#here’s the thing about being the strongest: you don’t have a choice anymore.

[hawnks]

As your resident Gojo Understander, I do not believe he would have given a shit about what Yuuta is doing. Why is everyone so mad? This is literally the desecration of morals manga tm, don’t get squeamish now.

[luv4fushi]

omfg i litr read everything uve written off ur masterlist I NEED MOREEEE. i love the way u write megumi especially, i couldn’t get enough of it. i hope you write more of him, my heart aches for more tbh 🥹 tysm for being such a good writer and feeding us starved readers well

tysm! i'm sooo glad i can be a good source of megumi content for you >_< i looove writing megumi so you'll be seeing sooo much more of him, dw! happy holidays!

this december

jjk fushiguro megumi x fem!reader

it’s always colder on your own, especially around this time of year. you should be at home, bundled up with a warm cup of hot chocolate, but here you are in shinjuku, exorcizing curses with your ex boyfriend two weeks after your breakup with him. great.

content: post break up, aged up megumi (19/20), megumi is terrible at feelings, getting back together, fluff if you squint, a bit of angst, miscommunication, one bed (but it isn’t the main plot point sorry), megumi calls you baby like once, gojo is the best wingman, SHIBUYA ARC NEVER HAPPENED AND LIFE IS GOOD, not proofread im very sorry guys pls forgive me, kinda a word dump sry

word count: 5.8k (sigh this was supposed to be 2k words max)

click on my masterlist for more & merry christmas to those who celebrate!

it’s december 19th when satoru gojo tells you that he has a mission just for you. you’re less than ecstatic about it to say the least. the last thing you want to do is be sent to your death just shy of christmas day. you just want to rest your sore muscles and bask in the presence of your best friends. you’re not in the mood to kill any curses, mainly because you’ve just recovered from a previous mission.

“why me?” you groan.

gone are the days where you used to be a goody two shoes for satoru. you’re old enough to talk back now, not like when you had been a shy fifteen-year-old girl. besides, you’ve been around the silver-haired sorcerer long enough to know that he doesn’t mind the bite.

“sorry, kid,” satoru says with a shrug. at least he sounds genuine about it. “the higher ups requested for you specifically. they say you’ll get the job done in the cleanest way. we can’t have things getting messy before the holidays, right?”

“and you wouldn’t be the best choice?” you quip.

satoru only laughs. he ruffles your hair. even with your growth spurt and merciless training, he still towers over you. in a way, he’ll always be your mentor. “hey, i’m going out of town that weekend. give me a break.”

you huff petulantly. something about this mission seems fishy to you. you’re not nearly the strongest sorcerer out of the bunch of kids under satoru’s wings (not that you guys are kids anymore, but sometimes it’s hard to feel otherwise). hell, there’s the kyoto students. it feels like they never have to do anything. you wish that you were rebellious enough to chew utahime out for it.

“why couldn’t they just make yuta or megumi go?” you mutter under your breath. you stammer out megumi’s name and hope satoru doesn’t catch on to the way you can barely say it.

satoru knows about the breakup. why wouldn’t he? he’s basically megumi’s dad, even if the raven haired boy refuses to admit it. satoru’s six eyes mean you can’t hide anything from him (he’d been the first to know that megumi was head over heels for you).

satoru raises a brow. “oh, right. megumi’s coming along too.”

your face twists and you immediately whip around to glare at him. “you’re lying.”

“i wish,” he jokes. “i was really hoping i’d get a wedding invitation one day, you little rascal. i can’t believe you two broke up. maybe this’ll be a good thing!”

“i appreciate your honesty, but—”

“but megumi’s an emotionally constipated kid, yeah, that i know,” satoru laughs. he makes his way to the exit of his office which has you furrowing your brows. is your former teacher actually gonna just leave after making you come all the way here? how rude and so very in character of him.

“please, gojo,” you call out after him, “i don’t wanna go with him.”

“sucks for you,” satoru responds halfheartedly. “merry christmas. try not to take more than a week on this. you’ll have to pay the rest of the fee for accommodations if you do.”

“gojo!” you whine.

“it’s not a hard mission!” satoru insists like it’ll make your life any easier. “y’know, this time of year is when things get ugly. think of it as saving as many people as you can while putting in the least amount of effort!”

and then he teleports. your former teacher teleports away rather than being normal and walking out of the door. you roll your eyes and hope that he can sense it (you know he can’t).

so that’s why you’re here now. with your ex. on the elevator to your assigned room on the tenth floor. you’re so glad that it’s a normal hotel and not a love hotel. lord knows what you’d do if you had checked into a love hotel.

megumi hasn’t spoken a word to you since he broke up with you two weeks ago. it had been in the doorway to your apartment a few days after a particularly rough mission assigned to the both of you—the one you’re still recovering from. he’d pulled you in for a hug, whispering sweet words into your ear. he gave you a look, one of those looks that made him soften his usually sharp eyes.

“i think we should break up.”

and then came the pathetic whimper of yours. he had wiped your tears, even kissed them tenderly, before telling you that it wasn’t your fault—it was his. how cliche.

now as you stand next to him, you want to beat yourself up for not asking for closure. neither of you had explicitly stated that you two were going to be no-contact, but it hurts a lot less to push the idea of forever with megumi away to the back of your mind. besides, you two aren’t confrontational like that. not with each other, anyway.

“need help?” his tone is soft, tender—the tone he reserves specifically for you, the one that tells you he still cares.

you stare down at the luggage at your feet. you’ve always been a chronic overpacker, a habit that megumi knows of by now. he watches you curiously, hands itching at his sides. you can tell that he wants to reach out and grab your suitcase like he always does. he thinks he isn’t obvious, but you can always read through the lines, especially when it’s megumi.

“i’m okay,” you croak out, clearing your throat awkwardly.

the elevator dings and you make your way to your room. as much as you hate to admit it, you’re sort of glad that you and your ex boyfriend are sharing a room. perhaps his’ll be a good way to get closure, though you’re not really sure what closure entails.

what you don’t expect is to unlock the door and be met with a singular bed.

if satoru gojo didn’t have a layer of infinity coating his body (and if he wasn’t the strongest sorcerer alive), you would’ve wrung out his neck.

megumi simply walks into the room, setting his duffel bag down on one of the dressers opposite from the foot of the bed. he doesn’t comment on the lack of double beds, seemingly already aware of the set up.all he does is puff out a weary sigh. you suck in a breath and follow him inside, slipping your shoes off at the entrance.

you lug your suitcase in after you along with your duffel bag and backpack. you stumble forward and megumi’s arm snakes around your waist, steadying you.

“careful,” he mutters, nonchalantly taking your bag off our your shoulders.

it’s a quick series of movements; he swings your bag over his shoulders and places it on the dresser next to the one he’s claimed while guiding you softly to the side of the bed so that you’re not standing in the middle of the doorway.

you scrunch your face, feeling your heart thump against your ribcage. it’s stupid how he still has such a hold on you, even after two weeks of not seeing or talking to him. he’s just so caring, so gentle. it stings, like little the little cuts you get when fighting curses, when you realize that this is something you’ll have to learn how to lose.

“thanks,” you manage to mutter. you don’t trust yourself to say anything else. you know from the way your throat tightens that you’ll be crying soon if you force yourself to talk any more.

“i can take the couch,” megumi says.

it’s that easy with him; he’s a gentleman, so of course he’d take the couch. that’s the way megumi fushiguro is—he offers a solution before you even have the chance to complain. in your year and a half long relationship, that skill of his had been a saving grace.

“no, don’t bother,” you croak. “i’ll book another room.”

“really?” he asks. he stands up a little straighter, awkwardly reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “i mean, i don’t mind sharing a room with you… we’ve..”

we’ve shared a room countless of times before.

megumi doesn’t have to continue his sentence for you to understand what he’s implying. you part your lips to speak, but nothing comes out except for a long, heavy sigh. your shoulders drop as you let the exhaustion seep into your bones. there’s no use arguing about it, not when you don't’ mind sharing a room with megumi, either.

“we’ve broken up,” you remind him in a quiet voice, like you’re afraid saying it out loud will make it truer than it already is.

megumi pauses. you see his adam’s apple bob as he swallows thickly. “i know that, but … it’ll be fine. we’ve shared a room as friends before.”

he’s right, like he usually is. you two have shared a room before as just friends, but that had been as teenagers—back when you both harbored such hardcore crushes on each other that you two somehow didn’t notice.

“right,” you find yourself agreeing with a small nod.

“you should go get ready for bed.” megumi begins grabbing a few or the decorative pillow off of the bed. he places them gingerly on the brown couch tucked in the corner of the hotel room. “we’ll be getting up pretty early to deal with the brunt of the mission.”

to finish this mission as quickly as possible, you think.

and so you oblige and head to the bathroom. it’s december 19th, just a few days shy of christmas day, and you’re in bed with your ex boyfriend on the couch just a few feet away.

december 20th greets you with megumi hovering over you. he peers down at you with his messy bangs covering his eyes. they’re piercingly blue as he blinks. his lashes flutter perfectly, even in the early morning. your eyes meet his and you jolt awake.

“good morning,” he says. “your alarm has been ringing for a bit now, so i turned it off.”

you blink rapidly, getting the tiredness out of your eyes. “oh.”

he chuckles softly, just enough for you to catch it with your ears. he rises from his crouched position and heads to the front door. he spares you a glance over his shoulder before he heads out, presumably giving you the privacy you need. you let out a strangled breath before you swing your legs over the bed and head to the bathroom.

by the time you’re finished putting on your uniform, you swing the door to your hotel room open and see megumi leaned up against the wall, tapping away on his phone. his dark blue eyes flicker up to you and he turns away to head down the hall.

you furrow your brows. you can’t help but think that he’s being a little cold to you. it isn’t like you initiated the breakup. despite your frustration with his behavior, you can sort of understand why he wouldn’t want to be sweet around you; you two aren’t dating anymore and so it makes sense that he’d go back to being aloof in your presence, the usual way he acts around everyone else. losing that position in his life makes your stomach churn for reasons you’re less than willing to uncover.

your mission is a vague one; all you know is that it’s a clean-up mission. rather than a level 1 curse (or even a special grade), the mission consists of an acclimation of weak curses surrounding shinjuku. these missions are normally given to younger, more inexperienced sorcerers with the help of a senior sorcerer, but for an odd reason, it’s been given to you and megumi this year. megumi could’ve probably handled it himself. actually, you could’ve handled it yourself.

you bite your tongue to hold back on your complaints as you walk just a step behind megumi. he pauses regularly, waiting for you to catch up to his side. you roll your eyes in secret. does he not realize that you don’t want to walk next to him?

“it’s all just bars,” you mutter.

with that, you earn a tiny laugh from megumi. “well, yeah. this is the red-light district of shinjuku.”

you pale. “this sucks.”

“why do you think i wanted to come out here in the morning rather than at night?” he says, his tone strangely light.

“to deal with the brunt of the mission,” you repeat his words from last night sarcastically. you’re unsure as to what he’s talking about, so you think that it’s okay to give him a little bit of attitude.

he raises his brow but doesn’t comment on your sarcasm. instead, he says softly, “no, stupid. it’s because this is the red-light district. it’s unsafe for anyone, especially a pretty, young girl alone at night.”

your first thought is to coo and tease him. you think i’m pretty? it takes you half a second to remember that you two are broken up. you scoff, “i’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”

“i never said you weren’t,” megumi shoots back. “it would just be annoying explaining to the higher ups why you were fighting people and not curses.”

“i’m sure they’d understand,” you retort, frowning. you cross your arms.

“don’t be so pouty,” he says in that stupid, gentle tone he uses with you when you’re acting bratty.

you both decide to split up. well, it’s more like you demand the two of you to split up. you say it under the pretense that it’ll get the job done faster. besides, you both want to be home before christmas day, right?

there’s about two curses you cross paths with every hour. you’re starting to lose your mind. shouldn’t the streets be infested with them? you don’t even need a veil! all you have to do is give the weak curses just one punch and they vaporize on the spot. your head is running with hundreds of thoughts.

that’s when it hits you: the first years at the tokyo jujutsu school did come out here a week prior! maybe they did a bad job? but you remember nobara had been the one to lead the group. she may half-ass almost everything in her life, but she wouldn’t jeopardize her underclassmen for the sake of her freetime.

so why on earth are you here? it’s not like there are enough harmful curses for a mission to be assigned to you right before christmas, and to you and megumi of all sorcerers. you’re both strong enough to the point of having some kind of importance in the jujutsu world. the higher ups wouldn’t send the two of you on some stupid mission for the sake of it unless they’re planning some sort of secret execution. but even then, satoru gojo should’ve known through their lies to not send you or megumi. unless…he wants you two dead…?

you shake your head and bite your nails. the sun begins to set and you realize that you’ve been out here for longer than you expected. you’re starting to feel a chill in your bones—you had argued petulantly with megumi earlier about not wanting to wear your jacket despite it being the dead of winter; “it’s gonna get in the way!”

you always seem to forget the the sun sets earlier in the winter. it’s stupid how bright all the lights are in shinjuku. there isn’t a square foot of anything that isn’t lit up with neon signs reading out the names of clubs and bars. you see couples and large groups of people walking along the streets.

it’s lonely, you realize. it would’ve been less lonely with megumi.

you make your way to the meeting spot with megumi. you both share a few small words before retiring for the night. megumi says he wants to go sightseeing, even though there’s really nothing much to see. he doesn’t return to the hotel room until late at night.

when he slips into the only bed that the room offers, you chalk it up to the slight alcohol you smell on his lips. it feels so natural that you don’t push him away even though you should. his body is warm and you fit so perfectly against his broad chest that you think it’ll be okay for you to be a little selfish tonight.

“g’night,” megumi mumbles in his sleep.

you smile and nuzzle closer.

it’s december 21st as you realize how late it is in the day. megumi is back on the couch. you feel a tinge of disappointment in the bottom of your stomach.

to no one’s surprise, the sun is barely peeking over the buildings when you’re finally back in the red-light district. you’re doing the last bit of cleanup, but there’s really nothing much for you to clean.

tomorrow, you’ll be heading to a shopping mall, so you suppose you should do your best to sniff out the rest of the curses littering the place unless you want to stay here an extra day. the day is, yet again, slow.

it’s nearing 8 PM and you're finally sure that you’ve gotten rid of all the curses in the general area. you’ve been done for quite a while now, but you just haven’t found the courage to let megumi know that you’re ready to go back to the hotel room. a little sightseeing on your end wouldn’t hurt, right?

“hi, pretty.” a gravelly voice, battered by cigarettes, whispers in your ear.

you jump in surprise. you need to remember not to get too far into your head. you should’ve felt his presence coming from a mile away. it’s a terrible habit and satoru has scolded you for years about it.

“hi,” you mutter, pushing past his larger frame.

the man isn’t as nicely built as the men you know (but then again, your friends are jujutsu sorcerers, so it’s kind of hard to beat that), but he still towers over you. he’s got a squad of rough-looking guys behind him, smirking down at you.

“why’s someone like you alone?” he says, shoving his arm to loop around your waist.

you roll your eyes, getting ready to punch the man square in the nose. will you get in trouble? probably yes. will it be a funny story to tell? also probably yes.

“don’t touch my wife.”

the group of men turn their heads along with you to see megumi. his expression is shrouded with a mixture of anger and frustration. you blink in confusion—megumi usually looks pretty pissed off, but this is the most angry you’ve seen him in a while. and ‘wife’? what’s up with that?

“oh, my bad,” the man chuckles. “didn’t know this pretty thing was married.”

“this ‘pretty thing’ wants you to let her go,” you say with an overly sweet smile. your teeth clench and you hiss, “right now.”

the guy scurries down the sidewalk with his buddies trailing along, making fun of him for hitting on a married woman. nobody mentions the lack of a ring on your finger. nobody mentions the lack of a relationship, either.

“wife?” you scowl. “we’re broken up.”

“guys tend to back up when they know a woman is married. it’s the only way you can really, uh, get them to go away around here.”

you glare at him. “and how would you know? you come here often with girls?”

“...no?” he blinks, unable to comprehend your sudden burst of jealousy. “i sometimes get missions around here, though. pretending to be married was the easiest way—”

“we aren’t, though. we’re not even in a relationship.” you seem to be throwing that into his face a lot more than you should. you can’t help it, though. you still feel a little bitter about not getting a real reason as to why megumi wanted to break up.

“i was trying to help you.” he’s calm and collected, as heard through his voice. he walks up to you and takes your freezing hand into his much warmer ones. “let’s go home.”

“i don’t want to,” you argue.

“stop being a brat,” he says, but there’s no bite to his words. “you’re cold and you’ve been out here all day. if i hadn’t stopped those guys, you probably would’ve beat them up pretty badly.”

“i’m not a fucking brat!” you try to retract your hand, but megumi’s grip only tightens.

“baby, stop,” the pet name rolls off his tongue with ease. megumi sighs softly and pulls you to his chest. “why are you so worked up, hm?”

from the way he speaks, you can tell that he already has an inkling. the breakup. cuddling last night. hugging you now. everything.

you don’t realize you’re crying until he gently wipes his thumb under your eye. he has the audacity to have an amused grin plastered on his stupidly pretty lips. your vision is blurry but if it hadn’t been, you would’ve thrown a punch.

“i’m sorry,” he whispers into your hair. “it’s all my fault.”

“it is,” you whimper pathetically. all the tears and the emotions you’ve been holding back bubble up to the surface.

“don’t be upset,” he almost pleads. “let’s go back, okay?”

the night ends with megumi on the couch. neither of you bring up the argument or the fact that he had slept in your bed with you last night. you two don’t talk about the usage of pet names, either.

when you open your eyes on december 22nd, you’re surprised to see that megumi has already headed out for the day. you click your tongue in annoyance—he’s always been good at avoiding his problems when it comes to dealing with them, especially problems involving his emotions. you already know where you’re supposed to be headed, so you suppose that it’s for the best that he’d left before you.

the shopping mall is a long line of vendors and stores among other things. the snow on the ground is fresh—it must’ve snowed late last night after you’d fallen asleep. it crunches underneath your beat-up sneakers with each step you take. you’re not shocked when you end up wandering aimlessly, dipping in and out of stores with no real urgency to finish your mission.

there’s nothing to do anyway.

you’ve killed about 3 curses total and it’s really starting to look like you’ve been sent out here for busy work. you really should’ve figured that out the first day of the mission when you had to practically beg the curses to come out and fight you.

you find yourself in the front of a jewelry store, eyeing a pretty bracelet that you know would look stunning around megumi’s wrist. it’s one of those bracelets that clasp tightly. there’s a thicker band in the center with pretty carvings that seem to resemble some sort of swirly heart. it’s pretty, you have to admit.

without much thought, you buy the gift.

the seller has to clear her throat to get your attention when you don’t answer her question. “um, would you like this to be wrapped?”

you nod absentmindedly. “oh, yes. sorry. please wrap it.”

she nods in return and proceeds to wrap the bracelet in a tiny box, adorning it with a festive bow. you ask her to change it out for a different color, explaining that it isn’t a christmas gift and instead, it’s for someone’s birthday. she offers you a warm smile before switching it with a muted blue ribbon.

you return to the hotel, having to take an expensive taxi. you don’t mind—the bracelet has already made a decent-sized dent in your wallet. why not spend an extra amount on getting home? it’s not like jujutsu sorcerers are paid poorly.

reality hits you when you finally get back to the hotel room. you want to punch yourself for being so stupid. did you really just buy a birthday present for your ex-boyfriend?

you’re thankful that megumi hasn’t arrived yet. he seems to be determined to avoid you for as long as he can. you can’t blame him, either. you did give him quite a hard time yesterday.

you toss the box on to the dresser and head to the bathroom to splash some much needed cold water on to your face. maybe that’ll wake you up enough to clear your mind. you’ve acted out once during this trip already and you’re not really looking forward to any other possible outbursts.

you rinse your face and pat yourself dry with one of the face towels provided to you by the hotel staff. you hang it over the rack again and tiredly make your way to your bed. you halt your movements when you see megumi standing by the dresser, admiring your gift.

he looks up at you in surprise with the smallest grin on his face. it’s so subtle that you would’ve missed it had you not been dating him for nearly two years.

“is this for me?”

“no,” you quickly deny. his face falls and you cough out, “um, i mean.. yeah. i-i didn’t… i… happy birthday.”

he brightens, lips pulling up into a real, genuine smile. “you remembered?”

“why wouldn’t i?” you blurt gently. you bite your inner cheek to stop yourself from saying anything more.

“i dunno.” his voice is distant and low, like he’s trying to hold back his tears. “i just…i didn’t think i was deserving of a gift from you. thank you. i like it.”

you stand awkwardly, shifting your weight onto your other foot. “yeah, well…”

“can you help me put it on?” he asks, sitting at the edge of your unmade bed.

you feel your body heat up. part of you screams for you to stop. you shouldn’t do that. it’s far too intimate and you two are broken up. you’ve never been good at making decisions, though, so you sit next to him and feel the mattress dip.

he gives you a grateful look, one that you willfully ignore, and gives you his wrist. you clasp the bracelet on, fingertips just barely grazing his skin. your heart skips a beat and you have to inhale sharply before pulling away.

“thank you,” he whispers.

december 23rd is a sore reminder that life goes on. you had half-expected something to spark between you and megumi. perhaps he’d beg for you back, or maybe with less wishful thinking, he’d give you his real reason as to why he doesn’t want you anymore.

“i don’t think we need to go anymore,” megumi says when you come out of the bathroom after freshening up.

“huh? why not?”

“there’s nothing out there.” megumi’s voice is flat.

“i know, but we’ll get in trouble if we…”

“gojo probably sent us out here for fun.”

your lips part. megumi turns to you with a slight frown.

“don’t you think so too?” he asks, but you know it isn’t a question he’s looking to find an answer to. “why would the higher-ups assign a mission like this to a special grade sorcerer and a grade 1 sorcerer? if they needed that much manpower, this mission would’ve been deadlier. instead, we’re playing cleanup crew.”

“yeah, but..” you trail off, unable to think of a statement to refute his words. “if we go back now, we’ll get chewed out.”

“it’s just a scolding. you’ll be fine.” megumi stands up and stretches his arms.

you watch him cautiously as he begins to fold his clothes and throw them into his duffel bag. he doesn’t say anything else, letting the silence overtake the room.

“...are we leaving, then?” you ask meekly, not bothering to hide the slight quiver in your voice.

he pauses slightly. “do you want to stay here until christmas? this mission is stupid and you know it. there’s no point.”

why is his tone so cold all of the sudden? it’s as if you two hadn’t shared a moment last night before bed. does your gift not mean anything to him now that he’s cleared his mind with a good rest?

your eyes flicker to his wrist. the gold glimmers underneath the light and you realize that megumi doesn’t seem to hate wearing it. so why is he acting so … unpleasant?

you feel a lump in your throat. it’s embarrassing how quickly he’s able to upset you from just the tone of his voice. even his body language, usually fluid and smooth, is rigid with your presence. you want to tell him that you’ve enjoyed your time with him. you want to shake his shoulders and tell him that if you two cut your mission short, you might not get another chance to be near him again.

“do you still care about me?” you whisper instead.

he stills completely. “what?”

“this entire time,” you begin shakily, “you’ve been nice to me. you treat me like you always do. you’re always hovering over me even though you pretend you aren’t! you obviously still care, megumi.”

his adam's apple bobs as swallows. a beat of silence. then two. then three.

“i do care,” he admits sorely.

“then why did you break up with me?” you blurt. there it is, the question you’ve been meaning to ask. you both had seen it coming.

“because…” megumi winces as if he’s the one getting hurt from the ordeal. “because you deserve someone that’s normal. someone that isn’t a sorcerer. i can’t give you that life.”

you feel your chest swarm with anger. why does he always think he needs to sabotage himself to make others happy? this is something you’ve tried working with him on, but it seems like old habits are hard to kill off, just like your habit of loving him.

“why the hell would you decide that for me? when did i ever say i wanted a normal life?” you snap. your hands clench at your sides.

“it’s too early for this,” he says, his voice straining as he finally musters up the strength to look at you in your eyes.

“tell me, megumi. if that’s the real reason, then that is the most pathetic excuse for a breakup i've ever heard.” your voice cracks and you gulp down the oncoming sob that’s threatening to explode from your throat.

he inhales slowly and makes his way to you, holding you close against his chest. you should push him away, but you would rather let him hug you. you know that you can’t fight him, anyway.

“you…once said you wanted a regular relationship. when you got hurt a few weeks ago, i realized i couldn’t be that for you,” he confesses lowly. “i knew that you’d never find it in yourself to leave, so i figured i should just let you go for your sa–”

“are you kidding me?” you shout incredulously. “i said that when i was fifteen, megumi! before i even knew what being in love was like!”

he flinches against you. “but i…”

“you and your damn savior complex! i don’t need to be in a regular, normal relationship! i don’t need any of that, megumi! i’m a sorcerer, I won't ever get to be normal! in fact, it’s even better that i’m with you because you at least know what this life is like, you idiot! you’re always ruining the good things in your life because you—”

he takes his fingers to grab your chin and he pulls you in for a kiss. if the kiss is a ploy to shut you up, you hate to admit that it’s working. his tongue slips into your mouth and you melt against him. your arms loop around his neck as you desperately drag him down closer to your body. his hand grip your waist while the other clings to the small of your back.

you whimper out of instinct and he pulls away, lips bruised and breathless. it’s been so long since you’ve tasted him and you frown, tiptoeing to capture his lips again. you need to savor him, to feel him lips against yours again.

“baby, wait.” his chest heaves as he looks down at you. “don’t…don’t do this to me.”

“do what?” you ask, an edge to your voice. did he just reject you? even after all that?

“w-we gotta report back to—”

“we’re supposed to leave tomorrow,” you interrupt.

the gears shift in his head. “fine, but—”

“i’m still really fucking mad, but i just need you to kiss me right now,” you whine impatiently.

all megumi does is laugh when he swoops down to press his lips against yours.

it’s december 24th when you two find yourselves in satoru’s office. steam is practically rising from your ears as you try to compose yourself in front of your former teacher.

“... i wanted a wedding invitation.” satoru shrugs.

“you set us up!” you whine angrily. “gojo, are you serious?! isn’t this a little immature?”

megumi stays silent, averting his gaze. he suddenly finds the succulents on satoru’s desk very interesting. he’s never noticed that they’re all nearly dead! how cool.

your eyes shoot daggers at megumi's silence.

"we aren't gonna get married any time soon..." megumi mutters when he feels your pointy glare on him.

satoru raises his hands in mock surrender. “you two can’t blame me! it worked out! you two are back together now, right?”

“but did you have to make us look like fools out there?” you groan.

“you should’ve figured it out on the first day that the mission was a sham!” satoru exclaims, offense taking over his features.

“but still!” you’re borderline hysterical at this point, unable to believe that your former teacher of all people had to set up an entire fake mission so that you and your ex could talk your feelings out. “we would’ve figured ourselves out sooner or later!”

megumi nods. he feels like he should at least give you a little support even if he’s embarrassed out of his mind.

“oh really?” satoru’s voice drips with sarcasm. “you guys should be thanking me—”

“you’re so not getting an invitation to our wedding!” you grumble.

“wha—hey! i’m the one that got you two back together! besides, i’m megumi’s guardian! you can’t just not invite me.”

“watch me!”

“megumi, tell her that she can’t do that—hey! where are you guys going? invite me, you rascals—why are you guys leaving? we aren’t done discussing this! megumi, don’t you dare take her side! she isn’t even your wife yet—don’t slam my door!”

[jaehyunsprincesspeach]

I’ll Always Be Here

jeong jaehyun x fem!reader

warnings : mentions of stress, overwork, burn-out, low key sad vibes, fluffy ending

yes, i am writing this because i had a rough day and i just know jaehyun would have the best cuddles🥺

as hannah montana said, everybody has those days. what she didn’t say is that everybody has those weeks. weeks where everything just seems to go wrong. weeks where it really feels like the world is against you. it’s true, everybody has those weeks, and this happened to be that week for you. work is slowly becoming more unbearable, your social life is becoming harder, your mind is going a million miles a minute, and you feel like you can’t slow down. as much as you shouldn’t compare yourself to your boyfriend, with the difference in career choices, the one thing you hate most is seeming drained and burnt out knowing what he goes through everyday. in your eyes, jaehyun is the strongest person you know. his busy schedules worry you sometimes, but his persistence always leaves you in awe. that’s why you didn’t tell him how exhausted you are. because you want to be strong like him. you want to make him as proud as he makes you.

finally arriving home for the night, after work, and after hanging out with your friends, your shoulders are heavy, and the lump in your throat is growing, as you try to suppress your tears. you love your friends, and they are some of the greatest people you know, but sometimes hearing about how much they love their jobs and all of the exciting things they have going on simply brings you down more. making your way to your room, you see your neatly placed books no longer neatly placed. now they’re piled on the floor, along with the shelf they were on. your emotions take over, as you collapse to the floor with uncontrollable tears streaming down your cheeks. it seemed like you were there for hours, crying what felt like a literal river, until a familiar voice hits your ears.

~~~

jaehyun had gotten off at a fairly reasonable hour, compared to normal, and wanted to surprise you. he had been planning this all week, being that he could tell something was wrong from the first inconvenience of your week. when he asked if you were okay, you brushed it off saying everything was fine. he's not one to pry, and he knows you will talk about it when you are ready to, but when the suspicion was as persistent in him, as you were with suppressing how you really felt, he knew he wanted to do something to cheer you up. after he got done at the studio, he went to the market, bought your favorite flowers, snacks, drinks, and even a plushie he thought you would like. quickly returning to his place to get cleaned up, he also brought a pair of pj's, just in case, a habit he has grown accustom to.

the second he entered your apartment, thanks to the key you gave him, he could hear your sobs. he kicks off his shoes at the door and makes his way to where the sound is coming from, to see you on your knees crying into your hands. he hesitates before sating or doing anything because honestly, he doesn't really know what to do, all he knows is that he needs to be with you.

"y/n?" he walks in, puts the stuff on the bed, and gently wraps his arms around you. "shhh its okay baby, its gonna be okay. let me hold you."

his words are simple, as always, yet they hold so much meaning to you. without knowing whats wrong, or why you're crying, he knows exactly what you need. he always does. he holds you tightly to his chest, not caring bout the tear stains that he's going to have to wash out of his shirt later, gently plays with your hair, and just lets you cry. no matter how long it takes he will sit there and let you cry until you can’t cry anymore. when your tears begin to slow down, he pushes the hair away from your face, and wipes the tears off of your cheeks.

“we don’t have to talk about it, but i’m here when you’re ready to.” he says with a gentle kiss to your forehead. finally, you tell him about everything that has been going on throughout the week, and he listens to every word intently, simply letting you rant about anything and everything, taking in every word you say. after you get it all out, he brings you back into his chest. he knows he’s not the best with words, so he doesn’t really try to say anything, but he knows that a simple embrace is all you need right now, and that his message is received when you bury your face deeper into him. “why don’t we lay down love?”

as he gets you settled under the blankets, he prepares the flowers for you, and brings out everything else he got and lays them on top of the covers, before sliding in next to you. immediately he wraps his arms around you, pulling you closer to him and laying your head on his chest. he puts on some music to help calm your mind, and grabs whatever snacks you ask him to. the two of you spend the rest of the night talking about all of the amazing memories you two have made together so far in your relationship, until he notices your eyelids beginning get heavy. after a few minutes, the only noise left in the room is the music that jaehyun had put on. he carefully moves the snacks to the night stand, doing his best not to wake you up, and settles himself into the bed as well. “i’m sorry you had such a hard week, but i’ll always be here for you my love.” he whispers and places a kiss on the top of your head, before falling asleep with you.

[moomoog017]

fics ᯓᡣ𐭩 blue doesn't always have to mean sadness

Captain Rex x GN!Reader

Synopsis: You feel lost, like you've made a bad choice. But Rex is there to comfort you.

Genre: Some angst, but fluff and comfort

Word Count: 701

Warnings: talk about not feeling well mentally but there's no in depth.

A/N: I need some Rex comfort and I'm here to share my pookies.

Recommended Song:

You had tried to think positively but there was still a lingering darkness in your mind. If it wasn’t for your friends you’d be in a pit. You felt confused and lost, not knowing what the future would bring. It scared you. Was this the right decision or was it hurting you more, you didn’t know anymore…

“Hey you ok?” Rex would ask you. The sweet and caring tone carried through his voice. A solemn smile crossed your mouth, “yeah I’m fine.” This went on for a week and Rex was getting worried about you. Because you didn’t come to him he came to you instead.

There was a knock at the door. You panicked trying to keep yourself together. “It’s me…Rex,” there was an uncertainty to his words but he was here regardless. You walked over, opening the door slowly. “Hey Rex,” your eyes were a little puffy and your voice was nasally. “Uh can I come in?” You nodded, opening the door fully and shut it when he was inside your home.

“We have to talk…” Rex spoke as he shifted slightly uncomfortably. “Yeah what do you need?” You tried to play it cool but you subconsciously made yourself smaller, hunching your shoulders and fidgeting. “You seem down lately and I’m worried about you,” the words fell from his lips with an urgency you understood. “Thanks,” you held your tongue worried you'd cry if you continued.

“So what’s happening with you?” Rex stepped a little closer trying not to scare you. You couldn’t look at him. He stepped a little closer…

“Please let me help you, what’s wrong?” Rex spoke softly, probably the softest you’ve ever heard him talk. It surprised you and you let out a deep breath, “ok.” Rex smiled gently, all you could see were his armored feet. “I feel like I’ve made a mistake, but I also know it’s to better me.” Rex nodded as you spoke, you lifted your head a little now seeing his painted chest plate.

“I’m confused, I don’t know what to do Rex.” You finally met his eyes. His eyebrows softened seeing your near crying face. “Oh come here,” he took you into a bear hug. That’s when the tears fell, you silently sobbed into his armor. “It’ll be ok, you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met,” his hand patted your head as you continued to cry into him.

“Whatever’s making you feel this way, it will pass. Some things just take time.” You held him tightly and he reciprocated. You could feel the heat through his plastoid plates, being this close to him…it was something you’ve never experienced. You felt safe. “Feelings are complicated and it’s worse when you don’t really understand what you’re feeling. I’ll be here whenever you need me ok?” You nodded your head in confirmation. “Let me be your rock, while the current tries to pull you away. You don’t have to do this alone, we can do it together. Things will pass and it will start to make sense.”

Rex pulled you away from him, wiping your tears and he held your shoulders. “Doing the right thing isn’t easy. Especially if it’s for you. You are a lot tougher than you think and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” You were still crying but he wiped every one of your tears. “Repeat after me, I am strong and I can make it through this.” You repeated after Rex and although you still felt the weight on your shoulders, you knew you weren’t carrying it alone anymore. “Thank you Rex,” you hugged him tightly again. He chuckled, “as long as you’re ok so am I.” A smile teased at your lips hearing him laugh.

“Heck I’ll get all the other guys here too. You know they love you to death right?” You released your grip on him. “Yeah I know…” Rex ruffled your hair, “and so do I.”

Rex stayed by your side until he knew you were ok. Whatever you wanted, he’d give it to you. He’d give you the whole galaxy, all you’d have to do is ask. He’d always be the first to your side and that would never change.

[fandomzwriterk]

Stars in Your Eyes

Pair: Gambit/Remy Lebeau x Fem!Trailblazer!Vidyadhara!Reader

Warnings: canon lore of how “Trailblazer” works + the lore of Vidyadhara’s + canon character death + Semi-Amnesiac!Reader + yes Reader can shift paths and elements + slight Genshin inspiration too + love triangle (?) + Canon episodes of X-Men ‘97 + Rouge and Jean fight over Trailblazer’s life choices

Pt: 1/?

The world started with the creation of the Aeons. Soon came the stars, the void of space, and then the planets. Each one was responsible for a part of the universe, some choosing more peaceful things of life while others fought for control. This is how the paths were made. Once the Aeons had their control over parts of the universe, soon came the elements ranging from fire to quantum.

And from this event brought forth the strongest and wisest of all beings, the Vidyadhara, a species of “humans” that were born through reincarnation, some of the highest gifted with certain abilities. It is here that our story starts.

On Earth…

“I miss the Professor.”

Jubilee looked to her team, everyone downcast and still traumatized by the death of their teacher and friend, Charles Xavier.

“Me too shuga. We all do.”

Rogue smiled at her friend, trying to lighten the mood for everyone’s sake.

“I think it’s time we discuss how our team will work now.”

Scott Summers, the hero called Cyclops, was now in charge of his team. It wasn’t easy now, Charles was his teacher and his leader. How was Scott supposed to lead the team now?

“It’s been a rough couple of days. We all need sleep and rest. We can discuss this in the morning.”

Beast, the best scientist on the team and by far the smartest man here, ushered Logan and Morph to the hall.

“He’s right. We all need rest. Tomorrow we can talk about everything going forward.”

And with that, everyone went their separate ways. Rouge, Gambit, Jubilee, Storm, and Morph went their own ways while Cyclops, Jean, Beast, and Logan went the other way.

“Gambit doesn’t like all this doom and gloom going on here.”

“Me neither but there’s nothing we can do to change that right now.”

“And that my friend, you are right.”

Gambit followed closely behind Rouge and Morph, whose rooms were at the end of the hall.

“Goodnight Morph. Goodnight Remy.” Rogue spoke as she opened the door to her room and closed it behind her

It was quiet as Gambit walked to his a few doors down, opening it and closing it once he realized there was nothing he could do about Charles. Gambit knew him for a long time, being one of the first to start the X-Men with Storm, Logan, Scott, and Jean.

“Just get some sleep Gambit you’ll be fine.”

A quick shower later and Gambit was out and laying on his bed, nothing but some light pants on as he didn’t bother to go under his sheets. He crossed his hands behind his head, looking out into the night sky as the stars began to shine.

Meanwhile…

“This world… where am I?”

The person with a long grey and black jacket on with a buckle and a large strap behind them walked out from behind the cover of the trees and bushes. Their head was covered by a hood, the only thing you could see was their arms and legs, which also wore short black and grey shorts, the shirt underneath was grey as well.

“I… I don’t remember. How’d I get here? The last thing I remember is… waking up, falling from space. The stars…”

They looked up, seeing the bright white lights of the night shining down on the ground, making tiny lights of themselves amongst a sea of many.

“I’m hurt. I have to get help.”

A cut from the shoulder to the side of their body was fresh and red, blooding falling onto the grassy ground as they started to sprint but not too fast to rupture the wound anymore.

“Those lights… is that… safety?”

They slowed down, feeling the warm blood start to turn cold as the night got darker and darker. There was a house far to barely see the lights, but there was safety there waiting.

“I’ve got to-“

They held back a scream as the sound grew a little longer, the skin very fragile and severely cut almost down to the bone. It was hard to walk, trying to keep the blood there while most of it ran past their hand and onto the ground. It was getting worse.

“I have to keep going… I can’t stop. I need…”

It was still a little ways away from them. Their legs shaking and coming to crash onto the ground, one leg down and the other pulling it along as if it was dead. The world was getting blurry, sounds becoming underwater noise as air became hard to breathe in.

“No… I can’t… quit. Gotta find… help.”

There was no chance for survival. The only way to make it through was to set off a signal. Their hand went up as both knees collapsed onto the ground, dirt and blood falling from their body as they looked into the sky, as if waiting for something.

“Lance… forward.”

A large fire cyclone went straight into the air, practically making the night sky look red. It was loud, like thunder echoing in a canyon.

Meanwhile…

Remy was up in a split second after that. Surely he’d just misheard things right?

“What in the name of-“

The fire cyclone caught his eye, watching it swirl and dance in the distance. That was not a good sign.

“Scott!” He yelled as he quickly threw on his coat and pants, running to find someone

“Remy? What’s wrong?” Rouge asked half asleep

“Gambit? What’s going on?”

Scott found Remy in the main living room. Both of them could just barely see the red glow of the fire someone had made.

“Shit come on team!”

Remy was right behind Scott as Logan, Storm, and Jean chased after him.

“Rouge! Jubilee! Stay here with Beast in case someone comes looking for shelter!”

“Come on team!”

So the main fighters of the team, being Scott, Logan, Storm, Jean, Gambit, and Morph. That left Beast, Rogue, Jubilee behind in the mansion.

To be continued…

[tinyvesselhearts]

What Fear Does to People (Egon x You)

It's Chapter 8 of my series Thing Is but can be read as a standalone.

Rating: Mature (descriptions of violence) Pairing: Egon Spengler x You (no Y/N) Others: "Platonic" bed-sharing, pre-relationship, gentle touching, hurt/comfort, ghosthunting, Lovecraftian monsters, Ray's recovering from a bust and he's not currently at the station

(also: a reference to GB game. If you know, you know)

It’s roughly 2 a.m. when it starts.

Egon wakes up with a shiver. He’s freezing. A gust of wind runs through his clothes and that in itself is enough to put him on guard. Thing is, all the windows are closed, both of you are covered with quilts and there’s no tangible cause for the cold. No rational excuse, unless…

With mounting suspicion, he takes a look around. It’s pitch black and he can barely make out the edges of Ray’s empty cot. Warmth of the linen seems to hit him all at once, stark contrast to what he’s just felt on his skin. Disconcerting. Eerie, maybe— but he’s calm nonetheless. This is how those entities operate. The Collective: all kinds of eldritch horrors. They’re playing hide- and- seek until their victims can’t keep their wits about them anymore and he— as a devoted scientist and a Ghostbuster (yes, the very same)— is here to teach a lesson.

You’re unabashedly curled up against his side. Safe, unbothered, sound asleep. The attacker must be considering you innocuous enough, likely due to your comparative vulnerability, and is focused on Egon. Perfect. He lays his head back but doesn’t close his eyes— he’s vigilant— alert— ready.

The thing about Collective Unconscious is that despite being aware of its modus operandi, human brain is pretty pathetic in comparison. Its innate susceptibility to fear, specifically. During his years of Psychology, Egon would repeatedly hear that fear and love were the strongest of all human instincts, as they made the whole body receptive and focused in an instant. Later he’d find out that’s true about fear. He has no first- hand data on the latter— he supposes due to the troubled relationship with his parents— but Peter and Ray have done enough stupid things out of affection to confirm the thesis. Since Venkman’s incident with the tank a few years back, Egon hasn’t questioned love or its impact on a subject’s decision- making process. Or common sense. Or mating choices, just to be clear.

With that in mind, Egon knows what to expect. Diminished control of his body. Flinches. Unconditioned reflexes. He is determined to distinguish between real, physical stimuli and paranoia- induced ploys. A moment to cool off, analyze and conclude before acting on impulses. That’s the plan. Right. It’s easy in theory.

A distant bang echoes in the garage. It resembles a metal tool— a wrench, maybe?— but the sound is followed by nothing else, so Egon decides it’s nothing but a figment of imagination. Until—

“What was it?”

He leans back. He can’t see your face properly but enough to notice your eyes are open.

“…Oh. You’ve heard it too?”

“It’s not like… Ray got discharged in the middle of the night and sauntered back here, is it?”

There’s another loud bang. Nobody moves but both of you are very much awake.

Egon finally speaks.

“I’ll check it.”

“Uh, okay, okay”, you whisper. “What do I do?”

“Stay here and try to sleep. I’ll handle it.”

“…what?”

“Don’t argue. There’s no time. I’ll take care of whatever that is. I’m a professional, listen to me and I’ll make sure you’re safe. That’s what I’m here for.”

“Yes, but the Ghostbusters are a team. Now you’re on your own. I’m not leaving you! What if—”

“No time”, he mutters, putting the proton pack on. “Stay here. You were so tired you almost passed out on the couch. Do I need to remind you that you put my shirt on backwards?”

“My mom says it’s good fortune!”

“I’m serious”, he states and switches the backpack on. “Eldritch horrors are different than regular spirits. They harm both physically and emotionally. Lack of proper rest weakens the cognitive functions and you may be a real, tangible danger to yourself— and to me. Especially if you’re not familiar with their strategy.”

Egon slides into a pair of slippers. It’s not the perfect job attire but it’ll have to do— he stupidly left his combat boots in the locker downstairs. Maybe when he slides down to the garage, he’ll manage to change.

He takes the final look at you because you’re awfully quiet. Exhausted and hopeless, he guesses. He’d appreciate some backup but the boys aren’t here and you’re in no position to fill the role now. When you ignored his precaution the last time (while fully capable and well- rested), you ended up wounded in his lab. What you’re facing here can do much, much more damage.

Egon briefly considers escorting you out of the premises altogether—just in case— but then, how could he ensure your safety if the spirit decides to leave after you?

His chest is heavy when he speaks.

“If anything suspicious happens in this room, call me immediately. Shout, if you have to.”

“Okay.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Alright”, he shoots you a look. “Stay here.”

You nod. It’s weak, devoid of conviction and Egon wants to emphasize how crucial it is for you to stay— but another loud bang comes from the reception area and there’s no time to waste.

Egon turns around and scuttles towards the pole. He slides down. Lands with a loud thump, doubled by the flip- flops and takes a slow, cautious look around.

He’s quick to spot the source of the noise: it’s a loose pipe lying on the floor. It might not be currently moving but it sure as heck was just a moment ago— Ray doesn’t leave spare parts scattered around the floor. He has his secret dirty stash for that.

Egon takes a long, wary look around. Nothing’s moving, except for gentle flow of a dirty cloth drying on the heater. He pulls out the PKE meter and glances at the readings. Whatever this thing is, it’s here. It may be invisible but it’s here. Lurking. Leering. Hidden in the shadow, a predator on the hunt. Any moment now.

He doesn’t even manage to slide the device back into the pocket when a slimy tentacle shoots at him.

It’s massive. Heavy and slick. Whatever creature it belongs to, it must be huge and, uh, incredibly unusual. The dissonance is almost incomprehensible: to see a wet, marine limb which acts very much alive here— in the garage of New York’s finest— in a place devoid of water (well, save for a tap).

Egon screams. He drops the PKE meter and reaches for the charged rod. A proton stream lashes outwards with full power but before it catches the giant limb, it’s already gone— slithered into the shadows, shrouded in shade.

A few things to note right away: one, the ghost is huge. Two, it’s unlike any other they’ve seen before. Three, the sheer amount of mucus suggests a healthy dose of Marsh genes. Four, it’s out of sight and apparently good at staying there. Right. All Egon has to do is pretend to be unsuspecting, so that the ghost—

“Yeah, so I’ve done some thinking and I can’t do this.”

He whips his head around. There you are: in his crumpled shirt still inside- out, peeking through the hole in the ceiling. You’re in the middle of putting on your socks.

He can’t with you. He can’t.

“What did I tell you? Don’t come down here!”

“Oops?”

“No”, he yells. “I told you to STAY! Stay! How many times—”

“Sure, and pretend your screaming flows like a nursery rhyme.”

You clutch the pole with both hands, pull yourself close and slide down. Egon curses under his breath. Shite. Shite. Of course you wouldn’t listen. Psychology classes pop up in his mind again— the most powerful instincts— the things people do for fear…

“I’m here now. Poof. Too late”, you say. “Whatever happens is on me.”

He stifles a groan. It’s a lost cause. The stairs are at the opposite end of the garage. Escorting you there would take way too long and expose you to a stealthy attack and— well, he doesn’t suppose forcing you to climb the pole is on the table.

“Alright”, he decides. “Grab the pack.”

You manage to put it on yourself. He helps you to switch it on. You huff, smile and turn to him.

“Which trap?”

“Regular.”

“On it!”

You dash towards Ecto- 1. Just as Egon suspected: the enormous tentacle emerges from the shadow and aims.

Egon shoots. The proton stream reaches the ghost this time. The current wraps around its shape. The ectoplasmic limb wrestles and yanks but he holds it in place: it’s your turn to capture it before it rips the shackle.

“Now!”

You slide the contraption right under the ghost. Set the pedal. Step. Open. Wait.

Intense glow fills the room. Egon navigates the tentacle downwards but for some inexplicable reason the trap doesn’t seem to swallow its prey. It tries— sucks some ectoplasmic residue, hoovers up some of its slime— but the monster doesn’t get pulled in, as if it was… attached to something?

A roar echoes through the garage and everything happens at once: the trap closes, proton stream breaks and the ghost dissipates again.

You’re the first to whisper.

“…Is it…?”

“No”, Egon exhales. “It’s around here somewhere.”

“So… The trap didn’t work? Why?”

“Apparently it’s not just a ghost. It must be a complex being with some sort of material form. We may need to overpower it in a more… traditional sense.”

“Chain? Wires? Chandelier? Forget- me rod? A random hydraulic pipe of oblivion?”

Your flowery language is both a blessing and a curse. That translates into a perfect bait. Keep talking.

“So you’re opting for brute force?” Egon asks and that’s all it takes.

“Uh, I thought you were suggesting. I’d try another approach. If that guy is a marine cephalopod he may have a hard time adjusting to open air. Maybe dragging it out of the drainage will do the trick, right? Instead of streaming it, we could—"

Your mouth is still open when the giant tentacle shoots in your general direction. You let out a loud shriek and manage to evade— albeit barely— and even though Egon assumed using you as a lure would be the practical choice, he, for once, can’t stand the sight of it.

The proton rod won’t help any. Hitting you is a real threat— and it’s way more dangerous for you than the ghost. He’s about to resort to brute force but the monster steps out of the shadows and Egon can’t believe his eyes.

It’s human.

Oh, that makes things significantly easier.

He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a tiny bottle and charges.

A hit from behind may be cheap but it works every time. Egon swings the uncharged proton rod right into the creature’s head. It squeals, unwraps the tentacles protruding from its sleeve, then snarls and shakes its head. Egon has a few seconds to take in the entire picture: three gargantuan ectoplasmic limbs (a developing ghostly sickness?) have taken over the poor guy’s left arm. He seems dazed: his eyes are foggy, droll seeps through his teeth and for a split second Egon wonders if there’s any spiritual cancerous disease he’s failed to discover.

The hybrid lifts its arms and aims at you again, full force. Before you have the chance to scream, Egon slides right in front of you, pushes you aside and splashes some of the bottle’s contents on the monster’s face.

It howls and retracts.

“…What is that?!” You manage.

“An old trick. Handy when possessed individuals fail to be cooperative.”

Egon spots the dirty cloth still hanging on the heater. It should be dry enough. Easy to soak. Perfect.

He dashes for it, grabs it and presses it against the bottle, pouring a decent amount of the liquid on it. Heavy drops of the potent solution spill around. Tiny wet lines trickle down his gloves. He takes a deep breath, holds it and looks at the monster. It snarls. Then charges.

Egon isn’t a great fighter but he dodges just fine. He slides under the tentacles, turns around and hops on the hybrid’s back. It screeches— then stops— wet, throaty sounds stifled by the rug in Egon’s hand. He clutches the monster’s throat, squeezes it with an elbow and turns to you.

“A common tranquilizer. Learnt it during my coroner years”, he grunts, pressing the pad into its face. “You might want to find something to tie him with.”

You’re awfully quiet, staring at him blankly— but you nod. There’s a spare, long chain in Ray’s stash (nobody knows what he uses it for) so you take it and approach the scuffle with apprehension. The hybrid’s movements slow down but it’s still trying to break out of Egon’s unrelenting clutch.

“Thank you”, he says, composed as ever. “You’re doing great.”

It takes a few more seconds. The monster’s muscles eventually give in and it slides down on the floor. Its arms loosen. Eyes close. Its head hits the garage floor.

For a long moment nobody moves.

“Yo”, you whisper. Egon looks at you, then at the limp body beneath him and takes a step back.

“Sedated. Perfect.”

“What now?”

“Let’s tie it up.”

Egon reaches for the chain you’re holding. He wraps the creatures torso (making it extra tight and unnecessarily confusing around the arms— safety first) and you take care of its legs. The constraint turns out pretty solid and, most importantly, impossible to slip through by the tentacles. Once you make sure it’s sealed, each of you grabs a loose end of the chain and proceed to drag the dead weight across the floor.

It’s not exactly Buckingham Palace level of service anyway— not like you owe anybody standards— but when the monster’s back slams against a concrete pillar, you flinch.

“Oh no!— Oh dear, it hurt him—”

“It’s just tried to kill you. You do understand that, right?”

“Sort of”, you groan. “I really wanted it to warm up to us. We’ve sort of killed our chances at cooperation.”

“Don’t worry. It isn’t capable of drawing conclusions in this state.”

Egon pulls the chain and ties the creature around the pillar in an ungallant knot. It’s not his proudest work but a staple of initiative nonetheless. Links are sealed. Hostage is secured. It’s all under control.

He’s still focused on triple- checking the locks when you speak.

“Egon, why did you…?” You rub your hands together. “You… It was dangerous. Reckless. You don’t do reckless, Egon Spengler. Overcomplicated, yes, way too optimized, yes. But this, whatever you were thinking, was almost careless! You… You could’ve—”

He looks upwards. You seem anxious but you’re alive and well. He doesn’t understand.

“I could’ve what?”

“Well, I mean, you stuck your neck out for me. It could’ve been bad”, you gulp. ‘You could’ve been hurt.”

“I wasn’t though, was I?”

Egon’s at a loss. He watches you closely. You’re both okay and that’s all that matters. It’s not the first time he’s done something stupid out of fear— ah, fear, the bypass of rational thought— the Psychology classes again…

You stay silent for a moment, then sigh.

“I’ll call Peter.”

“Yes. No. Wait.” He frowns, takes off his gloves and approaches you. “Check- up first.”

“…This again? Seriously?!” You huff. “It’s, like, the third time this week! If something happened, I’d tell you immediately. I’m fine, Egon! I’m fine, you should be focused on yourself, you’re the one who went berserk for some reason I can’t wrap my head around—"

No bruises, no scratches. He touches your face, looks you in the eyes.

“It’s a precaution. I’ll make it quick. Tell me if anything hurts.”

His fingers skim over your features— cheeks, nose, forehead, temples. Your voice catches. Breath gets shuddered, eyes go frantic and cheeks are still awfully warm but it’s a natural response. Egon’s expected that much. His thumb runs across your lip, even though it looks untouched and there’s no justifiable reason to examine it closely. He just… can’t resist. Nor does he want to, really. There’s still room for excuses which get half- woven in his head but their seams are loose and each sentence falls apart before it leaves his mouth.

Egon knows he lingers too long. Needs to pull back. He doesn’t understand why his body won’t listen.

The tip of his thumb rests at the corner of your lips, then moves on to another gentle caress. Then again. And again, until you sigh. Warm breath tickles his skin. He tries it once more to check if you allow him— and you do— more than that— you melt into the touch, heat radiating from your skin, breathing deep— receptive, indulgent, responsive.

This is… inebriating.

“…You seem okay”, he concludes. “No injuries?”

“No. You?”

“None”, he says, letting his hands hang loose again. “I’ll run a few tests. Call Venkman, tell him we’ve got a subject. He should come immediately.”

“Okay. But tell me what’s going on.”

“…We’ve just caught an anomaly. As I said.”

“Not that. I see you. I notice things”, you say cautiously but he makes sure his face is as blank as ever. “You’re usually so collected. What happened?”

Egon doesn’t think it needs explanation. It’s obvious. Should be, at least. He frowns and says:

“I don’t want my friends to get hurt.”

“…After Ray?”

He nods.

A pair of soft hands brush against his jaw and in a moment— before he’s able to fully process what’s happening— his face dips down, guided by the delicate touch and you gently place your lips near his chin.

It’s a simple gesture. Gentle touch. A shadow of a kiss, lighter than Dana’s, nothing more than a brush of hot skin but— Lord, help him— he shivers— it’s so much more— it’s everything— it’s overwhelming.

“Ray is fine”, you whisper, looking at him again. “You’ll see him tomorrow, remember? It’s almost over.”

“…Again, please.”

“You’ll see him tomorrow...”

“No. Not this, the…”

It takes you a second but you get it and breathe out a laugh. Brush his jaw again, then wrap your hands around his neck and pull him into a tight hug.

Oh. Oh.

His arms tentatively reach for your back and once they’re there— recognize the texture of his shirt (outlining your shape in a way he declines to register)— and he lets down his guard a bit. Tightens his grasp. Sinks into the moment. He lets his hands really feel you for the first time since the both of you’ve started accepting proximity and it frightens him beyond belief— it’s soft, welcoming, disarming and pure— so his eyes close, stiff muscles let go— anxiety abates—  he’s out of breath— but all you do is hold him close, no doubt, no shame. You’re as open and affectionate as ever, a salve for his mind, a missing link. You fit right here. He’s never known a feeling like this, not even with his family.

That’s something new: his fear for your life instigates a soothing response. Highly unusual. He’ll have to write it down for future reference.

“Could we include this into the list of things we do? Under… particular circumstances, of course?”

“Sure. Whenever you need it.”

You stay like that for a moment. It’s quiet and dark. Egon relishes every breath tickling the nape of his neck, every slight fidget against his chest, every movement— and when you finally take a step back, his chest feels almost hollow. As if it’s just tasted peace and had to let go.

“You should also add a point in which you listen to me in case of immediate danger”, he says. “In a bold, red, permanent marker, preferably.”

You smile. It’s playful. Cheeky. Beautiful. Whatever anxiety you’d felt a moment ago, evaporated.

“I did cooperate, doofus! You won’t find a more flexible squire than myself.”

“Flexible tends to mean obedient”, he raises an eyebrow. “When I say you fall back, you do.”

“When you require assistance, I help! That’s literally in my agreement. I signed the paper, you have no say in this, Spengler.”

“Spenglers are a team. And, when faced with danger, have to be unanimous.”

“You’re right!” You give him your finger guns and turn to the reception desk. “See? We’ve just agreed and it’s that easy!”

He smirks.

“Call Venkman.”

“Ai, ai, Sir!”

He watches you pick up the phone and dial Peter’s number. A few beeps later your voice fades into a mumble of funny noises.

When he turns towards the hybrid, he notices another curious thing: the tentacles seem to deflate and seep into a bile of ectoplasmic goo.

He must take a sample immediately. Ray is going to love this.

[inventors-fair]

You Came, You Saw, You Innovated

GREAT stuff this week, folks! It was a tough prompt, but y'all knocked it out of the park. I have heard you, and my next one will definitely be a lot less complex, but for now, revel in the glory that you all very much gave me what I wanted to see this week.

Here's the commentary!

Abyssal Rebuttal by @nicolbolas96 **JUDGE PICK**

Starting it off strong with Dandan, a format that has approximately 3 fans worldwide. For those wondering, the format centers around a shared deck with multiple copies of a single creature, and other cards that interact with it. The original version of this deck involved, you might have guessed, Dandan as the central creature. I do think a Dandan set would be a little tricky logistically, but that’s not what I’m judging. This card is simple and clean, but the reason it deserves to be a judge pick is because of how effectively it conveys information. The reminder text is short but every inch of it is crucial and easy to parse, and once you read it you go back to the effect to understand it with new eyes. I also think the strongest design choice here is not limiting “the Dandan” of the deck to only be Dandan, which would allow for a much more healthy variety in play. It obviously brings up questions of “how do players decide what the Dandan is” and “how are those cards distributed”, but this card is a brilliant example of showing AND telling in all the right amounts.

Cathar Challenger by @horsecrash

Horde magic is also a very cool direction to take this week’s prompt, and also makes me realize that I could have simplified the prompt into making a card for a “weird” format. It’s tough to evaluate the power on this one, since Horde can vary wildly depending on what variation of the rules you use. It’s obviously calling to Cathar’s Crusade, but doing it on attack and tacking on the lifegain might make it a touch too strong. On the other hand, it not affecting your own board is pretty big, so it definitely depends how many teammates you have. This one is just really tough to evaluate in a vacuum, I think a cheaper version that scaled less strongly could definitely have been a strong contender.

Deep Water Scavenger by @i-am-the-one-who-wololoes

This is definitely a tricky one, but it’s very fun to parse with the information I’ve been given. This being an uncommon helps contextualise a few things- it does have a mill ability, but fifteen cards is such a low threshold that we’re likely talking draft deck (40 cards), or potentially even smaller. Also, since it’s such a small library, and because there’s an ability that cares about cards leaving your grave without any way to make that happen, I’m going to guess that this format involves you shuffling your grave into library instead of losing when you draw from an empty library. It’s a fun card, though the pieces seem a bit disjointed until you fit them together. The shroud is a bit of a sticking point for me- they don’t use it anymore, and for good reasons. Hexproof or ward would serve this design much better. It definitely makes me curious to see the other cards in this set, so well done.

Dreadraven by @wolkemesser

Ahh, the classic “change the name of the design last minute and forget to update.” We’ve all been there. For what it’s worth, I like dreadraven a lot better. The mana cost almost got me for a sec, I was ready to comment that mono blue doesn’t get deathtouch or lifelink, but that little black pip saves me from being all pedantic. This card doesn’t tell me much except that it’s made for a best-of-three format (or maybe even more), but a draft environment built around snowballing one win into another, or coming back from a nasty game 1 loss could make for some really interesting designs. I would be curious to see if this is something they would allow in black-border magic, since they typically seem to want every game to be a totally fresh start. Anyways, you pushed the envelope, and that’s what I asked for this week, so thanks!

Guardian Seacat by @piccadilly-blue

Whoof. I’ll admit, this one I had to look up, because I spent ages puzzling over what this could be for, and I say this as someone who’s played some Judge Tower. I honestly totally forgot about the “X is always 3” rule, but this takes an interesting spin on it. The main issue I see here is that Judge Tower is fundamentally not a format designed for fun, it’s designed as a training exercise. Add draft to that, plus the aspect of a shared library, and you’re left in a confusing spot. Plus, this just tanks a free loss, which either means there are more cards that do this, or this is the strongest card in the set. It’s definitely one of the most creative designs this week, and kudos to that, but I just don’t see how the format would work.

Hekara, Rakdos Emissary by @deg99 - **JUDGE PICK**

It is interesting that those who submitted for Commander Legends-esque sets all tackled the color identity problem. I mean, it makes sense- that’s the biggest obstacle by far, and it’s fun to see all the different angles on it. Emissary threw me for a loop for a second, but once I grokked it, I saw the possibilities. You can run her as a Rakdos commander, or you can pick up another Emissary and go with pretty much any other color combo except Azorius, Simic, or Selesnya. I also like that you tried to include incentive to play her on her own, but I think the ability comes off a bit awkward and too heavy-handed on the idea. I think the mechanic already takes care of that, as you can’t make her a rakdos deck unless you have a black or red Emissary to pair with her, so already there’s some incentive to play her alone if you’ve been pulling good Rakdos cards. That being said, I like that vein of abilities, I just think they could be a bit more subtle. Also, I don’t love the epithet considering it copies the name of the mechanic, so a shakeup there would improve the flavor immensely.

Imperial Protection by @nine-effing-hells

Ahh, emperor. The solution to “Well, we have six players and eight hours, what are we going to do?” This one is cool, again following the philosophy of not making the card useless if you aren’t the emperor, but making it just a bit better if you are. I do think hybrid is a bit iffy here because white anthems and green anthems don’t really overlap in size or function, but it’s a bend at most, so eh. Just like the archenemy cards though, I’m curious how you envisioned the actual drafting experience. Is it a shared pool like 2HG? Do teams draft 3 at a time or separately? Do teammates sit consecutively or staggered? The fact that I’m asking these questions is a sign you’ve piqued my interest, and now I want to go play more emperor, so... good card?

Isrun, Gravewhisperer by @real-aspen-hours

More identity fixing! Last one was limited to two colors, this one to three, both with a very clever take on how to do it. This one has a more strict limit, but allows you to double up on partners with the same colors, and also allows you (the designer) to put a solid mix of 1 and 2 colour commanders for some mixing and matching. The creative element is going over my head a bit I think, since the mechanic is clearly alara-themed, but the flavor text says Tarkir. Is it a mashup of all the 3-color faction sets? If so, neat, but maybe the mechanic deserves a more general name that isn’t tied to only one of the 4 (or 5) planes you’re giving some love to. The card itself is fun, playing into some abzan graveyard themes and their whole “fury of the small” kinda thing. 

Logistics Accountant by @hypexion - **JUDGE PICK**

Oh man, Coup in magic. That... honestly, I kinda wanna do that now. Seems like a lot of fun. Seems like these are more public roles though, since the treasurer would have to be public information. I want to know how big these teams are. Is there a set number of roles that are distributed? Are they chosen from a pool at random? Do players get to choose their roles before the game begins? Can you have more than one role? The second ability would seem to suggest so, and also that they would have various activated abilities. I can see the Treasurer having an ability that (obviously) lets them spend coin counters, which is very clever. Whatever this format is, I want to play more of it, and if you invented it, I demand a full write-up of the rules immediately. Anyways, uh... yeah. Good card.

Loyal Toadie by @helloijustreadyourpost

Scheeeeeemes. It’s a fun word to say. Anyways, another take on archenemy, and this one comes at a different angle than the others. While the other submissions had one effect for the archenemy and one for the team, this one wraps it up into a single effect, basically allowing you to scry or fateseal, either to pull a better scheme or avoid a nasty one. Unfortunately, I’m not quite sure it works as intended, since “setting a scheme in motion” refers to the act of revealing it and triggering the ability all in one go. That being said, it’s a fairly easy fix to make it just counter the scheme ability in exchange for allowing them to set another one in motion. Alas, nitpicky rules are nitpicky. Apart from that it seems very fun, and I love how this can be a competent henchman who supports your evilest plans, or a bumbling buffoon that ruins your moment of greatness. Excellent flavor. 

Malack, Butcher of Worlds by @certification-wizard

Much like one of our examples this week, this submission implies a long, drawn-out event over the course of multiple days, since it both asks you to defeat five or more players, and it references prize packs that are also drafted, implying that you can add to your pool post-construction- as well as a “campaign”, which carries its own weight. What’s interesting to me is the typal element, and the specific commander callout. This is some form of draft league event with commanders, which sounds like a very interesting premise. However, being so reliant on your opponents to be playing different decks is pretty rough, and the ability is ambiguous enough that I don’t know if it would count defeating U, B, and UB commanders as two or three for the count. Finally, the last aspect here is how heavily typal it is. What does the set environment look like, where you can expect to see two demons per pack? Also, if you’re drafting, that messes up card parity, which is a no-no. See cards like Cogwork Librarian, who always keep the same number of cards in the pack to avoid this issue. This is a really cool idea, but the elements feel a little scrambled, and hard to unify into a single idea.

Mask of Elesh Norn by @lanabutnotdelray

Eugh, who would want that mask? Creepy. Also no eye holes. I’ve already made commentary on the idea of an archenemy set, so let’s look at the card instead. More dual effects like this, where one functions as the archenemy and one functions on the team (and in other formats), are definitely a cool way to address the idea of Limited. However, I... don’t know how this would work? Is it subtracting from each “kind” of token (which I’m not sure is an actually rules term for tokens), or just one overall? If your opponent has a Tireless Provisioner, would they choose which one they make, would you, or would they make none? The idea is really clever, but it seems there’s a reason they haven’t tried to implement this effect before. Definitely a cool premise, and I’m right up there with Maro in my love for token doublers, but this one gives me a bit of a rules headache.

Mercenary Auction by @flightyquinn

Hoo boy, okay. This is WILD, and I think I mean that in a good way. This card reads to me as one that was designed for a specific format, but also made ambiguous so it could be played in other formats, and so I say to that... what the hell happens if I make my commander opponent into my teammate? Is it all of a sudden one 2HG team vs two individual opponents? Do the other two team up? Is this meant to be a signifier with no rules baggage like “friend or foe”? It makes my head spin. For that matter, even in the format this was made for, is that really... fair to your teammate? Like in a social sense? You and your buddy are all excited to go to this new draft event, then your opponent says “nope, you’re with me for the rest of the day, or until I play this again.” It’s possible I might be wildly misinterpreting this card, but teammate does have actual rules meaning, so y’know. As for the rest of the card, I LOVE the bidding aspect, where they’re incentivized to show good stuff so they don’t have to discard. However, you’re likely not gonna have much mana left over after paying 5 for this, so I think you could even play it for free without being too busted. 

Omenpath Reveler by @salamileg

...Funny enough, I am literally about 2/3rds of the way through making a planechase draft cube built around the idea of omenpaths. That’s pretty funny, though admittedly it’s an easy idea to go for. This one is simple, but encourages planechase on a few different levels. It wants you to get chaos, obviously, but also wants you to roll as much as possible first. It definitely wants you to be able to roll at instant speed, but too bad so sad for the poor little satyr. The flavor text is great, though the use of the word chaos is a bit on the nose. Obviously there would be some logistics issues with trying to draft oversized cards, but we can assume the business people will figure that out. Nothing much else to say, this is a solid uncommon with a lot going for it.

Radar Bauble by @sparkyyoungupstart

Okay, so originally I had only a vague idea what this did (and to be fair, the card does a fairly good job of conveying some of the information), but, like a vision from the heavens, my phone saw fit to grant me a clip of TCC playing what I can only assume is the format this was made for. Now I must ask, in your set made for this format- can you only submit cards with the Treasure subtype? Any artifacts? Is there a minimum and maximum submission, or can you just mooch off of your opponent’s artifacts? The rest of the card became fairly clear, though I don’t think that’s quite how the second one would be worded. I think this would definitely be a fun one to explore more, maybe with the classic caveat of “one guaranteed treasure in every pack” for logistic’s sake.

Ranger’s Axe by @bergdg

And so we reach our last commander card. I built something similar to this a while back, but I think mine had a key difference- namely, it functioned like Backgrounds, where you could only run the equipment if your creature commander had the appropriate keyword. This seems to say that you can add green to the color identity of any commander you want, with no downsides, drawbacks or punishments. As you can imagine, that gets pretty scary, and is probably something best to be avoided. However, if we move on and assume that it’s meant to be restricted to a specific subset of commanders, the rest of the card is great! You can run it in the 99 for a decent buff, but if you have it in the command zone, it’ll automatically start by giving +2/+2 and trample, and scales really nicely if you have a cheap commander. I do think it could stand to be a touch cheaper either on the mana cost or equip cost, but dealer’s choice.

Waters of Wisdom by @squeezyboi

Framing it almost perfectly as the first and last cards, here is our second of two Dandan submissions. Normally, I try to avoid comparing cards, but it’s hard not to here. The card itself is a nice functional uncommon, but some parts of this confuse me. One of the key features of Dandan is the shared library, so does your format do away with that aspect? It’s not a terrible idea to make it work in draft, but then it does change the format significantly. In the second half, this card falls into a bit of a trap that the other one avoided- forcing the singular creature to ALWAYS be Dandan means that the decks always have to have blue, there’s no variation in the creature aspects, and it severely limits what the rest of the set can look like. I think to make this design work, you want to give yourself more freedom. 

Yulius, the Protean Shadow by @spooky-bard  **JUDGE PICK**

2 headed giant? In my commander? It’s more likely than you think. This one plays really well, and honestly it was hard to not give it a podium spot. Point is a neat ability, though admittedly not hugely impactful on most designs, and it makes me curious to see what anchor would be. Going off of fighting game terms that my friend had to teach me, the point is the first one you send out, and the anchor brings up the rear. With that in mind, I assume it’s some kind of protection or survivability, but I’m not sure what’s small enough to match up with +1/+1. Anyways, the battlebond-esque flavor is off the charts, the draftplay and gameplay here seem lots of fun (as long as you use the 2HG rules of being able to pick two cards at a time and have a shared team pool), and altogether this appeals to my personal sensibilities quite a lot. Nicely done!

So long, thanks for the engagement, and I'll see you all in a few weeks!

~judge @naban-dean-of-irritation

[iamthekaijuking]

The God children of Ana Q&A

Fun facts I never got a chance to share

I always imagined Locolichi civilization and infrastructure to look something like slave zero and Bogleech’s mortasheen. A world irreversibly polluted and covered in sprawling ungodly huge several mile high cities.

Melalo’s two heads are actually false heads, as his central brain and mouth is located between them, and the false heads have ganglia instead of actual brains. They are also boneless and move much like octopus arms and elephant trunks. They’re really closer to arms or eyestalks in function!

Tcaridyi doesn’t look too hairy but that’s because she’s covered in a layer of more normal sized hairs! Admittedly I should have illustrated it like that.

In the original legend Poreskoro is a self fertilizing hermaphrodite, and I kept the hermaphroditism in the god child version (minus the self fertilization), but I also took the opportunity to insert some more lgbtq rep. So I also made them an enby. So diversity win! The giant biological god of disease who has caused unfathomable suffering is non-binary. Poreskoro is also probably the least horrible person of the god children, as they don’t actually want to cause harm and were essentially roped into their circumstances after their creation.

This entire thing was actually inspired by @evolutionsvoid’s 2022 kaijune! I really liked it and thought “I wanna do a kaiju short story about disease generation monsters of Romani legend”, so I did.

Q&A

Anonymous asks: “How come the art for the Locolichi and Keshali is shaded, but you didn’t you shade the god children?”

I technically could have, but didn’t for 2 reasons. I was already putting a ton of effort into the illustrations with the line and color work and wanted to get one done at least once a week (before the huge break after part 6). The second is that guardians are luminescent, and I don’t know how to illustrate colored light reflecting off bodies or how that would impact normal shading.

Anonymous asks: “Why do all the god children have stuff in their eyes?”

They were meant to sort of be eye trails to convey movement like Nargacuga, and I made them slightly electric by making them wavy and have sparks to convey power. In hindsight I should have just stuck to a tapering line. Oh well.

Anonymous asks: “I was reading the guardian doc and I got to the one about strength so I’m wondering how powerful are the strongest guardians?”

Have you seen that clip of Omniman setting the Flaxans back to the Stone Age? Or One Punch Man?

Anon asks: “The story isn’t very subtle.”

Well I’m not one for subtlety in my writing. I live in America and critical thinking and media analysis are skills that are very hard to come by here, so unless you beat the audience over the head most Americans aren’t going to realize stuff. So that’s what I do. The audience WILL understand the message I’m conveying. They don’t have a choice.

What’s next?

I’m mostly going to be taking things slower now that I don’t have a self imposed deadline anymore. Just slowly chipping away at a to do list of mine, and once it’s done I can actually start writing a book. I’m still of course going to be providing art and occasional comments to Unnatural History Channel, and being a writing consultant for some of my friends like @dappercritter. I also might do a few commissions soon too.

As for what specifically I’m going to do next. I’m going to write a short story and post it to my patreon, revisit and redo character overviews for Gigabash, read a book I promised a follower I’d review, and then maybe make a Humans B Gone fanart.

Anyways thanks to the like 10 people who read the god children!

[anddreadful]

Some self-indulgent barely-coherent OC A/B/O AU thoughts from 1:30am last night, yes sorry I am nominally into this horny garbage, if you don’t know what A/B/O is don’t google it on a work computer:

Storm kings: I got attached to the idea of Theseus as an alpha who for some reason was incapable of going into rut (and lacked “normal” instinctual alpha aggression) long before we found out what his canon deal was, and the way that tracks with him being not a true alpha but an imperfect clone of one fuckin hits. (Theseus is perpetually SUPER relieved he doesn't turn meathead when he's angry or horny like some alphas tend to.) I always loved the idea of Theseus helping Marin (and eventually an extremely peeved Rekhein) through their breakthrough heats not sexually, but just by being a soothing presence— in my A/B/O lore I really like the idea that the scent/ close attention/ nonsexual physical touch of an alpha helps with a heat as much as sex with one. Rekhien would find cuddling with Theseus while miserably horny almost more mortifying than just fucking him, but Marin insists it isn’t weird, and none of them have boundaries with each other anymore anyway, and it DOES help, so whatever. The stormchasers give off huge polycule energy despite none of them sleeping together (canon).

Speaking of Rekhien, he’s an omega who disguises his scent and passes for Beta for most of the campaign, because male omegas sometimes get dunked on/ disrespected for it. It’s Marin who ferrets him out and eventually convinces him not to hide it anymore— and she’s correct that they’re powerful enough by that point for it not to matter. Marin is an omega who magically becomes an alpha when she becomes Voc Rocsha— designations work a little differently for the people of the purple rocks, given that they’re not bound by the same biological rules as most species; I sort of imagine that the current Voc Rocsha is the only alpha of her tribe at any point. (I don’t ascribe to reproductive organs/ designation correlation, FWIW/ this is a non-mpreg-focused set of worldbuilding choices, sorry. But we do have mating/ claiming bites because those are hot.)

She’s worried Kitro (alpha) won’t be as interested in her now that she’s not an omega, but he doesn’t care what she is and doesn’t understand why she thinks he would. Drow, it turns out, tend to be very designation-pairing agnostic compared to some surface cultures that lionize alpha/omega couplings.

And Phyn is a beta. The most beta beta to ever normie alongside his hormone-riddled friends.

COS: if your strahd is an omega, you are so correct and valid, but in our game, strahd is an extremely typical alpha, and as I would write a full AU, Barovia has what could be considered some regressive collective beliefs about designations. (Tatyana as an omega and her choosing beta Sergei over alpha Strahd would have made him sooooooooo mad, it's too juicy not to do.) I have always loved the idea of Ismark (omega! which is obviously one of the reasons people don’t respect him) pulling teddy aside in the manor like, ‘hey, just so you know, I know what we are isn’t a big deal where you come from, but here you need to be careful. It’s good that you’re traveling with two alphas so people won't mess with you.’

Hot take! One of those alphas is Nim. Nim has a strong presence and a huge streak of stoic self-sufficiency that screams alpha to me. more importantly, it makes her abandoning her human family that much more fucked up, and is another layer to the maternal abandonment baggage that Borakov takes SUPER personally, as he buys in hard to the alpha-as-protector cultural messaging (which is probably a Barovian thing much more than an elf thing, to be fair to Nim)

Rahadin is a beta, but has some very weird and yikes ideas about designation and social hierarchy— as far as he’s concerned, part of Strahd’s absolute right to rule is simply that he’s The Strongest Alpha. Rahadin isn’t sexuaally interested in omegas because they “need” alphas, which he’s very matter of fact about not being, and Betas are fine, but what he really gets off on is putting “undeserving” alphas in their place. Hence his initial thing for being mean in a horny way to Nim, world’s least trad alpha. And if he's developing bigger feelings, well, maybe Rahadin can have a little unresolved cognitive dissonance about nim's alpha qualities (better than initially assessed, possibly leadership material) vs how much he likes domming her, as a treat.

Teddy and Borakov are, regrettably, the most obvious m/f alpha/omega trad-gender-shit-on-steroids heterosexual nonsense pairing ever committed to fiction. Just extremely classic territorial scenting protective horny bullshit. Sorry to everyone in Barovia.

Teddy goes into heat halfway through the campaign, in vallaki (she’s about four months out from her last dose of military-grade suppressants and hasn’t had a heat since she presented as a teenager, so it’s not pretty). Ismark kicks Borakov out of the entire building when it becomes obvious what’s happening. Strahd can’t get to her for some contrived reason but is sending her dreams telling her to leave the inn where she’s holed up to come find her alpha— unfortunately for Strahd, as far as her addled little brain is concerned, Borakov is her alpha. She sneaks out and finds Bork at the burgomaster’s manor and moves the Bork/ teddy sexual timeline up significantly. Everyone else is baffled that heat!teddy managed to secretly engineer her way out of the upper floor window of the inn while barely able to stand upright, but getting laid is a powerful motivator. For convoluted emotional reasons, Borakov refuses to claiming-bite her ~for her own good, which teddy takes very personally and becomes one of the reasons she later agrees to marry strahd, who is clear that he DEFINITELY wants to bite her for MULTIPLE reasons (and does).

Denethor is a beta. The consorts are a random assortment of designations. Doru is an omega and Miranda is a beta. Ez is a beta, Ireena an alpha, Kasimir an alpha but In An Elf Way. Van richten is drenched in suppressants and scent blockers, so good luck figuring that one out. The soulless inhabitants of Barovia don’t have designations— not even beta. They have no scents at all, which is unnerving.

Inspired by a Six of Crows ABO fic with really great worldbuilding, I was at one point brainstorming world-specific terms for "alpha" and "omega"-- I had loosely settled on "Volk" and "Ovechka" which translate to wolf and lamb in "old barovian". who doesn't love a hunting/ consumption motif for relationships in vampireland!

World torn: safiya is an alpha. Bo is a beta. Faraday is an omega and on some very strong magical suppressants. I go back and forth on tailor but I think I’d go with beta (but attracts so many omegas to his orbit you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise). Chess is an omega and slutty about it but extremely proficient in designation-fuckery magic— ever wanted to try being an alpha? They have something for that behind the bar at Cerise.

Brin is an omega. Most of the jacks officers are alphas. Nera Thorn was a beta who wore the most ghastly fake alpha scent you can imagine. Designations can affect how you get treated in some planes— fae tend to favor omegas and are more prone to tricking alphas, for example.

Unearthed remnants: Sev is a robot, so he does not have a designation. Clay is a beta (though depending on how his deal shakes out, I might make him an alpha who's disguising himself as a beta to support his 'bland' persona. I am not entirely convinced 'clay' is even his real name in actual canon) Aster is an omega and thinks the whole thing is stupid. Eon is a beta and Trollack is an alpha.

the end, if you read all this, wow, I am really impressed and sorry

[jaxparagas]

Nov 27, 2022

I’ve been meaning to talk to you for the longest time. I’ve been waiting for you to have time for

me.

I had this thought for quite some time. If I’ve been a distraction to you and your studies? Maybe

the reason why you weren’t able to hit your personal goal of being a Dean’s Lister for this

semester. The reason why you sometimes cry alone at home. You put on a face and say it’s ok

as long as you learn your nursing skills. But deep down, you start to feel frustrated and

powerless. Because being a Dean’s lister was more than just a mark of prestige and clout. It

was a means for you to make things financially easier for your family and stay in the school of

your choice.

And for quite some time, I felt responsible. Especially if this is true. If it is, I’m sorry. All I want is

to be your #1 Supporter. I had hoped to be a source of inspiration and hope for you. I feel guilty

that I should have done more or done something to help you study better.

You know I never wanted to be just your lover, but the person you run to when times are hard,

the person you call whenever you achieve the small and big wins in life.

I’ve been waiting for us to talk. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me all this. Tell me your thoughts,

fears, worries, and everything else that makes you cry at night.

I try my best not to show it, my constant worry. And pray. God knows how much I’ve prayed in

silence. Because I want you to see me as a pillar of strength. So that at the moment you feel

like you can’t do it alone anymore, you’ll know I am there ready and waiting for you to lean on.

Since the first day we met, I always felt you deserve the best in life. To be happy and stress-free

as you do your best in Nursing and fulfill your dreams. And I’ve made up my mind since Day 1.

That I’ll help you reach your goal as long as it is within my power. This is something you never

have to feel guilty about. Something you should never hesitate to do or ask specifically. Because

I’m at a stage in my life where I have the means, capability, and strength to do. I do this willingly.

I do this because I am wholeheartedly yours.

I’ve been waiting for you to reach out. I’ve been treading on thin ice as well. I am trying to

navigate how to best be of help to you. Should I wait for you to willingly open up to me? Or do I

ask you until you finally tell me? Moments like this. I pray to God for discernment.

I think it’s funny. I’ve always thought I would be the first to go away and travel to a faraway

place. But It looks like you’ll beat me to it. In your case, it isn’t another country. But a different

province. But I’m grateful still. Because it means a few hours' drive on the weekend or off days,

instead of an expensive flight home.

You asked me to be yours again. And I am. And I just wish you talked to me more. Open up and

run to me more. Instead of holding it in and crying at home alone. I am here. And you know you

can rely on my embrace as you cry on my chest/shoulders.

Doing so doesn’t necessarily mean you become weak, dependent, and needy. Heck, I want you

to grow strong and independent too. Remember the strongest people never do it alone. Like the

Queen Elizabeth, Monarch of many commonwealths and a powerful world leader, had Prince

Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, her spouse, her husband, her confidant, and #1 supporter to lean

and rely on.

Tomorrow is the start of your final exams. & I don’t want to be a distraction. Study. Focus. But at

the same time, know that I am here for you. Just reach out. Don’t hesitate. Seriously

We have a few weeks left before you move out. Right after your Final exams.

Let’s please make the most of it. Whatever the future holds, know that I will always be your

constant. Your guiding star.

Love,

JB

[jojowolist]

JJK Men in Black AU.

Ok I needed this out of my system. I rewatched MiB the past week and after harassing my friends with this sick au, I’ll share you some HC because I couldn’t work on my art anymore without finishing these first. I don’t know if you’re all familiar with the movies but here I go, I’ll try to be brief under the cut.

Gojo and Geto are the best agents. Gojo is a bit unhinged but Geto keeps him balanced, they fight to protect the Earth from alien invasions and control that those who live on the planet don’t cause further trouble. This until they encounter Rogue Agent Toji, alien ally, who blows a fatal strike on them, both morally and physically. Gojo does his best to become the most reliable and strongest, but Geto lets the loneliness and harshness of his choice of life get to him. So he defects MiB and decides to side with aliens, fighting for coexistence on Earth, to be seen and validated. Gojo pushes his unavoidable ordeal until he can but he will have to neuralyze his best friend. Delete his memories of himself and the Agency from Geto’s brain. He’ll let him go and let him live his life as normal human being, follow him from time to time just to look at him from afar, with a broken heart. One day though, alien Kenjaku lands on Earth and finds out that Geto’s brain could still recover all the precious information about MiB so he will take control of him. We know how things go from here. Do you think Geto will get back in control of his own brain and eradicate Kenjaku? I do hope so. Nanami as Agent Zed seemed a mandatory addition. Thanks to my gf who asked for him.

Enjoy this au you didn’t know you needed! I’ll be happy to read your take on this if you have any ❤️

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Ares

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2, Poseidon, Ares

Lucifer

He cannot overstate what kind of damage this mortal was able to do in their first few seconds in the Devildom...

The instant they got to their feet, they had managed to incapacitate Satan and knock down Beel. Lucifer himself tried to get between them and Diavolo but…

If he hadn’t moved his head, if he was standing just ONE INCH to the left… he wouldn’t have a head anymore. Barbatos was there to intervene, but had he not they could have probably taken out the Avatar of Pride and done critical damage to the Demon Prince himself in one strike...

Frankly, Lucifer prefers not to dwell on that moment... He's sure Ares must be proud of this one...

He pretty much treats the mortal like a live bomb afterward, if he can get away with not interacting with them at all, that’s what he’ll do.

He’s NOT scared of them... much... It’s just that they have a bullish and uncooperative attitude at best and since they know they can take any of them, they don't even consider him - Lucifer, the eldest demon brother - a threat...

But you know what the most frustrating thing is? They won't give him an inch of respect, but they'll always listen to Levi! Levi!!

Look, Lucifer knows he may not hold a rank among the Hell's army and he might not have been a major player in the Celestial/Demonic wars of the day, but he's still the strongest demons here, dammit!! 😡

Lucifer finds nothing is more embarrassing than having to ask Levi of all people to keep the mortal in line because he can't... Oh, the humiliation… He hopes they leave soon...

Mammon

At first, he thought they were scary. But in time he thought they were scary… and also pretty damn awkward.

Mammon wasn’t there when they more or less wiped out the majority of his brothers in the Conference Hall but when he finally showed up he'd never seen Lucifer look so pale… If THAT doesn't make you shit your pants, he doesn't know what will.

Naturally, he kind of toned it down on the "stupid human" stuff real quick after seeing that…

But here's the thing. After the two made a pact together, Mammon started to notice that the MC wasn't all that mean, they were just… violent?

He legitimately thought that they couldn’t stand him for a while until one day a guy on the street called him a dirtbag. The MC threw a punch right there! No questions asked, they just decked that guy!!

It was kind of touching… and messy. Very messy. Did he mention that they’re terrifying yet? 😥

As it turns out, the MC has apparently spent a lot of their life just fighting things and being asked to fight things so they're not very used to showing non-violent affection… 

It took him awhile, but he realized that their way of saying, "I like you," is, "I will attack your enemies." So now all he does when his brothers tease him is say, "I'm telling MC!'' and they'll stop immediately. It's great!! 😁

Considers them to be his bodyguard when he goes out to gamble in some… shadier places. Most of the time not even the bouncers want to take on the MC, ain't nobody getting paid enough to lose that many teeth…

Leviathan

Okay, so. It's not very obvious anymore, but he USED to be on the front lines of the war against demons in the Celestial Realm. He was in charge of battle strategies, he led armies, and even now he still holds the highest rank of the royal navy!

So leave it to the kid of a war god to sniff all that out about him, huh…? They appeared to know all about his record the instant they saw him and they actually seemed to respect him for it!

For context, this mortal tells pretty much everybody to shove off but any time he’s around they call him “Admiral” or “sir” and actually pay attention to what he says! He can tell it drives Lucifer insane, but honestly? It’s a bit of an ego boost. 😌

It’s sort of cute when they come to him asking for tactical advice… They get just as into it as he does with his anime and any time he points out something that they haven't seen before they get so excited it's like they're a kid watching a magic trick. HUGE ego boost. 😏

Speaking of anime, it’s hit or miss whether or not they can watch any of it. Anything with good fight scenes (and let’s be honest, not that much talking) they’re on board for. But if the hero and the villain talk to each other for like an episode before throwing punches then the MC will just rant...

MC: “The enemy is distracted... Why aren’t they attacking yet??”

Levi: “Because the villain killed the hero’s best friend and they’re-”

MC: “They could avenge their friend right now if they ended things right here!”

Levi: “MC, we’ve been over this... That’s not how plot works.”

MC: “And now he got away!! See?? They should have killed him when they had the chance!”

Levi: “*sigh*... Let’s just play some CoD.”

Satan 

The last thing he remembered when the “human” hopped out of the portal was a sharp pain to the side of the temple and Asmo wailing as he fell unconscious…

Yeeeeah, not great. And unfortunately for the mortal the Avatar of Wrath tends to hold a grudge… 

For a comparatively brief moment in time, all of Satan’s considerable ire had shifted away from Lucifer and to their new housemate. They found their bed, clothes, pillows, food, and even their toothbrush cursed!

… But Ares kids must be built from some strong stuff, because half of what he employed didn’t even faze them! He even put an explosive spell on their backpack and not only did they tank the blast, it didn’t hurt them at all!! It was like they’re damn near immortal!

Annnnd they kind of are. Apparently the MC had taken a dip in the River Styx at some point before and became nigh invulnerable…

Was it maybe a little terrifying to know that they had kidnapped a nearly invincible demigod on the level of Achilles? Yes. Did that also mean that they must have had a weakness too? In theory....

Satan honestly devoted a depressing amount of time trying to uncover the “Achilles’ Heel” of his new sworn enemy… until…

The MC was walking with him and Asmo to RAD one morning when they passed by a group of lesser demons harassing a small puppy. Now Satan may be more of a cat man, but NO ONE fucks with animals while he’s around.

He was right about to go over and rip those demons a new one but the MC actually beat him to it! Apparently, the second that they realized what was happening, they launched themselves forward and started bashing the abusers' heads into a wall!

… Live by violence, forgive by violence because in that very moment Satan decided they weren’t so bad after all. He even joined in!

Oh, Asmo gave them both shit all day for the bloodstains on their uniforms and the scratches on their… everywhere, but it’s not like either of them cared. Righteous justice had been served and it was glorious!!

100% would team up with the MC in some kind of vigilante “punish-all-animal-abusers” gig. They have but to ask. 😌

Asmodeus

Oh they TERRIFIED Asmo when they first showed up! How else was he supposed to react?? They brought down his brothers like they were made of cardboard!!

Though he had to admit that the confident, battle-ready look they had about them was sexy as hell, he knew better than to go bear poking! 😣 He avoided them like plague until they finally asked him for a pact.

And then he discovered something… something very unexpected….

They're actually adorable!!!

Okay, like, not in appearance (they look like they could pile drive Cerberus for Pete’s sake!) but he discovered that they have NO CLUE how to handle physical affection. Like zero!!

The first time Asmo actually got the courage to try and hug them he expected them to toss him off, but instead they just stood there like a malfunctioning doll, all flustered and confused… It was so cute!!! 🥰

From that point on, Asmo would take every chance he could to wrap his arms around them or kiss their cheeks just to watch them try and fail to handle it. It's more fun than picking on Levi!!

It took two months for them to finally attempt any kind of reciprocation and even that was adorable! They pecked him on the forehead without thinking about it then nearly passed out from the realization. Apparently, they had never felt like kissing anyone before so he was quite honored!

The brothers know that if the MC's looking too mad to listen to Levi, they just need to call Asmo. A nigh invincible warrior becomes a LOT less scary after you’ve cuddled them into submission! 🤭

Beelzebub

Beel didn't like them one bit, at least not at the beginning. They had managed to get past him and actually attack Lucifer which was NOT a great first impression on their part...

He honestly saw them as a threat for a while, but unlike the rest of his brothers he didn’t avoid them. He just kept an eye on them.... constantly….

Look. Beel is a big guy. Stealth is not his strong suit… If he's tailing you, you're probably going to know about it because there's a six-foot something behemoth in orange following you around while pounding down bags of chips. He's not very subtle…

That being said, after following them around for a while the two finally got to talking and he realized that they didn’t want to hurt anybody or anything. They were just acting on instinct before.

After making the MC promise not to hurt any of his family, they got on much better terms. Hell, he actually got them into fangol!

Beel's sport of choice is pretty much just ultra-violent American football so the MC took a liking to it instantly! After enough begging, the coach let them try out and they got onto his team immediately.

He likes having them as a teammate! They're very good at the game, uh... even if they take it a little too seriously…

They once tried to convince his teammates to decorate the team bus with "the helmets of their fallen foes." They're REALLY into the sport… But hey, they haven't lost a game since they’ve joined. It’ll be fine!... Probably.

Belphegor

Hahaha… He’s in danger… 😥

It took one look at this mortal to make him rethink the whole, “Trick the Human” plan… Since when have humans looked like that?? They could crush his skull under their heel!!

It took all he had in him to play it cool when they first met because his internal monologue was nothing but screaming… THIS was the "human" he had to use to get him out of there?? How in the WORLD was he going to kill them?!

Admittedly, he had to think about it for a while. Belphie's a clever guy… and a demon. So who needs an honorable fight, anyway? If he can’t win one-on-one, then he’ll cheat!

He waited until the MC got the door open and didn't attempt a frontal assault… No laughter, no gloating. He just waited for them to turn their back, claws ready to dig out their heart, and then-!

MC: "Do you really want to try that?"

The MC must have had some kind of danger sense, because they didn't even have to turn around to know what Belphie was doing…

MC: "Look. I like Beel and you're his twin brother… So I'm willing to let this slide. But if you really want to try me…"

MC: *looks over their shoulder with the glare of a bona fide killer* "I won't hold back."

That was... very persuasive.

The MC brought Belphie down to the others peacefully with his tail between his legs and honestly Lucifer was more relieved that he wasn’t a bloodstain on the floor than he was mad… They could have killed him sooo easily… 

They did, indeed, forgive and forget about the whole “attempted murder” thing, though Belphie was never quite able to shake off how frightening they were in that moment… He had nightmares for a while.

Thankfully, Asmo clued him in that the MC would melt into a harmless puddle of fluff if they got even the slightest bit of physical affection... Oh, the sweet payback he could dish out... It’s cuddle time. 😏

[nadziejastar]

Why I Wish the Sea-Salt Trio Had Not Been Reformed

"Kingdom Hearts is not too realistic, but I do want my players to grasp a sense of reality from it as well. For example, I'm sure you had friends when you were young, a good group of friends, but as you grow older things change and it doesn't always stay the same.” — Nomura

I don't dislike what the sea-salt trio added to the story, nor do I think it shouldn't have been created in the first place. But I do think that reuniting these three had a detrimental effect on the story. It felt very forced and it also took away a bit of the sense of realism that past KH titles had.

Nomura stated in a recent Q&A that he was very hesitant to revive Roxas and Xion, up until the very end. He originally had come up with a scenario where they did not return. But due to the fans’ opinions being so strong, he felt like he had no choice but to bring them back. Here is why I think he was so hesitant to resurrect them, and why I wish he had gone with his original story route instead.

“Kairi, who was a tomboy in KHI, became a little bit more mature in KHII. She changed a lot outwardly since at that age girls grow a lot faster than boys, but her lively personality didn't fundamentally change. Enough that 'with Riku and Sora gone, right now Kairi is the strongest person on Destiny Islands' is an actual premise. I like the scene in KHI, when she watches the sunset with Sora, and tells him not to change. I thought it showed very well her anxiety and loneliness over how as we get older we find a distance growing between us and our close friends.” — Nomura

Xion was Kairi the way Sora remembered her. In essence, she was the young Kairi from KH1. But that girl doesn’t exist anymore. The real Kairi is different now. She’s matured physically as well as emotionally. With Sora and Riku gone, she became the strongest one in her friend group. She spent the last year waiting, worrying, and being lonely. Kairi gets a new outfit and cuts her hair in KH3, symbolizing that she has changed even more.

Lea has also changed. He may not have a new outfit, but (at first) he has reclaimed his old name. He is no longer “Axel” but fully human, and he is trying to go back to being the person he used to be before joining the Organization. It was interesting to see a more emotional Lea interact with an older Kairi, while still maintaining the same chemistry he had with Xion. Their relationship was the same in some ways, but it was also different. Kairi related to Lea on a more adult level and it felt like their relationship had evolved beyond 358/2 Days. 

“It’s a place of lies Naminé made from his own memories, but, maybe, that’s the real Roxas. Not clad in a black coat, but playing with friends his own age, laughing, eating ice-cream, wandering around—like Sora.”  — Axel

The interesting and realistic conflict between Axel and Roxas from KH2 was also completely swept under the rug and left unaddressed. As Roxas matured, he wanted to know who he was as a human and live his own life. And more than anything else, he wanted to be a normal kid with friends his own age. That was why he left Axel’s side. It was the entire premise behind his summer vacation prologue in KH2. 

The real Roxas was the boy in the data Twilight Town, not the boy in the black robe. And the real Roxas had forgotten about Axel and made other friends. The Roxas that Axel knew was long gone. A lot of fans saw Axel’s obsession with Roxas in KH2 as a display of close friendship or maybe even true love. But I don’t think it was ever Nomura’s intention to depict it that way. I think he viewed Axel as a broken person who was unable to cope with his loneliness. His emotional dependence on Roxas was a character flaw, not something we were meant to romanticize.

“I was afraid of that... Everyone grows up—and grown-ups always forget. First you'll forget what it feels like to be young, and then you'll forget about me.” — Peter Pan

In KH3, Lea assumed that Roxas was Ventus, the same person he met way back when he was a kid. In KH3D, he went looking for Isa, not Roxas. While he was training, he never mentioned anything about bringing Roxas back. He had apparently accepted that Roxas, his “best friend” in the black coat, wasn’t coming back. He was looking forward to reuniting with Ventus instead. 

“Way back when I was a kid, I met this other weird kid. Somehow we became fast friends. Never saw him again— nearly forgot about him, too. Then I met Roxas. Couldn’t believe it. The two of ’em were identical. Oh, I didn’t tell Roxas. Didn’t want him to go vanishing on me, too. The kid’s name was Ventus. He’s one of the lost Keyblade wielders we’re looking for. Think he’s still got me memorized?”  — Lea

Their friendship would be different from how it was before. Ventus had his own best friends from his human life. But that was okay. It didn’t mean he’d forget about him or that he’d disappear from his life for good. Lea seemed like he had grown beyond his KH2 self in this scene, like he had faced some of his fears and become stronger and more mature. And that progress was undone later on, once he realized Ventus didn’t remember him and the whole “bring Roxas back” subplot became his sole focus once again.

“Talking to Roxas and Xion always brings back memories of my human life, back when I was a kid. It's a weird sensation. I ought to be able to share all this with Saïx, but I just don't feel like it anymore. It's strange, but I'm content with just missing what's gone. I'm not the one who changed. You did.”  — Axel

In the next cutscene, Axel acted rather strangely. He made a point of telling Saix that he wanted to bring everyone back, but especially Roxas, even pointing his ice cream at him for additional emphasis. Then Saix mentions his lack of tear marks. Axel looks away, then claims he doesn’t need them anymore. But his response doesn’t sound very convincing. Why did Nomura write the scene this way?

I think it was the most subtle way he could depict it, but his intentions all along were to show that Axel’s obsession with Roxas in KH2 had less to do with how close they were, and more to do with his relationship with Isa. Axel wanted to prove to Saix, and also to himself, that he had a new best friend now and he didn’t need Isa as much as he did when he they were kids. He’s not a crybaby and he’s outgrown those upside-down tears. His behavior was very childish. As if to deliberately signify character regression.

As soon as the sea-salt trio reunited, everything instantly went back to how it was in 358/2 Days, despite how much all the characters had changed since then. In fact, the Roxas and Xion in KH3 were literally time-travelling from the past. Xion was always a past version of Kairi anyways, so her presence clashed with the real Kairi. Roxas was back in the black coat again, implying that this Roxas was essentially the one from before the prologue of KH2. And Lea went back to being called “Axel”, a name he had left behind in KH3D, specifically in preparation for the reunification of the sea-salt trio. It was hard for me to feel happy because the trio felt like such a relic of the past. The resolution felt disingenuous and almost sickeningly sweet.

[race-week]

Jeddah Race-Week Rundown

Its race week again and F1 is in Saudi Arabia for the penultimate race of the season, it feels weird that this season is nearly over. Technically, this race could be the one that crowns the champion but thats unlikely. 

Overview

This ‘street circuit’ has a huge 27 corners and is the second longest circuit on the calendar, after Spa. 

It is a medium downforce, front limited circuit and despite being a long track it will have relatively short lap times of about 90 seconds.

Engine power is important here too, it's not just an aero dependent track despite it being downforce, a strong PU in the back of the car will definitely be an advantage to drivers especially down the long straights.

From the photos the track looks to be quite narrow, it is designed to look and feel like a street circuit despite the track being purpose built for F1 and later on will be used as public roads. It is a typical Tilke track and you can see the sections where he took inspiration from historical F1 circuits, particularly he seems to have taken inspiration from Silverstone’s high speed section.

I’m expecting this track to be a combination of Monza’s speed, Baku’s jeopardy, Suzuka’s driving skill, and Monaco’s qualifying.

Corners to Look Out For

So it is believed that the two main overtaking spots will be Turn 1 which is the chiacne at the start of the lap and Turn 27 which is the hairpin at the end of the lap.

There's also a few high speed esses which could result in a driver taking an advantageous move down the inside.

Turn 13 is also a potential overtaking spot, depending on its speed.

It's not a corner but there's 3 DRS zones so the corners after each DRS zone are potential overtaking spots (T1, T22, T27)

The section of track between T4 and T10 looks exciting, it is very similar to SIlverstone’s Maggotts and Becketts and the esses at COTA, I’d be interested to see how this lives up to them.

Who’s at an Advantage?

Sector 1 looks to be quite tight and twisty, which could be a good thing for Red Bull, however Sector 2 and 3 look to be more high speed sweeping corners which tend to suit the Mercedes.

Over the course of the lap there could be differences and then a team could be stronger in race pace than they were in qualifying but I would put money on Mercedes.

A few months ago I would have said that this was a sure fire McLaren suited circuit but with Ferrari’s engine upgrades, they no longer suffer with the engine power deficit and McLaren don’t have so much of an advantage in a straight line anymore. I do think it will be very close between the two of them but I think Ferrari might just have the advantage.

For my lower midfield choice I’ll go with Alpha Tauri but I do expect Aston Martin to be strong this weekend, they’ve done quite well on the medium downforce tracks and the twistier circuits. I’ve said Alpha Tauri though just as they seem to have the strongest ‘all round’ car in the lower midfield.

I think Williams should have the strongest car of the backmarkers, especially as Alfa and Haas are still using the older Ferrari engine.

My Predictions

Qualifying will be long and quite interrupted, but the race itself will be uneventful.

Strategy

No idea, this should become clearer after Free Practice. Pirelli are bringing the middle tyres in the range (C2 - C4) and the track surface looks like it should be quite grippy, similar to what is used in Bahrain, but it also looks incredibly dusty which can result in the tyres struggling for grip.

I’d say that teams are mostly going to try to one stop, as it looks like quite a lot of time will be lost in the pits due to the structure of the pitlane.

[workofheart]

levi ackerman, aftermath

feeling so much after the ending so here are some headcanons for levi (and you) in what comes after. feel free to tell me your own <3

angst, fluff, heavy topics, spoilers for chapter 139

though he’s taken up residence in marley, he visits eren’s grave when he can. he always cared about him, and i believe levi holds a large amount of respect for him despite his own injuries and despite what he did to the world for the sake of freedom. considering he is a symbol of freedom himself, he reaches a point of understanding and acceptance for the choices eren made.

has a moment alone. sits in silence, thinks of the times when eren was young, the sacrifices he made that remind him of someone. doesn’t cry, but sighs and says a few words that stay between the both of them on that hill.

comforts mikasa and shares an understanding with her. as relatives who both lost someone they cared about deeply, he tries to offer what advice and wisdom he has gained, though he is still learning. they grieve together.

he dislikes being in the wheelchair at first. for a few months after, he relents on pushing himself. eventually he becomes tired and realizes that he won’t be up on his feet again any time soon, so it’s better to let it be now and stop wasting his time. it’s a hard realization to arrive at. now, the only thing he dislikes is that he can’t see you all the time because you’re behind him, pushing him forward.

some days are bad. they don’t start happening until it finally starts to sink in. bad thoughts, guilt and fear, agitation and anger, depression and anxiety, none of which you deserve to be taken out on but all which you’re there to see.

on those days, you stay home. you shave his stubble, wash his hair, trim the ends which have been hanging in his eyes recently. reading aloud as he tries to sleep it off, taking deep breathes and managing to speak as much as he can. cuddling on the couch by the window, overlooking the city as people below try their bests to live their lives.

he needs some time away from all the hustle and bustle, all the people asking him for signatures and stories and advice and plans for the future when he has no clue - he’s just trying to live his life like the rest of them.

once it’s safe, you move back to paradis. a small, comfortable home by the ocean. it’s far enough away from the political instability and action that they don’t bother you, but still enough to call home. watching sunsets atop the cliffs, tending to a garden big enough for the two of you. going into town only when necessary. the people around in neighboring homes and villages are understanding and don’t pry into the life of humanity’s strongest soldier.

the cadets who aren’t really cadets anymore visit often. they come by for dinner, armin and jean and connie and mikasa. they talk of old memories and shenanigans in training days. they update you about what’s going on in the cities - they fetch you bread and milk when you need it.

when he’s grown enough to handle it, he goes to support groups. armin is the one who gives him the idea. he brushes it off at first, but returns to it a few weeks later. with some encouragement, he goes and talks to veterans about their experiences and how he has learned to cope and how they can, too.

back in marley, he made friends with one of the street cats. he’d feed it when it made its way to your balcony. he misses it while you’re in paradis - of course, you ask the “cadets” to pick one for him. mikasa chooses one from a local rescue and brings it over one afternoon. he may not show it, but levi is overjoyed. he spends every waking moment with that cat - on the porch, by the window, both day and night. being able to take care of something and have a sense of duty again really helps his wellbeing.

he learns to play piano. he’s never had the time to pick up an instrument, so now that he has an abundance of time in his retirement, he lets himself relax and play music. most he figures out by ear, and you can bet he recalls songs and lullabies from his days underground and lets the gentle tunes fill the silence of your home. birds chirp, wind chimes ring, the sound of your whisk against a porcelain bowl as you mix dry ingredients together while levi provides a lovely song to share.

relying on one another, confiding in one another, working through it together. it takes a long time, but it gets better, because things always do. slow days, gentle days, sunny days in which it also rains. he’s grateful for more days at all, especially ones that he is able to enjoy with you.

[bakubabes-tatakae]

A/N: I hope you all enjoy part 3/4 of my pieces for the last day of the anniversary collab for the @konoblog-simps. You can find all the lovely pieces for the day here! Today’s theme is seasons, and it’s time for summer. My last piece for the day will be out in a couple of hours! You can find all the days of the collab here!

Pairing: Benimaru Shinmon x fem!Reader

Warnings: fluff, fluff, fluff

Word Count: 1.1k

If there was anything that you had regretted, it was your decision for today. It was the hottest day so far this summer and you had thought it would be a good idea to let your husband train you for the day. The icing on the cake? That would be the Captain of the Seventh… Benimaru Shinmon.

As you fought for your breath you heard his loud voice above the sounds of flames erupting around you. “Don’t stop, I didn’t say it’s time for a break yet.”

You put your hands on your knees and leaned forward, staring at the ground. “Beni, will you take a break for five seconds. I can barely breathe, I don’t have as much stamina as you do.”

Benimaru scoffed at you and crossed his arms. “Ten minutes. That’s all you get.”

You knew that training with Benimaru was always this way, but you were always a glutton for punishment. Just the thought of being trained by the strongest fire soldier made you agree to these things every time.

As you continued to fight for your breath you saw his figure coming toward you, your mind racing on whether or not it would be your Captain approaching you, or your husband. A hand stretched out toward you with a water bottle and you quickly snatched it, downing nearly half of it before even looking at him.

“I know that you wanted to train today, but it’s getting to be late in the afternoon and if you remember correctly we have two little girls sitting in the guardhouse. And I can tell by the aura around us that they’re growing bored and impatient.”

Benimaru turned to the stairs attached to the porch and sat down, patting the space next to you. You took a place next to him and watched his expression. He smiled slightly and you relaxed, you were talking to your husband now. You still hadn’t been used to his struggle with keeping the two roles separate after all this time.

As if on queue the backdoor to the guardhouse opened up and Hinata and Hikage erupted from it, running to Benimaru. They both jumped on his back with smiles on their faces. “Waka! You told us that you would take us to the beach on your day off this week!”

Benimaru tried to interject. “I have two days this wee-”

Hinata softly smacked his head and stopped him. “Konro said today is the only day you don’t have plans, so we have to go!”

You chuckled and watched as the dagger eyes turned to you. “You brought this on yourself, Beni.”

Hikage climbed down and ran to the front of him. “So we’ll go get ready and so will you guys! This Asakusa heat is absolutely killing us!”

The girls ran off without another word and you held back more laughter as Benimaru sat with his jaw open. He raised his eyebrows and sighed. “What just happened there?”

You couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore as it erupted from you, his figure pulling you into him as he tried to keep you quiet. “I think you’re taking the girls to the beach, Beni.”

* * * * * *

Parking the matchbox at the busiest beach in Asakusa has never been an easy task, it was part of the reason that Benimaru hated going there, but Hinata and Hikage always got what they wanted. Everyone climbed out and the girls ditched their robes and beelined for the water before you could even tell them no.

Benimaru chuckled slightly and opened the back doors, grabbing the floats, chairs, and cooler and handing some to you. “We should have known they wouldn’t be any help when it came to bringing stuff down there.”

You grabbed a couple of chairs from him and turned toward the pathway to the water. “You’d think they’d be a little more grateful.”

Benimaru followed you, his anxiety at being around this many people growing some as he stepped onto the crowded sand. You both stepped out of your sandals and threw them into the bag with the towels, finding it easier to walk that way.

Once you located the girls in the water you set up the chairs and towels in front of them. Benimaru sat down and grabbed water from the cooler. “I haven’t been to the beach in what feels like forever.”

You raised one eyebrow at him and huffed. “Yea, because every year it’s me taking the girls to the beach with Konro. You’re always too busy.”

He took a sip of his water and sighed, wrapping an arm around your shoulder as he pulled you into his side. “I know. I’m sorry that work takes up so much of my time, but I’m a Captain, I don’t have much choice in the matter.”

Guilt started to eat at you as you listened to his apology, you hadn’t wanted to make him feel badly about it. “I know you don’t have a choice and that’s why we try not to get upset when we can’t see you.”

Hinata and Hikage approached you, both soaking wet from being in the water already, and Benimaru stood. They both grabbed onto Benimaru’s exposed legs. Benimaru flinched as the cold water touched his bare skin. “Girls, you’re soaked, let go of me.” The chuckle on his voice made the girls smile.

Hinata hugged tighter as she spoke the same words that Benimaru used all the time. “Sorry Waka, we’re not taking any complaints right now.”

Hikage laughed hysterically and did the same. “We’re just so happy that you’re here with us.”

Benimaru glanced up at you with a grin before looking back down at the girls. His arms wrapped around them and grabbed them both from the ground, screams of laughter filling the area as he started walking through the sand with them.

You looked on with nothing but admiration on your face. Despite his busy schedule Benimaru always made sure that the time he spent with you guys counted, and as he tossed them both into the deep end of the water you couldn’t help but start moving toward them. His playful shouts as he jumped into the water after them echoed as the girls swam away from him as quickly as they could.

Just another day at the beach, a day that should have come a while ago, a time where Benimaru let down his cold Captain exterior and was the friend, husband, and father figure he needed to be. And it was the time that you loved him the most.

Taglist: @monic00l @strangeinternetwasteland @rowley-with-ackerman @kyu-pine @ellechanwrites @barrysimpparker @impinthecloset @nikiniki743

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