#i cannot stop from soup jokes

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Zhongli - With Gojo-like Archon Reader

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

You guys are killing with this spacing your asks thing, just make a paragraph, please! T^T

Anywho! Be forewarned! I believe that the character of Gojo Satoru is heavily intertwined with his physical appearance, so the readers will have his eyes and probably also his hair, but hair color is never mentioned. —Benny🐰

                                                                                                   

☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄

🍵 Words cannot describe how he felt when you gave him a look of pity and disappointment after learning he made a deal with the Tsarista and gave up his Gnosis. Like, how can such a childish person give him such an ego crushing look? Ouch.

🍵 Zhongli found your carefree and childish personality to be, frankly, a nuisance. While yes, you help him wind down when he's thinking of his heartbreaking past; he doesn't need a Hu Tao at his residence too.

🍵 To say that this man was shocked upon witnessing your complete 180° shift in personality while you fight would be a lie. He was absolutely shocked, awed, flabbergasted and bamboozled... and a little turned on. You were so serious and held such authority and conviction in your voice that he couldn't help but swoon. (Subtly, of course)

🍵 Though, Zhongli did notice how cruel you can be with your opponents and he kind of wishes you would tone it down a bit. It reminds him of his losses during the archon war and he doesn't want to associate you with any painful memories because he treasures you so much.

🍵 Your confidence in your abilities and status translates to him as haughtiness at first. But upon witnessing you fight first hand and thinking about your reputation as an archon, he understands.

🍵 There has been many an occasion where you show up late to a scheduled meeting between the two of you because you were off buying sweets. Consider Zhongli annoyed. But you made up for it by treating him to some Bamboo Shoot Soup and a promise to let him tell you as many stories as he wants.

🍵 You once playfully teased (harrassed) Barbatos about how weak he'd become from being absent from his people; you also stole his wine, what a great day that was. It seems you enjoyed gloating to Barbatos and himself about your accomplishments as well.

🍵 Zhongli noticed right away that whenever you both were out and about, if he so much as glances at something, it's in a take away bag before he can even blink. It's to the point where he can't even forget his mora because you hid it from him just so he can't try and pay. He appreciates your generosity but let him pay you back, please.

🍵 There has been many times that he's had to drag you away from the Liyue citizens. You just can't help yourself, can you? He hopes to steer you away from that behavior by giving you his best disappointed stare. It never works...

🍵 Your constant need to fight people is giving Zhongli grey hairs! Why do you want to fight Beelzebul? He doesn't understand! And isn't this La Signora woman dead? That's what Childe told him, at least. How about the two of you just sit down and enjoy some tea together instead?

🍵 Why must you speak such romantic words to him in such a risqué manner all the time? Thank you, he's glad you think he's very attractive, but must you wisper it in his ears all sultry like. You're both in public, please don't feel him up so carelessly, it's embarrassing. Stop looking at him like that with those pretty blue eyes. He'll still let you do it though, so long as you don't do too much in public.

🍵 Zhongli finds it a bit funny how you look to him for praise whenever you do something 'cool' or complete a mundane task. He thought you were joking at first until you whined about him being cold hearted and cruel. So now, he usually gives you a kiss on the forehead and then the lips while saying he's proud of you.

🍵 He unfortunately found that you and that irritating, wine reeking bard are friends... great. How did he find out, you ask? He stumbled upon a very drunk you clinging onto Barbatos and murmuring about how "my boyfriend is so cruel because he won't tell me where mora comes from". Let's just say he gave you the first of many future biggyback rides that day.

🍵 You're like Hu Tao, Childe and Venti all smooshed into one person and it's killing him. But he loves you, so he'll put up with that bratty attitude of yours for the time being, but trust, he'll sort that out soon.

🍵 Speaking of Hu Tao and Childe, it's Zhongli 's top priority to keep the three of you from meeting each other. If you three meet, he'll never have restful sleep again and he knows it. Please give him a break and stop asking him to go to the funeral parlor and Northland Bank, he doesn't know how long he can handle it anymore.

🍵 Sometimes, when you're being too energetic for his liking, he'll sling you over his shoulder and bring you to his bedroom. Then he'll trap you in his arms and lay your head on his chest and just lay there and cuddle with you while you play with his hair. Looping it around your fingers, braiding it, combing through it with your fingers; he finds it very relaxing.

☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄•♡•☄

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Masterlist!

[yandere-sins]

i fucking love the miya twins x reader. Can we get something where another character, maybe kita ends up revealing his childhood sweetheart (unknowing that the first love he fell out of touch with is currently being locked up in the apartment of the twins he just told the story too) im sure there'll be quite the punishment for her when the twins get home 🤭

They would be so jealous.

And you'd have no idea why.

It's not really a betrayal because you haven't seen Kita for years at this point, but it still stings as if you had plunged a knife into their chests. (Yes, Atsumu is that dramatic as he tries to explain why your childhood antics hurt them.) To know that you held hands and promised to marry another person, yet still shy away from their touches and never try to deepen your relationship with either of the twins is a thorn in their sides that isn't easily removable.

You might have been... seven at the time of the promise with Kita, but you never even asked to go steady with the Miya twins!

Still, despite their broken and aching hearts, they know they can't reasonably punish you for having been a silly child. You didn't know better. You probably didn't even love Kita! Right? You couldn't possibly have known what love even meant back then... right?!

The two of them only met you in their teens as well, so it was bound to happen that you might have had friends before them. However, they notice that spark in your eyes when they say Kita's name. As if you remember him, fondly even. As if he was a bigger threat than they had anticipated. It does hurt their feelings that you'd regain some of your liveliness at the mention of another man. One that you've been apart from for so long, no less. One that gives you back a glimmer of... hope.

It's not like they like you better when you aren't happy. It's just that they really hate it when you are happy, but not because of them.

Mealtime will be boring and basic the next few days while Osamu doesn't feel like cooking for you. He keeps making snarky remarks about how you'd probably prefer Kita to cook you rice from his rice field. Or how you'd like Kita to stock up your bathroom supplies and snacks. Kita could bring you much better movies you'd actually enjoy watching for sure, yadda yadda yadda. You really start to notice the effort he puts into taking care of you when he stops doing it... but you get to enjoy some baths alone and in peace! They also don't steal bites from your plate anymore. And they might sneer, but you can rearrange the room, and they won't stop you for once—they just follow you around and watch your every step silently and with great displeasure.

Atsumu, on the other hand, is annoyingly moody as he shuns you. Oh, you were watching something? He's home now; hand over the remote. No, you cannot have some of his pudding that you didn't want. (Then again, at least you don't have to fear suffocating from him trying to feed you). He keeps whining about not getting enough love from you, but he steals your pillow and blanket at night, demonstratively facing away from you. (Osamu lends you his arm to sleep on and pretends not to enjoy it if you inch closer for warmth to him. Jokes on him because he's not stopping you from getting under his blanket either, but your neck hurts from how tense he is all throughout the night.)

It's almost adorable that they think taking their love from you will hurt you.

However, even the funnest and best of times in captivity have to end. You are due to run out of something that you realize you need desperately. Not least because the twins will start taking things away from you here and there. In this twisted codependency, there's no other way but to seek them out and ask for your toothbrush back or inquire if you'll be having canned carrot soup again tomorrow, too... like the other three days before.

That's where they get you. Now you'll have to play to their tune, apologize, assure them you want nothing from Kita and don't even like him after all this time. It takes some convincing on your part, but how could they not melt for their sweet little darling, clinging to them and begging to go back to how it was before?

Atsumu will coax some more (fake) confessions about your feelings for the twins and make you promise to always love them (and to share your dessert with him). He'll whisk you away before you have a chance to make it up to his brother, taking you back to the room to have you "show" him just how much you love him, baring you to show all your vulnerability and sincerity. He'll have you moan and scream his name so fast, considering he's been preserving his energy for the last few days. But after ravaging your body and befuddling your mind, he'll go back to how he was before, making up some dearly missed cuddle time with you where he can talk about his day and unwind, finally having you back in his arms and lap. With his hands reaching for every inch of your body, kneading and memorizing the feeling of you as if this was the first time he got to touch you, kisses littering your neck and teeth nipping at your lips until his desire is finally sated.

Eventually, with great effort, you'll have to free yourself from Atsumu, who can't get enough of having you back. Still, you'll need the rest of your strength to make up with Osamu without letting too much time pass. He's still cold and dismissive, working or cleaning up, but the kitchen already smells like freshly cooked miso soup, so that's a good sign. Osamu is satisfied with you coming to him, touching his arm, or taking his hand, swearing you never meant anything you said to Kita seriously and that the twins are the only ones you want to be with. He'll seem a bit pouty, so you should consider cuddling up to him or giving him a good ol' smooch, even if he doesn't reciprocate immediately. But who could be mad at you? With a big sigh, Osamu will welcome you back into his embrace, kiss you on the head, and tell you where your toothbrush is, handing you a bag with all the necessities they've been hiding from you. However, he still got them (he knew all along what you were running out from and when). Osamu will admit he was planning on restocking your things slowly anyway (it hurt him to see you were struggling). All's well that ends well, but Osamu will want to have a taste of what Atsumu already devoured, so get ready for that.

And with that, the argument will be over (for now).

Hopefully, there won't be any shows on TV featuring farmers, and the twins won't meet Kita again for a while, so they won't be reminded of what happened. You wouldn't want them to start doubting the lies you told them, right? 

[bumblinv]

Hi! Are your requests open? If they are I'm just gonna leave this here, Neteyam, Ao'nung, Lo'ak (sperate) x OmaticayaGnReader who is sick, like flu for the na'vi or something like that, they have a fever and the chills and everything could it also be fluffy and absolutely adorable

--- personal doctors ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

neteyam, ao'nung, rotxo (seperated) x gn!metkayina!reader

you catch a cold, its time for your lover to take care of you

a/n ; im not good at writing lo’ak, so i bring you rotxo instead! i hope you dont mind<3

: ̗̀➛ neteyam

realizes your sickness even before you did

when you first sneeze or cough, his mind goes straight to the day before, recalling any peculiar food you've had

neteyam would notices too, when you pause between chores to massage your forehead

he will take over cleaning. making sure every corner is clean so you won't sneeze from the dust. he also makes sure you stay hydrated and even whips you up nutritious meals until your condition got better. usually, the fever never got up to you

but when it does, he goes in full momma mode

this man grows with 3 younger siblings, caring for someone is natural for him. he would stay by your side, whispering your name every few hours to wake you up, so he could feed and help you drink

neteyam might not be the best healer, like her sister, but he can make certain herb drinks

makes you ginger tea regularly to warm up your shivering body

you tend to get all sort of nightmares from your sickness, but dont worry, you’re waking up to neteyam since he’s cuddling you all night long. he will run his slender fingers through your hair, whispering comforting words to your ear

“everything’s okay, dear. i’m here” 

we all need neteyam in our lives:(

_

: ̗̀➛ ao'ung

acts like he doesn’t care, but the moment your temperature starts to rise, he brings his mother straight to you

the tsahik would probably do nothing. she tell him to go ask kiri for some herb tea, and to make sure you drink and eat well, since fevers could heal by itself

but mans stressed

would refuse to let you lift a single muscle. he will be the one helping you change, wipe your face to keep you fresh, feeding you

since he’s not the best cook, he would ask tsireya to make you soups, wich she happily does. she makes great food, but your tongue tastes sour and your appetite is no where to be found

so ao'nung scolds you

“quit acting like a baby and please, just eat” 

you know ao’nung. none of his scolding are anger, he’s just extremely worried.

watching you go to sleep after being scolded makes him feel like a villain. he would join you in bed and whispers an apology. gently bringing you closer to his chest as the both of you fall asleep

remember he's a worrier? it makes him act too much like a mom. he will insist on taking care of you, even when you're feeling better. will only stop until he's sure you're 100% healthy

ao'nung is a big softie

_

: ̗̀➛ rotxo 

most clueless compared to the other 2

pls dont be mad, its not his fault

something tells me he’s an only child, a one that rarely got sick too, so he doesn’t know anything about caring for ill people

rotxo might be confused, but he’s not an idiot

the moment he touches your forehead and realizes you're scorching hot, rotxo instinctively wraps a fluffy blanket around you. the man will make you drink a lot of water, and went off running to the sullys

“what the fuck?” 

“sorry lo'ak! its an emergency!”

he got home with omaticayan food wraps in hand. you’re too sick to say anything, so when he lifts your head to feed you, you don’t protest

the one thing that scares you the most is that his jokes completely disappears

all his stupid jokes, gone.

not in a bad way, this man is just so dedicated on you that he stops joking around. he cannot stand that you're feeling all sick and uncomfortable and wants you back to your healthy self

this man is so serious, even when he tried feeding you raw cloves of garlic

one time, he heard kiri saying that garlics are ‘good for boosting the immune system’ 

he’s not wrong😭😭😭

but kiri hits him on the head once she founds out

instead of feeding you raw garlic, she gives you a mix of aged garlic and honey as medicine such an asian mom move

he feels bad afterwards, would kiss your entire face despite your protest

the next day, you wake up feeling fresh. but your lover boys voice got so hoarse from sore throat and complains about his sore limbs

yes, he got your fever and yes, he never regret kissing you, even when you're sick

[httpsdana]

84 Jude bellingham with a Brazilian reader PLEEASE

Sal o Azúcar ?~Jude Bellingham

*GIF isn't mine. credits to the owner*

I PUBLISHED THIS AND REALIZED THE REQUEST SAID BRAZILIAN READER. IWROTE THIS AS SPANISH IM SO SORRY. EITHER WAYS I HOPE YOU ENJOY <3

you can request from my prompt list

this is my master list

players/drivers I write for

84-“as much as I love listening to your native language, you know I can’t understand shit.”

warning: this is google translated spanish

"why wouldn't you let me help you" Jude whined, following y/n around in the kitchen

"Jude. I've told you this a million times before. I cannot fuck up tonights dinner. this is the first time your parents are coming over here to Madrid and you helping me isn't gonna be the best choice" y/n repeated, sighing at the boy who was following her around

"that's really offensive" Jude mumbled, sitting down on the countertop

y/n knew he wasnt actually sad, but she was right about everything she said. Jude wasn't the best help in the kitchen

"you can help me by bringing me the ingredients when I want them" she suggested making Jude's face lit up

he nodded excitedly, jumping off the counter and standing next to her.

She started preparing the dinner with Jude standing next to her. The soup she was preparing needed salt and needed to be stirred well and she shouldn't stop the stirring

"Jude. salt please" she said, urging him to rush

He grabbed the jar of 'salt' and gave it to her. y/n, without looking, grabbed a big amount of it and put it over the soup, and continued her stirring

"thanks babe" she said, smiling at Jude. He pressed a kiss on the top of her head, and stood beside her until she finished everything for the dinner

"Denise. Mark. its so good to see you guys again" y/n said, hugging the couple in front of her

"come on in. Jude is just getting dressed" she led them to the living room

"of course he's still late. I wonder if you're the one who waits for him when getting reafy for a date" his dad joked, making the three of them laugh

"I heard that"Jude said from behind, annoyance evident in his voice, but a smile was plastered on his face because of seeing his parents after a few months

He gave them both a hug, and they sat down for a chat

"I actually helped y/n with dinner" Jude said proudly, making his parents laugh

"oh no. how did that go?" Denise asked, making Jude put an offended hand on his chest

"it was alright. I didn't let him do anything beside bringing me the ingredients" y/n said, making his mother laugh

"that was a good choice. when he was young I had to beg him to leave me cook alone" she said, making her husband and y/n laugh

"that's not true" Jude gasped, making them laugh harder

"enough talking about how bad Jude is in cooking, how about I serve you guys dinner?" y/n got up, leading them to the dining room

She went to the kitchen, with Jude following her

"that wasn't nice" he pouted, making her chuckle

"well...we were only speaking the truth" she shrugged, placing her hands on his chest, his hands placing themselves on her hips

He just laughed, and leaned down, pressing his lips on hers. Before he had the chance to deepen the kiss, y/n moved back and pushed him away

"stop your parents are waiting for the food" she turned, grabbing the pot of soup

"take this. and I'll bring the rest" she gave it to Jude

They all sat down for dinner. y/n filling up the bowls of soup for the parents

Denise had the first sip of her soup, before she started coughing hard

"everything okay?" y/n asked, worried something might had happened to her

"honey. I think you're mistaken between the salt and sugar" she said, making y/n turn to look at Jude. He had an awkward look on his face when his girlfriend glared at him

"you gave me the sugar instead of the salt?" y/n asked, making Mark laugh out loud at his son

"how was I supposed to know its sugar instead of salt?" Jude said defensively

"Joder, Jude, ponemos la sal en el tarro azul y el azúcar en el tarro rosa." y/n said in an angry tone. before realizing she was speaking spanish instead on english (fucking hell Jude. we put the salt in the blue jar and the sugar in the pink jar)

Jude looked at her dumbfounded, before speaking up

“as much as I love listening to your native language, you know I can’t understand shit.” he said, making his parents chuckle

y/n let out a sigh, rubbing her temple before turning to his parents

"I'm really sorry guys. I promise he won't be entering the kitchen again" she glared at Jude

Denise shook her head and said everything was fine

"I think the rest of the food has sugar instead of salt too, how about we order some pizza?" Jude said with an awkward smile

They all laughed, before nodding

"let me do the talking. I don't think your spanish is good enough to order a normal pizza" y/n joked, grabbing the phone from Jude's hand

[baby-xemnas]

thinking about how the last time we see law and bepo in chapter 1081, law is barely conscious and bepo is in tears, begging for law to not die, to hold on. how in the very last panel it looks like bepo, in his desperation to get law to safety, has been forced to dive underwater with law on his back, and he must know how risky that is- but the risk of blackbeard seeing them on the water’s surface is higher, so bepo can’t stay above water the whole time, until he can find a safe spot for them to hide. the sheer terror bepo must feel because the likelihood of law drowning is high too, with bepo possibly having to dive underwater and resurface intermittently, and bepo is so scared, he doesn’t know how long a severely injured and barely conscious law will be able to hold his breath, if law is even still awake and hearing bepo talk to him, but bepo can’t afford to slow down because blackbeard and co. are too close by and might catch up to them. thinking about how bepo is probably so exhausted from the fight (who knows what side effects force inducing sulong form without the full moon could potentially have on his body) trying his hardest not to pass out, his vision going spotty, but he can’t won’t let his captain down, and it’s like a countdown in bepo’s head, a race against the clock, to get to a safe spot where he can temporarily stop and check on law. and with each passing second bepo is filled with even more panic at the worst case scenario. thinking about law being unresponsive when they do reach a temporary safe spot (maybe like a small island or a shipwreck idk), and bepo having to perform cpr on law and just how terrifying those few moments would be for bepo, when law isn’t breathing, bepo crying and pleading for his captain to come back to him

HOLY FUCK DUDE

god i didnt even think about the Law holding his breath part being so scary (i only saw jokes abt it lol) you are so smart...

fuck fuck fuck

and these are the tough decisions Bepo has to make for his captain - because Law is incapacitated and Bepo is going against captain's wishes - his instincts really - to stay with the crew. Law cannot, will not even THINK to prioritize his own life - Bepo has to do it for him and save him. Captain had given it his all, 100% and then some - to win, then to simply survive and save their family - it wasn't enough.

Oh this is getting me so fucking emotional i want to cry, because Bepo, sweet and wonderful Bepo has risen to the occasion because of course he did...push really did has come to shove and he really mother bear-ed it. Wow

And the craziest part is what he says - we've been through bad times, we got through them and we will get through this too - he's learned from times of crisis that they had - but it was never like THIS. Never this devastating. Never to the point where LAW was incapacitated...One can imagine Bepo moving on instinct

Great ask thank you so much i nearly cried while making soup

[invinciblerodent]

I have been thinking fucking incessantly about this one Todd May quote ever since that scene meeting Mystra:

"Why, for the Immortals, are all undertakings in vain? Given an infinite amount of time for existence, everything will happen of its own accord. There is nothing an immortal being cannot eventually do; and, in fact, nothing he or she will not eventually do."

This is from his book "Death", from the chapter "Death and immortality", about... well, immortality, and the morals of it, as contrasted with its mortal conceptions.

Essentially, in the most straightforward way I can phrase it, May describes how for mortals, life is fraught with urgency. We are always at least tangentially aware of our existence being temporary: which is in part what makes our actions meaningful. We are aware that there is a finite amount of things that we are able to accomplish in our lifetimes, and we are at least kind of aware of our existence being singular in time (even considering religious beliefs of things like reincarnation or an eternal afterlife, the here and now when I am both this and present is still unique), so the end, or the idea of it, in its way, generates the meaning of the limited number of events within this particular chunk of time.

An immortal, like a goddess, would likely be more of a disinterested spectator of life than an active participant in it. Without the urgency of a time limit to drive them forward, and the precariousness of living to make the future uncertain, a goddess has no real interest in things that happen in the world of mortals. With good turning to bad, and bad turning to good over the centuries, it's easy enough to kind of stop caring about what is currently going on, because, well, it'll eventually be different, and then the same again.

Of fucking course she doesn't care for Gale the way he cares for her: it's impossible for her, which is what he, with his limited, human perspective, is (imo) initially incapable of understanding. In his very short, limited life, there is room for one, maybe two such great loves, but in hers? There is an endless, constant stream of near-faceless people, flowing through and not making a permanent mark, because permanence for an immortal is a word largely devoid of meaning. Bad or good, the guilt/pleasure will always fade, the people will all die and get replaced by a brand new crop of similarly expendable people, and the goddess will still have an infinity of time to go.

Even considering that she was once Mystryl, and that technically this incarnation of her was once mortal, and keeping her brush with a kind of death in mind, the future for Mystra, as she can conceive of it, is an empty, vast expanse of nothing but the certainty that she will live, and she will be present in some way. Even if slain (if I recall correctly how this works in DnD), her essence just kinda returns to the cosmic soup, and eventually, she'll... reform, or be resurrected, or changed as she has been already, or she'll remain as an immaterial fragment, or something. Point is, she is unending, and he is no more than a blip on her radar.

That's why she's so callous about asking him to die, and in turn essentially dooming Faerun: she doesn't care. She can't care. He was going to die anyway in what feels to her like the blink of an eye (whether it's 5 days, 50 years, or 500, it's not important), and what does she care if the Grand Design comes to fruition? Whether there are people or mind flayers inhabiting the world, it's of no real concern to her. Eventually, either people will strike back, or go extinct, or the mind flayers will cease to exist and something different will come from it, all without truly affecting her. In a year, a hundred years, or a million years, she will be here, and there will be another bright mageling to amuse her.

Fun as it is to joke about it, I don't think that the toxicity of their relationship is her fault, strictly speaking. It's not the ocean's fault when a tsunami destroys a village and kills hundreds. It's not the storm's fault when lightning strikes and kills a tree. Her very nature is this nebulous, capricious existence, only truly occupied with having the power to indulge her whimsies, and filling an infinite amount of time with things to do- unconcerned about how that affects others, because their whole lives barely affect her for a short segment of her eternal soup of undefined presence.

It can be argued that any relationship that may exist between mortal and immortal is necessarily tragic, toxic, desperately unequal, and grossly unhealthy for the mortal. By its very nature, such a relationship pushes the needs and feelings of the mortal party into essential inconsequence to their partner. There can be no regret to feel when the mortal is hurt or gone, because there have been others like them, and there will be others to come still, and everything will happen, or has happened, and will happen again.

Gale was always doomed to be her devoted plaything, only to be discarded once he stops being fun. That could have been once his appearance stopped pleasing her, or once his wit stopped entertaining her, or for any reason whatsoever, and him recognizing that this relationship was never anything more than entertainment to her, while it was devastating and singularly defining to him, is such an important thing for his future happiness.

(This is mainly why his throwaway "Let me make myself indispensable" line is so important to me, tbh. He yearns to matter, and that is only possible if he either finds contentment entirely within the mortal realm, or becomes a god himself, which in turn just dooms him to essentially become Mystra and continue this vicious cycle.)

(Fucking tragic-ass low-wis wizard man, making me fkin... re-read my philosophy books. Honestly the gall, Larian.)

[landwriter]

I'm dying (thirstily) to hear more about the 70s San Francisco AU... the bits you've posted so far have been delicious

Thank you so much, anon! Gonna take the 'about' literally:

I haven't had a chance to work on it in ages but after this next Oaths chapter I might turn to it and see if it's ready to be finished!

I think it'll be over 15K all-told

This came from the prompt 'listen to the [#] song on your Spotify Wrapped 2022 and describe the fic you'd write for it'. Well, I am describing thoroughly, gang

I'm starting to believe I've accidentally written a fluff fic despite it being filled with bonkers levels of pining and some real angst

(the fluff is their friendship)

There is an incredibly self-indulgent scene where Hob brings a sick Dream soup and jokes he's not allowed to die because he'd be shit at elegizing him like Shelley did Keats in Adonais

It happens on Tuesdays in 1974

It features real historical events! And I find that HOT

It also has (what I think is) the hottest and most unhinged sex scene I've ever written in terms of dirty talk but that sort of thing is WILDLY subjective so. The kind where you write a sentence and then reflexively think no, no, I can't say that, that's INSANE

The biggest thing holding me back from finishing it might be that I'll have to stop writing it and it's SO delightful to write. I'll have no more excuse to go through incredible digitized editions of Bay Area Reporter from the mid-seventies, which contain spectacular ads for bathhouses and gay bars shouldering up with Harvey Milk's politics column and astrology. The personals are horny and banal and heartbreaking. Look at this page. Just one page. Look at everything it holds.

Which is to say I might make an entire post for like...queer ephemera I have gathered and now cherish but cannot actually force everyone to look at. Would people be into that?

I normally love titling but I have never gotten this deep into a fic without one in terms of wordcount or closeness to completion and I am starting to panic

[scribblestatic]

Been feelin kinda shit, so here's a stalker deku snippet.

--

All Might ends up catching up with Izuku and telling him he can be a hero and wants to train him. And, of course, Izuku would never give up on the chance to spend time with his most favorite hero ever.

So, Izuku starts going to the beach and working out, just like All Might says. He doesn't say a single thing about what he can and cannot do, because if All Might sees the potential in him, surely he can do what he's asking of him and more! All Might may not be perfect, but he's still his idol! He'll do everything he can to meet his expectations!

But also, being in close proximity to All Might allows Izuku to learn more about him than ever before.

And All Might just slightly notices something a little off about the boy the longer he's around him.

For example, one day, Izuku just randomly brings him his favorite soup--something easy on his stomach that he can eat completely. "It's good for your health to eat, All Might!" Izuku insists, giving him that wobbly smile of his.

That's fine and all, but it starts getting a bit weird when Izuku just so happens to always have soup ready for him on days he forgot to eat the night before. What interesting timing.

And then, there's the way Izuku can immediately recite information about a person if All Might asks about them.

All Might considers teaching Izuku about how to combat villains by figuring out quick weaknesses and exploiting them. And Izuku, of course, agrees with his assertion immediately. All Might opens his mouth, starting to talk about an old villain he fought--

And Izuku, eagerly, begins to say every pertinent detail about that villain.

How interesting! What a fanboy!

Once was quite interesting!

Twice, amazing! Three times, wow!

Five times!

Seven...! Nine... Twelve...

Fifteen...

The names, both real and villainous, ages, former occupations, quirks, immediate family members, criminal attachments, legal proceedings if any--

He knows it all off the top of his head with a single mention.

"I study these things a lot, All Might! I'm sure I can put it to good use!"

"...You know, you really could be quite the police officer!" All Might tries to joke, laughing off his discomfort.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that..."

"No, no, my boy, you really would--"

"Someone like Officer Kijiwaru and I would really not get along at all."

Kijiwaru Kensuke. 52 years old. District captain and senior officer. Cheating on his wife of 20 years for the last 12. Three daughters and one son. Used police connections to brush the fact his son assaulted a girl in one of his college classes under the rug. Embezzling money from business connections he's made to fund his family's lifestyle.

Izuku hates people like that, and despite the smile on his face, it shows just a bit in his eyes.

Though, to All Might, no regular 14-year-old would really pay attention to who the district captain is. And he's not a fool. He sees the sliver of shadow in the young boy's eyes.

Immediately, All Might stops ignoring the nagging feeling at the back of his mind and realizes that Izuku is not normal.

Even so, Izuku has not done anything wrong.

He's a good boy with good grades. He's kind to people and protective of those he loves. And he makes a damn good soup.

But after a few weeks at his side, All Might can tell that Izuku has potential for villainy.

He's very sweet to people in general, but Izuku still stares at the heroes who scolded him after saving his classmate with blank eyes and burning resentment. All Might's had to stop him from working so hard at cleaning the beach when he didn't slow down even after his hands started bleeding. Sometimes, Izuku knows too much about him, too, like how the boy somehow knew he'd forgotten his gloves one winter morning. He also knew he forgot them because he ran after some villains in the morning. And he knew the names of the villains he ran after.

All Might looks down at Izuku, who sits on a bench beside him, the lightly blushing boy twiddling his thumbs.

"...You know I'm not normal, right, All Might?"

"Well... I wouldn't say that."

"You know I know too much."

"Haha, perhaps a bit much for your age, yes."

They go quiet for a moment. Then, All Might opens his mouth, prepared to say something--

"Yagi-sensei."

--but it dies in his throat.

He's never once told the young boy his name.

Izuku peers up at him then, his gaze calculating and focused, wide-eyed, cheeks still ruddy from the cold and his own embarrassment. He chews on the skin of his bottom lip anxiously.

"I don't think I can change this about myself."

All Might... Yagi Toshinori gazes down at the boy.

"Is it... Do you still think I could become a hero?"

It's a request, Yagi realizes. A request for him to be as real with Izuku as when he told him he likely couldn't be a hero at first. He's asking him to reevaluate him now that he has more of an inkling of what kind of child Izuku is. Of the potential he has. Because it seems that Izuku knows it himself.

He could become a fantastic, fearsome villain. And if Yagi was to give him One For All--

Wait.

Yagi's gaze briefly sharpens, staring hard at the boy.

...He couldn't know, could he? That his quirk...

He couldn't know he's been planning on giving Izuku his quirk, could he? It's a secret he's kept amongst a very, very select few of people, even fewer than those who know he can only be active for a few hours a day. He can count the amount of people who know on his hands, and all of them are extremely tight-lipped.

So unless the boy somehow worked it out himself, he couldn't have learned it. But if he did somehow work it out himself, that would make him all the more fearsome.

...

Yagi reaches over, and Izuku closes his eyes tightly.

And Yagi's hands cup the boy's cheeks, causing him to blink his eyes back open, startled.

Instead of sneering at him in disgust or looking frustrated, Yagi has a kind smile on his face. It fascinates Izuku to the point his eyes sparkle.

"Everyone has the potential for good and evil, Young Midoriya. Even I do. However, I'm the kind of person who simply doesn't want to do evil things. And while you know a lot and perhaps don't get your information the most ethical ways...though I don't know how you get it... Well, you've used it for good so far. After all, these gloves on my hands now are from your kindness, aren't they?"

Izuku is speechless. He stays still as Yagi lets him go, though his hands quickly grab his before they can fall completely.

Aaah, Yagi realizes, This is something he's needed to hear.

Izuku has likely wondered how good he can actually be. He's a smart boy, perhaps too smart for his own good. And he's likely thought about his habits, his way of showing emotion, his differences from others.

Perhaps he's agonized over it more than anyone realizes.

"Some heroes have their oddities, their bad habits or tendencies. Despite them, or sometimes because of them, they strive to be the best person they can be. Even with your differences, I believe you can still be a hero."

They stare at each other for a moment.

Then, without warning, tears immediately start pouring from Izuku's eyes. It's so sudden, it actually startles Yagi, who quickly finds a handkerchief for him to use.

But eventually, they both start laughing at how ridiculous they're being.

As they laugh, Izuku can't help but feel like he's floating. He's so full of love at the moment, it's like he's sitting on clouds.

Yagi-sensei, he thinks.

Yagi-sensei...

Thank you for telling us both such a beautiful lie.

[clubatsumu]

Meian Shugo meant nothing to you six months ago. He was nothing but an odd fixture at your left peripheral. He’s hard to miss, being his height and all. 

The first time you talk to Shugo – really talk – it’s because of your pathetic attempts to talk to Atsumu past your relationship's expiration. You went as far as to go to their training facility, only to be stopped by security.

Shugo found you like that, attempting to enter the building while he was on his way out. He paused, looked at you, then at the security guard, then back at you again. A crease formed in his brow line. He glanced at the glass door. You notice the moment it all clicks in his mind, because he lifts his head almost imperceptibly, a tiny Ah on his lips. He moves away without saying a word, his judgment hanging in the air like a rancid fart. Then he turns around and says a word you never knew you hated, “Kid–” breathing low, he stops. The imperious, smug man. 

Maybe – just maybe, because most likely it’s wrong – the reason why the word kid grates you is because it’s somehow true. You’ve always been level headed, mature, but next to someone as undoubtedly competent and quickly decisive as Meian Shugo, you’re demoted to an unfamiliar role of backseat driver. 

The man must be fantastic in bed.

The unwanted thought colors your cheeks horribly, and you take a large gulp of your beer to keep the embarrassment at bay. 

“Why am I even here?” you mutter into the rim of the glass. 

“You invited me,” he reminds you, taking a sip from his beer right beside yours. 

In the bar near the train station, you sit side by side, bundled up in wool and puffer jackets. The nosy-ass captain – who you now have to remember is Meian Shugo-san –  is impeccably neat. “Because you looked at me weird,” you shoot back, maintaining honorifics. “You looked at me like I was a fly in your soup.”

“Are you?” he asks, voice a deep baritone. Atsumu’s voice was as nasal as they could come. 

“Am I what?”

“A fly in my soup.”

The look on your face cannot be drawn.

He smiles. And even his smile is formal. “Don’t look so scandalized, kid. I was joking.”

“I’m not a kid,” you bristle. There goes that word again. You wonder how his teammates can stand him. No one can stand a man as composed as this. Jesus isn’t as composed as MSBY’s team captain. 

“You sure looked like one earlier,” he states simply, going back to look at the owner behind the bar. He gestures for another glass. “Do you have daikon – yes? Fresh? Great. I’ll have an omelet with that. Thank you.” He doesn’t look at your direction, doesn’t even ask you if you want one as well. 

“What if I wanted one?” You know you’re being incredibly rude right now, but you can’t help it. Something about him unsettles you. 

He moves his neck only slightly. “I doubt you like radish.”

“I do.” You hate it, actually, but you don’t tell him that. “How can you conclude something about a perfect stranger?”

“Ah, but you’re not a stranger are you?”

Your brows furrow. “Do I know you? Not from the team, I mean. From somewhere else. You’re being too familiar with me.”

“We only know each other from the team, Miya-chan’s lady friend.”

Lady friend? Is he 80? And you are not Miya-chan’s lady friend – no, you’re not Miya-chan’s anything at all. What a fucking asshole to go rub rocksalt on a still-hot gunshot wound. Asshole. Asshole. Asshole – you keep spitting on repeat in your mind, watching the man as he eats his radish. Miya-chan didn’t even go out of the facility even after the guards told him you were waiting out in the cold. And you can’t even be mad about it, because Miya-chan looks happier – freer – than you’ve ever seen him before, so you have to suck it the fuck up and move the fuck on. 

But not yet. Now you wallow. Now you lick your wounds. Now you wait for everything to unpack themselves. Now you wait until you can answer the questions that'll come. Questions like, did he just use me? Did he even love me? All while drowning yourself in work. The team captain is busting your plans.

“Then why are you acting so familiar?” you ask Meian Shugo, the last person you thought you’d be having drinks with tonight. Or ever. 

“Because we know each other from the team. You look like you need someone to… help you.”

“What?”

He breathes a sigh – one you’re becoming increasingly familiar with. Either he has a lung problem or you expasperate him to a degree that he needs to expel air in his body to make room for your incompetence. “I’ve been a team captain for a lot of years, kid. Since middle school up to the pros. A crying woman outside the facility –” 

“I was not fucking crying,” you snap.

“-- is usually bad news. Athlete management for the Jackals has been below average ever since Ino-san retired, and Atsumu and Sakusa need a bit more people who care on their corner, a little more people on the look out for them, taking care of them, yeah?”

“So you took me here to see if I’m a psycho who’ll leak a story to the press?” The thought sickens you, because even though you hate Atsumu right at this moment, right on this day, you still love him with something fierce, something protective, that you’ve loved him with all your life. “Is that what you think of me? You’re here because you think I’m a potential PR problem?”

“You’re here because you invited me to drinks.”

All your questions about his motivations are answered, and you feel your soul wilt just a little bit. Someone who cares. He's someone who cares. What a wonderful person he is.

“You manipulated our conversation so that I would,” you mumble, thumbing the condensation on the wooden table. Righteousness drains out of you like a faucet leak, and you’re left with nothing but resignation, defeat, and Meian Shugo. A new patron enters the store. It’s small enough that you feel the cold air from outside brush your back. “You can be sure I won’t leak anything.”

The door settles back into its frame with a slide. 

“I’m not that kind of person, Meian-san.” 

You give him a pathetic smile. There’s a gravity around him that makes people elevate, somehow, makes them better than they are. Right now, you feel like hell, and this man makes you want to put on a brave face. Either you detest his smugness enough to put on a strong show, or it’s whatever captaincy voodoo he has going on that makes people step up. You look at him, see the curve of his lashes. You blink and look back at your spot on the table immediately. “You can go home now. No need to be here.”

He says, “No one's asking me to be here. I’m here because I find you immensely beautiful.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

For the second time in an hour, you are left speechless.

He tilts his head. “Has no one ever told you before? That your face is…” he gulps. “Surely you know. You can’t look like that and not know.”

“Know what?” you spit, still reeling. Is this man for real? Or is this one of those hidden camera pranks that they air at 11 pm? You glance around to look for any sign of a recording crew, only to be met with no one but a couple sitting near the window, eating their dinner in companionable silence. “Are you fucking with me?”

He shakes his head. “You’re the type of woman someone would stop on the street to watch. You’re someone people look at when you pass by, remember when they get home, wonder if you’re some undiscovered actress. How many men have declared their love for you after they knew you and my bonehead teammate were over?”

“None,” you reply, and: “Atsumu is–”

“Understandable.” He nods. “A lot of them probably think you’re out of their league. But I’m willing to throw my hat in the ring early, just in case you give points for that. I know you’re out of my league though. I’m incredibly self aware, in case you give points for that too.”

Disagreement is on your tongue, almost out, then you catch it. You cannot tell him he is the one who’s out of your league, because that would just be – that would just make you an imbecile, and that is not the point here. “I don’t know what to make of this, Meian-san. To be honest, this is kind of inappropriate.”

“I don’t know what to make of you either, kid.” He releases a shaky breath, almost like he's at a confessional. “I’ve never done anything as stupid as this.”

“You don’t declare your love for every other pathetic ex-girlfriend being hauled away by security? An ex-girlfriend of a current-teammate who you don’t know other than the usual formalities at parties everyone is forced to attend?”

“No,” he tells you, “Just you.”

You look away. This man cares for other people more than he cares for himself, that much is true. You can’t be around someone that unselfish; you’ll just suck the lifeblood out of him. “I can’t entertain you. You don’t make my heart flutter.” “Too bad. You make me feel like I’m about to shit my pants.” He nods, smiles. “It’s alright that you don’t feel that way right now. I’m not expecting you to return my sentiments. Not after the way I’m going about it like an idiot.”

“I’m asked out by a virtual stranger two days after my boyfriend since high school broke up with me and came out to me – concurrently, by the way – and one day after I hear he’s found the one in the form of his teammate whom he’s been working with for the past two years." You laugh derisively, looking up at the warm lightbulb. Then you swallow the saliva lodged at your throat. After the soberness hits you, you take a glance at him. He remains as inscrutable as ever.

You sigh. "I’m sorry I'm not very polite with you. I seem to just…” you frown. “Be nasty right now. I’m sorry.”

He gives you an opening to read him, just a small sliver of feeling behind his eyes. Something tender. “I’m not handling you well either. Not with tact anyway. I feel like I’m taking advantage of someone vulnerable, but I can’t seem to stop. I apologize too.” You snort. “What a lovely pair we make.”

“Hmm. Would you like some?” He slides his plate over to you, half-eaten. A small, amiable smile is on his lips.

“I’m not fond of radish.”

[dark-night-star-light]

Spirit Animals: The Burning Tide (Reread pt. 12)

DISCLAIMER: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN FIRST SERIES AND BOOKS ONE THROUGH EIGHT.

Masterpost

Chapter 1

“It had started seven moontides before” (1). The Wyrm fell for seven months???

“ . . . signing the question with her black gorilla hands” (1). Do gorillas sign to communicate?

How exactly did the Wyrm fall out of the stars anyway?

Kovo’s relationship to his mom is so sad . . .

 “The world was a vast continent that contained jungles and dunes and mountains and snowfields, all connected together” (3). Canon Pangea equivalent? Also, I love how one continent had every kind of habitat.

“There were thousands of animals, all different species . . . ” (3). So how come there are only fifteen Great Beasts, then?

Oh, so the rest fled when they saw the Wyrm coming.

I love how the Wyrm split the continents. That’s a neat little Easter egg (oh no, a pun).

If only Kovo and the other Great Beasts survived, how did life start again on Erdas?

Chapter 2

“ . . . Hazeel’s spirit animal, Poe. His only friend” (9). That’s so sad . . . 

Hazeel knows the Greencloaks aren’t themselves. He knows that the spirals are controlling them and that they are now slaves. Doesn’t that mean that when the Greencloaks overran Erdas, the people they killed and plundered should’ve also been able to figure that out? That means the last arc is kind of wonky . . .

“‘But I already have a guide’” (11). Uraza hates water??? And also how can she be a guide on a ship? She’s a leopard. 

 . . . Can she still feel Abeke even though their bond is severed?

Chapter 3

“‘I set Kirat to swabbing the latrine’” (14). Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular-

“‘I tried bringing her into passive state . . . ’ . . . ‘At least you have a spirit animal’” (16). Rollan cannot take the hint.

“The boy’s crocodile tears had once convinced her to lead him . . . ” (17). This is such a great, loaded line.

“‘He needs us for something . . . ’” (18). Yeah, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. 

Chapter 4

“In reply, the lion bared his white teeth and growled. Kirat showed his own teeth, which were chattering in the cold” (20). That’s such a funny image to think about.

Why were the other kids that bonded to Great Beasts willing to leave home to go with the Redcloaks? Is it because they were told they could get their animals back?

“‘King . . . ?’ Abeke said. ‘That’s what you call Shane?’ Stead nodded. ‘He tells us not to, but . . . old habits die hard’” (24). Shane literally introduces himself as King in The Return, though?

“The Shane they knew probably would have forced people to call him king on punishment of death” (24). Not really, in my humble opinion. He tried to make sure that the people he conquered had adequate food and shelter, remember? And also he literally pretended he wasn’t the true Devourer for most of the war, so . . . 

“Karmo’s wide brown eyes were on Abeke, who glared right back at him” (25). This is ironic, because last time they met, Karmo was assuring Abeke that he was on the correct side of the war . . . wow.

This book seems to really hate Rollan in particular. He’s been the butt of the joke at least four times already.

“‘One day I awoke to find I couldn’t summon Grahv from his passive form . . . ” (29). But Shane was released from the Bile by Tellun, so how did this happen to him??? Plot hole???

Chapter 5

Even Shane finds Kirat annoying . . . we stan a king (oh horror, I just made a pun). 

“Yumaris guided the group, running her hands along the walls, sniffing the air, and getting into arguments with the stones” (35). Yumaris: Listen here, you jackass. The ocean is a soup, and I will not tolerate your slander towards the truth! The stone:

“‘He’s clearly got his own way of tracking the Great Beasts . . . ’” (36). Because the Wyrm whispers to him, right? But where does the Wyrm get that information? From the tree?

“‘All I know is what these carvings tell us. They say that the Wyrm’s egg fell from the stars and landed in a place called Sadre, deep under the Earth . . . ’” (39). So the Hellans were told that by Kovo, right? It’s mentioned that some Hellans “exiled” themselves to the Place of Desolation (37). Was that when they created the trap? And why did they create it at the “bottom of the world” (37) instead of near the Evertree???

Chapter 6

Kind of a weird thing I’ve started to notice with this series . . . whenever the authors have a chance to pull an end-of-chapter cliffhanger, they do it so weirdly, because instead of a cliffhanger, then switching to the other plotline, they instead do a cliffhanger, then stay on the same plotline. It’s so strange. 

“ . . . Shane would never change” (42). Shane and change are so close to rhyming that it makes this sentence feel really nice when read.

“ . . . inching away from Shane, who was watching her intently” (43). I love how when Shane drops bombshells he only cares about Abeke’s reaction.

“‘ . . . Shane said, stepping toward [Rollan] . . . ‘Stop fighting,’ Abeke said. She pushed both boys apart” (43). Girl, you literally started them fighting.

Mulop-Niri relationship is severely underdeveloped, in my opinion.

“Even knowing that the leopard was under Zerif’s control, she still wished she could see her spirit animal once more” (46). Foreshadowing?

Abeke and Rollan suggesting Mulop talk to Briggan and Jhi instead of Kovo . . . aww.

Chapter 7

“Meilin dipped a moss sponge into a stone basin filled with stagnant water” (48). Is that what they’re drinking, too? Because that’s not good . . .

“Sacrifices to the Wyrm” (49). Why would the Wyrm sacrifice its own followers??? It needs them to conquer? And fight???

Jhi is barely in this arc at all . . . Not a fan of that.

Chapter 8

“Kovo was almost fanatical about the glowstones. He spent every day maintaining them, searching for new stones to replace those that had begun to dim” (51). Kovo the glowstone guard dog.

“‘You don’t know how important sunlight is until it’s gone’” (52). They could have Vitamin D deficiencies.

“Takoda had always argued that he thought Kovo’s reasons for trying to take control of the Evertree were more complicated than just world domination” (53). Yes, but at the end of The Evertree, it never suggests that. All Kovo talks about is the power he wants for himself and the other Great Beasts. He never even hints at deeper motives. 

“‘We can’t have you pining at the window for your lost crush’” (55). Why do I not remember Meilin referring to Xanthe as Takoda’s crush??? Why???

“‘With a catapult we could launch some kind of missile at the egg . . . ’” (57). That would crack it further, though, wouldn’t it.

Chapter 9

“Meilin nearly choked on her spit . . . If Shane was with them, it could only mean that they were in trouble” (59). The differences in the amount of knowledge each group has is one of the reasons I think the group should’ve spent some of the arc together.

“‘Rollan would like me to ask Jhi what it’s like being bonded to a snotty general’s daughter. Also, he wants to know if stubbornness is a skill you picked up from your fancy tutors’” (60). Love that the inside jokes become plot-relevant. That’s just. I adore that.

Chapter 10

“But before Rollan could say anything, Shane spoke up . . . Rollan gritted his teeth. ‘Why does he get to do all the talking?’” (62). Because the connection is weak and he’s asking the important questions??? Honestly love Shane for that.

“Rollan had trouble imagining a world without humans or spirit animals or Great Beasts. The thought of a world without Essix saddened him” (63). Oh, Essix was there, she just wasn’t a Great Beast.

“‘When the Wyrm landed, it caused great destruction - storms, floods, and earthquakes - that wiped out nearly every living thing for miles . . . ’” (63). At the end of the first arc, the weather was really weird because of something to do with the Evertree, right? So can the Evertree impact the weather or something?

“‘The Evertree is the source of the spirit animal bond. And the Wyrm is the source of that power . . . ’” (64). But isn’t the Wyrm taking from the tree, not giving?

“‘The corruption that fueled every spirit animal bond . . . ’” (65). So Kovo hates humans and spirit animals . . . because the Wyrm?

“‘I would gather the talismans and wrest control of the Evertree, by force if necessary . . . ’” (65). How will that help the Wyrm situation? The tree can’t contain it . . . 

“‘Zerif thinks he’s in control, but he’s being manipulated . . . ’” (66). Zerif can be controlled by a not-yet-hatched Wyrm? Also wow, that is pretty much exactly what happened during the Second Devourer War, with the Bile and Gerathon. 

Chapter 11

“A part of her feared what she would learn if she could hear Jhi’s true opinion of her” (69). Didn’t this get resolved in the first arc???

“She didn’t know how things went in southern Nilo, but in Zhong, people didn’t believe that plants had feelings” (70). But this is the Evertree, not an ordinary plant.

“‘So all we have to do is set it off. How do we do that?’ ‘Kovo won’t say . . . it was clear he wanted to keep that knowledge hidden’” (70). Why, though?

“‘I think he’s afraid of one of us becoming infected by the Wyrm’s parasites and betraying our plan’” (71). He doesn’t, but what if Kovo becomes infected? Then they would all be doomed.

“‘If the Wyrm learns of our plan ahead of time, it might try to destroy the tower before it can be activated’” (74). Not five pages ago, Kovo was refusing to tell them the plan, but then he immediately does???

“ . . . she could see the rotting purple spiral of the parasite . . . ” (76). Isn’t it black? Maybe a lighting thing?

Chapter 12

“He didn’t understand how he knew this. He only knew that anything that tried to stop him would fall at his hand” (77). So when victims fall to the Wyrm, they don’t remember anything about their old lives except things that pertain to the Wyrm? Does this mean Conor overheard Meilin and Takoda talking?

“Truly it was a feeling of peace. The calm that comes from one finally accepting his place in the world” (78). This reminds me of something a Conqueror says to either Abeke or Rollan in the first arc, something like, joining our side is the true right and you’ll feel at peace here.

“He had a vague unease echoing in the deepest parts of his mind. A mournful baying . . . ” (78). I know it’s impossible to fight off the Wyrm’s effects, but I wonder if people with a spirit animal take longer to succumb?

“Conor thought her name might be Meilin, and then he wondered how he knew that” (79). So they remember things from their old life, but feel no connection to it emotionally???

Chapter 13

“He knew her weaknesses . . . he could certainly exploit them” (80). Meilin knows his weaknesses, too, though.

“The red light opened, like an eye . . . ” (81). Red eyes on a villain? That’s so stereotypical.

I feel like in this fight, Meilin should’ve struggled with the idea of fighting the Many, because now that Conor is one of them, she has to hurt him, too. This might lead to an epiphany where she sees that, in this moment, Conor and the other Many are the same. If she isn’t willing to hurt Conor, despite the fact that he’s gone, why is she okay with harming these other people? But there isn’t anything resembling that that ever goes to Meilin’s mind. 

“ . . . Jhi appeared at her side, soaking wet and looking quite proud” (83). Proud Jhi reigns supreme.

“ . . . he was now directing the rest of the Many like a general - pointing straight at the bell tower” (84). They didn’t have a “general” before him, did they? Why do they now?

“But Meilin’s sense of triumph was over as soon as it had sparked when she looked to the bridge where Conor had been standing only a moment before - now a pile of burning rubble” (85). It’s honestly unclear to me whether this is because she thinks Conor died in the fire and is grieving, or whether she thinks Conor escaped and is alarmed.

“‘Conor,’ she whispered, for indeed it was” (86). This kind of “and so it was” type of line has been used so much in this book. It’s such a jarring difference from the last few books.

“It was coming from the direction of the water . . . ’Screamers’” (87). Did they have screamers on the ships? And why? Screamers don’t actually do anything, they’re just a warning mechanism . . . 

Chapter 14

“ . . . using her crystal spear to impale the Many who got in her way” (90). I know that crystal would probably normally be such a poor choice to make a weapon, but like, it just fits with the vibe of Sadre so well.

“There was something about the way Xanthe had said this that made him think maybe she felt the same way about him as he felt about her” (90). I like that this series makes only a half-hearted effort to pair characters into romantic relationships. It’s very funny to me.

“His fingers found what he realized too late was Xanthe’s hand” (90). I don’t remember these tiny Takoda-Xanthe moments at all. 

“The Many were defenseless against the glowing crystalline blades of the Sadreans. Every cut seemed to scald the very flesh of those infected by the parasites . . . ” (91). What are these blades made of??? Pure light itself???

“Conor, who had fought even more fiercely than the other Many, had finally been restrained by two burly Sadrean shieldwardens” (92). For some reason, I seem to remember them fighting all the way until the Wyrm was defeated. Also, did he fight harder because he took longer to succumb? And why did the Sadreans spare him in particular?

“The boy fell back to the ground - unconscious but otherwise unharmed . . . ‘ . . . Tell him if he touches my friend again, I’ll make sure he lives to regret it’” (94). But that helped??? And also, Abeke does the same thing at the end of the first arc to Meilin, so . . . 

Chapter 15

“Meilin started at the Wyrm, unable to look away . . . Takoda could see dark and slimy tendrils . . . Meilin heard a groaning sound . . . ” (96). This chapter had a clear lack of editing. It switched perspectives twice and the first line isn’t in all caps like the rest of the chapters.

They made the Wyrm such a stereotypical monster . . . I don’t know what to think about that.

“ . . . the Many grabbed hold of Sadrean soldiers and dragged them to the Wyrm as live offerings” (98). Would they offer themselves, too, or not? Probably . . . 

“ . . . she knew what had stopped Kovo and Xanthe . . . ‘The Wyrm,’ Meilin whispered. ‘It’s got Takoda’” (100). But wouldn’t hitting the bell stop the Wyrm and save Takoda anyway? Why didn’t Kovo just hit the bell?

Chapter 16

“When Xanthe had been lost in the burned-out remnants of the Arachne Fields, alone and defenseless, it had been Takoda who kept her alive” (101). Ironic, considering he blamed himself for that incident.

“It was as if she could see all of Erdas - the aboveground world she had only dreamed of - shining in his dark eyes” (102). They really amped up the Takoda-Xanthe romance in this one.

Wow, Kovo really showed the Wyrm who’s boss.

“Her voice was cold and without emotion, and Xanthe wondered just how much war this girl had seen in her lifetime” (104). But she’s right? The bell is the only way to stop the Wyrm and help Takoda . . . 

Chapter 17

“The floor in the center of the city was drawing back like the folds of a paper fan . . . ” (105). I don’t remember this plotline at all . . . 

“The snare had stopped” (107). Yeah, I remember nothing about this climax, wow.

“ . . . the Wyrm slithered forward and melted into the darkness” (107). What??? Into a bottomless hole???

“’Still. Thank you. Leaping out from the tower to save Takoda . . . I didn’t think you had it in you’” (109). Kovo-Meilin bonding(?) moment!

“’Do they know about the bell?’ . . . Kovo lowered his hand, shaking his head . . . ‘ . . . let’s hope they figure it out fast . . . ’” (109). That’s what they bank on??? Hope? doesn’t sound like Meilin at all . . . 

Chapter 18

SHANE CHAPTER, CAN YOU HEAR ME HOLLERING.

“It wasn’t a fist that had won him the Greencloaks’ talismans. Sacrifices had” (110). True . . . 

“He was gratified to see Abeke purse her lips in an attempt not to laugh at her friend” (111). That’s cute.

“‘You can hear Meilin?’ . . . ‘Is she talking about me? . . . ‘Or, um, Abeke? Any of us really? Forget I asked’” (111). What is this . . . while I don’t like it, I have to admit that’s pretty realistic for the age group.

“Shane knew it was a mistake to give someone like Rollan direct orders . . . ” (112). Why’s that?

“He slowed, fixing his eyes on her. ‘I promise.’ Abeke sighed, not meeting his gaze. ‘I’ve heard that before.’ Shane nodded, feeling the sting of her words” (112). I like Shane, but he deserved that.

“He wondered how many times he would have to save her life before she began to believe that he was truly changed. As many times as it takes, he silently promised himself” (113). This is so sad . . . 

“And somehow these two sets of ruins contained enough power to stop the Wyrm” (113). So they have an inkling of an idea how . . . interesting.

“Shane gave her a smile that he could only hope looked herolike” (115). Pfffffffft, this will never not be hilarious. He’s actually such a golden retriever. 

“ . . . javelins made of ice . . .” (115). Bro, what??? Those are gonna shatter . . . 

“Why did this kid have to question his every order?” (116). Rollan is, like, a few months younger than Shane . . . also Shane himself is a kid. Also, can you imagine being an adult Redcloak being bossed around by this thirteen-almost-fourteen-year-old child. Just. Wow. 

Chapter 19

“ . . . some of them sounding more animal than human when they spoke” (118). How would that even sound??? Probably a lot like a Great Beast . . . 

“‘I tried to tell them they had to stay, but . . . but he wouldn’t listen’” (119). So she cried??? I know they tried to make Tasha seem younger and less mature than Abeke and Rollan, but that seems too far. Why didn’t she just get them?

“‘They only care about our precious spirit animals’” (121). This is ironic, considering Rollan was exactly like this in the first book, but less spoiled.

“‘I don’t need a spirit animal anyway - all he did was lie around and take up space’” (121). Giving major first-book-Rollan energy.

“‘If Zerif wants Great Beasts, he can have mine. I’ll turn Cabaro over myself in exchange for my life’” (121). Zerif will just immediately infect him . . . also wow, this guy is spoiled and stupid.

Cordalles’s main argument is that Abeke and Rollan have spirit animals, but Abeke doesn’t and Kirat does . . . how come she’s still willing to side with Kirat after that???

Also, after Kirat carelessly says he’d turn Cabaro over to Zerif, why do the other kids still side with him??? That’s so dumb. They should feel betrayed.

“‘He was not raised to take orders, he was raised to lead . . . ” (123). This is so dumb. In an earlier book, didn’t someone tell Meilin that the best leaders know when to follow??? Wasn’t that a crucial part of her arc??? Why are we throwing that theme away for one incredibly spoiled kid??? I don’t like Kirat, and one of the main reasons is that he was a massive waste of potential.

“‘We owe you an apology’” (123). I hate this will all my heart and soul . . . no, they don’t. Kirat owes them one, and he never delivers.

“‘These others won’t listen to us - we’re wearing the same cloaks as the army that’s coming this way . . . ’” (124). What makes them think that Kirat will listen to them?

“‘ . . . watching your father build and protect the greatest fortress in all of Nilo by inspiring thousands of subjects . . . ’” (124). If by “inspire” they mean “abuse”, sure. 

I think it’s dumb that an amulet changed Kirat’s mind, even if it was his mom’s. Like . . . of all things??? Really???

This whole chapter . . . just . . . ugh.

“‘Better to live a coward than die a hero,’ said Dawson” (125). In the last book, the opposite is said by Atalanta and I thought it was said by Devin in a previous book . . . well, I was wrong.

“‘How can we possibly fear a thing like death, when we’ve nothing to live for?’” (126). I have to admit, the line hits hard. It hits less hard when you realize that everything Kirat says is a direct contradiction of his two-minutes-ago self. 

“This was a whole new Kirat” (127). Yeah, his development happens way too quickly . . . but whatever.

Chapter 20

“He . . . wondered what it would feel like to be so high above the world” (128). Convinced this is the moment the authors came up with the ending of the third arc. Foreshadowing???

“Rollan, Abeke, and Howl all looked at Kirat, who blushed” (130). Well, that’s new, at least.

“She always had more of a killer instinct than he did” (131). Does Abeke really??? Does she???

Chapter 21

“ . . . she had been afraid that Howl would insist that she belonged with [the other Great Beast summoners]” (133). She can just . . . disobey him. Shane is in charge, and Shane would no doubt back Abeke up.

“‘Who died and put you in charge?’ Talon said . . . ‘No,’ Shane said, stepping to Abeke’s side. ‘It’s a good plan’” (134). Talon appears to be jealous of Abeke already. Also, what’d I tell you? Shane will side with Abeke.

“Shane’s astonished smile at this meager paise sent a tremor of guilt through Abeke’s chest. He looked like she'd just kissed him on the cheek” (135). I’m telling you, Shane isn’t gonna cross Abeke. Also, wow, no need to feel guilty. He’s still the (former) Devourer.

“ . . . Abeke watched as the Expiator burst into splinters and sank into the cold water” (135). I genuinely cannot remember how they get out of this place.

“‘I’d hate to have you as an enemy,’ he said weakly. ‘Again’” (136). I love this line. It perfectly encapsulates Shane-Abeke relationship in this moment. 

“But whatever anger she felt toward Shane ws tempered by her memory of their time together among the Conquerors” (136). I have found an even better line. What interests me so much about this line is that it mentions that Abeke’s reason for trusting Shane was not that he had changed, but because of their time together when he was knowingly deceiving her. In other words, her positive past memories of him outweighed his present redemption arc, and I think that’s such an important piece. Deep down, Abeke truly enjoyed her time with Shane, so she wants to forgive him. And here, she slips and mentions it.

“The icy tower in the middle of the volcano was slowly rotating . . . ” (137). So it’s clearly the same trap. Did the Hellans just duplicate the traps wherever they could?

“ . . . Shane, who was staring at her, his expression unreadable. ‘I . . . can’t breathe,’ she said” (138). Ten out of ten answer right there. Also, all these Abeke-Shane moments went right over my head during my first time through.

“And somewhere in that horde was Zerif himself. She adjusted her grip on the end of her arrow” (140). I know Zerif dies to stop the Wyrm and that’s significant or whatever, but our girl Abeke has been trying to shoot him dead since Against the Tide and I, for one, believe she should’ve been the one to do it.

“ . . . fifty Greencloaks huddled on the eastern shelf . . . The entire shelf splashed into the ocean . . . they had reduced its numbers by a quarter” (141). There are only two hundred Greencloaks??? But there were six ships, each of which carried more than a hundred Greencloaks each, and Mulop only destroyed two ships, so there should be at least four hundred . . . 

Chapter 22

“‘How much stronger?’ Shane said, readying his bow” (147). Since when does Shane use a bow???

“He had cast aside his bow and drew his saber” (148). Oh, thank goodness.

“ . . . the sight of her former comrades fighting tooth and claw against Shane’s desperate forces stole her breath away” (149). Imagine if this line was like “the sight of her former comrades against her former enemies” . . . would’ve been better, in my opinion.

“‘Meilin will love it.’ . . . ‘Who said anything about Meilin?’” (149). I have simply passed away.

“Abeke remembered how the rotating tower had stopped abruptly. ‘It got jammed’” (150). Okay. So. This sentence implies that the snare under the Evertree’s roots and the snare in the Place of Desolation are connected somehow. But . . . why??? Like, the Wyrm can only be in one place at a time, so why is that useful???

“Kirat really did sound like his uncle . . . ‘He’s been like this since you left’” (152). Yeah. He did a complete one-eighty and it feels like it came out of nowhere.

Chapter 23

“‘Deep down, I know you don’t want to hurt-’” (153). I get that Abeke has emotional stakes in this, but I gotta say, that was pretty dumb. Understandable, but dumb.

Shane-Cabaro parallels: both saving Abeke from Uraza. Except one dies . . . 

“The arrow plunged straight through Uraza’s leg” (154). I mean . . . better late than never???

“She had been summoned into passive state by her new master” (154). From that distance??? The Wyrm is that powerful?

“He did not move again” (155). Despite being emotionally prepared for this, it’s still breaking me. Noooooooo . . . Shane . . . 

Part of what makes Shane’s death so meaningful is that Abeke’s own spirit animal kills him. Like. Uraza. Uraza does that. And the other part is Noooooooo, Shane.

Shane dies in Abeke’s arms . . . in front of a whole-ass group of people.

“ . . . but I could sense - deep down - that you had the instincts of a killer” (156). Didn’t Zerif say that Abeke was the most pathetic person ever (or something like that) in a previous book???

“‘A creature of raw and infinite power - power that will soon be mine’” (158). I think this is the heart of my problems with this arc. There’s no motive at all. It’s just “oh, there’s this ancient power that’s pure evil that fell from the sky and now wants to devour the world, and this guy with no motives is trying to control it”. Like, it’s so cartoonish??? Where’s the reason??? The backstory???

“‘The parasites . . . ’. . . ‘They’re part of the Wyrm’” (159). Did they just figure that out??? I thought that had been established? Wait, maybe that was just in the underground plotline.

“‘This is not what was supposed to happen!’ Zerif screamed, kicking out his legs. ‘I command you! Let go!’” (159). Love Zerif’s little temper tantrum. Also, wow, this man is so stupid. He really didn’t even think about where the parasites had come from before using them???

“‘I am fully borrrnnnn.’” (160). So to be fully born, the Wyrm had to . . . pour itself into Zerif??? 

Chapter 24

They just described Raisha’s hands as “scaly” . . . what.

“ . . . holding them both aloft over the gaping pit” (163). Genuinely can’t remember how Rollan and Essix escaped.

��Hanging from the ancient rafters was something dark and heavy and made of iron- A bell” (164). Okay, normally, I’d be so pissed off that the bell appeared conveniently when it was needed, but it had the appropriate amount of foreshadowing and we’re even told why: because the ice melted away to reveal it, so I’m okay with it.

“And quick as a flash, she raised her bow over her head and let fly” (165). Giving Katniss-Everdeen-kills-Coin energy.

Chapter 25

“ . . . struck the edge of the bell with a light ting!” (166). So, I apparently didn’t read very well the first time so I didn’t realize the bell was a huge bell, I had been picturing it as a small baby bell and the “light ting!” didn’t help my visualization.

“Redcloaks and Greencloaks alike scrambled to find stable ground around the perimeter” (167). This line mirrors another line: “The Sadreans and the Many screamed, running to safety around the edges of the town” (105). I don’t really have anything to say except the parallels make me happy.

I like the perspective shifts within the chapter. Very neat.

“This is what people must mean by an out-of-body experience, he thought” (168). Foreshadowing bond token plotline in third arc???

“For the first time in his life, he felt truly free” (169). Yeah, definitely foreshadowing him bonding further with Essix.

“She felt an overwhelming desire to care for every person suffering . . . ” (169). More bond token foreshadowing?

“The wriggling parasite no longer burrowing into his flesh. The Wyrm’s voice no longer hissing in his mind” (170). Does that mean Briggan-in-Conor’s-body will be affected by the parasite?

“ . . . she caught a slight flash of hazel” (171). Zerif has hazel eyes???

“What was a hero but someone who had chosen one time to do the right thing?” (172). I hate this line. It implies that you can do one right thing and still be considered good.

There are so many italicized words in this book.

“The Wyrm was truly gone” (174). Huh. It just fell in lava and died??? Interesting.

Chapter 26

This book has been from Abeke’s perspective since Chapter 21 (with the exceptions of the short passages from each of the other three’s perspectives for a few paragraphs in Chapter 25). And this last chapter is also from her perspective. It’s just. It feels. So strange. I don’t like it.

“Every blade of grass and flower and tree became a smaller version of the Evertree” (176). This needs to be explained in more detail.

“For the first time in centuries, the Sadreans and the people of Erdas met and communed with one another” (177). Wonder if any Sadreans besides Xanthe decided to stay topside.

“When Abeke finally saw Conor and Briggan waiting for them at the shore, she leaped clear off the edge of her ship onto the decks and sprinted toward him at a full run” (177). Based. Also, her leaping overboard is iconic and I can’t believe I missed that the first time.

“Rollan and Meilin were surprisingly awkward upon seeing each other again” (177). Maybe they didn’t meet again during the course of the entire arc so the writers could give us this gem.

“The eyes held her gaze for a moment, and then a sleek golden leopard poured out from between the leaves” (180). Poured out . . . like soup. (Sorry, my brain has shut down from the Uraza-Abeke moment.)

Final thoughts and rating:

The tiny Shane-Abeke moments live rent-free in my head, and while I’m sad about Shane’s death, from a writing standpoint, it had to happen. The only way for Shane to redeem himself was to give his life for Abeke, and it was done beautifully, not only giving his life, but giving his life for their bond, which he helped foster. It’s an amazing end to his arc and I will talk about it more during my Shane analysis. I absolutely adore Kovo jumping from the tower to save Takoda from the Wyrm without a single thought for his own safety. I also love that the inside jokes were plot-relevant, what a fantastic way to tie that in. I also like what I’m going to interpret as the slight foreshadowing of the bond token plotline when the spirit animals and humans switch bodies. During the next paragraph, I really, really go hard on this arc, but the emotional moments in this book were just. Some of the greatest ones in the entire series. The Shane-Abeke moments and Meilin-Kovo bonding and Xanthe returning and Shane’s death and when the group reunites and Uraza and Abeke “rebonding” . . . all of these tiny moments were just. So well done. So despite what I’m about to say in the next section, I would say this book was a positive experience overall for me. 

Starting with the elephant in the room, I have to talk about Shane a bit. While I love the reintroduction of his character, his entire existence is a plot hole. Tellun frees Shane from the Bile at the end of The Evertree, so how could he have merged with Grahv? There are two things that could’ve happened: Shane’s bond being severed completely or Shane’s bond being turned natural. Exploring the first option, Grahv should’ve been unable to go into passive state from the moment Tellun freed him. Now, delving into the other alternative means that Shane shouldn’t have merged with Grahv at all, because his bond would be a Nectar bond now. Between these two alternatives, it is impossible for the events of this series (with Shane) to occur. Ignoring that, this arc in general was a bit of a hot mess. We’re told the Wyrm sucks power out of the Evertree. Then, we’re randomly told it is the heart of the spirit animal bond and that it provided the Evertree with the fuel necessary for that. How is that possible? Is it taking or giving? It feels completely all over the place and threw me for more than a couple loops. I haven’t talked about this much in my other rereads, but I absolutely despised Conor in this arc, aside from the first book. He doesn’t do anything! He displays none of his changed personality, does nothing to further the plot, just gets sicker and sicker (which I’m not blaming him for, by the way). What was the point of having him in the story in the first place? Because fans would want him there? Instead, they should’ve made Takoda be the infected one. This opens up quite a few opportunities the writers could’ve taken advantage of. First of all, Kovo and Xanthe are the two people that are least opposed to leaving Conor behind because of the infection. They also happen to be the two people that are closest to Takoda. There could’ve been an arc of them getting over that to show Takoda they loved him, but it’s completely wasted on Conor. Think about that scene where Kovo jumps from the tower and single-handedly takes on the Wyrm in Takoda’s defense. Now imagine if that scene had taken place after Takoda had been infected by the Wyrm. Kovo has a love-hate relationship with Takoda, made worse by the fact that Takoda is infected, and it climaxes when he fights the Wyrm. It would’ve been so powerful. Conor’s presence in this arc is pointless and I hate it. The last five chapters are all from Abeke’s perspective, and the staggering of the climaxes just. Got to me. The point of having multiple perspectives is to use all of them, and this book severely lacked Conor, cementing my point about Conor’s uselessness. The Wyrm being a literal power-hungry monster that is just there to consume the world and enslave everyone with no motive or thought is just. So dumb. I hate it. It has no substance, no emotion, no point. Same thing with Zerif. Literally just wants power. Why? We don't know. My last gripe: Kirat. I hate him. His character development is so sudden and out of nowhere and he was so spoiled that it’s impossible to like him. His arc feels like such an afterthought. 

Rating: 8/10

[elliot-needs-sleep]

The Quote Page

(That I joked about making and then I went through 90% of my first for things I found funny)

- This man is a bastard but like.... Affectionately

- Anyone is corrected immediately by her sickle

- it's one easy swing and his head is no longer attached to his shoulders!

- By messing with you, I mean she hunts you down in the forest surrounding the castle, like a cat would hunt a bird

- It's a very interesting dynamic between you two because she's very classy and you're just a demonically blessed gremlin who's shorter than her

- Bela views you like one would view a prized hunting dog

- He denys ever getting scared by it. You cannot prove anything. He will take this to his deathbed

----

- He always says he has an s/o, and no one in his friendgroup believes him until you threaten to beat up Bakugou (you win the fight, obviously)

- Half the class is afraid of you because you're very dangerous, and the other half thinks they can take you (they are wrong)

----

- Mostly for simping for an Australian lol

- You better help them with arson /j

- No, but really, they're gonna drag you along to places they're gonna set on fire. You're the get away driver

- His first problem is that he cannot read properly. Or at all, I think. I genuinely do not know if he can read, and I don't have much faith in him.

----

- The final straw is when you wink at him and blow him a kiss. Spontaneous combustion. Slams a spike straight into Lev's hand and it rebounds straight into his face.

- And then you jolted away when your front door slammed open, Suga standing in the doorway, breathing heavily.

"I...." He tried to catch his breath. Did he run all the way here? "I brought... I brought soup."

----

- "No! It's not our fault you had such a flimsy table!" The owner was now fuming, and had come out from behind the counter.

"Hey, my grandfather built that table!" He yelled, now pointing from Inosuke to the table, which had been broken in half.

"Well, your grandfather made a terrible table!" Inosuke stepped forward, arms now crossed over his bare chest. I still don't understand his refusal of shirts.

----

- Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss (about Quackity)

- You're a menace who's constantly trying to break into the goddamn prison and it's making his life slightly more difficult

- Like Wilbur, he too is a man of taste and only sits in chairs for the Aesthetic. Otherwise, he refuses to sit in them.

- He himself, sits on chairs because he's Normal (no he isn't)

- Where he proceeds to hit Techno over the head (gently of course)

- He'll tease you about being so short because he is a bastard

- Sapnap choreographs dances to your music because we support dance! Sapnap in this household

- He literally just adopts you as a friend, you cannot stop him, he will give you puppy dog eyes and you just cannot say no to those

- You still make jokes about being 'A completely normal meat being'

- I would like to say one thing, Gremlin Anon: "I have bones! At least 300 of them!"

- You both have bones! Were you born with them? Who knows, but they certainly belong to you!

- "Life is a musical, Techno! You cannot simply disagree with it!" His voice sounds almost incredulous.

"I can, and I will."

- Another one who bribed Dream! Amazing, and also the last one to bribe Dream cause Dream's a bitch and he sucks

- Oh! A gift! He does not know what to do with it in the slightest!

"Wow, a totally not new person. You've totally been here the entire time."

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

Hi guys. Would you consider writing Ruelle and MC in the future expecting children? Extra points if there is a moody Ruelle amped up on hormones

Written by: Squirrel

When she first took the throne MC was met with plenty of animosity and adversity. But, that seems practically easy now.

With people she can argue and manipulate and carefully hedge her bets. They can be reasoned with and if not then they can be shut beyond the doors so MC can rest.

Unborn children cannot be reasoned with and cannot be shut out.

MC sits up. It is still well before dawn. The kicking in her belly was cute at first, in the daylight. But now it’s so frequent and so severe she’s willing to wager that she’s having twins. One twin starts moving which prompts the other one to start kicking until they exhaust each other and subsequently their mother.

“What’s wrong?” Ruelle murmurs. She reaches over to move her wife’s hair behind her ear, “Are you sick?”

“No. Just-” MC stops short. She’s not sure which organ just got between her ribcage and her child’s foot but the pain is sharp. Pressing her hand over the spot does little to dampen it, “They’re kicking.”

Ruelle lays prone on the bed so her face is level with MC’s lap. Her tone becomes that which she usually uses when Piama or Lyris aren’t following instructions. It’s loving but firm and promises dark consequences if not obeyed.

“Listen. No one is allowed to hurt your mother. That includes you. Stop kicking.”

Like magic, the kicking stops. MC slowly lies back down, groaning in appreciation when Ruelle arranges a pillow by her belly and snuggles up to her back. 

“Thank you dear.”

“It is my pleasure.”

Ruelle smooths her palms along MC’s swollen middle and feels her whole body shiver and relax. She presses slow, reverent kisses to the back of the redhead’s neck and along the back of her shoulder.

“You’re giving me the greatest gift in the world. I feel like I can’t do enough.”

“It shows. I promise you do more than enough.”

Eventually Ruelle drifts off back to sleep but her arm remains draped around MC’s middle. Unfortunately sleep is MC’s greatest friend who she so rarely sees these days. After dawn she is exhausted enough she could sleep, but Lysende is now awake and in need of leadership. There are no sick days as queen.

By the time lunch rolls around MC is ravenous. When she reaches for the door handle the door gently swings open seemingly on its own. But the soft scent of plant decay and leather give away her presence. MC smiles, “Thank you Ruelle.”

There are audible sighs of relief from the guards. The people of Lysende are still adjusting to watching their queen use her magic. Opening doors without lifting a finger would be a new, powerful step up from her previous feats.

Ruelle walks with MC’s hands resting in the crook of her elbow.

“Where have you been?”

“Checking on security with Amara.”

“Ruelle-”

“Nothing more than usual I promise.”

“Oh really?” Galen smirks, “Is that why my entire ship was searched by you personally?”

When MC turns to give her wife a scathing look she’s vanished again and is pulling out MC’s chair. Her aching feet direct her quickly into it without complaint.

A vast spread of sandwiches extends from one end of the table to the other. One of the things MC has been able to keep down, due to her tender stomach, has been bread. So artisans from all across Lysende extended their best recipes for expecting mothers. Everything from soup to butter to ways to soften meat and keep up strength.

“I mean this in the kindest way, but you look awful,” Piama says, “Have you been sleeping?”

“Has Ruelle been letting you sleep?” Lyris smirks, exchanging a mischievous look with Galen.

Ruelle appears to glare at the two, “If you two like sleeping soundly I’d cease and desist with your tasteless jokes.”

“The twins like to kick at night. I feel terrible because the only thing that gets them to stop is Ruelle.”

Suddenly all three of their friends' attention are piqued. Lyris, having used up his good grace with Ruelle, nudges Galen. The starseeker puts on one of their winning smiles, “What does Ruelle do to calm her children? Sing lullabies?”

As a matter of fact, she does. But MC isn’t about to reveal that to their friends. Especially not with her wife’s frayed nerves. 

“No. She speaks to them, and they stop kicking. It’s like magic. But that means I have to wake her up and I feel bad. The kingdom needs at least one queen who’s gotten sleep.” Apparently to prove her point a yawn stretches from the depths of MC's tired soul. This makes her eyelids three times as heavy. If they weren’t in public and image wasn’t so important she'd fold her arms and take a catnap on the table.

Instead MC reaches for a sandwich. At the same time Ruelle sweeps the plate with a stone in her hand. 

“Ruelle, are you enchanting her food?”

“It’s a stone that detects poison. More effective and less fatal than royal tasters,” Ruelle replies, “A gift from mistress Xenia. She figured it wouldn’t make sense to wait for the baby shower.”

MC smiles, “Thank her for me.”

Food is just the beginning. Soon Ruelle is measuring steps and having the masons round off sharp corners. Fortunately in a castle where everything is built in circles sharp corners are few and far between. Next she moves on to setting up a new arrangement for the guard detail making sure the twins won’t be able to go anywhere dangerous like the stables or the kitchen. No one has mentioned it yet but if the twins can vanish like Ruelle then there’s going to be a whole new level of overprotectiveness from the consort.

“MC! MC!” Piama comes running down the hall. Of course this is only because no one is watching, otherwise the princess would be perfectly composed. She’s breathless but not from running. The spring princess takes MC’s arm, barely containing herself otherwise she’d be snorting more than laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Ruelle is-” Piama points, “I’m sorry you have to see it for yourself- I can’t-”

Of course Piama would put it into words. She’s very good with words both on paper and in conversation. But she lacks the breath and the strength. 

MC finds the door to her bedchamber ajar with lights on inside. She peers in quietly and has to grab her face to keep from bursting out laughing.

Sitting on their bed with Iris in her lap is Ruelle. Not entirely fond of mistress Xenia’s wedding gift Ruelle will usually only pet the aiolop to please her wife. Iris is not so indifferent to Ruelle. Gideon muses that the inherent scent of decay that follows autumn nobles is what causes Iris to dislike Ruelle.

Unable to keep the creature in her lap by obedience, the queen consort has the aiolop stuck between her legs. Iris, who is muzzled with a sock, is wriggling and growling fiercely.

“Sit still. The sooner I finish this the sooner you’ll be free,” Ruelle growls, “If MC wasn’t so fond of you you’d make a lovely hat.”

Iris stops. She turns to glare at Ruelle who glowers in return. While Iris is distracted momentarily Ruelle stuffs something onto her antlers.

“Ruelle?��

Ruelle’s amber eyes widen and she releases Iris instantly.

“Hello dear.”

“What is this?” MC laughs softly, looking at the bizarre apparatus on Iris’ head.

Ruelle slides down from the bed, “A prototype. That thing is already obsessed with your belly. Once the twins are born she’ll want to be close to them. I’m designing something so she can’t hurt them with her horns or headbutt them.”

It looks like cotton balls stuffed on the point of each already rounded antler and a web of string stretched across Iris’ head. The idea is clear, but utterly ridiculous. 

MC goes to the bed where she sits quietly. Ruelle follows her every movement, taking her hand.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I’m just choosing my words carefully so I don’t hurt your feelings.”

“What feelings?” Ruelle remarks with a smile.

MC moves Ruelle’s dark tresses behind her ear, “The feelings that drive you to round off every sharp stone in the castle. The same one that have removed all your weapons from our bedroom except the ones you keep for protection. The feelings that sing lullabies to our children who haven’t even been born yet.”

“Cut that out.”

MC chuckles, “The same feelings that are making your eyes tear up right now.”

Vanishing would be just as telling so Ruelle wipes her sleeve across her eyes, “I can take a hint.”

“And that would be?”

“I’ll try to tone it down.”

A knock comes at the door and Ruelle vanishes. MC, has already grabbed the wrist of the hand that her love has wrapped around a dagger.

Ruelle offers the cheesiest fake smile MC has ever seen when she rematerializes, “Cross my heart, I’ll tone it down. Starting tomorrow.”

[iam-siriuslysher-lokid]

Rn I def ship you and Bheem! I have a feeling he'd be so gentle and caring, cooking for you when you're having a bad day (in my mind he knows you love potatoes so even if he's not the best cook ever he can still manage to prep a decent meal) and reminding you you need to look after yourself, especially when the pressure from work or the outside world in general takes a toll on you. During the weekend you would both follow the 'no electronics' rule to spend time together, leave town for a scenic motorcycle ride through the countryside and stop at a cozy inn for the night.

[ bonus: his family runs that small business and they absolutely adore you, so you get double the amount of love whenever you visit them ]

@milla984 babeeeee

✨THIS IS EVERYTHING TO ME ✨🌊🌊🌊

I feel as if there's a sparkling music around like from some fairy sound effects and to imagine myself to be in what you just described is the perfect love and life I could ever dream of.

...he'd be so gentle and caring, cooking for you when you're having a bad day (in my mind he knows you love potatoes so even if he's not the best cook ever he can still manage to prep a decent meal)

Seeing myself just staying on bed, not really feeling like getting up and Bheem waking me up with some hot soup in his hands - then he'll tell he's baking pizza and the toppings are my fave potatoes (*evil laugh to you Milla*) then he will also note that it might not be good - i know he just doesn't want to admit that he's a good cook but he really is.

...reminding you you need to look after yourself, especially when the pressure from work or the outside world in general takes a toll on you.

I immediately thought of the picture Tarak posted weeks ago. Him and his wife but for this moment, I'll be in her shoes (hello imagination). Like I feel Bheem will insist we walk early in the morning to help me de-stress and will endlessly remind me to get up early before we head to sleep. Then, when the morning comes, Bheem, already excited about the walk will drag my hands cheerily and will talk about how beautiful the mountains, the sunrise, the chirp of birds, the crowing of the chickens, the sky. He is also the kind of guy that will say hi to anyone he passes by. He will also tell silly jokes and will wait on how will I react and even it's so cringy - we'd still both laugh. And when it's time to come home and have breakfast, he'll have a cup of coffee and I will have a hot choco (bc he knows I am not a coffee person).

During the weekend you would both follow the 'no electronics' rule to spend time together, leave town for a scenic motorcycle ride through the countryside and stop at a cozy inn for the night.

And Bheem'll also let me drive the motorcycle (although he feels it's an unquestionable decision from him) but only for a couple of minutes bc I'd be driving too slow. He'll be patient to teach me anyway. And when we get tired of all that, we'll just rest in the fields, snuggling and watching the sun sets....

bonus: his family runs that small business and they absolutely adore you, so you get double the amount of love whenever you visit them

Bheem will always tease that we cannot visit his family because he's got some stuff to do but I will still insist that we should because I love his family. End of day, he's already on the motorcycle shouting my name that we go - I'd be jumping like a child riding the carousel for the first time that he's also beaming towards my reaction and I'll be hugging Bheem tight while we ride into the night.

======================================

Okay, I didn't mean to post this long but as I was typing this, I somehow couldn't stop smiling 🥰💞

Thank you so much for sending this to me Milla 💗 Words are not enough to express how much I adore this.

WHERE MY BHEEM GIRLS AT??? 🤭🤭🤭

[85-rend]

📣 for your bugfables OCs!

📣 MEGAPHONE - how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

oh boy here comes a long one!

Soup - They're nonverbal! They dont rlly talk at all (no voice claim)

Mabel - She's definitely a little more soft spoken. Very warm, inviting tone. She talks to plants. (no voice claim)

Ezra - Quiet, speech sounds somewhat flat, doesn't talk much. (no voice claim)

Salad - He kinda rambles a lot, about what you'd expect for a kid that age (no voice claim)

Hawthorn - Very quiet and their voice sounds kinda scratchy like they have a really bad cold or somethin. They frequently pause between words or skip certain words to make things easier. (no voice claim)

Marine - I actually have no idea (no voice claim)

Cici - She's actually kinda loud, not really aware of it most of the time. Very energetic (no voice claim)

Jester - Tends to talk pretty fast, things get jumbled up a little bit from that. Also has an occasional stutter. (voice claim - Yellow Ena (Joel G) without distortion / Fukase (Vocaloid) )

Cerci - No clue tbh (no voice claim)

Ellie - She's very loud. She also laughs like so damn loud too. do not get her in a voice call ever its like a fucking jumpscare (no voice claim)

Dust - No idea. Incomprehensible. (no voice claim)

Jasper - He's pretty quiet, very polite. He tries to make his voice sound deeper (no voice claim)

Ruby - She's loud, kinda rude. Makes it very known when she's annoyed or bored. Kinda has like a boston accent (no voice claim kinda but it's like the exact same voice I imagine Susie from Deltarune havin)

Gabriel - No idea how to describe his voice, uses filler words pretty frequently though (no voice claim)

Kari - I have no idea how to describe their speech honestly... (voice claim - Zora Salazar (Epithet Erased) but like maybe a little deeper?)

October - Very energetic speech, tends to ramble on about things which can go on for a while if you don't ask him to stop (voice claim - Mango Cookie (CRK) )

Wynn - Not much of a talker, better at listening. Generally pretty serious, doesn't joke much (no voice claim)

Valentine - He's very polite and calm, at least at first. Has somewhat of a european sounding accent, its probably fake (no voice claim)

(theres like a couple more but god I have been writing this like literally all day and I cannot be bothered right now)

[littlewitty]

Alairie Persu

Chapter 10

“So, here you are, in the bar, with a hearty dinner, and you cannot even give me a slight smile?” He chimed at me. It had been a few days from my sickness and Clavis had brought me down to the bar in the inn for some dinner after he got back from wherever the hell he had been going to. It was nice to have something hot. In the bowl in front of me, I had a thick, peppery soup with bitesize pieces of carrot, pea and corn along with a toasted bread bun and butter. It was heaven.

“What’s the occasion?”

“I’m simply being nice to you. After all, you were ill. A good breakfast will do you a world of wellness.”

“I thought me sleeping in the bed was you being nice to me. You know, instead of the floor?” Clavis had claimed that I was too weak to be a threat in that situation. I hadn’t seen where he slept. I don’t think he did. He just sat at the vanity table writing like his life depended on it. It worried me.

“No, that was me being a gentleman.”

“Funny. You weren’t a gentleman before.” His smile had been too fake these days. Whatever he was doing when left in the mornings really decayed away at him. He was stressed. That probably was why he wasn’t sleeping much anymore. “How is your mission going? Am I ever going to see life outside our room?” I had only seen the cloudy sky from my window. I wanted to be outside, to feel the damp air of winter and the brutal sting of ice.

“I’m not telling you how it’s going and yes, you will soon.” he replied, eyes conveniently glued to the plate of food in front of him.

“You know, it’s not healthy to stay awake for days on end.” He looked at me. His eyes lit with surprise but a darkness was lurking behind them. I guess he assumed I hadn’t noticed. “You should have a real nights sleep and not cat-napping every now and then. You’ll make yourself ill.”

“You’re concerned about me? Ha! You are my prisoner, remember that.” His last words were like a tonne of bricks. I was his prisoner. I should know my place by now. Something in his eyes recently tugged at my heart. The cheerful, mischievous, deviant Clavis I had taught myself to enjoy was now someone different. Is this what they mean by different sides to people? I knew I ought to stop asking myself pointless questions. It was tiring.

“Well, if you’re finished, we will head back.” He stood up. A cue for me to do the same. We walked in silence up the stairs and through the hallway. We reached our room and walked in.

“Oh! Excuse me! Sir? Madame?” A lady called out to us from the end of the hallway. She gingerly walked our way. “ My boss has told me to inform you that from tonight it’s one bath per room. Any breachers of this rule will be told to leave immediately.” She didn’t meet our eyes. She only wrung her hands together. Poor girl. She looked to only be fourteen. I bet when she told scumbag people these things they got angry and violent towards her. She honestly looked terrified. “There’s been an announcement that they are restricting water usage until the pipes are fixed.”

“The pipes? What’s happened?” I asked softly, trying not to sound intimidating.

“I-I’m not too sure Madame. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience.” Clavis shot his eyes to me and then spoke.

“Thank you for informing us.” He replied in very frail Jadean. She nodded her head and then pranced off timidly. We closed the door. “So, I want a bath tonight.”

“You have a bath everynight. I need one. I’ve been ill. You can have one tomorrow.” I demanded before taking the metal tub off the bath hook. I could feel his eyes on me. “Look if you’re suffering so bad, I guess you could share with me.” I smirked his way. I did want to tease him. Or at least try to get him back. I didn’t expect him to smirk back.

“Thanks for the offer. I’ll take you up on it.”

No. So, he wasn’t joking. We had ended up facing away from eachother in the tub. I could feel his warm back against me, his breathing and his heartbeat. Before I could attempt to drown myself, he spoke up.

“Let’s play 20 questions. It’s a popular game over here. I’ll start, did you grow up with any siblings?” I guess this would stop the silence which made this all the more awkward.

“No, I’m an only child. I grew up living with my mother… oh and my step-father.”

“You don’t like him.”

“I did and I didn’t. He was good for my mother. He gave her back a lot of happiness but I feel like he did take her away from me. Instead of going out like a family, my mother went out on dates with him. I ended up staying with my grandmother a lot instead.” Why was I telling him this? “My turn, you obviously grew up with siblings but what was it like growing up with them?”

“Well, let’s see, I grew up with Chev. Our mother’s were close but I hated every second of it. I didn’t really talk as much to the others. You see, as royal children, in the day you are put in private lessons with an appointed tutor and the only time I saw the others was at formal dinners or when I was walking in the gardens with my mother and we ran into one of them with their wet nurse. I used a run into Yves a lot. He has always been a pleasure to prank.” He laughed to himself. It sounded pretty lonely to me. ‘Chev’ had to be the Brutal Beast. Every time he mentioned him he seemed to tense up and shoved an aura of disgust into the air. “You weren’t educated. What did you do in the days then? It just confused me how you weren’t in school. In Rhodolite, Jade and Benitoite, it’s illegal for children to be refused education-”

“-for a certain social class. They don’t really care about the common folk if they aren’t educated. Besides a lot of people keep their children with them at work to teach them the trade. When I was a child, I worked as a ‘Crow Scarer’. Basically I ran around on the crop fields to stop birds eating the seeds and killing the plants. In winter, I ran about with my friends from dawn till dusk doing whatever.”

“Then how are you trilingual?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve told you this. Anyway, it’s my turn.”

“Well, re-tell me, that’s an order.”

“Well, Jadean is quite obvious. My grandparents were from Tanzanite and I spent a lot of time with them. As for Rhodolitian, there was an old man in my village who was all alone. In my free time, I used to help him out with anything he needed and in payment he taught me Rhodolitian. He was from Rhodolite.” He also taught me a bit about the culture too; tea etiquette and mannerisms. I had long forgotten all of that since. “What was education like?”

“Hard. Boring. Pointless… Especially since I still struggle to read and write, even after the countless lectures.

“Why?” He paused. Perhaps he was calculating telling me? Taking in a sharp breath, he then continued:

“When I read… the words move about on the page so it takes me longer than average to finish a book. Longer than Chev, that’s for sure. I used to be left-hand-dominant. My tutor insisted that it wasn’t proper for royalty to write like that so he forced me to write with the right.”

“That’s actually disgusting. You were forced to do things you were bound to struggle with as a child?” He sighed lightly. That’s when I finally realised. This was Clavis talking to me. Not the Third Prince of Rhodolite, not the young Prince Clavis Lelouch, this was true. He was talking to me as a person and not a title or a role. He was opening up. As a dealer, you learnt to read people even without looking at them. I knew he was telling the truth. His breathing was normal. His muscles were relaxed. His voice was liquid smooth like dark chocolate. Nothing indicated he was lying.

“Not unexpected. As a child of the King, I’ve had a reputation to uphold since I was conceived. There is no room for personal problems and little issues in that.” He’s the Third Prince of Rhodolite first, Clavis Lelouch second. It seemed weird but I had fooled myself enough. I had refused to see the humanity in him. Clavis was just like any other human. How could I overlook that? He lied. He suffered. He smiled. He teased. He cackled. He made mistakes. He did what he had to. He compared himself to his brother. That distraught aura of insecurity would taint all his features when pushed to a challenge. I’d seen that before in Caspian. All of that encompassed ‘humanity’ in it’s finest, rawest form.

“You know what?” I gentle uttered to him, “Clavis Lelouch. He isn’t so bad.” Against my bare back, I felt him stiffen. “The Third Prince of Rhodolite is an idiot, though.” Reassurance from the prisoner. It’s laughable. He forced a small laugh to himself before regaining his senses.

“You’re the worst at this game. You asked like three questions in a row. So now, I get to ask anything I want and you have to reply honestly.” His uplifted voice chimed. “What’s the worst thing your job made you do?”

“Not answering that.”

“Kill someone, did I hear you say?! That’s morbid! Oh, well. My turn again. What’s the worst drug you’ve ever done and what were the effects?”

“Not answering tha-”

“You have to.” After a moment of prolonged silence, he baffled a laugh and continued. “Fine then. How old were you when you lost your virginity?” I mean… I guess it’s better than the other questions. At least he can’t throw me in a cell for my answer of this one.

“I haven’t.”

“Stop lying. You deal drugs for a living. You expect me to believe you’ve never stooped that low before?

“I have my own personal morals.”

“So sex is off the table but drugs are?” Yes. In fact, drugs are in lines on the table. (If we are being technical.)

“...I’m scared of pain.” The silence was ended by roaring cackles. He kept on going. He really didn’t stop. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re scared of pain? That’s why you’ve never lost your virginity? Are you naive or just adorable? I’m beginning to think maybe both.” He stopped laughing and pushed himself out of the water. It splashed and rippled but I dared not move. Giving him some sense of privacy as he changed, I gazed out the window. “I must admit Alairie, you are becoming my new favourite play-thing.”

“I wasn’t alrea- Thanks.”

[renegadeer]

test tube reads books all the way through in one go no matter the length. she cannot put the book down once she gets started it is Impossible. will walk around doing other shit and eating and getting crumbs on the pages and shit. the books are never annotated she just reads it all the way theough but she retains basically all of the information. she cant multitask books tho, she has to finish one completely before starting another. tt will reread her favorite books multiple times over i bet she has read her favorites like 50+ times all the way through

cabby cannot read books unless the Conditions are perfect she needs to read whwn she is comfortable and she has all her brightly coloured pens and sticky notes and a warm cup of hot chocolate and she has to annotate everything on every single page. she can think about funny line in book and go ahoho i bet that is on page 76 and she will flop there and be correct. cabby lower drawer filled with books she is reading or in the middle of reading. she probably only reads books all the way through once but if she is nogstalgic she will go and reread her favorite chapters

fan writes and highlights directly in his books. no sticky notes but he will draw silly pictures in the margins. he can stop in between chapters but you can tell the book is On his Mind and he will be soo antsy waiting for the next chance he has to read. he gets reread value from going over his little book doodles and stuff. he points out jokes and will go !!!

cabbys books are probably in the best condition. everything is annotated neatly and if you take all the stickynotes and tabs she painstakingly stuck into them its basically a mint condition new book. fan writes and doodles in his books but he doesnt abuse em either. theyre ok. like thrift store kinda books, he doesnt annotate Everything, and things are lightly highlighted, just things he finds fun or important and his doodles are generally light enough to be erased. test tubes books are so fucked up they are dog eared and bent. the corners are muddy from her dropping em everywhere and she has spilt so much coffee and soup on the pages and there are crumbs and chocolate smears and i think cabbby is considering divorcing her over this.

tt can probably read the fastest. like an insane speed. dyslexia does not slow her down she can get the entire plot downloaded into her brain at once. cabby has to read in complete silence or in like. aesthetic slow classical music. on a table w pen in hand so she can Absorb the info. slow reader but its mostly bc shes color coding her sticky notes and her annotations and her characters. if she was just scanning a book to Get the Plot she can do that pretty quickly. fan can read anywhere as well but if he is distracted he will stop even tho he wants to go back to the book. he is a ok speed reader. he doesnt read nearly as fast as tt but he reads faster than cabby most of the time.

if they were gonna discuss the same book it would mostly bc cabby and fan disagreeing on parts of the book like symbolism or shit or like. character morality. meanqhile tt will listen and wait for an opportunity to infodumo about something unrelated that something else in the book reminded her of