#answers to be obtained in the future.........

[mymarifae]

oh yeah did you guys know that the official hsr twitter accidentally posted this cutscene art

with, uh, this guy's sword in the background

and that sword also very much appears to be the sword that killed cyrene

and it also happens to look like, uh. phainon's sword. haha

i don't know how many concrete conclusions i want to draw from all of this but man. isn't that something to think about

[iniziare]

Kafka crossed my thoughts tonight at random, and so I wanted to re-post a little something here, with some minor edits thrown in. I just think it's often overlooked how... many human elements they've tied into her. A hungering sense of curiosity, the inherent sense of longing that clings to her being like a fever, and how she's caught (very humanly so) between the belief of we are tied to fate and thus it shall be, and the insistence on choice and how the Trailblazer seems to be inherently representative of its existence. And then I think of what being 'human' entails, and one could argue that it represents the experience of life, before one's end by the hand of destiny/fate. Is that... why she's so enthralled by all these human concepts? Because she's so firmly tied to fate? Yes, I still linger in the thought that she bears strong connections to fate, there are too many hints at the Moirai to me to ignore. But it's not even that, it's her Spirit Whisper, it's that her wanted poster made by the Devils that she used to hunt on her home of Pteruges-V, had to describe the ability and what it does— which tells ms that it's not native to there. But— I'm getting sidetracked, this isn't about any kind of potential nature that is far from humanity, it's about the evidence, even if she may turn out not to be inherently human at some point in the future of HSR, that she is drawn to, portrays and in some form, lives, very human concepts. And one of the ways I tried to make that clear before, was by talking about her in relation to her violin— or more specifically: the presence of its absence, the latter being which I will always firmly believe to be the eternal overarching narrative of Kafka's character. Any way, onto the babble:

I'll forever remember looking into the notes of someone's playthrough of HSR's first scenes, which is just something I like to do because you never know what kind of little treasures you might find. And there was a violinist tucked away in there, who I'd also seen in the notes of her main trailer, commenting on the intense accuracy of the movement of her fingers. And then on top of that, how they've usually been let down by the details when other games have tried to simulate it as well, but it was more so done to iterate how intentional this must've been for Hoyo to have focused on its accuracy so much.

So in that sense, I think it's close to a given that she knows how to play it, similarly to how I believe that she is someone who also plays or has played the piano. Where I differ however, is that I don't believe that she actually owns a violin at present, nor is she seeking to obtain one by her own means. Moreover, what and where I think the 'mimicking' comes from, actually, is from her memories and the emotional attachment that she once held for these instruments in them. Kafka's character, to me, revolves around and thrives within two concepts, that of intimate longing and that of loss (the pearl earring, the broken winged butterfly pin, and Blade's character story to name some) which plays intricately into the former. Now for me, her connection to the violin and the piano (primarily the former) play wonderfully into representing both of these, and thus can be drawn into these prevalent topics across the board for her incredibly easily. In simple terms, I think that there is a sense of longing to play them. Now, I feel confident in noting that Kafka does not come across as one who, if she had access to (in this case) a violin of her own, that she would crave to play it so intensely all the time, that when drawn from it for even the briefest of time, that she would enact the part of playing one during her separation from it. No, I think she's actively choosing not to obtain one, for one reason or another. Perhaps it's a memory that plays into the loss that her character seems to stray towards, or perhaps it's a lack of something else; I don't quite yet dare say. But there's something oddly wistful about it, if you look past the surface. All in all, I think her little moments of mimicking and humming, makes for an incredibly interesting "little" tidbit to me. It reminds me of something I wrote in an older post last year:

(...) And yet, and yet, I actively think if she were to find herself in a hotel room, even on her own, and there would be a piano right there— I can see her fingers tracing over the keys so very clearly, even as if she were touching the keys to play and yet she would never press down.

I still stand by this to this day. It's the ache to do something again, and yet for one reason or another, you can't bring yourself to do it. Whether it feels wrong, or there's something missing, something or someone; it doesn't matter, it's a longing of some kind. It really is the overarching topic and/or concept that I see in her character, and the fact that she's tied to such an inherently fragile instrument, only further solidifies it in my brain. But in that, I also feel a deep sense of melancholy when I think of her and that violin. And it plays into all of this, of course, but also the fact that I genuinely see no evidence in canon at present that tells me that she has one, and we know she could obtain one if she so wanted to,but she doesn't. Which tells me, on some level, that she doesn't want one. Which then has me entertain the concept of... if one were gifted to her, would that be different? Would that offer the person who gifted it to her a glimpse that no one else could ever get? The answer is a very likely yes, but I can't see it being gifted by most by any means; it'd need to be by someone who could come to grasp the significance of one, put in the appropriate research, who would know where to go, who to speak to, where to find the significance. And that, isn't most people.

[ssahotchnerr]

i rlly wanna see how aaron would react to reader accidentally starting her period and leaking on his white sheets. i just know he would be so caring and conforming !!

stains

he soooo would cw; fem!reader, period talk, blood mentions, language, fluff <33

Even on the weekends, Aaron doesn't tend to stray from routine.

Apart from setting an alarm - he presses a kiss to the first patch of your skin he can find, rolls out of bed, and then opens the blinds so the morning light can naturally assist in waking you. Trailing into the en-suite bathroom, he hears you let out a gentle squeak, stretching from your laid position in bed.

He preps his toothbrush, blinking once, twice, in attempt to rid the heavy sleep from his eyes. Brushing his teeth is number one on his morning agenda; not only because it was the hygienic thing to do, he simply could not stand having horrid breath.

Despite the brushing sounds echoing in his head, he doesn't miss your low,

"Shit."

"Honey?" His attempt to speak was muffled, as his toothbrush was in his mouth. He tilted back from the sink, just enough to allow him to peer into the room, to see you.

You were sat upright, a handful of sheets in hand, meeting his eyes guilt-stricken. "I'm sorry. It wasn't due for another three days and you know I'm typically always on schedule and always prepared-"

"Hm?" Freeing his mouth from the toothpaste, quickly flicking the water on/off to rid the residue and wiping his mouth with a washcloth, he re-entered his room.

As he came closer, your flushed cheeks were vividly noticeable, the remorse in your eyes even more intense. You clarified, "My period."

"Oh," his expression softened, before alternating to deep concern. "Are you alright?"

"Am I alright? Aaron your bed-"

"What about it?"

"It's stained - the sheets. Fuck," you scrambled up, not wanting to ruin them further, wincing in pain as you did so. You quickly padded past him to the bathroom, the plush carpet soft under your bare feet. He followed behind.

"And? Sweetheart if you think I care about that," he chuckled, sweetly shaking his head. "Do you have...?"

"In my bag."

Feminine products - Aaron redirected himself, finding your overnight duffle tossed hastily near the foot of his dresser. As he rummaged through it, he mentally cursed himself for not already having a supply waiting under his sink, and mentally added such to his future shopping list.

He grabbed the other necessities - an extra pair of underwear, t-shirt, opting to grab your favorite pair of shorts from his drawer. One he hadn't worn in quite a while as you had claimed sole ownership.

You sheepishly accepted the items from him, refraining from lifting your gaze. "Thank you."

"Hey," With a finger he lifted your chin, causing you to meet his soft, brown eyes. "It's okay."

You shook your head in shame, prompting his hand to fall.

"It's your body. It's natural. It's- this is not an inconvenience to me, it is for you. Plus, this is exactly what they invented stain remover for."

Despite yourself you laughed, wrapping your arms around your middle. "I suppose."

The ends of Aaron's lips itched upwards, successful in his goal to crack a smile. Although, his amusement sobered back to concern, "You never answered my question from before. Are you alright?"

You grimaced. "Crampy."

"Advil then?" Aaron asked and you nodded. He placed his hand on your lower abdomen soothingly, the warmth of it calming your tensed muscle. That was the thing about his touch, it never failed to relieve any aches or discomfort, physical and emotional. "And a bath? I recall you saying that helps, with easing the pain."

"Please."

He quickly obtained the pain reliever, started the bath. "Don't worry about the sheets, I'll strip and get 'em in the wash. Hand me your clothes too." He ran his hand under the stream of water, regulating the temperature as you immediately began to protest, claiming, 'it was your mess, your doing,' but Aaron kindly shut you down, "Nope. Let me handle it, I insist."

"And if the stain doesn't come out?"

"I've been meaning to dispose of them anyway. They're getting old, they've fulfilled their job well." After flashing you a sympathetic smile Aaron stood, his age vaguely showing when his knees cracked as his legs straightened. He placed a kiss on your forehead, hoping to dissolve your current, growing pout. "Just relax."

You willingly met his eyes this time. You tousled his hair, still disheveled from sleep, paying extra attention to the short hairs behind his ears. Your nails scratched at his scalp, expressing your gratitude silently.

"And if it makes you feel any better, this isn't the first time I've had to soak blood from linens."

"It doesn't," you rolled your eyes at his injury-prone occupation, but he did however manage to pull yet another smile from you. A gentle laugh came from deep within his chest at your response. "But thank you."

[sierrawitch]

Scottish Divination Practices

by autumn sierra

The Frith

The Frith—translating to “to find”—is a divination charm practice used to gain insight into the future, specifically about missing people or predicting events. Traditionally performed on the first Monday of a quarter, the frithir (seer) would stand in a doorway at sunrise, cross their hands or fingers to represent the equal armed cross, and observe the landscape for omens found in birds, animals, or weather patterns.

The Ritual of the Frith

Traditionally performed on a solstice or equinox at a liminal time such as dusk or dawn. Frithers would often fast to heighten spiritual sensitivity, as well as use Saining water to bless themselves

Frithers would step past a threshold of the home or other significant place (crossroads, old well, etc) to stand with either foot on opposite sides, symbolizing standing between two worlds

Observed images, animals, environmental phenomena, etc were used to divine answers to questions or prophesy

Saining

Although the practice of saining is used to cleanse and bless primarily through the use of smoke, water, fire, etc, it can also be used as a method of divination. During the saining, the diviner would pay close attention to the movement of smoke and flames of burnt herbs—specifically Juniper, which is a traditional saining herb.

An Dà Shealladh (Second Sight)

An Dà Shealladh is a prophetic ability occurring through visions, and was often associated with Highland seers. Those with the ability were said to see spirits, wraiths, or omens of death and misfortune which would give them insight into future events. It was said to be hereditary, and some speculate that the ability may have unfortunately become dormant in the descendants of previous seers.

Hearth Divination

Once logs had been added to the fire of the home’s hearth and burned, diviners could read the behavior of the wood in response to the flames. Sparks and cracks had varying indications, as well as ashes which could be read similarly to how one reads tea leaves.

Mirror/Water Scrying

Water and mirror scrying are popular forms of divination in modern practice. Scrying with darkened, spiritually significant bodies of water (wells, lochs, lakes, bulláns, etc) was very effective for identifying shapes and visions within the water’s reflection (or lack thereof). In a similar way, darkened mirrors—or black mirrors—are use to mimic this effect. The keek-stane, most commonly known by its mention in Raymond Buckland’s Scottish Witchcraft & Magick, is something of a cousin to the black mirrors that are most popular today in that it uses a glass lens rather than a flat pane.

Creating a Keek-Stane

Find and obtain a glass lens, preferably one from an old clock or thermometer face, or one made specifically to be just that—a lens (frequently found in the scientific community)

Black out the lens using black paint on the convex side, careful to make the color as solid as possible without streaking or trapping dust. Be sure that the convex side is completely opaque with no light passing through

Place the lens convex-side down in a protective container of choice (Buckland specifies a box) with the proper materials to keep it in place and keep it from breaking

Oomancy

Egg divination, or oomancy, was a common form of folk divination often performed at Samhainn, Latha Bealltainn, or Hogmanay. It was mostly used to predict marriage, future events, or fortune. An egg would be cracked into a bowl of water, and then the diviner would interpret the shapes made by the egg whites.

Salt and Wax Divination

This method of divination is achieved by pouring salt or hot wax into water. The patterns and shapes created through this method would then be interpreted by the diviner. This method of divination was commonly used during Samhainn and Hogmanay.

Scapulomancy

Scapulomancy is a divination method in which seers would divine the future by interpreting the shoulder blades of animals (usually sheep). Cracks, dents, and other abnormalities in the bones would change the outcomes of the readings. Some would use fire to create the cracks necessary to read the bone, and others would read the natural bone as it was following its cleaning. Scapulomancy was used for predicting weather and harvests, guidance for battles, monitoring the well being of communities, and other fortune telling.

Stone and Fairy Mound Divination

Stones, Hagstones in particular, were believed to enhance An Dà Shealladh when peered through. Visiting fairy mounds at Samhainn and listening to the wind or the whispers of the fair folk and other spirits was another way to divine the future.

[silverryuan]

Somewhere in an alternate universe where Malleus' sibling dating Leona and coming out gay to him is like--

Sibling! Draconia: "Brother, I have something important to ask you..."

Malleus: "How strange. Usually you would have Lilia assist you or provide answers to your questions."

Sibling! Draconia: "Yes but this time I am asking for your opinion on a topic concerning... my romantic relationship."

Malleus: "... You have a romantic relationship? Without Lilia or grandmother's guidance? How intriguing."

Sibling! Draconia: "Brother!"

Malleus: "My apologies. I am just amazed by the fact that you managed to obtain a romantic relationship. I mean... You do not seem to enjoy interacting or mingling with people. So this... Potential lover of yours might be interesting."

Sibling! Draconia: "That's the problem. I think he might concern you."

Malleus: "...He?"

Sibling! Draconia: "..."

Malleus: "... Sibling! Draconia. What is the meaning of this?"

Sibling! Draconia: "... I've already asked for permission from Lilia. I only need yours."

Malleus: "I do not understand. Why?"

Sibling! Draconia: "I know that I am only allowed to marry a suitable candidate by grandmother's suggestions but... I felt like I was hiding and suppressing the affection of me and my... Lover held for each other... Am I not capable of loving someone on my own accord?"

Malleus: "..."

Sibling! Draconia: "... If you do not approve, I understand-"

Malleus: "Sibling! Draconia, you are a Draconia."

Sibling! Draconia: "I know! Draconias do not have time for affairs with others. I must be prepared and trained to rule the Valley of Thorns alongside my family-"

Malleus: "Sibling! Draconia. Us Draconias must cherish the ones we deem worthy of our love and affection, or so Lilia have taught me. So whoever this man or woman might be, I will try to deem him worthy of the title of being your lover."

Sibling! Draconia: "... Do you promise?"

Malleus: "I promise."

Sibling! Draconia: ....*exhale*....

Malleus: "...Well?..."

Sibling! Draconia: "He's a bit irked about the thought of visiting you. So I am asking for your permission alone."

Malleus: "It's alright. Many have been intimidated by me after all, but I must say, it actually makes me pleased to hear that he fears the Draconias."

Sibling! Draconia: "His name is Leona Kingscholar--"

FUCKING LIGHTNING DESTROYS THE ROOF

Malleus: "A what, dear Sibling! Draconia? 😊"

Sibling!Malleus: "...A beastman by the name of Leo--"

Malleus: "BY THE GREAT SEVENS... HAVE YOU GOT STONES FOR EYES?! HAVE YOU GOT WAX IN YOUR EARS?! YOUR RELATIONSHIP WILL NEVER LAST A SINGLE SECOND FOR THAT RUGGED HOUSE CAT OF A FOOL WILL JUST TAKE YOUR PRESENCE FOR GRANTED. YOU WILL BE A LAUGHINGSTOCK FOR YOU MARRIED SUCH A SPINELESS COWARD."

Sibling! Draconia: "Oh don't be dramatic. He's not that bad..."

Malleus: "HE WILL EITHER PLACE THE DRACONIA NAME TO SHAME OR FORCE YOU TO BE ONE OF HIS TROPHIES THAT HE'LL FLAUNT TO HIS KINGDOM AS A MEANS OF INTIMIDATION. HE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CARING AND PROTECTING YOU. YOU MUST LEAVE HIM AT ONCE!"

Sibling! Draconia: "Hey, you promised!"

Malleus: "YOUR NAIVETY HAS BLINDED YOU FROM THE TRUE NATURE OF THAT MANED IDIOT. HE WILL USE ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY TO SUCCEED IN CLIMBING FIRST PLACE, AND THAT MEANS HE WILL USE YOU AS A GATEWAY."

Sibling! Draconia: "Uhh, Brother?"

Malleus: "HE WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE DRACONIAS. ESPECIALLY YOU. YOU HAVE YOUR FUTURE OF SERVING THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR NATION AHEAD OF YOU AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT KINGSCHOLAR AS YOUR LOVER?! HOW ABSURD!! YOU WILL EXPERIENCE TIRESOME DAYS WITH HIM!!! YOU'RE FRUITLESS EFFORTS OF BEING WITH HIM WILL LAST!!!! IF YOU WERE TO MARRY HIM YOU WILL SUFFER ETERNAL PAIN!!!!!!!!"

Sibling! Draconia: "...Oh well, I guess the mention of marriage means I have a choice then. I will invite him for a little meeting in the dorm and I expect both of you to bury the hatchet. How does that sound?"

Malleus, pouting in a corner: "No!"

Sibling! Draconia: "Too late, dear brother! Haha!"

Malleus: "Sibling! Draconia!!!"

.....

Lilia, Sebek, Silver: "...What in the actual fuck just happened--"

[daosies]

how they love you

xavier, rafayel ♡ gn!reader

warnings: major xavier and rafayel story spoilers, reader is the protagonist from the game (but gender neutral), rafayel is his own warning (hes a bit of a freak)

notes: im writing this like i understand xavier and rafayels lore (i dont. all i did was read up on reddit and the wiki before going straight off the dome.)

"xavier," jeremiah calls incredulously, "you're staring."

"no, i'm not," xavier lies straight through his teeth. his periwinkle eyes trail after you like they're bound to you, held together by a red string that knots at his irises.

(maybe they are.)

xavier blinks, resting for but a moment before his gaze returns. it'll always return—xavier thinks he does a lot of that. return.

"at least try to pretend," jeremiah remarks, tender expression betraying his incredulous tone. despite the fact that xavier is loitering in philo, posing a hazard to the nearby flora with his intense aura, jeremiah can't bring himself to say anything more.

xavier is in love—but that's not right, jeremiah thinks. xavier has always been in love. he loved you back in philos, in all your incarnations and the ones thereafter. xavier loved you when you sparred against him, when you rose to the throne, and even when you suffered and while everyone was against you, he loved you then, too.

jeremiah supposes that it's only right that xavier loves you now. because xavier loves with his whole being, it's not just his eyes that follow after you, but rather, his existence.

xavier follows you despite the era, traveling centuries back and staying just to catch a glimpse of you, to glimmer, ever so slightly, in your incomparable radiance.

we could go back, jeremiah thinks, conjuring up the possibility despite his nerves telling him not to. we could go back to philos. the core within your heart holds infinite possibilities.

if xavier wanted to, he could obtain your aether core, and that would be enough to return to the future—where you still exist, sure, but more importantly (to jeremiah, at least), where philos exists.

("we will not kill them," xavier muttered darkly, "do not bring this topic up again. i will find another solution.")

(and that was where jeremiah went wrong. because to xavier, philos is nothing. you have always been the whole, vast universe. you are the most important thing in this life, and the many more thereafter; and to xavier, no future matters except the one you exist in now.)

so, he did. he tried, at least. xavier scoured the ruined earth for protocores that could mimic the same capabilities of yours. he lived through centuries on earth, fighting for existence despite knowing that the answer lied, as it always has been, in you.

when your incarnation appeared, jeremiah never once doubted xavier's judgement. while the other backtrackers under xavier's command went mad, trying to harvest your aether core to return to philos, xavier fought—but more than that, actually. xavier loved.

xavier loved, no, loves, so fervently, so profoundly, that he killed the backtrackers who had tried to harm you. you are not the same incarnation that he loved back in philos, but the fact that it's you is enough for xavier to rid all doubts.

and jeremiah thinks that, despite xavier's desperate intent to return back to philos, he wouldn't mind living here on earth with you now. jeremiah has noticed that the fervent expression his captain once wore has dwindled into something more mellow, into something tender.

something like the looks he'd send to you from afar, chasing you across school rooftops and coexisting in between the clashing of blades—xavier loves.

and love has made him content. and love has made him present, when he never was before. when all he could do, prior to your incarnation's existence, was think of returning to philos.

(how could he return to philos when you're right here?)

"[name]," jeremiah calls, feigning ignorance to the way xavier glares at him, the captain's tender expression suddenly dissipating into nothingness. ouch, jeremiah thinks, mouthing to xavier, "you don't have to make it that obvious you don't like me."

"yeah?" you reply, glancing up from the foliage. xavier reaches over the many shelves of flora—much to jeremiah's dismay—before parting them to get a good look at your face. xavier smiles. jeremiah's jaw drops.

"did you find something you liked? you said you had to get a bouquet for a friend, right?" jeremiah asks, egging xavier on.

"a friend?" xavier echoes, not even bothering to look at the florista behind him.

"oh, yeah! i'm choosing a bouquet for this one guy—" jeremiah sees the way xavier's expression goes blank, lips thinning into a line whilst his periwinkle eyes, somehow, manage to retain their enamored look.

ah, jeremiah realizes, it's 'cause captain is still looking at them. of course it is—why did he expect any other reason?

although xavier remains silent, jeremiah knows that the only thing running through the captain's mind is: guy, guy, guy?!

"a guy?" jeremiah queries, deciding to put xavier out of his misery.

"yeah. he worked with my grandma when she was younger, but i have to deliver it through one of my friends because he lives in the arctic..."

"that means he's old," jeremiah whispers, loud enough for only xavier to hear. the captain glances away.

at least try to hide that look of relief, jeremiah thinks incredulously. still, it's fun to see xavier like this: with his tense brows easing up, his thinned lips turning slightly upwards. when xavier loves, he does it with his whole being.

it's in the way he slips in between the aisles of flora in order to be next to you. in the way he carries the vases of flowers for you despite knowing you're perfectly capable of doing so yourself.

when xavier loves, it's evident in the way his cold, indigo eyes melt into hues made of periwinkle. it's in the way his touch, hardened by years of training, melts into something as light as a feather. it grazes past your face, brushing a stray leaf away.

"how much will it be, jeremiah?" you ask, preparing your coin pouch. jeremiah feels xavier's glare piercing his skin.

i know, i know! is all jeremiah thinks. "for free. don't worry about it!"

"huh? that can't be right... these are a lot of flowers, jeremiah."

"it's okay, [name]," xavier interjects, resting a hand over yours to prevent you from getting your money. "he owes me a favor, and i never buy flowers. so it's best used for your bouquet."

again, xavier lies fluidly through his teeth.

"are you sure...? you could buy a couple flowers, xavier! you know, to decorate your room?"

xavier shakes his head. "i'd forget to water them, probably."

liar, jeremiah thinks. for his own safety, he opts to keep his mouth shut, observing the situation with a suppressed smile.

xavier can't even be bothered to hide his infatuation—when he does so much as look at you, his world comes to a halt, his attention fixated wholly on you when usually it drifts off into wonderland.

when he does so much as hear you, or perceive you, or exist with you, xavier shrinks into nothing, permeating wholly into your skin, melting into your bones and becoming a part of you.

forget his title as captain, or lumiere, or crown prince—xavier becomes yours. and that's all he needs to be.

somehow, jeremiah thinks that xavier is more than just a lover.

he's love itself.

rafayel taps his foot impatiently. with his arms crossed, his gaze darts back and forth between the clock and the door, brows furrowing once he realizes you're nowhere to be seen.

"ugh, that bodyguard!" he cries to no one. "always making me wait for this and that.... puh-lease, like i care!"

rafayel turns around and starts heading into the art museum, lips curled into a pout whilst he glances occasionally over his shoulder. eventually, he stops, still trying to discreetly scope out the premises.

they're still not here?! is all he thinks, reaching for his phone with newfound passion. rafayel tries calling you a couple times, somehow getting more and more offended when you don't pick up.

he then resorts to spamming your texts, his phone flailing around in his hands from the onslaught of his madness.

"you think this is just a game, huh?!" rafayel texts. "fine, it is! whatever! not like i care!!!!"

when you don't respond, he blinks owlishly in disbelief, staring at the screen with his mouth hanging agape.

no way they ignored me! rafayel thinks, somehow even more offended than before.

but the irritation nestled in his stomach morphs into worry, and the worry contorts into yearning. oh, rafayel thinks, staring at your contact name for far longer than he'd like to admit. what if something happened to them?

rafayel's imagination eggs his yearning further. what if you're waiting for him somewhere—with nothing but him on your mind, of course—tears spilling from your eyes while crying his name? what if you're injured, clutching your wound whilst thinking of him—and his killer looks—wishing you could see him right now?

oh. rafayel's imagination eggs his yearning further. oh, what if they're injured? he thinks, his fingers beginning to glide all across his phone's keyboard, spamming you like a madman whose lost all sense of reason.

"you don't have to show up," he starts texting, but quickly deletes that sentence. "text me when you see this," he manages to send, hand coming up to fiddle with some stray strands of his wisteria hair.

he feels his heart thrash against his chest like a fish out of water, his skin beginning to feel stuffy while he grasps at his shirt, crumpling the pearl fabric under his hands. what if you're hurt? what if something happened to you? what if you're leaving, and he isn't able to catch up?

rafayel hates waiting. he turns around, heading toward the exit of the museum, ignoring the looks of confusion from the people who just watched him enter and clutch his head manically.

again, rafayel's imagination runs wild, feeding him delusions and convincing him that he's your knight in shining armor, saving you from the clutches of despair. obviously, after he saves you—with his killer looks and killer moves—you're going to grovel at his feet and beg for forgiveness, hoping that he'll spare you so much as a glance for your impudence.

he tries to ignore the way his ribs begin to constrict, the way his chest begins to ignite with agonizing pain. not again, is all he thinks, rushing out of the museum. not again.

rafayel loves you. sometimes, he hates to admit it. sometimes, he knows it's fact. rafayel loves you—how could he not? you are bound to him, no, rather, he is bound to you.

rafayel is bound to you, yet even then, he struggles to keep up. he follows you hopelessly into every incarnation, trailing after your existence like a drowning man at sea, gasping for air and a wisp of your presence. he had you, once. and what a twisted thing love is, to give him so much hope and radiance, that he can't possibly fathom to live without it now.

rafayel is hooked on you, drinking you in greedily with his eyes, searching for you desperately amidst the tides. rafayel is hooked on you, he's left in a constant state of wanting more, more, more, even though you don't feel the same. even though you're perfectly okay with leaving him, oblivious to the effect you have.

you have carved rafayel's being, forcing his hands to be a perfect fit with yours, forcing his eyes to only ever hold you. you've dismembered rafayel's bones, taking apart the shafts and forcing yourself in, your existence running through his marrow, your existence running through his veins.

sometimes, rafayel hates what you've done to him. he hates how he's reduced to a spectator in your presence, the way he's destined to love you despite all you've done to him.

rafayel hates the way you go around, saving everyone, saving everything, even though he was the first. he was your first victim, your first lover, your first everything.

and you've forgotten. and you've forgotten. how could you? sometimes, rafayel envies you. he wishes he could be as blissfully ignorant as you, he wishes he could rendezvous around the world, unaware of what he's done before.

(how could he? how could he ever forget you? how could rafayel ever be anything more than what you've made him?)

he laughs bitterly to himself, running a hand through his hair when your caller id shows up on his phone. rafayel half-considers letting you go to his voicemail, but oh, the way his heart constricts, the way his hands instinctively move to answer.

rafayel isn't like you—he has a heart, first of all—he's made of memories, made of century-old pacts and vows that have haunted him across lifetimes.

rafayel isn't like you, because, first and foremost, he loves. he loves you. he loves you! and oh, how could he not? how could he ever forget what you've done for him? how could he ever forget what you've done to him?

(and yet, he loves you anyway. rafayel loves you, despite the way you betrayed him, despite the way you forgot. rafayel loves you, not only because he was made to love you, but because it's you. does he need any other reason?)

just before your call gets forwarded to voicemail, rafayel picks up. he swallows thickly, letting his yearning drip down his throat, permeating into his organs whilst he says, dreading the way his voice cracks, ever so slightly, "ahem. what took you so long, huh?!"

your voice glitches on the other end. rafayel feels heat rush to the tips of his ears, feeling the way you sound so close to him. he presses the phone closer to his head.

"sorry, rafayel! i was busy,"—rafayel scoffs at this, so is he, you're not special—"but i'm coming right now! just wait for me, okay?"

"ugh! no, i don't wanna! i'm leaving! did you hear that? i'm," rafayel trails off, pausing for extra emphasis (hoping that you'd care enough to interrupt him), "i'm leaaavvii—"

you hang up. rafayel gasps, staring at the end screen with a flabbergasted look.

"no way! ugh! nobody respects me around here! making me wait... who do they think i am? a waiter? the waiter?" rafayel mutters incredulously to himself, sending glares towards anyone who eyes him weirdly.

still, he remains put, crossing his arms with a pronounced frown whilst sunset eyes scan the area, looking for your familiar motorbike.

rafayel waits. begrudgingly.

then again, he supposes he does a lot of that when it comes to you.

he opens your contact one more time. "some bodyguard you are!!!" he texts. "i could be dying right now and you still wouldn't pull up, huh?!?!"

"i'm dying! i'm dying! heeeelllooo?! i'm dying!" he spams. the familiar whirring of a motorbike appears, and rafayel glances up from his phone, horizon eyes growing wide.

rafayel hates the effect you have on him, the way your sudden appearance can bring tsunamis to a lull, the way your sudden appearance makes an utter fool of him.

still, rafayel lets you get away with it.

(you've gotten away with a lot of things.)

"raf!" you call. "quit spamming me!"

when you take your helmet off, rafayel's breath hitches. you steal the oxygen from his lungs, a mere wisp of your existence making the world tumble.

"hmph!" he crosses his arms, hoping you don't see the way his ears bloom a violent red. "don't tell me what to do! do you know how long it's been?!"

"ten minutes?" you reply, unamused. rafayel glares at you.

too long, he thinks, eyes tracing over the bridge of your nose and the curl of your lips. the artist instinct with him begins to flare—he wants to paint, he wants to devote himself to you all over again, drawing tirelessly into the night.

"no. eight-hundred years, you idiot!"

you roll your eyes. "what an exaggeration."

rafayel huffs. "puh-lease! i just say it as it is!"

you start heading towards the museum, and rafayel scrambles to catch up, his throat beginning to close. his heart—whatever's left of it, at least—lurching forward.

it chases you. it chases you! it always, always chases you.

into every life, into every eon. rafayel chases you, desperate and made of memories, hanging onto the depths of your soul, forfeiting the ocean and the tide and all that ever mattered.

then again, rafayel supposes that none of it matters now. you're here.

and even if you don't remember, rafayel will love you anyway.

(how could he not?)

[karuuhnia]

TF2 Chapter 7 - Karuuhnia's analysis

Christmas came early for the TF2 fandom this year, didn't it? (Well, it really came 7 years LATE if we're completely honest lol)

It was an emotional rollercoaster and had a happy, wholesome ending and conclusion for both the mercs and for us. Several mysteries from the past comics were resolved.

And you know me: I love to overthink and overanalyze every bit of lore and story that I can get my fingers on lmao

So here's my essay:

A) Solved mysteries

1. What the Administrator was planning

It turns out: There WAS no evil plan of world domination or whatever. Just pure hatred for a man who ruined her life - apparently. It's been so long she doesn't even remember the reason. But the thought of revenge was enough to fuel her every life choice.

And to think, it all could have ended in the 1850s already - if it weren't for smart-ass Gray Mann and his narcissistic tendencies to brag about his knowledge and plans. (How he himself figured this out is never explained.)

He was the one who introduced the Administrator to Australium in the first place, around 1850ish. If he hadn't told her that it could bring people back from the dead and prolong life, the senseless Gravel War would have ended with Blutarch's and Redmond's natural deaths.

Well, on the other hand we must be glad that the conflict didn't go on even longer.

Since Dell stated that none of his family members ever went into the room where Zepheniah was kept, the Administrator must have build all of that herself, right? That would certainly explain why it looks so crude and consumes so much Australium. I mean, look at this construction and then compare it to the one Dell built:

The Mark 5 machine gave her ~6 months of life for just a tiny flask of Australium. Imagine what would have happened if one of the Conaghers had improved Zeph's machine as well! She could have kept the zombiefied corpse in a living nightmare for many centuries more instead of burning through tons and tons of Australium so quickly. Good thing it didn't come to that.

2. Who helped the Administrator

Well, we didn't get a clear answer, but I think it's safe to conclude now that it was the Administrator's elite merc teams A-E that obtained all the Australium during the 6 months Miss Pauling and the TF2 team went off the grid. Which only further proves that the Administrator did not really care for Pauling at all and only came to her and her "team of rejects" as a last resort, after everything else had failed.

It's really heartbreaking how much Pauling admired her and wanted to be her trusted second-in-command while the Admin apparently never even invited her to the secret HQ. Nobody there even KNEW of Team Fortress after all. It was such a relief to see Pauling let go in the end and choose a free life instead.

3. Scout's second chance

Well, not really a mystery here, but I really like how Scout had an epiphany that there were other girls out there that would like him as he was and moved on from Miss Pauling. There was no heartbreak, no animosity, no rejection. They are still friends and support each other! I love it!

And then Scout even saved all of humanity by having sex with several women so that God wouldn't have to destroy the world! What a great, selfless guy he is!

I really love Spy and Scout after the time skip. No more bickering, no more annoyance, no more mean comments, just kindness. Spy is also so sweet to his grandchildren! ADSGFSDAF

I hope they all remain in contact and on good terms. Because let's not forget: Scout's health isn't good and he even has a confirmed death date. Which is only 8 years into the future of 1979.

All of his orphaned children would still be minors at that point. When it comes to that I hope Spy and Scout's Ma can take care of their grandchildren.

4. What Charles Darling and Maggie were planning

Darling stated he wanted to obtain Australium in order to make his rare animals immortal and in return he would get Saxton's company back.

The way Maggie always reacted to Saxton led me to believe she knew Darling was planning something ELSE and she felt bad for not telling Saxton and having to betray him in the end:

But turns out, I probably just misinterpreted Maggie's facial expressions. She looked so sad because she loved going on adventures with Saxton again and just hated the thought that he'd go back to Mann Co. afterwards.

I'm very happy that in the end Saxton let go of the company and spent the rest of his days punching wild animals with his true love! (Although he might have started a war again, now between Reddy and Bidwell lol)

B) Unsolved and new mysteries

However, as much as I loved the last chapter, I feel there are still a lot of things that were never cleared up or adequately explained.

So after re-reading every single comic and update page these are some other things I still find inconclusive:

1. Olivia Mann's mother

Not really that important to be fair, but still: Is she really the biological daughter of the 150 old mummy Gray Mann? If so, who is the poor woman who… mated with him and where is she now?

Or was Olivia adopted, abducted or grown in a lab? Well, at least she gets to live a happy and free life now and is provided for by the dad who stepped up. Good on you, Saxton!

2. Darling's knowledge

Back to Darling real quick: Why DID Maggie start working for her nemesis?

HOW did Charles Darling learn about Australium's properties and the Administrator's history?

There is also the fact that the Mann triplets' mother was a Darling!

These things were never brought up again! Whyyyyyyyy?????

3. What was all the set-up with the TFC mercs about?

The TFC mercs made several ominous remarks that made us believe there was more to them:

Both Virgil and Greg were trying to say something interesting, but then got cut off before the revelation. And especially TFC Heavy talked about dying as if it was an immediate danger to all of them. Sure, they were old, but they were still going strong, being able to kill all of the Admin's elite teams after all.

4. Fred's destiny (and identity?)

In Chapter 6 Spy disguised as Fred, trying to trick Virgil. After being found out, the two had this conversation:

Spy managed to impersonate Fred really well apparently. That means he must have studied Fred's personality, mannerisms and way of speaking before he went to Virgil. That also means he must have spent quite a while talking to and studying Fred. Did he and Sniper capture and interrogate him? But more importantly: What happened afterwards? Tbh, they probably just killed him off-screen after learning what they needed.

Because I no longer believe that Fred was Dell's father, as much as that sucks. It would have made for a great plot point and possible conflict within the team.

But Fred obviously had no idea about anything related to Australium or the immortality machines.

Since later on in Chapter 7 Dell says that neither his grandfather, his father nor he himself ever set foot in that basement, we can conclude that they all knew that the Administrator was hiding something nefarious down there. Which also means they WORKED for her and thus must have also worked on her immortality machine. So it makes no sense that Fred would not know anything about that if he really were Dell's father.

That still leaves us with the question: Why was young Fred in the photo with child Dell? Or WAS this guy even Fred?

I mean, a lot can happen in 40ish years between those two pictures:

But my new headcanon now is: These two are not the same person. TFC Medic had to replaced by our beloved Dr. Herbert Ludwig (still not over that name btw lmao), so who says the original TFC Engie wasn't replaced too at one point? TFC Heavy was very obviously worried about his friends dying one after the other.

Virgil said he knew Fred since before the war. So maybe after Dell's father died/left the team, Virgil told TFC Heavy about his old comrade Fred who also happened to be an Engineer. And only then Fred became part of TFC.

But as I said, that's just my headcanon. In reality it's probably just an inconsistency over the many years of convoluted lore. lol

5. Soldier's cave, covered in Australium

In A Cold Day in Hell Soldier and Zhanna have the following conversation:

First it's a stink-barn, then he claims to be homeless. But in Chapter 7 Heavy suddenly says that Soldier lives in a cave.

And it turns out there is tons of Australium in that cave! Now of course I wonder: When did Soldier move into that cave and where is it located? We were always told that Australium only exists in Australia. But I highly doubt this American patriot owns a cave in Australia. Also, how is it possible that the Admin and the elite mercs never managed to find this cave? Did they just not bother to look in America because all known Australium is in Australia?

So in return, does that mean that Australium is NOT exclusive to Australia after all? If so, there could still be hidden caches of the stuff anywhere on Earth. At least the Admin and Gray Mann are no longer around to collect it and Miss Pauling does not look for it anymore either. The only one who still has an interest in it is Charles Darling. Him again...

6. Soldier with the photo of the Mann family

Quick reminder: This is the only version of the family photo we'd seen up until this point:

But when Soldier and Merasmus are held by the mafia and the wizard asks him why he needed so much money, Soldier pulls out an intact, unteared photograph of the Mann family!!!

His thumb conveniently covers up the still unknown person standing in the middle. How did Soldier obtain this photo? How does he even know who everyone is, considering he's, well, Soldier?

Could he have any relations to the unknown person in the middle? And why DOES he need so much money (granted, it was only like 20 $ in the end, but still lol)?

Am I just overthinking this? Has anyone an explanation??? Is he and if yes, HOW is Soldier connected to the frigging Mann family??????

*cough* Anyway. This concludes my analysis of the TF2 lore. For now. If I come up with more things or if Valve ever decides to continue the story (That was a joke, haha, fat chance), I will come back to this. In the meantime, thank you for reading this and please feel free to share your own ideas and opinions! I'd love to read all of it! ❤️

[mapofsouthdakota]

Caffeine, chemistry and Caleb VIII

Synopsis: The café was supposed to be just another coffee shop. For a law student who enjoys her morning coffee and a shy newbie still learning the ropes, it should have been nothing more than part of the daily routine… But then there’s Caleb.

Details: Another 3000-worder (sorry lol). Non MC!reader as the law student. This chapter features our favorite trio. Light angst, lots of wholesome vibes, flirting, tension, and banter. We’re back at it and… we keep peeling barista booooi. Romcom all the way and deffo not 18+ (go away tumblr)

Parts: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

Tags: @gavin3469 @unstablemiss @i-messed-up-big-time @mipov101 @zukini-01 @ariakamil @zaynessdarling @gojosballsack69

Exhibit A(bsolutely not over him) | Pt. 8

You haven’t stepped foot in the café in two days. What you have been doing is eating Golden Delicious apples until your stomach turned.

And that’s what finally reminded you of something important: You are, in fact, still a law student. And law students cannot afford to tank their entire future over a man with unfairly good forearms, a devastating smile, and an apple charm that clearly wasn’t just an accessory.

Not when it’s obvious now—undeniably, painfully obvious—that he’s taken.

You were never in the running.

You were just… killing time.

And now? You’ve seen the proof.

Time to stop pretending otherwise.

So, you’re buried in case law—mortgages, foreclosure procedures, and the soul-crushing distinction between de lege lata and de lege ferenda.

Except for that twenty-minute break earlier when you absolutely, definitely did not go down a google rabbit hole about psychological testing in aviation training.

… Not to mention the newbie texting you yesterday.

newbie: he’s wearing a navy button-down. i know the case is closed. just thought you’d want the update.

newbie: hair’s messy.

newbie: he just offered someone extra foam with a wink. i’m going to throw myself into the milk fridge to remind myself that this case is closed. sorry.

You’d bitten the inside of your cheek just to keep from grabbing your bag and sprinting there like a woman possessed.

So yeah. Extremely focused. Laser-sharp.

But you had stayed away.

Your highlighter is again uncapped. Your outline is almost legible. You are, objectively, thriving. Eating a sad multigrain bar between paragraphs and chasing it with lukewarm water like it’s a performance enhancer.

And then your phone buzzes.

Unknown number.

You stare at the screen. Don’t open it. Just… hover over the preview.

Unknown Number: hey. don’t you want your caffeine anymore? i can make you something else. de-caf americano. lavender latte. fake espresso with oat milk and ego support. or something worse :3 caleb (got your number from the newbie. hope that’s not a crime.)

You actually stop breathing.

Like, for real. Chest still. Brain blank.

Your heart has the audacity to flutter. Traitor.

You check the time. You should be reading about lien enforcement. Instead, you’re calculating how long to wait before answering so it looks like you’re busy and unaffected.

You add him to your contacts like a normal, composed person.

Then scream internally for a full minute.

Exactly eleven minutes pass before a reply is sent—just long enough to look busy, not eager.

you: wow. illegally obtained contact info and weaponized oat milk? bold strategy, counselor.

He replies immediately.

Barista Boi™ (DO NOT FLIRT): i prefer the term morally flexible barista. you want the latte or not?

you: define “latte.” is this a real drink or a coded trap?

Barista Boi™ (DO NOT FLIRT): yes

You scowl at your phone, biting back a smile.

you: i’m studying.

Barista Boi™ (DO NOT FLIRT): and i’m offering academic support. in beverage form.

you: …is this a bribe?

Barista Boi™ (DO NOT FLIRT): depends. is it working? :3

Of course you don’t answer right away. You make him wait this time. On purpose. Thirty minutes pass. You even get through two and a half pages of your reading before you cave.

you: i could maybe stop by. for like ten minutes. purely for the fake espresso.

Barista Boi™ (DO NOT FLIRT): :D perfect. i’ll be ready. and i’ll make sure the newbie doesn’t rat you out for folding under pressure :P

You glance at your reflection in your laptop screen. You look like someone trying not to smile.

You fail.

——————————————————————————

Ten minutes. That’s what you told yourself.

Ten minutes. In and out.

And yet—you pause outside the café window, checking your reflection checking your reflection like Professor Litt’s about to grade it. Hair? Rebraided. Clean. Tight. Strategic. Lip gloss? Freshly applied. Not too much, just enough to look unbothered. Like you woke up glowing, not panicking about your response time and lack of emojis.

You push the door open.

The bell chimes.

And then there he is.

Behind the counter, in a black fitted tee that fits too well, apron tied low on his waist like it’s a fashion statement instead of a uniform, he’s cleaning the counter. He stretches forward to drag the rag across the far edge, one arm bracing his weight, the other gliding the cloth in wide circles. A vein pops along his forearm with the motion.

Your breath stutters for half a second.

He glances up.

Sees you.

And—oh no—he smiles.

The good one. Slow. Warm. Like you’re the most interesting thing in the room and he’s so glad you walked in.

“Hey,” Caleb says. “You look—”

A pause. His eyes scan you, just briefly.

“Really good.”

Your pulse skips like a badly written objection.

“Studying looks good on you,” he adds, tossing the rag aside as he steps toward the espresso machine. “What’ll it be? Oat milk ego boost? Fake espresso?”

You raise an eyebrow. “Whatever supports academic integrity.”

He grins. “So… lavender guilt with a hint of vanilla ambition.”

“Perfect.”

Behind the counter, the newbie ducks out of view with suspicious timing. Probably pretending to organize straws. Probably texting you in all caps.

Sure enough, your phone buzzes:

newbie: ok so we’re not dropping barista boi? because i distinctly remember “case closed” energy two nights ago… and you said you’d only show up during my solo shifts…

You exhale. Type back quickly:

you: i know. i meant it. mostly

You stare at the screen. Then add:

you: there’s just… one thing i still need to figure out. something he said. i’ll tell you when i know

A few seconds later:

newbie: i’ll be waiting (and possibly reorganizing inventory until then)

You glance up.

They’re crouched behind the counter, aggressively focused on a box of wooden stir sticks and definitely not subtle. Right.

You take your usual seat, pretending this is casual. That you don’t feel your lip gloss catching on your smile. That you’re not watching Caleb’s hands as he works—entirely too good at this for your emotional well-being.

He slides the drink toward you a moment later.

You rise, shift your weight like you’re pretending this is no big deal, grab the cup—and by the time you’re lowering yourself back into the chair, he’s already grinning.

Before you can respond, the newbie drifts by, eyeing the scene with quiet dread and maybe a flicker of amusement. They point vaguely between you two with a cloth in hand.

“Is this, like… scheduled flirting or do I need to update the roster?”

Caleb doesn’t miss a beat. “Let’s call it a catch-up session. Someone’s been ghosting their caffeine dealer for two days.”

You raise your cup, playing it cool. “Had to detox from questionable latte crimes.”

The newbie snorts. “Sustained.”

Caleb leans in just slightly, voice low. “Counterpoint: I missed the chaos.”

You sip, eyes locked. “Careful. I might bring it back in full force.”

The newbie exhales like they’re watching an HR violation unfold in real time.

You sip your drink again. It’s perfect.

Of course it is.

Before you can take another, Caleb’s already untying his apron like he’s done it a hundred times without thinking. He tosses it behind the counter, then shrugs into his jacket. Then he walks over like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Like you’re not still trying to recover from the way he complimented you when you walked in.

He pulls out the chair across from you and sits—casual, easy, focused entirely on you.

“Clock’s off,” he says. “Extension granted.”

You raise your cup. “Wow. An unsupervised barista in the wild.”

He leans forward, elbows on the table. “Careful. I’m dangerous without caffeine supervision.”

You smile into your drink. “You are the caution label.”

Caleb grins, easy and crooked, like he knows it’s true. But then silence settles in—comfortable at first, then strange. You realize you don’t actually know what to ask him. Not anything normal. Not anything safe.

That’s when the newbie drifts over again, towel still in hand and one brow raised. “Didn’t you say you had to leave exactly on time? Plans, or something?”

Caleb doesn’t look up right away. “Yeah,” he says slowly, sliding a finger along the edge of the table. “Changed my mind.”

Then—just a shrug. No comment. They turn and walk off, disappearing behind the espresso machine like they’ve decided they’ve already witnessed enough plot for one shift.

Your phone buzzes a second later.

newbie: he totally bailed on a date for you. i’m not saying i approve. but i am saying… damn gurl

You pretend to stare into your drink, hiding the flush that climbs up your neck. One hand cradles the cup, the other slips under the table to text.

you: noted. proceeding with caution.

newbie: you’re already toast

And you’re left sitting there. Caleb still not looking at you. Still pretending your pulse hasn’t picked up again.

You look at him, careful. “So… how does your date feel about being stood up?”

You try to make it light. Offhand. Like it’s a joke. But your hands are wrapped a little too tightly around your cup.

He doesn’t flinch. Just holds your gaze and says,

“She’ll survive.”

You raise an eyebrow, and he adds—quieter now, more certain,

“I’m just… starting to make the right priorities.” He leans back slightly, eyes still on you. “Honestly? I prefer this date over the one I had lined up.”

You let out a soft laugh. “Wow. So cross-examination is your ideal date?”

He grins, unbothered. “I don’t mind a little pressure.”

A quiet breath escapes as your thumb drags along the rim of your cup, buying time you’re not sure you need.

“Well,” you say, a little softer now. “Something you said at the farmers market stuck with me.”

His smile fades just a little—still gentle, but cautious now.

“If you don’t mind,” you continue, “I’d like to ask one more serious question. And then I’ll get out of your hair.”

He nods slowly. “Go on.”

The question leaves your mouth before you can overthink it. “So… do they really make you take psych evals in aviation school? Like, sit in a room and prove you’re not gonna fly off the handle mid-flight?”

He hums, glancing down at his hands. The moment stretches—something careful and unfinished in the space between you.

“Yeah,” he says slowly. “It’s… part of it.”

You wait. Just for a second. But he doesn’t add anything.

Doesn’t look up either.

You backpedal before you realize why. “Sorry—was that a weird question?”

He finally looks at you. Smiles, but not quite like before.

“Nah. Just… not all turbulence is flight-related, you know?”

It lingers. Quiet.

You nod like you get it. You don’t push.

Instead, you check the time and start to gather your things.

“Well. I should head back to the library. Real law waits for no one.”

Caleb stands up with you. “Mind if I walk you?”

You pause. “To campus?”

One corner of his mouth quirks up as his hands disappear into his jacket pockets. “Unless that violates attorney-client privilege.”

You try to act cool. Casual.

But your heart’s doing flips like it just passed the bar on vibes alone.

“…Sure,” you say. “As long as you promise not to distract me from my constitutional crisis.”

“No promises.”

——————————————————————————

You didn’t think walking back with Caleb would feel like anything.

But it does.

It doesn’t feel like the farmers market. There’s no soft buzz of vendors or distraction of overpriced produce. No easy banter. It’s just a ten-minute stroll through campus. And every step feels charged. Not tense—just aware.

Aware of the way his shoulder brushes yours every so often. Aware of the fact that he’s not saying anything too deep—but he could. And aware that whatever weight hangs between you now, it’s heavier than before. Not bitter. Just real. Like he’s thinking, maybe, just as loudly as you are.

You try to focus on the path ahead. The looming faculty building. The notes in your bag. The faint echo of de lege ferenda in the back of your brain.

But instead, your thoughts keep rerouting to him. To how beautiful he looks walking next to you—hands in his pockets, jacket slightly open, the chain around his neck just barely visible under the collar of his shirt. There’s a faint scent clinging to him—subtle cologne, warm cinnamon, and coffee. Familiar now. Unfairly comforting.

The apple charm flashes once.

And you look away.

“Campus is weirdly quiet at this hour,” he says, voice low.

You nod. “All the reasonable people went home to rest. The rest of us have finals and bad taste in coping mechanisms.”

He chuckles, a soft breath more than a laugh. “What category do I fall into?”

A breath of hesitation hangs in the air before your gaze flicks his way.

“You’re the exception.”

He arches a brow. “To which part?”

You smile, quiet. “Exactly.”

Then, casually—maybe too casually—you ask, “Why flying?”

He hesitates. Not long. But long enough.

“You already had your serious question,” he murmurs, lips quirking. “But fine. I’ll indulge you, Golden Girl…”

His gaze tilts skyward—toward the horizon where dusk spills purple into orange, soft as breath. The light kisses his skin, scattering gold across the freckles on his nose, tangling in the soft, unruly fall of his ashen brown bangs. And his eyes—those impossible eyes—catch every violet thread of sky like they were made for this hour, like the universe choreographed sunset just to wreck you slowly.

“There’s something about being up there,” he says, quieter now. “Everything feels small. Like it can’t touch you.”

You nod. “Sounds peaceful.”

He shrugs. “It used to be.”

It used to be.

You don’t press. You’re out of allowed serious questions. Dang.

He glances sideways at you, his voice a little softer. “You always this curious?”

You smirk. “I’m literally training to cross-examine people for a living.”

A quiet chuckle slips out, low and unsurprised. “Right. Should’ve seen that coming.”

The silence that follows is longer. He doesn’t fill it. Neither do you. Just the sound of your steps echoing on the pavement, both of you pretending this is still light.

And then, he says:

“I saw you.”

You stop. So does he.

His voice is softer now. Measured. “After I left you. At the farmers market. After we parted… I… I saw you walk away.”

Your throat tightens.

“I didn’t mean to—” you start.

“I know,” he says quickly. “You… don’t have to explain.”

You look away. It stings, hearing him say it. Knowing he knew. That you weren’t as invisible in your spiral as you hoped.

“She’s part of me,” he says finally, eyes on the dark stretch of sidewalk ahead. “Whether I like it or not.”

You don’t say anything.

“She was… important,” he adds. “Still is. Very much so. Maybe… In ways I wish she wasn’t.”

You glance at him. His jaw’s tight. Not sad—bitter. Quietly so.

“Serving coffee helps,” he says with a dry smile. “Stupid as that sounds. So does working. Part-time hours, full-time distraction.”

You don’t speak. Just listen. For once, you’re not cross-examining, not poking holes in the story.

“Flying was supposed to help too,” he continues. “Thought maybe if I was up there, I’d finally feel free. Untouchable. Like I could outrun… outfly all of it.”

He shakes his head. “Turns out… you land eventually. I… always get home on time. No matter how hard I try not to.”

He gives you a sideways look. Not for pity. Just to see if you’re still here.

You are.

“I didn’t mean for you to see that,” he says. “And I didn’t want it to look like—”

“It’s okay,” you say quietly. “You don’t have to explain either.”

He exhales, the sound heavy even in the cool early evening air. “Yeah, but I want to.”

You reach the steps of the faculty. He slows with you.

There’s a pause. You glance at him.

He glances at you.

Then he blinks—like he’s just realized how much he said. How serious it suddenly got. You watch him. Carefully. Then, quiet but steady:

“Caleb. Am I an emotional distraction to you?”

That familiar smirk flickers to life—like he’s winding up to make a joke about your dwindling cross-examination time. But then it falters. Softens. Something gentler bleeding in at the edges.

“You ask that like it’s a bad thing,” he murmurs. “But I don’t want you to see it that way, Golden Girl.”

You lean in, just enough that your shoulders brush—just enough to make it teasing, grounding, not heavy.

You raise a brow. “Depends. Is this a paid role?”

“Not yet,” he says, voice dropping just slightly. “But the benefits are excellent.” He exhales. Runs a hand through his hair.

“I wanted us to stay light, Golden Girl,” he mutters, then flashes a crooked, too-fast smile.

You open your mouth—don’t know what to say.

But he keeps going, softer this time.

“I like being around you,” he says, voice low. “Not because of her. Just…”

Caleb pauses, searching for the words.

“Just because it reminds me of who I used to be. Someone I could… be lighter with. Before everything got so heavy.”

You don’t say anything.

But something in your chest cracks a little—softly. Quietly.

You nod once.

Then, without thinking, he brushes your arm with his fingers. Light. Fleeting. Just enough to feel real.

He holds your gaze.

“I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

Not a question.

A soft certainty.

You could leave it there.

You should.

But you say it anyway, like it’s no big deal:

“…You could kiss me goodnight.”

He pauses.

Raises a brow. “Yeah?”

You shrug, playing it off. “Just to test it. See if it still feels lighthearted.”

A slow grin curves across his face. “Bit early for goodnight kisses, isn’t it?”

Then softer—closer: “And if I kissed you goodnight… it wouldn’t just be a goodnight kiss.”

Your breath catches. His eyes are still open—still watching. Fingers drift forward—just enough to brush against your hair. It’s not a kiss. But it feels like one.

Then—he exhales, a little laugh under his breath.

“We’d fail the test.”

You blink. “Why?”

His voice drops.

“Because I wouldn’t want to stop.”

You don’t answer. You don’t have to.

Because the ache in your chest says it all.

Still—

You let it settle.

You let it stay.

Then he walks away.

You blink. Once. Twice.

And then you turn on your heel and book it back inside. Back to the library. Back to your laptop. Your outlines. Your annotated casebooks.

Back to your safe zone.

The water bottle hits your desk like a gavel. A granola bar follows—torn open and half-devoured like it might file your stress for you. A blank doc blinks back at the chaos.

You start typing.

——————————————————————————

Caleb v. My F*cking Sanity

Exhibit A: Apple Girl

She exists.

Confirmed visual. Confirmed hug.

Still part of him. Still hurts.

Exhibit B: The Look

He knew I saw.

Felt bad.

Explained… sort of. That’s not nothing.

Exhibit C: The communication pattern

Texted me FIRST. Flirts.

“First-class comfort.”

Braid-touching violation.

Walked me back. Said “see you soon.” Like it meant something???

Exhibit D: The confession

“You remind me of who I used to be.”

He told me. Voluntarily.

Not sad, not sweet—true. Bitter?

Exhibit E: The proximity

The almost-kiss?!?!

Stepped closer.

Eyes open the whole time.

Looked at me like I might undo him wtf

Exhibit F: The Suggestion

I joked: “You could kiss me goodnight.”

He said: “Bit early for goodnight kisses.” …..

Like… early relationship-wise or early as in it’s not bedtime yet? Fml

Exhibit G: The Verdict

“We’d fail the test,” he said.

“Because I wouldn’t want to stop.”

(I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t… jesus)

——————————————————————————

You stare at the screen.

Your heart’s still pounding.

Your fingers hover over the keys—then type one last paragraph:

——————————————————————————

Case Status: Dangerously reopened. Evidence still being collected. *And I’m starting to think I might not want to win.

————————��—————————————————

Part 9

——————————————————————————

Writer’s note: Ahhh, here we are again, dear readers: Spiraling straight back into his orbit. There’s just something about a guy who uses :3 So… are you feeling the vibe? Picking up on what Caleb’s trying to tell us? I really hope my initial arc for him is starting to take shape, hehe. (This is, without a doubt, the only arc I can imagine Caleb having… testing, maybe even choosing someone other than the MC. The song below is Caleb’s theme song “back to you, back to you nanananaa”) Now, technically, I could drag this story out forever. I mean, the banter? The flirting? Yum. However, I was thinking about starting to wrap things up… buuuut if you’re into this, I can absolutely slow-burn it into oblivion. Let me know! Anyway, see you in the next one, and have a great weekend, peepz! Okey then, thank you for reading 🫶🏻

[askagamedev]

The EU has just banned virtual premium currencies in video games that represent, requiring the games use the actual currency amounts. Thoughts on this new law?

For those who do not understand this change, in the EU any in-game purchase that can be made for paid/premium currency must display the actual cost in local currency to players. Here is my MS Paint mockup of how such a thing would look as required.

The new regulation also requires the conversion rate of premium currency to real money at the baseline exchange rate (e.g. buying the smallest pack of premium currency).

This would have some obvious first-order/immediate results - players would now be able to see how much it would cost them to buy an item outright. This would provide additional friction in direct purchases to players, making them incrementally less likely to purchase items directly.

This would also have some less obvious second-order/derivative results. This also has the side effect of making the more efficient currency bundles look better in comparison, because players can get the premium currency at a discount if they buy those instead of the baseline. It would likely increase engagement by showing that players are earning "value" when they finish quests and obtain premium currency through playing the game by reinforcing that they are obtaining things worth money. I think that the in-game stores will use this to direct players toward better value bundles and packs to buy.

I also think that this would only be the beginning - game designers are clever folks, and we can find many ways to adjust things given a set of constraints. Remember, one of the secondary effects of requiring all gacha games to show the actual percentages was the creation of "pity rates" where continued failed pulls actually incrementally increase the success chances in future pulls. These kind of incentivization changes will continue, including thinking up ways to leverage the "real price" display to make the purchase more appealing. I like to think of it in this way - "just because I can't imagine it myself doesn't mean such a thing can't exist, only that it doesn't exist... yet." If there's a possibility, somebody will probably figure it out.

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Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

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Frequent Questions: The FAQ

[starfirexuchiha]

My P5 Royal Tumblr Posts Directory

I made so many P5R related posts in the past so I decided to organize them and put the links to them in a post so that people, as well as myself, can easily find them!

Since I am a Shuake enthusiast, most of these links are Shuake-related posts which is not surprising lol. I will update this as I find more of my old posts.

Links to my Translation posts

P5R Guidebook Interview Translation - The Royal Trio is a “Love Triangle”

P5R Guidebook Interview Translation - Akechi is the Deuteragonist

P5R Guidebook Interview Translation - About Akechi’s silly Navi Line 

Navi Akechi Status Ailment Translations

Joker’s gay dream about going to the beach with Akechi Translation

Joker’s gay dream about going on a movie date with Akechi Translation

P5R Keychain Merch Translations

New P5R Goro keychain merch & ShuAke Flower Language Translations 

P5 Tactica Crow Trailer scene Translation (Contains Shuake rivalmance)

P5R Artbook Translation - Creator’s Comment on the Shuake “Bad Ending” artworks

P5R Artbook Interview Translation - Regarding the “Bad Ending” (Maruki Ending) and devs being aware of Shuake fans

P5R Magazine Translation for Rokuro Saito's comment on the Royal Trio

P5 Maniacus Magazine Translation - Confirmation that Akechi has the Wildcard ability

P5R Magazine - Translation for the Shuake Profiles

P5R Magazine - Translation about meeting Akechi in 3rd semester

Links to my Guides (including Translated Guides) posts

P5R: Akechi Confidant Dialogue Choices guide

How to make Akechi obtain his 3rd Tier Persona (Hereward) in P5R [Concise]

P5R Guidebook Translation on how to make Akechi obtain his 3rd Tier Persona (Hereward)

P5R Guidebook Translation for Akechi’s Confidant Guide

List of Gifts that each Male Confidant Likes

P5R: Complete Akechi Gift Guide

P5R: List of ♪♪♪ gifts for Akechi (With picture references)

Confidant Deadlines for Akechi, Maruki, and Sumi

How to get the Royal Trio PS4 theme

Links to my Theories/Meta posts

The Flower Meanings behind each P5R Flower Keychain Merch

Ryuji and Sunflowers

“Acedia” - Akechi’s deadly sin

Side Effect of using Call of Chaos

Black Mask Goro also represents a Harlequin

The meaning behind Paradise Lost (Joker’s strongest melee weapon)

The Symbolism behind Akechi’s Tie and Badge

Hereward is the First Robin Hood who is also unhinged

Faith, Hope, and Charity Arcanas and how it will foreshadow a future P5 Spinoff game

Akechi being undetectable

Shuake connection to Adam and Steve

P5 - “He made HIMSELF go psychotic!”

The events in P3 took place near Maruki’s palace

The Real reason why Akechi is unaffected by the dream world

Goro’s surname may be fake

“Night on the Galactic Railroad” references in Persona 5 Royal (ShuAke-related meta)

Links to Unused Content posts

3 Unused Farewell Gifts in P5R for 3/19

Some Unused Akechi Lines in Mementos

Unused Akechi Thieves Den conversations

Unused Shuake dialogue in Darts Game

Goro thinks shirtless Joker is distracting

P5R Unused Showtime Stickers

Prince Akechi has Unused Navi lines

Some Unused Akechi Costume Conversations

Unused Goro Texture File

More info about the Unused Goro Texture file

Unused scene where Goro is still alive after Maruki's Reality got destroyed

Unused Content - Goro’s Unused Mementos Request (Not my post but this is so interesting that I wanna bookmark this here)

Links to Misc and Trivia posts

Tsundere Akechi moments in P5R

Persona 5: Mementos Reports - Some Akechi Trivia

Akechi is also an artist

P5 Tactica Translation of Goro’s special dialogue to Joker 

Goro scaring Ryuji

Akechi wanting Joker to be his true self (independent of the player’s will)

Akechi’s Arcana card is mysteriously missing in the official P5 and P5R websites

List of times where Goro thinks Joker is attractive

Goro’s ENTJ quotes by cognitive functions

The Answer to whether or not Akechi is alive in P5R + Shuake moments

Goro has a warm tingly feeling

Goro being a jealous bitch in the Royal Trio Love Triangle (Not my post but I love bitchy Goro)

[33forthew1n]

જ⁀➴ ♡young & in love જ⁀➴ ♡

🏎️❣️💙 2016! MV33/MV1 x reader 🏎️❣️💙

trope: strangers to lovers

SMAU- faceclaim: blonde girls on pinterest 👱🏼‍♀️

synopsis: it's max verstappen's first year in Formula One, but it's reader's time as a race guest. when max abruptly meets yn at the paddock, is it love at first sight for the two or just a one-time meeting?

WARNINGS: jos 🙄, one horner mention, swearing, oblivious boyfriend

author's note: first ever fic!!!! let me know how u like it in my inbox or by interacting :) tysm to @iamred-iamyellow for answering all my silly little qs 🫶

⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚₊‧♡⟢˚

max was just like any other teenager: he had crushes, dreams, friends, and too many responsibilities to count. well, except for one thing: he was motorsport's newest and youngest Formula One driver.

at 17, he debuted with a junior team and did....well, pretty damn well. so, the move up to the big league in the form of Red Bull Racing TAG Heur was no big surprise. he had been labelled a prodigy and future WDC even before obtaining his driver's license which unsurprisingly left him with a mountain of pressure to deal with. pressure that no teenage peer would ever truly understand. he had stopped trying to find commonalities in life experience and accepted that his circumstances were one in seven billion.

at the start of 2016, max had entered the season with one goal in mind: race and race so damn well that nobody could question the fastpaced nature of his driving career. this one-track mind approach also meant another thing: no girlfriends and no serious relationships. a serious relationship meant time, effort, and devotion he couldn't put into his racecraft; as his father so unkindly reminded him way too often for his liking. ₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡

max's first gp with RB

maxverstappen33

Liked by danielricciardo, redbullned, and 298,999 others

maxverstappen33 First race with Red Bull. Happy with the car, but could have gotten more out of the car. Great weekend, thanks team. 💪

view comments ⬇️

danielricciardo Good race, mate. Excited for the future 💪🏎️

^ ❤️ by author

madmax3390 there's a reason why there's sm hype around him!! mad future WDC 🦁

user97370181 daniel outqualified and outraced LOL what a joke

maxdutchlion97 super effort!! ROTY

usernine i don't even get what the hype around him is....

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡

at the ripe age of ten, yn had decided that sebastian vettel was her all time favorite driver. it was a funny choice for the young girl to make because her dad was a fernando alonso stan and a diehard tifosi at the time. yet, young yn was awestruck at the navy blue car driven masterfully by vettel. ever since she saw him win his first WDC in 2010, yn had dreamt of going to her very first f1 grand prix.

after years of silently wishing that every christmas present and birthday gift was a gp ticket, yn finally got her wish for her 17th bday. it was a ticket to the spanish gp which meant that after her last final exam of the year was over, she'd be on a train to spain. "thank you so much, dad. seriously, i can't believe you kept this hidden for so long!!!", the teenager said in joy. "if i had known you'd be this happy, i would have shown you at christmas. you're welcome, dear." ⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡

fast forward to the spanish grand prix:

yn was bouncing with excitement. after months of planning outfits and smoothing over details, the day had come! she was at her first grand prix; her wish come true. everything was bigger and louder than she could have ever imagined but oh so wonderful. every garage she had seen on TV was now in front of her very own eyes. while she was so busy staring at everything with wide eyes, someone in an obvious rush ran into her.

"oh- sorry. didn-", said the guy in question. "you're o-", said yn, stopping halfway through her words in surprise when she recognized the face of the guy who almost caused the wind to be knocked out of her. it was none other than her favorite team's newest driver: max verstappen. now she had three choices: a) frantically ask for a picture (as proof to show her dad who would never believe her if she told him of this moment), b) stare like an idiot and make them both feel terribly awkward, or c) pretend to not recognize him. "c-can i take a selfie with you?", she said, deciding that choice a was the one to pick.

"oh! yeah, sure.", max awkwardly answered.

"thanks, have a good race!", exclaimed yn, ready to tell her dad a story he wouldn't believe, until she heard a "wait! uhm-" from max.

"can i have your instagram? you know, so that you can send me the selfie-", the teenager made up on the spot. "oh!! yes, just a second!"

after exchanging ig handles, max joked to her, "have fun this weekend. good team kit choice, by the way." she laughed and replied, "yeah, guess i must have pretty good taste, huh. win the race, max. good luck out there."

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹

max hadn't ever been so starstuck by a girl. the only thing he could think of when he was in front of her was how beautiful and warm she seemed. just genuinely exhilerated for the race and to be at the track. "it's been a while since i've felt like that", thought the driver.

he'd been happily surprised when she gave him her ig handle, not really expecting her to say yes to his request. and so he typed out her username, hit follow, and looked at her latest post.

ynusername

Liked by yourbestfriend and 235 others

ynusername pretty in pink 💞🧁👯‍♀️ @yourbestfriend @otherfriend

view comments ⬇️

yourbestfriend prettiest girl in the 🌎 🥺

^❤️ by author

ynusername u? ☺️💞 DUH

otherfriend had the best time w u 😍 lovelyyy

ynusername yes!!! sleepover next month! 💞

randomclassmate gorg

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡

throughout the rest of the FPs, max couldn't get yn out of his head. he knew he should be keeping his head down and focusing on how to improve his performance, but in all honesty he was more concerned with impressing the girl who hadn't left his mind.

his father saw his sudden proneness to day dreaming and immediately knew something was different. "max, son."

"yes?", muttered max in surprise. "what is it with you this weekend? you know better than to have your head in the clouds?"

"n-nothing. just thinking..", max replied. fuck, he thought, of course jos would be able to tell that something was on max's mind besides racing.

then came qualifying where it all came crashing down. he had placed tenth on the grid; his worst starting position for the season so far. in the moments following quali, he walked to his garage with his head held down by the weight of what he would have to accomplish in the grand prix to satisfy all expectations.

come sunday, max was ready to win. he knew she was still at the grand prix as she had posted a selfie at the paddock a few hours prior. if he was to impress her and grow bold enough to ask her out, now was the time to succeed.

and succeed he did. he went through the nine drivers in front of him slowly and steadily, unable to believe that he was mere laps away from tasting victory. when he passed vettle, hamilton, and finally rosberg, his eyes filled with tears. then next thing he knew, horner was saying, "max verstappen, you are a race winner. fantastic. what a debut. fantastic. great, great job!"

max was in awe. his first win at seventeen wasn't certain, yet he made it happen. he knew what he needed to do next.

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡

maxverstappen33

Liked by f1, christianhorner, and 1.2 million others

maxverstappen33 First race win and youngest ever race winner. Huge congratulations to the team. Thanks to my family who made it all possible. On to the next. 💪🇳🇱🏎️

view comments ⬇️

f1 That's our youngest race winner 🇳🇱🇳🇱 Super Max!

victoriaverstappen Congrats, maxie. 🧡🧡

^ ❤️ by author

lewishamilton Nice one, mate. 1️⃣

user9827279 already outdoing danny...i can see the incoming favoritism from a distance

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡₊˚⊹♡⊹♡

yn couldn't believe it. seeing her favorite team win in her first ever grand prix visit...unbelievable. she had taken dozens of pictures and videos to show her dad and show off to her little brother. as she was leaving the paddock, her phone dinged with a notification. 'hmm. must be dad asking me how the race has been'.

yet, instead it was an instagram dm notifcation.

Max Verstappen

maxverstappen33

Hey, Yn right?

yes!! is this Max or some red bull staff? Haha, its Max. How did you like the Grand Prix?

omg, loved it!!! the most fun i've had in so long :))

congrats on your first win. it was super impressive :')

Thanks! Quick question.

yes?

How would you feel about going on a date?

max verstappen, are you asking me out? Yes, if you want to go. No, if you don't

🤣🤣 Funny.

that's a yes, mr. race winner.

The 21st at 6pm at the movie theatre it is. Can't wait to see you there. 🙂

see you then, max. 🧡

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹

after dozens of conversations and a few calls, max and yn went on their first date. he pulled up to her house with a single red rose. he didn't know if it was enough but he also didn't want to overwhelm her in any way. he waited for her to come out of her house and handed her the rose.

"hello, yn. you look beautiful. this is for you."

"oh- thanks, max! how was the ride over?"

max lived one hour away from yn and it was his first long carride since he got his license.

"it was good. nothing special, you know? how was your day been?", he asked as he opened the passenger seat for her. truth be told they had called as they were both getting ready, but he still asked since nothing put a smile on his voice than her excited talking.

"you know how it was max, hahaha. though, i have to say you do clean up well. you look good."

"thanks. so do you, pretty girl", max said, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks.

after half an hour of idyll chat, the pair arrived at the movie theatre. max paid for her tickets and the snacks (even after yn's insistence that she should at least cover the popcorn) before they went into the salon.

yn had chosen some random action movie to watch which max wasn't opposed to. they both laughed, yn teared up a bit (which caused max to laugh in surprise over), and even held hands for the first time.

as max parked at her house he asked her, "did you have fun?"

"yeah, i really did. what about you? did i stack up to your usual sunday excitement?"

"you're more fun than any grand prix i've ever raced in. thanks for coming.", he said.

with a kiss on the cheek, they exchanged goodbyes.

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹

after four months, jos had started to become suspicious of max. the teenager had become a lot happier and snuck around a lot more than he used to. yet, he decided not to mention anything until he caught max in the act.

unbeknownst to this, max kept sneaking out and seeing yn. he knew the sneaking around couldn't last forever but he didn't want his dad to tarnish everything he had built with yn. she was patient, kind, beautiful, and the most hilarious person he had ever known.

the greatest negative of being in the best relationship of his life was that max always wanted to talk about her and being her boyfriend. so, after six months had passed since their first date max decided he owed it to their relationship to come out to the world. as a couple? well, not exactly!

maxverstappen33

Liked by ynusername and 230,432 others

maxverstappen33 Happy birthday to the worst photographer I know. On a real note, thanks for being the best friend a guy could ever ask for. @ynusername happy 18th 🧡

view comments ⬇️

maxmaxsupermax UHM??? soft launch?:?)&/&

poppyf1fan max posting a girl was NOTT on my 2016 f1 bingo card

ynusername ignoring the "worst photographer" allegation...ty maxie 🧡 u have made this bday unforgettable

^❤️ by author

maxverstappen33 always. 🧡

redbullned OH?

randomfan02828 even red bull is surprised 😭🙏

max decided that a friendship soft launch would go over easier. plus, he didn't exactly warn yn of his post (though by her subtle comment you wouldn't be a fool to think otherwise).

"max?? what's this post on insta??", yn practically yelped on the other line.

"oh...that. well, i thought it was about time people knew about us", he nervously responded.

"but, your dad??? red bull? you know, basically everyone in your life?"

"i can deal with all that on my own, don't worry about it. you deserve to be known about. consider it my gift to you on your 18th", he joked.

"max, i think i would consider the bouquet of roses, the bracelet, and the makeup you got me as my gift. you really didn't have to, babe."

"yeah, but you're my girlfriend. who would i spoil if not you?"

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹

now, it was their one year anniversary.

max had come clean to jos over his relationship with yn just a few hours after that initial post. jos certainly wasn't happy and made it clear, but since max was living on his own at 18 there wasn't really much he could do. not that max cared much for his dad's opinion on his romantic relationships.

he had talked to yn about a proper reveal of their relationship and that he....somewhat did.

liked by f1, ynusername, and 800,625 others

maxverstappen33 Summer ☀️ @ynusername

view comments ⬇️

ynusername this is not what I meant by hard launch...💀

redbullned have fun in the off-season champ 💪

mymax33 ugh...she's not even that pretty 😂

lestappen0975 and ur so hot. that's why u don't show ur face? stfu

liononthetrack ?? bro said nothing yet everything??

danielricciardo I don't think you understand what a hard launch is, mate. 😆

and daniel was right. max assumed that by posting yn people would get the hint that he was her boyfriend. yet, there were still people delusional enough to think that she was just a friend. "you know, babe, that a friend just asked me if i was single or if she could hook me up with someone", yn said, hinting the obvious at max.

"oh, have you not told her about us yet?"

"i have. she just didn't believe it", replied yn, a smile creeping up on her face.

"you should have shown her my post to shut her up", max joked.

"i did. she asked what a guy friend had to do with me being single or not", yn finally said outright.

"guy friend?? wasn't that one of those hard launches you said couples do to reveal their relationship?", max said shocked.

"max. figuring out we are dating from that post is like trying to find a pin in a hay stack. nearly impossible", yn said, practically in tears laughing at max's dismay.

"damn it. seems danny is right. he had said that the post made you look like a friend but i just ignored him thinking he was messing with me."

"they do say that with age comes wisdom", yn responded.

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹

Liked by yourbestfriend, maxverstappen33, and 22,347 others

ynusername proper hard launch, i'd say. none of that soft stuff 🧡 @/maxverstappen33

view comments ⬇️

maxverstappen33 🧡 love you, schat. happy one year 🧡

ynusername best one year of my life 🧡

madmax3303 oh!!! max's friend is his...gf???

f1fan2008 how did he pull such a baddie 💀

danielriccardo You need to teach Max how to hard launch. Heidi called his post weak 😂

^❤️ by author

yourbestfriend CUTIESSSS 🥹🥹🥹

^❤️ by author

going to her first grand prix led to the best thing in her life: her boyfriend. and all it took to show the world were a few unclear posts and an oblivious boyfriend.

⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹♡₊˚⊹

hope you enjoyed!!

interact as much as you'd like

send requests for any f1 driver 🏎️

[akutasoda]

I hope this isn't weird or anything but could I please request some fluff for AlHaitham, Zhongli and Albedo with a dragon reader? They have horns and a tail and are just distant and brooding but love to chill with their beloved, enjoying their presence and doing stuff together?

Thank you sm for your time!🙏

draconic lover

synopsis - how are they with a dragon s/o

includes - albedo, zhongli, alhaitham

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, slight angst, maybe ooc, wc - 1k

a/n: it wasn't weird at all! if anything i think i got carried away...

albedo ★↷

↪initially, the two of you had met when albedo began chasing down a small legend surrounding dragonspine out of interest. eventually he traced it down, unknowingly, to your dwelling.

↪originally, all those years ago, you chose the isolated dragonspine to live out your life - preferring it's lonely scenes to fit your more distant demeanour. unfortunately you hadn't accounted for or even considered a particular curious alchemist to choose his main area of research there.

↪the first thing you learnt about albedo was that he was persistent. no matter how much you ignored or tried to push him away, he would come back the next day or keep trying to initiate conversation. it took him ages to even get a sentence out of you but he was thrilled when he did.

↪albedo initially only had a more scientific interest in you, he was curious and he was sure that sucrose would love to meet you as well - not without your permission of course. however, as time went on he began visiting you out of pure friendly curiosity.

↪nowadays, the alchemist could be found sat with you up in dragonspine either trying to get you to tell him something interesting or him explaining an experiment to you.

↪a favourite past time for albedo was when the two of you would spend the evenings cuddled up as it was a quiet time for the two of you to bask in each others presence - and a prime time for him to inspect your draconic features.

↪albedo respected the fact that you were the distant type and preferred to stay up in dragonspine. maybe the selfish part of him even enjoyed the fact that he was the only one who could spend time with you.

↪but he would always help you do whatever you wanted to do because he enjoyed spending anytime with you regardless.

zhongli ★↷

↪if zhongli were to be honest, he never thought that he'd come across another dragon any where in the near future. and he was content with that. he had enough people around him that he found tolerable or even enjoyable to be around.

↪but as soon as someone introduced him to you, he noticed something was off. he could almost instantly recognise and he could guess that you could as well, although answers weren't very easy to obtain in a public place - and you weren't exactly the most talkative.

↪admittedly, zhongli’s interest was piqued and so he pursued conversation with you. soon it became very apparent to him that you were in fact another dragon.

↪it seemed sort of unreal to him at first, more so because it seemed almost weird that he hadn't met you before, but he quickly became very much interested in getting to know you more - despite how standoffish you seemed.

↪zhongli quite quickly learned that you did prefer to keep to yourself, it toook him quite the while before you started actually acting friendly toward him but the two of you soon acted like you'd known eachother for absolute forever.

↪in fact, zhongli quickly accustomed to your more solitary life and loved spending his time with just you in the comfort of your shared home. of course you two still went out but being at home with you always seemed better - and neither of you bothered to hide your draconic features at home.

↪zhongli loved spending his time with you. no matter what it is or where it is, as long as you were by his side, he was content.

↪with you, he could open his heart. you both would live a long time and so he never had to fear the day that another love of his would be eternally separated from him and he would live on with the pain. now, he could embrace your love and your presence.

alhaitham ★↷

↪alhaitham found heard of a certain rumour that circled quickly around the akadeymia and initially he ignored it as he thought rumours were a waste of time. however he got a bit more roped into it than he wanted.

↪and eventually he met you. someone who he could get behind as he also preferred to keep to himself and avoid most. you two could often sit in complete comfortable silence and yet bond better than actually talking to people.

↪it took absolutely ages before the two of you started having actual conversation, even longer to get friendly enough to the point he learnt about your draconic blood. to say he was impressed and intrigued would be an understatement.

↪he had to try his hardest to not constantly admire your horns and tail whenever you had them out. the absolute urge he had to pet your tail was a struggle.

↪when the two of you finally started actually dating, alhaitham offered you to say at his - he apologised in advance for kaveh and kaveh was sworn to absolute secrecy about your dragon form because alhaitham found it absolutely ethereal and he wouldn't have you hiding it.

↪soon alhaitham loved nothing more than to relax in your embrace in the evenings as he read. he enjoyed the small moments with you. doing absolutely nothing yet so much at the same time, he also noticed how much you enjoyed it aswell.

↪as long as you two did something together, you were both content. although alhaitham was quite indulgent when it came to those small moments between the two of you in the comfort of your shared home.

↪but he wasn't an idiot. he knew that eventually time would tear the two of you apart but until that day arrived, he'd indulge in everything you had to offer and he'd show his love in his way.

taglist - @little-miss-chaoss, @frankiesteinn

[astra-ravana]

Obscure Spell Components

A small collection of things you don't see every day in magick. I can definitely add more to this list and may in the future, I am open to suggestions.

Coffin Nails

• Traditionally made of protective iron

• Anoint front doors for home protection

• Carry in pocket or bag for protection from tricks, bad luck, and harm

• Binding magick; hammer through a name paper to specify a target

Wasps

• Improves accuracy of magick (ensures curses "hit where it hurts")

• Can be used in a petition to end pregnancy

• Hang near a door to cause loss, discord, and constant troubles for who lives there

Black Feathers

• Seeing one is a sign from the ancestors

• Used in workings to cast out malevolent forces

• Burn a message and sweep into the air with a black feather to get an answer soon

• Protects from nightmares

• Can be used to fan away negative energy and unwanted visitors

Lucky Hand Root

• Great for drawing money, often added to mojo bags

• Can be used with a name paper to draw a specific lover

• Boosts charisma, power, and self-discipline

• Ideal for manifestation and drawing magick

Ashes

• Carry in red cloth to bolster your courage

• Scatter around a purple candle for healing

• Bury spell ashes to seal a spell

• Carve a name into hardwood and burn to ash for a targeted curse component

• Must always be instructed in the working

• Versitile; can do everything from road openings and protection to destruction and chaos

Charcoal

• Used to make black salt and ink for grimoires

• Use in bath magick to cleanse yourself of negative energy

• Used in spells related to protection, warding, banishing, unity, and purification

• Can be used to add "fuel" to a working

Peach Pits

• Are often carved

• Worn to protect one's life, safety, and health

• Wards against negative energy

• Magickal aspects include longevity, protection, love, and vitality

Chalk

• Used for its power to claim, anchor, and control

• Write your target's name on an out bound train/boat/truck to make them go far away

• Write your name on the bottom of a lover's shoes to keep them coming back

• Trace your hand on a property to claim it for a time

Spiderwebs

• Capture a spiderweb on black cloth and hang over your door to catch a thief

• To keep someone away hang their name in a spiderweb and ask the spider to bind them

• Roll target's hair in a spiderweb and sprinkle with grave dirt. Bury in their yard to hex them.

• Roll a red/pink candle in webs to capture the heart of an attractive lover

• Used in magick for opportunity, obtaining, binding, and ensnarement

Coffee

• Used in poppets to inflict insomnia

• Makes a spell work faster

• To get a message from someone rub their name with coffee and attach to a mailbox

• Spinkle in purse, wallet, or cash box to bring money

• Said to improve a man's varility and stamina

Shoes

• Put sigils in the soles of your shoes

• Pair of shoes: health, protection, wealth, fertility, travel, banishing, fidelity, home, marriage/couples

• Right shoe: will, success, dominance, banishing, skill mind

• Left shoe: destiny, accidents, come to me, protection, love

• Cleanse with Florida Water for protection

• Put target's name in your right shoe to dominate, left to draw them, both to bewitch and control

• Dirt from the yard in a loved one's left shoe will keep them coming home

• Put hot foot powder directly in someone's right shoe *wink wink*

Lock & Key

• The lock is symbolic of blocking, stopping, protection, keeping people/energies out while keys represent access and entry

• Lock and key together offer protection and guarding/sealing with the option of unlocking, unbinding, freeing work and energy

• Utilized in magick for safeguarding treasures, information and secrets, opening doorways to other realms, dream work, "unlocking" psychic abilities, and in love magick (unlocking someone's heart)

Magnolia

• Brings luck, power, and success to women

• Hang over a door/window to bring luck to a home

• Place under couple's mattress for a happy relationship

• Used in sex magick rituals for fidelity and devotion

• Add to a bath to attract honor ans recognition

• Hexing, cursing, and banishing men

• Possess ancient wisdom and the power to bring peace, abundance, self-reliance, growth, and feminine love

Chocolate

• Corresponds to wealth, lust, passion, and bliss

• Add to any spell to speed up results and add power

• A spirit offered chocolate is more likely to grant a wish

• Rub on hands before spirit work; draws good spirits, good luck, and faster results

• Sprinkle chocolate in someone's shoes before they go to work and they'll make more money

• Chewing chocolate and hot peppers increases gambling luck

Chicken Feet

• A powerful protection charm/talisman, hang in home or car

• Can be used to rid negatives, clear crossed conditions, stop bad thoughts, guards against hexes and spiritual attacks

• Often painted and/or decorated with beads, bones, feathers, shells, or bones

• "Feed" with protection oil

Sulphur

• Also called brimstone

• In alchemy sulphur is one of the 3 elements that make up the Philosopher's Stone (sulphur: love/soul, mercury: mind/spirit, salt: will/body)

• Used as an offering, especially for demonic and chthonic spirits

• Used by root doctors for enemy tricks

• Excellent component for use in baneful magick, crossing/uncrossing, banishing, protection, beauty, and love

• Used in fire magick

Sunflower

• Add to ritual baths to increase joy and lift sorrow

• Can be used in spells to strengthen friendships or find new friends

• Burn sunflower petals to reveal the truth

• Used in ointments and oils to see/work with the Fae

• Feed someone sunflower seeds to increase their loyalty

• Also associated with success, nobility, partnership, charisma, luck, and integrity

Milk

• A hot bath with milk and eggshells stirred in counterclockwise will uncross you

• Favorite offering of the Fae, keeps them happy so they are less inclined to play tricks/move your stuff

• Drinking milk from a black cow protects you from enemies

• If you find a black cat at your door make a wish and offer them milk. If they drink the milk your wish will be granted

Orchids

• Symbolize feminine energy, sexuality, feminine power and control

• Used in lesbian love spells

• To gain power over a man bury his name at the base of an orchid, he will become docile and obedient

• Helps women take up positions of leadership, be doted on by men, and be respected as living goddesses

Mercury Dimes

• To win at games of chance wear a Mercury dime on your left wrist/ankle

• Powerful money drawing and success charm

• A Mercury dime in your shoe protects you from crossing powders

• If one turns black, someone tried to curse you

• Place at the bottom of a sugar bowl to draw money to your home

Bread

• Burnt bread ash sprinkled in someone's path will cause them poverty

• Bake a couple's names in a loaf of bread to make their love grow deep and strong

• Wonderful offering to spirits and deities

Vinegar

• Sours, erodes, repells, cleans, removes, punishes, and deters

• Used as a base in sour jars and as a component in spells to cause bitterness, suffering, negative associations, anxiety, and conflict

• Can help clear up addictions and habits

Railroad Spikes

• Place one in the 4 corners of your home for protection

• Can be used to "nail/anchor" something in place

• Often used in making war water

• Used in workings to prevent/stop eviction

• Symbolizes strength, power, safety, good luck, defense, and protection

Snake Skin

• Reverse hexes, jinxes, and curses

• Curse component; works well when added to goofer dust

• Carried for protection and good luck

• Also represents change, transformation, and new beginnings

• Can be given as an offering to serpentine deities (Lilith, Medusa, Loki, etc.)

[milkamel]

Sooo about your Slumbering Truth AU. Don't remember if others adked this already or not, but what happened - or did not happen - to the Cream Republic? What about Clotted's goals? Did something change in 'em? Or maybe he has completely different plan in this AU?

Okay now I calmed down I can answer more serious asks mhm yes (I had a breakdown over how sweet PV is and gambled in crk gacha)

This made me remember about the Republic thank you- but I think they're relatively fine and focus on protection at the moment? Like their technology is advanced (not enough to fight off the threat but enough quickly calculate their future moves and evacuate in case something happens) and for now all the escaped beasts and Dark Enchantress are focusing on ancients and their kingdoms so they're relatively safe… for now. And speaking of Clotted Cream..(I'm still playing Odyssey I'm out of quills god help me I just started day 5) I mean soul jam's powers would be useful but there's no safe way to obtain and analyze them at the moment.

My mind is still all over the place (you know why lol) so it's a wip and I might correct/change some stuff once I get a good idea of what to do

[soxcietyy]

Heir

Yuta x reader

Manga Spoilers/Description: Hundreds maybe thousands of people witnessed Gojo's death live. Now its up to the rest of the sorcerer to finish the job but before Yuta could step up he was stopped. Before he could go in battle he had one thing to do and that was to leave a potential offspring for the future generation. Meaning he has to impregnate someone and that someone was you.

˚₊‧꒰𓆩 ♱ 𓆪꒱ ‧₊˚ : Virgin, breeding kink, pain, a bit of blood and a sprinkle of sadness

Everything happened so fast, it was something nobody expected. The room fell silent as hundreds of viewers witnessed Gojo Satoru fall to the ground. His body split in half and his eyes remained opened. You covered your mouth trying to withhold a gasp. If he was dead than what are you guys supposed to do now?

Before anyone could say anything Kashimo ran out as if he was going to miss his opportunity. Hakari following right behind him with a smug look. You avert your gaze to the group who didn’t try stopping them. They looked lost, like all hope was gone in the world. Nobody wanted to look at each other for the answer they didn’t want to hear. That’s when Yuta stood up and grabbed his sword.

His heavy foot steps echoing in the silent, cold room. You wernt surprised seeing him jump into action. He was the strongest sorcerer now. Before making his way fully out, he was stopped by Utahime who blocked his way. Opening his arms wide to block him from passing her.

"We need something from you before you go into the battle field." She said putting her hand on his shoulder. She didn’t say anything else leaving him standing there. Walking into the center of the room she looked around the room. Everyone was still silent, awaiting for a command.

"As you’ve witnessed like on live tv … Gojo Satoru has been…" she took a long pause before continuing "defeated. It is now our turn to finish what he couldn’t, but before that. Yuta Okkotsu you are now the strongest sorcerer in line. With that we can’t let you go until you have a heir."

Everyone turned there attention to Yuta who looked as shocked as everyone else.

"If we all don’t make it today then the world will be overrun by cursed spirits. We need to leave people behind but also someone strong that will lead the rest in the future."

All the females in the room started to look at each other. Obviously they were going to pair him up with one of them and they weren’t sure who. Maki didn’t look concerned though, mostly likely because she knew nobody would force her to do a thing.

"We need all female non sorcerers to step into the middle."

You peeked around the crowed of people to see who would step up. It wasn’t surprising to see non sorcers with them. You were the assistant of Utahime who helped with the school curriculum. A few seconds passed and nobody stepped towards so you began walking. Unsurprisingly you were the only one standing there. Everyone else must of been killed off.

You look at Yuta who’s face began turning a flush red. You couldn’t help but look away in embarrassment too.

With that Utahime grabbed your hand and lead you to the special grade sorcerer. "We don’t have time to map out ovulation days and other things that need to be done. This is all a game of chance if you impregnate her. We need this done before you go out and you y/n will be kept here heavily guarded. We can’t afford to looses the child of the current strongest sorcerer." She said

"But why a non sorcerer? Wouldn’t it be better if you pick someone from a big family so if at least they don’t gain his ability they will gain the mothers." You ask truly confused on the requirements.

Utahime made the both of you follow her to the back towards a room. Obviously you didn’t expect to see a bed room since this was a hidden underground base.

"If he were to procreate with another family then his technique genes would be battling with the mothers to be the one the child obtains. Obviously with no competition it gives his genes a better chance." She said turning around to look at both of you.

Yuta gave a slight shy nod and you just looked at them blankly. You couldn’t believe this was happening. Not that you hated it but this wasn’t exactly how you dreamed of your crush hooking up with you.

"I trust you Yuta to do the right thing and not lie about ejaculating in her." She looked at Yuta with a firm gaze. He nods once again and opened the door In front of him letting you go in first. Stepping inside you could see it was a security camera room. This one being smaller than the one outside. This one seemed to only have cameras for inside the building.

The only thing in here other than that was a broken rolling chair and a poorly lit lightbulb. Looking back at Yuta he seemed nervous. That making two of you. It was your first time and you still had yet to confess your feelings to him. Now you were going to be carrying his child before confessing too. Maybe you should just tell him. It would probably make things feel better and even if he didn’t share the same feelings he could just lie to get this over with faster.

Before you had the courage to open your mouth you watched as he began stripping. Staring by taking his white shirt off revealing a nice six pack under. His pale skin reflecting with the little light you had.

"Y/n come here, you can’t be getting all shy on me now. If you hate it that much just close your eyes and imagine someone else." He said as he rubbed the back of his head.

He had it all wrong that was absolutely the opposite of what you wanted to do. Approaching his you hook your arms over his neck and lean in to his ear. It’s all or nothing, you might never see him after this.

"I want to see you, I could never close my eyes knowing you are the one with me right now. I-I’ve always had a crush on you Okkotsu, so I’m glad I was chosen to be the one." You say leaning back to look at his face.

His face was once again pink. Scanning your face to make sure you were telling the truth. "This wasn’t the way I imagined confessing to you y/n but I also am happy that you are my partner tonight. I hope that maybe after all of this we could be something more." He said looking away, playing with his fingers before leaning in for a kiss. It was a long and sweet kiss that you wished would not end.

Tears weld up in your eyes out of happiness. You were so happy that Yuta felt the same way towards you.

Unbuttoning your shirt you unclip your bra making your breast bounce as gravity pulled them down. He looked at them for a good second before no longer wasting more time. He grabbed your chin as he slipped his tongue in your mouth. Exploring everything he could before leaving. He grabbed a hand full of your breast and fondled them. Pinching his fingers on your nub causing you to moan in his mouth. Your tongue danced with his as he deepened the kiss. As an inexperienced person you didn’t know much about this.

You’ve had a peck here and there growing up but now you were getting full on intimate. Though somehow you could tell Yuta has had his hand full of girls. The way he grabbed you, touched, and played with you was sensational. He knew exactly how much to pinch your now sore nipples. He knew how to kiss you right and the way he looked at you. His dark eyes scanned your face every-time he tried something new to check if you were okay.

Running your hands through the back of his head you feel his silky hair. He hummed into the kiss before taking a step back. Unbuckling his belt with one hand he turned you around with the other. His rough callus hands running up your legs until they reached your behind. With a quick motion he lifted your skirt making a small breeze hit you. The cold air causing you to get goosebumps.

He stepped forward pressing against you with his hard member. He leaned over your shoulder as he returned his hands onto your breast.

"Have you done this before?" He asks as he began fondling your chest. You lean into to him a bit relaxing yourself. Biting your bottom lip as you gave him a quick and embarrassed nod. Maybe he like experienced girls. Maybe you weren’t really his type.

"Okay we’ll I advice you to not turn around. I don’t wanna scare you." He said before leaning down to take off your panties.

Scared? What could possibly scare you other that the world possibly coming to an end? Maybe he had a secret nasty scar that he’s been hiding. Though there would be no reason to be scared of him, he’s Yuta after all.

Turning your attention to a black screen in front of you, you could see the reflection. He stood behind you opening what seemed like a bottle. You didn’t bother asking what it was he was doing in case you didn’t want to know. Though you quickly learned what it was. He bent you over more by putting his heavy arm down on your back making you arch. Standing like that he poured a thick cold solution onto your sex. You quiver at the sudden feeling and buckled your hips. In the reflection you could see him tug his pants down a bit and revealed his member. It wasn’t thick but it sure was long. You soon felt a lump in your throat.

Could that possibly fit in you? Was he going to put it all in. You could see him running his hand up and down his member as he looked at you through the reflection.

"I thought I said no peaking y/n, where you that curious?" He says spreading your legs open. You felt as he put his tip on your entrance.

"I just thought I should know what’s coming." You say.

Once again he wrapped his arms around you and leaned against your ear.

"Okay Im not quite sure how to say this but let’s just say your not going to enjoy this, it’s going to hurt, bad. We really don’t have time to prep you so just hang on okay? I’ll try hard to get it over with so you won’t suffer much. I’ll tell Utahime to talk to you after about possible blood."

You turn around quickly to look at him, "blood?" You knew this was going to hurt but nobody said anything about blood.

"You’ll be fine it’s just normal, it’s just a sign that I broke your hymen. Though you could of already possibly of done it." He said kissing your forehead. His right hand ran up to your throat and his left one to your hip. He basically had you trapped in a corner if you tired to run away or escape from the pain. His fingers rubbed your hip as a sign to tell you to relax. Though it was hard when you heart beat was going crazy.

He heard him stumble as sorry before pushing himself inside of you. The pain hit you like a truck, it was the most painful thing you’ve ever experienced. You let out a gasp and a cry. Your arms that supported you on the desk began to shake. The hand that once held your throat now covered your mouth.

You trying to say his name but it came out as a odd noise.

"I know I know, you have me 1/3 of the way in. Just stay with me a little bit more. Your doing such a good job." He said pushing himself in more.

You jerk at the sudden pain once again. It felt like your insides where being ripped apart. There was a hot, and burning sensation going on down there that you couldn’t bare. You tried pushing his hand away from your mouth but he held a tight grip. Before you could do anything else you felt his grip on your hip stiffen. Before you could process anything else’s he slammed the rest of yourself into you.

You let out a cry that the people outside could of possibly heard. Tears ran down your face onto him hand. You hear his coo sweet little things in your ear and praising you for doing such a good job. All you could do is nod and let the tears fall. You didn’t want to cry but the tears just kept coming.

Yuta hugged you and told you how sorry he was for hurting you. That he’ll try to make you feel better now. His hand snaked down to your clit and began rubbing it. You inhaled sharply at the unfamiliar feeling. It felt good this time though but you felt the same heat as before begin to rise up. You let out small panting and jitters come out. Your hips moving on there own to get more of this new feeling. You could hear Yuta groan as you moved. You were beginning to enjoy the feeling of being filled with his member. He slowly began sliding in and out of you as he rubbed your bean.

"Your going to be such a good mama, your going to look so fucking gorgeous carrying around my baby." He mumbled as he kept going. His pace began going fast and faster making you loose your mind. At some point you randomly started moaning his name out of pleasure. You knees began to buckle and your legs shook. The once good pleasure began to feel over whelming.

The way he slammed deep into you made you feel out of it. You shook your head trying to keep going strong but you couldn’t anymore.

"Yuta, no more, It’s too much."

"Your reaching the best part baby, I can feel how tight you are wrapped around my cock. It’s the best feeling I’ve had so far. I can’t wait to pump my seed into you. Fuck, I won’t have to worry about anyone snatching you away from me now. Your mine and I’m going impregnate you to show people your mine. Your going to be such a good mommy. Your going to make daddy proud arnt ya?"he said as his thrusting became sloppy.

You were gripping onto the table moaning loudly as a haze came over you. You came over his member coating it in your white créame. As Yuta went in and out of you your cum leaked out of you.

With a few more thrust he also came soon after. You felt how his hot seed coated your walls. He stayed inside of you for a bit before grabbing his phone and making a call. He cleared his throat a bit before speaking.

"Yea we’re done over here. I’m still in her but I’m not quite sure if you have something to keep it all in or I should just stay here." He says as he plays with your hair.

You didn’t have energy to even lift up a finger. You just laid on the table resting.

He finished his phone call and lifted you up to stand up. "I have to go and finish the fight outside. Many of the other sorcerers are already out there." He said sliding out of you. You turn around to lean onto him not thinking you could support yourself.

"Your coming back right?" You say looking at him with your doe eyes.

He hugs you and brushes the back of your skirt down .

"I have a really good reason to come back so I will try my hardest. If I don’t come back then please take care of our kid and raise him up to be kind but tough." He said while rubbing your head. With one last long kiss he parted away. Looking at you sadly as he walked out the door.

Soon Shoko and Utahime stood at the door. You look down at yourself and realize a dry streak of blood down on your leg.

Hopefully you were the only one bleeding today.

[metanarrates]

i am soooo curious about your takes on otome isekai villainess stories and their morality + gender constructs 👀 if you'd be willing to elaborate....

so villainessekai is a BIG genre. like. big big absolutely massive genre. because of that it's kind of hard to make sweeping generalizations genre-wise just because there are so many different authors with different takes on the general premise... that being said, I have enough time to ramble about some gender stuff I've noticed. maybe ill elaborate on the protag centered morality another time - my tldr on that at this moment is just "for a genre allegedly focused on humanizing women who were considered 'evil,' there sure are a lot of common double standards when it comes to how its protagonists behave."

(part of the protag centered morality, to be clear, is just kind of a common effect of self-inserty escapist fiction, but it's... just sort of weird and noticeable whenever it crops up in this genre. like i said i might yap about it another time. penelope eckhart you live rent free in my head what the hell is happening in vadd)

but yeah! gender!

quick rundown for those not familiar with the genre. villainess isekai is a genre of manwha + manga + webnovels + light novels that shares a common base premise. the protagonist has been isekai'd into the body of a fictional character from a story (often an otome game or a novel) she knows. the fictional character plays the role of a villainess in the original novel, and is doomed to an unsavory fate. the protagonist must try to change the story she knows to prevent her untimely end.

or, at least, that's the more original premise. the villainess genre is huge, and over the years, there's been takes that ditch the isekai component completely. time travel villainess stories are highly popular right now. some deal with reincarnation from a different fantasy life, like, 200 years in the past or something. some ditch the "main character has some kind of knowledge about a doomed future" aspect of the premise entirely and just lock in on the protagonist being considered an "evil woman" without messing about with any kind of supernatural foreknowledge.

but regardless. the common thread is that the woman in question is considered a villainess, and that she is almost certainly aware that she will meet her doom if she doesn't play her cards right.

I'll say here straight up that this genre is almost completely a power fantasy genre. we're about to get into whether or not the main character is "rightfully" considered a villainess or not, but no matter what the answer to that is, the main character almost always 1. is a member of a fantasy european-ish nobility 2. commands some form of social or monetary power and 3. will eventually obtain a lover of incredibly high social status. being able to be "evil" is often a huge component of this power fantasy, but there's a baseline of power that can be obtained even for protagonists who seem completely powerless at the start. you will always end with a protagonist in a position of unbelievable wealth, comfort, social respect, and power.

this plays heavily into the genre's treatment of gender. because what are the acceptable ways for a woman to wield power, even in the alleged safe space of a fantasy?

I tend to categorize villainessekai protagonists into two broad categories, for that reason. the "actually evil," and the "unjustified victim." while there's of course a huge amount of nuance that can exist between these two categorizations, in practice they tend to be extremely rigid. what we are actually talking about here are fantasies of "unacceptable" and "acceptable" power wielding, and the protagonists tend to be constructed quite differently depending on which fantasy they cater to.

category one: the "actually evil." while these protagonists can be quite complicated and often are unjustly treated by the societies they are in, they are still women who wield a huge amount of power and take quite a lot of joy in beating people over the head with it. they're sexy, confident, and will achieve their goals no matter what it takes, even if it does mean being viewed as evil in the eyes of the world. these protagonists are actually usually not isekai'd - there is no body snatching involved. they are simply women who have had Enough with the world beating down on them, and have decided that they're going to fight back no matter what. time travel foreknowledge is common but not always necessary.

the power fantasy here is pretty clear cut to me. inhabiting the psyche of the evil, undesirable femme fatale is a fun power trip and lets the reader think about how nice it would be to just... not care about social opinion, and to effortlessly outwit and trap everyone who has ever been cruel to them. no more being niceys you can just start beating people to death with your epic magic or whatever.

villainess isekai is a romance genre. because of this, there is a layer of romantic fantasy involved as well. the fantasy that you'd be wanted because of your cruel or evil or ruthless traits, and not in spite of them. also maybe sometimes you want a man who will bark like a dog for you ok i won't linger on it but there does seem to be a fair amount of femdom undertones in a number of these

category two: the "unjustified victim." there's subcategories to this in my head, but the basic idea here is that our protagonist is Nice and does not deserve to be treated as a villainess. either she's been isekai'd into the body of someone who sucks and now has to deal with the fallout of actions she did not commit, or she (or her body host!) are being unfairly villainized and treated as a scapegoat by others. this category is populated hugely by doe-eyed ingenues. while there's a fair amount in this category who still possess some capacity for unkindness or spite against the ones who have wronged them, most of them are kind, loveable sweethearts who don't want to hurt a fly.

the power fantasy here, I would argue, is actually mostly a persecution fantasy. while there is of course nuance & a lot of authors have a ton of different takes on this, the fantasy here is one about being treated unjustly and proving the haters wrong, either by having someone step in and rescue you or by wielding power justly to defend yourself. the fantasy is about being acceptable all along, good all along, and just needing a chance to prove yourself.

the romantic fantasy element here is usually about having someone recognize your true worth. instead of believing all the shit about you being evil or cruel or whatever, someone is able to look past that and recognize that you are a beautiful and kind-hearted woman underneath. also, again, he will save you from the Haters. (the truly evil woman rarely needs a savior because the fantasy is about saving herself.)

because of this, we get two pretty clear constructions of femininity. we have a dark feminine and a light feminine. sexuality & evil, sweetness and kindness. weirdly i don't think the genre super often has much to say about this. it just simply Is. here's your power fantasy - what flavor do you like? sometimes there's some feminist reflection on this in-text but i rarely consider that like... valid... unless the entire story treats women besides the protagonist well. kinda hypocritical to reflect on the role of Evil Women and still have women who are treated as Evil Bitches by the narrative.

hey speaking of. those also are some secret other categories of woman.

i might have mentioned in another post that the villainess genre Loves to reinvent villainess tropes by recasting someone else as the "evil woman" to our "good or at least sufficiently projectable woman" protag? yeah so here they are.

there's the classic evil dark feminine, which I won't linger on because we've all seen it. she's a nasty possibly sexy conniving skank who wants to steal your man. we've all seen it. Next.

but what's interesting to me is that there's also a category of evil light feminine. these are called either "green tea bitches" or "white lotuses" by fans, and they are often (not always) the Original Protagonists of the story the actual protagonist has been isekai'd into. usually it's some kind of reveal that the entire original story was a foul unreliable narrator's trick, and the white lotus has been using her apparent innocence to torment and vex our poor protagonist.

but regardless of her role in the Original Story, the white lotus is always the same. she seems very sweet, very innocent, very pure, very acceptably feminine, but on the inside she's a living nightmare who weaponizes her femininity to hurt people.

if I'm being generous to the genre, this can be considered a valid reflection of the fact that there are some women who weaponize femininity in order to put down other women. many of us have met people like that. it happens. it might be considered a power fantasy to "defeat" that kind of woman.

if I'm being critical of the genre - which I almost always am - I would say that having defeated one boogeyman of Evil Woman by turning it acceptable, the villainess isekai genre must invent a new boogeyman to pit its protagonists against. we're just redefining the borders of which sort of woman is allowed to be relatable and good, rather than challenging the base notions of misogyny and patriarchy that lock women into eternal acceptability combat. oh no we have a fake acceptable woman who must be proven as a fraud! the real Good Woman is right here! etc.

sort of my endcap on Gender Thoughts here - i would note that almost none of these characters are anything other than extremely feminine. we have a few tomboyish or crossdressing protagonists here and there, but they almost always shed that in favor of ballgowns at some point or another. I've noticed this as an aspect of heterosexual romance, but it does feel very strange to me how much femininity is on display. as a nonbinary lesbian, the world of rofan always feels alien to me. whether antagonist or protagonist, whether the character is "acceptable" or "unacceptable" in her femininity, this is a world where being genuinely uninterested in femininity as a woman is nigh unthinkable. there is always an emphasis placed on the fact that she is in fact a woman, and one who will eventually be desirable to men, no matter what the circumstances are! you could draw a lot of conclusions from that. my personal conclusion is that het romance is kind of scary and highly based in affirming gender binaries. :(