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portraitofalinkonfyre · 7 months ago

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Legend's Birthday

Pairing: Legend x Reader

Warning(s): Smut, duh.

Notes: It was Legend's birthday a bit ago, so y'all know what that means! Set in the modern world where Legend is a museum-curator-slash-retired-adventurer. Inspired by the beautiful and amazing @h4wari. Hope you enjoy, big sis!!!

Masterlist

If there was one thing you learned from living with Legend, it was how to be sneaky.

He was a lot sharper than most people gave him credit for, and it was as attractive as it was frustrating, considering the predicament you had subjected yourself to over the last week, seeing how snow and seasonal depression weren't the only things heralded by the month of November.

It was Legend's birthday today, and you had pulled out all the stops to keep him from discovering your little scheme to celebrate his special day.

It's not a big deal, you remembered him saying after you nearly had a meltdown last November after realizing you had been missing his birthday for the past few years of your relationship. I'm always busy when they happen, so why bother?

Why bother? Because you loved him, damnit!

So, naturally, you set a private calendar notice a week before the event to prepare. There were many conventional ways to celebrate birthdays–eating cake, giving presents, going out for a nice dinner, letting the birthday person pick the movie of the night–but neither you or Legend were particularly conventional, which led you to a fine invention known as the Internet.

The search results had been appropriately varied, ranging from Reddit's suggestions of diving hand-in-hand off the Golden Gate Bridge (exhilarating, but you wanted to be alive afterward) to booking a last-minute year-long cruise across the world, which, while you were sure he might appreciate, was neither within your long-term interests or price range.

So, really, the bunny costume you haphazardly ordered from a random shady website was a mix of both worlds, and you couldn't be blamed for the impromptu trip you made to the grocery store in search of baby carrots once your dear boyfriend traipsed to work, bidding you farewell with a grumpily-affectionate kiss that made your heart flutter and your brain cackle at the surprise he was about to receive in a few hours.

The costume arrived two hours after Legend departed. You giddily slipped on the ensemble: a swimsuit-esque bodysuit made out of maroon leather that shone in the dim light of your shared bedroom, followed by some black cuff links, a small choker that did nothing of the sort, and a headband with pink-tipped bunny ears shooting from the black band, a bendable wire running through the middle of each one to allow for easy customization.

After adjusting the ears to your liking, one bent and the other sticking straight up like a fat little antenna, you strode to the closet and found the real prize: the fluffiest bunny tail butt plug the internet had to offer, which was saying something. You grabbed the plug and a small bottle of lube, squirting a bit on the tip and fiddling for the small hole in the back of your leotard, positioning the plug where it needed to be before slowly working it in. The sensation of being stretched was strange, but not in a bad way, and you gave your ass a few experimental shakes, shrugging when all you felt was a gentle tug as the fabric of your bodysuit shifted.

Feeling ready to tackle the rest of your day, you walked (hobbled) down to the kitchen, retrieving the baby carrots and putting them in a small bowl before moving to your next project: the cake currency cooling in the refrigerator. You had baked and frosted it prior to getting dressed, so there was only one thing left to do before your boyfriend came home in approximately thirty minutes.

You opened the refrigerated and pulled the cake from the top shelf, setting it on the counter as you retrieved the prepared piping bags–pink and red, of course–approaching the dessert with a determined expression.

This was it. Your magnum opus, if you do say so yourself. You would be the first to admit that your baking skills weren't exactly stellar, nor were you particularly good at decorating, but damnit, if you weren't going to do your hardest to make this the best birthday cake he had seen in his life.

You could hear your heartbeat in your ears as you brought the piping bag down to the frosted canvas before you, just begging to be defiled in the best of ways. With nigh-unbreakable concentration, you carefully penned the words 'happy birthday' onto the top half of the cake in smooth red icing. A smile broke across your face as you scanned the writing, realizing, with a healthy dose of relief, that it was legible and there were no grievous spelling errors that would send him into a conniption.

"Fuck yeah," you muttered, hastily adjusting the slightly-slipping headband before grabbing the pink icing, spelling out his name in curvy pastel letters that took up the rest of the cake. It wasn't a masterpiece, by any means, but it was beautiful in a DIY kind of way, and that was good enough for you.

Your phone buzzed from the counter and you practically shot over, reading the message on the screen with wide eyes.

It was Legend.

And he was heading home.

Now.

"Shit, shit," you cursed under your breath, hurrying to (gently) shove the piping bags and cake back into the refrigerator before darting upstairs to retrieve the other present you had gotten him–a collection of leather-bound notebooks for him to catalogue his observations during work–before sprinting back down to set the neatly-wrapped box on the kitchen counter, making sure the house was spotless before practically throwing yourself on the living room couch with the bowl of carrots, heart pounding as you crunched on one of the small sticks.

This was it... and you were simultaneously terrified and excited to see his reaction.

There was quiet click and the front door swung open.

Legend loved his job as the Head Curator at Hylia University.

After many, many years of grueling adventuring for whatever company paid him, it was a nice change of pace to be able to sit down and catalogue some fancy rocks, all the while sipping his home-brewed coffee and scoffing with other veterans about the interns.

Which was what he was doing right now, except he wasn't sitting or sipping or scoffing. The red-haired intern cowered as he pinched his temples, letting out a sigh dry enough to drain the ocean.

"What is this, Nicole?" he asked, voice deceptively calm as the other interns shifted nervously around him, their eyes rippling around the area like a patch of particularly turbulent waves. "And don't tell me it's a rock."

"I won't," she squeaked, and Legend had the distinct urge to shake her by the shoulders.

"It's a ruby," he said flatly, watching as her soul withered under his gaze. Good. His eyes fixed to the certain display she had attempted to place the ruby, which now sat in her tumbling hands, in. "And where did you just put it?"

Silence.

Then.

"The igneous rock display...?" Her tone was edged with terror, and he had the feeling that she would have pissed herself had he not been her boss.

"Nicole," his arms crossed over his chest as he sent her a look. "Why in Hylia would you put it there?"

"It's a rock," she all but whimpered, and Legend had to physically bite his tongue to force himself to listen to the rest of her insane logic. "And I think the mineral composition is similar to the ones from this–"

He held up a hand, putting a stop to the madness taking place. The other interns shifted like a flock of restless geese, waiting for his next move with bated, shuddering breath. Weirdos. "I don't know what's worse," he began. "That you think a metamorphic rock belongs in the igneous display or that you didn't think to place it in the gemstone display, with the other gemstones" Legend gestured to the display at the end of the room with a 'are you serious?' expression. "Did the sign just float away or do I need to enlarge the font for you?"

Her bottom lip trembled, eyes crinkling a bit at the corners, and he sighed. "Do not cry," Legend warned, tone leaving no room for argument. "Just go put it in the gemstone display."

"But sir–" another intern pipped up, and Legend silenced him with a thick glare.

"What, Dillon?" he growled, a headache already brewing at the promise of more fuckery. "What could you possibly have to add?"

"We can't put it in that display," Dillon said, tone edging with the same apprehension that Nicole's had possessed earlier. He ran a hand through his brown hair, looking like he was internally praying to whatever deity existed for protection against their ornery boss. "It's broken."

Legend's eye twitched. "Broken? How?"

"By you, sir," another intern said weakly, looking like they would rather die than be here. "During the burglary attempt last week."

Ah, he had almost forgotten about that. Legend may not have been the young, spry adventurer he once was, but it didn't mean he didn't still have it, as he had shown last week by punching a would-be burglar into the gemstone display case, securing their hands together with a length of measuring tape as the interns watched, practically on their knees in awe. You had laughed like a maniac when he shared that particular experience over a meal at the mom and pop restaurant in town, and the memory would have brought a smile to his face had he not been with the current company.

"And why isn't it fixed?" he rubbed his temples in an attempt to alleviate the brewing headache. "Who's in charge of glass maintenance?"

"Maurice is," Dillon coughed into his fist, and Legend felt his expression sour further.

Maurice, an ancient custodian who had been working here since before he had been born, but Legend more commonly thought of the other man as the current bane of his existence. The old fart was perpetually late, never cleaned the exhibits properly, and, for some bizarre reason, really enjoyed the smell of pipe cleaner. Probably more than a sane person should have, Legend had come to realize when he caught the man sniffing from the bottle in between halfhearted scrubs of said pipes, only to threaten to douse him in alcohol in a manner that had Legend backing out of the room with his middle fingers raised protectively.

"Of course he is," Legend grumbled. "Well, someone get the horn and summon him or, I don't know, just leave the ruby in the igneous display."

"But you said–"

"Not another word, Nicole," the blonde silenced her with a raise of his hand. "Now, I'm going to get some coffee, and I expect that ruby to be with the gemstones when I get back. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," Nicole nodded, clutching the stone a bit tighter as her eyes flashed with determination. "Shall I label it?"

"Don't push your luck, Nicole," he turned and strode down the hall toward the cafeteria, pushing some hair from his face, grimacing slightly when a deridingly pink strand stood out against his skin. He was never one for that color, but after a terrible Halloween accident involving temporary hair dye and setting conditioner, he found it was just one of the things he would have to live with, especially when you assured him that pink was most definitely his color, much to his (amused) chagrin.

The line for coffee wasn't horrendously long, leaving him with a few short minutes to contemplate the day before receiving a cup of his favorite brew: black as his soul with a hidden sprinkle of sugar. While he typically preferred your coffee to the store-bought alternatives, he had already finished the thermos you sent him off with, leaving him high and dry amidst the madness of the day.

With a huff, Legend started to his office, offhandedly checking his watch. 5:02 pm, which meant only twenty-eight minutes separated him from you.

Legend allowed himself to smile as he pushed into the office, collapsing in the first seating arrangement he saw, a plush chair typically reserved to comfort the unfortunate souls that found themselves in his lair. You were always the highlight of his day, and not even redheaded interns putting rubies in igneous rock displays could dampen his excitement, especially when his calendar dinged and the realization that it was his birthday hit harder than any insane custodian.

Birthdays had always been a bit of a sore spot for him, which only increased when he began dating you. He didn't need anything special, it was just another day, and yet you had seemed genuinely distressed when it was revealed that you had inadvertently missed his birthday for the past three years, swearing up and down to make this year the best one he had ever had. Legend highly doubted that, mostly because he had kept a careful eye on your shared bank account for any... suspicious purchases, which there were none, and you seemed to have all but forgotten about it. Good. He was just fine without being fawned over for forcing his mother to undergo hours of excruciating agony to bring him into his world.

Still, there was a small part of him that hoped you remembered, if only to hear your sweet voice wishing him a 'happy birthday', but he was more than content to simply live his life like it was any other day.

Legend checked his watch again.

5:09 pm.

...Fuck it.

The chair creaked as he abruptly stood up, grabbing his coat from the wall and striding out of the office like he owned the place, not bothering to send any warning to the interns over their newfangled 'Groupme' app because, damnit, it was his birthday and he didn't need to take their bullshit until tomorrow.

Besides, he had a house to get home to.

You nearly dropped the bowl when the door began to swing open, a millisecond away from choking on the carrot in your mouth as Legend's form filled the doorway.

He was home.

Early.

You had spent so much time preparing your outfit and the cake and the presents that you had completely forgotten to prepare your heart along with them

"Hi," you squeaked, feeling very much like the rabbit you were dressed as he took in the sigh of you, perched on the couch with a bowl of carrots in your lap and an apprehensive expression on your face. '"..You're home early."

"Yeah," said your boyfriend eloquently, eyes glued to your form. A red blush bloomed over his cheeks, which were already a bit pink from the cold. "You–"

"Are you hungry?" You asked at the same time, hesitantly bringing another carrot to your red-painted lips, biting it in half with a small crunch. His gaze snapped to your mouth, and you could have sworn you saw him gulp. "There's... there's cake in the kitchen."

He glanced over, but not for long, eyes returning to your body. You had always loved the color of his eyes, so intensely blue that you swore they looked purple with the right lighting. When he remained silent, you drew in a breath.

"Happy birthday," you felt a bit embarrassed from the way his eyebrows shot up in disbelief at the phrase. "I know I missed it the last few years, but I promise I'll do better, so, um, happy birthday. Again."

Legend blinked a few times, and it was in that moment that you noticed just how white his knuckles had gotten around the handle of his briefcase. "Is that...?"

You nodded, placing the bowl on the end table as you waited for his true reaction.

"You're wearing a..." he hesitated, and you tried to sit a bit straighter under his gaze, which wasn't unusual, but it felt a lot more poignant in this moment. "...bunny costume."

"Yes," you said, feeling a bit ashamed.

"For me?"

"Who else?" you forced a small smile, ears flopping as you nodded on instinct. "I'm sorry if it's weird–"

"It's not," he interjected, setting his briefcase down and locking the door with one hand. "Not weird, I mean."

You bit your lip, praying to Hylia that he would do something. "...Can I get you anything?"

"You," Legend said, and you nearly jumped when he shucked off his coat and strode over, coming to a stop just inches in front of you. a callused hand grasped your chin, encouraging you to meet his gaze. His smile was both gentle and feral, and you shivered a bit at the desire rolling in his irises.

"Me?"

"Yes," was his response before he bent down and kissed you, tongue lapping at the seam of your lips to deepen the action, mouth moving against yours in a way that made you want to melt into him. He tasted faintly of store-bought coffee and you were tempted to tease him for cheating on you, but it was neither the place nor the time, especially when his free hand grabbed your hip, a bit chilly against your warmed skin. You wrapped your hands around his biceps, pulling him closer and sighing into his mouth.

Legend drew away first, breathing deepening as he stared into your eyes. His expression was soft, and still a bit shocked, like he couldn't quite believe was he was seeing. That's okay, you'd make him believe it.

"You're amazing," he broke the silence, leaning forward to kiss the crown of your head, mere inches away from the bunny headband.

"I'm not," you joked, earning a look.

"You are," this time, he pressed a kiss to the tip of your nose, which you had neglected to paint in the likeness of an actual rabbit. Oh well, next time. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Since last year," you admitted far too quickly, expression turning a bit sheepish. Your fingers dug gently into the muscles of his forearm. "I wanted to make up for... you know."

"You didn't have to," he mused, hand tracing a line from your hip to the tail, stroking gently over the puffed ball. It was round and soft, quivering slightly when he thumbed at it. "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"But I wanted to–!" you countered, only to interrupt yourself with a gasp when he gave the tail an experimental tug.

"Hmm," he hummed, tone a bit distracted. His other hand moved to the front of the bodysuit, knuckles running over the pleated leather. "Why a bunny, though?"

You recovered enough to send him a soft grin. "You like bunnies."

"I like you," Legend corrected with an answering smile, and it was hard not to laugh at the cheesiness of the statement.

"Same difference," you chuckled, sitting up a bit straighter when a hand ghosted over your breast, though it quickly swung up to cup your cheek as he pulled you into another dizzying kiss. You sighed into his mouth and wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down to your level.

Time seemed to meld together as you connected, mouths moving to an invisible beat. You ran your tongue against his own, drawing a shiver from the man. It didn't take a genius to notice the straining bulge in his shorts, and you were determined to make this the best birthday ever. "Link," you whispered against his lips, earning a curious look. "Is that a carrot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"Carrot," he responded immediately, and you snorted in response, breaking the kiss to shoot him a saucy grin.

"Oo, does that mean it's up to eat?"

This time, it was Legend's turn to snort. "You're ridiculous."

"And you're about to get lucky," you laughed, moving your hands down to undo the buttons of this shirt, which was promptly thrown over his shoulder once it was off, revealing miles and miles of warm, slightly-tanned skin for your perusal. His cheeks still held the lightest pink tinge, and you discovered that the flush hadn't stopped there, extending down the smooth plane of his neck to stain the tops of his shoulders. A smattering of thin, silvery scars crisscrossed his abdomen, a testament to his adventures in the great unknown. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

Legend flushed a bit darker

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, but you knew that he secretly loved the praise. You loved it, too.

"No, really," you stroked a hand from his pectoral to his obliques, relishing in the shiver the action earned you. "I could look at you all day."

He looked ready to reply, but your fingers drifted to the waistband of his shorts, unbuckling his belt with practiced ease, the item soon joining his shirt on the floor. "Is this okay?" you asked softly, pointer finger toying with the shiny metal button holding it all together.

"More than," Legend said without missing a beat, face tinted a brilliant red that made you want to kiss him breathless. You didn't hesitate, popping the button and sliding the zipper down in quick succession. With a smile that was far more devious that you wanted to admit, you slid your hand under the fabric and wrapped it around the hot, straining length of his cock, giving the sensitive flesh a gentle squeeze as a breath shuddered from his chest. "Fuck, (Y/n)–"

"Shh," you soothed, your unoccupied hand coming up to cup his right hipbone. "Sit down for me?"

Legend nodded wordlessly, allowing you to guide him to plop down on the couch, legs spread and cock tenting the already wet fabric of his underwear. You sank down between his thighs, movement hindered only by the tail still lodged deep inside you, and quickly freed his dick, pulling his boxers just under his balls.

You didn't give him much time to prepare, licking a long, hot stripe up the underside of his cock, cleverly flicking the quivering tip with the flat of your tongue. Legend's fingers immediately sunk into the couch cushions, abs visibly tightening as he groaned to the ceiling. The sound sent a rush of liquid heat spiraling through your bones, igniting every nerve in your body, and you grinned, feeling more confident that you had in days. "I love you," you murmured against his length, planting a sloppy kiss to the side of it, and Legend sucked in a sharp breath, watching you with half-lidded eyes and a blush bright enough to put the sun to shame.

"I love you too," he whispered back, and you rewarded him with a slow lick to the flushed head of his dick, eagerly lapping at the salty pre burbling from the fat tip. A hand found its place on the top of your head, gently toying with the rabbit ears attached to your head. "Hah– (Y/n)–"

You said his name in response, breath ghosting deliciously over the wet skin of his length before you moved to take him in your mouth, starting with the flushed head. Legend's remaining hand gripped the cushion harder as he fought for control, but it was for naught when your tongue swirled over the quivering flesh, drawing a series of groans from his pink, parted lips. You preened at the noise, relaxing your throat to fit a bit more of him into your mouth, beginning to suck when you were satisfied.

"Ah–!" Legend practically cried when the suction registered. He called your name once more, tone pitching as your cheeks hollowed more and more, tongue idly flicking the underside of his head. "Shit, you're s-so good at this–"

Your response was to suck harder, relishing in the way his hips inadvertently bucked, forcing a good few inches of him into your mouth. Legend groaned, attempting to curb the motion, if the obvious strain in his abdomen and thighs meant anything, but you didn't mind. He was always so worried about pushing boundaries or hurting you, which was sweet, but you weren't made of glass. "Mm, fuck, sorry–" he panted, but you merely took him deeper, huffing softly to let him know it was okay.

Legend trembled like a leaf by the time you began to move, bobbing your head in a familiar rhythm, one hand intertwining with his--the contact a sort of whispered intimacy that never failed to make your heart mush and your knees weak--while the other stroked the base of his length, creating a pseudo-block just in case he did subconsciously decide to harpoon your throat again. "Oh, Hylia," he gasped, fingers digging so hard into the couch that you feared it would rip. "'M not gonna last–"

The warning had the opposite effect, with you sucking even harder around his trembling, leaking length, thumb stretching down to caress his balls with a featherlight touch. His moans pitched in volume and tone, until he was nearly keening under your hands, babbling something unintelligible as you worked him over, popping off his cock every so often to lave licks and kisses over the shuddering flesh, making sure to pay extra attention to the flushed head, which quivered oh-so-deliciously beneath the arched flat of your tongue. It was a far cry from the gruff, ornery persona he employed to face the rest of the world, and seeing him crumble under your attentions was the best feeling in Hyrule, especially when his hips jerked softly, nudging the head of his cock deeper into your waiting mouth.

"Shit, (Y/n)," he hissed, gazing down at you with a lovestruck expression that made your core throb. His chest heaved and you didn't fail to notice the way his dick seemed to stiffen against your tongue, balls drawing up slightly under your thumb. He was close, and you knew it. "Please, love, c-can I–?"

As if he even had to ask. You responded by drawing up, the head of his cock just barely within the confines of your lips, and sinking back down, taking him to the hilt. Legend let out a shout, lips falling open as his orgasm hit him like a meteor. His hands flew to your head, gently tangling in your hair and pulling slightly when the first spurt of cum flooded your mouth, then the second, and the third. Your boyfriend trembled as you brought him down with slow, easy suckles around the head, happily drinking down his release. It tasted salty, but not enough to be gross, with the faintest hint of sweetness that you just knew was attributed to the pineapple juice he'd taken a liking to a year back.

"Fu-fuck," Legend's chest heaved as he watched you swallow his seed, looking very much like a man who had just seen the Goddess herself.

You licked your lips, feeling a bit shy under his gaze. "How was it?" the words spilled from your mouth before you could stop them, but you truly did want to know. You always wanted to make him feel good.

"It was amazing," Legend responded, voice deliciously breathy as he bent to plant a kiss on your forehead, one hand coming down to tenderly wipe a bit of cum from your cheek. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," you countered with a soft grin, and he rolled his eyes, patting the spot beside him. You happily stood up, idly stretching your sore joints before plopping down next to him, hands folded in your lap. They didn't stay that way for long, because he was suddenly pulling you into a deep kiss, uncaring of the taste on your tongue. "Mmph, Link–"

Legend's hands found your hips, kneading the soft flesh as your mouths melded together, unhurried and slow, just how you liked it. One hand crept up to cup your left breast, and you mewled when his mouth moved to ghost along the column of your neck. "You're incredible," he breathed into your flesh, leaving swathes of gooseflesh in his wake. "I mean it."

"I love you," you whispered through clenched teeth, because it was the only thing you could say. Because it was the only thing you would say. "Happy birthday, Link."

"You too, (Y/n)."

And he was kissing you again, hands roaming your back in search of the hidden zipper. Once located, he slowly tugged it down, dragging the calloused tips of his fingers down the curve of your spine as he went, eliciting shiver after shiver from your poor body. Your arms wrapped around his upper back, fingers tangling in the hair at the base of his head, gently tugging at the blonde strands to coax a rumbled groan from his chest.

Legend's head dipped to the crook of your neck and shoulder, sucking a deep bruise into the soft skin. You gasped softly when he delivered a playful nip to the affected flesh, the prick of his teeth sending shockwaves down to your very soaked core, which only grew more wet when several fingers bushed against the tail lodged inside you, toying with the furry addition. "Oh!"

"Is this alright?" he asked against your shoulder, and your heart swelled at the genuine concern in his tone.

"Mhm," you confirmed, shivering anew when the touches grew more serious, until he pulled it from you entirely with a lewd squelch. You hissed a breath through your teeth when a finger circled the rim of your ass, dipping in easily due to the lube. "Ah, Link–"

"It's okay," he hummed softly, moving up to kiss the shell of your ear, tongue darting out to lick the tip. "Tell me if it's too much."

Unlikely, but if he insisted. You had played around with that hole a few times before, though Legend was always sure to confirm that you were okay with it and not trying to mindlessly please him. While you didn't quite understand the concept, you were happy that he was checking, even if it got a bit silly, at times. A low groan left you when he added a second finger, slowly scissoring them against your walls. "Oh, Goddesses–"

Legend's lips found yours as his fingers worked, only replacing them with the plug when you began to shift your hips, grinding your wet core against his knee, a thin layer of slick coating the exposed skin. You whimpered at the action, and downright moaned when your swollen nub of a clit inadventatly grazed his knee bone. Fuck, that felt good. "Please, I need–!"

"I know," he soothed, gently dragging the bodysuit down to pool at your hips, revealing your skin to his half-lidded gaze. His head dipped down to mouth hickeys on the tops of your breasts, while your fingers returned to his hair, weaving into the soft blonde strands. "I got you."

"Y-Yeah?" You panted, feeling unfairly warm despite the chill of the outside weather. Legend nodded, laving his tongue over your right breast before delivering a tender bite. When you yelped, he pressed a soft kiss to the affected area. "Ah!"

When he was satisfied, Legend pressed more kisses to your chest, moving lower and lower with each passing second. Your grip on his hair tightened, drawing a soft hiss from the man, and you quickly loosened, murmuring apologies. He kissed your belly in response, hands trailing down your supple sides, passing over your ribs and eventually settling atop your hips, right where the fabric of the bodysuit was bunched. "Can I...?"

"Please," you breathed, core tightening with anticipation, and he didn't hesitate to yank the damp fabric down your legs, throwing it to the wayside before settling back between your legs. You scooted so that your back was flush against the armrest of the couch, thighs spread wide.

"You're gorgeous," he said as soon as you were situated, leaning down to press the gentlest of kisses to your clit, eliciting a soft gasp. You waited for the next action, which would either be a long, flat lick up the length of your cunt or a trail of bites down your thigh, but neither came. In fact, he seemed a bit nervous. "Actually, could we...?"

Your face flushed when he laid on his back, hands raised expectantly. This was new, but you found yourself liking it. "Are you sure?" you asked, not wanting to crush him, especially with so much of your weight on his head and neck.

"Mhm," he confirmed, a bit shifty-eyed, yet still sincere. It wasn't often that he proposed new ideas in the bedroom, and you about to discourage his attempts, so you hesitantly scooted forward so that your hips were parallel with his face, hovering a few inches in the air while your hands planting themselves on his chest for stability.

Legend's breath ghosted over your core and you shuddered. "How do you–?"

"Just sit," he encouraged, hands applying gentle pressure to your thighs in an attempt to coax you down. "Like a chair."

You felt your brows furrow. Was that even safe, having that much pressure on those areas? Goddesses, you did not want to explain to the paramedics why he had broken his neck or skull if this went wrong. "But won't that–?"

"It's safe, don't worry," he interjected softly, tongue darting out to skim the barest edges of your folds, drawing a garbled moan from your chest. "Trust me, okay?"

"I am trusting you," you huffed, though you relented quickly when he tugged at your thighs, tone almost pleading.

"Please? Don't I get one birthday wish?"

You snorted, still hovering. "You're going to use your birthday wish to get me to sit on your face?"

"Yes," there was no hesitation from your boyfriend, and you found yourself laughing, all traces of nerves melting away as the sound rang through the house.

"Fine, fine," you relented. "But if it hurts or you need air, you tell me, okay?"

"Yes, dear," said Legend in a tone that made you want to (gently) smack him. The bastard was teasing you, but your irritation soon melted away when he leaned up, sealing his mouth around your pussy, and used the suction to drag you down a few inches. You went with a hissed breath, aided by the hands kneading into the flesh of your thighs, coaxing you to settle atop his face. "There you go," he mumbled, sending shockwaves through your folds. "Good?"

You didn't trust yourself to speak, so you nodded with an affirming noise, fingers digging slightly into his chest as you fought to stay upright in the face of the onslaught of pleasure. A low groan rumbled from your boyfriend's chest, his tongue sliding against your core like it belonged there. You bit your lip, eyeing his erection, which stood tall and proud, a bit of pre leaking onto the semi-defined muscles of his abdomen, and desire won out. You wrapped a shaky hand around the hard length, earning a muffled moan against your sex and a gentle bite to the crease of your inner thigh and hip, a warning that had your toes practically curling.

Legend's tongue slicked up and down, alternating between long, slow strokes to short, deft flicks that made your core burn with arousal. Your hips rocked–slowly, at first–as you ground yourself against his face, your nails imprinting thin white streaks across his skin. He didn't seem to mind, if the soft groans and appreciative sucks to your clit were any indication. Your voice rose, ringing through the room, and a hand detached from your thigh to cup one of your breasts, thumb flicking over your nipple until it grew hard enough to cut glass.

You responded by gripping his cock harder, beginning to pump the slick appendage in an attempt to give back what you were getting. It was his birthday, damnit!

His mouth moved to latch onto your nub once more, and your hips faltered. "Oh, fuck," you moaned unabashedly, back arching as molten heat swept through your core, igniting every nerve in your body. It was simultaneously too much and not enough. Your core clenched around nothing, and you would have felt embarrassed had his tongue not chosen that exact moment to dip between your folds, softly circling your entrance before worming inside, dragging deliciously against your inner walls. Your moans rose in pitch as your hands scrabbled at his chest, looking for something–anything–to ground yourself with.

Legend hummed, fondling your breast with purpose, intent on feeling you cum from his mouth alone. Sweat beaded on your brow when his tongue grazed that spongey spot within you, sending shockwaves up your spine, ricocheting against every little corner of your body. Your heart pounded like a drum in your heaving chest, just as a coil began to form in your belly. "Link," you whined, wishing you could grab his hair to pull him closer, but you settled with stroking him as best you could in your addled state. "Please, baby, 'm close–"

"I know," his voice, gruff from effort, vibrated deliciously against your center. The hand on your breast moved down to rub your achy clit, while the one on your thigh caught your own hand, holding it in a tender embrace. "Cum for me, love."

You did just that, wailing your release to the ceiling as it crashed down on you like a rogue waves, zings of pleasure swirling up your spine as your lower body threatened to buckle. Your thighs trembled impressively as your boyfriend worked you through it, lapping at your oversensitive folds until you were sure you were going to lose your mind. "Ah, Link, fuck, it's t-too much–!"

His mouth immediately popped off, though not before delivering one last lave to your poor clit. You hissed at the sensation, body practically folding in half as you collapsed onto his chest. "Oh my Hylia," you breathed when your lungs finally began cooperating again. "That was..."

"Delicious," Legend said, and you could just hear the smirk in his tone.

"Shut up," you groaned, regaining a bit of your lost composure. You rose, shifting your hips so that you were sitting on his abdomen, facing him. Legend sat up on his elbows, ears perked with interest, and his cock pressed hotly against the curve of your ass. "Do you want to keep going?"

At your question, he sat up fully, arms wrapping around your back and pulling you close. "What do you think?" Legend asked softly, head dipping to suck at one of the marks on your neck. You hummed, one hand weaving through his hair and tugging, encouraging him to meet your lips in a sweet kiss.

When you broke apart, panting softly, you grinned: "I love you."

Your boyfriend's eyes glimmered with adoration, and his grip tightened, inadvertently pushing your hips back against his straining dick. Whatever he was going to say was drowned out by a low, needy moan, and you were fairly sure you could have cum untouched from the sound alone. "Please," he said in a tone that sounded suspiciously close to begging. "I want to feel you."

"How do you want it?"

Legend's face flushed, and you had to physically force yourself not to chuckle. It had taken a good few years to get him fully comfortable with expressing his desires in the bedroom, and, by Hylia, were you glad his only reservations now seemed to be a misplaced sense of embarrassment. For the Goddess' sake, you had dressed in a rabbit costume for his birthday, so you doubted anything he wanted would shock you. Still, you were happy to wait patiently, hands moving to his shoulders to knead the tense muscles.

"On top," he finally blurted, blush illuminating his cheeks. "Please."

"As you wish, Sir Bunny," you grinned, plating a soft kiss on the tip of his nose. Just because you were the one dressed up didn't mean that you couldn't have a bit of fun.

Your boyfriend didn't have time to laugh before you grabbed his length, giving it a few good pumps before angling the head against your dripping entrance and sinking down. The slide was easy, aided by the copious fluids, and the stretch was something that had your thighs trembling harshly, which only made the friction that much sweeter. A hand gripped your hip, softly guiding the process, but you hardly needed it, moaning long and loud when your hips met with a filthy squelch. "Ah– Link!"

Legend's breath shuddered against the shell of your ear. He nipped the cartilage, earning a soft gasp, before his hand entangled in your own hair, pulling you in for a deep kiss. You opened your month on instinct, allowing his tongue to explore to his heart's content. He was a former adventurer, after all. "Fuck," he breathed, fingers sinking into the flesh of your hip. "You feel so good. 'M not gonna last much longer."

"Me neither," you panted back, your previous activities leaving you more high-strung than a power line. You broke apart, whimpering when he sucked more marks down the column of your neck, occasionally scraping his teeth against tender, trembling skin. Your hips rose on their own accord, only stopping when the head of his dick was just barely within the warmth of your walls. Legend whined lowly, and you sank back down, practically mewling at the stretch.

You continued to move, finding a breakneck pace that had your thighs burning from exertion, though you rather liked it, a sense of urgency broiling in your gut as your boyfriend moaned beneath you, too far gone to bother muffling his noises. His thumb slipped between your legs to help you along, the rough pad stimulating your overstimulated clit until you could hardly think, hips moving up and down as if they had a mind of their own. "F-Fuck," your name fell from Legend's kiss-swollen lips, the look in his half-lidded eyes so full of need that you could have died happy. "Can I– inside?"

"Yes," you responded without missing a beat, a bit surprised by how hot the idea sounded. The thought of him painting your walls white drove you wild. Your hands dragged down his back as you slammed yourself down on him, the head of his cock jamming that one spot within you. "Link, I need you!"

Legend yanked you in for a kiss, and your orgasm hit like a freight train, with your vision actually whiting out for a second as waves of pleasure wracked through your poor, oversensitive body, threatening to tear you apart at the seams. You were dimly aware of the chocked sob escaping your throat, followed by scalding warmth as Legend's cum filled you, thick and slick. The hand in your hair tightened, keeping you in place to meet the slight roll of his hips, prolonging your pleasure until there was nothing left.

After what felt like an eternity, you parted, panting like you had run a marathon. You met his gaze through your lashes, forcing yourself to breathe as the fog of arousal began to recede, leaving you boneless and satisfied. Legend's face was flushed a deep red, the color swooping down to paint his shoulders and chest. He was so beautiful, even while flushed, sweaty, and covered in fluids, still half-hard inside you.

"Wow." You breathed.

"Yeah."

Legend smiled weakly, and you took the opportunity to cup his cheeks, thumbs rubbing soft circles over his flesh. Your lips met, and it was as perfect as you wanted. When you parted, there was a new, more coherent expression on his face: nervousness.

You blinked, concern etched across your face. "Honey, are you--?"

"Marry me," he blurted, and the world stopped. Your mouth actually fell open, jaw slack as you processed his words. You had always assumed he was fine with dating–it wasn't like you needed a piece of paper and fancy ceremony to prove you loved each other–but yet...

"Oh my goddesses," you breathed, and his face fell a bit.

"I'm sorry," he said in a tone that made you wanna to throw up. "I should have waited– you can pretend I never–"

Your heart actually withered and you struggled to correct the situation. "NO. No. Um. Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!"

"You will?" the light returned to his eyes and every nerve in your body rejoiced when his hold tightened around you, betraying his bolstering excitement. Blue eyes glimmered. "You mean it?"

"Mhm," you nodded, injecting as much sincerity as you could in your response. "Let's get married, Link."

He kissed you, and it was everything you could have asked for; not needy or hungry, but soft, tender, a joining as old as time itself.

It was everything.

He was everything.

"I love you," Legend spoke when you broke apart, holding you to his chest like he was scared of letting go. "So much. Thank you."

You locked gazes with him and smiled. "I love you too."

You may not have been the best with remembering birthdays, but now, you had the rest of your life to make it up to him.

As you can see, I'm taking my ES/Bio major very seriously in these fics.

The ending is a bit rushed, but I'll come back and edit it tonight <33

#linked universe #linked universe x reader #link x reader smut #lu legend x reader #modern au #Legend takes his job very seriously #Also what's up with him and Maurice 👀#Sounds like the stuff of /legend/#i'll see myself out now #he's the Gordon Ramsey of the rock world your honor #lu smut

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greyspirehollow · 1 year ago

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Vesuvia weekly ; First kiss with the courtiers 🎉

Pairing : The courtiers x reader

Fandom : The Arcana visual novel

Warnings : none. Just fluff.

Valdemar:

You're the one who initiated the idea of a kiss. You had noticed how affectionate gestures didn't come out naturally or often on their part (at least not in the conventional way) ; and so you wanted to try and gently suggest it.

Confused at first ; They had forgotten what a kiss felt like, or how to do it properly.

They will need to practice by just kissing your cheek from time to time, just to get used to the way they need to purse their lips and the feeling of something against them.

A week or two later, they will gently grab you by the arm and drag you somewhere quiet ; they will slightly push you against the wall, their eyes never leaving yours as they paused, and eventually, they lean in carefully to meet your lips with their own

it's pretty calculated and thought out to begin with, almost mechanical. You didn't blame them ; it must have been a while. As they part away, you gently whisper : "try not to think about it. Go with the feeling..."

And you both go in for another one. This time, they manage to make their lips dance with yours softly for a while, before parting away. You could swear their cheeks had tinted in a warmer hue than usual.

Vulgora:

uhm... Force.

Prepare to have your breath taken away.

They are the one who brought up the idea. Ever since you've been together, you've had your fair share of energetic and violent displays of affection. Whether it was carrying you around while chuckling like a madman or threatening anyone that made you upset ; or having your cheeks pampered with tons of kisses when no one was looking.

They are all jumpy when you agree to come with them in a less crowded corner. They look at you with a wide excited toothy grin as you rest your hands onto their shoulders and start to lean in. You barely have time to process it ; their lips crash into yours with passion.

It's heated and full of energy, yet you can sense they're afraid that it might be a bit too much for you. That doesn't stop them from kissing you so agressively ; but not aggressive in the painful sense, more the overwhelming way. They are so excited, have so much love to give you that they can't think of any other way to convey it all.

Once your lips part, you gasp for air, looking at them, baffled. You know they were a handful, but damn. Not that you minded. "Phew, that was... That was something else." you breathe out, their contagious grin spreading across your own face. Before you know it, your face is getting attacked with kisses again.

Will brag about it in an argument ; "AND I KISS MY PARTNER SO WELL THEY'RE ALWAYS BREATHLESS AFTERWARDS, TWAT!!" or something similar.

Vlastomil:

He has kissed before, he's just not exceptional at it. He's not bad at it, don't make me say what I didn't say ; he's simply good.

You nearly brought up the idea at the same time ; and yet none of you said it out loud. One night, sitting next to each other, you just looked at one another and leaned in at the same time, closing your eyes and meeting your lips with surprising harmony in your timing. This was the moment. This was right. It's as if things had fallen into place : nothing pushed you or held you back.

His lips are surprisingly soft. You'd expected them to at least tingle because of their little beard, but not even. They were a tad moist, but that was to be expected.

Once your lips part you can't help but look fondly into each other's eyes, your hands intertwined, as you just let the moment sink in.

Volta:

The idea had been swirling around in her head for a while now. But she never brought it up. She was much too shy. Holding hands was already making a stuttering mess out of her, so a kiss?? It doesn't mean she doesn't want to, it just flusters her beyond what's reasonable.

When you bring it up to her, the sweet potato will go bright red, nod, and look at you with big expectant eyes.

You have to lean down to bring yourself to her level and she has to be on her tippy toes to reach you. She'll close her eyes tightly, purse her lips and go in for a smooch. It doesn't last too long, maybe half a second, but it seems to be enough for her.

She'll never dare to do anything too involved in terms of kisses, so take it slow with her. But after that, she will tug at your sleeve and timidly ask for a kiss more often (and how the hell could you even think about denying her?).

Valerius:

The most skilled out of everyone. And believe it or not, you didn't even have to think about introducing him to the idea. Ever since you've confessed to him, he knew he would kiss you. And that didn't seem to be negociable. But when would be the right time...?

It was during a party. Just a small annual gathering. But he'd noticed how the nobles seemed to gravitate around you. He didn't like that one bit. He frowned, walking towards your little group, before swiftly snatching you away with a defty hand to your waist and a kiss to your lips

Oh. Gods. You had not expected that at all. His lips linger on yours, the warm taste of wine sweeping across your mouth as he moves his against yours. You can't help but hold onto his shoulders, closing your eyes and savoring the moment. The other nobles, after a while, seemingly uncomfortable, leave you and the Consul alone.

After your lips part, you look at him with a cheeky grin "Did Lucio teach you?", you ask. He groaned, rolled his eyes and swirled his wine before taking a sip out of it "I taught Lucio" he replies, avoiding looking at your eyes.

#vesuvia weekly #first kiss #the arcana courtiers #the arcana valdemar #quaestor valdemar #the arcana vulgora #pontifex vulgora #the arcana volta #procurator volta #the arcana vlastomil #vlastomil #the arcana valerius #consul valerius #the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana visual novel #fanfic #I tried writing as much for each courtier jfjdjdn 😭😭

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sofreddie · 5 days ago

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High School Reunion 3

Summary: Jensen and Y/N spend the day getting to know each other after agreeing to date.

Characters: Jensen Ackles/F!Fan!Reader, Jared Padalecki

Warnings: RPF, Fluff, Minor Angst, Kissing/Groping

WC: 2,308

A/N: I wrote the first part of this in 2018-ish as a oneshot. Then I followed up in 2021 with a second part. I've been thinking about it, outlining it, and working on it since then. Now, in 2025, I have completed this small series, and I couldn't be more proud of myself. There will be a total of 7 parts once posted.

Series Masterlist

Part 2

After Jensen’s sudden, but not unwelcome, awakening - complete with coffee - Y/N dashed to her bedroom and the attached bathroom, looking herself over in the mirror. Her bedhead was a bit crazy, and she could use a wash and some makeup. But she wasn’t as bad off as she thought. As quickly as she could, she cleaned up, dressed casually in her usual attire, and added light makeup. She felt fresh, pretty, and more than ready for more time with Jensen.

As she reemerged, Jensen stood from the couch. “You look beautiful,” he said, as if she wore some stunning gown. It set her cheeks alight. He chuckled and gestured toward the door, and she followed.

They ordered breakfast at a small diner in town. Jensen was lively and animated, and he had her relaxing instantly. She hung on his every word as he talked about work, conventions, and, of course, Jared. They were such a large and vital part of each other's lives.

She in turn shared about her work and life, and Lana, who was the best friend she’d ever had. Jensen insisted he had to surprise her with some kind of gift for bringing them together. That gave her flutters and had her squirming in her seat, knowing he was enjoying her as much as she was him.

The conversation flowed between them so well that they had long since finished eating and were now just drinking coffee. A few people had come to the table, recognizing Jensen and asking for autographs or photos. He was so patient and kind with them, and he apologized to her every time afterward. But she assured him it was fine, she knew who she agreed to date. The charming smile and warm blush on his face rewarded her.

To her surprise and elation, he stayed with her the whole day. They ate out for lunch as well and walked around, just talking and getting to know each other better. Y/N found they had more in common than she initially realized. Being around Jensen, talking with him, spending time with him, was as easy as breathing. She'd never felt so comfortable with someone before, and she was sure she was going to fall fast if he kept this up. As the day faded into evening, she was hesitant for it all to end.

"Would you like to come back to my place for dinner? I'm a pretty decent cook," Y/N offered, and Jensen's bright grin made her heart flutter.

"Not sick of me yet?"

"Not even close," she let a dreamy sigh and grew flustered when she caught herself, but Jensen chuckled and ate it up.

He drove her home and promised to return, wanting to freshen and change at his hotel. She was glad because she, too, wanted to clean up from the day. It would also give her a head start on dinner.

Rushing through her shower and changing into a simple, short-sleeved, thigh-cut dress, she began preparing their meal for the night. As she cooked, she thought over the day's events and her time with Jensen. He had mentioned that he'd have to leave the next day for the nearby Supernatural convention.

The thought alone made her heart sink. She wasn't sure what any of this meant or what they were. He had introduced himself as her boyfriend and suggested dating. But what if it was just a short-lived fling? It would suck if that were the case, but she decided she'd be grateful for whatever he was willing to give her.

Jensen arrived roughly an hour after he'd dropped her off. When she answered the door, she was surprised his hair still looked damp. Did he rush just as she had?

"Hey, come in. It's not quite ready yet. Can I get you a drink? Soda, beer, tea?"

"Beer would be good."

She ushered him inside and closed the door behind him, guiding him through her home into the kitchen. For some reason, she was now nervous when before she had felt more comfortable in his presence than anyone other than family. Maybe it was because she felt like it was all coming to a close. She retrieved a beer from the fridge as he'd requested and handed it over while she turned her attention back to cooking.

Jensen could sense she wasn't as jovial as she'd been earlier. She seemed downtrodden, like she was forcing herself through the steps, and he briefly wondered if he'd done something to upset her. Or if, God forbid, she had changed her mind about dating after spending the day with him. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

She looked at him then, and the small, forced smile on his beautiful face. "Yeah, great."

"Okay," he sighed, setting the bottle on the counter and holding her upper arms as he turned her to face him. "What happened in the hour since I was gone?"

He was deeply worried that she’d decided she couldn’t be with him, couldn’t handle who he was or his life. He didn’t get that impression throughout the day, but maybe since she’d had time alone to think, she’d changed her mind. It seemed that every time he tried to date or form a connection with someone, his life, fans, or the media would somehow lead them to decide he wasn’t worth it.

He chuckled, trying to make it more lighthearted than it felt, but they both knew it wasn't funny. She cursed herself for making him uncomfortable and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that he even knew something was off. His thumbs rhythmically rubbed circles against her shoulders as he patiently waited for her response. She couldn't help but give him a genuine smile.

"It's nothing. I guess I'm just bummed you have to leave tomorrow."

She turned back to the stove, finishing up and turning everything off.

"I know," he sighed, running a hand through his luscious hair. "I'd stay longer if I could, believe me."

"It's okay, I get it. You have the convention, work, life goes on," she laughed as she fixed their plates, and they sat at the small table together.

"Yeah. Jared's gonna grill me the second he sees me. He's just excited I got a girlfriend now," he added with a smile and a wiggle of his brows.

Y/N laughed, and they continued their dinner, talking about the upcoming convention and what that was like for him. In that one moment, he eased all of her worry. Because she knew tonight wouldn't be the last time she saw him. It wasn't the first time he'd referred to them as boyfriend or girlfriend, but this time it finally stuck in her mind.

Jensen Ackles was her boyfriend.

After dinner, he helped her clean up and do the dishes before they settled on the small couch in the living room. Y/N curled into his side, and his arm came down around her shoulders. They smiled at each other as they talked, something that seemed to come so easily between them. Jensen was much happier now that the tension had eased away. She wasn't done with him, as he feared. Instead, she was uncertain if he meant it about being with her beyond all this. He wanted to show her just how much he wanted her, how much he meant it when he said he wanted to be with her.

In the next moment, Jensen slowly leaned in, giving her a chance to back away. But that was the opposite of what she wanted. She met him halfway, and when his plush, tender lips pressed perfectly against hers, it sent a pleasant tingle down her spine. He cupped her face with one hand, the other finding the curve of her side as he deepened the kiss. Tilting her head for better access, he kissed their breath away.

Every thought other than Jensen left her entirely. She was focused on the feel of his lips against hers, his hands on her face and side, his thumb reaching and grazing the underside of her breast. She moaned into his mouth, and Jensen slid his tongue against hers. His hand moved from her face into her hair, bunching it in his fingers while the other moved slowly and squeezed her breast. It was his turn to moan.

“I don’t think I told you how good you look in this dress,” he uttered, his voice doing as much to her as his hands and mouth.

His hand moved down along her body, finding the bare skin of her thigh as he kissed his way down her neck. Drifint up the outside of her thigh, he moved the hem of her dress until he cupped and squeezed her panty-clad ass with a groan. She was incredibly aroused, but also worried it was all a bit fast, her head spinning. She wanted him, but it was all still so new and sudden; she hadn’t wrapped her head around it. And she knew no matter how much she might want it, she wasn’t ready to take that next step.

Amazingly, he must have sensed it before she could speak because he backed off and pecked her lips sweetly. She smiled at him and he grinned back, grabbing her chin to peck her lips again before she snuggled back into his side like before.

Before too long, he had to leave, as he had a tight turnaround to get to the convention on time. She was incredibly disappointed, even though she knew this moment would come. She knew he didn't want to leave, and that sent her heart soaring, alleviating most of her worries.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise," Jensen said as he stood at her threshold.

"I'll look forward to it," she responded, happy when he leaned in for another deep and passionate kiss.

By the time they pulled apart, their eyes were glassy and their lips were moist, their breaths heavy. She didn't want to let him go, didn't want to feel the emptiness in her hands, the ghost of a kiss on her lips. It would literally haunt her until she saw him again. Watching him walk to his waiting vehicle was a lot harder than before. This time, they didn't know when they'd see each other again.

Jensen checked in at the hotel, a massive smile on his face as he thought about Y/N and their time together. Less than a minute after he entered his room and dropped his luggage, Jared was sweeping through the slightly ajar door. He'd expected it, hence the open door. Plus, they always had rooms adjoining or near each other.

Jared paused, taking in Jensen's smile, bright eyes, and pinkened cheeks. He smiled back, "So, how was it?" Jared teased.

Jensen barked a laugh, "Great. Can't wait to see her again."

"So, are you a thing?"

"You'll get to meet her soon," he answered with a smirk and eye roll.

Jared's smile matched that of his friend. He was going to tease him mercilessly on how gone he was on this girl already, just like Jensen did when Jared instantly fell for his now wife, Gen. This was the first serious relationship Jensen had had in a long time, and he was glad to see him finally open up again and actually connect. Jensen had a few 'almosts' that never developed further, and Jared could see how it eroded the older man's hope.

The convention went well. Better than well, Jensen thought. However, that could be because he was on cloud nine and no one could bring him down.

Y/N and he had enjoyed regular communication, unplanned and perfectly timed. With the phone always at hand, they had called, texted, and even video chatted. That ended up interesting, because over-eager Jared jumped in on a few video calls and even took the phone for a one-on-one with Y/N, much to Jensen's embarrassment and Y/N's entertainment.

Jared held the phone aloft, well out of reach, as she could hear and see Jensen in the background fighting to get his phone back. Y/N giggled profusely at the famous J2 antics unfolding on her screen. Just because she'd started dating Jensen didn't mean she wasn't still very much a fangirl.

"So if you're dating this dork, I guess that means you're a Dean girl then?" Jared teased with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Actually, I'm a Sam girl," she sheepishly admitted, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

Jared grinned and lit up, "Did you hear that?! Another Sam girl for the win! Booyah!"

Jared grinned like he'd won the lottery as he jumped around, hooting and hollering over his perceived victory. She could see Jensen in the background, groaning as he dropped his head to his hands. Really, he was fine if she was a Sam girl, or a Cas girl, or none of the above. Because at the end of the day, he was the one she chose to be with.

After the call, and when Jensen got his phone back, he'd texted Y/N another message before tucking the phone in his pocket. His grin never left his face. When he met Jared's eye again, he, too, was grinning like a fool.

"What?"

"Nothing, man, just…I'm really happy for you. I like her and I'd love to meet her when you're ready."

Jensen was excited to introduce her to his friends and family, but he wanted more time for them to be just the two of them before that. And he hadn't talked to her about going official or big or coming out or whatever. For now, he just wanted to enjoy this beautiful woman who had reignited his hopes.

PART 4

FOREVERS:

@lyarr24

@hobby27

@kazsrm67

@maliburenee

@440mxs-wife

@writercole

@spnbaby-67

@all-alone-he-turns-to-stone

@leigh70

@laycblack

@kr804573

@nancymcl

RPF:

@smoothdogsgirl

JENSEN ACKLES:

@slamminmine

@deandreamernp

@akshi8278

@mimaria420

#high school reunion #jensen x reader #jensen ackles x reader #jensen ackles #reader insert #supernatural #spn #supernatural rpf #spn rpf #rpf

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sepublic · 1 year ago

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The Owl House Ending Anniversary Livestream

These are the notes I’ve taken from The Owl House anniversary stream, just the stuff related to the show (though there was a hilarious anecdote from Sarah about having a theater light shine on her bald spot while attending an acting school);

For the finale, the VAs (and Dana and Eden) got to record voice work together for the first time since the covid lockdown. Sarah scream-cried and sobbed right after finishing the final lines for Luz. The recording occurred a few months before the finale aired.

Zeno revealed that anime dub voice directors usually want a different direction for voice acting than with western animation, but when Zeno did a take for Hunter that he thought might’ve sounded too anime, everyone else was in full approval. From there, Zeno approached Hunter as the “anime emo boy” or “Sasuke” of the show, going for an “eastern anime edgy feel.” Sarah thought this fit given how much Hunter is trying; Zeno feels Hunter wears his emotions on his sleeves no matter how cool he tries to be.

Hunter would 100% be an anime fan and be obsessed with anime conventions in the human realm. Eden mentioned that Dana took a lot of anime inspiration when doing segments such as fight scenes or character power-ups, with Luz’s Titan form being based on Pokemon evolution.

When voicing Lilith, Cissy would pull from her memories of her aunt Kim in translating the “fun, goofy” energy, and she normally does this for other fun aunt/maternal roles. Elizabeth Grullon brought in parts of her culture and ancestry when doing Camila, as per the advice of her late mentor Ken Washington.

If the VAs could hang out with their characters for one day: Eden would take Boscha to therapy, and all of the VAs agreed, with Zeno ready to pay for Hunter’s (“The credit card will NOT decline”). Cissy would have a ride on Mike Socks. Elizabeth would visit the Demon Realm with Camila, get some drinks in her, make some arroz con pollo and tostones, put on some salsa music, and just vibe out. Sarah would also visit the Demon Realm with Luz, and wherever Luz likes to hang out; Maybe a beach day.

Cissy thinks Lilith would go full-nerd when visiting the human realm, having a notebook and pen and going mad as she’s scribbling everything down. She’d stop people on the street to ask if they’ve had apple blood, and be an absolute menace, people would be freaking out.

Pulling from themselves, Avi thinks Raine would meet things with a little bit of caution, having lots of disinfectant wipes, and eventually get comfortable, freely exploring without inhibition.

Eden imagines Boscha would thrive in the human world, since there’s so many gullible people she could trick into being her followers. She’d either use the third eye for attention, or grow bangs/wear a beanie to hide it. Cissy joked that Boscha would run for president and win in a landslide, which is a bad idea because she’d have too much power at her fingertips.

When it comes to Camila exploring the demon realm once everything’s cooled down, Elizabeth thinks she’d be a bit skeptical, but eventually relax, have some apple blood, kick back and make some friends… And then be ready to go back. Not an overnight stay, just a brief visit.

Cissy was proudest of her performance as Lilith was “Why were you so easy to curse?!” in Agony of a Witch. For Zeno it was Thanks to Them, he felt it was a closed circle for Hunter; He enjoyed balancing various Hunter elements like the Golden Guard role, and the catharsis with Luz right afterwards. He’s glad it was vulnerable and open, wanting his performance to be honest and realistic. For Elizabeth it was Camila reacting to various Demon Realm segments such as Belos, or preparing to fight Kikimora.

Eden liked Boscha’s arc in For the Future, how it came full-circle when she helped the resistance because she didn’t mean real harm and just wanted things to go back to normal. For Sarah it was the ending of Yesterday’s Lie where Luz promises to stay in the human realm, she found it heartbreaking how it was Luz’s two worlds colliding; Sarah couldn’t wait to see the episode in its entirety. Raine was Avi’s first voice-acting role for animation, and they summoned the ‘guttural response’ to free themselves when doing the possession scene with Belos in the finale.

Luz’s favorite human realm drink is coffee or matcha due to her ADHD, the caffeine can help her focus, “turn Demon Realm,” but is also helpful for a nap. Sarah often brings large drinks into the studio, and described her performance as Luz as a cold brew, plus a giant gallon of water, plus some tea with honey after she’s done screaming.

Hunter would like Red Bulls and go crazy with the energy. He’d apply Demon Realm mentality by believing Red Bull’s “gives you wings” advertisements, and write a letter to management demanding a refund when this doesn’t literally happen.

Camila would love café bustelo, it’s a big Latina drink and was introduced to Elizabeth by her mom. The 4pm kind brings you to life and it’s the time for tias to gossip.

Boscha is either a giant slurpee girl, or popping boba, because her third eye gives Boscha an inclination towards eye aesthetics. Plus Boscha could spit boba at people through her straw, which led to Sarah joking about Luz and Hunter walking in bespeckled with boba (“No Hunter, they do not give you wings”).

Lilith would like pina colada, she’d think it’s the cool thing that everyone drinks, what with there being a whole song about it. Then she’d drink it and go on a tangent about how her mom never loved her, and Luz would ask her in concern how many she’s had. Lilith would collect several of the parachutes in her hair.

Raine has a sensitive stomach, so they’re into kombucha and brew their own.

(Fun fact; The group realized the eclipse was happening during the livestream and had a discussion over how to protect your eyes when watching it!)

Rebecca Rose herself sent a question, asking what they think a palisman would taste like. They joked that Matthew Rhys was NOT here, and Dana apparently headcanons that palismen essence tastes like gushers. Zeno and Sarah joked that Belos has a sweet tooth and he’s obsessed because he left the human realm before they invented gushers. It never even occurred to Eden that palisman essence would have a flavor, it’d just be an energy boost, like pipe tobacco (and Sarah added this was appropriate because palismen are made of wood). Yesterday was Rebecca’s birthday and the VAs wished her a happy one.

Zeno’s favorite quality about Hunter is his loyalty and dedication; When he sets his sights on something, he’s pretty relentless. He has a really deep well of complexity in him, half is angst but the other half is real heart.

Elizabeth loves how Camila loves her kid so much that she’s willing to step past herself and her own limitations, her own fears and comfort zone, to connect with and support Luz. Sarah noted it’s like Camila is learning to be a kid again with her arc.

Boscha doesn’t have a ton of great character traits, but she’s a strong athlete, doesn’t give up, and is powerful; Eden admires that about her, she’s badass. Everything else about her though…

Sarah likes how Luz doesn’t have an ego; Yes she’s unapologetically herself and doesn’t know any other way, but when she messes up, she has no problem taking the blame and apologizing. She’ll own up to things and fix them. Though it was misguided, Luz was even willing to let go of everything she loved to make up for letting down the Demon Realm and protect everyone. It’s not easy to put aside your own wants and needs sometimes and apologize, accepting that you’re wrong.

Lilith had a lot of faults, but her willingness to admit her own wrongdoing and go into the depths of her soul to figure out how to be better; Such as being a better auntie/sister, forgiving her parents, etc. She had a lot of growing up to do, and Cissy felt Dana gave Lilith such a beautiful way to go about that.

Avi was glad to see Raine have stage fright and awkwardness/shyness in public and with social settings, but they can transform by stepping into this fierce protector/hero role, and find that confidence. It’s a multi-faceted character, a full human experience, and felt genuine to Avi.

When asked if Boscha ever said sorry to Willow and Luz, Eden joked that love means never having to say sorry; Boscha probably skipped over that. Assumed she already said it at some point, the others just have bad memory. I’m sure they know, I helped them. I didn’t kill them and they’re still alive, so clearly…!

The hardest episode to record was Thanks to Them for Zeno, the VAs had to take a break. It was already cathartic and then Hunter didn’t even get a break afterwards, plus Zeno had the knowledge of the show ending. For Elizabeth it was the finale due to the sadness of the show being over, but otherwise there was nothing hard for her because the experience was a dream come true; She was in pure joy when in the booth. Even when Camila was crying or saying goodbye, it was still fun for Elizabeth. But when she herself is saying goodbye, that’s when it’s hard for her.

Eden also agreed on the finale due to how long it was (and she accounted for her role as voice director as well), mentioning how the episode was the culmination of so much, there was a lot of ground to cover, etc. It was so emotional how everyone brought so much, saying goodbye together as a cast. Not to mention the catharsis/closure of stamping Belos to death together.

Sarah concurred, it was meta saying goodbye to the show and each other. But she also found Reaching Out hard, due to Luz’s complex emotions, her coming in and out a lot. She’s dealing with a great loss, and Sarah wanted to honor that grief, but also had Luz masking it, popping up, acting out, and needed to choose how/when to let that emotion come out. The grief wasn’t super-fresh, it comes in waves, and it was in that state where some are in shock or others cry; You never know when it’ll strike, when it’ll put you on edge. So Reaching Out was hard to map out for Sarah, especially with Luz just popping up to do one weird thing and then going away. It was a lot of fun, and workwise it was a lot of pressure to get it right.

Cissy also had the finale, with the switch from Lilith making amends to being terrible again in the dream sequence being jarring. There was also Agony of a Witch, as the landing needed to be stuck to make the episode work; But Eden and Dana were there for the recording session to help.

Avi had Follies at the Coven Day Parade, when Eda and Raine had their duel. Avi really had to tap into being angry and mad at someone they care so much about.

If Elizabeth could give advice to any character, it’s for Boscha to go to therapy. Sarah tells Lilith to stand still and feel her feelings, you poor beautiful witch. Avi tells everyone to not be so hard on yourself. Cissy, to all (especially teenagers): It gets better, you think you know everything and you think you have the weight of your world on your hands (and tbf that was the case), but it gets better. Eden would tell Hunter to take a day off, take a nap. Zeno would tell everyone to do the same, it’s okay to let go. Eden would also advise Eda to lay off the law-breaking, Sarah said not to start her day with apple blood (save it for happy hour).

Sarah’s favorite Hooty moment was the tea party, and how he would be haunted by his actions forever in Adventures in the Elements. Cissy loved Hooty and Lilith’s friendship, “No witch is an island!” Eden loves the first appearance of Port-a-Hooty, it had her in stitches the first time she saw it; There was sheer terror knowing he could travel. Sarah loved Hooty’s off-screen attack by Amity. For Zeno, it was two guards struggling to describe Hooty. Elizabeth concurred with everyone, and Avi liked it when Hooty just ate things and sometimes ruined a situation because of it. Cissy brought up Hooty’s skeleton bathing.

#the owl house #luz noceda #lilith clawthorne #the owl house hunter #camila noceda #the owl house boscha #raine whispers #sarah nicole robles #cissy jones #avi roque #zeno robinson #eden riegel #elizabeth grullon

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presidenthades · 8 months ago

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Day 1 of HOTD adventures at New York Comic Con 🎉

First thing I did today was run to my photo op with Matt Smith.

He. Is. DELIGHTFUL.

At these conventions, photo ops go super fast because they have huge lines of people to go through. The whole 10-second process is basically step up to the celebrity, smile, and immediately leave so the next person can go.

Matt is hugely popular so it was definitely important that they hurry through his line, but he was still friendly with everybody in the 5 seconds they were standing beside him. Really great energy. My interaction went something like:

Matt: “Hello, glad you’re here!”

Photographer: snaps photo

Matt: “I love Caraxes! 😃”

Me: “Thank you! 😃”

Handlers: usher me away so the next person can go

You can tell that Matt has done a lot of these fan events, and he’s very good at it.

Since my Matt photo op went faster than expected, I was able to go to an earlier TGC autograph session than I was originally planning. (This proved to be a very good decision later.)

Autograph sessions tend to take a little longer than photo ops, because the celebrity generally will exchange a few words with fans while signing. It’s still considered good etiquette not to hog too much time, or else people behind you have to wait even longer. TGC’s line was not super long when I arrived, so lucky me!

TGC also offered selfies at his booth, which was a pleasant surprise. (Not everyone offers it.) He seemed a bit tired (important note for later), but no judgment: conventions are really hard work. The celebrities are taking photos and signing autographs for hundreds of people over multiple hours.

He was VERY polite and nice. When I took out my bookbind for him to sign, he spent a good minute looking at it and complimenting the cover etc. And when he finished signing, he very neatly arranged the ribbon bookmark to mark the page where he signed.

(He was definitely wowed by Debustee’s art too.)

Fabien was in the booth beside Tom’s. Fabien was announced as attending the convention much later than Tom and Matt, so I hadn’t made plans to get photos or autographs with him. Maybe tomorrow if scheduling works out. 👀

Then I went to my pre-reserved photo op with TGC immediately afterwards (different from the selfie). There were dozens of people in line in front of me, and the photo ops go super fast, so we didn’t have a particularly long interaction. But I managed to get Sunfyre in there.

After a lunch break, I went to get in Matt Smith’s autograph line. He was scheduled from 2:20-7:00 with a few short breaks every so often. When I got in line at 2:00, the line was already HUGE.

I waited in line 3 hours 45 minutes to get my autograph. 🙃😤😮‍💨

HOTD was the main reason I was interested in attending the convention in the first place, so I was prepared to wait in lines to do everything I wanted. But in case anyone was wondering: Matt Smith is indeed very very popular in the year Two Thousand and Twenty Four.

While I was in line for Matt, I heard from other people in line that TGC went home about three hours early. So anyone who hadn’t already gotten their autograph that day needed to get a refund (or maybe a transfer to the next day, I’m not sure). He is still scheduled for autographs tomorrow, but it made me extra glad that I was able to get my autograph early.

I had previously been told to always do photos and autographs ASAP because sometimes the celebrity gets ill or has to leave early, etc. Just a tip for anyone who wants to go to a con and do celebrity interactions in the future!

Back to Matt’s line: I was almost to the front when an event handler announced that Matt was no longer doing quotes. With autographs, there’s of course the actual signature, but sometimes you can add-on things like a quote for the celebrity to write. When I was planning my convention trip months ago, I pre-reserved the quote add-on for Matt. At some point in the last few weeks, they removed the quote option because they realized he would be on a time crunch if he wrote too many quotes. But I’d already paid for and reserved my quote, which the event was supposed to honor even if they changed the process later.

Another woman in line who’d paid for a quote was also upset, and I imagine other people were too. But the event handler came back out and clarified that those of us who already paid for quotes would still get them; they just wouldn’t allow anyone else to get a quote.

Here is the autograph and quote I waited almost four hours for. 🥰

I made an updated version of the Handbook’s dust jacket specifically for the convention. The original dust jacket had my author and fic info on the back flap, but I thought it’d be fun to do one where Daemon gets the author bio.

“War was easier than daughters” is actually a Ned Stark quote, which I borrowed for the Handbook Chapter 11’s title. When you get a quote during an autograph signing, you first write down the quote on a slip of paper. Then you give the paper to the celebrity’s manager and tell them where exactly the celebrity should sign. Matt’s manager was a little confused by the quote but rolled with it.

When Matt read the quote, he said, “Huh, I don’t remember saying that. 🤔😄” But he was very amused and good-natured, and he had no problem writing it down. I was holding little Caraxes again, and Matt was happy to see Caraxes again (although I think Matt may have forgotten he’d already seen Caraxes 7 hours earlier—tons of other fans he was interacting with in the meantime).

I managed to accomplish all my Matt Smith and TGC interactions today, which were my top priorities for this convention. I consider today a success, even though I spent a lot of it waiting in line. Tomorrow morning there will be a HOTD panel, which I have a reservation for, so I’m excited to see Matt, Tom, and Fabien onstage. I don’t think we’re supposed to stream or record the event, but I will try to take notes.

Bonus: a baby dragon and egg that I got at the con! 🐉🐣

#New York comic con #NYCC #house of the dragon #hotd #Matt smith #Tom Glynn carney #daemon Targaryen #Aegon ii targaryen

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mint-8 · 10 months ago

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Yandere Voice Actor x Fan! GN! Reader

Content/Trigger warning: Implied stalking.

Colorized version

- You've been a fan of Yandere Voice Actor ever since you heard them in your favorite anime. Their melodic voice gave the character such life and realism that you couldn't help but intently listen to their voice every time their character appeared on screen. You went as far as to find a compilation of that particular character's voice and kept them on repeat while doing some chores.

- After hearing Yandere Voice Actor's voice on loop for, pretty much the entire day, you decided to look deeper into their career and see what other anime or shows they have appeared on. Quickly finding a treasure hord of content, you begin to watch every single thing they have ever been on. Doesn't matter if you hate the show or find it agonizing to watch it all the way through, whenever Yandere Voice Actor's voice finally enters the scene, you feel as if you were given a refreshing soda can while in the middle of the desert. Absolute bliss ♡

- You immediately become Yandere Voice Actor's #1 fan. Making compilations of their voice for others to hear, buying merch of the characters they voice, sending fan letters and messages through social media praising them for their achievements and their talent, making entire accounts just dedicated to them, listening to every interview they ever appear in, and so much more. You are already planning to book a flight and a hotel reservation when you find out they are going to be at an anime convention outside of your country, with special passes to their respective pannel and ready to finally talk to them.

- When you arrive at the convention, enter Yandere Voice Actor's panel and finally see them face to face, in real life... you just cry. You are so overwhelmed with emotion that you can't help but shakily smile as you watch them talk with the other panelists and answer questions from the fans. You aren't able to fully listen to the whole panel, only listening to Yandere Voice Actor's answers and chatter. They looked so... free, and incredibly happy to boot. Right after the panel is over, you immediately run to the meet-and-greet booths, finding theirs and patiently waiting in line for your turn. You are filled with so much emotion and excitement and have an entire speech prepared for them! But... when your turn comes, and you shake their hand for the very first time...

"Thank you for coming today!"

"Thank you..."

"Pardon?"

"Thank you so much for being born..."

- You can't help the tears that fell down your cheeks as you look down at the floor. You can't face them like this, so you quickly apologize and leave the booth, the building, and directly into your hotel room. As you lay in bed, embarrassed out of your mind, a message appears...

- Yandere Voice Actor is intrigued by the person they've just met. Sure, they have had their fair amount of instances in where fans confess ridiculous things during a meet-and-greet. Love confessions, death threats, speeches comparing them to a god... so on and so forth. Luckily, the con had good security, so they were ready for it to be a long, boring day shaking sweaty hands, only for later to intensely clean them afterward. Yet, a fan surprised them above them all. You were clearly an emotional and sensitive person, no doubt, with all the crying and shaking, it reminded them of a pathetic wet cat. And that small... compliment?

"Thank you for being born..."

- Yandere Voice Actor is... interested in a fan, you specifically, for the very first time. It doesn't take them too long to find a private detective to find out about you and for a hacker to find your social media accounts. They were intrigued, to say the least. Perhaps this could be their first time making friends with someone outside their work? So they decided to send you a small message.

"Hi! Thank you for such kind words. I'm very flattered. Hope we can talk more later"

- You can't believe your eyes. Yandere Voice Actor messaged you back... How is this real!? Are you dreaming?! This can't be true! You pretty much freak out for an hour or two before finally responding back.

"Hello! I'm so glad you took time off your busy schedule to message me back! And of course we can talk whenever you want! It's an honor!"

- Yandere Voice Actor thought you were a bit desperate, but it didn't turn them off. You might act like any other rabid fan, but they wouldn't care to talk to you more. Maybe you two could even meet up! It's alright for them... They are sure you would do anything for them if they simply said the word, probably wouldn't tell a soul either...

"This could be fun =)"

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thistledropkick · 11 months ago

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The quoted tweet, from January of this year, reads:

"Because of all that's happened recently, I feel like I want to live life to the fullest.

Let's not wait too long."

The tweet from today reads "My feelings, past and current."

The three pages of text read:

"Jan 19, 2024, at 12:14 am

On the topic of Chris and Desperado.

Did it start with his tweet that said "I want to appear on Baka Gaijin + Friends someday"? I don't know precisely, but around that time I started taking this seriously.

For me, that time period was especially difficult, and since then, my life has really changed.

In December of last year, I was examined at the hospital.

Baliyan Akki was by my side. He said, "I'm sure it's nothing serious, so let's go drink some beers and laugh about it afterwards!" But his tone changed when the doctor started to explain that there was something wrong inside of me.

I had cancer.

I wasn't able to leave the hospital that day. I called my mother in England, and explained what was going on. Reasonably, she was very worried.

At that time, the true nature of the tumor was still unclear.

But, it was undoubtedly malignant. After that, from Christmas into the new year, I had a very long three week wait. I badly wished to be able to wrestle again, just one more time.

Lying in bed, waiting for surgery, and sleeping in that same bed, of course I was thinking "It would be so good to wrestle again"

I was lucky, and my doctor told me that they had been able to remove the entirety of the cancer.

Around that time, MAO had been planning his Birthday Party Match, which he wanted to be CDK vs MAO and TAKA Michinoku. I absolutely wanted to return to the ring. Five weeks after my surgery, I returned to the ring. I may have rushed it a bit. But I lacked the self-control to wait any longer. And afterwards, I feel that it was the correct choice to make.

The fact is, Desperado and I have been discussing having a match together for a long time. And that's not simply a matter of mutually respecting each other and our abilities as wrestlers.

The two of us get along well. We share a similar desire to create things that are unusual, that are unique, that are interesting. Things that exist outside of conventional preconceived ideas.

I can't speak for Despe but as for myself, I have no interest in being "the best in the world." My only desire is to have fun, to make good memories for others, and of course, to make good memories for myself.

I don't know what kind of match Despe and I will show you, but whatever the result, I have a feeling it will be a day, a match, and a moment that will remain in my heart forever. I want to challenge and to be challenged. I want to feel alive. I know that El Desperado is an opponent who will give me everything that I selfishly desire... And I hope that the result of this selfish indulgence will be enjoyable, unforgettable and magnificent for everyone who watches it.

I'm excited. It will be a day in Ryogoku that holds a lot of meaning. So be prepared to laugh, to cry, and to truly feel alive."

Despe replied:

"Thanks for your thoughts on everything to this point

And I wonder how many more times I'll be able to meet an opponent who truly understands my desires?

I'm glad Takahashi Hiromu was in the same class as me

I'm glad Fale was in the same class as me

I'm glad Chris is wrestling in the same era as me

I'm glad Chris is a true friend who feels the same way I do

Because of that,

I won't hold back."

#el desperado #chris brookes #njpw #ddt pro #my translation #I am so excited for this match you have no idea #It always feels weird to translate Chris back into English #Despe usually keeps up the kayfabe that he's not Mikami (or at least that he's PRETENDING to not be Mikami)#So for him to drop that and talk about being in the same NJPW dojo class as Hiromu and Fale is always kind of a shock

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berniesrevolution · 3 months ago

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The set of benefits I am calling the Family Fun Pack causes income to be net transferred away from smaller families and towards larger families; away from older families and towards younger families; and away from richer families and towards poorer families.

The net transfers from smaller to larger families directly address the mere addition problem while the net transfers from older families to younger families directly address the lifecycle income problem. The net transfers from richer to poorer families is a cherry on top that also ensures that older and smaller families with lower incomes are partially shielded from taxes required by the Family Fun Pack scheme.

The Family Fun Pack consists of the following seven programs.

Around three months before the birth of a child, mothers will be eligible to receive a baby box that contains essential baby items like clothes, diapers, and wipes. The box the items comes in will be made of sturdy cardboard and lined with a mattress in order to serve as a bassinet. Baby boxes are currently provided to mothers in Finland and Scotland.20 Four US states—Ohio, Alabama, New Jersey, and Texas—also have baby box programs for some mothers.21

The Social Security Administration will administer the program by contracting with vendors who prepare baby boxes and ship them to benefit recipients. Individuals will establish their eligibility for a baby box through a certification of pregnancy submitted by their doctor.

Around the time of the birth of a child, parents will be eligible to take a total of 36 weeks of job-protected leave from work and receive an income benefit from the Social Security Administration while they are on leave.

If there is only one custodial parent, then that parent will be entitled to the entire 36 weeks of leave. If there are two custodial parents, then each parent will be entitled to 18 weeks of leave by default, but will also be permitted to transfer as much as 14 of their 18 weeks to the other parent. The option to transfer leave allows couples to split their parental leave entitlement in the way that they prefer.

The income benefit will be based on the highest earning year from the last three years of the recipient’s Social Security earnings record. The benefit will replace 100 percent of earnings up to the minimum wage (currently $15,080 per year) and 66 percent of earnings that exceed the minimum wage. The maximum benefit will be capped at the national average wage as measured by the national average wage index (currently $50,321.89 per year).22 All new parents will be eligible for benefits equal to at least the minimum wage even if they have no earnings on record.

This parental leave proposal is an improvement on the leading alternative, called the Family Act, for five reasons.23

This proposal truly is a parental leave proposal in that it only provides benefits to new parents. The Family Act combines parental leave with other leave benefits, which leads to conceptual and political muddling.

This proposal ensures all new parents receive at least the minimum wage while on leave. The Family Act would provide no benefits to parents without earnings records and would provide below-minimum-wage benefits to many low-earners.

This proposal uses a more generous earnings replacement formula: 100 percent replacement up to the minimum wage and 66 percent replacement afterwards. The Family Act uses a flat 66 percent replacement formula.

This proposal provides 36 weeks of parental leave per child. The Family Act only provides 12 weeks if one parent is present or 24 weeks if both parents are present.

This proposal allows parents to transfer as much as 14 weeks of their leave entitlement to the other parent. The Family Act does not permit any such transferring.

In the Family Fun Pack framing, parental leave would be understood as a benefit for children, with the benefit consisting of the care provided by their parents during leave. This also differs from conventional paid leave framing, which construes the program primarily as a benefit for working adults.

Parents with children between the ages of six months and three years will be provided a free spot in a public child care center. Parents who prefer to provide child care at home can forego their public child care spot and instead receive a home child care benefit paid by the Social Security Administration.

The federal government will fund the free child care program through grants, but local school districts will administer it. The federal grants will cover all of the costs of providing the child care service, including capital expenditures and worker pay. The federal government will also set standards for the provision of child care, including child-to-adult ratios and wage levels. If a school district does not cooperate with the program, the federal government will establish its own federally-administered child care centers in the area covered by the uncooperative district.

Those who opt for the home child care benefit rather than a public child care spot will be paid a weekly benefit that is roughly equal to the per-child wages of childcare workers. So, for instance, the median childcare worker has an annual salary of $22,290.24 The recommended child-to-adult ratio for these workers is around four to one depending on the age of the child.25 Dividing $22,290 by four gives $5,730 per year, which is $110 per week. Thus, under prevailing child-to-adult ratios and prevailing childcare worker wages, the weekly home child care benefit would be $110 per child. If the ratios or prevailing wages change, e.g. because the new public child care system sets higher wages, then the home child care allowance would change with it.

Children between the ages of three and five will be eligible to attend free public pre-k, just as many already do in Oklahoma, New York City, and Washington DC.26 This program will mirror the structure of the free public child care program. The federal government will fully fund the free pre-k program through grants, but local school districts will administer it, just as they already administer free k–12 education. If a school district refuses to cooperate with the new program, then the federal government will open its own pre-k facilities in that district. Unlike with child care, there will be no benefits available to those seeking to do pre-k at home, i.e. through homeschooling.

(Continue Reading)

#politics #the left #progressive #progressive movement #democratic socialism #socialism #childcare #welfare #bernie sanders #peoples policy project #long post #long reads

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dancingrain9625 · 1 year ago

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Attendant of Change and Growth

Why did I write this?

I dunno I was bored and Elizabeth has been on my mind a lot.

Velvet Room Attendant Reader x Honkai Star Rail Various

The reader is pretty much Elizabeth for the HSR universe.

—

Trailblazer

Memory [Name]: First Encounter Meeting them was a bizarre turn of events. Defeating the doomsday beast at Herta's Station with their mere arrival and taking its place as our opponent as a way to "apologize to us." Had the stellaron inside me not awakened and drawn Nanook's gaze I'm not sure what may have happened but... I think [Name] would have spared us either way. Memory [Name]: Nickname The second time [Name] and I had met they called me by a new monicker. Or a new title they clarified after some misunderstandings. I was the Fool. Memory [Name]: Their Search [Name] had once unveiled to me that they were looking for a question. A journey for them to embark on. I asked whether they'd join us but I was quickly turned down with the response that this was my journey. One whose destination I would have to reach on my own terms. Not that they were against a sudden "Twist of fate every now and again. I'll be sure to make it up to you." I fear what that may entice.

Black Swan

About [Name]: Parlor Tricks I remember a time I had attempted to gaze into their memories only to be met with the response "Such parlor tricks can get stuffed!" About [Name]: Dancing They have quite a bizarre way of dancing you know? I can't say it doesn't suit them though. Like a storm, you simply have to move along with it lest you risk getting swept away. I did enjoy teaching them how to dance in a ballroom properly afterward. About [Name]: Divining Fate Have you had your fate divined by them? I was able to convince them to do it for a few people. Despite their strange conventions and cards the fates they predict often come true. Something that I can tell disappoints them seeing as how they often predict hardship or challenges that the recipient tends to not want to face. Not because they brought about that hardship but because despite their warning the person doesn't prepare themselves.

HuoHuo

About [Name]: A Demon?! Hair as white as snow and yellow piercing eyes..! They're a demon in mortal clothing I'm sure! Yet you sure like spending time with them! Haha! You kept asking when the next time they'd come back would be! About [Name]: Courage Training No more! No more, please! I prefer the comedic horrors I watch to the scary monsters in their book! They're perfect for training! You should be thanking them for such perfect sparring partners! Especially if you get to fight these scary things without your life actually being at risk! About [Name]: Talisman We made a few sealing talismans together once before, but when I used them on a spirit, it was exorcised completely. I wanted to ask for more but- No way! Not until you can make one like that on your own!

Thoughts?

#honkai star rail #persona 4 #hsr x reader #gender neutral reader #huohuo #black swan #trailblazer #stelle #caelus #persona 3 #p3r #Elizabeth

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lunarubra · 8 months ago

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So, here we are. This chapter is shorter than the others, but I wanted to wrap up the first part of the story in a sweet way, and this is what came out. It's pure fluff—I hope you like it! :) More will happen in the next parts, I just need to get back into writing and feel good about it. Thank you for being patient with me, and I’m sorry for the long wait. Comments make me very happy..

Pairing: Cillian x OC (Jiyan Fabris)

Summary: The end of the first part of the story, where they both finally found their balance.

Warning: English not my First Language, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort.

Words: 2266

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Chapter 9 - Glow of the Water

“You know, I always expect the worst from this island, but I’m glad it surprises me sometimes,” Jiyan said with a playful smile.

Cillian, who was driving, shot her a mildly offended look. They had just left Galway, where the night before he’d celebrated the 35th anniversary of the local theatre with fellow actors and screenwriters. It was also where she finally met his famous friend Enda—the one he couldn’t stop talking about.

The event had been incredible—watching all the interconnected plays was engaging, and Jiyan finally got to see Cillian perform on stage, which was one of the most special things he shared with her. Afterward, the actors gathered at a local pub for a lively, traditional Irish night. It was the most fun Jiyan had had in months, especially watching Cillian and Enda get tipsy a bit too quickly, something she found endlessly amusing. Teasing her drunk boyfriend might have bordered on cruelty, but she had enjoyed it far too much to care.

The following morning, after a couple of Bloody Marys for Cillian—and tea for Jiyan, who still couldn’t understand why anyone would want to drink tomatoes (tomatoes were for cooking or salads, not for juice)—and a hearty breakfast, they set off for the coast. Jiyan hadn’t seen much of Ireland outside Dublin, except for a visit to Cork with Cillian, but she’d never explored the western coast or the countryside, which Cillian found hard to believe. She’d been in Ireland for nearly five months, as he reminded her while planning the trip, and still hadn’t visited some of its most beautiful spots. To him, that needed immediate fixing.

“What do you mean?” Cillian asked, frowning slightly.

“Well, you have to admit, as lovely as it is, it’s always raining. And when it’s not, the sun plays hide-and-seek with the clouds. I almost cried last week when the weatherman said we were in for a ‘nice week.’ You know why? Because that ‘nice week’ meant sixteen hours of sunshine. Sixteen hours. For the whole week! That has to violate the Geneva Convention or something.”

“The ‘weatherman’?” Cillian asked, amused.

“In Italy, we’d call him uccello del malaugurio—someone who only brings bad news and somehow makes it happen.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s not actually controlling the weather, love.”

“He’s bringing bad luck, I swear! I know you Irish are used to this, but I’m not. The other day, a woman probably thought I was lost. I kept weaving between buildings, crossing the street a thousand times, trying to chase the sun!”

Cillian stifled a groan, well aware of how frustrating it was to walk with her on sunny days. He almost preferred when it rained, because Jiyan would prepare like a marine about to head into battle—wrapped in two scarves, a beanie covering most of her face—and would march through the streets, efficient and fast. But on sunny days? It was like following an overexcited child with no sense of direction. She’d zigzag across the street, dodging every shadow cast by buildings, street lamps, anything that blocked the sun. She’d jaywalk without hesitation just to stay in the light, and sometimes she even abandoned the sidewalk to walk in the middle of the road. Needless to say, the neighbours had become extra watchful whenever Jiyan was out and about.

The playful banter faded naturally, giving way to the soft sound of Nina Simone’s voice, setting a relaxed, comfortable mood in the car. They were driving along a coastal road where the cliffs met the ocean, the peaceful day mirroring the calm inside. Unlike the stormy days before, the sea was serene, and the sun hung lazily on the horizon. Even with the windows closed, Jiyan could hear the distant calls of seagulls, blending perfectly with Nina Simone’s soothing voice from the speakers.

Cillian’s hand had unconsciously found its way to her leg, drawing lazy circles with his thumb, while Jiyan absentmindedly caressed his forearm. She felt more relaxed than she had in a long time, simply enjoying the scenery and the warm sunlight spilling through the window.

“So why do you say it surprises you?” he asked.

“Well, even though this isn’t exactly my kind of weather, it’s really beautiful—and I’m kind of surprised by that,” she joked, then turned toward him and took his hand. She smiled softly and paused for a moment. “Thank you for today.”

Cillian glanced at her, returning her smile as if trying to capture the moment forever—Jiyan with her wild hair escaping the messy bun, gazing out toward the ocean, her eyes reflecting the different shades of the water.

“We’re almost there,” he said, holding her hand and kissing it.

The trail seemed to fly by as they walked along the cliffs, the beauty of the landscape unlike anything Jiyan had ever experienced. She thought, if there was a place where the colour green had been invented, it had to be here.

They spent most of the hike chatting—getting into lively talks about European and American cinema and even a passionate debate over The Beatles over the Rolling Stones. But once they reached the Cliffs of Moher, the conversation faded, and Jiyan just stood there, quiet, taking in the stunning view.

She leaned back against Cillian’s chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Her hands rested on his, holding him as she soaked in the moment, lost in the scenery and the peacefulness surrounding them.

She snuggled deeper into Cillian’s embrace, letting out a contented sigh.

"I love this," she said softly, her voice barely louder than the wind. "It’s beautiful. I don’t think I’ve felt this at peace in... I can’t even remember when."

Cillian hummed in agreement, pulling her even closer. Her hair, tousled by the breeze, brushed against his chin as he pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head.

They stood there for a while, wrapped in each other and the wild beauty surrounding them. The cliffs stretched out endlessly, meeting the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean below. The sea, dark and restless, crashed against the rocks, but the horizon was calm, the late afternoon sun casting a golden light over everything.

"I’m glad you finally got to see this," Cillian murmured, his voice low. "I’ve been wanting to bring you here since we were in Cork."

Jiyan smiled, her gaze still fixed on the ocean. "I get it now. It’s... overwhelming in the best way. It feels like time just stops here."

Cillian chuckled softly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "That’s Ireland for you. It has a way of pulling you in, even when you least expect it."

She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him, her eyes warm and bright. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said, her voice softer and more intimate this time.

"Anytime," he whispered, giving her a gentle squeeze. "It’s moments like this that make all the rain and cloudy days worth it."

They stood together in comfortable silence, both lost in the tranquillity of the moment. Finally, Jiyan broke the stillness, her tone light but playful as she glanced up at him.

“If I had told Samyah last year that I’d find peace—and a whole new life—in Ireland, she probably would’ve staged an intervention,” Jiyan chuckled.

Cillian stiffened slightly, unsure of what to say. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "You’ve never really talked again about... about what happened, about her. I didn’t want to pry."

Jiyan tightened her grip on his arms around her waist, as if steadying herself. She let out a soft breath. "I never really talked about what happened—before that day when I had the panic attack. It was too painful, and I just hoped I could forget it, lock it away. There are still things that happened after, but I'm not ready to talk about them yet. I don’t even know how to explain it. Then I met you, and I thought I could move on, be happy, and leave everything in the past. But it didn’t work like that. After we got back from Cork, after your sister’s birthday, the panic attacks started again."

"You didn’t tell me..." he said softly, his concern evident.

She turned in his arms to face him. "I know. I’m sorry. I just hoped that if I ignored it long enough, it would disappear."

Cillian cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing her cheek. "I don’t think it works that way, love."

"No, it doesn’t," she replied with a half-hearted smile, sadness lingering in her eyes. "That’s why I started seeing a therapist. And it’s helping… it’s helping a lot."

"You started therapy? When?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Not long ago, I swear. I’m only on my third session," she said quickly. "I know I should’ve told you sooner, but I wanted to keep it to myself until I felt more comfortable. Honestly, I haven’t been the best patient... I’m not great at asking for help, and it took me a while to figure it out," she admitted. Her voice softened then, her eyes searching his. "Are you... is it okay?"

Cillian’s gaze fixed on her, and he gently placed his hands on her arms. "Am I...? Jiyan, of course. This is good. This is really good." He paused, trying to find the right words. "You’re one of the strongest people I know, but I can’t imagine how hard it must’ve been dealing with everything that happened. I want to help, but sometimes... I'm really not sure how."

"Therapy is good—it’s so important," he continued, hesitating for a moment as he glanced around, almost like the scenery might give him the words he needed. "There were days when I could tell something was off. You seemed distant, and I thought giving you space was the right thing to do... that maybe you didn’t want to be pushed. I’m sorry if I wasn’t there when you needed me." he concluded lowering his gaze.

Jiyan shook her head gently, her eyes softening. "Cillian, you’ve already helped more than you know. You didn’t need to fix everything. You just had to be here, and you were. That’s all I needed."

He exhaled slowly, relieved by her words but still carrying a hint of hesitation. "I just... I hate that you went through this alone. I should’ve said something or done more."

She smiled, placing her hand over chest, just above his heart. "I’m working through a lot of things, but one thing I’m sure about... You came into my life exactly when I needed you. I wasn’t ready before, and I don’t think I would’ve let anyone in." Her voice softened as she continued, "But you made it safe for me. I know I shut down sometimes, but you’ve always been patient. You gave me space when I needed it and support when I couldn’t ask for it."

Cillian lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers. "I’m glad, but... I’m here, Jiyan. It’s not just you—I’m here," he emphasised again. "You don’t have to carry it all alone."

"I know," she whispered. "It’s not easy for me, but I’m learning that it’s okay to lean on people again."

They stood there for a moment, forehead to forehead, the gentle sound of the ocean filling the quiet between them. The weight of her words seemed to settle around them, but instead of feeling heavy, it brought a sense of lightness, as if a burden had finally been lifted.

Cillian stepped back slightly, gazing at the person who had entered his life like a hurricane and somehow filled every gap, every empty space inside him. He thought about all the times his friends or brother, after yet another failed relationship, had told him he’d just know when he met the right person. They said it would feel natural, intense, and effortless—he wouldn’t even have to think about it. And they were right. Before he realised it, he was completely connected to her.

“Tá mé i ngrá leat,” he murmured, feeling Jiyan stiffen slightly.

"You..." she started.

"You don’t have to say anything," he said gently. "I just... Tá mé i ngrá leat, Jiyan," he repeated, cupping her face.

“Ez jî ji te hez dikim,” she whispered back.

"What?" he asked, baffled.

"What, I know what you told me in Irish, and you don’t understand Kurdish?" she teased, a playful smile spreading across her face.

Cillian laughed softly, his expression warming. "I think you’ve got the advantage when it comes to languages, Aji."

"I love you too," she said again, this time more softly, and then kissed him slowly. She poured all her emotions into the kiss—all the love, gratitude, and vulnerability she had held inside. Cillian responded in kind, holding her even closer as the moment deepened.

When the kiss finally ended, they stayed like that, forehead to forehead, breathing heavily, as if they’d both come up for air after diving deep into something profound.

"Okay, this was amazing—I love you, and the place is beautiful," Jiyan said with a teasing tone, "but it’s freezing, way too cold for tiny Mediterranean me. Can we go back?"

Cillian laughed softly, kissing her forehead “Yeah we can go back, come on”.

As they began to walk back along the cliffs, the salty breeze tousled their hair and the distant sound of waves crashing against the rocks filled the air. Jiyan leaned into Cillian’s side, feeling warmth radiate from him despite the chill of the weather. They exchanged smiles, sealing their pact in that beautiful moment, the ocean and the cliffs standing as their witnesses.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter. Your feedback, in any form helps me to continue write this story; and comments makes me happy. See you at the next one :)

#shadows of the sea #jiyan fabris x cillian murphy #cillian murphy x oc #cillian murphy fanfic #cillian murphy fanfiction #cillian murphy #cillianmurphy #cillian murphy x reader #cillian x reader #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x y/n

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br1ghtestlight · 2 years ago

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bob belcher is autistic and here's why!!

social difficulties. this one is pretty obvious bcuz one of bob's most important traits is how introverted and antisocial he is and how he doesn't like being around people (outside of family) or being forced to make conversation. he spends holidays cooking in the kitchen as an excuse to not have to talk to his in-laws and he's generally very socially awkward because its hard for him to read other people and he gets stressed out easily. when he DOES have people he wants to interact with socially he's anxious that he's doing something wrong and that he'll say something to make them hate them such as phone calls or when he's texting his dad friends ("just try not to be... how you are." "i always try to do that") and seems to have a hard time reading what other people think about him especially through text or knowing when he's being rude or hurtful (like that burger convention episode where he thought he made friends but everybody hated him and was talking behind his back bcuz he misread social signals) he also seems to have a hard time reading other people's body languages and emotions. he also HATES large gatherings and parties as stated in multiple episodes. he seems to calm down and decompress by being alone and focusing on doing his own thing

lack of emotional expression. very similar to tina bob has a monotone voice and lack of facial expression compared to his family members and other characters on the show. while he CAN express his emotions through voice he mostly says what he means or how he's feeling and expects other people to do the same. very rarely genuinely smiles etc (not because he isn't happy!!! it doesn't seem to come naturally to him most of the time)

hyperfixations on specific topics and interests. while obviously bob's main interest is cooking and anything related to the production and growing of food as seen in countless episodes (thanksgiving episodes especially and any episode where he's gardening or growing plants) he does have other hyperfixations too. big examples are CAKE in that one episode and how linda says that bob gets obsessed with "boring things" too like soap carving or that episode where he hyperfixated on the internet cucumber. when this happens he focuses all his energy on the topic and doesn't seem to care about much else as seen in the episode where he gets a juicer for christmas and throughout the episode he's either excited about different juicing combinations or complaining about how he can't use his juicier ("in my head i'm at home juicing right now") while forcing his family to drink his combinations. also that History Of Pepper book that he got super into. enjoys explaining this interests to other people whether or not they seem interested in what he's saying (like in that goddamn cucumber episode)

hyper empathy for and attachment to inanimate objects. this is a HUGE thing for bob as he's always seen talking to inanimate objects around him like food as he prepares it or his kitchen utensils. he uses this to express his feelings and talk through uncertain situations but he also seems to have real empathy and emotions towards them as seen in the episode where he gets into a fight with the turkey banister or when lance the turkey gets shot. he also gets very emotional when he has to work in a different kitchen and apologizes to his stove several times

sticking to routine and resistance to change. bob clearly values his routine at the restaurant with his burger of the day etc and his family seems to have a fairly consistent daily routine with dinner and watching tv afterwards every night. in the seaplane episode linda is upset because she thinks bob's dates are boring because he always wants to go back to the same boring/reliable places that he already knows that he likes vs wanting to try something new that he possibly won't enjoy which is VERY autistic tbh

taking things literally or having trouble with sarcasm. doesn't come up very often BUT in the pigeon episode when linda tells bob to give the pigeon a bath and so he takes a bath with it and she was like NO BOBBY IN THE SINK!!! and he's like i wouldn't fit in the sink? :( thats autism baby

burnout. bob tends to hyperfixate on his job and his love of cooking but if he does this for too long without taking a break it can lead to burnout where he's seen having trouble with running the restaurant and more sensitive/annoyed by other people talking to him so he needs to take a break even if he resists this at first. very autistic experience to Hyperfixate so hard you forget your basic needs and have trouble remembering to take care of yourself

struggles with motor control and following directions. this is a smaller symptom but bob is shown having trouble with tying even basic knots and has an inability to follow maps or written instructions which can be a symptom of autism/developmental disorders. also he has a stutter which similarly is often comorbid with developmental disabilities/speech disorders

occasionally struggles with eye contact (during parent-teacher interviews)

strong sense of justice. bob very clearly has strong emotional responses and a strong sense of justice in situations that he sees as unfair and can react strongly without thinking it through. problems w/ impulse control and high emotion

bob isn't shown stimming very often but similarly to tina i think he mostly has his vocal stims that he uses in stressful situations ("oh my god. oh my god") in the movie he can also be seen groaning for hours at a time and going almost completely nonverbal in a stressful situation much like tina does which means it is likely a trait that she inherited from bob. he also paces around and seems to be predisposed to having shutdowns in stressful situations or when he's very anxious

not directly related but bob seems to think that he's MUCH better at masking than he actually is and i think that's very funny. he's like nobody knows im autistic :) <- everybody knows that he is autistic

#not all these traits are exclusive to autism and not every autistic person has all of them (or even most of them) and there's ones #im not adding because they don't really apply to bob but yknow #bob belcher is autistic. u understand #txt #bob's burgers #bob belcher

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ananke-xiii · 6 months ago

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okay so the thing that I personally like about that scene in the confession booth in "Paint In Black" is that, to me, it feels very real? precisely because there is no confession at all.

Like, Dean enters that booth knowing he needs to lie about his sins because he's on a case but then he ends up starting what the priest calls "soul-searching", aka the "examination of conscience". Now, this is cool because, techincally speaking, one should do that before confession, to prepare for it and to actually confess one's sins in a "sincere" way. However, since the first confession in a catholic's life happens before first communion, which in turns happens around age 10-12, it's not infrequent for young people (and not only them, I believe) to just... lie about their sins. I surely did because, truth be told, the church had sent us on a "spiritual retreat" trip to learn how to do this internal examination and do our first confession afterward but I was like: dude, I'm only 11. So I lied because the silence was awkward and I apparently just *had to have found* at least a tiny speck of sin inside myself which I honestly didn't.

So I'm not going as far as to say that lying at confession is a canon event for young catholics but that scene felt 100% absolutely real to me. Of course, fiction being fiction, that scene had to mean something else as well and Dean is neither catholic nor a teenager (and he's also bearing the literal first curse, lol) so his surprise at the "say four or five prayers and you're good as new" feels genuine. SO he starts asking (himself) questions, which is a good first step for some serious soul-searching: "I thought I was ready to die but what if I'm not? As a matter of fact, I'm starting to think that I'm definitely not and I'm scared because I want to live my life because maybe there is more to it than I thought". Woah, this is heavy, existential-level stuff. And, of course, we don't get to hear the real confession and I think it's fair and beautiful because: a. wanting to live life is not a sin to confess; b. how one wants to live their lives is nobody's business; c. confession is indeed confidential so it wasn't for our ears to hear it anyway.

What we do hear is Sister Mathias "confessing" to Dean that that guy was cheating on his girlfriend. She wasn't a priest so she wasn't bound to secrecy but she did bond with Dean and so she spilled the tea. She's presented a little bit like "Gina", aka a smokescreen: yeah she's the hot nun that Dean finds attractive but is she really? I mean, yeah she is hot okay, but Dean's attracted to her because she seems to have gone through something that's similar to that he feels he's going through as well and wants to ask her questions and know about her experience.

There's an unsual sensitivity for a Buckleming episode around Sister Mathias because she's made a very specific choice and she's not judged for it. She understood Isabella because they also happened to share a similar story made of "painful love". Because of that love, Isabella was forced, unlike Sister Mathias, to enter a convent even though she felt like dying when she did so. Isabella committed an awful act but I mjust admit that I feel sympathy for her because her life was undeniably sad and ended horribly. Even as a ghost, first of all she ended up in a foreign land (lol, ghosts language is universal I guess), but she was also eternally tied to that one painting made by the lover who "betrayed" her. She lost everything, she had nothing that belonged to her. Not even her journal was hers, because it had become her father's after her death.

It's interesting that, just like we don't get Dean's "real" confession, Dean didn't want Sam to read Isabella's journal. There’s – there’s things, there’s…people, feelings that must stay secret. Or only told to and shared with the right person.

#sorry those gifs made me emotional and made me remember stuff #but i do believe “Paint in black” in a good episode where bucklemming women are unsually interesting.#like I bet you wanted to know more about sister mathias' love life that was so painful she decided to marry jesus #i surely wanted to #spn #supernatural #dean winchester #spn s10 #paint it black

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thewitcheswitch89 · 1 year ago

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The Witches Image

Papa Emeritus IV - Part 2

You can also read on:

Min Heyoka (@TheWitcheswitch89) - Wattpad

"Hi, I'm Madison!" She held out her hand to me with a grin and pushed a strand of her straw-blonde hair behind her ear with her other hand. Her bright blue eyes scrutinized me curiously. "You're really pretty!".

"Ehmm... thanks?" I grinned back and shook her hand. "I'm Lia! And it looks like I'm your new roommate!". Madison laughed.

"Yes, I've been living here on my own for a while. So please don't be surprised... I've made myself quite at home here in that time. If I'd known earlier that I was getting a new roommate, I would have cleaned up!" She put her hands in her pockets and nodded at me.

"Yes... I was taken by surprise too! It was more of a spontaneous transfer!" I let my gaze wander around the room. In the middle was a small couch with lots of colorful cushions. In front of it was a small table and a simple flat-screen TV hung on the wall. There was a console underneath.

"Wow... you have time to play games here?" I asked.

"Yes!" Madison laughed. "We sometimes have a lot of free time. Especially when we have another tour coming up...we often get to work on our own!".

I'd almost forgotten about the Ghost Project. From what I had heard, they had only recently returned from their last tour. I loved their music, but hadn't had the chance to really follow them recently. My day had been too full for that and I was too tired in the evening.

The kitchen was small, but had everything you needed to prepare a small snack. A small fridge, microwave, tea cupboard, kettle and, most importantly, a coffee machine. A small stove with a mini worktop was squeezed under the window next to the sink.

"It's not much!" sighed Madison next to me. "But we usually go to the canteen for lunch. The food is ok...We're also lucky here with the showers. We have one of the few rooms that has its own bathroom. The lower rooms have to share one! This is my room...and this is yours...it's even a bit bigger!". Madison winked at me and opened the door on the opposite side of the room.

"The sister who lived here before really liked the color black...I hope you like it. It's not so easy to get paint here."

I was amazed when I saw the dark walls. The dark wooden floor creaked with every step. A large metal bed stood in the middle of the room, on an old Persian rug, comforter, pillow and cover neatly folded on a gray wing chair in the corner of the large window. Next to it was a desk and a dark two-door closet.

"Amazing!" I marveled and dropped my bag next to my suitcases. "This room is as big as the room I shared with one of my sisters in the old convent!"

"Well... that's luxury for you then!" Madison leaned against the doorframe and watched me with a grin. "You'll have more privacy here."

"Privacy?" I laughed. "What's that? Sounds like music to my ears!".

"Speaking of music...I still have the old stereo from your previous tenant...would you like to have it?" she asked and disappeared into the living room without waiting for an answer, shortly afterwards she came around the corner with a box. "There are CDs here too! From Ghost, of course!".

I took the box from her and was amazed when I examined the system.

"Why would you leave something like that behind?" I asked myself.

"She moved out overnight! I don't know what really happened! But she must have been kicked out!" Madison sighed and knelt down next to you to look at the CDs. "Above all, I would have taken these with me...they're all signed!". I took the CDs from her hand in disbelief, wondering at the same time what you had to do to get kicked out of a convention. The realization hit me in the face shortly afterwards. Wasn't it almost the same for me?

"I'll let you unpack first," she said and stood up with a sigh. "When you're done, I can show you around later...I have to go to the library now...catch up on stuff. I'll be back around 6pm. Then we'll go to dinner...see you then!". She waved to me and reached for her bag on the sofa. Before she went out the door, she turned around again: "Nice to see you here Lia!". I nodded to her with a grin. The door closed behind her and I was alone.

The first thing I did was connect the system and insert one of the CDs. "Prequelle." The music filled the still empty room and I closed my eyes for a moment. How long had it been since I had had time to listen to the music I wanted to hear. Without having to pay attention to anyone. Copia's voice was beautiful and dark. It was only one song later that I was able to tear myself away from the trance state the music had put me in and start unpacking my suitcase. I put my clothes neatly in the wardrobe. I stowed my books and the stereo in one of the three dark shelves, which I dusted off first. The only decorative items I had were a wooden crucifix, which I placed above my bed. A wall cloth with a tarot card motif of the moon, candles and a string of lights that I draped over the headboard of the bed. I decided to visit the city in the next few days. Perhaps Madison would accompany me.

After making my bed, I took my laptop out of my bag and sat down at my desk. A quick glance at my alarm clock told me that I still had half an hour before Madison would come back. Enough time to surf the internet a bit.

The encounter with Copia had stayed with me the whole time. My thoughts were constantly revolving around him, if only because I was listening to the album for the second time now and just couldn't get enough. His voice was like a drug, I couldn't get enough of his singing and the words he was saying.

First I typed Ghost into the search engine and was rewarded with lots of pictures. He in his various stage outfits, which looked more than just good on him. I scrolled and scrolled and lost myself deeper and deeper in this rabbit hole. Before I knew it, I found myself saving one of the photos to my laptop. A picture, black and white, obviously taken during one of his performances. His stage make-up matched his outfit perfectly. His gaze was directed at the audience and his white eyes stood out under the dark make-up. He looked very different in this picture. Different from the man I had met in Sister Imperator's office. So confident and attentive. His broad shoulders under his military jacket looked muscular and strong. His hands in the black leather gloves. The tight pants that...

Stop... I closed the laptop and stared out of the window. What was I doing here? Just a few hours ago, I would have loved to get back on the plane and fly home. And now I was sitting here... all my thoughts focused on just one person. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. Faith was playing in the background. And I had to laugh at the irony of the lyrics. He was in my thoughts. He had crept in and taken up residence. From one second to the next. Just one look was enough. Ignoring the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I decided to freshen up for dinner.

"The food today was really exceptional...good!" laughed Madison. We had just eaten dinner. It hadn't been bad, but I was still glad that I hadn't had too much of an appetite.

"We could make Ramen later!", she suggested as we left the canteen behind the others.

"I'd love to!" I replied. And wanted to go the way we had come earlier, but Madison stopped me.

"Wait, we still have to do our Tour!" she grinned.

"But it's to late..." I said, frowning when Madison looked at me like I was crazy.

"Lia...you're here now...things are a bit more relaxed here!" she assured me with a raised eyebrow. I just nodded uncertainly and followed her. "Besides, it's much nicer at noon!".

Madison hadn't promised too much. The first thing she showed me was the chapel. Large candlesticks lined the aisle leading up to the altar. A figure of Lucifer raised one hand to swear and held a bare-breasted woman clasped around the waist with his other arm. Her face contorted in desire. His horns, large and pointed, reached up to the three large arches of stained glass windows behind him. I was sure that the woman in his arms represented Lillith. The first witch, the first wife of Adam, the mother of all demons and the wife of Lucifer. The candles bathed the scene in a beautiful light. The unholy writing was emblazoned on the altar. Surrounded by dark red roses and black candles.

"Didn't I tell you that it's much nicer !" Madison whispered, but her voice still echoed off the walls. The last rays of sunlight refracted in the window and made Lucifer's features seem almost real.

It was hard to tear myself away from this sight, but Madison wanted to continue her tour.

She showed me the Classrooms and Needlework rooms, as well as the Workshop, which smelled of resin. On the way to the library, we stopped at a large iron door, which was only lit by a single dim lamp in the dark.

"Where does it lead to?" I asked, taking a step towards the door.

"Wait!" said Madison. "Don't go in there...the door leads to the Ghoul's common areas...they don't like it so much when you enter their area...territory and all...". Without elaborating, Madison continued on her way in the opposite direction. With one last glance, I followed her towards the library. And if the chapel hadn't taken my breath away, this had. Huge shelves lined the walls and formed rows all the way to the back. Shelves filled from top to bottom with books and scrolls. Large arched windows lined both sides of the room. Tables with chairs or armchairs stood in small alcoves, just beckoning you to snuggle up and read.

"Impressive, isn't it? Come on, I'll show you my favorite place!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her. One of the most beautiful chandeliers I'd seen in a long time hung magnificently from the ceiling with flickering candles.

"This is where I always sit and study...". You stumbled against Madison's shoulder as she stopped abruptly. I looked at her, startled, wondering what had startled her so much. Until I followed her gaze and looked into the eyes that I hadn't been able to get out of my head all day.

Copia was sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the crackling fireplace, holding a book in his hand and staring at us as perplexed as we were at him. The light from the fire cast a warm shadow on his face and made his white eye glow almost orange. His gaze traveled to Madison and then to me.

"Ohh...ehh...good evening!" he closed the book and a smile played around the corners of his mouth. His eyes lingered on mine for a moment too long and I avoided his gaze.

"Papa!" Madison had found her voice again. And gave Copia a look, which he returned. "We're sorry! We didn't mean to disturb you...I...I'm just showing Sister Lia around."

"Ah...buono!" he laughed and nodded at me. "Stick to Sister Madison...she's one of my best students!". Unable to speak, I just nodded at him, which only made him grin even wider.

"Let's get going then! Good night, Papa!" Madison curtseyed briefly and pulled me after her. We ran out of the library, taking one last look at Copia.

Back in your little apartment, I wished Madison a good night and got ready for bed. I slipped under the lavender-scented comforter and stared at the ceiling. I could feel the tiredness slowly pulling me into a deep sleep. When I closed my eyes, I saw Copia's face. His eyes, each a different color, but the white one stood out. Glowing white under the black make-up. This day had done me in. Mentally and physically.

I was glad it was over and wondered what else was in store for me.

"Lia!". A hand gently stroked my arm. Sighing, I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket up to my chin.

"No!" I mumbled.

"Lia!" laughed Madison. "Come on, you have to get up. It's almost noon. You've been asleep so long. Sister Emperor has sent a ghoul. She wants to see you in her office in half an hour!".

I shook my head and turned on my back to look at her out of tired eyes.

"Get up sleepyhead!" she laughed, "You go shower and I'll make you some coffee!". As she walked away, she grabbed my blanket and pulled it to my feet.

"Hey!" I called after her. Which she only replied with a laugh.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and slowly got out of bed. For having slept so long, I felt like I had pulled an all-nighter.

The shower woke my tired bones and the coffee did the rest. 30minutes later I was standing in front of Sister Imperator's office and hesitated for a moment. I needed a bit more time to prepare myself mentally. Just as I sighed and raised my fist to knock, I was distracted by a throat clearing behind me. I winced and turned around.

"Ohh...Mi dispiace, sorella!". Copia was standing behind me, his eyes wide and his hand on his chest, "I didn't mean to scare you!".

For a moment, I lost control of my speech. He was standing so close to me, I could smell his aftershave and I swallowed hard.

He furrowed his eyebrows worriedly and took a step towards me to put his hand on my upper arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked. I shook my head almost imperceptibly, almost as if I was trying to get my brain to work.

"Ehh...yes. Yes!" I stuttered. "I was just so lost in thought! I'm sorry!".

"No need to apologize!" He shook his head and stroked my upper arm. A warm shiver ran down my spine. I looked at his hand and then back at him. The warmth crept into my cheeks as our eyes met. My brain paused for a moment.

"That feels good!" my lips moved as if of their own accord. His eyebrows lifted. And his gaze seemed to glaze over, the pupil of his green eye widened.

For a brief moment, there seemed to be this tension between us. His fingers gripped my upper arm tighter. His eyes wandered to my lips, lingered there. His mouth opened as if he wanted to say something. His fingers slid naturally from my upper arm to my shoulder and rested on the back of my neck. His thumb stroked my chin. Where he touched me, he left a burning sensation on my skin. I shivered under his gaze, which flitted back to my eyes. Deep inside me, I felt the desire to overcome the few centimetres that separated us. Without realizing it, my back pressed against the door leading to Sister Imperator's office. Copia took a step towards me and I felt my heart pounding against my chest. Unable to move, I just stood there, wishing for his lips on mine....

With a jolt, I was snapped back to reality.

The door I had been leaning against opened with a jerk, and the next moment I saw myself lying on the floor in front of Sister Imperator.

"What the...", startled, she looked first at me and then at Copia, who was staring at me with wide eyes. I sat up and rubbed the back of my head.

"What's going on here?". Her eyes wandered questioningly back and forth between me and Copia. Copia was the first to regain his voice.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Sorella!" He bent down to me and held out his hand to help me up. Which I gratefully accepted. "I'm afraid I startled Sister Lia when she was about to knock...Mi dispiace davvero per la mia goffaggine...!".

"It's all right! I'm fine!" I replied. Sister Imperator let out an annoyed sigh.

"Come on, my dear. Sit down!" She gently placed her hand on my back and gently pushed me into her office. "And you... I'm sure you're busy! I'll talk to you later!". I gave Copia a look over my shoulder, which he returned with a nod. Before he turned to Sister Imperator and said: "Of course. Sister! I'll talk to you later!". He put on a smile and disappeared down the corridor with one last fleeting glance at me.

Translation

Mi dispiace davvero per la mia goffaggine - I'm really sorry how clumsy of me

#ghost band #papa emeritus iv #cardinal copia #sister imperator #ghostbandfanfic #the band ghost

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guildofempyreans · 4 months ago

Text

Overcome the Labyrinth Book II: Chapter 7 - Havoc of the Anglers

//The fishing competition begins! The Empyreans (and Leonidas) must prove themselves against competitors new and old in the Waterfall Wood!//

[AO3 LINK]

Thanks to Leonidas having access to a Geomagnetic Pole he’d found near the Giant’s Ruins, the group was able to reach the Waterfall Wood with time to spare. There was a small crowd in the center of the room. In the middle stood an Yggdroid with a red bowtie and small, spherical robots hovering around him.

“Yes. There are five teams total.” the Yggdroid said. One of the mini robots hovered closer to him. “Green, you will observe Group Three: Solo adventurer, Naia. And– Oh!”

The Yggdroid waved at the group. Even without a conventional face, it was easy to feel his enthusiasm. “Hello! I am H0-5T, the host for the directive: Fishing Competition! Are you here to participate?”

Even his voice had a cheer to it, making Zandiel smile. He opened his mouth to reply.

“Yep!” Kor said, raising a hand. “Guild Empyrean, that’s our name! And we’re gonna win this fishy game!”

Wing, who was tasked with carrying Kor, barked loudly. Multiple eyes were on the guild. Zandiel wasn’t sure if he wanted to shrink back or encourage Kor’s behavior. He seemed both excited and proud of the guild.

“Yes, that’s us.” Zandiel added.

“Then you may call me 5T, you daring, bold challengers!” the Yggdroid said, pointing to them. Once he did, every mini robot floated their way.

“What are those–”

Before Zandiel could finish, each robot flashed a bright light on the team. The group shouted and covered their eyes. Wing ducked her head into the ground with a whine, causing Kor to nearly fall off her back.

“Fiend!” Leonidas shouted, grabbing the hilt of his sword without a moment’s hesitation. “Prepare yourse–”

“The spotlight falls on our newest challengers! Guild Name: Empyrean! Tell me your names!”

“Za– A-Ain! Ain. A warning would do, next time!” Zandiel rubbed his eyes, still rattled by the blinding light.

Leonidas drew his sword. Even with his eyes closed in a narrow passage, he avoided harming anyone with the draw. “Leonidas! Prepare yourse–”

“I did not mean to provoke you! Put away your weapon!” 5T quickly replied. “Next name!”

H0-5T soon had everyone’s names and left the group, but not before catching them up on the rules.

Kill as many Fanged Fish as you can before the assigned Bot’s alarm goes off.

One Bot will accompany each team to keep an accurate, unbiased score.

Participants will be disqualified if caught purposefully attempting to share kills with other teams, as that would confuse the Bots.

Participants will be disqualified if they leave the labyrinth or the first floor.

Any participant that purposefully harms a Bot will receive appropriate punishment.

Zandiel nodded at the rules, as quickly as they were stated. He couldn’t bring himself to say much after the last one, though. He just nodded again. Afterwards, the guild was given a bot. It had a purple screen where the score would be displayed.

Kor smiled at the entity that bobbed up and down. “It’s kinda cute! Reminds me of a big eye, though.”

“Hey there, Empyrean! Nice seeing you again! I didn't know you guys were famous!” an unfamiliar person approached the team. They were a Therian with white hair, dressed similarly to the dancers of Tharsis. Their long hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, and a cat-like tail swayed along with them.

“Well, hey to the wolf! I remember you from last week. Remember me?” they asked with a wink.

Wing walked up to the Therian and flopped down in front of them.

“Wuh–” Kor looked down at Wing, then back to the guild. “When’d any of you meet this guy?”

They laughed, waving a hand. “I’m… not a guy, but! Some of your guildmates were looking for the ruins on this island a few nights ago. The Celestrian with the purple hair and the Earthlain with the red hair. And they were with this wolf– I mean Wing!” they explained as they ruffled Wing’s head.

“Oh.” Zandiel cleared his throat. “I-I see.”

“Yeah, I guess they found it alright. Anyway, the name’s Machias, member of the Havoc Guild!” they stuck out a hand to Zandiel. “Nice to meet you.”

Zandiel shook Machias’ hand. “Yes, it’s a pleasure. Though it seems we’ll have to compete for a while.”

“That’s right,” Kor said. “No hard feelings when we totally stomp you.”

Zandiel glared down at Kor, who was looking up expectantly, nodding at Zandiel with a cocky smile.

Very well, just this once.

“We won’t hold back, Machias. And… There’s nothing wrong with getting second place, Havoc Guild.” he added with a smile.

“Yeah! Tell ‘em, Ai!”

“Oh that’s cute.” a new voice said. She was a brown-haired Earthlain wearing the traditional uniform of an Arcanian Herbalist, but she had a giant alchemical gauntlet attached to her left hand. “Big talk, too. Who’re these people?”

“C’mon, didn’t you hear the host? This is the Empyrean Guild. You know, the fishers who found that first set of ruins? There’s… Ain, Kor, Ruki, Wing, Leonidas.” they pointed to each member, then to the alchemist. “This is Cadence, Havoc’s alchemist.”

“Wait, they’re fishers?!” Cadence looked at Machias with worry before looking back at the guild.

So that’s what Machias meant by famous. Persephone had also mentioned their accomplishments in the shrine and jungle when requesting they investigate the Southern Shrine. Among the countless explorers, it felt odd to stick out and be known. …And for their fishing trip to still be one of their exploits.

“But this isn’t gonna be as easy as hooking some fish on a rod!” Cadence said, her confidence returning as if it’d never left. “Do you even know what you’re getting into?”

“Of course. We’re capable fighters as well.” Zandiel replied. “Actually, most of us aren’t fishers to begin with.”

“Four minutes and thirteen seconds until the competition begins!” 5T announced. “Any last minute preparations, drop-outs, additions, or advice? Please come to me, in any such case!”

“Hm… But really,” Machias murmured. “I don’t think you guys are the only tough ones around here. That Therian over there seems like a competitive threat.”

“He’s just one guy.” Cadence said. “Quit stroking his tail, damn!”

“I’m not! I’m being serious! He’s…” Machias looked over their shoulder, then looked back. “Actually, Ain. You know him, don’t you?”

“Hm?”

Zandiel also looked over Machias’ shoulder. He had to narrow his eyes to see that Tenmaar was sitting under a tree, facing away from all the competition.

“Yes, I do. Did he tell you about me?”

“Nah, I haven’t spoken to him. I saw you two walking together one time. I thought, wow, his tail is gorgeous.”

Zandiel laughed.

“I mean– I’m not jealous or anything, it really does seem like a huge hassle, but wow…”

“Would you stop drooling over that guy’s tail?!” Cadence hissed, pressing a finger into Machias’ chest. “If he ends up distracting you, I swear…!”

“Not to worry, I believe he hides it during battle.” Zandiel said. “Now I know Kor seemed a bit competitive, but he’s only having fun, and I hope to do the same.” He held a hand out to Cadence. “I truly hope there are no hard feelings, come what may.”

Cadence took Zandiel’s hand. “Alright, alright.”

With a wave from Cadence and a goodbye from Machias, Zandiel decided to at least say hello to Tenmaar. Who knew if they’d see each other during the competition? He was still sitting by the tree. His eyes were closed, and his legs were crossed. Was he meditating, or…

“Tenmaar?” Zandiel spoke quietly. A part of him didn’t want to disturb him, but he honestly couldn't tell if he was asleep.

“Yeah?” Tenmaar opened his eyes with a flick of his ear. “Here to tell me no hard feelings?”

“No, no… That was just a bit of friendly competitive encouragement.”

“Obviously.” Tenmaar stretched an arm up and sighed. “But that Kor’s a little punk. Try not to make actual enemies with him around.”

“He’s no punk, but I understand where you’re coming from.” Zandiel leaned against the tree. “I don't mean to sound rude, but are you aiming for the first prize alone?”

Tenmaar shook his head. “I’ve been needing to let off some steam lately. I figured clearing out monsters and maybe getting some money out of it’s a good way to do it. What about you?”

“The prize would be nice.” he admitted. “We actually came here to defeat some Scylla Crabs for dinner, but we learned about this competition on the way. Hopefully we’ll get first place and have some seafood for dinner.”

“Is that why Lee’s with you guys?”

“Yes! Alverion wanted some crab legs, and Leonidas wanted to help.”

“Sure, but… You know this competition lasts for six hours, right? Dinner usually starts at five. Unless you're quitting early.”

“Well…” he looked at Leonidas, who was speaking enthusiastically with a blue-haired Ronin. The two had their swords out, and seemed to be comparing them. “He likely has a plan.”

Tenmaar glared at the Shogun. “If I get back to the inn after this and no one’s cooked anything, I’m gonna be pissed.”

The more Zandiel thought it out, the less certain he was of tonight’s dinner. “Folze should have something ready by then.”

“One minute until the competition begins!” 5T said. “Gather your teams and prepare to leave through either of the doors!”

Tenmaar stood up, dragging his Drive Blade along with him and causing a quiet chime to come from him. “Alright, guess it’s time.”

“Was that a bell?”

“Uh. Yeah.” he looked away and mumbled, “...tail.”

Once he caught on, he looked behind Tenmaar and saw a small silver bell tied on the base of the tail. “Oh. You really do like to accessorize! It looks lovely.”

Either Tenmaar didn’t respond, or H0-5T starting his countdown drowned out Tenmaar’s voice as he headed to one of the doors. Zandiel hurried off to the opposite. H0-5T took off his bow and held it high once he reached five. He held it up until he counted to one, then swung his hand down with a galvanizing “GO!”

“Alright, let’s do this- hey!” Kor shouted as a group of adventurers ran past. “Sheeesh. Alright, competition’s serious.”

Ruki signed to Kor with a frown, then a roll of her eyes.

“I goaded an appropriate amount.” Kor reasoned, looking away and crossing his arms.

Now that they were in a main area of the labyrinth, Zandiel took a look around. The Waterfall Wood was beautiful. True to its name, there was a small waterfall pouring down a ravine, leaving a pleasant petrichor scent and a refreshing breeze. There were lively, vibrant flowers dotted around too. Like many labyrinths, it would have been relaxing and serene if not for the monsters.

Zandiel took a deep breath. It was a shame… he really would have enjoyed a picnic here. Maybe there was still a way to arrange that.

Ruki pat Zandiel on the shoulder and pointed to the Bot that was assigned to them. It hovered around as if it didn’t know what to do.

“Ah, right. I’m getting distracted.”

Ruki pointed to Leonidas, who was similarly in awe, but was a bit further back than the Empyrean Guild.

“Leonidas?” he asked. The Shogun was startled, grabbing the hilt of his blade.

“One must offer his apologies. We were reminiscing!” Leonidas said, taking out his silver, nameless sword. “To see the Waterfall Wood after all this time, and on an entirely different continent, is odd.”

“Yeah, you get it!” Kor said. “That’s how I felt when we walked into the Lush Woodlands.”

“Mhmm.” Ruki agreed before pulling out her weapon. “Shh.”

Zandiel took out his shield, standing near Kor and Wing. A green spiky creature and a blue mollusk came skulking out the bushes.

“Well those aren’t fish.” Kor scoffed. “Should we run or fight?”

“What are they capable of, exactly?” Zandiel asked. He’d prefer to know something before making their decision, and Leonidas was the perfect person to explain.

“Analysis:” the Bot said, startling everyone. “Deadly Durian. Origin: Waterfall Wood, Armoroad Yggdrasil. Current Location: Waterfall Wood, Lemuria. Description: A fruit monster with a pungent smell. Its thorns temporarily rob the victim's sight. Weaknesses: Cutting, High Temperatures. Resistances: Electricity.”

“Oh. I–”

The Bot quickly offered its analysis on the other enemy. A Starry Slug, capable of conjuring ice, weak to piercing, and resistant to all magical elements.

“Ahem. Thank you very much. There’s no use in avoiding them. We should be able to dispatch them quickly.” Zandiel had to wonder what else these Bots could do.

The monsters had turned to them by now, and particles of energy were gathering around the slug.

“Well said! Now…” Leonidas threw an outstretched, commanding hand out. “Fight! Let us see how much stronger the Empyrean Guild has become since our last labyrinth cooperation!”

Zandiel started by narrowly blocking the ice the slug had shot towards him.

“What?! Dude– aren’t you gonna help?!” Kor shouted.

“Directly? Only if necessary, or if there are Scylla Crabs. Otherwise, we will play a more backline, strategic role. This is a challenge for the Empyrean Guild, after all!”

“Uuugh… So much for an easy first place…”

With three frontline fighters, the enemies weren’t much of a challenge. The Durian was killed after Zandiel blocked its blinding attack. Ruki swept in and performed a downward slash, cutting the Durian with a burst of flame.

The Starry Slug was defeated with a shield bash from Zandiel. It flattened the slug against the ground with a loud squelch. Zandiel wished he could tear his eyes away as it squirmed under the shield before going limp.

What an unsettling sight...

Leonidas applauded the guild before they continued on.

Not long in, Ruki’s ear twitched, and she beckoned the guild to follow her. Reaching a new area of the room, the guild found a stream of water.

“Yes~!” Kor cheered. “It’s fishing time, right?”

“Indeed.” Leonidas replied. “You are in pursuit of Fanged Fish, the red ones. Those and the purple Devilfish utilize the elements of surprise and numbers to fell their prey. Proceed with caution.”

Zandiel nearly took a step back from the stream, but stepped forward instead, raising his shield. He was the team’s main source of defense. To shrink away would be an embarrassment. He looked into the water, seeing gentle ripples forming on the surface.

“The fish jump out of the water in groups, and show no mercy once they’ve latched onto their prey with their sharp fangs!” Leonidas explained. “The Devilfish in particular–”

Two red fish shot out from the ripples of water with the speed of a bullet. One smacked into Zandiel’s shield with enough force to make him stagger. Ruki gasped after hearing a thud nearby. A fish had barreled right into Kor’s body, knocking him off of Wing’s back.

“Ow…!”

The fish had landed on the surface, barely dazed as it floated back up, its eyes set on the injured Brouni. Wing snarled at the monster before whipping her knife out and charging at it. Ruki ran through and picked up Kor.

“Ain, yours has recovered!” Leonidas shouted. The fish that had struck Zandiel’s shield shot back up, aiming directly at his face this time. He swung his shield into its body, sending it into a more open area on the surface.

“Ruki! Behind you!” Two fish, one purple and one red, emerged from the water. Ruki turned around, swinging her blade in an arc that distanced the fish. With her other hand, she squeezed Kor closer to her.

“G-Get em, Ru…!” he pressed a hand against his body, with light Mana emitting from it.

Zandiel had ended up a bit further away, engaged with the fish that had attacked him. Alone and further from its allies, the fish floated cautiously. It rammed into his shield, but had tilted its body before doing so, making it slide off the side.

He couldn't react in time, and the fish used the momentum to double back and bite into his torso. There was a layer of scale armor, but he could still feel the pressure of its jaws and teeth through it.

Zandiel calmed his panic and backed further away from the body of water. Other fish were bound to gang up on him if he stayed close. Zandiel drove the tip of his sword down. It pierced into the fish while being able to slide across his armor, leaving the fish skewered through the blade.

It hissed and gurgled, thrashing in an attempt to bite deeper into the armor. Zandiel scowled at its persistence before pulling his sword away. Blood seeped down the fish’s body as its wound was pried open further. Its body was being stretched apart as Zandiel pulled, yet it wouldn’t let go.

He shut his eyes in disgust with one last pull, feeling his sword freed from the monster’s body. Squinting an eye open, everything except its head had been split in two, each side of its body limply hanging and dripping with blood.

It was dead, but its bite had been strong enough to keep it hanging onto him. Zandiel pulled the monster from his armor, then tossed it into the water before he could think more about it. He looked to the rest of his teammates.

Ruki thrust her blade into an airborne Fanged Fish, sending a jolt of lightning through it. Once it stopped convulsing, she swung it off and across the stream with a huff.

And then…

There was silence.

…

“Seven!” With everyone startled, the same number displayed on the bot’s monitor for a moment. “Great work!”

Kor cheered. Zandiel was glad to hear his voice, but now he was confused.

“Seven… Fanged Fish?” he asked, looking around. There were a few dead fish scattered, and even a Durian. “When?”

“The Devilfish,” Leonidas said as he walked up to the stream and placed the blade of his nameless sword into it. “Have the ability to summon Fanged Fish with a call. One would have warned you all, but they set upon us before we had the chance.”

Leonidas took a deep breath, removing the sword and swinging it through the air. “One must apologize. We do not mean to coddle, but… we also have no desire to see any of you hurt.”

“Why would you apologize for that, Leonidas? You saved us from a worse conflict. That’s not what I would call coddling.”

“It… is not?” Leonidas whispered, gaze fixed on the now-gentle waves. “But I– one has greater battle experience than you all. How will you learn if you do not experience all sides of combat? Even the sides that invariably end in pain, such as ambushes?”

Confused, Zandiel couldn’t stop himself from chuckling. “But you came here to help us, right? Even if you were strictly here for the crabs, there’d be little to gain if we were fatally wounded.”

Leonidas didn't answer immediately. He gazed into the water with a faint, apologetic smile.

“One may have found himself… delving too far into his own head. Yes. We came here to help.”

Zandiel lightly tapped a hand against his shoulder. “And I thank you for your help, Leonidas. Now let's check on everyone.”

The other three were around the corner, sitting near a wall of foliage in a small alcove.

“Is Kor alright?” Zandiel asked.

“I am now.” he said. “Won't lie, I think some ribs were fractured. But they’re all better now.”

Zandiel covered his mouth. “A-Are you certain?”

“Yep! C’mon, Ai. Don't you know how healing magic works?”

“I… may? Somewhat?”

Ruki shrugged at Kor.

“Okay, I guess not.” Kor realized. “Basically, the less time it’s been since the injury or illness, the better chance it has to, like, work without complications. So I’m mostly fine.”

“I see… Healing magic truly is a wonder.”

“And don't you forget it!” Kor wagged a finger around. Though he kept the other hand on his ribs as the light continued to glow. The group decided to take a quick break, and Kor pulled a snack out of his bag. Recalling that Kor hadn’t had lunch, Zandiel wondered if it was possible to find any regular fish outside of the labyrinth to cook.

“Well first, we’d get disqualified if we left. Second, what about the fish here?” Kor wondered.

Zandiel glared at the body of water the fish had come out of. “Would you really want to eat those?”

“You need not worry, Leader Ain. One considers himself a gourmand of Waterfall Wood monsters. These fish are as safe as any other.” Leonidas placed a hand under his chin, looking out into the same stream with a wistful smile. “Back in Armoroad, we cooked and ate every animal many times, even the Greedy Lizard.”

“Even, hm?” Zandiel grumbled. “I suppose we should be careful of that monster?”

“Certainly! It spews venom! You must also cook it a certain way to avoid a deadly venom running in your veins.”

“What?!”

“So it’s like those famous pufferfish, right?” Kor asked. When Leonidas nodded, he got giddy. “Wooow…! So how’d you not die trying those?

“One always ventured with a Monk! Sometimes multiple!” he responded proudly. “One would cook in the sanctioned campsites of the labyrinth, and they would remain on standby, quick to heal at the mildest detection of bodily issues. Their Qi allowed for such feats.”

“Huh. That’s smart. Guess I’ll be the one on standby this time?”

“No need. We have mastered the art of preparing a Greedy Lizard for consumption. Furthermore, no meal at the Baku Inn will include those creatures. One understands how cautious the everyday person may be of such a dish.”

“G-Good.” Zandiel said. “I trust you, but I’d rather not try a monster like that.”

“How unfortunate… We must work on your adventurous spirit.” Leonidas solemnly shook his head with an exaggerated sigh.

“No, no, I believe I’m adventurous. I simply don’t like the idea of eating certain monsters. Those are completely different matters.”

“I dunno…” Kor said, a few crumbs of food falling from his mouth. “I remember the time Ylva told us how scared you were when she talked about that one Cutter quest. You know, with the heart?”

Zandiel gasped, spluttering as he heard Kor and Ruki chuckle. If he focused enough, he would have sworn Wing was doing something similar. “That’s– P-Putting up with the disgusting beating heart of a monster and its blood is also completely different! That’s absolutely not what you think of when you call someone adventurous!”

“Okay, so what do you think of when you call someone adventurous?” he asked, sticking a finger out towards Zandiel. “Hm? Hmm?”

“Someone who is willing to try new things, of course! I am–”

“Not willing to eat Greedy Lizards. Or grab monster parts.”

Ruki nodded with a smile.

“Those are diff–ahem–different!” Zandiel nearly whined before catching himself. “E-Excuse me. Our ideas of adventurous cover completely different grounds, but I’m not wrong, am I?”

Leonidas gave him a smile that veered on piteous. “You are not incorrect, but… It seems you have been fortunate enough to not witness a sight or event that unsettles you to the point of paralysis. As a frontline fighter, there may– no, will– come a time where you have to handle such a moment. Prior experience in similar situations with less urgency will prepare you better.”

“So this is not a matter of ‘adventurous’, but… will, one supposes. The will to protect, or continue fighting, or to simply keep moving. You may not be capable of completely removing your disgust, but you must learn to at least steel your nerves when such times come.”

“Oh…” The thought hadn’t crossed his mind until now, but wasn't this also what it meant to be one of the guild’s shields? He would need unwavering courage. He had to put away his fears to protect others. He’d done similar things aboard the expedition, but never in a situation that truly unsettled him.

“When you put it like that, I see where you’re coming from.”

Leonidas smiled. “One would hope so! But that is enough on the matter for now. Let us enjoy the rest of our break before resuming the contest! Shall I cook us some Fanged Fish?”

With a resounding cheer from everyone except Zandiel, their break continued…

#etrian odyssey #empyreantale #overcome the labyrinth #book 2

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