#but leaving them open also makes them invisible. no winning

[mildmayfoxe]

also re: that how many tabs do you have open from this morning i just counted my tabs on my desktop & i have 87. but i have two windows minimized that i didn't count

[synthetickitsune]

can i please request how svt would make up with their s/o after an argument? if you can't write for all the members then i would like to ask for either 95 or 97 line. thank you so much in advance! <3

angst, my beloved <3 thank you for requesting this!

svt + making up after argument //gn!reader

S.Coups ❧ He hates fighting with you for many reasons. It gets too heated, and it’s too important, too close. And he doesn’t have any sort of authority to use as a leverage. Not that he usually does or uses it, but it helps ground him with fake confidence. He doesn’t have that luxury here. As a result, every argument with you shakes him to the core. Afterwards he trails after you, and it’s so annoying sometimes that it almost leads to another fight. But by then he’s too unsure about anything that isn’t his love for you to keep it up and he closes off. He won’t meet your eyes because he can’t have this right now, he’ll give you an easy victory that leaves a bitter taste on his tongue. This is not a battle, something to win or lose, but he doesn’t like the feeling all the same. He swears the pout on his lips isn’t on purpose. It certainly works in his favor, though. As annoying as his constant hovering is, seeing Seungcheol lose confidence in his own kitchen is the most heartbreaking thing. You motion for him to come closer and he comes into your arms easily. He grows more comfortable. He apologizes again, and so do you. It’s endearing, his curious glances any time he wants to follow you. He needs to know you’re okay, and this time you let him. It’s easier to talk things out in the buzz of going about your day. He listens to your rant about what really upset you as you wash the dishes, and he opens up about why he’s been so snappy with you lately while he folds the laundry. To keep the mood going, you keep cleaning and talking. There’s nothing like doing chores to remind you you’re in this together and to get the house in order. Maybe you should fight more often.

Jeonghan ❧ In the silence and invisible distance after, he knows what caused the rift. He doesn't like giving space when it already feels like there's too much of it between you and him, but he knows when it's necessary to take a step back. It might be a weakness or a strength but his emotions are his own responsibility that he alone takes care of. Jeonghan needs to sit down and analyze; put things into perspective and create a mental model and draw parallels. Complex understanding of a problem is what he excels at, after all. He sorts out the mess in his head, thinks about what hurt you and comes up with the best way to explain himself - not to make an excuse, but to show his intention and apologize. He tells himself how to navigate through this next time. The other half, what hurt him, he sorts out as well. He is understanding. He can't let what you don't mean or you're right about to get under his skin. He can set his ego aside for a while. When he approaches you, it’s difficult for you. It feels like you’re chasing after someone miles ahead. You also want to deal with your feelings so efficiently. Maybe it's just hard because you long for him so much after arguments. Because you know the fight wasn’t worth it. You talk and you listen and you apologize to each other. While his apology flows like a river, yours is more like a mountain stream, rushed and crashing against your mental blocks, hurdles in communication you can't get over. But he still listens and he nods, holds your hand and helps you get your point through. You know he understands without you speaking and you’re grateful. Even if it breaks your heart you can never truly meet him in the middle, Jeonghan always being one step ahead, doing much of the work for both of you.

Joshua ❧ It's all about timing. Arguments are rare, and so the way away from them is all the more tricky. It's hard to get Joshua riled up like this, enough for a fight to take place, and it just so happens that he lets his other little frustrations slip into the arguments. The aftermath is both of you on edge still long after apologies were said. You want to make up, he wants to make up, but if you try too early, you'll snap at each other all over again without meaning to. Leave it alone for too long and the hurt will deepen. From an onlooker’s perspective, you could be a pair of naughty students, exchanging notes during class and waiting for each other's reaction. Joshua keeps stealing glances at you, you try to glance at him. It's all to see if it's safe to approach the other already. In an ideal world, you'd always get it right and end the day over cups of warm drinks, talking about the problem, resolving it, coming up with suggestions what to do differently to avoid this happening again. But you're only people. So sometimes it’s snark met with sarcasm, riling each other up again instead - only this time, the venom slowly disappears and you push each other’s buttons on purpose. You like that he can meet your level of sass, he likes how clever your comebacks are, and vice versa. You don't notice how close you've inched to each other until your lips all but brush against his. It's a wake up call for both of you. Sometimes the conversation takes place over coffee at the table, sometimes it happens in the bed as you bask in the afterglow. Either way, your fingers are intertwined and your voices are soft. You make up with kisses just as tender.

Jun ❧ This is why he always carefully considers whether the issue at hand is worth arguing about. Oftentimes he rather backs out, gives in simply to avoid the fight - or more accurately, to avoid the fallout. It’s awkward. Even after everything’s been said and settled, there’s tension between the two of you that he’s unused to. He can’t come up to you and act like nothing happened. It’d feel too inappropriate, even if that’s what he’d love to do. There’s nothing else to say, though. Words are pointless if you know how he feels and he knows how you feel. Everything is settled - only the emotions linger. What he does is on the line between his usual kindness and a love language. A bowl of cut fruit, watching the episode of your show first, or him picking only the whole, unbroken chips to feed you. It's all for you, to show that he cares, if you're ready to accept that. It melts your heart even if you’re still wound up from the argument. You take the fork and stab the fruit, not him. You don't roll your eyes and stop yourself from getting annoyed that he wants to appease you. You open your mouth and you don't bite his fingers. But sometimes you wish he would just apologize. It's not like either of you was wrong. It was mostly just an exchange of opinions. But still, sometimes the simplest solution is the best one - you apologized too. It's three damned words. That's not gonna kill him. But then you see Jun cut the fruit with the star-shaped cutter, or he hums the opening of the show, or he chuckles at the one chip that kind of looks like a heart. You can only sigh and smile and let go of it all. This is who you picked. This is who you're gonna stick beside.

Hoshi ❧ He might not follow you around, but his eyes do. Soonyoung is long past the stage of being shy around you, but he reverts back to it after arguments. His eyes never leave your figure unless you look at him. It's pointless, he knows it's obvious he's staring. Yet he can't help it, a part of him is worried about you leaving if only for a second. And it's not fair. It's cheating because he looks so small and vulnerable, and you know he is - know that you are too. How could you ignore him? You sigh, half exasperated, half fond, as you close the distance between you and sit down next to him. He has the decency to look sheepish when you do. He's moving ridiculously slowly when his arms reach out to hug you to give you a chance to refuse, sometimes it makes you angry that he acts like you’re the only one whose emotions matter or like you’re gonna refuse his affection. As if you could live with the heartbroken expression he'd make if you pulled away. Not that you want to. He tucks you under his chin, cushioning your head on his chest. His arms are wrapped securely around you and the muscles on his legs flex with your every move, ready to use all his limbs to keep you trapped. You'd almost think you did try to run away and he only just caught you. He murmurs into your hair about how much he loves you, the dates, wildly unrealistic, he'd love to take you on. He promises you stars, moon, and the sun, he promises you forever. He'd do anything to keep you happy and laughing as you are now. You know he's as serious as he can be. What you also know is that the only way to shut him up now is with a kiss. So you do.

Wonwoo ❧ You're both trying too hard and that might also, eventually, become a problem. Trying too hard to be mindful of the other to the point you ignore your own needs and feelings is never a way. When the argument happens, it feels inevitable. It leaves you both feeling defeated. So you agree to give each other space before discussing things further. And you both think pretty much the same thing - what is the other thinking? You're circling back to where the problem started but with the result of that fresh in your minds, you don't make the same mistake. Somehow you end up in the same room, on the same bed, lying on your backs and staring at the ceiling as you talk. Telling each other what conclusions you came up with, what you think the other wanted to say and felt, you learn a lot about each other. Wonwoo takes advantage of the situation. He's opening up anyway, he’s already showing vulnerability, he might as well compensate for struggling with it otherwise. So he does. He uses the mellow atmosphere after an argument to show you his heart, to explain a little about how he thinks, gaining confidence with each of your reassuring nods and the way you really listen and care. You don’t judge and neither does he. He tells you all the things he wanted to say but didn’t before, throws in a tiny thing or two that he secretly loves about you. He lets you in, comforted enough by the safe bubble enveloping the two of you to do so. Each fight is a step forward to never fighting again, he said once. No matter who it is, being honest without holding back is hard and takes a lot of courage. With your hand in his and his knee bumping against yours, however, even conquering the world seems possible.

Woozi ❧ Arguments are never easy on Jihoon. It's enough that he has to deal with them at work - because really, the negotiations he's gotta do sometimes are nothing more than pointless fights. Therefore at home, he tries to be as efficient as possible dealing with any issues that come up. Partly because yes, he's tired, but for the most part because he knows how patient and tolerant you are towards him and he wants to give back. Which doesn't mean he doesn't snap occasionally and full on arguments don't happen, and then he's quick to apologize. You talk about it more, get over it, and then it's up to you and Jihoon to each decompress and process everything. You might busy yourself or leave to get some space, but he stays right where he is. He leans his head back on the couch and closes his eyes. He lets time wash over him as he thinks and takes in the silence, finally indulging in the absence of sound. When he's had his fill, though, he thinks about how it must seem to you for him to tell you that things are alright, and then he makes no effort to move or approach you. So he does so now. It feels awkward when he finds you - should he apologize again? Will you understand? Isn't it too late? You notice him hesitating and call him over. He relaxes seeing your smile, and he leans down to kiss the top of your head. He mumbles something that vaguely resembles a sorry. He asks what you've been doing, and he lets you get away with it if you pull him with you to show him or glue yourself to his side. He listens too intently and thinks hard about questions to ask to really mind any skinship you're doing even if he'd grumble any other time.

The8 ❧ His first step is always to assess the situation. He tries to feel out if it’s space or his presence that you want. Either way, it’s not far from the truth to say he approaches you as if you were a stray cat. Once it's safe to assume you'd welcome him being in the same room, he still keeps his wary distance. He lets you lead. But Minghao's also only a human and the tension where there should be peace upsets him more than the argument itself. He creeps towards you slowly, and at first it's only brushing his fingers against yours or bumping his leg with yours as he sits down next to you. Like a flowing water, he slowly envelops you without you noticing. Soon enough, his arms are around your waist and his head is on your shoulder, planting a gentle kiss to your skin, nuzzling into you, asking for forgiveness and reconciliation. He's not opposed to talking things out, he prefers it, actually, but only after everything is settled and you're okay and back to being partners, not angry lovers sharing a home. He likes to have his hands on you while you talk it out after some time. He brushes your hair back, his thumb caresses the back of your land and draws reassuring circles on your skin. It's as nice as it is distracting. After arguments, he always feels the need to reassure and be reassured. They leave a sense of unease inside him that unsettles him as much as the fact that he lost control and fought with you - it's inevitable, he knows, but he's a fighter and if the opponent is the human nature, so be it. There is no rock that can withstand the flow of a river, after all. But until then, he makes sure to hold you tighter and cling while he has an excuse.

Mingyu ❧ He really is a shadow of you and you have to bite your tongue to keep quiet. Sometimes it makes you snap at him, other times you've gotten over the argument and it's just cute. His hesitant steps and the second of questioning warmth as his hands hover over your waist before they make contact. His chin on your shoulder while he asks if there's anything he can help you with - anything he can do to make it right again. And sometimes you're still upset, and you want to tell him to go to hell, but how could you - with his voice so soft and low, so gentle, and his hands slowly encircling your waist until he's hugging you. He pulls you close and sways with you a little, he apologizes again, with a kiss to the top of your head. He really is willing to do anything - take on your share of chores, go over the argument again, anything but leaving you alone. And it's not fair because his puppy eyes and dejected look anytime you try to ignore him always wear you down in the end. He promises to do better, he whispers the words into your hair through a pout at being denied your gaze meeting his. He is well-aware of his shortcomings and where you were right, and where he was, and it means everything to him that you, too, understand and without promises, without empty excuses, you silently acknowledge what was said and work with it. The little steps forward are appreciated, he tries to take notice of them, and puffs out his chest with pride whenever you smile when you notice his own efforts. Making up with Mingyu is whining and pouting and clinging, but it's also understanding and making an effort to make sharing a home, sharing your lives, easier.

DK ❧ He’s shaking - his entire existence is. His hands are trembling, he’s taking shallow, shaky breaths, and his eyes keep darting all over your figure, trying to see if you will flinch away if he touches you now. It’s only been a couple of silent minutes since the argument; call him weak and clingy, but he can’t take it anymore. He calls your name quietly, pleading for you to look at him, and he can’t help the primal instinct to pull you close once you do. Seokmin holds you like you’ll slip through his fingers if he doesn’t, and he feels like he lets go of all the built up tension with the long exhale that slips past his lips once your arms wrap around him and hold him just as tight. He murmurs apologies, he stumbles over his words trying to explain, but after all the effort, he knows it pointless. You understand, and he understands too when you kiss his jaw and snuggle closer. After you part, he keeps babbling to keep the silence away. He hates it, he can’t stand it right now, but he stops talking so fast as soon as he sees you opening your mouth to say something too. He pays so much attention to you it almost feels overbearing, but you let him, because you analyze his every move too, trying to guess how he feels. Even if you talk things out, there’s this uneasiness that lingers and that makes him overcompensate for what happened, to prove that he’s worthy of you - he just kind of messed up. But that might lead to you feeling the same way, and it’s a downward spiral until it reaches a critical point where it hits you both how much this seems like farce, and you laugh, and you love each other nonetheless. You’re still smiling when you kiss.

Seungkwan ❧ He needs a good long time to cool down. At first, he hopes you know he didn't mean half the things he said. It's ridiculous, right? You know better than to trust him when he gets upset. As much as his pride and stubbornness hold him back though, his love for you eventually pushes him forward. Seungkwan approaches you and tries (and fails) to pretend like nothing happened. He tries to strike a conversation but he himself is too awkward - not to mention you, still hurt and shaken by the argument. You’re trying your best too, both of you miserably trying to get over the argument simply through relying on the strong foundation of your relationship alone. But when were you known for not holding grudges, a vice that you both share? He sighs and he takes your hands in his. A quick look into his eyes is enough to know he's dropping the charade. You drop it too and listen to him patiently explain his point of view. This time when he puts on a mask, it fits better. He tries to make it fun - he hates confrontation with you, and he finds reassurance in making you laugh. He holds your hand throughout and listens carefully when you speak, laughs when you insert jokes of your own. He finds it hard to let go of your hand. It's necessary sometimes but as soon as he can, he holds you again. Your hand in his, arm thrown around your shoulders, around your waist and pulling you close to himself. He makes you laugh in any way he can, he reminds you how much he loves you so there's no room for doubt in your mind about his feelings. He gets shy when you do the same, but it means more to him than he could ever explain.

Vernon ❧ At the end of the fight, both of you apologize. It's a habit at this point really, because it's what always happens. As justified as the reason for the argument might’ve been, nothing is as important as your relationship and nothing could ever warrant losing your temper at each other. Vernon asks if you're okay when you go through things again, calmly this time, and you know he means the two of you, and yeah, you've worked it out, things are alright again. And perhaps that's enough for him. He goes about the rest of his day as usual, though maybe his smiles are a little wider. You appreciate that and it's nice to fall into your routines, to return to normalcy of everyday life in your household. Then again, you can't help but wonder - is everything alright? Would he tell you if it wasn't? Maybe the way he closed the cupboard was a little louder than usual, maybe there's more to the tension in his shoulder than exhaustion from his morning workout. You call out his name and it's enough to alert him that something’s wrong. You explain, and he chuckles - you know he'd be more distant if something was bothering him, he reminds you. He told you he's fine, so he's fine - simple as that. He's warm and reassuring when he hugs you tightly and rocks you from side to side. You might even get a kiss. Just to make sure you have no doubts that he’s truly over the argument, he makes the time to spend some extra quality time with you. You tell him it’s not necessary, that his reassurance was enough, but you'll never say no if he wants to hold you. It’s nothing special, just a couple hours spent much like they would be on a day you’re both free. And that’s all you need, after all.

Dino ❧ He feels at loss after you fight. Apologizing and talking things through can only get him so far. The tension in the air lingers and he doesn't like it. His first impulse is to go buy flowers, maybe some sweets, but then he'd have to leave and that's out of the question right now. Part of him is irrationally afraid you'd take him leaving the wrong way and he'll do anything not to make things worse. He could tell you, ask if there’s anything you’re craving right now - and maybe that's not a bad idea at all. He brings it up to you and blushes a nice shade of red when you laugh. You end up coming with him, because the air is clearer outside, not as stifling. It's easier to remember the good times as you walk through the familiar neighborhood. Your hand finds his on instinct and he knows it made you as surprised as he was when he felt your touch. You don't pull away though. In the shop, he lets you go to grab yourself some treats while he does the shopping for necessities. He finds you at the snack isle when he’s done and follows your requests, throws into the basket even the things you're hesitant about trying - you said things are okay between you, so it’s alright to have adventures again. But then you need to compensate for the snacks, so you pick up some of the fruits you've never tried, and maybe also the cereal... Needless to say this wasn't the cheapest grocery shopping but the fun and having the comfortable atmosphere between you back is well worth it in Chan's eyes. He doesn’t forget the flowers - even if he has to run to the shop again without you so it’s a surprise. As he closes the door, he smiles. You’ll be there when he returns, and you’re as eager for him to come back as he is.

[gachagon]

I love it when characters who were previously incredibly pompous and egotistical realize that the pedestal they've placed themselves on is actually worthless given the current situation they're now in.

Kaiser is realizing now that his idea of what it takes to be on top, to be the best striker is wrong and that it's probably been wrong for a while. And that's really got to suck, because while Kaiser has accomplished a lot of great things, ultimately his goal pales in comparison to the people he now has to go up against. Isagi and the other Blue Locker's aren't just there to rise up the ranks slowly, this is a last man standing program and Kaiser isn't strong enough to stand on his own.

He had become a great player, but he's not the best player. And he needs to be better in order to even have that position of acclaim in the first place. I am reminded of what Isagi taunted him with earlier, calling him a "Naked Emperor/King" which is an obvious reference to the "Emperor's New Clothes".

In that short story, a king orders himself new clothing that outshines everyone else and so the court creates "Invisible Clothing that only he can see" for the King. The king accepts the clothes and "wears" them, and so to him he is wearing the finest cloak imaginable, but to everyone else he is just a naked man making a fool of himself.

In a way, Kaiser ended up being the naked emperor in that he only came to the realization that his past achievements weren't good enough to stay in the team until this very game with Isagi.

I really think that fear of losing everything he worked for was always holding him back from really going above and beyond as well, because while he does have the support of a partner to do passes for him and he's able to read the field accurately, he doesn't take chances that tougher opponents hand him.

His backstory as a thief really puts this into perspective too because thieves wait for the right moment to strike instead of going out into the open to steal. And just like a thief, everything they get is "unearned" because they just take it from other people. In a way, you could almost say Kaiser's position as the best and the king was unearned because he hadn't actually done what needed to be done in order to get to that level.

And that's why I think this makes him so upset when Ness rattles off all of the thing's he's done, because ultimately none of those things will really amount to anything if he can't keep control of this team and be the best among them. It won't matter if he's scored a goal in every match, or if he's gotten offers from top teams, his goal is to be better than everyone and right now some dude from a no name prefecture in Japan is wiping the floor with him, and easily.

You really gotta feel sorry for Ness too, because he thinks of himself as one of Kaiser's "accomplishments" in a way, but Kaiser literally doesn't care about him enough. He just see's Ness as a tool to use, someone who's easily replaceable and loyal like a dog.

My moot (@miyamiwu) made a really good observation about how Ness might just leave Kaiser soon if he doesn't keep playing in that magical way that captured Ness in the first place, and I think that's true now especially since Kaiser himself seems to also realize it. When he's thinking about all of the achievements he could potentially lose if he doesn't win this, Ness is one of them.

"I thought I was becoming human." Is so sad too because I think deep down he really did think that by being close to Ness that he was truly becoming a normal player, that he was on the fast track to achieving his goals. But because he doesn't really know what that goal is anymore, the rug has been pulled from under him now and he has to literally reevaluate what is probably years worth of self reflection.

I also think this chapter is Kaiser ditching the rose as a symbol of his ego because he's truly looking back on things and realizing that the object that really gave him solace wasn't that symbol of the impossible, but the soccer ball itself. He is coming to terms with the fact that without soccer, he doesn't have anything at all, and that it is the only reason he was even able to get this far or have the courage to fight back against his abusive shitty dad.

Instead of the rose tattoo being here, we see there's a new tattoo that's prominent now and it's in the shape of a crown. And rather than being in a place where he's most vulnerable (his neck), the tattoo is on his hand, which I think symbolizes how he is able to take his own freedom and by extension his own place as a king with his own two hands.

Kaiser's solitude is something he really needs to become the best, because if he can't do it alone, than he can't do it at all. He is clinging desperately to the things he has managed to gather throughout these years, including Ness' loyalty and he's so afraid of losing even one of those things that it's making him a worse player.

However, whether or not being totally alone is what he needs to heal as a person is another thing entirely, which is ultimately why I don't think Kaiser will ever beat Isagi and that if he does it'd actually be the worst ending for him. Throughout this entire manga, Kaiser comes off as a really calculated person who's always thinking ten steps ahead, but inside he is just a damaged kid who is using soccer as his one means of coping with the trauma he faced as child.

And that phrasing "I thought I was becoming human" really just makes me feel so sad for Kaiser, because to him if he doesn't have soccer he is less than human and has nothing to give back to the world. He has never allowed himself any time to just be a normal teenager and just make friends in a healthy way, and the one friend he does have might just up and leave if he's not playing in a groundbreaking way. He thinks so lowly of himself that he hinges his entire identity around how other people perceive his abilities in the game, and if he's not the best at the game, he surely can't matter that much as a player, no matter how much Ness tries to placate him with words about how he's "already done enough".

Ego Jinpachi said it as well after Nagi made his really good goal, that some people are content with just being average and "good" instead of being great. And that it's because they're content with where they are in life, that they never advance at all. The idea that they are totally fine in their current position makes them lose the drive they normally would have if they weren't still thinking about trying to get better.

And Blue Lock's philosophy hinges on the player wanting to always get better and better and beat the other players on the field. Being "good" is never enough, hell being "Great" isn't enough at times, you need to be the best forever. You need to make it so that dethroning you is an uphill battle.

[ornii]

I got a Wednesday ask for you, for Valentines Day.

May I ask for Enid and Wednesday both having a crush on their friend who's oblivious as all hell to any romantic intentions anyone may have. A girl could say "You're cute in that shirt. I bet you'd look better out of it." and he'd beam a smile and say "Thanks! My mom picked it out for me!"

Well, Wednesday and Enid are rivals who are competing against each other. Their competition is so fierce that they often refuse to be near each other.

Unfortunately, they neglect their friend, who thinks he's done something wrong to push both of them away from him, so he's sulking. Less positive, less sunshine, no smiles.

How do these to reconcile and come together to make an agreement to share him? That, dear author, I leave to you.

That’s actually a great Idea since I already had a Valentines Story Here

Anyway that is a great idea.

May The Best Woman, Win.

Wenclair X Male Reader, Nothing Like a Little, friendly competition, right?

Valentines Day, the day of love and adoration for your significant other. Being a “Magician”, Mage would be the more appropriate term but the school doesn’t allow you to cast dangerous spells or incantations that could melt someone’s face off so you’re stuck with party tricks. Every day you were practicing a new form of levitation, invisibility, and summoning of spectral beings. And the week before valentines you put on a show for Nevermore and it has a fantastic end.

Standing before everyone, you had your magicians top had ready. As you Show It’s emptiness, you placed it upon the table.

“Now, you all should be prepared, this could be a. Fire hazard.” You say, your eyes quickly look to the further core of the crowd, seeing Enid so giddy for your performance as usual, but Wednesday was there, she despises child games but, she also supported your love for the magical arts. A ferocious smile was upon your face and you put everything into this one. Tapping on your had you slowly reached inside to pull out a butterfly. There were a few oos, but we’re not Ready for what came next, you placed it back inside and grabbed a lighter. Igniting the inside of your hat, you reached into with both hands and quickly pulled something out. It was a Mystery, until you opened your hands and hundreds of red, flaming butterflies flew out so calmly, they weren’t on fire, they were made of it. It dances along the night sky to the absolute beauty of the crowd.

The applause felt like a roaring wave to (Y/n), who watched as students cheer him on, and they only thing he could do was bow his head and thank everyone for their love and adoration. Unfortunately the teachers had to cut it short and make sure everyone got to their dorms safely. Thornhill obviously took hers back to their dorms, Enid was lying on her bed, absolutely giddy and chattering about it all, Wednesdays was typing upon her typewriter, trying to ignore it.

“And then the butterflies came out and it was just so, beautiful!” Enid squeals, Wednesday halts her typing for a moment.

“I know Enid, I was literally right next to you, an interesting parlor trick.” Wednesday goes back to it and Enid sits up and pouts.

“You really can’t just admit it was super cool? And it doesn’t help (Y/n)‘s the sweetest guy like ever.” Enid hugs one of her plushies.

“I suppose his overwhelming kindness is something to leave a woman.. wanting.” Wednesday says, “Which is why I suppose I’ll ask—“

“So that’s why I’m asking—“

“For him to be my valentine.” They say in Unison and both look at each other. The two stand up and sort of stand there awkwardly.

“So… you want him to be your valentine too.” Enid said, pouting a bit.

“Yes, i thought that was clear. While I despise the day of love, I can respect that he’s weaseled his way into my mind.” Wednesday admits.

“Well he’s been a cute ball of sunshine since I first met him, so…” Enid begins and offers a handshake.

“May the best woman win.” She says with a Cherry sweet smile. Wednesday takes it, coldly.

“I will win.” She responds, Enid frowns a bit. “I guess there’s nothing like a little friendly competition.

“I don’t do friendly.”

And The Rivalry began, while (Y/n) was a fantastic magician, he was a bit of a dunce when it came to hints of one’s romantic intentions. The first few hints were thrown at (Y/n), without much hinting. (Y/n) sat at the quad the next morning. He was quickly interrupted by Enid sitting next to him, immediately getting a bit close. He didn’t really see much wrong and just talked, he noticed Enid was staring really hard at him.

“And then I tells him I… Enid, are you okay? You haven’t blinked for like, two minutes.” He said, and she attempts to act oblivious.

“Oh Im staring too hard? Sorry, I was just so lost in your eyes~” She says, and (Y/n) nods.

“Ooooh. Well I have a spell to fix that, you’d be surprised how common eye injuries are in the magic business, did you know they based Dr Strange off of a famous magician? It’s—“

Enid can only sheepishly nod at his cute idiotic ramblings, as much as she wanted to interrupt him. He seemed so genuinely happy to talk about it with her. So instead she just listened to his ramblings on, just nodding away. Little did Enid know Wednesday was watching a ways away, staring a hole into her annoying dumb blonde blockhead. All she has to do was wait for her opportunity, which came knocking as (Y/n) was leaving his class. Walking down the hall he quickly stopped to not crash into Wednesday.

“(Y/n).” She says, he halts and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“Hey Wednesday, what’s up?” He asks.

“There is Something i must ask you, will you—“

“Wait.” He says. “there’s something I have to say first.” (Y/n) said, and Wednesday slowly began to scowl a bit. He takes a deep breath.

“I want to thank you for coming to the show, I know you hate childish things and I know you probably had literally a hundred Better things to do but.. you came and I cannot thank you enough so.. so..” (Y/n) awkwardly reaches out and hugs her tightly for a few seconds and Wednesday was stunned by the platonic assault, the scent of his cologne. The warmth of his body, the alluring strength in his arms. All of it left her literally speechless. He lets go quickly, as if he’s ready for her to stab him, but she just stares at him.

“W-Wednesday?” He asks, “Are you okay?” He said, she simply turned around and walked away, literally too embarrassed to speak. (Y/n) shrugs and heads back to his dorm. Down the hall, Enids eyes focused on the scene as she saw Wednesday leave, staring At her antisocial, emo smarty pants dumb face. The friendly competition wasn’t so friendly anymore; even the tension in the dorm room was, suffocating.

The next few days, (Y/n) attempts to hang out with both of them, but you could feel that. Something was wrong. They absolutely refused to do so, even to go so far as to not even be in each others presence. While you were off shopping with Enid, Wednesday was inside her dorm as far from Enid as possible to avoid shaving the dog bald, and when you were With Wednesday in the dorm talking, Enid was with Yoko trying not to picture clawing Wednesdays eyes out. As all the negativity they had slowly began to spree into vitriol it, took a toll on you as well. You five star smile slowly faded and the beautiful light in your eyes was dull and unrealistic. It was getting to you, the jealously, anger, for what? Why we’re they at each others necks, everything was fine a week ago, the only thing that changed was the show, the magic, it was.. you.

It was a rainy night in Nevermore and, you’ve had enough, sneaking out of your dorm and crawling the gothic architecture, you eventually and soaked in rain, got to the multi colored window, and softly knocked on it. Wednesday was inside as she turns her head to see you standing there, she opened the window and let you inside. It was an awkward silence before you just blurted it out.

“I’m sorry, okay?” You say, and Wednesday squints a bit.

“Sorry about what?”

“Everything! I don’t Know, whatever I did to make you and Enid hate each other.” You admit, Wednesdays jaw tightens and she couldn’t look you in the eyes anymore.

“You two used to be friends, you could coexist and now I can’t see one without the other and I hate it, whatever i did I am sorry, please. Can we go back to how things were?” You say, trying to hold back tears as you sit on her bed, sniffling. Wednesday detested human interaction and somewhat revels in the sadness and fear some had, but yours was different. It made her sick to her stomach to see you in such turmoil, for something you didn’t even do, your only crime.. was being a friend. Your hands shook, you tried to hold it together and your sorrow was interrupted by Wednesday approaching and hugging your head, letting your face rest against her chest as she gently caressed your hair, this is the first time Wednesday has ever initiated any contact.

“It was not your fault, it was ours, Enid and I wanted to be your valentines and, we allowed it to shove us apart. We put our selfish wants and needs above what mattered.. I apologize for my part in that.” Wednesday admits, your hands gently wrapped around her waist, you looked at her.

“You, guys were seriously fighting over me?” You say, “fighting over a guy seems above you.” You say and Wednesday sighs.

“I suppose it is…” she admits, she lets go and looks into your eyes.

“I’ll apologize to Enid as well.” She admits, and you wipe your tears.

“..I’d like that.” You say, and as if on queue, the door opens to Enid who steps in to probably pick up her nail polish, she sees Wednesday and (Y/n), which makes her freeze a bit, and the jealousy begins to come to a boil.

“Enid, are you really fighting over me?” You ask her, and her rage quickly disperses to embarrassment.

“I-I mean.. well..”

“Seriously?” You say, “I was so worried that I pushed you two away from each other, than I made you so full of hate and anger.” You admit and Enids embarrassed went to sadness. She approaches sheepishly.

“We… Yeah You’re Right, we did do that and.. it wasn’t fair to you.” Enid says, seeing the wet, sad man sitting on the bed, so full of despair. It made her want to cry too but, her tears were worthless.

“Wednesday, Enid, can you two please just go back to being friends?” You ask, the two look at each other.

“Enid, I apologize for my actions, as (Y/n) said we shouldn’t let a man get inbetween our friendship.” She admits.

“Yeah, im sorry too… that was super uncool of me, and I shouldn’t hate you for wanting to be his valentine.” Enid admits, and you sigh with relief.

“You know, you both could have just asked together.” You say, they slowly turn to him.

“If it made you both happy I would have done it, you two mean the most to me, the least I could do was be your valentines.” You say and the two quickly take up his offer.

“Will you be our valentine?” They again in Unison, you were actually a bit taken aback by their quickness, you stand up and laugh a bit. “No shame Huh? I’d love to.” You say and hug them both, Enid quickly reciprocates the hug, and Wednesday slowly does as well, both girls content with the outcome, I suppose in this competition, everyone is a winner.

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 2: [DRAGON AU] mammon / first encounter

ao3 link

note: requested by @whensam! i have to admit, i was hoping this'd pop up. i know i can write what i want, but i always feel i need an excuse anyway. you didn't indicate a preference for pov and i also just ended up wanting to do both, so this is a little longer than expected as a result!

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

Baker's children don't make good hunters. We’re used to carrying sacks of flour, not sprinting across fields with pitchfork-wielding mobs in hot pursuit. We don't make good kindling, either, but that hasn't stopped about half the adults in the village - for shame, I'd say, if I had the breath to speak.

Here's the thing. Our village isn't exactly a popular spot by any definition of the term. We're too far from any big cities to make good business, we don't make much worth selling, and the people certainly aren't charming enough to warrant a detour.

More important, though, are the creatures we share land with. Through the grassland that border the crop fields, there are invisible lines drawn in the soil - ones that no one crosses.

These lines mark dragon territory, and everyone knows that a dragon would sooner eat you for breakfast than stop for a reasonable conversation. Reasonable conversation is not something I have the luxury of at the moment, which is why I’m already several hundred paces over the line.

Just fifty already takes you into the forest. I don’t hear footsteps in pursuit anymore - they’d have to be mad to follow me so far in, which is exactly what I'd been banking on. The issue now is that, rather than being pitchforked, or burnt at the stake, I’ll probably just get eaten instead.

I pick my way through rotting leaf litter and ridged roots before collapsing against an old oak, wondering if the moisture dripping from overhead is safe to drink - or at least to wash my mouth out with. Gnawing through rope seems like a clever idea until your teeth start bleeding.

I can’t stay here, I think. Dying now would be like letting them win. Then Dad will have smacked the alderman for no reason.

Just as I get back to my feet, something whooshes overhead. I freeze. Those wings were larger than any bird I’ve ever seen.

Surely it couldn’t see me through the leaves. I crouch low to the ground and try to hide in the undergrowth - the wingbeats disappear until all I can hear is distant birdsong.

At least they’re having a nice day. I duck my head and trudge through a hedge - and come face to face with a dragon.

“Argh!”

I leap backwards. Bad move. The sunlight falls across its pointed face just in time for me to watch its pupils expand into full moons, like a cat on the hunt.

It doesn’t pounce. It doesn’t charge, snap or growl. It creeps slowly, eyes fixed on me the whole way forward, as if making sure I know that I can’t escape.

Nowhere to run. I press my back against a wizened old pine and shut my eyes tight - throwing out an arm, as if that might shield me.

Nothing happens. Then something cold presses into my palm.

My eyes snap open. The dragon blinks down at me. Its eyes are such a deep shade of blue that it’s almost dizzying. Oh. Oh, okay.

Its - his? I wonder, noting the ridges on his nose - snout rests carefully in my palm. He seems to register me staring at him, and snorts. The hot air is just on the brink of scalding, but not quite enough to hurt.

Then, almost experimentally, he opens his mouth - a yawning chasm of teeth, poised as if to ever-so-gently bite off my head. Except he doesn’t do that. There’s no pain - no crunch of broken bone or split sinew - far from it. The dragon leans down, carefully hooks his teeth into the collar of my shirt, and takes off.

I’d have screamed if it wasn’t for all the air leaving my chest at once. The forest shrinks to a dark blanket beneath us faster than I can even register it happening, and I realise very quickly that I’d be dashed to bits if I so much as slipped.

Wyvern, says an unhelpful voice in the back of my head as we soar. The dragon’s white-and-gold wings blot out the sun, but they’re so brilliant that it’s hard to tell the difference. They’re good fliers.

Before long, the dragon lands - legs first, digging his talons deep into the soil as he skids to a stop. After a moment, he huffs, then (strangely gently) drops me in a heap on the stony ground.

There’s a rumble, a swoosh - then several thuds, a swoosh of wings. I watch a shadow fall over my field of vision, then slowly raise my head.

Oh, I think a little faintly. 

All sorts of colours, all sorts of demeanours. One in particular steps forward - dark, with crimson eyes, and the sort of air about him that tells me he's the leader. Boss, I'll call him, if only to settle my own nerves. The dragon that brought me here (Goldie, I decide, still trying to settle my breathing) steps forward with a sort of chirrup in greeting.

It's a spectacle, if nothing else. Here are seven dragons, horns and wings and all. I've heard cautionary tales and horror stories, but they never really tell you how majestic they look in real life - scales shinier than any jewel I could imagine. Marvels of creatures, really. If only I had the wits to appreciate it.

Boss is growling now - there's a sort of heat rolling off him in waves. Some of the feeling coming back to my numb legs.

If only I knew what they were saying...

-

It isn’t often that the forest bears treasure - usually it’s all very boring things, like meat and berries and leaves. To be fair, Mammon's used to treasure of the shiny, golden kind - not this weird little critter crouched against a tree.

It smells faintly of smoke and burnt wheat. He stalks closer, but he's testing it more than anything - it doesn’t look like any prey he’s familiar with.

When he gets close, it sticks out a little starfish-shaped appendage and closes its eyes. He smells bitter fear now.

Is it greeting him? Telling him it isn’t a threat? That’s smart. He thought only dragons could be smart, but it’s not behaving - nor does it look - like any dragon he's ever met.

So he returns the greeting with his snout. He half expects to be stung, like the time Asmo brought that little spidery thing home, but all the critter does is look up at him fearfully.

Interesting. On a whim, he scoops the little round thing off, and decides to take it back home.

The weird not-prey goes still as soon as he takes off. Once home, he lets it disembark (drops it on the floor, though he tries to be gentle), then looks up to face his brothers as they land around him.

The others decide to keep their distance. Lucifer is the first to plod forward and investigate.

He sniffs carefully at the air, then makes a crackling noise somewhere at the base of his throat - which isn't usually a good sign.

“That’s a human, Mammon," He says, glaring at the little critter. It’s still sitting, frozen.

“It’s a what?”

“What’d you bring that for? Stupid.” Belphie settles back on his haunches, blowing out a puff of frost. “Can’t go around snatching humans. We’ll get hunted. Stupid.”

“Shut up,” He grunts. “And I didn’t snatch it. Found it walkin’ around in the forest.”

“That’s impossible,” Satan says nearly immediately. His tail swishes back and forth - slow and deliberate, an analytical glint in his clever eyes. “They don’t let their young anywhere near us.”

“Well, whaddya call this, then?”

The human - apparently - suddenly seems to regain use of its limbs. Springing to its feet (Levi shrinks back, crest flattering over his head), it stumbles for a moment, then abruptly ducks under one of Mammon's wings.

The rest of his brothers - who'd similarly drawn back - relax again with a simultaneous murmur of vague confusion. Mammon blinks. Then his tail starts flicking at the end - like it always does when he's pleased.

“...you are not keeping it,” Lucifer says, looking as if he'd very much like to fly off into the sunset.

“It might have a disease!” adds Asmo.

“I don’t care what any of ya say,” Mammon says stubbornly, snapping at Beel when it looks like he might creep in for a bite. “I’m not sendin’ it back to the forest. It’ll be dead in a day.”

"It might be dangerous," Levi hisses. "It's totally giving me the evil eyes."

"Stop scaring it, then,” Mammon says loftily. “Relax, ya big baby - You’ve got teeth bigger than its whole head.”

“You are not keeping it,” Lucifer says again, as if repeating himself will make him sound more in charge.

“Pfft. Can’t tell me what to do.” He snaps at Beel again. “Oi! No bitin’! Go raid your stash or something.”

Beel’s horns seem to droop a little. “...fine. C’mon, Belphie.”

“I was busy,” complains Satan with a huff as the twins flap off. "This is boring. I've seen deer carcasses more interesting than that weird little thing."

"Go look at your stinkin' carcasses, then," Mammon shoots back, fighting the impulse to spit something at him.

Satan does exactly that. Levi soon slinks off as well, apparently still intimidated - and Asmo seems to have disappeared as soon as he decided the human wasn't going to make a good accessory.

Lucifer, meanwhile, stands his ground. His tail is beginning to lash in agitation. If Mammon’s lucky, maybe he’ll even start spitting fire.

“I'm not gonna eat it,” He says stubbornly.

“I wasn't going to tell you to,” Lucifer replies, but he sounds very much like he’s considering it. “Belphie was right. If a hunter sees us with one of their young, they’ll take it as a threat.”

“Like we wouldn’t win,” He scoffs, sitting down with a thump. "Anyway,don't ya smell the fire on it?"

A single scarlet eye narrows a little. Evidently he hadn't - though Lucifer's always smelling smoke, by virtue of the literal furnace in his chest, so he can't really be blamed for not noticing.

The human is peeking out from beneath his wing with a little more bravado now. Lucifer eyes its round little face as if it might start spitting poison at him.

"...humans don't usually try to set fire to their young," Lucifer says after a moment. "You're sure she doesn't have anywhere to go?"

"Wouldn't've been in the forest if it— uh, she did." He glances down. "C'mon! Not like we don't have the space."

Lucifer is silent. Then he gives a long-suffering sigh - sending a plume of dark blue smoke into the sky - and bends down to the human’s eye level again.

“Will you behave?” Lucifer asks her severely, as if she can understand dragon-speak.

The human child blinks up at him. Then she reaches up and plants a hand on his snout.

Mammon holds his breath. After a moment, Lucifer’s wings flutter, then settle.

“I’m not having any part in this,” He announces, stepping back. “This is to be your responsibility only. Don't make any trouble for your brothers. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, yeah,” He says dismissively, occupied with keeping his triumph from showing in his tail. Got it.”

Lucifer glances down at the human one final time. “...take care of her.”

And off he flaps - to attend to his usual nighttime duties. He says he's keeping watch for danger, but mostly they seem to involve gazing darkly into the sunset.

With his brothers dispersed, Mammon takes a moment to actually consider his situation. He doesn’t actually know what taking care of a human child involves. He doesn’t know much about humans in general - it’s not like he usually pays them any attention. Maybe some of his brothers could give him some advice… if any of them were interested in the kid’s well-being, at least.

They’ll come around, He decides after a moment, unfurling his wings and attempting to nudge the human in the general direction of their living caves. First, I gotta figure out what these things eat…

[meetinginsamarra]

mayprompts2024 #6,

Read part one (using the prompt “box”) here

Read part two (using the prompt “familiar”) here

Read part three (using the prompt “fall”) here

Read part four (using the prompt “awkward”) here

++++++

If you thought the last chapter/prompt was awkward (LOL) it's not getting better.

The testing intensifies...

++++++

The Perfect Place - Part Five

John needed a handkerchief to deal with his sweaty fore head and since he also needed to fetch the catalogue with the type-of-boxspring-in-relation-to-body-weight spreadsheet, he went to the counter.

Opening the drawer, he saw his gun lying on top of it. He took out both, cramming the catalogue under his arm and shoving the gun into the front pocket of his corduroy trousers. As ugly as the trousers were, they had the undeniable advantage of sporting a baggy cut with spacious front pockets so the gun could vanish easily in its depths.

(To be fair, normally John would not have touched this pair of trousers with a ten-foot pole. But he had assumed they would make him look like a trustworthy and respectable salesman and they let him hide the gun easily. Also, they had cost him nothing since he had inherited them from his sister Harry and practical as John was, he would not simply throw them away.) (Which would have been better, actually.)

Anyway, the familiar feeling of the gun’s cold metal against his body gave John some much-needed emotional support in further dealing with this intense (John meant arousing) customer. It distracted him from salivating (too) openly over the client. John could not risk that the man would get cold feet because of John being creepy and leaving the shop without buying the bed. Luckily, today John also wore a long cardigan, therefore the gun was practically invisible.

(The cardigan was another piece of exceptionally ugly clothing John had inherited via Harry. His sister on the other hand had also inherited the cardigan via their grandfather who had been gifted the hand-knitted atrocity by his wife. The grandmother had been an avid cat lover and had adorned the cardigan’s front with several hand-stitched cat faces.)

John returned to the customer and found him staring into space with a dazed expression and observed a weird smile forming on this beautiful face.

Meanwhile, Sherlock had been in a daze. He couldn’t believe his luck. John had actually picked his brain earlier to learn if he was gay and single, ergo John was interested in his person apart from selling the bed.

Sherlock had also noticed that the delightful rigidity he had attested while testing the mattress had been mirrored in John’s midsection. Even the baggy corduroy trousers had not been able to hide all of the rising bump. Sherlock deduced that John had been aroused and the only source could have been Sherlock himself and concluded further that his plan was working out fine.

Originally, the steps had been to get John to move into 221b as Sherlock’s flatmate and then seduce him into being his boyfriend. But apparently, it went the other way around and Sherlock had made John fall in love with him already, putting the flatmate-thing onto second position. This was perfectly okay, just a little bump in the way of totally winning John over.

Sherlock decided to step it up a notch with the testing. He wanted to see how far John would go and how far he could push him respectively. (Sherlock assumed that it would be important for their later relationship to know what he could get away with.) He needed to see how John would react in a precarious situation.

Sherlock watched John returning with the catalogue, fixed his eyes on him, smiled and offered his hand.

“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Potential partners should know each other’s names. I’m Sherlock Holmes.” (Sherlock was so exited that he got a bit ahead himself.)

John stopped dead in his tracks. What? We’re partners? Since when? I didn’t notice… his brain fired frantic questions at him. Blood pounded in his ears.

Sherlock cleared his throat, realizing his blunder. “Business partners, that’s what I wanted to say. As in you sell the bed and I buy it. Therefore, we do business with each other, right?” That was close, he thought.

“Oh, sure, sure. John Watson, pleased to meet you. Again.” John released his breath. “Great. The deluxe bed suits you, then?”

“Yes, well, all seems very promising.” Sherlock looked at John from under his long eyelashes, deliberately changing his voice to a lower register because he knew exactly what effect this had on other men. (And women, but Sherlock din’t care about that.)

“Yet, I have to test the mattress for real. May I lie down, please?”

+++++

The Bed Shop Boys will continue to be idiots in love tomorrow!

tagging some people @calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @peanitbear @raina-at

[s-ephiroth]

that angeal analysis post is making me think about how both sephiroth and genesis don't fully grasp the hidden implications behind angeal's behavior towards his sword or, if they do, they don't really comment on it in ways that would validate the whole philosophy of not using a resource/tool unless explicitly necessary

as far as we know it, sephiroth does take notice that angeal isn't using his Cool Sword™/is holding back against him and — whether he knows or not about the sword's origin and why angeal behaves the way he does — provokes him into using it (which doesn't happen)

genesis is there when this happens and doesn't scold sephiroth for that, instead interrupting because he wants to 1v1 sephiroth, leaving it ambiguous whether or not he's intervening to be "heroic" to angeal (sparing him from using the buster sword unnecessarily) or for his own gain (winning against sephiroth in a duel means he's stronger or more skilled than him)

regardless, genesis doesn't grow up in poverty (neither does sephiroth, though i think neither of them have normal childhoods) so he wouldn't truly get the meaning behind the behavior in practice

and then there's angeal himself in the middle of all this... did he even tell either of them what happened to his dad because of the sword? did he have time to even grieve or did he get the news once he was already in midgar?

like

the way sephiroth and genesis seem to behave (or lack a reaction) to angeal's behavior towards his sword keeps sending me the idea that he was likely bottling up about it to the point neither of them noticed it in a way that would have either of them going "are you ok? why are you being touchy about the sword?"

... usually i would think of sephiroth being the one among them to bottle up the most, opening up only when he feels comfortable enough to do so or even reluctantly admitting he knows he shouldn't share his issues with others, but!! it may turn out that angeal is much worse with that?

which does reflect in the way he physically degrades, even

unlike genesis who shows visual cues (whitening hair, cracks on skin, etc), angeal stays basically the same aside from the wing, which... good allegory for depression being an "invisible" ailment, but also??? excellent way to show that angeal was hiding A LOT of what was happening to himself from others

by the point the penance fight ends, by the point we have enough to make all the conclusions that excellent analysis post by pumpkin makes, angeal is visually very degraded, just like genesis

because we can see it now

and if only sephiroth and genesis could've seen too, if they really didn't, if only

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

May I request a BG3 matchup?

30; afab agender; rampantly bisexual. Medical lab tech (not the cool kind), about to start grad school for forensic biology. I collect postcards and preserved specimens, and raise tarantulas + other bugs. Enjoy making nature journals, birdwatching, puzzles, music, theatre, museums, analyzing horror media, building models, working with clay, writing, reading, and board games (though I get a bit too competitive). Great in the kitchen. Autistic/ADHD. Get sensory overloaded easily. Love meeting people but mostly wish I could exist invisibly and not speak. Chronic pain limits physical activities. Most content during stormy days with candles and coffee, baking or doing a jigsaw puzzle with the windows open and music playing. Think I'm unattractive and obnoxious. OCD + bipolar dictate a lot of my brain. Tendency to word vomit and have difficulty articulating off of paper. Complain a lot and can be passive aggressive. But also like to see people happy and taken care of, and want to leave things better than I find them when possible.

A/N: Alright Tarantula Anon, since you mentioned you’re bisexual, but didn’t state a gender preference, I’ve picked out the best matches- one male and one female for you.

Your best Baldur’s Gate 3 Matches would be Astarion (Male) and Minthara (Female)!

➶ Astarion is also a character I would characterize as “rampantly bisexual” (or pansexual to be more specific in his case lol). Gender presentation isn’t something he factors into attractiveness. If he likes you, he likes you. If he thinks you’re hot, he thinks you’re hot, etc. You get the idea.

Being an immortal vampire, Astarion knows a thing or two about biology. Mainly about how to remain undetected among the human population. In the game, he explains how he never smells like a typical vampire or vampire’s den because he makes a point to scent himself with a mix of fragrances. And while he may not be a medical professional, he’s certainly had his fair share of anatomy lessons, be it distant viewings at the food of Cazador, from the many creatures he’s been forced to seduce. It’s not an exact equivalent, but I do believe he would be fascinated by the kind of work you do regarding live and preserved specimens.

And while I don’t think he’s a bug person (mainly because they were his one source of nutrition for so many years), I think he could be taught to appreciate them over time. Perhaps you could show him how all creatures, even small ones, are incredibly unique and have their own role within our vast universe. It’s humbling to think we are all so incredibly tiny and yet vastly important to the people around us.

There’s so much he’s missed out on experiencing, I think he’d quite like doing any of those activities with you: birdwatching, solving puzzles, listening to music, going to the theater or the museum, tinkering, making ceramics, writing, or reading, or playing board games… Anything! Everything! He especially enjoys the competitive nature of your games. He finds he quite likes the feeling of winning, and he plans on doing it more often. Don’t worry though, he’ll play fair. Well, fair for him, anyway.

He cannot eat so he doesn’t get to fully appreciate your kitchen prowess. But he does enjoy helping you cook. It’s strangely comforting for him to do something so domestic. It’s in moments like those, that he can see the rest of your lives together playing out.

Similarly to you, Astarion loves meeting new people. Or at least he thinks he does. So much of his extroversion was a facade, he’s not certain what part of his people skills are him and which parts were survival. So he needs time in between, away from crowds and strangers to calm down and recharge. He’s grateful that you often tug him away, reminding him to excuse the two of you before either one of you gets too overwhelmed.

He may not be a magic user, but he does what he can to support you in managing your chronic pain. He’ll get Halsin or Shadowheart or even Gale to lessen some of your symptoms. He doesn’t try to cure your condition, nor does he expect you to cure his. However, if finding a more permanent solution to your pain is something you’d want, he’s more than ready to take that journey with you.

He doesn’t think for a second that you’re obnoxious. And trust him on that. He’s met some of the most obnoxious, overwhelmingly annoying magistrates and lords in his first life. He assures you constantly: that you are nothing like them. You’re smart and kind and beautiful. Even if you can’t see it, he sees it for you. Astarion knows what it’s like to live with a body (and by extension a brain) that tells you you’re never good enough. There are still moments when he can’t see himself in a mirror for example, when he thinks of himself as a monster. He’s so grateful you’re there to comfort him and tell him otherwise.

His favorite thing in the world is to cuddle with you next to a large bay window, watching nighttime thunderstorms roll in, a book in his lap and you beside him.

☾ Minthara is often characterized as closed-off and cold. Which you could argue is true. Or you could see it as her being logical, and protective of herself and her heart. She is a drow, and by nature, well accustomed to the more gruesome side of human nature. She feels at home surrounded by macabre, whereas others may be disturbed. I think she’d find your work fascinating. And spiders are something she knows a lot about. Drows and spiders go hand in hand. She sees tarantulas as the perfect pet, they’re small enough to be contained but large enough to have personalities and be something incredible to watch.

She especially enjoys reading horror stories with you or visiting theaters or museums with horror exhibits. Perhaps one about ancient methods of torture- now that would tickle her fancy. And she appreciates your wit and candor when it comes to playing games or solving puzzles with you. So few people treasure such traits in a companion, but not her. She knows how important it is to have a discerning significant other, especially if you are going to be spending any time in the Underdark with her, where being perceptive is a must for survival. She loves your cooking. As a drow noble, she was familiar with the concepts of fancy feasts and indulgent desserts. However, due to her position, she could never truly enjoy them, for fear of being poisoned by enemies. With you doing the meal-making, she doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

Unlike you, however, Minthara is not that fond of meeting other people. She much prefers the two of you keep to yourselves unless otherwise necessary. People are tiring, and so often unimportant. She sees no need to waste her time and social graces on them. You’re the one she loves. If she’s going to do something with anyone or make an effort, it’s going to be for you and you alone.

She used to think admitting pain was weak, now however, she knows it takes an inner as well as outer strength. She will go to whatever length to ensure your comfort. Simply say the word and she will get it for you. In seeing your survival, Minthara has developed a great admiration for you as a person, seeing how resilient you are. That being said, she will not tolerate you speaking poorly of yourself. You are wonderful. You are strong in mind and spirit. You are intelligent and wise. You are gorgeous. You mean everything to her. She will not hear you put yourself down. She would not choose an unworthy mate, so do not think for a second that you are not deserving of her love and affection.

But by all means, do complain. The world can be so frivolous and pedestrian. She enjoys having someone who not only accepts hearing her own complaints but joins in with their own as well. You can be passive-aggressive in your grievances because she is extremely direct. If something bothers you, she’ll simply ask you if you wish her to kill it. And no she doesn’t care if that’s morally wrong, because for you, she would move heaven and earth if it made you happy.

She is fiercely loyal and now that she is your loving partner, you cannot shake her. She is utterly and wholly devoted to you.

[ooc-miqojak]

Fuck Landlords

Today, I started sharpening my proverbial knives for this winter's Devouring of the Landlord. Here is the snipped text from an email I got from her today in response to a request that they assist me with a foul smell emanating from a wall in my apartment.

Since the snip is so small, I'll copy/paste what the bitch wrote when I told her that there is a horrifyingly vile stench of death in a closet/in a wall that is between my downstairs closet, and my computer room. A smell that is so pervasive, it has even begun to stink upstairs now that it has been almost a week we've been waiting for this to be dealt with (this is a closet under the stairwell).

"We had a maintenance tech and our pest control vendor come over earlier to look at and identify the smell.  They said they noticed a smell but it was not strong.  The pest control vendor said it did not smell like an animal and he did not see any animal droppings.  He was concerned that it may be a pet going to the bathroom in the closet?  Is there anything that could have spoiled that is in a box or around the closet?  Perhaps some cleaning out may help? He will come back in a couple of days and if it has not gone away can go in and open the wall.  We reached out to the resident in the unit below and they are alive.  So there are no dead bodies in the building. Please let me know if the smell continues."

So, when I complain that there is probably a dead squirrel in the wall in my apartment (and intimated they might want to do a quick wellness check on my elderly neighbor downstairs just to be safe, because you never know)... they send pest control who says 'nope, no pests here!'...which I already knew, because I didn't need pest control. Then, either the landlord is lying to me about what pest control said, or he seems to think my cats have human hands that can twist round doorknobs, and they are using their ~magical human hands~ to sneak into my closet to take massive, invisible shits, then they are leaving the closet and closing the door behind them. She is implying that it is my fault and I must just...be living in filth? Except...what pest control person thinks that feces and urine smell like death? And I doubt that anyone said 'the smell wasn't strong', because the first maintenance person to show up today immediately noted that it smelled like death/rot, and even mentioned they'd probably have to open the wall up to access it!

So the bitch lies to me, gaslights me, and then insinuates I must let what are effectively my children shit in the floor, and that's clearly the source of the stench. Except, I know my rights, and I wrote her about 4 paragraphs back about how I know my rights, how what she did is gaslighting and inappropriate and incredibly condescending... and in as kind a way as is possible, made it clear that I'm willing to make this a long, ugly fight she's not going to win. I grew up in the Southeastern U.S. - I will smile bright, call you hon, and the venom you never see will still melt the flesh from your bones, so I think she got my point. She is bound by law to deal with this issue, especially as it could be a health hazard - and it's real funny how her tune changed completely in her responding email, upon having me point out how I would also be making sure to hold onto her condescending and wildly inappropriate email here that blames me and condescends to me (especially as she is not the first member of management to try and step to me), for when I take this complaint further up to the parent company that owns this place.

Just a shame her apology email came too late, and I had already left a voicemail and an email for the parent company about the shockingly inappropriate behavior of this employee, and how she sets a low bar for their brand.

(It's worth noting that she's full of shit on other points, too - I specifically mention in my first complaint email that this closet stores nothing in it but nice smelling candles and toilet paper. So the bullshit question about cleaning it out just amounts to 'cOuLd It Be ThAt YoU'rE jUsT gRoSs?', which is wildly inappropriate, as well!)

Eat the godamned rich. Hold your ground against landlords.

Make them eat shit.

Edit: I made a follow up post to this, but the tl;dr is that I was right and she was wrong(obviously), and she refuses to actually apologize - she just makes almost-apology-excuses for her dogshit behavior. I hope she gets food poisoning over the holidays.

[m34gs]

Please tell me what sort of Saw trap each house warden in Twisted Wonderland would design if they were the mastermind in a Saw movie.

Hello friend! Well, this is a fun ask! I am actually very excited to get into this, ahahaha. You have no idea how eager I got when I read this ask. I literally went "AHA" and started grinning. I'm going to write each scenario out as if the Housewarden is a Jigsaw Apprentice, and I might even take it a little further and describe what kind of apprentice they would be.

I'm putting a cut, both for length and because these will get a bit graphic. Please see the tags for trigger/content warnings.

Riddle - Riddle is the Rule Boy, By the Book, Stick to the Pattern. The one who adamantly protests every time to the other Saw masterminds "It's not a trap, it's a TEST".

Because of this, Riddle's tests are not overly imaginative, but they get the job done. I think, due to the nature of his signature spell, Riddle would lean toward decapitation being the end result in his traps. It's easy, effective, and doesn't prolong suffering. I like to think he's not one to wish others to suffer. Indeed, if he was a Jigsaw Apprentice, he'd be the one to parrot John Kramer the most about learning to love and cherish the life you have and atoning for past mistakes.

The rules for Riddle's test would be simple. "Find the key to unlock your chains in a certain amount of time, or a saw will cut your head off". Of course, the tricky part is getting the key. No one escapes a Saw trap without some kind of mark, be it visible or invisible. The placement of the key I will leave up to the imagination, as it will have to be specific to the individual in the trap or it will mean nothing. (Keep in mind, canon placements have been: at the other end of the room needing a mad dash that puts co-victims in danger to get to it, in the stomach of a heavily sedated companion in the trap, surgically implanted inside the victim's own eye...etc.). If the victim survives, they are off the hook. Riddle wouldn't dare mess up that part of the game. If they die, he follows John's example and dutifully cuts a puzzle piece out of their flesh, the symbol of that person's "missing piece" that prevented them from winning the game(this is also how Jigsaw got his name).

Leona - Leona can do the job, he understands the assignment. He thinks John's a bit nuts, though. He's another one where there's not a whole lot of imagination involved; he designs the trap to get the job done, makes sure it meets the requirements (because he will not be given a bad grade on Jigsaw Traps, something apparently possible to achieve and normal to worry about?...), but it won't be overly complex, and he makes Ruggie and Jack do the muscle-work for him. Don't worry, he pays them well.

Leona's traps will probably involve some test of strength (keeping in mind the different physical capabilities of individuals, of course). I'm thinking something like a low tunnel filled with various-sized shards of broken glass the person has to crawl through to get to the exit, or climbing through a vent connected to an oven that is on max. heat to get out. Something like that, of course tweaked for the individual.

He makes Ruggie cut the puzzle piece. Ruggie doesn't mess around when it comes to his finances. He cuts every piece perfectly.

Azul - Let's be real, Azul doesn't mind suffering...as long as it's not his own. His traps are always complex, and he sees each new victim as a chance to one-up himself. And it's no problem getting his victims; Jade and Floyd help with that.

I think most of Azul's traps will involve the victim inflicting pain on themselves on purpose. Not just doing things that result in pain (such as crawl over glass) but actively cause themselves harm; probably ripping their own molars out or cutting off a limb, or something, and dropping it in a bin/chute to trigger the exit to open.

Jade and Floyd help with set-up...but Floyd is Not allowed to cut the puzzle pieces afterward. For obvious reasons.

Kalim - In order for Kalim to be an apprentice, he would need to have something awful and drastic happen to someone close to him that pushes him over the edge. When it comes to it, he sees the traps as a job, a duty. It's not something he enjoys and he always observes with a tired distaste but, because of whatever trauma pushed him into this life, he believes it's necessary.

He can't stand the sight of blood and brutality. Nor does he want to know they're dying a slow death. His victim is hooked up to a syringe pump, hands restrained, and they need to figure out the code to turn off the pump before time runs out (probably voice password or something; definitely based on important memories related to the reason they are in the trap, which is hinted at in the tape) or the syringe will rapidly infuse a lethal dose of potassium into their veins and they will go into cardiac arrest.

Jamil has to cut the puzzle piece because Kalim cannot stomach it.

Vil - Vil, like Kalim, needs to be of the mind that what he's doing is necessary, even if he doesn't like it. He has to believe that people need him to teach them in this way, or he won't be able to stomach it.

He also doesn't want a bloodbath; that's not his style. Vil would rather use poison. Poison for his victims, already injected/ingested, with an antidote they have to get...probably behind a locked door needing a combination password. But, in order to get the code, they will have to face what they've done and figure out what the code is, very similar to Kalim's style. However, unlike Kalim's, if the victim gives the wrong code the door will seal shut forever and the victim will be doomed. They need to get it right and they need to be certain.

Vil may request Rook's assistance with making sure people are brought in and the trap set up properly, but he cuts the puzzle piece himself. He believes it's his role, and he refuses to put that onto anyone else. It disgusts him, but he treats it like his cross to bear for the acts he is committing, because a part of him still feels uneasy about all of this and he hates looking at himself in the mirror some days.

Idia - Idia is so removed from the front lines of the traps, he's actually quite desensitized to the violence. He treats it a bit like his video games and he does try out a variety of different traps, each one extremely individualized. He's got all the info on his victims; every single trace of them online, their social security number, their bank statements, anything and everything that can be accessed via computer is his. He knows them inside and out. Every trap is an attempt to be more unique and "entertaining" than the last. It's questionable if he's even in it for the "righteousness" that John preaches, or if he got bored and decided this was an interesting way to pass the time.

All his traps are set up to run completely independently, and all are under video surveillance. I think Idia would get to the point that there's not enough moving parts for him if there's only one victim in the trap, so he starts doing bigger traps, with groups of people, where it's a challenge to try and predict how they all will react, how they would push each other's boundaries and if they would try to see the hints laid out for them or if they would misinterpret it (for anyone who's seen Jigsaw, think about the gun scene with the keys at the end. That kind of a hint. Idia would like to see who gets it). So, yeah, Idia probably builds a maze-trap with multiple little traps within it that the victims have to go through to get out.

While he hasn't yet created something that can cut the puzzle piece and deliver it to him, he has developed a little punch that he can bring to punch out the piece of the victim's flesh should they fail. It's the only time he's on-site after the trap has been set. (Ortho refused to do that part because the dead bodies made him sad.)

Malleus - Malleus believes he is helping people, and he's curious to see how far a person would go to save their own life. He thinks it's his job to bring out the worst and the best in the person in his trap to help them be better than they are now. He's not beyond pushing buttons and upping antes; he sees it as doing what he can to help someone value their life and overcome their own shortcomings.

A trap from Malleus is probably going to involve some form of self-mutilation, giving enough flesh or giving enough blood, but also some emotional pressure. He will bring their families into the traps; likely remotely so as not to harm the innocent, but to use as leverage to make someone push themselves more. He wants them to succeed. But he will not go easy on them. In order to succeed, they need to pull on their own inner strength.

He cuts the puzzle piece himself, but he's always sad when he has to. He feels less that the person has failed and more that he has failed to help them bring out their better self.

Thank you again for the ask, friend! I hope I answered to your satisfaction :D If you have any questions or comments to add, please let me know, I am always happy to expand on these kinds of things!

[grandmawitch]

hey, can you please summarize the hobbit for me?

Okay let me spin you this yarn 🧶

Once upon a time there was a wee hobbit named Bilbo who lived in a hole in the ground—not a dirty wet hole, mind, but a cozy warm…this sounds…ANYWAY—he was v good with his cozy, peaceful, predictable life but perhaps deep down he was restless and ✨yearning✨ for something. Not enough to make him seek adventure or change but he was somehow just sliiightly not like the other hobs.

One day a wizard, Gandalf, shows up and Bilbo is compelled by hobbity protocol to be a good host, despite his misgivings. Gandalf eventually convinces him to accompany a (perhaps not so merry) band of 13 dwarves as their burglar on a heist. Bilbo is afraid to leave his comfy life and the dwarves are like WHAT, THIS GUY?! But eventually everyone is convinced and off they trot.

They run into I think three trolls who want to eat them, but the trolls are tricked into turning to stone in the sunrise. They have a hoard of traysure nearby and here Bilbo finds the elven dagger that will soon be known as Sting.

The troop carries on, and eventually they reach Rivendell and consult with Elrond.

Soon after they set out from Rivendell a snowstorm hits and they seek shelter in a cave. From whence they are promptly yoinked by goblins. Gandalf finds the group to rescue them and he’s like ��guys. Where is Bilbo.” And they’re like 🤷🏻‍♀️ we literally didn’t notice idk

Meanwhile Bilbo is beebopping around some tunnels, lost as hell. Eventually he comes uponst a golden ring and pops it in his pocket. THEN he comes uponst Gollum who is like, “oh lunch?” but he cheats at a riddle contest and gets away.

After they all regroup a bunch of WARGS are set uponst them. They are rescued by the eagles (why did the eagles help here and not in LotR? In this essay I will—) and aided by Beorn (the love of my life?)who can turn into a bear and helps them recoup & regroup.

They head out again into Mirkwood, riiiiiight into a bunch of big fuckin spiders. The dwarves are captured by the spiders and Bilbo uses the ring to become invisible and sword ‘em to death. One of the spiders says “it’s got a stinger!” Or something like that and thus Sting is named.

THEN they’re immediately captured by wood elves.  Bilbo helps them escape again by using the ring, and stuffing them into barrels to float them down the river. 

They arrive in Lake Town in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain, their destination.

The people of Lake Town are like “hey plz do not piss off the giant dragon Smaug sleeping up there” and Bilbo is like “u got it” and immediately pisses him off. He sneaks in, chats up the dragon, steals a traysure, and sends Smaug into a rage. Smaug burns Lake Town to cinders but a little birdy tells Bard the human archer about Smaug’s weak point and he is slain.

Meanwhile the dwarves have entered the mountain and Thorin, the leader of the company, immediately gets the gold crazies (real greedy) and refuses the very reasonable request of aid the ppl of lake town make about the entire town they got burnt up.

So now the humans are pissed, the elves are pissed, and they’re like OPEN UP AND CATCH THESE HANDS but then also the goblins and wargs they also pissed off show up and the humans and elves are like GREAT NOW WE HAVE TO BAND TOGETHER ABOUT THESE GOBLINS AND WARGS. Even reluctantly joining forces isn’t enough though and the goblins are winning the battle but then the Eagles and Beorn show up and the war is won. (deep breath The Eagles help here BECAUSE according to the Unfinished Tales, Gandalf needs a stronghold of Good in the North in case of eventual attacks from Sauron in the South in the event he is not defeated AND bc they are sort of written as a sort of divine intervention adjacent type of situation when someone is likely to martyr themselves but the Maiar can’t/won’t intervene bc of that time they sunk an entire continent into the ocean AND they don’t risk open war AND in this case they were protecting their nesting lands).

Gandalf drops Bilbo, now very wealthy and well-traveled, off in Hobbiton where he is now an outcast in Hobbit society but he isn’t really assed about it. He loves the comforts of his home and decides to write down all of his adventures.

I never get to talk about this stuff at length, thank you for the opportunity! 💕

[cinnamon-swirl-toast]

Are You Embarrassed Yet?

Pairing - Miguel O’Hara x gn!teen!reader

Summary - Miguel tries everything he can to embarrass you

A/N: i’m so sorry if the Spanish is horrible i only speak German and English! feel free to correct me though:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~“Am I embarrassing you yet?” Miguel O’Hara asked with genuine curiosity towards you.

He had bet against Lyla that he could make you laugh by the end of the day… and it wasn’t looking too good for him. He had tried doing a silly “TikTok” dance from your universe, he told Lyla to program his suit to look like yours, he was doing a lot of things that he himself thought were embarrassing, and yet you wouldn’t budge.

You shook your head from side to side and shuffled away from him in the room towards Hobie. He greeted you with open arms and a nod of encouragement. Hobie was rooting for you and hoping that he’d win his own bet against Gwen.

You knew exactly what was going on and who was betting what on you or Miguel. You thought it was funny at first but now it’s just annoying. Having your mentor wearing your suit or a pair of Lyla’s signature heart-shaped glasses were not only embarrassing (though you would never show it) but also gave you a pang of annoyance toward him. The sensation of being able to hide from the society in plain sight was now torn away from you as Miguel tried finding bigger and brighter (literally brighter) ways to embarrass you.

You stood beside Hobie and listened to Miguel’s speech. You’d soon all be shipped off to another universe to conquer yet another anomaly, but for now, you were stuck listening to Miguel give you all directions. You tried your best to pay attention to his words, you really did, but you noticed out of the corner of your eye Spider-people passing money back and forth placing their bets. It didn’t help that Miguel was currently dressed from head to toe in a bunny costume, deciding that since none of his more subtle tricks have worked that he would have to get extravagant with it.

Aw man, he just ruined bunnies for me… you thought with a twinkle of sadness.

That’s it, after this meeting you were going to tell him he had won. This was getting annoying and way out of hand. Luckily your moment came quickly because just as soon as the meeting started it was finished. You rushed up to his platform, shooting webbing onto the bottom and flipping up landing with a pretty cool pose.

You tiptoed beside him and poked his arm. He looked at you with a hopeful glint in his eye.

“Hey kiddo, what’s up? Finally embarrassed?” He was so ready for this stupid bet to be done and over with.

“Um yea actually, you win. I don’t wanna do this anymore so I think it would just be best if you tell everyone you won. People everywhere have been placing bets so it would be good to let them all know,” you turned around and sat on the ledge of the platform contemplating on making a leave from the room or not.

Miguel hadn’t known of the others making bets and wasn’t sure he was too happy with it. It made him feel… angry that others were partaking in something he thought only you, Lyla, and him were involved in. He guessed it was fair since he was being extra elaborate with his outfits compared to what he normally wears, but it still made him feel angry.

“Oh… I didn’t know other people were getting involved,” he turned his head toward you and noticed your defeated nature. “Hey, if you want you can tell everyone you won. I don’t have to win if you don’t want me to, Nena (babe).”

You shook your head, “No it’s okay, and it’s not that. I feel like more people are noticing me now and I don’t like it. I like feeling invisible even if I’m in plain sight and now all of these people are staring at me when you’re around to see my reaction,” you look down at your feet when you suddenly get bumped in the shoulder and hear a mumbled “sorry”. Miguel sat beside you, arm to arm over the edge.

Miguel sat and looked at you for a moment, thinking of something helpful to say. “Maybe we shouldn’t have done this, ya? I don’t think we realized how much more it was than actually a game. I don’t like thinking of people passing money between themselves thinking of you or I winning. Especially you, it just feels… wrong to spread money in your name behind your back. Lo lamento, mi cielito(I'm sorry, little heaven). I’ll order everyone to take down their bets and I'll return my clown costume too,” he looked at you, chuckling at your reaction.

“Clown suit? What were you going to do with that?” You knew the answer, yet you wanted to hear him say his plan anyway.

“Oh you know, just walk around… juggle some knives. The usual,” he said with a playful smile and a quick wink.

You punched his arm lightly and giggled to yourself. “I’m impressed at your commitment to making me embarrassed though, I’ll have to remember that for when I get sad,” you said with an earnest smile. He shared your smile and hooked his arm under yours, bringing you closer to him.

————————————————————————

[cloudbattrolls]

Blindsided

Jikiro Takami & Jameth Abnale | Present Night | Ailaht Hive

Goh Tat Ailaht kept several luxurious hives on Alternia, each one well-furnished and maintained by a team of staff. When Viltau Espino had contacted him wishing to discuss his friendship with his descendant, he’d invited the indigo over to the one nearest his mansion without the slightest hesitation.

He had no idea how much the man actually hated him, nor that it was all a distraction for two other trolls to make their move.

—

“Jiji, you know I love that body of yours, but right now I have to admit it is a bit inconvenient that you are such a hefty boy.”

“Don’t love how cozy we are right now? I’m hurt.”

“Not particularly!”

The bickering voices, while silenced by magic to anyone nearby, belonged to a pair of trolls also hidden by it from sight. They were currently squeezing themselves into a small open window at the top of Goh Tat’s hive, levitating dozens of feet in the air by a third spell.

Jamie Abnale, to his frustration, had to be carried by his kismesis, and the window was almost too small for Jikiro Takami. Which meant it was difficult for the midblood’s thick arms to carry him through without jostling him or shoving him against the other man’s chest at an awkward angle.

Normally, the ink mage would’ve simply widened the window with magic, but the difficult part of this job wasn’t getting inside, or doing what they’d come for - it was leaving no trace.

If Goh Tat even suspected something was off, he could come for Viltau or Hazard alike.

Jikiro, however, was patient, and while his clothes were slightly ripped from his entry, he eased himself inside and had managed to not spill any of his dark teal blood. He gently set Jamie down, the kookaburra troll taking out his crutches again with relief.

The pair looked around the room they were in. Clean, well-kept, but it had a distinct feeling of not being lived in, the modernistic furniture and decorations all in too good of condition. It felt more like a display for a magazine than a real place.

“Feel a little bad for his staff getting caught in the crossfire.” Jikiro said, taking out his paper and ink pen to write with as he sat down in a plush black armchair. “They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Oh, who cares, Jiji? They’ll be fine, it’s not like we’re actually blinding anyone, not even this absolute bastard. I don’t know why we aren’t, but -“

“Because we’re already going behind Hazard’s back, dumbass. Plus, if we actually blind him, he’ll definitely suspect shit. Much easier to play off some minor damage as uh oh oops, goodbye psiionics.”

The blueblood had to snort at that one as he took out his own technological tools.

“Tragically, you make a point, roughly spoken as it is.”

“Somehow that doesn’t bother me because I’m not trying to win a fucking award for most pretentious sentences ever.” Retorted the tealblood.

The blueblood flipped him off, and both got to work.

Jikiro put up a sensor ward, just in case, then took out a spell he’d written ahead of time and did a magical scan of the hive. This way, they’d know exactly where Jamie would have to send his little robots for total coverage over the electrical system. The things would then melt away into basic molecules after they were activated later, leaving no trace.

His spell worked in tandem with one of Jamie’s own devices, turning magical information into numbers and units on the screen. The blueblood grinned as he used the information to type his own commands -

“Shit.” Said Jikiro suddenly. “Someone’s coming - put the stuff away.”

Jamie cursed in Gaelige but did so as Jikiro stowed his own supplies, and the tealblood picked up his spade again, ready to flee in case they had to. They were still invisible, at least, nor could their voices be heard, but if someone bumped into them…

An oliveblood woman walked in, talking into an earpiece.

“No, ma’am, I didn’t see or hear anything on the feed, but the presence alarm was still tripped…the room does seem empty…it might’ve just been a bug or something, you know how sensitive they are.”

Jikiro cursed quietly. He and Jamie had surveyed Goh Tat’s security measures with magic before they came over, but they hadn’t realized the asshole could detect literal physical bodies leaving or entering. What was the trigger? Body temp? Motion? It clearly wasn’t size, if a goddamn bug could set them off.

Huh. If that was the case…

Jikiro silently willed a dragonfly into existence - thank god he’d drunk a decent amount of ink before he came. It wouldn’t last as long as a spoken spell would, especially given how much focus it took to sustain it, but maybe it would make the greenblood leave.

The olive saw it as it flitted in and out of the window, as if it was a real bug from outside, and went ‘ah.’

“Definitely a bug, ma’am. I’ll get rid of it and come back down.”

What? Oh, for fuck’s sake - 

Jikiro made the dragonfly go right for her face so she wouldn’t try to cross over to the window, and the olive yelled before he let her catch and ‘kill’ it, additionally glad he’d been practicing his illusions with Velour. It was a quick and sloppy one, but luckily the woman wrapped up the false corpse in a wad of tissues and threw it in a trashcan, looking quite shaken.

Then she finally turned around and left.

Jikiro waited a few moments to make sure the woman was gone, then put Jamie back down.

“She wouldn’t last a second against the artifice.” Jamie snickered, sitting back down and taking his crutches out again.

“I don’t recall you beating it up either.” Jikiro muttered.

“It ambushed me.” Jamie grumbled.

“Me too, dipshit, and I still got off a spell on it.”

“Oh, shut your wretched trap, Jiji.”

The tealblood smirked at his kismesis but got back to work, pulling out the spell he’d written beforehand to both physically damage Goh Tat’s eyes and remove his ability to see the future.

Despite Izanam’s bullshit, the ink maker still found it difficult to imagine having someone like her around on-planet all the time. That was even worse. At least Izanam hadn’t cared who he was friends with; only who he dated. Which had still been fucking stupid with how far she took it, but he could kind of get it.

From what little Hazard had said, Goh Tat was worse, and even harder to counter given his ability.

Thank god the cerulean actor didn’t know anything about magic.

Still, they had to make this look like a completely normal technological failure, or he might suspect intentional sabotage, and then he’d immediately blame Hazard. 

Jamie projected a map of where he was sending his robots in the hive, commanding them as they spread out and took their places. Jikiro nodded in thanks, using it to make final adjustments to his spell. 

No matter where Goh Tat was when the sabotage hit, the spell would target him, hidden in the actual burst of light that would happen as Jamie made the system go haywire for just a few moments until the emergency shutdowns kicked in. 

It was almost like the spell he’d used to take down Gliese, Jikiro realized, smiling at the thought.

They’d made it look like a wiring mishap, a tiny flaw in the design that had slowly grown worse over the sweeps. True, they were banking on the blueblood not being an expert in electrical systems, but somehow they didn’t think he’d be looking carefully enough - or have anyone who could - to tell that it was entirely fabricated.

It wouldn’t trigger now - that would be too suspicious, with Viltau still present. Nor would they leave at the same time he did, just in case. Jikiro had set up a temporary portal not far away so they could return to the Takami estate easily once they were done.

Then the tealblood cursed, his sensor ward tripping right as he was finishing up casting the spell based on Jamie’s projection.

That fucking oliveblood. If he tried to scare her off with a bug again, it would be a little suspicious.

No, they had to get out of here, and they had no time to struggle with the window.

“Jamie. She’s coming back. Curl into a ball and put your crutches away.“

The bespectacled cobalt squinted at him as he shut down his device and shoved it in his sylladex, then did as Jikiro said.

“This better not be - ”

Jikiro scooped up the skinny bird troll with both hands, as he’d done so many times, throwing him out the window right as the oliveblood came in and he spoke the same levitation spell they’d used to get in, going right after him.

He covered the breeze from his movement with a breeze from outside, and made it out seconds before the oliveblood shut the window and locked it.

Fuck. He’d left a few strands of fabric from his clothing behind on the edges. Barely noticeable, but…

No, wait. She was leaving. She didn’t seem to have seen them.

Jikiro snapped his fingers and the black fabric disappeared, then went to get Jamie.

The kookaburra troll looked quite startled to be floating in midair, flailing as he tried to avoid looking at the ground.

“Jiji! Never do that again!”

He laughed softly as he took the yelling blueblood in his arms once more, then descended to the ground slowly and gently.

“Promise it won’t become a habit, freckles.”

“If we do another heist, I’m upgrading my crutches.” He sniffed. “Enough of this being carried business.”

“Don’t think Vil has anything else planned for us, I wouldn’t sweat it.”

“Remind me why we did this again?” The cobalt grumbled as he put his crutches back on and the two began to walk toward the temporary portal.

The ink maker looked into the engineer’s two-tone blue eyes.

“You know why.”

They both looked back at the opulent hive, thinking of the man inside it, and what he had done to his descendant. How he misused his abilities to spy on Hazard and beat him bloody.

“I do.” Jamie said quietly, rubbing the spot on his arm that had once been turned pitch-black, back when his kismesis had trapped a deadly poison there to postpone his death at Izanam’s hands.

“I certainly do.”

[p-taryn-dactyl]

omg i just found your blog and absolutely love everything you write!! i also see you wanna write for merlin 🫢 i’m absolutely in love with the show and everyone in it but gwaine is *chef's kiss* so, if you’re not very busy, could you maybe write some romantic gwaine x reader? mayber reader is arthur's sister and is trapped in camelot after morgana takes over at the end of season 3 and gwaine saves her from the immortal knights? like a little bit of fighting angst but then all is well? thank you so much 💙

Savior a/n: hi! Aw, thank you so much, i really appreciate it <3 also 🎉🎉 first merlin request!! I have to admit, Gwaine…not too shabby for a man lol - i love him. Thank you so much for this request!! (Also, it’s been a bit since ive seen season 3 so if anything seems off, that may be the reason?) i hope i did alright!!

word count: 741

warning(s): none really - bit of fighting

You shrunk against the wall, clutching your candelabra close to your chest. You heard the knights outside the castle walls, destroying the city you held so dear to your heart. They attacked in the night, you knew this, yet you had allowed yourself a calm comfort, sleeping in the confines of your chambers. You heard loud footsteps outside of your room, pausing in front of the door. You stepped closer to the wardrobe you were hiding behind, your bare feet stinging against the cold stone floor. Your night shift did nothing to protect you from the chills of fear tingling up your spine. Your knuckles went white against the candelabra as you heard the doors to your chambers be burst open, Morgana’s voice echoing throughout the halls.

“Bring the princess to me.”

Your heart began to race even more at your half-sisters words. Swallowing you tried to make yourself invisible, your eyes closed. Movement fanned against your cheek and when you tentatively opened your eyes, the cold metal faces of the Immortal Knights stared back at you. Screaming, you tried to push them away, your attempts useless against their ungodly strength. The candelabra fell to the ground with a clatter that rattled inside your mind.

This could be it. Your last moments. You pondered on your life as you were dragged through the corridors, struggling and kicking against your captors. At one point, you thought you heard shuffling behind and above you but you filed it away as your minds last attempt to give you hope. Just before you were about to turn the corner that would lead you straight to your sister, a flash of fury barreled into the two knights, sending them tumbling into the ground as you stumbled backwards, falling on your back. The air knocked out of you, you struggled to sit up. But when you did, you saw your savior.

Sir Gwaine, one of your brother’s knights.

Your lover.

Hope burst in your chest as you watched them fight yet that flame started to extinguish when, as if in slow motion, the knights gained the upper hand, quickly starting to win. Gwaine struggled yet held his ground, his sword steady in his hand as he kept the Knights away from you. You stood up, looking around for anything that could be of use. In your distraction, you didn’t see Gwaine fall to the ground. Spinning around, you watched as he fought of the Knights while laying on his back. Normally, you would find yourself flustered but now you found fear wrapping its icy hands around your heart.

You saw Gwaine’s sword be knocked out of his hand with a sickening crunch of his fingers.

You saw the Knights simultaneously raise their swords, aiming for your loves heart.

You saw Gwaine turn his head towards you, his eyes radiating warmth, love, apologies, regret.

You saw your hands reach out towards the Knights, you heard the ear splitting scream leave your lips, you saw the Knights fly backwards, hitting the walls before crumbling.

Then you were broken out of your daze by Gwaine’s pained voice. You hurried to his side, cradling his injured hand in your own. He let out a small laugh as you helped him stand, leading the two of you to a secret passage which would lead you safely away from the castle and Camelot.

“I was the one supposed to be saving you.”

You paused in the passageway, cupping Gwaine face in your hands with a soft smile.

“You did, in more ways than one.”

His eyes softened as he brightly smiled at you, bringing you closer to him with his good hand. You indulged in one lingering kiss before the reality of your situation hit, Morgana’s infuriated screech filling the air.

You navigated the tunnel until you heard familiar voices, your brother and best friend arguing in harsh whispers. They stopped when they saw you and Gwaine. Merlin looked at you with a knowing glance, his words echoing in your mind, the surprise on your face not known to your boyfriend or brother.

We need to talk

You nodded, knowing he felt what had happened with the knights, before walking over to where Gwaine had sat down. Once more taking his injured hand in yours, you kissed him on the cheek, listening as he spoke reassurances in your ear.

“We’re going to be fine, my love, everything will work out in the end.”

a/n: so, i uh, kinda went off prompt and added my own plot to this but i hope you enjoyed reading!!

[snailsnfriends]

Are you watching lore? If so could you try to recap it? I’m so worried for my boy.

I am!! I'll recap the past three streams as briefly as possible, and tell you whether or not dream is a large part of it. this is longer than I'd hoped for so it's under a read more

stream 1 - tommy wants to talk to tubbo. tommy leads tubbo to a bunker he created under his house. he revealed that he has formed a sort of addiction to invisibility potions because they ensure his safety. he explains that he lives in constant fear, and dream is the reason. he says that while invisible one time, he saw dream enter the prison, so he figured that it was dream's home he wants to kill dream, and tubbo is on board with the plan. tubbo goes to eryn for supplies, and tommy goes to wilbur's revival spot and begins to speak to the sort of grave site. he explains that he's afraid that he's bringing tubbo into the wrong thing, and that he's scared but also excited to fight dream. he says that he knows that wilbur is proud of him. then phil approaches and they talk about wilbur briefly. tommy says that he loves wilbur, he literally says "I love him." (so awesome great moment). phil learns of tommy's plans and gives tommy armor. the stream ends in high spirits. dream is not in this stream at all.

stream 2 - tommy and tubbo enter the prison. it looks very overgrown and doesn't seem to be in commission anymore. they sneak through and eventually find dream, and the fight begins. they fight for a bit, and they notice how dream is much weaker than he used to be. at one point in the fight, tommy freaks out and enderpearls into the main prison cell, and tubbo follows. tommy accidently blocks them in, and they believe that the fight is over. however, tubbo finds a bunch of harming potions from the little chute in the back corner of the cell. he splits them with tommy, and they throw a bunch of them at dream, making him very, very weak. this allows tubbo to kill dream, taking his final life. clingyduo celebrate and leave the prison with plans to create a new country, called l'moonberg. they tell badboyhalo and sam about their win, and the two are excited to hear the news. they tell punz as well, and punz says that he has something that will be good for their new country. they follow punz into this weird, underground bunker. clingyduo catch wind that something is off, and punz reveals that he's not the only one with a revive book. clingyduo run away, but punz and the newly revived dream catch up to them. dream is in this one, but he barely speaks at all.

stream 3 - clingyduo, dream and punz are in the prison. dream demands that they drop all their items and empty their enderchests. they comply. tommy even gives away the book that wilbur gave to him before leaving. the only thing tommy keeps are the discs, because he knows that dream believes that they were burned by wilbur ages ago. the pair are lead to this platform surrounded by lava hanging from the ceiling. dream and punz are not in this room, but in a different one, where they're still visible. dream and punz explain that they have been experimenting with death, and that they want to live forever. through their research, (which was killing lazar and vikkstar repeatedly) they learned that limbo is determined by how you die. they feel entitled to this information, as if death HAS to be explored. they explain that because the world is so imperfect, they must kill everyone and potentially revive them, just to start over again. basically, they're causing the apocalypse. they want to see what limbo would be like for someone who dies via self sacrifice, so that's why they've trapped clingyduo. they made a contraption where if a pressure plate is pushed, an opening would be revealed and would set only one of them free; one must die for the other to live. dream and punz leave to get grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch (not kidding) and clingyduo are left alone. tommy reveals that he has the real discs to tubbo, and tommy tries to throw both of them on the pressure plate. tommy doesn't do this well and it's a blooper, but both tommy and tubbo are able to make it out of the prison, but both of the discs were destroyed. tommy is obviously very upset by this. tubbo takes tommy to snowchester and shows him the nuke that "went missing" all those months ago. tubbo suggests that they use it to kill dream and punz. tommy realizes that they have to be killed at the exact same time so one of them doesn't revive the other. tommy says that he will distract dream and punz and get them in the same place so tubbo can set off the nuke to kill them. tubbo is put off by this plan because it would kill tommy (literally eviscerate him) but tommy insists that it's the only way dream and punz can die at the same time. with some pushing, tubbo realizes that it's the only solution. the pair leave snowchester, and tommy is in very low spirits. he makes note of his last walk on the prime path, his last time passing the hotel, etc. tubbo tries to lift tommy's spirits, but isn't successful. they decide to visit l'manberg one last time, and they watch the flag wave. tommy asks tubbo to build the l'manberg flat up above the rubble for him, and tubbo agrees. they sit on the bench one last time, but in silence, because the discs are officially gone. they watch the sunset together one last time, and that's the end of the stream. dream plays a big part in this one.

hope this helps anon!!!

[kittymanya]

Stupid little idiot toontown bastards. do not mind the fact that the toons do not have the typical tan mouths im sorry i cannot draw them it never looks correct in my art anyway back to the topic at hand. my gay little freaks. i love them. Actual info under the cut

Sam (he/him) lives in Ye Olde but similarly to 'hysterical harry' he is just a Normal Fucking Guy. He doesn't like living there but also at the same time he refuses to move anywhere else because he grew up in Ye Olde and he's too used to it to leave now. Meeting new people is a hassle he is not willing to confront. He isn't really very 'toony' and tends to act a bit more cog-like, which gets weird reactions from some people even outside of Ye Olde but most ignore it besides a comment or two. Very good friends with Pink but in that sort of 'this is the insane extrovert that just decided to adopt me' way. He loves phones and technology in general and will give you a 30 minute ramble on why smartphones are awesome and how he's customized his own tech if you even slightly give him the chance to, it's the only time he's talkative. 100% gets in creddit moderator fights with Brian/The Prethinker online

Pink (he/they) lives in Daffodil Gardens, he loves art of all sorts and is generally a 'jack of all trades master of none' sort of artist, he just does whatever the hell comes to mind regardless of whether it actually turns out any good or not, he just loves the process of creating. Sort of one of those 'live laugh love' type people, they're very optimistic about everything, even for toon standards, and also likes to be a little flirty every now and then. Very neutral on cogs, they still dislike all the antics they've been up to but otherwise is..generally pretty willing to just chat with them if given an opportunity. Their being a huge social butterfly outweighs their dislike of cogs. Friends with Sam because they met through another friend and he just decided that Sam's his buddy now. Levy (any pronouns but uses he/him most often) lives in Mezzo Melodyland. Loves trying to do magic tricks (both practical effects and attempting 'actual magic') but he is, alas, super fucking unlucky. Nearly all of his tricks backfire in some way, but he continues doing it anyway because he still enjoys it and sees no downside. Either he succeeds and people are impressed, or he fails and he gets other toons to have a laugh. Both outcomes make him happy. (Though it's still frustrating sometimes for him). His bad luck does not apply just to his magic shows, his legs are also invisible because of a mishap with vanishing cream, where, despite applying it to his whole body, the bottle was partly defective and only the portion he put onto his legs actually worked. He was too embarrassed to ask anyone for help about it, and continued to just pass it off as intentional because it themed well with his name. After awhile he just started reapplying it that way willingly, since it also made him more recognizable to others.

Nyte (she/her) is a boardbot cog that was... not meant to exist in the form she does. She was a prototype model and wasn't supposed to be able to think, but she did anyway, and so now just, exists. Since she was supposed to be a test run, a lot of 'typical cog features' are missing or absent with her. Her health indicator is only visible if a compartment in her chest is opened up, her sentences get mixed up often (usually resulting in either repeating whole sentences twice, or using awful grammar/sentence structure). She's basically permanently level 1, nearly any toon off the street could win a fight against her, so she usually tries to avoid situations where a battle could happen. She works two jobs, one at the Mezzo cashbot hq for 3 days of the week (she just comes over and assists with whatever little things people request of her) and the other at Alton/The LAA's office in the boatyard for the other 4 days. She admires Alton very much and wants to be a manager herself one day, even though she knows it's very unlikely to ever happen, so she usually just follows him around like a lost puppy and offers help constantly. The color of her lights changes based on emotion the most often, but she can manually control it too, and usually sticks to light blue. She's very excitable, and acts a bit more toony than most cogs, especially in comparison to other boardbots, but she's also extremely loyal to COGS Inc and will often be overly performative about her 'distaste' for toons, sometimes to the point of making herself crash temporarily. She's based on a silly little cat nightlight i have in my room irl :)