#devlin; musings

[pyrokineticwarrior]

"If pineapple and ham on pizza is accepted, then there's nothing wrong with dill pickles on pizza. Have you ever tried it?"

[rosalind-hawkins]

Can you please give me some minorshipping head canons? They won't leave my head.

Of course! Thanks for asking, I love these two together so much!!

Duke makes Ryou some custom resin dice for each of his Monster World characters. Ryou makes hand-painted figurines of all Duke's characters for him in return.

They gift each other the nerdiest things you've ever seen. Mug that reads "Rolling Dice Builds Character." T-shirt of D&D dice in pride flag colors. Art prints of their Monster World characters that looks like a movie poster for their campaign.

They are a switch couple. That means they take turns being the big spoon when they cuddle. (Sometimes Duke just wants to be held, okay?)

They love to play with each other's hair.

They shower together often.

Ryou falls asleep on the couch sometimes, and Duke will pull a blanket over him so he doesn't get cold overnight.

For Halloween, they always do couples costumes and throw a big party for their friends. That includes little monster cookies and tombstone cupcakes and all the fun party food you see in those home magazines.

Duke doesn't ask about Ryou's experience with the Millennium Ring, because he doesn't want to pry, but he will always listen whenever Ryou feels the need to talk about it.

Ryou started stealing Duke's t-shirts, so Duke started stealing Ryou's socks, and it kept getting worse until one day they realized they were both wearing only the other's clothes. Then they went on a double date with Yugi and Téa where they dressed up and acted like each other, just for the fun of it. Everyone had a good laugh. They now do makeovers often.

You know that meme of the lesbians? One leaning over the other doing their makeup? Yeah, that's Duke doing Marik's Ryou's makeup.

They go to Renn Fair and fantasy/scifi conventions together, always with couples costumes. Sometimes as fairies or as their Monster World characters, sometimes as Duel Monsters cards.

Duke wears high heels sometimes, to show off his legs, and is greatly in support of Ryou in frilly skirts.

They have a very comfortable, playful relationship. They're cute and flirty and happy and great together.

[littlequeenies]

1980 - May Pang in "Jet Set Superstar with Ménage à Trois, including actor Gabriel Byrne (& pt 5).

In 1980 the actor Gabriel Byrne joined by New Yorkers May Pang and Pandora Moore release the single ‘Jet Set Superstar’ under the name Ménage à Trois.

‘Jet Set Superstar’ is written by Barry Devlin of Horslips fame and co-produced and arranged by his bandmate Jim Lockhart. Gabriel Byrne, best known for his role in the RTÉ television drama ’Bracken’ supplies the male vocals. May Pang and Pandora Moore do not sing on the record and the female vocals are recorded by Twink.

The song features in the short film ‘I Wish That I Could Boogie’. This funny spoof film looks at Barry Devlin’s song from the time of its conception until it is recorded onto disc. Casting Gabriel Byrne as a French jet-setter alongside May Pang and Pandora Moore, the film also involves choreographer Mavis Ascott and photographer Tony Higgins. ‘I Wish That I Could Boogie’ was broadcast on 29 September 1980. The producer and director is Michael Murphy.

You can watch the video here (youtube) or RTÉ Archives website (here).

[twistedhxart]

‘✩’ //i know we haven't been rping dev/lian but i miss them

Who is more likely to raise their voice? - I think neither of them would. They both seem to be so very very calm Who threatens to leave but never actually does? - I can't see how either of them would have an argument like this. And if it came to leaving, they would have to talk about it first Who actually keeps their word and leaves? - See above Who trashes the house? - I think they're both very clean and tidy up everything together. If it came to Lian unleashing the demon inside, it would probably be him lol Do either of them get physical? - Never. At least not intentionally How often do they argue/disagree? - I can't see them arguing tbh. At least not now. Maybe it comes to some arguments in the future? Who is the first to apologise? - Lian! Oh no, Devlin! Damn Idk haha

Sex:

Who is on top? - Devlin Who is on the bottom? - Obviously Lian then Who has the strangest desires? - I don't know if you could call it "strange" but maybe Devlin sometimes has some... kinky desires? Any kinks? - That remains to be seen ;) Who’s dominant in bed? - I think this would be Devlin, although I'm not sure if he's THAT dominant Is head ever in the equation? - Sure If so, who is better at performing it? - Maybe Devlin bc he's... older and therefore more experienced? Ever had sex in public? - No Who moans the most? - Lian haha Who leaves the most marks? - Devlin possibly? Who screams the loudest? - So far, no one has made the other one scream, but that remains to be seen ;D Who is the more experienced of the two? - Devlin I guess? Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? - Make love! Rough or soft? - Soft, soft, soft How long do they usually last? - I have the feeling that they are taking their time, savoring everything ♥ Is protection used? - Not that I know of. Does it ever get boring? - Don't think so Where is the strangest place they’d have sex?  - No strange places tried yet ;)

Family:

Do your muses plan on having children/or have children? - No If so, how many children do your muses want/have? Who is the favorite parent? Who is the authoritative parent? Who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school? Who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around? Who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children? Who goes to parent teacher interviews? Who changes the diapers? Who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby? Who spends the most time with the children? Who packs their lunch boxes? Who gives their children ‘the talk’? Who cleans up after the kids? Who worries the most? Who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from?

Affection:

Who likes to cuddle? - BOTH Who is the little spoon? - They can take turns, but I think Lian would prefer to be the little spoon ♥ Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? They're both certainly very good at holding back, but still, I see that tendency more in Devlin than Lian Who struggles to keep their hands to themself? - / How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? - They have a loooooong cuddle span Who gives the most kisses? - Lian What is their favourite non-sexual activity? - I see them still going to the gym and working out together. Devlin can show Lian more new tricks and moves or Lian can rest by sitting on Devlin's back while Devlin does push-ups haha Where is their favourite place to cuddle? - On the couch while watching some stuff on TV ♥ Who is more likely to playfully grope the other? - Devlin haha How often do they get time to themselves? - They try to spend as much time together as possible. But sometimes they both have to work, so their only option is to spend the evening together

Sleeping:

Who snores? - Lian doesn't, but does Devlin? :D If both do, who snores the loudest? - / Do they share a bed or sleep separately? - Sharing is caring! ♥ If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? - Of course they are not laying far apart, helloooo?? Who talks in their sleep? - I think they both sometimes do What do they wear to bed? - Lian usually wears a shirt and long or short pajama pants. Maybe Devlin only wears pants? Or maybe nothing at all? :D Are either of your muses insomniacs? - Lian isn't, I'm not sure about Devlin Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? - Not on Lian's side of the bed Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? - If they are extra cuddly limbs are involved :3 Who wakes up with bed hair? - Definitely Lian. He just has the longest of hairs haha Who wakes up first? - Lian usually wakes up early but can definitely sleep a little longer when he's not alone. So maybe Devlin? Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? - Devlin ♥ What is their favourite sleeping position? - Face to face right close to each another or Lian sleeps on Devlin's chest being hold tight aww Who hogs the sheets? - They share :3 Do they set an alarm each night? - It depends on whether and how early they have to get up the next morning. If they have to go to work, they set an alarm in any case Can a television be found in their bedroom? - No Who has nightmares? - I think both have ;-; Who has ridiculous dreams? - Everyone has ridiculous dreams from time to time, right? Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed? - Devlin maybe? He's big boy :D Who makes the bed? - Both! What time is bed time? - Again, it depends on whether they have to get up early the next day. But I don't think either of them go to bed too late Any routines/rituals before bed? - None that I know of (atm) Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? - Lian isn't but maybe Devlin? :D

Work:

Who is the busiest? - I think they are both busy so I don't see one of them being busier than the other Who rakes in the highest income? - Devlin probably Are any of your muses unemployed? - No Who takes the most sick days? - I have the feeling that they hardly ever get sick or take sick days just like that. I even think they would still go to work sick <_< Who is more likely to turn up late to work? - Probably both when they got too involved in each other? *smirky smirk face* Who sucks up to their boss? - Neither of them does What are their jobs? Lian is working in a coffee shop and I think Devlin's a paid warrior and does have different clients? :D Who stresses the most? - Lian probably since working in a coffee shop can be v stressful? Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? - Lian does it mostly for the mon mon and Devlin kinda enjoys what he is doing I think? Are your muses financially stable? - I think they are

Home:

Who does the washing? - Devlin Who takes out the trash? - Lian Who does the ironing? - WHO IRONS THESE DAYS?? Who does the cooking? - Lian Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? - Lian can cook very well but I'm not sure about Devlin haha Who is messier? - / Who leaves the toilet roll empty? - Lian when he's lost in thought Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? - Devlin? Bc he does the washing and therefore can just pick up his clothes when it's time to do so? Who forgets to flush the toilet? - / Who is the prankster around the house? - / Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? - Devlin? Bc Lian can't drive haha Who mows the lawn? - Devlin Who answers the telephone? - Devlin Who does the vacuuming? - Lian Who does the groceries? - Both! Who takes the longest to shower? - They both take long when they decide to go shower together ;) Who spends the most time in the bathroom? - They are both v quick when it comes to cleaning themselves and stuff

Miscellaneous:

Is money a problem? - No How many cars do they own? - One? If Devlin owns a car Do they own their home or do they rent? - They haven't decided yet :D Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? - It depends on what Devlin prefers. Lian is rather the countryside type of guy Do they live in the city or in the country? - If they can manage somehow they live in the country Do they enjoy their surroundings? - Yesssss What’s their song? - OH! I haven't thought about a song for them yet but let me think about it! What do they do when they’re away from each other? - Texting each other even tho Lian's not very skilled when it comes to smartphones Where did they first meet? - In Lian's house when it was about to crash lol How did they first meet? - Devlin saved him from his crashed apartment and told him that he is his assigned advisor ♥ Who spends the most money when out shopping? - Probably Devlin... for Lian aww. He's the kind of guy who likes to give gifts to his loved ones Who’s more likely to flash their assets? - I think they're both very modest, so I can't imagine it with either of them Who finds it amusing when the other trips over? - THEY WILL IMMEDIATELY RUNS FOR THE OTHERS RESCUE AND WORRY IF THEY HURT THEMSELVES ;-; Any mental issues? - They both definitely have mental issues ;/ Who’s terrified of bugs? - / Who kills the spiders around the house? - They don't kill, they set them outside bc they're kind hoomans Their favourite place? - Probably at home and somewhere in nature. Together ♥ Who pays the bills? - Devlin? Bc he has the higher income? But while Devlin pays the rent, for example, Lian pays for the groceries Do they have any fears for their future? - I think so, because nobody knows what will happen when Lian one day regains access to the world where he actually belongs and where his family lives. But they don't think too much about it and try to live in the moment Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? - Devlin with a fancy dinner out in a restaurant and Lian with a fancy dinner at home ♥ Who uses up all of the hot water? - / Who’s the tallest? - Devlin I guess Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? - Devlin haha Who wanders around in their underwear? - Also Dev! Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? - Does Devlin sing? Bc Lian usually doesn't haha What do they tease each other about? - / Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? - / Do they have mutual friends? - Not that I know of Who crushed first? - I think they both had a v BIG crush on each other! Any alcohol or substance related problems? - No Who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? - / Who swears the most? - /

[pyrokineticwarrior]

how devlin reacts when will accidentally sends him "something spicy": @worldofsenelfy

[pyrokineticwarrior]

@gretaphasmatosmartin

rich people still struggling to comprehend this in 2023

[rosalind-hawkins]

I'm harassing you to talk about your favorite rare pair. Nothing specific. Just info dump or something. 💗

Since you're asking for an info dump, I'll let myself be a little disorganized with this. Keep in mind, this is ofc based on my interpretations of the characters.

Also, thank you for asking. 💜

Mumbleshipping: the rarest pair that I very seriously ship, so ofc this one has to come first. Me even discovering this ship at all was a fluke, and now I've dedicated tens of thousands of words to it. I think it's a great example of how people do not need to be the same or similar for a relationship to work. There's a lot of surface differences between Ryou, Duke, and Kaiba, and they all have very distinct personalities from each other. They do have similarities (dad trauma, game obsession, broken families) but they have way more differences than similarities, and that can be such a beautiful thing, because they're always challenging each other to look at something in a different way. For me, it's a ship based on personal growth: it only happens when all three boys have decided to Do Better and are supporting each other in that mission, which is why it's so helpful for them to challenge each other. Seto is all cold intellect and power, Ryou is all empathy and understanding, Duke is all charm and sass. (All three of them are creative types, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise.) They learn to modulate themselves and incorporate each other's perspectives into their worldviews, which is really healthy, because Yugioh is full of extreme, unbalanced people. Just look at Kaiba and tell me I'm wrong. They have to learn to mellow out esp Kaiba and they're a good influence on each other. Duke is sometimes a naughty influence, but even so. They need each other and they make each other better people, and they also need to KISS for the love of Ra. Ryou shows his boys such deep, accepting love, Kaiba is fiercely protective of both of them, and Duke is always reminding them both to relax and have fun sometimes, which is something they both need to hear because they are anxious babbies.

Like, if you look at my blog header rn, I picked expressions for them in that commission that specifically demonstrated their different personalities, but even so, they're still linked together. Nobody is pulling away and nobody wants to. Kaiba needs to feel loved, Ryou needs to be protected, they all need acceptance and validation even if they don't think they do. I love them too much.

All of that said, am I tied to a pretty specific interpretation of this ship? I mean yeah, I've got a longfic for the way I see them. If I saw someone with a different interpretation of this ship? I would just be so excited to see someone else talking about this ship and want to hear their perspective on it also. Because it's good for people to have different ideas and opinions.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. 🙇‍♀️

[littlequeenies]

1980 - May Pang in "Jet Set Superstar with Ménage à Trois, including actor Gabriel Byrne (pt 4).

In 1980 the actor Gabriel Byrne joined by New Yorkers May Pang and Pandora Moore release the single ‘Jet Set Superstar’ under the name Ménage à Trois.

‘Jet Set Superstar’ is written by Barry Devlin of Horslips fame and co-produced and arranged by his bandmate Jim Lockhart. Gabriel Byrne, best known for his role in the RTÉ television drama ’Bracken’ supplies the male vocals. May Pang and Pandora Moore do not sing on the record and the female vocals are recorded by Twink.

The song features in the short film ‘I Wish That I Could Boogie’. This funny spoof film looks at Barry Devlin’s song from the time of its conception until it is recorded onto disc. Casting Gabriel Byrne as a French jet-setter alongside May Pang and Pandora Moore, the film also involves choreographer Mavis Ascott and photographer Tony Higgins. ‘I Wish That I Could Boogie’ was broadcast on 29 September 1980. The producer and director is Michael Murphy.

You can watch the video here (youtube) or RTÉ Archives website (here).

[brightbeautifulthings]

'Tell me again what we're going to do,' Owen said. 'Save the world.' 'And tell me what that makes us--I need to hear it.' 'It makes us heroes,' Henry said.

— Stephen King, Dreamcatcher

[pyrokineticwarrior]

*leaves window open, lies in bed with ass out* “I sure hope a vampire doesn’t come in…” 👀

[pyrokineticwarrior]

"Greta... sees Will?"

@gretaphasmatosmartin @worldofsenelfy

greta:

[feverishlust]

[capybaramurdock]

now that i can breathe again, a few quick notes for some admiration for episodes 5 & 6 (i’m gonna try to go in order but we’ll see):

Sassy Matthew is such a constant this season and I love it

The henley shirt!!

Religious Matthew for Foggy 🥺

Yusuf and Jacques?? I’m loving all of the connections!

When Matt looks up at the sky like he was looking for a sign not to do anything in the bank

The Irish accent 😩

When he uses his cane to start on Devlin!!

I know people are probs gonna complain bc they don’t like Kamala/Ms. Marvel but Yusuf inviting Matt for dinner was so sweet to me!! ❤️

THIGHS

MATTHEW YOU DID NOT HAVE TO JUMP ON THE MAN’S LEG

I like Heather and how happy she makes Matt but I don’t see her having a good ending ):

Angela is so sweet and breaks my heart 😞

ACAB

I was fully expecting a “Vanessa would like for me to let you go”…“too bad she’s not here”

The shot of Fisk sitting in the warm lightning after what he did to Adam was so good

The way they keep continuing with the parallels of Daredevil/Kingpin whenever Matt has his urges

“Fuck it”

God damn Matthew is GOIN IN

The reflection of the red lights in Muse’s eyes

[blcssom]

hiiiiiiii to celebrate finally getting my life together (rp life no one ask abt my work life) i decided i want more things so !!!! like this for a wishlist starter <3

i'll come to you for a muse or two, so i've put the ones i'm feeling under the cut -- or if we're mutuals and you have a particular ship/muse (who may or may not be on my main muse list!!) you wanna revisit, just lmk !!!

alden richter || 40 - retired boxer/gym owner (assassin au) / bisexual / theo james

beau greer || 32 - librarian/cam boy / bisexual / drew starkey

brianne barlowe || 30 - personal stylist / bisexual / sarah catherine hook

clover beckett || 27 - fitness instructor / bisexual / michelle randolph

damini somerset || 32 - matchmaker / bisexual / simone ashley

esther devlin || 34 - sex therapist / bisexual / willa fitzgerald

ethan greer || 29 - intimacy coordinator / bisexual / harris dickinson

felix beckett || 45 - mechanic/ex-con / heterosexual / ryan gosling

gemma curtis || 30 - etsy store owner (crafter) / bisexual / aimee lou wood

katherine taylor || 53 - publicist / bisexual / jennifer connelly

paloma rubino || 25 - professional cuddler / bisexual / maia reficco

roxanne evans || 26 - stage sound designer / homosexual / ruby cruz

seth barlowe || 35 - sports journalist / heterosexual / glen powell

travis bell || 30 - stuntman / bisexual / nick robinson

virginia brooks || 29 - scam artist (serial thief) / bisexual / margaret qualley

[rosalind-hawkins]

Hihi!! Seto Kaiba for the character ask 3 and 7?

Thank you for asking! Answers for this post and still taking asks if anyone else is interested!

3. What was their best canon look?

I'm actually quite tied between his Duelist Kingdom outfit (I love it so much I have my own version of it for myself, as just regular clothes) and his white suit from season five (is just so slick and professional). Obviously his upgraded dueling outfit in DSOD was awesome and extra, but I like to think more about what Kaiba wears day to day. The Duelist Kingdom outfit is the closest we see him get to being casual ever, and unless I'm mistaken, the first scene we see that outfit is when he's working on the Duel Disk prototype. It's the outfit he picked for fiddling with his tech in his own home, and that makes it feel more personal, in a sense. This is what he wore when he was alone and not necessarily trying to impress anybody, and we don't get to see that part of Kaiba too often. (And in my Rock Bottom series, this is the outfit I have him in from halfway in Season Zero up through the end of Season Two, so this one is almost def my fave based on that.)

7. What do you think they would appreciate as a gift?

I had to triple check this one because I kept getting it mixed up with 5 and I was like, "wait, I already have something written for this, don't I?" and the answer is true for both, actually.

The thing about Kaiba is, he can already have whatever he wants. That's the worst kind of person to buy a present for, because you think, "Well if he wanted this, he would have gotten it for himself already, yeah?" And that's not necessarily true with Kaiba. He doesn't make time to take care of himself or enjoy himself, so a gift geared toward that would be very appreciated from a loved one. So I think secretly planning a vacation for him (Mokuba or Ishizu) or custom handmade BEWD art of some kind (Ryou) would be really nice for him. In the past I've usually written Joey as giving him *ahem* certain sexual experiences *ahem* as a present because Joey doesn't pretend he can give Kaiba a good gift, but he does know that he can show him a good time.

Another thing that would be sweet and specifically thoughtful imo (and this feels like something Duke would do) would be to look at the years that he was either in the orphanage or with Gozaburo, track down the systems and game copies for the best games that came out during those years, and spend a few weekends with him playing the games he missed out on during the time that he most needed them. Make sure that time is blocked out on his schedule and just have fun.

In Power of Three, well before Ryou and Seto get together, Ryou gives him a Christmas card with a single serving of tea inside, and at the time he's Kaiba's first actual real authentic genuine sees-him-as-a-real-human-being, talks-literature-and-philosphy-with-him-over-coffee FRIEND, so he's just touched way more by it than Ryou realizes. The gift is part of Kaiba's new experience with genuine friendship. It's just a little thing, but coming from Ryou, it meant something.

I have actually spent a lot of time on this question before and written a few of those scenes. And that was a really long answer to two simple questions, sorry about that! 😅

For fun, I'm including a snippet from my old Euroshipping fic Tainted Love below, where Ryou gives Kaiba a handmade BEWD sculpture for Christmas, it elaborates on it being a good gift for him (besides the obvious reason).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Go ahead, open it. But be careful: it's fragile."

Intrigued, Seto tugged away the ribbon, peeled back the wrapping paper, and removed the lid of the box. He lifted away the flat piece of styrofoam and lifted away a few layers of tissue paper—then stopped, eyes wide in genuine surprise. As carefully as he was capable of doing so, Seto extracted his gift from its nest of protective wrapping.

"Did you make this?" he asked, voice so quiet that Ryou could hardly hear him above the sound of the fire.

"Yes." Ryou swallowed nervously, then continued, because Seto's silence unnerved him, "I started working on it a while ago, and the first few attempts kinda sucked because I was out of practice. I got some higher quality paints to use on it too, and because I know an art major who owed me a favor, I was able to bake it in a proper kiln. I was afraid that it might not be ready in time—"

"It's beautiful."

"Thank you." Ryou'd never heard Seto so soft-spoken before. He'd heard him whisper, but that was different from this. Even after all the time they'd spent together, the brunette's current expression was one that Ryou'd never seen and he didn't know how to interpret it.

"It reminds me," Seto said slowly after a brief pause, "Of when Mokuba made the Blue-Eyes card for me when I was a kid."

Ryou perked up a little. He'd never heard this story before.

"We'd been here for less than a month, and I already hated it." He traced his index finger over the delicate details of glossy porcelain wings. "He made that card to encourage me, because we weren't allowed to see each other. That's how he saved me, and that was also the day I swore I would own a real Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, since that was my first one. I'm not the type to accumulate objects because of the sentimentality attributed to them, but... I still have it."

"It brings back good memories, I hope," Ryou murmured, tucking one arm under Kaiba's and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"Indeed it does."

When Kaiba began to set aside the wrappings, Ryou released him and let Kaiba stand, standing up with him. Kaiba carefully set the hand-made, ten-inch painted sculpture of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the center of the inset shelf above the fireplace that served as a mantelpiece. It's mouth was open, each of the teeth pointed as it screeched at them, its wings spread behind it as it gripped the rocky crag that formed the base of the statuette. It's eyes caught the light with a brilliant sparkle.

"Are those... real sapphires?"

"I couldn't find or make a shade of blue that could do its eyes justice." Ryou ducked his head bashfully.

"You really shouldn't have—"

"Don't worry about how I got them," Ryou interrupted, trying to put Seto's mind at ease. "The only hard part was setting them in his eyes so that they didn't look out of place."

[joshusten]

love the sinner (albus york/faith koria, bastard warrior || good boy audios)

Albus York takes a bath and Faithful washes his hair. (angst, slight argument, hurt/comfort)

2.2k+ words [ao3 link] [masterlist] [CW/notes: religious imagery ofc (this fic was basically an excuse to write that), typical albus york language, lots of self-loathing and some suicidal thoughts. albus is just having a bad time but hes also so whipped for faithful. speaking of her, i didnt make faith's physical descriptions vague or made it so that she's a "listener" but rather a character of her own! and i based it off of gba's description of her + my own interpretation hehe.]

once again THANK YOU SO SO MUCH to @slushiepizza for all the AMAZING suggestions and support like omfg i SWEAR i keep on saying this but this fic rlly wouldnt be finished without them!! i appreciate it sm!! and im shaking and kissing my irls that ive also bothered with this fic that will probably not see this THANK U SM!! edit: I FORGOT THE FUCKING READ MORE LMFAO

—

Albus York steadily sank into the half-filled tub of one of the ship’s quarters—stripped of his clothes, and left bare to no witness.

Gentle waves of the bathwater rippled against hardened, battle-torn skin. He dementedly mused that if he could go down further, he might finally drown. 

He chuckled at the thought, shifted his position, and got to work. It's been a while since he last had an actual bath—way before he even agreed to this suicide mission of an adventure—with warm soapy water and scented products.

The constant near-death experiences and whatnot had interrupted the trio to get any time for themselves, much less to do any sort of basic hygiene. Since the route Devlin had charted for the ship to follow allowed for ample downtime, the Forgemaster had practically shoved his younger half-brother into the common bathroom and forced him to take a much-needed bath (Of course, not without a snobby comment about how his stench matched his personality perfectly well.)

Albus’ inexperience was made clearer with the stiff, awkward motion of his large, calloused hands as he attempted to wash himself. The unpracticed movement made the unfamiliarity of it all fully realized. How long has it been since he felt this safe? Does he even remember how to take care of himself?

Does someone like him even deserve this luxury?

The warrior submerged himself lower, down until his eyes were right above water level. He was thinking again. It was all that he had been doing for the past hour. If the gods wouldn't allow him to drown, then he hoped that the water would at least cleanse the grime and sin embedded into his flesh.

But he knew that filth clung to his skin like how a believer clings to the idea of repentance. No matter how hard—how desperately—he scrubbed (until pale skin turned into blood red, until rough turned rougher), it was all pointless. He had learned long ago that a bastard's prayers were never left answered. 

The mark on his chest was a bleak reminder of that reality. Damnation was basically his birthright. Albus York was dead the moment he came out of his mother’s womb—dead to his family, dead to society. 

Cursed to hell for being sin itself.

Life had a funny way to remind him—that goodness is something he can be in the presence of but never be a part of it.

"Albus?"

Speak of the devil, his ever-so-naive angel had arrived.

“Albus? Hello?”

Tender, serene, heavenly.

The voice was melodic—like the somber hymns he used to hear in his youth when his mother would take him into the temple and meet with her fellow brothers and sisters. At that time, he always felt drawn to the choir’s performance, despite not being old enough to understand the words (not that he was any more literate in the present). Back then, he was just a kid, blissfully unaware of the blasphemy he had committed for existing. 

He had grown since then—in every aspect of the word.

"Albus! Are you still in there?"

A deep grunt, muffled slosh of water, and the pitter-patter of droplets on the tiled surface were all that Faith Koria had heard from the other side of the metal door before a familiar, gruff voice answered back.

"Calm ya tits, woman. I knew you were eager to see my dick but I never knew you were this eager!" 

The outside replied with an annoyed groan, a sound Albus was all too familiar with, especially when it came from her. That being said, he couldn't fight the smile forming on his lips as he hastily dried himself up with a nearby towel.

"You've been using the bathroom for more than an hour, just what are you doing in there? Some people want to get cleaned up too, you know!”

The metal door swiftly slid open with a sudden 'woosh!', hot steam dissipating before the runaway nun to reveal Albus’ tall stature, half-naked and slightly dripping wet. Faith frantically averted her eyes on instinct, ears immediately burning with embarrassment. It wasn’t like it was her first time seeing him undressed—for gods’ sake, she treated his wounds like this when they first met! But to have him fresh out of a bath with his toned body exposed and his dampened long hair was—Wait! His hair!

"Alright, alright! I’m out, ya happy? I’m decent too so you don’t have to be a prude about it,” The bastard huffed, a little irritated with how his peaceful bath (or at least, as peaceful as it could be) was abruptly cut short.  

“Albus, your hair!”

The man scrunched up his face in confusion.  He gathered one of his dark locks and examined it with an intense focus. “Huh? Looks fine to me. What, you're not expecting me to be all prim and proper now, are you?”

“No, no, no! It's all matted and uneven!” The woman replied with a horrified concern in her voice that was rare for the warrior to hear directed at him.“It’s probably from all those monster attacks. Some of them must’ve managed to get to your hair! How long has it been like this? Does it hurt? Do you even have shampoo?”

“Uh…what’s that?”

“Ugh, never mind. Just—” Before Albus could process what was happening, Faith grabbed his arm with a surprisingly strong grip for a nun. She dragged him down near the bathtub he just got out of. He can even hear the water still slowly swirling down the drain. 

“Faithful, what are you—” 

“Stay right here. You got that, York? I’m just going to get something and I don't want you to move a muscle.”

A deep chuckle resonated within the man’s scarred chest—he always enjoyed it when she got this bossy. He gave her a mock salute and answered with a hearty “Yes, ma’am!”

The sister paladin made a face, letting out a flustered huff before hurrying to wherever she needed to be. So cute.

Albus had put on his clothes at this point while he waited (lest he risked Faithful suffering from a heart attack). A few minutes had passed by when she returned with a rather large pouch that Albus recognized was packed with the rest of her belongings. He deduced it must've been from her childhood with how worn down the embroidery was. Once vibrant floral patterns dulled from years of usage.

“Lean back by the bathtub,” Faith instructed. “I’m going to start detangling your hair. I might cut off some of the more unsalvageable parts too. If anything hurts or if I snagged on it too hard just let me know, okay?”

“Okay,” The man repeated simply, not really knowing how to react to all of the amount of consideration he was receiving. Abrasiveness was what he was more used to responding to, not the care that she unabashedly gave him.

She beamed brightly at his compliance (and no, his heart did not just skip a beat), soft hands found their way to his head and started brushing away the more manageable tangles before using a wide-tooth comb for the bigger ones. Despite the numerous warnings, her fingers were nowhere near to being rough. She was as gentle as a lamb—her slow brushstrokes eventually formed a rhythm that filled in the silence of the room. Albus decided to break the comfortable atmosphere.

“How are you so good with this shit?” He mumbled, voice heavy with drowsiness. Fuck, he felt like he could sleep until his next life. “Never knew sisters of Cindergorn get to be part-time hairdressers too.”

Even with his sluggish state, Albus could almost sense the nun’s eyes rolling above him, brushing out his hair with a slightly more forceful than usual tug.

“I'm the one usually taking care of the children at the temple. I’m used to seeing this kind of stuff whenever they play too hard. Obviously not on this level but you get the gist.” Faith snipped off the last of a particularly challenging knot. 

“I've also been doing my own hair ever since I was a kid, so really, it's like second nature to me at this point,” she followed up, running her fingers through his hair with a satisfied nod.

Now that Albus thought about it, he had seen Faithful braiding herself earlier on their journey when they had just…tastefully borrowed the flagship meant for his father. He remembered swift, practiced hands twisting sections after sections of dark, coiled hair and had mentioned in passing how it was a hairstyle she often did to withstand the Eastern Faithlands' harsher seasons (Fortunately, it also turned out to be great for going-on-a-quest-to-kill-your-priest-brother-and-save-a-child seasons too.)

Faith’s hands suddenly paused. Before the man could ask if something was wrong, she signaled him to stay still while she rummaged through the pouch to get a small bottle. She squeezed a moderate amount of product into her palm and spread it evenly. As she was about to apply the substance to his head, Albus jerked away, quickly stopping her hand with his own as a furrow formed on his thick brows.

“Faithful,” He chuckled. “Please, I’m a warrior. You don’t need to waste your fancy shit on me. My hair’s going to get fucked up again eventually so what’s the point?” 

Faith struggled to wriggle herself out of his grasp. “Wha–Albus, it’s fine!” 

“No, Faithful, I’m serious. It’s just hair. Hell, it’s my hair. Relax.” The man sat up straighter at this point, the water from his long, damp hair trickling down along the scarred tissue of his back but it was the intensity in those familiar brown eyes that made him feel a chill.

“And I told you it’s fine just let me—”

“Why are you making it a big fuckin’ deal? What do you want from me?” 

“What?” Faith’s voice cracked, appalled and confused. “Albus, what are you even talking about? I’m not asking for anything—”

“I’m just a bastard you hired to kill your brother! I was paid to do the dirty work for you, not to be your fucking toy—”

“Albus, wha—Y–You’re not a toy! Why do you—”

“If I’m not then why are you being like this to me? There’s a catch—there’s always a fucking catch. So what the fuck do you want from me?”

The nun managed to finally yank her hand away from his harsh grip and angrily slammed at the smooth surface of the tub.

“I just want you to stop being stubborn for once and let me do this for you!” 

The silence that followed between them felt suffocating.

Faith’s breath hitched, shocked by her outburst. She immediately straightened up her posture only to look down shamefully at the tiled floor. A shaky sigh left her lips, and Albus was doing everything in his power to stop himself from reaching out to her, seeking salvation he knew she shouldn’t give him because he was not sorry that he was like this. He wasn’t afraid to show his filth to the world because it was all he knew to do—all he was taught to do. There’s no excuse, no justification, no escape. She’s everything good and he’s just scum or worse yet—he’s a bastard. 

Because she’s an angel and he’s far worse than the devil.

“This isn't anything all that fancy…just something to keep it healthy and less stressful on your scalp. I just want you to feel okay. So please…” She trailed off. “Let me.”

“It’s…It’s just hair, Faithful. I’ll be okay, I’m a big boy,” Albus joked, but his words were sincere. He almost found the whole thing amusing—having the ever-so-snappy sister paladin fuss over him—if he didn’t get a feel for how much…his comfort seemed to mean a lot to her.

Faith pursed her lips, her gaze still fixed downward. “I just think…you deserve at least one good hair day.”

It's that word again. Deserve. Does she really think that? That he's worthy of all of this?

The man cleared his throat with a curt nod. Hesitantly, the nun's fingers slowly found their way back to the crown of his head, resuming whatever she was supposed to do. Steady, rhythmic brushstrokes filled the quiet once again. 

After what felt like hours of stillness, the bastard dared himself to shift his head and face her timidly—as if he was afraid he could melt under her piercing gaze.

"Thank you, for…for this," Albus grunted. He hadn't only meant for his hair.

Faith graced him with a dimpled smile—the one that made her eyes squint and showed the tiniest bit of the gap between her front teeth. She proceeded to tuck away a stray lock behind his ear, trailing down to hover over his cheek. Albus can practically feel the nervous tremble on her fingers as if she were hesitating on something. It all came to nothing in the end, closing her hands in a fist before withdrawing to her pouch to start cleaning up.

“Anytime, Albus. Besides, with how you always manage to find yourself in trouble,” the sister murmured, her voice playful (it never failed to leave Albus’ mind racing). Her eyes glinted as they locked into his almost like clockwork. “How can I not?”

Albus York sat by the empty bathtub of the ship’s quarters—fully clothed yet he had felt the most bare that he had ever been in front of someone. 

Faith smiled at him again and he swore he could make out the faintest halo crowning her head under the fluorescent bathroom light. ---- a/n: this is probably my most favorite fic that i wrote and i hope you enjoyed! lemme tell u this fic took way to long and got me so stressed for no reason idk ! i was worrying abt how this would happen in the timeline and all the lil details and then !! its a fic!! and im suppose to be having fun!! i am being self-indulgent!! (although i hope was able to characterize them well) again, feedback and comments r highly appreciated!! :DD have a good day/night and thank you for reading!!