#and I know merchandising rights would be a pain

[manda-kat]

I think, legally, if a studio/game developer/publisher/whatever has the rights to an IP, but they go for five or more years without releasing any projects related to that IP, the rights to the property should return to the person who originally pitched or wrote it and they can repitch it somewhere else or continue it on their own as they see fit, or just keep the rights and know that nobody can butcher the property.

Obviously, companies should keep the rights to the projects they create while the IP is theirs and any characters or concepts that they introduced that was not the original creators idea should belong to their individual versions, but I think if more creators had the option to take their beloved brain child and walk if a studio decides they actually don't want to do anything with the IP, they should be more than capable of doing so.

This should also apply to cancelations without any plans for new projects AND media being removed from streaming and viewing should automatically return to the original creator.

[ramshacklerumble]

can I see an ashi and gigi interaction <//3 look she even has an emote 🌺

KIDDING!!!!!! BUT HI I WANT MORE GIGI CONTENT 🫶 really curious about 🦐🦑🍄 octotrio? this is my attempt at more unagi crumbs BUT!!! I AM GEN CURIOUS ABOUT OCTO INTERACTIONS 🫣 don’t think I’ve seen gigi interact w the other two ssssso 👁️👁️

in a nutshell?

if these three carked it right in front of them, gia would at long last repent and hole up in a nunnery like the good lord intended.

jk. (kinda)

on paper, gia is the octotrio’s personal henchboy as payment for a “favor” floyd does them a little prior/early into the events of book 5. (currently working on a one-shot that goes into this) originally gia’s tenure under the mostro lounge was only meant to be for a few weeks, but it’s made readily apparent once the octotrio finds use in something they are not about to let it slip through their fingers.

so begins the trio's pattern of finding even the smallest infractions on gia’s part as cause to extend their servitude under them. this is, understandably, why there's little love lost between them. i’d say gia prays for the trio’s downfall, but gia isn’t religious and far too proactive to wait around for that to happen.

they’ve made it their personal mission not to leave nrc until octavinelle is burning at their feet.

…

in reality, gia’s relationship with the octotrio is quite complicated.

they’ve been an absolute pain in the neck in every single encounter, but it doesn’t take gia long to realize the octotrio is their speedrun towards getting some REAL power in their hands. proud and hard-working they may be, gia is ultimately a pragmatist at heart.

though a bit of a showman, azul IS an undeniably powerful mage with many a tentacle in many a pie. the twins are nothing to sneeze at either.

as much as gia hates their guts, these three are their chance to make it not only to graduation but to actually make something of themself when staying at night raven is no longer an option.

and that’s not even getting into the growing familiarity between gia and the trio steadily murking the waters…

—

🦑 AZUL ASHENGROTTO: (tagging @thehollowwriter since you also sent an ask for azul)

perhaps the most subtle dynamic of the three (making it the hardest to explain) gia's view of azul can be largely inferred by their joke-title for him: boss.

if azul wants something done, then gia gets it done. gia proves themself an incredibly adept asset to azul and it's why azul pulls whatever strings he can to keep them under his thumb.

that said, while gia puts up with much of azul's overworking and respects they are indebted to the trio by not putting up much of a fuss-- azul is aware he occasionally has to sweeten the pot if he wants to keep it that way.

he'd be a fool to forget this was the same person who got all his original contracts turned to dust. and besides: what good, gracious employer doesn't reward his employees for their hard work?

so azul doesn't mind giving gia access to a few of his private merchandise channels, maybe even some of his more advanced grimoires and alchemy notes, etc.

this dynamic remains largely unchanged for a while, though if one were to squint they might catch a degree of casualness peppering their interactions over time. they indulge in subtle sniping-- even minor trolling-- namely from gia who finds azul an easy target.

they are not fully aware of how things have changed until @cyanide-latte's chrysanthos shroud makes quite a bitter impression on them both. in a low moment surprising even azul, he admits to gia that shroud makes him feel inadequate as a housewarden-- made worse by the fact azul knows it isn't shroud's intention. shroud, in his own way, truly embodies the spirit of benevolence an octavinelle housewarden should be and it's something azul wonders he'll ever be able to do himself. (you can read more on this in cy's post: here!)

gia, in an attempt to give azul the peace of mind that they won't try to use this moment of weakness against him (and bolstered by the knowledge this could come in as blackmail should he think to use what they're about to tell him), shares a bit of their own worries shroud managed to jar loose.

working for the trio is hard, however, it's also been the path that's given gia the most opportunities. but, with the trio being a year ahead of them, gia is well aware their time with them is limited. they can’t help but mull over what is to become of them when the trio leave for their senior internships. gia will likely never see them again and likely be nothing more than a footnote from the trio’s school lives. a strange, magicless weirdo from another dimension, wasn’t that a fun little story?

gia’s probably going to have a lot of free time as a junior and who knows how they plan to go about senior year, frankly, they’re a bit at a loss with themself…

anyway. if it weren't for azul """kindly""" giving them the chance to gain what they DO have by working for him (or whatever), they'd probably be even more lost than they are now. he's a pain and a half, but he's probably not the worst housewarden in octavinelle history.

at this, azul reminds gia he's made his plans to branch out the mostro lounge to the public quite clear. gia wouldn’t be bound to them anymore, but it'd be a shame to let their experience at the school's location go to waste, wouldn't it?

—

🍄 - JADE LEECH

gia's relationship with jade is probably the strangest because despite jade being the one that wigs gia out the most, he is also the one gia openly gets along with the best.

fun fact: gia opened up their own club. the biking club. they are the only person in said club because, for some reason or another, they reject anyone who tries to get in. it might have to do with the fact the reason the club exists is because they needed an excuse to have a bike on school grounds they are allowed to ride anywhere unquestioned-- such as for personal errands or scavenging for potion ingredients. this includes up in the mountains.

y'know who else is often in the mountains..?

because of this little coinkidink, jade found a very weak and fevered gia struggling to get off the ground because they'd stupidly decided to go out foraging while sick. and of course, what good, gracious vice-housewarden of octavinelle wouldn't lend a hand to a poor, unfortunate underclassman in need despite their fervent protests? they're obviously, deliriously ill and are unaware of what's best for them…

indebted to jade on top of the octotrio as a whole, gia lost what little personal time they had as president of their own one-man club. now the biking club is (semi-officially) affiliated with his mountain lovers' club-- meaning gia accompanies him whenever he goes and bikes him around trails whenever he feels like it.

in theory, being alone up a mountain with jade leech should be terrifying, but gia sincerely enjoys these outings. jade is not only incredibly well-versed in mountain flora but a skilled potionologist in his own right.

honestly, it’s not bad.

—

BONUS:

BONUS BONUS:

they're friends :)

@inmateofthemind @simons-twsted-children @tixdixl @jovieinramshackle @blithesharem @theleechyskrunkly @skriblee-ksk (lemme know if anyone wants to be included in tags)

[doromoni]

A Rivalry Misunderstood | LN4

Ships : Lando Norris x McLaren Driver! Reader

Genre : Angst , Romance

Warning : Toxic! Lando , Possessive! Lando

Summary : You’re the new Golden Rookie of McLaren F1 , a driver loved and accepted by everyone. But Lando may beg to differ.

masterlist

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✦ ‧₊˚ ⋅

Quickly passing by every motorhome as you joyfully skip through the paddock , signing merchandise and taking photos with the fans. The Sprint race had just finished — with you getting your first Formula 1 win as a rookie! Well technically, but you were happy either way. Congratulations and pats on the back were constant from your team and even competitors as you made your way towards your own motorhome.

Life as a rookie in formula 1 had its ups and downs , majority of the people around have been supportive. However, oddly enough, you expected the least person to be against you would be your teammate … yet, here we are. You never understood Lando’s dislike towards you , it was so out of the blue and you could not think of anything you could have done to earn his mistrust.

You were always on your best behavior, and you always made an effort to be friendly towards your senior driver. You always made sure that you were cautious and that you didn’t step on any toes.

Busy with your thoughts, you reached your motorhome. So here you are, walking towards your designated driver room. Nearing the hallway of your destination.Head filled with thoughts but at the same time empty, not noticing the built figure as you turned the corner. Both bodies weren't aware of the other person, bumping into each other with a thump.

The person was heavy for sure, a built composed of lean and hard muscles. How would you know? He was currently lying on top of you. You were pressed by his chest, while he was on top of you. Yup … definitely muscled, you can feel it through your fireproofs

" Urghh, watch where you're going " you groaned in pain. Suddenly , you were face to face with the your teammate, Lando Norris.

His face was painted with an expression you cannot understand ... His toned arms were beside your head, trapping you between him and the floor . You stared at your co-driver, his hazelnut brown wavy hair, dark emerald eyes as green as the amazon forest, and a jawline that could rival a sword.

Unconsciously, your hand trailed the bridge of his nose to the soft and plump lower lip that the man possessed.

" What the hell are you doing" Stopping yourself from examining him more, and finally connected the dots. You were pressed on the floor by Lando Norris! The person who hated you and wanted you gone.

Almost automatically, you put your hands on his chest — an effort to push him . But alas, your efforts were null, when he suddenly pinned your hands above your head.

Struggling from his iron grip, and sighing into submission and decided to use your brain rather than brawn. Since trying to force yourself out would do you no good, knowing that he was much stronger than you were.

Having enough of his attitude and his harsh treatment , you realized being nice was never going to work— and that you don’t actually care about what he thought of you. And for the first time with him , you set your foot down and served him the attitude that he served you all the time that you were his teammate.

"I think your male bravado is content now, right? having a girl defenseless and restricted. I suggest letting me go now " you felt his hold on your wrist grow even tighter.

Steeling your front , you stared back into his glare, challenging his piercing glare.

"Why? Do you have somewhere to go? Have more people to suck up to? Don't you think that's low ,even for you?" A dangerous glint in his eyes. And an animosity in his voice that you couldn't decipher. He drew his face closer to yours, you felt his breath on your cheeks , an inch more his lips would touch yours.

Suddenly finding the situation amusing, a chuckle slipped your lips. Your chuckling then turned into laughter, and this stunned Lando, as he stared at your face, still sharing the same breath.

He can’t beat you on track, so he now uses other tactics to up you. Funny.

"Funny, such accusation are done by you , don't you think? Oh that's right its because the team actually prefers me now over you. Now that I’ve actually given them a win... hmm or maybe we all should be like you and bow and cower when max’s car shows in the mirror? “

Of course that wasn’t true, you just wanted to aggravate the English driver more. Once again, you tried prying your hands off his grip.

"Shut the fuck up . You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. " Lando bit back with so much animosity. You were definitely scared now .

Realizing that you are in the middle of a hall way and is still beneath Lando, you once again struggled to push him off.

" You know what, let go of me! I need to go to the debriefing for Pete's sake" You started squiggling trying to move away from under him, when an deep growl vibrated through your ear, causing shivers down your spine and goosebumps littering the nape of your neck.

"Don't.Move" Hearing him swallow and steady his breath, you smirked as you lay still below him and glared into his eyes challenging him further

Lando finally lets go of you as he stood up. Scrambling to your feet and dusting yourself off ; adjusting your driver suit and fixing your hair. You the felt his stare on you.

"What? The hell are you staring at?" With a scowl, you folded your arms and returned his stare with a glare.

"You changed your fireproofs" You looked down at your clothes . Your race suit was half open and your fireproofs were showing.

"What? Even my uniform you've got issues with? Should I also have my uniform exactly like yours instead? " you asked with a sneer as you patted the crease on your pants

"Stop trying to be different from everyone on the team! Fucking mooching on every mechanic . Know. your. fucking. place “ The British driver said scathingly.

Suddenly pissed, you decided to provoke Lando even further. Having enough of his bullshit. You drew your body near his , going on your tippy toes and placing a delicate hand on his chest, slowly dragging your fingernails to draw patterns on his fireproofs, feeling him tense under my touch. Fuck it! You were already a slut in his eyes anyway.

Slowly moving your lips to his jaw then towards his ear and whispered

"Does that make you angry, hmm, Lando? little ol me taking your precious spotlight? People adoring me instead of you. “ You tutted , making sure your voice held rotting sweetness

“All eyes on me. Does that make your blood boil? You getting nothing while I have everything, Lando?" Adding emphasis on his name, you gently moved your hand towards his hair and pulled.

Feeling Lando freeze and grow rigid from your touch you chuckled, you were about to move away, when you felt a hand wrap around your waist and suddenly pinning you against the wall with force.

" Don't fucking test me princess. Your playing a dangerous game. No one will look at you, I'll make sure of that.... Don’t prance around trying to win everyone to your side, you’re only mine to look at “ His lips ghosting the shell of your earlobe as he pulled you into his embrace even tighter.

Your breath hitched when you felt his teeth nip your ear. His lips traveled down your jaw to your neck, harshly biting the skin he traveled. He licked the junction of your neck and your shoulder, sucking and lapping his tongue over the bite. He let out a moan while you whimpered.

" Baby? I Never knew you could taste this good" Speechless , you stared at him as he licked his lips, your mind trying to gather any thought it could process.

"Win all the races you want, I don’t care. But don’t fucking flirt with anyone … and I don’t care if he’s your engineer. " With a kiss on the cheek and a squeeze on your waist , Lando was gone

You stood shocked, heart pounding, in the deserted hallway,trying to piece everything that just happened.

[strawberryblue-blog]

heyy girlyy idk if you're doing requests or not but, it's been a really rough time for me these past few days, i have exams going on plus some issues with my mental health so i was wondering if you could write like a short and quick pedri comfort fic where he takes care and consoles a very sad and stressed reader, love you lot's, take caree! 💌💕

Comfort boy —Pedri.

request: yes.

warnings: none. mental issues, anxiety, stress.

words: +1k

#SEXYNOTE: thanks for the request i am really going through something similar and writing this felt so good. anonymous person i hope you like it and are taking care of yourself, you can handle anything. love you 🩵

Your leg moved unconsciously in response to your anxiety as you bit your parched lips. Your eyes followed the lines of text as you read the report over and over but there was something that didn't feel right. Something was missing.

Your fingers trembled as you grabbed the pen to continue writing what was supposed to be your semi-annual report of your fieldwork. You had been at it for at least a week and hadn't even left the house to finish it perfectly. After class, you would go home and sit down with your work.

College was killing you these days and you couldn't worry about anything else but this. You didn't even know what day it was exactly because you hadn't slept properly for at least 24 hours.

"Y/n?" you heard in the distance. "Baby" he yelled a little loudly when you didn't answer.

Your eyes saw your boyfriend walk through the door of your apartment, seeing him coming as you lifted your head from your sheets.

"Pedri?" you asked in confusion. The young man was walking into your house smiling, when he finally had your attention. You blinked in surprise and somewhat exhausted but happy to see him again. You hadn't heard him, so you assumed he had used the key you had given him for emergencies.

"I knocked on the door but you didn't answer" he approached and you could see his hands busy with grocery bags.

Your tired eyes saw him come to you and kiss your forehead softly.

"I brought you this" he pointed to the bags. "I thought you might need it" he finished saying heading towards the kitchen.

You got up from your place following him to help him. You tried to take them to help him but Pedri denied.

"I'll do it, don't worry" he emitted and you pouted, leaving him.

"No need, honey" you said hugging him from behind as he finished unpacking the bags with merchandise.

When your face touched his back, your body relaxed completely, you felt his touch so warm that your anxiety and stress suddenly vanished. Many emotions were going through your mind right now, you were restless, feeling the pain in your legs from sitting for so long. Or the burning in your eyes from being focused on your homework. Even her back creaked as you stretched towards Pedri.

"You need rest, little bear," he turned to hug your body. His arms wrapped around you, hugging you.

You had missed him so much these endless days you had had. Pedri was like the light of your days and he knew exactly how to comfort you on these days.

"Do you want me to fix you something to eat?" he asked slowly when he saw you on his chest.

You shook a little. Even though your feeding had consisted of black coffee these past few hours, you weren't that hungry.

"Can we go rest?" you whispered as your body felt numb. You looked up and Pedri saw you stroking your back.

"Of course we can, baby" he smiled as you brought your mouth close to his. You joined his lips quickly, circling his neck when his hands took your legs to lift you into his arms.

He walked you to the bedroom, where he laid you gently on the bed, removed your slippers and left the quilt over your body. He took off his clothes and lay down next to you.

Again, his arms wrapped around you taking you completely against his body. Calm invaded your mind as his fingers caressed your lower back, relaxing you. Thoughts were gone, you were even willing to sleep for hours with his presence.

"You're doing great, Y/n" he whispered and his fingers caressed the sides of your face. "You can handle anything, I trust you" he said making you feel your eyes sting with tears.

These last few days had been really hard for you and despite not having seen him that much, not even having had time to call him, just quick messages, Pedri was still here by your side.

You were sure that thanks to him you could go on with everything. Because Pedri took care of you when you didn't, he loved you and didn't leave you despite your problems.

"I can because you are here with me" you told him when a tear fell. He wiped it away himself, smiling at you.

"I love you so much" his forehead caressed yours.

"I love you too, Pedri"

[the1975attheirverybest]

Real Life – Chapter 2: The First Date

I AM VERY VERY RUSTY AND THIS IS MESS BUT WE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.

Read chapter 1 here

See character list here

more tidbits under the tag #real life fic or #matty x claire

Matty’s bloodshot eyes caught his own reflection in the glass display of the store in front of him. He turned around to face away from it, recoiling from the truth of his appearance. The silence in the air was deafening. It pained him to walk around his old haunts and see “for sale” signs where booming businesses once existed. Luckily, the pounding headache brought on by his hangover prevented him from dwelling too long on the grim reality. He flinched when he felt a drop of water against his neck, slapping it, annoyed. Moments later, he felt another drop, this time straight to his head. 

“Fucks sakes.” He glanced up, realizing that rainfall was imminent. The news of rain wasn’t as bad as its consequence: he now had to face the choice that he’d been putting off all afternoon. He needed to decide whether to go home, or to find a place to kill a few more hours in; a cafe perhaps, or someplace to at least buy an umbrella. 

Groaning, he lifted the collar of his jacket to shelter under it and rushed into the first open business that he could spot out of the corner of his eye.

“Good afternoon, hello!” A young person, with bright blue hair and a nose piercing greeted Matty from behind the register. Their name tag read “Shay.”  He was at a bookstore.

Matty nodded, awkwardly, giving Shay an obligatory wave as he stumbled his way in. 

“Can I help you find anything?” Shay asked. 

“Erm….this is quite….is it offensive to come into a bookstore and ask for non-book related items?” He shrugged "feels sort of...offensive."

“Pardon?”

“Looking for an umbrella.” Matty cleared his throat. “If….that’s alright.”

“Oh! Not a problem. Our merchandise is right over there.”

Shay had pointed him in the right direction, but Matty had already gotten distracted by a clever book title and wandered off. 

“No, sir! To your left." there was no use in calling after him, he’d already trailed off, gravitating towards a sign by the stairs, and, eventually, descending the stairs into the special events area.

Shay dreaded having to let him walk right into an author's reading.

***

A woman stood behind a lectern, looking down at the book in front of her, reading aloud. 

The next time he sees her is the last time. She’s standing across the room with a bunch of important men in suits, a lipstick-stained cigarette between her fingers. He can't help but notice how the men hang on her every word. He thinks about going up to her but chooses not to. Maybe if he'd chosen differently that night, his final memory of her could've been different. Maybe he would've remembered a different woman than the one who had flashed into his mind upon reading of her death, but for better or for worse, he blinks, and she's gone.

"Thank you," Claire smiled, graceful, at her captive audience.

Matty recognized her smile as the same one she gave her audience that night at the charity event, right after her speech, moments before she'd disappeared into the ether. Quietly, he found a seat in the back row of the packed room and shuffled into it.

"That was...wow." the host, a critic of some sort, whose name Matty had clocked on the sign upstairs but had already forgotten, motioned, breathlessly, for Claire to come back to her seat. "Thank you for sharing that with us....So, I'm glad you chose to read the ending because it has sparked quite the conversation among readers." The host glanced at her notes, "I wanted to ask you, did you always know you were going to end the book this way?"

****

Matty could see her more clearly now that attendees began to empty their seats and form a line for the signing. I remained in his chair, watching her, wondering if he should go up to her. What would he even say? 'hi, remember me? you invited me to your event and i as rude to you.'

He walked around the edges of the room, scanning the shelves, absorbing the conversations around him, and eying her book. He picked up, leafing through it, and eventually settling into a corner to read.

When he finally looked up from the book again, the crowd had mostly thinned out. It was still raining outside and he was still without an umbrella. across the room, he saw Claire leave the signing table.

“Claire!” Jazmyn squeezed her elbow to get her attention, pulling her towards a woman with a press badge. “This is Raven Burner.”  Jazmyn offered a preemptively apologetic smile. "Raven, this is Claire."

“Hi! I’m with People Magazine. I was wondering if you had time for just a few quick questions? Big fan of your-“

“People Magazine?!” Claire’s voice revealed a little too much of her feelings towards the publication. She hadn’t intended to be so rude, but she knew that they were after more than just her writing process, or details about her next project. Her eyes darted around the room in avoidance, looking for an escape plan. Among the sea of faces, stacks of books, her eyes locked on someone else’s. Big, brown eyes, that pierced through her. 

Matty stepped forward. “Erm, Claire? S-sorry to interrupt but…our reservations.”

“Reservations?” she echoed him faintly.

Jazmyn eyed them, suspiciously. 

“Yes!” Matty insisted. “For our date. That we’re going on. right now.” He made a show of checking the time. “We really should get going. If we don’t want to be late. I know how much you love their dessert.”

“Oh.” Claire sighed, “oh! Right! Yes, of- of course. Our- date.”

He offered her his arm and she accepted. “Excuse us. Thanks.”

***

"Thank you." Claire unhooked her arm from his once they were outside. "You didn't have to do that."

Matty smiled, "felt like I owed it to you." he unwrapped his brand new umbrella. "I'm-"

"Matt Healy, I know."

His brows scrunched.

"Or, as I like to call you, Robin Hood."

Matty rolled his eyes. "You remember me then?"

"Rich guy who hates rich people. I tend to remember people who talk shit about me at my own events." she giggled

"It's Matty, by the way, if we're being accurate." He opened the umbrella. "And, I'm sorry about the Robin Hood thing. I...had no idea who you were, and....I tried to find you after the- umm...anyway, I'm sorry."

"Relax, you look like you're gonna sweat through your coat. I'm just messing. It's all good. I have buckets of money what do I care, right?" The blank expression on his face made her laugh harder. "oh, unclench your ass, it's just a joke."

She inched closer to shelter under his umbrella as they stood on the sidewalk. He lit a cigarette and she asked to bum one off him. She was a firm believer that cigs tasted better in the rain somehow.

“It’s quite good.” Matty said as he squashed the end of his cigarette on the concrete. “Your book, I mean. I’m only a few pages in, but I like it so far. 

“You sound surprised.”

“Not surprised….just….” 

She made him nervous and he hated it.

She crossed her arms over her chest, the cold beginning to get to her. "Anyway, thanks for the cig. Oh, and, thanks for umm...." she nodded in the direction of the bookstore. "these vultures, they won't stop prying about my...." she seemed to get lost in her thoughts as she watched the journalists, inside, surround her publicist. She snapped out of it, turning her attention back to Matty. "Anyway, nice to see you again, Matty."

"Erm...no, wait!" he blurted out as she turned to walk away. "Our date! we have reservations"

she furrowed. "They're not real. I thought...."

"They can be. I know a place not too far from here. You like Italian?"

[burningfairytales]

In honour of our favourite ace’s birthday, lemme dump this bit of unedited writing on you.

Happy Birthday, Bokuto!

They make it through the first two rounds of the Interhigh Qualifiers with ease.

Really, it’s almost too easily. Konoha is expecting something to go wrong at literally any moment.

They’re the last ones on the morning of their second day, because Bokuto insisted on checking the merchandise stand before their first match, and even though he’d whined and asked Akaashi to join him, their vice-captain had insisted that at least one of them should be with the team, and had trusted Konoha to “reign him in before he spends too much money, Konoha-san. Thank you for your hard work.”

He’s prepared to drag Bokuto to the arena kicking and screaming, which it turns out he doesn’t have to, because Bokuto is actually excited for their match, and goes willingly with one more t-shirt and two matching keychains in his hand.

(The t-shirt, of course, is as ridiculous as any he’s ever bought, with the English words ‘POWER UP’ in big bold letters on its front. The keychains are of Vabo-chan, which fine, Konoha understands, but does Bokuto really need two?)

The other shoe drops when they’re making their way down the hall and towards the arena, and really, Konoha’s been waiting for it to happen - it’s just that he’s been expecting Bokuto to go all depressed over something small again, something laughable, something to joke about with the others, maybe tease Bokuto about afterwards.

He’s not expecting to come across two players from the team they’re about to face, standing a few metres away and talking, loudly, about Fukurodani.

Or rather, their captain.

“Have you seen their captain, though? Doesn’t he feel a bit… useless?”

He isn’t expecting the way Bokuto freezes for a moment, the way his shoulders slump imperceptibly, how he seems to shrink in on himself.

“I know! He looks strong and all, but I heard he sometimes messes up the simplest of plays.”

A chuckle.

“Maybe the team would be better off without him.”

The hallway is quiet when they leave, and Konoha glances at Bokuto from the corner of his eye. And it looks a bit like someone had poured salt into an open wound or found a bruise to poke at, the way Bokuto presses his lips together, wincing at a phantom pain, like his heart is bleeding.

“Hey, Owlhead,” Konoha starts. “You know they’re just talking sh-”

“Konoha,” Bokuto interrupts, straightening. Throws him a brittle smile, his lip quivering. It’s the saddest goddamn thing Konoha has ever seen. “I’m going on ahead, okay? Akaashi was right, I should have stayed with the team. Gotta warm up and all!”

His laugh lacks all his usual enthusiasm, and he turns, making his way towards the arena.

Konoha watches him go, watches the bow of his head, the downward pull of his shoulders as if he’s carrying something heavy.

Bokuto is ridiculous. He’s too enthusiastic, gets discouraged too easily. He’s simpleminded, and a bit of an airhead, and Konoha teases him for it often - but Bokuto is his teammate. Konoha knows he can joke about it because the things he says aren’t one hundred percent true, and he’s not always one hundred percent serious.

He can joke about it because he knows that Bokuto knows that.

But that just now, that was something else.

Konoha clenches his fist. He turns on his heel, following the other two players in the direction of the bathroom. Anger tightens his chest, sizzles in his gut, hot and dizzying.

“Hey, you!” He calls, when he catches up with them. “I heard you talking shit about our captain!”

The two of them look at each other and then at him. One of the two shrugs, unimpressed.

“So?” He asks. He’s the taller of the two, probably taller than Konoha. “He just seems like a bit of an idiot.”

Konoha grits his teeth. How dare they?

How dare they?

He’s in front of them before his brain even registers the movement, grabbing the taller one’s collar and shoving him against the wall.

“You don’t talk about him that way,” he grits out. “You don’t know him.”

“H-hey,” the shorter one says, his voice suddenly small. “Don’t take it personally. It’s not like we were talking about you.”

But it is personal. It is personal in a way Konoha doesn’t deign to explain because they have no idea how their team works. They don’t know half the stupid shit Bokuto pulls, or the way he’s there for his team when one of them needs him. They don’t know that he keeps stealing their food when they go out to eat, or the ongoing prank war with Nekoma High that Bokuto puts all his effort into winning. They don’t know how he makes sure they all know that it’s not their fault when they lose a match. They don’t know how he pushes them - encourages them to try harder, give it their all.

They don’t know shit.

He considers, for a moment, the consequences of punching one of them, just for the sake of it. Considers if it’s worth the suspension that’s likely to come his way. But just as he decides he’ll just have to risk it, a voice stops him.

“Konoha-san.” Akaashi stands at the end of the hallway. His back is straight, his hands hang loosely at his side. “We’re waiting for you.” His voice is quiet; calculated. “Let’s join the others, shall we?”

With a long exhale, Konoha lets go. Takes a final look at the two and almost laughs at the relief on their faces, because really, they have no idea.

That Akaashi’s calm demeanour shouldn’t at all be reassuring to them - that the fact he keeps his hands at his side betrays his anger, because it’s likely a conscious decision, or else he would be fiddling his fingers. That his quiet is the lethal kind.

Akaashi probably took one look at Bokuto’s deflated form, came to find Konoha two seconds away from throwing punches, and most likely realised exactly what must have happened.

They don’t know that their calm, collected vice-captain doesn’t get angry - he gets even.

“You don’t know us,” Konoha repeats, this time with a smirk. “But you’re about to.”

***

He tells the others what happened while Akaashi is off in the corner warming up with Bokuto - speaking to him most likely, while doing the thing that never fails to cheer him up: spiking Akaashi’s tosses.

Komi glares daggers over the net, looking just as ready as Konoha to drag them out of the arena and settle things off-cours. Washio frowns, and Onaga keeps sneaking worried glances at their captain. Saru’s mouth is drawn downwards in an unhappy line.

Their collective anger isn’t surprising, of course. Bokuto is their teammate, too.

“Let’s show them what we’ve got,” Komi says, a fist in the air. “They won’t get away with this.”

“I have an idea.” Akaashi’s voice is quiet as he approaches, like the subtle cracking of ice before an avalanche. “It’s a bit unorthodox.”

Behind them, Bokuto is talking to their coach, but he seems at least in somewhat higher spirits than before. Konoha wonders what it would be like, to have whatever these two have going on. To know and understand each other so completely.

“Let’s hear it!” Komi says.

“It might be a bit difficult to pull off,” Akaashi says slowly, “And it certainly won’t be very nice.”

Konoha laughs. “Akaashi, haven’t you heard? We’re not very nice people.”

***

Unorthodox is a good word to describe Akaashi’s sets - none of them could be considered textbook, which makes them anything but predictable.

He dumps the ball over the net not once, but twice, sets the ball to Konoha even though the blockers are on his side, and throws him a look that clearly says, I expect you to get around that.

Konoha snorts as he jumps. No pressure or anything.

Luckily, the blockers apparently aren’t expecting that bold a move either, because they’d already taken a few steps to the other side of the net, and are scrambled to get back into position just a second too late.

He scores, and laughs at the sheer audacity.

Most notably, Akaashi lets Bokuto spike however he seems to want to, even though he would normally try to reign him in - there’s a particularly bold backrow set that Konoha has to admit is actually kind of impressive. Not that he’s about to say that out loud.

(“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi calls between sets, “You haven’t used a single feint this tournament. Not today or yesterday.”

“Huh? Yeah, I guess? Do you think I should?”

“I think,” Akaashi says, and his smile is lethal, “I think it might be fun.”

Konoha shudders. He really, really doesn’t want to get on Akaashi’s bad side.)

By the end of the second set, Bokuto is back to his old self, laughing and whooping with every scored point.

He does use a feint then, cheerfully tips the ball over the blocker’s hands, punches the air in victory with an emphatic, “hey, hey, hey!” when it hits the floor on the other side of the net.

Konoha catches the smile on Akaashi’s lips as he watches Bokuto - warm and proud and so full of something else, something big and overwhelming that it catches Konoha off-guard. But before he can blink, Akaashi has already schooled his features into careful indifference, turning back towards the net.

Oh, Konoha thinks, as the puzzle pieces fall into place.

Oh.

***

It’s probably the most unconventional they’ve ever played - definitely the most risky, and, dare he say - the most fun, too. He’s sure Coach Yamiji will have words with them later, but for now, Konoha doesn’t care.

They didn’t just win - to put it in Bokuto’s terms, they crushed their opponents.

***

“Konoha!” Bokuto throws an arm around him, and Konoha allows it, just this once. “Let’s go get Yakiniku tonight, to celebrate, okay?”

“Sure.” Konoha shrugs. “As long as you’re paying, Captain.”

“Eh! Uh. Hmm….” Several emotions flit over Bokuto’s face. “Okay, yeah. Sure. We deserve it. Yeah!”

And then he bounces off. “Akaashi!” He calls, “Help me pay for Yakiniku later!”

With the advantage of hindsight, Konoha supposes it’s obvious. He watches how Akaashi’s focus shifts the second he hears Bokuto call for him. How his entire body turns in the direction of his voice before he’s even finished what he’s doing, like it doesn’t have a choice but to move, the pull of Bokuto commanding its movement like some sort of gravitational force.

He sees how Akaashi’s entire demeanour changes - it’s nothing obvious, nothing someone not from Fukurodani would even notice. But Konoha, like everyone else on the team, is practised in the art of recognising their setter’s subtle shifts, and so he sees:

The small, upward quirk of his lips, his open posture, how he reaches out and lightly touches Bokuto’s wrist with two fingers - Akaashi, who never initiates any physical contact with anyone.

Everything about him becomes softer the second he lays eyes on Bokuto. The same way, Konoha supposes, reviewing these past two years in his head, the same way Bokuto is softer around Akaashi than with anyone else on the team as well.

How did it take him this long to notice, he wonders, when it’s right there, written plainly on Bokuto’s face, and in the curve of Akaashi’s shoulders.

***

On the bus ride home, Bokuto stops at nothing to point out how amazing they were today. He mentions almost every one of Saru’s spikes and Washio’s blocks, compliments Komi on his receives and recreates Konoha’s plays with exaggerated hand gestures and dramatic flourish.

It’s completely ridiculous, in the way Bokuto always is, and Konoha feels his own chest with pride anyway. Komi high-fives Saru, and Onaga chuckles behind them.

Next to Bokuto, Akaashi catches Konoha’s eye and gives a subtle nod. Konoha smirks.

And this - this is why their team isn’t better off without Bokuto - not that Konoha is ever about to tell him that. Because Bokuto always tries his hardest, whether it’s during a game or off-court, whether it’s about volleyball or lifting their spirits. Because he reminds them of their strengths and still dares them to do better.

Because he is theirs, for better or for worse, and they will always, always rally behind him.

[8myass]

nct 2023 yandere headcannons ♡

genre. angst, some are smutty/suggestive, fluff? (not much) cw. yandere!nct + sungchan + shotaro pairing. nct x female reader

✩ ​JAEMIN ✩ tw. gaslighting, mind games/manipulation wc. 0.2k

Jaemin would be the best yandere, honestly. He’s not necessarily crazy to the fullest extent of what a yandere “typically” is, but he would get obsessively in love when he loves. He would write you love notes and show up at your house with flowers when you didn’t even know you gave him your address. You didn’t, you never gave it to him, but he’d be such a good sweet talker that you’d be convinced you’re just not remembering the events correctly and go about your life without bothering to think about how you could’ve completely blurred out an entire memory. But he’d never lie to you, he seems like such a nice guy. I mean, he buys you everything you’ve ever wanted, why would he lie to you? He would buy you your favorite candies, band merchandise, books, everything you’d ever want, he’d know what you like without even trying. But every time you’d ask him how he knows so much about you, having not known you for long enough that you’d tell him anything like that, he would just brush it off and claim you did tell him, you’re just not remembering it right. Everything with him would just be a game, you’d never expect what he’d come up with next, but it’d always leave you confused and questioning the truth, yet he’d always reassure you. Because, again, how could he ever lie to you? All he wants to do is spoil you, he’s just a sweet guy, right?

✩ HAECHAN ✩ tw. bullying, mind games/manipulation, gaslighting wc. 97 (idk why hyuck’s is so short omg 😭)

Haechan would be the type of yandere to bully you into loving him. I mean, he’d go to great lengths to make you feel vulnerable, sensitive, weak, embarrassed even. He’d want you to think of him as your savior. Sure, he’s the one doing it to you, but you��d never hold it against him. He doesn’t mean it after all – that’s what he tells you. And you’re too naively alone to think the only person who wants to associate themselves with you anymore could be the whole reason your life has been ruined in the first place.

✩ LUCAS ✩ tw. cursing, implied kidnapping, crying, implied inflicting pain on reader, possessiveness wc. 0.2k

Lucas would be such a BAD yandere. Literally, he could never hurt anyone, but he could love excessively. Maybe his love would come off as a little suffocating. He doesn’t mean for it to be like that. He just can’t help but love someone as amazing as you so much that it hurts both of you. Like I said, he’d be such a bad yandere, he’s violent but it’s not by choice. You just wanna keep running away from him and it drives him crazy. Who is that new guy you’ve been talking to? Why do you think he’s so much better than him? Why is it that you’ve been ignoring him for this new toy? This asshole is just a shiny object, he’s your soulmate, your one and only, why can’t you see that? It’s not his fault he has to hide you from the rest of the world to keep you from returning to anyone else who isn’t him. He didn’t wanna do this either and each time you cry, he cries. You’re his love and he regrets everything he’s done to hurt you, but yet he won’t stop because you’re his and you need to know that you’re his. 

✩ HENDERY ✩ tw. stalking, stealing reader’s things wc. 0.1k

Hendery is also not the best yandere. He doesn’t really understand what’s happening to him. His body reacts differently when you’re around, his heart flutters out of his chest every time you say his name. You two aren’t close, you just know him as a friend of a friend and only really see him at parties or in class or sometimes at lunch, but he’s always there, always. He can’t help it, he just wants to be around you all the time so he lets himself follow you. It’s probably not the smartest or most honest thing he could be doing, why not go up and talk to you like a normal person? He’s not shy or antisocial, but you’re just different. He doesn’t wanna embarrass himself around you, even when you laugh at his jokes he can’t help but think that you’re laughing at him instead. What if you’re judging him? Are you laughing with him or at him? Would you still find him funny if you realized he’d stolen your dirty sports bra from your gym locker just so he could always be close to you? 

✩ TAEYONG ✩ tw. victim blaming, gaslighting, cursing, degrading wc. 0.2k

Taeyong would be super caring, taking care of your every need like that’s what he was born to do. However, he couldn’t help but be frustrated when you admitted you only saw him as a brotherly figure in your life after he confessed to you. He poured his heart out to you after everything he’s done for you and all you do is reject him? That broke him, you broke him. Do you know how annoying it was to come over to your house every morning and make you breakfast when you were fully capable of doing it yourself? What about how aggravating it was to be expected to drive you to school every day and watch as you walked over to that boy toy of yours, seeing him hanging all over you in your slutty schoolgirl clothes? And when you prance around in his presence in just a t-shirt and underwear, do you understand how hard it was to control his urges then?? You have no clue what he has had to go through just to get you in this position, confessing to you and telling you how much he adores you. Now, all you give him is heartbreak. Well, now it’s your time to be broken. After all the suffering he’s gone through, now it’s finally your turn.

✩ TEN ✩ tw. slight stalking, gaslighting, mind games/manipulation, cursing, implied sex w/ reader’s friends, sadistic ten wc. 0.2k

Ten would be the kind of yandere that would love the chase – the chase is better than anything that comes after. He wants you to play hard to get, so he’ll play as the greatest example of a person you would despise the most. Don’t worry, he’s done his research. You hate everything that he is, just as he had planned. He’s a manwhore, flipping through women like they mean absolutely nothing to him because they don’t. He’d flirt with you and try his “manipulation games” on you, all of which you can see through just as he wants you to and it makes you even more repulsed by him. In the end, you’d wind up hating him more than anything in this world. He’d hit on your friends and they’d easily fall for his games, letting him take advantage of them, only to get even deeper under your skin, targeting even closer to home this time. You would confront him about it, tell him to leave you and your friends alone because none of you want anything to do with him. He would savor every moment of your anger and rage, wallowing in the misery that he’s surrounded you with. He loves this, seeing you so distressed, pleading with him to leave you alone. It’s not that easy, though. You’re like a fly caught in a spider’s web. Sadly, you haven’t realized that once he set his eyes on you, your life was in his hands.

✩ JENO ✩ tw. cursing, mentions manipulation (no one is actually manipulated), implied stalking, pictures being taken w/o reader’s permission, possessiveness wc. 0.2k

Jeno would always come off as cold, but that’s not how he is with you. He’s an absolute asshole to everyone else, but you’re just the only one he likes. You’d be his safe place, the person he can confide in and talk to and the only one he can be vulnerable around, let his true self show. You’re intelligent, you’d see through any game he tried to play if he wanted to manipulate you like that. He never would, he likes you exactly how you are and he only prays that you feel the same about him. But, goddamn, would he have one hell of a collection of your pictures decorating every room in his house. Most of them would be pictures you didn’t know he took, others would be pictures you willingly allowed him to take, thinking all he’d do was keep them buried in the memories in his camera, but you were dead wrong, and instead, your beautiful pictures litter the walls of his home. You’ve never been over because of how often you’d run into a photograph you didn’t know was being taken on a surface in his house, he’d only ever come to yours. However, he does have a major aggressive side and won’t hesitate to display that to others who decide they wanna touch what’s his. He even makes sure you know that you’re his, there’s no such thing as you belonging to someone else, not even yourself. You are his and you need to learn that. 

✩ JAEHYUN ✩ tw. mentally unstable reader, getting in a stranger’s car in the middle of the night?? (stay safe y’all), getting engaged in like a week??, broke reader, gold digger reader, manipulation, sadistic jae wc. 0.3k

Jaehyun is a menace. I mean, a literal menace. You met him at your job that you’re working only to get out of a money slump you’ve been in since you graduated school and your parents kicked you out. You haven’t been sleeping right and your mind has been all funky, you’re not necessarily who you used to be. Your bubbly personality has been stolen from you by the endless amounts of sleep you’ve lost trying to make enough money to eat at least a meal a day. Well, actually, you didn’t meet him at the job, you met him after the job. It was late and you were walking home, but he stopped you, asking to give you a ride. You were too tired to reject his proposal, especially after he kept pestering you, so you just got into his car and told him your address. He brought you home the next couple of nights as well until he finally proposed the question of marriage. You actually popped something in your jaw out of shock, what the hell was wrong with him? However, as much as you wanted to reject his offer, he managed to blur all your rationality with the color green. He had actually managed to score a beautiful girl such as yourself with the thought of being able to live a rich life, he was proud of himself. Once you two finalized the marriage, he started getting harsher, meaner, more manipulative and sadistic. You wanted to get away from him, but you practically signed your life away under your marriage certificate, you couldn’t leave him now or you’d lose everything. He’d make your life hell, take everything you have away from you, you were sure of that much. You had to tolerate his shit behavior toward you now, make him as happy as you could, make yourself the perfect wife that he wants, even if it means you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life, at least you won’t be living on the streets somewhere. And he did it, that’s exactly the mindset he wants you to have.

✩ RENJUN ✩ tw. mentions shrine, pictures taken w/o reader knowing, clothes stolen from reader, implied stalking, masturbation (m receiving), panty-fucking wc. 0.2k

Renjun is actually the most adorable yandere in the world. He would be so soft and so sweet. I mean, behind closed doors he’d be the one to keep a shrine of you in his house. You’d have a room all to yourself. It’d be pink, just as he expects to be your favorite color, and it’d be filled with pictures of you, because how could you not want to look at yourself every day, and the pieces of clothing he’s stolen from your own room would be adorning the drawers of the dresser, the clothing you’d been searching for because you thought you lost them in your room. Oh, silly girl, it’s okay to lose things sometimes, maybe just go out and buy some more, the cherry panties always were the cutest on you. You’d trust him so much that you wouldn’t expect him to snap pictures of your naked body and post them all over the walls of his house, you would never expect such an innocent boy to touch himself while staring at those same pictures while holding your dirty panties from the other day, right? He’ll call you in the middle of the night just to hear your raspy voice, becoming turned on by the tired aura you’re alluding. You drive him crazy, he’d never do this for anyone else. He’s crazed, a madman in love with a beautiful princess who knows nothing of how obsessed he is.

✩ SHOTARO ✩ tw. mind games, rich girl reader, poor taro, depression, homicide, suicide, dubcon aspects, controlling taro, slight possessiveness wc. 0.3k

Shotaro would be a lot more cruel than what you’d think. But it’s exactly that, you’d never think that he’d ever be capable of doing the things he’s very much done. Once he falls, it’s completely over for you and your once-happy life. You were a bubbly girl, you got the best grades in school, everyone loved you, you were friends with just about everyone, and you even came from a rich family, you were spoiled rotten and got everything you ever wanted just handed to you without working for anything. That’s one thing he envied you for, because everything you have, he doesn’t nearly have the same. He’s poor and can barely even afford to feed his family a single meal a day even having worked all week. You never even noticed him. You were so oblivious to his persistent stares and obvious perverted remarks. He just wanted to take you all for himself, force your parents out of that mansion of yours and force himself into it. He just didn’t know how he could do that until he came across your depressed, homicidal little brother. You didn’t see it coming and even when it happened, you were in so much shock that you couldn’t even tell what had happened in the first place. Your brother committed suicide after killing both your parents right in front of your eyes. The only reason you got out of taking the blame for it all is because of the high-end surveillance cameras all throughout your house. Still in a state of disbelief, you went about living your life, slowly falling into his little plan even deeper as you completely distanced yourself from those you were close with, grades dropped, a depressive personality replaced your once bright one. You eventually found your way into his arms, unknowingly giving yourself to him without even trying, your mind not in the right place to be declining any amount of physical touch. In not even a week, he had moved in and attempted to replace the joyous atmosphere that once resided in your house with a warmer and more controlled one. You were at his constant mercy, doing everything for him, your soul so bent to his every will that you had no place to reject anything he says, does, or asks of you. You were his and you even knew that by now.

✩ SUNGCHAN ✩ tw. drugging, paralysis, doll reader wc. 0.1k

Sungchan is a gentle giant, really. He would treat you with care, making sure you’re never hurt and that he doesn’t pull too hard while brushing your hair in the mornings. He would make sure that every time he cooks breakfast for you, he’d slip just the right amount of pills into your omelet so that you’re paralyzed just enough for you to still be breathing and blinking. He’d dress you in the prettiest pink dresses and decorate your dollhouse, I mean room, with the prettiest pink decor. He would do your hair in pigtails with pink ribbons holding them up. Your makeup would be terrible, but it’d make you look all the more like a pretty doll, his pretty doll. You were all his to treat however he wanted. You would never disobey him and you’d always love him, he’d make sure of that with the paralyzers pumping through your veins. You were the only one he’d go to such lengths to keep, all the other ones were meaningless when it came down to you. You were just the lucky one he chose to love forever.

✩ KUN ✩ tw. knife, cursing, threatening, pet names (‘queen’, ‘princess’, ‘lady’), kidnapping, fictional world in kun’s head??, name calling (‘psychopath’), reader x kun are complete strangers wc. 0.2k

Kun would be a gentleman. Okay, sure, he’d have his crazy moments, like when he holds a knife up to some asshole’s throat because he laid a hand on you. But it’s fine because he’d never hurt you. He would only hurt for you. He loves you, he won’t let you forget that. He’ll take you out on romantic dinners, hold you close every night so you can fall asleep in his arms, hold the doors for you, bring you chocolate and flowers on your anniversary, treat you like a lady no matter where you are. You’d be his queen, his princess, his lady, you’d be his entire world and he won’t treat you any differently. Another one of his crazy moments might be when he kidnaps you and refuses to allow you to leave his house so he can do all of those things with the real you instead of the “you” in the fictional world inside his head. But that’s also fine because you’re safe, he would never hurt you. You’re his pride and joy, the reason he keeps living. Sure, you’ve told him you hate him for this, claimed you didn’t even know who he was, called him a psychopath, and all you’re trying to do is hurt his feelings, but no matter how mad he gets at you or how much you refuse to accept his love right now, you’ll see that he keeps his promise of never hurting you.

✩ WINWIN ✩ tw. murder, framing reader’s sister, dubcon aspects, implied stalking, alcohol consumption wc. 0.2k

Winwin is the biggest sweetheart, how could he ever do something so gruesome as to kill your family? You were rendered homeless, an orphan, you had nothing. You were the biggest suspect in the case, but when a murder weapon with your older sister’s fingerprints turned up in a ditch not too far from the house the murder happened in, you were also rendered an only child. You had nowhere to go and no one to turn to, until you met him in a random turn of events. You’ve never seen him before and while drunk, you definitely didn’t recognize his voice either. He knew you, he’s known you for quite some time. When you woke up in his bed the following morning, it was hard to believe you had run into such a generous man. You had apparently told him all about what happened to you in this past year and he graciously offered you a place to stay, which you had also accepted in your drunken state. You were more hesitant now that you were in a better mindset, but you just couldn’t say no to his soft eyes and grateful smile, so you wound up moving in with him. Your life was so easy and so simple from then on out. Sure, you never had any friends because they’d all go missing the moment they started talking to you, but that’s really the only complaint you could ever have, everything you wanted fit so perfectly into your hands as soon as you put it out into the world, or into his head.

✩ TAEIL ✩ tw. slow-burn romance, crying, mentions being dumped/stood up, cursing, sleeping w/ his brother??, choking, possessiveness, dub/noncon aspects wc. 0.2k

Taeil was calm and patient with getting you. He met you and let your relationship slowly develop. He wouldn’t make any rash decisions and he would let you venture into relationships outside of your slow-paced one, allowing you to experience adventure before coming right back to him, which you always did. You’d crawl back to him on all fours, crying, begging for him to take you back because you were stood up or dumped and you were now so desperate for male attention that it all had to come right back to him. You were never rejected though, he was wrapped around your pretty little finger. But soon, you made it a point to hurt him, you did it all on purpose, at least that’s what he thought. You didn’t, you were drunk and he wasn’t around and you were so so so lonely, you slept with his brother. Once he found out, he was livid, to say the least. You were really in for it when he got his hands on you next, and you did not get to leave him ever again. “Surprise, bitch,” he would say to you, his hand gripping your throat tightly as you struggled underneath his body and unforgiving scowl, “You broke me, are you happy? Now you can find adventure in me, and me alone.” 

✩ DOYOUNG ✩ tw. tsundere doyo, blood, black eye, bruises, physical abuse wc. 0.1k

Doyoung bullies you because he likes you, he’d be a tsundere type yandere. He’d want your heart, but he also wouldn’t like to admit that he’d fall apart without you in his life, especially considering he likes to believe that he hates you. It’s easy for him to ignore the stinging in his chest whenever you tell him you hate him with blood spilling from your nose, a black eye, and bruises that were all over your body from the beating you took from him the previous day. You were more of a punching bag to him. The more he loved you, the harder it was for him to stop abusing you. Every day it would happen, he looked at it as a joyous time because he got to see you and touch you and hear your adorable little squeals and pleas. He was awful to you and you never would’ve loved him because of how terrible of a person he was, this ate at him and so he made sure every punch he bashed into your pretty face was just as painful as the heartbreak he experiences every time he looks at you.

✩ JOHNNY ✩ tw. size kink, corruption kink, mind games/manipulation, gaslighting, sleeping w/ reader’s sister and mom and best friend, drugging, depression, victim blaming (not to reader) wc. 0.2k

Johnny obviously is a lot bigger than you, which is a whole lot of his attraction to you. You’re just so tiny and huggable, squeezable even. He loves that about you, you’re so small and adorable. He just wants to break you, but he isn’t capable of doing such a thing. He “loves” you, after all. So, he’ll break you through other people. He wants to keep you tiny and sweet, you’re not allowed to get bigger and you’re definitely not allowed to become any less innocent. No one else is allowed to corrupt you because you’re only his to ruin. He would do everything you like, put the most effort into making you feel loved. In the end, he’d make you fall in love with him, you’d be so head over heels for him that when he sleeps with your best friend, you’d be crushed. When he sleeps with your sister, you’d be crushed. When he sleeps with your mom, you’d be absolutely shattered. Your entire world was completely destroyed. Of course, they’d all be drugged, none of them ever would’ve done that to you under their own free will, but you don’t know that. You’d fall into a deep depression, and who else would be there to lift you back up other than him? You couldn’t be mad at him, you loved him. Plus, he didn’t do it, he convinced you that he was forced into it because he was drunk and wasn’t in his right mind while they were, they took advantage of him in his most vulnerable state. You felt bad for him and cowered into his arms, accepting him as the only true person in your life anymore.

✩ JISUNG ✩ tw. power imbalance, alcohol consumption, bruises, professor x student relations, author reader, blackmailing, dubcon aspects, explicit photos and videos, cursing, name calling (‘whore’), degradation wc. 0.3k

Jisung loves having power advantages over the one he “loves”. If you have anything more than he has, you’re worthless to him. It’s such a good thing that he found you, he might’ve been lonely if he hadn’t found you stumbling out of the bar in the middle of the night with tears pouring down your cheeks, alcohol staining your breath, bruises coating the delicate skin of your wrists. You looked absolutely ruined, perfect. You had no idea whose hands you managed yourself into when you tripped over the uneven sidewalk and fell straight into his loving arms. Your eyes were dazed and your words couldn’t be understood even by an equally drunk person. You were unable to tell him where your car was or even where your house was when he shoved you into his car to help drive you home. You were perfect, really. He couldn’t have found a more vulnerable, pretty girl such as yourself. He already knew who you were, you were a professor at the college he also attended. Aside from that, your father owned the entirety of the college and you had a job on the side as an author that was just starting to pick up. If pictures of you having sex with one of your students had gotten out, it could ruin your entire life, not just a single career path. You were made aware of this matter as soon as you woke up naked in the bed of one of your students, photos and videos of the events that had taken place last night all over his phone. He made sure to show you every single thing he had on his phone of how nasty you were last night. You begged him not to let anyone else see them, pleaded that he kept them for his eyes only if he kept them at all. However, just in doing that, you made the biggest mistake of your life. Claiming you’d do anything for him as long as they didn’t get out to the public? Such a dumb little whore you were, giving your life up to him so easily.

✩ CHENLE ✩ tw. bribing, sugar daddy/website mentioned, hookups, sex for cash, cursing, name calling (from reader to reader; ‘whore’), implied murder, dacryphilia, degradation wc. 0.1k

Chenle would also use his money to bribe you into being with him. Of course, it’d be more of a simple hookup at first. You’d sleep with him for cash out of desperation, knowing you seem like a whore, but you didn’t care because money was the most important thing. But no matter how many times you claimed it would be just a one-time thing, he would always call you back to his place with a higher reward. You kept falling right back into his greedy grasp, always as desperate for the cash as you were the first time you met. His routine worked out lovely until you found your way onto some sugar daddy website, finding yourself a replacement for him. So, were you tired of him already? He was pissed, to say the least. You just abandoned him like that, how could you? He wasn’t done with you. And he’ll make sure you understand that when that new sugar daddy of yours is lying lifeless on the floor as he fucks you into tears, telling you everything he plans on doing to his little piggy bank.

✩ YANGYANG ✩ tw. clingy yang, possessiveness, implied kidnapping, persistent boy yang, pet name (‘darling’) wc. 0.2k

Yangyang, yeah, sure, he’s a brat, but you’d never see that side of him. His entire personality would revolve around you. You don’t like mean people? He’d be the nicest boy around. You want a man who goes to the gym? He’ll get a gym membership and work out every damn day. You want your man to be a cat person and not a dog person? He’ll buy himself a whole house full of cats and name them all after something you like. You can tell him to completely change his appearance and he’d do that for you, because he loves you. The only thing he could never do is leave you alone. You have his heart now and you’re never gonna get rid of him. Eventually, you’ll start getting tired of his persistent nature and clinginess, so you’ll tell him off. He’ll be confused and won’t know what’s gotten into you, or even how to react, but then he’ll just go back to being obsessive over you. Maybe after the twelfth or thirteenth time of you flipping on him, he’ll begin to understand that you don’t want him in all the ways he wants you. And maybe that’s when he snaps. Maybe that’s when he takes you all for himself and he shows you all the ways he is willing to take you. Now, now, you can scream at him all you want, but he won’t listen to your pleas. Once he has his mind set on something, he’ll never give up till he gets what he wants. And you’re what he wants. Now that he has you, he’s never gonna let you go, ever, you’re his forever now, darling.

✩ YUTA ✩ tw. stalking, voyeurist yu, hidden cameras, pictures being taken w/o reader’s permission, stealing clothes, breaking into reader’s house wc. 0.2k

Yuta would be all about the stalking aspect of being a yandere. He would be outside your window watching you get dressed, snapping pictures to add to his collection, popping hidden cameras into your shower so he could watch you even when the windows don’t show you. He’d sneak in your slightly opened window at night and watch you sleep, gently petting your hair while telling you how much he loves you. You’d wake up with missing clothes from your laundry basket, chilled from the window being pulled open all the way when you could’ve sworn you only propped it open a little for a gentle gust of wind to come in, and a feeling of unease running through you. You would go about your day like usual, then come back home and wake up with the same feeling of unease as the last morning. This was routine for you, you’ve gotten used to the cold night air filling your room, having to run out and buy new pairs of panties because yours disappear nightly, and you don’t even question it when you find weird-looking black blocks behind an empty shampoo bottle in the shower. You’re too naive to understand what all these signs are pointing to, and, frankly, you’re too fed up with this lifetime to care.

✩ JUNGWOO ✩ tw. neighbor woo, too kind/too trusting reader, manipulation wc. 0.3k

Jungwoo is your adorable and friendly neighbor-type yandere. You met him when you moved into the house next to his, your last landlord throwing you out for not paying your rent on time. You convinced your parents to put the down payment on the house and you’ll take care of the mortgage. They agreed to it only to get you out of their hair, and boy are you glad they did, you would’ve been living on the streets if you couldn’t convince them to help you. Your first impression of him was that he was quite the innocent boy, you were extremely confused about how he was able to live on his own. Time passed while you were living there so quickly. You were working every day and every night just to make ends meet, but he always seemed to be at home, like he never worked a day in his life. You never said anything to him about it, no matter how often it was eating at your mind, because you were just too nice to pry into details about his life. That’s what he loved you most for, you were so kind and considerate, even though all your kindness was only causing you to suffer more and more in your day-to-day life. You’d hand out a hundred-dollar bill to a homeless man because he claimed he needed food while sitting right outside a cheap restaurant, you were just so sweet. Soon, your payments stopped coming to the bank, your letters never stayed in the mailbox long enough for the mailman to collect them. You were soon kicked from your new house because you “failed to pay the mortgage”. You knew you were paying so you had no idea what they were talking about. But his plan worked out marvelously because as soon as you were kicked out and offered a place to stay in your lovely neighbor’s house, it was very quickly accepted. You didn’t want to live on the streets after all, and surely your neighbor’s arms were far better than being homeless.

✩ XIAOJUN ✩ tw. superiority complex, xiao refuses to accept rejection, cursing, name calling (‘bitch’), humiliation, degradation, revenge sex, kidnapping, reader is tied up, recording, implied noncon, bruises, hickeys/love bites, scratches, blackmailing wc. 0.2k

Xiaojun is one cocky motherfucker with a huge superiority complex who refuses to accept rejection. So when you come right out and say that you’re not interested in him or his unattractive personality, it instantly turns his vision red. You have no right to call him unattractive, you bitch. He’ll make sure you pay for ever insulting him like that, he’ll teach you many lessons and when he’s done with you, he’ll hang you out to dry and he’ll embarrass you just like you embarrassed him in that moment. All your friends laughing at his flushed face, eyes filled with amusement as he hurries off into the bathroom, not wanting to stare at your disgusting face anymore. He wanted to ruin you, he wanted to absolutely break you. Who the fuck do you think you are to treat him like that? Do you not understand what he’s capable of? Honestly, he didn’t even understand what he was capable of until he had you tied in his basement, cameras taped all around the room to record every angle just right, taking advantage of your vulnerable state in every way he could. You were weak and he expected you to know that by the time he was through with you. You’re nothing, how dare you talk to him like that? He’d break you, ruin you, then he’d make you walk into school the next day with bruises, bites, hickeys, scratches, shame all over you. And you wouldn’t say a word to anyone because, if you did, he would leak every video he recorded to every social media site and humiliate you even more.

✩ MARK ✩ tw. stalking, bully reader, slight bimbo reader, explicit depictions of murder, implied kidnapping wc. 0.3k

Mark knew he was way out of your league. He was weird and nowhere near your type. He saw your uncomfortable glances in his direction every time he would get a little too close, the laughs you and your friends would start up when he stuttered while speaking up in class, or the repulsed looks the new man you were all about that week would give him once you told him about how he’s your little obsessive stalker. He wouldn’t even be creepy about his love for you, he wouldn’t. He would keep his love on the down-low, trying not to draw too much attention to how often he scans your beautiful curves, watches you twirl your hair, puts too much focus into watching your hands caress the skin of your exposed thighs that are only that way due to your excessively short skirt. He knows your quirks, he knows everything about you because he actually pays attention. Everyone else ignores the real you, and he sees that. But, you don’t. You think it’s normal to hide yourself away from people and ignore the burning guilt inside you every time you do something cruel to another person. Him, however, he will always be that cruel person you so desperately try to be. Only, he’s quite the opposite of you because he hides it. But you’re both the same, you both hide your true selves because the world would eat people like the both of you up. He is the monster that sleeps under your bed at night, the thing you should be afraid of. He’s the one who grabbed that new man best friend out of his room in the middle of the night to hang from his staircase after writing a suicide note on his behalf, he’s the one who forced peanut butter down your sister’s throat even though she’s deathly allergic to peanuts, he’s the one that ran over your best friend’s head with her boyfriend’s car to frame him for the murder of his beloved girlfriend. You shouldn’t be running from yourself, he’s the one you should be running from. He’s the dangerous thing, he’s what you’re afraid of. But don’t worry, if you’re not scared now that you’re alone, you’ll be even more scared when you’re with him and promised that you’ll never be alone again!

[rigginsstreet]

um so i reblogged this video earlier and then thought of a lil scenario lol so

-

Their lockers are right next to each other, thanks to alphabetical ordering - Hargrove and Harrington. Was kind of a bitch when they couldn't stand each other. Is a bitch now for entirely different reasons. Reasons like this.

Ever since they started regularly hooking up, becoming exclusive without ever saying the word out loud, Billy's come to learn how goddamn clingy Harrington is - emotionally, but also very much physically.

Can't even button up his shirt after a shower without him trying to cop a feel like Harrington's some horny 13 year old on his first date with a chick at the movies.

"Will you watch it!" Billy flinches back as Harrington's entire hand grasps onto his pec. "Can't be doing that shit in public!" he hisses out.

"Relax, will ya?" Harrington is unfazed, like he's never had a problem in his life. Hand going right back to Billy's tit. "No one else is even in here." Squeezes for emphasis.

And Billy can't deny it, it does feel nice having his tits played with. Weirded him out at first because he thought Harrington was missing certain parts of the female anatomy, trying to project it onto Billy, but. Harrington had assured him that wasn't the case, and it turns out Billy's nipples are kind of super sensitive to any attention, so. It was a win for the both of them.

"Doesn't mean you get to just fondle the merchandise whenever you feel like it." Billy swats his hand away. "I let you get enough of them after hours."

"Yeah, but in case you haven't noticed," Now Harrington's got both his hands inside Billy's shirt, cupping the undersides of Billy's pecs, "I'm kind of a boob guy.

Billy lets himself relish in the feel of Harrington's hands on him for just a second before grabbing his wrists and yanking them down. "You're a pain in the ass guy, is what you are." Harrington's tongue presses against the inside of his cheek, and Billy knows the joke he's suppressing. Idiot. He's not acknowledging it. "We can be back at your place in like, what? Ten minutes? You can't wait?"

"Fuck no. Ten minutes is forever." And the way Harrington whines it Billy believes he actually means it. Clingy.

"Oh my God, fucking drama queen," Billy sighs, rolling his eyes heavenward. "How 'bout this, you keep your hands to yourself starting now and I'll let you fuck 'em when we get back to yours? Capisce?"

The way Harrington's eyes light up you would think he had just won the lottery or like... found out Santa was real. And people think Billy isn't a giving, considerate person... okay.

Billy gets to finish getting dressed and fixing his hair, even though he knows it'll be ruined in about 20 minutes. But it's all about presentation.

And Harrington, well, he gets the gift of a goddamn lifetime when he's got his dick pressed between Billy's tits, getting to spill his cum on them (and more than a little on Billy's chin, not that he really minds).

So, all in all, he considers it a pretty successful day.

[ametistacollinsworld]

ღ Howdy Pillar x Reader ღ

My 57 request! Hope you like!

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Howdy Pillar, the only shopkeeper in the entire neighborhood, who with his kind and friendly manner attracted you in an intense way. Who wouldn't admit that this man was cute?

Since you've moved into the neighborhood, you've felt so welcome around everyone! Everyone was so kind and sweet… but you had to admit, you had more eyes for a certain green four-armed man. Howdy.

Howdy was just… so nice to you! He would always be willing to give you an extra apple or two for your apple pies, like: "On the house, because you're one of my favorites!" as he would say, not that the merchandise is worth any money, with you being able to get the so merchandise with a few jokes… but it was still sweet of him to do something like that right?

But then, recently you were seriously thinking about how to confess… Love could be so complicated! how should you do it?

With a romantic dinner? The idea sounded cool- but you didn't necessarily have the guts for it yet- Dinner at your place? You and Howdy alone by candlelight? Omg- You blush just thinking about-

With a song? No- Definitely not- Although it was a cute and attractive idea, you also didn't know if you could sing it without blushing in front of Howdy- You would probably stutter the whole song honestly-

Hm… how about a simple card saying your feelings? Yes! This could work! Would you try to at least stay in front of him without running around like a scared mouse- Yeah, that sounds good enough…

So then, with the idea in mind, you picked up some [color] paper, starting to write down your loving feelings for Howdy, how they were for you something like you were constantly on sweet clouds, as cliche as that was.

With the card ready, you knew it was time! Checking your clock to see it was four o'clock in the afternoon. Perfect!

With courage taking your body, you left your house with the card, quickly heading to Howdy’s Place, opening the door slowly being greeted by the soft sound of the bell, and there he was.. behind the counter giving you a sweet smile, as always… you squeezed the card lightly in your hands.

" Oh! Good afternoon (Y/n)! How are you today? " Howdy spoke with a happy tone, greeting you with his usual sweet smile, which made you take a deep breath, returning the smile.

" Good afternoon Howdy.. I'm fine! " You spoke quickly, moving closer to the counter to be closer to him.

" That's good to hear dear! So, how can I help you today? Maybe a bag of [favorite sweets] and some apples? " Howdy asked with a soft smile, leaning on the counter as he rested his head on one of his hands.

" W-well that would be great! But that's not why I'm here… you see Howdy… this is for you " You spoke in a slow nervous tone, slowly placing the card on the counter, pushing it towards him. The Pillar reacted to this with an expression of confusion for a second, but ended up taking the card anyway.

You felt yourself shudder on your feet, feeling a tightness in your chest as you held your breath, just watching Howdy's surprise expression, with him having a slightly open mouth in surprise in addition to slightly flushed cheeks. God! You wanted to run to your home and never leave again-

'' (Y/n)? '' Howdy called your name softly, touching your shoulder lightly bringing you out of your thoughts.

'' Y-yes? '' You asked in a low stammering tone, rubbing your hands together feeling nervous from the man's gaze.

'' I'm sorry..but I can't accept your feelings..not yet dear '' Howdy said in a sad tone, looking into your eyes with guilty. You felt a pain in your chest, soon followed by small tears forming in your eyes.

'' A-ah.. I-I'm so sorry Howdy.. I-I- '' You started to speak in a panic tearful tone, which was soon interrupted by a soft kiss on your forehead, followed by Howdy's hands wiping your tears carefully.

'' I just said, not yet silly.. I just want to get to know you better first! '' Howdy said giving you a worried little sweet smile, which you sniffed returning the smile.

'' Sorry about that..I just- never felt like this before.. '' You apologized in a soft tone, leaning on Howdy's hands, which he gave you a small chuckle caressing your face.

'' No problem! After all... you are one of my favorites! '' Howdy said giving you a sweet smile.

If anyone requests maybe I'll do part 2 of this. Who knows.

[kidstemplatte]

broken by love

summary: uncle copi babysits you and terzo’s daughter.

message at the end of the post as usual. please enjoy. 🤍🐁

(this is gonna make me cry)

“Ciao, fratellino!” Terzo greeted his brother, standing in the doorway of the Cardinal’s quarters, holding his little girl, Violetta, in his arms.

“What a lovely surprise!” Copia replied with a grin.

“Sorry I threw this upon you with such short notice, I’m going out with (Y/N) - er- this one’s Mommy tonight.” He said, quickly correcting his mistake as he placed his toddler on the ground.

“Oh no, you are not throwing anything on me at all. I am always happy to see my niece.”

“Alright la mia stellina, your Mama and I will be back tonight. Have fun. Make sure he stays out of trouble.” Terzo said, as if he himself didn’t come out of the womb Satan’s greatest troublemaker.

“I will! Hi, Uncle Copi!” she beamed, jumping up and down in excitement. Violetta loved spending time with her uncle. He was funny and sweet and had lots of cool toys in his room. Not to mention apple juice.

“Alright tesoro, have fun, but do not forget about me. I love you, la mia stellina.” Terzo said, kneeling to the ground and planting kisses all over his daughter’s soft face.

“Bye-bye Papa! I love you!” she waved as her father left the room.

“So, what shall we do?” the Cardinal asked his niece, clapping his hands together and shifting them a bit.

“Can I see your toys?” she asked excitedly, looking up at him with her big round eyes, strikingly akin to yours.

“Eh… My toys?” He asked, a bit confused, until realizing what she was referring to. “Oh, of course!”

Copia was, to put it bluntly, a big fat nerd. The shelves in his office were lined with what he would describe as “artifacts”, figurines and merchandise from various games, films, and comics, which were now old enough to be considered “vintage.” Thinking about that sent a shiver down his spine. Typically, Copia was pained when someone referred to his collectibles as “toys”, but found it utterly adorable in this scenario.

“Right this way!” He announced, crouching down a bit to take her tiny hand in his and lead her towards his office.

Upon entering the room, Violetta gazed up at the various memorabilia in awe, mouth agape. The Cardinal couldn’t lie; it was nice that someone finally showed some appreciation for his collection.

“Can we play?” she asked politely, pointing at the shelves.

In this moment, the value of the figurines meant nothing to him. He would normally become frazzled when someone touched his things, waving his hands frantically while jumbling a plethora of words,

“Nononothesearespecialdonottouchpleaseyouseetheyareworthalotandeverythingisexactlywhereitneedstobeplacedand-“

But she was a well-mannered girl, and beyond that, was far more special than anything on his shelf. Besides, at the unlikely chance she were to break something, it would be a wonderful excuse for him to scroll through eBay and search for a replacement (as well as other trinkets) late into the depths of the night. And if anything were to be broken, it would be broken by love. The best thing to be broken by.

“Sure!” he responded cheerfully, gesturing towards his display and letting her decide which characters would join today’s cast of playtime.

Today’s storyline was rather enthralling. A young and beautiful woman named Collette (a Princess Leia doll) was secretly in love with “Señor Joe”, (a Boba Fett figurine) someone her parents told her she must never speak with. The story ended triumphantly with a beautiful marriage. Copia didn’t know how or when they got there- he remembers Violetta briefly mentioning flying to Brazil on a private jet- maybe a war at one point- but somehow the two figures wound up at a marvelous wedding ceremony on Mars in front of all the Storm Troopers, to which, Violetta triumphantly announced, “The End!”

The Cardinal couldn’t help but wonder what you and Terzo were watching on television that inspired this thrilling plot.

“Wow, that was quite the story!” he said, impressed with his niece’s imagination. “You are very creative, much like your Mama and Papa.”

“Thank you Uncle Copi!” she chirped, practicing the manners you and Terzo taught her.

“Of course.” Copia caught sight of the clock, shocked by how much time had flown by.

“Violetta, it is now a very important time of day.” He announced.

“I already had nap time, Uncle Copi!”

To this, he chuckled, and ruffled his niece’s hair.

“Not nap time, it is feeding time.”

“But I’m not hungry.” She replied.

“Not for you, but for my rats.”

“Rats? You have rats? I want to see! Pleasepleaspleasepleaseplease!” She squealed, shaking her little hands in excitement, a mannerism he observed she shared with you.

“Papa says they are foul creatures plagued with disease!” she said, her bright smile indicating that she clearly had no understanding what any of that meant. For all she knew, that could be a top-tier compliment.

“Do you want to help me feed them?” he asked.

“Yes! Yes!” she agreed as she followed him out the door and down the hall, singing a little song about rats on the way. He might have to write that down.

And there they stood, in all their glory, two little rats in a spacey, well-kept cage, their beady eyes and soft grey fur capturing the little girl’s attention.

“Uncle Copi, they are so cute!!!” Violetta squealed.

“Would you like to hold one?” He asked as he opened the cage, refilling their food bowl.

Violetta got a tad nervous after his proposal, fingers fidgeting with the sides of her dress and her expression shifting to an anxious one.

“They are very sweet. You do not have to hold them if you do not want to, but I promise if you are gentle to them, they will be gentle to you.”

“That makes sense.” Violetta replied after her uncle’s thoughtful explanation. “I want to hold one.” She concluded. “Please.” She added, remembering what she was taught.

Maybe Terzo could learn some manners from his four-year-old daughter.

The Cardinal thought to himself.

“Now, hold your hands out like this.” He explained, cupping his hands with his palms facing up. “Do you want to hold Pesto or Bean?”

The latter name made Violetta giggle.

“Is something funny?” he teased.

“Bean is a funny name.” she replied through giggles, pointing at Bean, the brown rat.

“Okie dokie, one Bean coming right up!”

Copia gently picked up his precious Bean and placed him in Violetta’s hands. She giggled as she looked down on the little rat, so small, so sweet. A little bit like her.

“He is nice.” She said, smiling. “His feet tickle.”

“He is very nice. And sí, they do tickle. One time I was in a very important meeting and I did not notice this little Bean was in my sleeve until I felt him pitter-pattering up my arm and started laughing in front of the entire Clergy. Your Papa was there.” He recalled.

“Really?” Violetta asked.

“As real as real can be.”

“I guess I can’t bring him to school.” she sighed.

“I suppose not. But Bean is highly educated already. Does not need any more schooling.”

“Oh. I see.” she replied.

After some bonding time with Bean, Copia scooped him up and placed him back in his penthouse of a cage.

Bye bye, Bean. Bye bye, Pesto. She said, waving to the little rats.

“Next time you will have to hold Pesto. My bestie, Pestie.”

“Your what?”

“My bestie, Pestie. Bestie Pestie.” he explained nonchalantly.

To this, Violetta did not just giggle. If “Bean” was funny, “Bestie Pestie” was downright hilarious. The little girl started laughing so hard her stomach hurt, rolling on the ground as she repeated “Bestie Pestie.” The sound of the young girl’s laughter brought a newfound lightness in his heart, one that left his heart full but a little bit broken simultaneously. The two of them laughed together on the carpet, sharing what would be a treasured memory even years later.

After recovering from the laughter, Violetta asked,

“Can we play a game? Please? The car one?”

❦ ❦ ❦

“That’s how my Papa drives.” Violetta stated bluntly as she sipped on a juice box, pointing at the television screen as she watched her uncle crash the pixelated car in his video game.

Copia chuckled.

“Maybe you can do a better job than me? Your turn again?” He asked, holding out the controller.

“I like to watch. It’s fun.”

“Okie dokie.” Copia said, starting a new round of his game.

But this round was a little bit quieter. There was an absence of conversation. Violetta, exhausted from an afternoon of playing and laughter, fought the urge to fall asleep as her eyes started fluttering shut.

“Copi?” she suddenly said.

“Sí?”

“Are you a Papa?” the girl questioned.

“No, cara mia, that’s your father’s job.” he explained, laughed softly.

“Are you a Papa?”

“I’m afraid I do not understand.”

“Are you somebody’s Papa?”

…

Such a simple question that dug up so many not-so-simple feelings.

“Are you asking if I am a father?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. No, I am not.” He clarified, heart sinking a tad.

“Why not?”

How was he to explain to a four year old that he didn’t have what was considered a prerequisite to a child: a partner? That he was never sure if he would fall in love or that even if he did, there would never be anyone in the world who would love him back? That he wanted to be a Papa more than anything, but his life had not led him to that point?

“I already have my rats, I suppose.”

“You should do it.” Violetta suggested, as if it was a simple thing to accomplish.

“Maybe one day.” he replied, smiling softly.

“You’d be a good Papa.” she sleepily uttered.

“Thank you, Violetta. My brother is very lucky to be your Papa.” He replied, sincerely.

And the sleepy young girl gathered all the energy she had into one final statement before dozing off:

“Love you, Uncle Copi.”

“I love you too, Violetta.”

And she was off to sleep.

Copia carefully stood up, trying not to wake the sleeping girl, and walked to the closet to grab a blanket. He picked up something else as well: a small rat plushie he had been saving for her birthday. He figured he would give it to her now, so she could have a Bestie Pestie of her own. After placing the large blanket over her, he tucked the stuffed animal snugly beside her.

Copia sat beside her on the couch, scrolling online to find a new birthday present for her. He settled on a Barbie airplane that would make a divine private jet for Señor Joe and Colette.

Just after he pressed “order”, he heard a knock on the door and its soft squeak as it opened.

“How cute.” You said quietly, entering his room and seeing your daughter sleeping peacefully on the couch.

Terzo, rather than commenting on the sheer adorableness of his baby girl as he normally would, decided to torment his brother.

“Ay ay ay, I trusted you, mio fratello, with my sweet and precious daughter, only for you to allow her to rot her mind in front of a screen.” Terzo said facetiously, gesturing to the paused television, placing his hand on his forehead with an exaggerated sigh.

Copia, although accustomed to his brother’s persistent sarcasm, was petrified at the idea of rotting his niece’s brain. His facial expression was one of terror, and he immediately began spewing out a plethora of apologies until you gently stepped in.

“Don’t worry about it, Copia.” you affirmed him. “He’s just being Terzo.” you continued, playfully slapping your husband lightly on his arm.

“Is that so bad?” Terzo continued, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

“I never said that.” You responded, a smile and a soft blush creeping up on your face as your banter went back and forth, words slurring together.

Yeah, clearly it was a fun and not-so-sober night out. Good for you guys. Being a parent couldn’t be easy.

Noticing Copia awkwardly gazing around the room, you decided to spare your brother-in-law from your flirting, something your husband would never do.

“She always loves spending time with you.” you said, walking up to the couch and scooping your daughter into your arms.

“Aw, what’s this?” you asked, looking down at the cute little rat friend Copia had given to her, kneeling down and picking it up.

“Tell her she now has her own Bestie Pestie.”

“Huh?” Terzo said, raising an eyebrow.

“Pesto. The rat’s name is Pesto. Therefore he is my bestie, Pestie. Bestie Pestie.”

You actually had to pass Violetta over to your husband, still holding on to the stuffed rat, because “Bestie Pestie” on top of the alcohol might make you collapse.

“Bestie Pestie?” you wheezed out, trying desperately not to make too much noise, tears welling up in your eyes as you held onto the wall for support.

Terzo chuckled and rolled his eyes at his dorky little brother.

“Thank you for watching her, Copia.” Terzo said, giving his brother a warm smile.

“Of course. I hope you two had fun.” he replied.

You waved goodbye to the Cardinal, still holding onto the stuffed animal. You might have to share custody of this thing with your daughter.

“Tell Bestie Pestie I said hello.” You said, stumbling out the door, laughing.

As Copia said, Terzo was lucky to be a Papa. Beyond lucky.

But he was also lucky to be something else as well. A brother. Copia’s brother.

And even if Copia’s heart broke a little during his conversation with his niece, envious of his brother and the joy that came with being somebody’s Papa, that would mean it was broken by love.

The best thing to be broken by.

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i wrote this in one day which is utterly insane for me.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhh i’m so in love with uncle copia, lowkey trying not to cry in public right now, violetta’s story is expanding and new characters are coming!!!

thank you so much for reading!!!

if you have sent me a request, it is coming!!!

<3, alice

[theslasherslut]

I have an idea for you if you accept it... Have you heard about Welcome Home? Well, there's Wally as well as Sunny Day Jack is the protagonist of a children's show, the only difference is that Wally is a factoche. Well it is if the reader finds Wally's tapes when he is with Jack. Now the poor reader has been teleported through the world of Welcome Home along with Jack, with Wally being a yandere for the reader as well, only Wally never releases the reader into the real world.

A/n: I tried on with the research with jack

----

You have always been a fan of Welcome Home, a 1970s television series that featured nine neighbors living in a colorful neighborhood. You loved watching the reruns on your old VCR, and you collected all the merchandise you could find. You especially admired Wally Darling, the cheerful and friendly host who often interacted with the viewers. He was always so kind and charming, and you wished you could meet him in person.

One day, you found a mysterious VHS tape at a garage sale. It had no label, but it had a sticker that said "Welcome Home: The Lost Episode". You were curious and excited, thinking that it might be a rare and valuable find. You bought it for a dollar and rushed home to watch it.

You inserted the tape into your VCR and pressed play. The screen flickered and showed the familiar opening theme of Welcome Home. You smiled and hummed along, feeling nostalgic and happy. Then, the screen changed and showed Sunny Day Jack in his usual outfit: a shirt, black jeans, and a blue jacket. He was standing in front of Wally's house, which was painted in bright red.

"Hello there, friends!" he greeted with his trademark smile. "Welcome to another episode of Welcome Home! I'm your host, Sunny Day Jack, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. We have a lot of fun things planned for you, so sit back and enjoy the show!"

You felt a surge of joy as you saw him on the screen. He looked exactly as you remembered him, except for one thing: he seemed to be looking directly at you. His eyes were piercing and intense, as if he could see through the TV and into your soul like Wally would do in the tapes. 'Odd he never did this before,' you thought to yourself.

"Today is a very special day, friends," he continued. "Because today, I have a very special guest with me. A guest who is very dear to my heart. A guest who I've been waiting for a long time to meet. A guest who is none other than...you!"

You blinked in confusion and disbelief. Did he just say...you? Was he talking to you? How did he know you were watching? Was this some kind of prank or joke?

Before you could process what was happening, you felt a strange sensation in your body. It was like a jolt of electricity that ran through your veins, making you shiver and twitch. You tried to move, but you couldn't. You were paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch the screen.

"That's right, friends," Wally said with his cat-like grin, now view of the screen. "You are my special guest today. And we have a surprise for you. A surprise that will make you very happy. A surprise that will change your life forever."

He reached behind his back and pulled out something that looked like a remote control. He pressed a button on it, and the screen went black.

You felt another jolt of electricity in your body, but this time it was stronger and more painful. You screamed, but no one heard you. You felt like you were being torn apart, like your atoms were being rearranged.

Then, everything went dark.

When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself in a different place. A place that looked familiar, but also different. A place that looked like...Welcome Home.

You were standing in front of Wally's house, surrounded by colorful flowers and trees. The sky was blue and clear, and the sun was shining brightly. You could hear birds chirping and the other puppets laughing in the distance, maybe at a joke, Barnaby mabe or the game that they were playing. But you couldn't focus on that. After all, you weren't in your world.

You looked around in awe and confusion. How did you get here? Was this real? Was this a dream?

"Hello there, apple!" a monotone voice said behind you.

You turned around and saw Wally Darling standing next to you. He was holding your hand, smiling warmly at you.

"Welcome to my world," he said. "Welcome to Welcome Home."

He leaned in and kissed you on the cheek.

You felt a mix of emotions: shock, fear, disgust, anger, curiosity, attraction.

You tried to pull away from him, but he held you tight.

"Don't be afraid," Jack said softly in your ear. "I won't hurt you. We love you."

Jack kissed you this time.

You wanted to scream, but you couldn't.

You wanted to run away, but you couldn't.

You wanted to wake up, but you couldn't.

You were trapped.

Trapped with Sunny Day Jack and Wally Darling.

Trapped in Welcome Home.

Trapped forever.

[fuck-customers]

🎂(8/21/23) This will be a bit long but now that I don't work at the bakery anymore I felt like sharing the list of things that customer's did that genuinely irked me amongst other feelings:

Things customers do or say at work that make me want to commit a war crime (+ my thoughts I can't say outloud):

"I want to get one of everything. 🤪" (Fun fact, 1 of everything is about $100)

"I'm shouldn't even be in here right now." (Then why are you???)

"I'm breaking my diet for this." (I don't care.)

I shouldn't be eating this I'm diabetic." (I have family that's diabetic. Please actually take care of yourself. 😐)

Does __ count for the B5G1F?" (No, it's actually only the vanilla cake squares. /s)

"Can I have one of that and one of that?" (The name. Is on the display case. SAY THE GOD DAMN NAME.)

"Are yall still open?" (You were able to open the door weren't you? You were able to step inside…weren't you??)

"Wow I got here just in time huh?"

(Yeah. You did. Now hurry the fuck up.)

after paying for the things they've already wanted "Can I actually get _ too?" (I can't really tell you no but holy shit why did you just now think of this?)

after paying for their things they proceed to look at all the merchandise and find something else "I'm gonna get this too." (Of course you are. 😐)

points at the devil's food cake, which is clearly labeled "Is this a brownie?" (Does it look??? Like a brownie??? If you move to your left about 4 feet you'll see actual brownies.)

"Can I get a devils food cake square?" "With which icing?" "…what do you mean?" "We have 3 different icing flavors for the devils food cake. Which icing?" "Oh. Chocolate. :)" (Fuckin- you can clearly see that we have 3 different icing flavors on display why is this so hard.)

"I don't get how you can work in here." (I need a paycheck and I get a good discount.

Also after a while you get bored of all the sugar.)

"I wouldn't be able to work in here. I'd eat everything. Haha" (Haha, yeah, I bet you would. 🙄)

literally anyone who comes in reeking of weed (…can you don't though? Idec that you smoke but why are you coming in when it's so strong???)

"Can I get a pint/quart of this flavor of ice cream?" (…why. I hate making pints and quarts its stupid and if the ice-cream is super frozen it's an actual pain in the ass.)

any family of 5+ that comes in all wanting ice cream (Please go away.)

"Can I get the pieces that have a lot of icing?" (Not really, cause the baker spread it pretty thin.)

*grown adult gets pouty when they realize that the cake squares I gave them had a

thinner layer of icing than the display* (Much like when you were a kid, pouting doesn't help. Do you want the cake or not?)

someone asks how good a certain item is I generally say it's pretty/really good. "Oh, its just pretty good?" (Yeah, cause I'm not a huge fan of that item. But you might like it cause, you know, different taste.)

Literally anyone who doesn't know the pick up name for a cake, or any details about the cake.

Wanting a fondant cake with a 24 hour notice and getting upset when we can't do it (fondant takes a least 2 days to dry)

People who forget which store they placed their order at. (We only have 2 locations????)

People who don't understand that we close early on Sundays.

People who leave the store reeking of weed. Like, the smell stays for like 5 minutes.

People who come in for a specific flavor that

we've never made. And get upset that we dont/wont/can't make it.

Everyone who doesn't understand that pumpkin spice and carrot cake are seasonal flavors that replace each other during the year. (And no. We can't just make you a carrot cake cake during pumpkin spice season because we physically don't have the ingredients.)

Everyone who doesn't understand the big 5 get 1 free deal.

People who try to open the door an hour before we open or an hour before we close and look visibly upset when they see me not move to let them in like we arent???? Open???

People who don't even try to open the door at our smaller store and think we're closed when we are open. (And people are often inside.)

People who try to hold a conversation for way too long

People who don't take an extra 2 minutes to look for what they want before asking me

where it is only for it to be a foot to their left.

People who dawdle at closing time.

People who leave their phone/cask/card in their car and have to run out to get it. They normally don't notice until their rung up.

People who try to break a $100 bill within the first hour of being open then get surprised when we don't have enough change to do that.

One of the worst interactions I had was in the bakery. This lady asked me if the strawberry cheesecake was good. I said "if you like strawberry it is." I guess that offended her somehow and she made it her mission to see my try a piece so I can tell her if it's good.

The problem with her plan is I'm allergic to strawberries. She was not having any of my "lies" and found anyone and everyone one and told them I am a horrible worker because I refused to "accommodate her request." She eventually ran into the only douche canoe manager we had at the time and got him to start insisting I try a bite to make her happy. I ended up just walking out on the rest of the shift and he tried to write me up. HR forced him to drop it when I threatened to sue.

-Rodney

[crackpotmufflery]

Who’s the alpha

Zoro x Alpha!reader

~~~

“You need to stop getting into fights” you say to him as you cleaned his fresh wound. Zoro rolls his eyes. He winces slightly from the stinging pain, but he manages to stay composed. He let out a low chuckle, his usual stoic expression not wavering.

"And why should I stop?" Zoro asked, his voice still rough and calm.

“I cant keep patching you up, your taking up all of my resources” you are the medic on the ship and you usually end up patching up all of Zoro’s scrapes and bruises. Zoro chuckled at your statement, his arms crossed over his chest. He knew you were joking, but he couldn't help but find your words amusing.

“That’s your job, isn't it?" Zoro said, trying to maintain a serious expression, but the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smirk.

“Isn’t your Job to protect? How Come you keep getting hurt?” You say, mocking him. Zoro's smirk grew at your words, clearly enjoying the banter between you two.

"I do protect," he retorted, "I protect the crew from idiots trying to fight us. You should know that by now." Zoro's eyes remained locked on yours, his gaze unwavering.

“Well you can’t do your job without me, I can do my job without you.” Zoro's smirk vanishes at your words, a low growl leaving his lips. He uncrosses his arms and steps closer to you, his eyes narrowing.

"Careful with your words," he says, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't need you, I've done just fine without a medic before."

“Well then next time you get hurt, don’t come crying to mommy.” You mock, babying him. Zoro's eyes widen slightly at your words, a mixture of fury and irritation passing through them. He steps closer, his body mere inches from yours.

"I don't cry," he says, his voice low and menacing. "And I definitely won't come to you for help." Zoro's hand reaches up and grabs your chin, tilting your face up to meet his gaze. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

You grab his wrist aggressively, “no touching the merchandise,” you smirk. Zoro's eyes widen at your action, a hint of surprise flickering in them. He watches you calmly, not attempting to pull away from your grip. A low chuckle leaves his lips, his smirk returning to his face.

"Oh, you think you can stop me?" Zoro asks, his voice low and suggestive.

“I don’t think,” you tilt your head menacingly, letting go of him and return to bandaging him up. Zoro watches you work in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable. He can't deny the fact that he admires the way you stand your ground against him, but he's also annoyed at how unaffected you seem to be by his intimidating presence. As you finish bandaging his wound, he looks at you, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You really know how to piss me off, you know that?"

“Or are you just mad a girl could beat you up?” You pull on the bandages, making him wince. Zoro grits his teeth as you pull the bandages, a hiss of pain escaping him. He glares at you for a moment before his smirk returns.

"Don't get cocky," he says, his voice low and dangerous. "I could take you down in a heartbeat if I wanted to."

“Well it would be unfair, you’ve got a cut,” you stick out your bottom lip mockingly. Zoro's annoyance increases as you mock him, his eyes narrowing at your pouting lip. He grumbles, not wanting to admit that you had a point.

"Hmph, it's just a small cut," he retorts, trying to downplay his injury.

“A cut you wouldn’t have gotten If you were actually capable,” you clean off your hands, putting all of your medical supplies away. Zoro's irritation turns into annoyance as you continue to taunt him. He clenches his fists tightly, his jaw clenched.

"You really enjoy poking at me, don't you?" He says, his voice low and dangerous. "I'm more than capable, you just haven't seen me at my best. You're just... lucky I'm injured right now."

“Sometime’s I think you get hurt on purpose just to argue with me,” you tease. Zoro's eye twitches slightly at your words, his irritation growing further.

"You think I get hurt on purpose just to argue with you?" He says, his voice low and filled with disbelief. "You're out of your mind, I fight to protect the crew, not to have any excuse to talk to you. I can't stand you."

“Well you could have left when I finished, but you stayed to argue,” Zoro grumbles and looks away from you, his irritation still present.

"I'm not arguing with you," he says, his voice low and defensive. "I'm just... responding to your stupid comments." Zoro knows deep down that he could have left by now, but he couldn't help but be drawn in by your teasing. He doesn't want to admit it, but he finds your boldness somewhat amusing... and maybe even attractive.

“Stupid? Come on Zoro, take me in a fight then, we’ll see who’s stupid now,” you tease, holding up your fists. Zoro's eyes narrow at your challenge, a smirk appearing on his face.

"You want to fight me?" He asks, his voice low and confident. "You think you can take me on?" His eyes rake over your body, studying you for a moment. Zoro can't help but think that you're insane for wanting to fight him, but something about your audacity sparks a flame of excitement within him.

“Worried I’ll win?”

Zoro's smirk widens at your comment, his eyes flickering with determination. "Not in a million years," he replies, his voice deep and sure. "You'll be on the floor begging me to stop before you can land a single punch."

You get turned on a little, that’s not the only thing you want him to beg for. You raise an eyebrow, challenging him. Zoro's eyes narrow further as he senses the change in your demeanor. He can feel the tension in the air, a mixture of irritation and something else he can't quite put his finger on. He takes a step closer to you, his face mere inches from yours.

"You're playing a dangerous game, you know that?" Zoro says, his voice low and rough.

“Bring it?”

Zoro's eye flicks to your face, studying your expression. He can see the determination in your eyes, the confidence in your stance. For a moment, he hesitates, wondering if it's smart to fight a girl. But then his ego gets the better of him, and he smirks. "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you," he says, his voice low and dangerous.

You look him in the eyes and the desire fills you up, you want him on all fours. You bring your knee up and hit him where the sun don’t shine. Zoro's eyes widen in shock as you abruptly knee him between the legs. He lets out a guttural grunt of pain, his body instinctively doubling over. He lets go of his swords, clutching his crotch in agony. Zoro hisses through clenched teeth, his body crumpled over.

You look down at him, liking him in that position below you, “who’s the alpha now.”

[mymindtoyours]

Discovery finale

I'm still not over that finale and watched it again. Random thoughts in no particular order:

I still can't believe there were no vows at that wedding. That was the minimum I expected. I see a lot of fun behind the scenes pictures so fingers crossed something was taken out?

Ah, the beach! I guess this marriage takes place on Kaminar though it's never really said. Is it just me who worries that there was pressure of Vulcan purists? And Duvin intervened and was like, let's just do this on Kaminar so we don't upset the Vulcan alt-right? (I hope I don't overthink this but...)

I'm still like the bangs, the dress, I want to fix it all! I wanted T'Rina to look as good as possible for this wedding! Also, more Vulcan x Romulan touches in the fashion and Burnham in Vulcan formal wear please?

Kinda hoped for a (modern) variant of "parted from me and never parted, never and always touching and touched" when Saru returned or at a different moment? There was so little Sarina dialogue in general.

Primarch Tahal, interesting! I feel they were setting her up as a major character and I'll miss not getting to know her more. "Ambassador Saru, are you insane?" was a great line. And I wanted interaction between her and Rayner

Speaking of Rayner, why are you even at this wedding? Saru saw you once... Also where's the cake you were supposed to bring? Is Tilly your date? I need more information. PS: I grew really fond of Rayner and I'll miss him lots

Loved the atmosphere in that progenitor tech and levels but that triangle puzzle.... lordylordy..... The escape room enthusiast in me cringed so much

That bit where Stamets is sad/heartbroken/angry all in one gaze when the decision to destroy the progenitor tech is made. Also a character I'll miss a lot

The epilogue moved me, but the very end was also quite niche. I didn't remember a thing about Calypso and was like what is this....? And I really really feel bad for Zora still!!! Why dump a sentient AI all alone in space this way? I think they could have bridged to that Short Trek ep, if at all, in a much better way. For a show that really represented AI in interesting and unique embodied ways, I'm so shocked that this is how it ends. I expected a completely different arc. For instance, for Zora to maybe get a body, Mass Effect style? Detach a bit from Calypso, I would say, to truly honor that character. Does it really matter what happens in the far future?

I'll miss all these characters a lot and I really hope we'll see some back in Tilly's academy show or a different spin-off. It pains me the show ends prematurely and I'm also quite afraid we won't see much media around these characters anymore, because other Trek titles like SNW gained more traction. Merchandise wise I think we can't expect much either, which is a pity for me & my Saru shelf...

Without source material, it's always hard to keep up the fan art and such. But I do still have some ideas and I'll keep creating a few things that are still on my mind this summer for sure, I hope!

[thestormthatrises]

Hey Moshang nation!

It's that time again! The time where I can't sleep because these boys just filled me with feelings and I need to shout them out!

SO!

MBJ managed to banish his uncle after SQH stopped LGJ from killing his king. They are both battered, weak And tired. But SQH still has strength to give MBJ a piece of his mind and worst if all, leave.

"You dare?!" The king roars, helpless in anger and fear.

"Oh I dare!" SQH replies, his face twisted into an ugly mixture of relief, borderline sadistic delight and heartbreak. "you will never see me again, my king" He sniffs. "Not in a million years" but even as he says it, he can already feel his heart crumble. It's painful. He truly loves this spoiled brat. He wished he'd known that he could've changed the story. Maybe they could've had a happier one.

"SHANG QINGHUA !"

"Good bye, my king..." He says with a smile. He leaves only to collapse outside of ritual's site. He struggles with the urge to go back, to apologize, to grovel and plead for mercy.

But it's too late. There's nothing left for him. The story is over.

Luo Bīnghé has his shizun. Cucumber bro has his story the way he always wanted it. The humans and demons found peace. His king has come to his power and rid himself of his greatest foe. Happy endings for all! Well, almost all. All who deserve it.

It's time.

It's time for him to go back. To go home where he belongs. Back to what he deserves.

SQH open the System's window and presses the 'Return' option.

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

Airplane wakes up to the smell of burning hair, days old sugar and filth. He's home. No one comes to greet him but the sounds of his neighbors squabbling to his right. He's home. There is no one here but him. He's home. Was it all a dream? He's home. No one sees him cry.

Eventually he does stop crying. He's home. He hates it. But after all the years he's lived so far, he can't help but do something about it.

He's just an old, lonely man in a 20-something's body. He can't live like this. He needs to make this life mean something.

Third time's the charm, right?

He gets his shit a little together.

He cleans, for one. Deep cleans both the apartment and himself, needing it to cleanse himself from that dream. But-- It's funny. Seeing his old face after almost.... Decades? Centuries? Have passed.

He's not that different, funnily enough. More marred, less polished. But the same unassuming face, perfect for blending in a crowd and making no impression on people. He misses his old new face.

After getting the basics out of the way, he starts thinking bigger.

What should he be now?

He's been a failure of a son, a hack writer, a pitiful cultivator, a traitorous peak lord, a mediocre spy. He wishes he could've been more. Better. He tries not to but thinks of MBJ.

His phone rings.

Apparently, his new role turned out to be an actual, legit published author.

He has an agent now that makes sure he gets the best deal from PIDW, merchandise and all that. It's weird to have someone actually doing stuff for him, going to bat for him, fighting to get him the best.

He has a lot more money than before. Too much. He doesn't know what to do with it all. He thinks about his disciples and buying them trinkets for their birthdays. He thinks of MQF and WQW and what all this money could provide for them. He thinks of MBJ and thinks silly things.

He thinks of being a sugar daddy. He thinks about taking his king on a date. He thinks of how the Demon King would react to the modern world and all the things Airplane could buy him now. He thinks so much he doesn't sleep. And when he does sleep, he dreams.

He dreams about his king and being equals to him. Of standing with himon the castle parapets, side by side, looking out onto the beautiful north.

"Shang Qinghua" his king would call.

"I'm here" he'd say, placing a hand over MBJ'S.

But MBJ would never hold it back.

Even his dreams knew better than to tell him such an egregious lie.

Still...

It was nice just stand by his side and pretend.

"I'm here, my king"

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

His book is going to have a hardcover. Who would've thought? Peerless Cucumber would've had a conniption if he knew. Airplane wishes he could see his face, his actual face, when he told him. It'd be hilarious!

....

Peerless Cucumber wasn't much of a friend but...

Was it strange that he missed him so?

The man hated him and his story but he was the closest thing to a friend Airplane had ever had. He was so mean and demanding. And he could've been just a dream.

But he also had a strange way of caring about SQH. Of sharing jokes. Of being Like a safe harbor.

Airplane knew that there was no way Cucumber bro missed him. He was too busy with his happy ending, for sure. Even if it hadn't been a dream, who in their right mind would spare a thought for SQH?

Still... He wished he could talk to the man, at least one more time.

Cucumber bro had a family. A family that like, cared for him and such. Maybe there was a last wish he could fulfill for him. Or tell them something for him. SQQ might've never seen him as a friend but Airplane Did. And that had to count for something right?

He doesn't sleep. And when he does, he dreams about things he misses.

He dreams of An Ding in the lull of the afternoon. The hot summer breeze coming from the windows agitating the many papers on his desk. His king, a cool presence on his right. SQQ lazily fanning himself before Him. Bīnghé watchfully observing them from SQQ side Sweets and perfectly brewed tea that his talented son had made on the table between them.

This never happened. SQQ would never share the treats LBH made with him. LBH wouldn't share his shizun with anyone. MBJ wouldn't have tolerated the heat.

But this was so nice, so different and... Well, it was almost like they were... Friends? No. A family?

Not in the traditional sense, of course. But in that way when people choose others to be their family. Like-- like he could rely on them. Like they cared about him.

It was... Nice. It was a nice dream.

"Thank you for this" he told LBH, lifting his cup in thanks. "Never have I tasted such a splendid blend"

Red eyes pinned him down in a flash. Aiya, such an intense stare on one's father! No need to kill the mood!

"I'm not doing this for free, Shishu"

Such a cold voice too! He wished that his dreams would allow his son to be kinder to him... Tho, he really didn't deserve it, did he?

"No, you do not"

Ah, well--

Wait.

"What???"

"Where the hell are you, Shishu?"

"What... What the fuck?!"

SQQ, who up till now has been in his poised immortal stance, sprang to life. He shut his fan with a snap and almost lunged at SQH. "AIRPLANE!"

"BRO??"

"Where are you? What have you done?!"

Done? He hadn't done Anything!

"Oh yes the fuck you did!"

Shit, he had to stop thinking out loud!

"You're--" Cucumber bro really seemed like he was going to strangle him. "We're inside your head, idiot. In your dream!"

Oh.

He was going insane, then.

Cool.

SQQ buried his face in his hands and garbled a scream.

"Shishu" LBH called out, darkly. He looked so upset. Probably because SQQ was in distress. "Where are you?"

"I'm ha ha Home? I think?"

"Where in An Ding are you?" LBH demanded.

"I'm-- I'm not on An Ding"

"What?!"

"Airplane, for the last goddamn time, where the hell are you?"

Airplane shifted his gaze from LBH to SQQ, back and forth before he settled on his fellow transmigrator and said: "Home, bro. I'm home."

Ok, it was kinda funny to see Cucumber bro's jaw drop.

"How--when-- I-- Air-"

"The story was over, bro. Everybody got what they wanted. I had to go."

"Did the system force you to go?!" Wow. It almost sounded like SQQ was concerned about him.

"This is such a weird dream, I swear to god"

"Airplane. Focus!"

"Aw, ok. Well... No? Like, The story was over and all that jazz and it gave me the option of returning? So I did?"

"Why... Why would you do that?!"

"Because, man!" He gestured to everything around them. "None of this is mine. You know? This world, the story, it changed. It didn't.. need me. Nobody needed me anymore and... I was tired, bro. I was hurt and I was tired so... I left." He shrugged, even if it still stung a bit.

"Airplane--"

"Shang-shishu, you must come back"

Airplane frowned. "Why? I've trained a lot of disciples before you came around If you need an accountant or a spy, you can have your pick, son"

This time, LBH was the one that frowned, looking a little perplexed.

"Airplane, listen to me-- No, *shut up*, just listen. This is a dream but it's also real, ok? We're in your dreamscape. You were SQH!! You helped me when I first came to CQ. You helped MBJ and LBH and you-- you did a lot of stuff. Stuff I didn't even know about until you were gone. All of it was real."

"But--"

"I said shut up. Airplane, the world is falling apart. Bīnghé is it's energy source but But you-- fuck, I don't know, where it's RAM? Processing unit? Memory? Things are disappearing, people are going from normal to their PIDW setting, MBJ has gone insane--"

"My king?"

"Seriously? That's what you're gonna focus on?!"

"Look whose talki--"

"Fine! He's tearing the realms apart looking for you and the things he's tearing aren't healing. There's this great big... Nothing! Just growing every day! Airplane, you have to come back!"

"Bro, I--"

"Airplane!"

"Bro, I can't! I don't know how!"

"Airplane!"

"I don't know!"

"Airplane--"

"I don't know! I don't know! I don't know, man! Fuck! JUST---"

"Air--"

"Leave me alone!" He screams.

And wakes up on the floor.

The neighbors upstairs are pounding down at him to shut up. It's barely dawn. It's cold and grey and dead and Airplane can't catch his breath.

He needed to go back...?

His king... Was looking for him...?

The world wasn't right without him?

What a fucked up dream...

He really should go out more. He should make some real friends. Two lifetimes under his belt and he has still not had a real, honest to God friend.

Maybe if he at least had one true, good friend, he wouldn't... He wouldn't consider this-- this mad dream.

....

There was no way LBH could reach him here. Not Bingmei, at least. He couldn't. He's not that powerful.

And if he was that powerful, surely he wouldn't have wasted his power trying to contact him of all people. His role in that works had only been to survive.

If anyone was invaluable to that plot, it was Cucumber bro.

He was the one that remembered every monster and every power up. Every bride and every foe. Everyone fell in love with Cucumber bro... So surely, the System would've just replaced SQH for SQQ as it's back up, right?

Of course, right.

It was all just a stupid dream.

It was best to let it go and just not think about it.

***********

But the thought lingered with him, as the grey of dawn was smeared with purples and pinks and reds and blues. He carried it through his morning routine and as he sat down to work on editing PIDW. It paralyzed his fingers, as he stared blankly at the screen.

Only one person had ever needed him.

Not all the time, he would never be that indispensable. But for a couple of times, for brief moments in time... Mobei Jun had needed him. And he had not failed him.

He stared at the name on his screen.

Shang Qinghua.

This was so stupid. The dumbest thing he ever allowed himself to linger on. Angrily, he erased that stupid name from the paragraph and made up another. It felt good. It felt right and oh so very wrong.

He copied the name and used it to replace that cursed thing.

There was no more Shang Qinghua. This dumb story didn't need a Shang Qinghua. Nobody had ever cared about him. *No one would ever miss him.*

Slamming the final replacement keys, Airplane pulled back and decided to make use of all that money.

******

He didn't sleep. And when he did, it was with the careful aid of prescribed medication that his fancy new shrink gave him. He didn't dream about his king anymore, which made him sad. He didn't dream about Cucumber and Binghe, either which was a plus.

So what if he woke up tired or sore, like he had been running away the whole night? So what if he felt too cold or too hot at night but couldn't wake up to do anything about it? So what if there was always something that he couldn't shake off, a touch that branded him every night?

The editing of PIDW was doing great and soon the first hard copies would hit the book shelves. There was a lot of buzz online when people heard there would changes, new material that wasn't in the self published version. Pre copies had surpassed their initial goals.

Airplane Shooting towards the sky was about to become a very wealthy man.

His agent and his publisher took him out to celebrate. It was weird. It was new. Nobody had ever toasted to hai health before. The added respectful titles to his name and patted his back. It was weird. It was... Kinda nice?

He drank too much and lost track of himself.

He didn't take his pills.

He didn't remember leaving the restaurant or how he got home. He remembered hitting the bed and it was cold and he thought of his king and how he wished MBJ could see him now.

Would his king be proud? Would he finally actually smile? Airplane had done it!

He had made PIDW legit

He had made PIDW better.

He had made sure that Shang Qinghua never ever would hurt his king again.

And with that in his heart, he fell asleep.

He didn't dream of An Ding this time. It took him a while to actually identify where he was. Everything was so... White.

But then just like a camera lense coming into focus, he saw him. Mobei Jun. His king. He was waiting for him.

Shang Qinghua rushed to his side, still so happy but not being able to recall why.

Ah well!Any chance to see his king was a happy one, he decided as he bowed to the demon king.

"I'm so sorry for making you wait,my king!" He couldn't erase the smile from his face. "I'm here now"

MBJ stared at him in that unreadable way of his, in silence and furrowed concentration.

"My king?"

"Who are you?" The ice demon asked.

SQH paused, his smile slipping from his lips. "Wha-- My king? It's me. Your servant. Shang Qinghua.

The demon's eyes narrowed. "No."

"... No?" What did he mean no?! Had MBJ forgot about him? Was he being fired?

"You can't be him."

"My king?? It is me. Why would you say that?"

MBJ points to the side and in that white haze a mirror sprung. Airplane stares at himself in all his disgusting, disappointing glory.

Ah.

Yeah...

... That.

It was hard to see anything under such an ugly facade, huh?

"Who are you?" The ice demon asked again and Airplane wondered if this was how Alice felt, when that question was hers to answer.

"Not sure." He replied. "I was so certain, a while back.I was the unwanted, for a while. Then I was the author. But that kinda morphed into being the peak lord and the spy. Sometimes... I almost felt like I was something else. Something new." he shrugged. "Sometimes I was Shang Qinghua. Now, I think I'm no one."

The demon king stared at him, unreadable and unreachable.

"God, I wish I could've been more for you. You were always my favorite. Even when you were mean and spoiled. Even when I didn't like you that much. You were always my favorite. You're still my favorite"

The ice demon didn't move but still Airplane felt him closer.

"I wish I knew I could be something more..." but the words are choked and wrong. He laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe I'll write us a new story, eh my king? Would you like that?"

"It would be just you and me. The world would be dangerous but maybe... A little less cruel? You'd take care of me and I'd take care of you? We'd overcome challenges together. We'd suffer lows together. We'd trust no one more than one another. We'd-- I'd find a way to make you happy. And you..."

His king arched a brow as his gaze intensified.

"You would be on your best behavior and... And--- you'd love me" why did it sound like he was crying? Fuck he didn't want to cry! Stop crying! "You'd love me and love me well. You wouldn't-- And I wouldn't-- "

"Shang Qinghua."

"It would be such a lovely story, my king. It truly would be. If only I could find a way for someone like you to fall in love with someone like me."

"Shang Qinghua..."

"I--"

A cold finger pressed against his lips.

"Shang Qinghua..." His king is so close. He missed him being this close. His mere presence invokes fear but also safety. "Come back."

Airplane shook his head again. "I can't."

Large, cool hands come up to cradle his face. "Come back."

"I can't...!"

Mobei Jun pressed his forehead to his. "... Come back to me."

What...?

"Come back to me..." His king purrs, keeping him close. "Come back to me... Please..."

He's going insane.

This time there's no doubt.

"Then we are both mad" His king say, his thumbs running the trail of Airplane's tears. "Come back to me..."

"You can't..."

"What can't this king do?"

"You can't want me back." This was another fucked up dream, wasn't it? "You said--"

"I was wrong."

"You would never say that. Not to me."

"And who are you to say that?"

"Nobody in the world knows you better than I do, my king!" He had not only made MBJ but also had to live with him! There was no way-

"Why is that?"

"Because I am Shang Qinghua!" He almost yelled, trying and failing to pull back from the demon's hold.

"And where is Qinghua's Place?"

*With you, my king*

But a sound screams at his ear before he can say it. Airplane wakes up with a start and groans noisely. Fucked up dream! Fucked! Up! Dream!

And yet he turned, chasing its shards.

Come back to me...

"My king..."

He gets up and changes the name back.

Shang Qinghua's place was always with Mobei Jun.

[sytokun]

RWBY V9 Episode 1 first impressions. Some spoilers. Also RWDE.

The first scene, both shot-wise and sound-wise was super well directed. The first person view into Ruby's headspace was very creative, and also an elegantly concise but unique recap of the last finale. Disregarding the nonsense surrounding the actual events (Yang getting KO'd instantly, no one being able to catch her and all that), it was an excellently directed scene.

Which makes it a pity that the scene right after felt really plodding and tonally dissonant. Having the already painful low framerate and cartoony jokes is already bad, but after a scene like that is... not how you do it.

The Monochrome scene was well-animated and adorable though. Amazing how much chemistry RWBY can get from its characters when it's not actively trying to signpost it to your face.

Speaking of signposting, the Bumbleby hug was good. Blake's tender voice calling Yang's name, and just them hugging on the beach is a really romantic image. and I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.

It kind of irks me more because my enjoyment of this ship is actively sabotaged by this show's own refusal to engage with it unless it's a weird combination of too-loud subtext and the fact it relishes in its own plausible deniability. I don't know what to say if there isn't a kiss or proper declaration of love by the end of this.

OK Goodnight doesn't miss, and they didn't for this OP song, Inside, either. I personally was super excited Casey was brought on in full force and her band's involvement was the singular thing that excited me about Volume 9. I have this opening on loop for hours now.

I loved how the Jabberwocky monster thing was animated, but part of me felt the design fell a bit short compared to how creatively it moved. I think if it went through another design pass or two to really bring out its more unsettling qualities it'd land even better.

But it was that thought that stirred up an iffy thought I had as I watched all the colourful characters and setting that was showcased in the opening and trailers. I know the whole point was to show a visual contrast by having everything be bright and whimsical but...

Part of me just kept thinking throughout this episode, and I suspect will keep me thinking throughout this Volume... why couldn't have all the Ever After creatures have been sentient talking Grimm instead?

Like, we don't know the canon explanation for the Ever After yet, but assuming that anything just goes here... I would have been really interested in the idea that this was a parallel world where benevolent Grimm exist and formed their own chaotic but intelligent societies. It could be an interesting exploration into the nature of Grimm, which by extension includes Salem's nature and how the heroes could not only defeat her dark nature, but perhaps understand and reason with it as well.

I just keep looking at the visual direction they decided to go with this world and can't help but think:

"Damn, Grimm mice would be cool, and a lot more visually distinct and marketable/merchandisable to RWBY fans too. Imagine Ruby making friends with a cute little Grimm? Something she's been trained to kill since forever? How weird but interesting would that be?"

"Damn, this glitchy monster thing would be way cooler as a Grimm, wouldn't it? Imagine it writhing like that and talking, but with the trademark glowing eye trails and miasmic black smoke trailing from its limbs."

"Damn, that Wonderland smoking caterpillar dude in the opening would have looked cool as a Grimm, maybe along the vibes of Koh the Face Stealer from Avatar?"

"Damn, the Cheshire cat as a teleporting Grimm feline would be cool. Its design might be a lot less polarising too since a lot of people think it hurts to look at. Some Grimm like Geists are already pretty formless to begin with."

And at the root of all these what-ifs, it just all comes back to the same question that I think sums up a lot of RWBY's problems:

"Damn, this show would be cooler in all these little ways if it just played into the ideas that made it cool to begin with."