#i also kind of have a thing for injuries and people comforting those characters

[vole-mon-amour]

5x09. Spencer with a cane (his cane handle having a shape of a crow or a toucan makes me think of Kaz Brekker). Spencer in a cosy sweater. Spencer pulling faces. Spencer with a gun visible. Spencer's posture. I love it when Spencer.

[redstarwriting]

pda/general affection hcs | i.

ft. hobie brown & miles morales

request?: yes

request: “Hiiii!!! I am absolutely IN LOVE with ur the clash series and I can't wait to see how it progresses!!! Could u do some pda/general affection hcs for the spider verse characters? I would love to see Miles and Hobie hcs but it's rlly up to whatever characters u would wanna write for. Endless thanks!!”

warnings:  language, cuteness, mentions of dying, mentions of injuries, mentions of throwing up, mentions of being overwhelmed

a/n: i love hcs lol this was actually how i first starting writing and it’s so fun bc i can be my sarcastic self without having to change any of it teehee, thank you for requesting anon! thinking of doing this for other characters to, what does everyone think?

i’ve made a pt ii. to this with gwen and pavitr if you wanna check it out!

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hobie brown | spider-punk

pda

- he’s kind of a middle ground - not crazy about it - not against it at all - he just - hold onto your hats for this one - ✨he does what he wants✨ - ofc it also depends who’s company you’re in - if y’all are with Miles, Gwen, and Pavitr, he’s super comfortable and a part - of his body will always be touching yours - but it’s not like he’s goin out of his way to be like LOOK AT MY PARTNER - HOWEVER - if he’s ANYWHERE where there are authority figures? - *cough* miguel *cough* - he will just start to make out with you - LMAO - “Hobie, can you stop kissing your partner and listen to me.”   “No.”   “You’re aware of how rude you’re being?”   “Good.” - if you don’t like it ofc he won’t but he WILL be touchier with you in those moments - because it pisses people off - and he loves that - also if he felt threatened? - he’d probably get a little touchier than usual - but honestly he almost never feels threatened so who knows if you’d ever experience that - and if he did ever feel threatened he would feel better knowing that you always wear one of his studded bracelets - ppl will ask where you got it and you’ll be all - “Oh! My boyfriend Hobie!” - he loves seeing the hope drain out of anyone’s eyes when he appears behind you after that statement, he finds it so amusing every time - he’s only obsessed with a few things - like there is something he will ALWAYS do - he is OBSESSED and i mean OBSESSSSSEEDDD with having his hand in your back pocket - at all times - only if it isn’t around your shoulders (another obsession of his) - like y’all are going to one of his shows? - you enter with his hand in your back pocket - after gets offstage? - hand in back pocket - walking home? - hand in back pocket - sometimes y’all will walk instead of him picking you up and webbing back home JUST BECAUSE he wants to put his hand in your back pocket - he also LOVES using you as an armrest - if you’re short, he places his arm on your head like an armrest - if you’re average height, he’s still using your head as an armrest - if you’re tall or as tall as him he will climb a wall to use your head as an armrest - it gets you flustered and he thinks it’s adorable! - and eye contact? - he will keep his eyes trained on you at all times - he’s always looking at you - or else he’s looking for you - only looks away SOMETIMES when he’s talking to other people - “Hobie, I’m over here.”   “Yeah, I know.”   “So stop looking at them, I’m the one talking to you.”   “Yeah, but you ain’t the fittest person in the room so piss off, eh?” - that being said - there is something he just doesn’t do in public - he doesn’t hold hands - i do feel like he would hold pinkies with you upon request - but holding hands just isn’t his thing - in public👀

general affection

- THIS MAN HAS THE WORLD FOOLED - he acts all nonchalant about it - acts like he only does pda to go against societal rules - which he does BUT ALSO - he is so touchy - he isn’t clingy by any regard - but he LOVES being affectionate - just like the smallest things - every morning when y’all wake up in the same bed together and he wakes up before you (which is a lot bc he doesn’t sleep well) he will place a feather-light kiss somewhere on your face so he doesn’t wake you up - but like clockwork - he will do it - and after he will just lay there and hold you for a bit - even when during the night the two of you separate from each other he will always reach out for you during those times - and he will maneuver you back into his arms so he can just lay there with you for a bit - every time you ask him why he just tells you you make him a “bloody softie” - which yeah you do - but also - he gets scared when he comes home, you won’t be there - with his job that isn’t really a job and all, he gets so nervous that you’ll just be fed up with it and leave - or worse, you’ll be used as bait for him - bait which he would immediately take, of course - he even does it because he thinks about the possibility of him not coming home one day - and he wants you to feel like you were loved if that happens - he also just loves the little smile that comes to your face every morning - when you realize he’s done it again - and that is just ONE THING - he hates getting injured, but would lie if he said he hated getting patched up by you - when you’re cleaning his wounds with alcohol the two of you hold hands - he’ll squeeze when it stings and you’ll squeeze when you feel bad - so you’re kinda squeezing his hand the whole time - but you know how i said he doesn’t hold hands in public? - at home it’s a different story - watching tv? - hands are held - looking at the stars from the top of a building? - hands are held - throwing up after drinking too much? - hands are held - so is hair - and he rubs your back - you rub his - he adores back scratches (not when he’s throwing up just in general LMAO) - one thing he didn’t realize he loved so much until it happened was when he was sitting and playing his guitar on y’alls bed - just mindlessly finger picking some melodies - and you came up and sat behind him and put your head on his shoulder and wrapped your arms around his waist and kissed his cheek and just - stayed there - it made him melt - he loves it so much - he especially loves it when you hum along - even if you can’t hold a tune - it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard he doesn’t care - you can expect him to be all over you the minute he gets back from being Spider-Punk - especially when he has a bad day - i could probably give more examples but this is already kinda long lmao oops

overall

- he LOVES affection - public and private - if he loves you, he’s gonna show it - he’s gonna scream it, literally and figuratively - everyone will know y’all are together - which he loves - but that’s not why he does it - he just loves you - and doesn’t care what other ppl think 🤭

miles morales | spider-man

pda

- omg this lil man is so awkward - i’m far older than him and he makes me think of how nervous and awkward i was at his age when it came to any type of romance - so i can see him being SO unintentionally awkward in public - he tries so hard to be cool - but omg - the tiniest thing will go wrong and he’ll go from 😏 to 😟 - everything is the end of the world until you assure him it isn’t - like the time he saw you outside around Brooklyn Visions Academy and thought it’d be so cute to go up behind you and cover your eyes and say “guess who :)” - except it wasn’t you - you were across the street and watched it all go down - he literally made eye contact with you the minute he tried to be cute - the HORROR on his face - he was immediately apologizing to the random person he just did that to - in the moment you were so confused - but when you and him were in his dorm and he was flailing his arms around -and yelling in lowercase explaining it? - oh my god - hilarious - he was all pouty when you started laughing so you had to attack his face with little kisses to make him cheer up - one would have done the trick but he was grateful for all of the ones you gave him regardless - or the time he went to wrap his arm around your waist during lunch because he wanted to be all cute in school and you turned around as soon as he put his arm out and tried to walk and his sturdiness and strength made you literally drop your lunch tray and the food went everywhere - and there you were again in his dorm as he was flailing his arms around and yelling in lowercase apologizing because you just got new shoes and he ruined it and— - shut him up with a kiss, would you? - a display of public affection that always happens though is you’re always in his jacket - to the point where he has two of the same jacket now so you guys can be twinning :,) - “Look, babe! Same jacket!”   “Oh my god wait! We’re gonna be so cute!”   “I know, right? Pretty smart and cute of me, huh?”   “Very smart and cute of you, Miles.” - he also loves to have his hand on top of yours whenever he can - he’ll do it in class - if y’all go out to eat - if he’s sketching and you’re next to him - and holding hands in public is a favorite of his - it’s very tiny things that he does because every time he tries something big something goes wrong - like opening a door for you and motioning you to go in before him - and always being ready to steady you if you would trip (which happens more than he thought it would) - and always fixing your necklace that he bought you for your birthday (with the help of Rio) when the little clasp comes down in the front - he’s constantly staring at you with a dopey grin on his face - literally will get called out in class because he’s just 👁👄👁 - and then he gets all flustered  - but the smile you get on your face letting him know you like him that much will relax him - will go from “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to draw attention to you!” to “yeah, you like that? imma do it more then.” - he’ll also pretend to drum on you with his pencils when you’re near him - especially if he has his headphones in - he likes to play this game where you guess which one of his songs he’s jamming out to - sometimes he says you got it right when you get it wrong just to see you get excited - and he doesn’t necessarily mean for this to be a public display of affection, - but his constant drawing of you is frequently watched by other classmates - the only person who has successfully seen his bold moves of affection is Ganke, and he pretends to gag every time lol

general affection

- he’s such an affectionate boy 🥹 - like i said, Ganke is the only one who successfully sees his physical affection plots work - he’s much smoother when people aren’t around - and yes, he has shown you the shoulder touch - you did it to him once and he short-circuited - i’m so serious he accidentally shocked you - but then he hugged and kissed you for like 40 minutes afterward cause he felt bad - so it wasn’t too bad of an experience - but when it comes to physical affection in private, he’s worlds better at it - any time he plays video games, whether that be with you or Ganke, he has his leg over top of yours - He loves watching movies with you where you lay your head on his lap and he just mindlessly draws little shapes on your shoulder - he also loves having you laying on top of him while y’all cuddle - it makes him feel safe (and he gets to steal soooo many kisses from you) - you’re kinda like his very own weighted blanket but not even because his spider strength makes you feel like a feather - but it’s also an easy way for him to keep a hold of you and feel like he’s protecting you - he also loves to take you web swinging - holding you super close and taking you to a tall building away from anyone who can see y’all - he loves that - sometimes he’ll have like a whole picnic type date set up and y’all will just have a cute lil date on the top of the one world trade center - he also loves having you over to his place - his parents love you - and you love them - they make him keep his door cracked when y’all are in there together but it’s mainly because they love to peek in and see their son so in love - Jefferson took like 74 pictures the first time he saw y’all napping together - And Rio took like 52 pictures when she caught the two of you on the roof of the building and he was playing you a playlist he made for you - he does that a lot but that was the first time Rio saw it - she was ecstatic lol - he occasionally will just poke you for no reason - and by occasionally i mean he does it constantly - “Miles? Why did you do that?”   “Do what?”   “I literally saw you poke me.”   “No, I didn’t”   “…”   “…”   “I did, you’re just so cute, I don’t know.” - he also loves drawing on your hand - the back of your hand has constant Miles doodles - sometimes it’s stuff like the two of your initals in a heart - sometimes it’s Spider-Man - sometimes it’s just whatever was on his mind - but you love your constant Miles hand drawings - and he feels like it’s some sort of way for other people to know you’re his - but when he does it it’s so cute - cause he’s so gentle - and no one is watching - but you’re sitting there and just smiling as he creates a work of art on your hand and the playlist he made full of songs that remind him of how you made him feel the first time he saw you is softly playing in the background - he calls them temporary tattoos and one day you’re going to actually get one of the doodles tattooed on you somewhere - he’ll probably have a heart attack from how much he loves it but hey that’s fine he’ll recover - speaking of he loves to draw with you - he doesn’t care about your skill level, he just loves to be creative with you - he also is very much all about making sure you’re eating - getting enough sleep - prioritizing yourself above everything else - and if anything is ever bothering you - he is There - he will always be there and it’s very comforting - he just wants you to be happy all the time and does his best to do so - and you feel the same - so any time the responsibility of Spider-Man is too much for him - or when his parents get on him because he’s hiding half of who he is - you’re there for him - often times after he comes home from a long day of Spider-Manning he’s the one who is being held, but you’re fine with that - cause he can be vulnerable with you and he needs it

overall

- Miles is getting the hang of being in a relationship - he really does love pda but is so bad at it lmao - when he gets better beware - you will be a melting mess in public all the time - but for right now it’s just behind the scenes where he’s able to show how he really feels - give him all the hugs he needs ‘em

[queers-gambit]

Talk Shit, Get Hit

prompt: ( requested ) your high school bully picks the wrong day to taunt you and it's up to an equally hotheaded Billy to calm you down. call it irony.

pairing: Billy Hargrove x female!reader characters are ALL aged 18 years old

fandom masterlist: Stranger Things

word count: 5.4k+

note: the reader is aggressive. the reader is violent. the reader’s hands are rated ‘E’ for Everyone.

warnings: you know the drill: author projects instead of going to therapy and uses personal experience as details. there's physical violence, aggressive reader, depiction of shitty home life / toxic family, (somewhat severe) abusive alcoholic parent, parental abandonment, cursing, bullying, Jason Carver's sister is the bully, injury and blood. cursing, threats, brief cigarette and illicit material use (marijuana / weed), i guess this is hurt and comfort, angst, we talk about Billy's abuse with Neil, too, and kinda abrupt ending.

PLEASE NOTE -

this fic will depict parental abuse, both emotional and physical. this fic will discuss an alcoholic parent. this fic will detail physical violence BY the reader.

DO NOT engage if any of these topics potentially trigger you. you will miss nothing if you decide to skip. author implores readers to value and prioritize their own comfort and mental health.

Of all the days Brittany Carver could've chosen, she picked the worst day imaginable to bully you - being akin to a ticking time bomb. To your immense surprise, she'd laid off that entire week, focused on the "big" cheerleading competition she was leading Hawkins High to victory in. It left her no energy to engage in her favorite past time of tormenting you; figuring that after 6 years of her brutal behavior, she had grown up and lost interest. You weren't someone who people bullied easily, but this thing with Brittany, it was some kind of twisted pissing contest; competition brewing in elementary school that boiled over during middle school and now lasted into high school.

However, God seemed to have a sick sense of humor because on the week your bully had temporarily forgotten your existence, things at home had escalated to a new height not previously known. It was true what they said: if it wasn't one thing, it was another.

The entire week, your mother had only been sober for - well - none of it. She was found morning, noon, and night slumped over in various locations around your home with different bottles of liquor in her grip. The house grew messier each day, a direct result of a checked-out parent refusing to do any chore and destructive little monsters that took form as your twin little brothers. You couldn't keep up, playing mother, sister, housewife, personal maid, and full-time student all at once; pushing your stress levels higher, making you bitter and short tempered. The times your mother was conscious, which was typically to find a new bottle of alcohol, she was a right nasty fuck.

Her bark matched her bite; not only yelling at you, belittling you, and gaslighting you - but also using physical aggression to "teach you a lesson" for being "disorderly" or "a waste of semen" - and yes, that is a direct quote. Her hands were dainty from malnourishment, bulging veins prominent, and despite your father abandoning the family ages go, she still wore her diamond wedding ring that left small cuts wherever she struck you. The times she wasn't sober enough to really "get" you, she put out cigarettes on your arms and thighs; leaving tiny, circular burn scars you coated in Neosporin. She’s been known to break a few wooden cooking spoons over your head, steal the money made from babysitting, even cashed-in your inheritance - pawning all of your dead grandmother’s jewelry. There were plenty of other examples, but dwelling on those instances wouldn't change the past or alter your future, so you stuffed them way deep down in your soul.

Naturally, you didn't say a Goddamn thing; under the impression that everyone had shitty family members they tolerated and that your home life was normal enough to not report to the police. You didn't know any better, you didn't know that your mother downing fifths of alcohol daily was cause for concern. You didn't know that abuse wasn't the standard - emotional or physical. It took years for you to learn that love wasn't supposed to hurt, that love wasn't supposed to scare you, that love wasn't selfish, that your mother didn't actually love you. It took years to convince yourself that you were worthy of love and acceptance, never receiving it from your mother - not knowing you could get it from anyone else.

And then, William fucking Hargrove - or Billy - breezed into your small hometown with a sweet denim-clad ass, golden, curly mullet, and a bad fucking attitude that rivaled your own.

It was a match made in heaven. Or hell.

You both suffered at the hands of your parental figures, turning abrasive and foul-mouthed as defense mechanisms. You and Billy developed hardened exteriors in an effort to protect your soft insides, and when you met officially, it was as if you two could see past that hard shell - straight through the bullshit. You recognized much of the same in one another - like looking in a mirror - and grew impossibly close in an incredibly short amount of time; grateful to have a second half who understood without ever needing explanation.

He just got you. Able to identify common threads between you. Billy understood you, having more empathy than you thought he could muster. He protected you. He loved you. He took care of you - and you did the exact same, considering you two were cut from the same cloth; wanting to assure him he was just as worthy of love as you.

Billy was known around Hawkins for being a womanizing jock with anger issues, and yet, when you finally agreed to go on a date with him, he never even looked at another girl twice. He felt as if dating his best friend, understanding that nobody else would truly understand him the way you do - so he did what he could to keep you.

He did his best to defend you, but there was only so many tangible things the star basketball player could protect you from. Gossip and petty cheerleaders, prime examples. Yet Billy still tried, even taking the liberty to confront Brittany's brother, Jason Carver, about leaving you alone. Unfortunately, it was as if Billy's concern spurred on the cheerleader's bullying, calling you pathetic for hiding behind a man and sending him to fight your battles. You told Billy to stay out of it, that you could handle the situation by yourself, that he would just make the situation much more sticky.

So he did. Billy backed off, letting you deal with the situation as best you deemed; offering his support in return, being a shoulder to cry on for the days your frustration peaked.

That entire week Brittany didn't bully you had been extraordinarily tiresome due to your mother's abuse, wanting to confide in Billy but refraining when you rationalized not bringing him into your bullshit. He had enough of his own. So, while, yes, it was a comfort to have him on your side, you never indulged Billy on the woes of your life. He was meant to be your escape, not your savior; the burden of shouldering your abuse while enduring his own feeling terribly unfair.

You kept quiet, even though you were silently begging for someone to save you. Yet you weren't a damsel, there was no Prince Charming, brave knight, chosen champion to slay the dragons terrorizing you.

However, your boyfriend was much more intuitive than you realized. You always prided yourself on your acting skills, convincing everyone around you that you were indifferent to your mother's temperament, even when showing up at school with a casted wrist, black eye, and split bottom lip. Turns out, parents in Hawkins gossiped much more than the kids, and soon, it felt like the entire town knew about your abusive alcoholic mother and runaway father. Nobody did anything to help you, they just tiptoed around the knowledge and stared at your injuries. Brittany Carver was the only person stupid enough to make the mistake of weaponizing your home situation.

It was a tepid spring afternoon, the sun peaking through the clouds and the first flowers sprouting from the thawing ground. The bell rang to dismiss for lunch, the hallways filled with mingling and milling students all grateful for the midday break. Some gathered in gaggles of friends, some headed directly for the cafeteria, and others, like you, utilized the time to exchange morning class books for afternoon materials. Your fractured wrist had long since healed, but there was a long, straight scar present as a result from the surgery you required; currently, a scabbing cut over your eyebrow, lips stinging from where the flesh split, with a collection of bruises turning different colors to represent various healing stages.

Today simply hadn't been your day.

After a week of constant alcohol-fueled battery, you felt your frustrations finally crescendo after being assigned 3 separate essays; doubling your stress, shortening your fuse, and creating heavy leaded dread as the minutes ticked by. Everyone else felt giddy for the spring-tastic weekend, wanting time to go faster so they could go home - but not you. You might've been the one teenager in the city - no, no, the county - no, wait! The state - WAIT, NO... The country, who didn't want to leave school. You didn't want the day to end and be forced out of your safety zone; anxiety twisting your stomach and prickling your skin at the thought of returning home.

Truthfully, you spent several nights a week at Billy's, being snuck in through his window; feeling unsafe in your own home and wanting to remain close without voicing your need for his proximity. You felt stronger with Billy, as if you could take on the world; as if your safety and wellbeing were (finally) a real priority. He took great pride in being that safe haven for you, thinking it a nice change of pace as he often never seized opportunities to prove himself compassionate and caring. Billy was known for being a brute, someone aggressive and commandeering; nobody associating "safety" with him - except you.

However, this wasn't one of those weekends you'd be able to sneak out, being forced into caring for your two wee brothers; them needing you, dependent on you, relying on the care and love you provide them.

As a result of your shitty week, you had been a right, foul bitch to those unfortunate enough to engage you. Being well aware of your attitude, you tried to avoid everyone, not wanting to lash out at innocent peers - labeling yourself a bitch because of your impeccable self-awareness. Though, no matter the labels you assigned, you simply couldn't rein your emotions into check given your anxiety over returning home overpowered your brain.

Knowing you'd be forced to defend yourself against your own mother set your teeth on edge, projecting your horrible mood onto anyone in your vicinity - making most keep their distance.

Keyword: most.

Much like her brother, captain of the basketball team, Jason Carver, Brittany Carver wasn't the brightest bulb of the bunch. She never picked up hints, she didn't bother reading the room or in-between any lines; she held little to no regard for those around her or their emotional state. Brittany just wanted to assert herself as Queen Bee and thought the best way to achieve that was by bullying those she deemed lesser then she. It gave her a power trip, made her feel swollen with importance, boosting her ego because in her mind, she'd rather be feared than loved.

Brittany was dressed in her pretty, pressed, and bright cheer uniform; her obnoxiously blonde hair tied in a high ponytail that swished dramatically with each step. She wore cherry flavored lip gloss, her make-up caked, skirt hiked higher than school regulation permitted because she suckled at the teat for attention - good or bad.

You heard the second bell ring and finished shoving books in your locker, trying to stuff notebooks in your bag when your locker was suddenly violently slammed shut. Flinching at the quick movement and aggressive bang, you glared at whoever dared interrupt you; a manicured hand flat on the metal to keep the locker closed.

"The fuck you want, Brittany?"

"Awh, someone's already got their panties in a twist," she mocked, two of her cronies giggling their support. "C'mon, babe, I was just stopping by to say hello - missed you this week!"

"Oh, for sure," you sneered in a sickly-sweet tone, "of course you missed me, your life is so much more boring without me in it, huh? Wow, seriously, Brittany, I'm flattered to be the main character in your life, too."

Her eyes rolled and one of the other cheerleaders at her flank, Jennifer, popped flavorless gum. "I'm surprised you still have this level of spunk and cheek to talk like that, would've thought Mommy Dearest beat it out of you by now - she hits you often enough, right? Doesn't she? Hmm, well, maybe she needs to hit you a little harder."

"Excuse me?" You snapped.

"You heard me!" She laughed. "Obviously your mom isn't teaching you any lessons since you still have this whole emo-attitude going on. But I can't say I blame her, you're such a bitch - I'd smack the shit outta you, too."

You nodded slowly, not realizing several students had paused themselves to watch the exchange; knowing this was a longtime coming and didn't want to miss the inevitable drama. Dropping your backpack, you asked, "You sure? You really wanna hit me?"

"Is it that hard to believe? I mean," she smirked, "your own mother does - of course, I do, too. Like, seriously, it's not a secret why she hits you - just look at you! No wonder she hates you, you're just a waste of space, resources, and money. Damn shame Billy doesn't see it yet, but don't worry, he will." She laughed again, "He'll get tired of reopening your lip every time you kiss. It's so pathetic and ugly, he'll start to crave what you can't offer. I mean, seriously, what guy with any self-respect wants to date a girl as broken as you?"

"Know what, Brittany?" You growled, balling your fists at your side. "I'll give you one free hit."

"Excuse me, what?"

"Yeah," your head nodded, "go ahead. One free, clean shot. Hit me if you want to so bad, but you'll only get just this one shot."

Her eyes rolled, "I don't need to, your mom's got that covered."

"Free hit, Brit," you taunted, gesturing, "c'mon, go 'head, lemme have it. Since I'm so insufferable, go right ahead - get your clean hit."

Jennifer and Jasmine shared strange looks, the latter nudging, "Just do it, Brittany, shut this stupid bitch the hell up."

"Yeah, Brittany, shut me the hell up."

She looked to her little goons with a smirk, shrugged and handing over her backpack. When Brittany turned again, she dramatically wound her arm back and used her full strength to swing her fist into your cheek; only making your head turn a fraction from impact. You hummed and nodded, the cheerleader laughing with her girls as if she had "shown you" - but her amusement died when she noticed you barely reacted.

You smirked, cracking your neck, "My turn!"

Your knuckle cracked the bridge of the cheerleader's nose - sick sound of a snap ringing in your ears and jolting the girl's head backwards; momentum forcing her to stumble. Brittany shrieked in pain, holding her nose, unable to defend herself as you launched your attack; first slamming her back into the lockers before jabbing your fist into any vulnerable spot you could.

Similar to the movies, you held Brittany by her hair to keep her in place; wailing your punches repeatedly, each hit making Britt bang into the lockers. Jennifer and Jasmine tried to pull you away but both earned their own punches or elbows to the face for the interference. You focused on Brittany, instantly curating a flock of students all eager to watch.

"FIIIIIIGHT!"

"GIRL FIGHT!"

"BEAT HER ASS, Y/N!"

Brittany sobbed as blood dribbled down her front, staining her pretty uniform, but you were just getting started. The hallway turned noisy, a circle forming around you four as all three cheerleaders were staved off; you running on pure anger, adrenaline, and overflowing frustration that encouraged your foot to kick Britt's gut. You'd never admit it, but Brittany's mocking had hurt you past words, made you feel vulnerable, disarmed, as if you were damaged, undeserving goods. With each punch or kick or stomp, you remembered a different instance of your mother's abuse, seeing her face instead of Brittany's; spurring you on with unrestrained force.

In the parking lot, Billy was leaning on his car with a few teammates from the basketball team and enjoying a hearty nicotine-filled break. Though they'd never label it as such, the boys exchanged idle gossip; listening to Conrad Jones detail his latest conquest, sneering about how "easy" Kennedy Stephens was. They were interrupted when Kyle Lambert sprinted up to them, sneakers skidding over asphalt, panting dramatically, "Billy! Billy! Y-You gotta come see this, man! You gotta help!"

"What?" He asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"I-It's your girl - it's Y/N!"

He pushed off his car that was supporting his weight, demanding, "What about her?"

"You gotta come quick, man, you gotta see this! It's fucking wild! Brittany, Jennifer, and Jasmine tried jumping her - "

Billy was surging across the carpark instantly, tossing his cigarette away before yanking the school doors open. He was instantly greeted by the chaotic sight and sounds of a fight, peers gathered in a large circle; screaming their support and hollering encouragement.

"Billy! Oh, thank God!!" Chrissy Cunningham cried, waving him closer. "You have to help! You have to do something, it's 3-on-1!"

He didn't acknowledge the strawberry blonde, just started instantly shoving through the crowd to reach the edge of the fight. It wasn't the sight he was anticipating - fearing the worst, now pleasantly surprised (and a little turned on).

Blood was splattered on the linoleum floors, a single streak smeared on the lockers. Jennifer was left on the ground with her back against the metal, sporting a busted lip as Jasmine was trying to coax her to her feet - sporting a ruddy face and disheveled look. Left in the center, to the entertainment of the crowd, was you on top of Brittany Carver, heaving your fist time and again into her face.

"Shit," he breathed, intending to step forward to stop the fight but needing to shove Tommy H. out of his way when he stepped forward.

"C'mon, man! It's a girl fight! Don't break it up!" Tommy begged, but Billy bullied through.

"All right, that's enough," he grunted, wrapping his arms around your middle and heaving you up and back a step - needing to engage his core and arms when you wriggled in an effort to free yourself. "Hey, hey, hey - "

"Lemme go! This bitch needs put in the ground!"

"Jesus Christ, when did you get this strong?" He grunted, your feet slipping on blood but still being restrained by your boyfriend's impressive strength.

"Talk your shit again, bitch!" You barked at Brittany, who was sobbing in pain and curling into herself. "Lemme hear you say another Goddamn word, you'll need more than another nose job! Fake ass, plastic bitch!"

Jason joined the center and knelt at his sister's side, helping her sit up, glaring at you and Billy. Your boyfriend grit his teeth when Jason snarled, "You need to muzzle your bitch, Billy!"

"I'll fuck you up for talkin' about her like that, Carver, don't provoke me. Watch yourself," Billy snapped in warning, successfully managing to get you behind him.

However, you dodged around him with only enough time to spit hatefully on Brittany, warning, "You wanna talk shit, you'll get hit! Don't let me hear you again - don't you ever dare say another word about my mama! I'll put you in the ground, bitch, fucking try me! I dare you! Try me again, say shit about my mama, and see what the fuck I do!"

"All right, all right, you made your point," Billy stiffly told you, pulling you away by force to avoid you actually killing Brittany. He got a look at her injuries, thinking there must've been more than a broken nose from the way her uniform was stained and her entire face bloodied. "C'mon, we gotta get outta here, come with me - c'mon, baby, you can't touch her anymore, you made your point, you'll end up killin' her or some shit," he panted, shoving through the crowd and effectively ending the fight.

Billy didn't let go of your form until finally outside - letting you rip yourself away as your blood boiled, adrenaline making you much stronger. He watched you pace; huffing, puffing, seething, all but gnashing your teeth hatefully. "That fucking bitch had it coming, Bee, it was self defense!" You finally explained.

"Oh, yeah, princess, totally looked like it," he scoffed, blocking the doors in case you tried to go back. He lit another cigarette.

"It was, you condescending asshole!" You snapped, eyes ablaze and anger tangible. "She approached me, she ran her mouth, and she hit me first!"

"Well," he sighed, "whatever the reason, it's not worth jail time for beating her to death."

"Might be."

"Ain't nothing worth throwing your life away," he offered you the cigarette, but you refused. "Why don't you just tell me what happened? What'd she say?"

"It doesn't matter, Billy."

"I think it matters when she looks like she's gonna need a blood transfusion to replenish what she's lost."

"Whatever - let it be a lesson that you shouldn't throw stones if you're scared of a boulder."

Billy sighed, smoke blown from his mouth, "C'mon, doll, tell me what happened?"

"Doesn't matter, it's done, it's over, it's in the past."

"Baby, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"You can't help, period, Billy! There's nothing you can do!"

"Well, you're not even letting me try!"

"'Cause it's redundant!"

"Obviously not when you look like a raging bull!"

Your eyes rolled, head shaking, "I handled it."

"I saw," he scoffed. "So, 3-on-1? How'd that happen?"

"I told you, they approached me."

"Well, I'm gonna need a little more to go on. C'mon, pretty girl, the fuck just happened? You know you can get suspended!" This made you freeze, muscles clamming up, looking purely petrified as if the thought hadn't occurred to you. "I know you don't want that, but if you talk to me, maybe I can help lessen whatever punishment."

"Oh, whatever, like I care about being punished," you snipped, hands twisting together - telling Billy you were beginning to get anxious.

"I think you do, it'd put you in the house with your mom alone," he trailed, pushing away from the doors to approach you like a baby deer. "C'mon, I know you don't wanna get suspended, so just tell me what happened."

"I'm sure you'll hear all about it from your little basketball buddies."

"I don't fucking care!" He snapped with the cigarette trapped and bobbing between his lips, making you look at him in mild shock. "There's gonna be a hundred different rumors, whole fuckin' school watched you beat the shit outta those girls - but I only care about what you have to say."

"There's no point - "

"Oh, Jesus Christ," he growled, snatching the cig between his knuckles, "I just saw three bitches on the ground, all injured, beaten up, bleeding - so stop being so Goddamn stubborn and just tell me! I'm tryna help you!"

"You pulled me off of her, you've helped plenty."

"I'd like to understand how this happened."

"It won't change anything."

"No, it won't, but you have a side to the story. Tell me what went wrong? What happened?"

You sighed, no longer pacing, planting both hands on your hips. Your head shook as Billy tossed the filtered cigarette butt aside, muttering when he exhaled the last of the smoke, "It seems so stupid now."

"Hey," he soothed, crowding into your space and taking one of your hands in his. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it wasn't stupid. You're forgetting, I know well enough to understand you wouldn't throw a punch unless absolutely necessary. Whatever got you riled up like that ain't stupid, sweetheart."

Like a glazed donut, your eyes turned glassy. Billy frowned and took your other hand off your hip, forcing your attention on him. "I swear, I didn't start it," you whispered.

"Only matters that you finished it," he smirked. "Tell me, what the fuck was all that?"

You sighed deeply, offering meekly, "Guess they had it comin'..."

"I know they did," Billy chuckled. "Nobody's that stupid to provoke you, except Brittany."

"I was at my locker... They approached and slammed it shut."

"Right, okay..."

"There were words exchanged, but Brittany, she - " You paused, swallowing thickly, "she started talkin' shit about my mom, about, you know, what she does..."

Billy understood instantly. "You fuckin' serious?" He growled, seeing you nod and fill him in on what was said - unable to look him in the eye as you relived your anger. By the end, you were trembling in emotion and adrenaline loss, Billy sighing deeply and yanking you into his chest for a tight embrace. "All right, yeah," he mumbled, "should've put them bitches in the ground."

"And now," you sniffled, "I'm gonna get suspended, forced to stay home with Ma all next week."

"We'll get you outta it."

"Can't, the school doesn't tolerate fighting on school grounds."

"You said she swung first?"

"Technically, yes. I might've - allegedly - prompted her into it."

"It's still selfdefense, toots, no matter what you or anyone said - if she swung first and hit you, you were only defending yourself."

You shrugged, resting on his chest, "You see the damage? Admin won't care who swung first - not when they're beat to shit."

"Yeah, there's my li'l hothead," he smirked, chuckling slightly before pecking the top of your head. "But you gotta admit, it's impressive how you took on all three."

"I guess, doesn't exactly feel like an accomplishment."

"Nah, princess, seriously," he pulled you back to look at him again, "that's fuckin' hot. I mean, they approached you and still got their asses handed to 'em. That's straight skill."

"Or just a lot of anger with nowhere to go," you frowned. "Think I should go find admin?"

"Nah, they'll probably find you - "

The doors opened and your name was called, the principal's secretary waving you to her. "Fuck," you whispered, releasing Billy.

"I'll come with you," he promised, lacing your fingers together when he took your hand. Billy had to admit, it was a little weird being in the principal's office but not being the one in trouble; waiting without patience in a fraying chair, picking at the exposed stuffing with his leg bouncing. He'd been there 45 minutes, skipping the last half of classes, just waiting as you were behind a closed door with the principal, vice principal, and the disciplinary officer.

He looked up when the school nurse lead Brittany, Jennifer, and Jasmine inside - glaring at them but admiring the scattering of cuts and bruises with dried blood on their precious uniforms. A few minutes later, you were exiting the office with a passive and neutral expression settled on your face. Your lip curled only slightly when you clocked the cheerleaders - hating how smug they all looked - approaching Billy instantly.

"You all right?" He checked, standing and adjusting his jeans.

"Mhm," you nodded, keeping your voice low as the principal called the three cheerleaders into his office. You waited until the door was closed, then informed with a smirk, "I'm not suspended."

"No?"

"Nope," you confirmed. "Apparently, they asked a couple other kids what happened and my story matches theirs. I was minding my business, they came up to me, they started mouthing off, and Brittany was the one who hit me first. So," you shrugged, "guess your idea of selfdefense held strong."

"See? That's good, huh?"

"Yeah," you sighed, nodding absently, "but he said the girls were gonna lose their spot on the cheer squad for this. Listen, I don't think I feel like goin' back to class - kinda just wanna take a nap."

Billy hiked up his jean jacket sleeve, consulting his watch for a moment. "Wanna head to mine? Neil's got the evening shift and Susan has bridge club for a few more hours - we'd be alone."

Your eyes rolled, "No offense, Bee, I don't feel like fucking right now."

"I'm not sayin' that, I'm sayin' let's go nap at mine," he chuckled, picking up your backpack that you forgot about. "We can come back to get your brothers but you know you're not gonna rest if you go home."

You gulped, sighing sadly, "Yeah, well, about that..."

"Something else happen?"

"Apparently... The school has an obligation to call the police if a student reports abuse."

"You reported your mom?"

"Not on purpose," you rushed in defense, "just that... I had to explain what Brittany said to me - so I had to admit what Ma did - or does."

Billy frowned, "Jesus."

"Yeah, so... Maybe going home isn't the smartest idea right now. I wouldn't wanna be there when they conduct their wellness check."

"You wanna stay at mine?" He offered.

"What about Neil?"

"He's a lot nicer with you around," he admitted. "Won't care too much if you stay the night. Plus Max has that club thing after school, then she's going to the arcade; so, she won't need a ride, we can just go."

"You know what? Sure, all right, I'll come to yours," you accepted, your lover boy whisking you away without a second thought. "Thank you, baby."

Your hands were stiff, and when you looked at them, noted split skin and stained blood as a reminder of your aggression... Wondering why the fuck people pushed you to these limits and acted surprised when you reacted? If they wanted a punching bag, they picked the wrong one - but you were willing to remind them.

When you got to the Hargrove residence, you were silent as the grave; stewing in your anger that rolled off you in projected waves. Billy was terribly disarmed, unsure how to properly comfort you - wondering how he would want to be comforted, realizing he'd want to be alone, not subject to anyone's bullshit advice. So, he did what he knew and after handing you a bag of frozen peas for your split knuckles, comfortably stripped and crashed in bed with the window cracked and a rolled joint between his fingers.

You rested on his bare chest, sighing deeply while watching the end of the spliff come to life in a smoldering ember. Billy took the first inhale to make sure it was lit and instantly handed it to you, his arm snug around you and the silence hanging in the air like the swirls of stale, exhaled smoke.

"I'm sorry it got to this point, pretty girl," He offered awkwardly, his other arm bending to prop under his head. Both of you stared off aimlessly, stereo filling the space dully in the background.

"Not your fault," You inhaled and held your breath, handing him the joint. He casually flicked the end in an ashtray resting on the window sill.

"No, but I could've done more."

You chuckled, smoke seeping through your lips and teeth, "Oh, yeah? How? You gonna beat up three girls?"

"Nah but I could beat the shit outta Jason."

"What good would that do?"

"If he didn't want a weekly black eye, Jason would control his sister."

"It's always about control with you, isn't it?"

"I'm just saying," he handed the joint back, lungs pinched to hold the smoke, "I could protect you."

"You already do, baby."

"Let me do more, princess."

"You can't fight every battle for me."

"You could let me try."

"You'd be fighting on two fronts," you frowned, exhaling slowly. "Can't fight for me when you're defending yourself against Neil."

"Might be easier to deal with your shit than my own," he chuckled without humor, accepting the spliff. "Look, I know you don't want me involved, but that's kinda what a boyfriend's supposed to do, right? Protect their woman?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Never had a boyfriend before?"

"Nobody was worth dating until you. Nobody could understand me the way you do so effortlessly."

"'Cause we're one and the same, baby girl. You don't have to do everything by yourself," he inhaled, handing the spliff over again, "don't always have t'be strong."

"Ain't no other choice."

"You could let me in more..."

"You're one to talk."

He sighed, smoke billowing. "You're right. Can't expect you to open up if I don't, so why don't we both try to let the other in more? Yeah, I get it, the shit we deal with ain't pretty but at least we understand each other, right? We're the best for each other to lean on."

"I don't wanna drag you into my bullshit, baby."

"I want you to drag me in, princess. I wanna help you."

You sighed, "Well, Brittany and her cronies are getting suspended and kicked off the cheer squad - they'll be looking for reason to take it out on me."

"Say the word, baby, and I'll beat Jason black-and-blue."

"You're so romantic."

"Only for you - so don't tell anyone. I got a reputation to protect."

You both snickered as the weed you indulged in took effect, lulling you two into a state of ease. Your knuckles had stopped burning, resting your injured hand under the frozen peas, reminding yourself to remain grateful in this turbulent period of life because now, you had someone on your team. Someone who wanted to help carry your baggage. Someone without alternate motives. Someone who was willing to withstand the storm in the hope of feeling the warmth of the sun again.

requesting rules and masterlist

Stranger Things masterlist

[buffaloborgine]

Before reading, I want to emphasize, I don't hate Sephiroth as a character, I hate how some people dismiss all of his heinous acts and cling to "He is a victim" and shove the tragedy he caused onto other characters. About that one post about Sephiroth and someone replying to it, let me be clear: I don't deny Sephiroth was a victim. Like many, he was the victim of Shinra and Hojo, that's undeniable. But to write like he is a good person and all the bad things he did were influenced by his upbringing? NO. Sephiroth is selfish, and no matter what you try to bend the narrative to fit your imagination, it is a fact. When the theme of FFVII is about "imagination/illusion", if we use the structure of protagonist vs antagonist, Cloud is the one that was affected by the illusion but he accepted help from others and got over it. Sephiroth would simply be the reversed version of that, he wasn't even illusioned, he knew for sure what he is but deciding that it was better for him if everyone else, and even himself stayed in that illusion forever. Sephiroth wasn't the only character to be affected by Shinra's evilness, but then let's take a look at those who also were affected: - Zack once learned and accepted that Shinra is evil had started running away with Cloud. - Angeal and Genesis don't share the same reaction but eventually once accepted the truth, they both rebelled against Shinra (also Lazard). - The Turks and Rufus are easy to see, I don't need to explain. - The massacred 1st SOLDIER unit mentioned in Dirge of Cerberus, fighting against the creation of inhuman Deepground facility. - Deepground themselves, they know what they are and they fought against Shinra, knowing they would even die if they do. So many would say, but Sephiroth does disobey Shinra and that he wanted to leave Shinra. Vetoing orders onto co-workers' heads doesn't seem to be a good way to protest, rather that's just push the responsibility onto others. And about "wanting to leave Shinra", as far as I remember, Sephiroth just said he would consider the idea, not that he would ever leave, and even till the event of Nibelheim, he didn't leave Shinra, not at all. So let's put this together, should we just see Sephiroth as a victim and say he isn't accounted for other tragedy happened in FFVII? Personally? Of course not. There are other victims and they fought back their abuser in different ways, maybe causing mayhem on the route but they still fought for their freedom. Sephiroth has never once given a single thought for others, and he was comfortable staying in Shinra, after all, he got the privilege for 1st Class, can veto orders and get admired by other SOLDIERs. To debunk people who claim that Sephiroth was thoughtful about Genesis' injury: Who was the one causing that mess in the first place? And even when you look at the cutscene, it was less of caring thought but more of "Why I am inadequate for this?" If he was sincere, he would have gone to check on Genesis later, but nope, he assumed Genesis was fine, like really, what kind of friend is that? No fucking friend would just assume friend is fine knowing they are hurt, no fucking friend would just condemn friends as traitor while not knowing the reason why they leave, and no fucking friend would keep their friends in the dark while knowing they are being tricked, abused. In conclusion, please stop saying Sephiroth is a good friend to anyone. If he cannot earn Zack's forgiveness, he is a prick, but if even Weiss stood against him (in DFFOO), consider he surely won't get any redemption.

[corazondebeskar-reads]

live to rise - chapter one

live to rise series

one: they'll find you, burn you

series masterlist | next chapter

gladiator!Din Djarin x f!reader

word count: 3.7k

summary: The Last of the Mandalorians have fallen; their Mand'alor captured. Stripped of his armor, his weapons, his people. Din rises to fight another day, grasping onto the hope that his son still lives.

No fighter has won their freedom from the Empire's arena before. With the help of a servant girl, can he hope to break free?

warnings: dark, dead dove do not eat, captivity, forced proximity, canon-typical violence, genre-typical violence, prisoner of war, indentured servitude, fight to the death, au where the empire wins, discussions of genocide, discussions of war, graphic descriptions of violence, graphic descriptions of injuries, gore, brutality, religious themes, fictional religion, mand'alor!Din Djarin, major character deaths, many minor character deaths, Din has hearing loss, angst by the bucket, Din Djarin takes the helmet off (kind of)

Please heed the warnings. There will be major & minor character deaths in almost every chapter. This is not a happy story, but I hope you find it worthwhile anyway.

also on ao3

dividers by @saradika-graphics

It’s morning when the news breaks.

By lunch, datapads are discarded in favor of gossip. It’s as useless as the Imperial rags parading as official broadcasts—all speculation and slander.

While the details of the Mandalorians’ final stand for their homeworld circulate above, the stiff air of the lower complex is thick with the question: to whose barracks will the fallen king be assigned?

You know the answer. Your datapad had pinged early, much before your day should have begun. Much before the news went live across the galaxy.

Cell C-5 had been scrubbed clean on your perennially bruised knees the day before when Dup, a young Gungan whose face was bruised as if he’d already gone a round, had failed to return from the arena.

He had been brought in late the previous night, shaking and weeping and not speaking a lick of Basic. Those were the hardest. There was no comfort, no preparation, no honor you could give them.

He didn’t return after his first battle.

It was the way of things. Many never saw a second sunrise.

As caretaker for Barrack Cresh, whether your fighters eat, drink, bathe, get medical attention and fresh clothing, or, well, anything, falls on you.

So you stocked C-5 with the basics, but the Mandalorian King’s file is barren when your clearance arrives. You bristle at the lack of biodata. How are you supposed to provide proper clothing or order his dinner?

It becomes obvious when he arrives that evening.

You’re not.

It’s past curfew when they bring him in, and normally, you’d be in bed. But one of yours had come back a few minutes earlier from the medbay and you know the state they usually return in, so you’re in C-2 with the door shut.

The ex-Rebel pilot, Gino, doesn’t argue as you dab the shallow cuts on his face with an alcohol swab, but he does flinch when you tug the split skin on his calf together like a stubborn bedsheet to apply suture tape. They had used just enough bacta for his serious injuries and left the rest to bleed.

“Sorry,” you hiss, but it’s lost in the pneumatics of the door.

Gino is on his feet immediately, shushing you with a finger to his lips. You can’t risk being seen through the little window, so he minds your space as you flatten to the ground and peek through the delivery slot.

At first, all you can see are boots. So many boots. And among the shiny black rubber is the oddest pair of worn brown leather. It’s been so long since you saw anyone in shoes but the guards; your stomach churns with fear.

Gino taps at your head, and you let him help you up to peek once they’re past the cell.

It’s the Mandalorian. There are five of the Moff’s personal guards in their black kits restraining him, and they still have to jab him with an electrostave in order to shut the cell door fast enough.

He’s snarling, the modulator of his helmet warping and crackling the terrible cacophony. He’s also huge, and the strip of lights shines off his dark armor like someone took a handful of the night sky and smudged it across the wall of the cell.

You brush away the errant question of how much of his bulk is the armor and how much he comes by naturally. You’ll find out tomorrow, like everyone else.

The hype alone ensures a sold-out arena. The officers and their simpering spouses and sycophants are salivating for the battle—or at least for the profits.

The headlines fill seats to a swarming mass, everyone vying to see the latest and shiniest trophy.

He won’t be shiny for long.

Not after they strip away the beskar that protects one of—if not the last of—the “galaxy’s greatest warriors” and see if he’s worth anything underneath.

They don’t expect him to survive. They don’t want him to, really. They want to crush the will of any who would still defy the Empire. A very public, humiliating execution is the Moff’s wet dream.

The Mandalorian is gone before your morning rounds, dragged up to the arena’s cage to watch his fate play out on the faces of others. Either end is the same, really.

And if he survives, it won’t matter. Sure, prisoners can earn their freedom through a percentage of the money they bring in from wagers, or they can die trying.

But no fighter has made it out alive. Not even close.

You’re close, though. Not that you’re in an arena contract. But you’re nearing the end of the third year in a five-year indentured servitude sentence, and it carries a lower fatality rate.

Which isn’t saying much, really. It would be hard to have a higher fatality rate than the fighters.

There are twelve of you and ten barracks, not counting the fluctuating number of sponsored champions who have private accommodations.

Sixty standard fighters, never more or less as the sun rises.

Sometimes, you return to six empty cells.

Only once have you found your flock all home. You fell to your knees and cried right then, bringing acrid dread to a boil as you knew it would never, ever happen again.

Just three days ago, Din Djarin had stood in the grand hall at Keldabe, knowing it would be the last time.

It was still. Silent. Not yet in the chaos of war, but just on the edge, as when rainfall is a distant specter and the uneasiness cloisters in your lungs.

He takes in the art behind the throne with quiet reverence, eyes following the sharp lines and bold colors, the stories of their ancestors dutifully and beautifully eternalized.

The shame creeps up his neck again, but he shrugs it off. It will work. He’s known for his tight and effective strategy, and his advisors had agreed to the plan.

He only hoped the Ka’ra would accept his soul into the Manda all the same. That the blood of his brethren wouldn’t deny him the peace that he ached for.

He thinks once more of Grogu, breathes through the pain, and then clears his mind.

Turning from the throne, he strides to the grand windows—to Paz. With hands clasped behind his back, he follows his general’s focus to the TIE fighters breaking through the atmosphere.

Troopers are within the walls. The Destroyers won’t be long, now.

“Vod,” Din begins, angling toward Paz.

“Do not deal me the insult of an out,” Paz snaps.

“I would never,” Din says, throat cinching around the words. “It’s an honor to have you at my side.”

Paz dips his head. “It’s been an honor to serve with you, ner Mand’alor.”

Din knows he speaks true. Though they may not have always gotten along, they were still vod. Still loyal, until death.

Death they now stood on the brink of.

Outside, the fleet falls fast. Din grimaces as their ships careen to the surface and crush the city into crumbs. Fire spreads, and he has to pretend the homes are empty. That everyone got out in time.

The Empire assumes each Kom’rk-class fighter is full of Mandalorians waiting to drop into battle. They target them with glee, thinking they’ve devastated the sky and ground teams in one fell swoop.

But each ship has only a pilot. A pilot who climbed into the cockpit knowing they would certainly die. Willing to take the place of their vod.

Mando’ad draar digu. They will live on in him until he draws his last. More importantly, they will live on in their families, who—if he’s done anything right—will live far beyond him.

“Par Manda’yaim,” Din says.

“Par Manda’yaim,” Paz echoes.

They are to be the last words spoken to one another.

Inside the palace, the fight leaves no breath for such things. Not that they need it; their movements are fluid and equal.

It takes half the platoon to take Paz down and the other to take Din.

Unlike his vod, they do not grant him a warrior’s death.

In the arena, they’ve left him in the armor as he paces the cage. Every moment with it spurns the barb deeper in his gut, the terror turning terrifying as his rage becomes a tsunami.

The fights are nothing. The Imps who thought he’d be intimidated by them have clearly never seen an average Mandalorian brawl. These ended with a little more finality and a little less bickering over the winner, but the actual fighting? Mostly pathetic.

He doesn’t look upon them with scorn, though. These are beings stripped of all dignity, underfed, and devoid of hope. The Empire has ground them into the dirt beneath their glossy boots, and he expects that for many, death is a kindness.

In the end, he lets them take the beskar’gam from his bound body. They hold him, scanners at the ready, the whole of the galaxy waiting to witness his final defeat in real time. The giddy grins tell him what he already knows—they are certain this will break him.

He holds eye contact with Gideon just to see the shock that strikes him at Din’s defiance. He aches to smirk or snarl or sink his teeth into the man, but he won’t give him the satisfaction.

They don’t give them weapons for this fight. At least they’re being honest about their intentions.

Hand-to-hand combat with a Wookie should be a death sentence. Should be, for a lesser being. But the Mand’alor is far sharper than their blades could ever hope to be, and he wields his mind and body as expertly as he would a blaster.

Din doesn’t speak Shyriiwook. He wishes he did, for when he asks his opponent for their name, he fails to capture the response. It slips from his grasp, slick as his hands are from the Wookie’s blood.

Bare hands that have rarely dealt such tangible death. Dust stirred up from the struggle sticks to the thick, hot carnage. He’ll feel the give of the Wookie’s eyeballs under his thumbnails for days. The crack of his skull under Din’s knee, driven like a wedge into the soft cartilage, is at least slightly more familiar.

It’s not a long fight. After all, Din has something of which his opponent has long been deprived: something to live for.

The Mandalorian isn’t back by dinner drop-off, but your captain sent the cart loaded with a tray for him, so you dutifully set it on his cot atop the folded blanket.

There’s been no clean-up call, and the roster is empty. But you don’t have to wonder over his whereabouts for long.

In the servants' barracks—which are actually barracks and not a soft word for cellblocks—the reports are already underway.

Some of the attendants get to watch the fights. Or, rather, they have to, bound as they are to a single combatant. The mandated proximity is unforgiving, and no one likes to watch.

After all, there’s very little difference between you and the fighters. Instead, the attendants take on the solemn duty of letting the rest of you know how your residents fared or fell.

“He was a berserker,” Hali says in hushed whispers. “They took all that armor off, and he just looked like a man. A pretty man, but… just a man. But when it started, he moved so fast. It was over in, like, two minutes.”

“Shut up,” says Eli, your bunkmate. “He did not take down a Wookie in two minutes.”

“No, he really kriffing did,” hissed one of the new attendants whose name you hadn’t caught. “It was brutal. The whole arena went quiet. And he just stood there, covered in blood, looking at the crowd.”

“Okay, whose block is he in?” Eli demands. “Someone needs to spill now.”

“Mine,” you say quietly.

“You haven’t said a kriffing word this whole time? What’s he like?”

“I don’t know,” you confess. “I only saw when they brought him in last night. He was still armored. And terrifying.”

“I saw him,” Hali says. “He was in the lounge.”

“They took him to the lounge after his first fight?” you say, jaw hanging open. The after-party was a grotesque performance, with sponsored fighters forced to smile pretty and play nice with their benefactors after a victory.

“No,” Hali’s face is grave. “They displayed him. They’ve chained him up next to his armor.”

You cover your mouth to stem the nausea. “No,” you hiss through your fingers. The disrespect hurts, raking through like a nexu claw to the chest, and you don’t even know the man.

Eli sets a hand on your knee from where he sits cross-legged beside you on the bottom bunk. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“I know,” you say. But he knows you, sees it written between your brows, and hears it in the crack of your voice.

It’s a weakness; you know it. It had been a strength back home. Every single being that passes through your barrack doesn’t have long. The small hall of cells is a port, and you are the ferryman. Knowing each of them for the last scant moments has only made you love harder and faster.

To try and ease a soul’s journey is a burden you have always chosen to bear.

Come morning, sure as the stars, your cells are full. The Mandalorian is not the only new face—there’s a humanoid woman in C-1, too. The Klatoonian had been gone before the noon bell prior, and his cell cleaned by your hands within the hour after. Ovesu had survived four battles over ten days, but no trace of him remains now.

You start with her, Reen Sala of Drall. She’s on the roster for early afternoon, and you want to make sure she’s got food in her.

You tell her as much.

“Today? Already?” She wraps her fingers around the window bars, peering at you.

“Yes,” you say solemnly, sliding the tray through the slit at the bottom of the door. “Eat quickly. They’ll be coming to get you any minute. They’re going to take you up and prepare you and make you watch the day’s first battles.”

She has a steadiness to her eyes and stock to her build, just enough to have a chance. When she begins to eat, her hands only shake slightly.

“Are you a farmer?” you ask, watching her broken, stubby fingernails wrap around the metal cup of water.

She nods, gulping down quickly to add, “Mostly grains. Eggs. Basics.”

You give her a wan smile, the image of her in a sun-soaked field behind your eyes. It would have to be enough. If she held on, maybe she could fill in the picture.

“Thought so. Me too. My parents have a grove on Hetzal,” you say.

You chat for a few minutes, exchanging tales of her chasing tipyip and you sneaking honeyfruit and shuula during harvest.

“Good luck,” you murmur when you finally step away.

You don’t linger with Disdraa, the Twi’lek in C-3. She took a nasty blow to the head yesterday, so you slide her tray in as quietly as possible, hoping she’ll steal some extra rest.

Which brings you to the Mandalorian. He has no other name in your database. A mistake, you wonder, or an erasure?

When you knock on his door, you keep your eyes downcast. The decision you made in the lift was impulsive, but clear. He will have this respect here, if nowhere else.

“Good morning,” you say.

It’s silent.

You slide the tray under the door. “Do you need anything?”

Nothing.

“Okay, I’ll be back this evening if you think of something.”

Din rolls his eyes in the dark room. Does the quiet, simpering little act really work on the other prisoners? He vaguely considers rejecting the tray just to irritate you.

But he’s a Mandalorian. He doesn’t give in to petty spite when survival is on the line. He has battles to win and to do so, he must eat.

The food is bland but nutritionally complex, so if he keeps up a routine, he should be able to maintain his strength. He’s already run through and decided the optimal calisthenics and body weight routines he can do in the confines of his quarters.

He’s not stupid enough to think all the fights will be so quick or easy. The only benefit, and he’s unwilling to call it that, of not having his armor is that he’s so much faster.

He’ll get out.

He has a promise to keep.

When the Death Star fell three years ago, it took nearly the entire Rebel Alliance with it. The rest were scattered in the ash. And when the Empire barely flinched, the Mandalorians knew their time was running out.

With one loss notched on their belt already, they would have to strike swift and sure.

And so Din’s life as the rebel liaison began.

When he went to Gideon’s cruiser, he had no backup. Technically, no one even knew where he was. But espionage and false diplomacy took too long, purged time they did not have. And he wasn’t going to get another chance to try.

He lost the intel in the skirmish but gained a sword he knew not how to wield, a title he knew not how to bear, and a son he knew not how to raise.

The guards come for Reen, forcing you to finish your deliveries in a tense, silent two minutes.

She doesn’t come back. You paint her picture that night while her soft face and sun-streaked sangria widow’s peak are still fresh in your mind. It, as with most of your books, is stained with errant tears.

Eli had convinced you to keep the ones you ruined with grief, when you first began, desperate not to forget.

“It’s just more proof they were alive if they were also mourned,” he said, flipping reverently through the pages.

It goes against the practice, but it’s not even the most egregious way you’ve had to compromise, so you let it go. This is not the Hall. You have no easels, no canvas, no priestess.

You wonder who’s taken over your space, who they plucked from the apprentices to take over the memorials.

The pictures are small, stacked across the page like a quilt. Most of them have a name, maybe an age, maybe a planet, inked into the corners.

It's certainly not the scale you’re accustomed to, and your colors are limited to the pigments you can press from your dinner, unblessed and unpurified, but you make do.

You never paint them while they still live, not wanting to tether their souls to the pages while they have a chance. But they are yours, and so you will take the burden of remembering from their souls.

“Tray, please,” you say after knocking on the Mandalorian’s door that evening. He’s slow to respond, but you don’t mind. It’ll be a bit before he gets accustomed to the routine, if he makes it that long.

Most don’t.

It grates against the floor when he kicks it out, and you exchange it for the full tray of dinner.

“Do you need anything?”

Silence.

“Okay, have a good night.”

You don’t have hurt feelings. It’s the way of things. Some of the beings who come through never speak a word to you. It doesn’t change your loyalty or your duties.

Din is determined to puzzle you out. Why the farce? Everyone else he’s encountered is open in their disgust and amusement. He’s a novelty, a prize, a disgrace. What purpose does your feigned care serve?

“—dining with us tonight?” calls the inmate to his right in C-3.

You make a show of rolling your eyes, taking the last two trays from the cart. You slide one to the Twi’lek who had spoken.

“Depends. Are you going to behave?” you say.

“I always behave,” the fighter lies.

You seem to laugh, just a silent huff of amusement, and sit down with your back against the wall between the two cells.

He can’t see you from here, but he can hear snippets of you making light conversation between bites.

Something you say gets a lighthearted rise from the Devaronian in C-4 across the hall.

“Old? You want to talk about being old?” he booms.

C-3 groans. “Don’t get him started, come on.”

You laugh. “—else to bitch about. I’m saving— trouble.”

“…that I should suffer your disrespect,” C-4 is trying to say over you.

“Yeah, yeah, Vrar, you’re a terrifying grumpy—,” you tease.

A pause. A murky mumble from C-2.

“—you, Mandalorian? How old—?” You ask, tearing a chunk off your bread roll and popping it in your mouth.

He doesn’t answer.

After you leave, it grows quiet. A few moments pass, as if he was just waiting for you to get out of hearing range, before Vrar speaks up.

“Mando. You holding up? Any injuries?”

Din sits silently on his cot, leaning against the wall.

“Alright, I get it. You don’t have to talk to me. But can you be more respectful to the girl?”

If it’s bait, it works. “I don’t make a habit of being respectful to my captors.”

To his surprise, Vrar barks a hearty laugh. “Is that what you think? She’s a slave, Mando, same as the rest of us.”

Din feels hot guilt rise in his throat. “My mistake. I’ll do better.”

Vrar grunts his approval, and that’s that.

The next morning, when you ask if he needs anything, he tells you, “No, thank you,” in a soft but sure tone.

You straighten a little abruptly and try not to look shocked. “Okay. Good luck today,” you say, and move on. You’re pretty sure if you draw attention to it, he’ll never speak again.

You aren’t privy to the way things operate up top. All you know is that they take your fighters randomly, with at least one day between as a rest. Sometimes, it’s longer between fights.

But not for Mando. For the next two weeks, it’s every other day like clockwork. They’re capitalizing on his novelty, you think, but also hoping to wear him down.

Rumors tell you he’s become a quick crowd favorite. It should mean he has a shot at earning his freedom, but rumors also tell you he has the highest price on record.

They don’t want him free, and they don’t want someone to buy him.

No, they want him to die in the arena.

next chapter

thank you so much for reading! i live for your feedback, and i'm not above begging so if you have any thoughts pls let me know

*title from "Get Out Alive" by Three Days Grace

[pixelatedraindrops]

Hello everyone!! Today I grow a year older :3 (and I hate it lmao) FEEL FREE TO REPLY BIRTHDAY WISHES IF YOU WANT :3

So, over the time I've come back here, I've become pretty confident and proud of my once hidden passion about sick characters, sickfics and sick comfort/whump... 🌡️

And you all have been so supportive and sweet despite my weirdness so I thank you for that. You helped me feel more confident in my otherwise weird fixation <3 So, for my birthday I thought I'd try and make up a little drawing challenge for anyone who wants to give it a try... There are soo many talented artists on this site (and in this fandom)

So... It's your turn to target your faves now. You will see how fun it is and hopefully understand why I love doing it so much. 😈🌡️

(plus it's my birthday and I require some sustenance LMAO JKJK)

But yeah anyone can join in. This is just for fun though! You don't have to if you don't want to! I think its okay to ask for some food on my birthday though...right?? X'D So if you wanna do sth for my birthday...then... 👉👈 💦

CHALLENGE BELOW~

DRAW YOUR FAVE ON A SICK DAY CHALLENGE🌡️😷🥵🤧

~~~~

(Mmmmkay, I am lying to myself when I say this isn't mostly aimed at the RainCode community... X'D Can't help myself. But anyone can join regardless of the fandom!!)

So here's the challenge and the rules!! (featuring my two main lil targets ofc :3)

Regardless of who it is, put your fave through some sickness hell >:3c I'd love to see it! Make em' as miserable as you want!

destroy them 😈 jkjk XD

If you're in the RainCode community you can target anyone, but as you know, my main targets are Yuma and Makoto. If they're also your faves and who you decide to use, that will make me extra happy!

Some tips for anyone new to drawing a sick day scenario art. A few things that make it look convincing are the following:

Pajamas or Loungewear

Messy Bed Hair

Fever flushed face w sweat or at least a red nose

Tired Eye bags

Shivery body

Ice Pack or a Compress on the head

Thermometer sticking from their mouth

LOTS OF BLANKETS

Tissues or medicine surrounding them

Tea or Soup (or both)

Those are just to name some from the top of my head. If you'd like some pointers on how to make a character look ill, check out my Fever Coloring Guide. This is for digital artists but traditional artists can try it too!

You can add injury or angst to the scene but I'd like illness to be the main focus of it.

The scene can be anything you want to, it can be fluffy and wholesome (with a caretaker) it can be angsty, or it can be silly. Its all up to you! Do it for the sake of fluff! Caretaking scenes are the best for any kind of relationship >w<

Either way, have fun with it!! I look forward to see what people make if they decide to give it a try! It doesn't even have to be a full on picture! Doodles and sketches are fine too! Just show me something >w<

(feel free to tag me and say happy b-day and mention my challenge, I am proud to be known for this and would love for many to participate :3) I wanna see you take a go at it :3 Show me your style! :D

~

~~~

(wow look at me misspelling the word writing on text when I did it fine with my own hands lol)

Now, I know not everyone can draw...

Well never fear! I accept writing as well! ✍️✍️✍️

(hi vivia lol sorry for giving you a cold, at least you have an excuse to read and do nothing now haha x3)

Sickfics are one of the biggest things I live for! Any little drabbles or full fics with more than one chapter are welcome! Again target who you want any fandom you want, but I'll def be super happy if you make a RainCode fic. And even happier if you target my faves as well, but again, anything will do! Just make a cute story about your fave being miserable and being tended to! Trust me, it's super fun!

You can add injury or angst to the scene but I'd like illness to be the main focus of it.

Feel free to post your writing here and tag me or mention my AO3!

If you need a start to your fic, look on my blog for illness prompts! Maybe it can help give you a good start or give some inspiration! (thats why I share 'em :3)

I look forward to anything you try to write!

~

That's about all!! I hope you decide to participate! ✨

Good luck, have fun, and godspeed you future whumpers! 😈

(nah jk XD)

AGAIN THIS IS FOR FUN! NO PRRSSURE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO!

[namelessbutters-doodles]

The Fallen Angel.

Characters: Paul Stanley, Ace Frehely, Mystery character.

Pairing: Spacechild.

Setting: ????

Au: Fallen Angel.

Summary: ‘’Now….’’

‘’Fall.’’

Those were the last and haunting words Paul was told and heard once he fell through the white clouds into the deepest depths of the darkness he feared as he screamed all the down. Flailing like a dove who didn’t know how to fly yet due to being so young but in this case his wings were being burned and clipped as he was falling.

Burning deep into his soft plush skin, blood were pouring from the wounds that were being made each second he cried out. His frightening screams and cries filled the skies with horrifying sounds that people looked around to see the source, the earth shook as….

__________

⚠️Warnings: i'm in a good mood I swear, Blood and injury, mentions of shit(it's not what your thinking it's not that), horror, symbolism, Fallen angels, religious themes, Au, oneshots, Angst, Hurt/comfort, implied torture/sex, Heaven, Ask to tag.

Comments and Reblogs, are Deeply appreciated!

Also on A03

‘’You are banished from this very heaven’s you’ve stand on, no longer you’ll be an angel once you’ve fallen or call yourself a saint after what you have committed down on that sinful land that those people called earth. You’ll no longer bare the wings of angelic nor the halo that hangs above that foolish head of yours, or call this place…home. The very place you were born into, call the people you’ve known as friends or family here now known as just acquaintances due to you betraying your them, your own kind.’’

‘’You disgust me, them, all of us.’

‘’Heaven is ashamed of you.’’

‘’As of today, you are no longer welcome here…Stanley.’’ 

‘’Now….’’

‘’Fall.’’

Those were the last and haunting words Paul was told and heard once he fell through the white clouds into the deepest depths of the darkness he feared as he screamed all the down. Flailing like a dove who didn’t know how to fly yet due to being so young but in this case his wings were being burned and clipped as he was falling.

Burning deep into his soft plush skin, blood were pouring out from the wounds that were being made each second he cried out. His frightening screams and cries filled the skies with horrifying sounds that people looked around to see the source, the earth shook as the screams intensified as the falling did, his tears flew off as he screamed. His clothes were turned into nothing but scraps, his wings were becoming black as the night yet there were red as blood spurted out more from the wounds.

Some People watched from the distance, seeing the holy light from the open skies the people always pray to. Watching the skies bare it’s light on a figure as they watch the whole thing in silence or in awe. Amazed or scared from what they are seeing in this moment in time, not moving at all due to the unknown. They all just watched as they heard the violent screams of an angel who was falling from heaven.

They Just watched.

As rain started from the skies, pelting the ground with droplets of water. Animals ran to take cover as did the humans, going into there huts or caves for which they’ve callen home all these years to them, ignoring the anguished screams that was still roaring through the skies or the ground shaking from the angel’s suffering, the feather wings that were burned off were now on the ground as kids were collecting before heading inside. 

‘’Mama, Mama! Look what i got!’’

The child said, jumping around with a feather in hand. Smiling with glee, calling for his mother to tell her what he had collected.

‘’What is it, sweetie?’’ The mother asked, smiling. Turning around, picking her child up carefully as she looked at him happily. 

‘’What have you found now, My Son?’’

She asked, Quizzically. 

Her son smiled. Giggling, his face glowing as he showed his mother what he had gotten from the outside.

‘’This!’’

‘’A feather?’’

‘’Not just any feather, an angel feather!!!’’ He exclaimed, cheerfully.

‘’An Angel feather? Where did you get that?’’

‘’It was on the ground, outside was being strange.’’

‘’Strange, how honey?’’ The mother questioned, a bit curious.

‘’Well…the ground was shaking, noises were getting um…BEW!!’’ 

‘’Loud?’’

‘’Mhm.’’ The Boy nodded, but not before saying….

‘’Loud and there was a light from a sky.’’

‘’A light? What kind of light?’’

‘’A bright one, the sky was opened.’’

‘’The sky was…opened?’’

‘’Yup!’’

The mother’s face twisted with concern, the child played with the feather. Running his little hands over the white and black parts as he stared at it with awe and admiration. Mother carried him to the window, not a care in the world in the boy’s face at as the mother looked out.

And to her shock, the water became blood as the skies closed on it’s. She leaned her ear against the window for a second, hearing….

‘’PLEASE, HELP ME!!! PLEASE!!!’’

“”MAKE IT STOP!!!’’

‘’MAKE IT STOP!!!’’

‘’MAKE IT STOP!!!

‘’KILL M-!’’

The mother took her ear away from the window, her eyes trembled as those words echoed through her head. Lips trembling, holding her son close to her as she could, She gulped…

Knowing exactly who it was.

That voice.

That voice that was always sweet and known when they’ve talked or sang, that voice when her husband had him over for some festivities, that voice that talked to her child with kindness like no other.

That voice….

Was…

Him.

‘’Mommy?’’ The child quietly said, touching her brown locks. Trying to get her attention as she stood in fear and realization as the outside roared with thunder, muffling those anguish cries and the shaking of the earth. ‘’Mommy?’’

‘’Mama?’’

He said, snapping his mom back to reality as her breath became more shaky and shuttery as the blinds that prevented light from coming into the house and concealed the the reddish droplets that pelted from the sky. She turned to him, tightening her hold on him. Rubbing her hand through his hair. Petting him softly, as she tried to keep calm.

‘’Yes, sweetheart?’’

She breathed, looking into his eyes. Those sweet eyes of his, that reminded her of her…

Husband.

‘’Are you okay, mama?’’

She stared, then look back out. 

Rain was getting more heavier, the ground became reddier each second as the lightning grew louder than life, almost hitting the ground in different sections of the village. Almost hitting a farm, the homes where the people lived and almost starting a fire.

More animals ran as they heard, making frightening noises but not as frightening as the angel did just noises you heard from animals when they seek shelter. The wind got intense as the door almost flew open but luckily they were block thanks to locks and bolts and sometimes boulders.

Boulders that were big as day, like the one beside the house.

Waves clashed against each other as it was war, the sky turned blacker and the mother turned white.

Thinking about her answer, leaning her ear against the window she heard…

“ACE!!!’’

The words echoed, pulling from the window. She turned once more to her child, looked him dead in the eyes and…

‘’Where’s your father?’’

Thunder crackled.

Ace ran as fast as he could through the forest, breathing heavily. Almost tripping on rocks, fallen branches, anything in his wake as he ran like hell. Getting coated in red from the rain, his outfit was ruined, his hair, everything except his eyes as they were trembling with fear. Hoping what he saw wasn’t real as he ran to the light that was becoming dimmer each second the sky was closing.

Ignoring the signs, the tree’s falling. Almost killing him but he prevailed as his boots were being ripped apart and filled with mud each time he stepped or slid on something that made him fall. Busting his nose, that was bleeding. 

Dripping down his face, into his mouth. Swallowing as much as he could, trying to make it. His heart raced with fire as he heaved. Heart palpitations skyrocketing as he didn’t stop to rest or breath for a sec.

His mind was cluttered with one thing and one thing only as his locks of silver flown with the wind as He….

‘’SHIT!!’’

Jumped over a cliff, as time slowed. Tree’s were struck, falling as ace right now. Holding his breath, his heart stopped, lightening roared, the waves clashed as ships were getting harder and harder to steer as Ace was bombarded with thoughts of loved ones. Memories he dearly held to his heart as….

Badum.

Badum.

Badum.

Sweat drips.

He gulps.

Eyes forward.

Mouth open.

A Word.

‘’Please, god. Let me get to him. Please.’’

‘’Let me see Paulie.’’

‘’Let me see My angel, you’ve thrown away because of….’’

‘’Me.’’ 

Badum. 

Ba-.

!!!CRASH!!!!

He makes it.

Barely, but he makes it.

Immediately running again as the skies began to clear as they were closed, the red became water again. Clear as glass, winds dying down like the wilts of a dying rose as the sun comes out from within the clouds as Ace grunts.

Legs hurting so much from running, he wants to stop but can’t due to wanting to find his angel who had fallen from heavens above and hoping he’s not dead from a mighty fall that would or not kill him. Maybe even paralyze but he digress, as blisters began to form on the soles of his feets as his boots tore from the speed he was going as it was race.

Race against what?

Time. 

How much longer will it be for him to get there and see his angel alive or dead? How long it’ll be if he keeps running like this and does not die from the lack of air in his lungs? Or his body is overproducing so much sweat he looks like he can melt away in a flash? How long can he live for what he did to make his angel fall and be no longer the heavenly being he once knew?

Those sweet doe eyes, the black locks of hair he loved stroking along with those gorgeous white wings that were soft as a pillow or bed, that body that was always a delight to look at when those intoxicating moments would arrive when their feelings grew stronger for another like their different souls. That voice of his that would bring him down to earth when things get tough or the way it would echoed throughout his head when….

The angel moaned out his name.

In ways he never imagined, anyone else would despite their differences with each other yet….

It worked and he still wanted to work, no matter what anyone else thought.

No matter what they say.

God say.

Anyone say.

Nobody has a say for what they’ve both done and will do once they’re together again if….

The angel’s still alive, that is.

‘’Paulie…please be okay.’’

Hours past, a light shone on the fallen branches in the middle of the forest as things became calmer and lighter for the ones in the village and forest but things weren’t calmer or lighter at all for one individual of them all.

The crying hasn’t stopped, the bleeding hasn’t stopped gushing out from the back of the angel who’s lying in the middle of the forest, covered in dirt and soaked with blood as the final parts of his wings were burned off.

Releasing a harrowing scream from his hoarse throat, laying there naked in pain, filth and whatever that made him look….

Like a filthy sin he was, as he heaved.

Tears stopped running, burying his face in the dirt to hide from the world or anyone that would see the very angel that fallen thus was banished by god for….

Committing a sin.

A sin he felt wasn’t a sin but…

A sin that felt more like a blessing.

A blessing that made him feel more human and more angelic but….

One that caused him to be cut out from heaven.

One he doesn’t know how to feel nor explain but one that….

He won’t make again.

As he laid there, the sun shined on him more as he shook from the cold that was coming. He looked around, he was alone yet surrounded by an abundance of once white flowers that showed off their pureness, angelic, innocence to the world now coated in his….

Filth.

The red dripping off from the flowers, onto the muddy ground. The petals falling off like the last feathers, their heavenly appearance gone just like his. His browns no longer shined brightly nor reflected his happiness, his hair no longer curled or done beautifully now it’s just a mess like a rat’s ness.

Nails that were once pristine were also coated in blood, his fingers trembling from the cold and the more blood that was gushing from his back he looked….

Like a bloody mess.

A bloody mess, that was surrounded in darkness yet the sun was the only thing keeping him company. Giving him comfort in his time of anguish and pain as whimpered and cried away the hours that went past.

Just laying there, punishing himself.

His mind.

Body.

The decisions he made by giving his body away to….

A human.

He should just rot away, he thought. But no….

Life had other plans.

Plans that would…

Start a new chapter in this life.

As the angel whimpered, the weather became normal as the animals did. All was quiet until…

‘’Paul!’’

A Yell was heard.

‘’Paul, where are you!!!’’

Again.

‘’Paulie!’’

Again.

‘’Curly!!!’’

And again, interrupting the angel’s pain and cires as the yells got louder. The angel shook from the pain, trembling as he tried to move. Sticks, bugs, sharp things under him moved with him as he crawled and screamed…

‘’Ace!!!’’

Hoping it wasn’t a hallucination, he yelled once more as tears started.

‘’ACE!!!’’

He cried, trembling as he got up. Trying not to stumble, yet fell into a muddy pile of feces but he got up and ran.

His legs weak, he ran.

‘’ACE!!!’’

Leaves crunch underneath his dirtied foot as he grabbed onto a tree almost falling once again but he prevailed.

Breathing heavily as he…

Swallowed.

‘’ACE!’’

He cried, once more as it echoed.

Crying out his lover’s name, falling and stumbling into things then falling on a fallen tree crying out the name that made him fall in the first place.

Heaving, gripping the tree as he released one more cry that rocked the whole world once more.

!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEE-!!!’’

He screamed, coughing out blood from so much yelling and crying as he fell onto the tree as his eyes closed almost…

Going into the darkness, thinking all is lost and that this is a worse place than hell until….

‘’Paul!!!’’

‘’Paulie-!’’

‘’Paul!!!’’

His eyes opened, trembling as he saw….

Ace standing over him, dirtied and bloodied like him. Staring at him with those eyes of his with worry as Ace crumbled to the ground in horror, seeing his lover in a grotesque way made him rumble with disgust almost causing him to puke as he smelled shit and blood that was running down his body but…

He pushed back the puke, swallowing it down whole and gently touched Paul with his bare hands ignoring the blood, the smell that was getting worse each second he was near and…

Embrace him in his arms.

Stroking his head gently, as he too started to cry.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, as he held him close to him.

His fingers stroking through the tangled curls of his beloved, holding him close as the sun lightens them up.

The only thing protecting them from the darkness around them, the reality of what’s happening and how it happened made their minds run crazy, hearts beating frantically as it was thunder crackling, emotions running high as Ace tried to soothe himself and paul.

Running his hand down his bloodied back, feeling the wounds bleeding out.

Touching it lightly as he could, sent pain throughout Paul's body.

Paul whimpered, Ace pulled his hand away.

Comforting Paul with his words.

‘’I’m here, paul. You’re okay, your okay….’’

He repeated over and over, not knowing if Paul would be ok as he looked at his trembling hand.

Finger’s shaking, lower lip wobbling as he repeated those very words once again as he saw….

Bit’s of feathers on his hand.

Paul’s feathers.

That were once white now…

Black as the night.

He gulped, fighting back the puke again and the tears that were threatening to fall as he picked up Paul and walked away with him in his arms as the light still shined on them both leaving a trail of blood and….

Feathers. 

Marking the sight of the fallen angel who had fallen for a human like….

Ace.

‘’Mama! Look at papa's home! He’s carrying someone!!!’’

The child exclaimed, the mother running to the window. She looked, gasping loudly from what she’s seeing as she heard the loud gasps of the people coming out from their homes as the father walked through the village carrying someone.

Covered in blood and dirt.

That was dripping from them both as they walked.

‘’Sweetie, go to your room.’’ 

She uttered, eyes trembling.

‘’Why Mama?’’

‘’Sweetie…please go to your room, mama has to help papa…ok?’’

Her voice shocked, turning to her child. Seeing the eyes of innocence in them as she bent down and looked at him at all motherly, putting her hand gently on his shoulder as she said…

‘’Go to your room, and i’ll help you with your collection.’’

‘’You will?’’

‘’Yes, i will.’’

‘’Mmmhh…you promise?’’

Holding up his pinky finger to his mother’s face.

‘’Pinky promise?’’

The mother smiled, holding up her pinky thus connecting with her child.

Signifying her promise to him.

‘’Pinky promise, my son.’’

‘’Pinky promise.’’

The child went off to his room, as the mother watched on.

As her expression twisted, her thoughts plagued her as she stood.

Heart racing as…

The door opened, creaking loudly as it could.

Turning around slowly, she heard.

‘’Jeanette, it happened.’’

‘’What happened?’’ She uttered, eyes shaking as she looked down at the figure in Ace’s hold breathing slowly.

As she looked in horror and awe.

In horror from bloodied he looked yet still was radiant like the angel he was but he was no angel anymore.

He was…

‘’He fell.’’

A Fallen Angel. 

‘’Is he going to be okay?’’ she asked, looking him over as ace walked.

Placing him on the couch, covering him with his jacket.

Concealing Paul’s naked body, putting a pillow under his head.

Watching over him.

Tending to him.

Fingers stroking through his locks of hair.

Looking at him with a look that only a lover would know as…

‘’Ace.’’

‘’Mhm?’’

‘’Is he going to be okay?’’

Jeanette asked worryingly, bending down. Looking over at Paul as she reached for a towel nearby, wiping Paul’s face gently.

The silence grew between them, as the towel became coated more with the red and brown.

Tainting it, Like Ace tainted…

His lover.

Taking him away from the very home he called heaven.

Taking him away from his friends. 

Family.

Taken him away from everything he loved dearly and knew all because they….

Gotten close.

Became more than friends.

Became more than something.

Then just a thing, as they…

Made love.

Love that…

Gotten Paul to be banished all because of him.

Ace.

‘’Is he going to be okay?’’

Jeanette asked, again.

Snapping Ace out of his thoughts, he turned to Paul.

Then the outside.

Then his wife.

Then, finally Paul.

He took a deep breath, bending down.

Close enough to Paul, as he heard the shaky breath coming out from him as he said.

‘’I Don’t know.’’

Was in the mood to write, for angst and spacechild so here's some angst ;D.

i'm not going to apologize for what i've done in this, so catch me outside~ (i'm sorry.)

@starry-eyed-never-satisfied

@elrohare

@ohblackdiamond

@sluttery-withoutshame

@angelbambisworld

@krisspng

@insanityisdivine

@genesstankycodpiece

@speckster

@ladyshandioftheendless

and anyone else who'll read this~

So, tootalooo~

Love, Butters ♡

[silkythewriter]

General dating headcanons for Legoshi, Louis, Gouhin, Yafya, and Gosha?

General dating headcanons for Legoshi, Louis, Gouhin, Yafya, and Gosha!

Summary: this is a General dating headcanons for Legoshi, Louis, Gouhin, Yafya, and Gosha! Enjoy <3

Author note: Hi! Okay so some of they characters I don’t know very well but I’ll try! So I apologize for any Grammar/Spelling mistakes or if they are OOC

Daily song suggestion:

🐺Legoshi🐜

This baby boy is so timid he’s very quiet so talking with him can be like talking to air because sometimes you don’t get a response. He’s not being rude don’t get me wrong! It’s just he’s spends so much time listening that he forgets to answer

He likes picking random flowers for you of any kind!, he even picks out all the little bugs for you but he just puts them on a new flower cause he doesn’t have the heart to hurt them

He doesn’t really like eating lunch together cause he has to show his sharp teeth and he gets scared if you look at them for to long, even if your a Carnivores or Omnivores it still triggers something inside him

You have to defend him from rude,nasty comments cause I feel like most of the time he won’t stand up for himself. He tells you not to cause he doesn’t want you to get insulted or worse but you have to reassure him your fine

If your comfortable with it he would love to show you the bugs he found and let you hold them! But if you don’t like bugs that’s completely fine too but if there’s one you want to kill he probably won’t do it he’ll just grab em and put it outside where it can touch you

Loves rambling about bug facts and such but if he notices you getting bored or he’s rambling for too long he’ll shut up right away

He does get protective if needed too even if your bigger then him and stronger that doesn’t matter to him he just worry’s a lot

Overall all a bit timid and shy but he will defend you when needed too he’s really sweet <3.

🦌Louis💵

First of all get ready to run from the angry fan girls if they ever find out about your relationship 🏃💨

You guys most likely keep it the relationship a secret for both of you and Louis sake and status because people would go wild if they found out about you guys

He’s a gentleman most of the time so expect him opening the doors for you or giving you flowers and other stuff even if your a man or non-binary etc

Loves buying you small or big things like roses to chocolates or a Diamond ring or anything else you can want, You can also ask and he’ll gladly buy you whatever you need!

Makes you always watch his performances he always save you a seat in the front row just so he can make sure your there he says he preforms better knowing your there

I feel like he’s one of those boyfriends that when you text them about ANYTHING his already there even if he isn’t needed like let’s say you texted “I love you” he’ll show up at your door with gifts to say I love you back

He loves playing with your hair/fur it’s soothing to him he’ll even detangle anything ( with Care of course ) also loves to put something in it to decorate it like flowers and such

He makes sure your under control and is kinda strict sometimes like let’s say your up at 1AM or so he’ll force you to go to sleep because it’s important to get a full nights rest even if he sometimes doesn’t get it himself

Overall a very chill and caring boyfriend but can be distant sometimes but most of the times he’s always there for you!

🐼Gohin🎋

I feel like he’s very blunt about stuff so if he doesn’t like it or feels annoyed by someone/something he won’t hesitate to speak up about it

Im guessing he somewhat knows medical stuff so he will definitely take care of you himself if the injury isn’t that major

Doesn’t let you go out alone ESPECIALLY at night thats when the streets get even more dangerous

Depending on how long you guys are in a relationship, he’ll let you trace he’s scar you just gotta be careful

Legoshi once met you by accident in the store and you guys talked for a bit before you started talking about your boyfriend

I feel like he’s actually probably a good cook so he’ll definitely show you how to cook or just make you something

Gives you a small pocket knife when ever you go alone just in case he gets worried

Won’t ambit it but loves when you rub his head or ears it soothes him a lot

Overall a bit over protective but for good reasons he knows how cruel the world can be and he just wants to protect you from it

WARNING:The characters below are EXTREMELY outta character I’m assuming cause I know basically nothing about them cause I just got into the fandom a few weeks ago so I apologize! So sorry!

🐴Yafya⚖️

He seems nice and friendly but behind the scenes i feel like he isn’t much

Like Gohin he’s probably protective aswell and just a inch more intense

He lets you brush his his mane once in awhile when you guys have time to chill out with each other!

Maybe a romantic? I’m not sure but he’s definitely get you some gift here and there as a surprise!

“Why the long face?” “Y/n I swear to god if you say that one more time-“

He has many enemies so due to that he most definitely has to keep this relationship under wraps and has to make you Care at least a small weapon Just in case something happens

he barely eats any un healthy, he basically only eats healthy foods he won’t force you to join but he would love if you did he’d even make some food for you!

He sometimes likes to put his coat on you when you get cold so you don’t freeze

Overall a pretty good boyfriend! Just hard to be with due to all the enemies he has but you guys make it work

🦎Gosha🦎

He’s real calm and probably has a lot of patience especially if you guys are fighting or your mad

Legoshi loves you to death and likes to hang out with you when he can

I don’t know much about him but I feel like he has a past you probably do t know about and probably one he doesn’t wanna tell you

Like Legoshi he’s probably someone who would rather avoid conflict than face it head-on so in arguments it could be a bit annoying

Even with this in mind when it comes to his family he’d put that aside he cares about them deeply

He spends most of his time with you and would probably like to stay that way I feel like he wouldn’t mind hanging around other people but he’d prefer to stay around you most of the time

Overall a bit like legoshi I think they kinda share the same personality in my eyes

Sorry this took so long! I’ve had a busy week also sorry if they are OOC I’ve only been in this fandom for a bit so I don’t know much about the characters I still hope you enjoyed!

[cripplecharacters]

Hello!

I've been working on doing research for some of my physically disabled characters, and with regard to that, wondering what I should be focusing on so that I can maximize my efforts. Like I want to do my own research, but I'm not sure where to focus most of that energy. Do you have any lists of "questions you should have enough knowledge to answer if you're writing a character with x disability?" Like examples I can think of would be "what restrictions does x disability pose when real people with that disability are traversing the environment your character lives in, and how do they usually accomodate it?" or "what are several problematic tropes that real people with x disability don't appreciate, and why?"

Thank you so much!

Hello, thanks for your question!

It already sounds like you're on the right track with regards to your research, but off the top of my head here are some things I'd want an author to feel comfortable answering before writing a disabled character:

The character's disability/ies. Get as specific as possible–even if you don't explicitly identify it in the text, you as the author should know what your character's condition is or would be in the real world. You need to know what the disability is to understand how it affects the character's life. "Nebulous heart problem" doesn't really cut it when it comes to good representation. This is also important in order to know which particular tropes to avoid. If the character is multiply disabled, look into how those comorbidities might affect them in unique ways.

The character's medical treatment(s). Does the character have access to the right doctors and specialists to treat their condition? Do they take medication, and does it have side effects? Have they undergone surgeries and/or physical therapy? Have their experiences with the medical system (or equivalent, based on the setting) been positive or negative? When writing a modern setting, take particular care to consider how other axes of oppression, such as race and class, affect access to and experiences with medical care.

How long the character has been disabled. Is their disability congenital, or did it occur later in life? Was it the result of an injury or trauma? What kinds of memories and feelings does your character associate with the disability and/or the event that may have caused it? A newly disabled character is very different from a character who's been disabled for a long time/their entire life.

If the disability was acquired later in life, what did they gain and what did they lose when they became disabled? The chances of nothing changing in the character's life if they acquired their disability–especially as an established adult–are slim.

The symptoms of their disability. This sounds like an obvious one, but surprisingly often I see authors make assumptions about what a character would experience that are quite inconsistent with the experiences of people who actually have that disability. For example, not every traumatic brain injury will cause memory loss, but people often make that assumption. Not every time of chronic pain feels the same. You should be able to differentiate between popular myths about the disability you're portraying and the actual facts about said disability.

How the disability is affected by the character's environment and social context. You should have a pretty good idea of which factors the character will need to accommodate in the setting. This can include anything from which mobility aids they might use and in which situations, how their home or workspace has been modified to accommodate their disability, how they handle the climate or weather, how people react to seeing them on the street, etc.

How prevalent the disability is in the setting. Just like in real life, different visible disabilities will get different reactions from people, and this will vary a lot from place to place. Consider if this is a disability that is widely known and accommodated in the setting and which supports would be available for it.

The character's support system. This is both a social and practical question. If the character requires a caretaker, who is it and what is their relationship? If they don't, who do they go to when they need help with something related to their disability? Do they know anyone else who shares their disability, or have any connections to a disabled community?

I hope these offer a decent starting point in terms of directing research. There are likely some points I've missed, so I'll leave this post open for replies and comments from other disabled people who would like to offer suggestions.

Best of luck writing!

-Mod Faelan

[ghostxrose]

One Life After Another, Forevermore | Bakugo Katsuki x Reader

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five (final)

Note ~ Just want to say thank you all so much for the love on my fic so far, it literally brings tears to my eyes seeing people enjoy my work. I love and appreciate you all so much! Also this part is nearly 8k words, just a heads-up.. Enjoy, Lovelies!! <3

Tags/Warnings ~ Fem!Reader, Reincarnation, Soulmates, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Emotional, Temporary Character Deaths, Depictions of Injuries, Potentially Triggering Content, No Use of Y/N, Hurts So Good (let me know if I should tag anything else <3)

Your eyes opened up to another new world and your cries proved to those who were in the room that you were a strong and healthy baby. You weren’t sure what life you were on now but you did remember the last few were different types of animals. You and Katsuki had found and lost each other in each life before being able to be together for any significant amount of time. It was in that new life as you screamed your lungs out as a tiny infant that your innermost consciousness wondered if you and Katsuki would ever get to fully live out any of your lives together.

In that new life, you were born a human. A royal human, as you would come to learn, a Princess to the Kingdom of the North. Other humans took care of you, served you, and did things for you. You lived in a grand castle amongst lavish things but not everything was as luxurious as they may have looked.

Your mother, the Queen, had died giving birth to you, and your father, the King, made sure that you were kept out of his sights. After his wife’s death, he had been grief-stricken and disappointed. His disappointment had been in you, a female, being his first and only child. He would have no heir to his throne unless he remarried and tried for a male child. He paid no regard to the way that Eternal Loves worked, he only cared about his reputation which seemed to be a recurring theme throughout your lives.

So that is what the King did; he informed the entire kingdom that the Queen and their child had both died during the birth, he ignored your existence, remarried, and a few years later a male heir was born. Your father, his new family, and the kingdom’s subjects rejoiced while you were hidden away in your room.

The years went on of you being ignored by your father and his replacement wife and kids. You were at least still treated like the rightful Princess you were by the servants in the castle. And they didn’t mind doting on you, talking to you, or fulfilling any requests you made. Many of them had told you that they much preferred when your mother was Queen and they spoke of how kind, beautiful, and lovely she was. It made you happy to hear but also left an ache in your heart that yearned for your mother’s love.

Not long after you had turned seventeen, you had decided that you were sick of the oppressive walls of the castle. You were sick of your father and his replacement family. You wanted to see more of the world, you wanted to exist in the world. But most of all, if you had stayed in that damn castle your whole life then you would never find Katsuki.

Your most trusted servants, and quite frankly your best and only friends, helped you to gather items and pack. Tsu had given you a cloak and a map of the country. Itsuka packed you a bag of clothes and dried fruits and even managed to get you some of your mother’s jewelry. Lastly, Reiko had been able to get you a decently-sized pouch of coins. You thanked them for all of their help and hugged the three of them tightly.

You laid in bed that evening but you didn’t sleep. You waited for Tsu to come by your room once your father and his family were asleep. When she did come to get you, the both of you quietly made your way to the kitchen. Waiting for you there was Itsuka, Reiko, and your favorite two cooks; Hanta and Rikido. Hanta smiled warmly at you as he handed you a bag with bread, cheese, and dried meat, and Rikido wished you luck as he handed you a bag of sweet baked goods. You gave them both a teary smile and thanked them quietly.

As you said your last goodbyes to your friends one of the castle’s guards, Mezo, silently entered the kitchen. You wiped your tears, straightened your back, and flipped the hood of your cloak up. You nodded to Mezo in silent communication then smiled, wide and warm, at your friends as you waved to them and walked away.

You quietly followed Mezo through the castle and outside to the royal garden. He led you to the back edge of the garden where a secret exit had been hidden away in the vines that covered the barrier that surrounded the castle grounds. He pulled the vines away and opened the door for you, standing back so that you could go through.

“Good luck on your journey, Princess. Please be safe on your travels.” He said quietly while he held a small sword out to you.

“Thank you, Mezo.” You said with a warm smile and took the sword from him.

You went through the door, sending Mezo one last wave as he closed the secret door behind you. You took a moment to slide the sword's sheath onto your belt and re-fastened it before quietly sneaking away from the castle. You were a bit scared to be on your own but knew that this was what you needed to do and you had prepared well.

Over the past couple of months, your friends had taught you various skills that would help you survive on your own. Itsuka taught you how to read a map, a compass, and the sun. Tsu had shown you how to sew which was beneficial towards clothing and wounds alike. Reiko had written you a journal full of information and drawings of different herbs and plants and their uses. Most importantly, Mezo had shown you how to use the sword on your hip and had trained you how to fight.

You silently made your way to the edge of the forest where you had one more person to meet. As you neared the trees the light of the full moon illuminated the figure of a person on top of a horse, another horse patiently standing next to the pair. 

“Hello? Koji?” You quietly called out as you approached.

The person’s head whipped in your direction as if spooked and you smiled sheepishly, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” You quietly apologized.

“I-it’s a-alright, Princess. Y-yes, I-I a-am Koji. Th-this i-is y-your h-horse, M-Mira.” Koji told you and you smiled at him, then at your new horse companion. Koji taught you everything you needed to know about caring for and riding horses.

The moon was low in the sky and you knew the sun was due to begin showing itself soon. Koji asked where you headed first and you pulled out your map. You pointed to the Kingdom of the West and explained you would go there first since they were allies to the Kingdom of the North. Koji nodded, warned you to stay away from the South as he reminded you of the Barbarian kingdom that ruled there, and wished you luck on your travels. You thanked Koji with a warm smile and wished him well then set off on your journey to find your Love.

When you arrived at the Kingdom of the West you were in awe at how different it had seemed from your home kingdom. You bought yourself a room at a nice Inn that also had stables to keep your horse in. The Innkeeper was a nice round-faced girl about the same age as you by the name of Ochaco.

You had mentioned to Ochaco that you would probably be staying for a few days and she had cheerfully offered to show you around. You excitedly accepted her offer and couldn’t wait to experience what this kingdom was like.

True to her word, the next day Ochaco had come by your room to take you out and about the capital of the Kingdom of the West. As the two of you walked down the main streets of the capital, Ochaco talked about their king. Supposedly, he was a kind and gracious ruler by the name of King Yagi. Ochaco also talked very highly of Queen Inko and Prince Izuku. 

According to your new pink-cheeked friend, the whole royal family was very kind and on any given day you could find the Prince out and about the capital offering help to anybody who needed it. It made you feel a bit envious hearing about how nice the royal family was not just to their subjects but to each other and other kingdoms. They were even kind to the Kingdom of the East despite King Enji’s one-sided rivalry with King Yagi.

“Oh, oh! Look! There’s Prince Izuku!” Ochaco had practically squealed as she pointed to a green-haired boy helping out an elderly shopkeeper. Ochaco took hold of your hand and dragged you over to the Prince, eager to introduce you to him.

“Izuku! Izuku!” Ochaco cheerfully called out and captured the Prince’s attention. The Prince blushed a bit when he saw you both approaching but smiled brightly.

“G-good a-afternoon, Ochaco! Who is this?” Prince Izuku greeted her, then turned to you with a kind smile. You smiled shyly and introduced yourself, not bothering to make up a fake name since practically no one knew of your existence. But apparently, Prince Izuku was smart and well-educated about his kingdom’s allies.

“Your family name sounds familiar, are you related to the royal family of the Kingdom of the North?” Prince Izuku asked curiously and you hesitated slightly.

“M-maybe we could talk about that somewhere more private..” You said nervously.

“Of course, we could talk in the royal garden if you’d like?” Prince Izuku offered but before you could answer a tall knight appeared by the Prince’s side.

“My Prince, I am not sure if it is a good idea to invite a stranger into the castle grounds!” The knight said, one of his arms chopping the air to accentuate his point.

“Iida, I’ve told you that you can just call me Izuku, and I don’t believe that she has any malicious intent, not if she is from our ally’s kingdom.” Prince Izuku said in a light tone.

“Prince Izuku is correct, I do not wish to harm anyone here. I am simply just trying to experience life outside of the kingdom I grew up in. If you would like to know my story then I do ask that we discuss it in private.” You said reassuringly as the knight, Iida, assessed your words.

“Very well then, I will escort you all to the royal garden,” Iida announced, his face and tone serious as ever. Prince Izuku smiled brightly then led you and Ochaco to the castle grounds.

When you got through the gates to the royal garden you were once again in awe of your surroundings. The Kingdom of the West’s royal garden was filled with plants and flowers different from the ones in the garden back in your kingdom. However, you did recognize a couple of kinds of flowers that seemed to have been gifted to the Kingdom of the West from your home kingdom.

Prince Izuku led you and Ochaco over to a very nice outdoor furniture set where a boy with half-red, half-white hair and a girl with long black hair had been sitting. You were curious as to who they were since Ochaco hadn’t mentioned that Izuku had any siblings. Prince Izuku kindly asked Iida to inform the servants to bring out some tea before greeting the other boy and girl.

“Good afternoon, Shoto and Lady Yaoyorozu!” Prince Izuku said cheerfully as he invited Ochaco and you to sit.

“Good afternoon, Izuku, Ochaco.” The two-toned boy, Shoto, greeted in a neutral tone.

“Good afternoon, Izuku, Ochaco! I thought I told you to just call me Yaomomo, Izuku.” The girl, Yaomomo, told Prince Izuku with a kind smile.

“O-oh, right! S-sorry, Yaomomo!” Prince Izuku stammered out with a sheepish smile.

“It’s alright, Izuku. Now, who is your new guest?” Yaomomo asked and smiled at you warmly while Shoto stared intently at you as if he were trying to read your thoughts.

You introduced yourself and caught the slight shift in the look in Shoto’s eyes when you gave your family name. But he didn’t say anything further so you just brushed it off. Tea was brought out shortly after introductions and you mentally prepared yourself for the conversation that you were about to have.

“Alright, if you’re comfortable enough to share your story, I would like to hear about it. I can promise that you can trust Shoto and Yaomomo as well as Ochaco and myself.” Prince Izuku said in a warm and inviting tone after he took a sip of his tea.

You took a deep breath, then told them about your life back in your home kingdom. You told them that your mother passed away giving birth to you and that your father made sure that the rest of the kingdom never knew about you. How he remarried and had other children while you were left to yourself in the depths of the castle. Then you told them about your decision to leave the castle and see the world instead of just rotting away in your room.

You left out the part about wanting to find Katsuki because you weren’t sure how that would play out. In all of the lives that you had lived so far you hadn’t met anyone else who remembered their previous lives the way that you and Katsuki did. You just hoped that a life wouldn’t come where you and Katsuki forget all of the good times from your previous lives.

“Wow, that sounds truly lonely, I’m so sorry,” Yaomomo said with a sympathetic and sad face.

“I do wish I could have known my mother but the castle staff had become my family when my father and his new family wanted nothing to do with me.” You said with a small smile.

“Well, please know that you are welcome to live here at the Kingdom of the West or visit any time you like! You said you wanted to continue your travels, right?” Prince Izuku said with a warm smile and you nodded.

“Thank you very much but yes, I do want to travel a bit more before settling somewhere.” You said with a grateful smile.

“Where do you plan on going next?” Ochaco asked excitedly. You got a bit nervous because even though you were warned against going there, you wanted to check the Kingdom of the South for your Love.

You decide to play it safe and tell them a small lie, “Oh, well, I was thinking of going ea-”

“Do not go to the Kingdom of the East,” Shoto spoke suddenly, his voice was full of bitterness and he was staring angrily down at his tea. You sat in your place shocked by the outburst and unable to respond.

“Shoto.. Maybe explain a little bit? You’re scaring her..” Yaomomo said quietly as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I apologize. I did not mean to frighten anybody. It’s just that.. My father is King Enji of the East. He is already an instigating bastard, but if he hears word that you are from the Kingdom of the North then I do not see it ending well for you.” Shoto explained with his eyes full of worry as he looked at you.

“Oh, I see. Well, thank you for the warning, then. I’ll be staying here for a few days so I will just take a look at my map and figure something else out. I’m.. I’m sorry, Shoto.” You said and shared a look of understanding with the runaway Prince.

The topic had changed to something lighter after that and you were fascinated by some of the stories your four new friends had shared. Prince Izuku had even managed to convince Ochaco and yourself to stay for dinner to which you felt incredibly honored. Even though you were a Princess you had never had dinner with your father and his family, let alone ever had dinner with any other royal families.

Returning to your room that night you felt a true happiness that you weren’t sure you had ever felt in that life. If you hadn’t known that Katsuki was out there somewhere waiting for you then you probably would have made the Kingdom of the North your new home.

When you woke up the next morning, you decided to go out and explore more of the capital since you and Ochaco didn’t get very far yesterday because of seeing Prince Izuku. You dressed yourself in one of the skirts Itsuka had given you, a flowy button-up half-sleeved shirt, and slipped on your shoes. Once you grabbed your pouch of coins and your room key, you locked up and headed out.

You stepped into a small bakery near the Inn and immediately melted at the scent of baked sweets and coffee that swirled through the air. A tired-looking boy with purple hair around your age wrapped up the goods you bought with a bored look on his face. You wanted to make a comment about him also having purple eyes but the boy seemed pretty stand-offish so you only thanked him and went about your exploring.

You wandered in and out of shops for a while until you came across a blacksmith shop. You went inside, curious as to what weapons they might have that you could use. You found an area in the shop where the smaller swords were on display and were fascinated by some of the designs on some of the handles and blades.

“Oh, hello there, Miss Beautiful! I don’t think I've ever seen you in here before!” A cheerful and slightly flirty voice greeted you from beside you.

“I’m just traveling and decided to rest and restock here in the capital.” You explained as you smiled hesitantly at the boy.

As you looked at the boy with dark hair that had been tied back with a cloth around his forehead, you wondered how many more people around your age you were going to meet. Was it common for people your age to work in shops and such? All of your friends back in your home kingdom were about ten years older than yourself, how soon in their lives had they started working?

“You traveling by yourself?” The boy asked and you started to grow nervous. Before you could answer him, a different and more gruff voice called out to the boy from the back.

“C’mon, Yosetsu! We have to get the materials that the Bakugo family ordered loaded up before the journey tomorrow!” Another boy with slightly unruly silver hair and oddly sharp teeth came into view from the back with an annoyed look on his face. The first boy, Yosetsu, grumbled as he disappeared into the back of the shop.

“Sorry, if he was bothering you, miss! I’m Tetsutetsu! Did you need help with something?” Tetsutetsu kindly asked you with a smile.

You stood there slightly frozen as the name Bakugo replayed over and over in your head. These guys were going to wherever Katsuki was and they were leaving the next day! You could almost feel the Goddess of Fate smiling at you.

“Uhm, miss?” Tetsutetsu questioned with slight concern.

“Oh goodness, I’m so sorry! Uhm, what would you say is best for someone traveling? I already have a small sword about the same size as these but I figured it couldn’t hurt to have another one? Or maybe something smaller?” You nervously rambled a bit but it worked out.

“Ah, let’s see.. Since you said you already have a sword, why don’t you take a look at the daggers? That way you aren’t too weighed down while you’re traveling!” Tetsutetsu happily suggested as he led you to where the daggers were displayed.

“I’m sorry but I really have to go load up some materials. Just shout when you’re ready to buy something or if you’re leaving!” Tetsutetsu said before he disappeared into the back of the shop.

You took your time looking at the daggers, testing the weights of them, and looking at the intricate designs. You eventually decided on a decently weighted dagger that had a simple dark-colored handle that was easy to grasp in your hand. What truly sold you on it were the intertwined dragons on the sheathe. Both dragons were silver in color but one had a red ruby for its eye and the other had a purple amethyst. Once again you felt the eyes of the Goddess of Fate upon you.

You wandered up to the counter and hesitated before shouting Tetsutetsu’s name. You awkwardly waited for a few moments then before you could shout again, Tetsutetsu bounded in from the back.

“Find something you like?” He asked with a grin.

“Yes,” You said with a small smile as you put the dagger on the counter.

“A fine piece you have chosen there, miss! Simple but definitely reliable!” He happily exclaimed then told you the price.

You paid him the amount but didn’t turn around to leave like he assumed you would. “Did you need something else, miss?” He asked, kind as can be.

“I.. uhm.. You mentioned earlier that you would be traveling tomorrow? If I may ask, where to?” You nervously asked.

“Oh, uhm, we’ll be running some materials to the Kingdom of the South. They’re allies of the Kingdom of the West and occasionally buy metals from us.” Tetsutetsu explained.

“I see.. W-would you mind if I traveled with you? It’s just my horse and I.” You asked, hoping that he would say yes.

“Are you sure you want to travel to the South, miss? They may be our allies but the people there are a bit.. Rugged.” Tetsutetsu very hesitantly explained to you while he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yes, I’m sure. We will both be traveling there anyways, so I just thought I’d ask if we could travel together, but if you do not wish t-”

“No, no! It’s not that I don’t want to! I was just making sure that you realized where exactly you would be traveling to,” He said, slightly panicked at having thought he offended you. “Yes, you absolutely can travel with Yosetsu and me! Though, the back of our wagon will be completely full of materials, so you’ll have to ride your horse.” He finished.

“That’s not a problem! Thank you so much!” You gratefully exclaimed then formally introduced yourself.

“Alright, we’ll be leaving at dawn tomorrow! We’ll meet you at the southern entrance of the capital!” Tetsutetsu said with a happy, sharp-toothed grin.

You thanked him once more then headed out of the shop. You wandered around the capital a bit more before your feet became tired and you made your way back to the Inn. When you got there, Ochaco was behind the counter and cheerfully greeted you. You asked her if it would be possible for anyone to come wake you at dawn the next day and she gave you a confused look.

“I thought that you said you would be staying a bit longer?” Ochaco asked confusedly.

“I did, yes. But there is a group leaving tomorrow and they said I could travel with them.” You poorly and vaguely explained why the situation changed.

“Where are they traveling to?” Ochaco asked, her tone slightly suspicious but mostly worried.

“Uhm.. to the Kingdom of the South..” You nervously admitted.

“The South?!” Ochaco exclaimed then rubbed a hand across her forehead as you nodded sheepishly.

“Well, I have no right to stop you from going but please be careful! We may be allies with them but Barbarians are people who are rough around the edges!” Ochaco said and sighed.

“I promise to be careful, Ochaco. Will someone be able to wake me a bit before dawn?” You assured her then questioned hopefully.

“Agh, yes. I’ll be sure to let Kyoka know to wake you.” Ochaco said in a resigned tone.

“Thank you very much, Ochaco! It’s been really great meeting you and thank you for helping to show me what life is like outside of the walls of a castle.” You told her and gave her a warm smile.

Ochaco let out a small noise then ran around the counter and hugged you tightly. She made you promise to come back to the capital at some point either for a visit or to stay. Even though you knew it was only a promise to visit again, it was a promise you had no problem making.

A firm knocking on your room door woke you from your sleep the next morning. You opened the door and thanked a shy but kind girl, Kyoka, for waking you. Once you tipped her a few coins she left and you set about lighting the lanterns in your room so that you could get ready for the day.

You got dressed, combed through your long dark hair, braided it, and tied the end off with a red ribbon. You packed your bag, slid your sword and dagger onto your belt before fastening it, and donned your cloak. You slipped on your boots and blew out the lanterns then left the room.

Sitting comfortably on the back of Mira, you made your way to the southern gate of the capital. You ended up getting there a bit early but you didn’t have to wait too long for Tetsutetsu and Yosetsu. They both greeted you with cheery smiles when they arrived and the three of you set off for the Kingdom of the South.

The two asked you many questions during your travel together and you tried to answer as vaguely as you could. You didn’t know them so you didn’t want to tell them too much about who you were or where you came from. You never even told them your family name, so at least they couldn’t connect you to your father.

In turn, you asked them about their lives. How they came to work as blacksmiths. If they had ever traveled for anything besides work. Anything that took the focus off of you for at least a little while.

Finally, as the sun had neared being low enough in the sky to be considered the beginning of sunset, your small group was approaching the borders of the capital of the Kingdom of the South.

You saw that large spiked logs stuck up from the ground and formed a tall wall around the Kingdom of the South’s capital. You huffed a quiet laugh to yourself at the thought of Katsuki’s family believing that spiked logs would seem more intimidating than a normal stone wall. If you were to see them, that wouldn’t have been the first lifetime you “met” Katsuki’s parents, so you already knew what kind of people they were.

Your group got up to the entrance and was stopped by some.. not-very-kind-looking guards.

“What is your reason for entry?” One guard demanded.

“We have the metal that the royal family ordered,” Tetsutetsu answered calmly.

“And what about the girl? She’s never been with you guys before.” Another guard questioned.

“Oh, she’s not from the Kingdom of the West! She just traveled with us because she wanted to visit the Kingdom of the South!” Yosetsu dumbly answered before Tetsutetsu could say anything.

Both you and Tetsutetsu cringed at Yosetsu’s poor explanation and for good reason..

“A mystery traveler, huh? You’re coming with us, little girl! The King and Queen can decide if you can stay or not,” The second guard stated harshly and grabbed the reins from your hands.

“Metal workers, go on through! Mystery traveler, get off the horse and follow me!” The first guard commanded.

You quietly cooperated, a bit of fear filled your stomach but you knew you would be okay when you saw Masaru and Mitsuki. The first guard came over to where you were standing with the second guard and he took your bag along with your weapons. Tetsutetsu and Yosetsu rode past you and Tetsutetsu shot you an apologetic look before smacking the back of Yosetsu’s head. A small smile graced your lips before it was wiped away after a harsh yank to your arm told you the guard was taking you to the King and Queen.

The guards walked fast and you kept up with them fine except for the few times you got tripped up on rocks. The guards seemed to not care about your well-being seeing as the one dragging you by your arm had a grip so tight you wouldn’t be surprised if it bruised. You really wanted to stop showing up to Katsuki with injuries in the lifetimes where you seek him out.

You became very confused when the guards led you through a side entrance of the castle, then proceeded to practically drag you down a flight of stairs.

“Wh-where are we going? S-sir, I thought you said I would be seeing the King and Queen?” Your shaky voice questioned.

“You dumb little girl! Why would a random stranger such as yourself just automatically get a meeting with the King and the Queen? What right do you think you have to that, huh?” The first guard taunted.

“That isn’t how we work around here, sweetheart. You’re gonna sit in one of these lovely cells and wait your damn turn.” The second guard said with a harsh laugh afterward.

You get stopped in front of a cell and shoved unceremoniously into it, the guards slamming the door shut and locking it behind you. As you sat down on the cold stone bench you let out a defeated whimper. You prayed that they wouldn’t go through your things or steal your mother’s jewelry. You prayed that they would even let the King and Queen know that you were here.

You weren’t sure how long you had been down in the cold dungeon cell but when you heard the door unlocking you lifted your head from your knees. One of the guards from earlier walked in and looked at you with disdain, “C’mon, get off of your pathetic ass and let's go! The King and Queen are waiting!” He said in the same harsh tone he had earlier and grabbed your wrist.

Unfortunately, your legs had fallen asleep from sitting in the same position for so long, so when the guard pulled on your wrist, your knees buckled. You let out a small cry when your knees hit the stone floor but the guard didn’t stop. The guard dragged you out of the cell, the rough stone floor tearing through your pants and scraping your skin. The pain made you grit your teeth and you tugged your arm back towards you in an effort to help yourself back onto your feet. Your attempt was successful, though it did earn you an irritated growl from the guard who just yanked your arm again.

The guard didn’t let you go the whole trek through the castle and only stopped dragging you when you stopped at a pair of fancy-looking doors. The guard sent you one last glare before he straightened up and knocked on the doors. You heard Mitsuki’s voice call out from inside and the guard opened one of the doors.

You were once again unceremoniously shoved and you stumbled into the grand throne room. You straightened up the best you could and tried to resist the urge to rub your wrist. You kept your eyes down towards the floor mostly out of shame over the disheveled appearance you wore. You could feel the pull of Katsuki’s soul and the knowledge that he was in the room gave you comfort.

“Good evening, young traveler. We sincerely apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred since you arrived-” Masaru’s gentle voice started.

“Misunderstandings? Jesus, Pops, look at her!” Katsuki yelled, coming to your defense, and your face flushed as your chest filled with appreciation.

“Shut it, brat! What is your business here, traveler?” Mitsuki demanded though she sounded more tired than anything else.

“I-I just wanted to see new lands, your highness. I come from a very small and sheltered village. I apologize for causing any trouble, Your Highnesses.” You said then finally looked up. Your eyes automatically connected with Katsuki’s and you pushed down the urge to giggle as his widened in surprise.

“You didn’t cause any trouble, young traveler. As for the matter of you st-”

“She can stay.” Katsuki’s statement cut off Masaru and earned him a glare from Mitsuki.

Mitsuki’s glare quickly turned into a smirk when she saw the look on her son’s face and you, once again, had to refrain from giggling.

“I suppose we can allow her to stay as long as Katsuki is with her at all times to keep an eye on her,” Mitsuki said with a teasing lilt to her tone.

“Fine. That’s fine.” Katsuki agreed quickly, making both of his parents look at him like he was a complete stranger.

“Alright.. Now that that’s settled... Katsuki, get the guards that brought her in to give her back her things and show her to a room.” Masaru said with a warm yet slightly hesitant smile.

“Thank you very much, your highnesses.” You said with a grateful smile and a curtsy.

Katsuki quickly got up from his throne and made his way over to you, lightly grabbing your arm and leading back through the doors you had entered through. He didn’t stop to talk to the guards though, he just kept pulling you through the castle wordlessly. After going down a couple of hallways you were finally pulled through a door into a bedroom that you assumed was his.

Katsuki closed the door behind you then immediately wrapped his arms around you and buried his face into the crook of your neck. You wrapped your arms around his bare torso equally as tight as giggles-turned-sobs left your mouth.

“I thought I told you to stop showing up to me injured, Violet.” Katsuki’s voice rasped against your skin.

“I tried this time, Kats. I really tried not to get hurt, but.. the guards that brought me in weren’t so kind.” The words spilled from your lips before you could stop them.

“And you’re going to point out who those guards were and I’ll punish them accordingly, starting with the one that pushed you into the throne room earlier,” Katsuki told you in a calm and even-toned voice but you could feel his hold become tighter from anger.

“Actually… the one that brought me to the throne room was one of them.. I don’t even care that they hurt me, Kats. I just want my stuff back and to finally just be with you.” You said quietly then kissed his neck once.

Katsuki let out a heavy sigh then nodded and pulled away from you reluctantly. His hands came up to your cheeks and gently wiped away your tears, a sad smile forming on his face.

“What’s wrong, my Love?” You asked softly as one of your hands came up to cup his cheek.

“I was just remembering the lifetime when you.. when you were a Mermaid and you didn’t know what tears were.” He said quietly as his eyes went slightly glassy.

“Aw, Kats..” You whispered before you leaned up and pressed your lips against his.

Remembering that lifetime was always really rough on both of you. It had been the one where you were together the longest, even if it had only been a few months. And it was the only one where you two had a child, even if the child hadn’t been born yet. The memories of how that life had ended still hit you both pretty hard.

“C’mon, my Love, let’s go get my stuff, maybe snag a meal because they didn’t give me any food while I was waiting for the meeting, and clean up my injuries, then we can cuddle all night long while we tell each other about this life. Sound good, Prince Katsuki?” You said softly with a warm smile.

“Yes, my Violet,” Katsuki murmured before kissing you deeply one more time, then leading you out of his room.

You slid the strap of your bag over your shoulder and re-sheathed the sword and dagger while Katsuki glared menacingly at the two guards that had brought you in. After he was finished silently threatening them, Katsuki took you to the kitchen where he cooked you a simple meal and sat with you while you ate. Finally, the two of you went back to his room for the night.

You were sat on the edge of Katsuki’s bed with your pants rolled up as he cleaned the scrapes on your knees and shins. He was grumbling about ‘killing the fucking bastard that did this’ and you were carding your fingers through his hair. When he finished bandaging you up he kissed over each knee then stood up and gently took your hand in his. He raised your arm and kissed over the bruise forming on your wrist then leaned in to kiss your lips.

You giggled into the kiss as Katsuki slotted himself between your legs and brought a hand up to the back of your neck to deepen the kiss. You ran your hands up his bare torso and a groan left his throat. You pulled back from the kiss to catch your breath and rested your forehead against his.

“So.. no shirt and just a cloak? You don’t believe in shirts in this life, my Love? All the girls in the kingdom just get to see what’s mine?” You teased as you walked your fingers over his defined abs and chest.

Katsuki chuckled and moved his head to bite your cheek before straightening up again, “I don’t know, Violet, this is just how I was raised. And let all of the other extras look, you’re the only one who gets to touch, Violet. You’re the only one I want to touch, my Eternal Love.” Katsuki explained, a smirk on his face when he finished talking.

He chuckled when you tried to cover up your flushing face. You always blushed whenever he would go all sweet and lusty. You poked at his chest as you stood up then went over to your bag and pulled out your nightgown. You both faced away from each other when you changed simply because there was a silent agreement that you wouldn’t have sex tonight but if you saw each other naked then there would be no going back.

Katsuki made sure that you were lying down before he put out all of the lanterns, then joined you. He snaked one arm under your head while the other curled over to pull your body into his. You both let out a sigh of contentment and he kissed your forehead.

“Kats?” You mumbled sleepily.

“Yes, Violet?” He questioned quietly.

“C’n we talk ‘bout our lives t’morrow? ‘M tired.” You said, your words slurred from exhaustion.

“Yeah, baby. It can wait til we wake up.” Katsuki said, his voice low and raspy from being tired.

“ ‘mmkay. Love you, Kats.” You whispered on the edge of sleep.

“Love you too, Violet,” Katsuki mumbled as his consciousness gave into the call of slumber.

At breakfast the next morning, Katsuki was informed that he would be excused from any princely duties he would’ve had for the day to show you around the capital. Queen Mitsuki had a servant fetch you some of her old clothes to wear and you gratefully thanked her. You and Katsuki finished eating and returned to his room to change.

You both managed to change without tearing each other's clothes back off as much as you both- but mainly Katsuki- had wanted to. You could feel his hungry gaze on you the whole way out of the castle. When you first put on the new clothes, you felt kind of exposed by the sleeveless and strapless top that barely covered your chest and ended just above your belly button and the low-rise pants that ended mid-shin. But your Love was quick to put your worries to rest as his eyes hardly left your body and he murmured sweet and lusty compliments into your ears.

As the both of you walked around the capital you got many stares cast your way and it felt like you could hear everyone’s whispers at once. Katsuki took your hand and squeezed it reassuringly while glaring at anybody who continued to look your way. You pushed your anxieties away and continued about your tour, Katsuki taking you to different shops and buying you small gifts and new clothes.

When you returned to the castle, you and your Love’s arms were full of enough clothes to fill a wardrobe along with some traditional jewelry and a few pairs of shoes. Katsuki was very determined to get you everything you would need to start feeling comfortable there in what was to be your new home kingdom.

“I truly did not need all of these things, Kats.” You said with a sheepish yet appreciative smile as you helped him put your new things away in his room.

“Of course, you needed all this damn stuff! I finally have you in my arms again and I don’t plan on letting you go, Violet!” Katsuki grumbled back to you with feigned annoyance.

“And I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, my Love. Though, your parents are under the impression that I will only be here for a few days.” You said as you wrapped your arms around his torso and rested your chin against his chest, looking up at him.

“We’ll figure something out, Violet. Not our fault if nobody else remembers their previous lives.” He rasped gently then kissed your forehead.

In one swift motion, Katsuki scooped you up bridal style, took a few steps to his bed, and gently dropped you onto it. You giggled at his actions then let out a quiet ‘oof’ when he laid on top of you with his full weight. You took comfort in his warm weight squishing your body into the mattress and brought a hand up to run through his hair.

“So, you gonna tell me about your life this time around or what?” Katsuki mumbled into the crook of your neck and you smiled at the tingly shiver that ran down your spine from the feeling of his lips brushing against your skin.

“Well, believe it or not, I’m actually royalty just like you in this life.” You started, then proceeded to tell Katsuki about your life up until that point.

He had been shocked to find out that you were a Princess, then angered over how you were treated by your own father. He was also annoyed that you ended up in Prince Izuku’s company before his but was easily soothed by some head scratches and kisses. When you were finished with your tale, Katsuki told you all about his own.

From that day forward, you had remained in the Kingdom of the South and made it your new home. It hadn’t taken much to convince King Masaru and Queen Mitsuki to let you stay as they had witnessed how much of an interest their son had taken in you. They had allowed Katsuki to court you and Mitsuki had treated you like the daughter she never had.

As time went by, you and Katsuki had become increasingly happy that things in your lives had seemed to be going very well. But along with the happiness and joy, there was also the anxiety that sat in the pit of both of your stomachs of something going wrong.

Your time together had reached a new record as you approached three years past finding each other in that lifetime. When your time together had reached two years and nothing happened to bring about either one of your deaths, you and Katsuki had decided to get married. Not long after marrying, you and Katsuki had been crowned the new King and Queen of the Kingdom of the South.

Soon after you both crowned the new rulers of the Kingdom of the South, you found out that you were with child. Though you had planned for it, after much discussion between the two of you, it was still a bit scary to discover that you had been sick not because of an illness. You and Katsuki still had nightmares from the memories of your lifetime as a Mermaid but you both shoved away the fears as your new life seemed to be going just fine.

As the months had gone by it was not just you and Katsuki who were excited about the baby. The kingdom’s subjects were very excited and happy for you as well, and many of them had sent gifts to the castle. You spent a lot of your time going through said gifts and appreciating the hard work that had gone into them. Many times Katsuki had found you blubbering over handmade baby clothes, small pairs of shoes, hand-stitched quilts and blankets, and even pieces of jewelry for yourself.

Then the day had come for your and Katsuki’s baby to make their arrival and, oh, what a long day that was. You labored for many hours and Katsuki was there for you the whole time. He had endured your pain-filled screams and bone-crushing grips on his hands and even a few insults thrown at him from your pain-driven rage. He did it all with excitement in his heart, amazement in his eyes, and encouraging words pouring from his lips.

Finally, as the sun was setting that evening, the loud cries of a new life echoed off of the castle walls. With your husband, your Eternal Love, by your side, your dark-haired and crimson-eyed baby boy was put into your weak and shaky but waiting arms. You looked to your Love, saw his shiny eyes full of love and amazement and the few tears rolling down his face, and smiled tiredly.

Suddenly, the room had begun to spin and you told Katsuki to take the baby because you feared dropping your new son. Katsuki’s joy quickly turned to fear and his panic-filled voice started asking what was wrong. You weakly told him that you weren’t feeling good as the castle doctors were now scrambling as they tried to get your bleeding under control.

“Please, Violet, please don’t leave us.” Katsuki pleaded in a broken voice, his few tears becoming streams down his face.

“I’m s-sorry, Kats.. Do y-you th-ink w-we are g-getting closer to o-our pe-peaceful f-forever to-gether? O-or are we g-going t-to have to k-keep s-suffering?” You asked weakly as you cried and held a hand out to brush against your baby’s cheek.

“Damn it, Violet! You fuckers better keep trying to help her, damn it! Just hang in there, my Violet, please!” Katsuki shouted before crying into your shoulder as he carefully hugged you close.

“T-take c-care of Ka-Kazuki.. H-he is g-oing t-to be s-so str-str-ong j-ust l-ike h-his papa i-is.. I.. l-love.. y-you.. both..” You weakly whispered out as final tears left your eyes and your vision faded to a familiar blackness.

The shattered and pain-filled shout Katsuki let out as you fell limp in his grasp echoed throughout the castle and around your dark void.

Author's Note ~ Okay, so.. don't judge me for Katsuki and Violet's child's name.. I wrote this fic months ago and I liked the name at the time (it means strength if I remember correctly) and haven't changed it to anything else since, haha.. Also, I'm sorry for yet another tear-inducing ending but it hurts so good doesn't it..? *smiles nervously* <3

Tag List ~ @damnirina @queenpiranhadon

[moonliched]

Hello again dearest! In such a short time there are already two chapters? What, and what chapters they are! You really outdid yourself with those. I hope you won't mind me rumbling once again.

I love what you did with Y/n and bon-bon. The introvert that keeps a lot to themselves due to the way they were raised and what they experienced wanting to have time for themselves since their once oasis is now swarming with people and they feel like they might have lost one of a few friends they have. And the Ai that is separated from all and though he doesn't want to admit it is very lonely, wants to be included wholly in life of an only person he considers a friend and still figuring out feelings, boundaries and all. Bon-Bon is terrified of being alone again seen by everyone as nothing more but code. He got so scared when Y/n wanted to leave without him, imidiatly assuming he did something wrong. It's devastating that he thought It was some kind of sick blackmail. I understand him but y/n also needs private time, especially when they want to clear their head. It shows they really care about each other even though sometimes it's hard. I really liked what you are doing with it. This problem, dare is say conflict is in no way out of character for either of them. It adds to them a lot. But well I didn't expect less from you dear with developing relationships I'm your fic ❤️

It's cute how Sun treated Y/n as some stray cat. I adopted a very timid and fearful dog a few years back, and I laughed so hard when Sun said the same thing I was saying when I tried to comfort my dog. The "please don't run". Sun just saw a cool water puppy and went to adopt instantly lol.

Sun seeing a weird water puppy aviable for adoption -  : )

The weird water puppy appears to be fully sentient and can talk (although eats raw food -a little weird) -  :0 --->  : D

The image of Sun trembling with excitement is just so precious to me. I really like what you did with his character there. I said before that you are incredibly good in writing an interesting individuals with the others ( Especially Vanessa) but I have to say it again. You balanced him really good. He is still very giddy and easily excitable but he is not stupid. He is talkative and trusting but he can be ominous and kinda manipulative when he needs to. Not to mention bold and confronting - the scrabble with Moon. Although very considerate about well being of others - when he peirced Y/n's skin. Also sneaky little bastard knows exactly how to use his cuteness in his advantage. It amazes me how well such contrasting characteristics sit so well within one character. It doesn't feel forced or out of character when he changes attitude, everything goes smoothly and pleasant.  You did a great job darling!

Y/n gave him truth, raw fish and a few laughs and he is all in for a sleepover in their *ekhem* nest. Which from different sentences can mean a lot to a mermaid. I also think that y/n broke the barrier by showing them were they sleep. I think that for mermaids it's very intimate and private thing that not many may know about. As they said something might swim in and attack, it's better to keep the strangers away. That's also why I think Sun was so excited about seeing it - he saw it as a big step in the relationship he so desires. But who can blame him? Y/n pinned him to a wall like  a true Chad they are, Sun really felt that highshooler rizz. He had to reboot after lolol

Sun: it's okay, we are friends! Don't panic

Y/n swiftly pins Sun to the wall wrapping themselves around him in a protective grip

Sun: (squidward voice) Oh no they are hot

I love Y/n's and Sun dynamic! They match each other very well. They are very cute together. You are amazing! Their interactions are very pleasent to read!

I like that you keep good communication within them. From Moon confronting y/n about injuries on his Sun, and y/n explaining what happened. No lying, no place for insinuations. Because once again. Communication 👏 Is 👏 the key👏

- although he didn't do it first thing, shame on him, but we can all agree sometimes when we think the one we love has been hurt it's hard to control yourself. Especially when Moon started developing feelings for y/n, it must have been really confusing experience for him. Not only emotions from noticing the injury on Sun. But adding to that, hurt, sadness, anger, confusion and the feeling of betrayal that all clues lead to that someone that you care about did it. I can imagine it was awful and going by that his conversation with us was very calm. -

Y/n putting boundaries about what they not feel comfortable with and Sun respecting them ( as best as he can) I'd lovely COMMUNICATION PEOPLE look at Sun and Moon - bad communication = problems and hurt feelings. Not good. I hope y/n will teach them some healthy talking you go Queen. It's funny they sent them on a couple therapy trip together.

And Ohoho Moon you secretive little gremlin. Although I understand his concern af first, he might not wanted to inform Sun about it out of fear Y/n might be dangerous or not interested in contact with them at all, and wanted to save Sun from disappointment,  as we see he tends to excite too much and as we saw the idea of a new company is just making him explode with emotions. And also I can understand trying to keep someone you care about to yourself while you still try to develop the solid relationship with them. Although I do think Moon was a little selfish there. He has a lot of explaining and apologising to do when they get back home.

And oooo I love Sun and Moon's relationship! Although they aren't in their best moments now, you cwn still see the affection shine through. ya knooow, calling him his. Ya know. Also the soft shoulder bump Moon did at the end of the chapter and wrist grab so so so cute.

And ohoho I do feel the unnamed jealousy from y/n seeing the two as the romantic partners. It is not big, but it is there. I see it blooming jnto some future drama. I love your foreshadowing.

Lolol Moon was trying to give y/n raw fish at the beginning of the fic not because that was what he eats but because y/n tried to feed him raw food while he was trapped. Now he thinks they enjoy it like that. It's so funny to me. I am loving this. He was like weird flex but OK have some more. Oh lichie you are amazing and a genius I wasn't seeing that coming in any way. It gave me such a big surprise and smile!

I think Sun seeing them eating oysters raw and (in their eyes) not knowing what cooking is, will solidify this idea in their heads. I mean y/n didn't really tell Sun they know what cooking is. He felt he has to explain it to them. So as far as they are concerned humans eat their food raw. Oh I Love it. And what's funny it's kinda accurate with our mc, I mean they do have different taste being half water creature.  And ooh he will for sure be teasing Moon about being fed raw fish as a form of  revenge.

I started wondering how would they cook I mean baby boy what u cooking with? A gazer? What u seasoning with? A kelp? Where your stove at? This chapter had MANY big lore things dropped at us. Like the Sun remembering about walking, or something about the pictures he saw. I have no clue were will it lead but I am excited to find out!

I love how Eclipse is just vibing in the background. I don't know if you will introduce him to us in the future but either way it's very pleasent writing in both cases  - giving him his screen time, before he truly appears - giving us a lot of his character in the way. And if you decide to keep him in the background it's a nice world building, An addition that he is there just vibing and minding his own business. Doing mer stuff.

Moon sees an alien - tries to study them.

Sun sees an alien - tries to befriend them.

Eclipse sees an alien - nuh huh, I ain't playin with this, peace.

He is such a cute little big guy wondering around I love him.

I think it is very lovely that Sun has to now experience everything about y/n just like Moon has. He noticed them having second skin (although didn't comment on it) and unfortunately had to experience their softness and lack of scales. Better sooner than later seeing how energetic he is I wonder If he will ask Moon about his knowledge about us or will try to figure us out on his own like a little game of his.

I wonder what their reaction would be if Y/n let their hair loose. It could kinda imitate Sun fins in the way! And I imagine while out of the water they would be much longer than their braids! Creating the smooth curtain almost to the ground. And like when I think about it , it could be so magical for them that we can 'form' our 'fins' as we wish in a matter of seconds. One second in the water it's a magnificent crown around our head, next second it's a slick, long thing almost as long as our form. Moon saw us in the different hairstail yes but it was still tied up!

Oh! I love the way you represent their biological and cultural differences. It's such a soft and intriguing thing. With all characters being mesmerised by another. Wanting to get to know more about them and explore them. I really enjoy moments like that when little things as a cartwheel brought them so much joy. It is a very nice world building.

I am very curious what's the deal about readers name. Is it just a way to keep the story y/n friendly without an usage of a name? They can't pronounce it? Or is there something more to it? Is giving your name a big deal for a mermaid? Sun didn't give us his after all... Sun's reaction intrigued me.

And the idea of Sun dragging himself into Y/n's room is so funny and possible at the same time. Give him directions and, oh there he goes. On his way. I would love to see boys sneaking into Y/n room to have a slumber party, I think they would love blankets. Although I don't know if it will be possible to them to do so. Can you imagine being Roxy heading out to get a snack only for a big mermaid to drag itself rapidly into another hallway fallowed by another one.  Oh I Love it

I hope Moon and y/n will be able to mend what was broken. As much as I understand y/n, their attitude and conclusions that Moon tried to drown them I felt sorry for a guy. I don't know what was he planing but he seemed terrified when we recalled it as a drowning or a murder attempt. It's awesome they talked about it, and that he apologised! But damn fish boy I don't know how many shiny stones you have there but you better start packing an apology basket with oysters and all to bring back to them.

I loved your little memes at the end, as delightful as always. But now I can't stop thinking about future possibility of mer boys going into flirt frenzy trying to plafuly one each other up with flirting with Y/n.so precious. Ahh! I loved this chapter so much, I already read it twice, so much has happened and I'm loving it! I hope you have a good day dearest! Rest well you deserve it after giving us such a snack. Again hope you don't mind my rambling I just loved it so much and had to vent!

Kisses🌸

omg hello again! ahskdkjsjkdlejkdkdllsnkl i am being SPOILED by this massive ask, it's like a shopping binge receipt!

you're so spot-on, it's reassuring😭 i was worried the BON-BON scene would come off as one side being definitely in the right, the other in the wrong - when actually they've both got their baggage to work thru

i saw someone say that Sun was having his horse girl moment with Y/N and the oysters, and now i can't unsee it! Y/N gets oysters and Sun gets a free water puppy agsjsjshjsjshj

i'm trying hit good communication without slipping into therapy speak, like if everyone spoke perfectly and solved things logically there would be little plot imo😥 but also yayyy communication (when it moves the plot) all my homies like communication!

i got more food n cooking stuff coming up! very excited :3

regarding the name, Y/N is a reader insert character so no name will be written into the text. i haven't decided if this will be outright stated in the story just yet, but in-universe their name sounds extremely similar to a bad word in Sun and Moon's clicky mermaid language lol. like obv it sounds like clicks and chirps, but their name's direct translation would be a bad word. Sun hasn't passed along his real name yet bc of a few reasons: he didn't want his cool new nickname slipping away in favour of his normal real name, plus atp he still hadn't ironed out the issue of Moon's lies which had Y/N at the centre of them. he's not good at going slow, but common sense says to try to keep something back until he can figure out what's going on there, y'know? also, saying his real name requires gill usage which Y/N doesn't have. he's still going to try to teach them later tho lol - he's pretty optimistic💛

also, i personally refer to Y/N as Meryn (mer as in mermaid, and Y/N), to differentiate them from my other self insert characters

i can totally picture Sun and Moon trying to one-up each other without any stakes, maybe to see who can make Y/N the most flustered... hm...😋

you're welcome to ramble anytime you want, i love it (and everyone puts up with my rambles enough!) this was a dream to read!! i hope you have an amazing day💖✨💖✨💖✨

[legacyshenanigans]

So here’s so of the loose sort of questions I have about what you imagine for Marvolo. Obviously I don’t expect an answer to all of them, but they are some of the loose thoughts I had. These are also the tip of the iceberg as well 😅 I tried to separate them by type. However I am really growing to love his character especially as it develops. Thanks for feeding us horny demons 💚 (Also I apologize if these overlap with posts I may have forgotten or missed!)

Physically:

Does he have any note worthy scars or perhaps a birth mark?

Man-bun Marvolo for the connivence, or is he a hack off the ends when it gets at an annoying length kind of guy? (Maintain the mid-length basically) And if it is the later I imagine the horror MC walked into with like a knife blade doing so poorly while frustrated 😅

Personality:

Tea or coffee fellow? Or neither? If so how’s he taking it? All the cream and sugar? Black and bitter? Secret sweet tooth?

Does he have any semi wholesome guilty pleasures? Such as enjoying watching thunderstorms from the window?

Miscellaneous:

He’s a very privately sentimental guy I would imagine, but would he keep anything for MC on his person when she’s not around to remind himself of her? A photo? A tattoo? Time accurate things like jewelry? Not sure what feels the most like him other than the fact I imagine he’d just sort of do it without telling her and she’d find it.

Does Ophelia have any really wholesome moments when he was still young she would only share in private with MC (bc we know he would riot)?

I'll answer them all! 😊 I adore expanding on my HC for himmmmm 🤣💚 so definitely go ahead with question 👉🏻👈🏻💚 always down to feed my Volo content 😘❤️

Physically:

As far as scars go, he doesn't have any visible ones, and any injuries that may have resulted in scars from combat were dealt with and seen to quickly with strong magic ointments to heal them and not leave scars. The only scar he wouldn't have obtained through combat would have been a small one above his lip (which again is completely non visible now). With the Gaunts being known for *ahem* their interbreeding...A number people born within the family were born with deformities, Marvolo (and Ominis) included, he was born with a cleft lip which was promptly repaired while he was still a baby.

Regarding his wild hair ( most of the time lol) he really doesn't care too much about it, if it gets a little too long for his liking, he'll happily just hack at the ends with a razor.

Personality:

Marvolo is more of a coffee person but will usually just have ONE in the morning. He takes it black and strong, and usually waits for it to cool, then downs it, rather than sipping on it. I know this wasn't part of the ask but when it comes to food he has a HUGE sweet tooth and definitely prefers sweet things to savoury things.

Regarding wholesome guilty pleasures, he does enjoy watching rain, also walking in it, when he was a kid, he use to love being outside in the rain, puddle jumping was one of his favourite things. Another guilty pleasure (that I've mentioned before and relates back to food) is REALLY enjoying cute little cakes, especially those that have pink strawberry frosting, but he enjoys them VERY privately and not usually around other people, because he feels like an idiot eating them and liking them so much. Another one I've also mentioned is sometimes sleeping, with Rerek coiled around him, it brings him huge comfort on nights where he finds himself not being able to sleep.

Miscellaneous:

He doesn't carry anything on his person regarding MC, but in his room he does have a pressed flower from their first proper date that he'd given her, she pressed one of the flowers and preserved it, giving it to him as a gift, he keeps it close to his bed, right next to one of Rereks sheds in a large bottle. Something from both, of the only two things he cares about.

A wholesome thing his mother told MC, was when he was a really small child (before darkness truly entered his life) he loved bunnies and called himself "King of the Bunnies" on account of his rather large two front teeth, Ophelia said they use to get alot of bunny rabbits out back in the gardens, and he would hop around with them.

[opis-writing-nook]

Characters:

Diluc Ragnvindr, Gn!Reader, mentions of oth

Pairings:

Gn!Reader/Diluc Ragnvindr, Gn!Reader x Diluc Ragnvindr

Warnings:

Canon divergence, reader has a vision and can heal, very mild talks/descriptions of injuries (this means blood and bruising), light banter, reader's a little bit more blunt in terms of personality, kept reader's home location vague, use of warp points for plot convenience, vague spoilers for his backstory, undressing, nonsexual intimacy, hair washing, hair brushing, literally sharing a bed together, heavily implied that both parties are aware of the other's feelings and are sort of a thing but never put a label on it

A/N:

All of this was inspired by @danijaci lovely art!(tw for blood and injuries)

I also haven't written a fic in at least a year, I hope it's ok. I did this all in one sitting so it's unedited af

__

"...seems like I overdid it tonight." Was his immediate thought as he caught his reflection in the mirror near the front door. He looked ghastly if he was being kind, he hadn't realized he'd taken such a beating.

Diluc Ragnvindr liked to believe that he was aware of what his limits were, to know what extent he could push himself, but that would be a horrible lie that he didn't want to acknowledge let alone humor the idea of. He had, once again, bitten off more than he could chew but he also hadn't anticipated the extra abyss mages to be present during his usual patrol.

With a heavy sigh he leaves the winery silently, he doesn't need to cause a fuss this late at night, and muscle memory takes over as he uses the warp point to go to the one near your home.

He isn't surprised that he saw you waiting there for him, yet his heart flutters at the idea of you staying up and waiting for him to possibly show up, and doesn't even have a chance to speak as you lead him inside your home. Despite the look of annoyance you had, your touch was gentle as ever when it came to handling him.

A house he's become very familiar with over the years, he notices subtle changes with decor as you lead him into your dining area, and sighs softly as you usher him to sit down.

"C'mon, outta your clothes so I can assess the damage." You click your tongue as you help him out of his clothes until he's in his underwear, this was just the norm for you both at this point. "You look like shit, Luc."

"Feel like it," he gave a small laugh as you began wiping the dried blood off his skin with a warm washrag, wincing whenever you pressed a little bit too firmly on a bruise. "So, how much do I owe you this time?"

"Hold still, I have to place my hand over that bruised eye of yours to heal it since it's a deep bruise." You roll your eyes as you use your vision, ignoring his question, slowly watching his wounds mend themselves over the course of several minutes. "It'll take a while to do, so get comfortable."

"Alright, I know I'm in good hands." He leaned back in the chair, eyes closed as he took a moment as exhaustion seemed to seep into his bones. "Let me know when you're done."

Diluc's mind began thinking about how this partnership has been going on for a little over four years now, how if fate hadn't been so cruel that your lives wouldn't have been so deeply interwoven together. The idea of not having you in his life made him feel hollow, just like that day where everything went wrong, and he quickly dismissed such thoughts.

He thought about all the times he came to you after being seriously injured, at first it was because you didn't ask questions but over time a friendship bloomed and so on, and every time you'd handle him with care.

You weren't starstruck like most people were when you learned who he was, you just treated him like anyone else and he hadn't realized that that was something he needed. While your words were rather blunt and at times a bit cutting, it was always what he needed to hear when he wasn't sure what to do during those four years away from home.

It's the feeling of your lips pressed against his hairline that pulls him out of his deep thoughts, a lazy smile curls on his lips as you usher him into the bathroom and help him wash his hair before leaving him to wash up while you fetch some clothes for him.

Diluc sits between your legs on the floor as you carefully brush his hair, dressed in a loose shirt and pants, humming softly in content as he enjoys the sensation. Once you finish brushing out his hair he styles it into a loose braid to minimize tangling, getting into bed with you like he's done for 3 years now.

Tired murmurs of goodnights are exchanged as exhaustion takes over, both of you cuddled up under the blankets.

[awakentrashpanda]

To encourage some audience participation since I’ve noticed, my inbox is completely empty 

I am so lonely~🎶

I have created a character Q&A

 🧵Is there anything they can’t do?

🕷What is a phobia they have the opposite of?

🍁What is their favorite season?

🍭What is their favorite flavor(s)?

🎮What is their favorite video game genre? Any games in particular they like?

⛺️What would they do on a camping trip?

🔪How easily can they get aggressive and/or violent?

🎶What kind of music do they like?

🏳️‍🌈How do they respond to being asked their pronouns?

🩹How often do they get hurt?

🧸Do they have any particular object that brings them comfort?

🍺Do they drink alcohol? What kind?

🧁What is their favorite holiday?

👻How do they feel about ghosts?

💋What kind of kisser are they?

💅🏻How petty are they?

💍Would they propose or be proposed to? How would they do it?

🦄Are they good with kids?

🐛How would they react to seeing a bug in their house?

🐳What’s their favorite thing to do at the beach?

🍀How lucky are they?

🥀How do they cheer up someone who’s sad?

🍄What were they like as a kid?

🌧Do they like rain? What do they do on a rainy day?

🍓What do they like to do with their free time?

🥐What’s their favorite breakfast?

🥞Can they cook?

🥩Do they like creepy stuff?

🍼How would they hold a baby?

🎤Are they a good singer?

💉How do they feel about going to the doctor?

🎉What do they usually do at party?

📌Do they pull pranks? What kind?

❤️How do they show affection?

🧡Do they want a pet? What would that pet be?

💛What’s their favorite color? Why?

💚Night owl or early bird?

💙If they had a child what would they name them?

💜What kind of content do they watch on YouTube?

🖤What would they be like as a Yandere?

🤍Do they have any nicknames? Which one(s) are their favorite?

🛏What’s sharing a bed with them like?

🥊What is their fighting style?

🎨What does their art style look like?

🖋What does their handwriting look like?

🤬How much do they swear?

🦉Do they prefer day or night?

🌺Who is their favorite fictional character?

⭐️Are they good at keeping secrets?

🍏Are there any kind of places they hate?

🥖How many languages can they speak? What are those languages?

🧃What’s their favorite drink?

🎬What kinda movies do they like?

🚗Are they a good driver?

📓Would they read or write fanfics?

💕How good are they at flirting?

🇺🇸What’s their nationality?

🔴What kind of Pokémon would they be?

🟠If they had an epithet what would it be?

🟡What is their least favorite color?

🟢If they played Inscryption what would their deck be like?

🔵What is their occupation?

🟣What kind of villain would they be?

⚫️If they had a YouTube channel what kind of content would they make?

⚪️How do they stim?

🚹What would they look like with a mustache?

🚺Do they like dresses and feel comfortable in them?

🧨What are they like when they’re mad?

🎂How do they feel about their birthday?

🧶What is their zodiac?

🌼Are they an introvert or an extrovert?

🎟How likely are they to make a dumb decision?

💐What is one thing about them you find adorable?

🍒How intimidating are they?

🍟What is their favorite food?

🍬What is their favorite song?

⚔️Is there anyone they hate?

🎩Who is their favorite person?

👃🏻What do they smell like?

🫐How easily do they get distracted?

🪲What is their favorite flower?

🫗What is their greatest weakness?

🫙What’s their biggest insecurity?

🛼Do they have any siblings? How many? Do they get along with them?

🩼What is their worst injury?

🪫What are their phobias?

🩻Are they Squeamish?

🪅What flavor would they be?

🧷What is their “happy place”?

💢What annoys them the most?

🥄How do they walk?

🍸What are they like when drunk?

🦷What day of the week were they born?

🪷What is their middle name?

🎲Give us a random head canon about them

Simply type an emoji and the name of one of my OCs and I will happily answer :)

Also, feel free to reblog and use these questions for people to ask you about your own OCs 

[wishing-stones]

how do you write for the guys? do you have specific ways you write for them or rules?

Yeah actually I have several things I keep in mind while writing them

When I write dialogue for Killer, I bear in mind that he's the quickest to act-- whether this is a reaction to something said, or actually doing something, he's almost always the first one to comment. He's also pushy, casual, and tends to order rather than ask. He speaks in proper case and with modern turns of phrase and slang. He's good with backhanded compliments and if that doesn't cut it, straight-up insults. He's also very sarcastic and throws quips and witticisms around freely.

Dust always speaks in lowercase and occasionally drops 'g's on the ends of words. He's quiet, so he doesn't get as much dialogue as the other do unless he's giving exposition, which he does from time to time. He's scarily observant, and doesn't miss anything. Sometimes he comments on it, sometimes he doesn't. He might even comment on it later.

When doing Axe's dialogue, I tend to make him contract words and not enunciate as clearly. He drops letters or has different words he uses (yer instead of your) to get the kind of gruff, deep rolling voice I have in mind conveyed properly. He's smart, too, but he's good at playing to those who would underestimate him for the head injury. That does affect his speech patterns, too. He'd sound a lot like Dust, otherwise. He also speaks in lowercase.

Cross is probably the one I'll have the hardest time answering this for. He's pretty upstanding and wasn't ever lazy, so he speaks in proper case. He's kind of similar to Killer in that he throws around modern slang and turns of phrase, but not as often. He's fairly reserved in what he says unless he's comfortable with the person he's talking to. He drops letters on occasion, but it's usually if he's not in his usual composure.

Baggs is the smartest person in the room at any given time. He knows it, too. (Or at least, he thinks he is and he's not usually wrong about it.) He speaks with proper case and lots of dictionary words. He doesn't tend to dumb down what he says unless someone asks for it in simpler terms ('English, Doc?') at which point he'll reiterate in easier terms to understand. He alternates between using contractions and not; if he's speaking quickly or around people he's comfortable with, he'll use them a little more readily. If not, he tends to use the extended forms (do not vs don't, cannot vs can't, etc.) OR if he's gotten wrapped up in some lecture or another while he's explaining things. He liberally abuses pet names, too, but the sweeter they are, the more likely it is that he likes the person he's referring to.

Nightmare almost never uses contractions. If he does, they tend to still sound very proper. ('I'll not, I've a(n),' etc.) He will use them if he needs to speak quickly, or if he's under great duress-- instances where he drops the propriety and becomes no-nonsense. He also uses large words, and his speech patterns are very antiquated. He tends to wax on about things before getting to the point of what he's saying, too, so sometimes I have characters call him out on that to make him stop. He picks his words carefully, and almost always says what he means. He also very rarely curses. (Damn is the most common).

And, just for kicks, the others;

Dream, similar to his brother, speaks in a pretty antiquated way, but he isn't afraid of using contractions. He doesn't do it all the time, but he isn't allergic to sounding slightly more casual (which... he's teased Nightmare about in the past). He also swears. He knows the impact of a well-timed F-bomb, and subverts other's expectations of him often. He takes great pride in doing so, actually. He is annoyingly observant and tends to skirt issues and doesn't speak plainly unless whatever the topic is deserves bluntness. He often leaves verbal breadcrumbs, cryptic comments, and noncommittal responses if he wants someone to come to their own conclusion.

Ink is incredibly casual in his speech patterns and use of colloquial phrases and slang. He speaks quickly, and if he's not putting up a front for whoever he's talking to, is annoyingly smart and accurate. He doesn't beat around the bush like Dream does and places value in being upfront. (Unless he's actively lying, which is hard to pick out anyhow because if he is, he just doesn't talk about it). He doesn't tend to think about things before he says them, which leads to trouble sometimes... but it's usually harmless. He doesn't insult unless it's petty. He speaks in proper case.

Blue speaks in uppercase, unless he's in an enclosed area (indoors, usually) where he switches to proper case for his 'indoor voice'. While not yelling, he is naturally loud. He speaks pretty casually, but is careful about what he says. He doesn't like being mean or hurting feelings, but... it doesn't mean he's incapable of it. He is just as sharp as any of the others and, similar to Dream and Axe, plays off of other's expectations of him being nothing more than an excitable recruit in over his head.

Error... is difficult. I hear his voice when I type his dialogue, so I place em-dases wherever I hear it skipping. He tends to skip more if he's under stress, angry, excited, or otherwise feeling a big emotion. I've typed his dialogue in zalgo text in the past, but I feel like using dashes is much better for readability and conveying to readers where I hear the skips. As for how he talks, he's pretty casual, swears often, tends to use shorter words (so he doesn't garble them) and doesn't... really use a lot of slang. He knows it, but he doesn't often use it. He speaks in proper case.

[thegoddamnwordsmith]

TMayNT SUPERPOST!

Hey all! I haven't really had a chance to post for TMayNT, which is a bummer, because TMNT is my comfort food.

I know a lot of people who follow me on here may be more familiar with me as a Transformers fan, but I was born in 1983. TMNT has been the constant fictional presence in my life since I was old enough to remember. Moreover, it was the major fiction that I followed through the formative years of my childhood, and while I haven't always been active in fandom spaces or interacting with every part of the franchise, I've always kept that flame burning in my heart and my eyes on what was going on with all things Turtle.

So I'm going to be posting the full month's worth of TMayNT in one post (put under a cut, of course, to spare y'all from having a stretched-out timeline). Also, this will give anyone who's interested a better idea of just what slice of the fandom I'm a part of, which I think is kind of fun.

Anyway, let's get on with the show, shall we?

1 - Your favorite Turtle - This kind of depends on your definition, but if we're just pulling from the Brothers, it's easy: Michelangelo.

He's fun and funny, compassionate and caring, arguably has the biggest heart among all his brothers. Often irreverent and irresponsible, but always dependable. His lack of discipline usually ends up balanced out by his incredible natural ability, and what he lacks in forethought he makes up for in thinking on the fly. I love all the Brothers, but I'll always gravitate towards Mikey first.

If we go outside the green teens, however...

I. Love. Slash. The original action figure was one of the coolest I owned in a toyline made of cool, but it wasn't until the Archie comics that I fell hard for the guy. And while he showed up in other fiction before and after that, when IDW utilized him, he was just an incredible character. Sure, he seems like a violent brute on the outside, but even as far back as the 1987 cartoon version had deeper desires, sentimental longings that were almost at the core of his rage. He's a character that's both straightforward and incredibly layered.

2 - Favorite April

Another easy one, the Archie Comics version.

First, I'm personally a fan of April being an investigative reporter, since it gives her a perfect reason to get into messes that would be on the Turtles' radar. But moreover, where '87 leaned more into April fitting 'damsel in distress' tropes, her evolution in the Adventures comics would set the pattern for future versions of the character. She started learning how to hold her own in a fight, to the point where she was on equal footing with the rest of the crew. She was able to have adventures and plots independent of, or only peripherally involving, the Turtles themselves. She had her own supporting cast and enemies, and even got to have a stable romantic relationship (and not with usual pair-partner Casey Jones)! I feel like any version of April that gets the chance to stand on her own in subsequent TMNT iterations owes at least a little to this Splinter-trained independent reporter.

3 - Favorite henchman

This one is a bit tougher than the last two, only because there's so many to choose from! But I think that Tiger Claw rises above all the others.

He is dangerous. He is ruthless. He is loyal. And worst of all, he is competent. You have a lot of villainous characters that can use at least one of those words to describe them. But Tiger Claw uses them all. Armed to the teeth, well-trained, and able to take even major injuries in stride, Tiger Claw is one of the most terrifying soldiers to work under The Shredder in any continuity.

4 - Baby Turtles!

Look at these little guys and tell me that they aren't the cutest Baby Turtles we've ever gotten.

5 - Best Leo (all incarnations)

A bit of an odd pull, but I feel like 2007 Leonardo was a great examination of the character, specifically how much his sense of responsibility and his perfectionism both drive him, and get in his own way.

Also the absolute delight he has in the final fight when he gets thrown into a room full of swords.

6 - Favorite mutant ally

My immediate go-to is to say "The Mighty Mutanimals" as a whole, specifically the original Archie iteration of the team. However, if we want to narrow it down to a singular character among them, it would likely be Jack Finney, AKA Man Ray/Ray Fillet.

A former marine biologist and ecological activist, Man Ray was not someone you wanted to make an enemy of. Honestly, the only reason he didn't have a body count was because of the people he hung out with. Man Ray felt that the ends often justified the means, if the ends were protecting the lives and environments of sea-dwelling creatures, and was not above using theft and violence to reach those goals. But even with all that, he was shown to be incredibly loyal, and even forgiving of those who genuinely wanted to make up for their mistakes.

7 - Best Turtle gadget

Does 2012 Metalhead count? Because if so, 2012 Metalhead.

8 - Favorite Turtle + ally dynamic

Raphael and Ninjara, again from the Archie comics. Aside from how much I was a fan of their romance, their relationship was one of mutual respect and appreciation for their strengths, but also being willing to call each other out when the need arose. The two genuinely made a great team whenever they went into action together.

9 - Best Raph (all incarnations)

This one is a tie, because the 2012 version of Raph is my favorite of all the major incarnations of the character.

Unlike many other versions before him, 2012 Raph was much more nuanced. He was angry, sure, as the character often is, but he also really loved his family. He's got a warm heart that he does share, just with a select few. He goes on multiple journeys of growth and change, and they stick as the series progresses. Also, he loves animals so much.

But of all the versions of Raph, my hands-down favorite is Future Raph, from the Archie comics. Older, wiser, having mellowed with age but still having that fire inside. He settled down into a somewhat calm life, got married, ran a restaurant, and still helped his brothers take care of the bad stuff going on in the city. He also lost an eye to Armaggon, learned to handle Leo's swords as a hobby, straight-up shot someone who threatened his family, and decked Hitler while time-traveling with his brothers.

How can you not love him?

10 - Favorite Turtle curseword

"Shell," for its sheer versatility.

11 - Favorite Splinter

2012 Splinter hits the perfect balance of wise master, trained ninja warrior, and caring father for me. Not only is he willing to take on any threat to his family, but he can fight on surprisingly equal footing with many of their foes, even the Shredder depending on the situation. He has the patience and wisdom to train April, put up with Casey, and even calm down characters like Leatherhead and Slash, who could easily (and even accidentally) cause him major harm. And yet, this is a father who has a cheese-themed phone for the boys to call him on "for emergencies."

12 - Best Turtle vehicle

The Turtle Van. The original and still the best.

13 - Best Don (all incarnations)

Something that always fascinates me with Donatello is how often he gets put into "crisis of faith" stories of a sort, usually putting his scientific mind at odds with magical or supernatural forces beyond his understanding. Nowhere is this more pronounced than with the Archie version.

Over the course of the series, Donnie ended up seeing Izanagi and Izanami intervene in mortal affairs, speak to the manifestations of yin and yang, encounter an entire world that existed out-of-time in the center of the Earth, speak with an elemental spirit of the Earth while being present for the events of Columbus' landing in 1492, and had his mind opened to the infinity of the cosmos when he held the Turnstone. All of this made him a much more subdued and grounded version of himself than many other iterations, without a doubt.

14 - Favorite Turtle movie

I love when the Brothers are written the most like teenagers, and nowhere did that hit the best than in Mutant Mayhem.

Not only that, this one had the unenviable job of having to manage a large cast without the story feeling bloated... and it succeeded. As a lifelong fan, this movie hit all of my notes and then some. I can't wait to see where things go from this one.

15 - Best Karai

Once again we go to 2012, as this version of Karai had some incredible complexities to her, both in her character and in her origins. The connections between her, Shredder, Splinter, and the Turtles made her entire character arc incredible.

16 - Favorite episode/issue

The Future Shark Trilogy (TMNT Adventures, Issues #42-#44). Featuring one of the most dangerous threats in the franchise, a time-travel tale that's both fun and has high stakes, and of course, Future Raphael. Runner-up would be "United We Stand, Divided We Fall," from TMNTA #38-#39 and Mighty Mutanimals #6, because it's hard to get over a story where the TMNT, the Mighty Mutanimals, and a handful of their friends and allies face off against Mr. Null and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

17. Best Mikey (all incarnations)

Above all the various versions of Mikey, the IDW comics have given possibly the most emotionally open and heartfelt version of the character. Mikey befriends humans and mutants alike, and really would rather not have anyone be fighting anyone. He has such a strong moral core that, despite how much he loves his family, he left when he didn't agree with Splinter's more flexible stance on morality when running the Foot Clan. If any one Turtle could bring you to tears with how much of a good person he is, it's this version of Mikey.

18 - Human version of the Turtles

Not something I've dwelled on much! That said, my favorite version(s) have been done by @thisistab so there's that.

19 - Best Casey Jones

A rare 2003 pull! This is the perfect example of Casey being this lovable guy who's also genuinely unhinged. Too many other versions lean into him being a grim vigilante (or a parody thereof), but 2003 showed him at his best - a guy who knows how to weaponize the fact that he's not quite right in the head.

That said, shout out to Rise's Cassandra Jones, for being a very different take on the character, and a refreshing one at that.

20 - Favorite Turtle merch/toy that you own

My copy of the Official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Treasury, which has a very cool collection of photos of early TMNT merch, including the tabletop miniatures, an assortment of wild tie-in items, and even prototypes of some of the first Playmates figures. This thing is well-worn and will leave my possession when I die.

21 - Favorite Shredder

The 2012 version has been both the most human, and the most monstrous, version of the character to date. He walks a very thin line of invoking feelings of hatred, pity, fear, and sympathy. He is an aging man, trained in the ways of warfare and assassination, who refuses to let go of his grudges to the point of deluding himself of the truths behind them. And even the people and things that he cares for are still tools to him - no matter what he feels towards them, they can always be discarded once they no longer fit his goals. He is no less dangerous as an ally than he is as an enemy.

22 - Favorite Turtle duo

Regardless of the version, it's gotta be Donnie and Mikey.

Whether it be bonding over the same kind of nerdy wavelengths, Donnie being frustrated over Mikey's inattentiveness or negligent curiosity, or the two of them offering color commentary whenever Raphael and Leonardo have a blow-out, these two are easily my favorite to see interacting, especially during downtime.

23 - Favorite human ally

Oyuki Mashimi from the Archie comics. While she ends up more of an April supporting character, she nonetheless a bit of a unique type, being a Japanese street urchin that came this close to being a human sacrifice, only to get saved by the actions of the TMNT. She went on to follow them back to America and provide a no-nonsense, sometimes rough point of view when it came to their adventures. She also became April's trusted friend, roommate, and coworker, and even got to see some infiltration action to help the Turtles on a few occasions.

24 - Favorite Turtle + villain dynamic

Raphael and Xever/Fishface from 2012. It was a take on the "we're not so different" kind of relationship, but in a way where neither party was left feeling more lenient towards the other, and instead they seemed to have a mutual, if begrudging, respect for one another that would've been fun to see explored more, but was a pretty good relationship as it was.

25 - Your turtlesona

I do not have one, sorry!

26 - Favorite series

The Archie comics are my nostalgia. The 2012 cartoon revitalized my love for the TMNT. But overall, nothing even comes close to the IDW comics. The series has run the gamut of everything that's been a part of TMNT since their inception, from humor and wild adventure to raw emotions and dark twists and turns. This series, this universe, is hand-crafted by creators who know the Turtles, and moreover, love them. They have cherry-picked the best things from the past to bring back, and given them a rework to be even more beloved than they ever could be before. The stories, the characters, even the concepts have depth and growth that one might never have assumed possible for this 1980s-spawned property, and the fact that the IDW continuity lasted as long as it has (and isn't even over, just getting a 'soft' reboot/jumping-on point) is a testament to how well this all came together.

27 - Favorite mutant/alien villain

Armaggon, hands down.

A ruthless criminal with his sights set on mastering time itself, the cybernetic mutant shark Armaggon presents a threat to the Turtles and their allies in two different time periods. He's personally responsible for the loss of Raphael's eye, and if given half the chance would end the threat of the Turtles permanently by way of just straight-up eating them. He'll gladly work alongside other villains, but he's only out for himself.

28 - Favorite Turtle intro/song

Favorite intro would probably be the 2012 version of the theme (the standard version through most of the series), but my favorite Turtles song all together would be Mutants on Broadway, from the Shredder's Revenge game. As the kids say, it slaps.

29 - Favorite alternative outfit or design

Even tie between the Stump Intergalactic Wrestling outfits, and the Future Ninja Turtles outfits (both from, surprise surprise, the Archie comic)

30 - Favorite human villain

IDW's take on Baxter Stockman bumps him into the upper echelon of fictional schemers along the lines of Lex Luthor and David Xanatos, what can I say? Plus, he's still a bit of a mad scientist.

31 - The Turtles in your favorite style

Just go look up any of Chris Allan's work from the Archie comics, or pretty much any TMNT art that Sophie Campbell (@mooncalfe-art) has done.

OKAY! Did it! Whew! That took a minute. I hope you all enjoyed getting a chance to see my taste in Turtles. This was fun, if a bit taxing to do all at once.