#crystals are psychological more than anything

[ddarker-dreams]

Intimidation Ranking / Yan Sumeru Boys.

Kaveh — 2/10

Like... he's writing your names next to one another in his notebook and drawing a heart around it. Kaveh isn't inspiring much fear in the traditional sense. You find him endearing more than anything. He visibly brightens up when you're around, stares off into the horizon and sighs when you're not. His more socially unacceptable tendencies are kept under lock and key (such as his innumerable blueprints for how he'll build your house when you get married, despite how you're both only friends). His romantic rivals don't have to fear for their lives as much as they would if put up against the others on this list. That being said, he still has his methods for dealing with them. It's more psychological in nature. Once he's cemented himself as an important figure in your life, he'll 'exaggerate the truth' (he thinks the word lying has a negative connotation), about any rivals' negative traits. He does this covertly over increments of time so as not to arouse any suspicion. You couldn't possibly look at Kaveh and suspect any wrongdoing on his part.

Alhaitham — 5/10

Alhaitham is weird because he has the potential to rank high, but he'd rather not go that route if it isn't necessary. Outsourcing to criminals would require extra work. He'd prefer to stay in the realm of legality for convenience's sake, perhaps pushing gray areas, but nothing that'll require a major coverup. Just a little good old-fashioned coercion if you're being stubborn about returning his affections. He's crafty, he needn't get his hands dirty to obtain the outcome he desires. Should you be of an academic inclination, he'll utilize his influence in those spheres to impede your progress. There's no physical evidence so you have no means of retaliation. Given his dispassionate demeanor, people will have a hard time believing you should you tell them about this. Alhaitham himself will utilize a similar tactic should you ever confront him. His sound logic and steady voice make you wonder if you really are imagining everything. It's maddening.

Cyno — 7.5/10

Cyno is a force of nature. Once he's set his sights on you, that's it. While it isn't you who needs to be frightened per se, the same cannot be said for those he deems as questionable influences in your life (basically anyone who isn't him that receives your attention). He has the authority and resources to comb through their entire bloodline for any potential wrongdoings. No one's lived a perfect life, he's bound to find something, even if it just ends with them having to pay a fine. Still, in a highly competitive area like Sumeru, having anything on their record is a death sentence. Rumors start circulating that anyone who hangs out around you is subject to meticulous background checks. No one knows why, but that doesn't matter, the risk alone serves as a sufficient deterrent. If they cheated on a test when they were ten, Cyno is going to find out. The man's nothing if not determined. Cyno genuinely thinks he's doing this in your best interest — his conscience is crystal clear. This adds another layer of formidability because there will be no convincing him to stop.

Wanderer — 9/10

As Scaramouche, it would've been a 10/10, but he's had some character development. Emphasis on the word some. Nahida considers his budding attachment to you a healthy development, especially since you're the first person he's taken an active interest in without her involvement. He's keen on maintaining this innocent, well-meaning façade since he's still under surveillance for his previous crimes. This unintentionally works wonders for him. While he still has a sharp tongue, the fact he actively chooses to be in your general vicinity proves you're special to him. You think he's harmless, if not a touch blunt. He's perpetually hanging around and offering to help with whatever you're up to. You're happy, Nahida's happy, and surprisingly enough, he's happy. This cannot be said for anyone else in your friend group. He increases his unpleasantness when around them, never to an incriminating degree, but just enough to give them pause. They'd rather not deal with him and he's always around you, like a miserable little forcefield that repels any outside force. Wanderer may not be free to wreak havoc anymore, but all that means is that he has to get creative about it. Nahida's lack of omnipotence gives him enough room to slink around. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[alicerosejensen]

Find me

Warning: mention of blood, violence (physical and psychological), mention of viruses, parasites, zombies; kidnapping; the reader has a slight anemia; Fem/reader; established relationship with Leon.

Synopsis: You could have a quiet wedding and a good life with the person you love most in the world. Leon was ready to protect you to the death from his enemies and viruses but… it seems that someone is also interested in you. And the price for life will be very high.

A/N: The idea from this post that I wrote about quite a long time ago. "Together forever" I'm not very good at writing (apparently the Yandere theme is not mine, no matter how much I like it). So I'm going to try this plot. I don't know how many parts there will be, but if everything goes well, then probably a lot (maybe 10-12 or so). I hope someone likes it because I have serious notes on this work in my notebook, as if these are sketches for the 9th part of the resident).

Tags will be added to the following parts. I was very much inspired by the remaster and Haunting ground when I was taking notes. After all, both games were made by Capcom.

Feedback is welcome (but no insults!)

Sometimes the worst horror happens in the name of love. It's not the worst plot for books, films or paintings that are more than a hundred years old and it's impossible not to admit that sometimes we want to be loved until our death.

And maybe after it.

The words sound soft, with a slight taste of regret, as if somewhere between the letters there is a treacherous "I'm sorry". But in fact it was so predictable. Leon hugs you too tightly, experiencing an inexhaustible sense of guilt, because he promised to decide together where you will spend your honeymoon, which is unlikely to last exactly a month, he promised to watch a movie with you that you have been planning for a long time and… and everything went to hell.

Leon nuzzles your cheek and devoutly kisses you gently, leaving a wet trail with his eyes closed. Another sign of his eternal love, his lips are imprinted on the bridge of your nose, making you smile from the slight tickle caused by his stubble. He had no power over not being called to work for at least another week, but the government is not interested in the personal life of his best agent. And yet you enjoy the way he puts his arm around your waist, holding you as tightly as he can.

"Okay, Mr. Kennedy," you joke kindly, inhaling the almost faded scent of his cologne. "I forgive you, once again. Run to save the world" You smile looking into his crystal blue eyes filled with sadness and longing.

"I promise that I will ask the authorities for a good vacation," Leon swears very sensually, continuing to hold you tightly in his hands and look with those puppy eyes from which the soul is torn apart and kisses again this time on the forehead, "If necessary, I will harness Ingrit and no one will bother us. We'll plan everything the way you want, even if it's a tour of all the castles in Europe"

You laugh sincerely, removing the bangs from his face, hoping to stretch the moment of intimacy with him longer. It was so warm and safe next to him that you snuggled up to his chest and he gently cradled you in his arms like a child.

"Don't do anything stupid in my absence"

"I still need to do an exhibition and maybe I'll finally clean up the bookcase," you lie knowing full well that the books will still lie randomly on the shelves and you won't even touch them. Actually, your work was the only thing that could save you from the all-consuming longing for Leon.

"Be careful, okay?" with some hidden fear, he asks, reluctantly releasing you from the ring of embraces. "I'll call as soon as I get a free minute and I'll really be back soon"

Leon is already out on the street and you follow him with a sad look, noticing some dark car to the side. Rightly deciding that they came for him, you lower your head, sighing heavily and literally taken aback when Leon's lips abruptly cover yours with a demanding and somewhat rude kiss that you forget how to breathe. At some point you try to seize the initiative, but strong hands push you against the wall and you hit the back of your head a little painfully, allowing him to dominate. As always.

"I would eat you right here," Leon said sarcastically and quietly stroking your hips, "But I really have to go."

And you silently bite your lower lip while watching him move away from you and get on his bike.

Well, that cool car wasn't for him, but this thought quickly leaves your head and in the end, tired of standing on the street, you just go back into the house, closing the door, grabbing the phone and immediately sending him an impatient "I miss you already." However, this does not prevent you from also ordering food with home delivery and watching some movie to pass the evening that was hopelessly spoiled.

The evening really became disgusting, neither delicious food saved him, nor a good movie will save him.

"Complete shit" a quiet curse came off your lips when you looked at the phone screen for the hundredth time in the evening and endlessly reread Leon's last message "My love…" which seems to have been imbued with such despair that tears came to your eyes. He was like a big kid who couldn't live a day without you and besides, only with you his sleep was like a more or less healthy one. You were his only light and he wanted that light to stay with him forever. Well, you could send him a hundred more messages, but it's unlikely that he will have the opportunity to read them in the next few hours or even days. So with bitterness, you just turned off the TV and went to the bathroom to get ready for an earlier than usual sleep.

Hot water pleasantly calmed and warmed the skin flowing down the body. You spent 15 minutes in the shower, brushing your teeth and doing all the usual and favorite cosmetic procedures, smeared your body with a lotion with a pleasant floral scent, waiting for it to soak into pale skin. The mood even improved a little when you changed into pajamas and straightened the bed once more before putting your head on the pillow and looking at the phone.

Nothing.

There's no point blaming Leon or doubting his love. It wasn't up to him. Sometimes he was dragged out of bed late at night and you could not see him for weeks without even being able to talk on the phone for one minute. But when he returned, he turned into a puppy clinging to his beloved owner and covered your body with a lot of kisses, not letting you get out of bed. Not that you mind… You always miss him and worry about him.

Sighing, you turn over on your side, putting the phone on the bedside table and not seeing the desired message from your fiance. Therefore, grabbing Leon's pillow, the lungs are filled with his smell and instead of feeling his presence, you experience only a deep feeling tearing apart that makes your heart beat a little faster.

And closing your eyes, you reach for the switch, when suddenly for a second the phone quickly notifies you of a new message from the addressee next to whose name the heart turns red.

"Don't forget to take the pills that the doctor prescribed for you. I want this sickly pallor to disappear. Love you"

Well, smiling, you took a screenshot of the message for some reason, saving it in your gallery on your phone. After sending Leon the answer, you still remembered that you really forgot about those pills once again, but you didn't want to get up anymore, so you left this matter for the morning. Sighing once again, trying his luck in the hope that Leon would write something else, your mobile was treacherously silent while you were just flipping through the social media feed.networks thinking only about how dependent you are on this man. However, the same can be said about him. The phone went out, as did the light in the bedroom, and sleep slowly overtook your mind when you hugged else's pillow without hearing quiet footsteps in the next room. The uninvited guest, thanks to Leon, had to tinker a lot with the lock of the front door before he unlocked it, quietly closing it behind him so as not to attract your attention while you were in the shower. Merging with the surrounding darkness, it was necessary to wait for the right time and prepare the syringe so that everything went as it should and the target was quietly neutralized without attracting the attention of neighbors.

The order was well paid and the fact that Leon left the house on that day was only to his advantage. After all, a government agent can ruin everything and getting rid of him threatened big problems that were not needed by anyone, but who will remember about his pretty bride, about whom he will probably quickly forget everything himself? The unknown person only needed to stick a pomeranian, inject the substance and quietly take the target out of the house by throwing a fake note with a handwriting similar to yours that you and Leon do not see the future for yourself. Pick up a few personal items and throw them in the nearest trash as proof of the truthful departure of the unfaithful bride.

Not the worst plan, especially since Leon Kennedy will think about your disappearance and how natural it is, no one really cares. Even if he suspects this ill-conceived plan, by that time you will be too far away from here anyway.

The problem was solved by itself because you are a simple art worker did not pose any threat even if you tried to resist. One step, two… the blessed victim will not suspect anything until the very moment when someone else's hand in a black glove closes her mouth and sticks a needle into her body. You fall asleep without suspecting anything, somehow reflexively reaching to the left side where Leon usually sleeps with his back to the bedroom door.

You are separated by literally a few meters from each other before one inept movement spoils everything.

The sound of falling books that Leon has been asking you to arrange exactly for so long makes you open your eyes by squeezing the pillowcase of the pillow and the "guest" freeze without touching the door handle. However, you felt a gaze on you that did not let you be deceived that someone had entered the house.

In Leon's bedside table there is a 9mm pistol fully loaded. It's not that you were very accurate, but Leon took you to a place as entertainment, where you trained shooting at targets under the watchful eye.

"not the worst result for a beginner," he said condescendingly so as not to upset you, but it was fun even if the gun was real.

Except now there are no jokes! You heard another step towards your side and held your breath, gathering strength for a jerk to pull out the gun and remove it from the safety. From fear, the heart beat faster, causing the blood to roar in your ears and before the intruder's hand landed on your face, you abruptly rolled to the left side of the bed, throwing a pillow at the person standing over you, winning for yourself a couple of seconds from his confusion.

Jumping to your feet, you quickly grabbed the gun pointing it at the man with trembling hands, removing it from the safety.

"Your own life is more expensive," you thought when a man of impressive size in a mask stood a meter away from you without a weapon, because his goal is to deliver you alive because you will not be of any use dead.

You held his floor at gunpoint, but your hands were shaking from the unusual weight and you really wanted to lower them down, but you held on trying not to panic. A step towards you and you pulled the trigger without aiming so stupidly hitting the closet, startled by the loud noise of the shot, immediately shrinking and from unaccustomed frightened by the strong recoil of the weapon.

"Fuck," he swore loudly, immediately rushing to you, forcing you to scream at the top of your voice while miraculously dodging. Rushing to the door, the first thought was to run outside and ask for help from neighbors, especially since the sound of a gunshot and a woman's scream certainly did not go unnoticed and someone probably should have already called the police. We just need to hold out. However, you only managed to jump out into the corridor when suddenly a strong man's hand roughly grabbed you by the hand in which you were holding a gun and your finger pressed the hook again making a shot.

Again a loud noise, your screams and a small hole in the ceiling.

Again the bullet flew by.

"Get off me, you bastard!"

A ringing slap in the face and you abruptly fell to the floor dropping the gun somewhere to the side. He immediately hung over you, but grabbing the first book that came to hand, you threw it in her man's face and taking advantage of another hitch jumped to her feet, running on without thinking about how much lip hurts.

And yet, the chances of escape were initially small, especially when shortness of breath began due to anemia and the chest began to ache sharply. A deep breath did not help even if your body was filled with adrenaline, he still knocked you to the floor, pressing your whole body to the floor, taking that ill-fated syringe out of your pocket and sticking it into you by quickly pressing the plunger . It only takes a few minutes, but because of your screams and shots, even they could put the entire mission under the "failed" icon, so without wasting even these precious minutes, the kidnapper grabs you by the hair and just hits your head on the floor suppressing resistance at the root. The world before your eyes becomes hazy and barely audible when a strange and unusual feeling of lightness covers you despite the pain in your head.

"Bitch ruined everything"

This bastard threw you over his shoulder and quickly ran out of the house, leaving the syringe lying there on the floor because there was no more time. Throwing you carelessly like a sack into the backseat, he slammed the door and gave gas to get away from the crime scene as soon as possible and dump the tail by moving to another car. They'll pay him well anyway.

You only blurred vision being on the verge of consciousness silently watched your loss until a long sleep covered you.

[buccini555]

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 - 𝐈𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐨

𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬

≡ 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚... You were invited by your boyfriend Izana Kurokawa to a night party at the Haitani house, but you ended up making a discovery that destroyed your relationship...

⌕ I m a g i n e s!

𖥻 𝐹𝑡. Izana Kurokawa, Kakucho Hitto, Ran & Rindou Haitani, Kokonoi Hajime and Inui Seishu

tw! abusive relationship, izana being an asshole boyfriend, mention of harassment(?), strong words, betrayal, physical and psychological aggression, threats, psychological abuse (in short, don't read if you're sensitive about toxic relationship) I think that's it... (euphoria reference, thank u for this request, anon ♡)

That night, Izana invited you to a Tenjiku celebration at the famous well-attended house of the Haitani brothers, that would be the first time that you and Izana would openly go out as a couple, because of that, you were more excited than ever, even more because your best friend was also invited to accompany Kakucho, your boyfriend's best friend, without rushing too much, you started to get ready in the late afternoon, especially wearing the carmine red dress, a gift given by Izana along with some of the beautiful jewels of crystal from your collection, as night fell, your friend arrived at your house, she looked as stunning as you, so you remained sitting in front of your house waiting for the boys who were already on their way, so Izana and Kakucho didn't They were slow to arrive, coming to pick them up in a luxury car lent by Kokonoi Hajime.

"You look beautiful as always, my pretty queen." Izana said as soon as he got out of the car, going to hug you and give you a warm kiss, after that, he gave your friend a brief hug while Kakucho just smiled at both of them, holding your hand and opening the door for you, everyone entered the car and headed towards Ran and Rindou's house, you realized that you were close to the place when from afar you started to hear loud music, when you finally arrived, you immediately entered the house, everyone stopped what they were doing just to honor the presence of Izana Kurokawa.

"The stars of the party have finally arrived." Ran came to welcome you with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, which was soon passed into Kurokawa's hands, you ended up sitting near the bar and started drinking, Izana pulled you onto his lap and started kissing you while Kakucho remained drinking only watermelon juice, completely distant from your friend who seemed bored.

"Kakucho? I'll teach you how to please a girl." Izana said with a mischievous smile before starting to kiss you, he held your waist firmly and held you in his lap, not caring about running his hand over your body even over the thin fabric of your dress, initially, he was soft in his insistent touch, but, Izana was no longer hesitant about wanting to fuck you right there. "You're a fucking good girl" He whispered.

"P-please, Izana, stop." You said as he kissed your neck and caresse your breasts. "I'm just teaching Kakucho, be quiet, hmm?" He responded, forcing your waist even more on his member that was showing through his pants. "Please, Izana, s-stop."

"Stop, Izana, she's not enjoying it." Kakucho said right away, even though seeing you letting out a few moans made him really excited, the brunette was still careful not to leave you exposed. "Everyone is looking at this shit, control yourself, Izana."

"What the fuck?! I can't do anything at this fucking party." Izana said, leaving you aside and getting up, leaving you, your friend and Kakucho alone. "You know what? I'm going for a walk, stay there."

"I'll go after him." You said, but just as you were about to get up, Kakucho pulled you back.

"He's angry and drunk, it's better to let him calm down." Kakucho spoke in a serious tone, seeming increasingly uncomfortable being in that place.

After a while, your friend ended up leaving to get some drinks on the other side of the party, you found that line strange precisely because you were sitting next to a bar, even so, you ended up not giving it much importance since you were worried about Izana, but, both of your delays started to bother you, so, ignoring Kakucho's speech, you went looking for your boyfriend, walking around the room, you looked for him, when you realized that you wouldn't find him on the main floor, you went up the staircase, finding Kokonoi along with a blonde boy who had a scar on his face.

"Are you looking for Izana? He just entered the room with a weird girl." Kokonoi said, you felt bad for breaking the mood between the two boys when you noticed that the blonde had recent hickeys all over his neck, but knowing that Izana entered a room with a girl automatically made you look at the facts and connect the points in your mind.

"Open the fucking door Izana, I know you're there!" You knocked on the same door until you realized it was open, entering without thinking twice. "What the fuck, do you think I'm so stupid?"

"You're a bastard, Izana, a fucking bastard." As soon as you saw your boyfriend and your best friend together in that damn room, you said. "What kind of friend are you, you fucking bitch?" At that moment, you just went at the two of them, but Izana held you and put you against the wall. "Shut the fuck up, you didn't want to give it to me, but your friend did, glad to know?"

"No scandal, bitch, I don't have the patience for your stupid drama." He said in a full threatening tone, holding your neck hard enough to leave marks, in thatand the moment he let you go, you ran out of the room while Izana just locked the door.

"What's wrong, girl? Are you crying?" Kokonoi said when he saw you crying coming back down the hall, so you just hugged him. "Wha-"

"What the fuck? What happened?" He spoke, trying to understand what was happening.

"Stop being insensitive, Koko! Can't you see she's hurt?" The blonde boy gently pulled you and made you sit on the floor.

"W-Was Izana the one who did that to your neck?" Kokonoi questioned, looking at the wound on his neck with a look of emptiness and concern at the same time. "Fuck."

"C-calm down, are you alone?" The blonde questioned, even though he had never seen you before, he seemed completely worried about your condition, comforting you with a hug, he looked at Kokonoi with the same concern.

"She came with Izana, Kakucho must be responsible for her." Hajime said, still observing all the confusion.

"Then go get him, Koko!" The boy spoke in a serious tone, then Kokonoi went downstairs and went to look for Kakucho.

After walking through the entire hall, Kokonoi saw Kakucho sitting alone next to the bar.

"Kakucho? Come with me now and don't you dare question me why." He said the same thing, approaching Kakucho, who just followed him, thinking that Izana was feeling sick because he had drunk so much.

As soon as Kakucho realized that you were there on the floor crying uncontrollably while Inui hugged you, he felt terrible for letting you go after Izana. "What the fuck is going on? What happened to her? Holy shi-" He became even more worried when he saw your neck.

"You better get her out of here." Inui spoke, moving your hair away from the wound and making it even more visible.

Kakucho bent down and tried to get closer to you, but at that moment, you felt like you couldn't trust him.

"Get away from me!" Tightening your hug to Inui even tighter, you screamed amidst the insistent crying.

"What did they do to her? Izana? ...Shit" Kakucho walked away, looking at Kokonoi and questioning.

"It was Izana's son of a bitch! I don't doubt he hit her." Hajime replied with his head down.

"...He's... A traitor... He's a fucking psychopath." In a low tone, you repeated yourself several times, making the three boys feel even more worried.

"Look at me, I want to help you." Kakucho whispered. "No one is going to hurt you, but you need to calm down." Inui said right after, helping you get up.

"He's your fucking best friend! He is, you knew... I know you knew!" You said again to Kakucho.

"I don't agree with all the shit Izana does, come on, I'll take you somewhere more private." He responded immediately, holding your hand and helping you stay upright.

"Take good care of her, Kakucho, that's the only thing I'll ask of you." Kokonoi gave his last line while Kakucho walked you down the stairs without attracting much attention.

Kakucho definitely didn't want anyone to see you in that state, so he took you to the garden of the house where there was no one, the boy made you sit on the bench and genuinely hugged you even though he knew you were mad at him because of Izana.

"...You're shaking." Kakucho said in a shaky and worried voice.

"I'm sorry so sorry for being rude to you, Kakucho..." Lowering your head and giving in to the hug, you realized that Kakucho was also naive in the whole damn story.

"I-it's okay... I don't want to see you cry, do you want me to take you home?" He walked away for a moment, being careful not to hurt you further.

"K-kakucho..."

"What happened? Does it hurt a lot? I can take you to the doctor, I-I... I don't know." He looked at you worriedly.

"...Izana never liked me, did he?"

"It doesn't matter now! I... I don't know if Izana likes you, but...I do."

"What do you mean, "but I do?"

"Forget about this shit, let's go home, I'll try to take care of you."

"D-did you always like me? What?"

"[Name]... Stop it... I don't want to get in trouble."

"...K-kakucho? Tell me now."

"He's my best friend, I can't, you understand?"

"I'm nothing to him... You know that."

"Fuck this shit..." He said a little before he ended up kissing you, Kakucho honestly wasn't like Izana, you never felt so loved in such a short time with just one kiss.

"Fuck! I'm sorry..."

"Oh? It's okay Kaku..."

"...I'll take you home."

"P-please stay with me for at least tonight."

"I wouldn't leave you alone even if I wanted to..."

It's over

[jessamine-rose]

꧁⪡ Alea Iacta Est ⪢꧂

Aaahh so here is part 2 of Housecat!! This continuation is written from Pantalone’s POV and features much darker content. Read the first fic before you proceed :>

Once again, thank you to @bye-bye-sunbird and @ddarker-dreams for the inspiration!! Same goes to @diodellet for your entertaining peer review and @yandere-romanticaa for your interest in reading this  (*´∇｀*)

Tw:: YANDERE, unhealthy relationships, manipulation, coercion, electrocution, offscreen death, psychological damage, Dottore is here, mention of drugging, mention of nsfw, dubcon, spice, MINORS DNI

Note:: Female cat-hybrid reader, pre-release Pantalone based on current lore crumbs

♡ 5.5k words under the cut ♡

i. the red string of fate 

Love is nothing more than a contract.

The Regrator, of all people, is well aware of this fact. Love is an agreement easily forged and broken, an attraction founded on set conditions and self-serving fantasies. In a world of inequity, it is impossible for any relationship to be purely selfless nor unconditional.

The illusion of love persists, however, supported by centuries of myths. Soulmates. Star-crossed lovers. The red string of fate spun by the will of the gods.

How romantic.

Many would claim that Pantalone’s feelings are anything but love. They would dub him greedy, ambitious, obsessed, possessive, and so many other negative traits which ironically constitute the true essence of love. What he finds most insufferable are the claims that his efforts are futile against destiny.

If the gods deem him unworthy of love, he will pursue it on his own volition.

If the red string of fate ties his beloved to another, he will sever the threads and bind her to him with his own chains.

If his precious jewel rejects her owner, he will ruin her until she finally accepts her place in the world.

⬩◈⬩

Since her horrific revelation, his darling has become an amusing juxtaposition of obedience and defiance.

“What do you think of the present, my darling? Isn’t it a perfect fit?”

Pantalone clasps the jewelry around her neck. ______ blankly stares at her reflection.

The necklace is a simple accompaniment to her collar. The silver bell pendant makes soft tinkling noises with every little movement.

Its luster cannot compare to his darling’s tears.

“It’s…minimalist,” she answers. Her ears fold back. “But the bell is in poor taste. Do you expect me to wear this at all times?”

Pantalone smiles at her in the mirror.

“You wound me. And you are normally so enamored with my choices,” he replies. His hands rest on her shoulders. “The collar is already a perfect statement piece on its own.”

Zero wounds from the Electro Crystals. Sandrone’s craftsmanship is commendable.

Her tail relaxes. The violet bow is slightly askew; she must have been extra agitated today. Pantalone unravels it and reties the ribbon.

His hand brushes against her Vision. ______ immediately covers it with her own.

“You should get back to work,” she tells him. “I saw the reports on your desk earlier. What would the Tsaritsa say if she knew you were wasting your time on me?”

How foolish of her to bring up Her Majesty’s name.

“Matters of the heart do not concern Her Majesty so long as my work is unaffected. I can assure you that I am perfectly capable of separating my private and professional lives.”

His hand wraps around her tail. His grip is light but he can already feel the soft fur standing on edge.

“You know, it has been a while since I last saw you use your Vision,” he muses. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to watch your enchanting display again.”

“...All right.” His darling stares at her collar this time. “If that is what you want.”

Her hands are shaking. The sparks and red threads are thinner than usual.

Her fire is such a pretty spectacle. But it can only be viewed from a distance, a beacon of hope untouchable to its audience.

“There is no need to hold back, my love.” Pantalone waits for the fire to extinguish before he wipes her tears with his handkerchief. His other hand taps her collar. “You will only get shocked if you abuse your Vision. You won’t do that again, will you?”

She does not look at him. Recalling her previous attempts, most likely. 

“I won’t. The last thing I need is to wake up to another one of your lectures.”

There is a bitter edge to her voice. Her tail slips out of his grasp and knocks over the empty necklace box.

He pats her head, smiling. “What a well-behaved pet. If I finish work early, I can take you to the shopping district tomorrow. We haven’t gone out in weeks.”

“I see. Do keep track of my purchases. I might just exceed my allowance.”

With that, ______ takes off the necklace and leaves the vanity table. She makes a point to push her unused shackles onto Pantalone’s side of the bed.

Despite her denial, she truly does act like a housecat at times.

As petty as she has become, his darling is making the most out of her cage. A pampered pet can never hope to gain the self-sufficiency of a stray. Any escape attempts would only bring her back to her owner.

Pantalone returns the necklace to its box, humming an old tune from Liyue. ______ covers her ears with the pillow.

Her neediness is sorely missed, however. He could easily demand her affection through more threats and gifts, but that would not be enough to satisfy his greed.

He would rather have her seek him out willingly.

ii. fool’s gold

A formal invitation announces a grand ball held in the capital of Snezhnaya. Another opportunity for the Regrator to make new business connections and to show off his darling wife.

“There should be a limit to the number of times I wear your colors,” she tells him. “By now, they likely view me as your little dress-up doll.”

“You are overthinking this.” Pantalone fastens the final accessory and fluffs up her tail. “We would not be the first couple to wear coordinated outfits. And think of it this way: An object takes after its master.”

He stands beside her in front of the mirror. They are only wearing matching jewelry this time. The violet jewels twinkle like artificial stars against their dark clothing.

______ frowns. “This necklace is too ostentatious, wouldn’t you say?”

Ungrateful pet.

“My priceless treasure,” he replies, the smile leaving his face, “you would do well to appreciate one’s generosity.”

A necklace of this price could feed so many empty stomachs in Liyue.

He grips the chain, allowing the jewels to press against her throat, and glares at her in the mirror.

“I’m sorry!” she says quickly. Her hands move to her neck in a futile attempt to relieve the pressure. “It must have been expensive. The…the design simply isn’t my type.”

“It is either this necklace or your collar, ______. Or are you secretly impartial to showing off my marks to the world?”

His other hand touches the love bites dotting her neck and chest. He had chosen an off-shoulder gown and an elaborate festoon necklace for that reason.

She averts her gaze. “...No, I’ll go with the first option.”

He lets go of the chain and readjusts the necklace.

His darling grips her tail with both hands. Her nails are newly trimmed and manicured after their last night of intimacy. Pantalone’s back is still healing from her scratch marks.

Even when he was kind enough to pleasure her, his darling took the opportunity to spite him. He had to use the shackles for their remaining rounds and her declawing session.

He adjusts her Vision this time. “I trust that you won’t cause a scene.”

“Of course.” She turns around and gives him a false smile. “This was part of our marriage contract, after all. I will assume the role of a loving wife for my sake.”

That is all. No clauses requiring loyalty or affection.

Pantalone’s smile is equally deceptive. “Stand by your promise. I will keep a close eye on you.”

⬩◈⬩

The ball is a waste of time—just the usual congregation of humorless businessmen, proud aristocrats, and annoying social climbers. The gilded superficiality of high society is no longer an otherworldly realm to the Regrator, but he is still grateful to have a companion.

It is more enjoyable when his darling is clinging to him like a frightful pet.

“My dear, you don’t need to stick to my side all night.” He shakes her tail off his wrist, smiling. “Are you that afraid of losing me in the crowd?”

“I’m not,” she whispers. Her hand grips his arm. “I don’t know anyone. They will just rope me into some meaningless conversation and gossip about ‘the Regrator’s trophy wife’ later on.”

They are nothing more than a crowd of foolish sycophants. But his darling is no different from them. If not for his riches, Pantalone is certain that she never would have spared him a glance.

Another admirer greets them and initiates a long speech about their loyalty to the Tsaritsa—a desperate farce before a Harbinger of all people. ______ smiles and nods along.

Well, the same may be said for his own attraction. He could have been apathetic to his darling’s existence had he not glimpsed her at the Shang family’s gala. She had looked so reserved, so pristine, until he came close enough to notice her cracks. Until he decided that he would be the one to break her.

The orchestra begins playing a lively symphony. The guests disperse to the dance floor and the edges of the ballroom.

“Would you care to dance?”

His darling’s thinly-veiled desperation is truly entertaining, especially as her gaze darts to the still-blabbering admirer.

He takes her hand, smiling. “Of course, my love.”

iii. odi et amo

Another letter is intercepted from Liyue.

Pantalone dismisses the messenger and opens the envelope. The letter is from his sister-in-law this time. Less valuable information, then.

It is just the usual family update, sans the necessary details which his darling would like to know. It ends with a sermon about marital conduct and the importance of “not being a nuisance to the Regrator.”

He smiles at the last line. The Lai family must have been quite shaken after the visit of the last Pyro Agent. Their previous letters are written in a similar fashion, all formal lectures with no ounce of concern for their little ______.

Had they met years ago, he would have envied his darling to the point of hatred. But now he can only feel pity for her.

Unfair as the world may be, there will always be certain pros and cons to one’s social status. Competence or inadequacy. Independence or loneliness. Ambition or sorrow.

Another agent knocks on the door.

“You may enter.”

They open the door and kneel. “My lord, your wife is returning to your office. As per your orders, she and her guard were only permitted to roam the eastern wing of Zapolyarny Palace.”

“You are dismissed.”

His darling’s letters are beginning to take up space in his desk. Pantalone adds the missive and locks the drawer.

The Fen wife recently wrote about a charm bracelet which his darling might like. He should add that item to his shopping list.

⬩◈⬩

Another obstacle to the Fatui brings extra work hours.

“Are you almost done? It’s late.”

Pantalone opens a new document. “I still have mountains of paperwork to go through. If you are tired, you may go to bed without me.”

The Northland Bank will be flooded with blood as soon as he catches those traitors.

His darling remains on his lap.

“It’s fine. I’m not sleepy yet,” she replies. She points at the stack of unchecked reports. “What are these about, anyway?”

“A few traitors. Some unforeseen interferences. A pesky little Traveler who has proven themselves to be quite the infernal threat.” He takes off his glasses and polishes the lenses.

He is due for another all-nighter.

______ turns her head. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He gives her a wry look. “You seem awfully concerned about my wellbeing. If you plan to take advantage of my current state, you are better off using subtler tactics.”

Her ears twitch. “You are still my husband. If anything happens to you, my welfare is at stake. I can’t assist you with work but I can at least provide some stress relief.”

Stress relief, huh?

His darling faces forward again. Her ears are pushed back, a clear indication of anger. It is an ineffective warning—they are nothing more than the soft, fluffy traits of a domestic cat.

Pantalone puts his glasses back on and pets her ears.

Her gasp is preceded by soft purrs. “What are you—? Stop! My ears are—”

He laughs, pressing a kiss against the back of her ear. “I know. So sensitive.”

His hand moves to the front of her dress and pulls down the neckline. Her love bites have already faded to near-invisible spots. It is about time for him to renew his marks.

“Pantalone.” She stands up and turns around, tail puffing up. “You still have work.”

“It won’t take long. Besides, was it not you who offered to alleviate my stress?”

He pulls her towards him, forcing her to straddle his lap, and touches the base of her tail.

“But still!” She bites back another purr. “Could we at least do this in the bedroom? The servants are still in the corridor. They might hear us—this is hardly appropriate!”

Until now, she still finds it necessary to retain her modesty. Her debauched noises during the act say otherwise.

It only takes a kiss to shut her up. He cups her face, smiling at every hitched breath and plea for air.

He will never grow tired of tainting her.

“My love,” he murmurs. He breaks off the kiss and presses their foreheads together. “Just think of it as fulfilling the contract you agreed to.”

⬩◈⬩

“Pantalone?”

“Yes?”

“Do you…plan to have children in the future?”

The pen hits the desk. It rolls across the wood, stopping just short of falling off the edge.

This is unexpected.

Pantalone clears his throat. “Can you repeat that?”

For someone who had made such a serious inquiry, his darling refuses to even look at him. She shifts in his lap, staring at his unfinished report.

And to think that he would not be the first to initiate this conversation.

“If this is about the contraceptives, I already told you that we are using a high-quality medication with no side effects. It is my turn to take them, anyway.”

Her tail thumps against his chest. “It’s not about the birth control.”

“Then what is this about? If you remain ambiguous, I may assume that you are asking for children.”

That would be a delightful surprise. Families do make for efficient binding agreements.

“I don’t know if I want that,” she mumbles. Her hands grip the desk. “It’s just…if you have any plans for the future, I want to be prepared for it. I spend enough time idling about and causing trouble for you.”

Not a direct refusal. What an interesting answer.

Thinking about it now, she had broached this topic in the early days of their marriage. Something about her lack of responsibilities and the Fen wife’s maternal duties.

Pantalone picks up his pen and continues writing. “As of now, starting a family is of low priority to me. We may continue this conversation once the Tsaritsa’s perfect world has been achieved.”

And when that happens, he will have all the time in the world to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Ironically, that statement only makes his darling more agitated.

“I see. I’ll enjoy my last pieces of freedom,” she mutters.

He puts down his pen. “My darling, are you merely bored with your current routine? Or are you looking for an excuse to devote your time to someone other than me?”

At the last statement, she turns to face him.

“Not at all!” she exclaims. Her eyes are wide with panic. “I like your company; I really do! Anyway, I couldn’t possibly treat a child with your degree of care and attention.”

It is good that she knows that.

“That is good to hear.” Pantalone smiles and wraps his arms around her, pressing her back against his chest. “I won’t demand a child or anything else from you. End of discussion.”

“I see…thank you for telling me.”

His darling stares ahead, but the relaxed positions of her ears and tail are a substantial response. He rests his chin on her shoulder.

“Besides,” he adds, “I would rather have you all to myself for the time being.”

iv. faustian bargain

The next few months are relatively peaceful. A pattern of gifts, dances, galas, red threads, intimate nights, banter, and mind games. Pantalone is pleased to note that his darling is gradually becoming more resigned to her cage. She has almost reverted back to her needy, pliable self.

Unfortunately, the gods always choose the best of times to tip the scales.

“I’m home.”

Pantalone has barely closed the door before his darling stomps over to him.

“My necklace is missing,” she informs him.

He pauses, coat in hand. “Which one?”

She leads him to her dressing room without so much of a word.

The farthest corner of the room is reserved for her old accessories. It is a haphazard mess of half-opened drawers and scattered jewelry boxes.

______ opens the topmost drawer and points at the necklace section. There are large, even spaces in between the necklaces.

“Someone rearranged it. My brother’s wedding gift used to be on the far left,” she explains. “It was a gold necklace with a pendant shaped like a Nilotpala lotus.”

Pantalone glances at the boxes on the floor. “Are you sure that you didn’t misplace it?”

“How could I? You don’t let me wear it to begin with,” she snaps, gesturing to her collar. “This isn’t the only one. I can’t find the box holding my Sango pearl necklace.”

A thief in his own estate. What a wonderful surprise.

In their entire marriage, this is his first time seeing his darling in such an incensed state. Aside from her swishing tail and folded back ears, her eyes are filled with enough burning fury to rival his own glare.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “My darling, for what reason would I engage in petty theft behind your back? I could easily confiscate your possessions.”

“I don’t know. But I am not trusting the same person who chose what I could bring to Snezhnaya.” She glares at him, eyes filling with tears. “I am fine with wearing your gifts, but is it too much to even look at my old belongings?”

“Wild accusations will do more harm than good,” he shoots back. “Did it not occur to you that someone else could have done it?”

His darling only laughs. “The servants, maybe, but they wouldn’t dare to steal from you. Unless you paid them to do it on your behalf.”

She opens the closet and takes out her coat.

“______.” It takes effort to maintain his composure. “Where are you going?”

“To the gardens. Forgive me for not being able to stand your presence.”

She leaves the dressing room. Pantalone follows her.

He reaches for her hand. “Darling, I—”

“Just go away!”

A burst of flames appears out of thin air, almost grazing him. Pantalone stumbles back, glasses clattering to the floor.

The sound of glass breaking is followed by the shock of Concentrated Overload.

His darling screams and collapses to the floor.

Pantalone takes a step closer. “You shouldn’t—”

“Don’t get any closer!” she shouts. She claws at her collar, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You ruined my life. I wish I never met you!”

Her honesty could not be any more brutal.

Pantalone draws back as though he has been slapped. His darling’s glare remains fiery.

At this point, diplomatic attempts at reconciliation are futile.

He picks up his glasses. The frames are warm from where the fire touched them. The chain is broken and one of the lenses is cracked.

“I do not blame you for your lack of trust in me,” he says coldly. He walks past her and opens the door. “I will give you some space if that is what you truly want.”

More sobs. Pantalone leaves the room and almost crashes into one of the servants.

“Lord Harbinger!” she squeaks. She bows immediately. “I apologize for not seeing you!”

“It is all right,” he replies, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. He glances at her uniform. “You are one of my wife’s handmaidens. You go by the alias Myshkin, correct?”

“Y…Yes, my lord!”

A glint of silver flashes in her hand.

He frowns at her. “What are you holding? Have you found my wife’s missing jewelry?”

She jumps and averts her gaze. “What? I…yes, I did!”

Her hands are trembling. She opens her palm to reveal a familiar Vajrada Amethyst ring.

That little rat.

Myshkin is speaking a mile a minute. “I found it in the living room and was just about to return it. As soon as I saw it, I knew it must have been the ring Lady ______ was looking for!”

His darling has not worn it once in Snezhnaya. Neither did she mention the disappearance of that ring.

Pantalone takes it, a grateful smile on his face. “Thank you, Myshkin. I will remember this.”

She turns to the door. “Is Lady ______ all right?”

“Just a little shocked. Go tend to her.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Had she entered the room a second later, Myshkin would have witnessed the Regrator’s death glare directed at her.

⬩◈⬩

The Doctor’s office is a place of nightmares. Beyond the laboratory, his section of Zapolyarny Palace is filled with preserved specimens, glowing test tubes, anatomical sketches, and a pervasive aura of malevolence. Even the meeting room is far from welcoming.

“Ninth, I assume you summoned me for another private commission. How is your wife? I believe your wedding anniversary has recently passed.”

“Spare me the formalities, Dottore.” Pantalone takes a seat on the sofa. “I received your request for additional funds. The numbers are out of proportion, but I can overlook that if you throw in a personal favor for me. I believe you will find this commission more suited to your preferences.”

Dottore puts down his test tube and sits across from him. “What do you mean?”

Pantalone gestures to the package on the table.

“I would like you to soak these garments in a flammable substance, one so potent that it would guarantee inescapable death for the wearer once they come into contact with fire. The chemical should have an inconspicuous scent and remain effective after numerous washes.”

“What an interesting request. And who is this unlucky victim?” Dottore opens the box and takes out a set of maid uniforms.

That Myshkin had been stupid enough to steal memorable jewelry. Everyone knows that the wealthy are less likely to notice the disappearance of smaller pieces, moreso if those items are sold to a reasonably far-off pawnshop.

“You are quite literally playing with fire, and it seems that your employee is not the only target. Tell me, is it not easier to deal with them and your darling separately?”

Pantalone straightens his glasses. The new chain twinkles under the dim light.

“Think of it as killing two birds with one stone. It would be uncharacteristic of me to ignore an opportunity when it is presented to me.”

Dottore snickers. “Your poor little housecat. And to think you started out with something as innocent as catnip-laced perfume.”

“That is none of your business. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal.” Dottore sits back, a maniacal grin on his face. “Though I must demand payment. A chemical of this potency will be costly to produce, especially if I am to ensure maximum quality by using test subjects.”

Pantalone clasps his hands together, smiling. “Name your price.”

v. alea iacta est

Pantalone upholds his promise and grants his darling her desired solitude. He moves her to a different bedroom and works longer hours in Zapolyarny Palace. On the rare occasion that they cross paths in the estate, he scarcely acknowledges her.

Myshkin and her fellow handmaiden provide daily reports of ______’s activities and behavior. The former wears her new set of uniforms.

His darling holds on to her pride. She makes no requests for gifts or company. She continues her flimsy pastimes, sans the use of her Vision. She bristles at his silent treatment but makes no effort to approach him.

This is what her life could’ve been like had she married Chairman Jin. If she knows what is good for her, she will not compare that nullified fate to her reality.

The days are longer for Pantalone. The situation reminds him of their former days, that year spent patiently waiting and working behind the scenes and settling for the lightest of touches. But the reward had been worth it.

This time, he must only wait for his darling to come to him.

⬩◈⬩

“Lord Harbinger!”

The door slams open. The agent does not bother to kneel.

Pantalone barely looks up from his contract. “We are in the middle of a meeting. What matter is so important that you must disturb me and my client?”

“It concerns your wife, my lord! An accident has occurred in your household.”

About time.

He faces his client. “My apologies, but I must ask that we resume our negotiations some other time. I am afraid that my wife’s situation seems to be of dire urgency.”

“Naturally! It isn’t a problem.” The diplomat bows and puts away their reports. “Thank you for your time, Lord Harbinger.”

Pantalone leaves the conference room and faces the agent. “Tell me what happened.”

“Your wife attacked a servant with her Pyro Vision. We have already extinguished the fire and summoned a doctor, but her handmaiden is in unstable condition.”

All according to plan. “Are there any additional details which I need to know?”

They pause. “I was not present during the event, but I was told that the incident took place in your wife’s dressing room. She is currently afflicted with her collar’s Concentrated Overload as well as psychological shock.”

He resists the urge to smile. “Anything else?”

“Your wife asked for you, my lord. She specifically requested your presence as the guards were restraining her.”

How endearing.

“Cancel my remaining appointments for the day. That will be all.”

⬩◈⬩

The collateral damage only costs a few hundred thousand Mora. A singed carpet. Scorched closets. The doctor’s fee. The silence of the servants.

Pantalone barely regards the charred corpse in the servant’s quarters. According to the doctor, Myshkin had succumbed to her wounds shortly before his arrival.

In the end, she paid back her debt in blood.

Not a sound can be heard from his darling’s room.

He unlocks the door. Warm light spills into the dark room, highlighting the figure chained to the bed.

His precious jewel has never looked more pitiful. Her ears lay flat against her head and her tail is tucked between her legs. There are tearstains on her face.

Her Vision is on the floor. He wonders if it was her or the servants who had thrown it.

“You’re back.” She looks up, a fresh wave of tears trickling down her cheeks. “It was an…I didn’t mean to! I just…”

“Shh, I know.” He presses his handkerchief against her cheek. “They told me what happened. We couldn’t have predicted that your Vision would cause such a disaster.”

Her voice comes out in choked sobs. “It is my fault. I caught her…I was angry but she didn’t deserve—I can still hear her screams. What will I do?”

No friction burns or signs that she struggled against the shackles. Pantalone frees her wrists and hugs her.

“It is all right,” he whispers. “I will take care of everything.”

Another sniffle. She buries her face into his coat, soaking the fabric with her tears.

“I am more concerned about you,” he continues. He breaks off the hug and looks her in the eye. “My love, how are you feeling? It must have been such a difficult experience for you. If you need anything, just tell me.”

For a moment, his darling only stares at him with glassy eyes. Then she shakes her head and holds his hand, gripping it so tightly that her nails dig into his gloves.

“Stay,” she pleads. Her tail wraps around his wrist. “Please, I…just don’t leave me.”

Pantalone kisses her hand, a kind smile gracing his face. “I promise.”

vi. diabolic waltz

Myshkin’s death is covered up as a furnace accident. The false notice is sent to her relatives, along with a large sum of Mora for financial aid.

It is the least the Regrator could do for a desolate family.

His darling moves back to their bedroom. She spends the majority of the first night crying in his arms and seeking out his comfort. The next morning, she meekly accepts the Nilotpala lotus pendant and Sango pearls he had bought back from the pawnshop. The subsequent days are filled with silent apologies and thank you’s.

A week after the incident, she leaves their room to visit his private office.

“Are you still working?”

Pantalone looks up from his report. “This can wait. Do you need anything, my darling?”

“Not at the moment.” She stands in front of his desk, tail tucked between her legs. She is wearing only her nightdress and collar today. “Take this.”

She places her Vision on his desk.

He reacts with a carefully crafted frown. “______, why are you giving this to me? I believe you know the risks of losing a Vision.”

“I am better off without it,” she mutters. She pushes it into his hands. “It has always been wasted on me. You deserve to have it.”

In the end, fire is just another illusion. Despite the light it offers, it can only consume.

Pantalone lifts it up to the window. The Pyro Vision is brighter than any false star in the sky. He can feel its powerful warmth through his gloves.

The gifts of the gods, now in his grasp. But there is a far greater treasure standing before him.

He sets it aside. “I will take good care of it, then.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” His darling moves closer to him, tail raised. “You’ve done so much for me. I will do whatever it takes to repay the favor.”

Pantalone smiles at her and leaves his desk. “You only need to stay by my side. Though, I would not be opposed to other modes of payment.”

She nods and walks into his embrace.

⬩◈⬩

“I have a new gift for you.”

“Another one?”

His darling frowns at the package. “You know how I feel about your gifts. Just being with you is already enough.”

“Think of it as a gift for myself, then.” Pantalone pats her head, ruffling her ears. “I do enjoy spoiling my beloved pet.”

She purrs and hugs him again. “Fine, all right. That just means more cuddles for you.”

His precious jewel has shattered. She is much more affectionate nowadays.

The servants finish unpacking the phonograph. They pull back the curtains and leave the room.

______ regards it with curious eyes. “A Witch’s Chorus. What sort of music does it play?”

“Why don’t we find out?”

Pantalone places the record on the turntable and flips the power switch. The instrument begins to play a slow, festive orchestral arrangement.

Her ears prick forward. “This…it sounds familiar. Where did I last hear it?”

“Quite nostalgic, isn’t it? It is the musical score from our first dance.”

“That explains it.” She turns to face him, eyes shining brightly. “It was a waltz. How could I forget?”

The fire in her eyes has been completely extinguished. Though her gaze never fails to light up at any mention of their lost memories together.

Pantalone holds out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Her hand feels soft in his grip. “It would be my pleasure.”

No red threads this time. His darling follows his lead, a peaceful smile on her face. During the final spin, she is quick to return to his grasp.

“Pantalone?”

“Yes, my darling?”

She meets his gaze.

“I love you.”

Pantalone almost stumbles. He stops in the middle of the dance floor.

It is difficult to hide his surprise. “Please repeat that.”

“I love you.” She says it clearly, still holding his gaze. Her expression becomes anxious. “Is there…something wrong with how I said it?”

He never imagined that those words could be said to him with such utmost sincerity.

Pantalone only laughs and resumes the waltz. At this point, they are dancing off-beat to the music but there is no crowd to judge them. Only the stars visible through the windows, twinkling across the sky like unfathomable jewels.

“No, it was perfect. You just caught me off-guard,” he admits. He smiles, pulling her closer. “I love you too.”

♡

Read the Author’s Note here!!

It is done……I am finally free from this fic. I never want to see Pantalone’s pretty face ever again. This greedy man rlly made me write a two-part fic that was longer than Herbarium and Fairytale combined  (੭ ˃̣̣̥ ㅂ˂̣̣̥)੭ु

 I hope you all enjoyed the Regrator’s twisted love story. I hope you all liked my yandere characterization of him. I hope you all suffer from brainrot while I get some rest and question my life choices. Thank you for reading and have a lovely day, everyone <3

[cannibalgenders]

I have a lot of thoughts about the way mental illness is treated by the Yellowjackets writers and the fandom, particularly when it comes to the vilification and/or deification of Lottie Matthews but I’m not schizophrenic and it’s not really my place to say what’s what when it comes to that but I DO want to talk about the other character who everyone seems to agree displayed mental illness before the events of the crash and that’s Misty Quigley

The first time we see Misty she’s watching a rat drown with something close to apathy, which is to me clear visual language of what they’re setting Misty up to be. See, there’s this disproved (but still commonly used within entertainment media) psychological theory called the Macdonald Triad, or sometimes the “triad of sociopathy”. It essentially claims that three behaviors displayed by children and teens can predict if they will develop ASPD in adulthood, or become violent criminals. The behaviors are bedwetting, firesetting, and cruelty to animals. The fact that we see Misty behaving cruelly towards animals in her FIRST scene is a clear statement of intention in regards to where her character is going

Now, all of the behaviors in the Macdonald triad are actually more closely linked with prolonged childhood abuse or neglect, which leads to the DEVELOPMENT of personality disorders in some cases, lighting fires or whatever doesn’t actually make you a “sociopath”.

And…Misty isn’t really, either. At least not at first. I personally could very easily see Misty as having ASPD (or conduct disorder, since she’s a minor), but in season 1 the writers seem like they’re putting a lot of effort into associating Misty with this sort of false Hollywood perception of a “sociopath” rather than people with an actual Cluster B personality disorder. And like, Misty displays an obvious lack of empathy and concern for others’ autonomy from the very beginning, but I really and truly wasn’t sold on Misty as a sympathetic portrayal or as representation until closer to the end of Season 2

And really is was Samantha Hanratty that sold me. Because there’s a BIG discrepancy in the way Samantha and the way Christina portrays Misty. 40 year old Misty is an adult set in her ways, she’s clinging to the people who made her feel useful 25 years ago but her old eagerness, her ability to be genuinely affected or hurt has been diminished a LOT. She’s got incredibly muted emotions, masks near constantly, and is willing to do just about anything to maintain her control over wildly out of hand situations.

Whereas Samantha’s young Misty is still in a place where she’s trying to reach out- something’s “wrong” with her, sure, but she genuinely believes that others still have the ability to appreciate her for her authentic self, and much of her manipulative behavior is in search of that validation. Yeah, she doesn’t know how to go about yeah, yeah she’s fucked up, but she’s sharing bits of herself with the expectation that this will get her what she wants, and she’s repeatedly being smacked down.

And then we see the loss of Crystal. The final loss that sort of cements for her that genuine display of emotion and authenticity is doomed to destroy her and everything she cares about. So she stops caring. She detaches. And that really hit me as the most accurate portrayal I’m going to get of what the inside of my head feels like. Her brain keeps her from feeling much in adulthood as protection, but it’s so fucking boring that she’s going through the motions of who she was before all that, playacting at the bubbly musical theater loving dork she could have been, just to try and get some of that excitement back.

And now I’m wondering, with clinging to those old connections having bitten her in the ass so thoroughly, is Misty going to drop the mask completely? Give up on every being anything to anyone? Go back to isolation and manipulation and violence? Or is there hope for her, like Natalie, to make a different choice this time?

[sunflowerandstrawberryspice]

Ninjago post crystalized HC

-Therapy (I was considering only writing that and posting lol)

-Everyone starts finally settling down and a couple of the ninja are even looking into college courses since a lot of their technical skills revolve around fighting and they're kinda sick of that.

-I like to think Jay and Nya open up a mechanic shop together with some silly name like Electric Wave or something along those lines.

-Pixal starts working with Cyrus Borg again

-I think Zane should be an EMT or something like that, since he can asses wounds and work really quickly and has endless knowledge in his database so I think it fits

-Cole probably takes a bit to figure out what he wants to do but I could honestly see him going into psychology since he's pretty empathetic and a chill dude (bestie literally made friends with a snow monster and some dude who'd been a ghost for centuries I think he's got the skill)

-Kai was kinda hard ngl but I think that since he's seemingly ending up with Skylor maybe he helps out at the noodle house? Honestly I'm not sure Kai is tricky for me.

-Lloyd goes into law to some degree, HERE ME OUT, he totally seems like the type who still wants to defend innocents and those who have been wronged and what better way to do that (that doesn't involve ninja powers) I could totally see him fighting so hard for like kids and stuff since his childhood was pretty jacked up too.

-Wu and Misako probably start adventuring again, though more for fun and not looking for answers to anything, it's just to learn more about the world.

-I think it would be funny if Garmadon got a painfully mundane job in an office, like a data entry person or some shit like that would be so funny (like imagine "Oh you need that done? Yeah go ask Folson" and then you find out "Folson" is fucking GARAMDON who's just like chilling at his desk with coffee like "What do you want?")

-Lloyd reconnects with some of his old friends and while they're still a little bedazzled by him but still

-The ninja probably do a couple interviews after Crystalized kinda finally sharing how they really feel and people are shocked how scared their hero's have been this entire time.

-The ninja totally compare scars, like "Dude I got my face scar from literally being turned into a ghost, it's cooler than yours" or "Are lightning scars cool if I accidentally did it myself?"

-Lloyd starts reconnecting with his father again and slowly but surly the man Garmadon once was begin to shine through bit by bit, not fully but clearly he's there.

-Cole helps with reconstruction once his powers start coming back

-They all meet up when they can to do something fun together

-In addition to the last prompt: Sometimes they need to get some energy out and they're like "I need to fight" and they get together to absolutely pummel each other to get the fight out until the next time (Zane has totally recorded a couple of these fights, a particularly flasy one between Kai and Cole is in fact on the internet and people go nuts over it)

-They all pick up hobbies to relax a little: Kai-wood burning Lloyd-felting Zane-baking (he still does it to wind down) Cole-crocheting Nya-knitting (her and Cole fight over which is better by) Jay-skating Pixal-drawing

-Garmadon get's more plants, him and Vinny's new place has the nicest front and back garden and the oxygen in their house is CRISP

-Cyrus Borg kinda adopts Zane like "I already have one nindroid child, what's one more?" they totally have family dinners and I'd like to imagine Pixal's partner (idk who but it's not Zane cause like sibling dynamic> anything) and Cole just kinda siting there with three super geniuses and the two are just like "I forget what I have for lunch sometimes"

-Everyone starts to heal and the world is better... at least until this new show (whether I think of it as cannon is dependent on how much I like it lol)

That's it for now, I will be back, that's a promise and a threat :)

[lurkingshan]

Top 5 BL characters you wanted to hug and send to therapy?

Ooh good one, thank you for sending! Caveat that I think just about everyone can benefit from therapy, including every character in bl. So for this list I’m sticking with 1) characters I genuinely like; 2) who could clearly use a little more support. Here are the five I most want to give a big old hug and then sit them down on the therapist's couch:

Han Baram, Sing My Crush

Baby boy, I am very glad you found your Im Hantae and your voice again but I still think getting some support to unpack some of the damage that evil man did to you is a good idea.

Uea, Bed Friend

Do I need to explain this one? As @bengiyo says, dick is not magical and it cannot fix you. Uea, please enlist the help of a licensed professional to work through those mountains of trauma.

Kiyoi, Utsukushii Kare

I am honestly so proud of you already my guy, you have grown leaps and bounds in your ability to communicate with your partner. That said, you have plenty of your own shit still to work through and Hira is a real next level psychological minefield, so you definitely need help.

Tien, La Pluie

Who takes care of the caretaker? Certainly not any of the self-centered assholes you have surrounded yourself with, baby bro. You deserve someone who will actually pay attention to you.

Gun and Cher, A Boss and A Babe

These two get a two-for-one deal, straight into couples counseling so they can learn how to tackle things as a team rather than running their own schemes for the others' benefit without communicating.

Bonus: Jae Won, The Eighth Sense

I know he is already in therapy but it is very important that he continues and I just want to make that crystal clear. If we ever get that rumored season two I better see you at that office looking through the fishbowl lens every week.

Ask my top 5 anything in bl

[switchcase]

"There is nothing inherently wrong with talking about these things, but there is a way that western society currently engages with trauma that is extremely Freudian and rather useless to everyone involved."

I'm very curious about this - please could you explain more?

Freudian psychology is, basically, this idea that if anything is currently maladaptive with your behavior or way of thinking, then it stems from some adverse childhood experience. The term "anal retentive" actually comes from this--Freud theorized that if you were obsessed with order and control then something bad must have happened during the psychosexual period of development focused on your anus that caused you to be like that in adulthood, whether you remembered it or not or whether you felt it was true or not.

Current western culture is very into this idea that anything currently wrong with you must be because of your past and it must have been something traumatic that happened. It frames the human experience as this very stagnant, inert thing that you are simply saddled with rather than something you have any semblance of control over. It devalues positive and negative experiences both by pretending that only trauma could possibly influence your behavior, when every single experience and interaction you have affects you.

Combined with western individualism and it becomes not a discussion of trauma, how to support each other as a community and as people, how to address traumatic events, but instead a fixation on what makes ME different and why I act the way I do and why it is completely ok for ME to behave that way regardless of how I affect others. It is not about actually unpacking experiences, not about healing, but only labelling them because now that is your identity. Add in this idea of the self as a brand, the self as a commodity, the self as an image to sell, and you get trauma as its own brand. This is how you get articles about the president gaslighting the nation, how you get people selling crystals for $300 to heal your inner child, people on Etsy selling DBT worksheets you could have gotten for free, how you get data tracking mental health apps that report your depression to your boss, how you get therapy speak and accusations of abuse if a friend group breaks up, how you get people who decide that anything unpleasant that happened to them was clearly traumatic rather than simply unpleasant because if it's NOT traumatic why would it affect them so much? It becomes competition--in a capitalist society wherein everything you are is a weapon against everyone else, why wouldn't it be a competition for who has it worse, better, whose story is most unique, how else can it be monetized? This is how you get abuse terminology watered down, weaponized, thrown out for shock value and social gain.

None of this is how you actually work on anything, though. The BIGGEST thing that prevents someone from developing long term maladaptive behaviors after experiencing trauma is a support system. But in the midst of all this talk on trauma in the west, because it is all so individualistic and self-serving, everyone is still so achingly alone. This fixation on trauma is not actually preventing other people from being traumatized on a wide scale. It is not helping people who are already traumatized. Talking is a great help, awareness of these things is so essential to preventing more hurt, but this is not what is happening on a wide scale amongst every day people. Because on a wide scale westerners have not formed an actual community, have not formed any community safety nets, do not point each other to community resources.

[thewitcheslibrary]

Grounding 101

Grounding and centering are two of the most important things a witch should know, especially because they often work with energy. The purpose of grounding and centering is to stabilise your energy, draw energy from the Earth, and produce a positive state of being.

Your energy reflects your emotions. It's your "vibe", where your mind has strayed, when you get goosebumps, frightened sweats, or happy tears.

I am sure you can feel your vitality if you concentrate hard enough. Unground energy might feel "fluttery": a racing heart, butterflies in the stomach, and stray thoughts. Noticing your energy is the first step towards grounding, and the more you practise it, the better you will get at tuning in.

Your energy is the first line of protection for how you move through the world: do you recall the proverb "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me"? Words have the potential to injure or heal, depending on your energy level. Have you ever felt that someone's words punched you in the gut? They basically pummelling your energies (particularly your solar plexus). Sometimes the punch continues to strike even after the person who delivered it has left. Anyone who follows the news knows this for certain! But it's not only about the "bad" stuff; when we're very excited about something, it may be tough to stay in the moment as we wait.

Even if you don't receive one of those gut-punches, you might sometimes lose your energy. Have you ever felt like you arrived home but your thoughts was still in the grocery store? Grounding your energy in your area can help you set clear limits for who gets your energy and when. It might make you feel comfortable and supported rather than unbound. Grounding may help those who don't have a secure physical spot to call home, as well as anybody dealing through trauma and facing triggers, discover a safe place within themselves while they manage the issue.

How to ground yourself-

Take a deep, deep inhalation through your nostrils and hold for a second. Exhale through your mouth until all of your breath is out. Repeat as many times as necessary to feel present.

Position both feet or hands firmly on the ground and concentrate on the four corners of your palms or soles in succession. Focus on your base to feel as stable as possible.

Take a bath or shower and cleanse yourself from the top down. Focus on sending unnecessary or unbalanced energy down with the water.

Take a few deep breaths while picturing a ball of light at the base of your spine. Use your mental skills to imagine it spinning and spinning, catching any loose energy (like spinning cotton candy into a bundle), and then pushing it down into the earth. For a more in-depth ritual, repeat this process for each of your energy centres, beginning at the top and working your way down.

To anchor yourself in your environment, sprinkle salt on the floor and spend a few seconds visualising it shining with rainbow light, connecting with your own light and bringing down any unwanted energy. Then sweep up the salt and discard it.

Make any activity that needs your focus into a grounding ritual: making coffee, combing your hair, writing, gardening, cooking, or anything else that speaks to your spirit and keeps you in the present now.

Light a candle and focus your attention on the flame. Firegazing has been psychologically proved to help focus your mind and relax your energies. If you're using a scented candle, take deep breathes and enjoy the aroma and warmth.

Hold a grounding crystal or use a grounding essence during any of these tasks to summon extra help. Darker-colored stones tend to be the most grounding, although even rock from outside works (and may even work best).

[i-literally-cant-with-this]

A/N ::: Yes. I have a thing for Professor Reiner. Yes, I have a thing for gray khakis. Yes, I have a thing for sleeping Reiner. I tried and tried and fucking tried to read this as well as I could. But it got to the point where I literally could NOT bring myself to read it again. So if there are any awful grammatical or spelling errors, lmk.

C/W ::: Some weird fucking dynamics going on here. y/n crying, Reiner in power position, then he's calling her Miss, Good Girl etc., somno stuff, oral {f 2 m} {m 2 f}, unprotected wall/door sex, oral again w/cum eating. MDNI, pls.

WC ::: 5334k

You find yourself going to your psychology professor's office. It's well after office hours but you stand outside of where he is and listen to him for a while. He doesn't do anything but let out the occasional groan when he stretches and takes a sip of his amber colored liquor. The ice clinks in the crystal tumbler. It sounds so pretty.

You run your fingers over his name engraved on a small piece of metal that's been attached to the door:

Professor Reiner Braun, PsyD Psychology/Sociology

It looks so beautiful to your teary eyes.

You don't know why you went to him. But you're regretting your choice. Because he told you one time, "If you ever need help with anything, don't hesitate to come by my office. If I'm there, we can talk. Ok?" His smile was so wholesome. You wanted to believe that he meant anything, but now, you feel like you should know better than that. You've had such a crush on him for so long. It had gotten to the point where you were starting to see little things that he does and romanticize them.

You were starting to believe that when he straightened up his hair, his eyebrows, his goatee, rolled up his sleeves, adjusted his pants ... you were starting to believe that he was doing all of that for you. Not simply because he felt the need to fix something on his person. And though he never looked at you directly for any extended period of time, he would still check in with you on occasion.

That's something, right?

Right??

He heard the soft, yet desperate knocking on his door and the small sobs through your hiccups. It was hard to see through the door, but he could at least make out a person's figure on the other side. The small voice in the back of his head told him not to get involved in whatever this was. Whoever you were, would leave eventually. If only he could stay quiet. Maybe you, whoever you were, wouldn't know he was in there, sipping his day away. But the persistent knocking and sniffing, it started to get to him and he decided he can't exactly leave you out in the hallway to work through whatever troubles you're having.

You see him stand up from his desk through the thick chiseled glass and head over to you. Your heart skipped a few beats as his large frame got closer and closer.

The door cracked open and he peered out of the tiny space. Clearing his throat before he said anything, "Ye-yes?"

His voice sounds like God's.

"Professor Brau-Braun?" You tried pulling on the door to open it up a little more but he wouldn't give up his grip on the knob. "Can I, can I come in? Please?" You weren't above begging.

"I uh, I'm not having office hours right now. It's not a good idea for you to be here. But can I schedule some time for you tomorrow?" He was slurring his words. More than a little, too.

"I really feel like this can't wait until tomorrow, Professor. Please? Please can't I come in and sit for a while? Hm?"

He scoffed and pinched the space between his eyes at the top of his nose. "No - no. I can't right now. I just ... it's a bad time." The door was still held firm in his grip. You know this because you tried to open it again.

You fiddled with the hem of your skirt and locked eyes with him. "Professor, I need ... to come in."

His eyes were so piercing, but you couldn't look away. "You don't need ... to do anything."

You didn't even know what you were going to say to him once you got inside his office. But you were desperate and he was your last chance. You couldn't go home. And you couldn't go to your best friend's house. She would just tell you to suck it up.

You had no one else.

And you couldn't deal with it anymore.

"Professor, I don't ... I don't know what to do anymore." Your voice was barely above a whisper. "I need ... help."

His eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I really don't think I can help you with ... that. There's a psychologist on campus, you can make an appointment with her."

You shook your head. "It's not ... it's not that kind of help. I don't ... I don't know how to explain it. But I need someone to talk to."

"Well, I'm not really a talking person. Sorry. I'll see you in the next lecture. Good night, y/n." He pushed the door closed. Right in your face.

You slid down the wall outside his office, crying harder than when you got there. His shadow still covered the door as he stood there. Probably trying to drown out your pitiful whimpers.

After a few minutes, he walked back over to his desk and sat down. You heard the ice dancing around against the crystal again and wished that you could go in and have a drink with him. You were over 21. It was legal for you to drink. It was legal for you to do nearly anything you wanted. So what was the problem?

15 minutes passed and you were still sitting on the floor. Still crying, still wanting him.

"Miss L/n. Are you still sitting out there?" He asked, still slurring his words.

"Yes. I'm still here."

You heard him sigh and get up from his chair. You could feel his footsteps coming towards the door.

He opened it up and stared down at you. His shirt was unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up 3/4 of the way. His hair was a complete mess.

He'd never looked better to you.

"Jesus fuck, girl. Get up." He grabbed you by the arm and pulled you up with ease. "What's wrong with you, anyway?" He asked as he shut the door behind you and locked it.

You wiped away some of your tears and tried to compose yourself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I'll just leave."

He grabbed you by the wrist. "Real-fucking really? You sit outside of my office for 20 minutes, crying and sniveling about some shit - I don't know. And now you're just volunteering to leave me alone? You're even more fucked up than I am, Miss ..."

"L/n. Y/n L/n." You told him.

"I know your fucking name. You don't really have a choice anymore. You came to me for help, right?"

You nodded, wiping away more tears.

"Well, you're not leaving then. Sit down." He pointed to a chair that was in front of his desk. But you went over to the small couch against the wall.

You sat down, one leg folded under you and the other just kind of out there. He followed you and let himself fall down on the opposite end of the couch. He propped his elbow up on the arm of the couch and rested his head in his hand.

"So, what's bothering you, Miss?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it. Can we just sit here and be quiet for a little bit?"

"Absolutely. I love it when people like you come by. Just wasting my time like this. Would you like some cucumber water? Perhaps a hot towel." He rolled his eyes.

"No, no, of course not. Just want to sit and be quiet." You smiled to yourself.

"What are you smiling at?" He asked.

"Nothing. Y-you just look, disheveled." Fixing how you were sitting, you felt yourself blushing at how he looked. He was a hot mess.

"Yeah, well, I had a few too many drinks. Had a rough day. No big deal." He looked at you, his eyes glazed over. He licked his lips and shrugged his shoulders.

You nodded. "I can tell." You said, gesturing to the bottle of scotch on the table.

"I'm not some kind of alcoholic, if that's what you're implying."

"No! No, no, no, no, of course not." You nodded and rolled your eyes. "Just an observation. Nothing more."

He laughed. "You're funny. I didn't know you had it in you."

"What do you mean?" You asked.

"I mean, you're always so quiet and reserved. I didn't know you had such a sense of humor."

You blushed harder. "I'm not really funny. It's just that ... I don't know." You trailed off.

"I mean, you're a good kid. You get good grades. You seem to know what you're doing with your life. Not like me." He gestured to the mess on his desk.

"Well, you're a doctor. That's really impressive."

He scoffed. "I don't really care about that. I just want to be ... something. I don't know what. I just have no idea how to do that. So, I just drink and think about it. Like a fucking moron." He laughed again.

"Maybe you can figure it out. Just ... try new things?"

He nodded. "Yeah, maybe. I'm not really ... motivated to do much, though."

"Well, maybe you just need a push you in the right direction." You told him.

"Like what?" He asked. "What direction is that?" He scooted closer to you and brushed your hair out of your face.

You looked back at him. "I ..." You swallowed the spit that had pooled in your mouth. "I ... whatever? Whatever you want. I don't know."

He smirked. "That's ok. You're cute. I think I get what you mean." He scooted closer and brushed your hair back again. "You're so fucking pretty."

"I'm sorry? I'm not really ..." You shook your head. "I'm not really." You wanted to lunge at him. To kiss him all over his face and work your way down his neck to his bared chest. "I'm not." You said again.

"Yes, you are." He brushed your cheek. "You are."

"Professor Braun, I mean, You've been drinking. You've got whiskey goggles on." You tried to convince him that he wasn't attracted to you right now.

He nodded. "Yeah, shit. Yeah maybe. Ok. Well, do you want to talk about whatever landed you here in my office in the first place? You ready to do that yet?" He leaned back against the couch.

You nodded. "Ok, yes. We can talk."

He nodded and rubbed his face with his hands. "Ok. Talk." He cleared his throat and laid his head against the armrest.

All you could see was his neck. His adam's apple bob when he would take another drink. His shirt was still unbuttoned. You almost felt like you were spying on him as your eyes took him in in this drunken state. He didn't seem like the same man who rejected you earlier. And you grew more and more sorry that you had almost tried to turn him away.

You started talking. About your struggles with everything, and even your desire to do more with your life. But you never looked at him while you talked. You just looked at your fingers that were fiddling with each other in your lap and with your skirt.

You didn't know how much time had passed. But when you were done talking, you felt a little lighter. You felt like you could breathe again. You could think without it hurting.

You looked over at him and he was snoring, his mouth agape, his breathing steady. You couldn't help but stare.

His breaths were slow and relaxed. Your eyes trailed from his lips down to his chest. A light, but full coating of blonde chest hair covered him. It was too tempting to leave alone.

You said his name a few times to test whether or not he was even slightly awake. "Professor Braun?" You cleared your throat. "Aheh, Profes- um, Braun? R-Rei-Reiner?" You dared to say his first name. No response whatsoever. His body didn't twitch. His breathing didn't change.

You scooted closer to him. Your eyes still fixed on his chest.

You didn't know what came over you, but you started rubbing his chest. It was so soft and warm. You traced the outline of his pecs and even toyed with his nipples. They were hard and perky in no time.

You leaned in and pressed your lips to them, gently nibbling on them.

His breathing hitched. Just for a moment. But then he started snoring again.

You moved further down his body and unbuttoned his pants. You unzipped them and pulled his underwear down just enough to see his cock. It was thick and veiny and just begging to be sucked.

You leaned in and took him into your mouth. He tasted like sweat and salt and man. You licked and sucked his shaft, tasting every inch of him. You raised your head up and let a fat string of spit dribble down from your lips to land on the head of his half-hard cock. Once the connecting spit between the two of you snapped, you started to stroke him.

He just laid there. Unknowingly getting off in your hand.

That's what you thought, anyway. His breathing changed. His chest rose and fell higher and deeper.

You did your best to put him back in his pants. But he was so big that there was little to no chance of you getting them zipped.

You crawled on top of him and straddled his hips. You could feel his cock between your legs. You rocked back and forth.

"Mmm ..." He groaned. His hands raised up from his sides and slid up your thighs to your waist.

"Shit! Shit shit." You got back down to where you were sitting on the couch before you started all of this insanity. "Um, hey ... well look who's awake. You're a really good listener, y'know." You tried joking to distract from his fucking raging erection. Like he's not remember his clothes being mostly in tact before he fell into his cat nap.

He nodded and stretched his arms over his head. "Yeah, I'm a real peach, huh?"

You nodded. "So, are you going to go home tonight? Do you want me to call you an Uber or something?"

He looked down at his unzipped pants and his cock sitting proudly outside of his boxers. "Umm ... I don't know what just happened. But ... I ... should we talk about it?"

You shook your head. "Nothing happened. Noth- I mean, you were moving in your sleep a bit and I looked over at you and saw ... I thought you were scratching yourself? Anyway, you should have a doctor check out your brain. This sort of thing could get you into trouble, Rei - Iiii mean, Professor Braun."

He smirked. "Yeah? Scratching myself huh. That's the best you could come up with? Maybe I should ... do something else." He looked up at you. "Come on. Scratching myself. Not really buying it, y/n. Tell me the truth. I may be a total washout and a piece of shit, but stupid? I'm not stupid." He tugged on his cock before letting out a little moan from the deepest part of the back of his throat. And then he let go of himself. He just sat there. Looking intently at you as you turned the most beautiful shade of red he'd ever seen.

It made your cunt throb.

"What'sa matter. Pussy got your tongue." You stood from the couch and in a whisper-yell said to him, "No ... no-nothing has my tongue. Jesus. You're so crude." The more you walked around the more you noticed your panties sticking to you. His sloppy, unkempt state was too sexy to ignore.

He got up and walked to stand behind you, not bothering to put his cock away. You could feel his hot breath on the back of your neck as he leaned in to your ear.

"Am I, though? Am I crude? Or am I ... everything you ever wanted me to be? Hm? You fuckin' think I don't see you staring daggers into me when I'm giving a lecture? You think I'm that oblivious. Maybe you're the one that's stupid." Professor Reiner ghosted his large hands over your shoulders and his breathing stuttered. "No retort? Miss ... Miss smarty pants?"

You turned around and gasped when you actually saw how close he was standing to you. His dick, the only thing between you. He began stroking himself. His brow furrowing as his attention was set on you. He reached out with his free hand and pulled your forehead to his.

"Are you going to leave? The door's right there, Miss."

"You tryin' to get rid of me?" You asked as your faces were centimeters apart. He shook his head, "Cut the shit. Why'd you come here tonight. Was it this?" He shook his cock at you. "Me? Or you just looking for someone to listen to you whine about your little baby problems?" He sounded like he was getting annoyed with you. And you couldn't blame him.

The question caught you off guard, really. Why did you come here, you wondered. You couldn't remember your own birthday when he was standing this close to you.

"I ... I ..." you tried.

"You don't know why the fuck you came here, do you. You're just some desperate little girl who wants her professor to make her feel better. I get it. I do. But don't ... fuck with me." He looked at you and his eyes were still glazed over, but you knew he wasn't drunk anymore. He was just ... him.

"I didn't come here to fuck with you, Professor. I'm sorry I came here at all." You told him.

He shook his head. "No, no. You're not going anywhere. I haven't even gotten started with you yet." He said as he pushed you down onto the couch. He got on his knees and spread your legs apart. He gently lifted your right leg and draped it over his shoulder as he started to kiss your inner thigh. The sounds his mouth made on your body were incredible. And he was sucking on your skin like he was trying to take a bite out an overly ripe peach.

You couldn't believe how rough he was being with you. It was like he couldn't wait to taste you. He moved his tongue further up your thigh and stopped right at the hem of your panties. He breathed in deeply and groaned.

"Fuck. You smell so fucking good. I'm going to eat you alive, Miss." He moved his hands up to your hips and tugged at your panties. You raised your ass up from the couch so he could pull them off of you. He wasted no time in stuffing them in his mouth and groaning. Tasting you.

"Oh fuck. Oh, you taste amazing, Miss." He leaned back in and sucked on your clit. It was so sensitive that you almost yelped.

He grabbed your ass and squeezed it as he devoured you. His tongue was licking every inch of your pussy. And then he moved his hand up your body to your neck. He squeezed it just enough to make you feel a little lightheaded.

You moaned and rocked against his mouth, the friction of his goatee rubbing against your cunt felt like heaven.

He stood up and licked his lips before he started stroking his cock again. "You're a dirty little slut, aren't you? My little goody goody cumdrop, hm?" He smirked.

You nodded. "Yes, Professor. I want to be your good little cumdrop."

He chuckled. "Is that so? Well, let's see if you can handle it." He knelt down in front of you again and lined himself up with your entrance. He pushed inside of you, slowly but firmly.

"Oh, fuck. You're so fucking tight. Jesus. You really are a little slut. Hm? I bet you've never been fucked like this before. Never been fucked by a man. Huh? Yeah, fuck. Oh fuck. Oh, y/n. Fuck." He was fucking you so hard that the couch was squeaking. "Fuck, you're so tight. Oh my God. Yes. Fuck. Yes. Oh fuck, yes." He pulled out of you and sat there for a couple of minutes trying to compose himself before he came everywhere.

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He looked at it for a moment and then handed it to you. "What do you want me to do with this?" You asked.

"I don't know. Just hold it for a minute." He said. He got on his knees again and started sucking your clit. He rubbed his goatee against it while he flicked his tongue over it. You couldn't stop yourself from moaning.

"Oh, fuck. Fuck, yes. Yes. Oh my God, yes. Yes!" You screamed as you came all over his face. He lapped it up like he'd never tasted anything so sweet. He sat back and wiped his face with his sleeve. "Fuck, that was good. So fucking good." He looked at his phone and snatched it back from you. He turned it on and started tapping away.

"What are you doing?" You asked.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Just ... don't worry about it." He set his phone on his desk and started to button up his shirt. "I think we should both get some rest. You should go home. And I have ... I have ... something to do." He picked up his bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass.

"What could you possibly have to do at," you glanced at the clock on the wall, "12:47 in the morning."

He shrugged. "I dunno. Don't worry about it. Just go home, ok?" He gestured to the door.

You nodded and pulled your clothes back on. You felt used and dirty and gross.

"Um, well, goodnight." You said as you headed towards the door.

"Hey, Miss? Y/n?" He called after you.

You turned around. "Yes, Professor Braun?"

"Um, don't tell anyone about ..."

You tilted your head to the left. Glaring at him and pursing your lips. "OH, oh. About? That? Oh, heavens no. I won't tell anyone ..." you raised your voice so much the janitorial staff could hear you, "I WON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT HOW YOU JUST ATE MY PUSSY AND FUCKED ME AND KICKED ME OUT OF YOUR OFFICE. NO SIR'EE. YOUR SECRET ABOUT HOW YOU LIKE TO FUCK STUDENTS AND THEN KICK THEM OUT IS 100% SAFE WITH ME. You're an asshole. You're a pathetic, pitiful asshole. No wonder you drink alone in your office at night. You were probably hoping someone would come see you. Enjoy your scotch you sack of shit." You didn't wait for him to respond. You just stormed out and slammed the door behind you.

He chuckled to himself and finished his drink. "That went well." He said to himself.

And then he pulled his phone out again and started typing away.

You got back to your apartment and couldn't sleep. You just stared at the ceiling thinking about what happened. Thinking about how you wanted to slap him. You wished you hadn't given him the time of day. You wished you hadn't told him about anything.

You were so mad at yourself. You felt like a complete idiot.

And then your phone lit up with a message from an unknown number.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You're a good girl. I was a dick. I'm sorry." It said.

You rolled your eyes. "Who the fuck is this?" You typed back.

"It's me. Professor Braun."

You rolled your eyes again and shook your head. "Why the fuck are you texting me? Go to hell." You wrote back.

"I know I was an ass. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you. I knew you were going through something and I just ... used it to my advantage. I'm sorry."

You scoffed. "Oh, now you're sorry? Fuck off. Go get fucked." You wrote back.

He didn't reply. And you hoped he got the message. That he couldn't just apologize and expect everything to be ok. That you weren't just some easy target that he could use whenever he wanted.

You weren't going to let him get away with it. Not anymore.

You got out of bed and started looking for your keys. You were going to go back to his office and tell him off. Tell him how much of a dickhead he was and how he was never going to get away with treating people like this.

You slammed the door to your apartment shut and started walking down the street.

You were going to make him pay for what he did. One way or another.

As you walked, you remembered his face when he was eating your pussy. How his eyes were closed and his lips were puckered as he moaned into your cunt. You remembered how his goatee felt on your skin and how he would suck on your clit.

You remembered how he looked at you when he was fucking you. How his eyes were almost glazed over. Like he wasn't even there. Though he'd never felt more present for anything in his life.

You wondered if he ever looked at anyone like that. If he ever let go of himself. You wondered if he was just using you as an outlet for whatever he had been holding back.

You got to his office and saw that the light was still on. You pushed open the door and saw him sitting at his desk, his head in his hands.

"I knew you would come back." He said without looking up.

You scoffed. "Oh yeah? How?"

"Because I would have come back too. If I were you." He nodded. "I know it sounds cheesy, but I really am sorry. I just ..." he trailed off.

"You just what? Thought you could use me and toss me aside? Like I'm some fucking toy?" You shook your head. "Not fucking cool. You're a fucking adult, Reiner." You brought your fingers to your lips as you realized you called him by his first name. It didn't seem to phase him in the slightest.

"I know. I know." He stood up and walked over to you slowly. Deliberately, but slowly. "I was an asshole. And I shouldn't have done that."

"Then why did you?" You asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just ... I just felt like I couldn't tell you anything. I didn't think you'd care. And I'm ... I'm not good with words. I'm not good with anything."

You shook your head. "That doesn't excuse what you did. That's not any kind of excuse at all. If you know you're going to be a piece of shit, then stop yourself before it gets to that point. Yeah?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah." He put a hand up to your stomach and tugged on your clothing.

"Yeah?" You asked again. Reiner stepped a little closer to you. His hard cock tenting out his gray khakis. You were still so pissed at him, but you saw right through the act. You saw what he was trying to do. But you had admitted to yourself on the way back to his office that you wanted him again. Despite his shitty treatment of you.

He swallowed hard next to your ear and again said, "Yeah." And in a flash he'd picked you up and wrapped your legs around his waist. Slamming you into the door, he pressed himself into you while he kissed you hard. Apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Miss. I was such a piece of shit. Please, please ya gotta forgive me, please. Oh God, Miss. You feel so fucking good pleasepleaseplease, fuck." He rambled on and on as he fucked you against the door.

"Oh God, oh fuck, Miss. Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're such a fucking good girl. You're so smart and hot. Please, Miss. I don't deserve you but please. Fuck, I'm sorry. So sorry. So sorry." He continued his stream of consciousness as he fucked you.

His hips slammed into yours and he held your ass in place so he could get deeper inside of you. Letting you slide down the door just a couple of inches. That was all you both needed to coerce your bodies to explode.

He came first, his cock twitching inside of you as he filled you up with his cum. And you followed right after, your juices coating his cock as he pushed in and out of you a few more times. Your tight pussy squeezing the last precarious drops of cum from his dick.

He let you down gently and kissed your forehead. "I'm sorry, Miss. I really am sorry."

You nodded and brushed his hair out of his face. "I know. I can tell." You smiled at him. "Now, what's this about you having no idea what you want to do with your life?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I just ... I don't know. I want to do something. But I don't know what that something is."

You nodded. "Ok. Well, what do you like? What do you do for fun?"

He thought for a minute. "I uh, um ..." he gently guided you back to the couch and pushed you down to sit. "I like this." He kissed your ankle, working his way up your left leg until he reached the hem of your skirt. "Different panties. These ... are mine now." He stuffed them against his nose and inhaled deeply. "Yeah, mine," he told you as he tucked them into the waistband of his pants. "Now ... where was I ... oh yesss." He put your heels up on the edge of the couch, folding your knees up closer to your chest. "Look at that. Look at all that cum just dripping from that pretty pussy of yours. M'gonna clean you up, Miss." He looked at you waiting for you to give him the permission to feast on your cummy cunt.

You raised your left eyebrow, "What the fuck are you waiting for? Eat it, Reiner. FUCKING EAT IT."

He nodded, "Yes ma'am." And leaned in, his mouth making the filthiest, most delicious noises on your pussy. Licking, sucking, biting, he did everything you ever dreamed of a man doing to your pussy. And then he started finger fucking you. His thick, calloused fingers pressing against your g-spot as he devoured you.

You couldn't hold back anymore. You came again and again. Until you couldn't take it anymore. And he continued to lick and suck and kiss your pussy, cleaning up every drop of cum he had given you. And every drop he'd drawn from you.

You couldn't believe how good he was. He was still apologizing, but you couldn't even hear him anymore. All you could pay attention to was the constant pulsing of your cunt. You'd cum so many times your ears were nearly ringing.

He sat back on his heels and smiled up at you, his face and goatee dripping with your cum. "Did you like that, Miss?" He asked.

You nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. God, yes." You said, barely able to speak. "But you ... you're still a piece of shit. Just ... don't be such a piece of shit next time." You told him.

He nodded. "I'll try. I'll try my hardest." He smirked and leaned in to kiss your inner thigh.

You shook your head. "No more. No more. Please, I can't take any more."

He nodded and stood up. "I'll let you get cleaned up. I'll ... I'll leave you alone. For now."

You smiled at him. "For now. Thank you."

He nodded. "No problem. You're welcome."

You walked over to the door and pushed it open. "Goodnight, Professor Braun."

He smiled. "Goodnight, Miss L/n."

As you walked home, you could breathe again. You didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. Or even the next day.

But you knew one thing for sure. You were going to make him pay for being such a dickhead. In the most delicious ways possible.

And that thought made you smile from ear to ear.

Tags ::: @callm3senpaii @arlerts-angel @bakubunny

[mystic-scorpio]

WHAT TO GIFT YOUR FRIENDS BASED ON THEIR ZODIAC SIGN

Can't come up with the perfect gift for your friend? All you need to know is their zodiac sign.

[This is PART 2 with only the last 6 zodiac signs. PART 1 link at the end]

[copyrights reserved ©️mystic-scorpio]

7. LIBRA

Libra(MALE):-

- air diffuser or purifier and a nice fragrance (to help them keep in touch with nature)

- a quote board (to keep them motivated and happy)

- chocolate with dried fruits and nuts (chocolate of their taste preference)

Libra(FEMALE):-

-Skincare like clay masks and sheet masks to keep them glowing 24/7.

-Cosmetics (a colorful eyeshadow pallet fit for the diva.)

-Gourmet chocolates with dried fruits and nuts.

8. SCORPIO

Scorpio(MALE):-

- an oversized moody coloured hoodie or jacket (since they are most comfortable in their own skin and have a safe space for themselves)

- crystal candles with a nice aroma and a long wick (these people love to live by the candlelight and a long wick so that they don't burn themselves)

- metallic bracelets, watches, tiepins or cufflinks with a edgy vibe (since scorpio is the house of death and transformation)

Scorpio(FEMALE):-

-Essential oil diffuser, bath salts and oils, and scented candles to keep their stress at bay

-perfumes (preferably woody scents)

-books(criminal mysteries, detective or horror stories)

-Elegant minimalistic silver accessories

9. SAGITTARIUS

Sagittarius(MALE):-

- sports apparels like spiked running shoes, ropes for climbing or skipping

- take them out for skydiving, bunjee jumping or car racing (sports that gives them a thrill)

- take them to a club, late at night and give them a dance floor to themselves to dance the night away

- exotic truffle chocolate collection with a variety of different fillings (they like to expand their edible variety)

Sagittarius(FEMALE):-

-A gourmet coffee sampler (because they are probably overthinking at night.)

-Metallic watches (they need to look as smart as they are)

-Shoes of their choice.

10. CAPRICORN

Capricorn(MALE):-

- a boxed chess set (no sign appreciates craftmanship and the art of strategy making more than them)

- ambitious people get stressed easily and nothing can it away more than a nice aromatic candle

- ruler of the house of legacies, they love antique products and anything that improves with time like an old grandfather clock

- blankets that are true to their form so as to keep them warm in their safe space

Capricorn(FEMALE):-

-Aesthetic phone covers (to reflect their cool personality)

- Hoodies (of their preferred color)

- Headphones (to keep the noise out while they concentrate)

-Books with a pinch of drama.

11. AQUARIUS

Aquarius(MALE):-

- being believers of the phrase, "reality is not what it seems", they love to ponder the infinite and bend boundaries of the mind, therefore reading psychological books would make sense

- latest trendy tech products such as wireless headsets, smartwatches would make them happy. They just have a knack for it.

- branded sneakers of vibrant colours

- plan a day out with them and invite all their friends since they are social butterflies

Aquarius(FEMALE):-

-They like to keep up with the trends, the latest electronic devices make them happy.

-Clothing items and accessories of vibrant colors to match their vibrant personalities

-A Polaroid camera to cherish the memories they make with the people they love.

12. PISCES

Pisces(MALE):-

- they would love romantic books with a happy ending

- they would really appreciate a heartfelt gift like a bouquet of flowers with a handwritten card inside it

- small gifts of high sentimental value such as an engraved photo frame to keep in their living room

- a nice small notebook to write down their thoughts when they overthink would be highly appreciated

Pisces (FEMALE):-

-Jewellery like earrings and bracelets to make these kind souls shine.

-A personalised gift like a picture album or a handmade scrap book to take them down the memory lane.

-A Spotify playlist made exclusively for them.

_____________________________________

[I do not own any of the pictures used here. Credit to their respective owners.]

A/N: Please remember that people are diverse and unique. Everybody may not act as per their zodiac sign. So this guide may not completely apply to the concerned person.

All advice are based on the general behaviour of the zodiac signs.

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Link to PART 1 :

[theriancultureis]

well, with what said i probably am something under this umbrella of non human terms i guess, its just hard figuring out what and im probably not the only one struggling, i mean tbh my pronouns aren't entirely human (they/it/clown/jester/jelly), i guess since my friends mentioned my animal like behaviour i just started to question myself a little more, which is definitely causing identify crisis. i guess since discovering therians it got me questioning lol

btw i just thought i would add that list of behaviour to maybe get some other viewpoints on it since im not an expert.

●biting/licking/urge to chew and taste with my mouth

●crawling alot and running up the stairs on all 4s (im around 15-17 now fyi)

●anything that dangles i have to play with it

●small spaces/dens>>>>>>

●randomly putting my hands in paw like shapes

●collecting/hoardin everything/anyting (i have a huge feather an crystal collection)

●randomly doing that animal/cat strech

●random animal like noises

●cant sit normally for the life of me

●the floor>>>chairs/beds

●my friends pointed out i always like to sit higher up the them?

●i used to pretend to be a pokemon/animal and find myself still doing it somtimes

(sorry its long lol, i dont know how much of it counts)

~💜🍂

its alright to not know what subtype you are, or not know what specific creature(s) you are!

some of these could potentially be related to autism, adhd, sensory disorders, or others, but being otherkin can also be linked to psychological reasons! (its actually not that uncommon for some to identify as cat therians due to autism-related reasons)

'fraid I really cant give more than that though, sorry1

[capricioussun]

I’d love to learn more about Dusk! Could I ask for some general info about him?

Of course! Dusk is one of my own personal favorites, not that I don’t love them all (except Boss and Snare they should die and explode forever /hj), but he’s just such a sweetheart and deserves the world <3

On the surface, Dusk actually doesn’t have a “proper” job. He is, unfortunately, way too disabled to do much of anything in any structured way, and spends most of his time really just figuring out how to live as comfortably as possible.

That being said, he and Eclipse have found and developed a number of accommodations for both his physical and psychological problems so he can still do things he enjoys! Which would mostly be gardening, cooking and baking, and taking care of cats. He can’t really read anymore, since his visions not great the majority of the time, but text to speech devices help a ton, so he can still enjoy all sorts of books. He’s working on being okay with movies.

He’s got a lot of appreciation for the world, and loves learning about everything and anything, so he’s always listening keenly whenever Eclipse returns from one of his ventures with stories and pictures.

He’s got a slow, easy life, and far prefers keeping to himself, though he’d do better if he had a few close friends (for example, in a “capricious skeletons” setting, where they all live together, he’d actually do really well making friends with some of the others, and would deeply appreciate the company).

It shouldn’t be any surprise he favors strays and older cats or cats with health problems, and they usually house anywhere between three to ten cats at any given time. Dusk is incredibly mindful of them and likewise, they take just as good care of him.

He requires a lot more sleep and physical rest than your average Papyrus, and sleeps in large “nests” rather than a bed, since it’s easier on his large, lanky frame, but you can imagine how much the cats adore this, and they can often be found napping around or even on him while he rests.

He has a not so secret soft spot for fantasy adventure type stories, so Eclipse likes to gift him all sorts of silly little (useful) knickknacks along that theme (like a sword styled letter opener, or a “crystal ball” paper weight). His brother doing this amuses him far more than the actual gifts, but he appreciates them very much all the same.

He likes to mend things, to what end he can. Broken planter, chipped cup, torn clothes; if it’s salvageable, and he can physically manage it, he’ll do his best to fix it. Even if it can’t be used for the same purpose anymore, something must be completely exhausted from all potential use before he’s truly willing to part with it. (Gee, wonder why…)

[travelingneuritis]

so i just binged all of KinnPorsche at a rate that is frankly unsuited to the human body (we’re talking wombs on trains here) and I have. I have thoughts. 

please talk to me about this show i am so unwell about it

1. Let’s get this out of the way Apo Nattawin is so beautiful he makes my stomach hurt. His beauty offends me. He is so hot that I’m sincerely upset and frightened. When he makes a facial expression (which he always! is doing! for some reason! on this television programme he was paid to act in??) it just makes everything worse. this man is a menace. He is now my faceclaim (spiritual or literal) for like 5 different blorbos. Watching him go on his KinnPorsche Face Journeys made me want to write original fiction again. I am appalled.

1.5. he has an absolutely impeccable balance of Brazen/Sincere/Game/Clueless. Like I am genuinely really impressed with the way he bounces between modes in this show, or (more often) overlaps them. he’s for sure going on the shelf next to XZ as WWX in terms of The Sunshine One Has Layers.

2. wow this show is horny!!!!!!!! just as worldbuilding!! everyone is beautiful and everyone fucks!! eat shit MCU!!!!

2.5. the main pairing: this is weird for me because I am actually so floored by Apo himself that it is very, very difficult to even look at anyone else while he is on the screen. The shapes his face makes are mesmerizing. His absolute commitment to expression. The way he feels twenty-three. So then this other (certainly very handsome) guy is like: Hi I’m obsessed with you, and I GET that, but I don’t as immediately get why Porsche would be reciprocally obsessed? because Kinn is like. hot and rich. which is almost an active turn-off for me at this point. Like if i accidentally consume another sexy-CEO property i am going to scromit.

For the most part I am content with: Kinn offered Porsche the powerful gateway drug of the First Gay Experience (and that comes across crystal clear, btw: Porsche’s youth and inexperience with gay shit contrasts beautifully with his grew-up-too-fast briskness and his sexual wordliness in matters not involving other men). However the show seems to be trying to sell me on this great romance, too, and at least on first viewing, I’ve mostly had to just take that one on faith. Maybe Porsche likes Kinn because Kinn takes care of shit so he can just be a slightly sloppy twenty-three-year-old for a little while longer, idk. Spoiler: don’t get used to it buddy :(

3. Vegas was, as expected, a Huge Problem For Me Personally. i honestly want him to push me into traffic. what an awful, loathsome, broken little man. So many issues. Cheekbones like the wrong side of an iceberg. it’s unfair for a man to look like that while behaving like that, and all with his shirt unbuttoned down to his cum gutters! call this hotline if you too have been personally victimized by Vegas Theerapanyakul.

3.5. i was prepared for VegasPete because i have gone on tumblr in the last year, but I still feel like there were some surprises there, and they were not the surprises I was expecting (lol?). I am a pretty hard sell when it comes to like, formalized BDSM, so the narrative’s reliance on physical chains and like, leather gear during the Actual Sex Scene was a bit of an impediment to me enjoying it the way I enjoyed KP’s completely messed up drug/poison-fueled bi/sexual awakening scenes against various reflective surfaces. However I am an easy, slutty sell on toxic messy bitches who share real sympathetic concern hidden by serious boundary/consent issues (see also: my entire stash of SVSSS bookmarks), so that offset the chains nicely! Holy shit did they squeeze some insane toxic psychological fuckery in there. Which is hot. I don’t want anyone on this show to be healthy.

3.6. it should be said, i can’t believe: a. anyone other than his dad could break Vegas; b. anything other than The Moral Concept Of Friendship could break Pete; c. Vegas could be broken by Pete; d. Pete could capably break Vegas. yet here we are :)

3.7. and yes, I regard Vegas as the one who gets Broken here; idrk what the general fandom take is, but it seems like pete doesn’t break so much as just eventually (traumatically? yeah!) Accepts a Thing About Himself. It’s Vegas that gets actually shattered by the experience.

4. the guy who plays Baby Brother Kim looks like a (much hotter, cooler, classier, SE Asian) justin bieber and appears to also be playing, essentially: a much hotter, cooler, classier justin bieber. this isn’t a problem or anything i actually think this actor and character is cute as a button and deliciously unnerving. but i wanted to put that out there. i think it’s the eyebrows and the little mouf, combined with the general air of douchebaggery.

4.5. I don’t really have strong opinions about KimChay. I think this is primarily because Chay seems really, really barely legal, to me. The show leans into the youthful first crush thing, and Chay’s actor also just looks really young. i will say that kim’s scumbag street fashion schtick is a nice foil for chay’s fresh-pressed khaki preciousness. I like them? they’re cute? in general i don’t go out of my way to root for this many overlapping ships (everyone’s brother is fucking each other’s brothers.......okay sure) or First Love type ships, so I don’t actually care if they like, Stay Together in the fictional future. but sure, they’re cute!

5. I didn’t love the resolution for the main pairing? I was happy with most of the ways the show did or did not tie up its loose ends but I don’t see why Porsche ended up “rewarded” with the leadership of the Minor Family. to him, isn’t this kind of a millstone? My mans just wants to open a sick beach bar and get rawed by his tittylicious cousin for the rest of his life, i fail to see how becoming branch manager for an evil empire he’s not even a part of is going to make him happy, although i can see why his uncle would regard that move as a consolidation of power. so while it’s presented as a happy ending, i find it bittersweet at best.

however, i am sure they will be fine :/

in summary: Wow What A Show! 10/10 Tits & Ass

[grimmwolf]

🤬z••s + supporters, anti therian, anti otherkin DNI🤬

🤬hunters, trappers, taxidermists, supporters DNI🤬

🤬animal part collectors/buyers/sellers, etc. DNI🤬

🤬vulture culture, “oddity” enthusiasts, etc. DNI🤬

……

“I’m just like you

Made by He

Despised by they

I’m almost me”

——

INTRO TIME cuz everyone else has one apparently-

Asks are always open btw :)

Ps. That means ask me things :)

Helloooo my name’s Maddy or Grimm. This is my Therian & Otherkin etc. blog. So I’ll be posting and reblogging whatever kin related stuff here, some memes maybe. Anyhow, here’s…

Some stuff about me~

• I’m 19 years old in this body, and my birthday is on the 25th of May.

• I’m a straight cis female, so she / her pronouns would do just fine.

• I’ve been awakened since about 2014 ish, and I’m a spiritual Therian, Otherkin, Alterhuman, Nonhuman, Fictionfolk / Fictionkin, however you wanna call it 😂 Meaning I believe all if not most of my identities / kintypes are rooted from alternate lives, such as: Past, Future, Parallel, and Dream lives.

• Only a handful of my identities I’ve discovered are semi psychological tho. But they are not derived from imprinting, neurodivergence, or trauma. I also prefer to use the term identity, instead of therio / kin / ficto type etc.

• The label I use most in terms of my nonhumanity, is Omninonhuman! A term I coined for myself. Meaning I identify as all animals, beings, creatures, nature, etc. Basically anything and everything that’s nonhuman! Including, but not limited to: All earthly and non-earthly animals, beings, creatures, extant, extinct, insects, dirt, grass, plants, trees, flowers, fungi, rocks, stone, metals, crystals, water, land, sky, clouds, biomes, magical, mystical, mythical, mythological, supernatural, celestial, cosmic, galactic, divine, holy, unholy, infernal, universal, etc. Though, I connect more with wolves, or just canines in general lol.

• I have depression, social anxiety, body and species dysphoria. Are name, personality and voice dysphoria a thing as well, perhaps? Lol.

Some fandoms I’m in + interests of mine~

• Animals

• Anime

• Art

• Black Butler

• Canines

• Creepypasta

• Demon Slayer

• Detroit: Become Human

• Dinosaurs

• Dragons

• Dungeons and Dragons

• Fantasy

• Five Nights at Freddy’s

• Genshin Impact

• Harry Potter

• Hazbin Hotel

• History

• Hobbit

• How to Train Your Dragon

• James Cameron’s Avatar

• Jujutsu Kaisen

• Lord of the Rings

• Marvel

• My Hero Academia

• Obey Me!

• Omegaverse

• Paleontology

• Period Pieces

• Photography

• Pokémon

• Red Dead Redemption 2

• Sci - Fi

• SCP Containment Breach

• Slenderverse

• Supernatural

• Twilight

• Wings of Fire

• Wolves

• Zoology

Some hobbies of mine~

• Adding pins on Pinterest

• Collecting Merch ( Figures, plushes, posters, etc. )

• Creating playlists on Spotify

• Drawing

• Listening to music

• Photography

• Playing video games

• Reading

• Sleeping

• Watching YouTube

• Writing

Some fun facts about me~

• I absolutely love animals. I aspire to be an Animal & Nature Conservationist / Own an animal rescue ( domestic or wild ). I am against all forms of animal abuse, agriculture, cruelty, exploitation, use, etc., as I am a vegan at heart, and so I do not support the therian real animal part gear obsession. If you support that or other related things, do not interact with me.

• I absolutely love talking about my alternate / past lives, even though I may not know a whole bunch about them. And I would be more than happy to listen to others speak of their lives as well! Alternate / past lives in general are all very intriguing to me

• I’m a huge fan of Pewdiepie and Markiplier. I watch their videos everyday, they just make me so happy. I love to laugh, and they make me laugh more than anyone honestly. They’re my gods lol

• I have a habit of either capitalizing words that don’t abide by the laws of human grammar. Or I alphabetize every thing I list. Oh, and my favorite colors are beige, black, cream, gold, gray, lavender, tan, and white :3

……

…Did you notice it?

Anyway! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a spiritual otherkin. Meaning I believe I’ve had past or alternate lives of my kintypes! That being said, here are…

My identities / types’~

( From first discovered to most recently discovered, assume all are confirmed )

• Angel

• Fallen Angel

• Earth Angel

• Dinosaur / Paleo / Raptor Shifter

• Merfolk / Draconic - Like Sea Being

• Divine Leader / Goddess

• Spirit / Universe / Goddess / Guardian

• Demon / Unidentified Being / Other bbkin ( Black Butler )

• Canine Cryptid / Shifter / Werecanine / Werewolf / Werefolk

• Alien / Angel / Unidentified Being

• Draconic Fae / Shifter

• Standard / Traditional / European / Western Dragon / Wyvern / Shifter

• Eywa / Na’vi / Pandoran

• Night / Light Fury / Goddess / Other httydkin

• Dragon / Other ratldkin

• Fae

• Other Mariokin

• Other Spyrokin

• Other Kirbykin

• Blue / Sea / SeaWing / Water Dragon

• Desert / Sand Dragon / SandWing

• Forest / Green / Nature Dragon

• Celestial / Cosmic Dragon

• Abyssal / Eldritch Dragon

• Black / Darkness Dragon / NightWing

• Gold / Golden Dragon

• Fire / Red Dragon / SkyWing

• Air / Blue / Sky / Wind / White Dragon

• Ancient / Imperial / Standard / Traditional Asian / Eastern Dragon

• Other WoFkin

• Omni Pokémonkin / Other Pokémonkin

• Other GenshinImpactkin

• Other LionKingkin

• Other mhakin ( My Hero Academia )

• Other RDR2kin ( Red Dead Redemption 2 )

• Other Alpha&Omegakin

• Other Marvelkin

• Other Supernaturalkin

• Other Twilightkin

• Other Creepypastakin / Proxykin / Slenderversekin

• Android / Divine Cryptid / Eldritch Angel

• Machine Shifter / Omni Machine kin / Other Horizon: Zero Dawn / Frozen Wilds / Forbidden West / Burning Shores / Call of the Mountain kin

• Other Omegaversekin

• Howl’s Moving Castle / Studio Gibli kin

• Aquatic / Dark / Drow / High / Light / Moon / Silvan / Snow / Sun / White / Wild / Wood Elfkin

• Other dbhkin ( Detroit: Become Human )

• Conceptkin / Dimensionkin / Existencekin / Galaxykin / Levelkin / Planekin / Realitykin / Realmkin / Worldkin / Universekin / Vibrationkin

• Other Twilightkin

• Other hbkin ( Helluva Boss ) / hhkin ( Hazbin Hotel )

• Dhampir / Vampire

• Other scpcbkin ( SCP Containment Breech )

• Other FarCrykin

• All Beast / Other bnakin ( Brand New Animal )

• Other Hook / Neverland / Pan / Peter Pan / Tinkerbell kin

• Other dndkin ( Dungeons and Dragons )

• Other potckin ( Pirates of the Caribbean )

• Other fbkin ( Fantastic Beasts ) / hpkin ( Harry Potter )

• Other Hobbit / lotrkin ( Lord of the Rings ) / Medievalkin / MiddleEarthkin

• Medievalkin / Other Skyrimkin

• Other Okamikin

• Other gowkin ( God of War )

• Other Grishaversekin / snbkin ( Shadow and Bone )

• Alien / Amphibian / Dinosaurian / Draconic / Kaiju / Machine / Mecha / Pandoran / Reptilian

• Other asekin ( Ark: Survival Evolved )

• Other revkin ( Resident Evil: Village )

• Dark Fae / Other Maleficentkin

• Other fnafkin ( Five Nights at Freddy’s )

• Other dskin ( Demon Slayer )

• Other jkkin ( Jujutsu Kaisen )

• Other trkin ( Tokyo Revengers )

• Chimera / Trico / Other tlgkin ( The Last Guardian )

• Alien / Avian / Canine / Draconic / Feline / Pandoran

• AI / Alien / Android / Bot / Canine / Code / Cyber / Cyberware / Droid / Drone / Future / Glitch / Hardware / Machine / Mech / Mecha / Program / Robot / Tech / Technology / Virus

• Other Transformerskin

• Other Cyberpunkkin

• Other ldrkin ( Love, Death & Robots )

• Other aotkin ( Attack on Titan )

• Other tgkin ( Tokyo Ghoul )

• Other gotkin ( Ghost of Tsushima )

• Other ackin ( Assassin’s Creed )

• Other twkin ( The Witcher )

• Other Nimonakin

• Lizard / Scavenger / Slugcat / Vulture / Etc. / Other rwkin ( Rain World )

• Alien / Alien Jackal / Alien Vulture / Bioraptor / Hellhound / Mud Demon / Etc. / Other Riddikkin

• Celestial / Cosmic / Divine / Galactic / Holy / Universal Creator / Deity / God / Goddess / Guardian / Saint / Planet / Solar System / Galaxy / Universe / Reality / Mother Earth / Life / Moon / Nature / Sun / Death / Light / Dark / Demeter / Gaia / Existence / Nonexistence / Etc.

• White War Wolf ( Asgardian / Marvel / Norse )

• Canine Spirit / Fox Spirit / Gumiho / Inugami / Kemonomimi / Kitsune / Komainu / Lion Dog / Magical Canine / Mythical Canine / Mythological Canine / Nine Tailed Fox / Nogitsune / Okami / Okami Spirit / Raccoon Spirit / Supernatural Canine / Tanuki Spirit / Wolf Spirit

• Child Luck Spirit

• Demon / Devil / Ecstasy / Emotion / Encubus / Euphoria / Feeling / Fiend / Heat / Hell / Hormone / Incarnate / Incubus / Infernal / Instinct / Love / Lust / Lust Incarnation / Pleasure / Primal / Romance / Rut / Sensation / Sex / Sexual / Sexuality / Stimulation / Succubus / Touch

• Other Spiritkin ( Spirit of the Cimarron )

• Other Elementalkin ( Disney )

• Other SlyCooperkin

• Other RiseoftheGuardianskin

• Other StrangeMagickin

• Other ObeyMe!kin

• Other MysticMessengerkin

• Other Otomekin / ShallWeDatekin / Voltagekin ( Dating Sims )

• Other KungFuPandakin

• Other Lucakin

•Other TurningRedkin

• Other Baldur’sGate3kin

• Other HotelTransylvaniakin

• Spirit / Wisp

• Other Siren’sLamentkin ( Webtoon )

• Other AnimalCrossingkin

• Other Tangledkin

• Other lolkin ( League of Legends )

• Other atkin ( Adventure Time )

• Mermaid / Selkie / Siren

• Alicorn / Hellhorse / Hippocampus / Kelpie / Magical Horse / Mythical Horse / Mythological Horse / Pegasus / Thestral / Unicorn

• Kirin / Magical Deer / Mythical Deer / Mythological Deer / Qilin / Peryton

• Centaur / Cervitaur / Faun / Satyr

• Griffin / Griffon / Gryphon / Hippogriff

• Amphiptere / Amphitere / Amphithere / Magical Avian / Mythical Avian / Mythological Avian / Phipthere / Phoenix / Quetzalcoatl

• Black Dog / Black Shuck / Canine Spirit / Church Grimm / Cu Sith / Fox Spirit / Enfield / Gumiho / Hellhound / Inugami / Kemonomimi / Kitsune / Komainu / Lion Dog / Magical Canine / Mythical Canine / Mythological Canine / Nine Tailed Fox / Nogitsune / Okami / Okami Spirit / Raccoon Spirit / Supernatural Canine / Tanuki Spirit / Wolf Spirit

• Other twdkin ( The Walking Dead )

• ( Behemoth ) / Gorgon / ( Gorgonus ) / ( Gorgun ) / Leviathan / ( Nag ) / Naga / Quetzalcoatl

• Other hsrkin ( Honkai Starrail )

As you can see from my identities listed, I have about 117 discovered identities, and most likely counting. I’d like to make it clear that I am not “adding to any kin list” or “kinning for fun”. I am completely certain and genuine about my alterhumanity and my many identities.

I have entire playlists of most of these lives on Spotify, that help me connect with them more. I figured out how to link my Spotify, give it a listen if you’d like. So here’s…

My Spotify~

……

Anywho, see ya! Also pls interact, I want friends / mutuals with similar kintypes 🥲

——

“I’m nearly human~

Look at me

I’m almost

A human being”

-Aurelio Voltaire • Almost Human

……

Ps. Here’s the song quoted as well ;D

[coopigeoncoo]

The 3-Cs of 3-A, Chapter 4: You Made Faces and Terrorized the Cook

Chapter Links: First, Previous, Next

Pairing: Eventual Bakugou Katsuki x Fem Reader (it's a very long way off though)

Rating: Explicit. 18+

Tags: Mineta Redemption, Fem Reader, AFAB Reader, Sexual Harassment, Abusive Parenting, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Statutory Rape, Dubious Consent, Underage Sex, Underage Drinking, Domestic Violence, Blood and Injury

Tags are subject to change as story develops.

---

Mineta Minoru is a perverted misogynist whose antics should have had him expelled from UA long ago.

But he wasn’t.

And now it’s your job to fix him.

May God have mercy on your soul.

–--

“Well then, I’ll leave myself in your capable hands,” Mineta purred before popping open the top two buttons on his shirt, sending you a coy look from under his lashes. “Mold me into the perfect hero, Pygmalion!  Make me your Galatea!” he screamed as he ripped open his shirt, buttons flying haphazardly through the air and pinging off the walls and floor.  You throw your arms up to cover your eyes, as though blinded by the pale skin of his belly.  

“Why do you always have to make this weird?” you moan forlornly, already bending down to search along the floor for the missing buttons.  

---

Continue Reading below, or follow the link to Ao3!

Chapter 4:

You Made Faces and Terrorized the Cook

In which you meet the best teacher UA has to offer and Mineta becomes disillusioned.

Cobbling together a class schedule that met the graduation requirements of your previous school with the resources UA had to offer had been challenging.  The math course had been an almost seamless transition since Calculus is a universal concept that flummoxed Hero and civilian students in equal measure. And while you had liked your previous math teacher well enough,  Ectoplasm’s word problems that had you calculating how fast a room would fill up with water and drown a hostage were far more captivating to solve than anything your old instructor had come up with.  

But some of your elective classes that didn't have an obvious parallel in UA's course catalog, like Nutrition and Wellness, had required more creative solutions. Which is how you found yourself in the UA kitchens, a crisp white apron cinched around your waist while Lunch Rush stood helplessly by.

"So, you- ah; you're interested in...food?" Lunch Rush stammered nervously, his voice muffled though the tubing of his mask.

"Yes?  I mean, I think so?  I'm not really sure what I want to do when I graduate, but I thought that having some culinary experience would be good.  Everyone's got to eat, you know?"

"Yeah.  Yeah they do.  Have to eat, that is."  

The silence between you was punctuated by the deep droning of industrial vents above the long wall of ovens, pots simmering lowly on nearly every burner beneath them.  Lunch Rush drummed his gloved fingers on a gleaming steel counter before scrubbing the back of his neck uneasily.

"Look, I'm going to level with you.  I'm not good at- at this ," Lunch Rush sighed, gesturing between the two of you.

"Talking?"

"Talking, chatting, people.  I just- I never get it right.  When Nezu told me I had to take on a student I broke out into hives," he bemoaned, starting to scratch at the back of his neck even faster. "Oh no.  I think they're coming back," Lunch Rush wailed as he began frantically clawing at his chest with his free hand.

Eyes wide with horror, you watch as Lunch Rush pressed his back against the side of the counter and slid down onto the floor, hands scratching wildly all over his body as the exhaust ports on his backpack began to rapidly snap open and shut in time with his labored breathing.  

A panic attack. 

Lunch Rush was having a panic attack. 

What do you do- what do you do?  

Distraught, you turn in circles looking for something to help.  You spot crates of crystal clear glasses next to the industrial dishwasher and quickly dart their way.  The glass is still warm enough from the dry cycle that it singes your fingertips, but you ignore the burning sensation and shove your entire hand, cup and all, into the rush of water from a nearby faucet.  

Careful not to spill, you quickly return to Lunch Rush's side and press the cooled glass into his gloved hand.  It's only as you kneel down next to him that you realize your lack of foresight; you had just handed a glass of water to a man who had no visible mouth.  

The absurdity of the situation was enough to pull Lunch Rush out of his panic spiral; his hands stilling as they cradled the overly full cup to his chest.   

“Ah- thank you. F-for this. The water, I mean,” Lunch Rush murmured quietly, staring intensely at the drips of water that slid down the outside of the cup.

“No problem,” you say casually despite your insides actively withering in mortification.  

“I’m just- I’ll just put this down now,” he said, lowering the cup to the ground.  You winced at every drip and splash that hit his jacket or soaked into his gloves.  This was definitely getting a permanent spot in the reel of shameful events that replayed in your head at night.

“Okay. Alright,” Lunch Rush said, peeling himself up off of the ground with a grunt.  He offered you a hand up, which you took; his glove squelched unpleasantly in your hand and released rivulets of tepid water down your forearm.  “L-Let’s get to work.  People have to eat, right?"

"Right!"

It was a fair assessment to say that you'd survived childhood, but you certainly hadn't thrived. Your mother struggled a lot as a young, unwed mother and her long work hours resulted in you becoming a latch-key kid far earlier than was likely appropriate.   One of your earliest memories was of her showing you how to shut off the gas to the stove in case of an earthquake; the large wrench had been too heavy for you to properly hold and it had tumbled from your pudgy hands and left a deep gash in the soft pine floor boards in front of the stove.  She'd covered the mark with a threadbare kitchen mat and begged you not to tell the landlord about it.   

On the rare occasion when she was home, your mother had never been one for the domestic arts; she viewed it as a list of obligations that ate up her limited free time and did her best to rush through them as quickly as possible.  You didn't mind her spot-mopping spills in the kitchen with the wet hand towel after drying the dishes, but it was hard to ignore the deep pangs of longing you felt when your classmates opened their bento at lunchtime;  lunch boxes stuffed to the brim with lovingly shaped omelets and colorful fruit slices while you choked down leftover rice and a packets of soy sauce crackers. 

Home Economics classes filled in a lot of the gaps in your domestic knowledge, so by the time you hit Junior High you were proudly showing off the lunches that you'd personally planned, cooked, and packed for yourself.  By this point, you'd had years of practical kitchen experience under your belt, but that didn't stop you from being positively flummoxed as you stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Lunch Rush, helplessly grasping a potato and paring knife in your hands.  

"I'm…peeling it wrong?" You ask in bewilderment, carefully examining the surface of the potato you had been carefully skinning.  

Lunch Rush hummed in acknowledgment as his hands blurred across the counter, picking up a new potato and placing it down fully peeled in the blink of an eye.

"Yes.  And no?  Mostly no.  You're peeling the potato just fine, but these all need to be Tourne cut: seven sides and shaped like a football."

Sure enough, the towering pile of potatoes on the other side of the counter was filled with precisely tapered potatoes with gently cut facets.  

"And that matters?"

"Oh man, does it!  Some of the students here are, ah- very particular about their French food.  Aoyama has an extremely tender tummy and Monoma is- well, he's Monoma," Lunch Rush explained, his hands still an untraceable blur.

"I see," You lied. 

With a weary sigh, you set aside your failed potato and grabbed a new one.  

Ever since school had come back into session, you and Mineta had been struggling to find a meetup space that wasn't overflowing with students.  After investigating three different rooms on opposite ends of the campus your frustrations were mounting as your precious and finite available group time quickly slipped away.  It was this desperation that spurred on the following proclamation:

“This is ridiculous!  Let’s just go work in my room.”  

Theoretically, you knew that MIneta was training to be a Hero. You'd watched hours of footage of him fighting and training, but those recordings had in no way prepared you for the absolutely insane speeds that Mineta attained as he dashed with you across campus; his hand a vice around your wrist as you floundered along behind him.

“Mineta-,” you huffed, trying to keep up with his breakneck pace “slow…down!”

“Nope!  Can’t slow down!  We’re wasting precious study time!” Mineta said, managing to somehow kick his speed up by another notch and a half.  You stumbled over an uneven paving stone, free arm flailing as you attempt to right yourself.

“You’re…going the…wrong… way!”

Mineta screeched to a halt as he cast a confused glance back towards you.  “You don’t live in the dorms?”

Shaking your head, you manage to finally wheeze out a ‘no’ as you wipe furiously at the river of sweat streaming into your eyes.  

“Then where do you live?”

“No way,” Mineta breathed in reverent disbelief as he takes in the name plate mounted on the front door.  “You live with Midnight?”

“Yep,” you say as you twist your key in the deadbolt and open the door, motioning Mineta inside ahead of you so you can lock up behind you both.  Mineta quickly slipped inside and removed his shoes, making a beeline for the living room and emitting a high-pitched squealing noise as he went.  He’s immediately drawn to the collection of photos crammed onto shelves surrounding the TV.  You could tell he found the pictures of Kayama in the costume from her early career days when he began to sob and hold his clasped hands up above his head in silent prayer. 

Deciding to give him a moment to collect himself, you grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and drained the glass twice before you fill up a second cup for your guest and plod back into the living room.  Mineta had moved on to examine the other photographs on the shelf, scrutinizing each one before pointing at one photo stuffed into a burnished copper frame.  “Is this you?” He asked.

You pass him the second glass of water and take a quick look at the photograph he’s pointing towards; a souvenir photo from a zoo Kayama had taken you to as a belated birthday gift one year.  You both had your arms thrown around the zoo mascot, a nauseatingly cute red panda wearing a pearl necklace and sunhat.  Kayama looked exhausted in the way that adults always do after spending all day keeping up with a small child; deep bags under her eyes and a ponytail that had given up hours ago.  You hadn't fared much better photogenically with your missing front teeth and prominent chocolate stain on your shirt from the sundae Kayama had bought for you in lieu of an actual lunch.  It was a terribly wonderful picture of you both.

“Are you related to her or something?” Mineta asked, tapping the edge of the frame curiously.

“No. Kayama is a friend of my Mom.  They grew up next door to each other,”  You explained, scanning the collection of frames before pointing out a handful for him to examine: a tiny Kayama pressed cheek-to-cheek with another little girl that had a neon pink bandage plastered across her forehead.  The same girls, older now, wrapped up in puffy coats throwing up peace signs and surrounded by pudgy brown deer.  The two of them standing next to each other in their brand new UA and Seiai uniforms, beaming towards an unknown cameraman.  

Mineta examined your mother’s youthful face, the one she'd lost to worry and adulthood a long time ago.  

“You look just like her.”

You smile through your wince. “So I’ve been told.”

“Wait,” Mineta said, throwing his hand onto the doorknob overtop of yours. 

“What is it?  Is something wrong?” 

Mineta was tense, his entire body stone-still as you stood in front of the doorway to your bedroom.

“This will be the first time I’ve ever been invited into a girl’s room.  We must treat this moment with the proper respect and solemnity it deserves,” Mineta explained seriously before he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and released your hand.  

“Okay,” he said, practically vibrating with excitement as he opened his eyes. “I’m ready.”  

You push the door open with little fanfare, breezing inside and tossing your bag down next to your desk before turning back to Mineta.  Arms wide, you gesture in a sweeping motion around the small space.

“Here it is!” you announce grandly. “My room.”

Mineta slowly stepped into the room on quiet feet, visibly wilting as he took in the empty white walls, the rows of binders on your desk, and the towering stack of unpacked boxes shoved into the corner.  He stumbled over towards your bed, slumping down on top of your lumpy gray comforter and dropping his head into his hands as misery overtook him.

“This isn’t what I imagined a girls’ room to look like at all!  Where’s all the pink?  The lace?  The casually discarded bras?” Mineta whined piteously, glaring at the jars of pencils and highlighters on your bedside table. “This just looks like someone moved into an office supply store!”   

“It didn’t make sense to unpack everything when I’m only going to be here for a few months," you shrug dismissively.  "Seemed like a waste of energy.”

Mineta, suddenly remembering who you lived with, was on his feet and darting out across the hall towards Kayama’s room in an instant. 

“Mineta!  No!  Don’t go in there!” you screech, tearing out of your room with as much speed as you could muster.

“I wouldn’t have to do this if you had a normal girl room!  This is all your fault!” Mineta bellowed as he threw open Kayama’s door and launched himself through the doorway.  Aghast, you watch him stumble over a carelessly discarded thigh-high boot and knock over a stack of gossip magazines.  The scattering magazines displace bottles of nail polish, half-used rolls of wrapping paper, and art history textbooks; sending them all clattering to the ground in a messy heap.  

“Kayama is…kind of a packrat,” you explain while watching a vase full of souvenir keychains teeter precariously on the edge of Kayama's desk.

“I don’t know if my heart can recover from this,” Mineta sobbed, rolling onto his back to stare despondently up at the ceiling.  “Next you’re going to tell me that girls don’t practice kissing during sleepovers.”   

You try to keep your expression blank, but enough truth seeps into your eyes for Mineta to pick up on.  

“No,” Mineta gasped, clenching a hand desperately over his heart.

“I also have some bad news about the lingerie pillow fights.”

“NO!”