  more  than  you  already  did,  but  your  loving  him  was  limitless.

❛  rocky  .  .  .  ❜   your  words  trail  as  you  attempt  to  gather  yourself.  his  vows  still  resonated,  but  it  also  gave  you  the  courage  to  speak  your  deepest  emotions  to  your  friends,  family,  and  most  important,  your  soulmate.   ❛  please  allow  me  the  chance  to  speak  from  the  heart.  I  .  .  .  I  wanted  to  write  this  out  .  .  .  b-but  .  .  .  I  spent  my  younger  years  doing  that  because  I  was  afraid  to  speak.  up  until  I  was  eighteen  years  old,  I  didn’t  have  my  voice,  I  was  nothing  like  how  I  am  now:  my  mother  and  father  guided  me,  my  cousin  and  best  friend  gave  me  courage  .  .  .  and  you,  rocky,  you  gave  me  strength,  you  unlocked  a  sense  of  love  I  never  knew  I  harboured,  you  gave  me  access  to  a  world  I  never  knew  I  could  dance  in  .  .  .  I  became  one  of  those  lucky  ones, I wanted to always be good enough for you.  I  found  my  soul  in  you,  I  found  true  love.  you  never  make  me  feel  alone,  I  never  had  to  question  your  loyalty  to  me.  you  bear  a  love  so  strong  and  pure,  and  not  once  would  I  ever  stray  away  because  of  who  you  had  the  misfortune  of  being  related  to.  rocky,  you  bear  no  evil  in  your  soul,  you  are  one  of  the  sweetest,  gentle,  protective,  amazing  being  that  I  have  the  pleasure  and  privilege  to  have  as  my  husband.  I  vow  to  love  you  with  every  fiber  of  my  being,  to  protect  you  as  you  do  with  me,  to  treat  you  like  the  king  you  are,  to  be  yours  and  only  yours.  thank  you  .  .  .  thank  you  for  coming  into  my  life,  thank  you  for  being  mine,  thank  you  for  existing.  ❜

[jojoturnip]

Maybe what I needed you to understand was the love I had for him.

The love I still have.

I've been making a timeline of my life in therapy. It's split between good memories on top and bad ones on bottom. There's so much bad, that much you were willing to accept, but there is a lot of good, too.

Sometimes it's the good that keeps me up at night more than anything.

A younger me runs around our old apartment carrying the wand he hand-carved me from cherry wood ("all purpose, good for a young girl to learn all sorts of magic on"). I asked him to keep a crystal point off the top unlike the other wands he made because I liked to wave around, and I was afraid I'd hurt something I had a sharp tip. Besides, I loved that wand so much I kept it under my shirt, at the ready for playing pretend any chance I got. I'd have scratched myself to hell and back if he had added a point. He put a piece of polished, smooth citrine on the other end of it so I could at least channel some energy.

Citrine was my favorite stone. Because it was yellow. Because I loved the color yellow. Because it meant happiness and joy and sunshine. Because that's who I was.

He wrote me a song once, before he even got with my mom officially. He named it, "Sunshine Girl." My mom recorded me singing to myself in the mirror as I blow-dried my hair once and sent it to him as he wrote it. I was so embarrassed.

He would pick me up from school a lot, and I loved that part of my day. My elementary school got out earlier than my sister's middle school, so it meant riding around with him and getting fast food while we waited. He would teach me about music on the radio, tell me my voice was much prettier than Melissa's, and listen to all the drama I would bring home from my day.

When he went to auctioneering school, we practiced the tongue twisters together in the living room, laughing about Betty and her butter batter. He graduated as the valedictorian of his class. I cheered him on from the audience.

He taught me to shoot a bow, adjusted my draw weights and sights, cut me grips from his leather scraps, and fixed up the old long bow when I snapped it from pulling it too far. His hands over my shoulders as he taught me how to stand, over my three fingers as he taught me to aim. He made a quiver with me by hand with buffalo rawhide and sheep leather and sinew. He brought home horse hair for fringe but I was too freaked out to add it. He made the fringe from leather and pony beads instead.

The wand and the quiver and a locker we painted together and so many more things he gave me, made for me are sitting in that storage unit I'm supposed to empty. I don't know how to face them all.

I love him. I miss him. I think that's what you'll never be able to understand.

You didn't want to understand.

I have to juggle what he did, how he hurt me, with how he loved me.

We can call it grooming or gaining my trust or a false childhood built in manipulation, but that doesn't change the fact that it was my childhood. My reality. What I know love to be.

You said you couldn't handle cognitive dissonance. Can't you see I was born from it, bred from it, grown and germinated from its hard and rocky substrate?

A friend told me she thinks I drove you insane. The way I hold and stitch these contradictive truths together. I think that's the most reasonable explanation I've heard so far.

A part of me wants to apologize here. I am sorry that my life was too much for you to bear. That it scared you to see me go back to my family, to love people who hurt me time and time again. I know that must've been hard. I do understand where you are coming from.

Another part of me knows that I never asked for you to take that problem as your own. I never asked you to deal with my parents. I never asked you to save me. I didn't want that. I just wanted someones shoulder to lean and crash on while I carried the burden myself.

Instead, you told me that it was too much for you.

Instead, I supported you through every goddamn second of you refusing to take care of yourself. How was that not too much? You had the option to change. I cannot change my memories, my childhood.

You ask me to lose my family but you cannot get new parents like you can a boyfriend.

You like to compare my situation with you and your ex, a fool's comparison. Your abuser did not raise you. You keep your life when you walk away. You were not made of a boyfriend you met in college. Our situations are different. Our lives are different.

We are different. You never seemed to get that.

My life is tainted. I can't look through rose colored glasses, the stain remains. But I can't get rid of the memories either, or cast them out in distaste. They are a part of me. They are what made me.

I think I needed you to see that.

Remember a week before you broke up with me, you called asking for the explicit details of quite possibly the worst events of my life. Things I can't write about, much less talk about. You said you wouldn't be able to understand me without knowing.

You left me crying on the phone. It was never about understanding.

It took me one and a half years to tell you the bad stuff. It was harder to tell you the good, you know. It's all racing around, conflicting inside of me, too. But if you wanted to understand me, know me like a partner should, it required knowing the good. Seeing me, and how I am built of cognitive dissonance. Seeing the power that it gives me in empathizing with you and others, and the pain that it gives me, too. My existence is a fragile thing.

They were not excuses. They were glimpses into my mind. Into what I go through every single day.

When I let you in, you only wanted to see the bad. But you have to see the good, too. The gut wrenching good that bleeds out of me in yellow. The citrine stones and bamboo arrows and rainbow cheesecakes and Annie lockets.

I'm a storyteller, and I wanted you to know my story. You only wanted to hear a parroted version of your own sung back at you.

I am not you. I never will be.

[dorksideoftheforce]

Dec. 13, 2023 was one for the books. Saw a shooting star on the highway going home so I got out and took this picture and it kinda looks like a bird. The stars are breathtaking. Remember who you are.

The wind started blowing like crazy when I found her and there was a lil tornado of dust that moved through the lil parking lot. When I told her all the things, all the big things that I’ve been wanting to say for so, so long. The sun came out and it felt like all these warm vibrations of light were radiating my way; the way the sun shined in between the trees, directly on me and the rose bush there, I couldn’t help but to cry and then the wind would blow again and it was truly everything to me. Our whole thing was everything to me and I feel at peace with myself, as much as I can, because I know I did my best. Like in Forest Gump…these two were like the feather that found me. I wrote something and I’ll share it here; might as well. “Like a feather blowing in the wind; it stopped for a second to lend me a hand. This is what it means to be Grateful. This is what it means to Love. This is what it means to Hope. This is what it means to let go. May your love be ever flowing, like a river that leads to the sea. Through all the seasons and mountains, valleys and the sky, full of stars that will always be there but you might not be able to see them because of the weather. I’m happy to know that you are somewhere out there. I’m better because of it. May your time, Love and memory be valued; treasured, forever.”

When I put the rock there, in front of the rose bush that I’m so damn happy is there because I too have planted one because it will grow back a couple times a year, every year…I felt like how I did when I first went there. Like all of me was finally…finally back together again after all these years. As much as it all possibly can be. I didn’t want to bring flowers that would eventually wither away; that always pained me to think about because I brought 2 roses, one for both of them, on an adventure once and this lady at the greyhound bus station taught me a trick on how to keep them from wilting so fast - aspirin and warm water…so that’s why I brought a rock but not just any rock…it was part of a big rock that I got all the way from the top of Pike’s Peak; 14,115 ft. high in the sky from an adventure I went on with people like me and their lovers. It was a dream. It felt so good to get the things that had been on my heart so long out there. It was a different kind of satisfaction, one I can live with and be at peace with because it was time to finally let it all out and let it go and to sit there and truly be at this place with my own self because the person I was back then vs the person I am now…I went through Hell, doing my best to overcome who I used be… I had to tell her everything and do it in person, for me. It wasn’t enough for me to pray and talk to her from this far away, you know…I had to show up in my own way and I did.

More than anything from me placing the rock there, I hope that her mom and family see it and it brings them some peace and joy this Christmas knowing that someone was there who remembers her and loves her so much cause I do. I always have because her and Amanda were a package deal which I respected so much and that’s why I held on so damn tight because they were both a light to me and I didn’t want to let either of them down. They both were my reason. Her family won’t ever know the story behind the rock and I don’t know if they will even see it or if it will get blown away but I’m happy I was able to get a piece of the mountain to both of them before Life does what it does best and changes and we all move on. It’s hard letting go but before I do, I had to do this. For me and also her family cause she was a rock to me and changed my life, completely. Showed me what it meant to be a true friend and to be that to myself too. I told her that even if the rock breaks apart, don’t worry cause just like the little pieces, her love has spread out to everyone she knew and all who love her; she’s always with us and everything we do. I didn’t take any pictures of it because I just want to leave it all there but when I broke a piece off of the big rock to get her a piece, I kid you not, it seriously looks like a heart from damn near every side and I was just like wow! How about that! I know it’s been a long time and that her family has seen lots of things show up there but that was my thing I needed to do and it was so fucking worth it. Ain’t no mountain high enough. To show up there in person as the person I am now on the other side of everything. I’m happy that it’s part of my story, even though she’s not here anymore, when I attempted and had all that stuff happen to me, I knew I wasn’t going to go back to how I used to be and it took me some time to get through all of my stuff and heal as much as I have but it was always worth it to get to where I’m at now and to be real…even if things didn’t go the way I hoped so badly they would, it wasn’t for nothing because now we can all be free and there’s nothing that will ever come close to that because that’s all you could ever hope and pray for for the ones you love. Wherever they go and that they are surrounded by people who genuinely love, care and value them for who they truly are and not what they can do for other people.

When I got up to leave, I was walking over to my car and there was this lady in a white puffy coat who was walking behind me. I wasn’t going to say anything at first but I felt like I needed to say something and so I said hi and she said hi to me too and asked me who I went to see and I told her my story and she said that if you feel like your heart is calling you to follow it and do something then you listen to it and absolutely follow your heart because you won’t regret it. I know that regrets follow you to the grave and asking Amanda for forgiveness was astronomical but I had to tell her the truth about me while I was still alive because well, God knows how much this all meant to me and is there for me to see me through this. While this stuff is still fresh, I just wanted to put it here because Tumblr is where it all started and it only seems right that I put this story here. I will always love and care for both of them, their families and this part of my life. Just because people leave doesn’t mean that the Love they left behind is gone too, it will always be there; just in a different way and I’m so eternally grateful. It won’t go to waste and I’m gonna keep doing my best to hold on and create something beautiful out of it like on the trip, I painted some rocks with messages and left them at rest stops and random places for people and I did a project in 3rd grade where my mom and I built a longhouse made by the Iroquois’; I thought they were only in Upstate NY but they weren’t, they had them there and I finally got to see them and FaceTimed with my mom! One of the longhouses had a wolf on the front. It was so amazing. I got my mom some pinecones from there too. I don’t know where life is going to take me but I have so much going on now where I’m showing up and talking to leaders in the community, it’s so mind blowing and I am happy to have told her all about it and to be the person I am now because of her. Of both of them. I know a lot about what Love is because of them and what it means to let go. All I have left to say now is Thank you and I love you.

[sinnamonrolle]

[ the little moments] ♡ Belphegor

7 - That moment when Belphegor showed you magic.

✿ part of a series! ✿

❀  gender neutral reader  ❀

Warnings: Mentions of death and also lesson 16 spoilers

Nights in the Devildom were no different from nights in the human world, except for the abundance of visible stars twinkling in the night sky. Too much light pollution covered the stars in the human world, and you had almost forgotten what they looked like if not for arriving at the Devildom.

“Can’t sleep?” A voice, soft and heavy with sleep, entered the planetarium. It echoed gently in the dimness around you and almost faded under the trickling of the water fountain, the airy words murmuring against your ears.

Belphegor draped a warm, fluffy blanket around you as he settled next to you, wrapping himself with the other end of the blanket. He sat to your right, one of his long legs bent at the knees, and the other stretched out against the marble floor. When he leaned into you, the soft strands of his hair tickled your neck, and the faint smell of chamomile floated around you.

“Seems like I’m not the only one,” you teased, brushing your thumb against his cheek as you tucked his bangs behind his ear. They didn’t stay there long, falling back down to cover his eyes again.

Belphie sighed. He turned his head slightly, his purple eyes half-lidded as they met yours.

“Missed you,” he muttered. “I woke up with this gaping feeling in my chest, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I could feel you next to me.” Then he hesitated, his breath hitching as you felt his hand twitch against yours. “Can I… Can I hold your hand?”

You took his hand in yours, weaving your fingers with his. His fingers were freezing, so you rubbed them with your other hand, hoping to warm them up somewhat.

“Of course,” you said, smiling. “Are you feeling better now?”

“Of course,” Belphie repeated. He brought your intertwined hands to his mouth and pressed a light kiss to the back of your hand. “You’re here with me.”

Your cheeks warmed along with your heart, your mind fumbling around the affection consuming you from the inside out. This was the best feeling of love you could ever have the privilege of experiencing—it was something like a stuffy feeling, like layers of cotton had been padded in your chest, and it wasn’t strong to the point where you felt like you could burst into pieces, but something more subtle, something more encompassing, suffusing through every fiber of your being and every molecule of your soul.

You were absolutely immersed in it.

“I have a little trick for you,” Belphie said almost immediately after, pulling away from you so that he was sitting upright. “Since you can’t sleep. Have you heard of tracing?”

You shook your head. “No, I don’t think so.”

He hummed. “That’s not too surprising. Tracing is something children are taught when they are very young, so the RAD professors wouldn’t teach you what it is.” Then, he held out his hand, the one that wasn’t holding yours. “Here, hold your hand out. With your palm up. It’ll make it easier. Tracing is basically what it sounds like. You trace the air with your magic.”

You felt like you understood it but also didn’t at the same time. You could hold your hand out no problem, but everything after that was… hm. Not good.

“Belphie, you’re a bad teacher,” you said, smiling teasingly at him.

He glared half-heartedly at you, eyebrows just barely furrowing, but then he chuckled.

“Sorry, my little sun,” Belphie said, lips curling at the edges into an amused smile. His bangs brushed past his nose as he tilted his head. “I’ll explain properly this time.”

True to his words, he took his time teaching you, explaining each part thoroughly and making sure you understood. You were surprised that he had that much patience, especially since he yawned multiple times throughout his explanation. Although, you couldn’t say that tracing was hard to explain.

“Very good,” Belphie said, his voice drifting into your ears. “Visualize your magic, make it visible, solidify it, and then move it according to your will. When you get used to it, put down your hand. Try tracing by using only your mind.”

It took you a few tries, but it really wasn’t too difficult. Once you managed to trace without having to use your hand as an anchor, the first thing you traced in the air was “Belphegor” surrounded by hearts. If you maintained your focus, your tracing could stay for a few minutes, so you kept adding hearts around his name, the color of your magic lighting up the planetarium.

“Why are you like this?” Belphie sighed, exasperated. He started tracing as well, purple letters appearing next to yours. His magic was lazy but light, appearing in delicate, efficient strokes.

“Like what?”

“So precious.”

You turned to him, blinking in surprise, but he didn’t look at you. Instead, he focused on the letters in front of him, his eyes reflecting the light from his magic. When he still didn’t face you, you returned to adding more hearts around his name—only to see what he was tracing.

It was your name in beautiful calligraphy, and underneath, it was Belphie’s endearment for you—my little sun—in smaller but just as lovely letters. He also incorporated a sun into your name, little lines indicating the sunbeams. Even though he didn’t draw any hearts at all, his adoration for you was still clear as day.

“You’re the precious one here,” you said, pretending that the lump in your throat didn’t exist. You spoke past it, even when your voice came out scratchy in doing so. “Now, it doesn’t matter how many hearts I draw. It won’t beat yours.”

Belphegor laughed, his voice coming out in airy puffs. “Since when did this become a competition? You’ve already beaten me. The moment I fell for you, you’ve already become my everything.” He looked at you softly, the lines around his eyes gentle with love. But you also noticed the dark circles lining underneath them, hidden behind his bangs. “My little sun. You are the light in my world.”

“Then, you’re my moon,” you said, squeezing his hand. “My other half. In the darkness, you are my light.”

“I am your moon,” he agreed. He squeezed your hand back, turning away from you, and rested his forehead against his propped up knee. “Because even the moon gets its light from the sun.”

You didn’t know what to say, so you went back to the letters hovering in the air. You let most of the hearts fade from around Belphegor’s name, but you kept the rest. You wanted to keep some form of your love visible for at least a little longer.

“You know what’s funny?” he suddenly asked.

You drew a little cow in the air, adding Belphie’s horns to it. “What?”

“I used to love human beings,” he started. “They were just so fascinating, and I loved them. But not in the way Lilith loved them. The love I felt for humans was like how humans love flowers. But Lilith didn’t love them like flowers. Lilith picked one human and gave them all of her love, to the point that she went against Celestial laws for them.”

Belphie paused. The water fountain gurgled faintly in the silence. You finished your cow and decided to stop tracing, tilting your head up to look at the planetarium sky instead.

He continued, “I didn’t understand that kind of love. I didn’t understand what kind of feelings could drive her to such lengths for a human. A human that would never live as long as us. When Lucifer told us that she died, all I could think about was that, in some way—I killed her. I led her to her death. It was because I loved humans that she fell in love with one. But because my love was not the same as her love, I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand her love, I didn’t understand her reasons, I didn’t understand her.”

He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “Because I didn’t understand, I blamed the humans for it. I started hating them, and it was a kind of loathing that ate away at me from the inside. I hated that they took my sister away. I hated that she had to fall in love with one. I hated that I didn’t understand. So, you know what’s funny? It’s funny that it is only now that I understand.”

“Belphie,” you whispered. You couldn’t see his face, but from the shakiness of his voice, you knew that he was in a lot of pain—pain so embedded into him that you didn’t know how to soothe. You adjusted your position so that you could wrap your arm around him, bringing him into a half hug.

“Isn’t it funny?” Belphegor rasped, his body trembling. “Isn’t it funny how I hated humans so much for causing my sister to die, yet now, I am completely, utterly in love with one? And now—and now, I understand exactly how Lilith felt back then. Now, I know why she did what she did. The irony of it all—I hated that I loved humans, but that hate has also led me to you. Lilith, as an angel, fell in love with a human, and I, as a demon, have also fallen in love with one.”

You took in his shaking form, the light heaving of his chest, the balled up fist at his side. You took it all in, and asked, lightly, “Do you regret it?”

Belphie shot up, misty eyes frantically meeting yours as he squeezed your intertwined hands tightly. “Never. I never regretted it. I wouldn’t, and I will never. Loving you is nothing but joy. I love loving you, I love seeing you smile, I love knowing that you are happy. I love that you love me. I love you. I am so happy, knowing that I love you. And I will break every rule in all three realms in a heartbeat, if it means that I can see you smile again.”

“You don’t have to go that far,” you said softly, brushing his bangs to the side so you could see all of him. “Just knowing that you love me is enough. I love you too. For me, loving you is a state of truth. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

A sort of desperation haunted him, lingering in the deep purple of his eyes. He took your free hand, clasping it together with your interwoven hands. When he rested his forehead against them, it almost resembled a prayer of sorts.

“You can’t die,” Belphie pleaded, begging, praying—choking on his words. “You can’t die. Please, I can’t lose you. Please, please—you can’t die. Please, don’t leave me alone. My sun can’t set. I can’t live in a world without your light. Please, you can’t die—”

But you knew, and you knew that he knew too.

That all suns must set.

-------

Masterlist!

[osakaso5]

IDOLiSH7 6th Anniversary Special Story: Full of Heart...

Chapter 3: Eternal Memories

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Riku Nanase: Ah, I was planning to use this picture, too! Here, look.

Tenn Kujo: Good thing we set up this meeting, then.

Iori Izumi: It's all thanks to my guidance. The two of you should be grateful.

Tenn & Riku: Thank you.

Iori Izumi: Still, I can't believe you'd both choose the exact same photo, out of all the ones you have.

Iori Izumi: Was it just a coincidence? Or do you have some kind of twin superpowers?

Tenn Kujo: I wouldn't exactly call it a superpower, but we have always had a tendency to pick the same things.

Riku Nanase: Yeah! Like at a restaurant, we'd always order the same thing.

Iori Izumi: Perhaps it's not as unusual for you to have matching tastes and interests as I made it out to be, considering you were raised together.

Tenn & Riku: Right.

Iori Izumi: Which park is this? Do you remember where it is?

Tenn Kujo: Near our old house. We went there for a picnic, since Riku was feeling well that day.

Riku Nanase: We brought canteens and lunchboxes. It wasn't our first visit to that park, but eating lunch there made it feel like an adventure.

Tenn Kujo: You have a nice smile in this picture, Riku. Why don't you use this one? I can pick something else.

Riku Nanase: Are you sure? I think you look really cute here too, Tenn-nii. You've got this kind of composed look on your face.

Riku Nanase: I think your fans would be happy to see you like this.

Tenn Kujo: And your fans would like to see the way you look here, too. Hmm, this is a tough decision.

Tenn Kujo: Your thoughts, Iori Izumi?

Iori Izumi: You're asking me?

Tenn Kujo: I thought I'd leave this up to outside judgement.

Riku Nanase: Which one of us do you think should use this picture for the show?

Iori Izumi: ......... Nanase-san.

Riku Nanase: Oh! How come?

Iori Izumi: Because we might not have the time to reach out to Kujo-san a second time if you're the one who needs to reselect his picture.

Iori Izumi: I trust in his ability to choose an appropriate photo much more than I trust yours.

Tenn Kujo: Makes sense.

Riku Nanase: So it has nothing to do with the photo itself?

Iori Izumi: Although if you select something from the pictures we looked at last night, perhaps Kujo-san could also use this one.

Iori Izumi: Why not the one you showed me, where your face is covered in ketchup...

Riku Nanase: The one where I'm eating omurice?

Iori Izumi: Yes. You looked so innocent and cu... Ahem. I just thought it would make for a good conversation piece.

Riku Nanase: I guess I'll go with that one, then!

Tenn Kujo: What about your picture, Iori Izumi? Which one did you pick?

Iori Izumi: ........ Mine is... nothing unusual... Just a perfectly normal childhood picture...

Tenn Kujo: Based on your reluctance to go into any more detail, I highly doubt that.

Riku Nanase: We can show you! Apparently Mitsuki chose the picture, and Iori looks totally adorable in it!

Iori Izumi: ........ It... It really isn't anything worth showing to people...

Tenn Kujo: It's not worth showing to people, so you decided to display it on national television?

Riku Nanase: C'mon, Iori. Even Tenn-nii wants to see it!

Tenn Kujo: Pretty please.

Iori Izumi: Please stop it with the innocent act...

Iori Izumi: ...Fine. Here it is, since you insist...

Tenn Kujo: Wow, you look cute. A plushie in your arms, a happy little smile on your face...

Riku Nanase: Isn't it precious!?

Iori Izumi: That's enough. I don't need your flattery...

Riku Nanase: We're not just saying that, you know! I even wanted to pretend like I was the one that gave you that plushie.

Iori Izumi: I don't know why you feel this much of a need to usurp your twin.

Riku Nanase: I mean it! There's not a single person who wouldn't be happy if their present was received like how you received that plushie.

Riku Nanase: God, Santa Claus, whoever. I think it'd make just about anyone feel on top of the world.

Iori Izumi: You're the one who's always smiling like that, anyway.

Riku Nanase: Huh?

Iori Izumi: Nothing. I was just thinking out loud.

Iori Izumi: Still, not even I expected my younger self to smile so earnestly.

Tenn Kujo: What made you look so sour all the time?

Iori Izumi: I don't look like this all the time. Just very often, especially around your younger brother.

Tenn Kujo: I don't know. You seem to give me plenty of sour looks, too.

Iori Izumi: Only when the cameras are off and you're acting like your usual, standoffish self.

Tenn Kujo: I'm not standoffish. I just take things seriously.

Tenn Kujo: So, how old were you exactly? When you stopped sleeping with this cutesy teddy bear, I mean.

Iori Izumi: ...How do you know I used to sleep with it!? Did my brother tell you?

Tenn Kujo: Most little kids like to sleep with a stuffed toy or two. Especially one that looks this fluffy.

Iori Izumi: I did enjoy that, myself...

Tenn Kujo: Riku never could've done that, though. His selection of bedtime toys was limited, so he didn't have attacks at night.

Riku Nanase: True.

Iori Izumi: Ah... I see... And you even seem like you'd have enjoyed these kind of fluffy toys...

Riku Nanase: Are you sure you're not just talking about yourself..?

Tenn Kujo: Riku. Were you lonely without plushies to keep you company?

Riku Nanase: Of course not. I had you, Tenn-nii.

Riku Nanase: I never felt lonely, even though I never got to go to school, or pet any cats or dogs.

Riku Nanase: When you were around, I was always happy and having fun. And I'm really grateful for that.

Tenn Kujo: Riku...

Riku & Iori: Tenn-nii...

Tenn & Riku: ........!?

Riku Nanase: W-what was that!? Why did you call him Tenn-nii, too!?

Iori Izumi: Because I knew that's what you were going to say. What do you think of my ability to predict you?

Tenn Kujo: You can be very strange, for someone so smart.

Iori Izumi: I could say the same about you. Don't you think you're being unusually soft on Nanase-san today?

Tenn Kujo: I guess so... I guess nostalgia's gotten the best of me.

Tenn Kujo: That'll happen when you reminisce about your childhood.

Riku Nanase: Maybe... I should just stick one of our childhood pictures on my face all the time...

Iori Izumi: You're an idol, so please don't start trying to censor your own face.

Riku Nanase: But I want Tenn-nii to be nice to me!

Iori Izumi: Of course yo do... Ah, by the way. Are you sure that picture you showed me at the dorm wouldn't be the best pick for you?

Iori Izumi: You know, the one where you're holding a Rabitty-kun doll. I think it'd work nicely, especially from a sponsor standpoint.

Riku Nanase: Yeah, maybe!

Tenn Kujo: I'm glad Rabitty-kun made a comeback. Toi Toi Toi was on the verge of bankruptcy before then.

Riku Nanase: They were?

Tenn Kujo: Yep. They released some low quality Rabitty-kun products, and were dealing with tons of customer complaints.

Tenn Kujo: It was damaging enough to their reputation that they had to sell the main office building and the CEO's house.

Iori Izumi: I see... I think the Rabitty-kun we had might've been one of the defective ones.

Iori Izumi: It made strange noises sometimes...

Riku Nanase: Yeah, I can kind of see why people would complain about their children's toys making creepy noises. They probably made lots of kids cry.

Iori Izumi: Still, it's incredible that they were able to bounce back and resume sales six years ago.

Riku Nanase: Wow... That company's sure had some big ups and downs.

Riku Nanase: Kind of like us!

Iori Izumi: Right... I do hope we can help them have a good anniversary.

Tenn Kujo: Yeah.

Iori Izumi: What sort of games did you two play when you were little?

Tenn Kujo: We played normally enough. Drawing, card games, things like that.

Riku Nanase: I couldn't get out of bed or move around much, so Tenn-nii would sing and dance for me.

Riku Nanase: We came up with lots of games where I sat still, while he moved around.

Riku Nanase: Like the Tenn-nii Robot!

Iori Izumi: The "Tenn-nii Robot"?

Tenn Kujo: Ah, I remember that one.

Iori Izumi: What kind of game was it?

Riku Nanase: I used this controller we made out of milk cartons to order Tenn-nii around.

Riku Nanase: And he'd do as I told him to. It was a lot of fun!

Tenn Kujo: Sure was.

Riku Nanase: Tenn-nii Robot, fire missiles!

Tenn Kujo: Boom!

Riku Nanase: Tenn-nii Robot, fire your machine gun!

Tenn Kujo: Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat.

Riku Nanase: Tenn-nii Robot, equip your lazer sword!

Tenn Kujo: Kwishuuuu, clink!

Tenn & Riku: It was so much fun!

Iori Izumi: Kujo-san...

Tenn Kujo: What?

Iori Izumi: You taught an innocent young child the joys of having Tenn Kujo at his beck and call? That should be a criminal offense.

Tenn Kujo: What are you talking about..?

Iori Izumi: You're exactly the reason why Nanase-san grew up to be so inhumanly naive and spoiled.

Tenn Kujo: Are you spoiled, Riku?

Riku Nanase: No! Hey, Iori..! Since when am I spoiled!?

Iori Izumi: Do you really have to ask? Today, you slept in so late that I had to help you pack.

Riku Nanase: How is that spoiled!? I just asked you for help! And you agreed to help me with my clothes, too!

Iori Izumi: I was worried we'd be even more late if I let you try and fail to decide on what to wear. You have no right to complain here.

Riku Nanase: I guess not, but...

Tenn Kujo: So, Iori Izumi's your stylist for today.

Riku Nanase: Do I look good?

Tenn Kujo: Sure.

Riku Nanase: Ehehe! You hear that, Iori!?

Iori Izumi: Of course you look good, with a producer like me. You should have more self-confidence.

Tenn Kujo: You two sure are close.

Riku Nanase: Yeah, we are!

Iori Izumi: How, exactly?

Riku Nanase: There you go again. Tenn-nii Robot, attack Iori!

Tenn Kujo: Kwishuuuu, clink...  

Iori Izumi: Urgh..! ...Please, do NOT try to stab me!

Tenn Kujo: Beep beep beep. Mission complete.

Iori Izumi: You of all people should know better than to indulge him!

Riku Nanase: Ahahaha! 

To be continued...

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 2x9 thoughts

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Coach Beard; he’s one of my favorite characters on the show, and he’s so well-written and well-acted that somehow I tend to be both perfectly satisfied with the details we see and truly curious to understand more about the way he thinks, what’s really happening re: his professional and personal devotion to Ted, where he comes from and where he’s going. I don’t need to know his name beyond the name he wants to be called, but I want to know why we don’t have any other names for him. And I don’t need him to be a bigger focal point of every episode, but I very much needed this episode’s world-exploding reminder that every single character on this show has a rich inner life, full of joys and troubles.

“Beard After Hours” is like a movie, but one that scatters its climaxes and puts off its resolutions...because it’s not a movie. It’s episode nine of a twelve-episode season of TV. When the episode ended, I felt this almost frantic “But he needed to break up with Jane for good before the end of the episode!” feeling. I was so pulled in by the idea of being able to tell an entire story in one night, of going on an odyssey alongside a complicated hero, that watching Beard and Jane find each other in that club felt as intense as the fact that we don’t know if Ted responded to Rebecca’s voicemail and we don’t know what’s going to happen with Rebecca and Sam and we don’t know who isn’t getting married and who is having a funeral in 2x10 (I mean, I have my strong suspicions, but still!) and we don’t know if Richmond will be promoted back to the Premier League. And on and on. I didn’t mind feeling desperate for the story to resolve even though I understood after thinking about it for ten seconds that of course it couldn’t resolve yet. Or ever. Or yet.

I’m a big fan of the TL episode recaps/reviews Linda Holmes writes for NPR, and I have to quote something from this week’s directly because it so perfectly explains my feelings:

The power of the scene where Beard dances in the club isn't that it's a beautiful romantic climax. It's that it's an explanation of why he cannot seem to extricate himself from this bad relationship. What makes the worst relationships so dangerous is that they have elements that feel good that are very hard to get elsewhere. Beard knows that; he tells it to God. What's concerning isn't that Jane makes the world seem more interesting; what's concerning is she's the only thing that does. That doesn't take away from the joy of the dancing; it just tells you that even happiness is complicated.

I love Holmes’ perspective here so much, because it articulates something I was struggling to figure out: how it can feel so legitimate, like such a (temporary but nonetheless powerful) relief, for Beard to find Jane in that club and to have this moment of euphoria as his night nears an end. How it is possible to experience that relief on behalf of a character while fervently wishing it could end differently, because it’s so clear from the abusive text messages and the toxic calls and the manipulative interactions that Jane is terrible to him and they’re terrible for each other. But Beard knows this. He knows it when he hugs Higgins in the parking lot after Higgins is honest with him in a way Ted and Rebecca and Keeley have not learned how to be, and he knows it when part of his prayer includes the clear articulation that Jane isn’t the cure for what “ails me.” He’s inching closer to greater self-knowledge just as Ted is.

And the two big resolutions that really, really needed to happen did. I didn’t know I needed Paul, Baz, and Jeremy to get to wrap up their own night out on the pitch at Nelson Road, but I did. It brought actual tears to my eyes. And the other resolution was Beard showing up with the other coaches’ coffees for their meeting to watch the game film. As interesting as it would have been to see what Ted would have done if Beard hadn’t shown up, I’m so, so glad that he did. He’s got a messed-up face and some truly epic pants on, but otherwise this is just Beard showing up for work, showing up for his friends. It was incredible to realize that Beard and Ted haven’t been exaggerating when they’ve referred to his sex-and-drug proclivities in the past. The night documented in 2x9 might have been particularly scary and violent and euphoric and awful and meaningful, but this type of all-night adventure isn’t a foreign concept for this guy. In all the other episodes of this show, when we see Beard we’re seeing someone who might have been out all night, who might have spent the hours the sun was down desperately pushing himself closer to whatever edges he could find.

I don’t really want to touch upon all the allusions in this episode. They are abundant, they are well-documented, and also I haven’t even seen the movie After Hours. I enjoyed this episode for its allusive qualities and I enjoyed this episode for what it was and I feel like I have to be at peace with the fact that I’m never going to pick up on every single reference on this show and that is okay.

So, yeah, if this entry on my tumblr dot com blog seems remarkably devoid of references and allusions, it’s not because I’m not into it but because I find it too overwhelming to actually write about.

Very into the Misplaced and Discovered box at the Crown and Anchor. (That’s what Mae wrote on the Lost and Found box at the pub, right? Whatever it is, it’s so funny.)

Beard hallucinating Thierry Henry and Gary Lineker was truly upsetting and a great indicator not only of how broken things are between the Richmond coaching staff right now but also how deep Beard’s self-loathing might go. If you’d asked me before Thursday if I thought Beard loathed himself, I would say no. That deepening of knowledge alone makes 2x9 worth it.

James Tartt and his friends in the alley. Such a nightmare. I go back and forth on how much of the night was real, and part of me has decided all of it is, short of the images of Henry and Lineker. (And even that is real to the extent that it was a way of articulating what was in Beard’s head.) But watching Beard in physical danger brought on by the same abuser who had him so upset in the first place. It was a lot.

I’m so excited that Paul and Jeremy and Baz got some spotlight this episode. It was so wonderful to see them out of the pub. I love that they ended up telling the Oxford snots who they really were. They got to see Beard going to bat for them and smoothing over the situation socially, and that actually made it more possible for them to end up being truthful about themselves. Because they have nothing to be ashamed of, and they deserved the magic of that night. (And for it to end on Nelson Road. Every feeling. Oof.)

I feel like I barely have anything to say about the trouser-mending lady or the many places Beard goes or his key-dropping or the nightmarish feeling of wanting to be home and being unable to be home. It all happened and we all watched it and again, it was a lot. But I do feel incredibly moved and fascinated by the fact that Beard very obviously still hasn’t been home when he brings in the coffee. He’s had to sleep at the club for Jane- and key-related reasons in the past, and this time it’s not that he’s slept there but it still feels like a kind of homecoming he was robbed of for the entire night. Ted and Roy and Nate are there. He’s gotten their coffee orders correct. Ted is growing and evolving (he wants to learn from what’s happened, he’s insisting upon it even when the others resist) but he’s done a really perfect (almost romantic in its loveliness) thing by presumably spending his evening following a breakdown of his own speeding up the game film to 10x speed and adding Benny Hill. Ted is not OK and Beard is not OK and Nate is not OK and Roy is pretty OK but could very easily be not OK because he’s just joined a coaching staff with a whole lot of not OK. But they all showed up.

I am very into the realism of the lights being off in the club other than the coaches’ office (@talldecafcappuccino pointed this out!), and the way we’re seeing their desks from a different angle because this episode is unfocused on Ted. It really added to the mindset of being hungover and exhausted and unable to go home or even to know exactly what home should be; even this warm, familiar place feels off even as it’s a relief to be back there.

I am excited to return to our regularly scheduled programming with the full cast of characters, but I really adored this episode for what it taught us about Beard and what it illuminated about the humor, pain, and complexity of each person who inhabits this universe. Beard may not be loud about his long-standing beliefs or about the things he’s learned, but there’s a lot happening in there and I appreciated getting to spend 43 minutes with him and (in the case of the ticket he scrawls on a piece of paper so the pub guys can get into Nelson Road) the moments he sets in motion.

[dreamerstreamer]

Office Lunch

Pairing: Quackity / Alexis x gn!reader

Summary: [Dream SMP!AU] Being vice president is far from an easy job, and it’s starting to take a toll on Quackity. Thankfully, you’re always there to pick him back up, again.

Warnings: some cursing, minor mentions of alcohol

Word Count: 2.7k

A/N: requested by the lovely 🐌 anon, who wanted some reverse comfort & fluff for big q! the story takes place during schlatt’s presidency, and also serves as a bit of a character study. i hope you enjoy!

The quiet ticking of the clock felt absolutely deafening in the barren silence of the office. You fidgeted your feet, your thumbs nervously tapping at the throw pillow at your side. Despite how plush and comfortable the couch cushions were beneath your thighs, they felt as stiff as rock digging into your skin. Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you sat up straight, your eyes glued to the clock as you stared down the taunting, ticking hands.

Were presidential meetings always this long? You were no professional, but employees still had a lunch break, right?

Sighing, you tore your eyes away from the clock on the walls, sweeping your gaze across the office. A tall window decorated the wall opposite from the looming mahogany door, the warm, midday sun washing the room with light. The bookshelf tucked away in the corner of the room was adorned with shelves upon shelves of files, alongside a framed photo of the Manberg flag. On the floor sat a deep crimson rug, the golden tassels brushing along the soles of your shoes.

It was a beautiful office, really. But it looked so much more dull when it was as empty as it was.

Your gaze flickered down to the container sitting on the coffee table in front of you, your lips curling into the smallest of frowns. So much for giving him a surpris—

All of a sudden, the office door swung open, slamming into the opposite wall with a loud thud. Jolting, you whipped your head up, your eyes landing on the huffing figure standing in the doorway. You watched as Quackity stomped across the room to his desk, his gaze stormy as his grip tightened around the already crumpled stack of files in his hand. He was practically seething as he dropped the stack of papers onto his desk, cursing loudly under his breath.

“What an ass,” he muttered, irritation lacing his every word. Reaching up, he tugged at his navy tie, the tight fabric unravelling around his neck. “Always keeping me late because he can't be bothered to show up on time.” His scowl deepened. “That lazy piece of sh—”

“Alex?”

Quackity froze at the sound of your voice, whirling around to face you with wide eyes, his lips parted in shock. “[Y/N]?” he whispered.

You lifted your hand in a shy wave, offering him a sheepish smile. “Hi.”

His lips split into a wide grin as he strode over to you, crouching down next to you. “What are you doing here?” he breathed, his bright eyes scanning yours. “Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy to see your beautiful face, but you're here.” He gestured vaguely to the space around him, his eyebrows knitted together. “In my office.”

Heat crept across your face at his words, something fuzzy and warm blossoming in the crevice of your chest. Bobbing your head, you reached across the coffee table to hold up the container you had brought with you, a glimmer of hope flitting through your eyes. “Yeah! I, um, wanted to surprise you today, so I brought you lunch!”

Quackity blinked at you once. Twice. Then, he opened his mouth, an enamoured expression creeping onto his face. “[Y/N],” he said, gentle and soft, “have I ever told you how incredible you are?”

Your heart flipped in your chest, joy sparking in your chest like a firework as you shot him a cheeky grin, winking slyly. "You could stand to mention it more often."

He laughed at that, getting to his feet before settling into the space next to you on the couch, his side warm against yours. Leaning over, he rested his head against your shoulder, letting out a long sigh of relief.

“God,” he sighed, the tightness trickling out from his body as he melted against you, “I can't even begin to describe how happy I am you're here.” He glanced up at you curiously. “What did you make?”

You grinned, your fingers curling around the container lid. “I figured you would want something easy to hold that was still tasty, so...” The lid tugged open with a pop, revealing an array of sandwiches stacked next to one another, stuffed full with vegetables and spreads. “Ta-da!”

Quackity gasped, sitting upright to gape at the lunch you had made, elation shooting across his face. “Are you an angel?” he blurted, his mouth practically watering at the sight. “You must be a fucking angel, I swear.”

A giggle bubbled up in your throat, warmth fluttering in the pit of your stomach. “Last time I checked,” you hummed, gently nudging his shoulder with yours, “I was just the love of your life, but angel works, too.”

Quackity's eyes gleamed fondly, but you didn't miss the way his fingers twitched in anticipation. Tilting the container toward him, you smiled, amusement seeping into your voice. “Yes, you can eat.”

His eyes lit up like the sun, and you could only laugh as a “thank you” tumbled from his lips before he was grabbing a sandwich. As his teeth sank in for the first bite, his eyes fluttered shut and he made a pleased noise. In an instant, he was absolutely devouring the sandwich, his cheeks puffed with delight.

“This,” he said between bites, “is so good.” Swallowing the final bite, he reached over for a second, his tongue darting out to swipe at his lips. “I don't think I would mind eating this for the rest of my life.”

You flashed him a grin. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Leaning back against the soft cushions, you lifted a sandwich to your mouth, savouring the burst of flavour across your tongue as you took a bite. “By the way,” you said before you took another bite, casting a curious glance in Quackity’s direction, “how’s your day been so far? I missed you.”

In an instant, Quackity’s eyes went dark, the smile falling from his face as he let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Schlatt,” he said.

You swallowed, raising your brows at him. “Schlatt?” you repeated.

He deadpanned. “Is the fucking worst.”

You winced at the exhausted look that flitted across his face, setting your sandwich down on the container lid. “So, I take it your morning went badly.”

The groan that escaped his lips was absolutely gut-wrenching, frustration soaking into his every movement as he got to his feet, pacing around the room. “Like you wouldn’t believe. He cancelled two meetings—the first because he was hungover, and the second because he wanted to drink. Then,” he said, whirling on his feet with a glower, “when he did actually schedule a meeting, he was late.” He threw his hands up into the air. “Like, what the hell?”

Your heart churned in your chest at the sight of his irritated face, the bitterness in his tone winding rising higher and higher, filling the air like a dam that was about to burst. “Plus, he still hasn’t read the report I submitted last week, and also he interrupted me six times today.” He held up six fingers toward you, a deep scowl etched into his features. “Six! That’s seven times too many.”

You had half the mind to laugh at his words, but the sorrow you felt outweighed the flicker of amusement that shot through you. “And did I tell you that he made me make him coffee this morning?” He groaned again, his hands tightening into fists at his side as he collapsed back onto the couch, draping his arm over his eyes. “Sometimes,” he grumbled, “I feel less like a vice president and more like an unpaid intern.”

You shuffled closer to him on the couch, reaching your hand up to gently stroke his back. “I’m sorry that’s happening, baby,” your murmured, rubbing a soft, soothing circle around the base of his neck with your thumb. “Schlatt sounds like an awful boss.”

He whipped around to face you, a grimace stretched taught across his face. “He is!” he cried. “He’s such a fucking... dick! There are so many things I could say.” He lifted a hand, counting off on his fingers. “He constantly misses meetings, he’s always goofing off, and he’s always fucking drunk. It’s like he doesn’t even care about this country.” He sighed, dragging his hand over his face. “Like, why run for president if you’re not going to at least try to make a difference?”

Suddenly, he went quiet, his hand freezing around his chin. You watched as a cloudy fog passed over his gaze, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “God, am I making a difference?”

Your breath hitched in your throat as he turned to look at you, his heart hanging heavy in his lungs as you watched the gears turn in his head. “What have I done?” he whispered, his brows sloping downward. “I’m just helping push Schlatt’s agenda, whatever that is.”

He dropped his head, resting his elbows on his knees as he hung his face in his hands. “Why did I even support him in the election in the first place?” His voice cracked, and you felt your own heart cleave at the sound. “Seriously, just what the hell am I doing?”

A long, thick silence fell over the two of you, Quackity raised his head, turning to face you with a cloudy, broken gaze. “Maybe I’m just as bad as he is.”

The words were out of your mouth in an instant, a wave of protectiveness crashing over you and filling every inch of your being. “Don’t say that.”

He gazed at you sadly, regret flickering across his face. “But, aren’t I—”

“No,” you said, firmer this time, “you’re not.” When Quackity’s eyes went wide at your sudden shift in tone, your gaze softened, adding gently, “I swear.”

Pulling your hand away from his back, you let your eyes scan his doubtful expression, your lips pressed into a thin line. “People like having power, Alex. Physical power, bargaining power, political power—” You shook your head with a sigh, disappointment tugging at the back of your mind. “It can be obsessive, and a lot of the time, that power’s misused.” You sent him a knowing look, brows raised. “You would know.”

His lips twitched the tiniest bit, and he bobbed his head, almost as if there were a set of weights on his shoulders. “Yeah, I really fucking do.”

“But,” you hummed, a smile tugging at your lips, “it’s not always misused.” You leaned against him, your soft side pressing into his. “Look at you—you’re trying your hardest to make this country a better place, and that’s amazing.”

You felt him shake next to you, the fabric of his suit trembling against you. “But,” he said quietly, sounding so very unlike the bold, confident man you loved, “I’ve hardly been able to do anything.” He squeezed his eyes shut, sucking in a weary, ragged breath. “Everything I try to do just gets shut down, or pushed aside, or it’s not even looked at.”

You reached over, slipping your hand in his and intertwining your fingers together. “That doesn’t demean your hard work and effort, though,” you said softly. “I’ve watched you work overtime so many days in a row, and you’re always spending late nights at the office to pick up Schlatt’s slack.”

Your lips curled into a smile, genuine and fond. “You’re wonderful, Alex, and Schlatt is lucky to have you. You’re a wonderful vice president, and an ever better person.” Your eyes curved into soft, crescent moons. “Don’t put yourself down like that, okay?”

Quackity stared at you for a moment longer, then lowered his gaze to your connected hands, the light in his eyes flickering. “Even if you’re right,” he said quietly, “Schlatt’s still the one in power. He’s the one with the most control.”

You scooted a fraction closer to him, your knees brushing against his. “The thing about power is that one person hardly ever gets to keep it to themselves forever.” You reached your other hand up, pressing your palm to his cheek, his skin warm against yours. “Schlatt may be president now, but a new term will come soon, and he’ll be voted out, I’m sure of it. And when that happens, you guys will be able to turn a new leaf.”

You brushed your thumb over his cheekbone. “I believe in you.”

Another silence fell over you, but this one was different—it wasn’t tense or heavy like the last, weighing down on you like an anchor. Instead, a certain brightened bloomed across the room, and you watched with kind eyes as Quackity lifted his head, his eyes meeting yours with a serious expression.

“I love you.”

Your heart leapt into your throat, heat exploding across your face as your chest shook with a hazy whirlwind of emotion. “Wh—huh?” you spluttered, your face growing hotter by the second. “I-I love you too, but where did that come from?”

His hand squeezed tightly around yours, an ardent spark of affection springing inside him. “My heart,” he said honestly.

You couldn’t stop the smile from splitting across your lips, wide and bright. You opened your mouth to respond when, without warning, he was tugging you forward until you were pressed flush against his chest. Wrapping his arms around your waist in a tight embrace, he dipped his head down next to your ear and murmured, “Thank you, [Y/N].”

You blinked for a moment, then melted against him, resting your head on his shoulder as you snaked your arms up and around his backside. “For you, anything.”

For a long moment, the two of you simply held each other, nestled closely within each other’s arms. You let your eyelids fall shut as you brushed your nose against the side of his neck, inhaling his lingering scent of linen and lemon.

After a few minutes, you felt his breath tickle your cheek as he opened his mouth. “Hey, what time is it?”

You opened your eyes, your gaze darting to the clock on the wall behind him and squinting. “Um, quarter past one.”

Quackity’s eyes shot open to the size of saucers, and in a flash, he was scrambling off the couch, stumbling across his office to his desk. “Oh shit, I’m late for my next meeting!”

Your eyes widened as he quickly picked up a new stack of papers from his desk, grabbing a pen from his cup holder before slipping it behind his ear. While he balanced the mess of office supplies in his arms, striding back over to you, a flurry of swords tumbled from his mouth. “The sandwiches were fantastic, everything you said means the world to me, you’re beautiful, and I love you so fucking much.”

Your heart swelled in your chest, love rushing through your veins as you struggled to process his words. “I—”

All of a sudden, he leaned over the coffee table and pressed his lips to yours in a sweet kiss, pulling away just as quickly as he had arrived. “See you when I get home?” he said, his cheeks flushed a rosy pink.

Your head spun with dizzying waves of adoration, and you felt your own face grow warm with affection as you nodded hazily, offering him a wave. “See you then.”

The grin he flashed you made your stomach soar with butterflies, and in a whirlwind of papers, he was rushing out the door, his undone tie still hanging around his neck. The office door slammed shut behind him, and just like that, you were alone again, accompanied only by the ticking of the clock.

You let out a breath and pressed a shaky hand to your chest, feeling your heart thump against your rib cage. Sitting up, your eyes dropped down to your half-eaten sandwich still sitting on the coffee table. An image of Quackity flashed across your mind, and you couldn’t help but feel your lungs blossom with something that you were absolutely certain was love.

With warm sunlight caressing the side of your face, you picked up your sandwich and took another bite, a thoughtful smile gracing your lips.

Maybe you should bring him lunch tomorrow, too.

[ruki--mukami]

Birthdays...

A celebration for a birth of life.

Lukas rarely, if not, never actually celebrated a birthday party. Much less, his own. Although, his family would set up an event to celebrate it, it was nothing more than a peace offering to the kingdom rather than a vibrant and joyous celebration. Hence, the viper nervously fidgeted with the gifts he has in hand. Worried that he might somehow ruin this whole event for a dear friend; since he barely has any knowledge. Yet, he remained excited, looking forward to see Ruki's face as he showers him with gifts once more.

Upon his arrival, Lukas adjusted his outfit before raising a hand to knock against the entrance door.

Once opened, Lukas smiled brightly at the birthday man and immediately cheered a greeting.

"Happy Birthday, Ruki!" He exclaimed, chuckling as he went in for a hug, ignoring any protests as he soon pulled away.

"Surprise! Shiny Gyarados Lukas has come to celebrate your birthday with you!" He grinned, showing off his pokemon jacket with glee.

"Let's go inside! I have a bunch of gifts I want to give you." He grabbed the Vampire's wrist and dragged him inside, kicking the door closed behind him as he led the other towards the dining area. He settled Ruki onto a chair and began digging into his bag like Santa Claus on Christmas.

"First thing's first, it has to be a cake, right? " Lukas said, pulling out a box of the said sweet and presented it in front of Ruki, "Kei baked the cake, and I decorated it myself. It's a team effort and our first gift to you. "

"Oh! Oh! It needs a candle, right? I think I brought one with me..." Lukas looked into his bag once more, pulling out a candle that he placed into the cake, lighting it up with a lighter he brought along with him.

Taking a deep breath, Lukas began to clap in rhythm.

"Zum Geburtstag viel Glück! Zum Geburtstag viel Glück! Zum Geburtstag liebe Ruki... Zum Geburtstag viel Glück!"

With a small cheer of celebration, Lukas urged the other to blow the candle and make a wish. Such a childish and innocent act, but it filled Lukas with joy celebrating a birthday party with a dear friend. Although, he felt embarassed that perhaps he might be doing this wrong, he only strived to make the other happy.

"Now onto your gifts! It isn't as much as Valentine's but..." He took out his first gift, "I wanted to give you something that reminds me of you a lot more. And perhaps, something memorable." He handed over a plush toy of Tauros, a pokemon Lukas associated Ruki with during their gameplays. Just like how the other associated him with Shiny Gyarados with his.

"I know you might not be a fan of such a thing, but don't you think it's rather adorable?" He chuckled, "Think of it as a memento of our pokemon gameplays. Besides, I think it's only fitting you have one, considering you gave me a plush toy before. It's only right if you have too. " He grinned.

"As foe your second gift, " He pulled out a can from his bag, "I heard and noticed that you rarely have any puzzles that have color in them. And so, " he handed the can of 1000 puzzle pieces, " I thought I should buy you one, and perhaps, we can piece them all together later. To commemorate our first game together, something you've shown and taught me. " He smiled.

"And lastly..., " Lukas fished out a small box, "While I know you would never wear something like this, I just thought that it's quite fitting. " He chuckled, handing over the box of earrings; a pair of puzzle pieces, although, there was only one, "I find it really adorable the other day! What if you wear one of the earrings and I wear the other? It would be like some form of friendship bracelet but in earring form instead! Isn't it adorable? "

He stayed silent for a while, a soft smile on his face.

"... Ruki, " he called out, "... Ever since I met you... Life suddenly seemed a lot more colorful than before... Does that make sense? I always viewed the world in black and white... Dull and lackluster... But ever since our encounter, everything just seemed a lot more brighter and enjoyable. Everyday, I look forward to meeting you. Be it just to annoy you or genuinely wanting to spend time with you. Even when we're apart, I always try to find ways to be able to talk to you. And though I admit, that it can be quite annoying, I truly enjoy spending time with you. " He grinned, " You've became a light in my life, someone I look forward to wake up to... Happy Birthday, Ruki. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for being born. "

Just another typical day, carried on in the wind, fleeting and evanescent. That's how Ruki saw his birthday. That's how any Vampire saw their birthday after centuries of life.

That is, until an unexpected knock against the front door echoed from the entrance of the Mukami manor. Puzzled and a bit suspicious of the visitor, he hesitantly greeted the individual on the other side, maelstrom blue eyes widening in shock from the odd, albeit familiar, costume his so-called 'best friend' donned that immediately brought forth memories of their time playing video games together on a whim.

Memories of days that soon became so dear to Ruki, no matter how childish or silly it seemed at first.

Once again, the Vibora carried various extravagant looking gifts in hand, reminiscent of other special occasions they celebrated together, even if he himself didn't view anything special about today.

"Lukas…?"

A slight gasp escaped his lips as the other threw his arms around him, sparking a million strange feelings within the Vampire. Not wanting to offend, he reluctantly gave him a light pat on the back in return, although he still remained quite astonished from sight of it all.

"What is that ridiculous jacket you are wearing? Good grief, you never cease to surprise me… I don't know how it is with the Viboras, but Vampires don't typically celebrate their birthday. That being said, you really didn't have to arrange all this. I feel indebted to you even more than before when you come bearing all these gifts. Unsolicited, nonetheless."

Without warning, the viper pulled him into his own house, shoving him into the dining room as if ignoring everything Ruki just said. Adamant and determined as ever, Lukas certainly didn't let up. Ruki could only let out a defeated sigh, watching the other rummage his bag with an unamused, yet curious gaze, wondering just what could be sitting inside.

A colorful, pastel cake came into view, sloppily slathered with frosting, though it was obvious both of the von Alischer twins worked arduously on it to please the Vampire.

"What on earth… Lukas, you look like you turned the cake into more of your personal canvas than anything. What did you do, test out every bag of food coloring on the frosting?" To no avail, he failed to stifle a chuckle as the image of the eldest snake clumsily holding a piping bag popped into his imagination. "Regardless, you have my gratitude. Please pass along my thanks to Kai as well."

Then, the snake pulled out a candle. Was he seriously expecting Ruki to blow it out and make a wish? He could only watch Lukas clap and sing in his mother tongue, lively and animated as always, with a cocked eyebrow and somewhat bewildered smirk, nearly tempted to join the rhythm with his own applause out of pure mockery but deciding not to do so after seeing how genuinely Lukas strove to make this moment memorable for him.

Really, how absurd… I can't believe you sometimes.

Now that he stared off into the crimson red of his Gyarados jacket, it certainly reminded him of his delectable blood. Surely that would taste better than any cake, Ruki thought to himself. However, it was underneath the hood that made him lost in thought, tuning out the German lyrics to Happy Birthday as he recalled the time he and Lukas spent together until now.

White hair framed his face perfectly, angelic in appearance, similar to that of snowfall. Beautiful to gaze upon, yet melting in an instant. Barren, stagnant, as if forgetting what color it should be. Frozen and petrified in place like the clock stopped ticking only for Ruki as the birthday candle's light burned and flickered.

Indeed, he felt precisely as such before the snake slithered into his life. Never would Ruki have imagined that day they met, the day when Lukas completed the puzzle against all odds, would blossom into such a surprisingly enjoyable relationship.

Although the snake oftentimes got on his nerves, each moment with Lukas had Ruki waiting in anticipation for what was to come next, granting him a renewed purpose. Caught by surprise, soul trembling, undead heart threatening to skip a beat, just like that time again…

...Except this time, Ruki was the one who finally found the missing piece.

People blow out birthday candles to commemorate their wishes and prayers, right?

If so, then he didn't want their time together to melt away. He didn't want their memories to blow out like an ephemeral wisp. Thousands of mornings yet to rise, urging him for something more, yet he didn't know how, or what, to answer in return. Until now, he usually let those thoughts vanish like a dream, bidding them farewell and waving them away without hesitation.

But for once, Ruki felt selfish. Staring into the other's radiant red eyes before looking down at the cake, he hoped for something futile.

As the German lyrics to the Happy Birthday jingle neared its end, Ruki internally wished to spend more birthdays with Lukas like this. Not just birthdays, but many more years to come.

He wished that one day, after his matters with the Vibora kingdom were resolved and settled, that they could be together forevermore.

With that, he blew out the flame.

"…Thank you, Lukas. You really are… Fascinating, to say the least. Truly, I'm unsure of what to say right now, other than it feels like I've learned more about you just from today. I can see now that you're the type who always goes above and beyond. First Valentine's, now this."

One by one, Lukas brought out more of his birthday gifts. A Tauros plush to symbolize their Pokemon journey, a colored puzzle set to end his streak of all-white jigsaws, and what appeared to be friendship earrings. How peculiar indeed.

First, he took the plush with a hesitant grin.

"Heh, I suppose it is adorable, though that's not the initial thought that comes to mind. It looks angry and fed up. Is that how you think of me, Lukas?" He teased jokingly. "Kidding. Stuffed animals are not my cup of tea, but since you went out of your way to get this for me, I'll be sure to cherish it and think of you."

Next, he took the can of puzzle pieces. When the Vibora proposed they assemble it together, he honestly looked forward to it, though he could never admit such a thing openly.

"You're just in luck. I don't have much planned for my birthday anyway, so in other words, there is more than enough time to complete this puzzle with you and then some. Normally I'd invite you to share the cake your brother baked alongside me, but I know you're strictly carnivorous, so why don't you stay for dinner instead? I've grown accustomed to cooking my own birthday meals as is. How does karaage sound?" He showed the other an expectant smile. "It'll be just like our first sleepover."

Last, but most certainly not least, were the matching earrings.

"Hm, you're right, I wouldn't wear something like this." Despite that, he took off the earrings he already had on and replaced it with the puzzle one in its stead after unraveling it from the packaging. "But, since you've gone through the trouble, I suppose I'll wear it for you. Just make certain that you wear yours too, is that understood? I can't be the only one going out like this."

The final nail in the coffin was Lukas and his unexpectedly heartfelt words. He never would've guessed he could change someone else's life in such a way, much less introduce them to a whole new spectrum of color the same way Lukas did for him. Being thanked for his very birth was something unpredecented, words Ruki never counted on hearing.

"Lukas, you've exceeded my expectations in every way. Truth be told, I could say the same for you. Sometimes everything goes so quickly that it feels like a blur, and sometimes you get on my nerves, but I promise you can always rely on me. When we first met, I didn't know what to think other than to be cautious of the snake before my eyes. We may be from completely different worlds, and life might throw obstacles at us out of left field, but through it all... I somehow feel very much at ease when I'm with you, Lukas. You may be right. Perhaps I was once lonely and brooding, I'll admit. It's just now dawning on me that this is the first I've celebrated my birthday with someone outside of my family. So, from the bottom of my heart..."

Ruki pulled him in for a hug, giving him a few comforting pats and rubs, treasuring the man in his embrace more so than any of the tangible gifts he received for his birthday.

"I'm grateful to you, Lukas. You are such a loyal..." he hesitated for a moment, "friend. I may be easily annoyed but I don't want you to ever change your ways. I want you to always be you, no matter how overfamiliar and optimistic you are. If I saved you and served as your light in life, then it's only because you've killed the dark in me with yours. Thank you. Thank you for making this a birthday I won't ever forget. Thank you for everything," he finally released him. "Now, then. Those puzzles won't solve themselves. Show me more of your seismic senses, won't you?"

[lancermylove]

Geostigma (Oneshot)

Fandom: FFVII

Pairing: Rufus x fem!Reader

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon

Prompt: Ff7 Rufus oneshot request please!!! ACRufus with geostigma. He was once high and mighty but now is a hot shot president who’s fallen from grace. He’s really sick with geostigma (not terminally but needs to act like it is). Scenario of the girl he’s been secretly pining over volunteering at the recovery unit he’s staying at. He’s super conflicted because he wants to talk to her but at the same time doesn’t want her to see him like this. He also doesn’t want to expose his identity as shinras president and doesn’t want to lie to her pretending to be terminally ill with geostigma even though he is legimately suffering from it. What do you think??? Hope this works and makes sense!!! All good if you can’t do it though!!!

A/N: Anon, this was one of the most challenging pieces I’ve written. Keeping Rufus in character while showing his soft side was an enjoyable challenge, so tysm for sending in this request! 😁 I really hope you like it~. 

Word Count: 1967

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In this place, status didn't matter - the rich, poor, females, males, old, young, and kids were all suffering in equal agony. The stigma didn't discriminate. Shinra had grown tired of seeing the same view every day. White walls, white beds, white machines - who chose this design? He couldn't have been more thankful for the hooded cloak, as the darkness had never felt so comforting. For the longest time, the president only saw the world in two colors, white of the recovery bay and black within his hood. That is until you came around and added color to his colorless world.

After losing a dear friend to the stigma, you became a volunteer at that facility. You had seen your friend suffering and wanted to help others, even if it means only making them smile. Though that may not seem much, you knew a smile meant the world to a person who was suffering. For the longest time, Rufus watched you, curious as to why you wanted to volunteer, considering most volunteers were older men or women and military personnel. You seemed like nothing less than a rose in the middle of a battlefield.

Slowly, he noticed the change in the recovery bay - the atmosphere seemed a lot brighter, even more so than the blinding whiteness of the room. Was it your effect? You brought thoughtful gifts for your patients, made them feel comfortable, and gave them the energy to push through their pain. Were people really like this or were you just an angel?

In Shinra's world, the word kindness didn't exist. His father taught him to control the world with money, but he changed money to fear. After observing you, he realized that even kindness could control the emotions of people. The blond-haired man chuckled to himself - what a twisted way to look at a positive emotion. He was sure if you heard his thoughts, you would hate him.

"Hm?" Shinra was surprised at his revelation. Why did he care what you thought about him? Never once in his life had he cared for what people thought about him - had he cared, he would not have committed such nefarious deeds. How peculiar.

That night as everyone slept, Shinra pushed his wheelchair to the only window in the large room. Though there were no visible stars, the moon shone proudly through a veil of ominous clouds. Rufus wasn't sure why he was having such a difficult time sleeping. Was it the constant throbbing from the infected area, or was it due to the heavy yet sweet pain weighing down on his chest?

"You are still awake?" He heard a shaky voice coming from the bed on his right. The voice belonged to the oldest patient in the room - the man that didn't much time left in this accursed world. 

Shinra didn't reply, prompting the man to continue talking, "Seems like something is bothering you."

"Tell me, have you felt an indescribable feeling that is troublesome yet pleasant?"

The elderly man laughed softly and turned his body towards the wheelchair, "That feeling is generally associated with love."

"I don't have the luxury to love," his dry chuckle echoed inside his hood. "I hail from a world where I am cursed to sit on a throne, surrounded by naught by darkness."

"Child, no one lives in a world like that."

Shinra turned his head slightly in the direction of the man and said, "You would not say such words if you knew my identity."

"You are Rufus Shinra," the old man mumbled under his breath, not wanting any prying ears to hear. "I never agreed with your methods or ways. I also blame your company for harming the Lifestream as well as the people."

He paused for a moment and exhaled softly, "Sitting on a lonely throne surrounded by the dark was your choice. The only way to get rid of the darkness is to open the curtain and let the light flood inside. Take some advice from an experienced old man: love while you have the chance. I know this sounds cliche, but there is nothing better than being with the person you love. Nothing will bring you more joy, not money, manipulation, and sitting on an expensive throne."

"Seems as though you have loved before."

The white-haired man closed his eyes and forced a smile, "I did but never told her. I left gifts and notes for her, and by the time I gathered enough courage, it was too late. She was engaged to someone else."

Shinra didn't need to look at the man to know he was in pain. Another sigh escaped his quivering lips as the he continued his tale, "I eventually got married and was lucky to have a kind wife. Though I learned to love her, I was not able to fully give my heart to her. That is the only regret I have. If only I could tell her how I felt about her..."

"Where is she?" Rufus asked, unsure as to why he was interested in the man's story.

"Somewhere far away," he promptly replied and changed the topic. "Mr. President, give that young woman you love a chance. Even if she rejects you, you won't regret hiding your feeling."

"Would any woman wish to be with a man in my current state?"

"She won't mind, especially if you manage to win her heart. Besides, she is a kind woman, and if she was the type to judge, then she would not be here helping us," he chuckled, knowingly.

Shinra laughed, not caring if his voice woke the others, "You are quite a sharp man."

The old male grinned, "Now, get some rest, and let this aged man sleep."

The following day, as Rufus debated whether or not to tell you, he heard rushing footsteps of the doctors and nurses. Within a few minutes, numerous people gathered around the elderly man's bed - the same man he had a conversation with the previous night. Silence filled the entire room, except for the occasional beeping of the heart monitors.

Shinra watched from under his hood as one of the doctors pulled a white sheet over the man's face before transporting his body out on a stretcher.

"Rest well, old man," he whispered, letting the words disappear into the darkness of his hood.

You dragged yourself into the room with a heavy heart. It didn't take a genius to deduce the reason behind your downcast mood. Rufus quietly watched you trying your best to smile and cheer up the other patients. When you came to check on him, he observed you for a moment before taking hold of your hand. "It's alright to be sad."

You stared at him speechlessly, not only surprised that he saw through your façade but also because this was the first time he spoke to you. Averting your eyes, you whispered in a drained voice, "I can't let the others see me sad."

"I care not for the others...only you."

Your eyes widened by his unexpected words. "W-Why?"

Rufus stayed silent for a bit as he recalled his conversation with the old man.

"Mr. President, give that young woman you love a chance. Even if she rejects you, you won't regret hiding your feeling."

"Would any woman wish to be with a man in my current state?"

"She won't mind, especially if you manage to win her heart. Besides, she is a kind woman, and if she was the type to judge, then she would not be here helping us."

"I have never felt such emotions, nor have I used such words, but," he whispered gently, surprising himself, "I have not met an angel before, but now, I know what an angel would look like. I wish the angel would learn to be selfish though and think about herself once in a while."

A giggle escaped your lips, "Mister, are you flirting with you, or do you like me?"

Shinra chuckled, keeping his head down as to prevent you from seeing his face, "I am merely trying to get you to smile, and it seemed to work. Also, I do not have the luxury to like anyone."

"Why do you say that?" You asked, confused.

"You would not be asking me such a question if you knew my identity."

"Rufus Shinra? The president of the Shinra Electric Power Company?"

Rufus was speechless, an occurrence that didn’t happen often. You gently squeezed his hand to get his attention and asked once again, "Why don't you have the luxury to love?"

"Miss, take a look around you. The Shinras are responsible for this - first my father, then I. Though I possess power and money, I lack a heart," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You were trying to make me smile because I was sad, right? You empathized with me, so that means you have a heart."

Shinra chuckled, "Then let me ask, would you love a man with a dark past? A man who lacks humanity and is selfish."

"Mr. Shinra, are you asking me out?" You teased, not wanting to answer his question at that moment.

"And if I am?"

"Great. Where would you like to go?"

Under his hood, Rufus hid a rare expression - eyes wide, cheeks slightly red, and mouth ajar. Within moments, his laughter echoed through the room, surprising everyone. That was the first time in his life he has laughed openly; had you told him a year ago that one day he would laugh in such a manner, Rufus would have called you insane.

"You are truly a strange one."

You giggled in response but didn't say a word. Rufus wondered what you were silent as he couldn't see your expression from within the darkness. Bending down to his level, you cautiously brought your hands closer to him and lowered the cloth hiding his face. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw him; you had heard women mentioning that Rufus was a handsome man, but you weren't expecting him to be drop-dead sexy. Shinra stared at you with a smirk as your cheeks slowly started to glow red.

"My dear, are you not feeling well? Your cheeks seem a bit too red," he teased, earning a pout from you. "Do my bandages bother you?"

"You even make the bandages look good," you absentmindedly replied. "Uh...I mean-"

Before you could retract your statement or give clarifications, Rufus sealed your lips with his. Everyone in the room started clapping and cheering the two of you on. Though you were embarrassed, a warm smile danced on your lips. As you scanned the smiling faces of all the patients in the room, Rufus stared at the empty bed by the window.

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

The two of you had been together for a while, and Shinra had made a full recovery. The situation in the city was improving, all thanks to the mysterious healing rain.

"Rufus, what are we doing here?" You asked as your wrapped your hands around his arm tightened.

"It will only be a moment," he chuckled and freed his arm from your tight grip before making his way to a dilapidated tombstone. Shinra placed a bouquet of white Forget-Me-Nots in front of the grave and whispered solemnly, "These are from a man who wished to tell you that he loved you dearly. His only regret in life was not confessing his feelings to you."

"Rufus?" You asked, taken aback by his words and actions.

"My dear, do you believe in the afterlife?" He questioned curiously.

"There has to be something after death, so yes."

The corners of his lips slightly tugged up, "Then I hope the old man was able to meet her and confess his feelings."  

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➣ FFVII Masterlist ➣ Buy me a Ko-fi? ➣ Commission: Open || Requests: Closed

[kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay]

Mischief and Teaching

(or "teaching mischief"?)

Summary: You have a natural talent for Seidr, the magic of the nine-realms. When your powers grow out of every teacher's control, your parents seek help at the palace. Will you find a teacher?

Pairing: Loki x fem!reader

Word count: 1.7k (God, I was so worried I would end up with more than the word count allowed, but I thankfully managed. Phew)

Warnings: 18+ even though there's nothing for this. All my work and my blog is 18+, Minors dni. Apart from that, there's a lotta fluff and humor in this one.

Author's note: This is my first submission for @syntheticavenger's 5K Follower Celebration "How it started - How it's going" Challenge! It's a really cool drabble challenge. Find the post about it here and check it out.

The prompt I received was: "Loki/'Magician's' Assistant'"

Now, I admit that had a lot of smutty potential but for once in my life my brain decided to go down the funny, fluffy road instead of the angsty, smutty one. There's gotta be a first time for everything, huh?

...

How it started:

“No, mother. I don't have the need for an assistant and neither do I want one. I work best alone,” Loki said, voice tight as he tried to keep his tone polite but firm.

But Frigga kept nagging. She wouldn't be the Queen of Asgard if she gave up simply because someone had told her no. Looping her arm through Loki's she pulled him close to her side as they walked through the corridors of the palace.

“She wouldn't be only your assistant. You would also be her teacher,” she replied and steered him down a wide hall, smiling politely at the Lords and Ladies passing them.

“I don't have the desire to teach anyone. I'm certain she can find someone to teach her elsewhere,” he dismissed.

“I'm not telling you to commit to anything just yet. I merely want you to meet her. She and her parents travelled all the way to the palace to request our help in this matter,” his mother said in an attempt to appeal to him.

Loki sighed, barely keeping his eyes from rolling back in his skull in annoyance.

This girl his mother kept talking about was the daughter of a lowly Lady and her wife. They came from the furthest branches of Yggdrasil all the way to the golden palace just for an audience with the queen.

Frigga was widely known for her magical powers, so she was the first person the family turned to. People rarely requested audiences with the Queen. Usually it was Odin who attended to any matters brought to him by the Asgardian citizens.

Loki felt a spark of satisfaction at the thought of Odin's irritation when someone asked specifically to see Frigga and not him. He was so entitled to his position of Allfather and King of the nine worlds, he couldn't wrap his head around the possiblity that he wasn't all-knowing and not fit for every task.

It was that brief moment of petty joy over his father's irritation that made Loki reconsider his options. Sure enough he was known for his magical powers, even if not as renowned as Frigga. But either way, it gave him something he could hold over Odin's head, something he was able to do neither the old man nor his golden haired brother could.

This opportunity might open up new doors for him in the future and help him build his reputation to, in the end, rise above Odin and his childish ploys or Thor and his brute strenght.

“Fine, I will agree to meeting her, nothing else,” Loki gave in. His lips twitched into a little smile when Frigga smiled up at him widely and squeezed his arm with hers.

“That is all I wanted to hear. I am certain you will like her,” his mother said cheerily and pulled him along into the direction of the potion room where she had told the girl to wait with Thor to keep her company.

“Tell me what I have to know about her, mother. I want to know who I am talking to before I face her,” Loki said just as they rounded another corner and drew closer to the room the girl and his brother were waiting in.

“The girl's mothers are Ladies of lower nobility. Their daughter always seemed to have an affinity for Seidr, but the last years her powers grew and became harder to control. They tried to find teachers to help her, but no one could handle the extent of her powers. They were at their wit's end and the last resort they could think of was the palace. They hoped to find help here, so they came and requested an audience to explain their situation,” Frigga informed him.

“So she's powerful? How powerful exactly?” Loki asked, diggign deeper to get all the information out of his mother he could.

“Powerful, yes. You'll see for yourself. But she's inexperienced. Not one of her teachers could keep her contained for long. She needs someone who is able to hold a candle to her and I daresay you are fit for the job,” his mother answered before finally stopping in front of the room the girl was waiting inside.

-

You heard voices outside the door and started to panic.

The room was a mess, potion ingredients strewn across the floor, broken vials and furniture scattered in the whole room. Your magic was nervously swirling around and inside you, waiting to be used, to help, but unable to because you didn't know how.

“My Lady!” Thor boomed in front of her, his voice nasally and laced with panic. He was sitting on a small stool, his huge frame curled on top of the tiny piece of furniture. “Fix this, quickly! Before they see and-”

His words were cut off by the creak of the double doors.

Silence filled the room and you turned around slowly, face growing hot as you saw the other Prince and the Queen taking in the mess. Their gazes simultaneously moved from their surroundings to you and you cleared you throat as you curtsied awkwardly.

“Your highness, my prince,” you greeted them and then continued to introduce yourself. Maybe you could salvage the situation with your more or less decent manners. But before you could set off to a lenghty apology, Queen Frigga tilted her head to the side and tried to get a look at her blonde son hiding behind you as much as his broad frame allowed it.

“Thor? What in Asgards name are you doing hiding behind our guest? Step up and explain what caused this chaos,” she demanded, her voice not allowing any protest.

You stiffened when you heard Thor get up from the stool and step next to you. You could see him in your periphery and had do bite your cheek to keep from breaking into laughter. Keeping your gaze carefully trained on the pair standing in front of you, you waited for someone to break the stretching silence.

What you saw as you watched the pair surprised you.

Frigga's lips curled up into a smile and she quickly reached up her hand to hide the curve of her mouth behind her palm. The Prince was staring at his blonde brother, lips slightly parted and eyes wide. Then his lips, too, curled up into a smirk, but unlike Frigga he didn't bother to hide it.

“I, uhm... I was just curious and wanted to see what she could do, so we...well,” Thor stuttered trailing off when Loki started chuckling and Frigga cleared her throat in an effort to conceal her laughter. She looked at you and nodded, giving you permission to talk.

“Well, your highness,” you started, laying out your words in a way that would shift most of the blame to Thor. “Prince Thor was curious about my magic, as he said himself and asked me to show him what I was able to do. I declined politely, knowing I am not fully the master of my Seidr but he kept nagging me and gave in. It would be rude to deny a Prince, I thought. So I tried my best, I really did, but... I didn't go that well.”

“Obviously,” Loki stated, gesturing vaguely at his brother whose head at this point had turned crimson. It clashed horribly with the bright purple trunk that grew where his nose was supposed to be and dangled down all the way to his navel. The gigantic elephant ears sprouting from his head not all too unsimilar to the wings of his helmet were of the same vibrant colour.

The raven-haired Prince eyed you closely, his eyes narrowing a fraction. You did your very best to keep the amusement off your features, because really, Thor was just asking for it. He kept nagging you, getting on your nerves until you gave in and gave him a little show of your powers. It's not your fault you couldn't fully control them.

Despite trying very hard to look apologetic, you were sure Loki saw through right your facade going by the almost imperceptible upturn of his lips. He turned to his mother and nodded.

“I'll do it,” he said firmly and unhooked his arm from hers to approach you. He bowed down a little and reached out to take your hand. Bringing it to his lips, he brushed a soft kiss to it and smiled charmingly.

“It is very nice to meet you, My Lady. I have heard of your search for a worthy teacher. I am all too happy to offer you my services as your teacher and master,” he said pompously and you suppressed the urgle to giggle bashfully.

“It would be my pleasure to be your student,” you replied with a smile.

Loki nodded, more to himself than you and said, “You will make for a fine student and an even better assistant. I am sure of it.”

How it is going:

“Quick now! We have to be ready when he appears,” Loki called to you from the other side of the corridor.

You ducked into an alcove and got into position, sticking your head around the corner to give Loki a signal that you were ready. He did the same and then mirrored your movement, silently molding back into the alcove and cloaking his figure with an invisibillity spell he had taught you early on.

The two of you waited, hearts beating faster as excitement took you over, mixed with gleeful anticipation. Your Seidr twisted and twirled under your skin, almost making you vibrate with the contained power. And this time, you knew how to use it to your advantage, how to make it obey your commands and aid you in your often mischievous schemes.

'He's coming' Loki's voice sounded in your head and mere moments later you, too, heard the loud stomp of Thor's steps followed by his entourage of warrior friends.

You smiled gleefully.

'Let's turn him into a real elephant this time'

Loki's chuckle echoed in your thoughts.

'Shall we make him green?'

And again, congrats on 5K! That is such a huge achievement and you definitely deserve it, seeing how hard you work for it through all that content and amazing stories <3

'I'll leave that to you. I am open for anything. A pretty pattern would hurt either' you replied and then shifted into a more alert stance when Thor came closer. Your Seidr spiked with your excitement and when Thor reached the mark you and Loki had agreed on, you got to work.

...

There you go, my first entry! I hope you like it @syntheticavenger, it was a delight to write, hehe. 

[bravesung]

The events of the night before were JUST as crazy as he could have thought.. especially when it came to Yusuke. But it was not the typical bachelor party he's seen in movies. Hell they didn't even have a stripper, all the boys really done was enjoy a few matches of Sumo which was followed by a night of paintball. And as promised Yusuke had gotten him back to the church, just in time (Terry can also be around because he's the best man). The young man stood at his position where they've rehearsed and from here on out it was just a wait. The music began playing and before they knew it, here came Hanamaru walking side by side with her cousin Jin. Something happened the moment he saw her, his heart was overwhelmed with sch happiness, there wasn't no threat to the city, just him, her and their friends and family. She looks so beautiful and today is the day they will be bonded in matrimony. A moment he's been waiting for for months now, and now that it's here..and her in that dress, the blond couldn't help but shed more than a few tears. She was brought before him and he held her hand with a smile before things proceeded once more.

The Priest had done his job and they've arrived at the vows. Rock had something prepared of course. A light chuckle and grin appeared on his face before he took a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Hana, you've truly made me the happiest man in the world. I know this is cliche to say but life was truly dark before I met you. I've known a lot of things before I've met you. My mother has taught me the love a child can receive from a mother, an unconditional love at that. Terry showed me that a family isn't made of the people you were born with but the people you meet and through that I learned what it was like to have the love of a father, Jin of course whilst he wasn't too accepting of me I could tell that he loves you very much and yes eventhough we might still butt heads and have disagreements here and there, I still can't help but feel that this is what it's like to have a brother and then I met you through Sachiko. You know I can't exactly go through all of this without mentioning Sachiko..she might fire me." That was at least his attempted at a joke, now before one little sniffle he continues. "Sachiko unlike many people saw an outsider and decided to take a chance on me, regardless of my academics..when an establishment digs deep enough into my past they'll see something about me that makes me a professional liability..but not Sachiko. She doesn't always show it but there's a lot of love in that woman and kindness and believe me it doesn't exactly show all that easily, but it was because of her kindness I was able to meet you. I still remembered when I locked eyes with you, you were meeting up with Sachiko at table three and I instantly lost myself in your beautiful eyes and not to mention that smile. OH the kitchen staff told me to just forget the idea because of how important you were...but day in and day out you'd come back and hang out with Sachiko..if she didn't just make us greet each other I might have been admiring you from afar even today. But I'll always be grateful to her for introducing us..for that alone there will always be a place in my heart for her, like everyone close to me she's become my family too. Hana, after getting to know you, I jst wasn't aware a person could radiate such warmth, I've never had the fear and anxiety of loving someone else before I met you. Now with you the world is so much brighter, food tastes so much sweeter, you’ve truly given me an appreciation of life, you’ve filled me with so much joy and love that I promise to give you All of that and then some. Do you understand me Hana, from today for the rest of your life the only thing you have to do is wake up in the morning and from the moment you rise I will show you how you should be cared for, how you should be loved because you are more than just my girlfriend, fiancee or wife. Hana you’re more than my soul and my heart, you’re my very essence, you make me because I’m NOTHING without you! I vow to love you with all of my heart for the rest of our lives.”

[asktensei]

Previously on Tensei’s Birthday Bash:

“Love,” I tug your sleeve, “Is the option of going out still open?”

“Tensei, it’s almost midnight - we can’t go out now,” you retorted.

“I have a sudden urge to go to the beach,” I say, looking out of the window, “The sky looks amazing, doesn’t it?”

“I have to go to work tomorrow, honey,” you say, cupping my cheeks.

“Please, love… for me?”

.

.

.

You turned to face Tensei. You felt his grip on you tighten as you pressed your hands against his soft cheeks. You smiled, seeing him close his eyes and savour the small act.

How could you say no to him? Every single thing he does makes your heart leap. Even by just melting into your touch, all of your rationality is thrown out of the window - just to make this male’s wishes come true.

“You better make me breakfast tomorrow,” you whisper, trying to not break the tension you both built in this small haven.

“Come on, Y/N - it’s my birthday tomorrow! I’ll cook the day after.”

“I don’t care if it’s your birthday, you’re making me breakfast tomorrow,” you got off the bed and went to get your bag.

Once you got your bag, you turned to face Tensei.

God, this man is a literal baby.

“Fine, I’ll make breakfast tomorrow.”

.

.

.

You helped Tensei into his wheelchair and then proceeded to walk beside him, heading to the beach. You enjoyed the soft light hitting your skin, closing your eyes as you gripped the back of Tensei’s seat. A small hum left your lips as you took in the crisp, cold air of the night.

“I told you this was a good idea,” he said, a smug look painted on his face.

You looked at the dark-haired male, annoyed.

“I have work tomorrow, Tensei - I’m scared I might oversleep,” you say, sighing, “...but I do miss the beach.”

“It’s been a long time since we went to our little oasis, hasn’t it?” he said, happiness laced in his voice, “We made a lot of memories there, you and I.”

You smiled, reminiscing all the moments you’ve shared with the former Pro-Hero.

“Do you remember when you tried to burn that ice cream I was eating with your quirk?” you said, laughing, “I remember how disgusted you were when the cream actually entered your engines.”

He tried wiping the cream off of the metal piece but resorted to asking you since he couldn’t clean it properly.

“You remember when a crab pinched your cheeks?” He said, holding back his laughter, “You cried so hard.”

“You can only joke about that when you actually feel the strength of a crab with its claws,” you retort, annoyed by his actions.

“Hey, hey - Wasn’t I the one calming you down?”

He was. He ran to a shop nearby and got an ice pack to cool down your cheek. He sat beside you, rubbing your back as you cried due to the immense pain. He kissed you on your forehead in hopes of calming you down.

“You were - you always have been by my side, Tensei,” You say, ruffling his hair.

“Don’t plan on changing that anytime soon,” he replied, pulling on your sleeve.

You faced the male beside you and instantly you were in awe. The blue tone of the sky had perfectly painted itself onto him, the cool tones brightening his cerulean eyes. His hair softly swished against the strong winds, framing his face so well. You stared at his lips against the soft blue hue of the night. Even against the cold colours, the redness of his lips still managed to shine, making it look so soft.

“You okay?” He asked, worried.

Thank God he didn’t know how much you loved him under this soft light.

“I’m good, Tensei,” you say, turning to the road ahead of you.

.

.

.

You closed your eyes as you stepped into the sea, enjoying the feeling of the warm water brushing against your feet. The heat from the body of water warmed your whole body like a small blanket. You enjoyed the feeling of the soft sand against the soles of your feet, rubbing your skin like a massage. The fresh breeze hit your skin, waking your senses.

It felt as if you came home from a long day at work.

It was so relaxing, so calming.

You missed this - a lot.

You turned to face Tensei enjoying the sea as much as you did. His eyes were closed, taking in the salty yet fresh smell of the breeze.

The blue hues of the night painted his skin so well it was not fair. No one could deny how amazing he looked under the night’s palette - he carried it with such poise.

It was times like this where you were reminded how precious Tensei is. After all, he was the very person who taught you how to love.

His lips lifted into a smile as he opened them and saw you staring at him.

“I am just that good looking, huh?”

Scratch that - he was an annoying ass.

You stared at his legs your heart dropped.

This was the first time he’d ever come to the beach with his crutches.

You knew how much he loved the beach - he loved it even more than you.

He went on and on about his memories with Tenya, his friends and his personal ones that took place on the sand you stood on.

You knew how much he loved the beauty of this little oasis, but he could no longer enjoy it.

He was the one who brought you to this very beach, but could no longer feel the freedom it gave.

If he can’t stand by himself properly, he’ll stand beside me.

“Tensei,” you started, “Do you want to enter the waters with me?”

“I can’t, Y/N…” he trailed off, looking at his crutches.

“I only need to carry you to the sea. You know water buoyancy exists, right?” you remind him.

“But -”

“I’m coming there,” you say, getting out of the water and heading towards him.

You stood behind him, and slowly took his left arm off its crutch and placed it on your shoulder. You gripped his side, pulling him closer to you.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, Iida Tensei,” you say, laughing, “I’ve thought this through - it’ll work. Besides, you still have to get that right arm to work properly - you can do that, right?”

I like being the teaser once in a while, Iida Tensei.

“Stupid,” he chuckles as he turns to face the sea, “Let’s do this.”

“Ok! So there are roughly around 3 steps we need to do to reach the waterline. Once we reach there, you’re going to let go of your crutch and press your weight against me. I’ll carry you on my back and bring you into the water. From then on out, you just need to keep at least one limb on me. Clear?”

“Why don’t you just let me use my crutches until the waterline?” he asked.

Oh.

“I didn’t think of it,” you say, smiling in embarrassment.

“Dumb,” he teased.

“Hey! I could easily drop you here, you know?” You say, chuckling.

“You wouldn’t,” he said as he kissed your cheek.

Damn you.

“Okay, okay - let’s move,” you said, focusing on the mission at hand.

One.

“Damn, this is hard - why are you so weak, Y/N L/N?” Tensei said.

“Be careful, sir - your safety depends on me.”

Two.

“Why are you so heavy?” You ask, panting.

“I haven’t exercised in a long time and I eat a lot, I basically move using a wheelchair - you need more reasons?”

“Understood, sir.”

Three.

“Ok, we’re here,” he said, smiling.

“Yeah, yeah - smile. I have to literally carry you now,” you say, irritated.

“Hey! You suggested this, not me.”

“I did, didn’t I?” you say, sighing.

“How about I sit down on the sand first? After that, you can push me from the back?”

“Sir, have you heard of gravity?” you retort, “But sitting down for a while sounds nice.”

You gripped his sides tightly as you heard him drop the other crutch to the floor.

Time for payback, sir.

You immediately dropped him, making him fall on his behind.

“I did say your safety depended on me,” you replied, smiling.

“Oh?”

Oh, shit.

Using his crutch, he hit your calves lightly but just enough to make you lose your stability and fall face-first onto the sand.

“I’m still smart, you know?” He replied, smug laced in his voice.

“I’m sorry - weren’t you the one who forgot the existence of gravity?” You retort, rubbing off the sand.

“Holy shit, Y/N,” he began laughing at your sand-filled face, “Why don’t have my phone with me? I need to take a picture of you!”

This idiot.

“You got a lot of guts to do that to me now, don’t you?” you say, forming a plan in your head.

“Well, you wouldn’t kill me, so I don’t see you doing anything that bad to me.”

I guess it’s time to prove you wrong.

You hit the back of his head with your shoe, earning a groan from him. You then began to tickle his sides, causing him to laugh uncontrollably. You heard his pleas to stop, but you didn’t care - he asked for it.

“I guess,” giggle, “I need,” giggle, “Oh, never mind.”

He pushed his back onto you, making you fall back onto the sand.

“You like sand, don’t you, Tensei?” you say, kicking his thigh.

He pressed his hands on the sand beside the two of you and slowly got up. Then, he turned himself to face your body laid on the dry sand.

“Knockout!” he shouted, making you laugh.

“You’re really dumb.”

“Tenya is the smart one, not me,” he said, moving closer to you.

He laid back against you, pressing his head against your chest. You grabbed his hands, once again playing with his fingers. His right hand found its place against your left cheek, the pad of his thumb rubbing your cheek in circular motions.

“You are still extremely heavy,” you say, cutting the silence between the two of you.

“You do this to me all the time!”

“On the bed! Not at the beach,” you retort.

He chuckled, enjoying your irritated expression.

“I love this,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

“I do too,” you say, ruffling his hair, “Next time, you be on the sand though.”

Laughter erupted from the male leaning against you.

You looked at his joy-filled expression. You can’t help but wish that this man before you remains as happy as he looked right now - preferably against the blue hues the sky had to offer. You want him to stay in your arms as you relish the moments you are in his. You want him to enjoy the riches of life he has provided to multiple residents of Musutafu. You want him to live his life by your side as you shield him from the harsh words of others.

“Thanks for this, Y/N,” he said, moving upwards to kiss your cheek.

“Happy birthday, Tensei. I love you.”

“Thanks, Y/N. I love you, too.”

You both, covered in sand with slightly wet clothes, shared a kiss under the pale moonlight of the night as a blue hue dusted your skin - maybe with a dash of scarlet on his, too.

“Now that that’s done…” Tensei whispered.

You were pushed by Tensei into the sea. The body of water’s salty liquid entered your body through your nose and your mouth, filling your senses with nothing but disgust.

Yep - still the same, annoying guy.

[kourumi]

Ranni, Rennala, Malenia, and Morgott for the character bingo :3c

Under a cut since it gets long!

I have complete brain rot for Ranni. Love me a morally questionable, pretty schemer! The other day I realized her design reminded me of one of my favorite bosses from OG Demon Souls, the "Fool's Idol". So at least I'm consistent, lol. I do want to know about the snow witch that Ranni's doll form is based off of, since no other being that we encounter in game is similar in design.

She needs more screen time because I'm greedy and want more wife, I want more of everyone listed here really!! They're all so fascinating! The "technically canon" square is iffy somewhat, I apply it to the stuff she doesn't give details about and all the other muddled backstory interconnected to the world. I have my own theories on events, but other people's theories are also valid. It's the whole point of the story, piece your own puzzle together.

She's an amazing, tragic character and I'm glad she's ultimately left unharmed!

I think it would've been a neat idea that the more we use her services, the more that she starts regaining lucidity (like the white spider witch from DS1.)

Definitely want to know more about her ascent to Queen, the Luirnia wars and her family life. She's got a huge record of awesome achievements from the past, we need to know more!!

Both her forms are super beautiful and iconic! Even her moves have a fantastic beauty to them, so elegant and hypnotic. 

While I'm certain she has hidden depth to her, like all people do, I feel like the game gives us a very solid look at her character. We know her goals, who taught her to be a warrior, and she's much beloved by her soldiers. But that also fits into the wasted potential part, what else are we missing about her? If not for the rot, what more could she have become? Without her brother around, her dearest friend, she seems more hollow than any decay the rot brings. It's a shame she had no opportunity to bond with her daughters, I think that would've brought a lot of joy into her life.

I’m really tired of reading pissing matches about who's better between her and Radahn. They’re both cool in their own ways!

He's got a great skrunkly old man look! He's so tired of all the bullshit Tarnished showing up on his lawn. I almost feel like he should’ve dressed up some when you learn he’s the king (which makes some sense, he doesn’t want to get the nice shirts dirty. But maybe just a little fancy touch for dramatic effect!) 

There's a lot of unanswered questions about him! Did the twins break their own shackles? How did he become lord of Leyndell? He has serious inferiority complexes and I just want to give him a hug. On the “too little/too much screen time” square, I would trade the second fight on the outskirts of the Capital with a menacing conversation encounter, almost like when you meet Shabriri.  

The “done dirty” box is only halfway, because Morgott is very beloved here on Tumblr, but only gets a lot of “fuck you” on other social media.

[haikyuu-baes]

I always get excited when i see new haikyuu blogs!!! good luck with the blog! could i request an scanerio/fic with single dad kuroo falling for babysitting y/n? thank you!!!!!

Pairing: dad!kuroo x reader

Genre: fluff; the slightest bit of angst towards the end

A/N: hi anon baby !!! i’m so so so sorry it took so long to write and you’ve been waiting so patiently thank you ;alsdfj i hope you enjoy this fic (it’s my very first one so exciting !) thank you thank you for requesting !! xoxo, dani

“Hey, thanks for coming so last minute.” 

“Kuroo-san, it’s my job. You don’t need to apologize.” 

‘Yeah, but you might have had plans today-” 

“(Y/N)-SAN!!!” 

Kuroo was interrupted by his daughter running towards the door. He warned her to slow down before she trips but couldn’t help but smile when he saw how excited she was to see you. You got a call from Kuroo this morning asking if you could come babysit his daughter, Hana, as he was called into the office on short notice. You didn’t mind; you’ve been babysitting Hana for nearly two years. 

“Couldn’t be more exciting than anything we’ll be doing today. Isn’t that right, buggy?” 

“Yeah!” Hana agreed, jumping into your open arms. “(Y/n)-san, (Y/n)-san, can we go to the park today?” 

“We’ll see.” 

“Sweetie, go finish your breakfast.” Kuroo said. 

“Okay. (Y/n)-san, come eat with me!” 

“I’ll be there in a second.” you said, turning back to Kuroo. 

“I made breakfast for you too.” He said, suddenly. 

“What? Kuroo-san, you didn’t have to.” 

“I figured you didn’t eat yet.” He responded. “It was the least I could do for calling you last minute. Plus… She loves eating with you.” 

You blushed slightly, flustered at the fact that he made breakfast with your company in mind. After exchanging a few more words and wishing him a good day at work, you finally shut the door as his car pulled away from the driveway. Stop it, (Y/n), it was just so you can keep Hana company, you thought. Making your way to the kitchen, you saw Hana sitting at the table eating her food and that there indeed was a plate of food for you too. Hana brightened up when she saw you. 

“Your food is right here, (Y/n)-san! I helped Daddy make it.” 

“You did?” you smiled at the thought of Kuroo cooking breakfast with his daughter. 

“Yes! And Daddy also showed me how to make the coffee. He even bought your favorite milk!” 

“Milk?” 

“Yeah, the one you put in the coffee.” Hana got up from her seat to open the refrigerator and pointed to a small container of your favorite coffee creamer. You gasped, you probably only mentioned it once or twice in the time span that you knew him. 

“He remembered?” 

“Well, yeah.” Hana stated as if it was a matter of fact, going back to her seat. “Daddy always remembers everything about you. “

You stared at her wondering what that meant before shaking your head. Sitting down at the table, you listened to Hana tell you stories about making breakfast this morning and what she did with Kuroo the night before. Then the two of you decided on what to do for the day. Hana mentioned that Kuroo was going to take her to the park before getting called into work. As you talked, you couldn’t help but think about how great of a dad Kuroo was to Hana; always making sure she is happy. You could tell she was the number one person in his mind and heart.

Your work was surely easier thanks to him, too. He would make the cutest of lunches for her to take to school, always placing a little note with encouraging words, wishing her a good day and telling her how much he loved her. 

He would also have a whole schedule for you to follow so Hana could enjoy her day to the fullest between kindergarten and after school classes (such as English because Kuroo was so proud about her baby speaking another language), because he always mentioned how important it was for a child to enjoy their childhood. 

The thought made you smile and Hana looked at you curiously, a tiny smile on her lips.

After breakfast, you and Hana cleaned up while listening to music, laughing as Hana would sometimes pause to dance, her bright giggles filling the whole apartment as she provoked you to chase her. 

She was adorable and so beautiful. 

She looked a lot like Kuroo: long, pitch black hair bouncing around in pigtails, (that Kuroo had done, thank you very much), big golden eyes and delicate and elegant body, just like a little kitten. 

“Well now, are you ready to go to the park?” You asked, placing a piece of hair behind your ear as you tried to catch your breath after chasing her just like she wanted.

Hana jumped excitedly, not tired at all after running all around the house. “Yes, (Y/n)-san! Let’s go!” 

The two of you reached the park, Hana jumping for joy the entire time and talking your ear off. You didn’t mind. You couldn’t believe she was the same girl you met two years ago; when you first met Hana was painfully shy around you, hiding behind her father’s legs and barely talking to you during the whole day, until one day, after Kuroo left for work, you let out a soft sigh.

"That tie is horrible," you had said and were surprised when Hana giggled loudly from the couch where she was watching cartoons. 

"I told Daddy the same thing, but he said that's one of his favorite ties," she said, covering her mouth with her little hands. 

Needless to say, you both went to buy a new tie and get rid of that ugly one. 

Since then, Hana has shown you how talkative and funny she can be. And you couldn't help but grow to love that lovely girl…

… perhaps not only her…

"Ah, (Y/n)-san! Are you also tired? Your face is getting red!" Hana said and you tried to call down your heart pounding against your ribs. 

But now, she was laughing so carefree, dancing and then provoking you to chase her around the playground. And you gave in to her playful antics, running around playing some form of tag game, scooping her up in your arms every time you caught up to her, and relishing in her cheerful squeals and giggles when you twirled around and nuzzled your face into her neck. After a while of playing around, you sat down to take a short break. Opening the little bag of sliced fruits you brought for the trip, you and Hana shared a few slices before she went back to the playground. You watched her run around to her own little imagination for a few minutes before you heard your phone ringing. 

It was Kuroo. 

You didn’t know why you felt nervous to answer now. He’s called you multiple times before. But even though your heart was racing you were also excited to hear his voice so you answered the phone just as Hana was running back to you. . 

“Hi, Kuroo-san!” 

“Hey, (Y/n)-san. What are you two up to right now?” 

“We’re at the park. We’ve been here for a bit so we might head back home- I mean, to the house soon” 

“Oh, okay, fun! Is Hana there?” 

“Yes, she’s right here!” 

You quickly handed your phone to Hana and watched her walk off a couple feet while mentally slapping yourself. Why did you say that Y/n? This isn’t your home. And of course he’s going to want to talk to Hana, not you! You felt yourself becoming slightly pink in the face out of embarrassment and tried to calm down. Hana was running back to you. 

“(Y/n)-saaaaan! Daddy wants to speak with you!” 

You took the phone and heard Kuroo’s voice. “Hi, again.” 

He laughed and you were so distracted by the sound you nearly forgot to respond. “Hi.” 

“How are you doing?” 

“Well, we’re doing pretty good. Hana has so much energy but she’s having fun and doing great.” 

“That’s good to hear. But (Y/n)-san, I already talked with Hana. I want to know how you’re doing.” 

“O-oh. I’m doing… good.” You stuttered, a bit surprised that he was asking about you personally. “I’ve been running around all day but Hana looks so happy, it’s worth being out of breath for a bit.” 

“I don’t think I can tell you enough how grateful I am that you’re so good to Hana.” 

“Of course. I love seeing her happy.” 

“I’m serious. She’s extremely shy so she usually has a hard time opening up to people and making friends but the two of you became close so easily. She talks about you all the time and always looks forward to you coming over. She’s even started opening up a little more because of you. You’ve had such a positive impact on her; I really can’t thank you enough for that.” 

Your heart swelled hearing the kind words, somehow falling even more in love with the little family. You knew you were being a big help by babysitting Hana, but you never expected to have such a big impact on her life. Thinking about it now, she also had a huge impact on your life. She taught you how to be more carefree and brings a lot of joy and laughter into your life. And Kuroo… Seeing him and how he treats Hana inspired you to be more caring and understanding towards other people. You were so lost in thought you nearly forgot Kuroo was on the other line again. 

“I’m so glad to hear… She’s had a really big impact on me too.” You cleared your throat, trying not to become sentimental at the moment. “Um, how-how is work?” 

Kuroo sighed. “It’s alright… Work is work. I’d rather be at the park with you two. But I am coming home early today so I’ll be there soon.” 

“Oh, good! Okay, we’ll see you soon then.” 

You hung up and felt giddy. You couldn’t help feeling just a bit special that he was interested in how you were doing. He actually cared how you were doing outside of babysitting. Maybe you have noticed your conversations were longer, he looked you in the eyes longer than usual, he seemed to always stall when he was leaving for work and when you were leaving the house, how you noticed him staring at you interact with Hana out of the corner of your eye, the creamer, the food he leaves out for you, the frequent phone calls… maybe something was there… You were pulled out of your thoughts when Hana came bounding over. 

“(Y/n)-san!! I’m hungry now!” 

“You’re hungry?” You asked, watching Hana nod her head enthusiastically. “Perfect. Your dad is coming home now. How about we make him some lunch?” 

Hana eyes lit up. She loved cooking with you and could hardly contain her excitement as she practically skipped all the way back to the house and spewing out at all the different lunch ideas she had in mind. 

-- 

The front door creaked open and the two of you heard the jangling of keys and shuffle of shoes being taken off. It was perfect timing. The macaroni and cheese had just finished and you were just plating Hana’s bowl. 

“Hi, ladies.” Kuroo greeted with a soft smile. 

“Daddy!” Hana beamed and Kuroo walked over to her and planted a kiss on her temples. 

“What’s going on here?” 

“We made you lunch!” 

“Really?” Kuroo leaned down to look at Hana bowl as she explained what they created. “We went to the store and bought some ingredients, so none of this was from the box! And since you like spinach a lot we put some in also and it looks really pretty.” 

“That looks really good, Hana. And you made that?” 

“Yes! I stirred the macaroni but (Y/n)-san did most of it!” 

Kuroo chuckled before turning to you as you placed down his own bowl of macaroni. You could feel him looking at you just a bit longer and felt your face warm up ever so slightly. You actually weren’t sure if you should pack up and go or stay to eat lunch. You didn’t want to intrude no matter how much you loved them. 

You loved them. There was no other way to put it and you finally accepted it. You never wanted them to leave your life and if you could hold on to being with them just a bit longer every day then you were going to take it. 

“(Y/n)-san! Sit next to me!” Hana said, bouncing in her chair as she waited for you to plate your own bowl. 

“But what if I wanted (Y/n)-san to sit next to me?” Kuroo teased and you had to take a few seconds longer to get to the table to calm down the blush that spread across your face. 

“Well, I asked first! So she has to sit with me!” 

You sat down next to Hana and smiled at their playful banter before the three of you began eating. Kuroo listened as Hana told him about all the activities the two of you got up to this morning and how much fun making the macaroni was. Kuroo gave her all of his attention save for the little glances he gave you whenever Hana said something she was especially excited for, a soft smirk on his face each time and every time you felt like you could combust on the spot. Kuroo offered to do the dishes when you finished while you and Hana cleaned up the table. It felt very domestic and you could feel yourself becoming even more attached. 

“Alright. I guess I should be going now.” You said when the kitchen was clean.  

“No! Not yet.” Hana pleaded. “I don’t want you to leave yet!” 

“Hana, I know you love it when (Y/n)-san comes over but what if she has plans?” Kuroo asked, placing his hands on his hips and you could hardly stop yourself from staring at his arms in his rolled up dress shirt. 

“Well… Well, maybe she can come back after!” Hana asked, taking hold of your hand and hugging it to her neck in an effort to keep you from leaving. You were a little shocked. You knew Hana always became pouty whenever you left for the day but she’s never been this adamant about you staying. You could feel your heart break the more she tried to bargain with Kuroo. “Please, (Y/n)-san?” 

“I don’t-” 

“Hana…” Kuroo said in a quiet tone. 

“But Daddy! I don’t want (Y/n)-san to leave! She’s so nice to me and takes care of me and I love her. I want her to stay here with us because Mommy didn’t.” 

“Hana.” Kuroo said again. You were speechless. You didn’t know what to do. You never really knew about the mom but hearing Hana say what she said gave you an idea and you wanted to stay even more. You wanted to give her the love that her mother apparently never gave her. 

“I don’t think (Y/n)-san can or wants to stay here...” Kuroo’s quiet voice brought you back to reality. He was right. You were just a babysitter and nothing more. 

“But why not? You want her to stay with us too!” 

It was Kuroo’s turn to be speechless. But Hana continued. 

“You always talk about (Y/n)-san! And you always try to keep her home for a little longer. And you always say that she’s good at taking care of me and that she’d be a good mom and that you love her!” 

Kuroo was a bright shade of red at this point. He tried to quiet Hana down. “And you always say you’re going to ask (Y/n)-san out but you never do!” 

You could tell Kuroo was starting to feel embarrassed now. It was probably a lot for the little girl to unload her feelings of her mother, her feelings for you, and Kuroo’s apparent feelings for you as well. But even then, you felt a little more at ease now. You loved them. And now you’re seeing that they love you back. Maybe it wouldn’t be as complicated as it seemed. Maybe you didn’t have to hold on to the few hours each day that you saw them. You smiled. 

“How about…” You started, both of them looked at you. “I stay for a little longer? And we can make that pie that you wanted to make... And your father and I can talk a little more about how much we love each other? Sounds good?” 

Hana’s face broke out into the biggest smile and she ran back towards the kitchen cheering about how you were going to spend the rest of the day with them. Kuroo watched her run by before looking back at you and you can just tell he couldn’t grab hold of his emotions. You approached him. 

“I’m sorry. I basically invited myself over without asking you…” You apologized, a little sheepish that you made the final decision. But then you looked up at him. “But… is it true? Hana’s been mentioning little things that made me believe it. I don’t want it to be wishful thinking…” 

“(Y/n)-san…” Kuroo started, pulling you into a hug. “Hana’s not the only one who wants you to stay with us.” 

[talsiaa]

Coming Out

Pairing: Young!Remus Lupin x Reader (It’s more fem, but I try not to use many pronouns)

Warnings: None, it’s fluffy (i hope) :)

Word Count: 1,184

Summary: You’re finally ready to come out as bi to your wonderful boyfriend Remus Lupin but you’re scared of what he and everyone else will think of you.

A/N: this is purely because im bi so I hope it brings someone somewhere comfort? It’s not too long, I’m not used to writing for the marauders yet but I hope you enjoy it!

The Black Lake on a summer’s evening was one of your favourite sites, it really never got old. The soft amber and red glows of sunset reflecting from the calm waters made you feel cosy and safe, hence why you were sat there now, your back against a tree and a book in your hand. Although, you couldn’t quite focus on the words - your mind was instead racing with the possible outcomes of the conversation you were about to have with your adorable boyfriend, Mr Remus Lupin.

Yourself and Remus had been together since fourth year and now, in sixth year, you still feeel all giddy while you talk to him. You had always been nervous around him, even when you started dating, but it was a good nervous - the type where your stomach feels like its doing somersaults and your heart just won’t slow down because you’re so in love. This time however, you felt nervous like you were about to sit an exam you hadn’t revised for, your tummy was sinking with your heart drumming too loudly and it was just all overwhelming. Despite your body trying to tell you otherwise though, you knew you were ready to tell someone and that someone had to be Remus.

“Hey, dove,” Remus’ voice caught you off guard as you spiralled, making you jump a little but still force an uneasy smile at him as he sat down next to you. You couldn’t help but admire how beautiful he looked, especially with the golden sun rays dancing across his scarred nose, with his tie loosened and his uniform slightly askew. Usually he was, of course, very smartly dressed as an example to the younger years (he was a prefect, after all) so you enjoyed this, looking at him with his sleeves rolled up and his hair ruffled. Remus was another one of your favourite sites.

“Hey.” you tried to say, but it came out as a soft whisper as you pressed your lips together, hard. 

“Are you going to tell me why you’ve asked me on a top secret trip to the black lake?” he nudged you, both teasingly and apprehensively, not knowing why you were suddenly all quiet and jumpy. You took a deep breath.

“I need to talk to you, Rem.” you looked back at the Black Lake, trying to anchor yourself to this moment and prepare for the worst, setting your book down next to you.

“Oh Merlin,” he mumbled, causing you to look back at him. His face was full of fear now. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“What!?” You cupped both of his cheeks in your hands, moving onto your knees next to him. “No, no of course not. I love you, I’m definitely not breaking up with you.” his hand came up to hold your wrist and draw soothing circles on it while you lent forwards to lightly kiss his nose (it always brought out a beautiful smile from the lycanthrope). “It’s something I-I need to tell you,” 

You settled back down with your back to the tree but now Remus placed his arm around your shoulders, pulling you towards his so you could rest your head on his shoulders. His other hand still held yours, drawing different shapes onto your palm. 

“You can tell me anything, sweetheart. Promise,” Remus gave a quick kiss to the top of your head.

“You won’t be mad? O-or break up with me, or tell everybody or call me some awful name?” you stammered, knowing full well that Remus would never do anything your head was telling you he might. This only concerned Remus more, pulling you closer and stroking your hair as some tears started to fall down your face.

“I love you more than anything. I promise you I won’t be mad or break up with you or any of that. I don’t want to pressure you into telling me, though. If You want we could just go on a walk while the suns still setting?” how Remus found the words to make you feel so safe and loved every time was a complete mystery to you. He was simply perfect.

“Thank you.” you whispered, building up your courage to just tell him already. “I’ve been confused and frustrated with myself for a long while now. I didn’t fully understand certain thoughts and feelings and it made me miserable but since I figured it out - figured myself out - it’s something that feels so right and I just know this is what I’ve been lacking for ages now. I-It’s like a jigsaw puzzle and I’ve finally found the last piece and I want to be proud of it and I want the people I love and care about to know.” you filled your lungs with another deep breath. Remus just silently listening to you so intently, still caressing your hair and giving the occasional kiss to your head was just so comforting. Now that you were doing it, you were so glad. It felt very right. You lifted off of his shoulder, facing him and taking both his hands in yours, very confident in what you were saying. “Remus, I love you so much and I want you to know that this doesn’t change the way I feel about you one bit. I’m bisexual and I think that you deserve to be the first person I tell.”

Remus’ brows pushed together a little, his lips parting then pressing together again while he gave your hands a squeeze. “Darling, please tell me if I say something wrong, okay? I really, really don’t mean to, I just don’t know a lot about all of this.” he brought one of your hands up to press a soft kiss to your knuckles. “Firstly, is bisexual where you like men and women? Sorry for not knowing properly, I just-”

“Don’t worry, Rem.” you cut him off with a smile. It was the 70s after all, there was a massive stigma around LGBTQ+ and it wasn’t exactly taught about in schools (although 50 years later you would’ve thought it might have at least it’s own official section in PSHE). “I didn’t expect you to be an expert in all things gay and yeah pretty much.”

“Right, good. I understand. So secondly, I’m so glad that this is something that makes you feel whole and I’m so proud of you for telling me. I know that must not have been easy for you and I’m honoured I’m the first person to know. I love you so much and I just want you to be happy, above all else.” at this point you were overcome by so much joy that this had turned out so perfectly and pulled him closer to you for a kiss. It was quite possibly the best kiss you had ever had and you both poured so much love into it. 

“Thanks, Rem,” you said softly, pulling away from him.

“You’ve got nothing to thank me for, darling. You’re happy and that’s what matters.”

Godric, he’s literally the sweetest, most perfect person on the planet.