#but the point is. i should be able to correctly answer the questions from at least the topics that i'm decently prepared for.

[snail-day]

Can't Sleep

Sum: You can't sleep and maybe it's about conversations that have been left unspoken. SatoSugu x Reader TW: Domestic Fluff, Soft Angst. a/n: It was a thought I had the other day where if Suguru didn't become a cult leader if they would still have to neglect some dreams due to the harsh truth that either of them could die at any point :( WC: 1.6k

Despite all your tossing and turning - counting sheep, flipping your pillow to the cool side - it’s no use. Your body aches, your skin is clammy, and your thoughts are far too loud for the late hours of the night.

You can’t sleep. It's frustrating beyond belief because you should be able to sleep.

Suguru is curled behind you, one sculpted arm draped lazily across your waist, heavy with exhaustion. He got home just a few hours ago from a three-day mission, hair still damp from a shower he barely stayed awake through. You barely managed a conversation before bed, mostly silence and a few tired smiles.

His breath fans softly against the back of your neck. A slow, even rhythm. He’s out cold. You could probably light the house on fire and he’d sleep through it.

Well. Except if you picked up your phone.

It’s sitting innocently beside you on the nightstand. All it would take is one little swipe, one guilty scroll through your feed until the screen’s glow dulls the noise in your head.

But Suguru has a rule. No phones in bed. He’s told you the reasons, shown you studies about blue light and dopamine, and the risk of fractured sleep cycles.

You’re allowed to grumble about it. Suguru finds it cute when you pout, brushing his thumb across your lower lip like he's tempted to kiss the argument away.

So instead you wait. Listening to the rise and fall of his breathing. The way his soft black hair brushes against your shoulder every time he shifts. And then - there. He turns over, arm falling away.

Your cue.

You slide out from under the blanket, careful not to let it rustle. Hands and knees on the floor, carpet bristling against your palms like you're trespassing in your own home. Phone clutched in your palm like contraband. Careful not to let any light slip free. You crawl across the room to the door because you never walk at night. Suguru wakes at the slightest creak, even in his sleep, and once dragged you back to bed with a sigh and a “c’mon, angel, not tonight.”

You make it.

It’s 12:01 a.m. The hallway is cool against skin. In a way, it feels like freedom. You curl up on the couch, tug the soft crocheted throw blanket over your legs, open your phone.

Satoru should be home in four hours. You tell yourself you’ll be back in bed before then. Before he finds you like this and starts asking questions you can’t answer.

You anxious? You okay? Want to break up? Did something happen? Is it me?

No. Nothing happened. And maybe that’s the problem.

You pull up Old Enough! on Netflix. It’s soft. Silly. Toddlers running errands, clumsy and proud, their tiny legs working overtime to carry baskets bigger than their torsos. It’s not gripping enough to binge, but it helps. Settles something.

You’re halfway through an episode when the door opens.

Click. Clatter.

Keys into the dish on the table by the door. A housewarming present, if you remember correctly. A soft sigh. The faint scrape of shoes kicked off.

You freeze.

Satoru stops in his tracks.

Satoru blinks at you across the room, his white hair rumpled and wind-tossed, still dressed in his crumpled uniform. His blindfold hangs loose around his neck, and the bags under his crystal blue eyes are deep enough to carry the weight of the week.

“Baby?”

His voice is quiet, still rough with fatigue. He crosses the room in a few long strides, then drops to his knees on the plush rug in front of you, cupping your face in his warm hands.

His thumbs stroke along your cheekbones. One slender finger catches on the skin beneath your eye…as if checking for something that isn’t there - sleep, tears, the pieces of you you haven’t said out loud. His lips press into a thin line, concern pulling at the corners.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you with Sugu?”

Satoru isn’t always soft. Not in the way Suguru is. His sweetness tends to come laced with far too much energy, jokes, a half-grin, and a nudge. But right now, he’s quiet. Gentle.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you murmur, voice barely above a whisper.

His baby blue eyes glance down at your phone, settled in your palm. Watches a child struggle with a bag of carrots. His eyes soften.

“Want me to watch with you?”

Though, like most things, he doesn’t wait for the answer. He just shifts onto the couch beside you, tugging you into the warmth of his side. Your cheek rests against his chest, where his heart beats steady beneath his jacket, faintly out of sync with the soft sounds from the show.

He smells like salt and ash. Like the ruins of some building he probably pulled down himself.

One arm curls around you, palm wide and settling over your waist. The other settles behind his head, fingers threading loosely into his white hair. He talks softly while the episode plays, snorts at the little kid falling over a cabbage, and kisses the top of your head.

And then, while the screen flickers blue shadows across his jaw, he says, “Y’know… Suguru would never let our kid do something like this. Not without a curse glued to them.”

You exhale through your nose. Sounds almost like a laugh.

“Do you want kids?” you ask, your hand slipping down to find his. You play with his fingers, long and clever, always moving. He’s tracing slow circles on your palm, absentminded.

His smile is tired. Beautiful. It tugs at the corners of his mouth but doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Scary thought,” he murmurs. “But yeah. If they looked like you? I’d risk it.”

The ache comes in quietly.

Because you both know what he’s really saying.

Sorcerers don’t get happy endings. Not the strongest ones. Not the ones who shoulder the world.

Suguru and Satoru talk about the future like it’s a fantasy. A busy kitchen with dishes left in the sink. Countertops that used to be pristine, now have child drawings and leftover snacks. A kid in footie pajamas is following you all around the house. A little dress tucked away in the closet.

But they also hang their uniforms every night, unaware of what horror is to come tomorrow. Memorize their wills. Have their goodbyes in the form of a letter.

Maybe the reason they dream with you is because you’re not like them. Because you’re still here when the battle ends.

The one they’re willing to try for.

Satoru’s fingers thread through yours. He exhales softly.

“I think Suguru would cry if we ever had a daughter,” he mumbles, smile growing. “He’d buy them anything, give them the world if he could.”

“He already tries,” you murmur. “He has a few clothing items hidden in the closet.”

You don't add that you've caught him looking at them during his cleaning spurts. How he smiles to himself. A smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Satoru huffs a laugh, dragging you from your thoughts, the sound low and sleepy.

Eventually, his warmth seeping into your skin, makes your eyelids droop. You both manage to drift off there on the couch.

When morning comes, Suguru finds you like that. Satoru’s white hair mussed against your forehead. Your body curled into his. The dead phone screen resting on Satoru's tummy.

Suguru stands in the doorway for a long moment, violet eyes soft with something close to longing. He pads forward on bare feet, silent as can be. Carefully, lays another soft blanket over both of you. Then he leans down, brushing a kiss to your forehead, lingering, tender. Then one for Satoru. Just as gentle.

He doesn’t wake either of you. Doesn’t scold.

Chastising can wait.

For now, he just watches quietly. Let's himself pretend, just for a moment, that this is a future he might actually get to keep.

[thats-cantorintuitive]

oh please god let me pass this math methods course at least in morally grey if not flying colors

[miss-oranje-disco-dancer]

lips of an angel

pairing: married! leon x marriage counselor! reader

cw: infidelity, p in v, oral, over-usage of 'good girl', regret, leon is an asshole (like, he's really a dick), reader is also not a good person (so, hopefully it's ooc for u lol), not proofread enough

summary: leon is married to ashley (she deserves better) and he cheats on her with reader who is the marriage counselor

a/n: based on a reddit post lol. also, it's time for us to admit that lips of an angel is such a fucking good song and leon would listen to it. (imagining this is id! leon and that song came out around that time so actually it's perfect. anyway, bye)

wc: 2.7k

[edit] taglist

@rigorwhoring

@dilfprayers

@porcelainseashore

@dollita-fawn

@xoxoloveless

@admirxation

@pawrincss

@onlyasimp4-2dbitches

@pr3ttyd0llie

taglist | ko-fi | masterlist

It starts like many horror stories do: with a knock at the door. He's tall, dark, and handsome, standing in the doorframe. Except not that dark, not very tall at all, but incredibly handsome and you've come to find over the sessions you've spent together that his looks are your weakness. His weakness is you. And many other women. Including his wife, who usually attends these sessions, but tonight, he comes alone. Maybe it's the rain that's beating down on the windows - thought it should sound like a warning - that makes you feel sympathetic enough to let him in when you know you shouldn't.

You let him sit on your couch, but make him hang up his leather jacket on the coat rack so he doesn't ruin the furniture. So you can see his biceps better. And his forearms when he rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The first two buttons are already undone, but that's how he always dresses. You know this because you spend too much time looking at him. What does his wife wear? Skirts? Dresses? Pantsuits? She could wear a goddamn clown costume to every session and you'd be none the wiser because you're staring at her husband like he's a piece of meat.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but why are you here?" you ask him. "Your appointment isn't until Wednesday."

"I'm having marriage troubles. I thought you might be able to help."

It's in the job title: marriage counselor.

"Where's Ashley?" It's a loaded question, and the gun is pointed at your entire fucking career.

"She couldn't come. Plus, I don't think she'd like to know about these problems I'm having."

You take a deep breath, contemplating absolutely nothing because you've already made your choice. You made your choice months ago when you had your first appointment with the Kennedys.

“Remember when I said I had a history of cheating?”

“I do. Has this become a problem again?”

“Not exactly,” he says with a slight chuckle that you later find is ironic in nature. “But I’ve been having thoughts…”

“Are these thoughts sexual?”

“Very.”

“Have you tried taking care of it yourself?” You make a hand gesture to signal ‘if you know what I mean’ and pray he knows what you mean so you don’t have to say the words ‘jerk off’ explicitly.

“Yes, but it hasn’t worked.” He looks directly into your eyes when he says it.

"Are these thoughts about a specific person?"

"Yes." 

His answers, which are limited to only a few words at a time, make you feel like you're shaking up a magic 8 ball, and the blue goop reveals a die that has little to say beyond 'It is certain', 'My sources say no', and 'Try again later'. 

“Is there a way you could distance yourself from this person so you don’t have any potential ‘slip ups’?” you ask.

“Sure, but I’d have to stop counseling if I did.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Kennedy-”

“Leon.”

“Right. Leon, I’m not trying to be presumptuous, but are you insinuating that these thoughts are about me?”

“That they are.” His smile gives you a golden star-shaped sticker for guessing correctly.

You give him a scowl. "I'll set you up with a new therapist, then."

“Let me ask you something,” he says, leaning forward, staring right into your soul. “Are you attracted to me too?”

“I’m not comfortable answering-”

“That’s not a ‘no’. Is it?”

You try to wipe the look of shock arousal off your face.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to admit it. I remember you asking a lot of questions about my sex life, especially the parts that don’t involve my wife, and getting visibly flustered when I answered them.”

“Of course I asked questions like that. I’m a therapist. It’s what I do. I’m sorry if you-” 

You should ask him to leave, separate yourself before you explode in frustration. Getting defensive is not a healthy way to argue. You know this. You've told him this.

“If I remember correctly you asked me about how I touch myself, when I do it, if I watch anything.” He doesn't wait for a response from you, but it wouldn't have come anyway. “And, the whole time you were sitting there chewing on your pen, pretending not to imagine it. And then writing it down in a hurry, making sure you got down every little detail.” He taps on your pad of paper.

“Can I see this for a moment?” He snags it from the table beside you and flips through the pages. Without thinking, you leap forward and try to snatch it from him, falling into his lap.

The embarrassing part is when he lifts you off of him. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“It’s highly confidential!”

“Mr and Mrs. Kennedy,” he begins to read imitating your voice.

“Enough.” You use your sternest voice with him - which is far from stern.

“It says right here that Mr. Kennedy is 'a total dick’ but ‘totally fuckable’.”

“It does not!”

“You’re right. It doesn’t. But you were thinking it. Weren’t you?” He looks up with a smile on his face that’s both charming and cruel.

"I'm not playing whatever game you're trying to play with me right now, Leon."

It's the devil's edition of 20 questions, it seems.

He flips the pad closed, and says, “I’ll leave right now if you answer one question truthfully.”

“Fine," you huff, snatching the pad of paper and stashing it out of his reach.

“Did you go home and touch yourself while thinking about me?”

You shake your head vehemently. "No. Absolutely not."

“You couldn’t even make it home, huh? You did it right here, didn’t you?”

You don't have to answer - the look on your face gives it away.

“Was it on the couch? Right where I was sitting? Where I'm sitting right now."

“Fine. You win, you got it right. Are you happy now?” You concede because you want to end this conversation as quickly as possible, so you can go hide your face and die. 

You want him to fuck you within an inch of your life and then you'll die happily. La petite mort? That's what they call it, right? You want that.

Leon just hums in response, giving you no insight into his thoughts. Though it doesn't take a therapist to guess that he's mentally fucking you. To your surprise, he slaps his hands on his thighs and stands up.

When he gets to the door, you say, “Wait-”

“What?” He asks, nonchalant to such a degree that one might believe the events of the previous few minutes never transpired at all.

“What are you doing?”

“Leaving. Like I said I would.”

“You’re just gonna leave? Do you get off on embarrassing people? Is that it?”

“No. I get off to you, and you know that." He's oddly defensive despite having the upper hand. "I also know that a large part of you despises me, but it’s because there’s a part of you that wants to fuck me.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He shrugs. “You’re the therapist, not me.”

“I’m telling your wife.”

“You’re going to tattle on me?" He laughs. “That wouldn’t be very HIPAA-compliant of you, would it?”

“Why are you doing this?" It feels like a nightmare that you can't escape where a terrifying shadowy figure is chasing you while you're screaming out for help and no one's listening. Except, this is more horrific due to the fact that you like it. Your thoughts about the man in front of you are downright depraved. You are both the monster, mirrors of each other. 

"I thought you wanted to fix your marriage," you say.

“My wife wants to fix our marriage. You and I both know it’s doomed. But you’re not allowed to say that, are you?”

You shouldn't be saying half the things you are right now, but it's too late to turn back now. You are the sunk cost. And the ship that was the concept of 'fixing Leon's marriage' has already sailed.

“You want the truth? I’ve known since the moment you opened your mouth that your marriage was done.”

“Then why did you keep having sessions? Was it for the money?” He pauses. “I doubt it. You’re a good therapist. You could get other clients. There was another reason. And, we both know what that reason is, but I won’t make you say it. I’m not that mean.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“And that’s what you like most about me.”

“It is not.”

“Then what is it?”

“Fuck you!”

“Do you want to? I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“Convince me.”

“Haven’t I already?”

“No.”

“Then why are you asking me to convince you instead of telling me to fuck off? You just want me to come up with a reason that doesn’t make you feel bad about doing it.”

“And there isn’t one.”

“No, there isn’t," he says with a bit of pity, knowing he's dragging you down into the second circle of Hell with him.

“You have to swear to tell your wife.”

“Is that a yes?”

He did not swear to tell his wife, but Leon is a cheater and a liar already. If he swore to tell his wife, you'd only be an idiot to believe him. 

“Lock the door.”

He turns around and flicks the lock. “Done.”

You stand up and his mouth is on yours. He’s the best kisser. Silver-tongued, you should've known it. You can fucking taste it too. Metallic. No, that's blood. You bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

You’re the one who starts undressing him first but he doesn’t make fun of you. He helps you out of your top instead.

“Goddamn you have perfect tits. It’s a shame you always keep ‘em hidden.”

“It’s a professional environment.”

“Yeah, it’s so professional that you fuck your clients in it.”

“I’ve never done this before.”

"Don't worry. You’re not the first therapist I’ve fucked. I’ll lead.” Leon lays you down on the couch  - roughly, but cradling your head so you don’t knock it on anything. 

You gasp. "Leon, the couch is damp from your wet clothes," you whine.

"I promise it'll be soaked by the time I leave."

Before you can open your mouth, he’s kissing down your chest, making his way to your panties. His tongue is good at more than just talking. He has you unraveling within minutes, moaning obscenely.

“As much as love your pretty moans, baby, we’ve gotta be quiet. Don’t want you to get fired.”

“I deserve it.”

“No, you don’t. You’re a good therapist, and a good girl.”

“You think I’m a good girl?”

“So good. And you taste amazing.” He places a kiss on your clit and you nearly cry, having forgotten the feeling of his tongue in the mere seconds you spent without it. “I want you to come in my mouth.” He sucks on your clit until you do.

Leon's lips are dark and puffy when they meet yours - the ones on your face. He asks, “How did you imagine us doing it?”.

“Mostly me on top of you.”

“It’s a good idea, isn’t it?” he says, placing featherlight kisses from your jaw down your neck.

You shake your head. “None of this is.”

“I know. You've got morals. You’re a good girl.” He pauses before whispering into the shell of your ear, “That’s why you deserve to have me however you want me.”

His right hand is busy holding you steady so he fingers you with his left. You watch as his wedding band slips in and out of your pussy along with his middle finger, giving a double fuck you to his wife with each movement.

He seems fascinated by the squelching sounds, no longer focused on getting his dick inside you. The heavy rain outside covers up some of the noise but not enough to save you the embarrassment.

"Jesus. Just fuck me already." You try desperately to avoid sounding desperate, praying he takes your irritation at face value.

But you're too obvious, you wear your sick, sick heart on your sleeve. 

"You want my dick that bad and you haven't even seen it yet."

"I hope it's as big as your ego."

"No you don't. That'd be painful, medically concerning probably."

You want to laugh because he manages to be funny and charming as hell despite being an absolute dick, but that fact makes you hate him more. And the blood that courses through you has nowhere to go but south.

All the while, his fingers refuse to leave your aching center. "Leon," you whine, pushing his hand away, "you're gonna make me cum again."

"I know," he purrs. "I wanna make up for all the months you've spent here by yourself, with your fingers inside you instead of mine."

"I was pretending they were yours." There's no point in saving the confession anymore.

"I'm sure you were, but I've got somethin' better for you, baby."

And, abruptly, he removes his fingers. You watch him unbuckle his belt, and despite this being your fantasy, you look at him like he's betrayed you.

"What?" he says, coyly, "I thought you wanted this."

"I do, but I was about to cum, and you just took your fingers away. You're such an asshole!" You pout like a bratty child.

"Yeah, I know I am," he says - his words are muffled by the square packet he tears with his teeth. He slides on the rubber barrier before he picks you up and sits you down on his cock, disregarding the obscene noises you make as he shoves himself inside you all at once.

You're wet but there's a stretch. His dick is big, maybe not as big as his ego, but bigger than any you've taken before. This is how he gets away with it, you think.

"Fuck, you're tight," he groans. His hands have an iron grip on your hips. "You've gotta learn to loosen up and relax. You're too high strung. This is probably good for you."

It's not, you'll find when the orgasm wears off, but right now it feels really fucking good.

His thumb circles your clit while you bounce up and down, working well in tandem. Ironic, as you've made so little progress in your weekly sessions. As expected, the dual stimulation makes you slick with arousal, opening you up for him.

His voice sounds distant, droned out by your own moans which get even louder as his words get filthier. "Bet all your advice didn't work 'cause your brain was all fuzzy thinking about what my cock would feel like inside you. Or maybe you did it on purpose 'cause you wanted me all to yourself."

"No… n-no-" you say, voice trembling just as your thighs do.

"S'okay, baby. Girls with messy pussies like you can't help it. Just need to get some dick in you and then you can go back to being a good girl."

Can you? Maybe you can a 'good girl' in the bedroom, but a morally-upstanding woman? Even in your own eyes, he's corrupted you.

Still, you call out for him, "Leon," you cry, the singular syllable drawn out. You are lucky that the thunder from the storm is louder than your voice could ever be.

"I know," he says, "I'm close too."

The way your walls squeeze him when you cum drags his own orgasm from him. 

You are oddly dissatisfied at the fact that he spills into the condom, not into you. It feels so impersonal. Because it is. It doesn't escape you that he didn't say your name - not even a pet name - just a simple 'fuck' when he came.

You point him in the direction of the trashcan where he can throw away the physical evidence of the mess you've made.

His pants are back on in a second while you remain naked on the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," he says. "Ashley's making dinner. Don't wanna keep her waiting."

"You're gonna go home to her?" you say, more disappointed than surprised.

"Yeah. What did you think I was going to do?"

Truly, you weren't thinking. If you were, you would not have had sex with Leon. 

"I'm surprised you're not happy. I'm gonna go spend some quality time with my wife. That was your advice - wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but-"

"But what? You're our marriage counselor. I'm just trying to fix my marriage."

"You're doing an awful job."

"I know," he says, with his hand on the doorknob. "See you on Wednesday."

[lonelypinecove]

Unethical fur farms, Yarn tails and Faux fur

It's a little alarming that people may not know about cruelty fur farms and unethical fur tails, so I'll put my little guide on how I usually spot them. I'll also have a little section comparing faux fur, yarn tails and real tails.

How to spot Unethically sourced fur

Everything I know is by my experience, as well as research I have done via youtube videos. Thorn from Therian Territiory has an excellent video talking about the subject, (Click Here) But I will summerise below if you want to get straight to the point.

A key feature I find when it comes to unethical tails is this goddamn golden keychain

I have 4 tails with this keychain and all of them are of varying quality - however I don't doubt they are from unethical fur farms.

Another key detail is The tail is thin, the fur brittle and the leather has not been scraped correctly, meaning there is fat from the animal it once came from. Have you ever bought a tail, looking at the leather within and there has been yellow patches? That is animal fat that should have been scraped away.

I avoid buying from Chinese or Korean sellers as that is usually where unethical fur comes from, there are very little rights to animals within these countries, so there is no guarantee the animal had a good life before being killed. As stated earlier, Thorn goes into detail on this subject, although I must warn you the contents He speaks about are quite upsetting.

I would also avoid buying from Amazon, temu, wish, shein and Ebay, as the tails bought from these sites are usually of questionable Quality.

So, where can I buy ethical fur from...?

I highly recommend Etsy, Always check the reviews from sellers - check how thin the tail is and check for that pesky key chain. As a personal caution, beware of cheap tails as there is a good chance they are drop shipped from unethical fur farms, I'd bought a cheap tail from a sale here in Australia (With the golden keychain) and the tail was sadly not great Quality...So always check for that keychain. I hear people can buy tails from Renfaires, oddity and taxidermy markets.

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Authentic fur vs Yarn tails vs Faux Fur

I've seen there's quite a debate on which is the best to buy and best for the enviroment. I'm sure all of you have your reasons for swinging this way or that way, so I'll just list some pros and cons

Authentic Tails

Pros

Good for the environment as it is bio-degradable

Beautiful to look at

you will never find 2 identical tails

If well looked after, can last you a lifetime

supporting small buisness

Cons

Expensive

From a real animal

Yarn Tails

Pros

Fun craft

heavily customizable

cheap to make

Cons

Time consuming to make

Getting the supplies can be a pain

not completely biodegradable (Yarn has plastic)

Faux Fur

Pros

An animal didn't have to die for it

Durable if made right

Cons

not bio-degradable (Faux fur has plastic)

faux fur is expensive

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If you have questions feel free to send them to my ask box, I'll do my best to answer them as best I can - I'm not an expert or a professional in this field, just someone with a bit of knowledge.

I hope this helped keep you all informed ♡ And remember, gear does not make you a Therian or Alterhuman - your non human identity does.

If you have anything to add please feel free to reblog with any additional information. I'd really appreciate it if someone who did Taxidermy were able to weigh in on this manner, as I'm just a dog who loves to collect tails :3

[carylmeanslove]

There are short attention spans and recall in some Lukolas

I'm sorry, but it's true.

I have been thinking about the very thing in the post below this one. The thing that it hinges on. How there are some in this Lukola camp that don't use all their brain power, which trust me we all have amazing minds. We are so smart, have to, to be compared to the freaking FBI. Being a Lukola makes us really in tune with things.

I'm going to be using an analogy of studying for a test. Lukolas have brilliant minds. It's just some of you guys, let important things slip out of your memories and minds. Some don't allow or take initiative to go back, and back often to look at everything. To do that is on us, it's the same as studying before a test if you don't study you may not have all the correct answers and not pass the test. If you do study you are able to spot any trick questions in the test easily and you don't sweat those while answering all the questions correctly without any worry.

I'm saying all this to say that there so many things that point to Lukola being not just endgame, but nowgame. SO many things that are subtle, but pack a huge impact when put back on the table of evidence. The people that spiral just don't do enough of going back over ALL the things that make it so damn obvious that Lukola is the truth. They don't study. They also fall for the trick questions (the smoke and mirrors/decoys/adjacents/adherent) that are not the correct answers. Not enough people focus on (study the actual subject the test is about) the soul people that we should pay attention to, listen to which is Nicola and Luke.

You can't go wrong that way. The famous phrase "straight from the horses mouth" is famous for that very reason. The person that should be listened to in the case of if Luke and Nicola are together or not is Luke and Nicola, not the adjacents and not an adherent or the haters/liars. Luke and Nicola, the only top tier people. One can't go wrong that way. We got the best study guide guys. Who wouldn't enjoy going back to looking at them? I know I never tire of them and I never spiral, but that's just me. I can't speak for my classmates.

I really enjoy when we share notes. I know not everyone enjoys getting studying done that way. Having to repeat so often, especially when busy. Maybe it's because you're doing it alone? No one in your RL to share in it. Hey maybe a group of us should host a study jam session on Zoom or something? Where we talk about our notes while listening to the Lukola musical playlist.

[fallow-hollow]

Aaa! Your Kabru x reader was really nice! May I request a Holm x Reader where the reader helps him when he freezes up in rapid situations?

pick-me-up

…ft! holm kranom x gn! reader

…tags! pre-relationship, fluff, a little banter, reader knows some magic, some magic lore i may or may not have made up

…word count! 1167

…notes! people who are madly in love with side characters are truly god’s strongest soldiers. i hope i characterized your man correctly!!

As close as you and Holm were, neither of you really seemed to idealize one another too much. Being in the dungeon, you had to be aware of all your teammates’ strengths and flaws, regardless of personal opinion. When it came to the gnome you called your closest friend, even he didn’t deny it — he did not operate well under pressure.

Considering that you were in a place where foes could ambush you at any moment, anybody could see why this wasn’t a great quality to have. From being unable to save your friends to even being unable to save yourself, there were a lot of potential consequences to locking in place during the middle of combat. Something had to be done about it sooner rather than later, and if he had to ask someone, he’d rather it be you than anybody else.

The plan was formulated during some downtime the party had — something to stop Holm from going stock still whenever he felt overwhelmed. Luckily, your companion already had an idea for you.

“I figure the easiest way to deal with this’ll be using magic.”

You nodded. Not much of an obstacle, since you already had at least a few spells under your belt.

“As long as you have a rudimentary understanding of magic, it’s not gonna be too hard to get down.” For a moment, the gnome deliberated, wondering how to explain the concept to you. “You know how healing magic can hurt sometimes?”

With a grimace, you shook your head in understanding. Rin and Holm were pretty good about that sort of thing, but there had been more than a few occasions in past parties where healing and injury hurt even more than obtaining it. Seeing that you were familiar with what he was saying, the man continued.

“Well, that’s actually how healing magic is by default. When it doesn’t hurt, that’s because the caster is using a separate spell to numb your sensations.” As you listened, your mouth formed a little ‘o’ shape to show your interest. “Naturally, you can alter people’s sensations with magic in other ways, too.”

“Oh,” you would interject, “so I could use magic to make you more….focused?”

“Not quite, but yes.” At your approximation, he held up his index finger. “I was thinking you could use just a little bit of mana to sort of perk me up, almost like a spike of adrenaline to set me back in motion again.” His hand then lowered, turning over so his palm faced upward. “It’s pretty simple, just transferring mana through touch like you would with a healing spell.”

“I can do that, no problem!”

Ah, he was still looking at you, even after you said that… was there still more he wanted to share? When your eyes wandered down to the hand he held out, embarrassment that you hadn’t realized sooner quickly washed over you.

“Ah, you wanted to practice?” At first, you feared that your slow uptake had caused Holm some annoyance, but the relaxed smile on his face didn’t give way in the slightest. He seemed almost amused, really.

“Guess I should have been more clear about that, huh?”

The smirk on his face let you know that the question was most certainly rhetorical. Answering it would have been a moot point anyway, so instead you pouted and mumbled, “You’re always so snarky with me… not fair.”

Transferring mana was something you were fairly familiar with doing, so you were able to take the gnome’s hand into two of your own with little hesitation. Back when you’d just joined the party, the act of touching him made your cheeks heat up, but exposure to it over time had made the experience far from unfamiliar.

Just remember to envision the flow of the mana, you reminded yourself. Truly feel it, from your head to your toes, through your veins and bones, and out the tips of your fingers. Feel the current connecting you to him…

With your eyes trained on your joined hands, half lidded while you chanted the spell as instructed, you hardly noticed the way your companion’s ears actually twitched and perked up when the incantation was completed. Only when his whole body jolted did you shoot up in turn, concern pooling in your irises.

Said concern seemed to be unneeded, judging from the pleased look on his face. It was one that brought you relief, not just from the knowledge that you’d done well, but from the sight of him alone.

“That’s good, I think you’ve got it.” Even his voice seemed cheerier than before, and you weren’t quite sure if it was from the magic, your success, or both. Nonetheless, it was kind of nice to see his usually laid back demeanor become more enthusiastic from time to time. “So remember, the next time I get stunned in an overwhelming situation, use that if you’re near.”

“Of course!” You grinned, knowing you’d always be neat if you could help it.

That little practice session with Holm had been a few days ago by now. It took quite a while for a situation to actually arise that called for your little backup plan, but you most certainly kept your word.

Perhaps if it was just one stray suit of living armor, Rin or even Daya would’ve been able to dispatch it just fine. But in a whole hallway full of them with no way around, you could only tiptoe past them in hopes that maybe they’d ignore you, or even end up just being normal suits of armor. You should’ve known, of course, that the dungeon is no place for wishful thinking.

When the intimidating armored figures inevitably sprung to life, the first thing you did was look to Holm. Unsurprisingly, he was completely still by your side, eyes blown wide and mouth hanging open while he didn’t even shake or quiver.

Just do what you talked about. Transfer the mana as quickly as you can. You may have taken the latter half of that a bit too seriously judging by how, instead of taking his hand like you had during practice, you immediately reached for his face instead.

Only halfway through chanting the spell did you notice the slight tint on his cheeks, likely from embarrassment, and it took everything you had in you to continue the spell without stuttering from your own flustered state. After all, restarting the spell would take even longer, and that was pretty much the exact opposite of what was needed right now.

The second the spell had been completed, the both of you pulled away from one another, invigorated by both magic and embarrassment respectively. You heard Holm utter a quick thanks to you, but you were too busy feeling completely mortified by the way Kabru had just glanced at the two of you, seemingly more entranced by your interaction than the imminent peril you were dealing with.

You’d never hear the end of this, would you?

[zeondraws]

Ok, Fellas, so today was wild

I'm at Gamescom atm and a week before this I tried to make a small plan for myself. Mostly because I had gotten such a big interest for the game, I wanted to see if I can meet anyone at the event.

After having had a big hurdle while trying to reenter the business area, I was able to go back and meet someone from the Chinese Room (I met two today). Which was wild for me, didn't think with this sudden interest in the game that I was able to meet someone from the team who worked on the game so soon.

I told them how I struggle to find interests in most games since those usually don't speak to me, but Still Wakes The Deep suddenly caught my attention. Where I ended up researching a bunch to find hidden details or eastereggs, looking through the game files and replaying the game to further understand the story.

I only had a small window to ask a bunch of questions, I sadly couldn't ask silly questions like "Does Muir look like a Bagpipe?" or ask some Questions about Caz.

Before the meeting I asked people on the discord server if they wanted to know anything. So I tried to take the questions I had for the moment and get through them XD

I did tell them how there is a small community on tumblr/discord where we gather. And that I asked some folk for questions I should ask.

Ok these are big spoilers, at least some suprised me, quite a bunch if them are of course about Muir and Innes.

I hope I remember everything properly that he told me, I immediately wrote everything down on discord for the others to read, but figured making a tumblr post will be good as well.

Innes:

Quite a lot of people asked about the VA of Innes, apparently they forgot to include him in the credits which made them feel extremely bad, even apologising to them. I can definitely understand how that must feel, I think I'd melt away. They'd fix it in the next patch, I can't check if it's already fixed atm.

At the very end of our chat, while shaking hands, I asked if Innes is bald. And the answer was "*laughs* yes".

Now I clearly asked this one as a joke, because I found it funny to tell the others on discord, however I very much support luscious hair Innes that many are drawing.

Muir:

I explained to them how I've been researching some stuff in the game. And figured out, that Muir must've died around the time when Caz flooded the Forward Pontoon in Marine Control. So I asked if that's possible to be the time when it actually happend- and they did confirm this! I was surprised that I got that on point.

But I got some further details about this, apparently they wanted to showcase how Muir would've died there.

Basically, once Caz flooded the Forward Pontoon, you would've seen Muir outside loosing his grip out in the deck and getting crushed under debris.

Which was so painful for me to imagine, to see Muir outside, walking on his tendrils and suddenly not being able to keep his balance.

I tried illustrating how I roughly imagine this scene, it ain't perfect, but maybe it helps everyone to visualise it.

The Flooding shifted the entire rig and debris fell onto him.

To have some sense where everything is, Accommodation Roof (where you find Roy) is on the left side, if you look at the rig from the Derrick entrance. And Marine Control should be on the right side.

The thing is Marine Control is facing the ocean (if I remember correctly, I hope I do, I'm currently not home to check), so you couldn't take a look at the derick while Caz does the thing. Which basically made them remove this and hid Muir nearby the Derrick for players to find. And I told him how I replayed the game and saw Muir lay there with Innes, it was 6AM and I just sat there like O-O

Muir & Innes:

A burning question for many was, what their relationship is. And they told me it's more like a father son relationship, saying how Innes is very strict to Muir.

Muir is the younger one of the two and also likes to tease Innes a bunch (so the pipe thing is one of his many shenanigans he'd do)

Here we see a wild Muir in his natural habitat about to prank his friend (caught in 4k) (I almost died) (look at him plotting).

Now, I could not forget to mention that the fandom decided to ship Muir and Innes and wanted to see their reaction. They took it with a smile and just talked about their complex relationship again. Which I found cool to hear.

I sadly don't remember every small detail of the convo, since I wanted to make sure that I was able to ask all the questions people wrote on discord.

Brodie & Raffs:

This was a surprise to hear, which also made me very sad. Brodie was also like a father for Raffs, he knew his mother too.

And apparently Brodie was supposed to tell Raffs mother incase anything happened to him. So that she can feel better knowing Raffs died quickly and without much pain. Which is just... I'm in shambles. sobbing

Gibbo:

Some folk wanted to know if he had an actual model, to which the person answered with yes. They planned to show him at some point, but decided that the player should see Trots firstly.

I also randomly asked if the Gibbo model ingame was a part of Addairs model (judging by the game files), if I remember correctly he nodded.

I hope we get to see it in the artbook, I preordered it but forgor to tell him that. But it's okay.

I sadly don't remember everything here, I had to check discord for the questions (I hope I don't say anything wrong), but with Gibbo they focused more on the sound design and the mystery. And I think in the end it worked out perfectly.

Other:

They implanted a bunch of eastern eggs into the game, the art director even said he's still finding new ones to this day.

He mentioned the pictures shown in various areas and mentioned that he inserted pictures of his family and cousins etc.

Also the Kid inside the TV in the Crew Lounge? That's the Art Director as a kid! Whaaaaaaaa- Didn't know this one for sure.

And another random thing, I showed him the meme that @cazrig made. Because I inserted it inside my piece of fanart. I sadly couldn't show him more memes of the community because I forgor/no time. The memes Robin made are also comedy gold.

It was this one (I keep dying of laughter)

He found it very funny, so did the other person I showed it to.

But he also talked about how worried he was how the game would be perceived in the end. Since it came out extremely close to the release date of the new Elden Ring DLC. And having worked on it for so long they didn't know how the reactions would be.

But were positively surprised how well it was perceived, people playing the game, tears being shed and so on.

Okay that took me ages to write, I just wanted to have it all inside a tumblr post. Otherwise I may forget stuff if it's scattered on discord.

The event day turned out well for me today. I was so worried, that my tiny plan wouldn't work yesterday. But somehow I had some luck on my side.

After I got home I added his signature to my physical copy. I also made myself a small card with my artwork for it. I also gave them a small card and a big printed version of the fanart as well.

Thank you John!

I go sleep now, tomorrow is another gamescom day

[dichenlachmandaily]

'Saying Dinosaur Names Is No Joke.’ I Would Love Saying Atrociraptor Over And Over, But Jurassic World's Dichen Lachman Admits It Takes Some 'Homework'

Life has found a way to keep dinosaur fans happy on the 2025 TV schedule, thanks to Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Season 3! A new round of adventures has brought the Camp Fam from Camp Cretaceous even deeper into the web of intrigue connecting to Jurassic World Dominion.

The return of Dichen Lachman’s Soyona “The Broker” Santos continues to blur that line, reintroducing us all to a world where Atrociraptors still roam the earth. As we chatted about her character's Jurassic Park Universe with commanding Atrociraptors, Ms. Lachman told CinemaBlend about this very real challenge with these prehistoric beasts:

"…by the way, saying dinosaur names is no joke. It's like trying to read Greek mythology and pronounce the names correctly. It's so complicated, and I do remember being in the booth, and having to give some of them a go, and then another go, and another go. … Other than Atrociraptors, it was most of them."

While I think I’d have fun saying names like “Atrociraptor” or “Ankylosaurus” on a recurring basis, I can still identify with Dichen Lachman’s Jurassic World: Chaos Theory woe. Even thinking of trying to pronounce “Baryonyx” or “Compsognathus” is a hypothetical weakness, so I don’t envy anyone who has this concern.

So when this Severance star laid out an opportunity that was both a welcomed return, and an unfortunate verbal exercise on Season 3 of this Netflix subscription booster, I could totally see her point. Though I have to say, after discussing this very real problem, I think we should all take a moment and appreciate the various hybrids made by Dr. Wu and his lab assistants never had names as complicated as those of academia.

While Chaos Theory understands Jurassic Park’s legacy as a beloved science fiction classic, it does allow for a bit of a breather from the Latin-intensive names that go beyond entry level difficulty. After all, they can't all have names that end in "Rex."

However, as Dichen Lachman continued to discuss why she’s particularly concerned with the matter, I was even more impressed with her Chaos Theory performance. Continuing to discuss the issue that prehistoric creatures and their names present in a recording booth, Lachman opened up to CinemaBlend with this further insight:

"I'm actually quite dyslexic, and so I'm very insecure about reading words that aren't very familiar to me. It never inhibits my acting, especially 'cause I do my homework, but sometimes with these words in a show like this, I have to be told exactly how it's said."

Admitting that “Google can only take you so far” is a lot for anyone in a career path that requires you to be able to say things properly. There have been times where even after asking for how to pronounce the name of the talent I’m interviewing I might still trip over the pronunciation.

So why would an actor willingly put themselves through the aural equivalent of wrangling an ornery Allosaurus? That question can be answered by referencing another identifiable aspect of this Jurassic World experience, shared by Dichen Lachman as follows:

"But it was tremendously fun to record this character and spend so much more time with her, because as you know, in the film she's not central, in terms of the plot and what's happening. But I didn't get a lot of time to live in her. This opportunity has been so wonderful, because I love that character and I love her energy, and to be given that gift has just been really rewarding."

As Jurassic World Rebirth brings us further into the future, and we know that Dichen Lachman’s Broker survives Dominion and Chaos Theory's events, there’s always room for her to pop up again in the future. And as she mentioned in another portion of our interview, that’s a rumor she’d love to get started sooner rather than later.

Alas, we don’t know if Soyona Santos will be mentioned on Rebirth’s July 2nd opening weekend. However, you can watch her do what she does best in Seasons 2 and 3 of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - both of which are currently streaming on Netflix. Or, if you're still reeling over Dichen Lachman's Severance Season 2 finale feelings, you know where to find that world of danger and deceit.

[panharmonium]

you and i have both found precious friends, haven't we?

every so often, i get the urge to journal out insignificant fandom annoyances. i rarely have the time and generally manage to resist because, again: insignificant. extremely so. none of this is remotely important.

however, stumbling into bad fandom "takes" on the scene i'm about to discuss has prompted me to gnash my teeth so often ("how many times am i going to have to see people refusing to actually read the text?" i repeat to myself over and over) that i'm finally going to just get it out of my system. (i'm making it non-rebloggable, though. me happily typing up my own thoughts on my own blog does not equate to an invitation for internet strangers to debate inconsequential fandom opinions with me. i just like writing things down.)

anyway. i find it deeply frustrating when people complain about kakashi saying "the ones most precious to me have already been killed" as if they think it means he doesn't recognize or value the new bonds he's made, when two panels later he finishes his speech by doing just that.

it's literally the ENTIRE point kakashi is making. we've lost so much - but that's not all there is.

i don't understand how this scene became such a magnet for willful misreads. people either fixate on kakashi saying "the ones most precious to me have already been killed" and don't read beyond that panel, or they fixate on him sharing a relevant piece of his life experience with sasuke and then accuse him of "projecting," or they claim that this is a failed teaching moment when it demonstrably, textually is not! hours later, after the sun has gone down and the moon has risen, sasuke is voluntarily still sitting there, thinking about naruto and sakura, questioning the hold his quest for vengeance against itachi has had on him all his life.

this entire sequence was one of my favorite scenes when i watched/read part 1, and it was so bizarre when i broke my fandom isolation after finishing the story and saw some of the blatantly non-textual takes people had on it. there are people who talk about this scene as if kakashi waltzes in here and tells sasuke that their situations are exactly the same and orders him to "get over it." there are also people who talk about this scene as if sasuke's role in it ends with and is defined solely by his reflexive "what do you know about it?" rejection of kakashi's earlier advice. neither of these takes are remotely accurate descriptions of what happens on the page.

at no point does kakashi say "i know exactly how you feel." there is no point in this conversation where he tries to equate their situations. what he does say is "the ones most precious to me have already been killed...i know the pain of losing somebody more than i'd like to." both of these are true statements, and both of them are offered only after sasuke's highly charged, furious threat to kill the people kakashi cares about, which kakashi (CORRECTLY) interprets as sasuke's way of accusing him of not being able to understand his feelings until he's experienced the pain of loss.

kakashi answers sasuke's threat with that calm, nonconfrontational disclosure of his personal history because sasuke asked him to do so. sasuke asked "why should i listen to you??? what do you know about how much this hurts?" and kakashi doesn't brush that accusation off or say "you just have to listen to me, period, because i'm in charge"; he answers the question! he says "that's fair. here's what I've experienced. here's what i've found, after living through it." and then he steps back to let sasuke reflect on it and decide what to do next.

just because the characters in this story don't use the kind of therapeutic feelings-speak that people think defines healthy conversations doesn't mean something is missing from this interaction. the text is VERY clear about the fact that kakashi makes a successful connection with sasuke here. kakashi's disclosure snaps sasuke out of his rage. it allows sasuke, who is hurting so badly that he can't see anything outside his own pain, to experience a momentary window of clarity - to catch a glimpse of the world outside the cage his grief has constructed around him. sasuke is so activated at the beginning of this scene, incapable of listening or recognizing anything that isn't his own hurt, but the minute he hears kakashi's calm admission that the people he loves most have already been killed, all that anger dissipates. suddenly, for a brief moment, he can see. suddenly he's listening. suddenly he's genuinely thinking about what kakashi is saying.

i know some people would prefer their version of sasuke to get up and throw kakashi's counsel back in his face and march out of the village with his middle finger raised to everyone he's leaving behind, but that's not what happens. that's not how sasuke feels about this conversation. that's not the effect this interaction has on him. he's not sitting there listening to kakashi's gentle disclosure of personal information and thinking "what an asshole; he's trying to minimize my trauma!!!" he's genuinely affected. his perspective is altered. his teacher does precisely what teachers are supposed to do: give their students something to think about! and sasuke recognizes it as something that's worth considering!

does it keep him in the village? no, but that wasn't the purpose of the conversation. when kakashi and sasuke speak, there's no inkling in anyone's mind that sasuke might leave - not even sasuke is planning to do that. the purpose of this intervention is to address the conflict on top of the hospital, where sasuke let himself get so out of control that he attacked naruto with a lethal-sized chidori, nearly killing sakura in the process. kakashi doesn't have to know that orochimaru is about to make a play for sasuke's allegiance to know that sasuke's current situation is a disaster waiting to happen. he isn't "projecting" by recognizing that sasuke is in danger of hurting somebody (or himself!), and it's completely appropriate for him, as the adult in charge, to start addressing that. nor is he "projecting" by correctly recognizing that sasuke is going through a similar change to one he himself experienced, in that sasuke is being drawn out of his isolation and into genuinely caring about his teammates. those are just the observable facts of the situation. sasuke was the first one to pass kakashi's bell test. he sacrificed himself for naruto in the land of waves. he landed himself in the hospital by trying to protect naruto from itachi. right before that, he almost died trying to save sakura from gaara:

"you and i have both found precious friends, haven't we?"

kakashi can see that sasuke's bonds to his new friends have become strong enough that they might actually be capable of displacing the self-destructive desires that have been controlling him for so long. and yet there are still people who talk about the tree scene as if kakashi is wrong or deluded for choosing to have this conversation with sasuke now - as if the things he tells sasuke are trite or irrelevant or insensitive, as if sasuke isn't in PRECISELY the right place in his growth process to hear "your desire for revenge has started to hurt you and the people you care about. are you sure this is what you want?" in the past, sasuke might not have been ready to consider that question, but now - look at how hard he fights for his friends! look at how he refers to them! "my precious comrades," he says, when he used to consider them so beneath him.

it's time. when he first met team 7, he didn't have anything to counter itachi's pull on him, but now he does. he's at a crossroads. this is the right moment for him to hear what kakashi says to him here, especially when kakashi is able to say it in such a calm, neutral way. it would be negligent for kakashi not to say it, after what just happened. sasuke almost killed one of his teammates that morning. it is not malicious for an adult whose responsibility it is to keep these twelve year-olds from hurting themselves to tell sasuke, "i know it hurts. but what you're doing right now is going to end badly." or: "the power i entrusted you with is not to be used to hurt your friends."

and once again, crucially - the text is clear that sasuke hears him. sasuke absorbs what he's being offered. he is still sitting there, thinking about his friends, questioning his old goals, fighting the powerful pull of his revenge, until orochimaru's minions show up and do something that kakashi never did - manipulate him so someone else can use him for their benefit. orochimaru's minions prey on sasuke's pain in order to push him down a path that benefits orochimaru, but kakashi speaks to sasuke plainly and honestly, without judgment or self-interest. his only concern is sasuke's well-being. (you wouldn't know it, though, to hear some of fandom's hot takes.)

the thing is: everything people claim they want this scene to be is already there. "if only kakashi had used this opportunity to connect with sasuke - " that is exactly what happened. you're lamenting the absence of something that is in fact the text. no, it doesn't look like a scene in a fanfic where kakashi sits sasuke down for tea and helps him unpack all his traumatic experiences and offers lots of verbal reassurance that sasuke's emotions are Valid and he is here to Support Him No Matter What, because that kind of explicit emotional exploration would be wildly inconsistent with the source material. you have to approach stories from the inside to legitimately appreciate what they're trying to say. you have to accept their rules. and in this story's context, in no way is this scene meant to convey "kakashi's so out of touch; he totally missed the mark on this talk." this scene, as written, is a powerful moment between him and sasuke, where sasuke does hear what kakashi is saying and takes it to heart, and chews on it, and fights to believe it. ultimately, thanks to some last-minute interference from people who want sasuke to continue suffering because it advances their interests, it isn't enough to save him.

but that's not a condemnation of either party. it's the narrative, and it rocks.

i love this scene. i love how kakashi lets sasuke snarl and shout at him without ever biting back, without ever escalating, always staying quiet and calm. i love how patient he is, how an angry kid with no clue about kakashi's personal background says cutting things like "if i killed the people most precious to you then you'd understand that you don't know shit," and yet kakashi never bristles - he has no ego, no self-interest; he absorbs the anger without protest and responds by offering a private piece of himself. i love the way sasuke's expression instantly transforms from enraged, to stunned, to softened. i love how kakashi is able to tell sasuke "no" with such compassion, every time he has to say it. i love how he still believes in sasuke and gives him space to reflect and make decisions on his own. i love how even the sealing jutsu kakashi placed around orochimaru's curse mark requires sasuke's consent for it to function ("you have to want it to work"). i love how badly sasuke wants team 7 to be enough for him. i love how desperately he wants to be free. he's trying so hard.

it's so frustrating to see complaints about this scene written by people who aren't actually reading it, or who are dead set on interpreting it in direct contradiction to the text. there are enough ungenerous "takes" out there on various aspects of naruto as it is (sakura, you have my forever sympathy). criticizing this sequence in defiance of what it actually shows us on the page has never struck me as a particularly accurate or useful way of appreciating the story.

[jusst-you-race]

gewis + 38 please☺️

okay it took me a couple days to get around to this sorry! hope you enjoy some law school awkward gewis <3 from this prompt list! (happy for more requests now that I have time for them)

“I like your laugh.”

George hastily scoops up his belongings as Toto dismisses them. He shoves his notebook and laptop into his bag, wincing at himself at the haphazard way they jostle around, and then hurries to the front of the lecture hall using all the elbow he feels he can get away with before people think he’s rude. Even so slightly out of breath he stops in front of the lecturer.

“Toto. I just had a question about that decision you told us to read for next class. I was having trouble finding it so I’m not sure I took the reference down correctly, can I just double check it?”

Toto smiles at him apologetically before he swings his bag over his shoulder.

“Sorry, George, I have to run. Lewis should be able to help with that though.” And with that he sweeps out of the lecture hall, leaving George at the mercy of his TA.

Lewis has already been slightly swarmed by other students asking questions, most of which George assumes aren’t actual questions and just desperate bids for Lewis’ attention. 

Normally George avoids asking Lewis his questions; it’s just easier to go to Toto when everyone else is wary of their lecturer and desperate to talk to the TA. And, though George is loath to admit it, he does also think Lewis is the most beautiful man he’s seen. George isn’t great at talking to beautiful men. But, his studies are important to him, so he swallows down the vague butterflies in his stomach (and internally bemoans their existence) and loiters around the edges of the slowly thinning crowd around Lewis. 

Eventually, everyone else has had their questions patiently answered, and Lewis turns his gap toothed smile on George. George smiles awkwardly back. 

“How can I help, George?” 

Heat rises in his cheeks at the revelation that Lewis knows his name. George swallows.

“I just wanted to double check the reference for the decision Toto wants us to read. I couldn’t find it, so I must have noted it down wrong.” 

Lewis smiles kindly at him before flipping through his own notes. He makes a soft noise, and holds out a piece of paper pointing to a line.

“Here, is this the one you meant?” 

George has to lean in closer to Lewis to see where he’s pointing, and it takes him a second to actually read what’s on the page, too distracted by the scent of Lewis’ cologne he can now make out. 

“Oh. I had the year wrong.” He pulls a pen out of his pocket and quickly scribbles the correct reference on the back of his hand. Lewis snorts.

“Careful with that,” he says, nodding at George’s hand when George looks up questioningly. “I once ended up with my reading imprinted on my face after a nap and no one told me for half a day.”

The image of Lewis, usually so composed and put together, walking around with pen on his face is so bizarre to George that it startles a laugh out of him before he can even try to tamp it down. Thankfully, Lewis chuckles along with him. George looks down to put his pen away and is about to thank him, when Lewis clears his throat.

“I like your laugh.” 

George’s head snaps up. There’s a mischievous glint in Lewis’ eye, but he doesn’t seem disingenuous. George feels his face start to go bright red. 

“Uh. Thanks? Um. You too.” He cringes at his own response. Lewis’ mouth quirks up in an amused (maybe even fond? George doesn’t dare read that much into it) smile. “Well,” George continues, still flustered. “I better...” He waves vaguely at the door, before awkwardly moving towards it, still half turned towards Lewis.

“See you next class, George.” 

George nods stiltedly, and then all but runs out of the room.

[oneofstarkskids]

so high school (part 2)

part 1

pairings: bucky barnes x reader

genre: fluff

summary: high school au!! if bucky doesn't get tutoring, he's won't be able to play football. despite the looming consequences, he can't seem to focus.

why did it feel like making a deal with bucky barnes was equivalent to making a deal with the devil?

you trusted that boy about as far as you could throw him...and you were fairly sure that you couldn't even lift him if you tried.

yet, here you were. in the library, on a friday during study hall. sitting right across from the brunette boy. "okay, let's start off simple. what is the formula for finding the tangent of this right triangle?" you pointed to the figure on your textbook.

bucky shrugged and tossed a goldfish in the air before catching it with his mouth.

"just guess. if you're wrong, i'll just give you the answer," you tried to encourage him.

bucky sighed, "uh...i don't know."

you could feel your patience thinning by the second, "c'mon, james. focus."

bucky frowned and tilted his head slightly, "why did you call me james?"

"that's your name," you tried to state confidently, even though you were panicking like you'd done something wrong.

"nobody calls me james," he said almost accusingly.

you suddenly felt hot and nervous. you wanted to run out of there, "i'm sorry. i can call you, bucky. i didn't mean-"

but he cuts you off before you can finish, "no...i like it."

now your heart rate spiked for a completely different reason.

you tried to shake it off and get back to work, but it seemed that suddenly you were the one who was distracted. bucky, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to get this over with and leave.

"how about this," you said with a smirk. "we'll play a game. each time you answer a question wrong, you have to throw a goldfish and i'll try to catch it with my mouth. but if you answer correctly, i'll toss the goldfish at you."

bucky arched his brow, "do i look like i would enjoy a game that a fifth grader probably made up?"

you felt a bit embarrassed and didn't really know how to respond to that.

"because i would," he said with a stupid grin.

you hoped he couldn't see the blush that made your face feel so warm. the two of you couldn't stop laughing. it got so bad that the librarian had shushed you several times.

after you went through all the questions, you looked around at the mess you guys had made. you desperately tried not to giggle at the scene before you, but the look bucky had on his face was just taunting.

you slapped a hand over your mouth and he snorted, almost falling out of his chair.

the librarian shot you a glare and you took a deep breath to collect yourself before cleaning up the mess and leaving quickly. bucky trailed closely behind.

"we should do this again," he said with a grin.

you furrowed your brows, "we have to. you thought you were going to be einstein after one study session?"

bucky looked at you funny. but not in an annoyed or irritated way. it was more like...

well you couldn't really tell.

"you're probably right. i got most of the questions wrong," he said, snapping back into reality.

you looked over at him with a sincere look, "james, that's okay. you got through it. and that's progress."

he smiled ever so slightly and the small expression unexpectedly warmed your heart.

maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

[moonwolfblues]

Chapter 2, here we go!!!

You Look At Me Like I'm All You Want (I'm Hardwired To Be With You) by MoonWolfBlues

Ongoing | Sterek | General Audiences | 4,695 words | 2/?

Read on AO3: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2

---

Stiles woke up groggy and out of it. His mouth felt like cotton and his limbs ached. He reached out gently with his magic, assessing his immediate surroundings. He could sense that he wasn’t at home, but he didn’t seem to be surrounded by enemies either for once. He’d woken up in restraints enough times to recognize the feel of them and that wasn’t what was happening here. Actually, he had no idea what was happening here.

The last thing he remembered was the explosion and feeling the pack bonds break before running for his life through the preserve.

He couldn’t hear anyone talking, so he risked opening one eye. Of course, he regretted it immediately when he was met with the hard stare of what could only be an imposing alpha. And not one that he recognized. It was just his luck that his spark would go on the fritz at a time like this. He should have been able to sense an unfamiliar presence with his magic, but for some reason he didn’t sense her.

He groaned and opened his eyes the rest of the way. He had been caught and no amount of faking on his part would get past an alpha’s keen senses, so there was no point in trying to hide that he was awake.

He moved to sit up and groaned even harder at the pain in his side. He looked down and put his hand to the newly applied bandage. Hmm… they cleaned his wounds? So they weren’t completely evil. But if he remembered correctly, the wound wasn’t that deep, well not deep enough that his bond and spark shouldn’t have started healing it by now. Which could only mean, “I’m not healing.”

This seemed to catch the alpha’s attention. “Should you be?”

“Well yeah, that’s kind of an advantage to being an Alpha’s mate. One of the cooler ones if I do say so myself.” He was rambling. He really needed to stop doing that in front of potential enemies. “That’s beside the point. Where am I? Why did you bandage my wounds?”

Her surprise turned to apprehension at his mention of mates but she didn’t move from her place at the door. “What Alpha do you serve?”

“Okay, guess we’re not answering any of my questions today.” He rolled his eyes and looked around the room. From the small window near the ceiling, he could tell it was daytime and that he was underground, most likely in a basement if the lack of furnishings and damp air was anything to go by. He couldn’t have been out that long, probably a few hours tops, so they couldn’t have dragged him far.

In fact, when he sent his magic out again, with a clearer head this time, he could feel it sing with the magic of his own territory. “My name is Stiles Stilinski, and I am the emissary of the Hale Pack.” He looked back over to the alpha and stared her down with his own brand of well-earned fierceness. “Which you should already know, seeing as we’re still on Hale land.”

The look on the Alpha’s face would be comical if she didn’t remind him so much of his dad, imposing and fierce with a touch of softness that only a parent could hold. And wasn’t that a sobering thought? Immediately, he felt the grief pouring over him in waves. It was all he could do to not cry out at the loss of his pack, of his friends and family and loved ones.

It took him a few moments to compose himself. When his eyes met the alpha’s again, they had softened somewhat. He mentally rolled his eyes. Stupid werewolves and their stupid sniffers always snooping on his emotional state. He used his spark to clamp down on his emotions. Putting a wall up between him and his grief. This wasn’t the time. He would have to deal with the loss eventually, but not when he was in the presence of an unknown alpha.

The silence was stretching longer than he was comfortable with. Granted, all silence made him uncomfortable, but he was determined to wait this out. He had done enough answering. It was the alpha’s turn to talk.

She looked like she had a lot of questions but the one he didn’t expect was, “What do you know about my son?”

His head tilted to the side, a habit he picked up over the years from spending too much time with his pack. Her son? He didn’t know her son. Why would he…? But then gray eyes flashed in his mind and he remembered who had tackled him to the ground just before he passed out. He thought it had been a dream but by the look on the Alpha’s face, it wasn’t.

“Derek…” he said it with the same love and grief that he had earlier. The emotions in his chest were battling for dominance. Grief at his death, at the loss of both their soul bond and pack bond. And cautious relief at the potential of Derek being alive. “But that’s not possible. He’s de-“ he couldn’t bring himself to say it, so instead he shook his head.

Think, think, think. What are you missing?

There was the weird light in the preserve as he was running for his life. There was the magazine-worthy mansion where the burnt-to-hell Hale House should have been. He could feel that he was on Hale land. And there was his spark going on the fritz and not recognizing an enemy five feet away from him… unless the alpha wasn’t an enemy.

“No,” he whispered, “you can’t be.” But when he looked up into the face of the strong woman in front of him, he could see the same dark hair and pale gray eyes as Derek. The same hard set of brows that could speak so well without needing a single word to be spoken aloud. He looked at her in horror and awe, “You’re Talia Hale.”

“Yes.” She said, stone-faced. “And who are you, Emissary Stillinski?”

“But you can’t be.” He yelled in exasperation, his arms flailing around him. “How are you alive? Did I bring you back without meaning to? Did Peter? God knows he has the practical experience.”

And he lost her again. The confusion and frustration was rolling off of her in thick waves. The more he said, the deeper set her frown became.

He was working himself into a frenzy, his mind working too fast. So he did the only thing he knew: he trusted his gut and released his spark in full force, letting the magic reach out of him in search of answers. He could feel his eyes and tattoos glow violet with the power. In the low light of the basement, he shone like a lava lamp, the light pulsing in time with the beat of his heart.

He heard her gasp, but it sounded far away with his attention focused elsewhere.

It didn’t take long to find answers. He felt Talia in front of him and a small group of people outside the door of the room they were in, how he hadn’t heard them with his enhanced hearing, he wasn’t sure. But above them he could sense floors and floors and floors of people. And all he could picture was the family gathered at the front of the house when he launched into the clearing. Most of them with dark hair and gray eyes. The… Hales.

“You’re alive,” he whispered, his voice gradually building. Goosebumps were quickly building along his arms, though he barely noticed them. “You’re all alive. How did you survive? No, scratch that. What about the fire? And Kate? And the mountain ash barrier? Did that just never happen? Oh my god, my brain hurts. How can you all be alive?” He just barely managed to miss hitting himself in the face with his flailing, though he did manage to pull at the injury on his side, and boy, did that hurt.

When his eyes were finally able to focus on Talia again, the reality of the situation hit him. Derek was alive. And he grew up with a loving family. And he never had to take on the guilt of their deaths. Never had to carry it with him while bad thing after bad thing tried to topple him. By the end of his questions, he was crying. Full-on blubbering with big ole baby tears.

Talia looked extremely uncomfortable with the turn of events but he didn’t care. He was too happy for the Derek that got all of this.

She stepped towards him, probably hoping to strangle him into stopping the waterworks. But her voice was unexpectedly soft when she spoke. “How do you know about the fire and about what the Argents tried to do?” She paused, “...And why do you smell relieved that their attempt failed?”

He sniffled like the strong man that he was, not even trying to wipe the tears away because he knew they weren’t going to stop any time soon. “Because from where I’m from, they did succeed, and it tore him apart. But here… here he gets to wake up every day to a family that loves him and cares for him, and that’s the best news I’ve gotten in a long, long time.”

She looked stunned that a stranger could care so much about her son. “Who are you?” she asked with wonder in her voice.

“I’m Stiles. And I think I may have accidentally altered time and space as we know it so you might want to call Deaton.” He smiled at her continued surprise at his knowledge of her life. “You still work with him, right? If the fire never happened, then he would still be your emissary.”

She nodded in confirmation.

“Then get him over here ‘cause we’ve got a lot to discuss.”

Read the full chapter on AO3.

[orieriee]

Chapter 5 ✦ Burn Them All

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Sypnosis: Y/N L/N is a special shaman from a jujutsu family. Y/N was sent to Tokyo to go on missions to prove their worth as the next heir. With the ability of 'flow', a cursed technique that allows its user to see and manipulate forces of energy freely. Y/N stumbled across Geto Suguru amidst a dark aura, carrying a weight of chaotic and dark energy. Will Y/N be able to help Geto overcome his turmoil? Will Y/N fulfill the lifelong anticipation and succeed in becoming the next heir?

Time setting: 2007, a year after Amanai Riko's death, before Geto Suguru's breaking point. gn!reader. I use they/them pronounce for neutrality.

Disclaimer: This will be a slight crossover with chainsaw man because I needed a mentor figure who is not known in Jujutsu Kaisen. I do not own any of the characters from Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man. The characters belong to Gege Akutami as the creator of Jujutsu Kaisen and Tatsuki Fujimoto as the creator of Chainsaw Man. I only own the story plot of this work of fiction. I will also mix in a written story for the plot so it's not just the SMAU story. Also english isn't my first language so excuse any grammar errors in the story (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

This one's a little long!

The train finally stopped at the last station, the final destination to get off. Y/N and Geto went on to the village by a 45-minute walk from the station.

"You've arrived just in time! Just yesterday we got into another similar incident. This village is counting on you priest/ess-sama." a villager who has been waiting for your two's arrival greeted you welcome.

"I see. I'll have to look into it with my partner here. I'll cleanse the village right away." you smiled, returning the friendly gesture.

As the village chief gave you his trust, you two soon embark on your way to eliminate the curse. Starting with gathering as much as information about the series of events that has been occurring in the village. Cases of disappearance, people getting hurt, and finding animal corps around the village.

Everytime you asked for information to the villagers, you offer them a blessing like a priest/priestess would do. The villagers happily accept it, acting as a placebo to protect them from bad energy.

"Why do you offer them a blessing after you ask them for information?" Geto curiously asked, "You don't need to waste your energy on them just for information."

"Hmmm~ do you want a blessing as well?" you playfully replied, "Where do you think curses came from?"

"The cursed energy emitted from humans." Geto answered.

"And where do you think cursed energy come from?" You asked the obvious. Every jujutsu sorcerer should know this.

"The negative emotions that humans harbor." although Geto answered your question correctly, you seemed dissatisfied with his answer.

"Correct. And that's why I bless them. You see, this blessing ability of mine can help with negative emotions that people emit." you raised your index finger to the air.

"Then why don't we just eliminate them?"

"Hmmm... How would you feel if people were to say they want to annihilate sorcerers just because people think we're creepy for seeing monsters that they can't see?" you stopped at your track and turned to Geto, "Just like how they burn witches at the stake just because they fear them and accuse them for bringing in bad luck?"

"That would be treason." Geto replied.

"Correct. But how would you feel?" you repeated your first question.

"... I would feel disgusted."

"Yes, Livid, am I right? That kind of emotion will also fuel the creation of a cursed spirit. Who says only non-sorcerers create cursed spirits?" you debated, "Although it's different from cursed spirit created from leaked cursed energy, sorcerers have an increased chance of turning into a powerful curse after death. It makes us no difference from most non-sorcerers."

"That's why I think you should fix that idea of yours. Well, although I can understand that hatred might stem from a trauma, but remember Geto, it doesn't have to define you." your gaze softened at him.

"I know it's daunting but holding onto such emotions will only destroy yourself. I know deep down you want to help people. But even at times if you don't want to, it's alright to take a break and not wanting to help people who only came to you to use you. It's called boundaries." you gave him a heartwarming smile as you gave him another blessing, or what non-sorcerers would define as divine power.

"... I see." Geto pondered.

"It's okay, Geto . Sometimes expressing what's on your mind is alright, can be relieving even. But remember to keep it with a kind heart." you chuckled, "So, let's go eliminate the curse that has been lurking in this village."

Geto let out a relieved sigh as he smiled at you, "You're right. It is kinda relieving."

<Timeskip : village scene in jujutsu kaisen>

" These two are the cause of the series of incident."

Oh how the darkened expression painted over your face when you saw two little girls who were beaten up and locked in a cage. It was nighttime after you and Geto had finished defeating the cursed spirit.

Geto tapped his thumb on his forehead, his brain gearing up to the sight in front of him.

"No. We've ruled out the caused of the events." he mumbled as the village's chief and his wife kept talking in the background.

"My grandson was almost killed by these two." the chief's wife bickered at the girls.

"That's because he-!" before the little girl could explain, the wife shouted at them for being monsters.

Geto's head begin to fill with dark thoughts. His darkness is consuming him again. It was just like what you had told him this afternoon.

The story about the witch.

Burn them all.

It was almost his last straw before you yourself went mad at them and blasted the full power of your divine blessing by thumping the end of your staff onto the ground, the light enveloping all the village in seconds by large area. Your attire was flown by the gush of wind your power has output.

"I think you get the wrong idea. These girls are innocent. I have cleansed all of the village. There will be no monsters, let these girls out." you glared up at them although your tone of voice was friendly enough, shielding Geto and the girls behind the bar.

"But- they were the ones-!" before the wife could finish her sentence, you pointed the tip of your staff at her throat.

"I won't repeat myself again. I have cleanse the area and the girls are innocent. I don't see any remnants of the curse in the both of them." you paused, "Geto, get the girls out of from the cell and wait for me outside."

"..." Geto quickly got his curse out and broke the cell to get the two girls.

"Hey!!" the chief shouted and you shifted your body to block him.

"I ensure you that there will be no more curses for the next few years so you don't have to worry. In the mean time, we'll be taking these girls under our care." Your voice lowered into a more threatening tone, "If you think we can't, think again of which one is more appealing to the court? The village chief and his wife who tortured young children or a priest/priestess helping two children escape abusive environment?"

The village chief and his wife swallowed their saliva as they took a sharp breath.

"Do you agree?" your voice never wavered as you stared coldly into them.

"... Yes. Take them away."

As you walked outside after warning them, Geto was trying to calm the girls down.

"Are you alright?" you put a hand on Geto's shoulder as you kneeled beside him, seeing his expression darkened after seeing the wounds on the little girls body, "We'll get out of here as soon as possible, the moment the first train arrived."

[13as07]

It Hurts

(Itachi Uchahi)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to Hikaru Meo]

Requested by: Myself

[Idea inspired by I'm Yours sung by Isabel LaRosa]

Word Count: 3,304

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

I'll fight to my grave that Uchihas go through withdrawals if they're away from the people/person they love for too long

Also, angst. Sorry, not sorry. Suffer and cry like I did while writing it :)

———————————————————————

     "Hey," a voice calls softly before a finger is tapped against my forehead.

     "Hey," I call back, tearing my eyes out of my textbook to look at the poker. Standing in front of me is Itachi, who's not looking too hot. He's pale, paler than normal, and decorated in sweat droplets. "You don't look too good."

     "I'm fine," he mumbles, eyes glancing around the school grounds.

     "Your suspension over?" He hums a yes, eyes flickering to me before he goes back to the scenery. "Are you still grounded?" Another hummed yes. "For how long?"

     "I don't know," he mutters, shifting his weight around.

     His face flashes with pain, visible for only a second, before he's stone-faced again. "You seem sick, maybe you should go home and rest."

     "I'm fine," Itachi repeats, eyes landing on me again, but this time they stay put.

     "No, you're not. You look like you're dying."

     "I'm not dying, Little Crow." My face scrunches at the nickname. I don't like when Itachi uses it, it makes me feel like he's degrading me or has an inside joke that I'm not in on. "I'm just in a bit of pain. It'll subside."

     "Why are you in pain?" I yelp, my words soaked in worry. Because of my worry, I'm on my feet, sliding my hands over my best friend in search of any injuries. "I thought you didn't start duty for another two weeks?" Panic soon fills my words as well, another unwanted emotion filling me because of my unwanted best friend.

     Throughout our school years, Itachi has been attached to my hip and unwilling to be unattached. Over the three years, I've accepted it. There's no point in fighting an uphill battle, even if the hill is an unemotional, stone-faced, Uchiha protege.

     "I don't."

     "You don't what?" I hiss, patting him down again.

     "I don't start for another two weeks," Itachi explains, his hands catching my wrists.

     "Then why are you in pain? Did you pick another fight?" I question, anger quickly replacing my worry. The last thing Itachi needs is to be picking more fights, especially with the start of his Shinobi career just fourteen days away.

"No, can't you just drop it?" Itachi huffs, his hands sliding down to cup my elbows.

"Headstrong, ego-driven shinobis are usually the firsts to die in battle," I respond, mimicking his huffiness. "Why are you hurting?"

Itachi's eyes fall closed, soft breaths being inhaled and held before exhaling, his attempt to stay patient with me. "You."

"Me?!" I screech, about ready to throw down with Mr 'Amazing'.

"Yes. Well, no, but also yes. Just drop it," his face heats up, pink dusting his sheet-white skin as his nose scrunches up. Mr. 'Amazing' is experiencing some big-boy emotions, ones he doesn't know how to deal with. "It's complicated," Itachi tries again after another round of calming breaths.

"Then explain it to me, or are you too high and mighty for me now?"

His face scrunches up at my question, but I'm not sure if it's from anger or sadness. "You are incredibly naive."

"And you're too big for your britches."

Itachi's face relaxes again at my insult. He all of a sudden seems better, some of the sweat subsiding and his skin getting just a hint of color back sometime during our discussion. "You're so pretty it hurts."

"I knew that-" I cut myself off once Itachi's answer fills my mind. The words tumble around, not being able to process correctly. "I don't... what did you say?"

     "I said," Itachi starts, shifting closer to me. His eyes almost glow as he stares into mine, his hands tight but soft to keep me in place, and his nose barely touching mine. "You're so pretty it hurts."

     "How... how does that..." A rare smile cracks across his face, hiding his stress lines the slightest.

"I don't know. My mother said that... well... if someone from my clan cares about... if we're away from someone... it's kind of like getting withdrawals." My chest warms from Itachi's stuttering, his words sticking in his throat as he tries to explain.

"So what you're saying is that you're an addict and I'm your drug," I tease, pulling away from my emotionally stunted friend. "What a little addict."

"That is not what I'm saying. I'm not an addict - Little Crow," Itachi races out, huffing and puffing as he walks after me.

     "How do you plan to survive once you're an active-duty Shinobi? What are you going to do? Make yourself little fixes to take with you, little addict?" I continue to tease, walking down the familiar path towards my home.

     "I don't know. It'll be fine. Can you stop wording it like that? What if someone eavesdrops? They're going to think I'm a drug addict." It's entertaining seeing how upset Itachi is about this. It's a nice reminder that he's not as old as he acts.

     "It's quite the ego boost to know I'm your addiction, Tachi."

     "Little Crow!" He hisses again, eyes jumping around to the people filling the busy streets of the village.

     "Hey, maybe now that you'll be too busy for me, I'll become the addiction of a different Uchahi."

     "No," he yells, his hand shooting forward to grab ahold of my shirt collar. "Absolutely not," he repeats softer this time, tugging me backward, my back colliding with his chest.

Itachi feels hot, his body heat sizzling through his shirt. "I was just kidding," I tell him, leaning my head back to look at the angry future chief. "I'm yours." Once the words are out, his body heat noticeably drops, shifting him back to the normal cold-to-the-touch temperature I'm used to.

———————————

The knocking on my window echoes through my ears, temporarily silencing my heartbeat that's been pounding there. Another knock rings out before two glowing circles appear on the other side of the glass. The familiar red I've grown accustomed to suddenly scares me.

Silently, Itachi slides my window open, climbing through it for the millionth time of our lives. The sight of him makes me panic, all the whispers about tonight booming in my head.

     "Did you-"

     "Ya," the answer is short, but so loud at the same time. So many emotions push through with it, most noticeably sadness.

     My heart pings, but only for a second. The need to comfort Itachi washes away when my eyes catch sight of the blood smeared on his cheek. Panic quickly rises again as I look over him. More blood smears cover his Anbu uniform.

     "I think you should-"

     "Just let me hold you. Just... please." His request tugs at my heart again, chasing away any sane response I can come up with.

     When I don't say no, Itachi slowly moves towards me, very obviously leaving his katana against the wall. His arms fall into place, wrapping around my sides and knotting themselves behind my back. I'm gently pressed into his chest, my face buried into the material of his uniform. It reeks of blood and misery, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

     "It hurts," he whispers, voice creaking and chest jumping with a silent sob.

     "What hurts?" I ask gently, clinging to his sides as much as he's clinging to mine.

     "You." The word hangs in the air as Itachi buries his face into my hair, soft sobs being whispered into it. "You're so pretty it hurts," he tells me for the hundredth time. The words fill me with love, the same way they have since we were eight. It's a bittersweet moment, Itachi's undying love poking through all the distraction and murder he's caused tonight.

     "Why does it hurt, Tachi? You just saw me this morning."

     His fingers ghost through my hair, his head shifting to my neck and gently pressing his nose against my skin. "We won't... Little Crow... you... can't be mine anymore... it'll eat you alive."

     My hands gently rub his sides, my tears threatening to spill out with the truth. The truth I've been avoiding all night long. "Stop worrying yourself. I'm yours," I whisper, trying my best to keep my voice even and my tears from flowing. "I'll always be yours."

     A gentle kiss is pressed to my forehead. When Itachi's lips leave my skin, he's gone completely. No sign of him anywhere to be seen.

     A knock fills the room again, this time coming from the door. "Anbu Black Ops. Open up."

———————————

     "Welcome home." The greeting comes once my front door is opened, startling me.

     "Who's there?" I call trying to keep the fear out of my voice as I glance around the dark space.

     The red glowing eyes of my dreams soon fill the darkness, bringing a drop of peace to the wave of panic. "It's just me, Little Crow. There's no need to panic." Tears prickle my eyes at the nickname. The past year of emotions wash over me; anger, sadness, fear, longing, and love, all hit me at once.

     Itachi moves slowly through my home, making his way toward the front door and in turn, me. He stops in front of me, feverish heat rolling off of him and colliding with me. "I've missed you," he whispers, dipping his head down. Our noses brush, the skin of his feeling like flames of a fire.

     "I missed you too," I murmur, my eyes locked on his even though I know that's the last thing I should do. "What, um... what are you doing here?"

     He shifts again, lips brushing against mine as he speaks. "I wanted to remind the council I'm still around. I don't need them messing with Sasuke... or you."

     "Oh."

     A soft kiss is pressed to my lips, both mending the last year and breaking my heart even more. I reach out, my hands clinging to his clothing as our lips dance together.

     When we pull apart, Itachi's eyes scan over me, taking in the minor and major changes from the past fifteen months. My hands slide against his chest. Sweat has soaked through his shirt, leaving him drenched.

     "You're so pretty it hurt," he mutters, head falling to be pressed into my neck as his hands grip my waist. Despite the time apart, Itachi's love still seeps through his words. His longing for me is evident in his voice. "Make me stop hurting. Please."

     "How do I do that, Tach? Stop being so pretty?" I can feel the smile being pressed into my skin, a silent curse falling from me because of the darkness coating the room.

     "You're mine." He mumbles, lips brushing against my neck, working their way down.

     "I'm yours," I echo, letting the lava of Itachi's skin burn into my hands as I slide them up to cup his face.

     "Let me make you mine, please," he asks, head shifting so I can hold it better. His sharingans glow so beautifully in the pitch black, the sight quickly burning away any fear I have of them.

     "Itachi."

     His hands slide from my sides as he falls to his knees. They land behind my thighs, clinging to me as his head nestles into my stomach. I let my hands drop down too, burring them into his crow-colored hair. "Please?" Itachi continues to beg, pressing careful kisses into my torso.

     "Be gentle."

     "I will."

———————————

     Itachi clings to my legs, gentle praises and pleads fall from him. "Just this once," he tries again, his lips trailing up my thighs. "Please?"

     "I don't like going on your... outings with you."

     "I know."

     His kisses waiver as his eyes crawl up to my face. "It hurts when you're not with me."

     "I know."

     His hands shift, balling up the fabric of my dress. "You'll have a nice time. I promise. Please." The words are coated in desperation, just as much desperation as his hands that are going white from him clinging to me. "It'll be like a vacation."

     "Normal people don't murder someone on their vacation."

     A sharp breath is sucked in by Itachi, the oxygen stifling his whine. Tears start forming in his eyes as he looks up at me, the dark shading of his eye color slowly shifting to the bleeding red of his sharingans. "You're so pretty it hurts. It hurts so much when I'm away. I can't survive four weeks without you. Please my Little Crow."

     "You survived a year without me. A month will be like nothing."

     Tears streak down his cheeks, hands shifting to grip my hips instead of the fabric of my clothes. "Please? You're mine, aren't you? Pretty please?" The words are broken up by sobs, tugging my heart into reluctantly giving in.

     "Yes, I'm yours," I mumble, sliding my hands through his hair to flatten out the loose strands.

     Itachi knows what he's doing, he knows I'm still uneasy from the last time he was gone for an extended amount of time. I swore he was going to die from longing. His fever was high, higher than it had ever been, and took longer than normal to level back out.

     The longing for his brother is finally starting to catch up to him. Why should I put him through more longing just for my comfort?

———————————

“I’m dying.”

“I know.”

The words stab my heart, even though I knew they were coming soon. I know Itachi has been coughing up blood. I know Sasuke’s life mission is to kill his brother. I know our time is limited, has been limited from the beginning. It doesn’t make it any easier.

The familiar trail of kisses is pressed against my skin. Starting at my knee, trialing up my thigh, crossing my hip, and curving over my stomach before trialing back down my other leg.

The familiar feeling of his fingers clinging to me promises to leave small bruises on the back of my legs.

The newest familiar feeling of blood trickling from Itachi leaves the sticky and warm sensation of fresh blood against my skin. All the familiar feelings that’ll never happen again.

“Don’t hate Sasuke,” he whispers against my skin, starting his second lap of kisses.

“I won’t,” my promise is followed by tears prickling my eyes, threatening to spill over.

“You’re so pretty it hurts. It hurts so much,” Itachi says, spilling out his version of ‘I love you’.

“I know.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, his warm breath coating my skin, making it tingle with need. Need to make Sasuke forgive his brother, need to make time slow down, need to fix the illness that’ll take Itachi away from me even if his brother doesn’t.

“For what?” I ask, tingling my fingers in his hair for the last time. The last time I’ll see Itachi on his knees yearning for me. The last time he’ll kiss me. The last time I’ll see his chest pumping with life.

“All of it. For making you mine, for forcing you into a life of regret.”

“I don’t regret my life with you,” my honesty makes tears fall from both of us. Mine coats my cheeks as Itachi’s mixes with the smears of blood on my thighs, making it smear even more.

“My Little Crow?” I hum a yes, not believing I can speak without sobbing. “Promise me you’ll move on. That you’ll find someone else to spend your life with.”

“I can’t do that, Tach. I’m yours. Only yours. Always have been, always will be.” My answer tears my heart apart even more, partly because it’s true and partly because I know I’ll never get to say it to him again.

“I love you,” he mumbles, another kiss being pressed into my stomach.

“I love you too.”

———————————

“Hello,” a voice rings out, making more sadness soak into my heart.

“Hello,” I answer back, keeping my eyes locked forward. They trial over Itachi’s clan symbol painted into the wall above his memorial. Once I’m done doing that for the tenth time today, I let them drop down to his death platter.

Sasuke shifts behind me, moving to stand next to me instead. “I was wondering who kept leaving flowers.”

“Is that why you set the trap?” I ask, shrugging towards the now dismembered trapped that awaited me for my visit today.

“Ya.” Sasuke sinks to the soil, sitting next to me.

I spare him a glance, a mistake on my end. Even as a boy, he looked so much like his brother. It would be almost impossible to tell the brothers apart if it wasn’t for Itachi’s stress lines. Now… now all I see is Itachi when I look at him.

Before I can stop it, tears spill over, coating my cheeks like they have for the past handful of years.

“Please don’t cry,” he whispers, eyes landing on me. Sasuke sucks in a breath and holds it, calming himself down the same way his brother used to. “I remember you… a lot,” he mutters, his own eyes bouncing around the grave site.

“Ya?” I tease, my voice still shaky. “I’m not surprised. Ita… I was with you as much as he was,” I continue, shrugging towards the grave. “Before everything, at least.”

“I assumed you were dead.”

“I’m sure most people do.”

Silence falls between us, a heavy sad but mutually understanding silence. Though, it doesn’t last long. “I remember what my brother would say to you, every time he saw you. Every time.”

“‘You’re so pretty it hurts’,” I quote, fresh tears coating my eyes.

“I thought he was crazy saying it. How could someone be pretty enough that it hurt to be away? I thought he was dumb.”

I chuckle at Sasuke’s confusion, a piece of my heart falling back into place.

“Well, I get what he’s saying now. There’s this girl and… I understand what he meant now.”

I look at Sasuke again, shoving down the heartache that comes with it. His face is scrunched up, his nose curling the same way Itachi’s would when he was struggling with emotional situations.

“We’re getting married… Sakura and me and… um… she asked what family I wanted to invite.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugs, turning his attention back to me. His sharingans glow with the familiar red I’m used to. They’re so different from his brother’s. “She didn’t mean anything by it. Sakura doesn’t always use her head before she talks.” Sasuke smiles softly to himself, causing me to smile too.

Another piece of my heart clicks into place.

“I don’t have any family… obviously,” the sad word is followed by his eyes widening, another trait the brothers both inherited from their father. “But I have you.”

“Me?”

Sasuke shrugs again, eyes jumping away from me. “It’s safe to say you’re my sister-in-law. That makes you my last family member. You are, right?”

“Ya, I’m yours,” I answer, my eyes falling on Itachi’s grave when the last two words stumble out of me. “Your family,” I correct, bittersweet emotions filling my chest.

Sasuke sighs, his body language relaxing a bit. “Apparently there’s this ‘mother-son’ dance thing. It’s the same as a ‘father-daughter’ dance I guess. I don’t… ya.”

“Ya,” I echo, the weight of Itachi’s actions hanging over us.

“I would like you to be there and… maybe dance with me,” the awkward words are followed by a cough. “I would like you to come back to the village too. So we can… so that I’m… so you aren’t… ya.”

“As you wish,” I whisper, burning Itachi’s memorial into memory. Sasuke doesn’t have to say it. I know what he means, what he wants. He wants to have and be reminded of good memories of his brother, for me - the last good piece of Itachi - to not wither away.

“Thank you.”

The soft words, the gentle conversation has started threading my heart back together.

[rw-ascension-au]

Information.

next

Greetings, Invenot. I come bearing important information.

Have you found the Artificer or something?

You have guessed correctly. I do have a question, though. What happened to her to cause this karma affliction?

It'd be better to ask her yourself.

Another question, if you don't mind - could the 'rot' Hunter speaks of return at any point?

Sorry, Saint. I don't know. Missions are usually too short for it to come back, so even if it will affect her again, I have no idea.

I take it this is the longest mission you've given them, and by extension, me included?

Yeah. They wanted to go on a big adventure or something. I enjoy seeing them happy.

Very well then. Take care.

Bye!

----

(continued under the cut, this is rather long)

Hunter, are you comfortable with answering a few questions about the rot?

Uh, yeah, go ahead.

How long did it take for the rot to develop?

Well, I don't have a clear starting point, but not very long. Why?

I am simply... collecting information. How long do missions usually last?

... Saint. Are you implying something?

Until I have enough information, no.

I've already ascended. I won't rot again.

You seemed upset upon being asked by that weird overseer.

If I start rotting, you can just ascend me.

Invenot said that they removed the ability for whatever reason. My only hypothesis is that they want us to increase the Artificer's karma ourselves.

...

---

Go bug someone else with your questions.

Before I can do that, we most likely should find shelter. Where are the others?

Hunting.

We can meet them in the den. They will understand what to do.

You can go. You're, uh... annoying me.

If that is your wish.

---

Rivulet? Gourmand? What brings you here, before the others?

Riv thought it'd be a good idea to try and do that spinny-spear thing Spearmaster does.

I almost succeeded! Plus, I have a cool bandage thing now! I look tough, right?

It is not up to me to define it. Though I would say that you have been through your own hardships and still retain a high level of optimism that only colony slugpups would carry. That is an impressive feat.

...oh. Cool. Is that yes or no?

It depends on your personal definition. Anyway, if you're both here, I would like to ask something.

Go on.

Do any of you have experience interacting with rot?

Oh! I do! I had to get a rarefaction cell from a rotting iterator! Five Pebbles!

Do you believe hunter could re-gain the rot during our mission?

...

...

I was the medic for my colony. I wasn't trained in dealing with rot, though. That's a specialised kind of medic, whereas I was more trained for helping with general stuff.

Would Hunter be able to endure a journey to a colony, whilst rotting?

I don't know. Plus, rot is never cured, really. Mostly just... delayed.

That might be able to buy us enough time to get to the Void Sea.

The rot might not even happen.

That is our hope, yes.

---

[survivor] We're back!

Where is Hunter?

[survivor] She said she wanted some time to reflect on something.

[monk] Artificer, can I get down now?

Ah, yes, Artificer. May I ask what happened to your karma?

I don't know. Probably something to do with the explosion thing. Or the scavengers. I don't really care.

You need to care in order to ascend.

Why would I want to do so?

You have achieved all you have wanted to, correct?

...mostly.

What is your final goal?

Either to kill every last scavenger or to see those two again.

Which 'two' do you speak of?

My... my pups.

That explains a lot regarding the way you seem to have adopted Monk.

[survivor] and me, kind of.

We should start eating.

And what about Hunter?

I was gonna save some for her.

Do you have fruit of some kind?

I do! I carry some blue fruit in my bag.

I accept the fruit with gratitude, Gourmand.

---

It can't come back.

Right?

[mangooes]

Chapter 2 : A fish emergency

List of chapters!

Prolouge : A silent promise

Chapter 1 : Fish out of water

“I’m finally done for work..” (name) sighed as she looked through  the windows, the sun setting down by the horizon bidding a goodbye kiss towards the bright orange sky. The girl looks towards her watch, the needle pointing towards 6.30 pm, signaling her time to go home. ‘I better start finishing up now, or else I won't be able to get home in time...Should I stop by white sand beach tonight?? that would be a good idea too’ she closes her eyes for a second, a strange feeling lingering in her heart as she recounts the odd client she met earlier

‘what was his name again..? oh that’s right rafayel…’ her mind pondered for a second before she shook her head to dismiss the familiar feeling or recognition when the meeting occurred ‘It’s not important, I won’t be seeing him again anyways.. my job is finished.’ as she stands up and packs her things ready to start her journey heading home. 

On her way down the streets, her phone rang as she took it from her pocket coat and opened it revealing a certain hunter’s number displayed as the caller. Her finger presses the green button as a voice emerges from her device.

“(Name) my bestest friend in the whole world!!!!sorry but are you busy?” the caller’s voice ask in a semi serious tone

“Hi hi Miss Hunter! No I’m not, I just got out of my office. Do you need any help, or are you here to share some tea?” the girl teased her best friend

“I do have some tea but, this is not the time, you work in a marine research company right? There might be a problem here in Akso hospital..”

“Huh?? Did I hear that correctly, Akso hospital..? I’m not a doctor, why am I needed there?”

“Long story short, there's a fish emergency here, it might need help!”

“A fish emergency..?” The girl facepalmed as she imagined the scenarios that could have happened for her best friend to say that, nonetheless she shook it off with a playful chuckle “Alright I’ll be there in 5, toodles!” as she turned the call off, before ordering a taxi to her new destination. 

True to her words, she arrived in 5 minutes, exiting the taxi car she walked towards the main pond of Asko hospital, right at the back of the main building area. Nearing the location, she spots her best friend the hunter and…rafayel?? What on earth is this guy doing here? Why is he everywhere?? Such a coincidence! (Name) calls out towards her best friend as she rushes to her side with a confused and amused look.

“There you are (Name)! Come take a closer look over there, that fish!” the hunter points towards a certain fish. The fish struggled to swim, its abdomen large even almost drowning with how slow it seemed to swim. (Name)’s demeanor turned a bit more serious, her thoughts of the possibilities that may have caused the fish to suffer were interrupted when the guy next to her started talking. 

“Here I thought you were only a deal maker in the company Miss (Name).” Rafayel comments as he observes the serious expression the girl is wearing. 

“Wow, not even a greeting? Hello to you too Sir Rafayel, just call me (Name) since I'm out of office, and to answer your question I’m also a marine biologist, pretty cool huh! Speaking of which, what are you doing here..? and what’s with the injuries? Last time I saw you this morning, you looked quite alright..” the girl answered in suspicion while examining the fish infront of her. 

“You can call me Rafayel instead, Sir is too formal for a young man like me.” a smug expression on his face, “I must have missed your presence so much that i ended up in the hospital (name)! ouch!” as he grimaced feeling a sudden pain when the hunter tugs at his hair.

“This guy right here said he “tripped on the bathroom floor” and had to be taken to the hospital, All i think it was just a reason to slack off.” Miss Hunter replied, crossing her arms in disapproval.

(name) sighed as a giggle erupted from her, “Can you even trust this guy, when he looks like a flapping fish that probably speaks blub blub blub?” the said boy let out an offended gasp, as (name) grinned, she stood up to roll her sleeve up avoiding the waters that might soak her clothes “Anyways, i think i know what may have happened, looks like the fish is struggling to give birth…”

“Huh?? struggled to give birth? Is that even possible?” her best friend asked in confusion

Rafayel nods in agreement, “Some fish have certain conditions that may have prevented them from giving birth to eggs properly… if not taken care of, it could cost their life.”

“That’s correct, you are quite knowledgeable about fishes, I’m impressed.” (name) sighed as she closed her eyes, feeling the energy of her evol started to swirl on her fingertips. 

“What do you mean impressed? I’m always this go-” bare finishing his sentence, Rafayel looked towards the girl in front of him, stunned by the display of floating waters and the floating fish in front of him, a work of (name)’s evol as nostalgia runs through him from the past. 

“Come on now, there you go fishy…you can do it!” (name) encourages, as her evol works to push the belly of the fish gently, as the fish successfully gives birth to what seems like hundreds of eggs. Satisfied with her work she holds the fish gently in her palms before giving it a gentle nudge teasing it, “Congratulations for your newborns fishy…” a soft look in her eyes, as she  places it back to the pond,  the swirling blue evol around her diminishing. 

“Yay oh my!! It worked! I knew you could do it! you are the best (name)!!” the hunter exclaimed as she clapped her hand in cheers. “Ah It’s no big deal Miss Hunter…I’m glad I could help after all..” her shy words disappear as she glances at Rafayel to look for his reaction, next to her. Staring at her, with the look of longing in his face, his expression was…unknown.. ‘It’s that stare again, he's staring at me as if he knew me before today…’(name) thinks as she looks down to avoid the weird feelings between them.

——————————————————————————————————

The underwater kingdom of Lemuria lay in peaceful twilight, bathed in shimmering blue light as schools of fish darted around the corals. Tonight, Rafayel was particularly intent on surprising (Name), who had been delighting in challenging him all evening, with her brave and carefree attitude. He trailed her as she swam playfully ahead, slipping in and out of the corals, her laughter ringing out in bubbles that danced through the water.

“Oh? Hiding from a god, are we?” Rafayel called, his voice carrying an amused authority that sent a ripple of energy through the ocean. He extended his hand, summoning a faint glow of power that spread like red tendrils through the water.

(Name) peeked out from behind a towering coral formation, her hiding spot, eyes gleaming with mischief. “You’re too slow for me, Rafayel!” she teased, darting further down, her tail flicking gracefully as she slipped behind a fan of seaweed. The coral shadows camouflaged her, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he found her.

Rafayel smirked, letting his fire stir the water, creating a delicate current that teased the fronds of seaweed where she hid. “You do know I can sense every ripple in these waters,” he murmured, his voice growing closer. 

(Name) suppressed a giggle, tucking herself further into the coral crevices. She closed her eyes, hoping her stillness would mask her presence, but the warm pull of Rafayel’s magic tickled against her scales. “Still hiding?” he asked, his tone feigning surprise. “Very well, then…”

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a gentle wave of flame that flowed like a whisper across the corals. (Name) couldn’t help but gasp as the wave grazed her tail, drawing her out into the open with a surprised laugh. She shot up from her hiding spot, swimming fast and slipping through the water.

“Caught you,” Rafayel said, his gaze following her every graceful turn as she danced through the current he controlled.

“Not yet!” she called, grinning defiantly. She ducked under another outcropping of coral, only for Rafayel to summon an iridescent ring of fire that attempted to encircled her, just close enough to brush her tail fin. She turned, eyes narrowing with determination. “You’re getting better at this, but I’m still quicker!”

“Am I, now?” Rafayel challenged, his voice laced with laughter. He floated above her, watching her every move, waiting until she made the mistake of glancing up at him. At that exact moment, fireworks erupted just up above the shore, coloring the night sky with mesmerizing colors.

(Name) found herself momentarily distracted by the lights wondering about life up above the shore, her guard dropping just long enough for Rafayel to close the distance. He swooped down, capturing her with a soft but firm grasp around her waist, pulling her close.

“Got you, my little mermaid,” he whispered, his eyes alight with triumph and affection. She struggled briefly, a mix of laughter and frustration lighting up her face as she finally relented.

“Not fair! I was distracted..” she laughed, crossing her arms in a mock pout. But her expression softened as she looked up at him, her voice quieter. “Hey Rafayel, do you think I can join those humans one day? Up on a boat dancing, watching as the night sky lights up….”

He ponders for a moment, brushing a lock of seaweed from her hair. “Maybe…someday..”

(Name) sighed contently in the god’s embrace as she looked up towards him in a grin, “For now, I’ll make sure to be able to avoid you again, next time of course!”

The god muses in response, placing his forehead against hers. “You already have, countless times. But remember, I’ll always find you—no matter how many coral reefs you hide behind.” As laughter erupts from the both of them, filling the empty space of the ocean.

Lemurian Archive - The Tale of the Little Mermaid, page 220

——————————————————————————————————

Word count : 1.485

THIS IS SUCH A LONG CHAPTER... FOR NO REASON ASKDNAKDAS HELP anyways yeah i'm sorry if its not the best but..enjoy! :))