#apparently I'm not allowed to have an opinion or express anything that comes to mind

[christiecandor]

(anon cause I'm nervous, im the new follower, and apparently you need more positive asks) Please DON'T stop drawing our favorite gilf, you're doing us a service by giving us more art <3 block out the haters

I appreciate this so much 😭

I wish I could express it better with words..

Drawing him is part of what little joy I get in life these days, along with being able to share it with others that feel about him and the show the way I do.

I've been going to therapy for years to try to get my depression and anger under control, but people like this don't seem to ever leave me alone, and I come from an entire family that did this kind of crap, and then gaslight me about my reactions to being treated like shit and discouraged from my interests.

You don't know how much gestures like this mean, thank you again 🫶

[reiderwriter]

Thoughts on unsub spencer reid fics?

Hi! I'm not sure if you wanted more of a general answer or meant this as a headcanon or gen request, so I'm just going to go purely on vibes and answer this as a question.

Spencer as an Unsub - Thoughts

Disclaimer: Anything negative said here is absolutely not an insult towards any specific writer or fic. I don't really read unsub Reid fics, due to facts I'm about to get into, so I'm really not knowledgeable enough to be throwing shade 💀 This is personal opinion!

I personally would need a lot of convincing to believe in an "unsub" Spencer Reid.

In Criminal Minds, it's clear from very early into the show that Spencer is very empathetic with certain unsubs. The entire team have their own types of cases that they get more personally involved in (Morgan and cases involving child victims, JJ and apparent suicides, Emily and quote unquote battered women cases) but Spencer is the only one whose personal attachment to cases leaves him empathising with the unsub instead of the victim.

He's the only member of the team who could have seen himself committing violent acts the way unsubs do had his life veered down a different path. And, based on Spencer's background and the psychology of the show, he's probably right to be concerned.

He's a white male, at the peak of the show in his mid to late thirties, with a background of abuse and a family history of mental illness. By season four, we know he's highly skilled with a gun, and by season 12/13, we see that he can be pushed to violence when he is at the very edge of his limitations.

And then they make his character so intrinsically moral that you never question him ever again.

To a certain extent, Criminal Minds is about the perpetual cycles of abuse that human kind can inflict upon itself. Many of the unsubs were once victims, some of them perhaps still are. The heroes of the story are characters who have been able to break the cycle.

Spencer is neglected as a child. He has an absent father abandon him, a mother with schizophrenia who does physically beat him when she is having an episode. He is bullied heavily in school for his high IQ and his lack of social skills. But he is shown to deeply care for him mother and empathise with her deeply instead of coming to resent her like many of the unsubs in that situation. He resents his father, for sure, but instead turns that resentment into drive, leading him to "just keep getting more PhDs." And his personal experiences with bullying allow him to empathise with the unsubs that have gone through similar circumstances.

So I don't think canonically, Spencer is ever in danger of becoming an unsub. He deeply cares about the world and the people around him, and whilst he does have a kill count on the show, he either expresses deep remorse at having to oull the trigger, or it is in the best interest for everyone involved.

Basically, all that to say: I think Unsub Spencer Reid in fanfiction has to be written incredibly carefully, or it runs the risk of being very out of character. To be clear, I'm not too bothered about characters being slightly out of character in fics because it happens. I've probably written a lot of stuff where Spencer is OOC, too. And that's fine.

I do kind of draw the line at grabbing random unsub traits from the show and giving them to Spencer for a fic. For example, Spencer would never end up as a sexual sadist. He probably wouldn't be a spree killer, either. Not that anyone wants my writing advice, but if you're writing an unsub Spencer fic, think about his background and the profiles they generally give for the kind of signature/ crimes you're about to give him.

If this was a request, I apologise for the misunderstanding. But here's a little hint at what I might do with a general "unsub Reid" request.

☆ It would most likely take place after the events of Season 12/13.

☆ It's angst or nothing.

☆ The basic plot: Reid's headaches come back after taking a blow in the field. He tries seeking help for it but can't find any relief. On his next case, because of his chronic pain, he makes a mistake that gets his teammate, the reader, shot. The unsub escapes, but the reader falls into a coma. When it looks like reader is not going to pull through, he tracks down the unsub and beats his to death after a brawl. Massive overkill. The reader pulls through that night, and he feels no guilt for getting that monster off the street. But each time the readers health takes a turn, or they require a new surgery, he is compelled to go back out there and track down and kill another serial killer until the reader finally wakes up.

☆ I don't think it'd be very well received because there would be no morally grey smut. This is some tragic angst shit only, lmao.

☆ please don't put a request for this in my inbox. If I feel like writing it later, I might, I don't have the brain power right now, though 💀

That's all I've got right now, but I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on unsub Reid :)

[bananasfosterparent]

I'm gonna be real, I'm very worried that Larian is going to try & make AA even more overtly the "bad choice" in their next patch (they promised some epilogue animations). I just really don't understand why the antis have to be so obnoxiously loud telling a company to change THEIR game because of a way they choose to interpret something. Isn't the whole point of an RPG that you're allowed to craft a narrative around the narrative-- but to pressure the writers into editing their hard work because they "don't like it" is just so,,,,..ugh

I just wish people would stop infantilizing the crap out of Astarion as a character. They give him all these sweet HC when half of them are just Wyll.. Like the "I can fix him" complex has rotted our society

Honestly? I'm not worried about it at all.

Mostly because I don't think Larian cares lmao At least, not in that way.

Get ready, it's 1am, I had my meds, and had some caffeine, so here comes ramble :D

They want to please their fans, and while spawn fans make up a majority of the Astarion side of the fandom, and there may be (speculated) peices in place to make AA seem worse in-game with these updates....I honestly don't think Larian as a whole cares enough to join in on the one-sided righteousness battle.

They made this game for the purpose that most AA fans (at least, ones I know) use it for: roleplaying, as you pointed out. And I'm very sure they aren't blind to just how one-sided the discourse is.

For example, on the official Larian Discord server, AA fans voiced their opinion on the Tav/Durge expressions in the new AA kisses. And from what I saw, the opinions were presently respectfully and with the roleplay experience in mind. How the expressions aren't ideal for evil roleplay. But after that, the same suggestions thread got clogged with anti-AA players begging Larain to "not destroy the narrative" they've apparently been telling and to not listen to us "delulu" AA fans. And the threads were locked by a mod and cleaned up, to "prevent bullying". I think Larian sees clearly who is focused on quality of roleplay and who is focused on arbitrary arguments.

Because the evil endings aren't supposed to be satisfying to those who don't play them. They aren't supposed to be a moral lesson to the player. It's not that meta (no matter how some people want it to be). It's not that type of game. The evil endings are supposed to be satisfying for those who enjoy playing those endings.

It's supposed to be a different experience. Empty and lonely, sure! But it's still meant to be rewarding for the player. Otherwise, it would be pointless to offer as a roleplay style.

I don't think Larian anticipated so many of us would prefer playing evil like this. I think the idea was for it to be a thing you do after you get bored of playing a few good solo runs. It also doesn't make any sense to spend time and money on an ending, just to slap the player on the wrist for choosing it. They see from the stats how often people make certain choices. People play evil in this game for a lot of reasons, but one big one is because it's just good, devious fun! And without any actual, real world consequences. And I think they see that more than anything. I assume you're also talking about the new evil ending updates?

This phrasing from the first article I saw about it is promising to me that these updates will be satisfying for those who actually enjoy playing/romancing evil--as a positive dark romance and not as some abusive romantic tragedy.

I hope "satisfying narrative conclusions" means that the player can enjoy it for their roleplay. And doesn't just mean the endings are rounded out, but the player gets "punished" in the end. I mean, what are you being punished for exactly? Having fun? SERIOUSLY. Any anti-AA fans lurking the tag care to explain exactly WHY you want people to be punished for playing evil in a video game? I really don't get that. And I don't think Larian cares to do that to their consumers.

Truthfully... I'm hoping the new evil ending fixes will fix Minthara's bugs for one thing. But I also am hoping that it will give us some good AA content. I don't even want to speculate... I'm just gonna wait and see!

AND YES. The infantilization of Astarion and the whole concept of "oh what a cute helpless silly lil bby gorl who needs saving from himself, must be protected and shown who he should be because my Tav/Durge knows best for someone they barely know who's a different creature from them entirely" is...just...

They want a mix of Wyll and Gale but with Astarion's face, voice, and body.

[notthatsamkim]

𝕯𝖎𝖋𝖋𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝕴𝖓𝖓𝖊𝖗 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

heeseung x fem!reader

genre : strangers to lovers? - the forbidden "i warned you" type of story

warnings : fem!reader, reader skips class, abandonment of friends.. lmk if i missed something

a/n : this is just a snippet of a possible longer fic i am planning. just trying to see where i'm at with my writing skills after my year-long hiatus from writing — i suck at editing so let's see past that

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"y/n y/l/n??!" 

heeseung had watched you linger around one of the benches as your other classmates had made their way to their respective classes, phone against your ear several times to no luck. he watched you get up, playfully swinging your bag left and right behind your back as if you’d given up trying to reach whoever it was on the other end of your call.

"why, what's wrong?" heeseung chuckled nervously.

all coherent thoughts were thrown out the window when his legs took him in your direction. the few classes on his schedule he was due to be present at, were put on hold. all he cared about was the adventure you ought to set yourself on. he wanted to know why his friends warned him about you even though things like that can end up badly, but he also remembered being told to not pull judgement about anyone or anything if he hadn’t tried anything - for the sake of witnessing himself - yet.

"i know you're entitled to be attracted to whoever your heart desires but,.. i just don't get good vibes from her."

"you know her?"

you’d made it to the gate when you finally noticed someone following you. you’d turned around. at first, you wanted to make sure it was not you he was interested in, so you continued walking until he too turned the corner to walk through the park towards the bus stop.

“oh.. hey there?” heeseung waved shyly, suddenly losing every ability to say something. you’d rummaged through your brain where you remembered seeing him as you allowed your eyes to trail away from him. he was seen hanging out with the people who had not so nice things to say about you and you never understood why, because you thought they were grown enough to form an opinion of their own. clearly not.

not until heeseung.

"i talked to her now and then, but i definitely don't want to be her friend."

“a-are you here to report me?” 

heeseung was taken aback when your first question wasn’t why he would be following you, “why would i do that?”

you wanted to open your mouth, but didn’t find it appropriate to fill him in on how his friends had watched your every move on your way out of the school grounds, when you hadn’t had proper conversations with him yet. and it was as if heeseung got a sense of what you were trying to say.

"how do you know what she is like?" heeseung challenged. 

“i don’t know where to go yet, i guess i’ll find out when i get on the bus.”

“why don’t you ask your friends?”

you waved your phone in the air and chuckled, "tried that.”

there weren’t many times he’d ever crossed paths with you so he thought that time could be the first of many. bold coming from him, but he would have to start somewhere if he wanted to prove himself.

“would you… mind hanging out with me then?”

a quizzical expression took over your face, “sure you aren’t here gathering intel for your friends?” there, you said it.

heeseung sighed, “i’m not. but i am curious to know what is so bad about you.”

you nodded. “i hope i don’t disappoint then.”

you already regretted showing the very side of you that people are apparently warned about - being vulnerable, translated into clinginess.

"i can smell it from miles away.”

“likewise,” heeseung smiled.

"well.. i don't know her so maybe she's not like that at all and people just read her wrong?"

"i don't know hee, just be careful. or stay away to be safe."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── tagging : @kurosism @seungkwan-s @alohajun @kpophubb @doehee for testing

[sherlolly-siya]

steve was not ooc in season 4, stancy build up was not 'for nothing'. I'm sorry but I simply cannot accept a opinion that's formed 30 seconds after binge watching x seasons of a show. the whole beauty of story telling and character progression relies on audience giving themselves the time to absorb what happened in each episode, each season. Personally I find steve and Nancy perfectly in character throughout their journey.

Steve's moto in life had been "Conceal don't feel" his entire life until the point he met Nancy. He went as far as to tell Dustin that the trick is to pretend as if you don't care

But what did we see? Steve cared and he showed, I'm a firm believer that character progression does not limit to finding a love interest. But the right one? They make you be a better person. Nancy was that for Steve.

Season 1: Steve's initial reaction to barb's death was poor (I won't defend it, there's no excuse for that) but he came back, even when he got in trouble with his parents. Because Nancy was distraught, because he cared about Nancy. He came back for Nancy every single time. He didn't know how to respond in the situation, his solution to watch a movie was bad, but he tried. He cared enough to drag his friends who didn't give two shits about Nancy with him to check up on her. His reaction to Jonathan taking unsolicited pictures of his girlfriend was justified, his reaction to pick a fight with him after seeing nancy allowing Jonathan into her home was justified for a hurt teenager. But the moment he had the time to think over it, the moment he saw the consequences of his actions he went back to apologize to Jonathan. Where he happened to find Nancy, but he hadn't come for her. He had come because he was feeling shitty about himself, you might close your eyes at this point because he's not your favourite but steve was growing as an individual, apart from Nancy.

He went as far as to buy Jonathan a new camera and have nancy give it to him. Because he knew nancy had forgiven Jonathan, there was more important life threatening stuff going on (although, I believe Jonathan deserved to have absolutely no access to any form of technology since that day). Nancy defending him to Jonathan in the woods was not in vain, steve really was a good guy under the 'king steve' persona.

Season 2: this is the key, anyone that has watched this season would not have questioned the scene in S4 where apparently steve forced Nancy to birth his kids. Steve always had a dream about his future, that dream didn't involve a solid career plan for himself, but that dream always involved Nancy.

He despises his father, but he was willing to take the job because it had benefits, (now which highschooler thinks about health insurance and benefits if they're not having a long term plan in their head?) and because he could stay around Nancy for a little while longer.

But It was one step forward three steps back with Steve at this point, the way he said in season 4, he was crawling slowly. His reaction to a guilt ridden nancy was poor. Once again the time wasn't in their favour. Although they still loved each other, nancy was finding it difficult to express that because she kept associating her happy memories with steve to barbs death.

So she ran, that's Nancy's character trait, she ran to Jonathan because he was the one at the time willing to find answers (coincidentally it aligned with his need to save his brother will). Once again, steve realised it a little late, he was at her doorstep with an apology already forming. But when steve saw the two of them working together, that is where he got his proper thump. And he let go, he didn't force nancy to confront anything, he knew she's not good at it. So he let go of his question, he assumed she didn't love him anymore. Mind you, Nancy never said she didn't love him, just like she never said she loved Jonathan.

Season 3: We see Robin asking steve if he's still in love with Nancy, and he says he's not because he's found someone that suits him. The problem here is that he still believes he needs to have a girl by his side. So he's trying to aimlessly flirt with every girl that comes to scoops ahoy. He tries to move on and is met with disappointment. But there's this another girl he's just met, that he works with, spends most of his day with and she challenges him. The same way Nancy did. She doesn't fall for his charm and he thinks she's the one. But she's not. Robin is not nancy, she's not falling for it because steve is not where her interest lies. Throughout the season we see steve and nancy maintaining the distance, for being in the same town, for running in the same circles, not once did they cross paths. (Once again, they're growing as individuals apart from the other.) Except for the very end, where Nancy and others are in danger and steve leaps in without a second thought, he's still looking out for Nancy, but he's also looking out for the kids because he promised someone he would.

Meanwhile nancy is learning the tough lesson: shared trauma doesn't last forever. Life happens beyond it, and as it turns out, her and Jonathan are not compatible for that. They're arguing over a silly story that Nancy thinks could lead to upside down and the monster. While Jonathan got his resolution, he got his will back, nancy didn't get barb. Nancy might not address it but it's there still at the back of her mind. She wants to chase the lead, she's facing sexism at work but jonathan tells her to deal with it, to drop it because he's worried about his job and his family (sadly he doesn't consider her a part of his family, even though Joyce knows they're dating, he's still hiding Nancy). So Nancy goes alone, she's learning she doesn't need someone to rely on to solve her problems, she's learning to face them alone.

Season 4: Steve is still trying to move on, after being rejected by another girl who he thought could be Nancy, he's doing the same thing, he's dating aimlessly.

Robin is wrong though, steve knows what he wants. He wants a relationship that means something. He's been in love before, he knows what that feels like, and he wants to feel it again. He's grown as a person, as a friend as a mentor, from the boy who told Dustin that the key is not care even if you do, he's telling Robin to stop pretending to be someone else.

So when he meets Nancy again, and she's off chasing the leads on the latest villain (did anyone notice how nancy said it was a shot in the dark and she didn't want to waste their time? She thought just like jonathan once did, steve would discourage her too). But he doesn't stop her, he tells her she shouldn't go alone and volunteers to go with her. But he keeps Robin with the kids, he's not leaving them helpless either.

In the beginning of S4 Nancy is still dreaming about the whirlwind romance she had with Jonathan. She expects him to visit her over the spring break, but her own ambitions are important enough to her that she doesn't want to leave her job at the school newspaper even for a little while (or its just an excuse to avoid the inevitable). Jonathan on the other hand, is lying to her, he has not applied to the college of her choice, because that's not his dream. He wants to stay with his family, which is fine on its own, but he doesn't consider the fact that Nancy would understand, he assumes (making her decision for her) that if she found out, she would sacrifice her dreams. He assumes they would end up in a loveless marriage filled with resentment. Here we see the cracks in their understanding of the other. Nancy is expecting the same Jonathan from S1 and S2 that showed up for her to show up now, Jonathan is assuming she'll run with him just like she did in S1 and S2. They're glossing over the events of S3 where they both wanted different things from life, their routes only collided when Nancy's lead connected to Jonathan's brother will.

Many fans have noted the similarities between Fred and Barbara, so when he died, nancy was surprised to find the last person she expected to stand by her side. Last she knew, they had said their goodbyes.

But this time around, steve was there with her all along, supporting her in every action she wanted to take. She was seeing the boy she left become a man who she can rely on if she ever grew tired. She was seeing him in the new light. She was seeing him being a brother/babysitter to those kids. She was seeing him jumping into the water because he was the only one who could do it. (Steve wasn't doing any of this to impress her like he did in S1, he was simply doing it because he could). When steve got dragged down, she jumped in after him. As Natalia said in a recent interview she could have jumped in for anyone, because that Nancy, she has always cared about other people. But the plot narrative was to show her jumping in after steve. Because the feelings never went away, and now something was hurting the one she loved. It's complicated with Nancy, while steve let go of her, found a way to accept that she cannot be with him and tried to move on, it wasn't the same for her. She was with Jonathan physically but her heart lied with steve, she was jealous of the next girl in his life (Robin) the moment she saw her in S3 , we see her jealous in S4 as well.

So it's not out of character for two people still in love to drift closer when people around them are telling them how they can see they're still in love, re: Robin and Eddie.

Steve is extremely cautious this time around, he's gotten his heart broken once and he's not prepared for that again. When he's telling nancy about the dream he once had, he's telling her a story from the past, there are no expectations, there's no pressure (contrary to popular belief, I've watched the scene multiple times but I did not find steve demanding nancy birth the kids right there). He's telling her, she's always been a part of his future, his family (something that Jonathan is grappling to come to terms with). Steve also tells her it was his fault they didn't work out the first time, may be they can now if they were meeting for the first as the people that they're today. May be he could have held on and made it work. But nowhere is he asking her of faulting her for their failed relationship. This is in stark contrast to how Jonathan views their future together, steve has a optimistic approach, he's willing to make it work, he's willing to put the effort. and she's seeing all of this.

She's seeing how far steve's come, she's admitted to Fred already that she can feel Jonathan pulling away. (Jonathan won't even contact her from another state when hopper contacted Joyce from another continent. Difference being, hopper considers Joyce his family.)

Nancy is still Nancy in a way, she saw barb in her vecna trance, but avoided talking about it. She chose the easy way out again and fell into Jonathan's arms. But they're both sensing the cracks. Jonathan or his family's life wasn't threatened at the time nancy asked him if his acceptance letter had come. But he chose to lie still. She's defending steve to jonathan again when he makes a snide comment about him, she's telling him she was glad he wasn't around, subtly proving him wrong that she might not leave her ambitions at the moments notice if they chose different paths, she can handle things on her own.

Throughout the 4 seasons (except last 10 mins), Steve and Nancy were written beautifully. It's a slow burn that's served at its usual pace. I'm sorry the writers room doesn't seem enthusiastic about Jonathan when it comes to something that's not related to will, I'm sorry they've made him the side character in his own relationship but that doesn't mean steve or nancy were in the wrong. Their stories are written how they're supposed to be.

Season 4 was open ended, there was a huge plot whole named "two days later" no one knows what happened there, how they got out, or what happened to Eddie or if stancy ever talked about the whole "you've always been there." thing. But we do know that Nancy is not opposed to it or bothered by it. She has still chosen to hang out with steve and robin. Before the Cali crew approached, she was set to go to HHS and fold baby clothes with steve :) so hold on to ur butts brochachos, we've still got S5, we've still got nancy finding out the truth.

[littleladymab]

FebruarOC - Yewan

Alright so this might be a bit of cheating -- I originally kept telling myself "I need a new character with a Y name" when I was collecting new characters for H and Q (since the ones I Had existing I wanted to talk about in regards to specific projects), and a character with a U name in general. And so I named one of my unnamed cast characters for HOWL after completely forgetting WHY I needed a Y name. I only had Yewan, and I had already talked about him (patrons only).  

And then I realized that like... I had nothing to say about this recently named character (her name is Yasmine, hi to Yasi and Kaite this one's for you). She's a part of the HOWL series, but I knew the least about her (and Ursula, when I was getting a buffer of U names, to round out the rest of that cast). I only talked about Penelope and Mateen because they were used in campaigns previously, and while I could have made up stuff like I did for Quin, I actually have to put work in for Yasmine because it's a story in general that I'm going to put time and care into, unlike Horatio and Quin which are more sandbox at the moment than anything. 

So, we're back with my boy Yewan. And because I don't have much to say that I didn't already talk about last year when making his character sheet (sorry you'll have to be a patron to see that), all you get is drabble for him. Not even an extra long one whoops, but I'll include it here in the body of the tumblr post.

It was super fun digging into actually writing for him, because I don't think I ever had him narrate a scene. Most were from Nixa's point of view, though I think in the 2004 original version I had a scant few from Cryn (mostly because I did the thing where it shifted points of view so it might have just bled from Nixa to Cryn). And I liked coming to the conclusion that like... Yewan and Nixa simply don't like each other. Their personalities clash too much, and I don't feel like it's ever going to be "they're going to become unlikely friends!" like, they're just going to ever become reluctant allies. And he will be the only person who she will allow to get away with saying things to her that are blunt, to the point, and most definitely what she doesn't want to hear. 

++++

It is, at this point, a matter of pure fucking stubborn will. Yewan is determined to not lose.

Nixa is, however, a formidable opponent. Unflappable. Not even Brom’s bumbling can get her to flip her lid, and he has only seen her lose her cool once.

And it had been Yewan’s fault.

Well, no, not his fault. He had only initiated the minor rebellion among their party; it was Ashska who said the words that finally got her to snap. A beautifully executed bit of teamwork not that anyone would ever consider him a leader.

A wizard was never in charge, regardless of how intelligent he was. Never mind the fact that he could outthink both Brom (honestly not a challenge) and Nixa (surprisingly easy, if you knew how). While Brom was assigned to be the head of their party because he was the warrior amongst them, Nixa was unquestionably the true leader. It was for her home, her people, apparently her brother (he hadn’t seen that coming, that much was true), so on and so forth. Sure, she respects the opinions of the others in as much as she allows people to voice them and ‘will take them into consideration’. The only one she ever really listens to is Cryn.

It probably helps that they’re so into her and she must enjoy the attention.

Finally, at long last, Nixa stirs. Ever so slightly, her hands coming together in her lap. She takes a breath and lets it out slowly. Not in a sigh, not through pursed lips — just a careful and extended exhale.

“Well then,” Yewan says, because he can now break the silence since she gave up first. “Let’s hear it.”

“You’re an absolutely pompous piece of shit,” Nixa says. Nothing changes in her expression. Her posture remains as tense as always. “A worthless one at that.”

Nothing he hasn’t heard before, though it still stings. “And you’re a self-centered bitch with a misdirected sense of righteousness that you wield like a cudgel against anyone who tries to offer you a hand.”

There.

She lifts one slender eyebrow, and he wonders which of that managed to surprise her. Or perhaps it’s because he didn’t say more and worse.

He might have at one point. Some of the rage has burned off over the last day once she finally revealed the whole scope of the situation. Just because it makes sense doesn’t mean he has to like it, but he does at least have to acknowledge her reasoning.

“You realize that if you don’t want this to turn into a hopeless mission where most of us end up dead that we will have to kill him, don’t you?” he asks, jumping right to the point. “You can’t go into this thinking you can save him.”

Anger flashes behind her eyes before she blinks and looks away. “I know.” It’s not what she wants, that much is obvious. Her hand unfurls in her lap, palm up, fingers loosely splayed like a wilting flower. Nestled in the center is the fire-red amulet that he’s seen her wear.

She extends her hand between them like a reluctant peace offering. Neither of them wanting this, but knowing that they have to.

If only she was just a little less insufferable. They could have made a powerful team. What Cryn sees in her he has no idea.

Yewan takes the amulet and ignores the bite of magic that nips at the tips of his fingers — it probably recognizes him as a potential enemy and an unwelcome touch. Which, sure, he’ll accept that from her. “This is connected to him?” he asks, because he needs her to say it.

Nixa nods. “Yes. He gave it to me before he left.”

He turns it over in his fingers, marveling at the intricate spellwork. If her brother hadn’t been working with the enemy, he might have proven to be a very interesting person to talk magic with. Far more interesting than his sister, in any case. “Fine. This will work.”

She nods again and rises to her feet. No hesitation, no second guessing. She might just be leadership material after all, rotten personality aside. “Fine,” she agrees, and leaves without waiting for him to dismiss her.

He doesn’t watch her go. Let her have that small amount of dignity if she breaks. Let Cryn find and comfort her.

He’s agreed to stay, and that will have to be enough.

[sketchy-the-changeling]

Do you enjoy being miserable? I’ve been hearing a lot about how many people apparently find misery to be comfortable lately, but how anybody could come to that conclusion is just completely baffling to me personally. So I just figured that I’d ask around about it, to see if I’m in the minority with how that I find misery VERY uncomfortable to say the least, and certainly don’t take any type of comfort from being miserable at all.

I think you may be thinking of the adage "Misery is comfortable; it's why so many people prefer it. Happiness takes effort."

It's not that these people ENJOY being miserable, per-se. That's why the adage uses the word "prefer". Preference and Enjoyment are two different things. They don't enjoy the misery. They're complacent in it. They know it's going to take effort to be happy, and many people don't want to put in that effort, whether it's because they find said effort to be too much work, or because the brief, fleeting relief they get from venting to/trauma dumping on the people around them (even if they didn't consent) is too intoxicating to let go, or whatever else.

So everything I wrote so far probably answers the question you asked at the very beginning, but to be clear: No, I do not enjoy being miserable, and as I've gotten older, my patience for people that wallow in misery has gotten thinner and thinner. It's why I'm of the opinion that having venting channels in Discord servers is an astronomically god-awful idea.

Obviously, if someone is miserable due to factors beyond their control, like systemic poverty, homelessness, mental illness, etc etc, that's completely different. I'm talking about people for whom there are actionable solutions to their problems, but they refuse to take them.

I'll give a personal example below, but it's rather lengthy, and the original question has already been answered, so I'll just put a break here and HOPE that Tumblr doesn't fuck it up.

Example: I'm in a Discord server run by an artist mutual of mine. Said server happens to have a venting channel, so you already know where this is going. One member of the server was an aspiring writer, and would often go to the venting channel to express frustrations with how he can't make progress on any story he writes.

It didn't matter what ANYONE said. So many of us offered solutions to the various roadblocks he was having, and none of them worked. It wasn't because he attempted our advice and failed, but rather he just preferred to complain about the problem he was having rather than actually doing anything to fix it. It was the equivalent of someone sinking in quicksand, and just folding their arms rather than grabbing the dozen or so ropes that people are offering to them.

Once I recognized this was a pattern, I spoke to the server owner privately and said that this needed to be dealt with, because he was becoming a nuisance to other server members and he was just gonna keep doing it if there were no consequences. She didn't do anything, and the guy kept going, and more and more people just stopped bothering to try helping him, but then this behavior spilled out into other channels, and several of us, myself included, went to the sever owner privately about this. Again. Several Times. After dragging her feet on it for months, she finally started allowing mods to time him out when he acted like this, and when that proved to not be enough for him to stop, the server owner FINALLY made the decision to boot him.

Mind you, my stance on people that act like this was already solidified beforehand. This situation just reinforced that stance.

Protect your peace, y'all.

[egg-emperor]

There's definitely nothing wrong with polite disagreement and saying different opinions are valid, but I think after a while we all get tired of being valid, because underneath there's still this undertone of "I won't call you out for saying it, just thinking it. Totally valid, though." This goes double since all you're doing is posting your personal thoughts on your blog. Sometimes you want to hear "yeah, you're not crazy, I agree, same" instead of "I disagree but you're allowed to think XYZ."

God yeah you really put it into words. I've had so many people say "I don't agree/I do agree but not with how you're expressing it- but it's valid" and I'm like yeah I know lol, I don't post my thoughts expecting everyone in the world to agree or like the way I do it, I can't please everyone and especially in this case as I'm in the minority and I have the self awareness, and I never said that people aren't allowed to feel differently to me, that's obvious.

And yeah I never understand complaints about how I talk on my own blog. If I was talking to someone else and being rude then fair but I'm not directly targeting anyone and my harshest posts are about people that were rude, insulting, and even harassed me first. It's hard not to let off steam somewhere and let your thoughts be known generally when you can't say it directly. This blog is my outlet for many feelings, positive and negative, all passionate.

And my posts aren't to put people down and make them feel bad when they're not about those that have been assholes. They're supposed to be to let my real thoughts and feelings be known in the hopes I'll find I'm not the only one when I feel so alone and alienated just seeing what the mass majority say and feel in comparison. It makes me happy when I can put some words to what others might have been thinking, so they don't feel alone in it either.

Potentially offering a new perspective to people who have seemingly made up their mind on how they feel and may or may not agree is the last of my intentions, though it's nice if they can. But it's not like I'm forcing and telling them how to feel, unlike those who come to my posts and videos to get mad at me and keep spamming me with paragraphs about why they think I'm stupid and wrong and clueless when I say I don't want to talk about it.

And yeah you're right, I can't pretend I think it's accurate and right and yeah, I do think people are wrong when looking at the facts 30+ years provided, how the Japanese version keeps this in mind and follows it more closely, and how nonsensical I truly deeply believe the direction of it went in English. It's natural that I'm going to feel that way towards takes that say otherwise, that doesn't make me automatically hostile towards anyone personally though.

When talking about the "validity" of anything, it's valid for anyone to express themselves however they feel obviously but it's just as valid for me to think it's wrong and express the different way I feel. It should work both ways but it seems a lot of people don't as they don't want to see a take they disagree with shared at all. But I don't like seeing theirs either lol, that's why I want to express myself too and maybe find people that can relate.

They're just making it all about attacking them and assuming my intentions but they don't speak for me and the audience I'm hoping to reach with my content.

Yeah the way this happens every single time I have an unpopular opinion (which I was cursed to have almost all the time apparently) stops the backlash from having any real effect. They're going to act like I'm stupid, clueless, and toxic and gatekeepy for expressing myself differently to them literally every single time, so they're just empty words at this point and clearly all they can think of to say when I say something they don't like on my own blog.

I'm glad you're finding other things to focus on and pass time while the fandom's in flames at least. Despite this drama which I do indeed keep being dragged back into by askers despite saying I was done a million times, I have been having fun working on my fucked up Eggman concepts leading up to making my upcoming fourth blog public where it'll all be gathered. And I've been getting great asks that perfectly appeal to my tastes that I'm excited to answer hehe

I am of course annoyed that people are being assholes non-stop while others have started acting like I don't exist anymore, making it feel like they just really don't give a damn about me and my content. But hey, I appreciate those that are still around and enjoy my takes and creations without having to change it to appeal to the masses in the fandom right now. I'm trying to just give up on everyone else and focus and appreciate on the good instead.

[trillscienceofficer]

☕️ + unused dax plotlines we were robbed of

send me ☕️ + [topic] and i’ll tell you my opinion on it!

First of all, you're the real MVP for sending me two asks for this meme, love you Beej 💜

Second, oof this question. I could go in so many directions here. Due to the fact that the writers only figured out who Jadzia actually was (and what being a Trill entailed) during the course of the show AND the fact that so much of Ezri's screentime was devoted to answering the question 'will she end up with Worf or Julian?' (sigh) I feel like there's a lot of possibilities when it comes to lost plotlines that I'd have liked to see.

Here's a few of them, just at the top of my head:

1) An away mission with Kira other than the one in "The Siege". It's just something that's missing. If you ask me the whole show needs approximately 500% more interaction between women, but an episode focused just on Kira and Jadzia would have helped pushing in the right direction. And I'd have loved also one focused on Kira and Ezri—you know what, maybe if we saw them having to work together it would be a lot clearer how Kira got over her initial reaction to Ezri.

2) I feel like Jadzia and Ezri don't get to have a lot of emotional continuity from episode to episode. Other characters in general are allowed to express some kind of reaction to past episodes, and sometimes so does Dax but not nearly as often. (Don't get me wrong, I know DS9 was still experimenting with serialization, but when it's your fave character that experiences the jankiness...) One thing I feel particularly robbed of is the aftermath of "Children of Time" for Jadzia; while the episode does have consequences on Kira and Odo's relationship it has apparently no effect on Jadzia which makes no sense. It would have been interesting to see her struggling a little after that, especially when it came to taking initiative. We know there is a side of Jadzia that is prone to insecurity, and "Children of Time" should have brought back a lot of her issues, I think, and especially since the show gets into the Dominion War arc right after I feel like an episode dedicated to that kind of struggle could've fit in perfectly.

3) One thing that everyone notices is that Jadzia doesn't seem to have a close relationship with her family on Trill, and we never meet them. While I don't necessarily think that makes her a less developed character it's something noticeable about her. I hate to mention "Divided We Fall" (because these comics are so horrible) but there is an interesting plot point in it: Jadzia is sent on Trill for a while by Starfleet, likely during the arc of the Dominion occupation of DS9, in order to update the planet's defense grid. I always found it a very very interesting setup because we know she doesn't like to go back, but of course I don't think she'd refuse such a task. It would've been great to see her having to deal with her homeworld up close, especially so late in the show's timeline where we already know a lot of what she's gone through because of her joining. It doesn't need to be another Joran-conspiracy-related plot (I'm getting real tired of those) or an anti-reassociation-stigma plot (honestly I just don't think that's very realistic), just... a smaller plotline? maybe even just a B plot? About Jadzia, her family and her home planet with the war looming closer. That's it.

4) Just let us see how Jadzia and Leeta became friends goddammit

5) I would've liked a plot that dug deeper in Ezri's apparent disregard for most Trill traditions (most notably, the stigma around reassociation). I don't have anything specific in mind but having her to deal more with the, uh, let's say bureaucratic (?) consequences of her strange joining would be a start. I'm repeating myself here but we know so little about how either Jadzia or Ezri feel about their homeworld which is weird because everyone else gets to have big feelings and struggles re: the Federation, Bajor, Ferenginar, the Founders etc etc. But not Trill! Please I just want them to have the same opportunities for feelings as the other characters.

I'm sure that when I hit post I'm going to come up with another ten ideas at least but this is a start, I think.

[giorno-plays-piano]

Vicious

Part VII

Pairing: Steve x reader, Bucky x reader, Thor x reader, Loki x reader, Peter x reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, stalking, possessiveness, theft, mention of blackmail, all characters are adults.

Words: 1864.

Summary: Transferring to Stark Academy that has only allowed to take in female students last semester, you realize you are just one of three young women among hundreds of students. Your things are constantly being stolen, and soon you begin fearing for your safety.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

________

You wanted to slap yourself. What the hell was wrong with you today? Why did you tell Peter that?!

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...” Completely baffled with you behavior, you were deeply ashamed, unable to look the guy in the eyes and wanting nothing but fall into the earth.

“Ah, I got it. It’s Steve, isn’t it?” All of a sudden, Peter let out an irritated sigh, rolling his eyes skywards and rubbing his neck. “Of course, who else would say such nonsense. Blackmail, really? Funny he didn’t call me a stalker or anything.”

“Listen, I didn’t mean it, I’m really-”

“It’s ok.” He closed the locker, slamming its door loudly and making you jump. “It’s not your fault. If I heard that from somebody, I’d be scared too.”

He spent a couple of seconds staring into the wall until he rubbed his neck again tiredly and huffed. It took him less than a minute to regain his composure, and you heard him murmuring, “What a freak.”

He didn't return to the corridor, heading to the sports hall for his PE class, instead moving to the bench in the locker room and motioning you to sit. Feeling terribly awkward, you hoped he wasn't going to do anything out of anger, even though he had every right to be upset at your stupid behavior.

"About what he said," Peter took a deep breath, "it's nothing like that. I don't dig up some nasty stuff in the web to blackmail people. I've never done it. The reason why Mr. I-am-better-than-you said that is because I've made him take me into his little bodyguard group when I heard him talking to Loki. You're nice, and I wanted to help. Of course, Steve started acting like I was some creep, so he refused, and I had to remind him that, technically, he had to report your issue to the administration, not play a hero. I said that if I go and tell the whole story to the dean, Steve's gonna be in trouble because he knew who thieves were and didn't report them."

It was a loud off your mind. Goodness. Rogers called this a blackmail? Really? Just because Peter pushed Steve into taking him into their group?

You were less and less sure Rogers was sane. You definitely had to be careful around him.

"I can't believe he called it a blackmail." You admitted quietly, and the guy sent you a tired smile. "Peter, I'm so, so sorry. It was so stupid of me."

"Nah, don't worry. I'd freak out too if I didn't know the whole story."

You knew your apologies weren't enough, but you hoped Peter didn't take it to heart - if you can take such an accusation easily, that is. Shit, shit, shit, why did you believe everything these guys were saying? You didn't even know them in the first place! Why on Earth did you go asking them their opinions on others if all of them were biased, and every guy could twist the truth the way he liked? You shouldn't have let their words affect you that much.

"Whatever. At least now you know what Rogers is like." Peter sent you a grim smile and got up, picking his bright yellow sackpack from the floor. "Shit, I gotta go if I don't wanna be late. Let's meet in a library later, alright?"

"O-of course." You hurriedly stood up and left the lockers room after him, turning to the library: your Lit class was cancelled, so you decided to go study right away. At this time, the library was usually full, and you felt safe there.

Your thoughts were all about the guys again even when you were staring at your laptop, trying to focus on Excel numbers. Why did you feel like the atmosphere between them was so dense? If they were at such terms with each other, why did they group together to help you? What, because all of them loved you so much? It was ridiculous. There was something else to it, and you didn't know. You had a feeling no one was going to tell you the truth until you figured it all out by yourself.

Weird. It was all so weird. Steve's plan, their behavior, the relationships between them, and your nagging feeling they all were hiding something. Was it them who were actually following you?

The thought scared you to the point you started shivering. Oh shit.

"Hi there," the guy appeared behind your back so suddenly you almost jumped, looking at him wide-eyed, "sorry, did I startle you?"

"H-hi Jake! No, it's ok, I was just... studying." Both of you were talking in hushed voices, knowing the librarian would kick you out immediately if she heard some noise. "How are you?"

"I'm great, how're you?" You could hear concern in his voice: he was one of Thor's friends you met yesterday, and although you spoke briefly, Thor definitely told him more about you. "You look a bit worried."

"Oh, it's Math, I didn't really understand the topic, and we're having an exam on Monday... guess I'll be studying the whole weekend." You gave him your best smile to reassure you were totally ok, and the guy relaxed a little, smiling at you, too.

"I'm sure you'll pass. Thor said you're very smart."

What, he said that to all of them? Was he simply boasting about his girlfriend to his friends or was there something more to it?

"You're too kind. Thank you."

His smile grew wider, and he landed on the next seat to yours, resting his hands on the table. Apparently, there was something he wanted to talk to you about, and you grew uneasy.

"Listen, about these incidents... Thor told us all about it, so if you see any freaks following you around, you can message any of us, and we'll come right away." Looking at his serious expression, his bushy brows furrowed, you hoped he eas being sincere with you: you had enough with people you could no longer trust. "And also... that kid, if he's giving you troubles or anything, just let me know, and I'll tell him to keep his hands to himself"

Oh, he was talking about Peter, wasn't he? He had probably seen that silly photo. Wow, you though, Peter was totally right about Instagram: it was the best news source in the academy.

Thanking him for his concern, you laughed a little, convincing him there was nothing serious except for the theft and promising to tell him if anything weird would be going on. While it should have made you feel safer, in fact, you only grew more frustrated with this situation. You wanted to forget about these freaks and just spend you day like any normal student would, but everywhere you went people were staring at you as if you had a horn; one boyfriend or the other was always close to protect you from some unknown danger, and although you believed they tried to help, you hated the feeling they were hiding something from you. Why did you have to be going through all this? Wasn't it really better to drop off school, spend a year working and then apply to a better place?

Thinking of the faces your parents would make once you returned home, you realized it wasn't. This school with all those creeps wasn't worse than home that never felt like a safe place you wanted to come back to. Besides, all money you saved up until now were only good for buying food and things like that: you'd never afford to rent a decent place unless you found a well-paid job. It meant staying with your parents, and it wouldn't be much better than here, just different. If you wanted to drop off, you had to find a good place to stay.

Well, you could at least try, right?

When Peter met you in the library, the two of you no longer talked about anything important, simply studying together to prepare for the exams next week. It didn't feel off: from time to time you met his gaze, and the both of you smiled. You were thankful he didn’t talk about Steve or other guys or that weirdo in the lockers room.

Once you returned home, you went straight to bed, completely exhausted. Luckily, you did much more than yesterday, so you could rest now, but then you thought of Thor kissing you and bit down the pillow, angry at yourself. Why did you keep thinking of him right now?

______________

When you woke up the next morning, you felt like something was off: your body ached, your throat hurt, and your headache was only making it worse. Dammit, you caught a cold, probably. And that’s when it was finally the day to meet Steve, the guy you thought was a mastermind behind all these manipulations that were making you sick to the core. 

Anyway, it’s not like a mere cold would prevent you from doing everything you had planned. You left your bed and went to the bathroom, moving the dresser before again. 

Honestly, it felt terrible. It was definitely because of that flimsy dress you wore to school yesterday when the weather was becoming chilly. Argh. Watching your puffy eyes and swollen nose, you sneezed. Today you had to apply way more makeup to look decently.

Steve showed up earlier than either Thor or Peter: you had to skip your breakfast, hoping to buy something cheap in the cafeteria.

“Good morning.” He said with his everyday polite expression that soon shifted into a concerned one. “Are you alright?”

What, was it that bad? You did your absolute best to apply enough makeup and do your hair. Did you still look so sick?

“Good morning. Yes, I’m ok, just feeling a little sleepy.” You yawned on purpose, covering your mouth with your hand, and Steve’s face softened.

“Did you study all night?”

“Yep, exams are driving me a little crazy.”

“I understand. I also stayed late last night.”

Of course, the student council president studying all days long to be number one student in the academy. If you didn’t know of his twisted nature, you’d think he was the most typical nerd.

You spent most of the time either in silence or talking about studies, the academy, and everything related to it. Steve acted like a gentleman and a scholar, albeit a little too demonstratively. Walking with you as if he were a king of the place, he constantly replied to greetings of others, waved to his acquaintances and smiled. You felt so off you wanted to find Loki and walk with him: unlike Steve, he was considered unpleasant by the prevailing majority of students.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” America golden boy asked you for the last time, and you forced yourself to smile.

“Of course. Thanks for coming, see you later, Steve.”

As he finally left you in peace, you almost fell down into your chair, your fever only getting worse despite the fact you took some painkillers. It was going to be a long day.

_________

Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki   ​@helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @hurricanerin ​@inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @chris-evans-indian-fanfic @navegandoaciegas @rosalynshields @brattycherub @sllooney @angrythingstarlight @lookiamtrying @buckysbunny @stargazingfangirl18 @dillybuggg @literate-lamb @cosicas-cuquis @sarge-barnes-sir @buckybarnesplumwhore @jaysayey @megzdoodle @gotnofucks @lux-ravenwolf @ximebebx @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @sourpatchspinster @biiskuitx @stupendouslovegardener @iheartsebandchris @lovelydarkdaydream @soleil-dor @illyrianprincess @vampirestrawberries @goodgodimaweirdperson @frontmanash @freya-heya @yandematic @mariatietacapitu @d3monslust @maybesandohnos @ibeatuptwinks @mangobangi @nectav @whatever-happened-to-the-ducks

[mywonuderful]

The Boyz reaction to you getting angry at them

anon request: tbz reacting to you getting angry with them, pls 🥺

genre: angst

warnings: slight swearing

a/n: please note that all these reactions are based on my own perspective and opinion! stupid tumblr only allows 10 gifs per post :(

main masterlist

Sangyeon

having him as a leader of 11 boys, I'm pretty sure he would be the most mature out of everyone even he can be a baby sometimes

“just how long did you think you could hide this from me?” you raised your voice

he would be taken back, looking at you with a speechless and shocked expression

he would try to process what to say next and also the fact that you raised your voice, which is something you almost never do.

I think he would be someone who would be careful around the words he'll say, especially during tensed conversations like this

he would approach the situation maturely, trying to fix the problem as best as possible and in ways were it can be prevented in the future

Jacob

okay first of all, we're taking about the angelic and patience boy here

“I’m fine, stop asking me.” your tone was firm as your shook off the his hand that was on your shoulder

he would be more confused, rather than shocked by your actions. He could sense that you're quite stressed out, he would softly ask you what's going on, being patient and responsive with everything you have to say

when disagreement comes, he would try to approach it in a manner where heated arguments would be avoided at all costs

because you know how sweet and composed this man is

he might leave to give you space if things do become a bit too heated but in the end, he'll try to resolve the matter and the both of you will live happily ever after~

Younghoon

he is a softie

“YOU WHAT?” your eyes almost popping out of it’s sockets

I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up tearing up, crying

because his heart is just full of softness and anything hurting it will just lead to him drowning in his tears

I have a feeling that you'll end up comforting him, even if you're mad at him

but then you can't ever stay mad at him, because you'll sense his presence, looking at you in a distance and when you turn to look at him, his there, looking at you with pouted lips and puppy eyes

but if you're actually mad at him, he'll stay serious, trying to figure out what the problem is

Hyunjae

I think he'll be taken back and quiet at the same time

“Fine! I’m tired of doing this anyways.” you left his dorm. He would be too shocked and confused to stop you from leaving

like Jacob, he'll probably think about the whole situation, trying figure out a way to approach you and the problem

the both of you haven't spoken to each other in a couple of days since what happened as he wouldn't be himself, having his head occupied with what you said and your tone

he'll try to get a hold of you, asking to see if you could meet up

he'll be nervous, since he rarely ever sees you like this and would be scared of messing things up, making it worst

he'll make sure to listen to what you have to say first, before expressing himself

Juyeon

don't be fooled by his cool on-stage image, he's a true softie

apparently he gets upset easily too ??

either way, if he saw that you were angry at him, he might be flustered on why and maybe even a little upset that you are

"I can't even look at you right now." you crossed your arms, looking away from him as he mouth parted, eyes wide from your statement before he raised an eyebrow, scoffing.

the both of you might be in a heated argument before one of you leaves or breaks it, letting space of your own. He'll gather his thoughts, trying to see what he might have done to make you mad.

I see him as someone who would apologizes first because you're someone he truly cherishes and he doesn't want any misunderstandings or miscommunications be the reason of anything that he doesn't want to happen

Kevin

his energy, vibe and aurora.... unmatchable I'm afraid

be in all, he would be quite serious and firm

"Moon Hyungseo, this isn't up for debate." he knows you're upset with him, hearing that you called him by his Korean name which was a name he didn't preferred to be called by.

but then hearing that from you and him knowing that you know that he didn't liked to be called by his Korean name might trigger something in him as he may end up snapping back at you, only instantly regretting after the words left his lips would be extremely logical and rational about everything, trying to get to every bit of detail

he isn't someone who likes to argue but when compensating he would definitely take his time and break down what has happened and what needs to be solved

New

I can definitely get the feels that he might be someone more affected by their partner's emotions, especially when it comes to negative ones like argue

“I’m not being ridiculous, you are!” New would be quite hurt yet frustrated by your words, leading up to an argument where the two of you bumped heads

he would end up leaving the room, wanting some space for himself to cool down because the two of you rather have heated bickering.

I don't think he would apologize first because he believes that if he isn't at fault, he shouldn't need to apologize just to make his partner feel better

maybe after a few days, the two of you will end up using the same space where one of you ends up bringing up the argument, apologizing and trying to come to an agreement

Q

him having two sister will put him in a place where he probably has more experience on handling arguments

"Gosh, I can't believe you and your words." you rolled your eyes

he might be someone who has their feelings control them more than their mind in the moment but afterwards, he'll reflect on what he said

I think he might hold a few grudges here and there but tries to not let it get to him during arguments

he might avoid you for a couple of days, probably forgetting in the middle that the two of you fought, casually thinking to you

Juhaknyeon

I feel like he would be very gentle hearted (???) like even when you're mad at him (???)

he looks like someone who has a lot of patience, like Jacob (don't quote me on that though) especially when it comes to his significant other

"And you weren't planning to tell me after all this time?" he would be very calm upon your irritated voice. He wouldn't raise his voice but talk in a way that you may find annoying (???) because you're the worked up one

but nonetheless, he would hide the fact that he's surprised from you angered tone, trying to express a more mature example of himself in front of you

like Q, I think it would take him a few days for him to talk to you because he wants to give you the space you need, but he'll try slipping in short conversations here and there to see if you've calm down bit

Sunwoo

if you've seen him in variety shows, interviews or games you know how unpredictable he could be at times

like how he could go from mr.handsomewithaveryattractivefaceandjawline to whatthehellisgoinginsidehishead with his sudden screams and yells

so I wouldn't be surprised if he talked back at you when you were mad

"I have every right to be mad at you right now." he would roll his eyes, scoff before responding in a aggressive manner, only to end up in a quarrel

he wouldn't think twice about having to think about his actions as his first thought would be to just argue back

your fights may be more intense out of all the members in my opinion since he holds his pride quite high but in no means is that an insult

avoidance between the two of you may go from a couple of days to even weeks depending on the situation but he'll start to feel guilty for ignoring you rather than talking back at you

Eric

this energy boi

although he may be the youngest, I have a feeling that he might handle this situation a bit better than Sunwoo no offence ily sunwoo

but he might be just a tad more logical and rational than him

"What is with you these days? You've been getting on my nerves." he would be speechless as he looked at you with a shocked expressed, trying to register what you just said in front of him

he'll stutter to find his words, scratching his head in confusion before you start to rage

he might mumble a retort under his breath or just end up arguing face to face, before he pulls himself out of the argument, leaving to get some fresh air

you'll end up avoiding him for a couple of days, leaving him helpless as he tried in every possible way to get your attention to talk to you so don't be surprised if you see agyeo from him

he might hold a few grudges, like Q but ends up apologizing, knowing that your relationship holds so much more over an argument

[athys-obelia]

summary: no one's evil au lmfaooo but make it pt. 2

character/s: anastacius de alger obelia, claude de alger obelia, athanasia de alger obelia, jennette de alger obelia

and here's part 1 <3

oh my god okay. okay. so.

ana, claude, athy and jennette - they go on a LOT of vacations

claude complains every single time but anastacius pulls his trump card and sends athy and jettie BOTH after him

u think he's strong enough to say no after that? lmao jokes

and their vacations always go this way:

jennette: isn't this scenery just gorgeous, uncle

claude: indeed it is. and...quiet

jennette: ...too quiet

[cut to anastacius in the distance, fighting a bear as athy cheers him on]

athy + anastacius, hands down the most chaotic pairing yes i will not be taking criticism

they have tea in ana's palace everyday, just the two of them, they're so poised and picture perfect through the entire thing everyone thinks it's just the emperor giving profound advice to his heir

it's actually them deadass scheming,,, ana has no qualms discussing everything from court gossip to military tactics, both of which she's so on top of all the time

if anyone shit talks jennette or claude, this tea party is where their slow and agonizing demise is planned out to the dot

[true story - count sivan once made the fatal mistake of expressing his favour for athy as the next empress, dissing jennette by comparing her to athy sm which inevitably sparked a debate that ranked the princesses. a week after athy's sources informed her of the kindling behind this new debate, the count's sudden divorce became the talk of the town, and the man's business faced bankruptcy all of a sudden. the sivans still haven't recovered.)

athy n jennette were actually allowed to visit kiel in arlanta a few times, except it was too dark at their first arrival, postponing the meeting to the next morning

buttt then jettie can't sleep and she decides on a midnight snack run (their hotel doesn't really have the maids the palace does, but oh well. she's left the palace w lucas n athy plenty of times)

felix tags along btw, he knows this trip is important to the girls since they're leaving the palace without their Overprotective Papas™ for the first time and want some sense of independence, but... she's just so smol n he couldn't bear it if anything happens so he just shadows her

she totally knows he's there

n e ways so there's a juice place right beside their hotel which she aims for, but when jennette reaches it, it's closed

and out of nowhere, a voice addresses her - "hey you, do you come here a lot?" she nearly jumps out of her skin at the brunette, relaxing when she sees he's literally a kid around her age and not a murderer lmfaoo "me neither," he continues without waiting for her, pouting at the closed sign, before he asks for her name and whether she's new in arlanta

she confirms that yes, she's only visiting, and refuses to tell the stranger her name, still feeling strange at being addressed as 'you' for the first time (well, minus lucas, but he was like her brother and had the emotional capacity of a teaspoon, so)

he eyes her. "you're so weird. i've never seen a girl out so late before, and alone too. are you stupid?"

(felix has his sword out at this point)

she's flushing now and has no idea why she's still out here, but then this stranger kid apparently senses her mood and tells her the best ice cream store in arlanta is not too far away

(he also explains he knows someone who's starts doing weird things when she's hungry as well, and tries to defend that ice cream is actually a healthy midnight snack, "you can just take a healthy flavour like strawberry or mango, mangos are healthy,,right"💀️💀)

so jettie has travelled all the way from obelia, she loves her papa but he would have a heart attack if he found out she was ever awake this late?? yeah bc she's never getting this chance again, jennette accepts the offer

the stranger boy seems to be taking the whole "i'm not telling you my name," thing like a joke, and asks what he should call her since 'you' was getting boring

she goes with "lady j" and like a knight, the boy becomes "sir c"

(felix is on the verge of committing a crime - the princesses can only have one knight, after all)

they walk as the the boy navigates the streets in the dark, and she asks whether he's from the academy, seeing his uniform

"of course i am! you could probably tell bc i look so smart, right?"

she snorts. "yeah, that."

she also comes to know that this guy,,,well he might as well be a tourist? she's out here asking stuff like "oh where's the statue of lady alphia?" or "aren't we really close to the museum where they keep the first emperor's sword?" and he goes "lady do i look like your brochure?? but if you turn right from here there's a cool arcade and across the street from there is the best street food vendor you'll ever eat from."

well at least mans had his priorities straight 😌

"so can you take this off?" he asks, pointing towards her dress once they've neared the store

um???????? sir tf????????????

anyways jettie has been living with lucas n her dad farr too long to not take this the wrong way?? "...no?"

the boy raises an eyebrow "look, it looks like an expensive cloak but i promise i'll return it, alright? i gotta hide my uniform."

ohhhhhhh. 😳.

so she unfastens the cloak and because he's kinda just staring at it cluelessly (he can't even tie his shoelaces fight me), jennette sighs and moves the clothing over his shoulder, fastening it in place at his neck

he's literally a tomato when she looks back up and realises that yes, we are way too close rn

bc she's ana's daughter, jennette by default cannot function when she's flustered. so she kinda stumbles backwards like a fish out of water (years of princess training n etiquette? where art thou??) and 'sir c' has to grab her forearm so she doesn't bump into the pillar behind her smfh

the shopkeep is definitely suspicious of this pair that's definitely too young to be out so late, but chalks it down to his sleeplessness

they escape the store with the ice cream before the shopkeep can ask any questions, and 'sir c' escorts jennette back to her hotel. he climbs onto the roof of the building, helping her up as well

(felix wishes he had a magic stone to capture this moment, this is the first time he's seen jennette become such fast friends with someone)

she stands on the roof (it hurts her butt so she doesn't wanna sit)

"my sister would be so jealous right now," jennette murmurs, "she told me her ideal first date would be either a picnic or something like a moonlit walk. we're having like a moonlit picnic."

it's silent for a few seconds the boy speaks up, "is this a date?"

oh-

oh.

"i mean- i didn't- i don't- uh."

give her some time lmfao she's loading

"i don't really mind that," he tells her, and she thinks she might just walk off the roof in her embarrassment - who just says something like that?? "you're probably feeling really lucky right now, right?"

jennette: ✊😔

he does look pretty in the moonlight, she admits to herself, listening as he excitedly tells her about his siblings at home and how she should send an offering to the gods since they gave her the good fortune to be on a date with the most good looking one of all four of them

in turn, she tells him about how she spent her childhood away from her amazing dad and had gotten closer to him recently, about her sharp-witted uncle, her sister and friends

(the 'friends' section includes felix and he's melting)

she smiles - it's almost as if, at finding out he treasures his family just as much as she does, they've gotten a bit closer

and he tries to listen. jennette had guessed that his temperament was somewhat like her dad's - her dad didn't know how to listen, always making his opinion known before anything else, though she supposes as emperor he could do that

'sir c', on the other hand, tried his best, his blue eyes focused on her as he almost burst from the unsaid words he was holding back, trying to let her finish. the sight was an odd mix of sad and insanely adorable that she couldn't help but let him tell her about everything he couldn't hold in

sensing she could pass out from her exhaustion nearly half an hour later, and 'sir c' escorts her to her window and helps her sneak in bc "what sort of knight would i be otherwise?!"

(felix can't stop shaking the entire night)

the next morning, jennette's heart is pounding as kiel shows her, athy and felix across campus - the chance is low, but still...

"ezekiel!" comes a voice, and the four watch as a turquoise haired boy waves down the alpheus heir "are these the guests you mentioned?"

kiel introduces the trio to johannes vastia before asking, "where's cabel?"

"at the training grounds, he asked if you could bring everyone there so he could show them around there."

"... they're my guests though?"

athy is quick to befriend johannes (i mean she and his sister are practically the same person, so) and at the grounds, jennette's blood runs cold

(so does felix's)

the brunette doesn't notice her at first, arguing with johannes about something as kiel introduces him as cabel ernst

jennette is hyperventilating?? actually back up is this girl even breathing??

cabel ernst from kiel's letters? the 'loud and obnoxious cabel ernst', who gradually turned into 'my acquaintance cabel ernst', then 'hardworking, passionate cabel ernst', and finally 'my friend cabel'?

she'd actually rather admired this slow build of respect between her friend and the ernst boy, and had even expressed her interest to meet him

"this is the first daughter of his highness prince claude de alger obelia, princess athanasia-" cabel mock salutes the princess before his mouth forms an 'o' and he remembers to bow, "-and here's the emperor's only daughter, her highness princess je-"

andddd his eyes widen comically "-hey, lady, it's you?"

yeah jettie is on the brink of literal death - her entire face reddens as this...cabel, grins at her

she watches as he glances behind her, "and you're the guy who was following us - sup?"

felix flinches "...you knew...?"

cabel shrugs. "i mean you do kinda suck ass at the whole subtle thing."

"don't say it like that," jennette retorts, "felix was trying his best."

"princess 😭😭 you knew as well?"

"uhhhh no?"

athy + kiel in a corner: 👁️👄👁️

they watch as cabel's eyes widen all of a sudden and he just,,,runs away

...🐦...🐦...🐦...

yeah well anyway he comes rushing back a few minutes later, a piece of cloth in his hand "...*huff* here *huff*...you go."

athy totally flips out "jennette is that your CLOAK???!??"

"uhhhhh no?"

"um do you realise uncle would literally wage war at this."

and as if it would make everything better,

"i washed it," cabel offers with a grin

"you didn't," the vastia heir deadpans

"i mean, johan helped a little bit."

kiel smiles murderously at the pair. "johan, did you know cabel took the princess out?"

"wait, you're a PRINCESS??"

your honour they aren't very smart

so the group orders some coffee (milk for cabel smfh) to find out what happened, cabel mentions "date" and everything goes to shit again lmfao

kiel and felix scheme against poor cabel while athy n johan get over that stage pretty quick ("listen. MY sister will be living with ME after the marriage and if your friend wants to be with her he'll have to come with us to obelia." and johan's just like "fine by me ✌️😊") and start planning the wedding

cabel + jennette dip n sneak out of the academy again to get the juice they couldn't the night before bc shit is getting awkward here

on another note, our uncle cius' musical intelligence is actually very high - he can probably play more instruments than i can name tbh, but he feels most comfortable singing and i shit you not, this man has straight up an angel's voice

(didn't like singing in front of others coz he was secretly a nerd and only knew old love songs with deep lyrics, athy found out and educated him)

jennette tends to have nightmares often, most often regarding their family - she's seen her father murder her uncle for the throne, and vice versa, athy admitting her affections towards jennette were a front to get the position of crown princess, her uncle killing her to solidify athy's claim, etc - her family is her everything, so despite however many times these horrible scenes play before her, she's left sobbing uncontrollably

and on these nights, she leaves for her father's room, who holds her close and sings her to sleep

also lucas n jennette are like sibling duo# 1,,, jettie is an active lucathy shipper even though he denies it sm - like their dynamic is just peaceful walks in the gardens as she watches the plants n lucas shi talks the nobility and kiel

claude and athy have a thing for each other's sleeping on each other? idk it's weird

athy once fell asleep on the couch while reading with him, and claude moved her head onto his lap so she wouldn't be uncomfy sitting - well, she woke up to his hand absentmindedly raking through her hair and it was just so soothing that whenever she's tired and he's working or reading, she just plops her head on his lap and zzzz

and claude wondered what was up with that, so she proposed they switch roles and he felt so awkward trying to lay down in front of her lmao

obviously athy noticed and she just started reading, thinking he might be more comfortable if her attention isn't on him completely - she ended up reading out loud while playing with his collar and he just,,,passed out

also anastacius has definitely pulled jennette aside regarding the issue of his heir at some point - she had been hesitant at first before admitting she wouldn't like to be the empress at all

i know we'd all love to see empress!jettie and her sister duchess!athy ruling the court, but i really really really can't see her wanting the title?

so thus start athy's empress lessons, but holy shit her teacher is mean

like this man makes me want to bash his face in?? so he doesn't like the idea of athy becoming empress over jennette at all, all bc of both hers and claude's mothers being commoners

he has one of those long ass sticks that you use in presentation to point at stuff?? idk but basically mans has athy name every region, its lords and their vassals during their first lesson

the first time she gets one wrong, she's too shocked as the stick meets the delicate skin of her forearm to react

now the thing is, wmmap!athy would probably stand up against this bc her dad is the emperor and she's his only heir, but i imagine with anastacius' social nature he holds many parties / balls where she's probably heard claude's mom + diana slander and it wouldn't be unreasonable for her to be self conscious abt it (now she's the emperor's heir while jennette, 100% royal + noble blood, is right there which probably makes her feel even less legitimate)

so she endures it, the light marks on her arms as well as the taunts of his she's too smart to not understand - perhaps this is the price to be accepted in jennette's place?

and honestly, no one really notices until at breakfast a few weeks in, where jennette mentions how her dresses are still so modest when sleeveless dresses were more in fashion - ana is suspicious because athy is always on top of these things, societal trends and such, and claude is sus from the way she hesitates slightly in her answer, "i haven't had the time lately, i suppose"

the lesson after focuses on ettiquete since everyone knows she's good at politics and such already, but now tears of frustration are pooling in her eyes because what the hell?? this guy had made an opinion of her long before he even met her, so anything she did would be wrong in his eyes

he gives her a sinister smile, "tired, princess?"

"no," she insists, keeping her voice level. he's about to spout some other nonsense, when anastacius enters the room, taking a seat across from her

anastacius watches quietly as athy answers the teacher's questions in her "public" voice. he watches as her usually cheery disposition is replaced by something far more...dead, despite the front she puts on for him. he's soundless as she hesitates in her answers where she normally would've been louder, more confident. he stops watching in silence when his niece flinches at the sight of the stick

oh.

he interrupts her lesson, not missing the way she winces almost imperceptibly when he grabs ahold of her arm, announcing, "we're going."

he just- it's just that that was the moment he knew for sure - the sight of his niece emotionally disheveled for the first time reminds him too much of how his own brother had once been, and he'd... he'd promised he wouldn't let anyone hurt his family anymore

he ends up taking her to the port with some of his advisors to welcome some royal guests, insisting that she would learn better from experience rather than books - but the guest delegation gets so boring that he sneaks her out of the meeting n they end up in the streets

now athy has no idea where they are, but apparently her uncle does?? ana has his hand on her head as he navigates the streets of the capitol as if he comes here everyday, using magic to casually disguise the two of them

in the meantime?

felix is at the port trying to cover for them smfh, he makes up this huge story about how the great wise emperor wanted to familiarize his heir with the locals, understand her subjects, yada yada

back at the palace prince claude is currently dragging a man by his collar and only upon jennette's insistence does he throw him in prison rather than literally kill him

(jettie visits him later in prison to give the guy a piece of her mind, after felix's visit he's sporting a few noticable bruises and the prisoner is practically unrecognizable once lucas visits)

back to athy + ana, they end up stuffing themselves with some super good street food as anastacius confesses that yes, he has definitely been sneaking out of the palace ever since he was a lil kid

athy almost mentions that she, lucas n jettie sneak out too but that might give him a heart attack, so

"it's so pretty, uncle cius," she says, gesturing towards the necklace he holds up. once he's paid for it, anastacius fists the necklace, opening it to reveal the jewel pendant - now imbued with his magic and replaced with gold lettering of the word athanasia

and she realises that yes, that's what both him and her dad have called her all her life, haven't they?

"you're my heir, athanasia," he uncle tells her with a small smile, "i am proud of that."

getting teary, she tells him, "i'm really proud of you too, uncle cius," triggering a very flustered + blushy anastacius

this mans craves validation - not from the sycophantic nobility, or the obsequious concubines he'd dismissed all those years ago, but from the family he thought he'd neither have nor deserve

and just the acknowledgement is so large for athy - he wants her as his heir, not because she's his niece, but bc he trusts her to look after his hard work after him??? - yeah she's totally bawling her eyes out

anastacius magics her a handkerchief but my mans magic isn't that strong?? lmao he's used up so much by now that the 'handkerchief' turns out to be some scratchy tissues

awkward amirite

nope! athy laughs at that, offering him a sip of her drink as she magics another straw and a proper handkerchief lmfaoo

n e ways so when they return, everyone's shocked to learn that the crown heir, princess athanasia will actually be joining the official circles as anastacius' temporary aid - he doesn't wanna entrust her to anyone but family, and decides that the best way to learn is by his side

(she's so confused bc lucas doesn't normally bat an eyelash when she wears the prettiest gowns, but he deadass can't look her in the eyes when she's in her aid uniform - it's more like a suit than it is a dress)

yes lucas women in suits >>>>>

everyone is STUNNED when at dinner, claude proposes they leave on vacation??

anastacius is just not having it?? like no, this is not my brother, and he throws a grape at claude to check if it's a clone or sum (¿¿how does that work??)

anyays so he ain't no felix, ana's aim is ass and it hits jettie instead

mans nearly gets on his knees to apologise

long story short everyone preps for vacation, but by some aCCiDeNt claude n athy end up at a different destination than jettie n ana, when she suggests returning to the palace to regroup, mans deadass sulks

"so you wouldn't like to spend this time with your father, despite barely visiting my office for weeks?"

o-oh

so at their return, the nobility starts pestering everyone that the princesses aren't independent enough, yada yada idc so to quell this annoyance, to the girls' joy, they get to move into emerald palace together, while claude and ana stay in the ruby and main palaces respectively

literally emerald palace becomes such a cool place to be in since it's the residence of the only decent people in this family, the brothers spend hours going through the requests of maids who want to be transferred

it's such a busy time because of athy joining the court and jettie starting her studies as well - naturally, since she isn't becoming empress, she'll be getting the duchy claude + athy were to be given in the beginning

speaking of futures, jettie's interest in plants and cooking has definitely branched out into herbs

claude notices her tending to a small garden during his visit to athy and even gives her a few tips (he had been studying medical since he was a kid, and picked it up again when athy was born and the empire stablised somewhat)

this soon becomes a routinely thing, and he actually starts reading up on some herbs and even orders a few for her prospering garden

after a month of her learning from books, claude proposes adding a medic as one of her teachers, and turns out his hunch was right?? she's excelling at medicine and they keep it between themselves for the time being

it doesn't last long though, bc they're on a hunting trip when ana injures his leg

and !! this girl istg, she gets to cleaning and wrapping the wound without blinking an eye, as if it's the most natural thing ever, and claude is just smirking while athy and anastacius and literally everyone else: 🌟💞✨jettie✨💞🌟

literal tears coming out of anastacius' eyes "how come my daughter is smarter than me😭💅"

claude: that's not a very high standard, brother

anastacius: ✨suddenly i'm an only child✨

behold, the people in charge of running an empire everyone 👏👏👏

even though jennette is claude's (unofficial) student and athy is her uncle's heir, they both ask their dads to the debutante

yes athy does dance with lucas, anastacius sent him an invitation even though he wasn't a noble (he's an active match maker 😌) and nobody dared question the emperor's special guest

at the end of the night, kiel gives jettie a letter from arlanta - it's an invitation to the academy during holidays, from a certain brunette

when she brings up the subject, felix lets out a squeak and literally everyone goes silent 😭😭

athy n kiel are just out here DARING him to spill them beans

but anastacius takes on look at his excited lil kid and decides that yups, she's going to get everything she wants

a/n: i literally don't know how many parts this should have lmaoo but y'all made it this far!! thanks for reading i hope you liked it<3

[iamverysmall-andihavenomoney]

Finding Out That Their Career is Over

Haikyū!! Masterlist

Pairing(s): Oikawa Tōru x Gender Neutral! Reader

Warnings: Talk of knee injuries, angst,

A/N: Apparently, I just love giving Oikawa knee injuries.

If the pain hadn’t been enough, here he was, stuck in a rehabilitation program. With a few more months, his knee was looking towards a recovery, or at least, that’s what the doctors had told him, at first.

   The pain was bearable, in his opinion. If he had his way, he’d have been back to the team, as soon as he’d recovered. But his doctors, nor his teammates would allow that. Most of all you, the lover who’d been with him, every step of the way, wouldn’t allow him to continue playing, until he was given an ‘okay’ by the doctors.

   Watching him shakily stand from the seat beside yours, in the doctor’s office, you allow him to gently grasp your shoulder, to stabilize himself. He’d only just gotten off of his crutches a month ago, and after four months of dealing with them, he was relieved.

   Tōru sends you a grateful smile, leaning over and gently kissing your temple, “Thank you, Y/N,” he whispers, moving his hand so he can place his arm gently over your shoulders, walking with him towards the office.

It had taken him a while to get used to putting some of his dependence on you. Tōru was an independent person. So getting used to having to place his hand on your shoulder to get up, to having to have you help him do mundane things like get up in the morning, to get into the shower, to get the bulky brace on, every morning... It was hard. He was trying to get used to it, he truly was. But going from an Olympic level athlete to, in his opinion, a below-average man who needed to depend on everyone around him, wasn't something that happened overnight.

Making it back to the room, you move to sit in the seat next to the small, plastic and paper encased bed where the patients were supposed to sit, while Tōru moves to take a seat on the bed. His legs hang over it, spread open a bit to allow his hands to rest in between his thighs, fingers picking lightly at his nails - a habit both of you had thought he'd dropped a long time ago.

Reaching over, you grasp the hand closest to you, giving it a gentle squeeze. Brown eyes shift to you and soften at the sight of your reassuring expression. Bringing your hand to his lips, he gently kisses each of your fingertips. "I love you."

   You tilt your head, "I love you too, Tōru."

The wait for the doctor to come in only worsened Tōru’s steadily growing anxiety. Long digits fiddle with the fabric that keeps his knee supported. If you hadn’t been there to hold his hand through it, you were sure he would have lost his mind, trying to just wait for the doctor to come in.

   Though the anxiety building up in you through the duration of your wait in that little room was nothing compared to the way your stomach dropped, when the doctor entered the room. His expression was near emotionless, despite the smile plastered on his old, wrinkled face.

   “My boy,” both you and Tōru visibly cringed at the display of unwanted familiarity. You’d both been in this office far too often, recently.

   “Hi, doc!” Despite his own worry, your husband manages to keep a clean face about things. “So, tell me: when am I due to return to volleyball?” He sat on the edge of the table, leaning forward in anticipation... Almost like a child might... You could only hope that there would be only good news, from here on in.

The hope that was filling his expression nearly broke your heart. He wanted to return to volleyball so badly. He deserved to go back. If only the universe wasn't so cruel.

   The mood of the room changed and the smile slipped from the doctor’s features. “My boy, I’m afraid I don’t think that will be possible.”

   Toru’s expression darkens, though it’s only for a moment. “That - That’s not true -... You and Dr.-”

   “While we thought a full recovery was possible,” the older man continues, “After reexamination, we’ve realized that your knee, while you will have the strength to walk again, without any pain, will never be able to handle the type of pressure that your jumps put on it. Even with how remarkable your recovery has gone, thus far... You shattered your patella, Señor Oikawa. You were lucky to have made the recovery you did, as quickly as you did.”

   You couldn’t breath for a moment, just staring at your husband. He’d worked to be on this team, doing what he loved, his entire life. It wasn’t fair that now he found himself not able to play. Watching the way emotions scattered through his features, you swallowed the lump in your throat. If the recovery hadn’t killed him, the grief of losing his entire career and livelihood might.

   Disbelief, anger, denial, terror... The all struck his features faster than he could stop them, leaving him not only feeling lost, but leaving him feeling vulnerable in front of this near stranger. And he hated feeling vulnerable.

But how could he stop these emotions? His whole world came to a stand-still. All of those nights he'd stayed away for hours, before coming home to find you having fallen asleep trying to wait up for him, dinner now cold, on the table; all of those weeks at different training camps, when he wouldn't get to see you for what felt like an eternity; all of those years of perfecting his techniques and making a name for himself... It was all for nothing.

   He wanted to leave. Now.

   Without a word, he shoves himself up from where he was seated, walking haphazardly towards the door. He’s swinging it open by the time you can stand up and take the steps to reach him. “Don’t touch me.” His voice holds a bite you weren’t used to as he turns his back towards you, walking... Or rather, limping, away from the room.

   You frown and turn to face the doctor, offering an apology and asking him to send the medical bill to your residence. Then, you take off after the tall male.

Making it to your car, you slide into the driver’s side, silent as you turn on the car. You don’t say anything until the car is running, “Tōru, you can’t just-”

“Why can’t I?” He snaps at you, shooting you a withering look, as if you were the cause of his injuries. “Why can’t I lose my temper? Please, give me a reason, Y/N. Please tell me why I can’t act the way I want to, when my life is in pieces."

"Since you seem to know so goddamn much, please tell me why I can't lose it. I've waited my entire life, only to fall just short of the Olympics? What good am I if I can't even do that?" Tōru wasn't made. It was upset, call it heart-broken, if you will. But all he could find himself doing was lashing out in anger, kicking his bad leg out to his the glovebox of your car.

Pain courses through his knee, making his let out a pained noise as he slowly sinks down into his seat. "I fucked it all up... I'm never gonna be..." He lets out a shaky breath. "I'm never going to make it. I should have fucking known, I-"

"Tōru, I love you, but shut up." Your tone makes watery eyes shift to you. "You are not going to sit here and tell yourself that you're useless and push me away." You grab his hand and lift it up, "You see these rings? Through hell and high water, Tōru. That's what we promised one another. You made it here. This is a setback, but it doesn't mean your career is over, with volleyball. Let's just... Go home. You can get mad, scream, hit the wall or something, whatever you need to. Then we can sit down and talk about what's next.

"I love you... You are going to make it through this. And I'm going to be here with you, every step of the way. Understood?"

Your husband lets out a shaky exhale, tears sliding down his cheeks. "I understand. I'm sorry I yelled at you," he slowly puts his head on your shoulder.

You could tell by the way his lip quivered that he was trying to hold it all in. But what good would that do?

Sliding back the center console you shift so he can lean into your embrace. No words are spoken as loud sobs begin to rip through his body. His lean form shakes against you as he cries. His sobs break your heart, though you couldn't imagine the pain he was in, at the moment.

His sobs didn't quiet for a while, in fact, as you soothed a hand through his soft hair, he only seemed to sob harder, almost as if he thought he'd disappointed you. Though, as he wore himself out, his sobs slowly quieted into soft whimpers. No matter if his sobs had quieted down or not, you weren't moving until he said something.

"I wanna go home."

That was all it took, before you were both back in your seats, on your way back to your shared home. You weren't sure how long it would take Tōru to be okay, again, or if he ever would be. But you'd fallen in love with him and made your vows. He's the love of your life and you promised that you would see him through it, to the end.

General Taglist:

@thathoneybee3 @bratkugo

[itsclydebitches]

I adore talking about this with you, it's so cool to be able to agree, everything I've read is just excusing yen lmao.

And with "geralt would rather do and say things Yen wants to avoid pissing her off" LIKE YEAHH I guess I annoyed yen with my answers and she teleported Geralt out of the tower thing, and then threatened to do it again like??? Like he pissed her off so she has fuck all care about him, was over water thank god but like girl??? omg and her refusing to tell the wticher bros what she was planning on doing to Uma, like I get that they would be hesistent but I mean it's cause it's cruel and painful and they have that trauma around that. She just expects everyone to do what she asks when she asks no questions. (Lambert's "I'm not geralt" when he and Yen are kinda arguring, bb red flags)

I just assumed she didn't believe him cause if she did whats her excuse for behaving how she is lmao??? Like you believe he has amnesia and you still blame HIM over the person who maniplated him KAY.

And goodddd that fucking scene when Triss and Yen see Ciri in Kaer Morhen is genuinely the worst, Triss and Yen see their sis/daughter (not gonna get into how weird I find it that Triss considers Ciri her sister and Geralt is Ciris father and she still wants to fuck him, uncomfy) for the first time in forever, she's alive and well and while Triss is hugging Ciri, Yen kisses Geralt and Triss throws a glare at her. I hated that scene so damn much, it's stupid and shouldn't have been there. (aso I get emotions and all but Yen kissing Geralt is so bitchy, idk even full of gratitude and emotion I wouldn't kiss the man who just dumped me lol, especially not in front of a situation like Triss)

I'm still mad about the women, I really wanted to like them fuck meeee

YOU GOT TO THE PART. Oh thank god, anon, I've wanted to talk about this since we started these conversations lol

Okay, let's set the scene, shall we? You arrive to find that, with our playthroughs anyway, your ex has barged into your home. I say "barged in" because although we (Geralt) know that Yen's help is necessary and she'll be tagging along, the other witchers living there are given no prior warning and, according to Vesemir, Yen teleported in without so much as a "Hello." She then immediately starts ordering everyone around like her servants, failing to explain the situation beyond there being a curse that they have to help with. No, this isn't negotiable. She (still being an ex) takes your old room for herself, which just happens to be the biggest in the keep, and proceeds to toss a bed out the window. It's only later that Vesemir recalls that Triss used to use it, so prior to that everyone apparently just accepted that Yen was destroying their stuff for no understandable reason. Classic Yen. You go upstairs to find her cursing a blue streak at her failed experiment and when you try to lighten the mood, she snaps at you. If you're of the opinion that Yen's every order must be obeyed, this is when you're supposed to drop the conversation entirely, because she said to. Except, funnily enough, you'd like to know why she's up here being The Worst Guest Ever and destroying your property. She tries to justify this by saying that destroying a bed is better than how she could be dealing with her anger over Triss. Be grateful and all that. Except, it's not really about Triss, is it? The line is "You shagged my friend. For upwards of a year. I don't know what your witcher's code says on the matter, but ordinary folk would consider it obscene, base, vile." The blame is not on the woman who knowingly manipulated Geralt into having sex with her while he was vulnerable, it's on Geralt himself! He is the "obscene, base, vile" person for... daring to have amnesia? And when you point that out - "Yen... told you already. I lost my memory" - she yells that she's "lost [her] patience" and teleports you into a lake! This is, apparently, how she really wants to deal with her anger. Not by destroying beds, but by attacking you for things outside of your control. And I do consider it an attack. Yen is meant to be insanely powerful, she is leveraging her magic as a weapon here, particularly when Geralt has spent the whole game commenting on how much he hates portals. Yen knows this. Not just because he says so in her presence, but because she frequently reads his mind, something else he's expressed discomfort with. She's not just demonstrating her power (controlling) and sending him away when he makes a point she doesn't want to acknowledge (immature), she chooses the one thing she knows makes Geralt uncomfortable, perhaps even scared. Then when you've swum your way back to shore and returned to, despite all this, begin her list of chores, she makes a dry comment about how next time she just might drop you high enough for the fall to be fatal. With the next time implied to be, you know, the next time you disagree with her. The next time you dare to do anything other than agree with her every belief and jump at her every command.

The fandom interpretation of all this: "Lol Geralt getting yeeted is so funny. And their banter is just 😍"

Me:

You mentioned red flags and yeah like that ENTIRE SCENE is a crimson banner for me. I mean, by all means, love the fictional ships that are super messed up (I often do), but it astounds me how many fans honestly think this is just a cute interaction with absolutely no problems attached. Nothing to question here, folks. I've mentioned before, but last I discussed this in depth the asker wanted to know if I'd been an asshole to Yen and... that's it. That's the perspective. Any disagreement with her, any pushback, anything that's not complete, blind obedience is something she will not permit AND something most fans take as a given. If you're not doing what Yen tells you to, you're automatically the asshole, and if you're the asshole, you automatically deserve any punishment she chooses to dish out.

Comic spoilers coming up if you want to skip, but this is made abundantly clear in "Curse of Crows." Yen and Geralt are at their best in the moment below, enjoying one another's company on a nice day. Yen asks if Geralt wants to swim and he says nah, he'd rather watch her. She appears to like that idea and, indeed, swims naked while Geralt admires from the shore.

Actually cute right? I really liked this moment! They're cuddled up together and exchanging smiles. It's a rare moment of peace where I can believe that they truly care for one another, outside of passionate sex and not wanting the other dead. Finally, something beyond that incredibly low bar.

...except Yen starts flirting with a young man who shows up, invites him to travel with them, all while refusing to explain why she's interested in his company. The sudden third wheel is clearly bothering Geralt, but Yen continues to ignore his questioning. The answer she finally gives later that night?

She did it purely to mess with Geralt! It's his "just desserts" for "refusing to swim with [her]." She is "not one to be refused - I thought you needed reminding" by giving him "a flick on the nose." When I say that Yen treats Geralt like a dog I mean she literally treats him like a dog. He's a servant who must jump at her every command and if he doesn't, he'll punished for disobedience. He might not even know why he's being punished for a long stretch because Yen enjoys making him think she's a normal person capable of accepting that he doesn't feel like swimming right now - insert the Kaer Morhen scene where she wants to go have sex upstairs, but Geralt wants to catch up with the brothers he hasn't seen in an age here - only to reveal that actually she's made their formerly nice outing uncomfortable because he needs to be put in his place. All of which is followed by, "So... willing to join me now?" The message is very clear! Geralt had better get his ass in that tub unless he wants to be punished some more. Whether he wants a bath right now or not is inconsequential.

This is also the run where she scares the women Geralt was with, despite them being separated right now. Why? "I could."

Claims that Geralt is allowed to return to his companions (who he actually waves away) only for him to realize she's cast a spell to burn him with the water. Yen loves pretending she's okay with things only to punish Geralt for them later - sometimes with physical punishments. And what would have happened if the women had actually joined him again? Do witchers weather hot water better than the average courtesan? Who knows, but Yen clearly doesn't care who might get hurt.

Just like her time in Skellige and at Kaer Morhen, she refuses to explain what's going on. She just expects people to obey her, so-called loved ones included. Geralt was to get her cider, and arrive before her bath went cold, not question what they're doing on this dangerous hunt. He's a servant.

And my favorite, petty moment: transforming her awful inn food into a lavish meal without offering to do the same for either Geralt or Ciri.

"But, Clyde, that's just the comics. They're not really canon." Nah, questions of canon aside, this is 100% Yen's characterization. She's prideful. Immature. Beyond controlling. And punishes anyone who dares to tell her "No." Fans are always pointing out that she's meant to be horrible, she could have been a villain in another life, like any of that explains why I'm supposed to root for this relationship or enjoy her existence outside of being a complex character. Yen is interesting, but she's interesting in a "I can't wait to see her get her own just desserts" way. Not "Wooo now I get to watch this story ignore her behavior again to push a True Love narrative."

She punished Geralt frequently during their first meeting, she punishes him whenever they get together, and, I think, she punished him during the reunion with Ciri. Given our playthroughs, do we really think that after breaking up with her and all this fury over Triss - an anger so deep she destroyed the bed and attacked Geralt - she's just overcome with such joy that she forgets they're not together anymore and forgets the anger she's been nurturing for years? Yen doesn't forget. She's staring at Ciri during that moment, right where Triss is currently running towards them, and then after a considering look at Geralt pulls him in for that kiss. That was calculated. She did that to make a claim she no longer had. To punish them both: make Triss uncomfortable by playing at the "perfect" family reunion; make Geralt uncomfortable by kissing him when she knows he doesn't feel the same way. But of course, the popular reading is that she just loves him so much she couldn't help herself. Riiight.

It's just all SO BAD. (Including, as you say, the ickiness of having Triss lusting after Geralt and referring to Ciri as "little sis.") I love a lot of the women in Witcher - Cerys is a fave, Ciri, Saskia, Philippa, Keira, etc. - but the two I'm supposedly meant to fall in love with are just the worst lol.

Basically:

Half the fandom: TEAM TRISS 🤬

The other half: TEAM YEN🤬

Me: TEAM REGIS 😭

[whump-in-progress]

Lilac & Kuma, Pt 5

CW: Pet mindset, fear of dogs, mother/maternal relationship, needles

Sorry this one is late. Between school and the first cold I've had in over two years (NOT covid, I tested negative), I was too busy to give this a final polish in time for Friday. Enjoy!

_______________________________________________________

"How was it, Lilac? I tried something new with the brown sugar today."

"It was good, Mistress. I liked it." Lilac said, quietly.

Mistress Kuma sat on the bench across from Lilac. "Hey,"

Lilac looked up. There was that look again, the one so wrought with gentleness and compassion, that it made her feel... something. Was it discomfort or shame that tightened her chest like that?

"I think I have just the thing to take your mind off of everything you've been through. Howsabout today, we go clothes shopping?"

"Sh-shopping, Mistress?"

"Yeah! I wanted to ask mama or papa to take us to Old Navy. You probably need some new clothes. That dusty old maid dress is only going to last you so long."

Lilac nodded. She didn't make eye contact.

Mistress Kuma's expression shifted from humor, back into her limitless compassion. "Lilac, I'm sorry. I know panic attacks are really draining, and it's my fault you had one in the first place. Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

The apologies were... strange. Master never used to do that. He said he didn't need to; he was her Master, she was his pet, and he deserved her obedience at all times, simply because it was his right as the superior. And if she wasn't completely subservient, she'd get punished. Or thrown out.

"No, Mistress. I think- I think shopping with you will help."

"Do you actually think that, or are you just saying it because it's what I want? You're allowed to have an opinion, too."

"No, Mistress. I... I would like some new clothes." Her stomach churned. Pets don't have wants.

"Good! I'm proud of you, Lilac. You've already come so far."

Mistress is proud of me! Even under all of the confusion, the praise made Lilac's heart leap. I am a good pet, she will keep me!

Footsteps jumbled down the stairs, and Nita stepped out of the threshold, with the large dog in her arms. Strong women ran in the family, apparently. "Good morning, girls!"

"Morning, mama! How'd you sleep?"

"Oh, Keith kept me up again." She complained, placing it on the ground. "I had to take him out at 1am."

"Poor thing." Mistress Kuma made a pouty face at her mother.

"Me, or him?"

"Both of you."

"It's okay, I slept in to make up for it. Can you give him breakfast?"

"Just a second, I have to clean up. I made enough french toast for you and papa and Benny."

"That is so sweet, mija, thank you! What about you, Lilac? How'd you sleep?"

"I- I slept fine, ma'am."

"You can call me mama too, it's okay. I adopt all of my daughter's friends! Next time Mark and Colin come over, you can ask them." She chuckled.

"O-okay, mama." Friends. Not mistress and pet. Just friends. The notion still felt... wrong.

Nita smiled, and sat down on the couch, opening up YouTube on the tv.

From the kitchen, Mistress Kuma shouted. "Hey, mama? Can we go to Old Navy today? Lilac needs some new clothes."

"Sure, mija, we can go when you're done feeding Keith."

"Thanks, mama!"

While Mistress Kuma busied herself with adding various pills and powders to her dog's food bowl, it- no, he- approached Lilac, hesistantly, slowly, and sniffed her hand.

Visions of sharp, gnashing teeth filled Lilac's eyesight. Huge, knifelike fangs ready to tear the skin off of her hands. Ferocious eyes filled with vitriol and hunger. That awful, terrible hunger.

No, stay away from me!

She yelped, jerked it out of the line of his jaws, and held it up in the air, where he couldn't get to it. He tilted his head questioningly, and wagged his tail, ever-so slightly. No doubt ready to leap and slice her to ribbons.

"Keith, no! No, Keith, give her some space!" Mistress Kuma grabbed the dog by the torso and dragged him away from Lilac, his claws scraping on the hardwood floor. His ears flopped down in dissapointment, but perked back up when he saw his food bowl on the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Lilac, he loves new people. He's just a sweet old guy, though, he can't hurt you."

Lilac put her fist down, slowly, and took a closer look at Kieth's face. It was grey and silver, and so were his paws, unlike the rest of him, which was a soft brown. When he opened his jaws to eat the food, Lilac saw there were quite a few missing, and the ones that were still there were worn-down and sad-looking. Harmless. His eyes held no anger, she realized, just curiosity. Her muscles relaxed, and she exhaled.

He's old, and he can't hurt me.

"Now Lilac, I'm gonna give him his insulin shot, so if you don't want to watch that, you should close your eyes."

A shot? No, thank you! Lilac shut her eyes, obediently, and waited.

"Good, good job!"

Lilac perked up. Praise? I'm still a good pet?

"Good boy, oh, you took the shot so well, oh, who's a good puppy?"

Her shoulders slumped, and she opened her eyes, dissapointed. Mistress Kuma was enthusiastically petting the dog's neck, while he completely disregarded her in favor of his kibble. Of course. No praise for pets who don't earn it.

Mistress Kuma put the used needle, glinting in the sunlight from the glass back door, into the needle container and closed it, not even giving Lilac a second glance. "Okay, mama, I'm done!"

"Alright, mija, this video has two more minutes. Get your shoes on, yeah?"

"Okay!" She began to run away.

Did I do something wrong? I closed my eyes like she asked. I probably didn't do it fast enough, or maybe she didn't notice it. No, she did. If Mistress doesn't think her stupid pet deserve praise, then her stupid pet doesn't deserve praise.

"Hey, Lilac, are you there?" Mistress Kuma waved a hand in front of her eyes.

Lilac snapped out of it. "Huh? Uh, y-yes, Mistress, I'm here."

"Oh, good! I brought you a pair of Benny's sandals. I know it's a bit cold outside for them, but they're the only shoes in the house that'll fit you. We'll get you a pair of your own when we're out, okay?"

Lilac's cheeks flushed, flooded by embarassment. She was gunning for praise like a spoiled lapdog when Mistress Kuma was already going to buy her shoes. Shoes, for goodness sake! What a privilege! Greedy, stupid pet, why can't you be more grateful for what you have?

"Th-thank you, Mistress."

She beamed. "No problem! Let's get going."

_______________________________________________________

Taglist: @newbornwhumperfly @winedark-whump @whumpzone

[lettrespromises]

LettresPromises informs you : you have one notification. 

> Letter object : ‘La fable du crocodile et du flamant rose.’

@theastroooooworld​ sent a letter :  ❝Hi, I hope I'm not bothering you! I really liked what you did for Mihawk and I would like to ask for a scenario in which Sir Crocodile fell in love (if it's possible with this man) with a woman s/o pirate who also has a crush on him, whom he often sees in meetings of the shichibukais. Only, the evil Doflamingo also wishes to have the reader by his side. Et sincèrement, j'ai adoré la lettre que tu m'as remise 🤭💙, 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙞 𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙚 🤪❤❞ author’s letter :  ❝hello, you lovely human being! cam, you already know how sorry i am for being so late, and i apologize once more for taking so long. i do hope that this letter will make you crack a smile because i absolutely loved writing it!! sealed with a kiss, nikki. P.S: merci pour tout, t’es un ange, prends soin de toi aussi!!❞

Warnings : None, not even cursing, nothing. Genre : Fluff. Word count : 2.6K.

The aura emanating from each protagonist in this room was undoubtedly intoxicating— meaning that if a poor soul belonging to a rookie of the Marine were to step foot in the forbidden room, they would instantly bend under the invisible pressure created by the alliance of Shichibukais. In another context, and under different circumstances, the household names present in the vicinity could, metaphorically speaking, be considered as the embodiment of a guaranteed promotion if they were to be caught by the Marine all together. Unfortunately (or fortunately according to your point of view), the relationship between each Shichibukai and the Marine prevented anyone from daring to even nourish their hushed fantasies about capturing any of them for their own profit— they were pirates, they were fueled by the seven deadly sins, they had stains of blood on their hands and above all : they were untouchable. What a sweet, sweet paradox.

Some enjoyed this privileged status more than others, but amongst this group, all of them would think of the Marine each time they committed a crime— apparently, having the epitome of justice on their mind whilst accomplishing the dirtiest deeds humanity could think of made said deeds even more enjoyable as it was motivated by the impossibility of being reprimanded and thus, live a life filled by crime and sins.

But amongst their rarely mundane occupations, the Shichibukais still had to bend under the measures which came with their status, one of them being that their presence was mandatory to meetings to the top organized by the finest names of the high hierarchy of the Marine : Sengoku, Kizaru, hell, even Akainu despite his boiling hatred for pirates, the scum of Earth in his opinion.

The moments leading to the meetings were always the same — each protagonist would silently defy another one, the deafening silence squeezed between them would often hold interrogations or statements such as « what else have you accomplished since last time? », « I see I’m still superior. » or « My reputation shines the most between the two of us. » communicated through hushed laughters, a raised eyebrow or a smirk plastered upon someone’s facial expression. These moments were always both stuck in time, because of how heavy they felt, because the pressure emanating from each Shichibukai reached its apex, because the oxygen became almost rare due to the toxins lacing each word longing in the air, because of who these people were. And yet, they were your favorite moments because they were the most intriguing— an irresistible mix of passion and curiosity.

You were sitting between two of the biggest producers of this vivid aura of intimidation— Sir Crocodile on your right, and Donquixote Doflamingo on your left, in all, you cursed and blessed yourself at once for having chosen this spot. Truth be told, ‘chosen’ was an exaggeration. Allow me to tell you about this tale.

Each time a Shichibukai would enter the room, naturally, all eyes would be set on them. Judging stares, sometimes, glances which translated to « How come they are still alive? » or « Why are they still alive? » But when you stepped foot inside the meeting room, a new kind of tension spread through the room, and the two protagonists to blame both wore extravagant coats and had a sordid fascination for torture. They were gazes of envy, jealousy in its most vivid form, and silent questions hung in the air : « How come they aren’t mine yet? » Or statements like « I refuse to let this excuse of a man claim them, they are mine, and mine only. » (A statement, which, by the way, worked both in Crocodile and Doflamingo’s way.)

« My, my, my! Look at what the cat dragged in, ‘can’t say I’m complaining though, fufu. » The laughter itself was the signature of a maniac, which, needless to say, belonged to Doflamingo whose eyes were following your every move from his chair, his legs spread apart.

« Did you miss me that much since last time, Doflamingo? » You asked, as a form of rhetorical question, a fainted smile crept its way onto your face once the last syllables left your lips.

« I would be a liar if I said you didn’t occupy my mind these last few days, Y/N, and you should know how much I despise liars. » As the word ‘liar’ rolled off his tongue, his smirk faded away and instead, the emergence of a vein on his forehead was noticed as he reminisced the betrayals which stained his past.

You knew better than to interfere when Doflamingo dangerously crossed the line between moral and immoral, instead, you scanned the room to find a vacant seat to occupy. Perhaps next to Hancock? At least, you wouldn’t be bothered by the men here. Oh, but she was bound to drown you with stories regarding the man of her life, not the smartest choice. The seat next to Mihawk seemed like a good option as well, but he was not one for conversation and you would end up talking to yourself. Another choice would b—… « Y/N, I could not help but notice you were desperately looking for a seat to occupy. How convenient, the seat next to mine happens to be free. Of course, the choice is yours, I only took it upon myself to offer you the best option. » Oh, such a suave voice you could have recognized amongst a thousand voices.

This statement caused a chain reaction : your orbs were now focused on the beholder of these daring words, an amused grin stuck across your face; Doflamingo’s vein grew bigger as he caught the audacity coating Crocodile’s every word; Hancock’s palm hid a hushed laughter at the reaction of the blonde Shichibukai, Mihawk silently wished he could disappear. Enticed by his words, you start walking in his direction until a warm touch stops you in your tracks : upon closer inspection, it was a harsh grip on your wrist which belonged to Doflamingo who (now) combined both the raging vein on his forehead and his signature smirk, a duo made in hell. « Don’t be ridiculous, Crocodile-Man, Y/N knows, deep down, that I will take a way better care of them than you ever could, don’t you, lovebird? Fufufu. » And that, precisely, was the definition of ‘taunt’, a presentation of mankind’s most provoking aspects showed by Doflamingo.

Crocodile hushed his response, judging that entering Doflamingo’s mind games would the equivalent of handing him a victory he categorically refused to give him. A fit of smoke was blown, perhaps as a sign of exasperation, Crocodile was not keen on dragging this pseudo fight any longer— his hook circled around Doflamingo’s arm, and in a swift motion, your wrist was no longer the martyr of his tight hold. You couldn’t even gather enough time to bring your wrist to your chest that Crocodile’s large palm snaked around the same wrist and yanked it in his direction.

The aftermath of this motion was everything Doflamingo had once dreamt of, or rather feared in his most vivid nightmares— the sight of you, sitting on someone else’s lap. After all, wasn’t his lap welcoming? What did Crocodile have that he did not? It was infuriating, even more so because he could not seem to find the answer to this riddle, perhaps, in the worst case scenario, there was no answer in his favor and he was doomed to observe you sitting on your newfound throne. A vision of horror which made him frown and turn his smirk upside down, on the other one hand, Crocodile offered him his most victorious grin on a silver plate, a silent way to state his undisputed victory.

Crocodile’s hook was pointed in Doflamingo’s direction whilst his hand encompassed your waist— a clear and distinct switch in body language if you will : on one hand, the palm resting on your waist echoed to protection and desire to keep you closer to him, on the other one hand, the hook facing Doflamingo translated to a clear case of threat and perhaps even a way to dissuade him from tempting anything he might regret in a very soon future.

« It appears that victory is mine, wouldn’t you agree with me, Y/N? » Although Crocodile’s interrogation contained your name, it was directly targeted towards Doflamingo. « Don’t be fooled, the only person who won here is me. You’re bickering like kids while I’m getting all the attention, I can’t say I hate it. » You replied, the playful tone lacing your words matched with the grin spread across your face.

This not only signed Crocodile’s victory but also the beginning of the Shichibukai meeting, and almost every protagonist in this room had forgotten about the oh so important reunion—  the distraction brought by the quarrel of hearts between Crocodile and Doflamingo seemed to have hogged all the attention of the spectators of this scene.

Sengoku made his way into the room, an intrigued expression on his face which was as clear as daylight, « Sir Crocodile, Y/N, you do realize there are other seats in this room? » he questioned, although he was wondering how the situation escalated until reaching this point. « I’m afraid it will not be necessary, Y/N has already claimed their seat themselves. » Crocodile stated, with the same ill intention to send toxic jabs in Doflamingo’s way whose vein grew bigger under the more-than-obvious indirect verbal blow. « He’s right, this isn’t too shabby. » Sengoku showed no sign of surprise whatsoever at your response, he was in a room full of the most dangerous human beings alive, what else could he expect from them?

And so the meeting went on, and on, and on. But Crocodile’s position remained still— his digits brushed against the bare skin of your arm, and from time to time, his glance would switch between your from Doflamingo’s enraged figure (who was clearly not listening one bit to anything Sengoku was saying) and yours. But whenever his orbs landed on you, Crocodile could not help but drink in your presence and admire each detail crafted by the Gods until he could remember each inch of your body with closed eyes. You were torn between paying attention to Sengoku’s formulas and battle tactics, because it was a part of your job as a Shichibukai, and let your subconsciousness take the lead and allow yourself to melt into Crocodile’s warm and intoxicating touch. Each time the brushing motions would cease, it felt like the aftermath provoked by drugs— you craved for it, you needed it, and he quickly understood the underlying orders to continue through your pleading eyes half-hidden by your lashes.

« … Thank you for attending this reunion, you’re all free to go now. » Sengoku announced to a semi-attentive crowd before leaving the room, followed by Mihawk, Jinbei, Hancock (who did not miss to send a wink your way upon leaving), Kuma and Moria. Isn’t luck a wonderful thing? Now it was only the three of us in the room.

Doflamingo stood up, to your surprise, as if he was ready to leave the room too. He dangerously reduced the space between the two of you as Crocodile brought you closer to his chest to balance the cruel lack of distance. For a few seconds, which seemed eternal, Doflamingo allowed his orbs to roam free on your figure, drinking your stance in for future memories. His genetically given long finger traced the edge of your jaw, malice fueling his every move : « I can assure you that I will see you very soon, lovebird, and this time, I won’t lose and you will be mine. Have fun while you still can, crocodile-man, fufufu! » His maniac laughter signed the end of his presence in this room, now it was only you and Crocodile.

Silence lingered for a bit, as a way to let the both of you soak in the glory or the horror, depending on your sense of perception, of the events which had taken place earlier on. You were now the sole holder of all of his attention, and being the two only protagonists in the room offered the privacy Crocodile had secretly begged for since the arrival of Doflamingo. « Say, Y/N, would you really want to be his? » He asked although he was not really asking sincerely, taking another drag of his cigar as he awaited for your answer.

You brought your thumb and index right underneath your chin to fake a sense of interrogation, but the answer had already been stuck on your mind since you laid your eyes on Crocodile : « Mhm, I wonder… I mean, Doflamingo is pretty handsome if you ask me. What do I win if I choose you? » The faked innocent tone of your voice drew a harsh contrast with the importance of the question, but oh well, he had already noticed that. « Well, first of all, he will never kiss you quite like I do. »

If it was even possible, Crocodile reduced even more the space between the two of you until your respective chests were touching, his hook was delicately applying the pressure needed on the small of your back to keep you steady. Before respecting the rules of performative language, he admired once more the traits adorning your face and that’s when he realized that none of the paintings he owned could ever compared to the masterpiece of details and panorama of shades that were your face, he just hit jackpot.

His finger lingered just where Doflamingo’s digits used to be a few seconds ago, as a way to re-claim his territory and leave his imprints for good. Amused, Crocodile concluded his journey of touches by letting his palm rest right on your cheek in a way that his fingers could meddle with your hair behind your ear. Your lids shut close in response to his touch, already anticipating the explosions of sensations which was bound to come. And there, at this very moment, the explosions were set free and turnt into a myriad of fireworks— his lips crashed against yours and everything around you felt hot : your lips, his intoxicating touch, the sparks in your belly, you felt like a living volcano caught in eruption. His lips were perfectly molding against yours, as if they were made to melt against yours, like poetry in motion, if you will. Crocodile wasted no time and deepened the kiss, tilting his head in the process, you were breathless but you were willing to give up on air if it meant you could rest your lips on his until being persuaded of seeing stars.

To your surprise, he was the one who broke the kiss— don’t be fooled, his lungs hadn’t failed him yet, he was just dying to see your face contorted under the desire for more lingering touches and kisses. He couldn’t help but allow a chuckle to break free from his lips at the sight he was waiting for, or rather, the sight which confirmed his thoughts. « I shall take it as you belong to me now, and I’m positive you do not see anything wrong with this, my treasure. » And he concluded his sentence with yet another kiss planted on your lips, he was finally at peace with his feelings, knowing he had you now.

Moral of the story : never linger on an uncharted territory for too long while claiming loud and proud that you want to make this territory yours, the crocodile will always strike first.