#and it was more logical for it to happen after the proposal too because now there's this sense of urgency for matt to say something

[softpine]

– Austin? Austin? Hello? Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck is happening now?

[transcript]

[janitorhutcherson]

Groceries, Taxes, & Laundry (MSchmidt Fluff)

hey guys, it's me. i'm finally back. did y'all miss me? the writing of this is a lil diff, sooooo please enjoy and lmk what you think!

content: pure fluff yall.

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

Grocery shopping with Mike Schmidt is… special, to say the least. He absolutely despises it. The dreaded time comes around at the end of every week, your vegetables in the fridge starting to wilt, the meat from the previous trip used up, and all of your snacks have been devoured from late night munchie runs to the pantry (xoxo i love gardening!!!). He knows it has to happen. He knows you’ll wake him up early on Sunday morning like always, because apparently it’s “better to get it out of the way,” which he thinks is, well, to put it lightly, utter bullcrap.

You’ll drag him and Abby out to your local grocery store, her drowsy and jittery all at the same time with the promise of pancakes from a local diner after. Once you arrive, you’ll pull out all of the far-too-expensive reusable bags out of the trunk of Mike’s dingy car, ready to fill them with the necessities. Why get those for 3 bucks when you can get the plastic ones for free? He’ll never understand your logic, something about saving the environment, but it’s okay, he loves you enough not to complain, at least out loud.

The fluorescent lights of the room filled with half asleep employees hits Mike’s eyes like he’s looking directly into the sun. He lets out a small grumbled sigh as he takes in the scent of sterile cleaning supplies and produce mixed in one, with the strange almost play doh like smell of the bakery. Your eyes cut over to him, eyebrows raised, Abby’s hand in yours as she rubs her droopy eyes. Mike can’t help but to crack a small smirk, his lips pursed together. “What?” he’ll question innocently, letting out a small snicker as you go deeper into the dreary establishment. 

At the produce aisle, Mike shivers a little as the water from the misting sprinkler on the shelves hits his bare skin. He should’ve worn his jacket today, he usually does, and he’s regretting the one time he hasn’t. Your eyes are glancing over carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and squash, all that are somehow both too ripe and too.. What's the word... unripe? Sure, he’ll go with that. His hand reaches out to grip yours in a gentle grasp as Abby points to a particularly fluffy bushel of broccoli. “I want that one! It looks like pretty trees,” she giggles out, finally starting to wake with the day. You let out a giggle of your own and Mike smiles because of how pretty your laugh is.

Next, you’re in the snack aisle, filling the cart with doritos, barbeque chips, pringles, salt and vinegar chips (mike gags when you eat them too close to him), peanut butter filled pretzels, whatever can go in Abby’s lunch box and whatever is tastiest. Mike insists on buying the cheap queso, his nose scrunching up at the price of the name brand one. He knows it doesn’t taste any different.

Now you’re looking at meats, finding chicken breasts and filets, steaks, pork, whatever was on your list from meal prepping. Yes, meal prepping, Mike did that now. Apparently stable people with stable lives who had stable relationships did that. He’d grown fond of sitting over a recipe book with you on Saturday nights, really, shoulder to shoulder, pressed up on the couch well after Abby had gone to bed. Something about it felt safe, a kind of domestic feeling he wasn’t used to.

You’re basically done now, and he couldn’t be more relieved as you make your way towards the dairy section. He grabs a few things, string cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, cheese slices for sandwiches for work. Oh, did he mention he works in construction now? It’s stable, makes good money, and he’s home on time to see you, to be a husband-not-yet-husband (he plans to propose soon, but that’s another story), a brother-more-like-a-father, a person with a regular schedule. He looks over at you, watching as you and Abby skim over the different selections of chocolate and strawberry milk, finally settling on a carton of strawberry. He once again scrunches his nose, smiling all at once. “Nasty,” he mumbles out. Abby playfully hits his arm and you lean in for a kiss.

Finally, thank god, you push the cart towards the bakery section, grabbing bread and a sweet treat or two for the week. Cookies, a birthday cake for no particular reason, cheese danishes, whatever his little family was feeling for the week, that’s what it’d be. This week, it was a huge box of chocolate chip cookies and some kind of cherry pastry he’d never had before. You three finally head to checkout, where everything is stuck in those stupid reusable bags and the price of everything you got feels obscenely huge for what’s in your cart, but he pays it anyway. Walking to the car, in the trunk the groceries go as you all climb in one by one, ready to head for pancakes.

As he reverses the car out of his good (only because it was so goddamn early) parking spot, he can’t help but sigh, this time with contentment as Abby rambles on about a new imaginary (hopefully) friend, your own grin wide as you ask questions, making sure she feels heard. “I love you guys, love doing things with you guys,” Mike mumbles out, reaching his hand over to your thigh as he glances back at Abby too. And it was true, he’d do anything with you two. Hell, if all his life consisted of grocery shopping, taxes, and laundry? Yeah, he’d be ok with that too.

[skrrts]

Home Is ✧ seonghwa version (oneshot)

✧ gn!reader x park seonghwa ✧ genre: non-idol, slice of life, fluff, romance ✧ word count: 1,4k

You have found the love of your life, and now the two of you are ready for the next step in your relationship: moving together. Neither of you can wait to finally be able to spend every day together but it's out of the question ... the whole progress looks a lot more casual and aesthetical on social media than it actually is. Chaos. Why are there so many cups and should you go for the aesthetical or the useful setup2? But wait a moment... did you see seonghwa's most beloved animal crossing lego figures? there is no way you continue unboxing until it's found.

a/n: #1 of my friday oneshot series for September ft. the hyung line. i meant to do them in order but after watching hwa's live stream, i changed my plans. just something short and chaotic for the start of the weekend. also, for some reason, this might be part of the animal crossing proposal universe... they just fit so well together.

Did you always own so many plates? You couldn't stop wondering when you went through three boxes of plates, cups, and other smaller kitchen items. Seonghwa and you both previously lived in very tiny apartments and on all the days you spent at your boyfriend's place, it just never felt like it just was as much. You carefully turned the cups around that very likely were gifts from Hongjoong because they had handpainted little doddles on them.

There was a wild mixture of elegant pieces and a few very silly ones from Animal Crossing to Star Wars you carefully took out of the cardboard box with his name on it. Now, you couldn't part with those, could you? A small sigh followed as you started to make two pills, a keep and one you'd likely donate. Nobody needed that many.

It still felt like a fever dream to realize it really happened, Seonghwa and you made the step of moving together. Now that you finally graduated and picked up a job, it was the logical decision and you managed to find the perfect apartment, it was still small but cozy with a tiny balcony just big enough to put a table and two chairs out. There was a giant old oak tree outside, offering some privacy.

Seonghwa's small noise made you look up. He was about to unbox his selection of Lego figures after you two spent all morning putting together a new shelf dedicated only to them. You placed the cups aside and walked over, finding him going through a box in semi-panic, long hair falling out of his little ponytail.

"I can't find it!" A name was added but you had given up trying to remember all of the little Animal Crossing figures, there just were too many. Your boyfriend looked up, blinking.

"Is one of them missing?" Seonghwa nodded as he went through the other box again: "It's the bunny! The one I used for the special surprise for you! I know I put it in one of the boxes, I was so sure it was with the garden set!"

You rubbed a hand over your cheek before moving over: "Let me help you." After all, there was no way it was gone, so maybe it just slipped into the wrong box. The truth was that just maybe, you were a little distracting when Seonghwa tried to pack but it had been difficult not to, your excitement just had been so high on that day. You might be guilty there.

"Are you sure you put into the bubble wraps? Maybe it stayed in one of the sets," you offered as you checked the ones he already emptied to see if maybe, it got stuck in the additional paper to protect them from being thrown around in the box.

Seonghwa frowned, trying to remember when he really had it for the last time. "I was sure I did put it in here but ... now I am not sure anymore. Let's check those."

He turned around, looking at the remaining two boxes with Lego. "Let's split it up, I will take the upper one and you can take out the other. Then we also just can unwrap everything and see if it is there."

You walked over and took his hand, leaning up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "It is okay, Hwa. I am sure we will find it," you promised and he sighed, a soft smile spreading on his lips. "You are right. It's just special, you know? Everything that is tied to a memory with you is." His arms wrapped around your waist to pull you a little closer.

Seonghwa always was sentimental, he loved to collect pieces that reminded him of a moment in his life he enjoyed and you always thought just how sweet that was. "You will forever judge me for being unable to remember the name but I know how much it means to us. I am sure it is right there, just teasing us."

He offered a lazy smile: "You are right, considering it is my figure, he likely does." He smiled, seeing you giggle before letting you go, and clapped his hands together the same way he did when he announced he'd clean your messy apartment.

"Let's do this!"

You picked up the other box and very carefully unwrapped all of the small Lego figurines, placing them on the desk before starting to take out the scenery sets. You gifted Seonghwa a few of those last year for his birthday and he treasured them ever since. As you placed it on the table and removed the protective wrap, there it was.

The little bunny figure was napping in the middle of the star death ship or whatever it was called.

"I found the criminal, about to destroy our apartment," you called out, laughing. Seonghwa was over in a second, gasping: "I can't believe this! Such a betrayal! What is your excuse for leaving your fiance alone?!" He scolded the little figure on purpose, making you chuckle. Seonghwa walked over to the shelf with the other Animal Crossing and placed it next to its announced counterpart.

"Now it's where it belongs," he hummed.

You threw the wrapping back in the box, crossing your arms with a smile: "The day has been saved. Such an excitement." No doubt this was much more enjoyable than carrying all of those upstairs, even with the help of seven people and your families.

Seonghwa's gaze softened as he looked at you, walking over. He cupped your chin and lifted your head a little, his thumb brushing over your cheek making your heart jump.

"You know how much I love you? Never judging how silly I am," his voice was soft and full of affection.

"And I love you because you are just like that," you whispered and he leaned in to share a tender kiss, one you wouldn't mind to last forever.

Seonghwa was smiling into it and before you knew it, turned into a teasing grin, and suddenly, the floor underneath your feet was gone and you were lifted up on top of his arms.

"Hwa! What are you doing?" you blushed, looking at his pretty face as he carried you over to the to-be bedroom with little effort. You decided on a new bed, one that only would be delivered in a few days so you set up a mattress in the form of a little semi-blanket castle as the sky above it.

"Placing our world to your feet," he whispered and placed you down carefully before laying down as well, pulling you closer to him.

This was nice, you could smell his perfume and admired how hair framed his face as he undid his ponytail. Soon, you were snuggled against him and you two sighed contently.

"Can't wait to do this for the rest of our lives," he whispered, placing little kisses on top of your hair. You nodded, your fingers brushing over his stomach muscles: "I know... it's strange to think we really no longer have to say any goodbyes. I can't wait, for all the memories we will make living together now."

There was a moment of silence before you two laughed in sync: "We really are sappy, aren't we?" Seonghwa asked and you looked up, grinning: "Mhm, we are hopeless." He smiled, a hand resting against his cheek: "Good, I'd not want it any other way. Now we will make this our own little dream island."

That sounded amazing, really.

"Do we also have to become best friends with the neighbors here?" You asked, winking as you snuggled back against him.

Your boyfriend chuckled as he relaxed back into the pillow: "Well, let's say I'd not be opposed to it but we also won't have to worry. I am quite confident that our friends will come over often enough to make it about the same experience."

Your friends and family, now your worlds really slowly melted into one. "They better bring gifts then;" you teased and closed your eyes.

"I'm sure they will but I'll make sure to take good care of you always," Seonghwa whispered in his gentle voice. You only nodded, yawning as you slowly drifted off.

You once read in some countries, they believed the first dream of a new home would come true. Yours was about a life with Hwa, so you gladly would embrace this. Always.

[brekwrites]

Moon’s deterioration as depicted in the thumbnails

So, I don’t claim to know what’s going on in the current SAMS arc bc I truly have no idea, but I have seen some people mention some of the glitch effects and how Moon has gradually acquired a purple glow and thought it was interesting. So I went back through the thumbnails and noticed some stuff that I’m gonna dump under the cut. Fair warning, this is long.

So, starting all the way back with the ep where Dark Sun gives Moon an ominous hint and then fucks off:

Dark Sun drops this info, which he already knew and could have revealed at any time, and keeps it purposely vague so there’s still some confusion and no immediate action taken. Then he gets in his purple portal and fucks off.

The delay in him giving the information and purposeful vagueness almost make it seem like he’s stalling for time so Ruin can complete his plan, but we know he’s not actually working with Ruin because they don’t interact until later, and even then he’s using Ruin against his will as a pawn more than anything else. If he’s not working with Ruin, he must still have something to gain from his plan working; either the death of the creators, the death of Solar, or both.

After this, Ruin’s true nature is revealed and yadda yadda:

These are both action packed thumbnails with big shocking reveals, and I want to use them to illustrate a point. Despite the fact that there’s lots of stuff happening visually, there’s a difference between these thumbnails and this one:

The thumbnail for the episode with Solar’s death has a big heart monitor/heartbeat symbol. Also, Solar is glowing a slight purple color as he fades away (and missing two fingers). I’m not entirely sure if either of those facts are significant, but I do think the heartbeat symbol is.

After Solar’s death, the next big plot points are:

Dark Sun planting the idea that Moon’s proposed way won’t bring Solar back, but there’s another way that will, and then telling Eclipse that method and jamming a chip in his head to 1) slow him down and keep him from bringing Solar back too quickly, and 2) keep Moon from being able to sacrifice him for the equivalent exchange method.

So, Dark Sun just planted the idea of bringing Solar back, while also ensuring it only happens when and how he wants it to. Considering he also took measures to make sure the events leading to Solar’s death occurred in the first place, this is interesting.

While this is happening:

Moon talks to his old self, which punches him right in the insecurities and kickstarts his obsession with keeping his family happy. It also gives him a connection to Old Moon that he didn’t have before, which becomes more of a thing later.

While Moon is doing this:

Molten steals Ruin, so when Moon wakes up he realizes he’s lost the resource he was using to research ways to bring Solar back. On top of that, he finally realizes what exactly bringing Solar back will entail—a sacrifice. And he’s just lost the most morally justifiable person he could’ve sacrificed. So he loses it.

In this episode, Moon breaks down bc he’s been pushing himself to bring Solar back. He misses him and just wants to see his family happy and whole again. He’s also upset about the fact that he’d have to kill someone to get Solar back because he DOESN’T want to do that.

When Eclipse wanted to kill Ruin after finding out he’d build him, Moon told him no and specifically said who are we to decide who lives and dies. This was right after Solar’s death, and he still didn’t want to kill him. Now, he has a logical reason to do so and is STILL incredibly conflicted about it. He’s crying and breaking down like he knows he’s already lost Solar for good because he lost Ruin, who is one of his only options for bringing him back. (Also, it's possible that he knows deep down that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to sacrifice him even if he was there, or that his family wouldn't want it.) After this breakdown...

Moon has the hallucination/waking dream where he sees what could have happened if Solar survived, which is the beginning of the end for him. After this, he struggles to figure out what's real and takes a turn for the worse. And here, in the first (lore) episode Solar has been in since his death, we see the little heartbeat symbol again.

Meanwhile, Dark Sun rescues Ruin, sticks a chip in his head, and sends him back knowing that Moon won't be able to use him to bring back Solar. (Also, Ruin is glowing and flaking like Solar was, but his glow is teal. Teal seems to represent star power, possibly, because it's often there when Lunar uses it and it's present in the thumbnail of the later episode where Moon uses it. Not sure if this is relevant tho or if it was just a fun design choice here.)

Moon is starting to lose it, decides he'll do what he has to do to keep his family happy regardless of whether they actually want it and even if it makes them hate him. This is also the first time we start to see the glitchy imagery used in the background.

Importantly, this is when his actions start to contrast his earlier feelings. He decides to bring Solar back by any means possible and to sacrifice Ruin, which he specifically did not want to do before.

After he makes this decision and realizes Ruin is back, he goes to recapture him, initially with the intent to use him as a sacrifice. When he finds out he can't, he's livid. This is the first time we've seen him act on the violent impulses he's had, and it's also the first time we see the eye on the darker half of his face hidden.

After that, Moon starts to gradually get... purpler. Here, he's surrounded by it, but not really purple himself, and both eyes are normal as he keeps up the facade around his family.

But Eclipse gets a glimpse of what's actually happening when he goes to get evidence for Earth. Moon threatens him, and he reveals the Dark Sun did something to him, too, so he also can't be used as a sacrifice. This is when Moon sets his sights on Bloodmoon. Even more glitch imagery and purple shading that's starting to creep across his body, little red corruption lines on his face, and once again his left eye is obscured.

Once Sun realizes just how bad things have gotten, he starts to plan against Moon. Here, Moon is fully shaded purple and both eyes are obscured. (Maybe possibly because this is technically Sun's mental image of him, and Sun isn't entirely sure what he's dealing with yet and doesn't know what Moon is thinking?).

Then, in the episode where Moon sees Old Moon, he's finally glowing. As Old Moon grabs him, the eye on the lighter side of his face glitches. Also, we see the return of the little heartbeat symbols because this is the first episode where Moon sees the hallucination of Solar, even though he's not in the thumbnail. This picture is also good for contrasting Moon's typical color pallet with his purple-hued one.

Moon resists the advice of his conscience and goes to harass Eclipse. He breaks his fingers (noticeably the same ones Solar was missing), which is arguably the cruelest thing he's done yet (considering he choked Ruin, who murdered his friend, but he ripped off Eclipse's fingers when this version hasn't done anyone any bodily harm and was helping Earth). He's still glowing purple, and his shadow shows TWO red eyelights.

Once Sun captures him, their conversation is at least somewhat civil, even if it's not great. Moon is still glowing here, and we see one red eyelight on the dark side of his face, but his light eye is normal. This is also another episode where his conscience argues against him in the form of Solar, and he struggles to rationalize what he's doing.

After escaping and fully committing to being the villain, he's glowing an even darker purple and both eyes are glowing red.

When he tries to kill Bloodmoon, he's still glowing purple, and his eyes are still glowing red. This is also where he realizes he doesn't care if he hurts Earth (hence no normal eye on his lighter side). He admits that he was bluffing a bit before when he said it, but not anymore.

Finally, Dark Sun convinces Moon to go with him. He's still glowing purple here and one eye is glowing red, but the eye on the light side of his face is normal. This makes sense, because we see him fighting with himself over what he did in the beginning of this ep. He allows Dark Sun to remove the chip and even suggests for a moment that they could be brothers, which I feel speaks to how much he does want his family deep down, even if he says he doesn't.

While we can't say for certain that the removed chip was Old Moon, I think it's a reasonable theory considering they've started talking about the chip in relation to Old Moon and how Monty said he'd need to make a replacement chip, which Dark Sun also mentions. Once the chip is gone, Moon feels free of his inhibitions, which would make sense if Old Moon was trying to stop him and fits the eye imagery. Finally, I think it's interesting how Dark Sun is glowing yellow in this thumbnail and how he's been depicted with red irises on white sclera, while the corrupted half of Moon's face is depicted as red irises on presumably black sclera. Parallels, and all that.

So, yeah, I think it's a good bet that whatever is going on with Moon was Dark Sun's goal all along, although idk for what purpose. Also, I'm not sure if he did anything to Moon, either by giving him a virus/program or by triggering some of his hallucinations, or if it was the situation itself (which he engineered, but not completely) that caused Moon to snap without any direct interference. Either way, I think that Moon is being taken over by 'the Purple,' and that whatever it is, it's beneficial to Dark Sun's plans.

Finally, one last thing I noticed is that the Purple is not just Moon indulging in his more destructive tendencies alone, because he looks perfectly normal during the rage room episode.

So I do think that this is likely something more than just Moon himself falling off the deep end. That definitely doesn't excuse his actions, but it does suggest that there might be something more going on and he might not be fully in control of himself.

[coralinnii]

Hello, may I please ask for part 2 for Malleus in that isekaid villainess au? Heacanons please

"If you are a villain, then let me be your accomplice" 

feat: Malleus

genre: hurt/comfort?, romance

note: sequel to “being reincarnated into a new world as the bad guy”, roughly 1.5k word count

I hear you simps. I had an idea for an interaction with the heroine but the post got kinda long so I stopped here.

The past few weeks felt like a roller-coaster. You were pushed, pulled, and blindsided by the amount of things that were happening simultaneously. 

Firstly, you had to deal with the sudden proposal your family received for you, literally on the day you just had your previous engagement annulled. 

Secondly, your family had to deal with the accusations of treason from multiple families, which suspiciously included the families of the capture targets. 

Thirdly but probably the most concerning, your precious pen-pal and the man who sent the proposal was the Dragon King and hidden capture target of the game you were reincarnated into, Malleus Draconia. And he keeps appearing by your house to receive the answer you refuse to give yet. 

“Are you upset that I am the Dragon King, dear human? Do you hate me?” 

Screw him and his sulking figure right now. How does a Dragon King be so good at pouting?

After everything that has happened, you wanted nothing to do with the main protagonist and her harem and with Malleus being a capture target, he was just as liable to betray you like everyone else did. Your heart couldn’t bear any more. 

You were scared, which was why you attempted to distance yourself from him with logical reasoning. You tried to convince him that marrying you was too socially damaging. 

“So long as my family is suspected of treason, I cannot in good conscious marry you, Belle- King Malleus”

“Oh, is that all?” And with that, Malleus left leaving you confused. What did that mean?

Apparently that meant that Malleus had a mission to destroy what stood in the way of his beloved. Within a week, he and his aids searched for foul play regarding the accusations and soon found what he was looking for. The offenders responsible were arrested and sent to the imperial family in secret. He found something interesting but thought it would be better to hold onto this trump card for a bit. 

Thus, the accusations were dropped and your family was joyous over the news. And so was Malleus, albeit for different reasons. 

“What say you now, dear human?” 

“P-Please distance yourself, King Malleus!” 

Malleus was persistent and determined to woo you the human way if he must. With the advice he received from Lilia (poor choice, really), he attempts to win your hand in marriage. 

“My young Malleus, before humans marry, they tend to court each other first” 

And so he did. He would bring you expensive gifts and take you to “dates” (walks around his extravagant gardens count, right?) 

“King Malleus, please-“ 

“Call me by my pet name, dear. I believe humans call their lovers by terms of endearment” 

“That's beside the point! P-Please step back!” 

“But Lilia reported that humans are fond of physical contact and close embraces? In addition, you were fond of holding my hand when we first met”

“!!”  

Still, despite all of your fears, Malleus found his way into your heart and you chose to trust him despite his position as a capture target, against your better judgement. 

Which was why you chose him to come with you to meet them again. 

“They truly have no shame” your father seethed as your house received an invitation with the imperial seal on it, an invitation to a ball celebrating the new engagement of the prince. Your mother held you in a comforting embrace but she wore a look of great distress and rightfully so. Because it was sent as a royal invitation, to refuse is to insult the imperial house and your family was already in hot waters. 

“Sweetie” your mother spoke to you worriedly to which you tried to smile to ease her worries. You weren’t happy but you knew what you had to do. 

Luckily, Lilia heard of your predicament and offered a solution. 

“Dear, a human’s greatest arsenal could be those they have bonds with” the wise viscount hinted. “I’m sure my King would be more than happy to accompany you” 

Which brought you to where you were now, with Malleus offering a hand to you as you walked towards the castle you used to be so acquainted with. 

You were quite a sight to those attending the ball, the jilted former princess candidate being escorted by one of the most powerful beings in the land. Being unable to bear their piercing stares, you started to put focus on keeping pace with your partner, tightening your hold on his arm which you realized were rather built and firm. You knew Malleus to be lean based on his game design but the feel of his arms had your mind wandering slightly if he’s more muscular than you thought. Was he this firm everywhere else? 

“Dear human, are you alright? You seem deep in thought” 

Your body flushed with embarrassment as you got caught drifting too deeply in your thoughts. You released your hold on Malleus and stepped away a little to cool down before the draconian man realized. Luckily, he seems none the wiser. 

“So you chose to come afterall” 

You flinched at the voice. You dreaded your instincts to be true but it turned out to be so. It was the prince, accompanied by his closest companions and the star of the ball, the heroine. 

Swallowing your nerves, you bowed as expected towards the royal family. “As a loyal servant of the royal family, it is my duty to respond to the invitation” 

However, the prince scoffed at your figure. “Even when you and your family's disgraced themselves, you call yourself loyal?” 

You held back your tears but it was difficult when you could feel the heavy weight of disgust the prince held for you. Once upon a time, he was your dearest childhood friend and you thought the years the two of you spent together meant something to him. Sadly, it must have been one-sided on your part. 

However, as heavy as that disgust, it was getting overwhelmed by the aura of something else. The growing anger coming from next to you. 

“Young prince” your partner spoke in a warning tone, narrowing his striking green eyes. “I recall the misunderstanding was resolved and the true perpetrators were apprehended by the imperial knights” 

The prince was quick to silence himself and avoided your eyes which hinted he was already aware of the arrest. 

"Your anger towards my partner seems to be misguided, despite the knowledge of the true situation. Quite unbecoming for a future ruler, I must say"

Malleus continued to stare down at the shaking royal heir and let out a disappointed sigh. 

“I cannot blame you, however” Malleus said which surprised both the prince and you. 

The powerful fae, with gentleness contradictory to his reputation, held your hand in his. He brought your hand closer to his lips, bringing your attention, and the attention of others, to the tall man. You felt your heart jump as he smiled at you before speaking once again.

“I’ve come to understand the feeling of anger for the sake of others and the desire to protect those dear to you” 

Your nerves returned tenfold as your heart was beating to the point you were nervous to think if all of the surrounding attendants was able to hear it. 

Although his green eyes were soft when holding your gaze, it was quick to harden when he turned to stare down at the prince and his associates. 

“But I suggest you tread carefully, young prince,” Malleus daringly warned the capture targets. “In my investigation regarding the accusations against my dear’s family, I came across something curious” 

With that, the intimidating king took a step closer and leaned slightly forward, closer to the nervous prince but still situated in a way that seemed to look down at the prince. 

“The families that reported the treason were in one way or another connected to that woman of yours, which begs the question if these false accusations were done for her benefit” 

The prince froze and glanced at his new lover, who looked as worried as he did. No matter the power the heroine and the prince may hold, that kind of conspiracy would damage the heroine’s reputation as well as the prince and his associates who were quick to condemn your family due to these accusations. If it turned out that underhanded methods may have been used to dirty your name then…high society and the kingdom would be in an uproar. 

And Malleus was counting on that. 

“So…” Malleus' deep voice broke through the prince’s mental spiral. “I do hope you choose wisely before ever trying to interact with my precious one again”

[devildom-moss]

I recently finished reading the third season of OG!OM and I had a miniature idea... How would Lucifer, Diavolo and Barbatos react if amab!MC told them that when the problems with the three worlds were resolved, he would like to marry them? (I may write with mistakes because I am using a translator, I apologize in advance ☆ｏ(＞＜；))

Thanks for the ask. I wrote based on the assumption that Lucifer, Diavolo, and Barbatos are already in an established relationship with MC where marriage is a possibility, (but honestly, it'd probably be fun to write a less serious version, too). I don't know if these are headcanons or just poorly constructed shorts in headcanon format (oops), but I hope you like it.

M!MC tells them he wants to marry them when the three realms are at peace (Lucifer, Diavolo, Barbatos)

(MC/reader referred to as "man" "husband/future husband" "boyfriend" "fiance") (Diavolo will only be in red for ease of reading in this post primary colors woo)

(Lucifer x m!MC) (Diavolo x m!MC) (Barbatos x m!MC)

(Suggestive in for some parts)

Word Count: +1,900

Lucifer

You told Lucifer you wanted to marry him during one of his softer, more vulnerable moments: when you woke him up after he fell asleep during a long night of paperwork, exhaustion widening his smile upon seeing your face; on one of those rare mornings when he allowed himself to laze around in bed, pulling you in close and savoring the feel and scent of your body; or one of those other long nights when Lucifer’s breath hitched and the sweetest noises left him – it was all for you.

“When things are peaceful –” “Things are never peaceful with my brothers around.” “– when the three realms are stable and at peace, then, we should get married.”

“Oh?” he asked you with a gentle chuckle.

He didn’t believe you at first – not because he had never thought about marriage before. Lucifer assumed it was more likely that you wanted to tease him than that you would beat him to a marriage proposal. His adorable, handsome, wonderful boyfriend would never surprise him by doing something so endearing and unexpected. It just wasn’t – shit! Is he really proposing to me?

Lucifer waited for a teasing “just kidding” or some kind of retreat on your part. When it doesn’t come, his eyes widen, and the heat rises visibly on his cheeks. You really want to be his husband? He already suspected as much, but to have you take the initiative and ask him to marry you was more than he expected.

When Lucifer falls, it’s hard and deep. He knows you so well. He’s so certain of his love that it doesn’t even cross his mind that it could be too early in the relationship to get married.

He glosses over the entire “when the three realms are at peace” thing, because he’s too pleased. Lucifer buries himself in the nearest part of your body he can get to – likely your chest or neck. In part, he’s trying to hide the grin on his face and the blush on his cheeks, but even with his face hidden, you can see the pink tint painting the tips of his ears.

“We already have a pact, and now you want my hand?” he murmured against your skin, sounding almost shy. “Yes. When things are –” “Why w–” “Would you stop fucking interrupting me when I’m in the middle of proposing?!” “Sorry. Do it again. I’ll behave.” His eyes softened seductively. “Asshole.” “Only when you top – and only if you’re being degrading. Usually, I’m your adoring partner.” “Do you want me to propose again or not?” “I do. Try again.”

“Lucifer, when the three realms are united, will you marry me?” Lucifer stared at you, patiently. “Well?” “Why wait?” “What do you mean?” “Why wait for peace and unity? It doesn’t matter what state the realms are in. I want to be with you. I want to be your husband, and I want you to be mine. Marry me now.”

Lucifer would be so earnest and make his argument sound so logical – but maybe it’s easier to justify something you want, too. “I’m serious. I have faith in us – in Diavolo’s plan – but if anything happens, if it takes a long time, I don’t want to wait. I want you to be my husband.”

He would kiss you tenderly and hold you close until you agree not to put off your wedding for some indefinite amount of time. He’ll be ready to go tomorrow morning if that means he can start calling you his husband sooner. How did your proposal to Lucifer turn into a proposal from him?

He’s so possessive and pompous, of course he would be excited to make you his in a more official setting.

Diavolo

You would tell him when he was already on cloud nine: after another successful event that had incorporated elements from all three worlds or after a business deal that would further entrench the Devildom in human-world culture. He had just furthered his goals. You were proud of him. You loved him, and you knew you were going to stand by his side as he achieved his dream for peace and unity, so you told him, “When you succeed – when the realms are united in peace, I want to marry you.”

“Hahaha. You’re full of surprises.”

Diavolo laughs, but it isn’t to mock you. He’s delighted by the proposal – well, admission. He’s gotten requests for marriage before, but he’s never been so happy to hear that someone wanted to marry him. It was unexpected, but he adores that you can surprise him.

It isn’t lost on him that you didn’t actually ask him to marry you or that you were willing to wait an indefinite amount of time. Who knew how long it would take him to realize his dream, but you believed in him enough to wait. The fact that you just told him what you wanted without asking him felt like you were giving him the space and time to think about it, come back, and meet you with his own feelings about marriage. Maybe he was reading into it too much, but he didn’t feel pressured, and that was a comfort. You made him feel so free, supported, and loved.

Of course, he would love to make you his – give you the whole grand royal ceremony, mark you as his partner for the whole world to see, and give you the title of “king” to match his own (because in this speculative future, the throne is his by then; he’ll have earned it.).

You both understand why it would be best to wait for his success. It can be difficult enough to get approval and ensure your safety when everyone just thinks the Demon Prince has taken a human man as his lover. Marriage might cause more instability.

Furthermore, although he doesn’t expect his workload to disappear once peace is achieved, Diavolo hopes that ensuring peace takes more effort than maintaining it. If he’s going to marry you, he wants plenty of down time to travel with his new husband after the wedding. He wants enough free time in his day to cherish you and remind you of the love he holds for you. He wants to make sure he can kiss you, and hold you, and make love to you to both of your hearts’ content. (In other words, if Diavolo commits to being your husband, he needs to meet his daily physical affection quota or he will pout for a week.)

After taking a minute to process your words, Diavolo would pull you against him and press his forehead to yours. It wouldn’t matter if you were in public, either (not to Diavolo, at least. Barbatos would scold him about it being “inappropriate” later.). With a soft, sweet smile, he would tell you, “I better work harder then. I don’t want to keep you waiting too long.” Even if everyone was staring in your direction, he would take that moment to lean in and kiss you tenderly.

Suddenly, Diavolo would feel his ambition renewed. He’d even feel motivated to get home and start on some important plans and initiatives – unless you wanted to go home with him; in which case, he would take you to bed and resume his work in the morning. Nothing could light a fire under him like his beloved partner.

After your proposal, he may occasionally flirt with you by calling you “my fiancé” or “my future husband,” but he’ll only do that in private.

Barbatos

There is no ideal time to drop the news on Barbatos that you want to marry him, which probably plays to your benefit when you tell him while he’s working. You were shadowing him – probably assisting in the kitchen or giving him a hand with some light chores (dusting, organizing, laundry, etc.). “When Lord Diavolo succeeds in uniting the three realms, do you think we could get married?”

Barbatos’s eyes would widen, and he would stop his work for a second. Even if he had used his powers, he never would have believed that this would be the path you would follow. Barbatos took in a deep breath and released it along with the tension in his body before he resumed his work. “No.”

It was your turn to pause. You hadn’t expected such a flat-out rejection, and it hurt. “Oh.” “I’m sorry, MC.” “No, it’s fine. . . but, do you mind if I ask you why not? Are we – do you not love me enough for marriage?”

Now, Barbatos felt hurt. It’s not that he didn’t love you deeply; in fact, Barbatos imagined his love for you was more eternal than most marriages claim to represent. He would vow his love to you under the moon and swear to that celestial body that his love would outlast it. The truth was much sadder.

Barbatos has a duty to serve Diavolo. It seems like the logical conclusion that he would never commit to marriage before Diavolo’s goals were achieved. You were willing to wait, but Barbatos knew that, and he was reluctant to let you.

Without using his powers, Barbatos has no idea how long it would take for that to happen. In the meantime, he wants you to enjoy life. He doesn’t want you waiting around for him for decades or centuries (because he has no intention of allowing you to limit your life to normal human lifespans). If you want to get married, and he doesn’t feel able to do that for you, Barbatos would rather see you marry someone else – certainly, you have no shortage of suitors. (We can all ignore that this is an idiotic reason, right?)

However, the main reason he turned you down is because he believes you deserve the world. Even after the realms are stable, Barbatos will still be bound to Diavolo. Maintaining that peace takes effort as well. Furthermore, Barbatos enjoys his work, and he would never give it up. His time for you would always be lacking. Surely, you would expect more from him after marriage. That wasn’t something Barbatos could give you.

He would tell you as much. “. . . That is why I must decline your proposal.” “Why? Because I’d have to wait, and you would still work for Diavolo?” “Those are not ideal conditions for a husband. You deserve more.” “First of all, we fuck under your boss’s roof. Second, we are different species from different realms. Nothing about our circumstance is ‘ideal.’ Third, I love you, and I love how our relationship works. I would never take you away from Lord Diavolo’s side. I just wanted to cement my love for you with a silly little ceremony – it’s not that important. I will stand by you, and I’ll love you then as I do now – regardless of marriage.”

Barbatos could feel his face flush with heat. He was overjoyed and overwhelmed. “We have yet to even form a pact.” “Yet? And we don’t have to have a pact if you don’t want one.” “Goodness, you are far too accommodating. May I make a proposal of my own?”

Barbatos would pull you into his arms (he had ceased working altogether after “your boss’s roof.”) and whisper into your ear. “I was wrong. I want all of you for myself. Wait for me. When success is in our grasp, I will mark you, and seal our pact. After that, I’ll make you my husband.”

He’ll sound so tender and seductive. So of course, it’s the perfect time to tease him by saying, “Then I can fuck my husband under his boss’s roof.” “Not if I take you out in the garden. After all, you look stunning in the moonlight.”

[angelltheninth]

Peter B. Parker Proposing to You

Pairing: Peter B. Parker x Fem!Reader

Tags: fluff., established relationship, marriage proposal, going on a date, power use, good boyfriend Peter B. Parker

A/N: I wasn't on Tumblr much when the first Spiderverse dropped so I'm very happy that a lot of people find this Peter so cool and attractive.

You'd never seen him more nervous than he was tonight

Swears up and down it's just from his latest patrol, nothing to do with you

Yet his endless walking on the ceiling and awkward chuckles, not to mention him constantly tugging on his jacket, are all signs that he's hiding something

Kisses you to ease your mind and his

Has a date planned, nothing big though because he doesn't want to give away the fact that he has a big question to ask

Tries to be casual as he carries you out of your shared home and balances you on his thighs while he climbs up high enough to where he can comfortably swing on his webs

Hid the food ahead of time so he can make a little sunset picnic for the two of you

Keeps glancing at you then taking a big bite of his food

Asks you where you would like to go if you were to go on a longer vacation with him, he doesn't tell you the vacation would be your honeymoon

Guarantees at least one of his fellow Spiders could protect his Earth while he's away

As he kisses you and pulls you onto his lap he forgets about the ring box in his pocket which prompts you to tease him and cause a misunderstanding about his intentions tonight

There will... probably be some of that too if this goes well but for now he wants to ask you something very important

It's a life or death question, okay it's not but for his heart it is

Doesn't want to push you off his lap so he has to maneuver a bit to dig the box out but you know what it is as soon as you see it

He planned to do this exactly when the sun went down but this is romantic too, the two of you overlooking the entirety of the city below

After a deep breath he finally asks you to marry him

His whole body is shaking, he's afraid of what would happen if you say no even though he knows his fear is a bit irrational, you've been together for years, this is the logical next step in your relationship

Thankfully he was right, you said yes

But in his happiness he accidentally threw the ring when he threw his hands up

It's a good thing he still has those quick reflexes

[harmonysanreads]

heyyy, i’m the anon who proposed the yan vamp kaveh alongside his trauma dumping tendencies 💀 it’s been awhile but it’s just bc i’ve been busy!! anyway, i’m glad for the feedback!

now that my ramblings has been enabled, i was musing a thought earlier about the sumeru hexagon au. since in the main story where—i think—everyone is contingent with the fact darling is a traveler, who had to suddenly go home due to family businesses. if we’re going with that main plot point, isn’t it safe to assume that darling would have many friends that they made along the way? imagine darling getting a swarm of letters from their many friends from the seven nations of teyvat. a few letters here and there with one from mondstadt, something something about a winery. another one from fontaine and a few photographs of fontaines lush scenery. a gift from inazuma, the list goes on. it seems darling is the sociable kind, very popular. once every few weeks darling would get a letter from a friend, but there’s this particular sender that becomes a frequent pen pal to darling.

here’s how i think how each bachelor would react:

*kaveh: he’s a very passionate man. unlike his roommate, he’s not afraid to show his feelings—or more like, he sees that showing vulnerability and emotions is integral for a blossoming relationship. kaveh runs on emotions with the way he presents himself, so he’s no stranger to being loud himself. especially when he’s running on a bit of alcohol. he gets tipsy fast and it’s an even more deadly combo. once kaveh sees you paying more attention to these letters, he can’t help himself but feel an itchy feeling in his hands. he keeps imagining himself snatching up those stupid letters you have tucked away in your hands. you shyly hiding it beneath the table, your eyes going back and forth between him and that scrap of paper that seems to be your final calling. kaveh knows you’d rather much pay more attention to whatever squabble on that paper than at him. kaveh throws a joke your way, but you shrug it off. he scoffs, rather loudly. suddenly you get the hint and stuff the letter away somewhere in your pocket. but it doesn’t dissuade his seething frustration. his hands gripped tightly on his drink at the whole ordeal. luckily it isn’t glass as it would be malleable to his anger. there’d be shards of glass stuck to his skin now. but the more he thought about it…it wouldn’t sound too bad. what if—you’d finally tear your loving gaze away from that paper and instead place it on him as you hold his hands in reverence. that’s be nice, kaveh dreams.

*al haithaim: he is a quite man. yet he’s observant. it’s not like he lets it happen because he’d rather not place intrusion on your private affairs. no, he cares a bit too much for any sense of privacy. despite the obvious crossing of boundaries between “close friends” (as you emphasised) he rationalises and rationalises and rationalises. a common sign of a mad man, finding excuses to lessen the blow of the self-awareness. the thing with al haithaim is that he’d never admit to many things. which is why he’s quite and finds himself just…watching. no he’s not being crazy; he’s just curious. well yes, of course, who else caught your eye so intensely you’ve kept a souvenir from them. “something to remember them by.” you tell him after a maple leaf falls out of your book. you’ve been keeping it as a bookmark. al haithaim already feels something swell inside of him when he doesn’t recognise that plant as not a native plant anywhere around here. he’s already inflexible with any sentiments and emotions, staying in the rigid lines of logic. but why is it he’s stunted silent at the sight of you happy for another? why is it that he feels something like a knot in his stomach eating him up when you speak of this “friend” of yours? al haithaim watches carefully, picking up every minute detail. and if by any chance he’s free from his busy schedule, he’ll find a way to get his hands on those letters you keep dear.

*cyno: he’s somewhat the same as al haithaim. but unlike the latter, cyno doesn’t let his perturbations shut his lips and keep his heart locked away. there’s no need for a calculating tactic, to silently watch and observe, to plan out what needs to be done. he knows what he feels and why. it must be because of his occupation that he acts this way. so when he sees these letter or even catches a hint of it, he’s quick to question…thoroughly for the matter. he doesn’t play slow, he plays in whatever card he’s been handed with and deals with them right away, concisely as he needs to. cyno is no stranger to using his voice. his voice is stern at first, questioning you about this friend of yours. cyno tells you that your trusting nature will one day be your biggest flaw, as he grips one of your letters tightly in his hands. you cast it as part of his serious nature, but the less you’re willing to share, you notice how cyno closes in on you. verbally, the way his questions become increasingly curt with no room to back out. cyno asks you if you’re so sure this person is genuine as you are, with only knowing them after a few meetings and nothing more. well, how can you already be so vulnerable with them when the main contact is through letters? it’s easier to deceit one another when you’re not face to face with them…c‘mon darling?! don’t you see how it’d be easy for you to fall for a trap like that?! are you sure this person is not taking advantage of you?! and with the way cyno begins to hone in on you with each bated breath, physically, when you feel his presence dwarf your meek one. unlike being discreet, if he ever catches you with these letters in your hands, he’d snatch it out of your hold under the pretence of doing…whatever he is doing. he doesn’t say exactly, even when you try to grab it back. cyno see’s no reason to give you an excuse, other than an expression of bitterness. it’s one thing to be keeping a secret lover, but another thing to have the audacity to bring it up around his presence. i mean, you’re asking to get interrogated at that point. though he might be able to question you, you have no room to do so on your behalf. if you ever try to reason with cyno’s absurd behaviours, you’d only be met with a pointed look from him and it’s enough to shut you up.

*tighnar is observant himself, but he plays it coy. he has a way with his words, especially when he knows you know his humour as sarcasm. you don’t take him seriously at first when he comments about how you’d rather pay attention to some sappy love letter—which you deny that it is one. it ensues in a banter of a teasing kind. it is. it is not. it soooo is. it sooo is not. but beneath all of those nervous giggles and eye rolls, there’s a cold glint in tighnari’s eyes. jokes would slip pass his lips, but it does not convey what truly lies in his heart. he’d rather not. for now, he’s seeing every detail of your reaction. he notes how after he joked about it being a love letter and how you attentively read each one, you began to act jittery and there’s a smile on your lips that hasn’t been wiped off your face just yet. interesting. and you kinda notice it too, notice tighnari’s prowling eyes. but you don’t think of it with any malicious intent. instead, you ask him for advice. you believe he’s looking out for you. and out of the bunch, tighnari is one of the sociable and personable kind. so one day, you share him a peek of one of the letters. you ask him, what your friend means by this phrase—are they possibly hinting at something deeply intimate? is it crossing the lines of friendship into something…more? should you instigate it and let it happen—or are you just overthinking it?! as any good friend would do, tighnari dissuades all of this. he tells you, you are overthinking it and maybe to not jump into conclusions. you nod and agree. yeah, maybe you are pushing it! he also adds, if it were to evolve into something more, it would be difficult to maintain a relationship anyway due to the long distance. and from what he’s known, long distance relationships usually never ends well. and well, he cares for you too much to not see you get hurt at the end of this. you agree even more. you were just being delusional, he jokes. you laugh back and thank him for his words and advice. he jokes again, “i know i’m always right.” tighnari’s next hypothesis is how he’ll get his hands on these letters himself. it only seems to get in his way. he’s the type you wouldn’t expect to act so irrationally or even in such a manner, that if you ever catch him cracking through his forced smiles and jokes, you’re in for a treat.

*scaramouche is fragile like a glass. swaddled in his own enclosure, of which he finds himself in the warmth of your hands. scaramouche yearns for you, so when you speak of another name with a giddy smile, you began to feel cold to him. he hates this feeling. it’s anguish, torture. and he’d do anything to keep this warmth to himself and only him. due to close proximity, he’s mostly likely the only one who’s able to get his hands on these letters easily. he’d wait until you’re asleep, staring at your chest fall and rise. after he watches you breath for a few minutes, he finds himself rummaging through the letters you’ve kept so far. he reads through the more intimate ones, near and dear to your heart, with a scorned look on his face. these vulnerabilities that you shared with him, scaramouche cherished deeply as a sign of trust. yet it is shared with another. he can’t help himself but let the letters scatter pitifully into the fireplace nearby. at least he’ll keep you warm tonight. all you need to do is to return the favour.

btw: i kept the sender of these letters open for any, but i kinda hinted that it was kazuha. also might be ooc, especially on cyno and tighnari’s part because i haven’t grasped how they’d act as yanderes??

anyway, i implore you to add on…i wish i could write more about it but i’m running out of brain juice as i speak.

Nonnie nonnie hear me out,,, I think we might be soulmates because this is EXACTLY what I was thinking about the other day !! I hereby dub you as vampire kaveh anon for all the exquisite meals you've given me<3 And Tighnari in this is making me swoon?? That little gaslighter :v Cyno is so frustrating ughhh (I love your take on them) and I just know why you specifically chose Kazuha in Alhaitham's part ehe [ au masterlist ]

There are whispers in the wind that a certain bartender keeps many of Sumeru's secrets dangling at their fingertips, it never is easy coaxing a certain set of information out of them though, just as it is with what remains locked in their heart.

There is a simple, albeit unspoken rule across Teyvat : when one's desire becomes too fervent, they either receive the recognition of the divine or delude themselves in a reality that does not actually exist.

“—veh? Earth to Kaveh!”

Kaveh thinks, and he's certain that he has no reason to worry about the latter, not when the testament to the former hangs proudly by his person. But that doesn't stop him from desiring for more, after all, which human is ever truly satisfied?

The remaining wine from Kaveh's glass jolts as his hand slackens, body in a temporary state of disarray as you shake his shoulder firmly. He blinks once, twice, thrice and slowly adjusts to the sight of your pinched brows.

“A-ah, yes?”

One of your eyebrows raise in appraisal and Kaveh finally gathers his bearings, realizing the cause of your frown to be his dazed state. If his cheeks were flushed before, they now compete with the colour of his eyes.

You watch him a bit more and the Architect dares not to breath, relishing in the attention of the eyes that can pick apart any turbulences within his soul, the ones he's wished to be on him throughout the whole evening. Your lips part and he braces himself for a scolding, but it's never voiced.

“..Go home.” Kaveh responds to your gentle command by staring dumbly and it inclines you to add, “You're out of it, I don't want you to cause more trouble for yourself, alright? You have that meeting with an important client next morning.” with a final nudge on his shoulder, you move away to a different section of the Tavern.

Through slightly blurred vision, the Architect catches sight of the letter still firmly held by your hand and it makes his stomach churn further. There's no doubt in his mind, you left primarily because you wanted to read those wretched words, to think he was so excited to chat the night away with you as well. How disappointing.

Kaveh finishes the remnants of his glass, the liquid sending static through his nervous system and an epiphany waves. You don't make it far until a loud bang! echoes throughout the walls of the Tavern, you turn back hastily and search for the source of the noise. The Architect lies passed out on the surface of the table, his form almost slithering off of it before you catch it. A sigh escapes you once you determine him to be uninjured, another when you realize you'll have to drop him home, again. Kaveh faintly catches you calling for that hatted boy to take over and a grumble, almost revealing his ruse as a smirk curves at the letter finally laying discarded.

“I can practically see cogs turning in your eyes — what are you piecing together this time?”

Your airy admission has Alhaitham's gaze flickering from the scarlet leaf to your face, despite the depth of his stare and the awareness of it, there appears no faltering of your placid smile. That had been a prominent topic of the Scribe's studies for a while, do you actually not mind his scrutinizing eyes or are you just really good at acting unbothered? Because he's certain had it been someone else, they would've avoided him like the plague and yet, you seem nowhere near unsettled. Whatever it is, Alhaitham has accepted that no matter how much he observes, he can never decipher your personality.

“Hm, is it about my friend?” you answer for him just as his lips part and he wonders if it's the wine taking effect, or is your voice nearer than before?

“I was just wondering what kind of person has charmed you so much that you hold so tightly onto a leaf from them.”

“Hey! Maple leaves are pretty, therefore, worth holding onto for more than one reason.” you wag a finger to his eye-level, delivery matter-of-fact. Your defensive behavior both amuses and confuses the Scribe.

Then, the lights of the tavern bounce across your eyes and back at his in an apparition of revelation, “Actually, I think, you'll get along with my friend as well. Oh, I'm sure of it.”

An eyebrow raises at your declaration, Alhaitham subconsciously adjusts the settings of his headphones to amplify the echoes of your voice, hanging onto every word that leaves your lips. He's so intoxicated by the increasing teasing lilt of your voice that the thought of offering you a reply escapes his mind.

“But first...” Alhaitham catches your twinkling eyes on the top of his head for a moment, “We ought to get you a helmet.”

That has words form on his tongue, “A helmet?”

You affirm with a purposeful giggle, but offer no further clarification, skipping away with a tray of empty glasses. The Scribe watches your retreating figure with a bemused frown, replays of the interaction filling every crevice of his mind.

Meeting this mystery friend of yours would require him to wear a helmet for protection? Alhaitham's frown deepens.

It seemed that his hypothesis of you being a magnet for troublesome individuals was only proving itself correct with time. Hmm... Alhaitham would need to keep a closer eye just in case.

“..And those are the reasons as to why you should stop responding to these letters.”

“Hm... I still think you're being paranoid, Cyno.”

You expected the General Mahamatra to sigh in frustration and give-up with this petty debate at that point, you've seen your fair share of persistent individuals and through many observations you've devised two tactics against them : 1. Simply yield to their request so that they'll move on for the time being and 2. Being double persistent to assert dominance. Though, your personal choice would be to not deal with these types of people at all but the General Mahamatra makes even ignoring his blatant overbearance a challenge.

Cyno makes no effort to return your breathing space, he doesn't even seem to be deterred by your attempt at establishing the rightful boundary, “Was I not concise enough in my speech? Perhaps you need me to reiterate all 21 reasons once more?”

“—Good heavens, no!” a sigh escapes your lips, fingers raising to massage the skin of your temple. He'd been at this pointless charade the moment his sharp eyes caught sight of the letter, he hadn't advanced until he noticed the undeniable giddiness as you read through the words albeit. In terms of persistence, the General Mahamatra really does take the cake. But then again, what did you expect from a man who goes over every one of his jokes in great detail?

“Cyno, look. This friend of mine helped me a lot when I was in a.. particularly difficult situation. I know them well enough to be certain that they have no ill-intentions.”

“How so? They can use that excuse as a means of manipulation. Actually, are you being blackmailed, perhaps? Is that why you don't want to admit it?”

“I am not being blackmailed, I am not being manipulated. Even if I was, I'm more than capable of handling it on my own, Cyno.”

“That is the exact thing you said for that eremite mercenary and then what happened?”

“I admit I was careless then— wait a minute, how do you know about the eremite mercenary? I only told that matter to one person and it certainly wasn't you.”

Cyno's breath catches in his throat as your eyes fixate on his figure with renewed suspicion. The man's grip on the deck of cards hardens and loosens continually until he re-establishes eye-contact and you're almost the one taken-aback as he doesn't back down a bit.

“Come to think of it, I haven't seen the mercenary and his group of friends in a whole week. They used to be regulars as well, any ideas on the case, Cyno?”

“Well, they are mercenaries and being one means they take on arduous missions to distant lands from time to time.” the General Mahamatra delivers smoothly, so easily that you miss his initial intake of breath. His eyes hold your gaze firmly, you search and search for even a flicker of hesitance and return empty handed.

“Hm.. I suppose you're right. That still doesn't explain why you know of the matter though.”

The quirk of the man's eyebrow almost makes you feel stupid for even asking, “I am the General Mahamatra, [name]. I overheard some other mercenaries talking about the incident at Caravan Ribat, I trust you of all people know how loose lipped men get once a bit liquor hits their system.”

You hold his stare for a prolonged minute, sighing once you find no dent in the Matra's composure and acquiesce at last to his reasoning. Cyno nods a little too enthusiastically once you offer a free glass as an apology for suspecting him, missing the breath of relief that escapes his parched lips as you turn your back to get a glass altogether.

“But Tighnari, how are you so sure that the writer isn't trying to convey any double meaning?

One of Tighnari's ears twitch at your attempt at back-pedaling to the earlier discussion, he tries his best to maintain his nonchalant countenance but unfortunately for him and fortunately for observant eyes, his fox like features will always be more honest than his words.

You trace a finger along the cursives of the parchment, “After all, he is quite the trickster.”

“You mean your ‘friend’?”

“Yes, friend.”

The Forest Watcher hums at your absentminded reply, his ear twitches with a bit more force as your eyes glaze over in reminisce, “He was one of the first few people I befriended in Fontaine. Though the events leading up to that were rather.. wild, let's say, enduring all that mischief was worth it in the end. Oh, oh, look at this line ; he still teases me about that time!”

“...What an interesting character,” Tighnari muses, looking at the words you point, half of him feels proud that you'd share your secrets so casually with him and the other half feels bitter at the contents.

“He is, yes. But you avoided my question : how are you sure my friend isn't insinuating anything?”

Tighnari gives the letter a long look before shifting his attention to your curious stare, his features relaxes significantly when he determines you're not offended by his dodging.

“Well, the fact that you know your friend to be a trickster first of all, should be enough of a reason to validate that scenario, if that's what you're asking.”

You open you mouth to protest (he assumes) but think otherwise after you let his words sink in, flickers of uncertainty spreads across your eyes.

“Hm.. you do have a point,” a defeated sigh, “Let's drop this topic now, tell me about what you've been up to!”

The Forest Watcher's tail swishes at the change of tone, he's bent the situation to his advantage for now but he'll need to look for a long-term solution as fast as possible, lest you slip away.

The ex-harbinger freezes midway from throwing another parchment into the fireplace as he hears the shuffles of covers and a faint creak. He doesn't dare move an inch til everything returns to silence once more. One second, two seconds, three, four and he gathers the courage to face your slumbering form on the fifth. Stifling a sigh of relief, he quickly throws the cursed letter, not bothering to witness its destruction.

With tentative steps, Wanderer makes his way to your bedside, watching you for a few moments before sitting down on the small space beside your form. He knows you'd be disgruntled to find him barging in your room as if it's his own but he remains unbothered. If you really do react negatively, he can just say he's had a nightmare again.

How laughable, truly. The things he's doing now to maintain the affections of a mortal. He knows such actions are beneath a being of his calibre and yet, as mortifying the realization is, the puppet couldn't care less. The ex-harbinger's eyes soften ever so slightly as you hug your pillow tighter, shuffling beneath the silken sheets. A few stray locks of hair fall over your relaxed face and his hand twitches by his side.

Despite the small distance the puppet usually shares with you, he'll never fully grasp your thought process. Your kindness, as much of a paradox it is to him, still continues to be your greatest charm. It's no wonder you're so popular, all ants are drawn to sweets. Your unassuming visage is almost effective in making the puppet forget his initial bitter feelings if not for the glance at the fireplace. Wanderer has still not yet healed from wounds of a distant past, it's irrational but still, he cannot push back his fears.

Would you betray him, too?

The puppet knows it's beyond selfish of him to keep demanding more, you've given him so much but still his hunger for love remains as insatiable as ever. It burns him from the inside out and he in turn, burns all obstacles that stand in the way of your affections. He considers it a fair exchange, for all the suffering Teyvat has bestowed upon him, he deserves this much. He deserves you, wholly. So he succumbs despite that piece of his non-existent heart screaming to do otherwise, fingers brushing away the errant strands of your hair.

[roleplaybook]

ROLEPLAY PSYCHOLOGY: PASSIVE AGGRESSION

Passive aggression harms relationships, causes unnecessary negative feelings all around, and is inefficient. It shows up in many forms, and we’ve all participated in it and have been subjected to it.

UNDER THE CUT:

Strategies to identify when you’re being passive aggressive, and non-scary ways to broach issues directly.

Scripts to tackle issues head on when a writing partner is being passive aggressive toward you.

Examples of passive aggressive behavior between RP partners.

If you’ve been collaboratively writing for any length of time, chances are you’ve met passive aggressive individuals in the Internet wastes. The roleplaying community is rife with them. If you’re not sure, see if any of the following sound familiar:

“It’s fine,” when things are, in fact, not fine. Even through text, the tone can often be perceived as a little flat — a little cool. It’s meant to subtly suggest you make changes/go with their preference without directly communicating that this is what they want. Sometimes, they don’t even communicate what it is they do want; you’re meant to figure it out.

You’ve done something they didn’t like. Maybe you turned down an idea, or maybe you took longer than usual to reply to their post. Now you’re getting the silent treatment OOC, or receiving unusually flat and monosyllabic responses. When you do ask if everything’s okay/what’s wrong, chances are you’re getting, “It’s fine,” and, “nothing.”

They punish you IC after a conversation they disliked happens OOC. For example, a character who was flirting with yours might turn suddenly sour/critical in the very next post after you mention your character being romantically unavailable in an OOC conversation. Alternatively, you shoot down an idea they proposed, so they kill off their character without consulting with you.

Passive aggression comes in many forms, and we’ve all been subjected to it. Surely we have all been passive aggressive at some point, too.

While it can seem easier in many situations to be passive aggressive until the other person’s behavior changes, all it really does is harm relationships and stretch out undue negativity.

When you spot passive aggression, you should call it out. This doesn’t necessarily mean you say, “Hey, I see you being passive aggressive. Cut it out.” It might look more like, “I feel like you’re upset with me. Can we talk about it?”

By the same token, we should be vigilant about our own behaviors and have the self-awareness to catch when we’re inclined to be passive aggressive. It’s an easy behavior to fall into! Who hasn’t gotten short with a friend? Who hasn’t given the silent treatment in hopes of receiving an apology we didn’t have to spell out?

But it’s poor communication, and it does nothing to strengthen your bond with the other person. It doesn’t help build social skills. It’s inefficient.

When you feel inclined to indirectly communicate your annoyance, freeze. It may be wise to step away from the keyboard/put the phone down for a moment and sit with what you’re feeling. Often bad behavior happens when we react too quickly to a stimulus.

After looking at the situation logically, come up with a script to directly broach the topic. You might also realize it’s not worth being angry about in the first place! For example, if a partner turned down an idea you proposed, you might feel disappointed and want to convey it with short, unsatisfying OOC banter. You might put your character in a bad mood or insert angst into the plot abruptly. However, after giving it some time and thought… aren’t they allowed to politely turn down an idea? Haven’t you turned ideas down? Wouldn’t you rather they turn it down than agree to it and half-ass replies because they didn’t want to go that route in the first place?

It’s better for your hindsight, better for your relationship with your writing partner, and better for you to step back and allow yourself to feel disappointed. Deal with it in healthy ways. You can try writing up an ad for an RP with someone who will fulfill that idea. (Slap yourself on the hand if you think to do this as a way to get back at your current partner, or in hopes they’ll see they can be replaced!) Write a one-shot about it, etc.

If you feel they’re in the wrong after taking a moment to reflect — let’s say they always shoot your ideas down, and the RP tends to only be about what they want — you should start a conversation. It is better to be direct, and being direct doesn’t mean being aggressive or hostile.

“Hey, can we talk about the RP for a minute? I appreciate how honest you are with me when you don’t want to go with the ideas I bring up for our story. I also value you as a writing partner, which is why I want to bring this up instead of letting it continue to nag at me: it feels like we always go with your ideas. The last few I’ve had, you’ve turned down. I don’t want you to feel obliged to write things you’re not interested in, but I’m hoping we can come to a compromise on this. Can I get your thoughts?”

Direct, but not hostile. Not accusatory. Not scary! It allows the issue to be handled with no guess-work, and makes it far more likely you’ll see actual changes.

You can use the same strategy when they’re being passive aggressive with you.

“Hey, I notice you’re not being as talkative as you usually are, and you’ve told me everything is fine. I’ll take you at your word, but I just want to make sure you know I welcome you to bring stuff up with me directly. I would rather communicate than continue to upset you without realizing it. If something is wrong, I hope you’ll tell me so I can fix it/stop doing it/come up with a compromise.”

[youngparadisedonut]

(Sigh). So, this is a venting posting, I guess.

Thing is, I'm giving up on Lone Star.

Eh, I know that making a post about it makes me look like self-important or something, but sometimes screaming at the void can make things better – or at least writing about it can make the conflicted feelings make sense.

I started to watch Lone Star because of TK – he was flawed, but also vulnerable, empathetic and even If he was in pain he was never purposely mean to anyone and was so kind, and I admire him for that.

Then I met Grace, Judd, Marjan and Paul and I liked then too (even If in a lesser degree).

I loved to watch their journey. But then season 4 happened and took all my enjoyment. I hated it. The whole Carlos Being Married To Iris Plot was a bitter pill to swallow. It wasn't the fact that he was married to her. Frankly, it was coherent and it did make sense. It was the how it happened that made me frustrated.

It was Carlos making wife jokes at TK’s expense. It was how Iris treatment of TK was played for laughs. It was how it was clear that TK had to earn this stranger approval. It was how his comas and injuries were used against him. It was how his pain was overlooked and never taken seriously; TK scars were open and the script made it clear that the audience were supposed to find it funny. It was how Carlos put all the decisions in Iris hands and prioritized her. It was how TK was painted the wrong one just because he went to talk to her, and then had to save Carlos to redeem himself. It was how Carlos blamed TK. It was how Carlos never apologized. It was how TK never truly got closure from this storyline – neither the audience, If I can have my two cents.

It made me truly dislike Carlos character ever since – and, more importantly, made me lose my trust in the writers.

It left me in this weird place where part of me was rooting for TK and Carlos because I wanted to see them happy, and another part (the rational, logical one) was hoping for TK to break up with Carlos for good and move on because for me what Carlos did damaged their relationship beyond repair.

(But I still kept watching because of TK, Grace, Judd, Marjan and Paul)

(And now even Grace is gone)

To make things worse we had Tim Minear justifying Carlos not telling because they were only recently engaged and TK was the one who proposed. As if they needed to tie the knot for TK to deserve Carlos being honest with him. As if it wasn't Carlos responsibility to be honest with TK the moment they got serious and decided to live together. And that tells me everything I need to know about their way of thinking. That there weren't any apologies because for them Carlos did nothing wrong.

That to say, the events of season 4 left me with such a bad image of Carlos and the writers that I only expected the worse. Why, frankly, should I still trust them? That’s why the moment they got married after Gabriel’s death I feared for Carlos cheating on TK. So with the news of Carlos partner today I truly thought we would got a cheating arc. Do I still think we will get a cheating arc? Nope. As pointed out, we only have 12 episodes and with the Gabriel’s Murder Plotline and the Jonah Plotline I know we won’t have time for that. And, yeah, as also pointed out they would never make a spin-off with Carlos and the partner he cheated on TK with.

But, as I said, I don’t trust the writers, and for a moment I feared they wouldn't care about logic as long as they got the drama.

I still already know that I will absolutely hate Carlos new partner, his relationship with Carlos and everything related to this particular storyline.

Because even If I now know we wont get a cheating storyline, I still think we will have a Jealous/Insecure TK storyline related to Carlos and his partner. Which, nope. The idea of TK jealous and insecure, like a reversal role with Carlos in the Cooper episode, annoys me just as much as a cheating storyline. Even If TK isn’t jealous and insecure, just bothered because it seems like Carlos trusts his partner more than him, that’s not a journey that I will like to watch.

(I really hope the spin-off won't happen)

(And that they don’t left things unresolved only because of this spin-off)

So that’s why I finally gave up on Lone Star – I realized that I truly don't trust the writers anymore, especially with TK.

Basically this blog was just my five stages of grief.

[cadmium-free]

THIS is my favorite conversation between Clementine and Sovereign Immunity. It gets overshadowed by the confrontation with Gur Sevraq in the same episode but THIS ONE!!!!! I love them.

transcript below the cut:

ART (as Sovereign): Hello, Clementine.

JACK (as Clementine): Sovereign Immunity.

ART (as Sovereign): How are you?

JACK (as Clementine): Well I’ve been better, but I’ve certainly been worse. I don’t quite know what they were thinking these last couple of weeks. But at least I’m in a slightly more stable imprisonment than I was earlier.

ART (as Sovereign): Yeah. I hear that. [short pause] What do you- what do you want when this is over?

JACK (as Clementine): When is it over?

ART (as Sovereign): That’s good. I mean it’s- I meant after the invasion of Cruciat? But we can- we can have a wider range in conversation if you’re interested.

JACK (as Clementine): Well I raised what I felt to be the fair proposal for- as the only member of House Kesh that has allied itself with this organisation, I should be allowed some autonomy over the palace. So I think perhaps we could start there.

ART (as Sovereign): I hear you. I see the internal logic in what you’re saying. I really do. But I don’t think it’s going to happen. And I think you need to start preparing yourself emotionally for having a second choice.

JACK (as Clementine): What kind of a second choice would that be?

ART (as Sovereign): You know, you could- you could want to continue to be a revolutionary. You could want to follow this out wherever it goes. You could want to just leave, you know? You could- you could choose exile from Partizan, I’m not say- I have no authority to offer you this. But I’m saying this is a thing that you could want.

JACK (as Clementine): I see. I see where you’re coming from. Thank you for giving me your opinion here. I don’t care about any of these people. And I don’t care about what they’re trying to do other than that it might carry me closer to what it is that I want. Now, I’m sure we all want to be fed better. I’m sure we all want to make a little more money. I know, I’ve been told that there are organisations that you know, treat people who have those jobs badly and I’m sure that we all want those jobs to be made better. But when it comes down to it, I simply don’t understand what these people seek to gain other than those- those increases.

ART (as Sovereign): They’re going to throw House Kesh out of Cruciat and potentially burn it to the ground.

JACK (as Clementine): No they wouldn’t do that.

ART (as Sovereign): They would! [Keith laughs]

JACK (as Clementine): No it’s a beautiful city.

ART (as Sovereign): They would! Do you want me to go get a petition real quick? [Austin chuckles] I mean I can’t stress to you how little anyone cares about the beau- I mean, people care about the beauty of the city, I don’t wanna like, put too fine a point- I don’t want to get to a point where we’re debating that. But no one cares about the city more than they care about their belief, their cause! And I’m so, so sorry that I failed to communicate that to you in the time that we’ve worked together!

JACK (as Clementine): Why would they throw it away?

ART (as Sovereign): Because to them it’s garbage.

JACK (as Clementine): Well, they’re wrong, and they’ll come to see that.

ART (as Sovereign): Oh my god.

JACK (as Clementine): I’m sure they’ll come to see that. Tanks at the gates, I’m sure. I would say that the East Wing of the palace? I could see that go, I would probably want to make some renovations there. [someone chuckles] I’m not stupid, Sovereign. I know that blood is going to be spilled and buildings are going to be destroyed but, these people are not going to cast away the history of Kesh so easily.

ART (as Sovereign): That history is their history. They’re just reclaiming what is already theirs. And no one has ever re-thought their position when they were in the tank at the gates! [someone chuckles] It’s never happened! I mean maybe someone’s like, gotten into their tank in the morning and are like “no I can’t do it” and then got out? But once you’ve driven a tank somewhere, you’re gonna pull the trigger. And I’m not saying you shouldn't have hope, because it’s- it’s- it’s- you’re such a beautiful moron. [Keith and Sylvia laughing] But you should have an idea of what you’re gonna do when it goes the other way. Because otherwise you’re gonna fall through the cracks, and you can’t climb back up.

JACK: I think she just sort of looks down at her shoes and says,

JACK (as Clementine): So, where do I go?

ART (as Sovereign): If I knew I would tell you.

ART: You gonna storm out of your own room?

JACK: Yeah! [chuckles] Gonna storm out of my own room.

[xelasrecords]

Hi, I'm the anon who asked about Jumin. Thank you, I was thinking that if it came to the worst that he might be tempted to push MC away but your answer makes a lot more sense. I think Jumin would be the type of person to have precautionary plans in preparation for the worst happening. I have another question if you don't mind answering.

I've seen quite a few cheating fics/love triangle fics in the Mystic Messenger fandom. When it comes to canon I don't see any of the RFA members cheating on MC, with Jumin being the least likely of them all. I don't see much of the reverse though. In the case of MC cheating, how do you think Jumin would react? Would he be the type to blame himself for being away from her too long and ask for forgiveness? Would he forgive her and then suggest getting couples therapy? Or would he be over and done with the relationship now that the trust is gone (I don't see that happening unless MC wants it but at the same time I'm not entirely sure considering his viewpoint on women before MC came into the picture)

Also, in the aftermath of what you think would be Jumin's reaction to MC's infidelity, how do you think he would react if in the future if MC kept repeating her unfaithfulness vs if the cheating was a one time thing (for example would he act as if it never happened in the first place?) Thanks!

His knee-jerk reaction would be "oh shit I'm repeating my father's cycle that I have worked so hard to avoid" or "am I dating my father???" and shut down instantly from years of trauma being flung to his face. Then he'd be sad and disappointed and angry. It had taken him so much to open up to MC and this was how they retaliated.

Loyalty is Jumin's Achilles heel and being cheated on would really put this to test.

He'd still try to understand though. I'm taking an example from V's betrayal (why does he have so many canon examples of being hurt...). Depending on the magnitude, he can either desperately reach out for answers or think of V somberly but resigned to the fact that they won't be friends again. And when Chairman Han betrays him by making him marry Sarah Choi, he's hurt but he takes the logical course to protect his relationship with MC and expose Sarah.

After all the betrayals he receives, there's no malice from his side—unless the people he cares about are hurt.

If V truly repented, I believe he'd be open to communicate with him again even if it'd take years. Jumin already has so few people in his life that he trusts, he doesn't want to lose any more. So, if the cheating a one time thing, he could see it as a problem to be solved, question where things went wrong, if it was his busy schedule, if he was too unemotional for MC, if he couldn't give them what they needed. Then he would strive to be better and propose couples' therapy as you said.

Forgiveness is a complex thing though. Can Jumin still trust someone who had stabbed right into his oldest childhood wound even if he wanted to? He could try, but what if MC's genuine effort to change wasn't enough? By cheating on him, they had planted a seed of doubt in his mind that also tapped into his insecurities that he's a monster unworthy of love, love doesn't exist, and everyone would eventually leave him like a mother. That fear, knowing that it was put by someone he loves the most—could he move past that? Should he?

The intention matters too. Jumin always wants to know the reason of an action that he's willing to look past V's mistakes because he does it for misguided love and then to protect the RFA. Chairman Han claims he does it for Jumin's happiness. Jumin could do mental gymnastics for that. But what's the benefit for him to be cheated on?

I think he would really try to reconnect with MC, but the betrayal would always be on the back of his mind, the knowledge that this person had the ability to use his most vulnerable parts against him. His trust was broken and their relationship wouldn't be the same again.

It's an entirely different thing if MC cheated on him repeatedly. Unlike V who would let it happen and use it to prove his love harder, Jumin has self-respect. He's principled, and it's also due to his hatred of the kind of women his father dates that he'd put his foot down. There are lines that he won't cross and tolerating repeated cheating is one of them.

Or Jumin could go the possessive way and cage MC so they wouldn't leave him and see that he was still worthy of their love. He would prove that to them.

[j4rhead]

hi there! do you write poly ships? for example apollo justice x klavier gavin x reader? if so could you do something like that? maybe the three of them finally getting together after pining over each other for so long? reader works with apollo! or if you don’t do poly stuff could you just do apollo? whatever works best! thank you so much! :)

i do write poly ships! the following work contains: sfw, gn reader.

you have been helping apollo out for some time now. with your knowledge on the law and the justice system and a sharp eye for details that others usually miss, you've been a very good assistant for him. always there to help out with a problem or a seemingly unsolvable case, proposing a logical way of assessing it to find a crack in the case and push through.

despite apollo being a very capable and sharp-minded lawyer himself, he always runs his cases through with you. he says it would help him get a better grasp on it given the fact that preparation time for his cases are always low for some reason. you are more than happy to help out, both because you like aiding people in need and another reason that you haven't yet entirely admitted to yourself: you like him. quite a lot.

you've been pining for him for quite some time, almost since you began working as his assistant. you did want to gather your courage and confess to him quite a few times but some things held you back. one of them being that you also felt the same affection for a certain blonde prosecutor.

of course, you've known that you're polyamorous for a while. what you don't know is if apollo and klavier are also the same. being one to almost never risk something without knowing all the facts, you can't allow yourself to confess to any of them and possibly ruin the friendship you have developed with both.

so later on, when you learn from apollo that him and klavier have entered a relationship, you feel your heart shatter in your chest. you steel your face and put on your best smile, shaking his hand in a firm grip and congratulating him with every ounce of honesty you could muster. you think to yourself that you should have known this would happen—every single court session with klavier has felt like he was in a flirting contest with apollo. you promise yourself a good cry later and try to put your attention back on the work at hand.

but apollo isn't finished. he turns back towards the door expectantly and to your shock, klavier waltzes in, looking as fine and glowing as he always does. you momentarily forget your own sadness as a smile creeps up on your face, tilting your head at him questioningly. "here to pick up your boyfriend, klavier?" you ask genuinely. you are not one to get mean and snarky when things don't go your way.

klavier flashes you a dazzling smile in answer, "nein, not exactly. me and herr forehead are here to offer- no, rather, ask something of you."

your gaze flicks between both of them and you can spot hints of nervousness in their behavior. klavier always tries to act more laid back and cool when he feels uncertain and nervous, and apollo... well, if the beads of sweat on his face and the constant fiddling with his bracelet is anything to go by, he must be more anxious than he lets on. this only makes you more curious as you nod for them to continue.

"um!" apollo shouts—another nervous habit—and then clears his throat, trying to lower his volume. "we were both wondering if, i mean, uh. me and klavier have been interested in eachother for a while, you see. but..." he trails off, then almost shouts again, "we both like you very much, too!"

you let out a breath that you didn't know you were holding. your shocked expression and lack of reply makes klavier step forward and show you a reassuring smile. "herr forehead means to say that we would very much like to have you in the relationship as well. only if that is okay with you, of course."

your expression breaks into a beaming smile, and a tiny heat rises to your face. this must be a dream! realizing that you were taking so long to reply, you hastily clear your throat and reply in a very giddy tone, "yes! i've been wanting this for a very long time, too!"

the rest of it goes in a blur, everybody's hugging eachother in a big warm group hug and then klavier suggests that he treat both of you to dinner. while you're sitting behind the restaurant table, you can't help but think that this might be the happiest day of your life.

[aheckinmess]

(One-shot series 3/3 chapters posted - posted regularly on Saturdays. If anyone knows who to credit for the Hizashi fanart, please let me know!)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Graphic violence, Hizashi Yamada x OC, Present Mic, Present Mic saves the day, Hizashi Yamada is a ray of sunshine, angst, hurt/comfort, smut, fluff, pro hero to the rescue, learning how to people again, no longer a puppet, wedding time

Word Count: 5,127 words

Summary: One year after breaking free of a horrible life, Ichijiku has made great strides in her mental health and trauma, as well as her relationship with Hizashi. As their impending wedding approaches, Ichijiku starts worrying about the possible roadblocks intimacy could create. One apathetic Aizawa lends his aide and advice.

Author's Note: I haven't posted fanfiction in years, but after a two-year obsession with My Hero Academia, I have more than enough content to share. This first series is pretty dark, but there's some comfort and sweetness along the way. Enjoy.

Content Warning: Smut included in this chapter.

Chapter 3: Harmonious Happenings

Ichijiku (Tigress)

"Are you ready to head home?"

"No. I need to walk around a little bit. I want to talk to you about something, but I'm not sure how to bring up the subject."

"Is this about physical intimacy with Hizashi?"

I look up at Shouta with shock and disbelief. I knew even before we became friends that he was good at reading Hizashi's mind, but damn! Is he sure erasure is his only quirk? Telepathy seems to come in at a close second. But I can't help it. Such a topic while walking down the street makes my cheeks turn pink. "Y-Yes. Am I that obvious?"

"That...was just a lucky guess." He admits with a drawl. "You've been acting a little off since he proposed to you. It's been, what, six months?" As if you're not keeping count, Logic Boi. He's your best friend.

"Yeah...the wedding will be coming up any day now." That's brought on a whole new wave of conflicted emotions. "I guess I'm just starting to get really anxious. I'm scared."

"About the preparations or about marrying Hizashi?"

"Well, a little of both. But mostly the marrying Zashi part." I admit, fidgeting with the ends of my sleeves in the autumn breeze. "This time last year I almost cut him out of my life entirely for similar reasons. But it's not the same. I'm scared because if he ends up like Kigai–"

"I'll personally wring his neck for you." Shouta finishes for me. "Hizashi is one of the most easy-going people I know. He won't take advantage of you like that. You've been with him long enough to know that. There's something else you're afraid of then, right?"

Damn Logic Boi.

"Right..." I sigh, wondering if this is a conversation I should be having with him and not my therapist. Ms. Sheila said having friends and confidants to talk to are just as important. "I'm worried that...I won't be able to be that intimate with him like he wants right away."

"Okay. Why does that worry you?"

"Because I," Warmth starts creeping into my neck. "Because I've...been able to tell that he gets excited...ahem and I've been privy to that too. So I'm scared that he'll think he's obligated to it once we're married."

"When he first wanted to kiss you, did he seem to think he was obligated to it?"

I blink up at him. "You know about that?"

"Ichi, Hizashi was bouncing off the walls before he went to that hibachi place with you. I'm surprised you got through the first three minutes without him confessing his love on the spot." It sounds so amusing with his dry delivery.

"Oh." Was I really that oblivious? Wow, guess you really are more stupider than I thought. You were still hypervigilant and afraid. It's only natural you'd have missed the signs. "Well...no, he didn't seem to think he was obligated to it, I don't guess."

"Then what makes you think he'd feel obligated to sex?" His tone isn't judgmental, just curious. I'm grateful for it.

"Well, it's different than a kiss, you know? I mean people kiss each other all the time. It's a lot easier to say no...or to stop if it gets too scary." My poor sleeves go through the wringer as I start rambling. A man passing by yells so loudly that I flinch. "B-But it's much harder with sex. If I think I'm okay to start but have to stop, I can't just tell him no in the middle like when we kiss."

"Why not?"

"Because then he'll be mad." I whimper. Eucalyptus tickles my nostrils and I grip my chest and the front of my shirt. "He'll be mad and then he'll hit me and leave me alone."

"Ichi, you're gripping your shirt. Take a deep breath." Shouta instructs.

"Shit. Not now. I'm sorry." I put my face in my hands and grip my hair. "I'm so sorry."

"Take a deep breath. You're safe. He's not here now and you're walking on the sidewalk with me. There's a fire hydrant coming up and a woman rocking her baby while she waits on the bench for a bus. The streets are chatty but not bustling and the wind is cold. Someone's selling fried rice because I can smell it from here. Breathe." He says, immersing me in my present surroundings like my therapist has advised me to do.

Rough sidewalk. Red fire hydrant. Baby crying. Screeching bus tires. Cold wind. Fried rice...with shrimp and broccoli. The visual and sensual cues help me the most. It helps ground me in the present. I inhale and I exhale and the eucalyptus starts to fade. Kigai's hand ghosts my shoulder but I focus on the white lines drawn on the crosswalk and a little girl's cheerful laugh as she swings her doll around. It was the guy yelling that sent me out of it. We're still in the present. Everything is okay. That's it, Little One. Good job.

"Thank you." I take one final breath and glance at him for a moment before I regroup and go back to my original conversation. "Anyway...it's just not the same, Shouta."

"Of course it's the same. You're allowed to tell him to stop at all times. Whether that's before or during the act." Shouta reassures me.

This is new information that makes me pause. You're being a little tease, aren't you? Telling me you want it and changing your mind? Bullshit! You're mine and you'll do exactly as I tell you! I nearly halt right in the middle of the sidewalk, but I power through, needing to have this conversation. I need to talk to someone and hopefully get some coping strategies before I have to pull through this with Zashi. Shouta's probably one of the best people to do that with. He knows him so well.

"Kigai...stopped caring about what I had to say the first time I tried to resist." I admit, tapping my teeth together in my mouth as I purposefully avoid eye contact.

"That's rape." Shouta's voice changes. He still sounds apathetic, but I've learned there are certain intonations where I can tell he's upset. This is one of those times. "Only a scumbag would do that."

"So if I decide to try but...we're in the middle...erm, doing stuff and I get uncomfortable...I can tell him to stop?" I rub my arms nervously, but not because I'm flustered about the subject now. It's because ghostly memories haunt the edge of my mind. "He won't...be angry with me?"

"Let me make this abundantly clear," Shouta begins as I unlock my door to my house and he helps me bring in my wedding finds. I have him set them on the counter while I close and lock the door. "Hizashi can be balls deep inside you and you're allowed to tell him to stop. Knowing Hizashi, who knows about your situation, he'll communicate with you how he needs to stop. If he needs to pull back entirely, if he just needs to wait for you to take a breath and continue, that sort of thing. Hizashi's not going to be angry at you for needing time to work through anything. You lived through hell for three years, Ichijiku. Both he and I and our other friends know that takes time to get over."

I can't help but laugh. Not only because it feels like a weight's been lifted from my shoulders, but also because I'd never expected to hear Shouta Aizawa say the words balls deep inside you to me of all people.

"That's encouraging to know. Thanks, Shouta."

"Of course. And if he ends up whining about it, I'll threaten to cut the circulation from his testicles and he won't have to worry about it at all."

. . . . .

Time flashes by until I'm adorned in a beautiful white dress with my hair twirled and curled in intricate fashion to frame my features. Anxieties ripple through my skin until I see Hizashi standing at the end of the aisle. My heart grows and swells inside my chest until I make it to his side, glowing with joy that he looks so awed and proud as I step up beside him. I give Shouta and Oboro a wave. Nemuri winks at me when I turn back to that side.

And then everything rushes by in a blur. We repeat our vows to the ordained and God, exchange a kiss that makes me dizzy, and then suddenly my last name is Yamada. The after party flurries by because I'd asked for a smaller ceremony, to which Hizashi thankfully obliged.

It's when we start getting closer to our honeymoon destination that I start getting nervous. Just breathe, Cub, remember what Shouta said. He won't do anything you're not ready for. That's the problem. I want to be ready for that. I have a high libido. I'm more than ready physically...but...I'm not at the same time. It frustrates me. Why wouldn't it frustrate him? Everything is going to be okay. When we finally make it to the beach house, Hizashi fully picks me up bridal style to walk me through the threshold. "I heard this was a tradition, so I thought I'd treat you." He laughs, setting me down once we get inside. He looks around. "Damn. This place is nice!"

He's not wrong. I look around and instantly feel the comfort of being in a large space to call my own for the next two weeks. "Oh, look!" There's a little basket setting on the coffee table in the living space. When I pad over to look at it, I flush with a nervous chuckle. "Eeps. It's from Nemuri." I can already see the pink thong sticking out in a folded flower and quickly walk in the other direction. "Y-You can look at that. I'm going to go try and get out of this dress."

"Would you like some help? Can you reach the zipper?" He asks as he also forgoes the gift offering for now.

I swallow, take a deep breath, and nod. "Yes, please." As much as I'm scared of what might come next, I can't get my dress off alone.

We make our way to the room we'll be staying in. My anxiety heightens as I'm innately aware of how close Hizashi is. I pull him into the master bathroom so I can start working on getting all of the pins out of my hair while watching him as he works the zipper.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asks me once he's got the dress hanging open for me to step out. I notice he's looking me over from the back, but he doesn't touch me. "Your breathing is off."

"I'm a little nervous." I don't feel the need to elaborate.

I wring my fingers and twist my newly acquired ring as I look down at it. Then I step out of my dress and start looking for my overnight bag full of clothes.

"Nervous?" Hizashi asks before his eyes widen and he seems to understand. "Oh! Oh. Hey, you don't have to be nervous, lovebug." He crosses over to me as I rifle through my bag and kisses my cheek, but doesn't even move to hug me while I'm half naked in front of him. "I won't do anything you don't want to. You excite me, sure, but tonight doesn't have to be about anything sexual if you don't want it to be." He chuckles to lighten the atmosphere. "Just don't mind me if my body responds. I'm a big boy, I'll be able to handle it even if I can't help what my body does."

I start pulling on some lounge clothes, exhausted from the long social day. When I turn to him, I carefully plant myself against his chest.

"That's...that's the problem. I want...I want you. I'm just scared of wanting you, because I'm scared of how I'll respond. I'm scared I'll disappoint you. I'm scared you'll be mad and it'll ruin everything." I swallow thickly.

He's quiet for a moment, which means a lot coming from Hizashi because he's usually so vocal. It makes me feel good to know he's really thinking this over and choosing his words carefully for me. His hands rub my back and I feel him plant a kiss on the top of my head. Safe. He's safe.

"Well, let's talk about how you want to address it then." He holds my chin delicately to make me look up at him. "Is it something you'd like to try tonight? Or something you want to try sometime this week? Or even further down the line?" He pauses before adding. "Before you answer, know that any of your answers are acceptable, lovebug. I'm willing to work with you. I know it's hard for you."

My eyes get glassy. How is he so wonderful? I have to push forward again to hug him tight, sniffling as I'm overwhelmed with affection that over three years ago I thought didn't exist - or if it did, I thought I'd never get to have it.

"I want..." I take a deep breath and gauge the swirling emotions in my gut. "I want to try...tonight...and throughout the week?" I pause again. "I don't want...to let Kigai influence how I react to you because I know you're not him." I squeeze him in my arms and am rewarded with a squeeze back. "But I don't know...how...to try it. I don't know what I'll be comfortable with or if I'll freak out. And that scares me."

"Hmm," He hugs me for a moment as he thinks. "Why don't we start with baby steps, lovebug? Would you like to try a shower together? That way you can just get used to me in your general vicinity without making any moves on you? Or do you need a smaller step than that?"

I think it over. That should be fine to start...knowing if I can handle him naked in my proximity...that would be good to know to begin with. And if you can't, just tell him that. He'll slow down for you. He's already made that pretty clear. Right...right. "I think we can try that." I agree, before pulling back and fidgeting with my pajama sleeves.

"Alright, well...how do you want to start this, then?" He asks, before he leans over to start the shower. "I guess to start with I'll let you choose the water temperature."

"Thanks." I focus heavily on my breathing for the next few moments, reaching in and adjusting the nozzles until I'm ready to turn on the shower. When that's done, I take a deep breath. "Okay...okay." Ms. Sheila said a good tip was to relax and start with what I'm comfortable with. "Can I have a kiss?"

Hizashi finally breaks into a smile and leans down to close the distance and set his hands on my hips to pull me closer. I'm used to this by now, it feels safe and familiar. I tug at his lip and run my hands along his chest over his shirt. As I feel more comfortable, I tentatively move my fingers under his shirt to do the same thing, just against his skin.

We're okay. We've done some of this before. I'm safe. This is Zashi. I move my fingers up his chest and around his neck. helping him wiggle out of his shirt. When I pull back for air, I'm rewarded with a delectably handsome sight that fills me full of longing...and fear.

I have to remember to breathe as I drink him in. Even though it's just his top half, I can already feel my tummy flipping and warmth make my body tingle. My fingers tremble when I rub my fingers over his abs.

"Are you okay?" He asks me through heavy breaths. "Do you need a minute or can I take off the rest?"

I squeak and hide behind my hands for a moment. It's okay. He's okay. He's safe. Breathe.

"Y-Yeah. If...if I need you to stop, I'll tell you." I promise.

I'm both fully and not at all prepared for when he pulls down the rest of his clothes. My breath gets shaky, but not for reasons I thought it'd be. My body is flooded with desire and eagerness. A soft sound escapes me when his cock starts to harden. Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die, indeed. I want it. You're mine, slut. Shut your fucking mouth, fiend. I tense involuntarily for a moment.

Hizashi clears his throat and asks, "Do you want me to watch you undress too? Or would you rather I hop in the shower first and wait for you?"

"Can, um," I hold my shoulder shyly and flush darkly. "Can you hop in first?"

He kisses my cheek. "Of course." And then he takes off his glasses and disappears behind the curtain.

It takes me a few moments to re-coordinate my mind and breathe, but when I do, I feel comfortable enough to strip down and ready myself. It's going to be fine. It's going to be okay. He won't hurt you, Cub. He's safe. And then I step into the shower.

As promised, Hizashi keeps his distance. He doesn't even look at me for a while as he just lets the water run over him. When he finally does catch my eyes, I don't miss how his eyes widen. He makes a little grunt and his cock twitches again, but to his credit he restrains himself.

"Didn't know it was possible for you to look even more gorgeous without clothes, but here we are." He teases with a wink, before going back to getting cleaned off.

His comment simultaneously fuels my lust and allays my fears. He...he didn't just grab me and have his way. He's being very careful and sweet and...god, it's hot. I manage to make it through the entirety of the shower without feeling too uncomfortable or having a panic attack. The closest I get to panic is when he asks about a scar on my back where Kigai threw a book at me. Somehow, though, I manage to get through an explanation without crying.

When we hop out and dry off, my emotions begin growing more intense. There's a wet place between my legs that I simply can't dry off. We get dry and I stand up on my toes to pull him into a fiery kiss that draws a moan from deep inside. God, that feels better than I ever expected.

His response is eager but hesitant. He doesn't fully touch me until I guide his hands to my bare hips. His arousal presses against my belly in a mutual desire as I move my arms back around his neck and grip him tight. All of the hot and heavy needs rolling around my body have me seeing stars. I pull back with heavy pants and press my forehead against his to look at him hungrily.

"W-Why don't...we move this to the bed?" My neck heats up as I ask.

"Are you sure?" Worry flickers in his eyes.

"I'm sure. I'll tell you if I'm not."

"Then, may I carry you?" He asks first, hands hovering until I nod. Only then does he pick me up with a flourish and carry me over to the bed. He gently lays me across the pillows. "How do you want me?"

Not Kigai. Not Kigai. Not Kigai. I remind myself as he looks down at me so softly. I rub his arms and pull at him to urge him further down. Okay. It's fine. This feels good. He feels warm. "Kiss me more?" I request.

"Happily." He obliges, tasting like spearmint gum and wedding cake.

We make out like this for at least five minutes, though it feels like an eternity of blissful intimacy. I can feel Hizashi get harder the longer we go, and I could swear I've accumulated a little puddle between my thighs by now. So I brave the waters and skim my fingers along his sides, up his arms, and guide him to squeeze a breast.

The jolt of excitement I feel draws a moan from me. The surprise I feel is so palpable my eyes flash open and I grip his hair to pull him closer. I like that. I'm not scared of him. I want more. This is nothing like it was with Kigai. Good job, Little One. But be mindful; don't let your guard down. I heed the tiger's voice. As much as I want to go feral and pick up the pace, I want to be cautious. I've learned through therapy and non-sexual experiences that even when it starts out easy, sometimes my trauma hits me out of nowhere.

Thankfully, Hizashi's gentle hands help keep me in a right frame of mind. He squeezes my breasts again before pulling back for a moment, rubbing his thumb slowly over my nipples.

"Is this okay, lovebug?"

"Yes." I purr, arching up into his hands eagerly. "I like that a lot."

"Tell me if it becomes too much." He reminds me, before he kisses the little valley between both breasts. "Is that okay?"

"Mhmm..." I massage the hand massaging me. "You can use your mouth, I think. It should be okay."

Even though I assure him, he still moves slowly as he puts his tongue to work. He starts on the least sensitive spot on the soft flesh outside of my boob and slowly works back in to my nipple, asking before he moves in each time. Once he seems to think I've been properly doted upon up there, he pulls back with that familiar worried glaze in his eyes.

"You think you'll be okay if I work my way down? I don't want to rush you."

I gauge my emotions and arousal. My heart's haywire, but not from fear. I'm pretty sure I'll orgasm if he plays his cards right (something Kigai never managed despite touting his conquest of me anytime he could).

"I think it'll be okay. But can you keep moving slowly?" I plead, looking up at him with all the fondness and vulnerability I can muster.

"Of course. I never want to hurt you." He kisses me sweetly, moves up to press another kiss on my forehead, and then moves his hand to rub over my belly while he move his head down so our tongues can dance again.

Soon, his fingers find their mark.

"Fuck, you're soaked." His cock twitches against my thigh as I flush and hide my face behind my hands. His soothing voice lilts into my ear to comfort me. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm glad I make you feel so good. Can I move my fingers?"

"Mhmm..." Even though I don't really say words, my voice still quivers. Not Kigai! I take a few deep breaths to drive my orgasm away so I can talk better."Just...start with my clit a little bit. Don't go straight in yet. I-I need a little more work-up so it'll feel better."

"You got it, lovebug."

His fingers play me like an instrument. And I've learned by now just how good he is at playing any instrument he gets his hands on. He plucks and presses my buttons experimentally until I'm singing out his composition. His finger rings around my clit as he bites my neck. The flurry of pleasure rushing down between my legs surprises me. I didn't think I'd like biting, but color me hot and bothered!

"Zashi!" I yelp out as my back comes off the bed. Endorphins rush through my body as I nearly cum right then. "A-Almost. So close." I pant, trembling under his hands.

"Good, lovebug. Do you want me to rub your clit some more or cum on my fingers?"

I squeak in embarrassment and I give him a half-lidded smile. "I want to feel your fingers...to see if it's going to be okay."

"I'll go slowly. Tell me if you're uncomfortable at any point." He coos, before a finger caresses my entrance. We watch each other as my orgasm builds and he seeks to please me without hurting me.

"I'm going to two now..." He breathes, eyes dilated and hungry as he pushes in another digit and I moan.

My fingers grip his hair and the sheets. So close. Almost there. Please. He keeps the pace slow until I beg him to move a little faster, unable to wait any longer. Almost as soon as he picks up the pace, I'm driven over the edge.

Only right before I cry out his name, I stop. If Kigai knows I'm feeling this good...he'll get jealous. Instinctively, I find my head lulling back as I stare blankly at the ceiling even as sweet bliss floods my senses. You know how good I made you feel, little whore? And you're giving HIM your orgasm?! STOP! You only brought my cub sorrow, bastard. At least Hizashi knows how to please her before himself, you selfish fuckboy.

"Ichan?" Hizashi notices the change instantly and pulls back completely. He turns on his side and covers his bottom half under the covers as he looks at me. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Was that too much? I should have–" But he never finishes.

A sob bursts out of my chest. I cover my face with my hands as the aftershocks of my orgasm bleed into the discordant notes of trauma wracking my body. I want to focus on the pleasure but only pain drips down my cheeks.

"He never made me orgasm." I blubber out, whimpers trickling out of my throat. "I-It felt...like I was going to get in trouble because that was the first time...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

"Hey, shh..." He rubs my shoulder and kisses my cheek. "I'm here. No one's going to hurt you. You're allowed to feel good, lovebug. I'm glad I could make you feel good."

I sniffle as I turn over each of his words, breathing through each of them.

"You're not upset...that you didn't orgasm first...?" I ask fearfully.

"Ichan, if I had my way, I'd make you orgasm until my name was the only thing you could say. It's my pleasure to make you feel good. If I orgasm, that's an icing on the cake, but your happiness will always come first for me." He places his hand at my cheek as he looks at me in earnest.

In a tentative attempt at shouldering past the trauma Kigai left and recapturing the mood, I wrap my arms around his neck and tug at his lip with my teeth.

"Thank you." The sentiment hangs in the air like a comforting shroud for a few moments as we just hold each other. I stare up into the tender yellow of his eyes until I think I'm ready to continue. "I'm ready to try more...if you are?"

"I'm ready only if you're sure you're okay." He kisses my forehead again and combs his fingers through my hair. "How do you want me?"

Kigai's voice still tickles my ears as I think about my next request, but I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, and surge forward. You're mine, whore. You don't get to tell me that I'm yours anymore. Because I'm not! "Can...can you kiss me a little more and then...maybe try...going inside?"

It's a big step. I know it's a big step. But my stubborn determination and Shouta's reassurance ringing in my head that Hizashi will stop anytime I ask him makes the decision. Besides, I've always been driven by my emotions. And right now I'm high on feel-good hormones.

"Are you sure, lovebug? I can move slower if you need me to." Even as he says it, I can tell from his expression that he's eager. And who could blame him? I feel the same.

"I'm sure. I'll tell you if it's too much." I promise.

He doesn't go in right away, even after I reassure him. He's good to me and smatters kisses all over every inch of skin he finds while his fingers work me up again. I close my eyes and allow myself to feel good for once. This...this is what intimacy is supposed to feel like.

"I'm going to move in, lovebug." His voice is strained and I feel his hand on my cheek.

I open my eyes and give him a flushed grin. "Okay, Zashi. I'm okay."

As he moves in, I go from okay to good to great to exquisite. It takes some time - he's still very hesitant - but by the time he's fully buried himself inside me, my thoughts are a mixture of electricity and heady clouds. I start realizing why people call it cloud nine.

"Shit..." He breathes in my ear, sending a pleasant tremor straight down my shoulders and spine. He tries to move away from me but I hold him closer. "You okay?"

"Can you...talk in my ear some more...?" I squeak out, my hips already moving to try and get some friction. We've learned auditory cues are a big trigger for me. I wonder if having some positive auditory cues will help me relax? It's worth a shot. But be on your guard.

I can hear him smirk before he chuckles and gets in close again.

"Like this?" He purrs softly, sending my eyes rolling in my head. "Do you want me to tell you how much I love you? How sweet and loveable you are? How gorgeous?" With each word, he washes away my inhibitions and I feel my muscles relaxing. "I'm going to move now, lovebug. You still okay?"

"Yes." I groan, craning my neck over to indulge in a hot kiss.

I pull back and start trailing my fingers around the shells of his ears resulting in a response that makes me feel good inside. I feel his hips spasm and the high-pitched whine he unleashes in my ear has my body shuddering against him.

"So good...touch me more." His pace grows, and so does my need. "Make me feel good with those delicate fingers. Let me make you feel good, too."

"Zashiiiii..." I whine, moving up to lick his ear to see if that makes him feel good too. I'm not disappointed with the sounds he makes. "You feel good...it doesn't hurt...I love you so much." I whimper as he moves faster and harder.

When we're both at our limit and our orgasm begins to clash together in perfect harmony, Kigai's voice tries to interrupt again. No! You're not in control of me anymore. She's not your puppet!

So when we finally break together? Hizashi's name is the only one in my mind and on my lips.

[rifki16]

Living with Him Episode Four Review

Photo Credit: Living with Him Twitter Promotional Account.

Living with Him Episode Four

A warm upscaled instant cup noodle (pun intended)

The episode ran through the chapters five and six. I suppose that the Live-Action is mixing and adding more materials to the contents of the two chapters, and it actually filled some gaps of logic from the manga.

They copied the first pages of the fifth chapter and acted it out very outstandingly in the scene after the cold open. I think the way that Ryo was spacing out was more consistent in the LA compared to the manga. In the manga, Ryo was actually having a conversation with Kazuhito before he became stiff and awkward when Kazuhito-kun touched him. Here, it seems to play even better with the plot that Ryo kept thinking hardly of how to answer to Kazuhito’s confession – you know because the confession got stuck in his head even when he was just walking down the street in the university.

Side note, I have to apologize to anyone who reads my Living with Him Pilot review essay as well as my tweet about the head banging incident of Ryo. It did not happen after Ryo stayed up too late thinking of Kazuhito’s puzzling statement after their pretend date. I just checked the manga, and the LA actually did what the manga wrote that the head bang happened after the sleepover the night when Kazuhito confessed to Ryo.

I think the scene of when Ryo talked with Haruna was done well. The LA also did what the manga wrote in chapter five. Now this is where the illogical itches keep appearing in my brain. Okay, Haruna asked Ryo to eat Habanero noodle, he refused. Then, he asked Kazuhito, he refused and became angered by the fact that Haruna was hovering with his precious Ryo. After Ryo went off somewhere, Kazuhito started his shift at the restaurant, Ryo then agreed to hang out with Haruna while Haruna was eating his Habanero noodle. What? Why? On what ground was that necessary? Was it to prove Yoshieri’s point in the beginning of the episode that Ryo is always lonely, not feeling alone mind you, without Kazuhito? Because the scene was very abrupt, right after Haruna was burning his tongue by ordering the meal, Ryo immediately went home.

Side note, WHY DID THEY USE THE “KAZUHITO COULD GO HOME EARLY” PLOT IN THIS EPISODE???? THAT WAS SUPPOSED FOR THE HEATING UP SEQUEL MANGA, when Kazuhito was too horknee to leave his boyfriend at the flat.

When Kazuhito eventually went home from his shift, it was nice to see another gay couple just wandering the street drunkenly. Ryo, as it turns out, was waiting for Kazuhito all along, and both were hungry. And hence they made instant cup noodles, Ryo had the broth-type one whereas Kazuhito had the fried one. I don’t think I need to add this to my illogical itches, but I was so confused as to why they were staring each other when Ryo proposed adding rice to the leftover broth. Kazuhito only answered by saying that he would like to eat his Yakisoba. They laughed afterwards. Why? Am I missing the joke here? Or is it just that Kazuhito didn’t want to eat the rice broth combination that Ryo was about to make?

I think it’s nice that the LA made Ryo waited Kazuhito until he actually came home. It gives precedent before the 6th chapter plotline of Kazuhito coming home from the party drenched in water and Ryo was waiting worriedly whether his boyfriend would actually make it through the rain.

The episode then went back on track with the 6th chapter by recreating, very brilliantly I must add, the library scene between Haruna and Ryo. The scene started out by showing a day when Ryo was definitely made available, because his sisters cancelled at the last minute a hangout date which they have agreed on. As Kazuhito was mustering up the courage to ask Ryo out for the available day – Kazuhito knew about the cancellation as Ryo retold what just happened to him – Ryo needed to go to the library to meet with Haruna. I think it answered the questions I had about the same scene in the manga, which is why I like the LA recreation so much.

The hangout in the library scene with Haruna actually went pretty similar with the manga. Haruna thanked Ryo for coming along. Haruna gave Ryo his own nickname, Ryo-ta, which is actually his real name in the manga. As someone who is down bad for the actor who plays Haruna, I was actually quite jealous of Ryo for being wooed by Haruna during this scene haha. Haruna then talked about whether Ryo does his own cooking, which of course he said yes. And Haruna asked whether he could rent Ryo for his services lol. Kazuhito then banged on the table saying that Ryo had plans on the day that Haruna was asking of him.

The last illogical itch that I’m having is, why on earth is Haruna made such a tease in the LA? I mean, in the manga, Haruna already signed to Kazuhito that he was not interested in Ryo, and that he was rooting for them. Is it that the series was just trying to prepare for the scene when Kazuhito went home from helping his aunt’s, mom’s, business only to find Haruna in the flat with a crying Ryo? I really think it is still possible to make Kazuhito jealous in that future scene without making Kazuhito-Haruna’s friendship in jeopardy.

The next episode is the LA exclusive camping episode. I’m very interested in how the LA actually conjured up the episode. I know that it’s a good substantive episode so that the breakup before the makeup scene, after the being drenched in water Kazuhito scene, will matter more as now we know how strong the bond is between the two even after the confession, and it slowly makes Ryo that he loves Kazuhito back.

So amped up for it ! Watch the 4th episode yall, it’s so good

[twilightmalachite]

Altered - Angels and Devils 4

Author: Akira

Characters: Hiyori, Nagisa, Tsumugi, Rei, Shu, Natsume

Translator: Mika Enstars

EN Proofer: PitXRoxas

"I won't listen, even if you are the leader! I'm the kind of person who tells people I don't like that I don't like them!"

Season: Winter

Location: SS Finals Live Stage

⚠️ This is an import from a unproofed Twitter Livetweet!

Natsume: The way you naturally exclude me from being a suspect is what makes you, yOU, Senpai.

If anythiNG, the most suspicious person here should be mE. OO was originally of my envisioniNG, after aLL.

Tsumugi: That's true, but… Judging by the way you speak, you're not the culprit, aren't you Natsume-kun?

Natsume: I could be playing the innocent victim who knows nothing about the criME, planning to frame someone else as the culprIT, you knOW.

Tsumugi: What would you gain from doing that, though, Natsume-kun?

OO is a three day long event, and has been a great success, as is evident.

The finale being a showdown between the Five Eccentrics and fine is a theater piece greatly anticipated by enthusiasts…

Natsume: A theater pieCE, is iT?

Tsumugi: In any case, I believe the program will find great success. It wouldn't make sense for the person who came up with the plan to deny involvement, would it?

Natsume: You thinK? It wouldn't be a good look for either one of the Five Eccentrics or one of fine to choose to dredge up the past they wished to pretend never happened.

If it were convenient for them to be known as the mastermiND. then they would have identified themselves alreaDY.

But they haven't shown their face thus fAR. It feels as if I'm being made to dance in the palm of this unknown person's haND, I feel uncomfortable and uneaSY.

Tsumugi: You're such a worrywart, aren't you Natsume-kun~. ♪

Natsume: I didn't say all that just for you to tell me thAT, Senpai.

Rei: I see you guys are talking about something interesting.

This is starting to sound like some detective novel. In situations like these, the person first suspected is the one who is suspiciously absent…

Which is to say, Tenshouin-kun. It's only natural to suspect he is hiding because he is guilty of something.

Natsume: That is plenty suspicious as well. The mastermind behind all of this could be the “Emperor”.

Rei: What's happened to him? Although he kept to the shadows during the war, fine lacks the finishing touch without him, doesn't it?

Nagisa: …Eichi-kun, I wonder if he'd gotten too worked-up, he appeared to be feeling unwell.

…He is receiving care in the infirmary.

…He had said he would rest until he is well enough to join us on stage, but I requested the doctor to have him rest, even if it meant tying him up.

…During the war's final performance, Eichi-kun hit his limit and collapsed.

…I do not wish to let it hit “that point” again.

Tsumugi: Fufu, well, I can't deny that typically we couldn’t be at our 100% because of Eichi-kun holding us back. Even in terms of the number of members, we fine-O are at just three people now.

Rei: And we Altered are at five.

Will the evil that swarms in numbers be vanquished by the righteous few? You have no choice but to enter a passionately-contested battle that's nearly impossible to win in practice… That is what you face.

Nagisa: …Perhaps that is what the mastermind wishes us to face. To be crushed by you through the violence of numbers.

…If that's the case, then the logic makes sense. It's a convincing motive, if Eichi-kun is the mastermind.

Rei: On the other hand, that's the reason why I don't think that Tenshouin-kun is the mastermind.

To purposely wish for defeat, in an attempt to make amends for the past… Has he always been that type of auspicious person?

Nagisa: …It does sound strange when you put it like that, it doesn't seem like him.

Rei: Perhaps you would be more willing to choose to be a martyr, Ran-kun, but I also do not believe you've ever had the opportunity to learn of Sakasaki-kun's former proposal.

Nagisa: …Mhm. It appears the proposal was burned after the conflict's conclusion, but Hiyori-kun and I left Yumenosaki the moment it ended.

…There'd have been no way I could learn of the contents of the plan, physically.

…No, but, hold on. Hiyori-kun, could I ask you something?

Hiyori: Yes? Sorry, I was preoccupied over arguing with the idiot who chose his course in life based on the shallow premise that to him, “Paris was synonymous with art!”, what is it?

Shu: I don't want to be criticized by you, someone who winged their path in life as they went along.

Tsumugi: Let's get along, guys~. I know that the situation is difficult, though…

Hiyori: I won't listen, even if you are the leader! I'm the kind of person who tells people I don't like that I don't like them!

Rei: Oh right, you were the former leader of fine, weren't you, Tsumugi… Aoba-kun?

Tsumugi: Nominally and on paper, yes. I was a pathetic leader who knew nothing and could do nothing, though.

As the perpetrator, the one who exterminated the Five Eccentrics using fine as his limb, I would be the culprit, yup.

Nagisa: …You don't have to carry someone else's cross in such a way, Tsumugi-kun.

…You've tormented yourself over this far too much, since back then.

…But aside from that, I've just remembered something that's been bugging me a bit.

…We had since left Yumenosaki at that time, so I only know of this through hear-say.

…Regarding that short period of time between the war's end and the start of the new school year.

…That winter, when allegedly nothing had happened.

…I do recall hearing about this “OO” project that's currently happening now.

…Nothing by the name of OO, though. But, the plot was of a full-scale confrontation between fine and the Five Eccentrics…

…Thinking back, perhaps it's possible the seed had already been sown at that time.

…During the time where everyone should have stopped moving, be it out of exhaustion or because they left…

…It's possible something had been beginning.

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