#although i prefer them as siblings cause it kinda reminds me of my own and how our dynamic works

[yourcrumblingsaikiisnotmyproblem]

Kaeya, drunk: You're like the hot girl that everyone wants.

Diluc, also kinda drunk: I'm the hot girl?

Kaeya: You're the hottest girl

Diluc: I'm the hot girl

Venti, always drunk: Yes you are.

[chosonore]

cynosure

cynosure [noun. one that serves to direct or guide; a center of attraction or attention]

pairing: sukuna/f!reader

summary: in which sukuna re-discovers being human one aspect at a time, through many lifetimes, at the price of losing you over and over.

wordcount: 8.7k

content/warnings: reincarnation au, slow burn but also not really because there's only hints of romance? language, it's not canon at all, just pretend sukuna was never sealed away, lowercase is intended

a/n: this is more self-indulgent tbh sukuna is probably uncharacteristically soft? sometimes i'm reminded of the fact that he used to be human and while we don't exactly know how he became a curse just yet, i kinda felt sad about it lol i'm too sympathetic with everything, it's gonna kill me one day fhuierhfa a lot of these moments are based on my own experiences, where i had to remind myself that even the small things in life are really good and important, especially during the pandemic. that being said, i hope you enjoy and stay safe everyone :) (and please don’t judge me too hard on this lol i haven’t written in like what. six years?)

001.

“oh,” you stared at the tall, pink-haired man in front of you. “i didn’t think anyone would be here around this time…” he stared back at you, not replying nor making any move to scoot over so that you could sit on your bench. it was only then that you noticed the black markings framing his face and adorning his wrists. you were a little dumbfounded - your mother had always said that you had a poor survival instinct. though you supposed that his pink hair eased your nerves a little; surely someone with pink hair couldn’t be as evil. but you couldn’t recall ever seeing someone like this around the proximity of your village. maybe he was a vagrant. 

“i don’t mean to be rude but… that’s my bench and i would appreciate if you could maybe… scooch over?” you asked gingerly, not wanting to upset the stranger. you approached him slowly, grasping your basket tightly. if he got a little rowdy, maybe you could just wack him with the basket, right? although it probably won’t hurt but it surely would stun him long enough for you to run.

“i don’t see why i should move just because it’s your bench,” the stranger answered gruffly, crossing his arms. were you naive or just stupid? “do you not know who you’re talking to, woman?” 

you cocked your head to the side, not sure what he meant. maybe he was one of those famous poets or musicians that your parents liked to talk about. you weren’t entirely sure. even though he sounded annoyed, the look in his eyes didn’t quite match the hostility - he looked rather bored, unamused even, but not hostile. maybe you could humour him a little. “am- am i supposed to know you? i’ve never been outside of the village so i don’t know much. only what the merchants tell me. i apologize if i’ve offended you,” you explained hastily, then pointing at your basket. “i just came here to enjoy the sunrise. um, today is my birthday, so i treated myself to some dessert!”

“if- if you scooch over a litte, i could share some with you…” you tried to bargain with him. now you were truly starting to sound desperate but this was your favourite spot and it was the first time in a while that you had a free day to relax. out of all days, just why did he have to be here now? you’d be damned if you let your day get ruined by this unfriendly stranger. 

“are you trying to bribe me?” the stranger narrowed his eyes at you and you thought this was it. he was going to kill you and bury your body in the forest and your parents would come look for you, only to find your empty basket and then start a huge search party to find you and- the pink haired man moved to the side, refusing to look you in the eyes. “sit.”

you let out a squeak in glee, quickly taking a seat beside him. he watched in silence as you unwrap your desserts, glancing at the objects in question. even though you’d offered to share with him, he didn’t actually expect you to give him some of your food. sukuna was surprised when you handed him a… round squishy thing? 

“what is that? how is that going to satiate me?” he asked, almost offended, which made you giggle. you didn’t reply, instead thrusting the mochi towards him until he begrudgingly took it, closely inspecting it in suspicion. 

“that’s a daifuku mochi. it’s made out of rice flour and filled with red bean paste. but come to think of it… do you even like sweets? i’m sorry if you don’t particularly enjoy it,” you explained and grabbed one as well. you were about to bite into your mochi when you saw the stranger opening his mouth, ready to devour the entire mochi in one go. in horror, you quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him, only to have him suddenly pin you down and tower over you.

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry!” you hastily said, now suddenly aware of the dark, threatening aura that he was emitting. maybe he was a killer after all. “i just didn’t want you to eat it in one go! they’re kind of difficult to eat in one go… plus you’re supposed to savour and enjoy it, take your time eating it!” 

sukuna stared at the girl in disbelief, you’d grabbed him out of nowhere just to stop him from eating too fast? not only were you not aware of who he was, you apparently did not know how to be cautious around strangers. it irked him that you were acting like he was a harmless human being. so much so that he briefly contemplated killing you. “who are you to tell me how to eat?” he growled at you, not softening his grip. he saw the panic and fear in your eyes but for some reason, he couldn’t quite put a finger on it, it didn’t fill him with joy as it usually did.

“i’m just telling you how we usually eat mochi!” you harrumphed, now annoyed that he was acting like you just committed murder. “you didn’t know what these were, so i was just trying to explain! food is supposed to be enjoyed, not ravished all at once. you have to appreciate your food because there might be days where you won’t have any. and besides, enjoying and properly tasting your meal is the least you can do to show gratitude to the person who cooked it for you.” sukuna let up and sat back on his previous spot, seemingly accepting your answer. you sat up, adjusting your yukata and pouted at him. what a rude stranger! you at least expected an apology from him but seeing that he was already taking a bite from his mochi, you guessed you should just let it go. it wasn’t worth getting angry over anyways, not on this day.

“why are you looking at me like that, little girl?” sukuna questioned, taking another bite from his mochi. he did actually enjoy it and it took every bone in his body not to hastily eat more and to savour it like you’d told him to. maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, it made him think about his meals a little more. not eating for the sake of eating, but for enjoyment, he mused. sort of like living for enjoyment, not for the sake of living. 

“you never told me your name,” the girl replied innocently. sukuna sighed. so you really weren’t aware of who he was. “my name is y/n! now it’s only fair if you tell me, especially because i shared my food with you. please?”

before sukuna could reply, he sensed someone quickly approaching. they were hiding somewhere in the forest; it likely was a jujutsu sorcerer, trying to exorcise him. he could deal with them later, but not here, not with you around. the girl looked at him in disappointment when he abruptly stood up, turning towards the forest behind them. unfortunately, he had the inkling that you wouldn’t let it go until he answered: “my name is sukuna, king of curses.” your eyes widened in recognition but you didn’t immediately react or scramble away from him, most likely frozen in fear. 

“now go. someone is coming and you do not want to be in the crossfire.”

002.

as a seamstress, you’ve encountered all kinds of customers. ranging from rude and bratty to eternally grateful, you’ve seen it all. your supervisor had always told you to remain calm and polite, to just adhere to their wishes to not cause any ruckus. after all, people of status often assumed that they were untouchable and could treat others poorly. it wasn’t worth the hassle to start a fight with them, you could lose your job after all. there was moments you’d have to stand up for yourself but this wasn’t it. fortunately, your employer paid you well, enough for you to provide for your family. the customers were high-profile after all.

you looked at the clock on the wall, your next customer was supposed to come soon. it was a nobleman that apparently travelled here from far away, having heard that the store offered beautiful, one of a kind fabrics. you just hope that he wasn’t rude and that you could leave in time. you’d been working overtime for weeks now, taking every appointment and customer that you could get. your mother’s birthday was approaching and you’d been saving up to buy some of the soft and silky fabrics to sew her a new yukata. your mother had always sacrificed her own comfort to buy the best items she could afford for your siblings and you and now that you were older, you could finally treat her to something nice as well. your employer was even willing to give you a small discount and you gratefully took up on her offer.

the chime of the doorbell made you look up, the good feeling in your stomach slowly fading when you saw who entered. you were familiar with the customer after all; he was well known in the area, being a rather volatile and sometimes scary aristocrat who had the reputation to be particularly difficult and having outrageous demands. you hastily stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of your clothing and walking over to greet him. you bowed politely, taking the outerwear that he took off and placing it on a nearby armchair. “sir, i’ll bring you a few samples shortly. do you have any colour or pattern preferences?” you asked him, placing a pot of tea and a cup on the small side table for him to enjoy. you made note of his wishes and disappeared in the storage room to pick up the samples. the customer had made himself at home, eyeing you scrutinizingly. he made you queasy, looking so incredibly unfriendly and you could tell that you were not going home early tonight.

you showed each of the fabrics to him, explaining what materials they were made of and what occasions they were good for but with each explanation, he just looks more and more uninterested. not to mention the snarky remarks he made, seemingly not happy of the choices you presented him. you were running out of options and you didn’t know what else to do to please him when suddenly you heard someone enter the shop. both the customer and you looked over confused - you weren’t expecting any more customers today, it was already late after all. a tall, pink-haired man entered the shop, scowling at your customer. you jumped slightly; he looked scary and you were terrified, not sure what to do in this situation. not only were the black markings on his face and body terrifying, there was also a threatening aura surrounding him, dark and slowly spreading out, all your instincts were screaming at you to run. should you politely ask him to leave? he looked like he wouldn’t take it too well. before you could ask him whether he was looking for something, the stranger spoke up: “you know who i am, leave.”

your eyes widened, slowly inching back towards the back of the store. you were not aware of who this man was but by the looks of your pale-faced customer, he surely did. “this is outrageous!” he exclaimed indignantly, jumping out of his seat. “you can’t just burst in here and demand that i leave! i have an appointment! are you aware of how long the waiting list is? this is the finest shop in the entire prefecture and i would rather die than to give up my spot for a scoundrel like you.” the stranger raised his eyebrows at the shorter man, clicking his tongue in annoyance. you slowly reached out to grab your pair of scissors. they probably weren’t of much use but it made you feel more safe, knowing you could at least somehow defend yourself.

“oh? you would rather die? i’m sure that can be arranged,” the stranger threatened and it was with horror that you watched his fingernails, sharp and pointy, grow in size. he wasn’t human, you’d just encountered a monster. he would kill you and it wouldn’t take him much effort to do so, you were sure he could just stab you with those fingernails. your customer squeaked and left the store in panic, slamming the door in the process, while you quickly hid behind the counter. you hoped he would leave you alone, you didn’t want to get involved. this wasn’t your problem, you were innocent and it was an unfortunate coincidence for you to be here. 

“stop hiding,” the stranger commanded, slowly approaching the counter. you peeked from below the counter, holding your breath. what else could he possibly want from you? demons surely didn’t need money. oh god, was he going to kidnap you?

he swiftly rounded the corner and knelt down to take a closer look at you - you couldn’t react fast enough, he’d already grabbed your chin and made you look at him, turning your head from side to side as he examined you. his fingernails were slightly digging into your skin, making your face scrunch up in discomfort. “so it is you,” he exclaimed in a low voice, then abruptly standing back up. you were confused - what did he mean by that? at least he didn’t kill you, at least not yet. but what else could he possibly want from you? “i need a new kimono. that scumbag just left anyways, make one for me instead.”

a kimono? a simple kimono? you couldn’t believe what you just heard. this demon just came in here, threw a fit but all he wanted was a simple kimono? you couldn’t help but scoff at the situation though it probably was difficult to enter a store without people fleeing or refusing to serve him. while he did look human, the markings on his face made it difficult not to feel threatened. but why did he know you? you had never seen this man in your life before. not in passing, not on drawings, nowhere. no matter how hard you wracked your brain, you just couldn’t recall. “d- do you have any- any colour preference?” you questioned him, watching how he took a seat and grabbed himself the cup of tea. 

“white,” he answered curtly, taking a sip from the tea. “i’ll leave everything else up to you.”

you felt uncomfortable but there was nothing else you could do than follow his orders. you grabbed a few plain white fabric samples and slowly inched over to him, holding them out with your trembling hands. “what?” he deadpanned. you huffed in frustration. 

“sir, you should… you should choose the fabric. it’s your kimono after all, you might not like the feeling of the fabric or it might not be a good fit for your everyday life,” you explained.

“i don’t care, just choose whatever. i’m above the comfort you stupid mortals choose.”

“that’s stupid,” the words left your mouth quicker than you could stop yourself and you slapped your hands over your mouth. the stranger looked at you as equally shocked. “i mean- i mean there’s nothing wrong with indulging in comfortable clothes!” you explained quickly, pressing the samples into his hands. “see you wouldn’t like scratchy clothes, right? or fabric that quickly makes you sweat or feel too warm! i always talk to my customers about what kinds of fabrics they would prefer… i believe life is too short to wear ill-fitting clothes or ones that don’t feel comfortable! good clothing should make you feel like… like a warm hug.”

the stranger didn’t look like he understood what you meant, making you scoff again. some people really didn’t care about what they wore and how they looked like and it just bothered you. good quality fabrics and well tailored clothing could make you feel confident and safe, even in the worst situations. how could you possibly relax if your clothing was maybe scratchy or ill-fitting? “i’ll prove it to you!” you exclaimed and left the room to gather your supplies, then coming back to instruct him where and how to stand so you could take his measurements. now that he was towering over you, you were suddenly very aware of how tall and broad he was. you felt like a dwarf next to him. up close, you noticed more details about him. he was attractive, you couldn’t deny that - the long wispy eyelashes, the watchful ruby eyes and his soft-looking pink hair. if he picked up on your staring, he didn’t comment on it.

once you were done taking notes and choosing fabrics, you gave him a slip of paper, noting down time and date for him to come back to pick the kimono up. “as for payment-” you started but the stranger dropped a huge bag of coins on the counter. you gasped, pushing the bag back into his arms. “sir, that’s too much! i’ll calculate the exact price for you but-” 

“take it,” he insisted and pushed it back towards you. “i have enough. you need the money right? see it as a generous tip.” your face flushed, you didn’t even know what to say and instead only profusely thanked him. it was so much money, the tip was enough to cover your family’s expenses for a year.

when sukuna picked up his kimono weeks later, he still didn’t understand what a hassle you made about the choice of fabrics and why you were so diligent in taking the measurements. he was fine with everything as long as he had something to wear in the first place. he didn’t care, he wasn’t a measly human that whined about the mildest inconvenience. in the private of his abode, he tried the kimono on, abruptly halting his movements as soon as the fabric touched his skin. so the girl was right, the fabric did feel incredibly good on his skin. it was very smooth and silky, a little cool on his skin. very lightweight but not flimsy. the kimono wasn’t too short and fit his tall statue well, you really did a good job he supposed. he glanced at himself in the mirror. it did look good on him, even the matching colours and patterns were chosen well. you really were a good seamstress, no wonder everyone was flocking to the store.

now that sukuna wore the kimono, he suddenly didn’t want to take it off. it was comfortable and soft, reminding him of you.

003.

your favourite spot was one below a tree, on top of a hill where you could see everything. the small city below, the horizon, the stars in the sky. you often came here when you felt like your life came crashing down your shoulders. it didn’t feel like your own anymore, not with your future already laid out for you without you being able to control it. complaining had always felt redundant and ungrateful to you - you had everything you needed, a loving family, food on the table and your family was wealthy enough to not have to worry about money. but in return, they expected everything from you, their eldest daughter. sometimes, the pressure was too much for you but they expected you to do as they say. everything was well until they announced that you were to get married and they’d found a suitor for you. you couldn’t even protest, the decision had already been made behind your back and you couldn’t refuse. you sniffled quietly, wrapping the blanket tighter around you. you didn’t know this man; he might be a complete asshole and not treat you well at all.

the wind was biting at your skin, cold and unrelenting, and yet you felt safe here, away from all your worries. the starry sky made you feel like your worries were miniscule, reminding you that there was so much more out there for you to discover. you’d always liked the sight of stars, they always made you happy. on lucky days, you’d even get to see a few shooting stars. you’d close your eyes and clasp your hands, hopeful that whatever wish you made would come true. the crunch of leaves and twigs made you look up in alarm, scared that your parents had found out you left the estate and now found your secret hiding spot. you couldn’t quite make out the figure in the darkness, only being able to tell that a tall person was approaching you.

you were wary, inching towards the tree behind you to hide but froze when a voice rang out: “i know you’re there. i was looking for you all over the city, little one.” a man clad in a kimono was coming closer, stopping right in front of you and looking at you in disdain. your eyes lit up as you recognized him; you’d met sukuna a couple of times in the city before, mostly when you went to pick up some books to read. he’d been there one time when you were choosing your books and scoffed at your choice. you’d ask him about it, wondering why he thought that your choice was a bad one. he went on and on about how historically inaccurate the book was and that the information about curses was wrong and how an author like that should be ashamed to even publish it. you appreciated the dialogue, you liked having someone to discuss with you. your parents didn’t like that you read fantasy books and books that talked about supernatural events and beings, dubbing them as nonsense and that you should focus on your studies instead.

after your third meeting, sukuna had finally opened up and told you his name. your meetings became more frequent then but you’d never met anywhere other than the bookstore. you were surprised that he even found you here; you decided not to question him though, sukuna always seemed to know where you were, always sensing where you were headed. truthfully, you looked forward to spending time with him. he was attentive and always listened to you, barely ever talking. oddly enough, it made you feel like finally, someone was paying attention to your thoughts and needs. lately, a heavy feeling in your chest was always accompanying you when you met up with him. it was a dull ache, some kind of yearning that you couldn’t quite put a finger on. it didn’t help that you felt like you’d met him before, but you really couldn’t recall where you had met him before. “what are you doing here?” you questioned him, scooting to the side to offer him some space on the picnic blanket.

unceremoniously, he sat down and glanced over to you. he didn’t reply, simply shrugging. “why didn’t you bring a coat?” you asked another question instead, frowning at his choice of clothing. aside from his kimono, he wasn’t wearing anything else. “you’ll catch a cold!” you scolded him, swatting his arm before tugging on his sleeve and signalling him to move closer to you so you could wrap the blanket around his shoulders. you struggled a little to reach him, almost stumbling - sukuna’s arm immediately shot out to hold you so you wouldn’t fall. your cheeks flushed red and you were thankful that it was dark. you cleared your throat and sat back down, snuggling into the blanket and his side. 

“by the way, i read that book you disliked the other day,” you told him, rambling about the contents of the book and what you thought of it, all while sukuna simply listened to you. he only spoke up when he challenged your way of thinking or to agree, otherwise staying silent and just watching you.

suddenly you grasped his hand in excitement, pointing at the sky. “oh, oh! look!!” sukuna’s gaze followed the direction you pointed to, spotting some shooting stars flitting across the sky. “you have to wish for something!” you squeezed his hand and nudged him, then squeezing your eyes shut to prepare yourself to wish. 

“what would i even wish for?” sukuna frowned and pinched your cheek. “what do you wish for?”

“you’re not supposed to share wishes! if you do, they won’t come true,” you argued back and stuck your tongue out at him. sometimes, he really was too skeptical, never indulging in harmless fun. it might be childish to believe in these things but sometimes that little spark of hope was all you need to wait for better things. you sighed when the shooting stars disappeared and let go of his hand, screaming internally. did you really grab his hand like that? you sure hoped you didn’t unsettle him. 

“i don’t think i told you, but my parents have found a suitor for me,” you confided in him quietly, staring at the grass near your feet. “i’m supposed to marry him next year but… i don’t want to, i don’t know this person and i just want to live my life with no one controlling it.”

“i see. there’s still time to get to know him, isn’t there?” you knew sukuna was trying to console you but it wasn’t exactly working. your words frustrated you a little; subconsciously, you’d hoped that he shared the same opinion and maybe, just maybe, help you do something reckless. 

“i don’t want to get to know him,” you huffed and crossed your arms (sukuna thought you looked like a petulant child). “i… i already like someone.”

“you do?” sukuna looked at you surprised and that was the first time that he’d shown any other emotion than indifference. you nodded shyly, hoping that maybe he’d get the hint. you weren’t confident just yet to confess to him but maybe he’d get it from your description alone? 

“i recently met him and i really like that he makes me feel like, you know, important and always pays attention to me. he doesn’t talk a lot but i think that that’s okay, we still have a silent mutual understanding, i guess. and i also think he looks really handsome! although i-”

sukuna had enough of your rambling, he felt annoyed that you were telling him about your stupid crush. whatever boy you had a crush on, they would never amount to the likes of him. why would you look at someone else when he was right there? right here, with you. sukuna reached over and grabbed your cheeks to make you look at him before pressing his lips on yours. you froze for a short moment before returning the kiss, holding onto his kimono when he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer. why would you pay attention to someone else when he could be with you? for the first time in his existence as a curse, he briefly felt human again. maybe shooting stars were the key to wishes coming true after all; in this moment he wouldn’t mind being human again, being alone with her with only the stars as your witnesses.

004.

gradually you were really starting to dislike your night shifts. usually, you’d ask to cover them because it was quiet, there were no nosy customers and the only people that ever came in so late were sleep deprived students that pulled all nighters to write papers or study. well it used to be that way until a group of, presumably, freshmen started coming more and more frequently - they wouldn’t have been so annoying if it wasn’t for them talking and laughing obnoxiously loud. they would stay until late in the night and kept ordering drinks. the audacity to have oddly specific orders, to watch you like a hawk while you were preparing their drinks, it made your blood boil. to top it all off, one of the guys kept flirting with you, even when you’d already made it obvious that you were not interested at all. no matter how uninterested and abrasive you acted, the guy would not leave you alone and his friends would try to act as wingmen. clueless and horrible wingmen.

you were glad that you were never alone during your night shifts, depending on the weekday you’d work in a team of two or threes. whenever they could, they’d cover for you and you were thankful but also felt bad, which usually resulted in you taking over anyways. you placed the basket on the counter, grabbing a towel to dry the cups you’d just washed. the chime of the doorbell made you look up, your heartbeat speeding up at the sight of sukuna coming in. like the group of freshmen, sukuna had recently started to visit the café more and more. he usually only came late at night and he probably was your favourite regular. scratch that, he was your favourite, no one was as calm as him and he never caused trouble. yeah, maybe those night shifts weren’t all that bad, you thought to yourself. you looked forward to him visiting every time you had a night shift.

“hi sukuna,” you greeted him softly and gave him a smile, placing the cup on a shelf. “the usual?” he took a seat near the bar, placing his wallet on the counter and taking off his coat. sukuna was peculiar, not particularly in a bad way. you always thought that he was a little mysterious. he always wore the same kimono - who wears kimonos everyday in this day and age anyways - the same white kimono but maybe he just owned mulitple of them. you could never tell what he was thinking and he had never shown any emotions other than brief moments of bliss when he was having his usual order. his order had always and would probably always be a simple black coffee and some daifuku mochi. it was a weird combo, you mused, but somehow fit him. it was a sharp contrast, just like his tattoos and the soft pink hair. you finished up the order, pushing the cup of coffee and the plated mochi towards him - you’d sneaked another one in just for him, knowing how much he seemed to like them. sukuna looked up at you, ready to protest but you just brushed it off, telling him that it was okay.

out of the corner of your eye you saw your not so secret admirer approaching with an empty cup and you instantly knew you were bound to be annoyed again. you sighed, returning to the cash register to take his order. “so, when am i finally going to get to take you out?” the guy asked, leaning on the counter to get closer to you. you gritted your teeth, ignoring his question and instead took the empty cup, placing it in the kitchen sink behind you. 

“oh come on, don’t ignore me, baby,” he whined, not letting up until you answered. you were annoyed, so so annoyed. your co-workers were currently organizing the inventory so you were all by yourself - usually that would be fine but you’d had enough. this week has already been awful and you just wanted to be left alone. you glanced around, spotting sukuna on the side. suddenly a lightbulb went on in your head and you faced your admirer confidently. 

“i’m sorry but please stop flirting with me and trying to ask me out,” you started and pointed to sukuna who was innocently taking a bite from his mochi. “i already have a boyfriend and i don’t think he appreciates you cornering me like this. you being this persistent is really annoying, girls don’t like that.”

upon hearing his name, sukuna looked up and as if on cue, he glared at your admirer. “yeah, i suggest you fuck off. get a hint, you creep, she’s mine,” he snarled, making a move towards the other guy who was already scrambling to get away and profusely apologizing. mine, mine, mine. his words kept repeating in your head, your heart squeezing painfully. was he interested in you? would he ever come to see you more than just a barista? you sighed in both relief and affliction, trudging over to sukuna. 

“i’m sorry i dragged you into this,” you apologized embarrassed, shoulders drooping and you stared at the floor just so he wouldn’t see your reddened cheeks. “he’s been pestering me so much and i kind of thought that that was the only way to get him to back off.”

“i don’t mind,” sukuna replied curtly, resuming his seat. he didn’t say anything else and you slightly panicked, you wanted to keep talking to him, stay in his company for a little longer. 

“ah uhm sukuna, i want to thank you! if… if you don’t mind, i would like to treat you to another drink?” you suggested, your face now beet red. this was the most straightforward you had ever been with a guy, usually too shy to make a move. in distance you could hear the chime of the doorbell and the doors slamming, indicating that the group had left. you were alone. sukuna didn’t reply at first and you were sure you’d fucked up and got ready to backtrack and laugh it off when he nodded. 

“go ahead, little one,” he nodded towards the counter. “you choose the drink.”

you didn’t know why sukuna kept calling you little one but for some reason, you didn’t mind. it did however make your heart ache in what you could only describe as melancholy. you weren’t sure why. while you started brewing some green tea for the two of you, the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. the pitter patter of raindrops against the glass front was the only sound audible in the entire café. sukuna hadn’t uttered another word, not even making a sound of acknowledgement when you handed him the cup of tea and sat next to him. 

“you didn’t bring an umbrella,” you noted, looking out of the window. it was raining heavily, with no signs of it stopping anytime soon. “i guess you’ll have to stay here for a little longer, otherwise you’ll get sick. i hope you aren’t sick of me though.”

sukuna took a sip of his tea. “i don’t mind your company,” he replied, looking at you. you couldn’t tell what he was thinking but you sincerely hoped he wasn’t joking. hearing that gave you a little hope. 

“i like moments like this,” you confessed to him, clutching the warm cup with your sweater paws. “having a warm cup of tea and watching the rain from the comfort of your home. or in this case, a café. the sound of rain is really calming, isn’t it? makes you forget about all your worries for a while, it’s just you and your cup of tea.”

again, sukuna didn’t reply for a while. you thought you’d bored him to death with your monologue until he spoke up: “i don’t see how it’s any different from having a cup at any time of the day.” your cup was placed back on the counter. you frowned, not sure how to explain it to him. in moments like these, sukuna seemed to be something of an old being that has seen everything, feelings now dull and locked away. 

“well, see it like this. making yourself a cup of tea or coffee everyday is a normal thing to do, right? it happens almost automatically because it’s just part of your daily routine, you like how it tastes, it makes you feel more awake or helps you sleep. but… but you never really take your time to enjoy it, right?”

sukuna was contemplating, you almost giggled at the little frown on his face. but you were glad that he was willing to listen to you and discuss it with you, instead of dismissing the topic entirely. “but what does that have to do with rain?” he finally asked. 

you pointed outside. “you wouldn’t really go out in this weather, right? not if you have any emergencies or urgent matters to attend to. and same goes for everyone else; it kind of… kind of forces you to stay inside, to fully enjoy your warm beverage. the sound of rain is pretty calming, it’s some kind of whitenoise that might block out intrusive thoughts, at least it does that for me. so it’s only you, the sound of rain and your cup of tea. for a few minutes, you can just relax and have a moment for yourself.”

sukuna still didn’t quite understand how humans worked. it’s been hundreds of years since he’s ceased to be human, he’s forgotten what is what like being human. what human emotions entailed. but he agreed, it has been a while since he’s felt at ease and peaceful even. it was a moment of bliss, a moment that caused a flare-up of old, buried feelings inside of him.

004.1

you still hadn’t mustered up the courage to actually ask sukuna out after you dragged him into that fake dating-situation. he did still come late at night, being the most loyal customer of the café at this point. it was almost… almost as if he’d seeked out your company. though he did tell you that he didn’t mind your company; your ego deflated a little. sukuna still wore his kimono but paired it with a thick winter coat - it was winter after all and the weather had been very extreme. the ground was covered in inches of snow and you hadn’t seen the sun in weeks. sukuna insisted on walking you home when your shift ended. you weren’t sure why because he’d never offered to do so before. you were thankful though since it was still snowing and the streets were completely empty; even though the snow looked beautiful, it was still a little eerie to walk home in this weather. especially since a lot of busses weren’t running anymore due blocked roads.

“sukuna, aren’t you cold?” you asked as you switched off the lights and fumbled with your keys. finally finding the right one, you closed up, shoving the keys back in your back and fishing out your gloves. “you don’t even wear gloves!” you gasped when you saw his bare hands, handing him one of yours. sukuna looked at you as if you were crazy.

he wasn’t cold but he couldn’t tell you that, couldn’t let you know that he was a curse. but handing him one of you gloves? you were too nice, always thinking of others first and never being selfish. sighing, he put on the glove that was uncomfortably small but he’d endure it for your sake.

“it’s been a while since we’ve had this much snow,” you mused and took a few steps around, giggling at the sound of crunching snow beneath your feet. sukuna simply followed you, looking comical with the bright yellow and tiny glove on his hand. you smiled at him, admiring how etheral he looked underneath the streetlights with the snowflakes flurrying around him and some getting stuck in his hair. your heart suddenly ached, a far away memory emerging. it was blurry and unclear, a cold night similar as this underneath the stars and a face staring at you. you couldn’t tell who it was nor were you sure whether it was just a case of déjà vu.

“you know, this kind of calls for a snowball fight,” you grinned at sukuna mischievously and grabbed some snow, beginning to form it into a ball. he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking at you defiantly. 

“i’m not going to indulge in childish business like th-” he didn’t get to finish his sentence as you hurled the snowball at him and giggled like a maniac as it hit his shoulder. you quickly hid behind a bush as you quickly tried to form another, enjoying the dumbfounded look on sukuna’s face. clearly, he didn’t expect you to follow through with your plan and was caught by surprise. “oh you’re on,” he growled after a moment and grabbed himself some snow as well. you quickly threw another snowball at him, this time only being able to hit his leg. eyes widening at the sight of sukuna raising his arm to throw his snowball at you, you let out a squeak and dove behind a tree - the snowball still hit you square on your back, making you yelp at the cold feeling.

for minutes you could only hear the crunches of snow, loud laughter and snowballs hitting objects. you sat on a bench, exhausted from running and ducking away and your belly was starting to hurt from all the laughter. sukuna caught up to you, juggling a snowball in his hands. “you gonna give up?” he asked, a smirk gracing his lips. clearly he was winning, being able to aim a lot better than you. you missed him most of the time but had fun regardless. 

“never!” you replied, holding out your arms to defend yourself from the incoming snowball. it never came and instead sukuna was inching closer with an evil look in his eyes. oh no. what was he up to? you yelped when you realized that he was aiming for your neck, jumping up to get away from him. sukuna was quick to react and grabbed your arm, pulling you back into his chest and holding you close, smushing the snow against your neck. “ew sukuna, stop!” you laughed and squirmed in his arms until he threw the snowball away, rubbing your back gently. 

“that was really cold, you know,” you pouted, burying your face in his chest. 

he wrapped his arms around you, sighing quietly. “i know, i know, sorry.”

you swore that you felt his lips on the crown of your head.

005.

you were, undoubtedly, lost. your phone was about to die and you were stranded in the middle of the city, not sure where to go. to be fair, it was very, very easy to get lost here and it was your first time visiting. your grandparents lived here and while you’ve visited before, you couldn’t quite remember anything anymore. you were a child back then. and the city had drastically changed too, making it difficult for you to navigate yourself around. though your poor sense of direction was probably at fault as well. you sighed, trying to call your grandparents again. no one was picking up. you turned your phone off to save some of the battery, maybe you could call them later.

luckily, you’d brought your cameras so you could at least keep yourself busy until someone freed you from this misery. you walked towards the nearby shrine; there didn’t seem to be any people here, it was very quiet aside from the sound of cicadas. you took a few photos before continuing your journey, soon finding yourself standing on top of the hill. the view from here was breathtaking, even more so because the sun was starting to set, painting the sky in a beautiful yellow and orange hue. you fumbled with your camera again, trying to take a photo when someone suddenly moved into your shot. you paused and looked at the person in front of you who was staring at you as well. considering they were wearing a kimono, you assumed that they must work here. did you make a mistake? maybe you weren’t supposed to take photos and this person came to tell you off.

“i’m sorry!” you said quickly, quickly shoving your camera in your bag. “am i allowed to take photos here?” 

the stranger frowned at you, clearing his voice before replying: “how am i supposed to know? i don’t work here.” 

you groaned, rubbing your face in embarrassment. of course you’d say something wrong, you always did. and now you probably annoyed him too - he looked really annoyed. but since he wasn’t working here and there was no one else around, you guessed you could take photos after all. there was no one to tell you off anyways. however, the stranger was still standing there, looking at you in what seemed like interest. you felt awkward just continuing your endeavors without acknowledging him, so you asked: “do you live here? i’m just visiting, so i’m not very familiar with the city.”

“you could say that,” the stranger simply replied. when he didn’t say anything else, you decided that it probably was okay if you just continued taking photos without acknowledging him. though it did make you queasy, knowing that he was just watching you. didn’t he have anything else to do? a few minutes passed. he sighed and walked over, pointing at your camera. “what are you doing?” you were surprised at how straightforward he was, not expecting to engage in a conversation with you. maybe people in this city were just extra talkative and you’d have to get used to it. your grandparents never told you about this though. 

“ah i’m visiting my grandparents here and i thought i’d document my stay here. so i can look at these photos whenever i want and just have the memories on photo,” you explained and rummaged in your bag to show him the polaroids you took earlier. “i particularly like polaroids because you can’t edit or change them… whatever moment you capture, it’s true to what you saw. there’s no need to make photos beautiful when they hold a special place in your heart and are tied to a specific memory.”

the stranger nodded, pointing to your polaroid camera. “and you take them with this device?” his choice of words startled you a little, he didn’t seem to be familiar with this type of camera which you found odd. everyone knew what these were nowadays, almost everyone owned them. but you didn’t want to judge him or make him feel stupid though, patiently explaining to him how the cameras worked and where he could purchase them. he seemed to be really interested, closely inspecting the camera, turning it around and fumbling with the buttons. only after you finished rambling, you realize how much time had passed - it was almost dark now and your grandparents were probably worried sick. your phone was turned off the entire time and you forgot to call them. 

“excuse me, i really need to call my grandparents!” you looked at him apologetically, leaving him with your photos and camera. normally, you would be very wary; normally, you wouldn’t even show anyone your photos, rather keeping them to yourself because they were your precious memories. but something about him resonated with you, he seemed familiar and yet he didn’t.

you found a spot a few meters away from him calling your grandparents and profusely apologizing to them for not calling sooner. you promised them to wait at a popular and well known spot nearby so they could come to pick you up since it was already getting late, then hung up. to your relief, the stranger was still standing there, watching you intently. “thank you,” you smiled as he handed you your belongings. “my grandparents are picking me up soon, thank you for keeping me company. won’t you be going home soon?” 

suddenly his face expression turned rather… sad? somewhat melancholic and you feared you’d said something wrong until he shook his head. “i have to go somewhere later. let me walk you for a bit, it is dark after all.” you looked at him a little dumbfounded, not expecting him to suggest something like that.

“oh you don’t have to! i’ll totally be fine, i-” “i want to. let’s go,” he interrupted you, already beginning to move. you hastily followed him, clutching your bag in your hands. the entire walk was rather silent, none of you saying a word. it wasn’t a tense and uncomfortable silence though - you very much enjoyed his presence. it made you feel safe too, even though you’d told him earlier that you didn’t mind walking by yourself, it was comforting to know that he was by your side. you were in an unfamiliar city after all. hell you even got lost, so who were you kidding. you wondered who the stranger was, what his story was, what his personality was like. this was a one time meeting though, so you didn’t really have any hope of meeting him again. that was very unlikely.

“okay this is the spot. my grandparents are going to pick me up here, so it’s okay if you go,” you pointed at a café and gave him a reassuring smile. he didn’t look impressed. “o-oh wait, i need to thank you somehow.” you held a finger up to signal him to wait for a bit and fished out a polaroid you’d taken earlier. it was a simple shot, only the temple, bits of the trees and the sunset in the background. but you thought it was appropriate, the two of you had shared this moment after all. 

“here, this is for you. it’s not a lot but i guess… it’s a really nice photo and maybe the start of your collection, if you decide to get a polaroid camera?” he took the photo from you, inspecting it before nodding and thanking you. he looked like he was about to say something else but was interrupted by some bright car lights and the sound of honks.

“ah, i have to go! it was nice meeting you,” you bid farewell to him and waved, running towards the car. sukuna watched your figure retreat, arms dropping to his sides.

006.

it was so cold, so incredibly cold. you really hated disliked these long winters, the sky was constantly dull and grey, the days were short and you hadn’t seen the sun in weeks. it made you feel sluggish and unmotivated, you were just hoping that spring was coming earlier this year. you yearned for sunshine and warmth, to be able to go outside without freezing and just spend more time outside. regardless, you held onto your daily walks because they gave you some peace of mind in your hectic life. you were approaching the last year of your studies and the amount of exams, assignments and your looming thesis were just suffocating you. but soon, soon you were done and could finally take a breather, until then, the only moments of relaxation you’d have were your walks.

despite the cold, there were a lot of people near the park; children who were engaging in snowball fights, elderly who were walking their dogs and some joggers too. your eyes were wandering around, watching all the busy people around. too absorbed in your task, you didn’t notice the man in front of you until you bumped into him. you quickly removed your earbuds and apologized to him, about to continue walking when he suddenly grabbed your arm, holding you back. you were confused, did you maybe accidently hurt him when you bumped into him? you looked him up and down to make sure that he was okay; there really wasn’t anything wrong. he let go of your arm. “is something wrong?” you asked concerned and turned to him. 

“y/n?” 

you froze at the mention of your name. how did he know you?

“who are you? i’ve never met you before.”

in all your past lifetimes, you’d taught him how to be human again, how there was value and joy in even the littlest of things. with each iteration of your existence, sukuna thinks that he’s learned to love you more than the last. when he sees how at ease you are spending time with him, a curse that is feared by everyone, he contemplates confessing to you. but something holds him back, it’s the fear; the fear that you won’t return his feelings. he’s seen you be with someone else, see you fall in love countless of times. he yearns for it to be him, hoping that you do choose him, love him. for thousands of years, he’s spent his time finding you - your reincarnations don’t recognize him and it pains him to get to know you anew each time but nothing pains him as much as his existence. he wants to hold you, be yours, grow old with you.

for the first time in thousands of years, sukuna wishes to be human again.

ps.: i am so sorry if i hurt your heart there omg

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Wounded Love (Lady Dimitrescu/F!Reader) Pt. 3

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for blood/violence and language Genre: Action with a lil bit of fluff Warnings: Lil bit of blood Notes: There's an unnamed character in here who may or may not end up as recurring in my stories. I don't really have anything in particular planned for her, she's kinda just here to fill a role/allow for some easter egg type shit in the next chapter. Previous Chapters: Pt. 1, Pt. 2

{Wounded Love 3: Bloody Valentine (No, not that Valentine)}

“Mother Miranda, I must insist, if these lycans stray any further they might start feasting on the village as well! Pray tell, who will you use for research then? We can’t just-... Forgive me… Mhmm. Yes, I understand. Of course… Have a good night, Mother Miranda,” Lady Dimitrescu said, before setting her phone down with a loud thunk. Her hands shake a little, and for a moment you worry that her vanity won’t survive the coming moments. Then you make eye contact with her reflection, giving her an encouraging smile, watching as her gaze softens. “I’m afraid there’s nothing she can do, my dear. I cannot allow Heisenberg’s negligence to go unpunished, but we will have to take care of it on our own, without Mother Miranda’s support.”

“Is that wise, love? To go behind her back like this? I can’t imagine she’ll be terribly pleased if we cause chaos for one of her favored few,” you replied, clicking your tongue as you thought things over. Again you see anger cloud Alcina’s face, though she makes sure not to direct it at you.

“We are not the ones who started this mess,” she reminded you, through clenched teeth. “But we will be the ones to end it, one way or another. I don’t care if I have to gut that wretched man-thing and bring Miranda his corpse as proof of his incompetence! He has shown his lack of loyalty hundreds of times… and now he will pay.” Gulping, you rise to your feet, wanting to comfort your girlfriend. While you had understood that your injury angered her, you hadn’t (until this moment) realized the sheer intensity of that rage. How much blood would be shed before this was over?...

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

Crimson drips down the beast’s side, across matted fur, before hitting the wooden floor. A stench as awful as you had ever found filled the air, only made tolerable by the nearby presence of scented candles. What a mess, you think, glad that you wouldn’t be the one to clean it up. Why had the girls insisted on bringing the damn thing inside? Couldn’t they have simply snatched a few teeth from its jaw as a prize? Somehow you doubted that the thought had even crossed their minds. Violence was a passion of theirs, and they preferred their trophies to be as large as the effort they put into getting it.

“How close to the path did you find it?” You asked after finishing your examination of the lycan. Next to you, the eldest daughter is rapidly taking notes in a leather-bound journal. Both of her siblings stand near the fireplace, hands held out next to the flames, needing to warm up after being outside for so long. It wasn’t even that cold of a day, with temperatures averaging around eighteen degrees celsius. All the snowfall from the prior week had now melted. While you knew of the family’s weakness, you also knew that they had bundled up before leaving, and had even taken a torch with them in the hopes of using it on a lycan. Their powers had taken somewhat of a hit, temporarily, but not nearly enough to prevent them from killing a single lycan.

“Heard it howling almost as soon as we left the castle. We couldn’t smell it until halfway to the village, though. Once we could we tried to track it, only for the stupid thing to come charging at us. Must have been eight, maybe ten, meters away by the time we collided,” Cassandra answered. There’s a bit of a shiver to her voice, and you can’t help the rush of sympathy you feel in response. Being out on the path, wearing little more than a dress and scarf, had been absolute hell for you. Even if it was warmer outside now, you imagined that being weak to the cold just about made up for the difference. “There was a little more howling once we started walking back here. Louder, if not closer. Heisenbitch isn’t even trying to keep these fucking things in check.”

“Cassandra, language!” Came a voice in the distance, making everyone present look up at once. Strutting down the stairs was a clearly miffed Alcina, eyes narrowed, body tense. “Did you three really have to bring the mutt inside? Surely you advocated against this, Bela? Or did you think I wanted new bloodstains right by the entrance, where everyone can see them?” Next to you Bela winces, but doesn’t respond, too worried about angering her mother further. “And you, my dear, what on Earth are you doing on the floor? You should be resting, in an actual chair, if not lying in bed awaiting my return. There’s enough for me to worry about without you limping around on a useless leg!”

Now it was your turn to wince.

“Please, love, I know you’re stressed, but I can still help. Given enough time I could help ascertain these things’ weaknesses. At the very least I could pass on what I learned during my fight with one,” you pleaded. Then you tried to stand up, wanting to prove yourself, only to stumble, barely avoiding a faceplant- and only doing so because of Bela’s quick reaction time. She helped you to your feet, letting you lean on her, then lead you towards a bench. Begrudgingly you sit back down. “You’re only doing this because I got hurt. Helping you in your endeavor to avenge me is the least I can do.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Alcina snapped, now just a couple meters away from you. Even with that space between you, her presence was intimidating, and you almost felt like a child being scolded. “Were you to get hurt again, how would we avenge you? If you fall by your own hand, there will be naught I can do other than lock you away somewhere without any dangerous elements. What sort of existence would that be for you? I simply can’t allow it, no exceptions.” At this you pout, feeling rather disappointed. It’s not as if you were asking to carry a gun and shoot Heisenberg yourself! Not that you would be opposed to doing so, of course. “Try to put yourself in my place, my dear. Could you live with yourself if you failed to protect me?”

“I suppose I could not, love. Very well, I shall simply root you on from here, and kiss away any injuries you return with,” you replied, at last giving in. Then you found yourself smiling… and on the receiving end of a very soft forehead kiss. “Nothing will separate us, my love. None can tear apart that which the universe has stitched together.”

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

“Like I said, my Lady, I already want him dead. Did you really think that your family was the only one to suffer because of his machinations? I know half a dozen people who would love to put a bullet in that fucker’s skull, bare mims,” the huntress said, white teeth showing in her half-smirk. There was an odd coolness to her voice, like this whole ordeal was just another job, and you couldn’t help but feel uncertain about her. Could she really be the solution to Alcina’s problem? You couldn’t even judge her arsenal, considering she had been instructed to come unarmed. After all, she was a hunter of monsters, with a sizable history to her name. If not for her hatred of Heisenberg, you would never have felt comfortable letting her come within two hundred meters of your girlfriend.

“How can I be sure that you’ll succeed? The last thing I want is to have that wretched man-thing come crawling out of the filth he lives in, angry and coming for vengeance,” Alcina responded, scrutinizing gaze locked on the huntress.

“Didn’t Duke give you my file? Or at least read the good bits out loud? I’ve been in my fair share of scraps, with all sorts of bioweapon mutant freaks. Besides, I don’t plan on leaving any receipts behind. If he manages to survive, which is already one hell of an if, there’s no way he can prove that you asked me to do it. Considering he’s already seen my face, and knows I want him dead… yeah, he won’t bother accusing you, not when I’m in the picture, and certainly not when you’ve got such a big reputation for following Mother Miranda’s word down to the very last letter. So, you gonna make this official, or what?” The huntress asked, gesturing her arms wide. Although you’re still not convinced, Alcina nods quietly, seeming ready to make her decision. Regardless of how you feel about the stranger in front of you, you’re more than willing to support your girlfriend in whatever she planned.

“Very well, huntress. Show us just what you’re capable of.”

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

Flames licked at her heels, even as she charged forward, tickling like hot breaths against her skin. Behind her half a dozen lycans roared and screeched in unison. Smoke and ashes flew upwards, into the air, but could not poison her lungs, not when she had come prepared. Still, the mask was not as easy to breathe in as she had hoped, making her chest heave with effort at each intake of air. Good thing I’ll be gone soon, she thought, sparing a glance behind her as she ran. Dozens of trees were aflame, and countless glowing eyes watched from between the branches. They wouldn’t be there for much longer, not with what she had done.

Soon enough an explosion would shake the Earth. Then, finally, both the lycans who had killed her father and the man who desecrated the remains would be dead. And if a certain countess happened to pay her for her services? All the better, really. Funerals could be expensive, especially in such a remote village. More than that… there was no guarantee that she’d be able to outrun Mother Miranda on her own. A little money would make the flight out a hell of a lot nicer.

Assuming she made it that far. There was another scream behind her, this one more human, though somewhat warped by mechanics. It wasn’t a pained cry. No, it was filled with rage. Clearly Heisenberg had come out of his lair, hearing the fireworks, finding his scrap metal and werewolf army in chaos. From the sound of things- metal against metal, electricity crackling- he was coming her way.

“Fuck fuck fuck!” She muttered, desperately trying to get to higher ground. Even if the lycans succumbed to the overwhelming fire, it wouldn’t be hard for their leader to overcome. But the huntress was still too close to her explosives to risk activating the detonator. Just a bit farther, she thought, ignoring the way her lungs ached. Rocks kicked up with every step, loud enough to be heard from a distance, and made traction harder to keep. In the end she had to scramble to get up the side of a short cliff. A few scrapes appeared on her hands, making her curse under her breath.

But with one last movement, pulling herself up with both arms, she was finally far enough to be relatively safe. In one clean second she turned around, pulled the detonator out of its pouch and clicked the trigger. Just like that, a forest blazing turns into a mushroom cloud of pure hellfire. The setting sun makes for a beautiful backdrop, and the sight almost brings a tear to the huntress’ eyes. For a few moments she just enjoys the view. Then, without hesitation or remorse, she starts to walk away, mentally congratulating herself for a job well done.

Until something shoots past her head with terrifying speed. Before she can react another sharp piece of metal flies past her, grazing her arm, and there’s a blood-curdling roar from behind her. Then she’s running, fast as she can, pulse pounding harder than it ever has. One hand goes to the rifle on her back, pulling it out as quickly as she can. The area is rocky, with plenty of outcrops, perfect to hide behind (assuming there weren’t any hidden metal deposits). Quickly she ducks behind one, crouching to keep her head out of sight. Mere milliseconds later another metal spike slams into the ground just beyond her cover.

In the distance, more screams pierce the air, and something heavy drags itself across the ground. It almost sounds like a tank rolling through the woods. The thought alone worries the huntress, but she had never been one to let her fear control her. So she double checks her rifle, adjusts the scope, and pops out of cover. Less than a second later she has her target in her sights. It’s Heisenberg, for sure, more metal than man, but dripping with red. One press of the trigger sends a bullet straight for his ugly head. Unsurprisingly, it’s not enough to pierce his cranium, instead making him mad as hell.

Which is why automatic guns were invented, probably. The huntress holds the trigger down this time, though briefly, before dashing to the next piece of cover. She repeats the process a few times, hoping to kill the man before he could climb the cliff she stood on. If he managed to get up there with her… no, she couldn’t think about that, not now. She had to focus.

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

Hidden among the trees, the Dimitrescu sisters watched as plumes of smoke rose in the distance. Even though they had been aware of the huntress’ plan, they hadn’t expected this much carnage. It was certainly exciting! But they really couldn’t see much from where they were. Getting closer was probably a horrible idea, and yet Cassandra shared a meaningful look with Daniela. A split second later they were forming a swarm, rushing into the trees, leaving their elder sister to yell after them.

“Mother’s going to kill me,” Bela said, before rolling her eyes and following. Maybe she could at least keep them out of trouble?... Probably not.

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

Metal hands wrap around the huntress’ throat, squeezing hard, but do not twist or otherwise break their prey. No, Heisenberg does not intend to end this that quickly. This rodent had taken so much from him, set his plans back by decades. He was going to kill her slowly. When she still fights back, pulling a knife from her boot and trying to stab whatever she can reach, he does little else but laugh. It’s a crazed cackling that echoes through the surrounding rocky hills.

Just barely loud enough to drown out the sound of insects buzzing.

“Fuck that guy!” Someone shouted, right as a sickle descended upon the monstrous Heisenberg’s neck. The first slice isn’t enough to sever the connection, which is why it’s immediately followed by a second, from another sister, then a third, from the eldest, that finally does the job. Just like that the hands release from the huntress’ throat, and she gasps for air. Coughs leave her distracted as the sisters move to surround her. “Good thing we wanted to see the show up close and personal, eh?” Daniela asked, twirling her sickle with a little giggle.

“You idiots are just lucky I followed you,” Bela added, glaring at her sister. Internally, she was relieved that the end result was a success. Still, she worried about what her mother would think, and certainly didn’t intend to voice her satisfaction at delivering the killing blow. “Now let’s get back, before mother assumes the worst and comes to get us herself.” Sighing, she extends a hand to help the huntress up. Though their mutual enemy had been defeated, there was still much to be done. Who knew how Mother Miranda would react? Who, if anyone, would take Heisenberg’s place? There was plenty to be unsure about, and Bela let her mind wander the whole way back, hoping that things would only get better from here...

[ask-bnha-2pnyoengland]

//please punch me cause I accidentally clicked to answer the ask but didn’t write anything  jkervdbnskejk anyway

//Warning: Long post ahead

~o~

Lottie: “Ohh, I’ve waited so long to introduce them! I might add, again, that we’re not blood-related, I was technically just adopted into the family. Heh, it would be funny if I had any blood-related sibling out there...”

“Here we have Brie, the oldest in the house! It was her and Nick who found me back in the day and it was their idea - and mercy - to take me in.

Brie is like the mom of the house. Not only because she’s the oldest, but because she is able to keep everything under control. She’s gentle, patient and she loves to take care of everyone. On the other hand, she’s the one to get more stressed out over time, so the others and I try our best not to overwhelm her, it’s the least we can do. There are some troublemakers, of course, but nothing she can’t handle. She is one of the best people I’ve ever met and I surely look up to her. By the way, she works as a nurse at the local hospital!

Nicholas, or Nick for short, is the second in command! Well, not that he actually likes that title, after all it’s a lot of responsability, but I’m only saying so because he helps around a lot when Brie is working or busy. And he’s the second oldest, so there’s that too. Anyway, he’s a sweetheart! He is always excited or happy about something and he adores to make everybody feel happy too. It’s contagious, to say the least! He loves to play around and make jokes to get a laugh from everyone. He’s calls himself the clown bro. However, he can be serious too, after all he’s a psychologist. His quirk helps a lot to get people to talk about their problems, and he’s a great listener due to it, but, of course, he never forces a person to open up, he always leaves it up to them to choose.”

//She has 8 more siblings so, to not make this post huge to skip if someone doesn’t want to see, I’ll keep the rest under the read more :)

“Here we have the twins, Louis and Lanna!

Lanna is the oldest of them, so I’m starting from her. She tries to act tough and mean towards people she just met - gosh, I don’t even want to recall the way she treated me when I arrived -, but that’s just the cover up for her actually caring personality. She is quite arrogant, which kinda of get her in a bunch of arguments, but she’s getting better at easing her ego and relaxing in order to be more empathetic. Oh, also, she’s a musician and even has her very own album on Spotfy! I listen to it every once in a while. In the meantime, she works as a music teacher for kids.

Louis is..shy, to put it simply. He prefers to avoid conflict - or any contact at all - and stays in his room most of the day. He doesn’t feel confident enough to speak up his mind or show his creations, but I think he’s workind on it, since we’re all very supportive of him. He loves literature and poetry, writing stuff from time to time, but he only allows few people in the house to read, since he’s quite embarrassed about it. I always tell him he has a talent for it, but I know it’ll take long until he fully embraces it.

Both of them, however, are great at telling stories and playing with the children. While Lanna reads the books or makes something up, making us hear every sound she can play, Louis makes the full picture of it - also listening if the chidren want to change or add something. Combining their quirks, they’re able to practically make a movie in our minds while they tell the most epic story ever!”

“This is Coralin! She’s the most calm person in our family. I have never seen her upset, not even once, and I doubt it’s ever going to happen. She radiates good vibes wherever she’s standing, and she tries to get us to relax with her when she sees any of us is feeling down. Her improvised yoga classes were a must when I first arrived. She also taught me everything I know about cooking and sewing! On the other hand, her attention spam is kinda...short. If you don’t remind her of what she was doing, her mind would probably wonder somewhere else in less than ten minutes. She records online yoga classes though, so at least she can edit whenever she gets distracted. And also, last but not least, she is studying to be an ocean biologist!”

“Here is Anneliese! She’s a confident, friendly and gentle young lady. She dreams of becoming an acress when she grows up, so she’s studying a lot for it. Every now and then, she organizes a play at school or even among our siblings so she can practice her acting skills, and also because she loves changing her hair for each role. She’s also great at doing make up and designing costumes - that’s one reason why I got better at sewing too, I wanted to make her ideas come to life -, it’s like she was born for the stage! To help out, we always test makeup on one another. She’s better at it than me, but we have a lot of fun anyway. Now that I’m at school, we videochat and just try clothes and makeup on together when I have time.”

“Remember ‘the troublemakers’ I mentioned earlier? They’re Sam and Richie. And, oh gosh, how they love to get into a mess.

Sam is the mastermind. They plan all of the pranks, detail by detail, and make sure everything works just as scheduled. The person is going to walk through a certain door? That was planned. The amount of flour that will be used in the prank? All planned. Nothing can go wrong. If it does, their quirk can make the person forget of the prank and not even notice the flaw, and also not scold them for the prank at all! It’s pure evil! One time, they had the courage to swap sugar for salt and I was so sad to see my cupcakes going wrong.... Okay, I’m joking, they’re not evil, just a little too naughty. We all love them, we just have to scold them a lot.

They have a sidekick, and that’s Richard - or Richie for short! He’s the one responsible to make the plans come true - after all, he’s stronger, taller and faster than Sam - and is also the first to run off when things go wrong. Though, he’s the first to apologize too. Although he likes playing pranks on everyone,he has his heart on the right place. Every now and then, he goes to help at the animal shelter nearby and, since he can communicate with dogs, he spends a lot of time in there. He loves being around us though! I love playing with him.

Sam and Riche are inseparable though. They’re the two halves of the same apple.”

“Here we have Eric! He likes to think he’s a prince whose parents, King and Queen of a distant kingdom, passed away and had to leave him at a humble home to learn about kindess, humbleness and courage. Though, that’s not really what he practices around here... He gives orders to everyone and starts a tantrum whenever we refuse something. We’re not even trying to be mean to him, but sometimes he’s too selfish and doesn’t realise his ‘wishes’ can’t be granted every time he asks. It’s something Brie and Nick have been trying to work out with him.”

“Aaaand, last but not least, and just as important, Liz! She’s the baby of the household. I mean, not literally a baby, but she’s too precious for this world. She has so much hope in those big eyes and smile that is impossible to feel anything other than joy when she’s around. She loves to play with all kinds of toys, climb around the trees in our backyard, and she’s always thrilled to discover new bugs every now and then. She..ate dirt once though, so that’s not very safe, but she’s just figuring the world out yet. She’s also very clingy. If possible, she’d want to be picked up for the whole day, but since that’s kinda difficult when everyone has their stuff to do, she’s content with being hugged every now and then. I know that she looks up to me, so I try to be the best I can to see her happy."

~o~

Lottie: “I love them all very much and I wouldn’t be the same, actually wouldn’t have ever recovered from my wounds, if it wasn’t for their care, love and support. I’d do anything for them in order to thank them for everything.”

[sheismyteacher]

hi loves,

im pretty sure ive alr done all old monthly challenges that used to be on here in 2017/2018 including my own lol but @baeby-tc made a new one and its once again 2am and im missing her so heres summ facts u might not know yet!!!

1. describe your tc’s physical appearance.

shes about my height so 5'7, she has a blonde pixie cut and bright blue eyes, n freckles!! and shes super skinny

2. what was the first thing you’ve ever said to your tc?

probably hi?? i honestly dont remember much from our first class

3. is your tc single or taken? or are you unsure? and are you single or taken?

single!! and im taken lol ive been dating my gf for a year n 11 months

4. is your tc more of the athletic type, the nerdy type or the artsy type?

nerdy looool

5. if you and your tc were in high school together, do you think you’d be friends?

honestly idk? we very well could have been because we were both kinda alt (me leaning towards goth, her leaning towards punk) but also both insanely private introverts lmfsjshhd so we might not even have approached each other

6. name one song that reminds you of your tc and explain why that song reminds you of them.

savannah by lp hehee we're both lp stans but she got me into her music and the first song we talked abt was savannah

7. is your tc fashionable or are they more of the simple type? what is one outfit you’d love to see them wear?

oh girl... 💀💀 i love her w my whole heart but if i see one more silver glimmery cardigan i might lose my mind. id love to see her in jeans and a crop top but shed Never so honestly i'll take anything that's not... horrible

8. would you be willing to become a teacher and teach your tc’s subject if it meant you two could be together?

haha funny cause... that's literally what im doing... going into my second year of uni... going to do my internship with her this year... ummmmmm.....

9. does your tc drink or smoke?

no!!!

10. name one item that is always on your tc’s desk.

her planner loool shes super organized

11. has your tc ever done anything that has either thrown you off, annoyed you, angered you or bothered you in any way? if so, what did they do?

yea i think I've only been pissed at her once?? i was really struggling with a situation and usually when i rant to her she fucks around and makes jokes n all and im fine with it i dont take myself that seriously but this time i was genuinely rly upset and she didnt rly notice i guess although i alr lowkey told her to stop n she kept making dumbass jokes so i was like "this is genuinely not funny like im being serious for once" and she did apologize which i appreciate but i genuinely think that's the only time ive been upset with her! and shes said things before that other people would see as shocking but has always apologised even when not necessary shes super respectful

12. does your tc have any past jobs that you know of, before becoming a teacher?

no actually!! she probably had a job in hs/uni??? but weve never talked abt that wow mayb i should ask her sometime

13. does your tc have kids or siblings? if so, how many?

both! she has one younger sister and two sons!

14. are you taking your tc’s class next year?

as i said ive graduated but im acc gonna b an english teacher as well now and imma do my 2nd yr internship w her!!!

15. has your tc ever met your parents? if you were there, what was the meeting like?

yes PLSJSJDJDJD at my school musical... and it was lowkey awkward cause i told her all abt how my father is lowkey terrifying so she was cautious as hell 😭😭

16. has your tc ever given you detention? if so, what was it like?

naw i never have her a reason to

17. has your tc ever failed you? if so, how did you react? if not, how would you react?

noo english has always been my best subject so she never had to.. but if she did i probably messed it up!! shes fair

18. what are your tc’s hobbies/interests? are they similar to yours?

help shes a dancer and i hate dancing w my entire heart so umm.. no

19. have you ever spoken on the phone with your tc? what did you talk about?

never actually!! we've texted so often but never called?? except if u count the time she (or her son?) called me on accident for about 6 seconds jdjdhd ion think she even knows that happened, i hung up and forgot to mention it again)

20. if you had your tc’s class during quarantine, what were your zoom calls like? if not, have you spoken to your tc since quarantine?

we've texted, but not as much as we used to and it's making me SAD but i feel like we just dont have a lot to say to each other

21. if you had the chance to go anywhere in the world with your tc, where would you go? what would you do?

she loves switzerland so let's go

22. does your tc have any nicknames for you?

she shortens my name sometimes heheh i loooove when people do that

23. have you ever cried in front of your tc? why? how did they react?

no, i don't cry that often, and ESPECIALLY not in public

24. have you ever walked/drove to/from school with your tc?

yeah we cycled together a few times! but usually were off on different times

25. do you know which teachers your tc is friends with at school? if so, do you like those teachers?

yea theres a couple she likes but shes not rlly *friends* with anyone, but we have the same opinions on most teachers

26. what does your tc’s voice sound like?

it's very soft, and not in volume but in vibes? and she has pretty sharp t's and her r's roll a little hehe

27. do you like your tc as a teacher? are they a good teacher?

oh yes 100%

28. does your tc prefer books, shows or movies?

im gonna go ahead and assume books, but she does have netflix as well

29. is your tc stern or easy going, in class?

pretty stern? i know a couple of people are lowkey scared of her but like shes not awful she just makes sure the class gets shit done

30. how would you describe you and your tc’s relationship?

like a friendship! i asked her abt it once (ages ago) and she said that she was tryna figure out how she felt abt me when it came to labels like 'friend' cause im also her ex student etc so she didn't rly wanna call me that yet?? but i think if we keep talking we'll get there. we trust each other immensely

31. do you address your tc by their first or last name?

firsttt since march 27th 2017 😌

[crystalelemental]

“el-jarado: For what it's worth, she's my favorite because Lyn and Florina are both characters I really like, although I'm kinda bummed her existence is probably blocking Florina from a true alt...”

That’s honestly my biggest gripe with it too.  Florina’s really popular, it sucks that she doesn’t have a seasonal alt of her own yet.  Also this got really long so more under the cut.

I think the other thing is that, when it comes to these paired up units, I really want to see an interesting dynamic that makes it worth it.  One of these units may as well not even exist; the very name of the units should make that clear (Duo Lif, for instance, completely ignores the fact that Thrasir is part of it, which she may as well not be).  So they have to compensate in my mind.  And a lot of them...very do not.  Like Ephraim and Lyon.  Lyon’s pretty popular.  And he’s relegated to a backup, who will likely never be at the front of one of these powerhouse units.  Or the Mia and “Marth” tihng.  Yeah, it’s an unexpected partnership, but “Marth” being the backup could mean Lucina never gets anything as a frontliner, despite basically being a lord herself, and the dynamic doesn’t actually offer anything worthwhile.  Which is a problem.  If the backup is considered an “alt” despite not actually getting anything for themselves mechanically, then the alt has to offer a good dynamic that isn’t well-explored, or offers a fresh perspective on the characters.  And because they don’t often do that, there are only five I like.

The good:

Duo Hector and Lilina is a precious dynamic we can never see in the main games.  Hector and baby Lilina, going trick or treating, is unbelievably precious and wonderful, and exactly the kind of thing I expected of all Duo units when they were introduced.  Oh well.

Duo Idunn and Fae are similar, in that we only see their dynamic at the very end of Binding Blade.  This Duo feels like a continuation of their development, notably for Idunn who is starting to regain her lost soul, while expanding upon their sibling-like dynamic that’s implied but not explored in their home game.

Harmonic Tiki offers an interesting perspective on the experiences of these dragons who were, by and large, really isolated through most of their lives, and the difference between one who hesitates to trust humans and one who jumps right in.  It’s a cool dynamic for characters who have met from across games.  Still kinda upset Ninian isn’t the frontliner.

Harmonic Altina and Sanaki actually offers some great perspective into Sanaki.  We already knew a bit about her insecurities, but having her admit to them to her ancestor who seems to be a hero she looks up to is precious, and the reciprocation and just raw joy Altina has at meeting her descendant is precious, and a dynamic that was well worth the investment.

Harmonic Myrrh...honestly is just precious.  It’s another of those really cute dynamics between characters you’d never expect to see together.  I think she and Nah have fantastic synergy, and a great dynamic to explore that, prior to this, wasn’t even considered.  It’s great.  It just sucks that one of them had to be relegated to backline.

The Bad:

Duo Ephraim and Lyon.  Did you knew Ephraim was a frat boy?  Because that’s all this alt seems to offer.  Shit we already knew.  Glad we lost a Lyon alt over this.

Duo Marth and Elise.  We already know their dynamic, this doesn’t exactly add much.  Glad we don’t get Elise in the game over this.

Duo Alfonse and Sharena.  Nothing new is added, and Sharena is known to be the one who likes these festivals while Alfonse isn’t as invested, so why is he the frontliner?

Duo Alm and Celica.  Nothing new is added, and frankly their conversation bothers me.  I actually have this one, and for the first half it just feels like bickering nonsense, that they end by just kinda glossing over because Alm did get her a different present.  Celica comes off as a brat, and Alm as kind of a dumbass.  Which isn’t out of character, but reminds me why I don’t particularly love them as a couple.

Duo Palla, Catria, and Est.  That’s a trio, but sure, it still doesn’t add anything to them.  But they’re babies!

Duo Micaiah and Sothe.  It offers nothing, it makes things worse for me by trying to insist this is the “Correct” pairing, and I really, really do not like Sothe as it turns out.  Worst paired unit by dynamic by far.

Summer Mia and “Marth.”  They offer a fairly unique dynamic, but not enough of one that they stand out.  Also I, like many others, will never forgive them for putting Lucina as the backup, and potentially removing her ability to be a frontliner in another alt some day.

Duo Byleth and Rhea.  I haven’t gotten their alt, never will, but I’m convinced their conversation is meaningless, since there is no way to make Byleth compelling without cheating.  Also I will literally never forgive them for what this alt did to Rhea.  I’m so fucking pissed this is her only representation in the game.  No Seiros does not count.

Harmonic Veronica and Xander is cute, but Xander is still the dumb joke about not being able to swim, and their dynamic is well known, with this offering almost nothing to make them more interesting.

Duo Sigurd and Deirdre.  Oh look, they’re being cute as a couple, because...there was literally nothing else for them to do or go off of, because Genealogy doesn’t care about characters.

Duo Lynja and Florinja.  Does nothing interesting with their dynamic, and locked Florina out of an alt.  Good job.

Duo Peony and Triandra.  Actually does offer some insights to their dynamic, kinda?  Mostly from the story mode though, and that didn’t require a Duo.  All this did was lock Triandra out of an alt.

Harmonic Dorothea and Lene.  And now my least favorite of all the paired units!  I have no idea what this was doing!  Don’t get me wrong, I like the unique partnerships Harmonics can suggest, but their feels completely devoid of charm or purpose.  They just wanted to take two female characters and put them in awful revealing clothing for no reason other than hoping their titties would cause people to spend orbs before they dropped Seiros.  They didn’t think about why this pairing should exist, they just said “Fuck, we don’t know who else from Genealogy would make a good Harmonic because they barely have characters to work with (fair point), just throw one of the dancers in with Dorothea.”

Duo Lif and Thrasir.  I almost feel bad putting this one in the bad category, but hear me out.  We already know this dynamic.  While it’s kinda nice to have confirmation that they have feelings for each other, no one is surprised by this, and I almost preferred when it was a subtle implication and could’ve been taken as either camaraderie or love.  Also Thrasir as the backup means still no proper Thrasir alt, and that’s kinda bullshit.  It doesn’t offer enough to offset the loss of the backup getting an alt.

I don’t inherently hate the idea of Duos and Harmonics, but there is a massive cost to having a unit be just a backup, especially since it feels like IS considers that backup as “having an alt.”  Which it isn’t.  At all.  So the dynamic needs to really work for it to be worth it.  And it rarely is.  This is the Mega Evolution of FEH.  Fantastic idea that could really have done a lot for their character dynamics and development.  But ultimately they just decided to do stupid shit with it and hope powercreep and fanservice would sell better than a well-reasoned combination of interesting characters.

[evesbeve]

Prompt: Ben with his pet black cat.

Just in time for Fanfic Writer’s Appreciation Day! Give the writers you like some love today-

Summary: Klaus will never forget the day he found Ben playing with a black cat as if his life depended on it.

(Read this on AO3 and FFN)

___

Watching Ben adjust to the real world was weird.

He'd get excited over washing his hands or picking up a pillow. He'd spend a few extra minutes taking in the smell of his hot chocolate before drinking it. He'd pass out at random places at least three times a week because he forgot to sleep. And if it wasn't Klaus that was talking to him, he registered things directed at him as background noise.

It was kind of like watching over a toddler. Then again, Ben had been doing the same thing for Klaus for over a decade.

They still took care of one another. In fact, it was rare not to see them together. Most of the times they even spend the night at the same bed, cuddling until they fell asleep.

It was great.

Not a single day went by without something odd happening in the academy. Klaus was proud to admit that he was the cause for more than half of such things. Not today, however.

He and Ben had plans to go to the mall, so he rushed to his room the moment he woke up. Klaus opened the door without bothering to knock, only to see that Ben wasn't there. He probably just went to have breakfast, he thought.

Ben wasn't at the kitchen either.

He started to make his way upstairs again, only to see that the door to the courtyard was slightly open. He pushed it all the way open, and went out, only to see that Ben was sitting in the middle of the yard with his legs crossed, a black cat on his lap.

There was a grin planted on his face as he played with the cat, which was trying to climb on him. He wasn't even trying to be quiet when he talked to it, cooing whenever it got close to his face.

And Klaus was filming the whole thing.

It didn't take long for Ben to notice. Klaus was expecting him to yell at him for filming, but he waved instead, as if telling him to come see the cat for himself.

"Look at you making friends," Klaus said, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

Ben was scratching its neck now, holding it close. "You're jealous and you know it."

"Am not," Klaus said, but reached out to pet it anyway. "You're disgustingly affectionate."

"It's not my fault," Ben said. "I came out here to read, and she rushed to me the moment she saw me."

"How did she even get in?"

Ben shrugged. "I have no idea."

Upon further inspection, the cat seemed like she was around two years old. Her fur was pure black, and her eyes were wide and green, shining under the sun.

"Hey, she kinda looks like you," Klaus joked, but Ben didn't laugh.

He smiled instead. "Does she?"

Klaus hummed in response. "You should call her Goose."

Ben scoffed, but he was clearly amused. "She looks nothing like Goose."

Klaus shrugged, standing up. "Tummy is all rumbly, we should grab breakfast."

"But I already ate."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "For the kitty, Ben."

"OH!" Ben said a little bit too loudly, but the cat did not flinch. Ben stood up too, keeping her in his lap. "We have some ham in the fridge, maybe she likes that!"

They ended up in the kitchen, setting the cat on the table and taking turns in feeding her. Klaus didn't know which was cuter; the cat trying to jump to reach pieces of ham with her paws or Ben holding them above her head and meowing at her.

"For a second, I thought an actual cat was in the house," Diego said, walking down the stairs, and freezing the moment he laid eyes on the actual cat in their kitchen.

"Morning Diego."

"Good day," Ben said at the same time as Klaus, giving the final piece of ham to the cat.

Diego shook his head, a tired smile creeping up his face. "No."

"Yes." Ben took the cat in his arms, letting her play with the laces of his hoodie.

"No, Ben, no," Diego said, and he looked as if he was about to slam his head against the wall. "You can't just- A cat? You can't just bring a cat in the house like that, we're not- You brought a cat into the house!"

"Yes."

"Stop saying that!"

"Diego, dear." It was then that Klaus thought he should intervene, and started walking towards Diego's direction, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "What our brother Ben is trying to say is that he really wants to keep the cat."

Ben nodded quickly as the cat started climbing on his shoulders, placing her paw on his cheek. "Please?"

Diego groaned, brushing Klaus' hand off him and going up the stairs. "FAMILY MEETING!" he yelled.

___

They ended up keeping the cat.

They never officially gave her a name, but there were many thrown at her.

Luther and Five called her anything from The Cat to Ben's Cat, and so did Diego, although he had called her a demon on multiple occasions. Allison usually referred to it as the baby of the household, and Vanya liked calling it kitty, kitten and anything similar to that.

Klaus liked calling her Queen.

Ben had a ridiculous amount of nicknames for her, all above included. My daughter was a popular one.

On more than one occasion, Klaus had caught the others playing with her, Pogo and Mom included. The kitty would hang around the kitchen when Mom cooked, and play with Pogo's fur. Neither of them complained.

Luther would spend long amounts of time looking at her. He looked comforted by her presence, but would rarely reach out to pet her. It was as if he was afraid of crushing her, and Klaus couldn't blame him. When he did pet her though, she usually ended up asleep in his arms.

Klaus would always remember the time he found Diego half-asleep on the couch, one hand hanging from it to pet her majesty, while mumbling random words under his breath. He was a bit hesitant about letting her into their life at first, but he wasn't ashamed to admit how much he had come to love her.

Allison was definitely the most open about her love for the cat. She'd put on music and dance with her, and Klaus would always join them. The cat seemed to have a favorite song, because she meowed as loudly as she could when Life In Color by OneRepublic was on.

Five was certainly not vocal about his affection towards the cat, but everyone knew about it. He always looked for her before he sat down to read a book, and whenever he wanted a snack for himself, he gave something to her too. Her favorite treat was her kibbles, and Five would wrap them around little pieces of ham, because of course he did.

Vanya was the most responsible one out of everyone. She always reminded Ben about her vet check-ups, and was in charge of getting her food. Her and Ben had been close growing up, and they'd bonded again over the kitty.

Klaus was her declared godparent, by none other than Ben. He was like a crazy uncle, always picking her up and buying her new toys. He loved booping her nose. She'd meow in response, and put her paw on Klaus' nose, and it was an endless circle from there.

And Ben? It was rare to see him without her anymore. She followed him around at all times, be it the bathroom or his bed. She did have her own, but she much rather prefered sleeping next to Ben, even though her actual bed was in the same room.

In the course of only a few months, the kitty was an indispensable part of the Hargreeves family.

___

"Do you think our queen getting fat?" Klaus asked one day when they were playing with her. They were in Ben's room, and Klaus was lying on his bed, picking her up as if she has Simba.

Ben, who had just finished cleaning up her bed from the fur, turned to him. "She is?" He walked up to them, taking her from Klaus' arms, and inspecting her. "Ah shit, I told Five not to feed her so much."

Five and his gourmet shit, Klaus thought.

He took her back, bringing her close to his face. "Who's a fat baby? You are! You're a fat baby!" She meowed in response.

"Do you think we should get her to the vet?" Ben asked, clearly worried.

Klaus lay back down, letting the cat walk on him. "Chillax Benny, we can just wait for Vans."

Ben seemed to be reassured at that. It was true, Vanya was their sole source of information when it came to taking care of the kitty, since she used to take care of her neighbor's cat back in the day. Waiting sounded like a good idea.

"Hey, come on," Klaus patted the spot next to him. "Get some rest."

___

Two weeks later, when they were waiting for Ben to join them for movie night, they heard screaming from his room. The siblings exchanged a few worried looks before running with all their power upstairs, stopping in front of Ben's door.

"Ben are you okay?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Ben!"

"Stay calm, we're here-"

Ben was looking at them with tear-stained eyes, kneeling in front of the kitty's bed, where the cat herself was lying, with three tiny furballs snuggling against her.

"SHE HAD BABIES."

Movie night would have to wait.

[bevcrly]

[ SOFIA CARSON, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER, 24 ] // filed under: ( BEVERLY RICHETTI ), student is a ( FOURTH YEAR ) from ( ITALY ) who specializes in ( FIELD OPS ). we believe they will be an asset because they are ( ADAPTIVE & FORMIDABLE ). however, we are monitoring them due to their tendency to be ( WITHDRAWN & MACABRE ). at their basic state, they remind one of ( SILENT FOOTSTEPS ACCOMPANIED WITH PARANOID GLANCES, HANDGUNS STRAPPED UNDER SKIRT COVERED THIGHS, THE WHISTLE OF A KNIFE CUTTING THROUGH AIR, THE METICULOUS KNOT OF A PUSSY BOW SHIRT ). our ( MELINOË ) has promise, but as we all know, brier isn’t for everyone. ✉

hi hey hello !! i’m kaya and this is my child, beverly hillz

TW: DEATH, MURDER

born and raised in abu dhabi for the first few years of her life, her parents died when she was only four. murdered in their own home, a young bev was just hiding in an emergency safe room her parents had established when they first discovered they were expecting

while death wasn’t uncommon in their line of work, getting murdered on their doorstep in a location that was suppose to be undisclosed was a definite red flag for their respective agencies. internal investigations started and in the midst of this, beverly’s godfather, giuseppe richetti, swooped in and adopted her after previously adopting two other children before her

all she has left of her family are a few haunting memories that she’s unsure are real, some photographs, and a couple of trinkets that always seem to serve as a reminder that they were not only agents but also brier alumni

way before bev’s parents died, giueseppe had this conspiracy that all of these international agencies had been infiltrated and in an attempt to remedy that he had decided to train some of the next generation of agents himself in an attempt to keep it corruption free which is why he adopted seven kids in total and named each of them after days of the week with sunday being the first kid adopted and saturday as the last although all of their ages and times of adoption vary

pls brace yourselves for a the umbrella academy and what happened to monday inspired plot lmaooooo

these kids grew up in florence, italy where the city streets was their playground whenever they managed to sneak out of the house. training was pretty intense with them learning how to speak english, italian, spanish, and greek ( not necessarily in that order ) along with basic hand-to-hand combat and different martial arts. by the age of nine, bev knew how to kill someone 16 ways with just a dessert spoon although she has yet to actually put that knowledge to use

hmu for that wc ( x )

growing up in the richetti household with the name tuesday, she was a pretty reticent kid who never really showed what she was thinking or feeling. at first this was bc of the trauma from losing her parents and being thrust into a new country and environment, but eventually giuseppe realized that she was just naturally withdrawn as a person. at first some of her adopted siblings were offended that she wouldn’t play or really speak to them and once they begun their “lessons” there were a few that thought of her as pretentious and snobbish, believing that she wasn’t really talking to them bc she thought she was better than them but that def was not the case

you know that one kid in your class who seemed to know everything and never got less than a perfect score??? yeah, that was bev and a few of her siblings were mcfreaking salty about it but i would have been too??? but like, she only knew so much and was semi-good at things just bc she, sunday, and monday were the first to join the richetti household and so they had a bit of a head start when it came to lessons and training

personality wise she’s very much maternal when it comes to her siblings and anyone else she cares about bc it’s an instinct even tho she’ll deny it. def still struggles to show that she cares for anyone but deep down she really does. all she wants is the best for everyone and to make sure they’re all cared for and tbh she’s loyal to a fault. they could pull a thanos and she would still stand by them and even make excuses for their actions bc blind love

went through a messy phase where she would be unnecessarily violent or aggressive in training and at one point would just leave behind a Mess™ and slowly developed a reputation that inevitably gave her the codename melinoë. but as she got older she learned to be more subtle and actually control her aggression but the north never forgets and neither does anyone who knows of her past. this was probs the time that showed her siblings that she can at least experience anger and unveiled some of her deep rooted anger and vengeance issues from the death of her parents that she had suppressed with the rest of her feelings. she’s p volatile and vindictive although idk how many people would know about that side of her???? it’s probably some rumor that no one believes bc there’s no way the quiet, composed girl did That™

she has a talent for improvising on the spot, always staying quick on her feet despite whatever situation is being thrown at her??? she’s def still withdrawn and keeps to herself as much as possible but she’s learned to “fake it till you make it” and can flip the switch and become a more charming version of herself??? but her natural state is v much a more aloof albeit teasing self so don’t be fooled. she’s also v much present and painfully aware of her surroundings at all times as a force of habit after living in the richetti household

she has training in firearms but her preferred weapons of choice are throwing knives and daggers just bc she finds some sort of satisfaction in throwing them and just using them in general??? she’s analytical and has a good sense of foresight that gives her a knack for reading a situation and predicting the next possible moves/decisions so she usually jumps three steps ahead. this sometimes causes her to be ahead of her team/partner and so she usually goes off-script leaving whoever she’s partnered with to piece together what’s happening and what she’s doing on their own. but this also means she LOVES to play chess in her spare time so if your muse does too pls holla

def more brains than brawns and could probably get squished like a bug tho lbr

but also intelligence wise she’s a little above average??? like her siblings, riku and leonora, are def more intelligent than she is but she’s quick-witted so she just kinda pretends that she’s at their level but she most definitely is not

wants to specialize and go into reconnaissance to go undercover when she graduates which is why she’s a part of field ops

home girl is plagued by dreams. almost every night she has repeating dreams that are as haunting as a nightmare. sometimes they’re memories, sometimes they’re her imagination, and other times they’re just fears but sis wouldn’t know what a good nights sleep is unless she was put in a coma or something. she’s under the illusion that if she gets revenge on the people who murdered her parents then they’ll go away but like.. that ain’t how it works unfortunately sdfghj

would not hesitate to sacrifice herself if it means helping out her siblings or those close to her so, uh, if your character is prone to reckless decisions then expect her to be lurking to shove them out of harms way

she’s a captain of a laser tag team and also a member of ceramics so if your muse is in one of those pls holla for a dolla

here are a few links in case u wanna check them out but pls plot with me i am B E G G I N G

pinterest: ( x )

statistics: ( x )

connections: ( x )

[scythlyven-art]

What would each egos act/job in the freakshow be? Like Dark probably takes the tickets and the Jim’s probably show off their twin-ness, but what else do they do?

Dark: You’re right he does deal with ticketing as well as advertisements for the show. He’s the director so essentially he’s in charge of the entire thing. He makes sure that everything runs smoothly while dealing with any… issues that may arise. At the end of the day all of the other egos, even Wilford, fear him no matter how nice he may seem around guests because they know that even if they slip up once or make one mistake there will be hell to pay. I also feel like he can disguise himself around guests, appearing normal and looking exactly like Damien but when he’s around the other’s he appears in the monochromatic glitchy way.

Wilford: Wilford is the actual Ringleader of the show. He’s the one who goes out on stage and runs the performance aspect of the show. Will also doubles as a knife thrower (from his love of knives and stabbing things) so he has his own mini performance before everyone else. Other than that he’s still the same psycho bubbly man that we all love. 

The Host: He’s a seer who can see into the future and the past, with limits of course. When he’s on stage performing he appears more as a magician. He can make things appear and disappear with just his voice to manipulate the world around him. Offstage, he’s very quiet and tends to keep to himself but he does hold mini pre-show sessions where he “predicts peoples futures” for a price.

Google: He’s in charge of all of the technical aspects of the show. It’s his job to make sure all of the lights, sounds, props run smoothly. When he’s performing he uses a mix of “shock therapy” and illusions to fool and trick his audience into believing anything. Google is still a robot though and as such still exerts robotic qualities although no guest would ever know that he’s a robot just by looking at him or watching him talk. Of course, because he’s a robot he still has the “ok google” feature so often times before a show, Dark makes him go out and interact with the guests. They just think he’s super smart but in actuality, he’s just a robot.

Yandere: I wanted him to be an escape/stunt artist. He helps the other egos when they want to perform a risky stunt but his own personal stunts are the most extreme and impossible ones you’ll ever see. He always pulls them off perfectly every time, however, if he does fail, he can’t feel any pain so unless he’s missing a body part he can usually convince the audience nothing went wrong. 

Bim: His act differs a bit in each show. He hosts impossible death game shows where he selects a “willing” participant to play. Should they lose the game, to the audience it appears they disappear to simulate “dying in the death game” however what they don’t know is that the person actually dies and the body is saved by Bim for later since, you know, he’s a cannibal and all.

Dr. Iplier: Iplier doesn’t have an act in the show. He works as the egos personal medical officer. He also assists with guests should they somehow injure themselves while at the show. He’s very slimy and manipulative, almost like a snake… He also may be the reason nobody ever has a clear memory of the show. Like, they know they went and saw it they just can’t remember anything specific like the acts or what anyone looked like…

King: King is basically a wild man, being a “were-squirrel”, so his act would be similar to the shows that use lions or tigers. He tends to be really aggressive so usually, Wilford takes care of him during his act, making him do extreme and extravagant tricks all while trying not to get ripped to shreds or have his face eaten off. He’s surprisingly intelligent however he doesn’t have a very wide vocabulary (think of how the Hulk talks and that’s what I imagine for him) which I like to think makes him a little guard dog to Dark since he can gather information by sneaking around super quickly and quietly (like a squirrel) He can hide anywhere without being seen.

Silver: The original design for Silver kinda reminded me of an alien so I decided to take that idea and change it a bit by making him, well, an alien although he mostly shares the appearance of a spider. He’s a shapeshifter and can change his appearance at will to anything imaginable but strangely nobody ever sees it happen. They blink and he looks completely different, so he changes at different times to different people depending on when they blink. He is far creepier than the others (probably because of the whole alien/spider thing) but he likes to catch guests that wander a bit too far from where they’re supposed to be and play with them like a toy. He might even use them in his act…

The Jims: The Jims are flat out demonic. They’re not straight up demons like Dark is but they’re certainly not human and like to use dark magic to play tricks on people and that’s essentially what their act consists of. Messing with the audience and conjuring up shadow entities to help them. They’re conjoined twins who love to cause mischief but they can easily split into their own separate bodies whenever they’d like, they just prefer being together because it freaks people out. Think of every stereotypical sibling/twin relationship and that’s their relationship, whispering to each other and finishing each other’s sentences. 

Ed: I made him a sharpshooter, capable of shooting the smallest objects with extreme accuracy at impossible distances. It’s almost like he has an extra pair of eyes with that crow that always follows him… so don’t ever get caught doing something you’re not supposed to by the crow because it will definitely snitch on you. Ed’s also as shady as he looks, swindling unknowing people out of their possessions or even kidnapping people (*cough* babies *cough*) and turning and using them in his acts, for work, or just selling them on the black market. It’s horrible but he has no moral code. 

Bing: He is the epitome of the strongman in any circus. He can lift anything and I do mean anything. But that’s usually not enough of a challenge for him so he has Yandere put together stunts for him which usually involve a skateboard. He can also make a clone of himself which often has his own stunt he can perform that compliments the original Bing’s performance. So essentially, he’s the biggest narcissist of all of the egos and it shows. 

Sorry for such a long answer but I felt this was the best way to respond to your question ^^

[funky-stars-and-roses]

Psst... You should talk some abt your ocs if you want. I wanna know random facts about them.

hi anon!! i’ve been working on some world building for my ocs so i hope you don’t mind me dropping that in as well- im putting it under a read more bc i wrote a LOT-

also, i kept accidentally deleting this so i’ve had to rewrite this multiple times :’) but it’s fine, i like infodumping-

heres a link to my og post about them! https://enbees-and-lavendar.tumblr.com/post/642206592824213504/holds-up-these-ocs-hello-and-welcome-to-a-new

so, there’s 3 kingdoms, all w/different morals & ideas:

The Kingdom of Preocupat: their whole moral system is “as long as you don’t damage property you can go wild.” unsurprisingly, they have a lot of crime here-

The Kingdom of Cordeno: upholds kindness & respect, try their hardest to remain “pure” in the eyes of their deities (who im still working on-)

The Kingdom of Tenbrarum: ok yeah, this kingdom is barely a kingdom- the people call for anarchy & the royalty try to get them to stop

 these kingdoms are all in a conflict: Cordeno wants everyone to just chill & not have any death, Tenbrarum is trying to basically kill off all of their citizens in hopes of starting anew & Preocupat is helping both sides out, not really caring about their placement in it all.

 so its chaos in this realm- but there are groups from each kingdom gathering, trying to help the conflict to the best of their abilities.

 the ocs i posted about? they might be a group, but they definitely aren’t trying to help the conflict anytime soon- they might have incredibly powerful people in the group (which i’ll talk about soon!) but they would rather help out random travelers & small taverns in the woods than help the kingdoms

 they’re just a group of people who do the side quests of this realm-

 Aeolanyira (she/her):

 w/all that story stuff out the way, lemme talk about the gang! (also, they all either have ADHD or are autistic, this is mostly bc I self projected onto all of them so- im mentioning this bc im gonna talk about their favorite stims)

she’s dating Moonweb

a funky lil musician who travels around the realm, uncaring of consequences

she didn’t have a family, so she’s traveled around for as long as she can remember

she often makes pit stops at taverns to perform, & her music enchants anyone who listens to it

basically, when she sings, she has the power to control the elements & keep people/enemies drawn to her

she doesn’t really have that much control over these powers, (she has accidentally set a tavern on fire once) the most she knows now is when to stop singing

despite her not caring about consequences, she is rather wary of how her actions affect others, bc she’s seen the best & worst of people & she’d hate to be someone that caused hurt

she smells like cinnamon!

 Moonweb (she/he/they):

fav. stims: F L A P P Y  H A N D S. also, humming/talking to herself!

she’s dating Aeolanyira

a half elf, half demon who lives among the mortals to help do jobs for his father

although they never knew her mother, his father is actually very caring (for a demon lord) & usually sends them around so he can teach her various lessons

they actually met Aeolanyira in a tavern & decided to follow her around to see what she does on her journeys

he actually doesn’t have many powers apart from being able to fly & having heightened senses-

she prefers flying around, but ever since they’ve joined the gang he tries to walk more often so she can hold Aeolanyira’s hand 🥺

they tend to present themself as very kind, but if she doesn’t care about you then you’ll end up being a pawn in his game-

his scarf is the only remnant they have of her mother

fav. stims: flapping their wings around despite not flying & smelling cinnamon bc it’s a nice smell & reminds her of Aeolanyira

he’s dating Orsal

 

Whiskey (he/him):

an orc from the kingdom of Cordeno who follows the messages of his Goddess

he has a ton of siblings. his parents taught them all the messages of their Goddess. he ended up leaving bc the family started putting too much pressure on his shoulders

while travelling around, he ran into Aeolanyira & Moonweb, who were stuck in a ditch somehow?? he helped them & decided to stick around bc they looked like they could use some help

he doesn’t have powers on his own, however he’s pretty damn good w/a sword & can ask his Goddess for help

when asking his Goddess for help, he has the power to just slash the crap out of everyone (this technically goes against his morals, but he’ll do anything to help his friends)

due to his upbringing, he tries to keep kindness & peace first, but the gang definitely can make that hard-

his armor piece was a gift from 1 of his favorite sisters

fav. stims: tapping his foot & clinking his sword against stuff bc he likes the noises :D

he’s dating Whiskey

Orsal (he/him):

a powerful demon lord who was sent up to the mortals’ realm to basically babysit his friend’s child (Moonweb-)

he doesn’t have family, he was born out of the mortals’ rage

he honestly was just stumbling around the realm until he bumped into Moonweb, who was hanging out w/Aeolanyira & Whiskey in a tree-

he basically just gets his powers from people’s rage. someone’s intensely upset? Orsal gains power from that, using it whenever he can

when using people’s rage, he grows bigger & stronger. he can grow up to 15 feet & tends to stay at this size after battles

he has very similar morals to Moonweb: he uses people to his own benefit, but he doesn’t try to hide it like Moonweb. he’s very soft & protective of those he cares about tho (the gang 🥺🥺)

his eyes change color! when using his powers, his eyes go black & red, but outside of that his eyes are blue & green

fav. stims: destroying things & touching the others (not in a weird way- it’s more like him playing w/or stroking the other’s hair & wings)

currently single, but she has a secret admirer 👀

Zanna (she/her):

a powerful witch who lives in a cottage just outside the outskirts of Tenbrarum

her family’s dead- she’s alive bc she cast a successful spell that keeps her alive longer

the rest of the gang met her when they were on the run from Tenbrarum forces- she kinda just opened her door for them & was so amused by them that she joined their little journey

she’s a jack of all trades who’s basically learned all types of magic- she does grow tired when she does too much magic of any kind, so she doesn’t pop off as much as she could  

she specializes in healing & defensive magic, but she’s definitely very good at offensive magic

she’s been alive for so long that she’s basically grown desensitized to everything. she’s seen it all & she’s not gonna try to change anything anytime soon. the only things she cares about is the gang, so F in the chat for anyone who messes w/them-

bc her sleeves are really long, her hands rarely show. it’s become a joke w/in the gang that if her hands show, she means business

fav. stims: fidgeting w/her sleeves & doing flashy magic to watch the colors change :D

currently single, but crypt’s pining hard for Zanna 👀👀

Enador (crypt/cryptself):

a vampire who became the “familiar” of Zanna & is her personal bodyguard (tho not really since we all know Zanna can handle herself)

crypt’s family disowned crypt bc crypt showed way too much interest in other species- 

crypt hid crypt’s human form from the gang for a while- 1 night crypt just chose to shift & the gang was like “ZANNA YOUR BAT’S TURNED INTO A HUMAN” & Zanna was like “lmao i know”

crypt is honestly just a normal vampire- besides being able to stand in the sun & having crypt’s animal features pop up, not much is different

the most impressive thing about crypt is crypt can just transform in the blink of an eye- crypt just spreads crypt’s wings out & suddenly there’s a bat there

crypt’s been alive just as long as Zanna, however the 2 have very different morals- crypt just has SO much pent up rage, so crypt’s morals are basically “if you inconvenience me or my friends even just a little bit, i will choose violence & not hold back”

crypt has claws- i can’t tell you how many times crypt has accidentally scratched someone in the gang & had to apologize immensely

fav. stims: rocking back & forth & lightly chewing on crypt’s skin (Zanna didn’t know about it until later & that’s when she gave crypt a bunch of random things to chew on in the meantime)

...sorry for how long that infodump was- but i love them a lot & i might post fics about them! (that is, if i have the time & people like them-)

[kaibutsushidousha]

hey, you mentioned kohaku being your favourite character ever! i'd be super curious to hear why (also, thoughts on rin tohsaka?)

That’s a kinda intimidating question because I really don’t write about Kohaku as much as I should. Just a heads-up, I might be misremembering things, as I haven’t read Tsukihime since 2014 and absolutely dread the thought of the revisiting Hisui’s ending precisely because I’m afraid of the idea me being misremembering Kohaku as someone better than she actually is.

Spoilers for both Tsukihime and Fate/stay Night.

Back when all the route girls were introduced, Kohaku quickly became my favorite for her great humor, the narration’s focus on her smile and by her avoiding all of the bad maid tropes. The last one of these was very reinforced by putting her in contrast with Hisui, who embodied all of them. Back at the time I still had no clue to how much I would like Kohaku, but quite sure she would be the best by the end (although Ciel really made me doubt that in her route), specially with some great jokes she had in Arcueid’s route (”Shiki-san, how can you do something so cruel to Akiha-sama? Next time you’re going to bring your lover home, please bring someone more normal!”).

Then comes Hisui’s route, where we slowly start getting hints of Kohaku’s past, with the reveal that she doesn’t feel pain, Shiki’s memories about the girl in the window and whatnot. This all leads to shocking reveal of the Fujou twin’s past, their assigned role as Makihisa’s Empath, how Kohaku took the responsibility all to herself in order to protect Hisui, how Kohaku learned to how make the magic drugs to stop feeling pain and how the twins “swapped faces”.

It was really heavy, tragic and character-defining defining, so I thought the best I would get was seeing this from Kohaku’s own perspective, specially since this was as far as Hisui’s character went, but oh boy, how wrong I was. Kohaku is much, much more than that.

Hisui route ends with the reveal that Kohaku masterminded the demise of the Toono family and her motives are pretty obvious but I never expect the way she felt about it. Kohaku describes herself as not as a human, but as Makihisa’s emotionless doll. Kohaku had to constantly intake pain-removing drugs in order to endure Makihisa’s (and latter SHIKI’s) abuse and this state of not feeling anything disconnected her from her emotions. Kohaku admits that, to some extent, she did all of this because it made her feel human a little.

What you would expect from this premise? Kohaku channelling her remnants of humanity into hatred for the Toono family and orchestrating her revenge. Was that what really was on her mind? Nope, Kohaku (and Kinoko himself, as Fate/Grand Order is a great evidence of) has a much more positive definition of what it means to be human. Kohaku expresses her humanity through fairness, empathy and a desire to make the situation better.

Even though, Makihisa singlehandedly completely ruined her life, she acknowledges that he didn’t do it out of sadism or perversion, he did because he really had no other choice in order to keep himself from inverting and causing even bigger harm to everyone. Kohaku sees Makihisa as much of a victim of this tragedy as herself. And this makes sense with her backstory in mind. After some point, she stopped feeling anything and she could see during her sessions was Makihisa’s pained expression of being forced to do that to a 9-years-old. SHIKI had it worse, having to wrestle for his will with his inversion, Roa and Kohaku’s drugs all at the same time. And then there’s Akiha. At some point, Akiha figured the entire plan out but still went along with everything Kohaku said because she honestly believed her family deserved Kohaku’s punishment for everything they did to Kohaku. Being Toono truly is suffering.

Despite everything they did to her, she insist couldn’t bring herself to hate them because she fully understood their circunstances and they respect her wishes of protecting Hisui. She never did what she did out of hatred, but as an attempt to make everyone happier. The Toono blood brought unavoidable tragedy not only to the Fujous, but also to themselves. The Fujous could never find happiness in contact with the Toonos and the Toonos themselves can never be happy. Therefore eliminating the Toonos was a course of action who would benefit everyone. Then the plan would end with Kohaku offing herself, leaving Shiki and Hisui to live happily together. It was all a perfectly rational decision for the sake of everyone involved.

That’s a much more deeply layered motive and that alone was enough to cement Kohaku’s first place in my character ranking. But the Kohaku ride is still not ever yet. Kohaku’s character is even more layered than all of that. I would never expect it to have even because all of that so perfectly convincing, but that’s exactly the point. The lie had to be perfectly convincing because the one Kohaku was decieving with it was herself.

The moment Shiki gave Kohaku her ribbon back was the moment was the moment she crumbled. Her bursting emotions crushed her mask of rationality. And, oh dear,  did that destroy my heart. There she is forced to admit that she always hated him. When she was young, she was just jealous of how Shiki was adopted to live a happy life with the siblings, but when he had to leave, Kohaku, fair as she is, decided to give him the ribbon as a parting gift so they can get along better if he ever comes back. Years later, after she had already forgot him, Shiki comes back and she grows to hate him again for much deeper reason. That is because Shiki is happy to be with Akiha and Shiki would be sad if she was gone. His presence contradicts her idea that “everyone will be better off with the Toonos dead” and is a constant reminder for her that she is lying to herself about being righteous instead of just investing in personal revenge.

Kohaku deeply empathizes with the Toonos suffering, the entire process of her revenge was deeply painful to her, specially the part concerning Akiha, who was kind enough to completely let Kohaku destroy her due to her own empathy with Kohaku. But despite all that, Kohaku was still able to push through due to her belief that what she was doing was right, but Shiki, by just unawarely being there, took that away from her. That’s why she made that bet with herself to stop everything she was doing if Shiki returned her ribbon. Then, when Shiki finally did it after everything was over, all that did that amplify Kohaku’s guilt and self-loathing even more, to the point she really couldn’t take it anymore. Kohaku’s tragedy really, really hurt.

I really can’t think of any scene that came even close to have the same levels of layered characterization and emotional impact as Hisui’s route’s ending. That hit me extremely hard.

After a while to recompose after thinking too much about Kohaku, let’s go the next subject: Rin Toosaka.

I really like her overall personality and her relationship with Shirou (both of them). I’m not a big fan of tsunderes, but I do believe it’s relatively easy to make them good and Toosaka is my go-to example of how. First of all, her tsun is expressed not by distasteful aggressiveness, but by elegant dry-witted snark, which replaces what I dislike about the archetype with something I like. The other part of what makes it great is the person she is tsun towards: Shirou (both of them). Pairing the tsundere with a nice or oblivious guy is real waste, but pairing her with someone who is just as tsundere towards makes for a really fun dynamic, always great to watch. It works wonders and I can really tell because my best irl friendship is exactly like that.

Another thing I like about her relationship with Shirou (the master) is how equal they feel. Saber feels above Shirou in their relationship because she is the ideal hero he aspires to be and Sakura feels below Shirou due to how emotionally dependant she is, but with Toosaka it feels like they are on the same level, growing each other together. I still prefer Shirou with Sakura though.

As for her character on her own, she is kinda underwhelming. As the most standard mage on Fate/stay Night, her motivations are the ones that the least personal and she is kinda out of focus even in her own route, where she completely loses the spotlight to Shirou (both of them).

But, like most of F/sN’s characters, she gets much better in Heaven’s Feel. With Sakura involved, her motivations get a lot more personal, she gets a great fight scene with the jewel sword and has by far her best scene at the end of it. After completely defeating Sakura, she raises her sword to finish her and just… stops there. After spending the entire route berating Shirou for being too soft to kill and letting his personal feelings get in the way of his responsibilities, she realizes she also can’t do it and admits with a pained smile that she has no right to criticize Shirou anymore. It was an excellent moment.