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forgetmenotnympho · 26 days ago

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‧₊˚It's 5'o clock somewhere ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

𐔌 . ⋮ hi ty .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

hi again!! nothings bett3r than a kiss or two from clark kent... oh 3xcept for maybe a kiss or two from clark kent while bruc3 wayne calls you pr3tty. he'll give you a kiss too dww~

𐔌 . ⋮ ty talks .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

its nearly 3am.. i was so locked in writing this that i just might have to write the smut scene because why clark start getting freaky omggg im not even tired idk why but please lmk !!

warnings? : ̗̀➛ sad reader, clark/bruce comforting reader, suggestive, mentions of alcohol, older bruce/clark

perspective? : ̗̀➛ second

ᵒʰ, ˡᵒᵒᵏ!

꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋⭑꒷꒦▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊|• 0:10 ꒦︶꒷꒦︶ ๋⭑꒷꒦

your boys left a voice memo,,

ⁱ ʷᵒⁿᵈᵉʳ ʷʰᵃᵗ ⁱᵗ ˢᵃʸˢ

it's actually 12pm noon. You haven't gotten up yet, but that's okay. You don't really feel like it, and that's okay too. This always happens, every single year without fail. "Are you sure you're alright?" A kind voice asked as fingers gently brushed your hair out of your face. Moving to Metropolis was hard, even if it was such a charming place to live. It was hard being away from all your friends and your childhood town, but you were on your last spring break ever, in your last year of university.

Today was your 21st birthday. You've always had conflicting feeling when it came to your birthday. Ever since you turned thirteen, you think that's when it started. It's not that you were afraid to get older, it was the changes that came with getting older that scared you.

Now, Clark was in his mid thirties. He wasn't like the other older men you'd known. He was gentle and kind. A very genuine sort of man. He liked to sugarcoat things and maybe try to shield you from certain horrors that came with reality, but he meant well. If he wanted to hurt you, you were sure he would have done it by now. Instead of the usual things men requested, the usual dirty things, Clark was rather opposed to being upfront about those things. He never initiated anything that required more than kissing, never, not once. It was sweet. Refreshing, even. And now, here he was, on his knees with his elbows resting on his queen sized mattress and careful fingers pushing your curls out of your face as you pouted. Or no- not pouting. Your face was still, null of just about everything. Your eyes, however, were glossy and the sighed of you so motionless and devoid of joy crushed Clark's heart.

"Darlin," Clark started out softly, his midwestern accent peaking through a little more than usual. It always did when be was worried like this. "You gotta work with me. I hate seeing you like this," your dark eyes scanned his face. You counted the pretty moles across his tanned face. His dimples even showed when he frowned. "You hardly said anything all morning, I hate for you to be so blue on your big day."

You didnt want to be in bed all day. You didn't want to be sad. But your body just felt so heavy and everytime you wanted to say something your throat felt so dry. You worried if you moved it would ache so you thought it better to just sit still. Stay quiet. Clark reached for your hand and caressed the back of your palm with his thumb as he rested his head on the white comforter on the bed he wasn't able to make up this morning. In your uneasy silence there was the sound of keys jingling loudly and dress shoes clinking against the wooden floors.

He was slightly older than Clark. Less than five years you thought, but you weren't 100% sure and you didn't care enough to check the hundreds of easily accessible sources to see. A couple of inches shorter than Clark, much paler and leaner than him too, Bruce had arrived. Everytime you saw him you wanted to ask what his makeup routine was, but you knew his most naturally seamless looks weren't done by himself. They never made him look younger, just more lively. It wasn't even as if many saw him so down anymore, he was so good when it came to keeping up appearances. He set his keys down on Clark's dresser before his steel blue eyes locked in on the two of you.

"Oh no baby," his voice had the slightest rasp to it, it contrasted nicely with Clark's. It sent chills down your spine and always made you feel a little bit more alive. Bruce tutted as he climbed on to Clark's bed and positioned himself behind you. "I paid too much for those pretty nails on your hands for you to.. what is it that you say all the time? 'Rot in bed all day'?"

The two men always took such different approaches to the same things. Your very own good cop/bad cop duo for just about every situation you encountered.

"Clark has been so good to you this morning, I'm sure," he glanced up at Clark who softened more with his presence. "But baby, you're too pretty for this," Bruce carefully wrapped his arms around you and brought you up onto his lap and allowed the both of your legs to hang off the side of the bed. Bruce bounced his leg softly with you on his lap and his arms around your waist as Clark watched, still on his knees next to you. "Maybe you just need a pick-me-up, huh baby?" Bruce was barely talking to you. The vibration from his leg bouncing up and down made you squirm a bit and both of them noticed. "I bet he didn't even ask you, did he? No, Clark's too much of a gentleman."

At his core Bruce is a good man. He truly is, but sometimes he is a bit much. He loves to tease. His thumb played at the hem of your lacey white boy shorts because he just loved the texture of them. How soft and delicate they made you look. You tilted your neck to the side as Bruce kissed your neck once or twice.

"Clark," you rasped, barely audible, but the sunshine perked up immediately.

"Yes ma'am?"

"can you run me a bath?"

"Of course darlin." As he rose from his knees he adjusted his glasses. He leaned down to place a warm kiss on your forehead before he turned to walk into the master bathroom. You listened to the faucet run as water slowly filled the tub and you tried not to melt into Bruce as he continued bouncing his leg, speeding up every so often. "I wanted to take you out today. You know, Gotham has some of the nicest museums in the area."

"...mmmnot in the mood,"

"That's a shame," Bruce sighed dramatically as he slipped an arm under your legs and you shifted your position so he could easily pick you up. "I would've loved for you to come by. The boys had a little surprise for you.."

"m'sorry" you mumbled but Bruce simply shook his head dismissively as he stepped into the bathroom. "Please, they'll be alright. I'll call Alfred to let them know," he smiled softly and set you down. You shivered as your feet hit the cold bathroom tiles. Rubbing your face, mindful of your manicured nails and yawned, stretching your arms up slightly, your tank top rising to reveal more of your chubby stomach.

Bruce laughed to himself, wiping his mouth with his hand to try and stop himself from smiling. "Did you know Damian has an... affinity for you?" Bruce inquired as he stared down at you. A small smile tugged at your lips as you twirled a dark curl around your finger. "Really? That's cute.. i didn't think he'd tell you something like that."

The man shook his head as Clark checked the temperature of your bath water. "Oh, he didn't. Dick found out and- well you know how cruel siblings can be," he smiled sympathetically as you nodded into him. He was an only child and discounting Clark's cousin, so was he, so they didn't truly understand the cruelty of brothers or sisters like you did. You always enjoyed entertaining conversations with the Wayne boys. Even if at first Dick wasn't your biggest fan. You never blamed him, he was a two to three years older than you, so his concerns were... valid. You and Bruce assured him nothing was amiss, and as a journalist, Clark was able to help control the media (of course, Bruce's status helped keep things quiet and you away from prying eyes).

Clark pulled at the hem of your shorts, pausing for a second as you glanced back at him. Bruce had found a silk scarf hanging up on the bathroom door and grinned at the fact that you'd often leave your things with either of them- that's why you could never find anything. "Thank you," you say softly to Clark and his face flushed as he smiles sheepishly, pushing his glasses up on his face as he pulls the lace off of your body. You step carefully out of the shorts as Bruce thoughtfully ties your thick curls up with the silk scarf so your hair doesn't get wet in the bath. Then, at the same time both men reach for the hem of your tank top.

"I was thinking... lift up your arms doll... if you really wanted we can stay here." Bruce said as he looked past you and at his second companion who nodded simply at the notion. You lifted your arms way above your head so they could slip you out of your tank top. "We could have a couple of drinks. It is your 21st after all. Clark?"

"You know I don't keep alcohol sweetheart," Clark continues their conversation, his hand resting on your lower back when you lift one leg to step into the soapy tub. Bruce catches a wonderful glimpse and bites his tongue. "Right. How could I forget," his tone is flat and mocking. He watches as you sink into the bathtub, imagining for a split second that the white suds covering your breasts might've been something else. He cleared his throat mindfully because for once he wasn't the only one staring. "Well, if Clark behaves we can run out and get you pretty bottle of vodka, how's that sound?" Clark makes a sour expression in the playboy'a direction to which he only gets a billion dollar smile in return.

"You can wear that pretty little dress you like so much too," Clark says as you scrub your legs above the waters surface. "You know it's Bruce's favorite. He tells me all the time,"

Bruce crosses his arm and leans against the bathroom counter, watching, knowing Clark is sifting through his thoughts right now. It was no use fighting. "Alright, Clark." He tried to warn, but his tone was weak and almost submissive. When Bruce got like this, defensive, Clark got shameless. "Do you know why Bruce loves helping you pick your new nail sets, darlin?" You opened your mouth, but the journalist didn't let you contribute. "He likes the look when your hands are wrapped around him," Clark stepped away from you and the bath to join the other by the sink. "He loves how it looks when the pretty designs disappear when you masterbate, don't you, Bruce?" He placed a threatening kiss onto Bruce's lips. You swore you heard him moan into Clark as his hips twitched slightly. You blinked over to your boys, your stomach fluttering at the words you were hearing.

You couldn't wait to put on that little dress. Maybe all you needed was to get a little dressed up. There was such a thick tension. Clark suggested walking to the corner store and getting cheap liquor because believe it or not when he drank for the first time that's what he got. Cheap ass alcohol from the gas station near his parent's house, not like Bruce who had access to carefully crafted and thoughtfully fermented wines. It being cheap adds to the quality, he assured Bruce as he patted his shoulder. Today the two men weren't concerned with the media at all. Bruce knew he'd have to pull some strings to allow you this peaceful day as did the other.

They tried to focus on whatever conversation topic you had taken up but there was a slight breeze, and your dress really was short. You tugged at the skirt of the dress in the back as you walked slightly in front of them. Walking into the corner store it was like watching a little kid in a candy store. The way your face lit up excited them. It was sweet seeing you so alive again. You scanned the aisle and aisle of alcohol as if you really knew what you were looking for. Clark and Bruce stayed behind you the whole time, making soft suggestions but ultimately letting you pick whatever you wanted. When you bent down to search a lower shelf, you bent at the waist. Your ass brushing against Bruce's growing hard on. Disgustingly, he leaned into it. Your breath hitched in your throat and your eyes widened a bit. Clark's eyes did too. Once you straightened your posture Bruce's bit his lip, slightly ashamed as the journalist chastised him quietly. The billionaires face was almost bright read, his stoic persona lost in is playboy one, he simply didn't know how to act. He wanted you right here even if it was the middle of the store.

he was going to have to order Clark a new bed for sure.

𐔌 . ⋮ bye ty .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

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the-original-skipps · 1 year ago

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First kiss with Suo???👀👀 What will the teasing master do??

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||| 0:10

PLAY!

my first suo request yayyy so I was brainstorming hard for this by brainstorming I mean playing music and daydreaming and here’s the final product lol hope you enjoy let’s spread the suo love

: minor angst. fluff. established relationship. hints of suggestion. GN!reader

The day has grown dark, as the sun steps down to give way to the moon. The street lamp illuminates the two figures walking side by side who walk in silence.

You glance at the eye patched man beside you, he has been awfully silent throughout your walk home, only staring ahead as if he's lost in thoughts. He usually has a lot to say but this time not even a smile graces his face.

It bothers you that he's not his usual self, something must be wrong.

"Thank you for walking me home." You speak, breaking the awkward silence as you look towards him. However, Suo only stares straight ahead, humming in acknowledgement.

You slightly raise your eyebrow in confusion, continuing to stare at him in case he might say something else but he doesn't. Now you know something is definitely wrong and the feeling gnaws at you.

"Hayato?"

"Hmm?"

"You're pretty quiet today, is something wrong?"

Suo shakes his head in response, but you notice the hold he has on your school bag he's carrying tightens momentarily.

You frown at his lack of words and halt in your steps, worry reflected in your eyes as you look towards him. Suo notices that you stopped walking and has turned around to look at you, still silent.

You look down in frustration, unable to take this silence anymore, you speak out.

"You don't have to tell me what's b-bothering you, but just know that I'm here for you...!" You exclaimed at him. You found your voice wavering as your emotions unexpectedly rise. Embarrassed that you let your emotions get to you.

A moment of silence passes before you hear a familiar sound of footsteps come towards you.

A sight of familiar shoes enter your down casted vision, a warmth placed upon your cheek. Causing you to look up and meet a recognizable maroon eye.

Suo stands in front of you with a hand placed on your cheek, his usual calm face troubled.

"(Y/N), I..." He lets out a sigh as his voice fades - he seems conflicted, the hand on your face lowers to reach for your hand. You squeeze his hand in return, patient as you await his next words expectantly.

"Do you.....like me?"

Your eyes widen as his words slowly sink into you. You can feel your cheeks warming as your mind swirls with questions. Of all the things he could have said, you did not expect this.

"Wha- umm..." You struggle to form the words as his strong gaze lingers on you. You wonder if he can feel your hand starting to sweat.

All of a sudden you can hear your heart pounding to fill in the silence. Suo continues to stare at you, his nervous filled eye-patiently waiting for you to speak.

"Of c-course, I l-like you...."

"Prove it."

You're taken aback by his sudden words. You probably resemble Sakura right now with how hard you are blushing.

"W-What?!" you exclaim, eyes resembling saucers.

"Prove it to me that you really like me." From a troubled face his face now turned to resemble Cheshire cat, a smirk on his face.

What happened to his earlier nervousness? It dissipated way too quickly, raising your suspicions if he really was troubled.

You frown as you let out the next words.

"H-How?"

"I'll give you a hint, actions speak louder than words."

Okay, now you feel like he's toying with you.

You huff as you see his grin stretch a little wider, his eye full of mischief.

"Why are you doing this now and here of all places?!" You hissed, taking a cautionary glance around you in case someone might be looking.

Suo lightly chucked at your actions before responding. "Would you rather we do it at my place?"

Oh how you wanted to smack him.

Like a boiling kettle you finally reached your limit. "Urgh fine, let's just do this quickly!" An exaggerated sigh leaves your lips as you pull your hand from his.

Suo seems to be enjoying himself as he offers you a closed eye smile. You're annoyed that he's taking pleasure from your embarrassment.

With a count of three, you wrap your arms around him tightly-burying your face in his chest. You let a moment linger before quickly pulling away from him, your face ablaze. If you hugged him a while longer you swear you could of ironed his shirt with your face.

The sound of soft laughing causes you wake from your thoughts, only to see Suo trying to suppress his laughter with a hand to his mouth.

You can only clench your fists in anticipation as you wait for him to get over it. Your actions must have been real funny to him. After a while the laughter dies down, Suo looks towards you fondly with a gentle smile on his face.

"You're so cute (Y/N)-chan, but what I actually wanted was this...."

Before you could react Suo cups your face, bringing your lips to meet his in a soft kiss.

Your eyes widen in surprise, a little noise escapes your lips. You can feel Suo smiling through the kiss, as he angles his head to deepen it-his thumbs gently caressing your cheeks to calm you.

His soothing touch eases you into fluttering your eyes closed, bringing your hands to fist his clothes-pulling him closer until there is no space left between the two of you.

Once you both slowly pull away does time seem to resume again. You bet you can put Sakura to shame with how red your face has gotten. Suo smiles fondly at you, eye full of pure adoration. A light pink dusting his cheeks as he leans in again only this time to whisper in your ear.

"I like you too."

extra:

suo: so wanna continue this at my place~?

(y/n): ?!

Now dear readers time for a question! Do you think suo faked being sad to get a kiss or was it actually real? lemme know whatcha think!

#wind breaker #wind breaker x reader #wind breaker x you #suo hayato x reader #hayato suo #suoh hayato #wind breaker reader insert #wind breaker imagines #skipps answers #skipps writes

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slavdollz4mangione · 4 months ago

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i pray it ain’t him i’m missing, dear god i hope you’re listening — luigi mangione x reader x jack schlossberg

this is the final part of my little love triangle series! thank you guys so much for enjoying it, i had so so much fun writing it <3

love triangle moodboard pt.1 pt.2

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||| dear god - tate mcrae

‘dear god take his kiss right out of my brain, take the pleasure out of my pain, take the way he used to say i love you’

it had been months since luigi had first reached out to you. slowly, you had allowed him back into your life. not fully, as your heart still held a tight guard around the hurt and confusion from the past, but you had started texting again, allowing him to share updates, the occasional inside joke, and reminiscences about better times. his presence was a bittersweet comfort, like a familiar song that made you smile and ache at the same time.

jack on the other hand, hadn’t been thrilled about the reappearance of luigi in your life. he was patient at first, but as time went on, the quiet resentment began to fester. he didn't voice his concerns openly, not yet, but his sharp glances when you mentioned lu or laughed at one of his texts said enough. jack wasn’t blind, he could see the subtle shift in your energy when luigi’s name came up.

one day, luigi decided to surprise you. he wanted to make amends, to show you that he wasn’t the man he used to be - the one who had broken your heart. you hadn’t seen him in person in months, and he thought, maybe it was time to break down the remaining walls between you, so he drove to you. little did he know that when he’d arrive, things would be very different than he expected.

you and jack were in the middle of a heated argument; voices raised, words sharp and painful. jack’s frustration with the situation had boiled over, and luigi’s name had been the last straw that broke the camels back.

"you think i don't know what's going on between you two?" jack had snapped, his face flushed with anger. "you’ve been spending more time on your phone with him than with me! don’t lie to me [name]."

"i’m not lying, jack!" you had retorted, your voice shaking but firm. "luigi is a part of my past, but that’s all he is now. can’t you understand that?"

the doorbell rang before jack could respond. you froze. it was too late to hide the fact that luigi was involved in this storm, too late to avoid the confrontation that had been building since you’d started allowing him back into your life.

you opened the door, and there stood luigi, looking unsure of himself. the warm, familiar smile he offered faltered the moment he saw, felt the tension in the air. he immediately sensed the conflict.

"hey, uh... am i interrupting something?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

jack stood up from the couch, his fists clenched at his sides, eyes narrowing at the man on your doorstep. the atmosphere in the room thickened, the air heavy with unspoken challenges.

"you," jack muttered, his voice laced with resentment, “you’re the one who thinks he can just waltz back into her life after everything you did?”

luigi didn’t back down, he refused to. "i'm here to make things right schlossberg" he said calmly, his gaze unwavering, despite the tension. "i never meant to hurt her."

you stepped in between the two men, trying to keep the peace, but it was already too late.

"i don’t want this," you whispered, your heart pounding. "i don’t want either of you to fight because of me. this isn’t about sides, it’s about—"

"you’re still stuck in the past," jack cut in, his voice sharp. "she’s moved on, but you’re dragging her back into this."

luigi’s face tightened, and his jaw clenched. "i’m not trying to drag her anywhere., i’m just trying to show her i can be the man she deserves; that’s all."

the weight of the room bore down on you, the distance between the two men palpable. your heart wavered between them, torn between old wounds and new love.

"lu, please. i need time," you said softly, your voice cracking. "i need space to figure this out. i can’t deal with this… confrontation."

luigi nodded solemnly, stepping back. "i get it," he said quietly, his eyes briefly meeting yours with a mixture of regret and understanding.

he turned to leave, but not before giving jack one last look, a silent challenge that hung in the air like a storm. jack, for his part, stared back, fury still burning in his eyes.

after luigi left, the silence that followed was deafening. jack didn’t speak, you didn’t know what to say, either.

"i don’t know what you want from me, jack," you whispered, as you sank onto the couch, your face in your hands.

he sat down beside you, his hand reaching out, hesitating before touching your thigh. "i want you, [name]. just you. without the ghosts of the past hanging over us."

you closed your eyes, unsure whether it was jack’s love you were holding onto or the idea of what could be once again with luigi. either way, the path ahead felt more tangled than ever.

──── ୨୧ ──── ──── ୨୧ ────

the days passed in a blur, one moment filled with jack’s reassuring presence, and the next clouded by the whispers of the past. you had chosen jack or at least, that’s what you told yourself. the stability, the warmth, the comfort of someone who had been there for you when you needed it most, it felt almost right. you were supposed to move forward; you had to.

yet, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t push luigi from your mind; his laughter, his touch, his words that had once held such weight in your life, lingered like an old song that wouldn’t leave your head.

you told yourself it was normal to think about the past, normal to miss someone who had once meant so much to you; but you couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling that something still wasn’t quite right. jack was everything you needed in the present, but luigi... luigi was everything you had loved in the past. how could you move on with jack when the memory of what you shared with lu haunted your every moment?

it was in those quiet moments, lying next to jack, that you felt the distance between you both; something intangible but heavy. he didn’t know what lingered in your mind, but you knew, deep down, that you weren’t being completely honest with him. he deserved better than that. and then, there were the nights when you’d find yourself replaying old memories with luigi. times when he held you close, when his voice whispered sweet nothings in your ear, the way he used to say, “i love you” with such conviction. you hadn’t heard those words in so long...

pick your ending (i’m sorry i couldn’t get myself to end it one way)

ending 1: choosing jack

you woke up to the soft hum of the city outside the window. jack was already awake, his body pressed up against yours, his arm draped over your waist. the warmth of his embrace should have been enough to quiet the chaos in your mind, but it wasn’t. you lay there, staring at the wall, the weight of your thoughts threatening to suffocate you.

your heart ached for luigi, but you didn’t know how to go back to him. you couldn’t. too much had changed, and the distance between the two of you had grown so vast that it felt impossible to bridge. yet, everytime you were with jack, something was missing. you loved him, but you also longed for something that no longer existed. the love that had once been was fading, and all that remained was a hollow version of it.

you told jack you were going for a walk that afternoon. he didn’t question you, knowing you needed space. as you wandered through central park lost in thought, you thought about what you truly wanted. you closed your eyes, trying to picture a future with jack, one where luigi wasn’t in the picture. could you really build something solid, lasting, with jack?

maybe.

but the image of luigi’s face, his handprint on your back, the memory of his kisses still lingered. your knees buckled, and you sank to the ground in the middle of the park, clutching your chest. you prayed for the torment to end, prayed that the ghost of luigi would fade.

as you sat in the park for a few hours, you realized that in the end, you knew you couldn’t go back to him. as much as you wanted to relive the past, the reality was that the hurt was too deep, the time apart too long. maybe, just maybe, you could make a life with jack.

you returned home, your heart still heavy, but with a decision made. when jack looked at you, his smile soft and full of hope, you kissed him gently, reassuring him that you were here, that you were present. you didn’t have all the answers, but you were willing to try.

maybe love could grow again, in time.

ending 2: choosing lu

days passed, and you couldn’t shake the weight of what you were feeling. no matter how hard you tried to bury it under your love for jack, the truth was undeniable; your heart still ached, longed for luigi. the more you tried to move forward, the more his absence filled your thoughts.

on a rainy afternoon, you found yourself scrolling through old texts, reading his messages, remembering how it used to feel when he would call you in the middle of the night just to hear your voice; looking through old pictures you couldn’t get yourself to delete. you didn’t even realize you were crying until the tears blurred your vision.

jack had been understanding, giving you space, telling you a break might help you sort through the whirlwind of emotions. but in your heart, you knew you couldn’t keep pretending. the love for jack was real, but it was not the love that consumed you, the one that made you weak in the knees. that was reserved for lu, and no matter how hard you tried to suppress it, you couldn’t fight it anymore.

it had been 2 months since you last saw him. you needed closure, or maybe you needed more than that. you needed to hear his voice, to see his face, to remember what it felt like to be in his arms. so, one evening, you drove all the way back to philly, to his place; the familiar streets guiding you without thought.

you rang his doorbell, your heart hammering in your chest, and for a second, you wondered if you had made a mistake, maybe luigi had already moved on after all, but when lu opened the door, all the doubt that had crept into your heart vanished. you didn’t need words, you saw the longing in his eyes, the ache that matched your own. without a word, you crossed the threshold, and before you knew it, you were holding him again, your body pressed to his as if time had never passed. the kiss was slow, deliberate, as if the universe was reminding you that some loves don’t fade; they just evolve.

“i never stopped loving you, i’m so sorry for everything bellezza, i’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, i promise” he whispered against your lips.

you pulled away, your breath shaky, trying to hold back tears. “i’ve tried to move on, lu. god knows i’ve tried so hard, but…”

“i know” he interrupted gently. “but we can’t keep pretending. we still breathe the same air, you and i.”

and you knew, deep down, that he was right. it wasn’t over. not yet.

you stayed with him that night, the weight of the world falling off your shoulders as you finally gave in to the love that had never truly disappeared.

in his arms, you found home again, and for the first time since he had left, finally, you felt whole.

AHHHHH i hope you guys enjoy this!! let me know your thoughts! <3

#luigi mangione x reader #luigi mangione imagine #luigi mangione x reader x jack schlossberg

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cherlawa-panna · 11 months ago

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Barney Barton META: Childhood

▶The next post: Leaving the circus

This isn't exactly the META, more like a big note with my thoughts about Barney's personality during his childhood. Given that Clint's past, and Barney's past as well, is changed too often in the comics and it's confusing to understand what's going on, I'm going to take the bits that I think are important and squeeze it together. Because if I wanted to put everything in order logically, it would be impossible - his agenda changes too often.

I'll only talk about their lives before their parents' deaths and their first years in the circus. Barney's personality changes dramatically as he gets older and I don't want to write too much in one post.

Dedicated to @carcrash429 and @hawkzeyes. I love you <3

TW: Mentions of child abuse, violence, underage drinking

1. What kind of child was Barney?

The first thing worth noting is that despite the constant changes in Barney's personality, the authors always try to emphasize his role in Clint's story — as one who is "the worse brother," the "rotten" one who causes problems and is a schemer. The bad brother who is the opposite of the good brother. Two sides of the same coin — you know the deal.

Honestly, only Hawkeye Vol.3 showed Barney in some way as "morally better" than his brother. Everywhere else, it's emphasized that he's the worse version of Clint. You know the deal, Clint is the good-shoe guy, and Barney is the worst thing that ever existed. But why?

As we know, childhood plays a crucial role in shaping a person. To truly understand Barney, we need to delve into his early years and explore what kind of child he was. So let's start it, shall we?

- VIOLENT

A recurring trope we see in Clint's childhood memories is Barney teaching him something. I'll mention about this later in the post, but for now, let's focus on the most significant skill he taught Clint, which reveals a lot about Barney himself: he taught Clint how to fight.

(Hawkeye 2012 #12)

Not the self-defense way where you hit someone and run away. Not the stereotypical superhero kind where you fight to defeat someone because you're the good guy and they're the bad guy. No, Barney taught him how to fight in a way that would hurt, how to knock someone down so that they wouldn't be able to stand on their feet anymore.

(Hawkeye 2012 #15 & #21) [rip photo limit]

If someone attacks you, you show no mercy. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. Beat them so they won't want to hurt you anymore.

(Hawkeye 2012 #19)

If there’s no one to defend you, you have to defend yourself. Barney started teaching Clint how to fight after Clint attempted to attack their father. It’s clear that Barney is the reason why his brother even knows how to hurt people. However, it was never explained why Bernard knows how to fight or where he learned this skill. And that's understandable; this flashback is about our golden boy, not about his problematic brother.

To understand why Barney might know how to fight, we need to explore his relationship with violence as a child.

He is an example of how trauma can make you angry—at what happened and what continues to happen. As a child still living with his parents, Barney is filled with hatred towards their father. This contrasts with Clint, who, for a long time, was the "good child" trying his best to earn his father's affection and better treatment.

(Solo Avengers 1988 #2)

Bernard was a "smart-mouth brat" who didn’t hesitate to speak back, even though he knew the consequences of doing so. Even better, this little guy wanted to beat his dad up so badly. Clint would never consider acting this way (until the events of Hawkeye Vol. 4, but I'll discuss that later). And it also seems that this wasn’t the first time Barney had behaved like this.

I have a theory that Barney likely had conflicts with other adults as well, mostly because of his statement in Solo Avengers 1988 #2 panel, where he says, "I'll show them all." This implies that he probably didn't want to take revenge against JUST his father. The way I interpret it is that his father wasn't the only person who treated him badly. We can interpret this in different ways: maybe he was talking about his bullies, maybe teachers or anybody who ever treated him badly. Who knows?

Avengers: Roll Call highlights how different their approach to their father was. Barney is explicitly described as being cynical and resentful as a child. In fact, he is described as a bitter kidwho took of his frustation on Clint by bullying him.

And his different approach to Harold is visible. Barney he has never been shown to say anything positive about their father. True, Clint also hated Harold, but as shown earlier, Clint for some time hoped he'd change, whereas Barney never believed in it. He always saw their father as a scumbag.

(Hawkeye: Blindspot #1)

His hatred for his father and how he was treated, naturally influenced his behavior in childhood, which you could see before. And we know he wasn't a "good boy" in any ways. Like for example, in Blindspot, Clint mentions that Barney was never the smarter of the two and believed that sometimes you need to fight dirty.

This panel illustrates that Bernard believed that the best way to resolve conflicts wasn't through calm, peaceful ways but by fighting dirty. It paints him as someone who often relied more on brute force. Because, in his eyes, it is an easier and more proven way to deal with problems. He saw it from his father and most likely from others that it was the best way; it always worked on him and Clint after all.

Barney is depicted as a child who has no problem with being aggressive or violent, as shown in Hawkeye (2012) even towards his brother. Yes, while his intent was to provoke Clint, stir him up, and push him to act, the fact remains that Barney still resorted to violence.

Additionally, Barney used violence against Clint because he knew that this was the most effective way to provoke a reaction from him. By mimicking their father, he wanted to trigger Clint's deep-seated rage and bitterness—emotions that were already boiling beneath the surface.

Barney knew that Clint, fueled by anger and resentment towards their father at this moment, would respond to this. It’s likely that Barney didn’t spend much time thinking what he should do; he simply resorted to the method he knew best.

Despite his hatred for his father, he still copy him in some ways, and this behavior pattern stayed with him. Barney struggles to express his emotions or wants verbally, something that continues into his adult life. He rarely communicates his thoughts directly, instead, his feelings are often showed through his actions. This tendency is mostly evident in how he expresses his anger, which is often in violence.

He never fully learned healthier ways. While joining the army may have helped him develop some emotional control, his involvement in the Trickshot "business" clearly ruined it lmao.

Before I expand further on Barney's ability to fight, I want to finish the subject about their father (because I started it and I want to finish it. I know it makes this post very chaotic, but I can't help it).

-AFRAID

In Hawkeye (2012) there is a noticeable shift in the Bartons brothers. Barney becomes more calm, while Clint got increasingly bitter. It’s almost as if they’ve swapped their attitudes.

This is particularly evident in a scene where Clint attacks their father.

Initially, I thought Clint was solely focused on his father during this scene. However, it wasn’t until I noticed Barney’s eyes—fixed on Clint—that I realized he was also looking at him. He would first glance at Barney and then shift his focus to their father. Remember this, because it will be important later.

So let's focus on Barney in this moment (because this is a post about him, duh). Specifically when he says "Clint."

While we might interpret this as a warning to prevent Clint from doing something stupid, because Barney might have known it would upset him and make him do something reckless. But based on Barney's reaction afterwards, you can get the impression that it was the first time when Clint did something like that.

At that moment during dinner, Barney probably shouldn’t have know that Clint would react this way. So this "Clint" warning doesn't make any sense. Given that Clint was known to be a well-behaved child and Barney was his polar opposite, we have to look elsewhere for an explanation. And I'll rush you with my theory.

Since we know from All-New-Hawkeye, Barney was the one who always stood up for his brother (for example: Barney took the blame when they were suppose to work, but they sneaked in to see a perfomance)-

-then Clint might have been looking at Barney, hoping he would speak up against their father. Since he has been "obedient" so far, it’s reasonable to think that Barney might have developed a habit of standing up for him. After all, Barney didn't care about their father's opinions and hated his guts, so he could also speak on Clint's behalf just to piss their father off.

But when Clint realized that Barney had no intention of that, he reacted himself, which, as I mentioned earlier, was something he had never done before.

That's why I think the "Clint" could be interpreted as "Clint, not this time." Especially since Barney appears resigned to me.

Now you might be wondering: Why didn't Barney react? Why did Barney change his attitude? The answer is simple! This whole situation happened after Clint lost his hearing.

Let's take a closer look at this: Barney in Hawkeye (2012) is much calmer than in earlier comics showing him as a child. Here, we see that he's trying to take care of his brother (like when he came to Clint's room after the whole incident and brought an ice pack for the bruises). I think he stopped being so "rebellious" at home to not upset their father. Probably out of fear; if their father was capable to beat Clint so badly that he lost his hearing, what else might he be capable of?

So it's only logical for Barney to temper his normal behavior.

-A Troublemaker

Let's return to the topic of fighting: We can see that he learned how to fight so he could defend himself from his father. And due to his previously mentioned behavior, we can get the impression that he engaged in fights very often as a child.

He must have learned these skills from somewhere, so it’s clear he picked them up outside the home.

How did he learn? Who did he learn from? I don't know! It was never shown or mentioned where he learned all this, but I have theories.

Personally, I think Barney got himself in the wrong crowd during his childhood. Why?

Barney's main 'thing' in the comics is that he was in his brother's shadow and wanted to outshine him. And seriously, this is one of the main reasons why Barney hated his brother when he was in Dark Avengers lol. I honestly believe that their parents, especially after Clint lost his hearing, focused more on the good behaved younger brother, which may have led Barney to seek attention elsewhere. As a troublemaker, Barney likely engaged in stupid and dangerous behavior to gain the approval of others—behavior that fits his character trope. And I'm talking about drinking alcohol and stealing candy from the store.

Barney was shown twice drinking alcohol without flinching. While it’s possible he started drinking occasionally because their father did the same, I believe it’s likely that he also picked up this habit from other kids.

Adult Barney in the comics is portrayed as a charismatic guy with notable leadership skills. That's why I think that he definitely had a lot of childhood friends and wasn't a loner. However, he probably was not as popular as he wanted and due to his difficult personality (his bad temper), he certainly did not have stable friendships. This means there’s a good chance Barney fell in with the wrong crowd and because out of desperation to be liked, he would definitely do stupid things.

This kid was good with people. He was a fast-talker and had the ability to easily persuade people. Like, he successfully convinced Carson to take in two orphans from an orphanage. C'mon, he clearly had skills.

Barney is a manipulative bastard, who had a natural knack for playing people like a fiddle. I don't think I need to provide much evidence for that; after all he was in the mafia and held a high position there as an undercover FBI agent. That says it all.

The beginnings of his manipulating and persuading tactics began in childhood. We see in that infamous panel how he used his brother to do his chores. Of course, Clint started it on his own, hoping it would prompt Barney to stop being such an asshole. But you can bet that Barney did everything in his power to ensure Clint continued to do his chores. You can see it in his smirk.

(Solo Avengers 1988 #2)

From Avengers: Roll Call, we also know that Barney was bored and unloaded his anger on Clint by bullying him. Does this make Barney a villain evil brother? No. Based on other Clint's memories, he wasn't abusive, he was simply an asshole. And Clint, desperate for any form of affection, ended up in a this mix with Barney. It's a recipe for disaster.

Another intriguing detail worth mentioning is that Barney clearly had a thing or two on his conscience. We can see from the interaction between him and Jacques when the old man tried to persuade him into stealing.

"But you, you're a scrapper, Barney. Something tells me you know what it takes to survive"

So we know he wasn't an innocent child then. And Jacques was aware of this and knew that Barney would not refuse such offer. Of course, it can be said that he knew survival techniques from the orphanage, since as we know, the life in there was not sunshine and rainbows. But as we know from their life, their hardest lessons in survival came from their father. For years, Barney has learned how to play dirty to survive, even more than Clint. As Barney himself reflected in Hawkeye: Blindspot, he was the "Tricky One."

Did he steal before? Possible. Maybe he stole things in the orphanage. Or maybe candies from the store like I said before. No matter what, we know that he wasn't a good child.

-ENVIOUS

Since we’re discussing Barney’s involvement with stealing for circus, it’s worth noting that his agreement was fueled by jealousy. Because Clint got more attention and could do something better than him. This jealousy was never about wanting to be a performer/archer himself—contrary to what some people in fandom might think, Barney never showed any desire to be a circus attraction like his brother. In fact, when Swordsman offered them the chance to be his assistants, Bernard immediately refused.

He was simply envious of the attention Clint received and didn’t care about the circus itself. This jealousy made him more willing to engage in thefts—he was driven by a desire to be better than his brother in something. And well, being a tricky was one of the few things Barney excelled at.

2. What kind of brother was Barney?

-A TEACHER

The fact that Barney took care of his brother is already known from the post. He taught him everything from silly things like tossing a coin into a bottle, to more practical skills such as driving a car (possibly even a motorcycle) and how to talk with women. This shows that Barney genuinely cared for Clint and didn't want him to be a loser in life. Which makes sense since Bernard was in some way his caretaker after their parents deaths.

-A PROTECTOR

But more of him being "a caring big brother" was shown in All-New Hawkeye. While I don't like Hawkeye All-New, I do appreciate how it delves into Clint and Barney’s past.

Barney is the one who goes to their foster father and took the blame, because he did not want this bastard to hurt Clint.

He was also the one who offered to earn money for Clint so his brother could focus on learning archery instead and wouldn't be kicked out of the circus.

He repeatedly shouldered every responsibility and tried to protect him.

As previously mentioned, when Barney first got involved in "work" for Carson, his initial motivation was jealousy of the attention Clint was receiving and a desire to prove his own worth. However, as time went on, Barney became less enthusiastic about the thefts but felt compelled to continue. He knew that stopping could lead to them being throwed out from the circus—the only place where they could call a "home". And despite everything, he was determined not to drag Clint into this mess too.

In Hawkeye Vol. 3, it’s noted that Barney encouraged Clint to pursue his education ever since they escaped from the orphanage. I interpret this as Barney recognizing that life in the circus was neither secure nor ideal. He was not emotionally attached to this place, viewing it merely as a temporary situation. Barney wanted Clint to have more opportunities beyond the circus, which contrasted sharply with his brother belief that the future was bound there.

(That’s why I dislike the trope in fanfics where Barney is portrayed as someone who would let Clint to die because of circus. NO. While joining the circus was initially Barney’s idea, they stayed because it was their only option at the time. Barney would always choose his brother over the circus. He only left because he was fed up with living that way and saw no way to get Clint out, since Clint was too stubborn.)

What’s interesting to me is that Barney seems to have stopped stealing for the circus once he became an adult, considering their conversation after Clint was offered the chance to join to the "business".

(I KNOW that this comic was made before All-New Hawkeye and that’s why Barney reacted this way. BUT I’ll interpret it however I want, and there's nothing you can do about it.)

I don’t know why Barney stopped, but perhaps when he became an adult, he was able to take on more demanding jobs in the circus and no longer had to steal to pay for their upkeep (plus, Clint started performing and earning money). And as we can see, Barney doesn’t want Clint to steal. Even though Barney had do the same thing as a child to keep them in the circus, he didn't want Clint to fall into that same trap.

-A CARETAKER

FINALLY, I’d like to shift the focus to Barney’s role as a caretaker for his brother, particularly during their childhood, even before they ended up in the orphanage and Barney had to fully assume the role of guardian. Specifically, I want to delve into Barney’s responsibilities a caretaker when Clint lost his hearing.

I don’t have comic panels to back up my words because the comics don’t delve deeply into Clint’s past as a deaf child. However, I’ll draw on real-life knowledge to support my points. Although I’m not a sibling of a deaf person, but I have deaf friends and have read a lot of psychological studies to better write the dynamics of Clint in his family lol.

Sometimes a hearing sibling, often under parental influence, takes on the roles of caregiver, rehabilitator, or translator for their deaf sibling. They're often actively involved in therapeutic processes, taking on numerous responsibilities related to helping their deaf sibling in their everyday life.

Why do I believe Barney had such a role? The answer is simple: Barney knows ASL since he was a child.

I know it doesn't immediately meant that he had this kind of resposibility. But hear me out. We don’t know if their parents learned ASL and how Clint learned it, but one thing is certain: Barney learned it with him. Depending on how we imagine the situation, Barney could have acted as a communicator between Clint and their parents, as well as with the outside world. I've read about cases where deaf kids learn sign language, and hearing siblings often pick up the language better than their parents. This often leads to the siblings acting as translators between parents and deaf child.

Another evidence is that he was also present during Clint's visit to the doctor.

Barney probably really wanted to be present during this, but why did his parents let him? I find this strange. Maybe they just expected Barney to help take care of his brother?

This certainly made Clint more dependent on his brother.

Clint clearly was dependent on him, since he always consistently influenced Clint's life decisions. Why did Clint run away from the orphanage? Because it was Barney's idea. Why did Clint join the circus? Because it was Barney's idea. Why didn't Clint leave the circus when he discovered its true nature? Because Barney said it was the only way they would survive.

Why did Clint later want to leave the circus despite his reluctance? Because Barney wanted to leave.

As Barney put it in All-New Hawkeye, "Where I go, Clint goes." Clint's life revolved around his older brother for many years. Mainly because after their parents' death, he only had Barney. But even before that, we can feel that Barney had a significant role in his life.

For instance, we see this during the moment they received the news of their parents' passing.

Barney only needed a few seconds to comprehend what happened before he immediately focused his attention on Clint, ignoring his own feelings at the moment. Maybe he wasn't fully aware at the time, but he felt from that moment on he would have to take care of Clint completely.

We need to be aware that Barney wasn't an ideal brother for such a role. He was full of anger, bitterness and of his own problems that he couldn't fully address due to their situation. He was just a kid himself. Barney was thrust into the role of a parent and teacher when he himself needed a parent and teacher. His attempt at "raising" Clint was a series of trial and error because he had no idea what he was doing.

But despite being a troubled child, Barney did a good job taking care of Clint, at least considering what Clint says about him in Blindspot.

I know many fans are angry at Barney for leaving Clint, but I see it as a moment when he finally did something for himself. He accepted that Clint was mature enough to decide for himself. Besides, him leaving Clint's life was good for Clint because if he had stayed, his brother probably would have never left Carson (or he would have joined the military with him) and never found himself. Clint relied on his brother for so long and he needed to be on his own for a while to find his place in the world.

3. The summary

Barney was hot-headed, extremely bitter, and was the most angry kid ever. But he also adapted well to the situation imposed on him and tried to help Clint adapt as well. We know anger often stems from fear, and to me, Barney is a scared child who doesn't know what to do but still wanted to do something.

And that's all I wanted to write about his childhood. Was Barney an angel? No. Was he the worst brother in the world? Also no. Does he need therapy? Absolutely.

#barney barton #clint barton #hawkeye #marvel #meta #my posts #I have been making this post since September and fought with the English dictionary to make it sounds good lol #i hate it #started making it. had a breakdown. bon appetit #i'm so nervous to publish this

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pinkyjulien · 6 months ago

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🟨 Mod Update: POSES PACK

▶ Seductive Input Volume 1

Add the new characters PM entities from patch 2.2

Fix T-posing issue; won't conflict with others pose packs anymore

▶ Seductive Input Volume 2

Add the new characters PM entities from patch 2.2

Fix T-posing issue; won't conflict with others pose packs anymore

▶ Mainline - Carrying

Add the new characters PM entities from patch 2.2

Fix T-posing issue; won't conflict with others pose packs anymore

Merges the M and F files - DELETE THE OLD FILES BEFORE UPDATING! ⚠

▶ Mainline - Riding

Add the new characters PM entities from patch 2.2

Fix T-posing issue; won't conflict with others pose packs anymore

Merges the M and F files - DELETE THE OLD FILES BEFORE UPDATING! ⚠

#Cyberpunk 2077 #Cyberpunk 2077 Mod #Mod Update #woosh the k25 cleaning is ongoing

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shithebear · 1 year ago

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I am glamour | CC |

▶ Fur cape ▸25 swatches ▸For females ♀ ▸Teen to elder ▸Polygons: 10284 ▸CAS categories: Hats ▸Base game compatible

❗May conflict with many necklaces❗

▶ Download Boosty SFS (no ads)

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chingyu1023vick · 6 months ago

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New Mods For Seasons

🎀 Two early accesses and one free mod to celebrate this seasonal time in your Sims game! I'm grateful to share my happy moments with you guys this year.

⭐NEW: Weather Lot Challenges

⏩ A bundle of 42 Lot Challenges to cheat the weather of the current Lot, regardless of the natural weather forecast, worlds, or seasons.

This mod does not override any game tunings, and it works with my other weather mods!

🆗 Compatible with all my other mods and traits.

🧩 Requires EP05 Seasons Expansion Pack

👉 Gameplay Effects of Weather Lot Challenges

These Lot Challenges affect the weather immediately as soon as the Lot is loaded with your Sim on it, and the effects will stay even when the Sim is off the lot until you remove the Lot Challenges.

They are supposed to be used as cheats for storytelling, easier gameplay, taking screenshots, etc. You are recommended to remove the Lot Challenges from the Lot when you no longer need them so that it won't interfere with your normal gameplay.

Since a Sims world shares the same climate, giving multiple Weather Lot Challenges to different Lots of the same worlds and loading those Lots will cause the weather to switch rapidly.

👑 Mod Info HERE

🧡 Download HERE NOW!!!

Public Access: Jan 16

⭐NEW: Snowy Worlds

⏩ This mod disrespects geography and makes all worlds (except Batuu and secret locations) snowy in winter.

🤗You can pick what worlds to snow!🤗

This overrides the region tuning and weatherForcastList tuning of those worlds to make the snow fall and accumulate. Please ensure you have no conflicted mods that are editing these game tunings.

🆗 Compatible with all my other mods. Works well with my Nice Climate Mod!!!

🧩 Requires EP05 Seasons and the packs tagged on each package!!!

💘 List of Worlds now have Snowy Winter:

Pick and install only the worlds you have!!!

Ciudad Enamorada_EP16: Lovestruck

Del Sol Valley_EP06: Get Famous

Oasis Springs_BG

Ravenwood_EP17: Life & Death

San Sequoia_EP13: Growing Together

Selvadorada_GP06: Jungle Adventure

Stranger Ville_GP07: StrangerVille

Sulani_EP07: Island Living

Tartosa_GP11: My Wedding Stories

Tomarang_EP15: For Rent

👑 Mod Info HERE

🧡 Download HERE NOW!!!

Public Access: Jan 16

⭐NEW: Nice Climate Mod

⏩ This mod lowers the chance of bad weather like blizzards, heat waves, and thunderstorms.

🆗 Compatible with all my other mods. Works well with my Snowy Worlds!!!

🧩 Requires EP05 Seasons Expansion Pack

👑 Mod Info HERE

🎁 Download HERE (Free)

Have a nice and warm holiday season!

🔆 Changelog in December 2024 HERE

🔹 Links to ALL My Traits, Game Mods, and CCs

🔹List of IDs for creators who want to refer my traits to their own mods

🔹 List of Chingyu’s CC Traits Name and Descriptions for mod users

🔹 Check Mod Status after a patch & Compatibilities

👁‍🗨 Learn how to install a mod & FAQs

👁‍🗨 Terms of Use

👁‍🗨 Ask Questions/ Suggestions/ Bug Reports on Discord

▶ I need to see a screenshot or LE report to help you figure out what’s wrong!

👁‍🗨 Download on my Patreon

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mrsdarkandyandere7 · 2 years ago

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Possession

Pairing: Yandere Tom Riddle x (female) Reader

▶ This is a yandere/dark work and it may contain triggering content so please READ THE WARNINGS before. Do not read if minor.

More at Masterlist

SUMMARY: You try to expose Tom’s dark side to Dumbledore but it doesn’t go well.

WARNINGS: Toxic relationship; Slapping; Threats.

AN: Please, reblog and give me feedback.

“Professor, wait!” you breathlessly yell, running through the hallway as you try to catch Dumbledore before he enters his private chambers.

He turns around, his surprised expression quickly being replaced by an understanding one as he notices it’s you. Dumbledore has always kept a close eye on Tom, even more so after finding out that he’s in a relationship with you.

Someone that shares little common interests with him as you’ve always stayed away from all the problems that seem to involve Tom’s close circle of “friends”.

“How can I help you, Miss L/N?” he asks once you’ve reached him.

“Professor, I have something I wish to say. It’s about…” you suddenly trail off, feeling a pair of deadly eyes burning holes in your back.

The whole aura in the long corridor has changed and you can feel it, a darker presence lurking around.

You’ve unwillingly developed this skill as a coping mechanism. Being around him has made you more alert towards everything, especially knowing when he’s arrived.

And he has, you can feel it.

The thought of him catching you talking to Dumbledore, whom he absolutely detests, makes your arms weak and the heavy books that rest on your forearm almost fall, but you grip them harder.

“Miss L/N, you can speak freely. Do not fear anyone, if that’s your concern.” Dumbledore gently speaks as he lowers his voice, his eyes catching Tom at the opposite side of the long corridor as the young boy quickly charges forwards towards the both of you.

You hesitate for a moment, Dumbledore's sharp blue eyes freeze your mind and the incessant sound of the footsteps getting closer doesn’t help.

Conflicted is a weak word to represent how you’re feeling, but time is running out and you have to decide now.

“I-”

“Y/N!” Tom shouts, the booming voice makes you panic, resulting in the heavy books you’re carrying falling to the ground. You panicky kneal, trying to grab the books back and you feel Tom standing behind you, not bothering to help you.

You hurriedly get the books back and stand back as Tom takes a step forward, partially hiding your frame away from Dumbledore with his body but not before he sends a chilling look your way.

“It’s only a small doubt she had regarding our latest Transfiguration’s class, Professor, but I can assure I’ll clear all her doubts.” Tom starts, quickly regaining his calm appearance as he maintains eye contact with Dumbledore. His voice sounds soothing, like he’s telling the truth.

“I apologize for disturbing you for such an insignificant matter, Professor. We’ll be leaving now, have a good evening, sir.” he continues, slightly bowing his head to Dumbledore, who doesn’t look entirely convinced by Tom’s explanation but he relents.

“Good night, Tom. And Miss L/N? Do not hesitate to reach out if further clarifications are needed.” Dumbledore leans to his right, trying to catch a glimpse of your face and you weakly nod, mumbling a small greeting as Tom grabs your hand and pulls you away, leaving Dumbledore there.

His pace is fast, it’s clear that he wants distance between him and Dumbledore and you have to rush to keep up with him. He doesn’t say a word but the way his jaw is clenched, you understand that you’ll pay the price for doing such a risky act.

Tom pulls you into an empty classroom and before you can say a word, he roughly pushes you against a wall.

You gulp in fear, tightening the books against your chest as you gulp in fear. Tom’s eyes pierce through you, his hands on each side of your head.

“You think you can beat me down by going to Dumbledore behind my back? Is that so?” he questions you. Fear boils inside you and you frantically shake your head.

“N-No, Tom. I wasn't-"

“Enough!” he silences you, the back of his hand meeting your cheek. The impact sound resonates throughout the entire room and you press your lips together, trying to keep a pitiful sob in. Tom hates it when you cry.

His hand sneaks towards your throat, pressing it only enough so it doesn’t leave any marks. He inspires a deep breath, cracking his head to the sides before looking back at you.

“There will be consequences to your actions, love. You’re mine. You should know better, that I don’t let anyone take away my possessions, not even Dumbledore."

"Not one will ever save you from me.”

#@mrsdarkandyandere7 #yandere tom riddle #dark tom riddle #yandere tom riddle x reader #dark tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x reader #tom riddle x y/n #tom riddle imagine #imagine tom riddle #tom riddle x female reader #yandere x reader #tom riddle fanfiction #tom riddle #yandere harry potter x reader #yandere scenarios #tw: yandere #tw.dark content

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arcandoria · 2 months ago

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RT BUILDING QUESTIONS - SKILLS & EXPERTISE by @pheedraws 🤍

▶ CERYS VON VALANCIUS

16. What is their Archetype?

Arch-Militant. As far purely in-game works, it did not function as well as expected, because I go for a two-handed focused build for her with one-hand + pistol as secondary choice. But based on the skills expected of a Tallarn captain/sargeant, the concept of an Arch-Militant is perfect for her. She has mastered long-ranged meele weapons suchs as spears, bardiches and great-swords, but will make do with anything that falls on her hands. With no weapons, she will make smart use of her surroundings. With none of these things available, she will turn to her fists.

17. What are their strengths in combat? What are their weaknesses?

In her military career, Cerys has specialized in stealth tactics and striking hard as surprise. As such, she's at her strongest when the enemy isn't able to anticipate or expect her movements, and will deal high amounts of damage on close and ranged combat alike. In turn, she's not that resistant, and her reflexes cost a great deal of stamina. She can handle herself for brief moments until someone with higher resistance can assist her, but will inevitably fall if she's the focus of a high-damage dealing enemy for too long.

18. How do they approach conflict? Do they tackle problems head-on, or is coercion favourable to them?

One of the skills that got Cerys as much prestige as she did during her service years was the ability to make strong-headed people behave and work together. That said, this is as far her diplomacy goes. She can get people in a similar lifestyle to see reason, sometimes if she has enough information she can branch to other areas, but the more subtle conflicts of nobility and politics for example are lost on her. If a problem can be solved with firm diplomacy, she will go for it. Otherwise, she'd rather take the snake by the head.

19. Which three skills are of the most value to them?

Athletics, Awareness and Coercion. At some points in her new life as Rogue Trader, these end up being insufficient, and she's forced to exercise more of her secondary talents, but those are what she's used the most to survive thus far, and as such are the most finely tuned. They come extremely handy as threats are less wrangling the egos of dignitaries and more about spearheading the fight against Chaos in the Koronus Expanse.

20. Do they have a talent or hobby that would surprise others?

Cerys can be quite the nerd about architecture. What started as tactical necessity became an interest, specially as she was deployed in different worlds, not all with the same Imperial Gothic aesthetic seen in many of the God-Emperor's worlds. From a tactical standpoint she's able to recognize weaknesses and plan infiltration with some ease; from a hobby standpoint studying people's choice of construction aesthetic often leads to understanding more about its residents and their culture.

#cerys von valancius #rogue trader #rt building questions

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chiyoso · 2 years ago

Text

CYNOSURE'S ASCENDANCE: “CONSTRUCT”

▶PLAY. having barely escaped the observant general's sight, you found yourself back safely towards your abode while the problems in the xianzhou luofu continue to worsen, along with your state, not knowing that the severity of your situation had become on par with the ambrosial arbor crisis.

▶CONTENT. timeline takes place during xianzhou arc, multiple povs, cursing, dan heng ptsd, social anxiety(?), mentions of blood and fighting, idk what else to put here ☠️ pretty sfw for now

“Aeons—Ugh fuck,” You cursed under your unsteady breath, sounds of midnight, accompanied by your swift and graceful movements, slithering around the Exalting Sanctum's buildings, and keenly on the lookout for any patrolling cloud knights as you make your escape from the Arbiter General.

Oblivious and unaware, you've manage to accumulate a certain level of suspicion from your ongoing hobby of managing to apprehend criminals, to encountering shady alchemy commission individuals by chance, to victims of mara.

Additionally, the other night in your leisure stroll with the lovely spear you cherish while walking around Cloudford, you managed to encounter and go up againat two important antagonists who continued to disrupt the peace within the Xianzhou Luofu.

Dan Shu. Mauve Moon—and a damn headache.

You were clueless, attenpting to recall your superior's reports. You weren't heavily aware of the current situation, their status, and you most definitely were not aware that they were both high figures of a large group, unaware that they themselves had been one of the main troubling sources of the Xianzhou Alliance, dealing with unprecedented mara-strucked attacks, that you of course, fight from time to time.

History in the saying, you did however drag the former Cloud Knight, delivering his unconscious, tied up body, successfully placing his (alive of course) figure in the middle of the lotus plaza in the Exalting Sanctum. You didn't really know what happened to them after that since...

You were quite bruised and battered up after that.

Reason being?

The male, that Cloud Knight, he took you by surprise, almost devastatingly so on how skilled and imposing he was.

Prior to that night, you did study enough about the subject of the Xianzhou's main line of defenses—to recognize how Cloud Knights fought, their specific fighting style to bury it into your battle lusting mind, all through a thick, dusted book that you borrowed from Yinshu's book shop.

Even then with that knowledge, you instinctively underestimated the Cloud Knight, thinking to yourself he was just as any other mara-strucked soldier that you've been encountering based off your previous expeditions, resulting in a heavily battered up and sweaty victory.

But at day, where those adventures die down for a little bit, having associated yourself with the Realm-Keeping Commission had its ups and quite tiring lows recently.

Jingyan and Dahao informed you and Songyan, as well as other colleagues of yours, about certain trailblazers that had trouble keeping Dan Shu at bay, unfortunately, you weren't really there present in the office to witness the star traveling companions that time they came in, you were at least aware of their existence—somewhat.

Even so, during that meeting, you kept in mind of the slight intrusion of theirs, and despite the trailblazers claiming victor against the Cloud Knight, via information gathering and a bit of a brawl.

That woman. She had slipped away during your intense, bloody dance with him, leaving you utterly unsatisfied and frustrated.

But you won't deny, it was also one of the most skillful and difficult task you encountered, conflicting your emotions as the battle came to a victorious halt, even then — you were grateful for the opportunity, you knew you needed it, you really did, even in your struggle, you needed to use your spear again.

Why?

Your work in the Realm-Keeping commission consisted of paperwork and only paperwork, repetitively dealing with normal, casual affairs along with the oh-so carefree desk neighbor colleague of yours, Songyan, which you think should be fired for his laziness in all honesty.

One of the job's descriptions that consisted of investigations towards criminals, you thought you would participate in such activities, but not at all, you did not expect to drown in heavy paperwork instead, a heavy amount of your time stolen, restricting you from your beloved spear and rigorous training as the daylight approaches, leaving you deprived of your sleep and reliant on the reliable snack snapperfish jam, downed satisfyingly with a warm bottle of puffergoat milk, occasionally an immortal's delight drink for caffeine, instead of a well deserved full meal that your body genuinely needs.

You're thankful though, for the lonely food vendor just outside behind your residence, they resided near the starskiff dock, for setting a place in a... not so lively area at most times.

Though your reliance on her food, her despondency towards their business, and your need for a quick bite every morning, is definitely a win-win situation, a benefit for the two of you, gaining a friend based relationship for your personal needs, and her business needs.

The elephant in the room, was being an almost infamous vigilante of the Xianzhou Luofu, even if the Arbiter General himself hasn't made this situation public yet, ideal?

No. Never. Not at all.

It is a situation that you had just known about based on the short conversations of the Arbiter General and his lone Cloud Knight.

All because of your boredom in the day, and your eccentric nature, accompanied by your lustful battle tendencies that led you up to this moment.

Haa. Shit. Your accursed mind and body's desires for the excitement of wielding your dearest spear—you hated it. You'd start to subconsciously agree with your parent's idea on why they had... negative outputs of you.

You, being someone so dangerous, but you were no killer. Why would you anyways? The more individuals that you would've easily incapacitate and killed, the lesser your fights shall be.

That was your reasoning, and you're having a hard time determining if this aspect of you were a flaw or not, but you didn't dwell on it further as you finally arrived the court of tranquility, nearing your residence.

You were exhausted.

Both from the events that occured and your... ruined orgasm from earlier.

You moved with tired limbs, towards your cozy abode in a tiring daze, the faint blush on your cheeks don't seem to disappear as the Cloud General's voice continue to ring inside both of your eardrums.

“So that's how he sounds like...” You mumbled under your irregular breathing, your mind racing to the important figure of the Luofu, remembering his deep and stern tone, with underlying hints of warmth.

You sigh, placing your spear in hand close to the bed shortly after making your way towards your comfort room, wanting to get rid of your body's sweat and the remains of your womanly juices, that drenched your legs.

You felt relief once the water from the shower head began coat your skin, beginning to clean yourself, as the night pursues, unfortunately only leaving you a few hours of night worths of sleep, before sunrise awakens you forcibly so.

“But Mr. Yang—” A cute, high pitched and lively voice is cut off, placing her hands on her hips as the rising sun took a peek within the Astral Express's interior, its golden rays dwelled upon her cutely designed pajamas, creating a fresh atmosphere towards a new day.

“A distress call from Miss Jingyan arrived. I apologize for asking Pom-Pom to wake you, our presence is greatly needed by the Realm-Keeping Commission.” The man hoisted his glasses up, repositioning his spectacles over his nose bridge with his index and middle finger, as the other hand occupies his cane.

Before walking towards the cushioned seats, the tall figure looks over his shoulder, continuing shortly after, “Do make haste if possible March, please awaken the twins and Dan Heng.” He spoke with a firm and gentle tone, a sense of concern and urgency from the sound of his vocals if one listened deeply to his low and husk chords.

“Uuhg... alright,” with a compliant nod, accompanied with quiet, mumbling from the little lady, she made haste towards the cabins, heading in deeper into the Express while rubbing her eyes in a sleepy daze. How shall she do this efficiently you wonder? Their cabin, sliding doors were locked, and they were very much asleep in this early time of daylight.

“Mm...” She cleared her throat momentarily, as the light haired lady pursed her lips, facing the corridor where their cabin entrances reside, bringing her hands to the sides of her cheeks, inhaling dee—“EVERYONE! MADAM HIMEKO IS STARTING A CHUG FEST WITH HER COFFEE! LAST ONE OUT OF THEIR ROOMS IS TO FINISH EVERY DROP!” She yelled with the top of her lungs with a sly yet cute grin, her voice carrying a high volume as it was clear that anyone can hear her high pitched, urgent yet teasing tone.

“—the FUCK?” “S-Shit.” “MOVE STELLE-”

Panic and danger. Several, jumbled noises of stumbling and scattering within their personal abode, even March is able to hear several cusses from behind their rooms. While waiting for the first person to open their sliding door, she leans her back towards the Express's interior, gazing towards the sight of the galaxy, as well as the Xianzhou Luofu they docked on.

A sharp exhale was heard a few long moments after, her head instinctively turning towards the noise to reveal a tall male with dark hair, slightly disarrayed, his traditional earrings dangle from his movement, adjusting his white jacket, encrusted with a traditional yet modern design as his eyes dart around.

Looking with a sense of urgency outside his room, before laying his eyes upon the sleepy, pinked haired girl whose attire was still of sleep wear.

His eyes narrow to her, his legs bringing him to the individual who yelled and disrupted their sleep. “March—” An interruption ensued, two more doors sliding open simultaneously, displaying two grey haired disorganized individuals.

I can't believe that worked. She then shifted her attention attention towards the three with the signature smug grin creeping up in her lips.

“Rise and shine sleepyheads! Mr. Yang needs us, so hop to it!” She hummed in amusement clasping her hands together momentarily, not elaborating further as she lowers her hands, skipping cheerfully with satisfaction as she proceeds towards her own bunker, planning to ready herself in the process, and sliding the door to close it, leaving the three in a state of complete deep, utter confusion and disbelief.

“W-What about the chug fest...?” Stelle mumbled out in confusion moments after the silence, her tone clearly baffled as she witnesses March walk to her own room, leaving her in a daze as she then steps outside her cabin, her legs bringing her towards Dan Heng.

“Good game.” The grey haired man follows suit, rubbing his adam's apple with a wry, bitter smile.

Dan Heng clears his throat, his dilating, green irises, gazing towards March's door, beginning to speak. “I have no knowledge to give, but uh, I have discerned you two arrived more late, so...” He hummed with a relief of victory, his index and thumb rubbing his nose bridge, leaning his back against the Express' wall behind him, a sigh escaping his lips.

“F- Fuck!” The grey haired man, slumped to his knees as he crouches down, his hands gripping his fluffy locks, yelling at the top of his lungs, his voice's volume along with the dread on his voice, echoing through the corridor as his twin, swiftly moving her right, gloved hand to her mouth, seemingly wanting to puke, lowering her gaze to the floor as her eyes dilate.

Both of their golden eyes, dulling. Sharing a look of dread, their eyes telling a traumatizing tale involving Miss Himeko's brown liquid—or coffee, as she called it.

“What did March do now...” Mr. Yang mumbled to himself, having heard a slight commotion in the cabins while setting his cane onto the table, adjusting his gloved left hand.

Dan Heng's gaze lowered to the poor man slumped onto the floor, seemingly chanting something under his breath while the other grey haired girl whose face was dulled and filled with dread, crouches beside Dan Heng, letting the wall behind her back to support her.

“You two have seemed to forgotten that Mr. Yang needed us as well, the situation doesn't make sense.” He spoke to them in his usual, monotonous voice. Perceptive and observant, Dan Heng had always been, as he tries to make do and assess the stage with the limited information that March provided him.

“No matter... Let us take our leave, Mr. Yang is presumably waiting for us outside just as March said.” He ushers to the two grey haired, bummed out individuals, walking towards the tall entrance to the main area of the express, his demeanor quite neutral—but if observed heavily with a keen eye, he was absolutely, most definitely nervous as bead of sweat dropped from his jawline.

“I-” The grey haired man looked over to Dan Heng leaving, his gaze then faltering towards his twin as a look of determination glints his eyes.

“I'm pretty sure I got out first.” He huffs insisting to her, standing back up, and crossing his arms, as he follows late behind Dan Heng, whom was already out in the main area. Her eyes widened as she hoisted herself back up with her hands, her head facing towards Caelus' behind.

“HEY!” She yelled in disbelief, scurrying and jogging towards him, her gaze unwavering to him, now proceeding to argue over a non-existent problem that March staged for them as they venture outside from the corridor.

March then shortly after, slid her door open to the side, looking around to check if they're still within the now empty hall, before humming with a degree of accomplishment as closes her door, skipping in delight after and following the group of three behind a little late.

The group and a pink haired girl now visible behind them as she closes the entrance to their cabin, are now met with the piercing, brown gaze of Mr. Yang. He was confused as to why their faces grimaced while March's was had her usual lively demeanor, he furrowed his eyebrows at them, pointing his cane towards their direction—or rather March's direction.

“March, what was that shriek earlier.” His tone firmed, eyes narrowed to her.

“We're uh, ready for... for the... chug fest?” She spoke with dread as her face showed visible a grimace, leaving the tall, old figure more so confused as March tried to hold back laughter.

“Chug... fest?”

“W-Well... You said make haste Mr. Yang...” March responded with a playful expression on her face as she rubbed the back of her hair.

With a long sigh, the tall, brown haired figure taps the hilt of his cane down to the floor once, the firm and loud noise following suit, grabbing the attention of group in four as he exerts a serious and calm demeanor.

“You four, our presence is needed in the Luofu as per request of the Seat of The Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan himself.” Dan Heng flinched, his eyes dilating upon hearing a familiar name as a sharp sensation filled his head, causing him to reach out and massage his nose bridge, stepping back from the group momentarily.

His expression faltered into a grimace, looking away towards the window view of the Luofu, his mind, rendered in waves of memories, flooding him relentlessly.

Welt Yang's keen observations noticed his absence immediately, noticing the sorrow filled eyes of his as he walked away discreetly. He understood vaguely since way before about his mysterious past, but he didn't pry further into his life, and Dan Heng was grateful for that.

“Dan Heng?” March questioned, noticing shortly after, looking around as her eyes land upon the disarrayed dark haired man, the twins, silent and looking back to him as well.

“March, it's okay, let him be.” Welt reassured, his spectacles briefly looking towards Dan Heng before returning his gaze to the group once again. Welt cleared the sudden, uncomfortable air, clearing his throat to gain back the attention of the three again.

“I apologize for waking all of you in this time of light, but it is quite urgent. I haven't received details as to why they need us at this time, however...” The brown haired man's voice trails off as he turns his head to look towards the docks of the Luofu.

“Basing from the situation within the Xianzhou Alliance, as well as the recent mission Caelus and Stelle did, it is safe to assume that this is most likely about the group, Sanctus Medicus again.”

“What the heck are they up to now?!” March huffed with a cute frown, scratch her hair in confusion and attempting to follow the conversation.

“But... Didn't we—or Caelus and Stelle gain information from them already? What gives this time?” She continued, her head turning towards the twins, tilting her head to the side.

Welt nodded, his right hand rubbing his chin as he pondered momentarily, seconds before relaying a response.

“You'd be correct, we did give the Realm-Keeping Commission valuable information, however... Dan Shu herself had ultimately escaped, I assume something happened, had it only been a few days since the mission.” He stated, lowering his hand beside him in idle.

“Nonetheless, we are still needed,” je continued, now facing his body towards the stairs up towards the exit.

“We shouldn't keep the commission waiting, let's go trailblazers.” He spoke over to his shoulder, before facing and walking towards the exit of the Astral Express.

March and the still-confused groggy twins follow suit behind Mr. Yang towards the exit, making their way towards Cloudford's Skiff Boarding Area as Dan Heng was left behind with his thoughts and his fragmented memories, continuing to haunt him while a seething sensation throbbed in his head.

“...So no coffee?” Caelus said, his voice mixed with a confusion and uncertainty as March's snickering follows suit.

The rising sun threatens your eyes, its rays indicating another day of living.

You just got out from your bed while the sunrise's radiant glow shone inside your apartment's chambers, with you, having only a few hours of sleep that you managed to get.

Blinking away the grogginess your hazy lids, you forcibly brought your sore, and bruised body towards the contents of your bathroom, doing your quick and hygienic routine, and since you already washed yourself from the eventful night that happened just a few hours ago.

“Nnn,” you were already quite ready for work, not before trying to cover up your bruises around your face and arms with an alchemy commission specialty beauty liquid that you can put anywhere with safety—or so the sales woman claimed.

You figured, on days like this whereas you encountered such skillful opponents that causes your body and flesh to-well... look absolutely battered up, this 'make-up' as they call it, would be able to hide your marks from the nightly battles you kept getting yourself into.

After covering up several discolored injuries that were obvious, (surprisingly with accumulated skill from your constant use of the liquid foundation).

Roughly 40 minutes left. You have time.

You stretched groaning, now dressing up and letting out a heavy, tired sigh as you walk over to your bed. “I'll see you tonight,” you reached down to your spear sighing, kissing the flat surface of the sharp tip, before making your way towards the outside of your residence.

You were met with the sight of your table and the sight Ambrosial Arbor's scenery as per usual, the golden leaves floating around showering the Exalting Sanctum exquisitely along with the sunrise's rays that shone all over your body. You didn't tire of the view as it had a calming effect that slowly washed your mental turmoil away, especially the events of the night that pursued.

Taking a few technical deep breaths, you pressed on towards the vendor behind your place, moving accordingly with your plans—me?

That's a poster of me, right? No? Yes? I-

You checked closer towards the wall just outside your entrance, your eyes squinted, scanning the plastered paper against the red wall.

It wasn't exactly you per say you thought, but rather... it was the color of your hair, a dark silhouette of a woman with a huge question mark on the face and your—“MY SPEAR?!” You choked on your saliva as you instinctively cover your mouth seconds after, grabbing the unintentional attention of several locals within hearing range in confusion, you then turn around to bow apologetically in a hurry before resuming your own tiny investigation.

Shit, why was your spear in the illustration?

Was your unorganized, panicked escape from yesterday from the General's sight the reason?

How much did he see? How much did he witness?

What did—Your racing thoughts were interrupted by the sound of your stomach crying for help, you were already lacking proper food intake, and now you're delaying the hope and savior of your organs? 'Pull yourself together' you thought to yourself, slapping your cheeks lightly and repeatedly as you proceeded to move your legs.

You shook your head in a daze, bringing your hand to your head as a growing headache ensues from your underlying stress, making your way towards the food stall just infront of the Exalting Sanctum's starskiff docks.

Your heart along with your mind continues to race, as you walk towards the vendor who was already eager and waiting for you, since you were her most loyal customer after all. The vendor immensely notices the visible distrsss in your face, as she began to speak, interrupting your train of thought again. “Miss? Lack of sleep again?” She spoke softly, assuming the usual, the bags under your eyes along with the look of distress, visible on your facial features.

“An all-nighter again... Don't worry.” You lied through your teeth, resuming this white, harmless lie as you continued to deprive yourself of sleep.

You worry that your body won't be able to keep up with your love of training and battle if you kept this up, you should really ask Dahao or Jingyan for a break if y—“The usual, miss?" Again, your worries get interrupted by the vendor's soft voice, snapping you out in your hazy, exhausted trance.

“A-Apologies, just the... and fried fish and immortal's delight this time.” You respond without missing a beat, you spoke a tad bit incoherently, slurring your words as the stress is getting to you, creeping up and affecting your body's performance as well.

You usually don't rely on this drink, but with recent events and your sleep deprivation, you started to become heavily reliant on it, yet you had no choice. “Cetainly,” The food vendor hummed, as the sounds of crackling and sizzling satisfied your eardrums, along with the welling up scent of the food you had ordered begin to create an air of delicious aroma around you and the stall.

A tired yawn escapes your mouth, waiting for the food in preparation.

You decide to do the stretches for your body that you forgot earlier, you were not about to lose the hardwork you've put on your body.

The sight was already normal to the vendor, except at first of course.

That being the case, your ears perked up, hearing a starskiff past by and dock into the Exalting Sanctum, but you were too occupied from your stretching as your bare, right leg was now on top of the wooden railings, your whole body pressed against your leg as several voices are heard.

“WOAH! Look Stelle!” A certain high pitched voice rang through your keen ears in the distance, though you weren't sure if the hallucinations from your accumulated stress were finally setting in, or if you really did hear a lively, high pitched female voice.

The mention of you gained the slight attention of the two men behind the duo, as they part from the starskiff. You were a peculiar sight for four, as the pink haired girl's eyes shimmer at the sight of your impressive stretching.

“Your order's almost ready!” Your attention then was shortly called upon the vendor, your food and the immortal's drink, now visible at the wooden counter. “Ah, mhm.” You proceeded to do some final stretching, before cracking your neck and walking over towards the counter, the corners of your mouth seemingly moist as you take in the aroma of your food.

It had never smelled this good before, or was it the stress enhancing your senses?

The latter, definitely the latter.

Steps and mumured voices began to volume louder, finally getting your attention as you look over to the sources of the noise, your head tilting left towards the docks to the sight of two girls coming up to you up the stairs, the two men following behind as you were in the middle of partaking in your feast.

“Miss!” The girl in pink hair in her unsual yet cute blue attire, called out to you in the middle of munching.

“Hrmf?” Your mouth was full of your wrapped breakfast as your attention was sought towards the two girls.

They were definitely, definitely not from the Luofu, all of their attires were heavily different, in contrast to your custom made Xianzhou attire, a black dress, encrusted with golden accents and paired with golden accessories, you most definitely also stood out the rest of the locals, but hey, at least you were wearing familiar clothing, unlike these individuals that—“Hellooooo???”

You were interrupted by the sight of a small, fair-skinned palm, waving over your hazy eyes as you gulped your food down your throat and wiped the corners of your mouth with your thumb, you also notice the two men standing visibly tall in your line of sight behind the two girls.

“Ah,” you feel your cheeks grow slightly warm as all five individuals lay their gazes upon you with curious looks as you clear your throat.

“I-I apologize, what was that miss—?” You softly spoke in response to the little miss's call to you, tilting your head down to bow apologetically, your low, sultry voice had undertones of curiousity. It was obvious that you were tired and fatigued, the observant dark haired man along with the brown haired figure only took notice.

“I said—” The high pitched voice was then cut off by a hand to her shoulder, the hand belonging to a tall, brown haired man with a coat and cane, stepping forward from behind her.

At first glance he looked... quite young but his fanning lines and youthless features can be seen if you observed closely.

“March, let them take their time.” He spoke as his eyes scan your features, his gaze landing upon the covered up bruises along your cheeks and the injuries on your arms, he was curious, along with dark haired man whom also noticed simultaneously the bruises along your skin.

You felt their curious gazes linger to you, letting yourself get conscious and anxious about your form and appearance, your eyes dilating down to your snack in hand, lowering the food down below your chest.

You clear your throat, looking up and glance towards the tall figure towering over the two girls, along with you.

“Miss...—” He spoke again, delaying the S syllable sound as he awaits for your name.

With deep contemplation, you lowered your food towards the wooden counter to the side of you, the vendor idling about in her stall, busy with her preparations for the day as you face towards the fascinating group.

“Y/n. Y/fn. Please address me as so, it's a pleasure,” you spoke in response, placing your right hand on your chest, tilting your body downwards to bow down.

In all honesty, this was the first time in a long while that you interacted with anyone else besides your colleagues at the Realm-Keeping Commission, and the criminals you've been occasionally encountering, you had no idea what to do, so perhaps, a simple bow will do the trick, and that it did.

Your hair fell forward from your shoulders as you tilted your body, lowering your head and closed gaze towards the floor.

You were elegant. “Pretty... Miss—We haven't seen you around before! Who are you by the way?” She said cheerily, her sparkling gradient eyes continued to stare in curiousity as she brought her hands to her hips.

The rest of the group were most definitely intrigued by your sudden appearance near the docks, though—they were right, they haven't seen you around before that's one, and you most certainly were unintentionally displaying a level of intrgue and elegance, based on your 'awkward' movements that you thought were in your head.

You tilt your head up, your gaze landing on her momentarily, before shifting your body back up straight again, observing the other figures around her.

“I work—...” You straighten yourself. “I work within the Realm-Keeping Commission. Y/fn at your service.” Your hand remained on your chest, as you continued your introduction towards the group.

“And... I want to ask, who might be the group before me? Your clothing ehm, all of your attires don't make you look like locals here at all.” You continued, lowering your hands to the same level as your thighs, interlacing your fingers in a moment of your masked anxiousness.

A silence followed your question, you noticing their body language as they straighten their backs, their gaze intensifying slightly towards you.

“Are you like—royalty y/n?” The cute, high pitched voice broke the anxiety inducing silence.

What?

“I'm- I'm afraid not...? Why the question miss—”

“You can call me March! And you look really photogenic too! You sh—” March cuts you off in her excitement, her eyes sparkling and glancing up to your reddening face, continuing to ramble about excitedly in your presence about photos and the Astral Express, though she gets shortly cut off after a few moments of her rambling by the grey haired man behind her.

Pretty eyes. You thought as your eyes glanced back and forth subtly to the both grey haired individuals. “March...” He said, reminding her of her rambling as she flinches to the call of her name, letting go of your hand, bowing repeatedly to you while apologizing frantically as you try to reassure her.

The grey haired girl then pulled March's hand behind her, leading her towards the back of the group as she mumbled with Stelle's gloved hand on her mouth, muffling her noises.

“I apologize for... March's liveliness Miss Y/n,” the man with the glasses coughed into his fist, clearing his throat and stepping to where March was previously were, catching your attention again.

“Prior to your question... We are from the Astral Express,” your ears twitched upon hearing their origins, you have most definitely heard about the existence famous train that wonders through the galaxy, but you definitely did not expect to meet them in your lifetime like this, in this situation.

“In truth be told, we were on our way towards the Realm-Keeping Commission as well, via business per say, and... you call me—” He paused, pondering to himself, shifting his stance before clearing his throat.

“Welt, Welt Yang. A member of the Astral Express.” Welt tilted his head down slightly in respect, shortly after returning your gaze as your lips curl into faint, warm smile.

“First name basis alrea—mmfh!?” Stelle covers her mouth frantically, gaining the other eyes of the other members, quickly dart to March's direction in amusement, except for the dark haired man, his stern gaze piercing March.

“Mmfgp—!!” March squealed as the twins then pulled her by the wrist, towards the food vendor, perhaps to hush her down with food.

“You really need to read the situation sometimes dumbass.” Caelus said, holding back a laughter of amusement, reduced to a faint smirk.

With the noise of clearing his throat, Welt brings his hand up to his face, his fingers adjusting his glasses back onto his nose bridge, and you notice, under his spectacles is a faint, tint of red, swelling up in his cheeks as he cleared his throat in his embarassment.

Your eyes once again, land on Stelle and the twins near the wooden counter, then realizing your food had gone slightly cold, thus beginning to reach out for your wrapped up breakfast again, food held in hand, quite amused and curious at the situation.

Your felt your own cheeks grow hot as you munched on your almost finished breakfast, this was the first time in awhile you've interacted with many this way after all, and you felt Caelus' and Welt's gazes from your peripheral vision, continuing to eye you with a faint tint of pink in their own skin as well.

Ah. Wait. The Astral Express? In the Luofu? A request from the Realm-Keeping Commission?

Ah—The Cloud General's request from last night.

Shit, was it about me? Was it about something else? W-Wait! These- These twins... Jingyan mentioned them I think...?

You tighten your hold on your wrapped food subconsciously, your mind continued to race, the two keen observers of the Astral Express noticed your changed demeanor, your eyes dilating slightly towards the grey haired girl, the grey haired man walking towards the two as a dread creeps up within you.

“Miss Y/n?” You flinch, your deafening train of thought is cut off by the sound of a deep, aged voice, your eyes quickly darting to the man with the glasses towering over you with a look of concern.

“A-Ah, uhm,” you attempt to steer clear of your negative thoughts as you try to compose yourself infront of the tall figure before you.

You did nothing wrong, you and the members of the Astral Express just quite literally met, there's nothing to worry about.

...But why would the Seat of the Divine Foresight request them? Why are they needed?

No, they have more pressing matters. Yeah, of course. The Ambrosial Arbor problem. Mhm.

Your mind wandered back to the conversation of the Cloud General, trying to remember exact words from him as you—“Miss Y/N...” You snap out of it, a soft yelp escaping your mouth as you flinch, hearing his voice call out to you again, only to then feel all of their gazes on you, worried and concerned.

“It is not my place to pry but... Are you alright Miss Y/n?” Welt asked, his gaze softening as he glances to your contusions and marks all over your arms and your bruised, callused hands.

“I didn't want to bring it up, but I have noticed your physical state of being as well as your... exhaustion,” he says with utmost concern as Caelus steps forward beside him hearing his concern as the two men notice your refined, callus hands especially, though you had a feeling the other man was eyeing other things of your figure, respectfully, probably.

They were curious of you, they certainly were aware that those were not normal hands, it was callused, it was refined relentlessly and endlessly, and it was red with marks.

You had the hands of a highly skilled fighter, and it was obvious to the two experienced individuals.

The both of them had an unspoken understanding of their curiousity towards you, you had an air of mystery and slight danger for the two men as the others didn't notice, but him, not Welt Yang.

You were an oblivious expert in hiding your identity from the duality of your personality, oblivious by being unaware that being true to yourself is already deterring gazes and suspicions from you, and that was a trait that a vast majority, along with the Arbiter General himself, wishes it wasn't implemented to your whole being.

Except, your healing wounds were fresh from the fight against Dan Shu, Zhixin and several other mara-strucked Cloud Knights with them, your expertly covered up bruises, cuts and gashes weren't noticable to the other three from the skillful cover up over your discoloration, but not to the veteran, not at all.

It was the first thing Welt Yang noticed when March called out to you as you were stretching previously too.

“I-...” You take a deep, panicked breath, trying to compose yourself as you hastily bring your hands behind you, resting on your rear, lowering your gaze to the floor not knowing what to do as you fiddle with your fingers anxiously.

The two men took note of your behavior, your body language and your expression, though their thought process wasn't as deep as you thought it was.

“I apologize for making you uncomfortable Miss Y/n, we can assure you that we- we mean no harm.” Welt spoke to you, adjusting his coat as he shifts uncomfortably in his stance before continuing.

“It's just—” He gets cut off by the alarm of your phone, buzzing inside your dress's pockets, flinching as your hands scatter to it to turn it off.

Shit, you were late, even after waking early, you hadn't realize how much time passed just from this interaction.

Your face grimaces as you lower your phone, looking frantically to the other three individuals, your eyes landing on your immortal's delight drink placed on the wooden counter, before returning your gaze to Welt.

“I-I'm sorry Mr. Yang, duty calls,” you quickly bow, lowering your red, pretty face to him, before tilting your body back up to grab your drink from the counter, bolting away from the group hurriedly as you make your way towards the Realm-Keeping Commission office.

Absolutely thankful for the Aeons who interrupted—or aligned the stars into your favor from uncomfortable situation.

“W-Wait—Ah.” Caelus reached out, and stopped in his tracks as you bolted, sighing disappointedly, his golden irises having a look tinge of admiration and regret as he watches your back.

“Mmhf-? Whafsdafallabouf?” The high pitched voice said incoherently, her mouth stuffed with snacks as she walks towards the baffled tall figure, adjusting his glasses as he cleared his throat.

Caelus and Stelle huddled up around the girl with the blue attire as they look towards the direction you sprinted swiftly with slight concern and confusion in their faces.

“I-I believe... Miss Y/N had to go urgently, and speaking of which,” he turned his head towards the group, his gaze stern and calculative, placing his cane towards his side.

“We need to move, I'm sure we've kept Miss Jingyan and Mr. Dahao enough,” he stated, beginning to walk inside the Court of Tranquility along its marbled pavements, as the rest of the Astral Express follow suit behind him.

“He- Hey wait!” March exclaimed after gulping down her food.

“Aren't we also going to meet up with her again? She said she worked in the Realm-Keeping Commission as well didn't she?” She said excitedly as Stelle wiped the corners of her mouth, dusting off crumbs of fried bits.

“Stop talking with your mouth full... You look like that one little creature with the puffy cheeks you see eating nuts.” Caelus snickered in his usual stern tone, walking beside his twin as the group continued to make their way towards the office.

His eyes glimmered at the thought of meeting you again in all honesty, who stretches so impressively early into the daylight, who had healing bruises wounds from battles assumingly, and someone who seemed so elegant and mysterious just popping out of no where?

You, you did, and air that coated around you was thick with mystery and allure, intriguing the two men.

You were both in Welt Yang's and Caelus' thoughts, in deep skepticism as they continued to pondered about your wounds and covered up injuries.

They immediately knew you had fighting experience based on their observations, but they were in a stalemate as to why and how it happened to you.

You were a stranger to the Astral Express after all, and the air of your mysteriousness was heavy, the same level as how the Ambrosial Arbor came to fruition within the Exalting Sanctum so suddenly.

“She was really pretty though.” Caelus hummed with a faint smirk, suddenly breaking the comfortable silence as they walk around the lotus plaza, his hands behind his head as he raised his arms to the side, thinking of your presence.

His sudden comment caused Welt to flinch slightly, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Of course someone like you would say that Caelus...” March responded, rolling her eyes as Stelle kept March close to her, silently attentive as the girl in a blue school uniform continued to eat.

He sighs dramatically. “I didn't even get to speak to her a lot though,” Caelus groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration as he continued to think about you.

“Oh shupf upf! Not our fault you continued to hesitate! You'll see herf againmf!” March exclaimed with her mouth full, as she continued to eat her snack.

In essence, the priority of your appearance and of your attractiveness was far back in Welt's list of worries and priorities for him, Welt, but when Caelus mentioned it, he couldn't help but think back to you in another light.

It was nothing serious, but it was definitely an unspoken agreement to his statement. He felt his cheeks grow slightly warm.

“Mm,” hs tinting cheeks come to a halt, as your figure coming into their line of sight, whilst you talked to Guangda (Realm-Keeping Orderly) in a hurry, leaving his thoughts in a slightly disorganized mess.

After greeting the guard outside, you opened the door to the office, swinging the door open with your labored breath, intertwining with the cold air of the office.

You were greeted with Jingyan's usual look of tiredness and disapproval despite her eerie, professional smile.

“Oh? There she is.” Songyan, your desk neighbor colleague hummed in amusement, causing your expression to grimace slightly in annoyance as you hastily walk to your desk full of scrolls and paperwork.

“Jingyan! It's been more than a week or so since the start of her tardiness, Y/N's been arriving late often now!" He continued, adjusting his glasses, looking towards the womanly official, the pillar of the Realm-Keeping Commission, complaining about you.

The woman with the eerie, professional smile then opened her eyes towards Songyan, her gaze unsettling and exhausted as she looks towards him with a glare.

“I shall remind you once more, Songyan,” she stifled to click her tongue. “She does more work and labor than you by 50%.” She said, her sinister smile remaining as her eyes glinted to him.

As if her glare was trying to say 'Leave me alone, or I'll fire you this instant.' Causing him to flinch at her gaze.

Rolling your eyes from the conversation Songyan instigated, you set your drink on the side, nestling in your seat as you begin to try and tend to your work, blocking out the noises within the office, your eyes hovering tiredly.

Eyes trailing, leading upon a specific sea of information that the people of the Exalting Sanctum have been submitting; noise complaints every night, a dark silhouette moving along the shadows under the moonlit darkness, someone spotting a female figure fighting mara-strucked soldiers in Cloudford, and unfortunately, many more that's related to the things you've been doing, only then finally realizing the severity of your accumulated actions.

Aeons, maybe it was because you've been absolutely tired? Sleep deprived? The drastic, negative turn of your diet and lesser food intake?

“Shit man,” You cussed under your breath, slumping your head over the table, the position you're in causes your eyes to instinctively feel more drowsy, your eyelids growing weak, fluttering your eyes close, struggling to stay conscious.

You were weak, your body was certainly not used to this unhealthy routine from years of doing the opposite. Your eyes flutter close, the cold, comfortable office air that smelled of paper and scrolls, envelopes you in your deserved slumber.

Jingyan and Dahao, the two main officials of the Realm-Keeping Orderly, let you rest, noticing your sleep deprived state that had been more frequent since the past week.

They know you work harder than anyone else, on par with Jingyan herself, they let you be as you doze off into your dreamland.

A few minutes after you began to nap, several voices are heard outside the main entrance, swinging open to reveal the Astral Express crew, yet you were in deep slumber despite their liveliness.

“Ah, the express crew.” Jingyan greeted, looking over to the familiar people that had helped them in several occasions.

“The Arbiter General is requesting your presence, The master diviner; Lady Fu Xuan is also waiting for you in the Alchemy Commission, but I shall momentarily lay several details of what's been happening at the moment,” she said, moving towards the surveillance footage area, sifting through a few videos before landing on a specific one—that had your hair flowing freely under the moonlight and the dim lighting of the warm colored lamps as you made your hasty escape into the night hours ago.

The group followed shortly after her movement, beginning to survey and observe the footage that was currently playing. “...What are we looking at exactly?” March said in her questioning tone, her confused gaze glancing back and forth towards her crew and Jingyan herself.

Thank the stars and Aeons for the dark night, your silhouette and face were very hard to determine despite the advancements of the Xianzhou's technology.

You were just a dark, female figure with an elegant looking spear, but that was bad—their options were been definitely dialed down to female suspects, you were still safe, for now.

“May we ask for context Miss Jingyan?” Welt stepped forward to the screen, analyzing the moving image of you, along with the rest of the crew.

Jingyan nodded, showing a few more clips of your hasty escape in the dark, your expert movement catching the eyes of the Astral Express almost immediately. “W-Whoa... She's really quick...” March exclaimed, bringing her hands to her lips to cover it in her surprise.

“...And really cool.” Caelus mumbled under his breath smirking with his arms crossed, his golden gaze "studying" the footage showing, the same goes for Welt.

“The... Arbiter General encountered—or... found someone near the docks to his office as he was walking towards the seat of the Divine Foresight.”

She paused, her fingers tapping and the screen reveals Jing Yuan and his Cloud Knight, talking to each other for a few minutes, it was normal at first, not seeing anything amiss, but then the next few sequences of the footage shows Jing Yuan's attention being caught, as he looks around for what seems to be something.

It caught the crew's interest in a blink in an eye.

The Arbiter General proceeded to go out the line of sight from the camera as—“Darn! Where did he go off to?” March spoke the rest of the crew's thoughts as her voice broke the slight concentration of everyone reviewing the footage.

“The General told me he heard... noises that I will not elaborate further.” Jingyan feigned a wry, cold smile, firm on her decision as she saw March's mouth part to question and immediately retracting back her words and her finger, putting her hands behind her back.

The two men's interests were piqued, confused by her statement, but they didn't have the chance to dwell on their thoughts as Jingyan continued to speak.

“The General had witnessed a spear tip of a silver, crystal-like blade in her escape, he saw when it got hit by moonlight, the blade would illuminate around her and her surroundings.

It was one of two things that he only saw from the scene as she quickly fled.” Jingyan finishes, her professional gaze serious and unwavering as she glances to the surveillance footage of you.

“So-...” March spoke up first from the silence and processing of the vague yet key information of your being, but she then gets cut off by Welt, as he adjusted his spectacles back to his nose bridge.

“Then... Miss Jingyan, what seems to be the problem?” He spoke in his serious tone, his eyes returning Jingyan's as she began to spoke in reply.

“If you are all unaware, there had been a mysterious person who have been apprehending criminals of all kinds and delivering them into the center of the lotus plaza every night, and Cloud Knights would find them tied up, beaten up and unconscious.” She said as her fingers tap again onto the surveillance screen, showing the lotus area of the Court of Tranquility.

The center of the plaza would be seen, along with the two individuals who were tied up, revealing your dark silhouette, your hair and spear illuminating in the darkness as you drag the tied up, unconscious Cloud Knight—“HUH.”

Both the twins yell before hastily bringing their gloved hands to their mouth, grabbing the attention of Dahao, Songyan and the rest of the workers in the commission, though you were still in your deep sleep, your desk was tucked in the corner after all, not noticing you at all.

The twins recognize the unconscious body you were placing in the center of the plaza, moving and inching closer to the screen, trying to analyze you closer as their eyes squint simultaneously, but to no avail.

Your illuminated hair were luckily covering the right spots of your features, and the darkness of the night didn't help them visualize you either.

The silhouette stretches in the footage, then a sequence of you making your hasty escape follows after, and the most noticable thing was only your spear—a beautifully crafted spear.

It was their only clue. Their eyes were drawn and focused on your weapon as you held it close to you in your escape.

Curious eyes observing on the length and size of your black spear as gold lighting or vein marks decorated the bottom of your spear and upwards, as the moon shone on your blade, there was an obvious crystal like main part in the middle, and the other two were downed in size, curved to the opposite of its direction.

It was radiating with elegance and intrigue.

Reminding them of someone they stumbled to as of recent.

Jingyan, and the rest of the express cree can't help but focus on who the spear wielder was as your spear enveloped with the nightly breeze, continuing to create an enigmatic riddle and for them to solve.

Welt Yang then cleared his throat, clearing the tense silence once again as he looked over towards Jingyan, his eyes serious and calculative.

“The unconscious body... is from Sanctus Medicus, correct Miss Jingyan?" He asked, glancing back to the footage again.

Before she had a chance to reply, she was cut off by Caelus, “B-But... but how? How did she- How did they... What the hell?” He said with an obvious dilemma, Stelle's expression mirroring the look of defeat on her twin's face as she crosses her arms with one hand towards her face, her index and thumb rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Their look of defeat were understandable as March tried to comfort them with chuckling as her face secreted sweat, her hands patting both of their backs as her gaze returns to the repeating footage of you dragging their unconscious bodies.

“Jing Yuan is certain that she'd had been the one delivering us criminals in the darkness for several years-” Welt, and the other three's ears perk up.

“Several... years.” He repeated almost immediately, sighing, his brows furrowing, rubbing his thumb along his cane.

The twins then were taken towards the seating area by March, as they wallowed in defeat, their dulled expressions lowering to the floor as March continued to comfort them both.

“So, It's safe to say she's a registered citizen of the Xianzhou Luofu, her attire... is different yet familiar.” He inspected the silhouette of your whole being, narrowing his eyes to the hologram footage.

“Precisely, we've already narrowed it down only to; Female, a Xianzhou Luofu resident, and someone from the Exalting Sanctum.” Jingyan responded, laying out the facts that have been confirmed prior to this.

“But... What seems to be the problem?” Welt stepped in, his brown eyes returning to the footage of you before continuing,

“You said that she'd had been... fighting against criminals and delivering them to you for a few years now. Isn't that good Miss Jingyan?” He said, bringing up his hand to his chin, his mind racing in deep thought.

Jingyan also pondered to herself deeply as well, but before she could respond, Dahao walked up behind them.

“That may be the case Mr. Yang,” he'd step in.

“but this... person figure fought a 100 year old former Cloud Knight, and apprehended the two formiddable oppresors that we, the Realm-Keeping Commission, as well as the whole Alliance also had trouble dealing with for a good amount of time.” Dahao then looked towards the footage of you making your hasty, skillful escape, showing the part of your visible elegant spear, his expression turning more serious.

“She is a formiddable... that is without a doubt, and someone dangerous like her is roaming around the Xianzhou Luofu. What makes it difficult is that, she isn't a former Cloud Knight as well as her fighting style heavily differs to the training regiments of ours, and we aren't aware of her intentions at all.” He said glancing towards the two men who were listening intently.

Welt Yang had started to realize the seriousness of the situation, as his expressions mirrored his serious and stern features. “The General himself as well as the Realm-Keeping Commission realizes of her good deeds, but despite our priorities... we have been also trying for years to get ahold of her, just so we could interrogate her of her questionable actions.” Dahao continued, as the Welt nodded.

“So, the Cloud General, would like to request us to perhaps... get ahold of her whereabouts?” Welt said, his right hand firmed to his cane, quite determined as he, himself was confused by your intentions to do so.

Baffled as his mind continued to wander, he was thinking as to why this person would go such lengths for several years, doing this especially in hiding.

Your intentions did not make sense to the veteran, there had to be more to it.

You, doing this occasionally often whenever you can, for several years, without showing yourself and remained in hiding, for what?

Why wouldn't you want to take credit?

Why wouldn't you want to be known for your great deeds that was helping the Luofu itself?

Especially now once you encountered and brought one of the main problems that the Luofu was experiencing when it came to mara-stricken individuals or victims of the deathly disease.

“That would be ideal Mr. Yang, but as Jingyan previously mentioned, the General had requested your presence in the Alchemy Commission, regarding a serious situation about Sanctus Medicus.” Dahao paused, grimacing as he lowered her gaze, crossing his arms.

“The situation... is absolutely bizarre, our Xianzhou troops were more ways in one formiddable, yet we struggle in heavy amounts.”

Dahao then faced Welt, his eyes full of worry. “We shouldn't keep you waiting guests of the General. Lady Fu Xuan is assumingly in the midst of dealing with the situation right now.” He continued, bowing down, as Welt did the same, calling upon his fellow crew members before setting their destination towards a new, trifling and dangerous adventure that awaited them.

The Luofu already had a lot in their plate, dealing with a re-kindled battle against the phantom ways of the old, against the people who pledged to the Abundance, to continuous mara-struck cases, to the Sanctus Medicus finally acting out in hiding.

The Luofu was a devastating mess, and your mysteriousness just added an unnecessary layer stress and uneasiness, all caused by the flames of desire to wield your dearly beloved spear against a foe, deemed formiddable of it.

You were an existence that had yet to be solved, to the four crew members of the Astral Express, the Xianzhou Alliance, and the rest of the Realm-Keeping commission. Not knowing that you were here, in the office, in the same room as them and your worried coworkers, dozing off your fatigue and stress away.

And they all wanted to solve you.

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#— 強 [Cynosure's Ascendance] ♰#honkai star rail #hsr #jing yuan #jing yuan x reader #jing yuan x you #jing yuan x y/n #honkai star rail x reader #hsr x reader #welt yang #dan heng #caelus #stelle #march 7th #— ⓘ [BANNER] created by CHIYOSO

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thedemonlady · 2 years ago

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HEARTSTEEL KAYN IN NYLON CHINA INTERVIEW 💜

"I have an alter-ego. He has his own name, Rhaast." Speaking of the other self in his body, Kayn suddenly calmed down. "I use the third person to make it easier for you to understand. In my opinion, I am him and he is me. He is completely unleashed, is the most original version of me. He led me to break away from all constraints, including my own complicated thoughts, and just immerse myself in the present and experience everything." Kayn talked about Rhaast calmly, and everyone else stopped what they were doing. K'Sante put down his tablet, and Ezreal stops himself from petting Sett's ear. "For an artist, if you can have a completely isolated space, where you can avoid all distractions and don't even have to think too much, but just exist purely, that kind of freedom can inspire the most beautiful things. Do Authentic creations. Only Rhaast can take me there. He can make me forget other people's expectations and constraints, and even forget myself. He is me, but he can make me forget "me".” Kayn needs to close himself off and create art in company of Rhaast. But not everyone can accept this creative model. What they see is Kayn's absence again and again during rehearsals, and conflicts with his old teammates that occur almost every day. So Kayn finally left the previous band, taking with him the music that came from his heart. Everyone who heard them knew how wonderful those songs were, but as punishment for the world, Kayn refused to release them to the public. "Those who cannot appreciate the existence of Rhaast cannot understand the music we created together." Until Aphelios discovered them.

▶ Other curiosities about Kayn in the interview:

The first thing Kayn does before the interview is say Hello to Akali and tell her that he is also in Nylon, while waving at the camera.

Kayn was surprised to learn that Yone wanted to live with the band.

His favorite food is macaroni and cheese, and potato chips with toppings.

He followed Aphelios' idea of putting the food in the oven at high temperature for twice as long, which caused a fire and K'Sante had to call the fire department.

Kayn, wants to try spicy food in Hunan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan.

He wants to see Pandas

#Kayn #Shieda Kayn #Heartsteel Kayn #Rhaast #Heartsteel Rhaast #Heartsteel: Paranoia #Heartsteel #LoL official lore #LoL official art #Official art #Heartsteel Official Lore #Riot Music #my shadow boy ♥#my edit #my translations #Having an alter-ego is not a mental illness!!!

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call-me-copycat · 28 days ago

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An Undying Echo

➤ Welcome - Introduction and Request Rules (Requests are open + Some info about me)

▶ Characters: Shinso x F! Reader (heavily catered to requestor)

▶ Genre: Comfort

▶ Summary: For those who lost a dearly beloved cat

▶ Word Count: 1156

▶ Warnings: Mentions of animal death

▶ For @hitoshishusband U⁠ ⁠´⁠꓃⁠ ⁠`⁠ ⁠U

A life long lived, filled with love each day - even in the quietest moments, where words didn't need to be spoken. Love truly is special in the way it crawls and invades every crevice of your mind... and eventually your life.

Love is the thing that fills your heart, gives it an extra push on days when you can't keep yourself up. It warms you on cold nights, and gives you something to look forward to.

Humans have so many different types of love, so many that are unnamed or yet to be discovered by someone. Pets however... Pets are special. They seem to know more about love than us, when you think about it...

How do you keep going, you think to yourself? What do you have to look forward to now?

A life long lived... Yet it never felt shorter.

A beloved cat. A cat that carried you through the hardest times. The one who held you on dark nights, who soothed you just by existing. Gone. Just.. Like.. That.

It wasn't fair. It never was. You wished you had just a little more time with him. Anything, anything at all.

Sometimes, you couldn't help but worry. Did he know how much you loved him? Was he happy? How cruel it is, that we can't speak with our pets.

It was quiet. Even though it was quiet before, the silence was heavy now. The space felt empty.

You tell yourself you did the right thing. He was in pain, he was hurting. If anything, it hurt you much more to see him in such a state. And yet, everyone has that little illogical part of their mind that whispers doubts.

Hitoshi found you bundled in your room, trying to drown out the world around you. He knew what happened, you've been keeping him updated the whole time. Each day, it pained him to see you hurting so much. It was nothing if not a chain. One after another, someone was hurting.

"I know how much he meant to you," he said quietly, voice thick with emotion as he walked over to your bed to sit next to you. His hand moved to cup your cheek, his touch achingly tender, "You gave him the best life any cat could ask for. And you loved him enough to let him go when he was suffering. That's the hardest kind of love."

"I wish I didn't have to... I could've tried harde-"

You were cut off when Hitoshi suddenly pulled you into an embrace, hugging you closely to his chest. If you focused, you could feel his heartbeat. It was soothing in its own way.

"Listen to me." His voice dropped, catching your attention. "You still have so much to look forward to. You have me. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be your reason to hold your head up now."

"I know but-" You unsuccessfully struggled to untangle yourself from him, conflicted. You wanted both in your life. Not just one. "Why can't I just..."

As you slowed your movements, Hitoshi took this chance to tighten his hold around you. You weren't going to be alone, not even for a second. "We'll get through this together. Every single day until it hurts less. I promise."

"I could've done more. "

He shook his head.

"You did more than enough. The fact that it hurts this much to lose him... that’s how I know he felt your love" Hitoshi tightened his embrace around you, his fingers digging slightly into your back as if he could physically hold your broken pieces together.

"He will always surround you in his own way. He still lives through you. In your thoughts, in your words and stories, in the love you still hold for him. It's evidence of his time lived here, and that's more than enough to keep enough of him around until you get to see him again." Hitoshi moved to grab your hand before placing it on your chest - over your heart.

"And when your time comes - decades and decades from now, when we’re old and gray and you’ve lived the long, happy life you deserve - he will be waiting for you."

It was a nice thought. To think he wasn't truly gone. That he's out there somewhere, someplace where he's truly happy and no longer in pain. But life is so long. So very long.

"I don't want to have to wait decades. But..." you couldn't help but sigh. "I'll do it for him. If it means he's happy and safe, I'll try to be strong."

His voice cracked slightly as he brought your forehead to rest against his, "You were his whole world too, just like you're mine. Don't forget that."

He pulled back just enough to cup your face in his hands, forcing you to meet his eyes. His thumbs swiped at fresh tears with surprising gentleness - you didn't even know your eyes were beginning to water.

"Listen to me. That cat lived like a king because of you. Do you think an unloved cat lives to be old? Do you think an uncared for cat has legs that give out from age rather than starvation or abuse?" His voice cracked, "He passed in your arms while you whispered how much you loved him. If that's not enough to prove it, nothing is."

It was the least you could do you believed, but every time you told yourself you could do more, Hitoshi was there to remind you that you did the most you could. Everyone has limits, unfortunately. But you pushed. And pushed. And tried breaching those barriers. You can't fight time itself, though. As much as you truly wished you could.

In a way, you helped him live a better life than he could've lived had you not met him. So many cats are uncared for. Not as loved. Too many owners lose patience as soon as their pet gets sick. Too many want to receive love without giving it.

But you weren't in it for yourself. You could already tell your cat loved you dearly. It's strange, that even though we as people can't talk to our pets, we can still learn so much about them.

"Love doesn't just... Disappear." Hitoshi's voice was so soft you almost didn't hear him at first.

"And neither will I. I promise. So when it feels like too much - when you forget that you were enough for him - just say my name. I’ll remind you every time."

You have time to live and love a little more. To enjoy so many more experiences with Hitoshi. And one day, when the time is right, everyone will be back together again.

Your dearly beloved cat, smile for him. Don't just be strong.

But live for him as well.

I really do hope this turned out well ( ´﹀` ٥ ).｡o

If you ever need to talk again I'll still be here ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

#wow am i surprisingly rusty #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #bnha #mha #hitoshi shinso #shinso hitoshi #hitoshi shinsou #shinsou hitoshi #shinsou x reader #shinso x reader #hitoshi shinso x reader #shinsou hitoshi x reader #mha comfort #bnha comfort #📝#copycat writes

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onomatopagu-et-cie · 2 years ago

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Again some other personal notes on D. Gray-Man (Link, part. 1)

First impressions after re-reading DGM Some theories and observations

And here's the part 2: Notes on Link, part 2!

A thought led to another, then another and then questions brought no answers and more questions… So here I am again, writing kilometers of notes hahaha!

I wrote A LOT so I tried regrouping some notes thematically, this post will be Link-centric along with another one!

Note: I’m sorry for the awkward lengthy english and name localizations!!

Have a nice week!

(SPOILERS UP TO CH247!!!!)

▶ Link, Mana & Cross

MANA AND LINK I’ll quote what I wrote in the previous post.

« Funny how Link and Mana can be associated in the manga: -> ch137, « Orphan and Clown », introduces Link to Allen when he’s still trying to figure out why the Ark’s partition uses the signs Mana taught him and is questioned by Link about it. It is later revealed in the manga Link was an orphan before joining the Crow. -> in ch183, Allen inadvertently voices his memories of Mana to Link. -> in ch212, « Searching for A.W.: Calling You », as Allen loses consciousness, fighting Neah’s awakening, he calls out to Link but instead is greeted by a vision of a young Mana, calling out to Neah. This chapter also introduces the importance of Allen’s name to save him from Neah’s dreams. The original version for ‘Calling You’ is ‘’君を呼ぶ ‘ (kimi wo yobu). ‘Kimi’ is the pronoun both Mana and Link use in the manga ; past!Allen also seemed to use it with Neah. Johnny and Kanda both use omae for Allen. EDIT: Allen also uses ‘kimi’ so the chapter’s title works both ways (in French, the title was translated as « Écoute ma voix » which is « Listen to my voice », I like the way the calling works interchangeably!)! -> in ch213, Link faces a mirror shirtless like Mana does later in volume 25.

-> in ch220, « Searching for A.W.: He Closes His Eyes Tighter in a Vortex », Neah recalls the Earl he’s Mana but remains in denial and Link admits being conflicted over Allen and Neah. »

I also missed this when I was looking at this beautiful illustration of Mana and Red in Lost Fragment of Snow:

CROSS AND LINK The original title for ch234 (« Observer »), in which we learn more on Cross’s protection and monitoring of Mana, is 監視者 (‘kanshisha’). Link is introduced by Luberrier as Allen’s observer in volume 14 when he’s being investigated, and ‘kanshi’ is also used.

His role of an observer is reaffirmed by Luberrier in ch220. He also uses ‘kanshisha’, but gives a whole new meaning to this observation: Link is meant to protect the Fourteenth from everyone because he's the key to end this war. This strongly parallels Cross’s part of the promise to Neah: when Neah died, he was to protect Mana, observing him to that end so that Neah would return to Mana’s side one day. The verb ‘守る’ (mamoru, to protect) is used in both cases.

Their observing behavior was ridiculed in the same manner by Kanda and Red (my handwriting is terrible i’m sorry):

Link and Cross both have a morally ambiguous role they had no choice but to accept (in the CharaGray! fanbook, Hoshino said Cross got involved with Neah "unwillingly") but despite it all, Allen still cares for them:

*in the bottom right panel it would be more « Perhaps that’s how it should be [Allen merging with Apocryphos to get rid of Neah] but [Apocryphos] destroyed what was dear to me. »

When Allen leaves the Order and thinks in anguish of what he’s about to lose, Cross and Link are grouped in the same panel.

When Allen learnt Cross and Link’s ‘death’ (and the two of them are revealed alive chapters later), a similar framing is used, focusing on his blank expression and his eyes especially, highlighted in the shadow:

Just as Link’s profile is separated from the Central Administration from volume 25, I didn’t notice Cross’s is too in the same volume:

This could be explained by the fact both characters are shown conflicted over the path they’ve taken and still root for Allen in volume 25.

Their character designs (with the rosary and all the equipments and straps on their legs, hidden by their robe/coat) share similar aspects:

(Also bonus point, Timcampy is shown caring about them a lot and both are owners of out of ordinary golems)

▶ Future developments for Link

Apocryphos got from Kanda’s memories that Link was still alive… ? Hope he won’t escape the Noah and ambush Johnny, Allen and Link at the mansion (especially since the Saying Farewell to A.W. Arc has been going on for 21 chapters)!

Allen was able to remember, with a long delay, Johnny calling his name when it was Neah that was dreaming about Mana and Katerina and awakened: will he somehow catch fragments of Neah’s meeting with Link?

Will he find out about Cross and Luberrier’s secret agreement and Atuuda this way? He knows Atuuda heals with the life force since Zuu used it on him once, but he doesn't know 1) Zuu gave Link Atuuda & 2) it irremediably is fatal to the user's life. Kanda is hiding from Allen and Johnny that he’s becoming a Fallen One (not to burden them further, as he hid the fact that Link was alive until now), so it’s not that unlikely that Link also hides the toll Atuuda is taking on his life.

Why would Luberrier be hell-bent on needing Link, and nobody else, to ‘save’ (read: use lol) Neah?

Ever since Luberrier met Cross in secret after the Level 4 attack, he did everything to isolate Allen from the Order:

1) Around the same time, he pushed the 3rd generation project in secret for it to be conveniently blown away by the Noah, resulting in Allen also conveniently being confined for rebellion. This leaves him even more alone to fight against the Fourteenth’s memory, which falls right into his plan.

2) He made Allen’s identity as the Fourteenth’s host public to the exorcists, HQ executives and the Central, to officially ‘antagonize’ him. By leaving his exorcist title intact, this clears him from any suspicion of the real plan he carries on behind the scenes.

3) He reorganized the scientists sections and transferred a lot of Central scientists to the HQ to supposedly gain more control. I guess that’s how Reever and others were not granted permission to examine Allen’s state ever since the attack on the North-American branch.

Not to mention the story Cross told Allen was incomplete or even false (eg. Neah and Mana being biological brothers while he knew about the truth): he never told Allen the extent of Neah’s powers and role, that Luberrier, on the other hand, is aware of. I guess it was more to give the Order an official story without going into the real details: he must have reserved the truth to Luberrier.

And in volume 22, Luberrier asks Zuu to save Link because he seems indispensable to his plan.

How special is Link in Luberrier’s pov?

1) His infallible devotion to him: he is aware of it and exploits it, ch213 shows it fairly enough.

2) He would lay down his life for the sake of his mission/Luberrier without questioning it (eg. he was determined to use Apocryphos’ arm to pierce through his chest if it meant leaving a clue to identify the culprit). This could come from the extreme training to become a Crow and how he became Luberrier's 'personal Crow'.

3) His skills: based on Allen’s memories, Neah remembers he’s one of the most powerful of the Crows elite (eg. he’s strong enough to immobilize the Earl, face a Noah alone and hold his own against Level 4) even though he doesn’t have an Innocence

4) His mission to keep watch over Allen ; we don’t really know if he’s aware that Link wants Allen to overcome his fate as the host

« With Malcolm’s plans I thought I saw a ray of light for humanity’s dark future. The light of victory. But (…) I made you the Fourteenth’s— » This suggests that Link was vital for Luberrier’s plan to work: its success was made possible at the cost of Link’s involvement in it. In the original version, Zuu uses the adverb まんまと (manmato), ‘successfully, completely, thoroughly, nicely, fairly, artfully’ (‘I’ve successfully made you the Fourteenth’s—‘).

And the only thing we know he has done to Link was to leave him Atuuda: entrusting Atuuda to Link made him special enough to the Fourteenth somehow, other than simply aiding him. And this suggests that Zuu was himself aware of what was required to qualify as this special role at least.

Luberrier swiftly cut him off before he could finish his sentence, so in addition to the fatal burden of Atuuda, there must be something even crueler in line for him in how he and Atuuda could work with Neah.

Becoming the final host for Neah would be logical: Allen synchronizing with an Innocence, which was something neither Cross nor Neah expected (and they never wanted it), is an obstacle to Neah. When Apocryphos attacked, only Luberrier was aware that he was targeting Allen at that time and seemed to be pretty much aware of his nature. So of course « saving Neah » could mean securing him, his memory, in somebody else.

And if Luberrier knew Link’s conflict, I can totally picture him using that to his advantage eg. persuading Link to become the new host because 1) it’s Luberrier’s order and it’s helping him and 2) Allen would be free. (Could the Phantom Thief G arc possessed!Link vs. Allen and Kanda be a silly little foreshadowing for what’s to come?? haha)

He must’ve had at least an inkling, especially if he’s known to obey every single order without batting an eye:

(I expect this moment to be paralleled later in the manga, since trust and devotion is one of Link’s main themes, it’d be interesting!)

Before learning anything from Jerry, Luberrier was probably unaware that Link asked for a meal that Allen would finally eat and brought it to him.

▶ The rosary and Atuuda

I find it interesting that Luberrier’s rosary overlaps the scar left on Link’s torso after Atuuda was passed on to him. The scar is also cross-shaped.

While Luberrier loathes ‘God’/the Innocence, he deeply believes in Neah’s powers: he could bring an end to this war and Luberrier is determined to make it happen, no matter the atrocities.

It is strongly motivated by his desire to regain agency over his fate, controlled all this time by 'greater' entities: Innocence, God, the Pope, the Earl, Noah, as his confrontation with Hevlaska and the Destruction of the Black Order imply.

Interestingly, in ch221, Link is genuflecting on his right knee in front of Allen/Neah:

Genuflection on the right knee is strongly associated to God, signifying worship (eg. before the Blessed Sacrament as you pass a tabernacle), while genuflection on the left knee used to be to honor political authorities, kings, emperors.

He trusts Link with this crucial mission and reiterates Link’s devotion to him.

Putting on Link his own rosary, what you usually can say prayers with, he entrusts his ‘faith’ and set of beliefs to him. He places in words and act his trust in Link, sealed with the rosary.

It’s also a display of the power he holds over him: when Luberrier says Neah is now isolated (meaning it’s now time to help him), the reader’s eye path is also directed at the rosary he’s just given to Link.

The screentones highlight like a halo the rosary handled by Luberrier: he ardently wishes to have Neah’s power that he covets literally as ‘his’, and in doing so, the fate of the world in the palm of his hand, claiming it is for the sake of humanity.

(If it wasn’t already a projection of his own hidden desire for power since he seemed to keep close tabs on the subject without even Cross knowing in volume 14, this was at least a foreshadowing of Luberrier’s future plan!)

And just like Allen before regrouping with Johnny and Kanda, Link is completely alone: he’s lost his official position as a Crow as he’s been publically declared dead. Now more than ever, Luberrier stands as his sole figure of authority and devotion.

The rosary falls over the scar Link got from his fight against Apocryphos. It would’ve been fatal if he wasn’t given Atuuda at that time: if cross shapes can be associated to salvation, it’s a poisoned gift here that eats away at his life, defining his new special role he has no choice but to accept.

His soul, body and life are all sacrificed to Luberrier and by extension to Neah, Luberrier's personal ‘God’:

(If anyone has the answer, I wonder if there’s a tradition for members of the church to gift their rosary to another member, I’m really curious!)

Also in this panel in ch213 Kanda uses ご主人様 (goshujinsama) for Luberrier:

In French it was translated as « husband »: you can use ご主人様 as ‘husband’ if you talk about sb else’s husband and in polite situations. (I did a double take when I first read the French version haha)

Kanda is far from being polite here so this could be read with biting sarcasm, since he specifically calls him out on his obsessive devotion (that even Apocryphos picks on after damn). The ambivalence of this word was probably a very deliberate choice haha

#dgm spoilers #dgm meta #d gray man #link howard #mana walker #cross marian #neah campbell #allen walker

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