#but if I'm with someone else who also likes pickles I will still give them mine bc I'm generous

[sasayego]

Heyyy…. May i request a wife reader x dick grayson… she is mad at him and is giving him a silent treatment, but he is so done with this that he starts annoying her by saying Mrs. Grayson after every sentense and closing tightly lids

anon this is so adorable. i am going feral. also i am so severely sorry for my IA-ness.

tags — just overall fluff. some light swearing

In hindsight, you should've known that this would entail not just dating, but also marrying a vigilante. How could someone blame you, anyways? You were sitting at home, about to go to bed, when Nightwing crashed into your apartment after being chucked across the city by some villain or the other.

He had a major concussion. You didn't know how to treat thrown vigilantes who definitely had a couple of broken ribs and a torn ACL.

What you did know was how to comfort a man who was clearly in pain, who was trying to stifle his screams, because let's face it, the vigilante life should clearly not be glamorized.

He felt bad for the wreckage in your apartment. Every week, there'd be thousands of dollars at your doorstep from him, ready to pay it off. He had to be rich. There was no way he was giving your entire salary in four months and a half.

Eventually, you figured out his secret identity. And instead of being angry about it, Dick Grayson felt awfully in love with a girl who was as intelligent as he hoped she'd be. Sure she wasn't a supermodel, but she made him laugh. She made him think. She wasn't easy to get along with at times, but she made him better.

Three years later, he put a ring on it.

"I told you," you snapped, "you just keep going in stupid situations, and normally, I wouldn't mind, but it's like you refuse my help or anyone else's."

Dick knew he had a really bad hero complex. He couldn't stand anyone else getting hurt because of his issues. "I can handle it," he responded. "And isn't it just annoying that you've been mad at me for the past two days? Can't you just give it a rest?"

"I'll give it a rest when you start accepting help from others," you responded, your brows furrowing. "God, you're so—you're so—ugh!"

Dick rolled his eyes and then smirked at you, that stupid boyish smirk that made your heart tingle and everything else disappear. "I'm so what, sweetheart? What am I, Mrs. Grayson?"

You glared at him. "Dick!" You huffed, both saying his name and the insult. "That's it. I want a cooling down period. Leave me and the kitchen alone!"

He grinned, looking back at you, a mischievous glance in his eye. "Oh, I will, Mrs. Grayson. I will."

* * *

Making dinner was one of your forms of therapy. Dick was starting to go out for patrol, much to your distaste, no doubt about to pick a fight with someone who would give him considerable damage.

You didn't want him to go, you wanted to keep him here and kiss him forever, but he would leave anyways. It's my moral duty to the people of Bludhaven to keep them safe, he had said to you one night. I could never bring it to myself to disappoint these people. To make them unsafe. I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure people are as safe as can be.

And though you really disliked it, you knew that was one of the core reasons why you were so undoubtedly in love with him.

You turned around to grab the jar of pickles, still steaming from the fight, only to find that it was incredibly hard to open.

"What. The. Hell?" You hissed. You had opened it up just a day ago, and put it easily back, making sure it wasn't that hard.

Your face turned red and you looked at it again before trying to open it up, straining and groaning, only for your muscles to give out. There was only one explanation for this.

Your stupid, lovable, husband.

And after a few minutes of recollecting your pride, you stomped over to your bedroom where he was dressing. He was in the midst of putting the top half of his suit on, and your mouth turned a little dry when you saw him shirtless.

You were pretty sure that when the first time you saw him shirtless, literal heart eyes came out of your eyes. You gawked for a couple of seconds, admiring the contour of his muscles, only for him to turn around and smirk at you.

He knew what you were doing. Dammit.

"Hi, Mrs. Grayson," he teased. "Enjoying the view?"

"Shut up," you snapped, and held out the jar. "Open this up right now and stop screwing with my jars."

He smirked at you. "What's the magic word?"

"The magic word is 'I will beat you up if you don't open the jar up right now'," you responded, glaring at him. "Now. Open."

He laughed, tossing his head back, his voice echoing off the room before taking the jar. You watched intently as his triceps flexed when he opened the jar up with ease and returned it back.

"Thank you," you said, your voice having an edge to it. You were about to turn around before he grabbed you by the arm.

"What, no good luck kiss?" Dick asked huskily in your ear. It sent shivers down your spine.

"Even if I give you one, you'll still end up badly injured."

"C'mon," he murmured, planting a light kiss on your neck, his hands dancing on your waist. He squeezed your sides slightly. "I always fight better when my girl kisses me."

You looked up at him and snorted. "In your dreams," you responded, but he took this moment to crash his lips against you. You felt dizzy and couldn't help but to wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

When the both of you stopped, he laughed, looking at you breathless, his blue eyes twinkling in the night sky.

"Knew you couldn't be mad at me for that long, Mrs. Grayson."

"Shut up," you grumbled, punching his shoulder lightly. "Go save Bludhaven, Boy Wonder."

He stepped out the window and then turned back at him, smirking. "You know I am, sweetheart. And when I come back, I'm gonna finish what I started."

[bonefall]

maybe with the ending.. make it be like the link between Breezepelt's leaving to join Kin and his POV in AVOS? of course from Nightcloud's perspective but

like. she would be injured and recovering away from the clan. but they would be unaware that she is alive and like in canon assume she died and hold her a vigil. Breezepelt, who is already at low point, taking it very badly - yes he was pushing her away bc he was hurt and angry and started taking it out on her, but.. it's still his mom. his Mi. and she is dead? or is this stupid clan just going to believe this to make it easier? are they really giving up on looking for her, or her body??

i can see Nightcloud being the one of very few, if not THE Only one, things that kept Breezepelt in WindClan at this point. and without her, what's the point? it's not like anyone else likes him. the link is gone and they buried it in a bodyless vigil. so it's what pushes him to actuall take the step and leave.

not sure how well it would align with the timeline and events. and how soon Darktail was assembling cats from other clans like Breeze. but i think it would be interesting and heartbreaking if at the end of her SE, Nightcloud just arrived back to WindClan and asks where Breezepelt is and someone tells her.. he either was missing since this morning or just left the clan earlier the same day. like, just have them miss each other by a hair.

I'm thinking that the second-to-last chapter is her with Pickle, having a bit of a sabbatical to unpack everything that happens through the story. Mostly because I want to throw her into some kind of pretty garden as a nice setting for this lmaoo

A LOT of BB stuff is being added to Nightcloud's Pannage that wasn't in the main series; Hillrunner's abuse, her mentor Addersong, several expanded little background characters now complete with their own side conflicts. I think what I can bind all these things with is Nightcloud considering what a Clan means.

Because of her new reputation, I'm noticing I'm writing scenes where she's intentionally doing and saying things to try and sway them. While also grappling with her resentment towards them, and things she can't change.

There's a bit of a melancholy air so far, so I'm starting to feel like the best ending is just having a bit of space to herself to think. Ultimately, she decides that it's more than Breezepelt or Crowfeather that binds her to WindClan. It's the life and connections she COULD have.

WindClan cats are also quite religious next to other Clans, so I really do mean "sabbatical." I'm going to have Addersong die of old age shortly after they reconnect, so she's in Pickle's Garden talking to her new friend, choosing cats she's lost to pray to as patron spirits to give her the traits she feels she needs, and just recovering both physically from injury and spiritually from turmoil.

So all that to say; it works well that by the time she gets back, Breezepelt has joined The Kin. He was one of the first to join when he started calling for members anyway, so having Night be gone for about two or three weeks sounds appropriate.

[glorious-imagines]

The Gala .I

p2 p1

It was the annual Wayne Family Gala. Y/n had been invited. She debated whether or not she should go. Going meant she would definitely see Jason. But she would also get to see Dick and everyone else. She missed them. And Alfred would be upset if she didn't show. Jason's girlfriend or not.

She huffed and picked up her phone. She sent a quick text and then went to her closet. This year's theme was the Moonlit Masquerade Ball. She had absolutely nothing to match. She would need to go shopping. It was going to be expensive, too. She huffed and began getting ready for a trip to her favorite tailor.

Just before she's out the door, she gets a return text from her current… uh… person? She wasn't sure she was ready to give him any sorta title. He was just someone she was 'talking to' at the moment. Anyway, he confirmed to be her date for the gala.

She briefly wondered if Jason would bring Isabella. She hoped not. That witch would definitely try to start something. The entitled cunt. She huffed and shook her head to clear her thoughts. Shopping was too good an activity to be marred by thoughts of awful people.

…

Jason didn't want to go to the annual gala. He just didn't have the energy to get all gussied up. On the other hand, he glanced at Isabel, who was making herself some food. He could use a bit of time away from his baby mama. The alcohol would definitely be strong enough for him to forget his regrettable choices. He'd have Gabby grab him something and then get ready at her place.

He nodded to himself, taking a sip of his coffee. It was disgusting, but he didn't make a show of it. She tried her best. He missed the homebrewed teas Y/n used to make. She had him try chai with just a hint of sugar. It turned out to be his favorite.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Isabel asked, bringing him out of his thoughts as she sat across from him.

"Hm?" he questioned.

"You were smiling. It had to have been a good thought. What was it?"

He hadn't realized he was smiling. Is still smiling. Guess Y/n could always get him to his happy place. He didn't even know he was stressed enough to need one. He made sure his smile didn't falter so as not to raise any suspicions about himself. When did he start faking his happiness like this?

"Was thinking maybe we could eat out tonight. I'm kinda craving a tiramisu."

Isabel frowned. "Blech, that sounds so gross to me right now." She rubs her belly. "Maybe no chocolate for a while."

Jason watched her hands move in circular motions around her belly. She was huge now. With twins. Both boys. He wanted to sigh heavily. Release a bit of the stress he felt. Sometimes he felt that she would rub her stomach to kind of manipulate him in some small way. She didn't say it, but he knew she expected him to not have what he wanted. It would make her sick. The babies apparently weren't fans of chocolate. It barely had 'chocolate' in it.

He makes his smile soften and gently rubs her arm. "Well, it won't go anywhere. We can get whatever you like." "I'd really like a boisenbery cheesecake." She smiled innocently.

They had gone to this diner multiple times. She always got the same thing. Bacon egg cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, extra onions, and pickles; a large side of fries with barbecue sauce and mustard. And lastly, two, no, three—wait, four—slices of boisenbery cheesecake. Two to take home.

"I knew you would say that. That's why I got it for delivery. Since I'll be busy tonight, I even got a whole boisenberry cheesecake made. Just for you." This made her swoon and hug him. He couldn't lie, It made his heart swell a bit to see her so happy. He'd make a mental note to do more things like this for her. The situation wasn't ideal, but there was no reason they both had to suffer.

"I'll be gone for a bit, so I asked Gabby to keep an eye on you for me. Her numbers' on the fridge if you need anything."

"Okay, at least try to be safe."

He hummed as he walked out the door. …

Exactly how does one run into their ex as soon as they arrive? Y/n knew she was playing with fire by coming. But arriving at the same time as Jason? Well, she was just that lucky, wasn't she?

Dick walks over to the entrance with a big grin on his face. "How's my fave couple?"

Y/n turns to Jason with a slightly annoyed and curious expression. "You didn't tell your family that we broke up?" Dick looks a bit down. "You guys broke up?"

Jason rolls his eyes and says, "Well, forgive me, but I've been a bit busy."

Y/n takes off her jacket and hands it to the attendee while nodding as if remembering certain facts. "Right, you do have to prepare to bring your seed into this world…" Dick is shocked. "You're having a baby?"

Jason instantly frowns. "Real nice, Y/n. Why don't you grow the fuck up?"

Y/n feigns caring, "Where is your baby mama, anyway? Both our invitations have a plus one."

Dick has finally noticed that the air between them is a bit hostile and dons a nervous grin."

"What, like you brought someone?" Jason says thinking he's had the last laugh.

Y/n sports a devilish grin. "I would never come to a Wayne Gala alone. He should be walking in right… about… there he is."

In walks Conner Kent. He is dressed to the nines in a midnight blue tux with a corset. It matched perfectly with Y/n's midnight blue strapless gown, which hugged her body in all the right places. Jason would have taken the time to appreciate her choice of dress if they hadn't had their little spat.

Conner wrapped his arms around Y/n and kissed her cheek. The action made Jason nauseous.

"It might be best if you make yourself scarce, Todd," Damian says as he walks straight into the scene. "We're not going to stop inviting her over just because you broke up."

Jason wanted to strangle Damian. Instead, he opted for glaring, hoping the kid would somehow catch fire. "Hey all, it's my first time to a Wayne function. I heard they're famous." Conner spoke with a chill smirk.

Jason's gaze shifts back to Y/n who still has that shit-eating grin, like she won the battle. He is pissed. And hurt. His hands ball into tight fists, and he's about to do something to add to his list of regrets…

Dick clears his throat, bringing his hands together with a clap, smiling away all the tension. "Okay, we're happy to have you, Conner. Help yourself to everything, and I'll see you later." He throws an arm around Jason's shoulders and leads him away just as Y/n and Conner start a conversation with Damian.

Dick leads Jason to Bruce's study and closes the door behind them. Jason kicks over a chair in frustration. "Damn it!"

"So, a lot has happened, obviously. You and Y/n broke up. Presumably, because you're having a baby… " Dick leans casually against Bruce's desk with his arms crossed over his chest.

Jason slides down a nearby wall with his hands over his face. "A fucking Super? She's fucking a Super." "And you care because you still have strong feelings for her."

The statement makes Jason groan loudly in his hands. "We were supposed to spend the rest of forever together…"

"And now you have a baby on the way."

"Babies." Jason corrects. "Isabel is having twins."

"Isabel?" Dick sits next to him. "As in…"

"Yup."

"Shit…"

"I thought I did the right thing by ending things with Y/n. I didn't want her to bear the brunt of our relationship while I was off being a dad. He sweeps his hands roughly through his hair, a heavy sigh leaving him. "But I fucked up. I fucked up bad. I miss her so much."

...

"So this is the hangout spot?" Conner casually saunters into Bruce Wayne's office like he owns it.

"The rest of the manor is closed to guests. I can have someone point you in the direction of the guest restrooms." Dick suggested about to call for an aid.

"Actually, I wanted to speak to Jason." He gave a lopsided grin.

Dick scrutinized Conner, ready to deny him access to Jason entirely.

"It's fine, Dick." Jason went poker-faced, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked out.

Conner saluted Dick with two fingers and followed Jason. They ended up on a balcony overlooking the gala. Jason notes that Y/n is talking to Babs. He fleetingly thinks about reading their lips before turning to Conner.

"It's crazy how things work out, right?" Conner starts, "One minute I'm crushing hard, and the next, I'm her date to one of the famous Wayne Galas."

"So, you wanted to rub it in." Jason challenged as his face twisted.

"No, you misunderstand." Conner held his hands up with the feint of a nervous smile plastered on his face. "I don't know what went down with you two. I do know that you were couple goals."

"And?" Jason grumbled impatiently.

"Well, it's obvious you're the fuckup in this equation. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so pissed."

"No way, Y/n is dating such a tool."

Conner claps him on the shoulder a little too hard. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew that she isn't yours to make happy anymore."

Jason scoffs and roughly shrugs his hand off him. "Y/n doesn't belong to anyone. And while we aren't together anymore, there's not a chance in hell I'm leaving her in your hands." Jason shoulder-checks Conner as he walks away, fists balled tightly.

NEXT

~~~ I was gone for a year… lets not make it a big deal. I even came with a gift… 😏

@iyuuii @jaguarthecat @rhyanna6012

[blinkpen]

nother lil life update!

appointment with housing admin lady got rescheduled to tuesday, but that's not too big a deal since that is the soonest day they could officially open up that apartment for me anyway, so if the answer was going to be yes, rescheduling when i get the yes to said day, doesn't delay the move-in, except by like, maybe, one more additional day of just. going back to get/move my stuff? so i am Unbothered and maintain the same level of cautious optimism leaned optimism as before

and again my stress level is way lower now knowing there is likely a light at the end of the tunnel (hell that a tunnel even EXISTS now) and mom is, at least for now, sobered by the intervention of other adults for whom going

"ummmmm but the very existence of trans identity is a personal attack against me and my beliefs bc i believe their existence is blasphemous they stole the rainbow from christians and desecrated the noah's arc story that's why i'm so mean to [not my fucking pronoun] whenever anything remotely close to the topic of gender comes up, asking nicely to so mach as -gag noises- humor they/them is a deliberate attack on me first, and forcing the queer agenda on me, so i get to attack back with full venom unloaded and vote in favor of making queer peoples' lives more difficult if not impossible, so like, i'm the victim actually? [not my fucking pronoun] needs to stop being so entitled and unholy and learn to deal with Different Opinions and stop Undermining me"

will not fucking fly and she can't make inflict Power Word: Guilt Trip to make them crumple away the way she does to me to instantly win and make the argument stop so she is now not pushing buttons and keeping her toxicity to herself methinks bc "ah fuck, an actually benevolent authority figure nobody in town would question is looking at how much my grown but wingclipped and disabled child's mental and now physical health has deteriorated to life-threateningly poor levels and looking in my direction while Knowing details i cannot possibly spin in my favor to outside observers; the only people who'd swoop in to take my side would only make me look worse by association, though i'll probably still refuse to think about The Implications of that, so i will Be Mask On now about it if nothing else"

like she got a stark fucking reminder i think of the fact she is a mean person who publicly boasts about being mean because she thinks its funny and also equates being smart with being cynical and therefore if you're aggressively cynical you're automatically smarter than whoever you are talking to or about, and is the kind of person who literally owns a "leftist tears" coffee mug, while claiming herself a Good christian just because she didn't kick me out for being queer like the Bad christians do, but like, she can still give me shit for being queer as much as she likes and if i stand up for myself i'm an ungrateful little bitch, those are her Vibes,

and being that way, makes it hard to defend yourself as totally innocent of any wrongdoing and victim-blame someone most people in town know, by contrast, as "the borderline mute Always a Hoodie n Headphones kid who spends a lot of time just wandering around town for the heck of it and seems a bit touched in the head/lost in their own little world, but is unfailingly friendly if you do try to talk to them for whatever reason, and will sincerely ask if they could be of any assistance to anyone who enters their cone of vision who seems to be in a pickle" once they start developing what seems like a wasting illness and an aura of hopelessness they didn't have before and finally show up at the hospital looking like they're about to drop dead from what is clearly several months of physiological stress and self-neglect and they don't even have their meds handy because you locked their disabled ass out in retaliation for leaving for one single night because you wouldn't stop screaming at them about how their gender thing is blasphemous and [checks notes] eavesdropping in on them while they shower to make sure not even their anguished crying and muttering to themself even in there isn't saying anything you don't like??? what the f-

even the crusty old farmer i know who i guess probably would go "not sure i like that but whatever" about transness otherwise enters "now what makes you think that makes [not my pronoun but i forgive bc its not done Maliciously] less of a person, what makes you think that's okay" mode over that

lol, said the frog, as a human hand scoops it out of the water just in time, and places it on a nice log where it may recover from the sting, while pointing to the sinking scorpion suggesting they go to therapy instead of stinging everyone around them and going "but i'm a scorpion so that means i am not responsible for my actions and nobody is allowed to expect better of me" lmao,

okay that went from a life update to me venting a bit? but. i eared that i think, it helps keep my grounded, hoenstly.

anyway we gotta send my doc a fruit basket or somn

[wachtelspinat]

Hey, I just came across your post about how you’ve been feeling a disconnect from you and your art and about how you feel a mix of guilt for drawing the same fanart for so long….i just want you to know how nice it felt to see someone I have admired for so long going through the exact same thing I am. I have never played Overwatch or anything, but I’ve been following you for years….your art has always been such a source of inspiration. So I’m really sorry you’ve been feeling this way…..but I’m in a very similar boat…so please don’t feel like you are alone. I’ve been drawing Homestuck garbage for years and I also feel that mix of “it’s fine because it makes me happy” but also “you should be doing more”…..it’s not a fun cycle to constantly be battling with in your brain. But being an adult sucks ass, it has honestly felt like a process having to adjust to not having a sense of community like we did in the earlier days of tumblr or whatever else. But please know that your art has meant so much to me and everybody else and that you are not alone in your feelings ❤️ sorry this was massively cheesy….just wanted to give a virtual internet hug lol Also being a part of a “dead” fandom is always very lonely….i feel you on that so hard my guy lol

hey thanks so much for reaching out, it means a lot. i'm sorry to hear that you are in a similar pickle tho...

to give an update on that particular feeling and situation over here, i've been drawing more again, the pace just got adjusted, and i've kind of made my peace with this. doing a deep dive into older fandom bits also brought some sense back into my head... i actively reconnected with the things that made me love my blorbos in the first place again. which feels great. there is some lonliness to this because as current news about the game and fandom tendencies go still make me feel alienated. but i'd rather take this and do my own thing with the few people who also remember the good times than giving up on my boys or trying to bend myself into a different shape and draw sth that i actually don't want to for the sake of staying relevant.

it all actually boils down to "do what you want, draw what you want, write what you want, share if you want". because at the end of the day i make myself happy by just indulging into envisioning them and drawing unspoken interactions and their faces a hundered times from the same angle <3

[ley-med]

Hey Ley,

You don’t know me, but I have been a follower of yours for a long time now. I just graduated with my undergraduate degree as a premed student, but I will be taking a gap year to really punch up my experience. I am in a bit of a pickle, and I was wondering if someone further along in the journey may be able to shed some light. You are more than welcome to pass on this if you do not feel equipped to give advice. In short, what should I do if I am having trouble answering why I want to go into medicine? This is admittedly a silly question, but it is something I have been in a bit of a tailspin about since graduating. Before then, I was SO steadfast about it. My undergrad major is unconventional, but it does back up a lot of anatomy and physiology concepts. Since I was a kid, I’ve yearned for this. I have never felt as satisfied as I have being challenged and pushed to learn when it came to medicine. Doubly so when it came to helping people. But when I look at how much left I have to go, and how overwhelming the system feels, I falter.  

My major exposed me to a lot of great work and folks who do amazing things for others, and as much as I loved doing it, I feel irreconcilably split. For so long I had engaged myself to medicine as my future, and it felt earth shattering to realize I could find that passion somewhere else. I still want to become a physician, but I am having a harder and harder time justifying this.

Regards, Anon

Hi Anon!

First of all, ask yourself if you might need a break. You finished a degree, you are tired, let yourself rest a bit and celebrate your accomplishments! You don't have to figure out everything immediately. Enjoy your year a bit :) And congratulations on your degree!

Now, this is a good question. It's only my personal opinion, but if you do medicine just because you've always wanted to do medicine, and can't imagine yourself being happy any other way, I'm pretty sure it would break you. Because when the inevitable hard times come, during med school, or residency, or later, you would stand feeling miserable, and think if this is my happy then what's the point of it all. And that's how miserable and depressed doctors are made...

When I decided to apply for med school, my wonderful mother asked me the same question, why medicine? Easy, I want to help people. Then she said, "okay, fair, but there are several ways to do that. I am a psychologist, I help people. A hairdresser helps people day after day. Why medicine?"

I didn't always used to, but I have an answer now, and that's because I tried to find happiness in the little things. Reading and trying to memorize a genetics textbook with bleary eyes, exhausted from the previously failed exam, while pinterest randomly shows "remember why you started" quotes in your face, really makes you think if it's worth it at all...

I freaking love the human body, science, and knowing the whys of how the body works. The fact that I also get to "play" with it, see the many ways I can affect the body's functions, makes medicine a heaven for me. And yes, I also love bringing people comfort in their darkest hours and easing their pain, and keeping them alive when their body would give up otherwise.

All that said, medicine is great, but in the end, it's a job just like any other job. I do it because I love my job, for now, but I think I would also love owningworking in a bakery, or becoming a biologist (marine biology my beloved I will never entirely give you up). Life is ever changing and that's the beauty of it, no career is set in stone.

What I'm trying to say is, keep thinking about it, and don't think big, just small aspects you enjoy to do. Then take a step away from it, and let it simmer, then think about it once again. Then take away the part where you help people, what's left? If you can, ask other graduated doctors too, how's their job, what do they like about it, so you can decide more fairly for yourself.

And if you realise you don't have any reason, apart from "this used to be my dream", you don't have to. It's not an obligation, don't push yourself into something you will not enjoy, because honestly, the work hours aren't that great...

Once you have an answer though, don't let the long road ahead of you, or the failures of the system stop you. The system is faulty, severely, but so are other systems (and with meticulous and slow work, we can also work on changing it). Med school and residency are hard and long, but every career has its learning curve, before you become an expert (and if I already admitted using Pinterest in my early medschool days, let me add, "the time will pass anyway") and let me be honest, I love residency and learning the things that matter

[an-honest-puck]

I have watched Pray Don't Be Fickle far too many times than is normal (thanks @personinthepalace for sharing the whole scene lol) and I simply cannot get over how incredible Jonathan's voice is- like, the tone of his voice?? so crisp and clear it's amazing

(also, I love rewatching it and watching everyone reacting to him lol)

the fact that it's Harry who first summons him and names him Reverend Jon

Nancy suggesting a silly summoning spell to give Jonathan time to get on stage

the musicians in the background looking at Jon, waiting for him to cue them

Nancy double checking that he's coming and Harry trying not to break as he watches Jon walk on

ok no but hold on, the pure delight on Nancy's face when she realises that Jon's actually going to get on there and sing is so wonderful and lowkey kinda heartwarming?? idk, she's just so hyped for this moment y'all, it's hard not to get swept up in the excitement ya dig?? lol

not Jon Oscar starting his cameo with a pun XDD

"I sense someone has become something jarred!" - Oscar

Charlie: Our headmistress has been turned into a pickle! We need you to reverse that. Oscar: Of course. Well, my children, there's only one way to do that of course. Charlie: Of course- Oscar, breaking half way through this sentence: Which I fear is through song.

Nancy absolutely setting Jon up for a big dramatic song and of course the kicker: "Why don't you take... centre stage?"

listen, I know Nancy literally gestured for him to be centre stage, but that still doesn't explain why he starts this song kneeling pfffff- fr who knows, but it's a bloody power move if I ever did see one

speaking of brilliant moves, shoutout to Charlie for inviting everyone in the cast on the stage to be a part of this iconic moment 😌

Oscar: Uhh. My children, I must say, I'm disappointed that tonight is the only show my parents are watching.

Almost everyone else in the cast: *breaking*

Oscar: But here we go.

the band and Jonathan being perfectly timed on that opening chord and note??? wtf is this improv magic????? /amazed

I'm sorry but even from that very first line "When you've been turned" his tone is so crisp and so strong my god

also, I can't tell if rhyming 'jarred' with an alternate pronunciation of 'prepared' (i.e. 'preparred') is lazy or lazy enough to be genius XD

I adore Lauren and Nancy's all the little interjections in the first few lines and Jon including them in the song XD

Jon: When you've been turned into something jarred Lauren: Sing it, Reverend! Jon: You must be prepared, be preparred Nancy: It's just you! Jon: It's just me it's a solo, that's unfortunate Nancy (literally just as Jonathan has goe up to the two Henrys and Shields looks like he's about to help him lol): Don't try and pass it, Jon! Jon: But do not worry, things are gonna turn out great!

the knowing laugh of the audience when Jonathan sings "Pray, don't be fickle..." (because how else are you gonna rhyme 'pickle' ya dig?? XD)

but fr tho, Jono vocally popped off on the chorus!!!!!!!

also can we spare a moment to appreciate the way he physically embraces this song?? he's not dancing, but he absolutely nails the 'possessed by the music' acting direction of the scene and I friggin love it!!!!!

(the man is surprisingly light on his feet I would love to see him tap - Charlie says he was a great tap dancer back in their LAMDA days lol)

gotta love the musicians changing the rhythm of the song on him - to be fair, they are keeping in the gospel style of shifting the rhythm lol

and in true improv style, Jono incorporating that into the song XD

"A different kind of rhythm has started / And I know that we're all gonna see the change!" - Oscar

(yo how did he hit that note on 'change'?!!?!?)

and then of course he pops off lyrically and vocally

yo I legit have to record it here because this bit of lyrical improv is Showstopper level!!!!

A different kind of rhythm has started And I know that we're all gonna see the change! Magic's here and the lord is upon us So don't be fearful, now don't be enraged!

his vocal interjections in the second chorus!!!!! the way he becomes a choir director and gets everyone to do the chorus again because no one actually knew how the chorus went, least of all him!!! XD

and then he gets back on his knees and it's all over for us bitches /affectionate because it's me, I'm bitches XD

the way he signals for the music to stop is so fckn cool omg

THE RUN HE HITS ON 'PRAY' ADFSAKHDJFKSLAHLDJSK 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩

(Nancy in the background looking so proud!!!!!!!!!!!!)

THE TIMING OF THE BAND TO COME BACK IN WITH THE MUSIC ASDFHADSFJLKAFHLJK 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩

again with the badass stop-the-music signal?!?!?! we get it you're a fkcn bombass vocalist AND you're musically trained goddang- /jk

and to top it all off: a pitch perfect exit featuring a Shields flourish to end

in conclusion: Mischief, give the people what they want and let Jonathan Sayer sing more in your future productions!!!!!!!

[grimacingheron]

Written using a prompt from one of @remvictory 's incorrect SDV quotes posts.

"Y/N: Why does everyone want to kill Harvey?

Shane: Because, goddamnit, have you seen him? His neck looks so snappable."

I made Y/N the farmer character I use for all of these and might've gotten off-track-ish, but I had fun.

This was also nice to use as a way to express unpleasant thoughts that you might just need to think out to get 'em to go away. They aren't bad. You're just curious. Don't fear your thoughts. :)

Shane is sitting in the waiting area practically glaring holes in the side of Harvey's face. He got here close to an hour ago, now and has done nothing, but stare. Harvey greeted him when he came in and Shane said hello back before he sat down. He isn't here for any sort of service, as the doctor has already asked(multiple times).

He's simply here to stare. It's quiet in the clinic and he will make the most of it. Which leads him to now.

During this one-sided staring contest, Shane's been thinking. A dangerous thing, some would consider it. Most of his thoughts are centered around the doctor himself and his practice. His thought process was more normal an hour ago, questions like: where'd he get his license? What's the worst thing he's treated? The weirdest thing? Who comes in for treatment the most often?

That last question he's able to immediately answer himself. 'The farmer, clearly. Even the Adventurer's Guild doesn't come in with as many scrapes and ailments as Hero.'

But, from the topic of Hero, he started thinking about bones. Does Harvey know how to set a bone? Probably. How often does he see a broken bone? Because of Hero, more than he used to. Has he ever broken a bone? Hard to imagine.

How much force does it take to break a bone?

Could Shane break someone's bones?

Could he break Harvey's bones?

Harvey has a very snappable looking neck.

Shane startles in his seat, head checking his surroundings as if someone could've heard his thoughts. To his immediate relief, it's still just him and the doctor in the clinic. His brows pull together.

It is such an odd-creepy- thought. He didn't mean to think of something so...disturbing.

The sound of the clinic's door chime cuts through the undeclared silence. 'Think of the farmer and they shall appear.' Hero walks into the waiting room with a smile on their face and each hand expertly juggling damagable gifts.

"Harvey, dear!" The doctor rises so abruptly from where he was crouched behind that counter that Shane swears he heard his spine crack. 'Is that what his neck would sound li-'

Clearly, the attention gets directed to him when he shakes his head only to look up and hear Hero gasp.

"Shane my beloved! So, this is where you've been." One of the farmer's hands is now freed; the jar of pickles now less-safely in Harvey's flusteredly unsteady hands. Their other item is a warm plate of pepper poppers. He can already taste the spiciness of the home-grown peppers. Feel their crunch through the cling film.

How similar is this crunch to a bone-

He audibly groans. Hero quickly takes a seat next to him.

"Do you not like the peppers?" They sound apologetic. How awful. "I can get you something else."

Shane set the plate on his lap and waves them off, "No, no. These are fine. Great. They're great," his following sigh is also great, "I'm just having, uh, unpleasant thoughts?"

Hero angles toward him and as if Harvey can sense the tone shift, turns his back to them and hums to himself, distracted, "What kind of thoughts, dear?"

Now, he's worried them. That's so much worse.

"Nothing like what your thinking, honest!" He taps his fingers on the side of the plate. With a glance, he sees Harvey's still distracting himself to give them some privacy and he knows Hero's one of the only people, if not the only person he's willing to talk to about things as personal as this.

Shane decides to share, but only after a put-upon sigh, "Goddamnit, okay, look," he quickly, and discreetly, points at the oblivious doctor, "look at him. His neck just looks so snappable."

The look of relief on the farmer's face is so swiftly replaced with laughable confusion.

"What?" They spare the counter a look, Harvey's back still to them, but he's looking a bit up at a shelf and his neck is on perfect display framed between his stark white collar and his dark hair, "Why does everyone want to kill Harvey?" Hero whispers, almost to themself.

The laughable confusion's now on his face.

"What'd'you mean 'everyone?'"

Hero shuts their mouth and shakes their head, refusing to answer and break the confidence of whoever else confided in them.

"Hero, what do you mean?"

Elsewhere, Sebastian sneezes.

[winterpower98]

Part 2 on the way

- beach episode but macaque stays hidden under the umbrella judging everyone

Ma supervising

Wukong either running around to look for cool rocks or sleep the whole time

And Ba and Beng being cute around

Also yk those people who sell like granite (i swear how do you say it in English) ? Okay wukong would zoom just to get the peach flavored and then go back to sleep like a grandpa

- i like to think that Beng didn't know how to swim, and felt stupid for it because he was scared of water (and never learned how to swim)

So one day, when he tried to swim, Mac was watching, Ba was teaching him, and Ma was making sure Beng wasn't scared or anything.

Wukong? Under water holding Beng up so he didn't sink. Just standing at the bottom giving Beng a chair with his hands.

- imagine you're relaxing and suddenly wukong says "lmao" out of no where.

- like to think that sometimes or deadass every Friday Beng and Ba receive a gift. A gift for both, maybe a book for Ba and something else for Beng, anything that they would like.

They don't know who is the person who gives them a gift, and honestly they have started to wait for them each Friday.

Little did they know it's wukong giving them gifts.

- this hc is really funny to me but- macaque being jacket but not being able to open a jar of pickles, then you see wukong, this skinny man, being able to lift a whole mountain. Even better if you think that wukong is a bit chubby because he doesn't train and keeps eating junk.

- feel like Mami, despite wukong horrible choices, is very proud of wukong.

He started as some stubborn child, and ended up as being half if not all china hero and a god. He matured a lot and she's proud of her son for it.

- wukong as both a grave for Ma and one that used to belong to macaque, he used to stay there and sit and give flowers to each grave.

He still does, but doesn't do it to Macaque one anymore, since he isn't dead anymore.

- wukong still has a big amount of animals in his house, especially weird cats and horses.

- wukong used to groom his friends a lot, monkey way to show affection 💪

Sometimes he gave flowers too because apparently humans did it to show that they loved someone. He didn't quite get it was rather more romantically than platonic. But did he care? No.

- wukong likes salami. That's it. Bono er salame

- wukong acted like a grandpa since he was a kid, maybe he took it from langur and horse, unknown, he was just a grandpa since birth man. The ultimate old sun.

- both handsome monkey king and old sun were nicknames made by his monkeys,

Handsome monkey king because he reached both demons and monkey standards,

And old sun because everyone saw their king as a second parent or directly their grandpa.

- Ma was likely the first one with Beng to ask wukong to train them, both wanted to protect their people when wukong wasn't there!

- monkey king is so bored as a god that he knows how to code, sew, draw, paint, and make a rocket

Like wow dude

- if Beng and Ba ever visit again wukong the first thing they'll see is probably wukong with 7 monkeys on him, one grooming him, one attached to his leg, one trying to tackle him and push him, one playing with his tail, and one asking questions for the next three hours (imagine wukong and the monkey asking questions like : "wabadababa is that true? Yeh")

- i imagine the whole group feeling bad in different ways for wukong, they already do because of jttw (other than Mac). because despite Tripitaka treating wukong so badly, wukong still misses him and can't let go. It's just..sad. y'know? (I'm talking about Ma if she was alive too)

- they all liked Mami. Mami is a very likeable person and wukong will beat up whoever says otherwise.

whenever the ground had a sleepover to wukong house Mami always made food that wasn't fruits, everyone liked that.

- speaking of the house, wukong house was a human one, so Mami and wukong were the only monkeys who lived in an actual house and not maybe little camps or also caves. That's why doing a sleepover there was the best. Cozy house.

- bet Ba and Beng would have loved how well taken care and full of life flower fruit mountain is again!

- apparently, monkeys do get periods! Yes menstrual ones. so i can only imagine wukong taking good care of Mami whenever her period came, he did the exact same to Ma and Ba too. Just helping like a true gentleman. (i do wonder if he would have periods too because of my trans headcanon..)

- if the monkeys could ever meet MK, what would be their reaction? We know that Mac didn't had the...best first impression, but he's working on it.

We already talked about how Mami treats MK like her kid just like wukong, (i don't know if you ever talked about MK with langur and horse, i remember you saying that wukong tried to hide the fact that he had a successor from them but failed though!)

Part 1

(I think it's like a gelato kinda situation, you just call it granita I guess. Because granite is the rock)

Oh, I love the idea of Beng not knowing how to swim and Ba teaching him! That's very cute.

Of course Mami is proud of her son! Yes he made mistakes, but that is part of growing and he did his best to atone for them

Man god ADHD and was alone for 500 years. That is a dangerous combination, no wonder he knows how to do so many things

I didn't know monkeys get menstrual periods too. I'm sorry for them, I hoped they would be free from that pain

I did say that Wukong tried to keep MK a secret from Langur and Horse. That's because he knew the two would have made fun of him, calling him a dad even when he had only started to train the kid. Both immortals like MK very much, he's a sweeter version of Wukong to them.

And while I'm sure Ba, Beng and Ma would absolutely adore MK too, they would also be equally worried about him because 1 he's a kid, and 2 why would Wukong even need a successor?

[sauntervaguelydown]

EiaPJ 7, 11, 12 👀👀👀 (apologies bc you’ve def answered 7 for me before lol)

haha, let's do it again and see if my answer is different this time

7: Where did the title come from?

okay okay so as I remember it I was huge into Creature Feature at the time and the title is modeled off the phrasing of "eternity in a wooden case" from Gorey Demise, but. I remember standing in front of the purple bookshelf in my bedroom at my mother's house and trying to figure out how I was going to get the parable of the Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Pickle Jar into the story. Ultimately I never did succeed at that. But I remember having vague ideas. I'm pretty sure I picked out the phrase "pickle jar" and then tried to work the parable into the plot immediately afterward. So I'm honestly not sure why I even thought of pickle jar in the first place. In my defense, it was August of tenth grade.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

hmmm. What do I like best about it NOW, in retrospect... I think there is a very free feeling to the dialogue when you go back and read the original 2010 version. Not all of my jokes landed, but some of them were genuinely funny. And the meandering dialogue switches from topic to topic in a way that feels pretty true to conversations you have with a future best friend you're only just getting to know. I was making a lot of friends for the first time around the point I wrote this, and I think I captured something true and charming about the process of getting to know and like someone else.

12: What do you like least about this fic?

well. to be honest. there are a lot of mistakes, but the one that embarrasses me most is the whole scene in the Vietnamese restaurant. It was a really bad confluence of me being obsessed at the time with using google translate to write characters speaking other languages (you can also see it in the Deviantart draft, where it still has a whole aside from the Devil saying "call me [this russian phrase] if you're feeling russian"). The whole scene is basically one mistake after another. The "stick in your ass" joke isn't funny, 2010 google translate is an absolute travesty, and giving Jimmy a backstory where he did One good thing and encountered One Good Woman is a really hackneyed way of walking back his misogyny. And now of course we know it's an EXTREMELY bad look to have the only Asian character in the entire narrative be a sex worker, so. oh boy. Anyway I ripped that entire scene out of the AO3 archive version. Tenth grade Dez was trying to be woke about the treatment of sex workers but doing an extremely baby's-first-disaster version of it.

So like. you know.

as far as the AO3 version of the fic goes, I KNOW I can write a better sex scene than that nowadays

[ninthvare]

I know all I do is post, I'm still in that new OC hyperfocus blorbo honeymoon phase where you have a fun new character and you just constantly rotate them in your mind but anyway (friend/)SHIPPING............

He is like a stray cat who meows outside your house. Wants to be your friend but don't scare him

if you're going to do ANYTHING dangerous he will be coming and if you object he'll start listing every single one of his dragonsong war achievements until you relent just so he'll stop doing that. then he'll go SEE?? I'M USEFUL. YOU LOVE BRINGING ME. every time he helps

He likes people who just don't pay much attention to his extremely obvious mental illness and just dismiss it as "he's kinda weird but I like him anyway" and are careful to avoid the stuff that bugs him without making a big deal about it but also are still willing to banter and joke around and push his buttons a bit. He definitely has something wrong TM going on up there but he's also an adult man who is able to support himself and is actually incredible at combat and pretty fearless (especially of heights) and will tell you what he wants and is sometimes an asshole on purpose

He's willing to get emotionally vulnerable way before getting physically vulnerable which means he will tell you some real fucked up shit then insist that you absolutely do not hug him which probably feels awful

Eventually he will casually put his hand on your shoulder or something and if you bring it up he'll get embarrassed and go OH DO YOU NOT WANT ME TO NOW? LAST I CHECKED YOU WERE BEGGING ME TO TOUCH YOU? I CAN STOP like a dumbass

and if you are feeling extra bad he might give you a hug but like. just you, specifically. Everyone else gets a supremely awkward pat on the back, if that

he will write you songs and be VERY ENTHUSIASTIC about supporting you in your endeavors. he will bring flowers and will in general just become a complete wife guy

He will flirt then get really embarrassed about it. he will do this even after marriage.

this isn't shipping related but he actually can be super charming in certain contexts. Rich people universally love him because one of the skills he has the most points in is talking to rich people. It doesn't matter if they're criminals or whatever, the common denominator is wealth. If they have lots of money he will charm their pants off with his ambient money aura and open doors for you with his wealth rays. Champion glad-hander. this is a valuable skill to utilize

He will joyfully learn about your interests which is very sweet but on the flip side might also go on to lordsplain them to you

he loves to Help and will always ask how he can be of service but he will also activate Karen mode if he thinks anyone he cares about isn't getting the compensation they deserve

he is the EXCUSE ME. HE ASKED FOR NO PICKLES. friend

he can be flattered into doing almost anything under the sun

he will clean your house upon learning you don't have maids because someone should do it. no one should have to clean their own house

give him a nickname so he gets mad about it but grudgingly accepts it. i am desperate for this

[mumms-the-word]

Devil's Deal

Day 22 of the BG3 Fic February Challenge

Today's a long one (which is why it's late). If you've been keeping up with my fics, then you'll know that Invi's name is not actually her name. It's a name she created in a pinch after waking up on the ravaged beach. After witnessing at least one successful deal with Raphael, however, she begins to wonder if he might be able to help her out...

Also, once the month is over, I'm going to rearrange my masterlist so you can read each Tav's fics in order of events that happen in the game, so you can go from fic to fic more like a cohesive story than a bunch of different scenes.

Check out my masterlist of BG3 fics!

---

22. Tav/Durge has to give up something (anything) important to them

---

Invi paced the spare room in Last Light Inn, restless. The shadow-cursed lands and Moonrise had proven enlightening for many of them, but it had left Invi with far more questions than answers. People inside Moonrise recognized her, while she had no concept of who any of them were. Ketheric had treated her as though she’d been a mad dog formerly in his service, yet she had no memory of ever meeting him. She clearly had been here before, but her memory remained one yawning, dark chasm in her mind.

And then there was her butler. Sceleritas Fel. No one else had a butler, but then again, no one else was fighting with urges in their head urging them to kill and maim and slaughter. These days it took all of Invi’s energy to resist. She’d very nearly killed Astarion one night, and even then details of that night were hazy because the urge had taken over. Her butler had been very disappointed in her failure to kill him, and her failure to kill Isobel, the kind Selûnite cleric at Last Light. It was getting harder and harder to resist.

She could make sense of none of it and her butler refused to be forthcoming with details of her past. Who was she, that she had been to these shadow-cursed lands before, that she was someone who had done such horrible things in her past? If she could only have one memory restored…

But then, that’s why she had invited Raphael back to Last Light. After resolving his deal with Astarion, killing the orthon Yurgir in exchange for Raphael translating the scars on Astarion’s back, Invi had asked him to return another night.

She had another deal to make.

She wasn’t alone in the room, at least. Astarion reclined on the bed, watching her pace restlessly, his scarlet gaze following her from one side of the room to the other. When she turned to pace back to where she’d begun, he heaved a sigh.

“My dear, wearing a hole in the floorboards won’t get him here any faster.”

“I know that,” she said. “I just wish he would hurry up instead of playing these games.”

She stopped pacing, her hand absently fiddling with her pendant, as it often did. She ran her thumb over the letters on one side. N.V. The initials she had used to create her name. The letters that had formed the first part of her new identity. She still had no idea what those initials stood for, or even if they belonged to her. Was this pendant a trinket that she’d taken off the body of one of her victims? Did it belong to someone she had known before? She had no way of knowing.

She recalled, with a churning stomach, the one memory that had been restored to her when she had eaten a piece of noblestalk mushroom. The sight of her vivisecting a victim, her blade cutting cleanly into the flesh even as the person lay screaming, her butler at her side. Around her sat jars of pickled specimens and books with her drawings, her notes. She shuddered, even as part of her mind yearned to linger on the image, to try and force the sketches and notes into focus, searching with a scientist’s curiosity. She pushed the memory aside, clutching tightly to her pendant.

Whoever she was in the past, she must have been a horror. Did she truly want to know? If she made this deal with Raphael for one of her memories, would she regret it?

Just as the question sprang to her mind, she heard the telltale sound of a devil appearing in a whorl of hellfire behind her.

Too late to turn back now.

“Ah, there she is. The violent little sorceress with a penchant for murder. How amusing it is to see you so restless, my dear.”

She turned, already regretting her decision to invite Raphael back to Last Light. At least Astarion was with her in the room, standing up from the bed to be at the ready, and the Harpers could be called in with a single shout.

Not that it would come to a fight. That wasn’t how Raphael operated.

He was seated in an armchair on the far side of the room, legs crossed, a goblet in his hand. He swirled the goblet’s contents slowly as he regarded her with his telltale smirk. Like a cat watching a mouse approach its claws.

But Invi refused to feel intimidated. She lifted her chin and matched his stare with a cool, imperious look. She refused to let him see the anxiety churning in her gut.

“How gracious of you to finally pay us a visit, devil,” she said.

“But of course. You piqued my interest, requesting this little meeting so soon after I had already helped your little vampire friend.” Raphael’s eyes flicked to Astarion before turning back to Invi. “So tell me. What is it that you desire?”

This was it. Time to negotiate.

“I want my memories restored.”

Raphael arched an eyebrow, interested. “I see. All of them?”

Invi hesitated a fraction too long. “Yes.”

“An ambitious request.” Raphael’s smirk told her that he had noticed her hesitation. Nothing escaped his notice, it seemed. “Such an act would cost you a great deal, you realize. And you’ve already made it clear that your soul is not on offer. What do you expect to pay me in return?”

“Surely you have other devils out here in the world that need returning to the hells,” Invi said. “Other monsters that need slain.”

“If I did, you wouldn’t be my first choice in dispatching them. The arrangement with Yurgir was simply…convenient. You were already headed in that direction, after all.”

Invi struggled to keep her irritation off her face. “Fine. Then what would you suggest, devil?”

“Hmm…” He cocked his head to one side, his eyes roving slowly from the toes of her boots up to the crown of her head. She saw them linger around her throat, realizing too late that she had forgotten to tuck her pendant back under her robes.

The pendant seemed to draw his attention. He smirked faintly and stood with affected grace, sauntering over to stand right in front of her. She held her ground, even as he lifted the pendant with the tips of his fingers, regarding it with smooth curiosity. 

“Watch where you put your hands, devil,” Astarion warned. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shift his stance, hands conveniently closer to his blades. Raphael ignored him as if he weren’t even present in the room.

“You don’t even know who this belongs to, do you?” he asked, flipping the pendant over to show the initials on the other side. “Is it your own, or merely the rubbish left over from one of your victims? Does it have any meaning at all?” He chuckled. “You have no idea.”

Invi clenched her teeth together, refusing to be intimidated or hurt. She merely lifted her chin a fraction higher, trying not to breathe too much lest any part of her body touch his hand, even accidentally.

“N.V.,” he crooned. “That is what they call you, isn’t it? Your…friends. Invi. It would be a charming name, were it not false.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “You know my name?”

“Perhaps,” he said. His smile spoke of some small triumph and he took a step back, letting the pendant fall back onto her chest. “Does that knowledge interest you?”

Suddenly she wasn’t so sure. Did she want to know her true name? For two months now she had been Invi, the storm sorceress who tried desperately to do right and resist the violent voices in her head. It was the only name and identity she had. But if her former identity was restored to her…would she be changed? Would she become who she had been in the past?

She could feel Astarion’s eyes on her, but she didn’t dare look at him. They both knew the danger she was facing. Perhaps on some level he understood more than she did. 

Raphael’s sipped from his goblet, his eyes locked on her. His smile as he lowered the glass was cold and calculating, a mask that hid his thoughts but taunted her nonetheless. He dismissed the goblet with a wave of his hand and a puff of smoke and then joined the tips of his fingers together in a little cage in front of him.

“Here is my offer, little sorceress,” he said. “You give me one name in exchange for another. Give me your pendant, and I will restore one memory to you.”

Her heart lodged in her throat. She clutched her pendant in her hand, the weight of the silver familiar and comforting. Give it up, for one memory? No, there had to be more to it than that. What did Raphael want a trinket for?

“Tell me the full terms, Raphael,” she said. “It’s not just the necklace you want.”

He chuckled. “Isn’t it? It’s a lovely bit of silver. And I do so love to collect lovely things.”

“The full terms, or there will be no deal.”

He sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. “This is what comes of making too many deals with the same people. Everyone becomes so skeptical.”

“Stop stalling, devil,” Astarion said. “Just get to the gloating part already.”

Raphael clicked his tongue in disappointment, shaking his head. “Very well. Here are my terms. I will restore one memory to you, little sorceress, one in which someone, you may not immediately know who, says your original name. Your true name. In return, you will give me your new name, along with that little pendant of yours.”

“You mean the name Invi,” she said. “It would be yours? You would own it?”

“Yes. You wouldn’t have any need for it any longer, after all, would you? You will have your original name back.”

It sounded too easy. Invi sensed that if she accepted the terms of this deal, she was handing over more than a necklace and a name. Even if Invi wasn’t her “true” name, names had power. If Raphael owned “Invi,” how much compulsion would he have over her? He wouldn’t be able to command her at will, she was certain, but that didn’t mean she would walk away unscathed.

She looked down at the pendant in her hand, running her thumb first over the carved knot pattern on one side before flipping it over to see the initials on the other side.

How much was this memory worth to her? To know who she was before waking up on the nautiloid? Of course she wouldn't be able to choose her memory. That was the catch. She would be handing over the necklace and name on the chance that the memory he restored would be helpful, illuminating in some way. But what if it is wasn't? What if it only brought her more pain?

She wished she could ask all her companions, seek their guidance as she often did, but the clock was ticking, and Raphael was already beginning to examine his nails in a show of feigned impatience.

“Quickly, my dear,” he said. “I am a very busy man.”

Invi looked at Astarion, uncertain, only to be met with equal uncertainty in his gaze. He gave a subtle shake of his head, but she couldn’t tell if it was him trying to dissuade her or him saying he didn’t know how to advise her.

“One more minute until I have to go,” Raphael said, his smirk turning cruel. “I won’t be so easily found again, you know.”

“Wait,” Invi said. “My pendant, my name, in exchange for a memory of my original identity. That’s what you said, right?”

He neither nodded nor affirmed her words. He merely waited, slowly rubbing his thumb against the curve of his perfectly manicured nails. 

Invi took a deep breath and nodded. “I accept.”

Raphael grinned, his teeth like eerie pearls behind his curved lips. “Good.” 

He flicked his hand and the pendant around Invi’s neck lifted from her chest, the silver glowing faintly with a red hue. The clasp at the back unlatched and the necklace floated away from her to hover gently over Raphael’s open palm. She saw the letters N.V. illuminated in red as it slowly turned in the air. 

“As promised, one memory in exchange for a name,” Raphael said. “But don’t forget. Your name is now mine, Invi.”

She felt infernal power settle over her as he spoke her name, soaking into her skin, her muscles, her sinews. She had full control over herself, but there was something else there, too. Another force to resist, though this one was weaker than her dark urges. The infernal touch was little more than a threat, but even so, the message was clear.

Raphael did indeed have some control over her now.

Suddenly she felt this was a very, very big mistake.

Raphael let the necklace drop into his waiting palm and closed his fingers over it. With a small, mocking bow he snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of hellfire and smoke.

In the same instance, her mind flared with searing pain that buckled her knees and left her gasping on the floor. Distantly she heard Astarion shout her name, but his voice soon faded from her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, only to be dragged forcefully into a vision.

No. A memory.

She opened her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar room, her naked body curled around and beneath crumpled sheets. Across the room, a tall, well-built man with dark, shaggy hair stood in front of a desk, his back to her. He wore nothing but his trousers, his feet bare on the wooden floors. In the hazy moonlight streaming in through the windows and the flickering light of a single candle on the desk, she could see a pattern of scars across his back—old, crossing lash marks. 

She rose from the bed, reaching for a thin dark robe that she, the voyeur looking back, wasn’t even sure was her own. She slipped it on over her shoulders, leaving the robe loose as she crossed the room to stand beside the man whose face she still couldn’t see. 

She leaned her cheek against his shoulder, not affectionately, but merely as though the man’s body were a convenient place to rest her head as she gazed down at the surface of the desk. Books, letters, and sketches were organized in neat stacks on the desk, though a few stray notes and sketches lay haphazardly here and there. The man held one sketch in his hand, studying it intently.

She felt him turn his head, but she kept her eyes on the desk as he spoke. “Ah, you’re awake. I was just thinking how unlike you it is to have a messy desk like this. I came to tidy up as you were sleeping.”

“You came to snoop, you mean,” she heard her own voice say. The voyeur from the future seemed to fade with each passing breath, until she was there, reliving the memory as though it were all one and the same.

The man chuckled, finally setting down the sketch. It was a detailed anatomical drawing of a skeleton and nervous system, the blue ink of the bones overlaid with the red ink of the nerves. On the side, a sketch of a brain with a long stem of nerves along the spinal cord. He didn’t deny her accusation.

“I was just thinking about possibilities,” he said.

“Possibilities?”

“Of mixing the biological with the mechanical. The humanoid skeleton is not so different from the metal scaffolding that supports a construct.” He pointed along the long bones that made up the skeleton’s arms and legs. “I’m wondering if it would be possible in the future to manipulate both man and machine into one.”

“Hmmm.” She lifted her head from his shoulder and reached for her sketch, studying it with detached interest. There, in the corner, were two small letters in her handwriting. N.V.

A signature. 

“The body is fragile,” she said, laying the sketch aside. “It may reject certain metals, or fall apart if certain structures and systems were to be tampered with. One wrong cut and you’re left with naught but inert flesh. I don’t see how that benefits an already inert metal construct.“

“Perhaps if the inert flesh were to be animated again, there could be some use there.”

“You’re suggesting necromancy.” Her lip curled at the suggestion. 

“Only as a secondary resort. Though I find that reanimated flesh tends to follow orders a bit more readily than the living, don’t you?”

“How droll. But…hm.” She crossed her arms, eyes fixed on the sketch. She could see where he imagined bars of steel along the bones. It was hard to discern her own thoughts in the memory, but there were flashes, images. Bodies sliced open with every organ on display, tiny threads of veins laid bare by her knife. The image of a brain and spinal cord with the nerves lovingly woven against a steel and iron skeleton. She tilted her head, her heart racing at the prospect, but her every move calm.

“Your proposal intrigues me,” she said at last. “Perhaps I should begin a new round of experiments. See if there are any merits to your…possibilities.” 

He chuckled again. “I knew you would come around, eventually.”

Her lips curved in a dark smile as she lovingly stroked a finger down the column of the spinal cord in her drawing. “I shall need new test subjects, dear one, if we are to make any progress on this new little project of yours.”

She felt him draw closer, his lips hovering near her cheek, but he didn’t kiss her. Not yet. He waited instead, just within view, his breath ghosting against her skin. 

“I can never say no to you,” he murmured. “I may even have a few subjects already in mind.”

She turned her head at last to look at him. Though his face was half-cast in shadow, she could easily see the tilt of his close-lipped smile. His dark eyes glimmered in the candlelight, darker than any eyes she had ever seen, the blackest black from pupil to iris. She held his gaze as his hand slipped through the opening in her robe to rest against her bare hip, pulling her body slowly against his. 

Though his touch was sensual, it didn’t cause her heart to flutter like the bloodied work she had planned did. If anything, she had to bite back a small, resigned sigh.

In all his brilliance, her little tyrant was clever enough to know when to distract her before she plotted more than a step ahead of him. It was a dance they had memorized, almost as soon as they’d met. Flashes of scraps of memory flittered at the edge of her mind, all frustratingly out of reach, but she recognized elements of them. Rivalry. Alliance. Allure. Power. Brilliance. They flit from her mind before she could keep hold of any of them. She still couldn’t remember this man’s name.

“We work well together,” he murmured. “Soon, all the world will recognize us and pay us due deference. They will be bowing in the streets before our might and power.”

He leaned in, bringing his lips a hair’s breadth from hers, teasing. She made no move to close the distance. 

“Soon all the world will cower at the mere mention of us,” he whispered. “I will raise you up from your obscurity, my savage little savant. I will make the world know your name.”

“Say it,” she whispered back, and she was no longer certain who was in control of her mouth, the voyeur in the future or the memory of the past. “I want to hear it from your lips first.”

“Nieva,” he crooned. “Nieva Vaelstrom, the Chosen of—“

His voice faded even has his lips continued to move. She struggled to read his lips even as the world around her grew dim, all color leeching away as darkness encroached around her. Then in a rush, her world went black.

She woke with a gasp, finding herself facing a wooden ceiling, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her. She turned her head, half-expecting that dark-haired man again, but instead met the worried, red-eyed gaze of Astarion.

“Gods,” he murmured. “You could have warned me. One second you were just standing there and the next—out like a light.”

“Astarion?” She struggled to sit up, using him for support until they were both seated on the floor, facing one another. “How long was I out?”

“A few seconds at most. I very nearly decided to call for Shadowheart.” He eyed her warily, searching her face. “So? Did you…find what you were looking for? Was it worth it?”

She was quiet, turning the memory over in her mind, her hand absently seeking a necklace that was no longer there. She pressed her hand flat to her chest instead. 

The dark-haired man. The sketches. Their conversation. None of it made sense, but neither did any of it feel like a fiction conjured up by the devil for his amusement. She could still feel the man’s hand on her hip as though he had branded her. She could recall the tenor of his voice with perfect clarity.

She slowly shook her head. “I…don’t know.” 

Already she missed the weight of the pendant around her neck. It would take days before she could break herself of the habit of constantly reaching for it, seeking the pattern of the metal against her fingers to ground herself. She already mourned its loss. She had traded it and her name for this memory, this reminder of who she had been. And she still had no idea who that person even was.

Astarion watched her for a long moment before reaching out a hand to cover hers, the one that rested listlessly in her lap. “Invi?”

She started with a jolt, breaking from her thoughts. She stared at him, lips slightly parted, half convinced she had just imagined him saying that word. Her name. 

“You—you can still say it?”

“Yes. I’ve been saying it several times over, trying to wake you just now.” His smile was wry. “Raphael didn’t take everything about your name, it seems. He might own it, but I can still say it. Lucky me.”

But then his expression shifted, looking uncertain again. “That is, if that’s…is that what you would prefer to be called? Did you even find out your real name?”

“I did, but…” She trailed off, recalling the way the dark-haired man had spoken it. The way his voice had manipulated the syllables as if he owned them and yet desired them. Dangerous and seductive, like a hint of a kiss on her lips and a dagger at her back. It made her gut churn just to remember it, to remember that at the time, she’d felt not revulsion, but a thrill.

Nieva Vaelstrom. A savage savant, he had called her. What did that mean? Even with her true name now in her memory, she was no closer to understanding who she had been in the past. She was left with even more questions than before and had paid dearly for the knowledge that, as of now, did nothing to help her.

She dragged her gaze reluctantly back up to meet Astarion’s. “Would it be all right if I didn’t tell you?” she whispered. “If I could just be Invi for a little while longer, as long as that devil lets me?”

He said nothing at first. He searched her expression with a new kind of earnestness, a softness she had only glimpsed in fleeting moments before now. Whatever he was searching for, or whatever he was thinking, he seemed to answer for himself. He leaned forward on his knees to brush a gentle kiss against her lips.

“Of course, Invi,” he murmured, and she found herself wanting to lean into him and rewrite the voice from her memory with his. Not with her true name, but the name she had used for the last two months. 

“Say it again,” she whispered, closing her eyes and letting herself relax in his embrace as he kissed her again.

He responded by cradling her face in his hands and murmuring her name against her lips, and then between kisses against her cheekbones, her forehead, her jaw, her throat. She sighed and grew calm in his embrace and let him distract her from the memory she had paid so very dearly for.

[flowerbloom-arts]

Scrapped Draft

In which a young Moominpappa and Hodgkins have a private conversation, but then it became discarded in the final version of Memoirs.

1.5k words.

🥀

A scrapped passage of writing for Moominpappa's Memoirs found in a trash bin in Moominpappa's study, found by Sniff.

~~~~~~~~~~

I saw that Hodgkins sat by the shore of our small island and drew into his notebook.

Half of what he would draw in that thing was not understandable to a mind such as mine, I couldn't understand how machines and arrows and lines which seemed like scribbles and scratches of pencil to me could make any amount of sense to him, that a drawing of a square could be much more than a square. His handwriting in his little notes next to the drawings also seem to break down into unreadable loops at times yet he could still read it to me when I couldn't understand.

He spoke his own language on his pages and that's one of the many things that always fascinated me about him. I would also like to satiate my curiosities by asking about his current work after I had made my laments.

"Hullo, Hodgkins!" I greeted him.

"Moomin," Hodgkins replied absentmindedly, not looking up from his notebook.

"Hodgkins," I said again, seriously, to reflect his tone. I sat down beside him and held my legs. "Could I speak to you about something?"

"Mphm," he hummed.

"Do you think the Hemulen ever tried to find me again?" I asked.

"Which one?" he asked back, seeing as we both have met multiple hemulens.

"The one who found me and looked over me at the orphanage," I elaborated, "Do you think she read my note and decided to look for me?"

Hodgkins halted his drawing and looked at me with an inquiring expression, as though I had asked a question that answered itself or that I said something rather concerning. Perhaps it was an expression of both, most likely.

"What?" I asked, not enjoying nor understanding the look he was giving me. "Did I say something strange?"

"I would assume yes. She'd look if she cared for you or the orphanage. Makes her rather liable," Hodgkins shrugged and tried to continue drawing.

"The thought is the possibility that she didn't," I explained. "To tell you the truth, I don't think she liked me very much. I thought that if I had left she would miss me terribly and try to find me, I was sure of it, but now looking back I'm starting to have doubts…"

"Could being across the sea have something to do with it?" he suggested.

"I'm scared that she's glad that I'm gone…" I answered with a dampened expression and faltered posture.

Hodgkins took a pause and closed the notebook, then he looked at me with sobriety. "Why would you think that?"

I could think of many reasons right then but didn't want to speak them aloud in fear of desecrating my visage of confidence for him, suddenly feeling as though my attempt at confidence with him had turned out to be a pickle I trapped myself in. I fiddled with my fingers nervously.

"Well, it's… I'm afraid… well, I know that…" I stumbled over myself trying to piece together a sentence that made myself seem dignified. I glanced up at Hodgkins and he only looked at me patiently, blinking slowly, waiting for me to simply form a sentence. My gaze jolted back down and I felt a bit of shame crawl up my fur. Finally, I managed to get out a sheepish "I'm afraid she never liked me very much…"

Hodgkins furrowed his brow and I continued so; "Of course, it's greatly ridiculous for someone to dislike such a special and charismatic Moomin such as myself, but I don't believe she saw those things in me during my time at the orphanage. I was always bombarding her with questions she didn't want to answer and she would wash me when I was perfectly fine and clean and not let me do things I would like to do — I think she would've much rather… left me somewhere else if she had done something differently. I was so miserable and she liked me so little it tricked me into disliking myself. And perhaps… I still dislike myself on some, irrational level of my subconsciousness because of her."

"I think everyone dislikes themself at least a little," replied Hodgkins.

"Do you dislike yourself, Hodgkins?" I asked out of curiosity, I'd be shocked if the answer was yes.

"Yes," he answered.

"But why?" I asked again, taken aback.

"Many things I regret, things about myself I don't prefer," he said, looking down at his closed notebook. "Perhaps my mother, too, taught me to dislike myself."

"Your mother?"

This is the first time I heard him mention anyone from his past aside from the very rare mention of his brother, he always preferred anyone to lack any knowledge of his past or his origins. I rather respected his decision, I would do much the same if I wasn't so interested in people knowing my story and talking about myself, but I would be lying if I said Hodgkins' past didn't intrigue me to some extent.

Mothers and brothers and nephews were concepts I only heard in theory in the orphanage. Well, not exactly. Numbers five and six from my orphanage were twin siblings according to the Hemulen, but I never saw them act quite differently from the other Moomin children nor did they treat each other specially as one would expect siblings to treat one another.

Anyway, what I mean is that families felt like an abstract concept to me most of the time back then, I even forgot what the word nephew meant for a moment when Hodgkins first told me about his, so I was rather starstruck to know more about his family even further.

Hodgkins glanced at my expecting eyes and looked away again. "The Hemulen was a sort of mother to you, wasn't she?" he asked.

To say the least, I was astonished by this turn of conversation, moreso by the fact it's something I've never considered before. "She's not my mother, trust me, she makes it very clear," I answered quickly as if to correct a misconception.

"Not biologically or legally. In role," Hodgkins elaborated. "She was a mother figure to you, correct?"

"That is…" I couldn't find the words to speak in my shock at this question. "That's a thing? Would she be considered as such by more people?" I asked and leaned closer to Hodgkins' arm, utterly bewitched by this idea "But mothers are meant to be kind to you and nurture you and all those things the books say about them! She can't possibly…"

"Not all mothers have to be good like they always say," Hodgkins explained "They can be cruel, try to tear you down. Make you something they want but you don't. They're people, and people are very different from one another in their kindness."

I took a pause and lowered my head to mutter "So she must really be like a mother to me… that would make me quite unlucky, then."

Hodgkins placed a paw between my ears. "It's all right, it happens," he said to me kindly and I felt a little less upset. I then had a thought;

"That thing you said… does it apply to fathers as well?"

"Yes," Hodgkins answered.

I looked up at him with a twinkle in my eye and asked in earnest "Does that mean you're like a father to me?"

Hodgkins stared at me with puzzlement for a moment before a horror washed over his expression and I could feel him freeze in place. At this I panicked thinking I unintentionally said something upsetting or confusing and tried to explain myself; "I, I meant that since you've been nothing but kind to me and I haven't felt such admiration for someone except for kings before you! In fact I started to lose respect for the Autocrat since he took you away from me and I felt nothing but miserable and abandoned without you! You always seem to know everything and make such amazing things and you let me be myself for once! I… I don't know, is this what being adopted is? Did you adopt me…?"

Hodgkins didn't reply. I felt a deep fear and as I stared into his constricted pupils and noticed his ears folding in hesitation. I was terrified that I could have scared him, that he would stop liking me because of this, this isn't how it was meant to go in my head. I touched his arm and stared back at him pleadingly. "Mr. Hodgkins…?"

I felt his thumb move on my head and then Hodgkins blinked twice and came to his senses. He took his paw off my head and it made me rather saddened, perhaps I did upset him for some strange reason.

I tried to apologize. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize - " I said before I was swiftly interrupted by him.

"Pardon. I…" he covered his face "I hadn't realized… no…"

"Is something the matter?" I asked, deeply concerned for him.

"I took in another child and messed up," he mumbled quietly "I shouldn't have…

~~~~~~~~~~

End of scrapped passage.

[yououui]

" i'm trying so hard, but... i can't stop myself from falling in love with you. " - but it's kurogane saying it! because you know he tried to stop himself before deciding this was just his lot in life and it was time to wife that boy

I accidentally wrote a 5 page fic of Kurogane just being a lovesick idiot enjoy

They sit in silence after Tomoyo leaves them. Kurogane wants to yell at her a bit because what the hell is she playing at dressing the mage like that?! but it turns out that cutting off an arm is exhausting and he doesn’t have the energy to fight her. He does give her a glare as she exits the room and she winks back at him.

Tea is brought for them eventually and Fai carefully pours them each a warm glass. “How are you feeling?” Fai asks while handing Kurogane his cup, the first words spoken since he socked Kurogane upside the head.

Kurogane shrugs, a natural instinct that proves to be a mistake as pain shoots across his left side. Fai notices his wince and moves closer in concern, like he thinks Kurogane will need to be caught before fainting, but Kurogane waves him off. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

“And in pain,” Fai says. He almost sounds angry, but the sad look on his face betrays his tone.

“It’s not that bad,” Kurogane tells him instead. “As long as I don’t move too much.”

Fai regards the empty sleeve hanging at Kurogane’s side and the white bandages wrapped tightly around his chest. “You’re such… an idiot,” He says eventually. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Thought I made it clear a while ago,” Kurogane responds, as easily as ever. “I’ll do anything to protect the people I love.”

Fai laughs, though it sounds more like a sob, and shakes his head. “If you love me then you’re even more of an idiot.”

“Trust me, I know,” Kurogane says. When Fai lifts his eye, Kurogane offers him a small smile just so the idiot doesn’t get the idea in his head that Kurogane is serious. Somehow, even for as upset as he is, it gets Fai to smile weakly as well. That gives Kurogane the encouragement he needs to continue. “Y’know mage, I’m trying so hard—I’ve been trying for a while, but…”

But…?

When did it start exactly? When did the annoyance towards the insufferable man sitting beside him turn into curiosity? When did he begin finding himself wanting to know more about him—when did he begin to care?

He can’t be certain but Outo springs to mind first. The moment Fai’s casual admittance that he wanted to die spiked anger in Kurogane. Anger not towards Fai, as Fai believed, but towards the mere idea of him going through with it. And the moment he saw the mage’s ribbon on the ground, no body to be seen as demons surrounded him and that anger returned like a tsunami wave engulfing him until he could barely see or breathe.

And the relief when he saw the idiot was actually alive. And the frustration at himself for feeling so relieved for someone that didn’t care about Kurogane or himself. Kurogane knew that it was pointless to let himself be interested in the mage; Fai was a liar that carefully kept them all at arms length and Kurogane had no idea who he would see when the mask finally fell.

But he didn’t want Fai to die. As grating as Fai could be, Kurogane wanted him to stick around. He didn’t care about Fai’s past, but he wanted to understand him more. He wanted to know what he liked—liquor, music, cooking, annoying Kurogane, cats, dogs?—and what he disliked—hangovers, waking up early, pickles, personal questions, green tea. He wanted to understand what had Fai so guarded, what had him so afraid, and he wanted Fai to understand that he could let the walls down every now and then, that Kurogane would protect him from whatever he was running from.

And then Yama, Piffle, Lecourt, seeing those walls break down brick by careful brick. Feeling the strength of Fai’s magic for the first time as it engulfed them, the sheer power of it suffocating and brilliant. And Kurogane felt a brief spark of hope that maybe, maybe, Fai was beginning to learn that caring wasn’t such a bad thing.

And then the fear that came with the weight of Fai’s limp body in his arms, the way his blood fell like morbid tears and stained usually flawless skin. Kurogane had felt that once before as a child, the night his life was burned to ruins but he still refused to let his mother go. Kurogane also refused to let Fai go; he needed to feel the mage’s breath and heartbeat, no matter how weak. He needed to know with certainty that Fai was still alive.

It may have began earlier, but it was then that he realized that his minor curiosity had grown into something he couldn’t control or bury or pretend not to notice. In that moment, his worldview narrowed down until he could only see Fai, the noises around them dulled except for Fai’s wavering breath and weak voice, and suddenly anything else he’d ever wanted didn’t seem to matter. He made the wish and paid the price and bound himself to Fai, a man who would keep running seemingly forever.

Well then, to hell with Nihon—he could find a new home or wander around new worlds with Fai until the day he died. He could give up his own life, tear out his own heart, anything it would take to keep that idiot alive for one more day.

It was only after it was over and the price paid that Kurogane reminisced about his parents and realized that there was a word for what he was feeling.

“But I can’t stop myself from falling in love with you.”

Fai says nothing but the breath he takes is sharp enough to cut the stillness around them. Because sure, Kurogane loved him, he cared, they were friends after all. But to fall in love…

It was something he knew he shouldn’t feel as soon as he realized it. He knew he should avoid it. If he tried to pursue someone who did not want to be chased, it would only end in disaster.

And gods did he try to stop it before it reached that point. Kurogane had heard of heartbreak of course, through others lamenting the loss of their beloved or reading about it in books, but he’d never experienced it himself. He didn’t understand how such a feeling could overwhelm someone completely and scoffed at characters in stories that threw themselves from high windows or drank poison rather than live a day without their love.

But then he felt it, that hot knife of rejection stabbing him straight through the chest. Each cold word and hostile glare twisted the blade until he was certain his heart had been crushed to a gruesome, mangled mess, and yet there were still tender bits of it left for Fai to sink his claws into. And then Kurogane understood the windows and the poison and honestly, he’d rather cut off his other arm than ever experience that again.

But at least Fai was alive. At least he was there, and Kurogane would take the bitter pain and more for Fai. Only for Fai.

Kurogane chuckles to himself now, the entire thing so miserable it’s almost humorous. If the person he was before Tomoyo cast him away could see him now, he’d probably call himself a moron, just like those characters in the stories. Kurogane never knew one person could change him so much. “Even when you hated me, I couldn’t help it.”

Fai’s head falls forward and he digs the heel of his palm into his eye as if it could shove his tears back inside. His other hand trembles and fists his kimono so tightly, Kurogane is worried he’ll tear right through the silk.

“I never—hated you,” Fai gasps, shoulders trembling. Kurogane feels bad for making Fai cry—Fai’s cried a lot recently. It comforts Kurogane to hear the truth, though, and he thinks the mage needs it. He has about five lifetimes of tears built up. “I couldn’t. So I tried to make you hate me but—gods, even after all I did... how I treated you…! You still wouldn’t...”

Kurogane turns his body a bit so that he can reach Fai with his right hand. He ruffles Fai’s hair and the indignant squeak Fai lets out as his head is pushed down feels entirely worth it. “Guess we’re both idiots then,” Kurogane tells him quietly.

Fai peers up at him through his hair that Kurogane has made a mess of. His face is shining with tears, his cheeks splotched red and his eye swollen and Kurogane marvels that such a beautiful person could ever exist in the mortal world.

Fai weakly—playfully—swats Kurogane’s hand away and wipes his sleeve against his cheeks. Kurogane snorts, humored that the outfit Tomoyo carefully picked for Fai to wear for a very specific reason has been reduced down to a rag to dry his face. “I think Kuro-sama must be on all kinds of strange medicine,” Fai says with a fragile but honest smile. “He’s in such a good mood and saying all kinds of weird things.”

“Mm. Don’t expect to hear this shit when I wake up tomorrow,” Kurogane tells him with a nod. He’s still smiling though, smiling like a lovesick idiot with hearts in his eyes but damn it he’s been through too much and has almost lost Fai too many times to care about it now. Hearing the slightly teasing tone in the mage’s voice and seeing him here, alive and at Kurogane’s side, soothes his torn up heart and begins stitching the pieces back together.

Fai’s smile grows as well, the fragile edges chipping away and leaving behind a look of pure happiness Kurogane has never seen on him before. Fai reaches over, letting go of his own kimono to grab the empty sleeve of Kurogane’s. “I’m sorry,” He says. “And thank you. But never do something like this again.”

“Don’t almost get yourself killed again and I won’t have to,” Kurogane tells him, grinning.

Fai nods, still smiling. “Fine. You’ll live a long, long life with me by your side, Kuro-sama. I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

It’s probably the strangest proposal in the history of any world, but it’s one Kurogane is happy to accept.

[yemilnisu]

INCORRECT HAIKYUU QUOTES FROM BUZZFEED UNSOLVED PT. 2

nisu entries:

a part two because i said so 🥴 i really enjoy these and you guys seems to enjoy it too i assume 💀 and i may or may not have a part 3 in my drafts ksksks

warning: swearing

「part 1」

Kenma: i don’t think anybody wants to spend any time here (earth)

Kuroo: that! so they (aliens) just blow it up.

Kenma: oh. *shrugs* if that happens, who cares?

Kuroo: i care because i live here!

Kenma: yeah, but then everyone's dead so nothing matters and that's kinda cool. i mean, what a privilege it would be-

Kuroo: you sound like a movie villain right now!

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Suna: i'm not even thinking that. i'm tweetin' and i'm streaming. wait- do i have my significant social media followers?

Osamu: you don’t have any following at this point 'cause you're suna rintaro in the timeline where you're at nasa.

Suna: …oh. i don’t even wanna live.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Matsukawa: you know, this was supposed to be the season of respecting ghosts and every time i've tried to do that, you yell at me to disrespect them.

Oikawa: i'm telling you to be true to who you are.

Matsukawa: i mean, that is certainly valid.

Oikawa: (laughs)

Matsukawa: 'cause i am living a lie otherwise because we're talking to air!

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Akaashi: oh, i see it. there's a bird right there.

Bokuto: oh, there's a bunch up there. hey, bros.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Nishinoya: you know, i didn’t walk down west cell block.

*nishinoya humming and walking to west cell block*

Nishinoya: it's nice over here, i like it.

(high pitched whistling)

(distant thudding)

Nishinoya: *stops*

Nishinoya: if that's somebody up there, make that noise again in your cell.

(distant thud)

Nishinoya: ha-ha i fucking hate this place. i really do.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Voice: (whispers) atsumu.

Atsumu: who is that?

Atsumu: *looking around for the voice* *lowkey scared*

Osamu: do you hear the little whispers?

Atsumu: please.

Osamu: oops. (laughs)

Suna: *behind the camera snickering because he was the one who suggested it*

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Lev: oh fuck, i forgot the spirit box, shit.

Kenma: go get it!

Lev: my hands are full 🥺

Kenma: well, try your best.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Bokuto: *baby voice* it's a little cockroach. you seen any ghosts up here, fella?

Kuroo: (laughs)

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Ushijima: do you feel like you have someone else's thoughts?

Tendou: sometimes.

Ushijima: that wasn't the question. i think you misunderstood me.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Kuroo: so right now, we’re in the captain's quarters.

Kuroo: is there anybody in here that wants to speak to us?

Bokuto: spill your beans, buddy.

Kuroo: what did you do on this ship?

Bokuto: he probably commanded it.

Kuroo: you know, i was asking him.

Bokuto: what'd you do on this ship?

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Tanaka: if you'd like us to leave and shut up, which frankly almost anybody who interacts with us for more than five minutes would like us to do, move something.

Nishinoya: spank us on the bottom!

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Sakusa: i mean, this sink is absolutely disgusting. this is maybe the scariest thing i’ve seen in all six seasons of this show.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Oikawa: *waving at his reflection*

Oikawa: always nice to see a friendly face.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Sakusa: i don’t know why people think darkness is actually scary because i can’t see anything. it was scarier when the lights were on 'cause i could see you know filth, things falling apart.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Semi: (knocking) let's boogie, folks! little guy needs a win. ghost, that would be great. if you got a mummy or a vampire, also good. i think he'd also count that as sort of proof of the supernatural.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Tsukishima: please haunt me! i’m begging you to haunt me! scare the shit out of me! do something! (laughs)

Tsukishima: how many times do i have to plead with air, with nothing? i’m speaking to no one right now.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Shirabu: if you don’t pop out, then i’ve wasted several years of my life. i mean, i went to college, and my major was not ghost hunting.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Osamu: what's 'tsumu doing in there? who the hell knows? he's probably gonna take out his little spirit box.

*meanwhile at atsumu*

Atsumu: i’m gonna fire up the spirit box now. i am shaking 'cause i’m so scared 😄

*back to osamu*

Osamu: it’s probably gonna say something that doesn’t sound like any words any human's ever spoken.

*back to atsumu*

(spirit box blares)

Spirit box: "do it"

Atsumu: oh shit!

*back to osamu*

Osamu: he'll probably respond to it like he's sitting across the table from a friend, playing scrabble.

*back to atsumu*

Atsumu: did you say ‘do it’ or 'tsumu?

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Sugawara: old timey jails, very fun to visit... and that’s all i’ve got to say about that *sips coffee*

Asahi: (chuckles) nothing about the ghouls?

Sugawara: there will be no ghouls, there will be dust, there will be noises that you, you know, pee your pants over.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

(bang)

Matsukawa: oh?

Hanamaki: ooh, a nice little drum hit.

Matsukawa: yeah, we got a beatboxing demon in here?

(bang)

Hanamaki: oh, shit, another one!

Matsukawa: *starts beatboxing*

Hanamaki: 🎶 my name is makki and i’m here to say. we’re the baddest ghost hunters in the usa. hunting demons and ghouls too 🎶

(unintelligible sound from the spirit box)

Hanamaki: what?

Matsukawa: *beatboxing*

Hanamaki: wait, hold on, we actually got a response!

Matsukawa: *still beatboxing*

Hanamaki: stop beatboxing! (laughing)

Matsukawa: huh, oh, sorry.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Koganegawa: *whispering* choo choo pickle pie.

Futakuchi: (wheeze) choo choo pickle pie, what the f--?

Koganegawa: i don’t know. i’m just thinking of a funny thing a ghost could whisper

Futakuchi: (wheeze)

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Tendou: and by the way, if you want a little more one-on-one time with the tsutomu here, he'll be here alone soon enough.

Goshiki: …

Tendou: *backing away while keeping eye contact with goshiki *

Goshiki: it’s a long way to back out. you gonna keep that speed going?

Tendou: is the door behind me?

Goshiki: it’s close.

Tendou: *still backing away but carefully trying to avoid the door without looking behind him and eye contact still on goshiki*

Goshiki: did that work out the way you wanted?

Tendou: *still backing away*

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Kageyama: you gonna sit in that chair? we’re not allowed to.

Hinata: oh, yeah.

Kageyama: but we are the internet's paranormal bad boys.

Hinata: (chuckle) that’s right, were controversial.

Kageyama: we’re planning cheek to chair, baby. you ain’t gonna stop me.

Hinata: i’m sitting in that thing bare ass.

Kageyama: i’m gonna give that thing a high-five with my butt cheeks.

*later at the location*

Kageyama: yeah, not gonna happen, i’m not sitting on that.

Hinata: that looks like a death trap.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Shirabu: the human mind, if it’s looking for something, it'll find something. and he's going to find something. and it will destroy him.

*meawhile*

Goshiki: holy shit. it felt like something walked past me twice, one from the right side, once on the left side.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Akaashi: it’s gone quiet now and i’m afraid he’s dead.

TAG LIST

@halesandy @lina @babyshoyo @midnightsun30 @polaris-song @kac-chowsballs @sugawaraaaa

just answer this form to be added to my tag list!

[couldyouspeakmyname]

Hi! 💕 I hope I'm submitting this correctly but I'm assuming you write for the Shishigumi lions? If so, I'd like to request some sfw and nsfw headcanons for them dating a female herbivore and it's totally up to you which members you would like to write for (although Free and Agata are my favourites!)

You know I love the Shishigumi, a lot. So I went overboard. I offer my apologies.

I will say, since I usually put NSFW under cut, but due to length I put it all under cut, I do have a big warning for it as to not surprise y’all

There’s a lot I could write for them, but to keep it reasonable I kept it kinda short! Feel free to request more if you’d like!

I’m also not great at nsfw so I tried my best I hope you like it anyway

SFW

Ibuki (I love him and will never NOT include him in an ask about the Shishigumi)

Ibuki is probably the best one at dating an herbivore. He’s very gentle and conscientious of you as an animal and your limitations 

That being said, he’s top tier respectful. He knows you may not be as physically strong as her is, but that doesn’t mean you’re not strong in your own way. He also likes the idea of protecting you. 

Always walks side by side with you. He’s nervous about holding your hand, but he’d never say it. Do it for him. 

Has eaten meat for YEARS and really struggles with that part of himself. 

Doesn’t kiss you for a really long time, he’s inwardly terrified that he’s going to hurt you. You’d have to make the first move.

Keeps you away from his work. He doesn’t want you to get hurt. 

He knows his world is dark, gritty, and that you shouldn’t be a part of it. He wants to send you away, but can’t. He thinks he’s selfish. You’ll need to reassure him this is what you want. 

Herbivores can’t see in the dark, so he keeps lights on in key areas so you can see better.

Protective. If anyone gives you any trouble he’s quick to correct their behavior, he can be incredibly intimidating when he wants to be

Slouches so you’re around the same height. Give him a back/neck rub at the end of the day. It will make him feel better, and he liked being close to you

The kind of boyfriend that remembers all the major events in your relationships, including small ones. 

Once he gets comfortable, he’s a snuggle bug in private. Cheek kisses, arm around your shoulders when you’re sitting, wrapping his arms around your waist when you’re standing.

Lions can’t purr, but if they COULD oh man, he’d never stop

Free

He’s famous for enjoying females, so the fact that he’s dating someone seriously that’s not a feline is really strange

You should have seen the expression on one of the more flirty female lions when he turned them down. 

Everyone thinks he’s joking about dating you at first, when they see he’s actually serious the teasing dies down, but doesn’t stop (it’s at his expense don’t worry).

“Has hell frozen over? What’s someone like you doing with a guy like Free?”

He honestly doesn’t expect you guys to stay together for very long. He expects it to be a fling. Only it doesn’t stop. He doesn’t get tired of you or eat you....It’s weird but wonderful. 

Has eaten meat for years, and has a hard time letting himself kiss on anywhere but on the cheek. Likes to throw his arm around you and hug you. So he does show affection, but keeps his mouth FAR AWAY from your throat. 

Rests his head on top of yours 

Calls you “Babe” a lot. He has a lot of other nicknames for you to. Some of the lions don’t even know your name, just that you’re dating Free. 

Over. Protective. He knows the market, the animals in it and the animals who come to it. He is very prepared to shoot or maim anyone who tries anything. The fact he’s such a loose canon does help scare people off. Everyone knows who you’re dating and they make sure not to push it. 

He likes to show you off. He’s that guy that carries a picture of you in his wallet. Anyone who asks about him dating someone and he’ll show you off. 

“Sure she’s hot, but have you see the ass on my girlfriend?” 

Likes to show off in front of you. Fights? Yes. Please watch him and root for him.

Tries to get you to get a tattoo, but will NOT get identical ones. He doesn’t want to jinx it. If you wanna have similar tattoos though, that’d be okay. 

Dolph

A relationship with Dolph when you’re an herbivore is really low key. A lot of people don’t know you’re dating. He doesn’t want to put you in jeopardy

He’s pretty serious and it’s hard for him just to relax. He does relax when you’re alone and he knows you’re safe. 

Likes to lay his head on your chest and listen to your heart beat 

When you do go out together, you may have to initiate any hand holding.  He plays it off, but he’s secretly happy

He smokes, and you may have to get on him for that if you don’t like it. It’d be very hard for him to quit 

Will let you braid his mane, but wont keep it in if you go out

Supports your endeavors and does whatever he can to help. He may get a little to into it. You’ll say you wanna take a trip and he has everything planned out. It’s a blessing and a curse. 

Likes how small your hands are in his

When he has a hard day, just hold him. He’s heavy and will lean into you, but he just needs the support

Has to relearn how to be himself, and you really help with that. He smiles more when he’s alone with you. 

Has a really deep, gruff, morning voice

Agata

If lions could blush you bet he’d be constantly red. If you actually look close, the insides of his ears usually are

Loves holding your hand and hugs

Respects your boundaries. If Ibuki is the king of respect, Agata is the prince.

He’s still part of a dangerous organization in the black market, so when he’s working he’s all business. Only a few of the members know about you (just the inner circle). 

Agata, like most of the others, is petrified to kiss you. He probably has the worst anxiety out of anyone else. He’s a meat eater, he’s eaten your kind of meat before. What if He accidently hurts you?

Texts you all the time.

The one you can be on the phone with for hours and not know it

Likes it when you run your fingers through his mane

He’s stronger than he looks, so he may just pick you up and carry you every now and again. He just likes to hold you, let him have this

Brings you flowers and your favorite snacks whenever you have a bad day

Stammers when he’s flustered.

Likes to bury his face in your neck

He has a hard time being who he is versus how he thinks he should be. The fact he can goof off and just enjoy life without the strain of being a lion is a blessing. 

Probably says he loves you before you do. He does it when he’s half asleep on your lap. He falls asleep before he realized he said it, whoops.

You’d have to be the one to be aggressive in public. “Excuse me, he asked for no pickles”  meme

Miguel

He’s pretty quiet in his group, so no one knows you’re dating

Miguel is really good at thinking his feelings and thoughts, but isn’t great at voicing them. He does a lot of little things to show affection. He brings you a warm drink on a cold day, has food for you when you wake up, holds you hand

He likes to try and see the best in everything, even if he knows how ugly the world is

His mane is maintained carefully. Once you get really serious, he may ask you to help him with it. It’s pretty intimate, and when you’re done he looks at you like you have stars in your eyes

He’s the force of protection you don’t even know is there. He’s probably saved your life like, eight times, and never let you know that he did

Sabu

If Miguel is quiet, Sabu is dead silent

No one knows anything about his personal life, let alone his dating life

They find out one day when the group is trying to make plans for a fun sort of day, and he turns them down because you two have a date. It becomes a secret mission for the group to find out who you are.

They don’t, Sabu is the oldest member and one of the most clever

A popular headcanon is that his face is really, REALLY messed up. I share that headcanon. The first time you kiss the scars on his face he chokes up

He goes all in. he’s yours as long as you’ll have him. He expects the same respect from you. 

He’s eaten meat for a really long time, but he has more semblance of control being a smidge older than most of the other lions. 

A bit pessimistic 

Kisses you good morning and goodnight. 

Cuddles on the couch. He’ll watch whatever you want to, but he has his preferences

Wears his face covering everywhere, you’ll need to remind him he can relax when you’re alone

. If you get out of somewhere like work or school late at night, he’s waiting for you to take you home. 

So used to wearing a suit and tie, he doesn’t know how to do casual wear very well. He lets you pick most of his stuff out. 

Jinma

He knows a lot about the black market, so he’s over protective from the get go. However, since he does know so much, he knows what connections to make to keep you safe. 

Eats meat, and is self conscious that you’ll judge him for it. Please be nice to him

Kiss his eye with the spot, it makes him feel special

(Personal headcanon) His mane has never grown right, so he keeps it short. He’s kind of self conscious about it. A lions mane means a lot to male lions, he tries to keep it nice but...it’s nothing like some of the other Shishigumi’s manes. Pet it, run your fingers through it. Males don’t complimented enough. It’ll make him feel loved. 

If you ever wanna go anywhere fancy, because of his connections and knowledge, you can basically go anywhere at any time...as long as it’s in the black market, but he may know a guy that knows a guy. If there’s something more legal you need, he checks in with his other gang members to see who knows who

Has a wicked good memory, remembers pretty much everything you’ve said

Dope

A gentleman. He will hold doors open for you, offer his arm and hand when you walk together, brings you flowers. 

He, like all the Shishigumi, eats meat. He is self conscious about it an doesn’t want to scare you away. He will be upfront about it though. He wants honesty. he talks it out with you, and he will try and cut back but being part of the Shishigumi, and a meat addict, means it’s very hard for him to stop. He probably wont, not completely, but he tries not to do it around you. 

He doesn’t brag he’s dating you, but if he’s asked he gets this really peaceful look on his face

If you ever take him shopping at any flea market or outdoor stalls, he will get you the best bargain. He’s also amazing at helping you with any work contracts, apartment contracts and anything else.

Likes it when you brush his mane, and lets you put it up for him before he goes out. He doesn’t let you do anything fancy, but says when you do it it somehow turns out better

Hino

Hino is very attractive. His looks are what brings jobs in, so he keeps the fact that you’re dating a secret for business. 

Gives you extra affection in private because of it. Kisses, hugs, all that. His favorite is to kiss the back of your hand, he is kind of a romantic. 

Don’t get him wrong, he’s still a lion. If he hears that an animal is giving you a hard time, he will take them down and look handsome AF doing it

Eats meat, and like all the other lions worries for your safety. He tends to eat before he sees you, but after a while of you dating he becomes more relaxed. He doesn’t eat in front of you though. 

Spends a ton of time getting ready for the day, you may have to fight him for the bathroom 

Compliments you a lot. He uses the basic one liners at his job with older, lonely, animals. So, he uses unique ones for you. 

“I think the sun is jealous of your smile”

Totally lets your style his mane, and if you’re going out to somewhere not the black market, he’ll keep whatever style you give him. He’s confident and pulls anything off

Calls you Darling

Worst bedhead. 

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

NSFW Manage yourselves safely!

Ibuki 

It was almost impossible to get him in bed with you. He’s so worried and full of anxiety. Any mood you get in, you instantly gets ruined by him being worried he’ll eat you

You’re going to have to plan in advance and spend a lot of time talking about safety and safe words

Honestly? He does try and eat you the first time. Not intentionally and he stops himself, but to be fair to HIM as an herbivore...you almost let him

It kind of ruins the mood and you end up talking it out with him. He’s so ashamed he can’t look at you for a while. 

Once time goes by, and you move pretty slow, but it’s worth it. Sex with Ibuki is amazing

Remember how Ibuki is really diligent about your limitations and you as  an herbivore? Pays OFF when he’s with you

He’s all about foreplay and making sure you are ready and prepared before he does anything. Ibuki has big dick energy. He doesn’t brag but is blessed. But he knows that with you being smaller than him, he’s not down to hurt you with it 

 He starts keeping his nails short for you. The other guys may try and tease him for it, but Ibuki gets defensive over you and so it’s short lived.

His voice drops when he’s in the mood, and he borderline growls. You’ve been teasing him all day, you really should make it up to him

Surprisingly good at dirty talk, it kind of comes naturally to him and neither of you know why

Loves your thighs, and his whiskers tickle. 

He has big hands, and when you’re alone he may saunter up behind you and run them down your sides slowly, kissing your check and down your neck. 

Best at aftercare, no matter how tired he is, he will take care of you 

Free

Is more concerned than he lets on. He tries to pretend he’s all confidence, but he has a pretty hard time getting to the point of actually having sex with you. He actually start actively avoiding it. He blue balls himself. Someone help him.

He’s used to doing what comes natural, and what if what comes natural means hurting you? He’d rather not.

When you do finally try and have sex, he doesn’t kill you...but he does bite you. You need stitches, and he has even more of a complex (tell him he just gave you a cool tattoo or something)

He may actively avoid you or being near you. It’s a set back. He’s not like Ibuki who can talk it out, he’s supposed to be a lion, not a scaredy cat. 

You have to put your foot down. You’re dating a bad ass mafia lion, not some nervous school boy. Remind him about how much you care about him and how much you want him.

The second time goes better, but he’s a LOT more careful. he does maim a few pillows, claws the mattress. Their sacrifice is appreciated. (you two become famous for ruining and destroying beds. The other guys are both impressed and disgusted. Free has no shame)

Trims his claws so he can use them the next time. He’s learning.

This male is a womanizer, but he’s not great at doing things that females would stay for? It’s more of a hit-it-and go. He knows some tricks but...not a lot. 

Tries his best though. Loves to dig his hands in your hips. Leaves bruises. One time he got hammered and asked Ibuki for advice. Ibuki was helpful, but needed therapy afterwards. 

Rough sex 90% of the time (that other 10 is passionate sex that lasts hours, it’s pretty impressive)

Once you guys get comfortable, hope you’re okay with bite marks and kiss marks. You’d have to wear winter clothing 24/7 to hide them all. He’s VERY proud of you being his female, he doesn’t want any other male getting ideas

Turns him on if you take control. Most things you do turns him on. He’s near insatiable. You could roll out of bed, eyes still squinty, mascara from last night all over, and he’s like..man, that’s hot. Hope you’re okay with having sex in weird places, he’s going to ask. 

Not great at aftercare, but BOY can he snuggle. If you’re able to walk afterwards, you wont be able to. Clingy. 

Dolph

Wants it to happen organically, but when it finally does, he catches himself.

He’s looking at you under him, how your eyes sparkle and shine, and how vulnerable you are...And the idea that he could rip out your throat comes to mind and it terrifies him. He practically throws himself off you

You have to reassure him and talk to him. 

Dolph is careful with you the first time, and while he doesn’t bite you, he does dig his claws in a little to much. They may or may not scar. He feels bad, but he’s so in the moment he can’t help it

May drool a little. Don’t tease him until later. 

He doesn’t stop until you’re satisfied. It’s a promise. You will NOT be able to walk the next day. He’s going to make the claw marks up to you if it kills you and wakes everyone in ear shot. 

Out of all of the lions, you’re safest with Dolph. He’s ”the serious one”, which makes him practical and knowing. He actually does research and goes online to inform himself. 

Love bites. He doesn’t break skin, so you’re safe there. 

Loves it when you try and claw him. You can’t do a lot, as an herbivore, but the fact your instincts try and make you...really gets him going. 

Casual at aftercare. Better than average but nothing near Ibuki or Agata.

Not a sex maniac, and with work, it’s not high on his priority list. He’ll make up for it though ;)

Agata

Likes to pretend it’s not something he’s interested in, but he is. He just doesn’t want to pressure you, or scare you. Dating a lion is one thing, being fully exposed is another and he knows it. 

He thinks about it a lot, but doesn’t act on it. You probably will have to take the lead. Agata gets way to in his head.

The sweetest kisser ever, but when he’s heated they’re like fire. Biting your lip, you face carefully with his claws just teetering on the edge of digging in. He loves kissing you, doesn’t matter where. 

Kissing will lead to other things if you don’t stop him, but do you really want to?

Likes to pull you close, and the more heated he gets the more likely he’s going to grind on you without realizing he’s doing it

Totally whines if you stop kissing him. 

Younger than the rest of the Shishigumi, and is more prone to using his instincts. He eats meat and is afraid of hurting you, but his desire to fuck your brains out is far greater than the instinct to eat you

He does end up biting you, and uses his claws. The damage he does isn’t serious, but he still fuses over you when its over. 

Takes a while to let himself near you like that again. He beats himself up. You may have to prove to him you’re tougher than you look. 

When you try again, he makes up for his shortcomings. You’re not sleeping tonight, call in sick to work tomorrow. 

You may have to ask him to slow down. He intends to go all night, you may have to curb his enthusiasm. Don’t forget to take breaks for water so you don’t pass out. 

Wont stop until you’re satisfied. Doesn’t matter how tired he is. 

Sweet nothings in your ear non stop...between the moaning. He’s surprisingly vocal

Talk to him too. Part of the reason he cares so much about you is because you see him for who he is, not his status as a lion. 

Since he doesn’t plan having sex with you, and just lets it happen naturally, he always has things in his room for you. Just in case. Please don’t tease him about it, the other lions do that enough. 

Is totally the kind of guy to help you bathe afterwards if you want.

One of the biggest snugglebugs 

Miguel

Miguel is worried about having sex with you, but no one knows it but him. 

He’s the brawn of the group, and is strong as hell. He may end up trying to show off and you may end up in positions when you have to totally vulnerable (if it makes you uncomfortable, he’ll adjust. Just talk to him)

Muscles for days. The lion is made of stone, but has surprisingly soft touches. He knows his body and knows how to use it

He’s never had sex with an herbivore, he’s thought about it, but having sex with something he may eat later didn’t sit well with him. You are a different story. He’s thought about it a little to much

First time he has sex with you he claws you, and they’re pretty deep. You end up getting stitches. Unlike a lot of the other lions though, he doesn’t avoid you afterwards. He’s there when you get stitches, intimidating the doctor (who has a small heart attack every time Miguel moves)

Apologizes but isn’t afraid to try again. He trims his claws this time, you should really tell him the other things his fingers could be used for outside clawing your back. 

Do not mess with his mane or pull it, he’ll get grumpy. 

Loves your chest and carefully uses his tongue. Doesn’t matter what size they are, he’s a fan. 

Not very vocal, but likes it when you are. 

Sabu

Sabu is older and more controlled, so you’re pretty safe with him. 

He doesn’t seem like he’s interested in it, and since he doesn’t talk much, him bringing it up comes out of no where.

“Wanna have sex?”

Just out of no where. He doesn’t talk much so he doesn’t beat around the bush. You were just scrolling on your phone, and you nearly drop it.

He doesn’t hurt you when you have sex, not even by accident, but the couch you were on gets shredded. It looks like an animal twice his size attacked it. 

Runs his hands over your body, he can’t stop touching you. 

Kiss his scars, it sooths him, and he’ll pay you back

Loves your neck, but is careful not to leave any marks (you have no idea how he doesn’t, it’s like magic)

He doesn’t care if you leave kiss marks on him

No great with aftercare, but will make sure you’re okay and kisses your cheeks and on top of your head

Jinma

Disaster. He doesn’t mean to be, he just is

He wants it to be perfect, but while he knows everything about the black market, he doesn’t know much about having sex with an herbivore. He never really though of it, and now that he is...help him. He knows rumors of herbivore and carnivore relationships that have gone wrong so...he kind of freezes up. That, and he hasn’t been in a lot of long term relationships. 

While the others do their research, Jinma goes way to into it and becomes a bit overwhelmed, but hides it. 

You end up having to take control. For someone who knows the black market like the back of his hand, Jinma is the student and you are the teacher. You’re an herbivore, and you’re going to show him just how much you know (you are the captain now)

He bites you, and he does break the skin, but he just closes his mouth and allows you to decide if you wanna continue or stop

He starts keeping a med kit in his room just in case. 

He gets better, the more he learn and the more serious he is with you. Soon he’s compiling a book of knowledge on you.. He knows where to touch to make your toes curl, what to say, and your weak spots

He takes everything he learns and uses it against you one night. He’s a fast learner. 

 Dope

Part of negotiations is to know what a person wants and what they will go through to get it. So, when you bring it up, the look in your eyes is all it takes for him to know he needs to take you serious. 

Usually his kisses are quick and satisfying, but once he actually starts to seriously kiss you its like it’s the last time he’s going to do it. 

Likes to have you in his lap. Seeing your face is important to him. Every movement and actions of your body paints a picture of what you want. 

Third best at foreplay, what drags him down is he watches you to the point that he forgets what he’s doing

When you first have sex, he ends up clawing your hips and biting your lip to hard. You lip bleeds a little and his nails break the skin.  He’s a little worried, but if you don’t tell him to stop he’ll get permission to keep going. 

Ends up also biting you, but nothing to terrible or life altering. 

He loves watching you, body language tells a person a lot about someone, so no matter where or how, he likes seeing your face. 

Afterwards, he makes sure you’re okay, and comfortable, He does the basics, but doesn’t go overboard 

May leave a kiss mark or two, but it’s accidental. He doesn’t want to embarrass you (even if seeing you with kiss marks makes the animal in him deeply satisfied)

Hino

Hino knows a females body like no other. He’s not exactly promiscuous, but he likes being satisfied

Since dating you, he hasn’t been with any other females, he’s very needy. He’s not as bad as Free, but he’s getting there.

You have no idea how he seduces you every time, one moment you’re making tea, the next, you’re on the kitchen counter 

The first time you try and have sex with him, he claws you way to hard and you end up having to get stitches and fixed up. He feels awful and can’t look you in the eye. He swears he will NEVER do it again

He never does, he keeps to his word

Unlike some of the other lions, the fact he hurt you doesn’t keep him away. He feels bad, but now he’s going to try twice as hard to make sure every time he has sex with you is amazing.

Wont stop until you’re satisfied, and just seems to naturally know your body and what you like.

While he’s composed in public, you get to see a little wild in his eyes when he fucks you. He has this low growl that rumbles through his chest that you feel deep in your body the tighter he holds you

Probably has had sex with you on most surfaces in your home. 

Above average at aftercare. He tries, but having more one night stands than not hasn’t equipped him for great aftercare. He learns though.