#are you really ‘slamming’ your political opponent

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

I notice journalists seem to be really fond of the verb “slammed” and I would like for someone to point them to thesaurus.com

[kyupidos]

AHHH ¡que bien es encontrar a un fan de twst hispano! :D

Me gustaria pedir un escenario donde la overblot gang ve como yuu noquea a un estudiante que estaba apunto de entrar en overblot.

Seria chistoso ver como yuu se harta de todo y empieze a golpear con una pala a cualquier estudiante de nrc que este teniendo un colapso mental /j

Lector de genero neutro o masculino, cualquiera con el que te sientas mas comodo (⁠◠⁠‿⁠・⁠)⁠—⁠☆

08/31/24 — twisted wonderland <3

how to stop an ob under ten seconds ( gone wrong ) — summary. ‘the overblotters become first hand witnesses to a beat down ( courtesy of you )’

characters ;; riddle, leona, azul , tags ;; reader is gender neutral ( you/your ), reader is yuu, funny shtuff ensues, romantic or platonic ( up to the reader! )

a/n ( ¡¡YO!! la mas twst fans hispano, la mejor!! hablo espanol pero no soy la mejor quando escribo entonces disculpame,, i LOVE this ask it’s so funny,, i need to see more of a yuu who just beats down whoever almost obs real talk ( also i wasn’t exactly sure how to pull this off, so i chose specific events they were in respectively and had some random character be the “almost ob’d” one, before proceeding to realize i’m actually not familiar with that many events, so until i am, this is a mere part one, hope that works ^-^ )

r. rosehearts — a magicam monster

— basically just about everyone was tired of how overbearing the magicam monsters were, riddle and yourself included. but one in particular was rather difficult to deal with, on their wits end with the way things weren’t going their way when they were getting told off for their disregard for safety when attempting to take their picture for social media. not like you cared—they had no good reason to be upset.

— one thing you were suspicious about; they seemed to be a mage themselves, likely from another school. and as they argued with riddle, you could tell things were going to get out of control..if they hadn’t already. what you were trying to figure out was if it was going to be because of riddle using his ultimate magic, or because the other mage was clearly overcumulating their blot.

— for the most part, you were just watching the scenario with your eyebrow raised—you’re a magicless student after all, the most you could really do without being violent is politely ask them to back down, and you already knew they wouldn’t care for that. at the very least though, you held on to a shovel; ‘just in case you really needed them off your case’, you explained yourself. so when you noticed the mage about to reach for their magic pen, clearly overflowing with blot, you pushed yourself from your idle stance, approaching from behind before slamming the mage’s side with your shovel like you were playing baseball.

— as the mage then proceeded to fall on his side and curl up in a silly way as he was practically KO’d, riddle merely stood in front of you after being a first hand witness ( he had quickly looked around just to be sure he wasn’t the only one who saw that ( but he was ) ) to your so apparent solution. you had to say, he truly was making a silly face that you could only describe as a mix of flabbergasted and nervous. “you doing good, riddle? to every problem there is a simple solution, ya know.” “ah-! yes, of course, [y/n].”

— it was only when you walked away to help deal with other magicam monsters that riddle put a hand to his chest to sigh in relief, but also a nervous smile on his face and wobbly legs. ‘were they planning to do the same to me when i overblotted..?’

l. kingscholar — a bead brawl opponent

— the idea of being invited to the sunset savanna with your friends and watching them participate in bead brawl was exciting; you definitely didn’t regret coming. the only issue, though, was when you’d heard the whispering of someone who you’d soon recognize as another bead brawl competitor while you were walking through the stalls in the city casually shopping with the others, and you could tell they were upset ( irritated even, as the stand seller nervously asked them if they were ready to pay and they merely slammed their money on the table before walking away ).

— wasn’t your problem though, despite your sympathy for whatever their issue was, so you continued on your way when leona questioned your slow pace. “what’s the problem herbivore,” he teased, “the heat getting to you?” “hmph, no way,” you rebutted. and that was the end of that, or so you thought, since you came to end up seeing them again once you went with the others to the hotel once you were all ready to retire from the sight seeing. the next day relatively early in the morning ( especially since it was just a little before kalim and lilia’s makeshift concert ), you were already awake from your random food cravings haven waken you up.

— you just figured you’d get up and go to the hall to see if you could get any snacks from a vending machine, so you hauled yourself up to do just that. you definitely didn’t expect to see the competitor from before sitting down beside said vending machine, eyebags evident as if they spent the whole night awake. you walked past them to get your snack of choice, thinking back to before, until you quit your hesitance to get a water bottle as well. once they slid themselves up from the side of the vending machine, you extended the water bottle to them. “sorry that i didn’t ask, but are you doing okay, dude?”

— it was only when they turned to stare at you with their irritated expression, that you realized that they were beginning to accumulate blot; and quickly, might you add. “what the hell do you think you’re doing coming up to me-“ they began, before they stopped midway as they noticed you disappeared. until they felt a pull at their lower leg, looking down to see you were the one grabbing it. “hey, what-?!” “dragon corkscrew time ( you may refer to nichijou’s “mio loses it” on youtube for visuals )!!”

— and with the loud thud that followed, a certain lion beastman was awoken as he begrudgingly made his way out to the hall. “hey herbivore, what’s your dea-“ he stopped midway, noticing the scene laid out before him, and the thumbs up you gave him which absolutely didn’t help. “..nope, not dealing with this. no migraines for me.” and with that, he was on his way back to his room with a hand rubbing the back of his neck as he sweat. ‘they were definitely planning to do the same to me, huh..’

a. ashengrotto — a club member at vargas camp

— though you weren’t an actual participant, you sympathized with the club members that were—it seemed extremely exhausting, after all. especially when it came to azul, in which you gave him a pat on the back when it came to it. though clearly, some members were struggling more than others; and you weren’t talking about him or idia. as you did your check in with azul’s team, you noticed presumably another member of his club off to the side, evidently tired out of his mind.

— he had his own help though ( him sliding against a tree until he reached to sit on the ground ), so you let it be for at least right then. and then you were on your way, ready to talk to another team to check in with them as grim, who was sat on your shoulder, annoyed you while asking for food.

— it was only on the next day of vargas camp when you had your suspicions, as the club member that you recalled from the day prior seemed a little more off his rocker as he begrudgingly helped out his club mates. at least, until he scurried off to a nearby place to sit on the grass to lay down again—honestly, if he did it even maybe once more you knew for a fact he was going to get scolded by vargas if it didn’t happen already. so of course you decided to be mindful as you approached, making sure grim was doing something else.

— “are you doing okay—?” you were in the middle of questioning him out of your goodwill, before you noticed the rapid accumulation of blot going on. and before he could even look up to scowl at you and get a word in, you instinctively acted upon your first reflex; a sideswipe sonar ( you can refer to ‘mio loses it’ quite a bit for these actually ) to his stomach—for the greater good, of course. and once you confirmed he was knocked out, patting the invisible dust off your legs, you turned away..only to be greeted with azul who was staring at the whole thing go down, trying to make his jaw drop subtle.

— you just stared back nonchalantly, “oh, hey azul, what’s up?” “u..uhm,” he tried, “it’s fine prefect, but what pray tell if you don’t mind me asking was that for?” thus he was met with a shrug, “blot accumulation..it was necessary! i’m sure he’ll thank me—uh, probably.” and just a little after you waved him goodbye, calling for grim to check on the other teams, he let himself breath a shaky sigh of both relief and stress. ‘should i be thankful that was something i managed to avoid..? i suppose so..’

[squidlykitten]

Info dump about the Elders of the vincam colony in my little scifi world.

The Viceroys are straight up powertripping unpleasant evil, so I don't like throwing them in OC RPs because… I don't wanna threaten my friends who live behind the characters, ahhhh. Any time they come up in a roleplay we gotta pause and go over permissions real quick so no one gets uncomfortable skjdsjfkdls. But as for the other Elders:

Eftee cares only for themself and for the information they can get. Smooth talker but an absolute two-faced lying bitch.

Sear has very little patience for anyone, very efficient but completely intolerant of preventable failure. Absolutely will break into your ship to fix something he noticed was broken though. Will never lie to you but is unlikely to waste time answering questions. Horrible interviewee.

Hiir treats everyone around him like an idiot child… mostly because he spends his whole life around the hatchlings and he usually IS the smartest and most mature person in the room. A little insufferable, but honestly a pretty good guy.

Irn is politically devious and not above "delays" in the construction work of things to get his way. Will absolutely block off paths to political opponents until they are forced to come to his conclusions. Unyielding and quick to offense.

Dinn is a horrible violent gremlin who absolutely will launch themself at your face at the slightest hint of disrespect. Has been slammed against walls by Kajj more than once for attacking the other Elders. Loathes Kajj and thinks he's out for their job. Kajj absolutely is not. Din just wants to see the universe burn and crushed beneath their heels.

Whinn is rather cold and clinical. She's in charge of medical matters and food supplies and she tends to route both towards whomever she considers "most important." Not above starving the drones to feed the nobles. Speaks few words but her words cut clean.

Dorf! The treasury guy! He's your standard ass, really. Everything is about money with him, because of course it is. Steals what he can and pays for very little. Bit of a miser and absolutely loathes the Viceroys for their heedless spending. Also clashes with Sear because he doesn't think you should fix things that aren't broken. Maintenance, who? Just buy new!

And then there's Kajj, ofc. He's the mediator of the Elders and boy does he hate all of them. Well, he gets along well enough with Sear and Hiir. His duties are really empty, so he spends a lot of time being quiet and introspective until the Viceroys send him off on another mission he can't refuse...

[inventors-fair]

Partner Commentary: It Takes Two

I don't play politics, I don't play 2HG—this contest really was for the gimmick, wasn't it? Not that there's anything wrong with that but my goodness do I not know how to evaluate anything past individual cards... Or not, like, I get how cards are supposed to come together. But that's different than how we all come together here as designers to share our love of the game! Sort of. Maybe I'm trying not to let this metaphor go out of whack. Maybe I should just take my lumps.

One of those lumps is the fact that most the cards this week were really darn good. Like, I had a hard time really choosing a favorite, and there's something that I liked about each and every submission. It's a shame when there's a huge discrepancy in design strengths, and a unique gift when there's strength everywhere. Not too many entries, but I ain't gonna complain. This wasn't the easiest contest, after all.

As my partners do their own things in this office, I'm typing away here, and shall remind folks: Judge Picks are cards that have a specific feature I wanna showcase and/or they were just cool and I wanted to gush about them. Let's skip off into the sunset together and read some commentary!

@deg99 — Famed Poet & Ghost Writer (JUDGE PICK)

Poetry, my lifeblood! So there's the implicit team-versus-you issue to be handled (that's not really an issue at all I suppose) where this feels like a singleton card more than a team card at first glance, but the more that you read the more that you can actually work with these cards quite well. I think that I'd've worded the Poet's trigger to say "from graveyards" instead of "from a graveyard" because then you can both hose your opponents' cards AND help the Ghost Writer. These cards work oddly well, actually.

And as for the flavor, Lorehold and Silverquill (...those were the names, right?) do indeed come together for a neat little flavor package. I actually expected the ghost to have flying, but that's up to you, and the spirits not having flying was kind of on par for Strixhaven. These are an odd flavor couple, and I think I'd want to hear more about it—is the writer writing for the poet, or is the ghostwriting pun just a pun? What's their relationship in-universe? I would also understand if they're just buddy-buddy but you've made, again, an implicit link that's mildly frustrating to puzzle out—frustrating in a fun way though! Am I overthinking? [Editor's note: always.]

~

@horsecrash — Ruin Explorer & Ruin Hulk

I wouldn't call these these the most unique mechanical pair. It also follows that with team stuff, these cards don't necessarily help in any 2HG play. For single-player, though, this is a limited slam. The Ruin Explorer is a great build-around-me card for an archetype, and the Hulk can go into any deck without really worrying about what else you need. Big constructs are big. Or rather, not a construct, but a golem. I was wondering, and constructs/golems do indeed have different vibes. I like the vibe of Golem here, good choice.

Does every card need to have teammates in mind? I know I didn't say it was 100% necessary, but there are some benefits to it. Putting counters on creatures that aren't your own could matter, as could having other players make treasure tokens. But just to end on a strength, the Zendikar feel resonates with me strongly here and the relationship makes sense. One more thing that's cool is that the colorless golem, as I mentioned could go into any kind of deck that needs it. That's still a cool concept for the team implication, that one player can just have it in without forcing color.

~

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes — Inspired Scholar & Muse of Magic

It's cute! It's quite cute, actually, and I think there's almost a throwback to Dominaria, old-school Tolarian kids, where the humor hits for me. I did chuckle at Inspired Scholar's line—is it a bit sitcomesque? Well, yeah, but it's still funny. And the reply on the Muse's card is heartwarming! The relationship between the pair of them on the cards comes across as well, so you've nailed that aspect.

Mechanically, I'm stumbling on the fact that, without the other, these are basically dead cards. Like, literally vanilla. It's a flavorful win that they need each other. We have to keep the mechanics in mind as well. So, how would we go about fixing this? Not too hard—just have a mechanic that's kinda-decent but gets better if you have a card of a certain type. What if the wizard reduced the costs a little, but by 2 instead of 1 if you control a Spirit? Something like that. BTW, for the muse, red's ward costs have been pretty centered in life instead of mana, but I don't know if that's a standard. Might wanna check up on that because I don't have an answer.

~

@jestingmaniac — Reckless Roustabout & Dogged Detective

[Sorry about the lack of @/tagging, Tumblr is acting up!]

Perhaps typing your art direction into your submission when you send it in can make things a little more legible? Also, uh, did the flavor texts get reversed? There's a lot happening here, and it's not the least of your worries that Dogged Detective is already a card name. Let's slow down, ease up, and be more methodical and less Roustabouty. I really do like this relationship you've built between cards! Genuinely love it. These two have that cat-and-mouse feeling you wrote about and I can see that playing out great on the battlefield as well.

For the Reckless Roustabout: Haste and the can't-block line should be separate lines. I actually didn't see the haste part of it, and thought it would give itself haste. Regardless—for multiplayer shenanigans, perhaps it could just give up to one target creature haste, to help out a friend in need. For the Dogged Detective: aside from a name change, this card's pretty awesome. If you wanted to up the team side, the ability could be: "When ~ enters the battlefield, target player may return up to one creature they control to its owner's hand." Win-win all around. Again, lots of awesome ideas, friendly flavor, but we gotta work on presentation as well. I want to read all the stuff you're sending in!

~

@just--a--penguin — Disrupting Geist & Demanding Fiend

This is an odd little grouping, isn't it. Double flying creatures is pretty crazy, but not the strangest thing in the world. I particularly enjoy the parts where you have opposing goals for different deck types, or at least you can slow-roll one and aggro the other. Kind of. I don't know for sure; these do feel like they want to be part of the same deck, less team-based and more eat-your-face-off in a single UB flash deck. If both teammates are playing flash decks, that's even worse, but I'm not opposed.

Not sure how the AD is supposed to be depicted here, TBH? Maybe from different angles, but these both feel Innistradian quite comfortably by themselves. I wonder what the true relationship is between spirits and demons on the plane. There's some kind of partnership being forged, yeah, and I don't know if I'm necessarily sold. Again, each card works great individually and both feel like they can inhabit the same space. The sense of togetherness isn't quite hitting me.

~

@misterstingyjack — Bonded Lifeweaver & Fanged Lifegorger

Make the lifelinkers even lifelinkier, and make the vampires even more vampyrical! I am hesitant to point out: there are no vampires on Ikoria. I checked, and as best I can tell, yeah, no, not a single one. Nightmares might have been the better option to go for. All the same, yeah, the cards are still good together. If the Lifeweaver had had an "up to one" clause without "you control," might've been better for the team side of things, but that's about all the mechanical and flavorful quibbles I have. They're big gameplay quibbles; that'll only come out on the battlefield, though.

Paying the life for the card advantage can get absolutely bonkers but the restriction is fine. How much life does one person need to gain before it becomes negligible? I'd play that card in my Kambal deck for sure, and following that, in a limited format where you can perhaps buff it with cards like the Lifeweaver, well, then you're all set to jam. Very powerful all around, and I like that you pushed the power level there! Some of these cards feel like folks were holding back, but I might be used to FIRE design...

~

@sombramainexe — Tenth District Insurgent & Tenth District Assassin

So strange how two different upbringings can result in two different mindsets, with the same kind of goal on the same street. These cards have quite a dichotomy between them, and the deckbuilding reflects that in sensible ways. Small attackers meets a lose-lose situation and all. I think that either one of them going down can be still strong for your team. If you wanna go for team-based stuff, you can replace "you control" with a similar clause that's "during your turn" and it'll be the same result.

I'm a little curious about the assassin, actually. What's up with the vivacity of the flavor text? They both feel rebellious, but the assassin feels like they need a little bit more, like, survival instinct. What ever happened to the covert side of it? The Massacre Girl may be more inspirational than we could've hoped for... What I mean is that it feels a bit off-flavor, personally, to have an assassin use a rebel's line. The Insurgent feels on-point, so that's all good, and I get how the flavor's trope reflects the mechanical aspect. Feels like it could've been a bit skewed towards the subtleties of contract killing, that's all. 

~

@sparkyyoungupstart — Displaced Orchid & Nyxborn Pollinator (JUDGE PICK)

I'm so sorry to start with this, but both the "it's" in your orchid's flavor text should've been "its." Anyway, this kind of relationship is fascinating and I'm actually kind of floored that you brought back this analog—yes, I'm familiar—in a manner that works so perfectly. Mechanics critique: I don't think you needed the Inspired action on the Pollinator, but I like what the card is doing. (And I know it's an uncommon, lol, small tweak.) The Orchid is fine, too, perhaps a little single-player coded, but whatever, you gotta have your own garden. The Pollinator could make plants for you and each person on your team if need be.

Still, the Pollinator has to sow in order for the orchid to reap. That's perfect! If the pollinator dies, the Orchid only has itself to work with, until the plants die out. That's perfectly anguish-inducing! But that's just their relationship, isn't it... And the fact that the Nyxborn of Theros have the connection to the underworld, or at least they can be and they come across as such here, is a joyful throwback that shows an acute knowledge of how to connect MTG worlds and real-world ideas in an thoughtful and impactful manner. I'm truly impressed. What I wonder is for the worldbuilding, if the Orchid could've perhaps been a Dryad instead? Or a Caryatid, because Caryatids are the only plant-types on Theros that I can find. "She sings ardently in the grove, but her petals fall in silence." I dunno. Something schmaltzy. 

~

@tavi-en-astra — Sweetheartist & Maestros Heart Thief

This is a card that I'm really not sure works in the rules. Honestly, it's also far too narrow unless the whole set is based around soulbond, and I'm not convinced that that's reasonable. The amount of text on these cards is already pushing it with partner there. Conceptually, there's a lot to like about the relationship you've build. What I feel happened, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that the strength of the relationship turned into a story where every part felt like it had to be captured, and following that the cards ended up with the amount of text that they do to get those niche details.

Sweetheartist is honestly fine, if narrow. Most of the baggage falls to the Heart Thief. Put simply, soulbond doesn't allow you to pair with your opponents' creatures, and even if it did, soulbond reflects shared abilities; there's no mechanical resonance with how soulbond is supposed to work and what it's doing on the Heart Thief. If you want to make creatures attack, that's all fine and good. Firkraag is actually a card you could look at! If creatures had to attack, there's a bonus to be had, and that's basically what the Sweetheartist wants. So, there's a lot happening here... I think the killers' connection is nice, the multicolor cards are daring, and the flavor text is well-written. Narrowing your focus allows for the mechanics to do what they're supposed to do.

~

@wildcardgamez — Prodigy Gemcrafter & Filigree Firefox (JUDGE PICK)

Where does this pair live? I'm going to assume Kaladesh, because I wanna. Kamigawa was my first thought because of Reconfigure but I'm flexible. Either way, I love the manner in which these cards feels like they belong to and with each other, and the joy of crafting that comes with one and the other. Treasures abound, which is nice, and continuing to give double strike is going to be wonderful if you can get the pinging off the Fox. Now, I had to reread Simian Sling, but that "it" in the text box is so frustrating to me, and I know how it's supposed to work and I hate how it's just barely getting there in my brain.

Hardly matters, though, because the rules say what they say and what can I do about it. Uniquely, this is the only monocolor pairing that we have! I think that in a team game, the ability to fetch something up for yourself will be useful, and if you're playing casual/EDH/whatever by yourself, you'll be fine, so that's all set. What would it be like if two players on a team each had a single color? That would be quiet interesting indeed, not impossible, but certainly hard to pull off. Splashing is fun, too. Who knows? Either way, the whole shebang feels neat enough to point out as being, well, neat enough.

That's all! Tune in tomorrow for cards, cards, and more cards. @abelzumi

[professormembranexreader]

Vampire! Membrane x Fem! Reader (Headcanons)

So my bf broke up with me. So I had to completely redo what I had planned with this.

We’re still friends, and maybe I’ll do this the way I intended eventually, but who knows.

Anyways onto the story.

- You were being chased by a guy who wanted to do… things… with you.

- Obviously you want no part since you 1. Don’t know him. 2. Aren’t attracted to him.

- You were running for the hills when it started storming. With the sparse moonlight due to the clouds, you became completely lost.

- All you could fall back on was a legend – where the town’s most famous patron of the sciences resided.

- It was said that it was somewhere in the woods, but no one knew exactly where.

- But you had no other choice but to hope that you were fortunate enough to stumble upon it.

- You were pretty sure you lost your suitor, but you kept running, just in case.

- Soon enough you came upon a large metal gate. Was this it?

- You quickly scaled the fence. Hopefully the owner would understand, given the circumstances.

- You climbed over the side, carefully avoiding the spikes on the top. But despite your best efforts, your nightgown was torn.

- You hurried around the ornate fountain, rushing to the door of the equally ornate mansion.

- You politely knocked, but the door simply swung open.

- You gingerly walked inside the mansion, waiting for someone to yell about an intruder, but nothing came.

- You took another step away from the entrance, and the door slammed behind you. The candles lining the walls proceeded to illuminate the room.

- For a moment, you were worried. After all, it seemed like magic.

- But upon closer inspection, they were simply wired to light sequentially.

- Your curiosity ignited, causing you to begin exploring the mansion for any other exciting things.

- You found the dining room, a small room with two chairs — one was dusty; the other pristine.

- “Who only cleans one chair?” You thought out loud.

- You moved on from room to room until you got to the library

- You picked up a book about something that sounded interesting.

- You were so engrossed in reading that you didn’t hear the footsteps behind you.

- A hand touched your shoulder.

- You whipped around and hit your opponent in the face with the book.

- “AGH! ¡Dios mío, eso dolió!”

- You instantly dropped the book and put your hands over your mouth. “Oh my god, I’m so so so sorry-“ You rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”

- He held his face, and balanced himself on the bookcase next to him. It was then that you actually got a good look at the man you just attacked.

- He was mostly obscured by a black cloak with red lining. But the parts of him that were visible gave him a wealthy, regal vibe.

- He was hunched over, but even still, you could tell he was extraordinarily tall.

- As your eyes glanced down, you fixated on what looked to be a rapier in a golden sheath. The handle was also gilded, and it made you wonder if the blade was as well.

- It only processed moments later, that he was armed. You were trespassing. This was a problem.

- Your hands became clammy, your mouth dried up, and your eyes were wide — transfixed on the sword in its sheath.

- He followed your gaze and tilted his head. It was then that he put two and two together.

- He rested his hands on your shoulders, whispering, “cálmate” over and over.

- You couldn’t really understand what that meant, but you heard calm in there somewhere, so it was a safe bet that he didn’t want to hurt you.

- Once you were no longer panicking, he stood up straight and cleared his throat.

- “Do you speak English? ¿O hablas español?”

- “Um. I’d rather speak English,” you said, craning your neck to look him in the eye.

- “Very well. Follow me.”

- He led you deeper into the library, eventually coming to a fireplace with two wingback chairs. He took a seat and motioned for you to sit down as well.

- You cautiously sat down, feeling extremely self conscious in your nightgown.

- “So tell me, why are you here?”

- “What do you mean?”

- “Why have you decided to trespass into my mansion and assault me with a book from my own library?”

- You gulped and looked away. “I didn’t mean to hit you, you just scared me. As for why I’m here, I needed shelter. It’s storming outside after all…”

- “But why would you be out in the forest, in the middle of a storm, in a nightgown?”

- Shit.

- You told him the events leading up to you entering the mansion, and he progressively got more and more intimidating as you went on.

- You eventually trailed off because he was staring daggers into your eyes.

- He reached out and took your hand, still staring deep into your eyes. “Do you wish for me to take care of this?”

- You stared back into his eyes and asked, “What would you do?”

- He pulled down his high collar and grinned.

- “Whatever you wish to happen, my dear.”

- He then kissed your hand.

- You could’ve sworn you felt sharp teeth graze your skin.

- But you couldn’t help but blush.

- Here was a man who lived alone in the woods, was attacked by a stranger, and now wanted to help protect them.

- You sort of wanted to stay with him.

- He offered to let you stay the night whilst he took care of the problem you faced.

- You graciously accepted the invitation.

- You were assigned a room in his mansion and waiting desperately for him to return.

- You didn’t know why, but you missed him.

- But eventually you heard heavy footsteps lead up to your door. You immediately stood up and walked to the door.

- You heard a knock. “May I come in?”

- “Mhm”, you hummed, opening the door.

- But your jaw dropped as you saw him.

- He had his collar unbuttoned, revealing his sharp fangs. He was a vampire.

- But more importantly he had blood dripping from his mouth onto his now stained cravat.

- He walked in, as you walked backwards. You fell onto the bed. He took the time to close the door behind him.

- “Cálmate, conejita.” He raised his hands, showing his palms to you. “I have no plans to hurt you.”

- You clutched the sheets of the bed, but as you looked into his eyes, you saw something. He was… scared?

- Your grip on the bedsheets relaxed and you reached for his bloodied face.

- No words were spoken as he leaned into your touch.

- Until…

- “I’ll stay.”

[roguedeck]

State of the Union | Spring 2023

I do A LOT of deckbuilding and evaluation. Every once in a while it probably makes sense to check in on the overall status of my collection and deck library. Things move pretty fast these days. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

I plan on doing this semi-regularly throughout the year, looking back on the same set of questions.

What decks do I currently have built?

I am currently sitting on 14 decks.

Pako & Haldan  |  Play from Exile

Vadrik, Astral Archmage  |  Spell reduction and copy

Daryl, Hunter of Walkers  |  Draw all the cards, Gruul Enchantress

Reyhan & Jeska  |  +1/+1 Counter and Sac

Hopper and Lucas  |  Affinty for Artifacts

Inquisitor Greyfax  |  Tappers and Fliers

Kelsien the Plague  |  Political Experience Matters

Obeka, Brute Chronologist  |  Tokens and EOT Shenanigans 

Jaheira Feywild Visitor  |  Token Ramp

Mike & Max  |  Naya Value Train

Falco Sparra  |  Top Deck Matters 

Tymna & Anara  |  Life gain and card draw

Belbe  |  Play all YOUR cards

Mimeoplasm  |  Rogue Mill

14 is too many decks, but some of these are permanent locks. 

What s my current favorite deck?

Usually, I’d say Pako & Haldan because it is aggressive, while still giving you plenty of interaction and random decisions. But right now, I am very into Reyhan & Jeska. It is the most aggressive deck I have, but with all the good value pieces you get from Jund. It gets to play with some of the great old Jund cards, but in a way that feels modern.

What is my newest deck?

I just built up Obeka. It’s still a little rough. There aren’t any extra turn spells, but you get to play with crazy cards like Zilarian of the Claw and Sneak Attack. I expected it to be a high value-driven deck (which it is), but it also has the ability to be incredibly explosive. 

What decks have been recently retired?

Flamewar was the most recently retired deck. I liked her a lot. Rakdos artifacts with a heavy necron theme. Unfortunately, there were two issues that sent her off to the “farm upstate” 

1. She competed on theme with Hopper & Lucas - which is a more fun artifact deck.

2. She did really fun things with discard and sacrifice abilities, but it was hard to build up an interactive board when you we playing with trinkets. 

I do think there is a very strong deck there, I just don’t see me reaching for her all that often.

The other big retirement this time around is “Sliverless” Overlord. I really liked having a 5-color deck, and the creature type matters theme was unique. But the game play loops were very controlling and inevitable. No one really like playing against it - no matter how clever it was. 

What are my favorite new card?

After being pretty down on sets for about a year, there are a ton of new (and or new to me cards) that I’m really excited about. 

Firemane Commando is an immediate slam dunk for me. She’s adding a really nice, evasive source of card advantage that fits directly into decks like Kelsien and Inquisitor Greyfax. 

Meeting of Minds is a sleeper uncommon. If you read a post below, you’ll see I’m very high on cheap card draw. A potentially free, instant-speed draw 2 fits in a ton of decks. 

Defabricate is a nice utility piece. I think you’ll be surprised how many times you’ll want this effect to blank something terrible your opponent is about to do.

Halo Forager is probably the best uncommon in years. 

Suspend was a sleeper card from Modern Horizons 2. I think in most games, this is equal to, if not better than Path to Exile. 

Ancient Runes is excellent, old-school anti treasure tech.

What cards do I really want to find a home for?

I’m doing a pretty good job getting the cards I want to play into decks right now, but there are always a handful that get cut for slots, or that just don’t have a home right now:

Phantom Steed

Null Brooch

Sword of Hearth and Home

Jabari’s Influence

Eldrazi Displacer

Vhati il-dal

What have I learned about myself or the format recently?

First off, I’m starting to dial in my deckbuilding to create games that I think are fun. I currently only have one deck that contains a Propaganda or a Rhystic Study. I really want to be pushing the game forward. I don’t like going all out aggression and leaving myself open, but I don’t mind being the problem at the table. I’m not only trying to out-value the table. 

Next, I’m pretty down on ramp in most decks - especially signets and talismans. There are some decks that want it, but I don’t think it should be default to put 10 ramp sources in every deck. Instead, I want a TON of fast card draw.

Similarly, I think people have forgotten how important Wraths are in the game. We’ll discuss more of that later. 

[terrijournal]

Money pro wrestling mexico

#MONEY PRO WRESTLING MEXICO PROFESSIONAL#

Everybody else is basically doing it as a hobby/Fast Food worker pay. 1% of indy wrestlers (Basically, AJ, the Young Bucks (maybe), etc.) make WWE level pay. "I wanna be, for all intents and purposes, the Hulk Hogan of Mexico.The. "I wanna be larger than life, I wanna be part of the culture, I wanna be part of everything," he says. "But this situation is too much, and it's too good to pass up right now, so I'd like to milk it for everything it's worth."Īs President Trump intensifies his call for a border wall and a tax on Mexican imports, Sam believes he's cementing himself in Mexican culture. and Mexico were to get aggressive or violent, then I'd have to think about it," he says. This is the key to Polinsky's shtick: the badder the American villain, the greater the Mexican hero.īut Polinsky knows there could be a political limit to his character. "And when he loses, he makes the Mexicans look like heroes." "I think he's doing really well to take advantage of this moment and bring it to the stage," she says. Perla Covarubbias, the lone woman in a group of screaming guys, also approves. "The important part of lucha libre is to relieve your stress, to yell, to get the crowd fired up." "He's great," says Marco Espinosa, the lucha libre diehard fan. None of the Mexican fans have anything bad to say about Sam Adonis. "To be honest, it felt good hitting him, to return every one of the insults he threw at the Mexican people with a punch."īut back in the arena, something unexpected happens. "The fans wanted us to take it to Sam Adonis," he says. Dejected, he grabs his American Trump flag and walks offstage, his head hanging low.Īfter the fight, Angel de Oro stays firmly in character as he recounts the emotions of the battle. In the end, Polinsky and his fellow rudos lose. Polinsky's character gets even angrier, yelling back at his hecklers. He slams Polinsky to the mat with a suplex and the crowd explodes. But he's quickly bested by a gold-plated opponent named Angel de Oro. He wins the first takedown and grabs his flag again, mocking the audience. Polinsky emerges in a flood of spotlights, waving his American Trump flag proudly, beaming as the crowds boos and hisses.Īs the fight kicks off, the crowd waits anxiously to taunt Polinsky. Boos and whistles from the crowd echo backstage.Īs he turns to enter the arena, he reveals the back of his neon, spray-painted tights: on his right butt-cheek is a cartoonish version of Trump's face. "Go USA! Go Trump!" he yells in his accented Spanish. "You have Trump the persona and Trump the actual person," he says.īackstage at Arena México, Polinsky is shooting a promo for his fight, which is being beamed directly to the jumbotron inside the arena. Those theatrics, Polinsky says, are similar to what Trump has done as a politician. In the early 2000s, Trump regularly participated in WWE shows, often as the adversary to WWE CEO Vince McMahon.

#MONEY PRO WRESTLING MEXICO PROFESSIONAL#

"I guarantee a lot of his success came from his experience in professional wrestling," he says. "But I'm thankful he's in the position he's in, because it's putting more money in my pocket." "I can't say I support him, but I definitely supported him more than Hillary Clinton," he says. But is Polinsky a Trump fan in real life?

[amimimi]

Hi it's actually my first time requesting 💀 can you do like the reader is a volleyball player from a different school who came to their school to compete and is hella intimidating cause they're really quiet and doesn't really smile that often and their team won. Maybe do yamaguchi, tsuki, tendou, bokuto and suna?

I'm sorry if it's messy i get nervous cause it's my first time requesting 😭✋

hey angel! thank you for sending this in!! And don’t worry, this wasn’t messy at all!

also, i didn’t know if you meant reader’s team played the guys’ teams so i’m sorry if i misunderstood!

the strong, silent type; yamaguchi, tsukishima, tendou, bokuto, suna

synopsis: in which you somehow manage to catch a certain someone’s attention without having to say a word (well, barely a word)

pairings: yamaguchi x reader, tsukishima x reader, tendou x reader, bokuto x reader, suna x reader

warnings: swearing

notes: this is my first haikyuu request!!

YAMAGUCHI

baby boy is intrigued to say the least

he’s also, you know, very intimidated

karasuno is hosting volleyball camp for the weekend so a few of schools from the area come over

karasuno lost a match so they go do a lap up the hill and back down

yamaguchi shakily walks back into the gym, panting and sweating profusely from the run

two other teams are playing so he decided to watch and catch his breath

it’s getting pretty intense until your team’s setter sets the ball for you

you run up and leap in the air, your brows furrowed with determination and tongue sticking slightly out, and you spike ball, slamming it to the opponents ground

and it’s slams so fucking loud

yamaguchi mouth drops, impressed by your raw power

by then tsukishima has joined him, standing alongside yamaguchi

“sheesh” tsukishima mutters at how hard you struck the ball

meanwhile, yamaguchi’s jaw is still on the floor as he watches you with sparkles in his eyes

your teammates erupt in cheer while you’re just like 😐👍

yamaguchi tells tsukishima that they should congratulate your team (he’s talking about you mostly)

and tsuki is like “okay have fun doing that!”

and yamaguchi is like “w-wait! please go with me? they’re scary 🥺”

and tsukishima is like “this is so stupid...” but he ends up going with yamaguchi nskdicnwiwjs

you’re drinking from your water bottle when you feel a slight tap on your shoulder

you whirl around to see tsukishima and yamaguchi LITERALLY standing like—

⠀ ⠀ ⠀(\__/)

(•ㅅ•)

　��ノ ヽ ノ＼＿

`/　`/ ⌒Ｙ⌒ Ｙ　ヽ

( 　(三ヽ人　 /　　 |

|　ﾉ⌒＼ ￣￣ヽ　 ノ

ヽ＿＿＿＞､＿＿_／

　　 ｜( 王 ﾉ〈 (\__/)

　　 /ﾐ`ー―彡\(•ㅅ•)

　　/ ╰ ╯ \/ \>

yamaguchi pipes up from where he stands, slightly behind tsukishima

“that last spike you did was really cool!” he squeaks, mentally slapping himself for how he voice cracked on “cool”

you blink in surprise before you gently smile

and yamaguchi, in his head of course, is like “HOLY SH*T THEY SMILED??!&)&8:9:”

“thank you” you reply, “i don’t think you told me your name”

TSUKISHIMA

when i tell you this man is not FAZEDDDDD

like he does not give a shit how intimidating you are

he notices that you’re a great volleyball player and that you’re a great coordinator

but that’s where it ends

he’s not intrigued enough/doesn’t care about the motivations of other people

you both walk up to the lil fountain outside the gym to refill your water bottle at the same time

you both sorta halt, before tsukishima motions for you to go first

you nod and thank him quietly, moving to refill your water bottle

tsuki feels his eyebrows furrow when a loud yell suddenly splits the silence, already recognizing who that might be

he turns around and of course, it’s hinata yelping and dodging kageyama’s blows, while the latter yells profanities at hinata

tsukishima sees that you’ve turned around too, trying to see what was going on

“what a couple of morons...” tsukishima mutters to you

you blink at tsukishima, straight faced as ever, before saying, “you shouldn’t bad mouth your team mates”

MY BOY SIEZES UP SO F*CKIN QUICK DUCHDKDJD

he thought since you were quiet and serious looking, that you kinda hated everyone/were pessimistic

you thought WRONG

he turns back to you with raised eyebrows, a little surprised and slight embarrassed about being scorned

you just smile at him and tsuki is surprised for a second time

“see you inside” you nod politely and before walking past him

get rekt tsukishima

TENDOU

yes, my slightly odd looking yet handsome son

he is NOT intimidated by you—AT ALL (have you seen his bestie? 😭)

in fact, the first time tendou sees you, he watches you for like 17 seconds and is like “oh...oh i’m bout to ANNOY TF OUTTA OF THEM”

i feel like he just wants to single out serious people and f*ck around with them—all in good taste though!

will try and goad you into messing up from across the net

but you’re just like 😐😑😐

switches tactics by trying giving you odd compliments

“y/n, right? i like the curvature of your spine,,,very unique 😌”

or “you have such delicate earlobes, y/n!”

if anything, he’s annoying both his teammates and yours

but he’s not done

starts crooning these lil songs about you, that he’s making up on the spot

he’s still not throwing you off your game but you are glancing over at him with a strange expression on your face

that just encourages him even more

eventually, semi smacks the back of tendou’s neck and gives him the “stfu” look

tendou glances over to see your lips twitching into a smile and he’s just smiles real big and wide at you

BOKUTO

my precious boy

he’d probably see you, standing there off to the side from where your teammates are huddled

and he thinks “omg,,,they’re shy,,,and lonely,,,I HAVE TO HELP THEM!”

but you’re just zoning out or something, completely fine

bokuto is trying to collect introverts like they’re f*ckin pokemon cards

he thinks he’s good with all kinds of people (and he is!) but he thinks he’s especially good with quieter people

after your match, bokuto bounds up to you with akaashi trailing behind (he’s there for damage control mostly)

“hey there!” bokuto smiles and your eyes slightly widen at how his voice booms throughout the whole gym. “your team did amazing out there! i couldn’t believe how coordinated you all are! and the way that you flew? your spikes could use a bit more force but you’re amazing either way—”

you generally feel overwhelmed by hyperactive people, but you’re REALLY feeling it now

especially considering how tired you are after that match and how fast Bokuto is talking

you honestly can’t keep up with what he’s saying to you, his eyes glimmer are glimmering and his whole face is lit up and DAMN you don’t have the heart to interrupt him

so you just nod at him with wide eyes like “yup, mhm, yea, that’s right, of course”

when he finally finished his spiel, you take the opportunity to ask for his name

and you’re like “oh! yeah! you’re one of the top 3 aces in the nation right?”

bokuto’s grin widens even further, but before he can respond, akaashi cuts in with “top 5 actually”

and bokuto whirls around with a look that screams utter betrayal—like B*TCH!!&/8:73?

“that’s really impressive!” you smile and bokuto’s mouth drops because DID YOU JUST MAKE A FACIAL EXPRESSION???

he’s hyping himself up like “aha, didn’t even talk to them for FIVE minutes and i already cracked them 😤”

SUNA

he’s just gonna stare at you

like a creepy ass owl or something

he sees your minding your own business respectfully and he’s like “...this feels insulting”

he thinks that YOU think that you’re some tough ass b*tch

MF, I’M JUST MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS 😭

suna: they’re trying to intimidate us

ojiro: ...they’re just standing there

suna: you think they’re trying to intimidate us?

ojiro: no, i don’t actually—

suna: nah, they’re definitely trying to intimidate us

so suna tries to intimidate YOU—reverse uno that b*tch

will stare at you from across the court with his hands shoved in his shorts like—🧍‍♂️

it honestly is a little unsettling because you just see this tall ass, lanky figure in your peripheral vision and your turn to see this guy STARING AT YOU LIKE—👁‍🗨👄👁‍🗨

he scares your teammates too dkfjdkshs

if you’re team is playing his, he will forcefully block your spikes and then just stare back at you LIKE DAMN, YOU GOOD?

the whole thing lets up, when your teams go to shake hands

you take his hand in yours and give him a firm shake, genuinely smiling

“you play well!” you compliment

“...you do too” he says hesitantly and you nod slightly before letting go of his hand and going to shake Osamu’s

he tells ojiro later that you had a “firm grip” and ojiro’s like “...mhm 😒”

notes: i wanna write more haikyuu (specifically timeskip)! also not me projecting the odd feeling i have for suna where it’s like a cross of “everything about you annoys me” and “damn u kinda hot 🙄”. my love/hate relationship with aquarius men 😌

[misselko]

Got this idea from Dimitri’s conversation with Byleth before Fort Merceus battle with the Death Knight. Put some angst, fluff, and a pinch of smut spices into the dish and let it simmer down! At least, that’s what I want! But it turned out... different ;) Sorry not sorry

This one took me some days to write. I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to give me some advice and ideas for my next fic! Your warm comments will be cherished very much 💕 Thankies!!

 

RECKLESS

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Warnings: Mention of blood, violence, smut

Words: 3316

 

POST TIMESKIP

Empire will be the only remaining enemy and to move on to the Imperial Capital, Enbarr, capturing Fort Merceus is a must. Praised as the strongest defense with its fortified military installation  in the Empire, seizing it won’t be an easy feat.

Liberating Arianrhod, calming down Holy Kingdom of Faerghus political issues, winning over the Leicester Alliance and gained their support. Getting a lead on Lady Rhea’s location. Although things were a rough go, but thinking back on it now, Blue Lions sure has really come a long way. Things have been wonderful in these past moons that it almost feels like dream too good to be true.

You don’t know why but you can’t shake your uneasy feelings and dread. War is raging and everyone knows there is a big battle on the horizon.

“We must not falter in our assault. The Death Knight is the enemy commander in Fort Merceus. He’s an unpredictable opponent. A dangerous one. Please proceed with caution, (Y/N).”

“I will, Dimitri. No need to worry.”

“I have not come this far just to lose you here. I’m serious. Do not be reckless out there.”

“Will you save me if I’m in trouble?”

“Of course, (Y/N). You were the heart of the Blue Lions, and the same holds true for the Kingdom Army.”

You smiled at his concern and hold his hands gently.

“I will do my best as well to support you, my Dimitri.” His cheeks turned into rosy blush at your words.

 

“Whoaa!! You’re getting pretty chummy, aren’t you, Your Highness? Go get a room!” Sylvain winks and got punched HARD, dragged away by Ingrid. You make mental notes on giving her a delicious roasted meat from that famous new shop in the town later as your gratitude. Serves him right!! ...But you wouldn’t trade them for anything in this world. Everything will be alright with them. Blue Lions are your precious family. It will be fine. Everything will be fine.

---

Capturing Fort Merceus is a daunting task. Endless enemies are approaching and relentless. Felix and Sylvain are working together cut through the snipers and mages. Ingrid and Ashe are doing their best to handle the pegasi knights. Dedue, Annette, Mercedes, and Flayn makes great combo on cutting through enemy reinforcements while providing healing to everyone. Slowly but sure, you and Dimitri managed to push Death Knight on the corner. But it doesn’t make things less difficult for both of you.

 

“You dare stand between me and my pleasure?”

The beginning of it was barely a bellow that grew steadily to a deafening roar, piercing the air and shaking the ground. Areadbhar crack in deafening clash against Death Knight’s Scythe of Sariel. They raised their weapons, waving them overhead.

 

“Yes. I dare stand against you, Death Knight!!”

 

Dimitri decides to face Death Knight head on as you tried your best to keep his back safe from the Imperial soldiers assaults. Keeping a close eye on him... just in case, following from a few meters back, cover his blind spots that way, look out for any potential danger. You could see them coming around, carefully and quietly trying to find their way to Dimitri.

 

Landing sharp blows, you bring the blade down on the head of another mage. Slashing your way through numerous enemies, you start to feel fatigued. Countless enemies lying dead behind. You looked around, among the sea of red and black, a swordmaster is sneaking his way behind Dimitri, ready to ambush him.

 

But you wouldn’t let it happen!

 

You were fully offensive, rapidly swinging your sword down on the swordmaster. You were able to deflect, parry, and block most of his attacks until his foot swept across your ankles, knocking you hard to the floor. The swordmaster stood above you, ready to press his sword into your chest to end your life. Fatigue made it harder for you to evade his deadly stab completely. Sound of a weapon piercing through flesh filled your ears, followed by an intense pain in your side. He pulled it back out with a triumphant smirk on his face. Despite the searing pain, you made it in time to grab your own weapon and thrust it up to his neck, your arms shaking as you tried to counter the weight of his attack. Grimace crossing your face as he fell, blood painting the earth a sick shade of red.

 

You sat up, wincing at the searing, burning hot pain on your side. The stab wound was way too deep. Your hands trembled, desperately attempting to put pressure on the wound as heavy flow of your blood is trickling through your fingers, colors your skin and clothes. The world had turned blurry, and your body felt weak. Ignoring the excruciating pain, you rush forward to help Dimitri. He has won against the Death Knight. But in his brief reverie, the Tempest King failed to notice two opposing snipers are approaching him, expression intent to kill, aiming their arrows at his back.

 

You acted on instinct, rushing forward, sprinting to intervene. To protect him.

‘We have been through so much together and he’d been through hell and back... I want to ease his pain. Knowing he’s safe... I can be at peace.’

You thought to yourself, launching forward. You barely has energy to stand up, but you tried to muster your last remaining strength to dove in before Dimitri. The arrows managed to easily make it’s way through your armor, landing in your chest and abdomen. ‘I have no regret when it came to protecting Dimitri.’

 

Your body slammed hard on the ground, careening across the battlefield. A sharp cry pained noise escaped you; that was all it took. Dimitri stiffened at the sound. It pulled him from the high of the battlefield down to reality in an instant.

 

“(Y/N)!!!”

 

He turned; filled with horror and rage. The fires blazing around him didn’t give off any heat. The battlefield around him turned black and white. His ears were ringing as if he’d been caught in an explosion. Dimitri went after the snipers and thrust them both at their hearts. After a quick glance to make sure no more surprise attacks happen, he kneels and pulling you into his chest. You looked so small, felt so limp that it sickened him. Broken and battered with littered scars and large wound on your side. Arrows jutting out of your chest, much too close to the heart, and another one lodged deep in your abdomen.

 

Dimitri watched as the blood pooled around you. Blood... there is so much blood. Your blood.

“Goddess... what were you- MERCEDES! FLAYN!! SOMEONE...HELP!!”

 

He pulled himself up, beside you, staring at your face. You were so pale. Oh, Goddess, you were dying. Were you already dead?

“I’m sorry.” There isn’t a reason to apologize, you aren’t sorry, but it still came out like the blood that is on Dimitri’s hands now.

 

“Don’t you dare apologize to me right now,” his voice choked off in his throat feels raw with emotions, barely able to hold back the sob which demands to escape, “not when you are like this. What were you thinking, (Y/N)? You have promised me to not be reckless.” He phrased it in a question, but both know why.

 

“Y-You... haven’t seen the... swordmaster... and those snipers. Y-You...were going to die...if they attack you. I want to protect you.... and I don’t regret my decision.“

 

You opened your mouth to speak but immediately coughed, feeling globs of blood on the corners of your lips. Dimitri gripped your hand, his hold so tight that it hurt, but you wouldn’t waste your breath on telling him. You could barely see Mercedes scurried over to your side as quickly as she could, Flayn follows behind her, leaving the Death Knight behind with tears running down her cheeks.

 

“Please stay awake for me a little longer, please.”

He choked out, pulling you closer if possible as it would keep you from leaving.

 

The chaos around you went mute as your eyes grow heavy. Maybe a quick nap would suffice.

 

“No...no, no, (Y/N)!! You can’t do this to me, you can’t-! Please, (Y/N), I can’t lose you too.....”

 

You felt like you were fading, and the sounds around you faded along with your hazy consciousness. You fell asleep.

---

Every second was filled with anxiety; you’d lost so much blood. The wounds were too deep to heal completely. There was little to no possibility of survival. Not after what you’d been through.

The days turned to one week, then two...then three. The physical wounds had healed, mostly repaired and faded to scars. There was potential for things to return to normal, and you may wake up sooner rather than later.

When you opened your eyes again, you found yourself in a dimly lit room, your upper body covered in bandages. The first thing you’re aware of is a dull throb radiating throughout your entire body. You were confused, and moved your head, unintentionally shifting your body and sending a wave of pain through your chest and stomach as you tried to get up. You closed your eyes tightly in response to the return of extreme pain, much worse than you had ever felt before. With much struggle, you sat on the edge of the bed shakily trying to stand up. The door creaked open and you looked up to find Dimitri peering inside.

 

”You’re awake,” he said, a look of surprise on his face. You tried to stand up and walk to him but failed, Dimitri ran in and caught you before you fell over. “I thought I was going to lose you, (Y/N),” he said, lifting you up effortlessly, settling you gently onto the bed and pulled up a chair. 

 

As cautiously as you could, you managed to sit yourself up. You kept a careful eye on the young king, noting how dark the circles under his eyes have become and how hollow his cheeks have turned. The fact that rest had eluded him for however long you were unconscious was as plain as day.

 

“You nearly died because of me. I have no right to be... you of all people shouldn’t-!” He managed to say, his voice shaking as his fingers trembled.

His head shot up to look at you, cerulean blue eyes dampened by tears that pooled in them. Your eyes were open, though weakly, looking at him and his disturbed state. You sensed his worry, but also his relief as he hovers next to your bed, engulfing you in his embrace and squeezing you against his chest for all he was worth. He was mindful of your wound, but that wasn’t enough to keep him away. No, he needed you. He needed to be beside you, to feel you, to know you were there.

 

“I’m okay, Dimitri...” You whispered, resting a hand on his chest where his heart thundered. You closed your eyes against him, relishing the feel of his tender warmth.

 

You felt how hard and rapid his heart was beating, almost deafening. Your arms wrapped around his heaving back weakly, rubbing it soothingly. He pulled you closer in response—closer, closer, closer, until every inch of you was smothered by him. Hesitant, trembling fingers graced your tightly wound bandages and you felt something warm and wet splatter onto your exposed shoulder.

 

"I could not stand to lose you,” he spoke slowly, holding your hands so tight that it hurts.

“But I fear that I may if I tell you what is on my mind.”

 

His voice was as quiet as it could be and it made you frown your eyebrows in worry. You were happy to see him alive, that was your goal when you decided to protect him from the approaching enemies. However, seeing him so distraught and afraid twisted your insides uncomfortably. The way he held your hand so desperately, afraid to let go.

 

“Dimitri.” You call him quietly, which makes him look at you with those gorgeous eyes of him.

 

You move your hand to his cheeks, caressing his soft skin, trying to bring him even the tiniest amount of comfort. Leaning to give him a soft chaste kiss on his lips. He reciprocated by open-mouthed kiss you with such fervor. There’s an undercurrent of desperation in the way Dimitri kisses you, as if this is the last moment he’ll ever feel it. It’s almost as if it pains him to be this close to you. You were alive, yet he couldn’t help but doubt it. Perhaps it was once again due to the vicious noises he still heard, though faintly. However, he was glad that they allowed him this moment of happiness.

 

“I won’t leave you, Dimitri.” You promised between ragged breath, your chest heaving.

 

“We are so close to ending this. Please, promise me you’ll stay safe. Rest, for now, my beloved.” Leaning down, he pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead, holding your hand to his chest. “I promise, I will never let you be hurt for my sake again.” Covering you with a  blanket  and tucking you into bed to retire for the evening.

---

After your awakening, the Blue Lions and Professor began incorporating regular infirmary visits into their schedule. They showered you with kind, encouraging words and occasionally bore small gifts (flowers and snacks), always encourage you to get better soon. But your most frequent visitor of all was your beloved gentle king.

It was two weeks since you have gotten better. Mercedes promised to take care after your bandages this evening.

“Are you ready, (Y/N)?”

You met Mercedes’ warm gaze with your own. With a firm nod, you replied, “Ready as I’ll ever be, Mercedes.”

 

The healer moved closer to you, her skilled hands undoing the set of bandages for the last time. Dimitri averted his frantic eyes to the wall when the dressing loosened just enough for your breasts to peak through. A cold, unforgiving breeze whipped the newly exposed skin, jolting a shiver down your spine. Mercedes sighed, slowly traced the scars your chest and stomach.

“I’m sorry but we will never be able to remove the scars. The wounds all healed, but... the scars will never go away completely. I’m sorry (Y/N).”

 

Your eyes immediately flashed over to Dimitri’s stiffening frame.

“It’s okay. I will never regret such a thing.” You smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear.

“Do you need anything else, (Y/N)?”

“No, I’m all good, Mercedes! Thank you for your help.”

“All right, then. Annette said that she needs my help with her baking this evening. We have to finish it before midnight! Should you need anything, please feel free to call me.” Mercedes gave you last smile before excusing herself politely from your quarter.

 

“Dimitri.”

His jaw clenched tautly; his eyes crunched into a pain-stricken wince. Refusing to look at your scar, a harsh reminder of his failure.

“Look at me.”

He stilled and won’t budge to look at you.

 

“I will never regret nor blame you for this. It was my decision and if it means saving you, I’ll gladly do it again in a heartbeat. Or... perhaps.... I can understand if you find that my... scars are disgusting, appalling, even....” you whisper softly, almost inaudible. Your surroundings whizzed right past you before you were unceremoniously slammed into your bed.

“DON’T SAY SUCH THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF!!” He growled “I will not allow you to throw your life away for me. If.. If something ever happen to you.. I’ll live a life worse than death itself, (Y/N).”

 

Not a moment later did you feel something warm and soft press against your lips. His mouth moved awkwardly yet full of affection. Hands planted  on either side of your body, ridding any hope of escape from his ravishing kisses. Dimitri pressed his lips further into yours, swallowing your moans. His lips left yours to trail down around your neck, breasts, and stomach lovingly. “This wounds... I cannot lose you again, my beloved.” His body quivered.  The King kissing the scars on your cleavage and abdomen, worshiping them reverently with tender touches, almost like touching a porcelain doll. Afraid to break you with his almost inhuman power. Biting and sucking wherever his heart desired until you were covered in nothing but love bites, leaving you a panting mess.

 

Dimitri held you in his arms, stroking your hair and mumbling whispers of ‘I’m sorry’. Bittersweet smile formed on his lips. He gazed at you, eyes lidded with desires and need, mixed with guilt and love. “(Y/N)... My beloved...” You pulled away slightly to look up at him and smiled.

“Dimitri...” You cupped his cheek in your hand, in which he immediately melted into.

“I love you, Dimitri.”

 

He blushed at your words, then it dawned on his realization. Suddenly becoming very aware of the... intimate position you were in. “Um, w-well...” As he came to his full senses he released his hands from you, as though from fire and stuttered, quickly pulling away from your panting form. He wasn’t making eye contact anymore, and you followed his gaze downwards on your body. Oh. Without the dreamlike stupor a d hazy feeling to distract you, you realized just how naked you are. Nightgown pooled beneath your waist. Feeling an onset of bashfulness, you also brought an arm up to cover as much of your chest as you could; despite what you had just done with him, the reality of the situation was catching up to you.

 

He flinched, breaking eye contact and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Ah—Urghh!!! I’m sorry, (Y/N)!! I don’t know what came over me but.. but... P-Perhaps we should... stop... before it escalates any further...” The King unclasped his furred cloak hurriedly and put it over your naked body unceremoniously, hiding his flushed crimson face in his hands again, absolutely brutalized with shame. 

 

“Er.. Be certain to rest for now. We may have undone some of your healing.” Then he said hurriedly, almost inaudibly. “When your strength returns to its fullest, we can pick up where we left off. I promise.”

 

“Fine...” You giggled, finding his attempt at being serious too adorable. The heat and passion was still very visible in his eyes, and it was obvious that anymore teasing on your end would send him over the edge.

“Thank you for this lovely evening, Dimitri.”

You pulled his hand to your lips and give each of his fingers soft kisses, gazing at him lovingly. Dimitri’s jaw and pants tightened, the poor king desperately clinging onto the last thread of sanity and reason which threatened to snap at any moment.

 

“Good night, my beloved (Y/N).” Casting one last glance at you and bashfully looking down when he caught your eye, the Blue Lions Leader left with a haste that was probably unbecoming of a gentleman, his long legs taking the steps to the second floor dormitory two at a time. He somehow,  somehow  managed to reach his room without incident or interruption, locking his door behind him, leaning back against it and covering his burning red face with his hands. His body felt like it was on fire; nerve endings alight with sensations he had long believed were dead.

 

The pit of his stomach tangled in knots when he thought of (Y/N). All he could think about was your pure unadultered love, beautiful (E/C) that is gazing at him affectionately. Goddess, he was such a sinner. It made him want to put his hands on you. All over you. Repeatedly. Savoring the taste of your lips as you moan into his mouth. Feeling your warmth and love. Unclothed. His mind is running wild. This frantic sensation in his blood, while half-forgotten, was not new. It will be another sleepless night for the poor king. And it’s all because of you.

[robininthelabyrinth]

"The Untamed", but Jiggy has a white cat whom he tells everything.- May or may not be sentient or 'spiritual' like Fairy in the book. (From an idea I've thrown around with my friend @yraelviii)

ao3

He found the cat in Qinghe.

“What are you doing here?” Meng Yao said, crouching down to try to scoop out the little handful of white fluff underneath his cabinet only for it to bare its infantile fangs and him and hiss, moving its butt around as if it thought his fingers ought to be running in fear from its fearsome pounce. “How did you even get in here?”

The cat – a kitten, really, small and scrawny, dirty and covered in ashes as if it had just run out of a forge, but no less passionate for it – squirmed in his hand as he picked it up.

“Who owns you?” Meng Yao asked, and the cat hissed viciously as if to shout no one owns me!

Something about that echoed in Meng Yao’s heart – no one owns me, he thought – and so he fished up some extra meat from his plate, filled a small platter with water, and used the sleeve of an old outfit that needed to be taken to be laundered anyway to wipe the grey ash off of the cat’s white fur while it was distracted by sniffing suspiciously at the food and water that it ultimately declined to consume.

“Just this once,” he told it.

-

Doing good work will often only bring you more work, Meng Yao reflected, and so it was with the cat as much as with anything else. He still didn’t know how the cat managed to get into his rooms, and he sometimes dwelled on paranoid suspicions that there were hiding-holes in his chambers designed to allow others to spy on him, just as there had been in certain rooms in the brothel – though even at his worst moment of uncertainty and doubt he didn’t really think so. He knew that it wasn’t Nie Mingjue’s style even if Meng Yao had been someone important enough to care about, and anyway he didn’t question his own ability to discovery such a thing if it had really existed. He’d checked.

At any rate, however it kept getting into his rooms, the cat was now a regular presence there, lurking around.

It didn’t want to be petted and greeted all attempts to feed it with utter disdain, but despite its general standoffishness it seemed to like being in the same vicinity as Meng Yao, enjoying nothing more than to settle haughtily by the window in his room and watch over Meng Yao as if it thought he might get lost without its supervision.

Meng Yao thought it was probably someone’s pet gotten lost, or maybe even just a feral cat from outside (Qinghe had a fair number of them) that had figured out that it could access the good life by going inside, but it was very hard to sincerely worry over the ill-intentions of a cat, and he was already very busy.

If he didn’t need to care for it, then it wasn’t adding to his troubles. Let the cat sit where it liked!

Meng Yao had found that life in Qinghe was both different and similar to life in Yunping, the only life he had to compare it to, and it amused him to think of the great and righteous Nie sect as an overly large brothel, with the main difference being that they sold their strength where women sold their bodies. In both places there needed to be order, someone to sort things out and tell people where to put things and what to do; in both places Meng Yao, with his quick mind and excellent memory, his sense of understanding people and anticipating their needs, was utterly invaluable in arranging such things.

He had, admittedly, expected it to take a little more time to climb up to the top – the only person he couldn’t understand in this place was Nie Mingjue, who was far too easy to deceive and smiled at him like he really thought they were friends instead of just being master and servant, who appreciated his talents and told him so, who shrugged off his mistakes and had faith that he would do better, who ignored his status instead of lording it over him the way Meng Yao had expected him to. Even when he was angry, when he shouted and slammed his hands against things, Nie Mingjue never once mentioned Meng Yao’s background, and the only things he seemed to hold against him were his own mistakes.

Meng Yao still didn’t know why Nie Mingjue would act so rashly as to promote someone he had just met to a position as high as viceroy, much less actually trust him, but it didn’t really matter. However quixotic his method of reaching a place of power, he was here and his next task was to keep his place until he’d made a reputation for himself.

Part of that he did through his work, good critical work that people needed and which had always won him gratitude even if not respect, but the other part of it was in cultivation. That was the way in which the Nie sect was not like a brothel: you couldn’t just be clever, you couldn’t even just be beautiful - to be respected, you had to cultivate.

Not that wanting to cultivate was a problem for Meng Yao.

He’d always had a memory like a sponge and a body that obeyed his every wish, his childhood of mimicking the beautiful dances of his mother and her ‘sisters’ serving him well in transitioning to learning the sword even if he was years behind everyone else; his mother had bought a thousand fake cultivation manuals for him and he’d learned them all, each one of them more useless than the next, and now that he was here in the cultivation world at long last, he was finally, finally, finally able to cultivate for real.

Using Nie sect methods, of course, even if that wasn’t what he really wanted.  

He’d started as soon as he could when he arrived, endlessly grateful that the Nie sect provided training sabers without cost, and he’d snuck one away back to his room so that he could practice on his own time, knowing it would take a long time to form his golden core. He’d debated with himself for a long time as to whether or not it was worth it to invest in a real one – if the training sabers were free, then real proper Nie sabers were somehow three times as expensive as the swords you could buy in the marketplace, and you could only put in a deposit without any notion of when you’d actually get the saber, apparently subject to the contrary dispositions of the spiritual weaponsmiths that made them.

In the end he decided to go for it more or less on a whim, emptying out his hard-built savings to place the order, even though he knew he would one day need to discard whatever they made for him in favor of a sword.

The Jin sect would accept him one day. He would make them.

(If the Nie sect cultivation style was good for one thing, he thought as he went through endless drills of slashing and thrusting, it was that you could work out your anger while you were doing it. There was nothing quite like imagining the face of someone you hated and then bringing down the practice saber in a vicious slash, and oh, but Meng Yao hated so very many people.)

The cat liked watching him train most of all, although Meng Yao suspected it was because seeing him jump around panting was funnier than watching him sit at his desk and gracefully write out letters. It would occasionally start purring, a sound a little like a crackling fire, and eventually Meng Yao got into the habit of going to run his fingers through its fur as a reward for himself when he successfully completed a training sequence.

After a while, he started talking to it, too.

“That commander,” Meng Yao said as he brought the training saber down. His real saber was still on the order, probably stalled purposefully; the smith assigned the task was probably one of the people that thought they were too good to deal with him because of who his mother was, and it’d all been a waste of money in the end. Completely a waste, even if Nie Mingjue had smiled so happily at him when he’d heard about Meng Yao placing the order, his eyes warm and soft and how had that man survived so long in this wretched world of politics and pain, didn’t he know he would always be deceived and betrayed?

Why should he be the exception to the rule, when everyone else had to suffer?

Meng Yao threw away the unhelpful thoughts and thrust the saber forward, as if piercing his invisible opponent straight through the chest.

“That commander.” He minutely corrected his form and stabbed again, this time as if piercing through the belly: a gut wound, a slow and awful way to die. “He’ll regret what he said to me.”

The cat’s purring intensified.

Meng Yao briefly had the wild thought that it approved.

“I just –” Another thrust. “– need to figure out –” An overhead slash. “– how.”

-

Meng Yao ended up taking the cat with him when he left Qinghe.

It probably was someone’s pet and he was opening himself up to a charge of stealing, a charge he wouldn’t be able to defend himself against now that he no longer had Nie Mingjue’s protection –

(Nie Mingjue who had wept tears and blood at what Meng Yao had done, betrayed at last after having finally encountered a deception he could not swallow, who had banished him from the Unclean Realm even after everything Meng Yao had done for him – who had, despite it all, still hidden an entire bag of gold and Meng Yao’s favorite Qinghe snacks in Meng Yao’s things with a short note claiming that it was for unpaid wages. As if Meng Yao had ever let a single pay period go by without claiming exactly what he was due. As if Nie Mingjue still cared despite throwing him out, as if he worried about how Meng Yao might live, as if he hadn’t given up the privilege of caring about things like that – )

He didn’t really care.

He wanted the cat, so he took it. It was the least Qinghe could do for him.

The cat spent all its time in his new rooms in the hotels he stayed out as he traveled: in his bedroom and study, the little gardens that, when available, he liked to use to train in the mornings and evenings. It would even follow him when he took a bath (although that was with great reluctance on the part of the cat, and only if Meng Yao were taking an especially long time in the bath and the cat was worried he’d drowned, yowling angrily as if it could revive him through the power of its voice). If it had once belonged to someone else, it now belonged to Meng Yao, and Meng Yao didn’t give away anything that was his.

“I’ve made worse mistakes,” he said defiantly to the cat, which blinked at him from its side of the carriage he’d used some of the gold to rent. “It’s only that I don’t want to review them in order to think of which ones those might be.”

The cat got up, stretched its back, and walked over to butt its head against Meng Yao’s hand before turning and going back to its spot by the window.

Meng Yao wasn’t sure if that was a sign of agreement or if the cat just thought there was a treat in his hand. Not that the cat had ever accepted treats from his hand.

He still wasn’t sure what the cat ate, actually, but he was sure the cat would make its feelings known now that they weren’t somewhere with a dependable kitchen, though he supposed there was always the possibility that it would start picking up hunting.

“Wen Chao said that they’d aimed at the Cloud Recesses,” Meng Yao said, deciding not to dwell on the things of the past. There was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he could do about Nie Mingjue’s betrayed eyes or the snacks he hadn’t even known Nie Mingjue had known he’d liked, about the hand-me-down guans and trinkets that Nie Huaisang had insisted were part of his wardrobe when he’d helped him pack even though he knew Nie Huaisang still wore them sometimes, about the fact that he should have been ordered to take the Nie sect’s braids out of his hair when he passed by the gates for the final time since he didn’t deserve them anymore but the two disciples there had just nodded at him and let him pass without a word – nothing to do about the saber he’d ordered, still on the list to be made, and maybe if he made something of himself out in the world alone he would one day come back to claim it at last. “That’s where we’re going now. Lan Xichen might be in danger. I have to help him.”

The cat made a sound like it was considering hacking up a hairball.

“He was kind to me,” Meng Yao said, feeling defensive. “The only one who never judged me –”

Since he’d decided to forget about Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, wiping it out of his mind as if it had never been, that was even true.

“– and he’s a proper gentleman, a good man. I’ll help him.”

That Lan Xichen was also a powerful man was something he wished he didn’t think of, but he couldn’t help the way he was.

“After I help him, I’ll figure out what to do next,” Meng Yao said, like a liar, and the cat looked at him like he was stupid – which he was being, because of course he’d already planned out what to do next, figured out his next move, and there was no point in lying to a cat about it. Meng Yao had skills that were only useful in management, not labor, and the only thing he left to sell was information about the sect from which he’d just been ejected. “No one owns me, right? Let it be the Wen sect.”

The cat did not purr, but it didn’t condemn him, either.

That would have to do.

-

It was a good thing that Meng Yao’s cat was self-sufficient, he thought, because he had neither the time nor the stomach to feed it during his time at the Wen sect.

If he had thought he had worked hard at the Nie sect, he now knew differently: at least there the worst he had faced from his colleagues had been disdain and not outright murder attempts, back-stabbing and undercutting to try to show off to Wen Ruohan, and all the while the man himself demanded more and more from him without the slightest care for his own well-being. He was grist to the mill for Wen Ruohan, no matter how much the Chief Cultivator enjoyed having another man’s prized deputy as his own – Wen Ruohan might had been very nearly driven insane by the Yin Metal, but he still remembered old grudges – and it was night and day away from Nie Mingjue’s reliance on him that was based on trust, rather than reluctantly satisfied suspicion and paranoia.

Meng Yao had hidden the cat as best as he could from the start, thinking rightfully that people would try to use it against him, and to his relief it seemed that no one else had yet laid eyes on it and identified it as his own, despite its white fur standing out like a beacon to his sight. Unfortunately there were some people that had managed to figure out that he had a cat, even if they didn’t lay eyes on it themselves, and he’d had more than a few incidents in which someone had left poisoned meat out on the floor by his room in order to catch it.

The cat seemed as unimpressed with that as anything else.

Instead, the cat seemed to have taken up hunting as its pastime. It brought back the corpses of small birds, the Yin Metal-infused little spies, full of resentful energy, that Wen Ruohan had developed for his sons to use. At first Meng Yao worried about the cat getting somehow poisoned by them, but time went on and it seemed to be fine, even thriving. It had grown into a proper cat now, no longer a kitten, and it enjoyed licking its white and shining fur until it was gleaming.

It didn’t like Meng Yao’s training sessions as much – he trained with a sword now, two-faced just like him, and in a dozen different styles, Wen and Jiang and Jin, always Jin – so sometimes Meng Yao would go back to doing the old Nie sect style again, knowing the cat would recognize the familiar movements, and it was a surefire way to get the cat to purr.

The Nie sect style was also still the best for getting out anger, all aggression and sharp movements, and Meng Yao still had a lot of anger inside of him. He was starting to think he always would.

At least here in the Nightless City he could kill the people he hated, as long as he did so in low and dirty ways that didn’t trouble Wen Ruohan or interfere with his plans, and yet every time he did it, he felt no relief, only a vile and wretched stickiness that came, perhaps, from that awful Yin Metal that he had schemed over yet couldn’t seem to escape.

The cat didn’t like the Yin Metal one bit. It hissed and scratched, and in one notable incident seemed like it was going to pounce on it directly if Meng Yao hadn’t caught it mid-leap and shoved it into his sleeve before anyone had noticed it.

“You’re going to get me into trouble,” Meng Yao told the cat next time he trained, using the soft sword he’d hidden away for a time of need to hack and slash in the Nie way, which didn’t work with a soft sword at all but which made him feel strangely better. He was currently imagining Wen Ruohan’s head underneath a saber, his head and the heads of all those corpse puppets he’d created. “I will cut you loose if you do that.”

The cat rolled onto its back and showed its soft and fluffy belly, which only the truly unwise would seek to lay a hand on – Meng Yao still had scars – and Meng Yao rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I know,” he said. “No one owns you, not even me. But do me a favor and don’t screw this up for me. Not when I’m so close.”

Lan Xichen had been accepting his letters and feeding them to Nie Mingjue, who trusted as blindly as he ever did. Meng Yao wished sometimes that he didn’t, that he would learn, that he would put some defenses up on that stupid reckless heart of his, but on the other hand it suited his plans very well that he didn’t.

Soon, he thought. Soon.

Soon he’d know what he needed to do.

-

“Now he chooses not to trust people,” Meng Yao complained to his cat. “Now. Now!”

The cat purred.

It wasn’t that Meng Yao (damnit, Jin Guangyao, he had a new name, he was Jin Guangyao now) couldn’t understand Nie Mingjue’s reluctance to trust him – fool me once, fool me twice, but three times seemed to be the other man’s breaking point – and in some ways he understood it more than ever now that he had been accepted back by the Jin sect, clothed in the gold he’d always deserved to wear.

Jin Guangshan hadn’t lost much in the war, not like the other sects, and the second it was over he was already scheming. Meng Yao – Jin Guangyao – was pulled right into the thick of it at once, less for his spying capability than for his sheer disposability, the fact that Jin Guangshan wasn’t willing to burden his pure and righteous heir with black matters that he was more than happy to taint the son of his whore with. With Nie Mingjue, general and hero of the Sunshot Campaign, representing the only real threat to the Jin sect’s domination, even if he didn’t want to be, Jin Guangyao was bound to be in opposition to him.

It made sense for Nie Mingjue not to trust him.

It irritated him regardless.

Still, lack of trust or no, Nie Mingjue had succumbed to Lan Xichen’s impassioned arguments and had agreed to swear brotherhood with him, even if Jin Guangyao suspected that Nie Mingjue’s primary motivation was to keep a better eye on him and scold him the way he did Nie Huaisang. It would be politically beneficial to Jin Guangyao to be tied in such a way to Nie Mingjue – it would suit his own desires as well, though that was less important – and so he had of course agreed as well, and he was planning on going to their oath ceremony in the outfit he had chosen for himself, gold from neck to foot, a sword he’d taken from the treasury since no one would order him one of his own, and a hat on his head like the ones his mother so admired to make up for his lack of height and to hide the Nie sect braids he still habitually wore underneath.

An old habit, and one he really ought to break, really. Ideally before Nie Mingjue figured it out and told him to cut it out.

There was a knock on the door, a familiar pounding, and the cat looked up, intrigued, even as Jin Guangyao sighed voicelessly to himself. Perhaps he had waited too long.

Perhaps it would be better to make a clean cut in this way, too.

He opened the door.

“Sect Leader Nie,” he greeted, thinking to himself that it would only be a few more hours before he was entitled to call the man da-ge as if they were nearly equals and how strange that would be. “Can this humble one help you?”

“Can I come in?” Nie Mingjue asked gruffly, his eyes lingering on Jin Guangyao’s uncovered and Nie-braided hair, just as he might have expected. Had expected.

Jin Guangyao nodded and stepped back, allowing him in, and closed the door behind him. “Could I get the sect leader some refreshments?” he asked politely, but Nie Mingjue seemed to have come to a stop right in the entranceway, surprise written all over his features. “Sect Leader Nie?”

Nie Mingjue was staring at Jin Guangyao’s cat.

“…Sect Leader Nie?”

Did Nie Mingjue not like cats? There were an endless number of feral cats in Qinghe, so it seemed implausible, and yet, here Nie Mingjue was, looking at the cat like he’d never seen such a thing before in its life.

Of course, at that exact moment, Jin Guangyao’s cat, the traitor, hopped off its pillow and went straight to rub itself against Nie Mingjue’s leg, purring like a little maniac.

Jin Guangyao stared at it, feeling thoroughly betrayed by what he would have previously said was his thoroughly unsociable cat, who had taken years to warm up to him enough to give him half the attention it was now bestowing freely on Nie Mingjue. Was this the heavens deciding to mock him for his earlier betrayals?

Alternatively, Nie Mingjue might just be very good with cats, which Jin Guangyao could believe. Perhaps he even carried in his pockets some of the Qinghe vine that cats were said to be so enamored of, although certainly Meng Yao’s cat had never once before shown an interest in such things before.

“…what’s its name?” Nie Mingjue croaked, voice hoarse. He was still staring fixedly at the cat, looking as though his entire world had shattered around him. He hadn’t even looked so unsettled when Jin Guangyao had so viciously mocked him at the Nightless City, and at the time he’d thought he was going to die and be turned into a corpse puppet to murder all his loved ones.

Jin Guangyao was tempted to say something rude or facetious, something like ‘I just call it Cat, why, do you name random cats?’, but the cat had been a good companion of his for a long time now and he couldn’t do that to it, even if he was currently planning on taking an extra long bath to force the cat to miserably linger by the door to the bathing room, screeching in unhappiness at the wet, but bravely (if grumpily) supervising him to make sure he didn’t drown.

“Hensheng,” he said, because that was in fact what he’d named it – it meant hatred for life, which was not exactly an auspicious name but which had stuck from the very moment he had thought it up – and waited to hear Nie Mingjue’s judgment. “It’s not normally quite so sticky,” he added in an attempt to save some face. “With most people.”

“Well, it’s me, that’s different,” Nie Mingjue said, and maybe the man really was just the human incarnation of the plant cats liked so much. Meng Yao really wouldn’t put it past him. “You...you cultivate in the Nie sect style? Still?”

Jin Guangyao blinked, surprised by the change in subject.

“Yes,” he said, a little hesitantly. He cultivated many styles now, although it was always the Jin sect style when he was in public. But he still had all the anger in his belly to vent – even more so now than before, anger at his father, anger at Madame Jin, anger at his brother born to a blessed life, anger at all those disciples that sneered at him even after he’d been legitimized, anger, anger, anger – and the Nie sect style had always been the best for that.

And anyway, it made the cat purr.

“Is that a problem, Sect Leader Nie?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Nie Mingjue said, and when he turned to look at him his eyes were warm and soft the way they’d been all the way before the fiasco with Xue Yang, shimmering with tears of joy and a smile that seemed to come straight from his heart, the foolish easily deceived man. It was so unexpected that Jin Guangyao actually took a full two steps back, his jaw dropping a little. “I’m happy for you. Very happy.”

He actually wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, dashing away the tears.

“You should come back to the Unclean Realm to pick it up when the brotherhood ceremony is done,” he added nonsensically. “I can’t imagine how long it’s been waiting for you.”

“…what?” Jin Guangyao said. “Pick up what?”

“Hensheng,” Nie Mingjue said, which – what? “Your saber. Hensheng.”

His saber?

The saber he’d never gotten, having been banished from the Unclean Realm before the order was finished, the one he’d spent all his savings on just in putting in the deposit, the one he’d never actually finished paying off? He remembered it, of course, and sometimes it still itched under his skin that he’d never gotten what he was owed because everything that was owed to him he deserved to get in the end. But…

“Hensheng is my cat,” he said.

Nie Mingjue blinked at him. “That’s not a cat,” he said. “That’s a saber spirit.”

Jin Guangyao’s gaze dropped down to the cat.

The cat that never seemed to eat anything or drink anything, that never once fell for the poisoned meat or accepted his offers of treats, that no one in the Nightless City had ever seen with their own eyes; the cat that could consistently get into his rooms despite there being no holes for it to enter, as if it had simply passed through the walls like a ghost.

Like a spirit.

The cat, which purred whenever Jin Guangyao practiced the Nie sect forms, swinging a saber with rage in his heart.

The cat to which he had confessed all his anger, all his frustration, all his rage, all the feelings he never gave to any human being around him – the sabers of the Nie sect thrived on such emotions, those feelings that encouraged them and strengthened them, developing the saber spirits that made each one of them a spiritual weapon unlike any other, with power and rage infused into the very blade.

Saber spirits, which only those born into the Nie sect or adopted early, raised in their ways, one of them, could form.

“A saber spirit?” Jin Guangyao said weakly, and his knees suddenly didn’t seem strong enough to hold him; he swayed and Nie Mingjue stepped forward quickly, catching him by the shoulders to steady him. “I cultivated a saber spirit?”

“The saber is back in the Unclean Realm,” Nie Mingjue said, not without kindness. “It was only ever waiting for you to pick it up once you developed the spirit, so that you could introduce the two.”

“It hasn’t been – I would have thought it would have been thrown away, or repurposed –”

“It’s a Nie saber, Meng Yao. It won’t obey anyone else ever again, not in this life; it is yours, yours alone. When one day you die, it will be buried with honor in our saber halls, just like all the others.”

The cat looked up at him and purred.

No one owns me, Jin Guangyao thought – the first thing the cat had said to him, and he’d always had a good understanding of what the cat wanted from the very first. No one had owned that wild spirit then, but it had stayed by his side, at first from curiosity and later from habit, and it was his now.

His, and no one else’s.

“Will you come pick it up?” Nie Mingjue asked, hope in his eyes. “Will you come home, if only for a little while?”

“Yes,” Jin Guangyao said. “Yes, I will.”

-

Later, Jin Guangshan told his son to kill Nie Mingjue, that fool who trusted too much and didn’t know when he was being deceived, finding him in his rigidity and righteousness too much of a burden on the power he planned to wield.

Jin Guangyao bowed as deep as he could, a smile on his lips, saying nothing, and the next day, when Jin Guangshan went to the brothel as he always did, drinking tea served by his son the way he always did, he never did figure out why his heart had stopped.

(The saber Jin Guangyao began to wear openly after the funeral – a gift from his sworn brother, he said with a smile, in remembrance of his time at the Nie sect – purred in pure satisfaction.)

[funtimebunnyblog]

...I cannot refuse Dagdoth. 😭😂 For the life of me, no matter how hard I try I'm helpless to their persuasiveness. I'm starting to think they're a Stand user. 😱 Not that I’m complaining about these saucy little requests, of course....

The Pillarmen walking in on you in the shower (or vice versa)... (Under the cut for length!)

Kars:

• Whether it's you walking in on him or him walking in on you, either way this man is NOT shy!

• Not in the slightest!

• What was there to be shy about? He knew very well he had a gorgeous body and he never passed up an opportunity to show it off.

• Someone walking in on him naked in the shower really made no difference as he already walked around in nothing but a loincloth on a day to day basis.

• There was no naked body on this green Earth that would make him even the slightest bit flustered upon sight so if he happens to walk in on you, don't expect him to cover his eyes, apologize and run out.

• His showers smell like a fruit tray of the God's; you can bet he uses all the best soaps, scrubs and shower paraphernalia on the market.

• "How about you join me in here, little one?" The purr of his voice echoed off the walls of the bathroom, nearly drowned out by the continuous spray of water.

• The very rumble of his honeyed tone shook you to your core where you stood, trying to avert your eyes. The litany of apologies fumbling past your lips only seeming to amuse the massive man further.

• "I could use some help washing my hair..." he hummed. "And perhaps I'll return the favor and wash your back."

• Whether you deny that generous offer is all up to you...

Esidisi:

• Like Kars, Esidisi isn't shy about his body or any part of it being exposed.

• It doesn't bother him in the slightest if someone happens to walk in on him parading around in the shower naked.

• He owns a rubber ducky and he's proud of it.

• Expect to be teased later on if you scream and run out of the room if you happen to accidentally walk in on him soaping up.

• This man is something close to a locker room bully.

• "Aww, what's the matter, little one? Did I surprise you back there?" He questions, chuckling as your face goes red at the memory of him covered by nothing but steam and suds.

• He's gone the extra mile to confront you while he's still damp and only wearing a towel around his waist.

• He leaned down with a grin, "You know, there was plenty of room for the both of us in there if you really had your heart set on taking your shower. I don't mind the company..."

• If he's the one who walks in on you it might be a different story depending on your reaction.

• If you try to cover up he'll just laugh but if you scream for him to get out he'll calmly apologize and leave; respecting your privacy but not at all embarrassed.

• He'll propose showering together to save water next time...

• He also offers to let you hold his rubber ducky :P

Wamuu:

• As a proud Warrior, Wamuu was well aware he had a fit and desirable body.

• He definitely wasn't modest to show it off in the arena but he was a little on the shy side when it came down to being on display in the shower...

• He was quite used to his Masters or Santana bathing with him or being around him when he lacked what little clothing he usually wore.

• But if you happened to walk in on him, it spurs a reaction much similar to his shadow being invaded.

• He'd ask you to leave with a stern frown, his voice curt but polite enough, unless you planned on helping him wash his back.

• If he happens to walk in on you however...

• "Wamuu! GET OUT!" You screamed over the hiss of the shower water, your voice the fiercest he had ever heard it. Had you been a Warrior opponent he would've probably seen you as a powerful foe with such a cry.

• The Pillarmans face flushed beat red upon catching a glimpse of your exposed and unclothed state. You could scarcely see the lines of his war paint anymore, the colour painted all the way back to his ears; burning them hot like the embers of a fire.

• "I-- S-SORRY!!!" He yelled, an arm was thrown over his eyes as he was flooded with momentary panick, making a bolt for the door. He honestly hadn't expected anyone to be in here!

• The massive man slammed into the closed door so hard he took it right off the hinges but still kept going.

• You have to yell for him to come back to fix it... and get you a towel.

Santana:

• What makes you think Santana would be flustered over something like this?

• He just has no feelings towards bathing or naked people whatsoever, whether he walks in on you or vice versa.

• Growing up, the other Pillarmen made it kind of a habit to bathe together when the opportunity arouse.

• Chances were, there was always at least one other accompanying him to go wash up or at least someone would show up to join in halfway through; where they would take turns washing one anothers hair or back and the like as they did.

• It was not only for safety but it was a good bonding activity as well.

• If he happens to walk in on you, do not expect him to leave as he just follows his natural instincts and joins in.

• "Santana!" You shrieked, squishing up against the far wall of the shower as your hands flew to cover yourself.

• You had been washing your hair, singing softly to yourself only to turn and find the red-haired Pillarman standing outside the shower looking in. "What are you doing?! Get out!"

• It was almost as if he didn't hear you, his face unreadable as his gaze lingered on you for only a beat longer. Your eyes went impossibly wide when he began to discard what little coverage he had on.

• "San-- SANTANA! WH-- NO! P-PUT YOUR LOINCLOTH BACK-- WHA--" you could scarcely get the words out before suddenly he was in the shower next to you, his deadpan expression unchanged as his calloused fingers found the suds in your hair, blunt nails scratching your scalp softly.

• "Wash." He warbled out, almost an order as he worked the shampoo through your mane. You could only blink stupidly when he pushed the bar of soap into your shaking hand and guestured to his back next.

• Maybe this wasn't so bad afterall...

[taytjiefourie]

For the prompt... Double date between togachako and Dekubaku? (Toga trying to be reformed and Ochcako wanting for her to socialize with more people?

She was nervous, Izuku might not have spent much time around Toga, not like Ochako who’s visited her in the detention center for almost two years now, but they’ve had enough of a history for him to read her.

She was nervous and she was scared, Izuku, well he could understand. She’d been a big part of the war, the wrong side of the war. Their other friends weren’t welcoming, and there was a part of Izuku that wanted nothing to do with the woman, he wanted to grab his friend and keep her country away from the crazy blonde and at first, when she asked him and Katsuki to do this, that was exactly what he was going to say but he’d seen Ochako’s eyes, seen the depth of her longing, the way she’d begged him. It broke his heart so he agreed, even with the resulting fight between him and his boyfriend.

Katsuki had not been not happy with this idea.

“Ochako,” he greeted.

Izuku turned towards Toga and smiled, it was soft and kind. Izuku made sure none of his hesitancy showed on his face or his body. He pulled the woman in for a hug.

“Toga,” he spoke his greeting to her warmly. She hesitated for a bare second before hugging him back.

“Midoriya-san, it’s good to see you again,” she let go and stepped back. Izuku politely ignored the slight wobble in her smile and the dampened personality, Ochako had talked about how bright the woman was, Izuku couldn't really see it right now. Toga turned towards Katsuki and her hesitancy became more apparent.

“Copy bitch,” he grunted with a scowl. Izuku elbowed his boyfriend and dragged the attention back towards himself.

“I heard your room is covered in Uravity merch?” he teased as he led them towards the arcade. Izuku had picked out their date location if only to make sure it was something that would please Katsuki. The more content he was the less of a chance that he would blow up on the woman.

“It-uh-no-I mean yes,” Toga stuttered with wide eyes, a deep flush spreading down her neck. “she’s my favorite hero! definitely the best one out there!” She beamed at Ochako who slowly matched the shade of Eijiro’s hair. A small dopy smile spread across Toga’s face and Izuku relaxed slightly. He'd support his friend but he swore that the first wrong move and he’d personally take care of Toga.

“She is! Did you see her on the news yesterday? With the collapsing apartment?”

“OH, My GODS YES! She floated everything and stopped it and she looked so hot doing it! She's so good at handling her quirk! Did you hear about the plane hijack she stopped?”

The non-stop chatter carried on until they were inside the arcade and Izuku booked the laser gun room for the four of them. His boyfriend could mercilessly kill all of them without actually killing anyone. It was perfect.

“Two versus two?” Ochako proposed, Izuku nodded in agreement.

“Me and Toga versus you and Kacchan,”

He rolled his eyes at Katsuki’s pleased look, he got to go against his current annoyance and kick Izuku’s ass. Years it may have been but the two of them still competed against each other, or Katsuki turned everything into a challenge and Izuku has learned to just roll with it.

Toga and Izuku stuck together in the darkly lit room. They sneaked slowly while keeping their eyes and ears focused. Their team was at a disadvantage. Toga may have been a villain at one point but she’s been lock up for years and their opponents were both pro-heroes. Izuku grinned as he spotted Ochako through a hole in the wall in front of them. The brunette’s back was facing them, a stupid move on his friend's part. Izuku aimed and a loud ring echoed through the room. He grabbed Toga’s hand and quickly pulled her in a different direction. Ochako wouldn’t be able to tell which direction the shot came from so they had a bit of safety.

He shushed the giggling blonde as she managed a shot at Katsuki. So far their team was in the lead with seven to five. Three more to go and they would win.

“eeep,” Toga screeched as she was tackled by Ochako. Izuku stared wide-eyed as the brunette lifted her gun and shot the blond laying on the floor. He sprang into action and tackled her off his teammate. Izuku pushed himself up and grab Toga’s hand again. The two bolted.

Once Izuku considered them a safe distance away he cursed himself. He should have shot her.

Izuku jolted as a loud ring pierced his ears, he spun around in a circle and scanned his surroundings. His eyes landed on a smirking Katsuki.

They were seven to seven.

He shot a grin at his boyfriend before he and Toga took off in a run again. They zigzagged through the dark maze until Izuku spotted a slightly tilted wall. He asked Toga to hide nearby and jumped on, Izuku climbed up and surveyed the entire room. With a satisfied smile, he lifted his gun and narrowed his eyes as he aimed at Ochako. He quickly pulled the trigger and backflipped off the wall as the ring of success met his ears.

The two teammates went on the hunt, they needed two more shots and they would win. They quickly found Katsuki, he was the easiest with his loud footfalls echoing in the near-silent room. The blond was on guard and would shoot them in a second if they appeared near him. Izuku scanned the area looking for a good vantage point but none caught his eye. Instead, he decided on a risky plan, Katsuki was easy to distract but getting to the point where Izuku would be able to do it was another question. He cursed softly and murmured to Toga.

“I have an idea but it’s risky, stay out of sight.”

Izuku took a deep breath and bolted. Katsuki spun around and shot at Izuku but the greenette dropped into a crouch before jumping forward and slamming his boyfriend into the wall. He crashed their lips together in a needy kiss. The blond responded immediately. Izuku bit at Katsuki’s lower lip and received a growl in return. He pulled away, Katsuki glared at him not satisfied with them stopping. Izuku simply grinned and pulled the trigger to his gun.

“FUCKING NERD!”

Izuku laughed as he ran, Toga joined him with a wild grin on her face.

“My turn! My turn!” she cheered and took off to the left. Izuku followed her amused but quickly lost the woman as he was tackled into a wall.

“You think I’m going to just let you fucking get away with that shitty move!?”

Izuku shrugged as he looked up into the dark eyes. He lifted his hands and dug them in the spiky hair. He tugged down and pressed his lips against the others. Hey, they were on a date he was allowed to.

Izuku grinned into the kiss as the final bell rang.

They won.

[irons-enough]

June 1881 (Teenage Arthur Morgan)

A short little ficlet inspired by this amazing photo edit by @foundynnel which made me obsessed with the idea of cocky bastard teenage Arthur. Maybe I’ll expand on this one day (Red Dead YA novel, anyone?) but it was fun to write!

Rating: G Tags: Language, teeny bit of blood

Wyoming Territory - June 1881 

Arthur Morgan spat blood into the dirt. His eyes were bright with adrenaline and, just beneath the surface, an unbridled fury. His split lip curled into an arrogant smile as he raised his fists again. "That all you got?" 

His opponent cycled between shock and rage that Arthur had not gone down in one hit. but it was the look in his eyes--the insufferable, cocky stare of a seventeen-year-old drifter with a six-shooter and a foul attitude--that made him swing wide to slam his fist into the little son of a bitch's face. Arthur was ready; waiting, in fact. He raised his arm to bar the swing and with his other hand punched upward into the man's jaw. He heard the crack of bone at the same time the break reverberated through his fist, and the man fell as suddenly and heavily as he had fallen asleep, groaning helplessly as he cradled his broken jaw. 

Arthur shook out his hand, swiped the blood from his lower lip. He smirked in satisfaction at the stunned silence of the onlookers. He made a show of dusting off his shirt and casually picking up his hat from where it lay in the road. “Gentlemen,” he said in farewell, with a polite nod to the assembled crowd.

________________________________________

"Arthur. What the fuck?" 

Arthur smirked at Dutch's greeting as he arrived at their campsite, tried and failed to look innocent. "Well, hey to you, too." 

"You wanna explain why the entire goddamn town is talkin' about some cocky hotshot kid layin' out the local stable hand?" 

"Really? They are?" Arthur exclaimed, his eyes brightening. Dutch whacked him upside the head. "Ow!" 

"Tell me, son, when Hosea and I say 'Don't do anything stupid', what exactly is it that you hear?" Dutch demanded. 

Arthur rubbed the back of his head. "Not much, I guess." 

"Oh, that's evident." Dutch's dark eyes narrowed at Arthur's defiant expression. "You listenin’' to me?" 

"Sure, just not your goddamn sarcasm," Arthur spat. 

"You got some attitude, you--" He bit back the curse that was just shy of forming on his lips. "Susan!" he yelled. "Deal with him. I'm not his goddamn father; not my job to deal with his bullshit." 

"Oh, and so now it’s mine?!" Susan's voice fell like a hatchet even from a distance. Arthur leaned his head on his fist to hide his grin as Susan and Dutch argued over whose problem he was this time. 

Hosea knocked his fist into Arthur’s shoulder, beckoning. “Come on, Arthur.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and sighed as he hauled himself to his feet, as though it was a major inconvenience. He followed Hosea over to the front of the abandoned cabin at their campsite, a decrepit old building with a half-collapsed roof. Hosea struck a match against his boot heel and lit a cigarette as he leaned against the side of the cottage.

“Can I get one?” said Arthur.

“No.”

“C’mon, Hosea...” “Shut up. Get over here.”

Arthur slumped against the wall beside Hosea. He took his pistol from its holster and toyed with it: spinning it around his fingers as he drew, looking down the sights as he pointed it at the dirt. Hosea snatched it from him deftly. “What the hell?” Arthur exclaimed.

“Arthur, you wanna live to see twenty?” said Hosea.

“Who cares?” Arthur’s head lolled so that his hat hid his eyes.

“I care. And you should care.” Hosea’s voice was even now, but still severe. “You’re still a goddamn kid, you don’t know anything yet. Suffice it to say if you’re stupid enough to get yourself killed before twenty, you’re better off dead. And that’s not you, Arthur.”

“You sure ‘bout that?” Arthur mumbled.

“Me and Dutch have things in the works to get us a score. And if you’re gonna be a goddamn idiot and draw attention to yourself, that’ll be the last time you’re involved in anything we do.”

“It weren’t even so bad,” Arthur complained. “How’m I supposed to know you got plans when you never tell me a goddamn thing? Why be a goddamn criminal if you can’t do what you want? Ain’t no point.”

“The point is to live through it, Arthur. Money’s no good to you if you’re dead. Now when we need to lie low, keep our noses clean, it’s because we got something big in the works, and we can’t risk the plans while we’re still layin’ tracks. You know that. You’re a hell of a lot of things son, but a complete fool ain’t one of ‘em.” Hosea dropped his cigarette and ground it out into the dirt. “Not one of us acts alone, boy. Part of runnin’ together means sacrificing your own selfish desires for the good of the group.”

“I know that,” Arthur grumbled.

“Well, it’s high time you acted like it.” Hosea flipped Arthur’s pistol out of his hand with a flourish, catching it by the barrel. He held out the grip toward Arthur. “Stay here a while,” he said. “Somethin’ tells me I need to talk down Dutch and Susan.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?”

Hosea was already walking away. “I don’t quite care, son. Sit here and do nothing. Be still for once in your life.”

Arthur scowled and sighed, kicked up dust with his boot. For all the stealing and shooting Dutch and Hosea wanted him to do, they sure knew how to treat him like a goddamn idiot sometimes. Maybe the day would come when he could boss them around.

He looked in the direction of the setting sun, toward California where they had come from. There was always new country to explore, new people to rob, more money to be made, more sunsets to see. Every time Arthur leveled his gun at a man and made him act, or freeze, or die--it started a whole new adventure. Some were good. Some were great. Others he wished he could forget, and there were still more that had left him with scars and foul memories that endured well beyond what they should. For the past five years, Arthur Morgan had lived for sunsets like this one, and he couldn’t wait for a lifetime more.

[theultimateultimateweapon]

Kirby: Meta Knight and the Knight of Hades (Chapter 5)

“Meta Knight is on another rampage!”

“Another one!?”

“Popular restaurants are being destroyed, one after another!”

“Don’t forgive Meta Knight at all! We should be angry!”

Such news ran through the galaxy in a blink of an eye. Captain Vul and the Meta Knights knew the confusion was inevitable. Of course, it was Beryl that was rampaging, but not everyone knew this.

After all, he was wielding the Galaxia pretending to be Meta Knight. He was even running around politely saying, “I’m Meta Knight! Remember it!”

“Damn…! Beryl!”

Captain Vul paced in the lobby and shook.

Javelin Knight said, “He’s going to ruin Meta Knight’s reputation and become the number one swordfighter in the galaxy. He’s doing a pretty good job at it too!”

“I won’t let him do that!” Captain Vul shouted.

“Well, the real Meta Knight will get better… I’m sure… I’m sure…” Captain Vul had a dark look.

Meta Knight was being treated with great care by well-known doctors. However, he still hadn’t regained consciousness. Thanks to the treatment he is stable, but if his condition continues for a long time it won’t matter.

“Yeah… let’s see what Kirby is doing!”

Captain Vul stomped and shouted. “Axe Knight! Contact Kirby!”

He ordered Axe Knight in the communications seat.

Axe Knight sighed. “Are you sure? We can’t do anything with Kirby and the others because we don’t know where the enemy will appear.”

“Yeah… I know! I know…!” He couldn’t help sitting by doing nothing.

Therefore, Captain Vul contacted Kirby and the others many times day and night to complain to them.

Axe Knight turned to the communication equipment.

Meanwhile, Kirby’s team was doing their best.

No matter how desperately they chased Beryl, their opponent was quick to escape. Even if they rushed to the news of Meta Knight’s rampage, he had already escaped. They couldn’t stop it.

What’s more, Kirby and his friends would arrive at the scenes and see restaurants with broken windows and destroyed towns. All they could hear were furious grudges against Meta Knight.

Even if Kirby and his friends told them “It’s a fake that’s rampaging!” no one cared.

People would even shout at them “Aren’t you a member of the Meta Knight!?”

“Sigh… I’m sorry!” Blade Knight kicked the stones at his feet.

King Dedede said with a moody face. “Why do we have to do this, it’s all because of Meta Knight!”

“Hey, shut your mouth!” Sword Knight and Blade Knight roared at King Dedede in unison.

“It’s not Meta Knight’s fault!”

“Yeah, it’s the fake doing these bad things!”

“Tch… I know that…” King Dedede sounded defeated.

Sword Knight’s child-like communication device started ringing.

King Dedede said with a disgusted face, “Well, it’s Captain Vul! Calling to complain all day instead of listening to what we’re going through…!”

It’s as he says, the captain has made millions of small calls throughout the day. Kirby and the others were fed up with it.

Sword Knight had no choice but to respond to the call. “Yes… this is Sword Knight…”

“This is Captain Vul,” came an annoyed voice. “How is the situation? Did you get any clues about Beryl?”

“No, it’s not good. He moves too fast… is there any new information on your end?”

“Umm… no.”

“How is Meta Knight?”

Unfortunately, Captain Vul gave a heavy answer. “He hasn’t woken up yet.”

“...Is that so…”

“The doctors are doing their best. Chase Beryl with all your might! We might catch him soon!”

“Of course.”

Sword Knight cut off communication.

Then…

“He...hello…”

Someone approached Kirby.

It was a little boy. Looking around Kirby and his friends, he spoke in a frightened manner. “You guys are chasing Meta Knight, right?”

“Yeah? What of it?”

When Blade Knight asked, the boy weakly replied.

“My town was attacked by Meta Knight. The flowers I cherished were also trampled…”

Tears came to the boy’s eyes.

“Please don’t give up. Defeat Meta Knight.”

Blade Knight said sullenly, “That’s a misunderstanding. It’s not Meta Knight who is rampaging. It’s a fake disguised as Meta Knight!”

“...Eh? But he was calling himself Meta Knight…?”

“It’s a lie. It’s a bad guy who’s disguised as Meta Knight, his real name is Beryl.”

“Is that so? I’m not sure… this…” The boy presented a piece of paper. “The man who attacked our town, dropped this paper.”

“What!?”

“I thought it might be a clue…”

“Show me!”

Blade Knight tried to grab the paper, but King Dedede snatched it from the side.

Immediately, King Dedede’s complexion changed. “This is…!”

“What’s on there!?”

“It’s a list of towns.” King Dedede showed the paper to everyone.

On the paper, the names of the towns that Beryl had attacked so far were written in order.

Sword Knight said, “This is… no way, Beryl’s plan…!?”

“Uhuh!” King Dedede snorted and nodded.

Blade Knight shouted with excitement. “In other words, we know the next town that he will attack!”

“Yes. At the end of the memo is ‘Planet Charm - Ancient Temple’!”

“He’s gonna attack that next!” Kirby jumped and shouted. “Let’s go! Let’s defeat Beryl!”

The boy who brought the note was relieved. “Good! Now you can get rid of Meta Knight.”

Sword Knight and Blade Knight screamed in anger. “Not Meta Knight!” “It’s a fake!”

“I-i’m sorry! Anyways, please defeat the bad guy, please!” The boy bowed down.

Waddle Dee called to the boy but he started to run. “Oh, wait. That…” However, he ran off without turning around.

Waddle Dee tried to chase after him, but the boy disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“I know… that kid… somehow…” Waddle Dee thought.

Regardless of what Waddle Dee thought, Kirby and the others knew what they had to do next.

Sword Knight shouted in a brave voice, “We’ve done it! This time we can get him!”

King Dedede nodded. “Uh, hurry up! Planet Charm!”

“Oh yeah, I have to tell Captain Vul.”

While Sword Knight was speaking to the communication device, Waddle Dee spoke up to King Dedede.

“Great King, I’m worried about something.”

“Oh? What?”

“That memo… is it real?” Waddle Dee looked worried.

“What?” King Dedede was stubborn.

“I think it’s suspicious.” Waddle Dee opened his arms and shouted. “Beryl is a very cautious and evil guy. How could he accidentally drop a note?”

“Mmm…? What do you mean?”

“The boy may have been Beryl in disguise.”

“...What!?” King Dedede was stunned.

Kirby, who was listening on the side, was surprised and shouted. “No way! He was a kind boy. He was totally different from Beryl!”

“It sure seemed so!” King Dedede laughed away. “No way, Waddle Dee. No matter how much, Beryl can’t turn into such a weak child!”

“Beryl is a master of disguise.” Waddle Dee became more and more anxious. “He can change his appearance and voice as he likes. If he can disguise himself as Meta Knight or Captain Vul, it must be easy to masquerade as a young boy.”

“Um… um… if you ask me…”

King Dedede thought with his arms folded.

Waddle Dee continued.

“And it’s weird that the last place written is an ancient temple, even though Beryl has only hit populated towns so far.”

“Yes, that’s right. There’s no reason to attack an unpopulated place like an ancient temple…” King Dedede nodded loudly. “That’s a good point, Waddle Dee. Now that I think of it, the speed of that escape was similar to Beryl’s. He could have disguised himself as a boy and handed us this memo to lure us in. That creep!”

At that time, Sword Knight finished his call.

“I told Captain Vul what was happening. The battleship Halberd is urgently heading to planet Charm.”

“Don’t go to Charm.” King Dedede told him what Waddle Dee had noticed.

“I see… I see.” Sword Knight heard the whole story and nodded. “Beryl tried to lure us out with that memo.”

Blade Knight also spoke up. “In other words, the ancient temple must have a trap like that pit. In that case, we should avoid it!”

“I have to tell Captain Vul. The trip to Charm must be cancelled.” Sword Knight got out his communication device.

However, Kirby shouted. “Yeah! Let’s go to planet Charm!”

“Kirby?” Blade Knight said, amazed. “Did you not hear the story? This is a trap.”

“I know, but if Beryl will be there, then we have to go.” Kirby’s eyes gleamed with power. “We’re chasing after Beryl. We finally have a clue, but if we don’t go after him, then we’ll be back to square one!”

King Dedede looked at the others.

Sword Knight pondered, and Blade Knight roamed around.

Usually, they agree to go with Kirby without hesitation. However, they’ve seen the horrors of Beryl’s traps. The last trap left Meta Knight wandering between the border of life and death. It’s too dangerous to walk right into a place they knew would be trapped…

It was King Dedede who opened his mouth first. “...Hmm. I know the situation is rough, but it’s exactly as Kirby says.”

Sword Knight and Blade Knight raised their faces.

King Dedede laughed bluntly and raised his fist. “Whether it’s a trap or whatever, we can’t afford to miss the chance! Let’s go to the planet Charm!”

Sword Knight and Blade Knight hesitated and nodded.

“...Oh, oh. Alright then.”

“We have to catch him as soon as possible.”

“Let’s go, and of course, be careful of his traps.”

Sword Knight and Blade Knight, as if they had decided together, put their hands on the handles of their swords and squeezed them tightly.

It was Kirby who blew away the heavy air. “Then, let’s go let’s go~! Before that, I want a snack!”

“A, a snack?”

Both knights looked at him as if he was crazy.

“Hey, Kirby!”

“Don’t play around!”

“Play? What are you talking about!” Kirby replied with a serious look. “We’re going to beat Beryl! We’ll be in trouble if we go on an empty stomach!”

“I’m telling you, you guys!”

“Be serious!”

“I am serious!” Kirby looked up at the sky and shouted. “Seriously, we’ll need some snacks! Cookies, chocolate, candy! If we only have sweets we’ll get bored, so rice crackers and popcorn too!”

“Not so fast, Kirby!” King Dedede slammed Kirby with a harsh voice. 

Waddle Dee looked up at him with respect.

The great king turned around and said, “You really think that’ll feed you? If you’re like me you’ll need a huge shortcake and 100 large rice cakes!”

“...Your majesty…” Waddle Dee gave us his respect and dropped his face.

Kirby’s eyes shined. “Yes! Then, 100 meat buns and 100 steamed buns!”

“We’ll also need a drink. Maybe strawberry juice, cream soda…”

“And apple juice and orange juice! And coffee, milk, cocoa, and…!”

If they kept going, it seemed like they would go on forever.

“Okay, okay. You can buy as many snacks as you want. We need to go!”

(Chapter 4 - Table of Contents - Chapter 6)

[tigerseye46]

B1/65 with Red Son, in his bull true form, trying to make moves on new Monkie MK.

B1. “You’re being shy with me, aren’t you?” “No I’m not!” “Yes you are!” B65. “Do you have to get up? I was just getting comfy.”

MK stepped forward, arms outstretched, he wobbled and yelped as he tripped on a piece of carpet, his back hit the floor with a thud. Heavy footsteps stomped on the stairs and the door slammed open. “Kid, you sure you’re okay?” Pigsy asked, his brows furrowed, this was the fifth time today he had done this.

“I’m fine,” he assured. “I’m just trying to get used to this.” He gestured to his skin which was now covered in soft fur.

Pigsy pulled him up, MK rocked and had to place a hand on the pig’s shoulder for support. “You can wait until it wears off,” he said.

“I know but what if this happens again? I can’t just stand around doing nothing until it wears off and what if it never wears off?”

Pigsy sighed. “It will. The Monkey King said it would wear off and I believe him.”

You finally believe him, Xiaotian wanted to snark but held back. “Yea I know but I feel useless if I don’t do anything. I have to master this!”

“Fine. Fine. Just be careful. I don’t want you to bump your head or anythin’.”

“I will,” he promised as Pigsy shut the door to let the other return to his endeavor. Instead of doing so, he flopped down on his bed, sinking into the sheets. He took his phone out to examine the markings that now donned his face. He traced them with his thumb, still amazed at his transformation.

He had awoken this morning with brown fur covering this body and after a lot of confused screaming and tripping that involved Pigsy and Tang calming him down, they called the Monkey King for answers.

The king had told him that his shapeshifting powers must have activated and that the change would wear off in time until then he would have to get used to it. The king offered to teach them how to balance on their tail but they refused as they took it as a sign that they were growing into a worthy successor and needed to practice some things on their own. He had insisted to the king, Pigsy, Tang, Mei, Sandy, all of them that he could do this. Eventually the king left, telling them to call if they needed him. 

MK wanted to prove they could do this. They set their phone aside and put one foot forward, when they didn’t slip, they took another one and then another. They breathed out of relief, finally getting used to their shift.

They made the decision to try this out more and went into the shop. He waved at Pigsy and Tang. “Hey, kid. You okay now?”

“Yea! I’m going to try this out! See you!” He walked out of the place, hoping that no one would give him weird looks as he passed by but then again, this city had the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan attacking on a daily basis so strange didn’t exist anymore.

He wandered around, not noticing the huge shadow that trailed behind him. He placed his hands in his pockets and whistled, the figure crept closer and closer until he was pushed into an alleyway, he gasped and took out his staff. He couldn’t see his opponent as his face was buried in red fur.

“Relax, Noodle Boy,” his opponent said.

“Red?” He stared up to see horns jutting from the other’s head, an appearance similar to his father’s.

“Uh, hey, Noodle Boy,” he greeted shyly.

“Red? Why do you look like that?”

“It’s my true form,” they pointed out. “Dragon girl told me something happened and I know what it’s like to be ashamed of your form so I decided to do this.”

“Red… that’s sweet of you.” He really was touched at it.

“Anyway, you look wonderful, Noodle Boy.”

Xiaotian’s cheeks turned pink. “Thank you. You look great too,” he squeaked out and hid his face. Red’s form was hot and the sudden boldness just added to it.

“What’s wrong, Noodle Boy?”

“Nothing!”

“You’re being shy with me, aren’t you?”

“No I’m not,” he argued, his cheeks turning redder.

“Yes you are!”

“Shush, Red! I’m just not used to seeing you like this.”

“Do you think it’s hot?”

“Noooooo…”

“You do. That makes me feel better about this.”

“Of course it’s amazing, Red and thanks. I wasn’t feeling insecure about it or anything but thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They lingered in silence for a bit before it was broken by MK running his fingers through the other’s hair. “So soft,” he whispered as his eyes turned sparkly. “You don’t mind, right?”

A shake of the head. “Not at all.”

“We should probably go somewhere that’s not.” He gestured to the alley and placed the staff back in his ear.

“Right. Right.” He transformed back to human form, taking the other by the arm and leading them to their apartment.

When they arrived, the demon hesitantly went back to his bull form then lightly pushed the other against the wall, one hand laid up above the other’s head. “You look really cute, Noodle Boy,” he whispered.

The other returned to his red face. “Thanks, Red. You look cute too. What’s with the sudden boldness?”

“I just wanted to tell you the truth,” he answered.

“Awwww, Red. That’s sweet. Really sweet.” He planted a kiss on his cheek, the demon’s fur poofed slightly.

“I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me.”

“Like?”

“Cuddle, perhaps while you’re like this until it wears off I suppose.”

MK raised a brow, he snarled, “Rather forward of you, Red.”

The other’s shoulders tensed and yelled, “Quiet, Noodle Boy! I was just trying to be polite!”

He laughed in response. “Yea. I would like that.” He dragged him to the bed and the other laid down hesitantly.

MK buried his head in the other’s fur, running his fingers through it while Red threaded his own fingers on his scalp. Their hearts beated as one and purrs escaped their lips during their contentment.

It felt weird at first for Xiaotian to purr but he enjoyed the way he and Red’s chest rumbled. He wouldn’t mind taking this form more often, not just as an indication of his worth as a successor but also the purrs and warmth he got from his fur. And maybe if he did this again so would Red.

“I love you, Red,” he confessed.

A brief pause. “I love you too, Noodle Boy. We should do this more.”

“We should.”

There was a brief silence before Red said, “You’re gorgeous.”

“Thanks, Red. You’re pretty gorgeous yourself.”

“Thanks, Noodle Boy.”

They whispered soft things to each other, peppering kisses and letting time go by until there was a shout under the shop from Pigsy, a sound that rang like he had accidentally dropped something.

“MK,” the two managed to hear from the apartment. “Can you help me?”

“Sure, Pigsy,” he yelled back and stood up.

Red grabbed his hand. “Do you have to get up? I was just getting comfy.”

“I have to help Pigsy but I’ll be back.”

A sigh emitted from the other. “Fine but you had better be ready when you come back.”

He chuckled. “I will” then smooched his cheek. “I’ll be back,” he exclaimed then left.

Red huffed and stroked his red fur. “Maybe this isn’t a bad form after all.”

[imaginarydesires]

Pedro Pascal

Character Preferences

How They Act When They’re Jealous ♡

Warnings: 18+, it’s our boys so there’s definitely some mentions of violence in here and lots of sexual innuendos because that’s just who I am - whoops

Notes: I tried to keep everything gender-neutral, but I don’t have a lot of experience with gender-neutral writing so if something isn’t right, please let me know! I greatly appreciate constructive feedback of all kinds!

❥ Dave York

Dave doesn’t get jealous, at least that’s what he’ll tell you. He’ll watch another man lean into you, telling you all of his best jokes to try to get into your pants. He’ll watch because while the man is imagining sleeping with you, Dave is thinking of how he’s going to kill him and where he’ll dispose of the body. Dave will kill him, clean the blood off of his hands, and then go home to fuck you to show you who you belong to.

❥ Din Djarin

He’s a quiet jealous - meaning, yes, his blood will slowly boil as he glares through the blackened visor of his helmet at the man carelessly flirting with you, but he won’t show it openly. He’ll overthink and wonder if you’d be better off with them instead of a dangerous bounty hunter whose face you can’t see. You’ll notice he’s acting strange and ask him about it. He’ll deny it at first, maybe say he’s just tired, but you’ll know and have to reassure him you’re his and show him how much he means to you.

❥ Ezra Prospect

Being a master of words, he surely uses speech to fulfill his tinge of jealously. As another man openly flirts with you, he interjects, doing everything he can to get him to stammer over his lines until he’s a nervous mess. You notice, of course, shaking your head at your jealous partner. He’ll then turn his words to you, speaking poetically of how you’re his and how much he cares about you. His declarations always make your heart flutter, and this time is no different.

❥ Frankie “Catfish” Morales

Frankie is a man with pure intentions of protecting you and keeping you satisfied. As your partner, he wants nothing more than to be a positive influence on your happiness and well-being. This, apparently, flies out of the window when he’s jealous. He turns into a hormonal teenage boy when he sees another man try to take what he works so hard for. As the other man flirts with you, he approaches, wrapping his arms around you and kissing you so deeply he doesn’t care if the whole room becomes uncomfortable. If the other man tries to speak, he’ll hold his finger up in the air as he continues to devour your mouth. Then, finally pulling away, he’ll look the man up and down before turning to you, “I think it’s time to go, don’t you, baby? I’ve got big plans for you tonight.”

❥ Jack "Whiskey" Daniels

The only thing he can think of as he watches you chat with another man is how to get your attention back on him. He'll pick a fight if he can, knowing you can't help but watch him as he uses his lasso to corral his opponents. If a fight is intangible, he'll simply make a bet with someone in order to put his lasso skills to work. As he does, his eyes will pierce yours from across the room and won't let go. He'll finish his fight or his bet and walk over to you, ignoring your company. He'll use a sharp line, sometimes even acting like you didn't know each other as deeply as you did. "Hello, gorgeous. How would you like to ride home on a real cowboy?"

❥ Javier Peña

Javier, jealous? No fucking way - at least that’s what he tells himself as he balls his hands into fists and watches you intensely, observing your and the other man’s demeanor as you talk. The other man clearly wanted to fuck you, he could see it from across the room, and anger built in his chest as he wondered why you weren’t seeing it to. Clearly, you were spoken for. Javier fucked you nearly every night. Sure, he wasn’t one for conventional relationships, and you hadn’t had the exclusive conversation yet, but you knew, right? His brain mulled the last time you fucked, the way you moaned his name as you came. He imagined you moaning a different man’s name and lost it. He approached you, completely ignoring your little friend. “We have to go.” The other man tried to intervene, but Javier talked over him. “Now.”

❥ Marcus Moreno

Marcus got jealous, and he could admit it. Hell, he couldn’t deny it. The way his eyes couldn’t leave you as you spoke to another man. He was mid-conversation himself with another person, but couldn’t even focus on their words as he watched you. He excused himself and approached you, his hand gently brushing against the small of your back. “Hi, honey. Who’s this?” He was polite, even shook hands with the man. He felt better just being next to you, and the way you leaned into his frame made him feel even more secure. He didn’t have to be rude, or even interject himself into your established conversation, he just needed to be there, touching you softly and letting everyone know you were together.

❥ Max Phillips

He does not get jealous. He’d have to care about you to get jealous and that was not happening. But he watched you speak with another man, watched you smile at someone else with the same smile you gave him, and his anger grew. Max looked around the room, noticing the lack of attention directed to your area. Then, he approached, not saying a word to you, just staring at your new friend until they were visibly uncomfortable. “Max?” You questioned. He revealed his fangs with a signature smile and tore into the man’s neck, ripping him apart. You stood, shocked as the body hit the floor. Before you could say anything, Max grabbed your hand and pulled you away. “My office. I had a bite, but now I have a taste for something else.”

❥ Maxwell Lord

Maxwell doesn’t realize it’s jealousy fueling his anger until he’s already fuming. He approaches you and the man you appear so enamored with, his signature smile plastered on his face as an obvious cover. “Hello, my sweet girl.” You immediately notice the uncharacteristic public term of endearment and give him a strange look. You introduce the two men. Maxwell takes his hand, and pulls him in close, his fake smile still covering his anger, but not well. “You’re not flirting with my girl, are you? I’d have to make your life a living hell.” Maxwell laughed, but the other man did not. He excused himself almost immediately. “Really, Maxwell? That was unnecessary.” Maxwell wrapped his hand around the back of your neck and squeezed. “I’ll deal with you later tonight, my sweet girl.”

❥ Oberyn Martell

He genuinely never expected to find himself jealous over another. He himself enjoyed the company of others, and knew you did as well, but this was different. The other man didn’t just look at you with eyes of passion - he grabbed your hand tenderly and kissed your knuckles. Oberyn approached, his arm wrapping around your waist. You looked awkwardly between the two men, but focused on Oberyn. “Lover,” he cooed. “Yes, my prince?” You replied. “Join me on a walk, will you? Certainly your friend wouldn’t mind?” He had never asked you to go on a walk before, but he realized he would ask you every day if it meant you spent your time with him instead.

❥ Pero Tovar

Pero never did hide his anger well. He was a rough man with stained hands and a sharp tongue, and he knew life was too short to let things go, especially things as good as you. He sat across the hall, sloppily piling food from his bowl into his mouth, his eyes piercing your back as he watched another soldier flirt with you. The man placed his hand on your waist, and Tovar felt his anger boil over. He slammed his bowl onto the table, ignoring the mess he made as he did. He approached you, eyes dark and full of intention. “Hermosa.” “Yes, Pero?” You looked up at him innocently and his anger seemed to dissipate. He lost the words, unable to focus on anything but your soft lips and sweet gaze. He bent down, picking you up and swinging you over his shoulder with ease. “Pero!” You called out. “Where are you taking me?” “Somewhere for only you and me, mi amor.”