#i have never considered him (in his original appearance) to be 'cute'

[gamebunny-advance]

*Exhale*

Alright, I've been teasing it long enough. Anyone that's been paying attention has probably figured out what my oh-so secret project has been (not that it's going to stop me from vague-posting about it), and he really is close to being finished.

Face-up. Done. (Though I would like to touch-up where the paint has chipped)

Clothes. Painted.

Wig. Styled.

I literally just need to put the fringe on his scarf, but for whatever reason, I've just been hit with this wave of fatigue since about the time I wrote the last confessions post (frankly, if you ever see me writing/posting long-ass posts, it's because I've lost the energy to use my hands to make things).

I guess I just burned myself out from making both him and Kun3h0 at the same time, that when Kun3h0 got finished, my whole body shut down having felt relief from "completing" the project. To be fair, this has been going on since at least mid-Janurary, so I am more than ready to close the book on this one.

I'll try to finish him within the month, but there are also a lot of other things going on with me ATM, so I wouldn't hold me to it.

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

We Are and the evolution of Thai BL tropes

The QL discord started a rewatch of My Engineer a few weeks ago, and damn, has it been an interesting experience. At the time I originally watched My Engineer, there was little that stuck out to me, because so much of what happened felt so incredibly common in a lot of the (admittedly rather limited) number of BLs being produced. It felt like pretty standard fare.

But going back and watching it in juxtaposition with We Are airing has been so fascinating. This genre has been evolving, y'all.

As much as we all joke about always getting more university BLs, there is something to be said for a format that can be used as something of a metric for the genre. And though there's only four years between My Engineer and We Are, seeing them both at once gives me such an incredible appreciation for the direction the genre is going in, the impact of having more queer voices involved in the creation of QLs, and how there's a lot of good we can find in seemingly simple spaces.

Obligatory disclaimer: This is just my perspective and subjective interpretation of what I have seen as a BL viewer of some time; also I don't have time to go in and do a university deep dive, so this isn't a real analysis, but more of a brief writeup of observations.

Trends are not black and white, of course, there is a spectrum. I'm sure we'll suffer through more Dinosaur Loves. At the same time, having such predominant production companies as GMMTV putting effort into hiring queer creatives and subverting old cliche tropes is an encouraging thing. (Especially as they were the creators of the original university trendsetting BL with Sotus).

Note: For newer QL viewers, I highly recommend @absolutebl for brushing up on trope history. For university BLs in particular, this post and this post are great starting primers.

Let's talk tropes!

Ok, one more note - some tropes are being what I would consider subverted, some more adapted to a newer framework, and some just played with - I'm going to talk about how they appear to me, but I'm not going to be super pedantic over it, because this is just for fun.

Trope: Bullying/hazing behavior

This did not age well in My Engineer, and I would guess hasn't aged well in a number of BLs (and other media, because the whole "he's mean to you because he likes you" bullshit has been around forever). Not just because the behavior was shitty, but because it was played off in the script as cute, and implied that it was completely justified for the seme to do whatever he wanted in his pursuit of his uke.

(There was also quite a strong tone of internalized homophobia, with the lead feeling more comfortable in expressing his interest through harassment than honest emotion, but the show never actually engaged with that in any meaningful way.)

We Are sets up a very traditional enemies to lovers/bullying start to the story, with Phum taking advantage of Peem's economic situation to make him his "slave".

And yet... there's some important elements here that make this more than the standard use of the trope.

Phum keeps it pretty light in his bullying behavior, and clearly is using it more to keep Peem around as company, versus the kind of bullying in My Engineer, where Duen is literally hit by a car, and yet still expected to keep jumping to Bohn's whims.

As soon as Phum realizes he really upset Peem by leaving him waiting at the mall, he genuinely feels awful about it. It's clear that his intent is not to cause harm, and that he has a conscience. He wrestles with his feelings on it quite a bit, and it ends up being the thing that gets Phum to finally express an honest emotion with Peem.

And most importantly, the script does not let him off the hook. His behavior is bad, and is identified as such by the writing. Peem pushes back and is shown to be right to do so, Beer openly says he disapproves.

So instead of a cliche story beat that's used just to start the action, or a seme who's allowed to do whatever he wants because "passion" (blech), we're seeing it used for characterization, giving us important beats about who both Phum and Peem are in how they engage with each other through the use of the trope.

Trope: Obsessive/jealous behavior

Oh, this one was painful in My Engineer. Duen couldn't even talk to another human being without Bohn getting jealous and angry and dragging him away.

Phum gets jealous, particularly around Kluen, but what makes it feel so subversive here are two key things.

Phum's jealousy has a purpose here, it's not just for drama's sake. It's not the cliche seme doing whatever he wants and being treated as justified. It's deliberately being used to explore his insecurities, and give him a challenge to overcome. Phum doesn't stomp over and drag Peem away, he retreats, he hides. When his jealousy causes him to lash out at Peem, he is immediately aware he fucked up.

And again, the script is making it clear that this behavior is not ok. Peem chides Phum when he acts unkind to Kluen, and Beer makes it clear that the solution is not petty behavior, but actually figuring out a way to communicate his feelings with Peem before he misses his chance. This is portrayed as a barrier for Phum to overcome in order to be with Peem, not an expected part of a romantic relationship.

Trope: Friendship group

There are not enough words to express how much I love the friendship group in We Are. To be fair, this is one of the better historical tropes. We've gotten a lot of amazing friend groups, even in mediocre BLs.

But it's still different in We Are, for one simple reason. In most university BLs, the friend group is a supporting structure. But here?

The story lines may be about the romance, but the point of We Are is the friendship.

I will die on this hill, y'all.

I don't have enough time to go into it fully here, but this show is a love letter to friends. It's a tribute to finding the people who see the real you and have your back unconditionally. Who cheer your successes and commiserate over your defeats, who pick you up when the world knocks you down, who call you out when you make mistakes, and push you to be better.

And romance is lovely, but all of these budding relationships are about being friends first, and then lovers, because that friendship is just as important as everything else, if not more.

Trope: Pink milk

Lol, ok, kinda kidding, kinda not. I know we all got mad over the drink wastage, but also check out these visuals - it's about diversity baby!!

TanFang speed round

My two little trope-busting bebes. These two are already so beautifully non-traditional in their composition, but I love how frequently they are used to make fun of and play with tropes just on their own.

Introduced as pining crush/friend's older brother pair, but actually secret enemies to lovers.

Grumpy/sunshine pairing, where the sunshine used to be a fighter, and grumpy smiles when he thinks no one is watching.

Wound-tending where they keep poking each other instead of acting soft.

Openly mocking the jealous boyfriend trope.

Setting up the possessive trope when Tan doesn't pick up Fang's calls, only to immediately have Fang question if he's being unreasonable.

Setting up their own cute eating scene for kicks.

"First time" sex scene making it clear this is anything but their first time.

Tan holding Fang down in the cliche possessive pose, only for Fang to take the agency of kissing Tan. (And overall saying eff off at the cliche top/bottom roles old BLs were such a fan of).

In Summary

I'm sure there are more tropes that will come to me, and we do still have 5 episodes left of We Are, so there are some potential trope uses that I am keeping an eye on. This is by no means an all-inclusive list.

But I wanted to write this, because I was genuinely shocked to realize how different my My Engineer watching experience was this time compared to my first time. How over the last few years I'd come to expect more thoughtfulness in my QL media, even in the ones that seem shallow on the surface.

Considering how fast and furious the QLs are coming these days, it's easy to forget how recent it was that we were much more starved of content. And I think sometimes we forget to take in the big picture, of how far we've come in just a few years.

Critique is always going to be important, of course, it's part of what helps us make progress. At the same time, it doesn't hurt to take a moment to look around and see some good in where we are.

@sailorbryant thanks for the push to get this written! Feel free to add thoughts!

[amerricanartwork]

RW Headcanon: "Pebbsie Privilege"

Here’s a headcanon I’ve had in the works for a while, and now I finally want to share it! It's shorter than some of my others, but I hope you'll still find it amusing!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

So firstly (and I plan to expand on this more later) I headcanon Five Pebbles is someone who cares a lot about his appearance, though not in a prissy or snooty sense and more in a “likes being the smartest and most sophisticated one in the room” sense. That means, more so than the average person, he generally doesn’t like being teased, ignored, belittled, condescended to, or otherwise disrespected, and very understandably so if you ask me! But it also means there exists a very special ability when it comes to interacting with Five Pebbles that almost no characters have. 

It’s no more than the ability of someone to refer to Five Pebbles as “Pebbsie” while he’s in earshot without getting death-glares from him. Looks to the Moon, who first started using it, affectionately calls this ability “Pebbsie privilege”, and she ends up being one of the only characters who has it (besides Innocence, who in my portrayals eventually gets it too). Though even so, Pebbles originally got rather flustered when she called him that alone, much less in front of others, considering it's definitely a very cutesy nickname. In fact, poor Pebbles really didn’t like being called “Pebbsie” because one of his least favorite ways of being treated is like a child (which includes being thought of as "cute" in any way). This unfortunately happens to him a lot though since he’s part of the newest iterator generation and tends to have lots of uncommon ideas rarely taken seriously by the older models, and this treatment only amplified as he grew more stubborn and arrogant. 

To elaborate on the origin, Moon developed the nickname pretty much on an impulse — quite a rare thing for her to act on actually — of wanting to hearken more to her role as “Big Sis Moon” and show love to her little brother. Soon after she started using it though Pebbles would pull her into private chats and urge her to drop it to save his dignity. Not wanting to hurt her brother in any way, it didn’t take long before she apologized and stopped using it, and basically got her "Pebbsie privilege" revoked. In the current time she secretly still likes calling him that in her mind, but knowing how much he dislikes it she always feels pretty guilty afterwards, despite them being no more than thoughts at that point. While not a major issue in-and-of itself, this situation was actually a small step in worsening a long-time fear Moon has, though that’s a headcanon for another day…

On a (marginally) more positive note however, after Moon’s collapse and the worsening of Five Pebbles’s rot, along with him generally reminiscing about the things he used to have (as part of yet more character headcanons I’ll elaborate on some other time), he actually began to grow fond of the nickname more and more. Yet he also couldn’t also shake the growing heartache the memories brang, as he came to see it as a reminder of his sister’s never-ending love for him and the better times he now regretted taking for granted and trying so hard to escape. While I headcanon he handles it differently in Downpour’s canon, in the worm-off-the-string AU story I’ve got so far, Moon slowly regaining her “Pebbsie privilege” and Pebbles appreciating it and no longer taking it so seriously (though he still forbids its usage in public) could serve as a small, yet sweet indicator of character growth for both of them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Aaaand another RW headcanon done! I wanna mention, though, now that I’ve got more of an idea for the aforementioned AU I really want to start posting more of my headcanons for the Local Group, since the character interactions, histories, and ultimate character growth is perhaps one of the most important elements of that story so far. I’ve spent at least a couple weeks creating almost 40 pages worth of character notes, and while this particular one started out as just a little side-headcanon, I ended up tying it into all of that. Hopefully I can start sharing the main parts of these headcanons soon!

[ajaxsprettyboy]

Dottore loves you .

I did not proofread this enough I was ovulating and dottore had my brain in a chokehold.... this is dottore x trans male reader and very gay and chaser dottore and cock piercings and gay sex and possibly gangbangs and pregnancy and mmmh also dottore fluff at the end... bc hes cute

Oopsie :3

boys who let their boyfriends grope their tits and rub their tiny boy cunts.

Dottore wouldn’t consider himself a chaser, no, he just loves what you have to offer. He loves the way your nipples perk up when he opens the door and comes home, the cold air causing your body to react accordingly. He loves how soft your boytits are, the way they feel in his hands is remarkable.

He loves the way your hips sway when you walk and the look of your ass when you bend over to do anything. He loves the way your ass jiggles when you jump, and the way your thighs look wrapped around his waist. It’s not all sexual, sure, but he’s a very busy man and when he comes home after a failed experiment he’d prefer if you were wearing minimal clothing.

You see, he just loves the way your tdick reacts to his touch and the way your hole gets so slick when you suck him off. Not to mention how pretty you look with his cum on your face.

“That’s my good boy”

He’d murmur, his lips curling into a lustful smile as he pulls you up to bend you over the kitchen counter. He promises he’ll eat after this, he knows you worked so hard on making his favorite food for him but he just can’t help wanting your cute little boypussy more.

Your moans are just so cute and the way you react to his tongue on your tdick, god it’s intoxicating. Not to mention the way you clench around his fingers as he tries so hard to prep your cunt to take him. No matter how hard he tries, he’s never stretching you enough.. maybe it’s the piercings in his cock but still! He tries, he does… at least he wants you to think.. he tries.

He made you come up with a safe word because he loves you too much to actually hurt you badly. But that doesn’t stop him from getting off to the cries of pain and pleasure you mewl out every time he fucks you. You haven’t used the safe word yet so he tries to test his limits. The more you take the more he tries, it’s not coming from a place of malice! Just sadism.

Unfortunately for you because the original is in love with you in his own sadistic way, all of the segments are in love with you. Which then means that all of them want to fuck you. Thankfully, you only live with the original so unless you run into one of the segments, there’s no need to carry condoms on your person.

Dating dottore isn’t all sexual, though! He’ll give you top surgery if you truly want it, and he’ll give you your weekly t-shot! Plus he’s slightly nicer to you than to everyone else! He’s not that affectionate, though… but he will do complex experiments to find ways to make things that don’t appear in nature grow in his lab for you!

Say if you wanted a plant, a pretty one, one with large pretty flowers and the petals in your exact favorite color in the exact shade you like best, he’d genetically engineer a plant to be your perfect plant. Not to mention that he’d name it after you. He’s also a really good cook! All those years as an academia student really paid off!

He’s also surprisingly good with animals… kids not so much… well, if they’re healthy and you really want to I guess but if they’re sick with a rare or untreatable condition.. maybe don’t let him near..

His blue hair is a dominant trait by the way, if you have babies with him those babies are coming out blue! Sharp teeth? Also completely genetic, not a dominant trait but one that will most likely get one of 3 babies. He’s also very fertile, get the iud. Let him put that iud in unless you want more blue people roaming tyvat. (Would also fuck you while pregnant and/or sharing the room with the baby. Do not let him become a father.)

use condoms, please. He’s clean, yeah, but as I said, he’s very fertile. Also very horny so expect sex daily.

[vtoriacore]

✧ the flirtiest one of all! [2]

note: part two of this, fun fact it was actually 6.9k words on the original doc and i’m not telling you this for any particular reason haha i am the epitome of maturity i promise <3 (lying)

characters: azul, jade, floyd, kalim, jamil, vil, rook, epel

synopsis: pretty simple, you confess by out-flirting just about every human being, merman, beastman and fae on planet earth. because you’re suave babe, go for it!

heartslabyul & savanaclaw | ignihyde & diasomnia

♡ OCTAVINELLE

✯; azul ashengrotto

azul quirked an eyebrow when you entered mostro longue with that mischievous smile of yours but what caught his attention next is the purple rectangular box you were carrying, addressed as 'Ashengrotto'

"My, my. Got something for me, prefect?" 

"Depending on the answer you'll give me, maybe."

the little spark of excitement in his azure blue eyes which perfectly reflected the light definitely confirmed your suspicions on whether he knew or not

"Hm~ Well then it seems I'm inclined to ask for the question."

"That was a statement."

"Is that relevant?"

"No I just wanted a reason to talk to you longer~" 

the slightest surprise on his face quickly vanished as he tried to control his rapidly increasing heartbeat

"Well, don't keep me waiting [Name]. I'm a very busy merman after all. "

"Haha, okay I'll spare you the embarrassment."

"So, will you accept my feelings or are you just going to continue blushing?"

"Me, blushing? N-never."

"I have eyes, Ashengrotto. You'll have to do better than that!"  

"There is no winning against you . . . Regarding your first question though, it would seem a waste if I said no."

"Yeah, a waste of the countless affection I'd be willing to give~" 

"Affection doesn't produce a profit dear."

"No, it produces mutual feelings instead. And happiness, with the right person!" 

as always, your witty remarks never failed to make him gain those adorable red hues across his cheeks 

"If I ever die of exhaustion, it will be because of your antics."

"Correction, my cute antics :)"

"Well my dear angelfish, the exit is that way if you're done tormenting me."

"But the entrance to your heart is this way."

"Whatever will I do with you?"

"Dunno, but you got time to figure it out cause I'm not leaving." 

.

✯; jade leech

his cryptic smile stayed on the minute he saw you at mostro lounge, discussing something with azul as the merman gave this huge sigh of exasperation and nodded his head at whatever you had asked

he (naturally) came up to you once azul decided to walk away from you 

"Oya, oya~ What are you doing here my pearl?"

"Good question~ I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out."

and figure it out he does once he catches a glimpse of the heart shaped turquoise box in your hand addressed to him in beautiful handwriting

"Hm, it would appear I'm totally clueless. If only you would be so kind as to explain the meaning of this." 

"Oh what a true shame, Leech."

"Yes, very unfortunate indeed."

"Need I make it more obvious?"

"I might have to request a verbal explanation, fufu~"

"How about I give you the physical one instead~?"

undoubtedly, the wink and statement you gave him managed to make even the jade leech's heart itself skip a beat as he gulped slightly

"I wouldn't be entirely opposed to that."

"I'll take that as a yes for the feelings I'm confessing to you, then."

"And who am I to decline such proposal?"

"Just about the most charming man in existence~"

"Ah, you never do fail with coming up with pick-up lines it seems."

"Of course not, deem yourself lucky for being my test subject in that aspect Leech."

oh jade would definitely consider himself a winner if this is what he gets to hear after today

"Well I cannot say they're not entertaining~" 

"And completely genuine, by the way."

if there was a world record for the most times someone manages to make the merman even slightly flustered, you'd definitely take the title with ease

"At this rate, I'll have to start coming up with my own quips. I can't be the only one getting swept of my feet like this."

"Hmph, that was smooth I'll give you that one!"

.

✯; floyd leech

has this stupid grin the second you step foot into his dorm room when jade is out, and it only widens once he realises what you're carrying with you 

"Heya Koebi-chan~"

"In high spirits are we?"

"Hmmmm? Have I ever not been?" 

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. And are you not going to ask why I'm here Leech?"

"No, why would I~ You're obviously here for me!"

"What if I was here for Jade?"

"Then I would make you stay here for me instead!"

even with his playful response, you could definitely tell that if you brought jade into this once more, floyd wouldn't spare you any mercy and have you be a victim of his infamous squeeze

"No need~ I actually did come here for you."

"Ehehe~ Of course you did!"

"Tsk, confident one aren't you?"

"Mhm~ Confident enough to say that the chocolates you're carrying are for me Koebi-chan!"

"Won't you look at that~ You guessed it right!"

the beat that floyd's heart skipped amplified the excitement he felt when you handed him the box of goods

"They smell really good! Are you sure you don't wanna work as a chef for the lounge"

"I'm good. And they look good too, I spent around an hour making them for you." 

"No fair! I was going to confess first on white day. Spoiling my plans like this, the nerve~"

"I didn't confess yet Leech! But now that you reminded me, you better accept my feelings." 

"Threatened with a confession? Didn't think that was your style haha!" 

the merman definitely felt nothing but pure joy as he unwrapped the first chocolate and popped it into his mouth 

"Hm~ So what if I did? As far as I know, the law doesn't prevent me from wanting to be with my crush." 

"Ah, ah~! One more word and I'll give you a lil' squeeze." 

"Did I ever say I would mind that?"

"Then I guess you won't Koebi-chan! But just so you know, I don't plan on letting go!"

___

♡ SCARABIA

✯; kalim al-asim

pleasantly surprised to find out that you're visiting scarabia and is immediately beaming at you when you enter with a cute looking box of what appeared to be spice laced chocolates (the smell made his mouth water!)

"Good morning [Name]! What a nice sight to see so early on!"

"Morning Asim, you're in a good mood~"

"That's because Jamil let me host a banquet for Valentine's day! Isn't he the best?"

"Let me guess, he made you promise to not cook with him after you insisted you wanted to help, right?"

"Woah are you sure you don't have magic yourself? That was so accurate!"

"You're too sweet sunshine, unfortunately that's still a no."

kalim grinned at the nickname as his heart palpitations grew, amplifying when he looked at the crimson box of chocolates with golden trimmings again

"So, is there a reason as to why you're visiting Scarabia?"

"Yeah, you're actually the whole reason." 

"Ahhhh that's cute! Would you like to stay for the night?"

"Depending on your answer, maybe~" 

"My answer to what?"

"To whether you'll accept my feelings or not."

the pearly white haired boy swears he felt his heart leap out his chest as his ruby red eyes widened 

"Oh my- I'm so happy you feel the same way! I absolutely do accept yes!"

"You should also be happy about the fact I spent an hour making these!"

when you handed him the chocolates his perpetual grin only became bigger if that's even possible

"Awe thank you so much [Name]! You're the best!"

"Mhm no problem~ I made it a point to ask Viper for your favourite kind of chocolate."

"You're so sweet, how about we go on a magic carpet ride?? Like the one of that very old tale where princess Jasmin and-"

"Ah spare the details Asim, I know exactly which one you're talking about."

"Great! I heard it's very romantic. Ooh! Maybe we can do a cute duet too!"

"Whatever you want, just make sure you'll focus on the steering."

"But how would I focus on anything but you?"

"You asking me this so genuinely is actually surreal."

.

✯; jamil viper

the moment his smoky grey eyes landed on your form and the maroon heart shaped box you were carrying with you, he immediately knew what was up, or hoped he knew what it was

"Oh prefect. Good morning."

"As formal as always I see?"

"Were you expecting anything but?"

"I don't set unrealistic expectations, Viper."

"Was that an insult?"

"Are you taking it as one?"

"Do you ever give straight answers?"

"No but I will be needing a very straight answer from you though."

the teasing smile you gave jamil never ceased to make his heart skip a beat, no matter how much denial he was in at the present moment

"Depends on the question you ask, [Last name]."

"Hm rude~ I should be asking Kalim if he would accept my feelings instead . . . Too bad I'm already super invested in you, no?"

just the mention of kalim alone made a scowl appear on jamil's face as he gazed straight in your eyes

"Yes, and too bad I'm already accepting your feelings so you can't back out. What a shame."

"Woah Viper~ Possessive much! Not that I don't like it, ehe." 

"Tsk, you're really irritating when you want to be."

"But it's only because I love your reactions. They simply get cuter as they go."

jamil looked at the ground as a red hue crept over his face, he feared that if you said anything else he might just lose every bit of self restraint he has

"And . . . you're sure you want to be with me? You know what it means . . ."

"Absolutely, 100% positive that you're the one and I am not budging on this no matter what you say."

"Tsk, you're not making this easy for me at all."

"Easy wouldn't be fun, just accept that we're totally fated already."

"Because you're madly in love with me ;)"

"Why do I even bother. . ." 

"There you go, being delusional again."

♡ POMEFIORE

"Wouldn't have to be delusional if you didn't make me darlin'!"

___

✯; vil schoenheit

notices when you walk in right away, and is very quick to spot the velvety box you're carrying, definitely surprised when the tag reads 'Schoenheit'

"Afternoon prefect, do you need anything from me specifically?"

"Yeah your attention on me for a second or two."

"Well in that case, make it quick."

"Wow being this rude should be illegal~" 

"So should taking up someone's time. Someone who has a scheduled shoot in approximately 4 hours."

"Are you saying I'm wasting your time?"

"Did you take my statement as such?"

"Guess I'll go confess to LeBlanche then~ I'm sure he'll like what I made." 

vil's eyes narrowed in the slightest as a light scoff left his lips, he didn't expect such a reply but your fiery nature was one of the things as to why he fell for you in the first place so he didn't have a place to complain

"You're really something else entirely."

"Always have been, love~" 

the nickname itself made the blonde shiver, but combined with your killer smile, he couldn't help but avert his eyes for a few seconds

"So I'm guessing you're here to confess after all?"

"Yeah, so if you would be as kind as to accept my feelings please~" 

"You were already aware of what my answer would be, weren't you?"

"Oh definitely~ Now before you deny the gift, it's dark chocolate. And won't affect your daily calorie intake too much."

"Good, I do admire the thought behind that."

vil couldn't help but smile at the notion of you caring enough as to take care of the small details, but may have become even more smitten with you when he opened the box to see the beautiful designs which were clearly inspired by him

"You better appreciate them, took over an hour to make~"

"Would you really spend that much time and effort into making something so superficial?"

"Duh~ Only for you though!"

"In that case, thank you dear. Please do expect something in return on white day." 

"Positively can't wait. Anything you do is bound to turn out great!"

.

✯; rook hunt

chances are he already knew you were making something, but didn't know for who so when you came into the pomefiore dorm and requested to see him, boy was he mildly amused (not to mentioned excited)

"Bonjour mon amour~ I've heard from Roi du Poison that you inquired about my whereabouts?"

"Well then your hearing must be excellent because that's exactly what I needed!"

"My, my you seem to be in a bonne humeur~"

"That's because my hard efforts to make the greatest chocolates ever paid off!"

"Oh? Tu as fait du chocolat? How intriguing, for who~?"

"For the person who stole my heart~"

rook glanced at the velvety red box in your hand yet to his dismay, couldn't see what was on the tag. however, that didn't stop him from wishing it was reserved for him

"As always, tu es très énigmatique, my dear."

"Hehe~ I saw you glancing at the tag. You must be curious~"

"Naturally, anyone would be, non?"

"Well, you better appreciate the effort I put into this because it's for you~"

the blonde haired hunter couldn't help but smile at the sweet gesture as he anticipated the confession which was sure to follow with a hitched breath

"Well I'd love to accept them." 

"Since you're accepting the chocolates, you have to accept my feelings too Hunt~"

"With pleasure, [Name]. Or mon cœur. Whichever you prefer!"

"Are you trying to woo me with the way you say my name? Because it's working."

"That wasn't my intention, but I'm glad to hear this."

despite the cool facade rook maintained, he would definitely be lying if he said he didn't feel his heart drum faster throughout his chest at your endearing words

"If that's the case, then I should politely ask for you to stop charming me like that, it just isn't fair~"

"You're as equally charming mon amour, does that not equal out?"

"Unfair! You're doing it again."

"Je n'ai rien fait, je promets~" 

.

✯; epel felmier

the way you came into his dorm with an apple pie laced with cinnamon, he definitely tried to suppress a smile that was threatening to break out on his face

" Hey prefect, what brings you here?"

"Oh you know, my legs."

"Hey- you know what I meant!"

"Okay, okay~ I'm here for a very important reason."

"That would be?"

"You're very impatient, read what's on the tag~"

"Uh, 'Felmier'. My last name?"

by this point, the lilac haired boy began to suspect what was up but nonetheless waited for what you'd say next with a hitched breath

"Congrats, you can read~ Now guess why I'm here."

"W-wait . . . Don't tell me you're . . . confessing?"

"That's exactly what I was about to do but I guess I won't tell you."

"Ah- wait that's not what I was sayin'- uh saying!"

"You should stop hiding your accent around me, it's so adorable~"

"Gh- whatever ya say just spill it!"

"Okay, okay~ Well I'm here to ask if you'd be willing to accept my feelings?"

"I- yeah . . . Yeah I do-"

"You're making it sound like we're getting married~ You should ask for my hand first!"

the red hues decorating epel's face along with the loud beating of his heart did not make it easier for him to look you straight in the eyes

"Oh just hand over the pie . . . I'm puttin' your efforts to the test."

"Hehe~ Okay, okay but you better appreciate it or else."

"I do . . .. And don't make a comment on that!"

"Okay I won't haha! For now."

"Hah- tsk I'll never carve apples for you again . . ."

"Hey Felmier! You take that back this instant!"

"Maybe if you beg for forgiveness."

"Is this how you treat your future spouse?"

"[N-name]!"

[moonswolfie]

You get caught by the sibling

Originally I was gonna write this for Lev but then I realised that I want to write this scenario for a fair amount of haikyuu boys so here we are (I decided to do characters who's siblings appear in the anime/manga excluding the miya twins and hoshiumi, sorry hoshiumi 😔)

I wanna write more for my boi hirugami, I just KNOW everyone's gonna be simping for him once the movies come out

CW: reader is gender neutral, I use the phrase "nii chan" cuz bro/brother sounds awkward, I use a name insert, some manga spoilers

Characters featured: Lev, Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima and Hirugami

˚ ༘ ೀLev Haiba

You were staying over at your boyfriend's place for the first time, and his family had been nothing but welcoming of you. They're all really sweet and excitable people, just like Lev himself.

That made you relieved, since you were scared his parents would be super strict or something, although that would be a little strange considering Lev's carefree behaviour.

Right now, you were sitting in his room in awkward silence. His room was surprisingly clean, you noted while looking around. (Alisa later informed you that he spent 3 hours cleaning his room before you arrived.)

"Hey, ummm..." you turned to him. He was looking off into a corner, eyes avoiding you nervously and a cute pink blush on his cheeks. He never usually acts like this. He isn't one to get nervous when asking for physical affection. He just asks you to hug him or hold his hand straight up. Or he just does it without even asking.

So that got you curious. "Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, eyes shifting to you. He looked excited, looking at you with wide eyes and a smile, waiting for your answer.

"HUH?!" that was the thing you expected to hear the least.

"Hey, don't be so loud! I don't want anyone to come here right now..." he said, a pretty pout on his face. You just stared at him, wide eyed.

You noticed his body slightly trembling, probably from trying to contain his excitement and nervousness.

"Let's... do it." you said, clenching his blanket in your hand nervously.

At your confirmation, he made a noise of excitement, smiling widely like an innocent boy whose mom let him get candy while grocery shopping.

"Okay. Sit still..!" he instructed, awkwardly grabbing your arms. You closed your eyes, too nervous to look at him lean in. The bed made a noise as he shifted closer, and you soon felt his breath against your face. You were sure he could hear your heart beating out of your chest.

"Levochka~ I came to- Oh my!"

Your eyes opened immediately, and you spun your head around to find a surprised Alisa at the door. You didn't see it, but Lev looked equally shocked.

"THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Lev shouted nervously.

"Ah, I'll come back later~ Have fun!" Alisa smiled cheekily and closed the door. Your head slowly turned back to him, and he looked both embarrased and annoyed.

"Damn it, and I was so close..." he mumbled.

"...You can still do it, you know?" you said, looking down at his blanket. There was an awkward tension in the room.

"Not now that the mood is ruined!" he grabbed his head in frustration, blushing wildly.

"Later, then." you shrugged, blushing wildly yourself.

˚ ༘ ೀHinata Shoyo

You were helping Hinata with his summer break homework, solving it together in his room. He thanked you excessively when you agreed to come over, but you could never refuse an opportunity to come over to his house anyways.

His mom was really nice and even brought you two cookies. Natsu seemed excited to see you, as she always is. She even asked you to play with her, but Hinata's mom explained why you came over and she had the cutest pout on her face after.

After a while, you two were finally done with the homework, and he looked over to you, an idea flashing in his eyes before his cheeks turned pink. He was avoiding your gaze nervously. You tilted your head slightly, curious about his behaviour.

"So, ummm... since you've come over and, uhhh, helped me and everything... I-I wanted to thank you." Hinata was bright red at this point and seemed really nervous.

You hummed in question, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"W-With a kiss..." he mumbled quietly, probably too embarrased to say it louder, but you still heard him. You giggled a little at how cute he was.

"That's the best form of thank you I can possibly get." you couldn't contain your smile. You saw him tremble a little in excitement, and he scooted closer to you.

"O-Okay... I'll do it n-now..." he whispered, and you closed your eyes, knowing that he would get nervous if you kept looking at him.

You felt his lips press gently against yours, and you felt his hair brush against your forehead. You didn't kiss Hinata often yet, so every time it did happen it felt special, exciting.

"Nii-chan, let's go play with your...EW!" Natsu slid open the door to Hinata's room without warning, scrunching her little face up in disgust when she noticed what you two were doing.

"Nacchan! I-" Hinata scrambled away from you, stumbling over his words and not finishing the sentence.

"I'M TELLING MOM!" Natsu yelled, running away without closing the door. Hinata was too shocked to move, but soon swiftly got up, face scarlet red. "No, Nacchan, wait!" he ran after her.

You could hear Natsu tattling "MOM! NII-CHAN IS KISSING [NAME]!" downstairs with Hinata nervously denying it, attempting to do damage control. You could hear Hinata's mom chuckling at the scene, too.

To be fair, you were laughing right now as well. Whether it was from embarrasment or amusement, you're not sure.

˚ ༘ ೀKageyama Tobio

Kageyama randomly invited you over today, saying he was home alone. You knew his parents are often busy, but his sister was usually home with him, so this was quite the opportunity.

Knowing Kageyama, you were sure he didn't invite you over to do anything weird and simply wanted to spend time with you alone since things tend to get awkward when his family is around.

That being said, all you were doing was sitting in his room in silence. It didn't really feel uncomfortable, though. You have a feeling Kageyama simply enjoys being in your presence and doesn't feel the need to talk around you. Either that or he's just awkward.

Suddenly, you felt your hand being grabbed roughly, and you looked to your left to see Kageyama looking at you with strange determination. You haven't ever seen him make this kind of face, not even during a volleyball match.

"...Tobio?" you questioned, confused by his behaviour.

"Kiss me." he choked out, furrowing his brows.

"Uhhh, what?" you raised your eyebrows in disbelief. There's no way he just said what you think he said. Where is this even coming from?!

"I said, kiss me." Kageyama grit his teeth, face completely red now. You have a feeling he just doesn't know how to ask for a kiss properly, holding back your giggles as you let him do what he wants.

He grabbed your upper arms, and you let your eyes shut. You felt his breath on your face, lips so close to touching, when you suddenly heard a gasp.

"Tobio-chan, you little charmer~" Miwa leaned on the doorframe, smirking mischeviously. You covered your mouth with both of your hands, eyes wide as you moved away from Tobio.

"Why are you home?!" Kageyama yelled, mortified. He immediately let go of your arms.

"Work ended early. And there's no way we aren't talking about this later." Miwa seemed awfully amused. Kageyama huffed in annoyance at getting his opportunity to kiss you ruined.

"Oh, and by the way, you were doing it wrong. I'll teach you how to kiss the right way later." she said, closing the door behind her. There was complete silence in his room for a long time after that.

You turned to Kageyama, who was still red all over, gently taking his hand. "Tobio, I-"

"Don't. D-Don't say anything." he said quietly, his hand wriggling out of your gentle grip. Oh well, gazing at a flustered Kageyama is also a great activity.

But you can't help but worry about what Kageyama will do with Miwa's advice.

After his parents found out he has a partner, they incessantly kept asking him to meet you. In their own words, they wanted to "know what kind of person would fall in love with a kid like Kei". And you couldn't really blame them, knowing Tsukishima.

˚ ༘ ೀTsukishima Kei

They were pleasant to you, treating you well and even letting you stay over for dinner. You were a little surprised at how different they are from Tsukishima.

He took you to his room as soon as possible, wanting to avoid his mom questioning how you two ended up together, what he's like around you and such.

His room looked about the same as you expected, and he let you sit down on his bed, joining you.

"Your family is so nice! I wonder how they managed to get a grumpy boy like you mixed in there." you commented, smiling at him. He rolled his eyes, that being the only answer you got.

You didn't really know what else to say, so you just sat next to him in awkward silence. Then, you suddenly got an idea. A very very fun idea.

"Kei." you said, leaning forwards. He looked at you from the corner of his eye, waiting for you to continue. "Let's kiss." you said in an excited tone, and his lips pursed, face remaining blank.

"And why?" he asked, turning his head to you.

"Don't couples do that all the time?" you tilted your head, acting innocent. He sighed.

"...Fine." he acted like this was a pain to do, but you didn't miss the tiny sliver of a smile on his face. He was definitely excited right now. You leaned close and accidentally bumped your nose against his glasses.

"Be careful, those are- mmph..." you pressed your lips to his before he could finish his sentence, trying not to smile too hard into the kiss. This feels awesome!

His arm slowly wrapped around you, deepening the affection.

"Kei, mom says that- Ah!" you quickly broke the kiss to find Tsukishima's brother, Akiteru, standing at the door, frozen in shock.

"Well.... This is unexpected. I'm glad you two are happy together?" he said, awkward smile on his face. He slowly moved to close the door, not wanting to disrupt you further but just before he did it, Tsukishima stopped him.

"If you ever tell anyone about this, I will murder you." he said, furrowing his brows. The door opened again slightly, Akiteru wearing a worried smile on his face in the crack of the door.

"I won't, calm down. Just what do you think of me?" he assured him before shutting the door. As you sat there, processing what just happened, Tsukishima slowly brought his hands to his face, pushing his glasses up to his forehead. He groaned loudly into his hands.

"Are you okay?" you asked cautiously, blushing yourself.

"Do I look okay to you? Of course not." he pinched the bridge of his nose, face red.

You came over to your boyfriend's house for another study session this week. Exam season has been wild this year and you're eternally grateful for his help in your studies.

˚ ༘ ೀHirugami Sachiro

His family welcomed you upon your arrival as usual, the dog being especially happy to see you. The two of you are taking a break from studying just now, talking about various things in his room.

You suddenly felt the need to be close to him out of nowhere, wordlessly settling on his lap and hugging him. "Oh? Why are you hugging me?" he asked calmly.

"Do I need a reason?" you mumbled against him. "I guess not." he responded, gently placing an arm around you.

You looked up at him, not even trying to disguise the fact that you were staring at his lips. He raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

"Can I...?" you asked gently, not removing your gaze from his lips. He chuckled, asking "Can you what?"

He definitely knew what you were asking for, but just wanted to tease you a bit. You pouted, grumbling "I know you know what I mean." His smile became wider. "You're right, as always."

Before you could ask again, he gently pressed his lips against yours, and you hummed happily, squeezing him in your hold. His other hand gently moved to your face, holding it.

"Now what's this I see?" you were interrupted by Hirugami's older sister, standing at the door with an amused smile on her face. "You hate when my boyfriend is lovey dovey with me, but it's fine when you do it?"

Hirugami let out an annoyed sigh. "I hate your boyfriend because he's getting lovey dovey with you in front of me. I atleast do it in private."

"Jeez, okay then, you prude." his sister narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not a prude, I just prefer to not make others uncomfortable by making out with my partner in the living room." Hirugami still had a calm smile on his face, which made his sister even more annoyed.

"Whatever." his sister huffed, closing the door and walking off. When her footsteps could no longer be heard, he looked back at you with a slight frown on his face.

"Sorry about that. Where were we again?" he asked casually. It surprised you how calm he is about the whole thing, while you were turning red from the embarrasment of being caught.

"I... believe you were kissing me..." you mumbled.

"That's right." he said, cupping the side of your face.

[06sunnybunny06]

By the dictates of fate ?

Chapter 1

(Neuvillette)

Anyone who hears the word marriage will imagine a couple of lovers entering into an alliance with the help of a long-familiar sacred ritual. Only by the will of fate, only some are able to find true love among the dullness of everyday life. The most unpleasant thing can be a marriage of convenience, where benefit is more important than true feelings. This is a common thing among aristocrats.

You have always dreamed of finding true love, and not allowing yourself to become a profitable commodity in the hands of a stranger. Not everyone managed to win the lottery and find at least an adequate soul mate. Fontaine is considered a progressive country. Exquisitely dressed citizens with a rich pedigree can still be found on the streets. Many turn up their noses as if the purest gold flows in their veins, not a burgundy liquid. Your family is no exception.

Unfortunately for you, fate was decided a long time ago. A rich aristocrat had the honor to meet you this week, but your meeting never took place. Soon, a large investigation began against him, which revealed a fraudster. The court sentenced the poor man to a long term in a deep-sea prison.

It was like a miracle. You could have stayed free until one day a letter arrived at your estate. The neatly sealed blue envelope was already in your hands. The seal testified to the rather high origin of the owner of the letter. What was your surprise when you found out that the Chief Justice himself decided to write personally. Because your future husband is in prison. The engagement was soon broken off. It was a blow to your reputation. Even though your father was on edge, you didn't care.

On expensive paper, ink curled out the text. Mr. Neuvillette apologized for the inconvenience caused by the imprisonment of your future husband, but in return he was ready to take his place so that a young lady like you could create a future without a huge stain on her good name.

It was unexpected. That's putting it mildly. You were in complete shock. Knowing the reputation of the most fair judge, whose personality was shown only in a formal setting. He could even be considered insensitive. Watching the trial, you have been convinced many times that this stone face will not be able to tremble under the weight of the situation. And why would someone so busy enter into a marriage of convenience with an unknown girl? Your father will never refuse a large prize that fell right into his hands. You decided not to jump to conclusions and observe your future husband.

At your first meeting, a soft, friendly smile was waiting for you. Officially introducing himself, he outlined all the conditions of your future marriage. Over a cup of fragrant tea, you even chatted a little. In a gentlemanly way, Neuvillette has created all the conditions for your comfort, knowing how intimidating he can sometimes be in the eyes of people.

Good...If you had a choice, and you don't have one, you still wouldn't be able to refuse, knowing the pressure your family would put on you.

Life as Yudex's wife was no different from the past in his parents' house. In addition, there are much more outfits, jewelry, cosmetics and free time. You were surrounded by a lot of servants, as well as cute little creatures named melusines. They often looked at you with interest, asking you about many things that they did not understand. When you talked to them, it seemed to you that you had a lot of small children.

You and Neuvillette treated each other with respect, like spouses who have lived a long and interesting life. Your husband was often away from home, and that was fine with you. You lived without emotions towards this person. He did not demand love from you, but you tried to maintain the image of your spouse. I just had to appear in public sometimes so that people wouldn't find your absence strange.

Deep in my soul there was a feeling that wanted to break out. You've never felt his fiefdom, not even to your own parents, and you wanted to find him somewhere behind brick walls. Celestia may have heard your wish.

For a long time, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed the gaze of a rather handsome young man. This guy is one of the soldiers guarding the courtroom. He often greeted you with such a gentle smile, as if he saw a good friend. Sometimes he even had the opportunity to accompany you. That's when you met. You had a lot in common. To be honest, you've never had such a close relationship with anyone. Perhaps this is what they write about in romance novels. From that moment on, your meetings were filled with all kinds of dangers. It's scary to imagine what will happen when it turns out that Judex's wife has taken a lover. The scariest thing is to find out your husband's reaction, even though you are not that close. Perhaps he has more interesting things to worry about besides your infidelity.

Fleeting kisses turned into passionate, light touches into strong hugs. Each meeting was filled with words about eternal love. On one of those days, you were sitting under a tree. Your hand gently stroked his head, which fell into your lap. After listening to another story about your husband's indifference, although you repeatedly hinted to him about his love for another man, he offered to run away. You could start a new life away from the past, where no one would find you. The idea was wonderful. Despite your fear, you decided to take a chance. When it was time to go to bed, you took only the essentials. With the help of the maid's uniform, easily slipped past the guards. At the indicated place, you met, kissed quickly and rushed off on your way. This is how your new life could begin. How the hell were you wrong.

In the midst of the escape, during the pass, the first drops fell, drumming harder and harder on the destroyed buildings. A light rain turned into a heavy downpour. Fortunately, there was an abandoned house nearby. All the clothes were soaked through. You have lit a fireplace that may have been waiting in the wings since time immemorial. The weather just went crazy. As if the gods themselves were punishing you for sinful bonds. Despite this, you hugged each other while waiting for the storm to end. My eyes closed of their own accord in the warm embrace of a loved one.

After a while, the eyes opened in complete darkness. A strange unpleasant feeling woke you up. Water was able to penetrate through the leaky roof and extinguish the light source. The rain still hadn't stopped, but it wasn't raining that hard. Soft breathing could be heard nearby. He was still asleep. Heavy mechanical movements were heard outside, making you flinch. Lantern light filtered through the cracks of the old wooden walls. Human voices grew louder from the quiet ones as they approached. Your boyfriend woke up to loud noises himself. If only you had woken him up earlier. You would have been able to escape in a matter of minutes, but at that moment the door was flung open by a strong blow. The searchlights hit right in the eyes. While you were recovering, something like a robot appeared next to you for a moment, easily lifting your lover and pinning him against the wall. It was followed by a painful sigh. You could only watch in despair until you were grabbed by the arms and lifted to your feet. A woman in a soldier's uniform was anxiously examining you. You recognized Clorinde in her. One of Neuvillette entourage - "Thank the Archons, you are safe, lady. Let's go there. Mr. Neuvillette is going crazy about your disappearance."

When her eyes turned towards your boyfriend, they dimmed noticeably. - "Take him to the interrogation room right now. He will be tried soon."

You didn't even have time to come to your senses when he was chained up and dragged away, and you were taken away without hesitation, accompanied by several soldiers. After a while, you were already sitting in the guest house and waiting for your husband under the supervision of a guard outside the door. Everything you dreamed of before that day collapsed in an instant. It was a great plan. You could leave Fontaine today and go far, far away. Tears were ready to gush from his eyes. The color drained from face when a familiar voice was heard outside the door. The door opened, inviting a tall figure to enter. You weren't looking at him. I just couldn't do it, afraid of the same cold look that criminals receive in a courtroom.

"Everything I've done for you has been solely for the good. From getting rid of a worthless aristocrat to acquiring status for a better and more comfortable life. Still, I'm worried about your behavior lately. It turned out that you decided to run away, finding solace on the side. A soldier with no money, no status and no good plans for the future. The man who decided to encroach on the sacred, to take away mine. "

The last words seemed to come out of his mouth with great menace. There was silence in the room, but soon he continued. - "I heard him and I will hear him in the courtroom when I sentence him to life imprisonment at the bottom, where even the most dangerous criminals are afraid to go, and if they do, they die long and painfully. I'm waiting for your excuses."

You were afraid. Even your father wasn't as scary as Neuvillette calm tone when he told you what would happen to your lover. Nevertheless, the trembling voice was able to squeeze something out of you.

"I... I wrote it all in a farewell letter....If you found it.

- Oh, yes. A parting gift in the form of an apology on a piece of paper. But you don't seem to know that you and I are officially married, and if you run away from Fontaine, that will remain unchanged.

- You do realize that we are married only on paper, right? We... We don't know each other at all, and I don't think I feel anything like love for you. It was just an agreement between the two sides. I think you deserve more. You could just accuse me of cheating and move on....

After the barely audible words that you squeezed out of yourself out of fear, there was a long silence. You didn't even have time to notice how his figure loomed over you. A big hand in a leather glove grabbed your chin. Your faces were only a few centimeters apart. Had his pupils always been so pointed? Were there small scales on his delicate features?

"How dare you consider our marriage to be just a minor arrangement?" I chose you for a reason. This is a serious decision that I have been making for several hours. You have no right to betray me, let alone fall in love with someone. Breaking a marriage contract is the same as breaking the law, and breaking it is always punishable. It doesn't matter who or what performs it.

While he was looming over you. A clawed hand forcefully pulled the collar of the still wet dress aside, opening access to your neck. The body seemed to turn to stone. Tears welled up in my eyes. You have never seen the anger of your spouse, who courted you so sweetly. Previously, apart from his gentle smile, no other emotions touched you.

There was a flicker of interest in his eyes as the pupils lowered to the open neckline of the dress. The head slowly sank even lower. When you saw who actually appeared in front of you. You didn't even want to know what this creature could do. Her body instinctively twitched at the touch of her nose on her delicate skin. One sharp movement of a clawed paw is enough and the head will fly off his shoulders, but now Neville is not in the mood to kill. The smell of your body beckoned to him. Lips parted, releasing warm breath. His mouth slowly moved closer to your neck. A sharp sigh escaped from your throat when you felt the Neuvillette begin to suck and bite the areas on your skin. His hands held you firmly in one place. The long serpentine tongue slid, leaving wet trails. A red blush has graced your face. To your shame, it turned you on. You bit your tongue, trying not to make unnecessary sounds.

Fortunately, the shameful action has stopped. You thought it was over until a low growl snapped you out of your thoughts. Fear enveloped the body again.

- You smell weird. These clothes smelled of him.

He pulled away abruptly. Annoyance showed on his face.

- We need to get rid of these rags. Please forgive me....

- what? Neuvillette, stop!

He yanked off the top of the black dress, exposing your white bra. It was followed by a long skirt. You kicked with all your might, like a cat. Pieces of cloth flew across the floor. A wave of shame swept over you again, leaving you in your underwear and in the fetal position. Your hands were trying to cover all the exposed parts of your body that they could.

After scanning your body, he sighed with satisfaction.

"It's all right now. Unfortunately, we don't have much time left. You need new clothes. It was not proper for the wife of the Chief Justice to walk naked down the street. But for now....

A heavy jacket has fallen on your shoulders. While you were recovering, Neuvillette looked out the door, giving orders to two soldiers. After that, he returned to the room.

- Everything is fine now. A maid will arrive shortly with new clothes. You'll have to wait a bit. Unfortunately, I will have to leave. The trial will begin soon. You have nothing else to worry about. No one will dare to lay a finger on you.

A quick light kiss touched your forehead. Neuvillette started to leave and then you shouted sharply in his direction.

- Who are you?

A tall figure stopped near the door. A long-recognized face turned to you with the same friendly smile.

"I am Neuvillette, your husband, and also the chief justice of Fontaine. Unfortunately, I won't be lucky enough to escort you home, but we'll meet tonight. I'm asking you not to do anything stupid. From now on, you won't be alone anymore. I promise you that."

The blue eyes looked into yours again. Then he left, slamming the door behind him. You fell on the sofa in despair, wrapping your robe more tightly around you. You definitely can't escape now. A soft cry filled the small room.

[squadmuse]

PUZZLE PIECE

A MATT CASEY X F!READER FIC

A/N: So this idea was originally inspired from babysitting my nephew, and I just had to write it for Matt… again dedicated to @deanstead who is amazing and her anons got me into this dad!Matt rut.

It had been a quiet July morning when Matt Casey had arrived for work at Firehouse 51, with a special guest in tow.

“Now sweetheart, Daddy has to go to work, but you’ll be absolutely fine here,” said Matt to his three-year-old daughter, Emma, who was held securely in his arms against his hip. Known as Emmy in the family he shared with you, his wife, she was an adorable little girl and the apple of her father’s eye.

It was the summer vacation, and sadly, little Emmy’s daycare had ended up closed due to an outbreak of chickenpox. Usually, when this happened, you’d take her to the daycare at Chicago Med but you and Matt had happened to awake that morning to find out your other three children were suffering from a very mild sickness bug. This meant that you were home with Emmy’s three older siblings while Matt took her to work with him.

The three-year-old rubbed one of her bright blue eyes. “Uh huh, Daddy,” said Emmy as she laid her head against his broad shoulder. Matt smiled as he walked along and into the building.

He had just walked onto the app floor when he spotted the members of Squad Three already sitting around their table, playing cards. Instantly, each member lit up at the sight of the two Caseys.

Kelly quickly made his way over to Matt and Emmy, and plucked the three-year-old out of her father’s arms, to her delight. Matt smiled as Emma giggled in her godfather’s arms. Kelly was the closest thing he had to a brother, and he very much considered him to be one.

“If it isn’t my favorite little girl!” exclaimed Kelly loudly to the toddler.

“No, no, Uncle Kelly!” giggled Emmy as Kelly began to playfully tickle her, her little rosy cheeks pinking up even further.

Kelly grinned at Matt as he relented, letting Emmy rest in his arms. She was very much a Daddy’s girl, but the littlest Casey absolutely adored her godfather too. “Hey man, where’s the rest of the fam?” he asked Matt, looking behind the Captain of Truck 81 as if to see you bringing up the rear with his three other godchildren.

“Sickness bug,” commented Matt as he shrugged his bag further up his shoulder. Kelly instantly understood.

“So, Emmy is here for the day?” he asked Matt.

“Yeah, we didn’t want Em getting sick too,” said Matt.

Kelly nodded and so did the toddler in his arms.

“Me not sick,” said Emmy out loud. “No sicky!”

The two men chuckled. “Is that so?” asked Kelly.

Emmy nodded seriously.

Kelly hummed, grinning at her. “Well, that means you can have one of Auntie Stella’s cookies?” he smiled at his goddaughter, whose blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree at the mere mention of cookies.

“Down please!” she squealed, to which Kelly allowed. It didn’t take long for Emmy to find her feet again and run off to the open door. The three-year-old had grown up in the firehouse, visiting even before she was born, and she was familiar with the layout even though Matt and you never let her venture far alone.

Matt and Kelly chuckled as they heard Emmy start to call out for her Auntie Stella, and the two firefighters headed off to follow Matt’s little girl.

Luckily, as they reached the kitchen and recreational area, it seemed that Emmy had found Stella, and was already munching on a chocolate chip cookie happily.

Stella grinned widely as Matt appeared alongside Kelly, her husband. “You should’ve told me my favorite little gal was coming by!” exclaimed Stella as she bounced Emmy, making her giggle.

Matt nodded, making his way over to his daughter and wiping the chocolate off her cheek. “I’ll make sure next time,” he chuckled, taking Emmy into his arms as she reached out for him.

Stella grinned as she ruffled Emmy’s hair. “You better, Captain! This little cutie pie is just so cute,” she said, tickling Emmy much like her husband had done moments before.

“Cute!” repeated Emmy, looking up at her dad, placing her tiny hand against his cheek. Matt smiled, feeling his heart grow even fonder and larger due to his little girl.

“You’re the cute one,” chuckled Matt to Emmy as Stella awwed loudly. There was no denying that fact. However, Emmy’s attention didn’t stay focused on her father, aunt or godfather for much longer as she spotted Tuesday wander into the room with Ritter, Gallo and Herrmann.

“Tues! Tues!” cried the three-year-old, who began to wrestle herself out of her dad’s arms in order to get down to the Dalmatian dog. Emmy couldn’t quite say Tuesday yet but neither she or Tuesday seemed to care as Matt carefully let his youngest child pet the dog.

Emmy’s giggles seemed to ignite within the room as Tuesday excitedly licked her face, Matt and Ritter keeping a close eye alongside everyone else in the room.

“Hey pumpkin,” said Herrmann as he crouched down beside Emmy, her father, Tuesday and Ritter. “I swear you get bigger and bigger every time I see you!”

Emmy waved at him, making the Engine lieutenant smile widely. “Me three now! I go swing with Mama,” she said to Herrmann.

“Oh you do? Annabelle likes the swings too,” replied Herrmann with a grin as he talked about his only daughter. “Likes to give her old man a heart attack too, launching out of them too,” he added, glancing at Matt.

Matt grimaced. “Don’t give her ideas, Herrmann, we Caseys might have heads made out of stone, but I’m still trying to calm down after Joshua broke his arm jumping out of a tree last week,” he commented to Herrmann. “I don’t need my little girl trying to kill me doing the same on a swing.”

“No, no Daddy!” said Emmy as she wandered to the side away from Tuesday and towards where Mouch sat watching the television. “Mama say no, no, Josh hurt!” she chimed in her innocent voice.

Matt nodded again, he was lucky to have such a smart little girl, not that his other children were not, but he hoped that Emma Casey would be the mellowest Casey. “That’s right, listen to Mama, sweetheart.”

Emmy nodded as she determinedly tried to pull herself up onto the couch beside Mouch. As the older man went to help her up, she squealed out loud and made Tuesday bark out loud.

“No, no! I do! I do!” exclaimed Emmy, pulling herself away from Mouch, who looked at her and then Matt with confusion.

Matt shrugged. “The independence stage has hit with a vengeance, Mouch don’t take it to heart,” he commented, watching as his daughter tried to pull herself up. Even at three years old, Matt was impressed with the amount of determination and resilience his daughter had.

“Ahh, a Casey through and through then,” vocalised Mouch, who started to pet Tuesday as she sat next to the couch.

Herrmann chuckled as he stood now beside the door-frame. “You need eyes on the back of your head, especially with the youngest… I don’t know how many times Kenny tried copying his big brothers and sister, landing himself in the ER!” he commented, watching Emmy successfully climb onto the couch.

Everyone in the room clapped in celebration as she did and Emmy beamed happily. Even in his happiest of hearts, Matt hated seeing his youngest become more and more independent and growing up. She was his baby.

Seeing as Mouch had put Dora the Explorer on, which harnessed the complete attention of Emmy, it was then that Matt decided to head off to his quarters to leave his and Emmy’s bags and get some paperwork. He would do the paperwork in the common room area at the table and chair beside the couch as it’d allow Matt the opportunity to work while keeping an eye on his daughter.

Walking over to Emmy, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Daddy won’t be gone long okay, kiddo,” he told her. Emmy nodded.

“Kiss kiss, bye bye Daddy,” chirped Emmy, making Matt smile lovingly. That little phrase was a new thing she had started saying whenever he or someone went away. It was absolutely adorable.

Matt glanced over at Herrmann who had sat down at the long lunch table with a newspaper, Mouch bringing over two cups of coffee for them both. “Herrmann, keep an eye on my little girl while I go to my quarters.”

Herrmann nodded as he took a gulp of his coffee. “Will do, Captain,” he replied.

Knowing that Herrmann, a father of five, was there, Matt hurried off out the door. Reaching his quarters, he opened up the glass door and went inside. The little rectangular room had not changed much ever since Matt had become Lieutenant all those years ago, but it held a lot of memories, both good and bad.

Now, there were some changes to his quarters. That was undeniable. Underneath Matt’s bunk was a small box of toys and blankets for whenever his young children visited. There were numerous photographs that he had carefully framed and hung up on the stone walls that told the story of the Caseys.

Sitting down in his chair, Matt smiled pensively at them all. There was a photo from your first date together at Mollys that Sylvie had taken. Then there were the photos from your engagement party and wedding, and Matt couldn’t help but grin as he reminisced about those moments. But his heart swelled even further as he saw the photographs of his four children with you, from womb to now. His two little boys and two little girls with you. They were nothing short of miraculous in Matt’s eyes.

Sighing, he got up and quickly got together the reports and other documents he needed to complete and file today. Slipping back out and locking the door, Matt made his way back to the common area and passed by Stella, who was on the phone with someone. However, as Matt entered the room, he instantly locked eyes with the couch and saw that his daughter was no longer sitting there.

“Herrmann! Where is Emmy?” commanded Matt to the lieutenant, who was arguing slightly with Mouch, Gallo and Ritter over something to do with Mollys. Each one of them quietened instantly at their Captain’s sharp tone.

Herrmann gasped and hurried over. “Shit! She was just there, I swear Casey!” he yelped, frantically looking around the room with his eyes for any chance that the blonde toddler was simply sitting elsewhere.

“I just gave her a juice box!” exclaimed Mouch.

Matt hummed as he rubbed his temples. It was now that he had a good idea of where his daughter could be and most likely was.

“I can search the entire firehouse top to bottom, Captain!” said Gallo seriously. He was quite close to you and Matt, ever since he had been taken under Matt’s wing and mentored by the Truck 81 Captain. He absolutely adored the four Casey children.

Ritter nodded, Tuesday beside him. “Me too, we can go now, Captain,” he stated, getting up to go and do it but Matt gestured for him to sit down.

“No need, I know where my daughter is now,” replied Matt before he turned on his heel and hurried back out the way he had just arrived. Pushing through the doors to the app floor, it was there that Matt did find his little girl.

There was three-year-old Emma Casey, sitting perched on her godfather’s knee, with a Squad Three cap on her little head, as she enthusiastically participated in a jigsaw puzzle with Kelly, Tony, Capp and Cruz encouraging her every step. Her juice box sat on the table next to her.

Matt stood there, watching as his little girl laughed and giggled, placing each piece of the puzzle together as if it were a piece of his heart. Emma was the finishing piece to the jigsaw puzzle that was the heart of one Matthew Casey.

[stormblessed95]

Hi Stormblessed (dope name btw),

Don't know if this is the best place for this essay or the right time but I need to word-vomit this out, or I'm gonna be a JK-style spaced out zombie all day.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a big part of the fandom tends to mis-characterize the members based on edits, fanfics and out-of-context clips. Something probably mostly to do with how social media platforms have been pushing for these short videos over the last few years. Why watch 300 hours of original content (some of which is behind a paywall) if you can get the gist of it (you think) from TikToks?

My particular point has to do with how that allows for the narrative (aka made up shit) especially around Jimin to grow. All of the members get that treatment, the maknaes worse due to their popularity, but due to how a big part of Army are also tkk shippers, Jimin is the one who's portrayal often skews more negative. The others' perceptions just are neutral or fantastical in a sense that they're more like badly written male leads. Don't get me wrong, solos throwing around bs is nothing singular to him but no one gets accused (said completely seriously btw) of sleeping his way into BTS or the release of his album.

After I saw this vitriol for the first time I had to actually sit down because wtf.

And then I started wondering why that is, and came to the conclusion that it is:

(Internalized) misogyny and sexism

Blatant homophobia

Jimin is the member the most obviously in tune of his femininity. He hasn't subscribed to gender norms for a decade at least, and once his hyper-masculine-esque persona from the debut days was dismissed, he ventured further. (That isn't to dismiss the growth they all have shown in that area.)

But antis, akgaes, Solos and shippers take that femininity and apply every stereotype and misogynistic idea to JM.

Traits they f.e. hate:

He is openly flirty with many people (members especially)

He is very physical, and touch is arguably one of his love languages and go-to way of comforting smn

He is pretty af and knows it

He's sensual and sexy and knows it

He's cute

He's sweet (aka a good fucking human)

But why does that make "them" hate him so much?

Because they have been taught that these traits in women (like themselves) are bad. What makes it worse, however, is that the men around JM all know these things to be true, acknowledge them as true and compliment him on them. In the case of JK (since this is about Jikook at the end of the day):

He loves flirty JM despite sometimes not knowing how to handle him (ehem the 'shameless convo'). He flirts back (fe the whole live where he was in bed begging for JM to come over)

Tkkers and such love pulling the "JK hates it" card. Which is nonsense, considering how he seeks JM's comfort when he's down (esp during concerts), actively cuddles JM (In The Soop) and never uses all his big muscles to shove JM but rather to just carry him around. Compare that to the jokingly disgusted face Yoongi pulls when Tae tries to hold his hand, and it becomes glaringly obvious that no one who says the members dislike touching each other has a leg to stand on. Calling it harassment goes so far beyond any line of sanity...

JK - like all of BTS - acknowledges that Jimin's beauty is simply out of this world. They are regularly stunned by his appearance

Just gonna point to JK's reaction to Filter, Blood Sweat & Tears, Black Swan, and Set Me Free pt 2 here. JK calls JM sexy so often it's hilarious

* inserts clip of absolutely WHIPPED JK after JM cutely punches him during that performance of Boy With Luv *. Also we know that "cute" his JK's type as he himself admitted.

Jimin has been Jungkook's comfort person for so long, and with such depth that he dedicated a whole trip and video to him. They care for each other so deeply that the only logical conclusion was to go to the military together.

Aka: he is all that they hate in the girls/women in their normal life so they can't do nothing but tear him down. They envy how comfortable he seems in his own skin, how easily he goes from sexy to cute, how loved he is by those around him. On top of that is how gay people are still perceived and treated by a lot of countries around the world. No matter what they say, being an army and shipping men doesn't make you automatically an ally and non-homophobic.

They treat Jimin like they would most likely treat the lgtbqia+ people in real life: something to be careful of, someone dishonest and slutty.

They conflate everything they hate about themselves and gay people and * boom * out come frankly terrifying tweets, fanfics and shit.

Contrast that with how these very same people fetishize the relationship between Tae and Jungkook - either viewing them like men who watch p_rn involving two women, or a self-insert with how little character they have - and that's the state of the army shipping community. They could be Barbie dolls getting smashed together and you wouldn't know the difference.

I'm not saying Jikookers are better in that, but the language they tend to use is incredibly different.

---

That was a lot.

To end on a sweet note: I saw a quote on Twitter "If you want to find out what someone fears losing, look at what they photograph."

And...well. that just screams Jikook

Hi! Thank you, I like my name too 🥰

And yeah, basically I agree. I think there is more to it as well, but that a lot of it could be boiled down to all this. And yeah, jikookers are just as guilty of this too, but not always in the same way. Sometimes in a way that is more fetishizing but is just as harmful. Take it from someone who has seen it all in my inbox from people who feel safe on anon 😂😂

Thanks for sharing! And your quote at the end is SOOOOO cute!

[shatcey]

Haunted House Report (Alfons endings)

Alfons 1-2ch Alfons endings Epilogue (briefly) Roger (premium)

And now I have to warn you about the spoilers to Alfons's route. Yes, I am a very kind person. But… There were no spoilers in the first two chapters, they only appear in the endings…

Normal ending

The woman in red went in search of the old man, and Alfons and Kate shared their impressions. Alfons asks Kate if she thinks this woman is happy. And Kate replies that she doesn't look happy.

They return to the old man, who is desperately trying to find evidence. He is convinced that he will find it and destroy it, but the next day it reappears, and there is no end to it. For some reason, this reminds me of Oscar Wilde's short story "The Canterville Ghost"...

Alfons uses his ability on him...

After that, they show him the exit, and the old man begins to leave. Kate said it was the right thing to do…

They return to the mansion (after all, they haven't completed their mission… more about it at the premium end), and Kate looks at the old man again and notices the red dress of the ghost, which seems to be following him. Alfons also looks at the man and notices..

Kate is thinking about Alfons' fate. That after his death, everyone would forget about him, as if he had never existed. She thinks that's probably why, when they talked about the ghost, he said he didn't want them to be real. Because he doesn't want to become a ghost. But she decided that this was just a speculation, and to lighten the mood, she promised to have some fun after they completed the mission…

So cute… I wish that was all…

Premium ending

After telling the story, the ghost lady stayed with them, and Kate said she understood her feelings a bit.

She added that if he thought about her once a year, she would be happy with it.

Kate thinks that despite his usual teasing tone and his usual smile, it unmistakably sound like his true feelings.

I see it not as regrets, but as worries, thoughts… She can't rest in peace because she can't stop thinking about him. For me… The regrets associated with him are more like she's not really happy to be with him. But that's how I interpret the word. Maybe I'm wrong. That's why I'm leaving the original version.

He was shocked by this passionate confession and to hide it teased her a bit

The ghost watched their conversation with a dreamy smile. Kate noticed this and changed the subject.

Alfons remembered their assignment and asked another question.

Who would have thought that the "Crown" (elite assassins of Her Majesty the Queen) are now seeking refuge for criminals… What happened to all of Will and Vic's informants?

And since the ghost helped them, she should get a reward, like all informants. At first she said she didn't need a reward, just forget about it.

She resisted a bit, but Kate and Alfons managed to convince her. And she reluctantly agreed. And Alfons… used his magic fingers on the old man again, who continued to search for evidence.

And when the old man sees the lady in red (I forgot to call her that) he literally runs away. They run after him, and Kate wonders how fast this old man is… considering his age and all.

He ran to the cliff, where he most likely killed this woman. The ghost appeared next to him and he asked for forgiveness. And then the ghost reach out to touch him, he tried to shake off her hand, but… lost balance and… fell off a cliff.

The still-living people (Alfons and Kate) rushed to help, but it was too late.

They returned to Kate's room. Alfons said it ended pretty well. All those who suffered… don't suffer anymore. Alfons noticed that the whole their mission was like a detective, and if he is kicked out of the "Crown", he must open a detective agency. And for the first case… Kate asks him

So basically Kate on normal ending guessed right. Well… it was very easy to deduce.

Kate assures him that regardless of whether he is alive or dead, she wants to think about him, so she will never stop looking for a way to avoid his fate.

A few days later, Kate and William were discussing their next mission in the living room. Suddenly Kate noticed that Will was staring intently at her back. She turned around and saw nothing. William laughed, saying that he thought someone was behind her, and after she returned from her assignment at the haunted house, she probably took the ghost with her. Kate said it wasn't a funny joke, but he didn't react, so she asked… It was a joke, right?

No, William! Don't you f*** dare to say that! I usually love it when you say it, but not now!!!

(screem)

Ok... that's it.

So… I will probably (most likely) buy an epilogue. If so, I will make a summary, no matter how creepy it turns out to be.

And I have a little time, so maybe I will collect points for another story (Roger's). But I'm not sure if it will be normal or premium…

And about Alfons in this event. I mentioned earlier that he's really the perfect boyfriend. He always helped her, supported her when she fell down. When she realized she hadn't done much, he gave her a chance to lead the investigation and find the door herself. Subtle kindness. I like that he never shows off of his actions, but it can't be interpreted any other way.

I also noticed that he is not prone to excessive flirting and jokes, as usual. He's kind of used to dealing with difficult situations, so I doubt very much that he's become more focused because of it. Most likely, this is her influence. He has become calmer, more confident about the future, and I think it suites him.

But on the other hand, I'm a little worried about his constant subconscious actions aimed at pleasing her. He (again) is used to doing this and always puts the needs of others above his own, and I'm a little concerned that he continues to do so. I hope that further events will prove that I was wrong.

@judesmoonbeauty as promised

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[l-in-the-light]

Why do you think Law has a weakness for cute things (like Bepo)? 🐻

What a cute question <3 let's see... I think we don't really see any signs of him liking cute things in his childhood (but that flashback was quite short, so it doesn't have to mean much). His little sister was for sure cute though!

Just look at that bright smile and all thanks to some ice-cream <3

But to answer this more properly, we have to ask few extra questions here: why would Law consider Bepo cute (I mean, he's a polar bear and a mink)? And which things does he actually consider cute?

Cuteness is a funny term. I assume your question is referring to this picture (but even if it's not, it's a good start):

Because Law is holding a cute pen with a bear motif, something we never before suspected he would even own. This totally fits the concept of "kawaii" and that term is broader than just word "cute" in english. For example, Robin's imagination also counts as "kawaii" despite the fact that the images appearing in her mind are not really fitting the idea of something cute.

They're also kinda "ugly" tbh (maybe besides the cat, but it's also a bit strange, objectively speaking!). Which is fine for the term "kawaii" because it can combine contradictions, something can be ugly but cute, weird/strange but cute, and even scary and cute at the same time. In english the term rather suggests something sugary cute, no contradictions involved. That's because the origin of "kawaii" term stems from "something pitiful", "something you feel sorry for". For example, a person who constantly trips on a straight road can be considered kawaii. But it doesn't have to be just about people. As long as you can find that angle of "pitiful" in it, anything can be cute, even a manhole on a road! Ryuunosuke is actually the best example of this, because even without understanding the idea of "kawaii" we can easily call him a pitiable being! Recognizing the quality of "kawaii" requires a whole different mentality honestly.

Now let's go back to Law. We can assume he considers those people and objects cute:

Lammy (she's his sister, so ofc he loved her, but I guess if he considered her cute it means she was probably either clumsy or very carefree or not very smart, or maybe even all of it. This is all just an assumption though)

Cora-san (he was extremely clumsy, to the point he could set himself on fire while lighting a cigarette)

Bepo (who can't control himself very well, when he feels hunger he can't stand it and eats even a poisoned fish, which makes him pitiable. Law's novel also states that Bepo thought he's making friends with Shachi and Penguin when the two were honestly just bullying and beating him up. Not being able to tell such basic things is also quite kawaii by definition, because just looking at him makes you feel sorry for him). There's this infamous anime-only scene in Wano with cute Bepo (below), this really isn't about the sparking eyes, it's about how Law feels sorry for Bepo in this moment that shoots him right in the heart and that's why he can't leave him (despite the fact Bepo would be fine even if he did):

Chopper (because he's very guillible and trusting, so again, it's easy to feel sorry for him. We don't really see Law reacting to that, but since Chopper acts like this all the time, it's safe to assume Law had the opportunity already!)

Luffy (yep, I said that, sue me :D Luffy's carefree attitude makes Law worry constantly, because again, it's pitiable if someone lacks any sort of alertness to dangerous situations)

Kin'emon (yep, I also said it. Kin is a lovely and funny person, but he's not the smartest. He falls from Ryuunosuke because of his and Kanjuro's clumsiness, he is so airheaded he doesn't come up with a backup plan despite having suspicions there's a traitor among the Akazaya Nine and that being his responsibility as the leader, in beginning of Wano's arc he also keeps drinking poisonous water from the river despite knowing perfectly well how bad it is, exactly the same way Bepo did. All of these traits make him kinda pitiable and I bet you anything Law felt incquired to protect/help him because of it)

Eustass Kid (yes, I'm serious! It only happened in their fight against Big Mom, never before that. It's because Kid kept doing those ridiculous attacks and Law even makes fun of it "what will be next? Hippo? Elephant?" which proves he worried for freaking Eustass Kid, Law just couldn't help it, because in that moment he felt he's kinda pitiable. Only for a moment though, mind you!)

Nami, Chopper, Brook and Momo, in that moment when they screamed scared of the fighting fish. Law's not scared of those sea beasts, but he probably felt sorry for the Strawhats, to the point that he later accepts all the blame on himself for everything that happened and calls it "his mistake".

that kid in World Seeker (no spoilers!). Dunno if he considers all kids cute tho, but that's also a possibility. He did help kids in Punk Hazard at the very end of the arc, without anyone asking him to do it.

the bear pen (probably because it reminded him of Bepo or even he received it from someone who got it for Law exactly because it reminded them of Bepo. Anyway, the reason's Bepo)

And what do all of these have in common? They're all people Law feels inclined to protect and help. It started with Lammy, continued to Cora-san, then for a long, long time was exclusive to Bepo. So whenever he spots those traits in someone his older sibling's instinct kicks in, whether he wants it or not. That must mean he was a really good older brother or at least tried to be. Or maybe his regret over Lammy is so strong he now projects it on anything and anyone that resemble him of her.

In other words, I don't think Law is actually into cute things in general as in cute looking colorful desserts in shape of animals, cute looking bentos, cute colorful sweets or plushies (though it's kinda fun to imagine). But he definitely has a soft spot for people he adores, so anything reminding him of the people listed above would be "cute" and in the range of his interests. That means anything bear shaped, for example a bento with rice shaped like a bear - definitely, but not just any cute bento. I guess that's a subtle difference, but an important one.

But would he refuse a cute gift from a person he considers cute? Oh, definitely not, because it comes from someone important to him :) from that point on he would also consider all those gifts cute and so the amount of things he finds cute would only grow bigger. One day he might find himself finding things cute in general as the result, just like Robin, and wouldn't that be hilarious?

And now we have to ask the question! You know which one, right? The final question of all questions:

Did he mean it? Did Ryuunosuke's pitiful effort really not strike any protectional chord in Law's heart? It totally should, considering my mini-analysis here. And I actually think it did, Law would just never make a fuss over that, he *hates* people getting all dramatic / overly emotional after all. And speaking of dramatic...

It most likely means he also felt pity for Tashigi here.

In hindsight, I guess Usopp trying to tie Chopper to his hat wasn't only a bad experience for Law after all, hm. He sure got triggered, but it probably stroke a protectional instinct in him as well. Later on when Chopper asks him stuff Law actually opens up a little and answers him truthfully.

Besides, how can a person wearing a smiley jolly roger all over his clothes AND skin dislike cute things? His jolly roger is kinda cute... and Law came up with that design by himself! Like I always argue I think it proves that Law likes smiling people and wants people to smile, it reminds him of Cora-san, of Lammy, and later on also of Luffy. But it's fine to consider it as just my headcanon. I doubt manga will ever say it directly though.

I guess it means if you want to make Law protect you, you just need to act pitiful, lol.

Thank you so much for your question, I hope you feel satisfied with the answer, anon <3

[positivelybeastly]

Hey again, since you've once again brought up the idea of Hank and fatherhood, thought I'd try again to bring up his romantic history ( first comes love then comes marriage, Yada Yada and all that)

For a guy so down on himself and his appearance his got a pretty good dating history, and that's not even counting the people he's been teased with that the writers haven't pulled the trigger with yet

* cough*wonderman* cough*

How do you think Hanks romantic history in comics reflects on him as a romantic partner, both good and bad?

It's not my fault Hank's got such dad energy that people want to talk about how good of a father he'd make all the time. ;)

So, I think that Hank's romantic history is. Interesting. Because there's the surface level perception of Hank, and then there's the actuality of Hank as a romantic partner.

The surface level is largely dictated by the only non-comics source that ever bothered to give him a romance (no, I emphatically do not count the Mystique bullshit from the movies), which was the 90s animated series and the continuation of that theme in '97 this year.

Yep, it's time to talk about Carly Crocker!

Now, Carly is a completely original creation for the 90s show, and she doesn't quite fit any of the archetypes of Hank's other notable comics paramours, so I'd hazard a guess that they just kinda freestyled it here because, well, Hank's other romantic partners up to this point (Vera Cantor and Trish Tilby) wouldn't have fit the interracial romance/literal Beauty and the Beast angle that this episode is going for.

Carly's cute! I like her dynamic with Hank. They're very soft and tender with one another - she's not what I'd call frightfully complex, but she's a good woman with a nice dynamic that tugs at the heart strings a little, and especially given that the original 90s cartoon was aimed at kids, I feel like this is the right level of romantic interest to give a similarly relatively un-complex version of Beast.

Neither of them have any real negative qualities because if they did, well, it would detract from the tragedy of their denied romance and the unfairness of it all. It's very clear that the makers of the show want you to come away from this thinking that it's complete bullshit that Hank and Carly can't be together because other people are so small minded, and that would be muddied if Carly was, idk, kinda rude, or if we more faithfully transcribed some of Hank's neuroses to screen. So instead, it's very idealised.

This is where a lot of people get their idea of what Beast is like. He is a perfect saint who literally cures the blind on his time off from being a superhero, and his paramour is an angelic blind woman who is completely free from prejudice or rough edges. I think it's fine for what the show is going for, but it's not quite accurate to what Hank and his romantic history is like - to the point where I've seen some people (usually Redditors) say, UGHHHH, Beast was never the saint you think he was in the 90s cartoon, he's ALWAYS been morally grey, you fools! The fun blue uncle never existed in the comics!

And it's like, my guy. Yeah, the 90s show embellished a little bit, but this is not a million miles away from who Hank is. He's simplified, but Hank was absolutely a fun blue uncle jokester with a heart of gold for most of his existence. Maybe it wasn't exactly who he was in the comics, but neither is he what certain later writers think he is.

But. I digress.

We do, of course, have the '97 romance to consider, but we'll get to that, because that's a lot to unpack . . .

Comics!

Vera Cantor!

Ugh.

So, like . . . teenage Hank is just obnoxious. I don't enjoy him, tbh. He occasionally has good lines, but I'm basically just sitting around flicking his annoying head like

But in this instance, the 'do something' is turn blue. He's so much less obnoxious and annoying when he's blue . . .

Even filtering out the 60s misogyny, which isn't a particularly interesting flaw to try and give Hank, he's just not a great romantic partner because he's too stuffy and bookish. He's inattentive to Vera's needs and it really does read like he's only here because, well, it's something to do and Bobby needs a wingman. Vera states that she likes Hank because he's refined, which I suppose is true enough, but that's not enough to build anything more than a flirtation out of, tbh.

He's just. Not ready yet, for a fulfilling romance. The stuffiness and the blowhard vocabulary are all a smokescreen for a lot of insecurity, and that's just not someone who's ready to have a relationship.

Then again, when has that ever stopped a teenager?

They survive for longer than they should have done, honestly, given that Hank and Bobby are literally ALWAYS being called away to do X-Men things, which naturally puts a damper on dates, and they're on decent enough terms when she shows up again in Amazing Adventures, needing his help in dealing with Mimic's whole deal in Incredible Hulk.

It's a comic book romance (derogatory). It is what it is. Not really all that complex, not a lot to write home about.

Where it gets interesting is when J.M. DeMatteis enters the picture.

There's something very . . . performative, about Hank's romance with Vera, under DeMatteis. And I don't say that analytically, I mean that completely, utterly literally.

Silence. Uncertainty.

Guys, if I have to tell you that this is a bad foundation for a relationship, then I'm worried for you and your significant others. You can't be with someone because they're safe. That's part of a good reason to be with someone, but if you look at someone, and the best you can think of when you look at them is, you remind me of when my personal life was a little less scary because it was being dictated by a stern Professor Xavier, that's. Probably a sign???

It's also not great that Vera hasn't discovered feminist literature yet, so she keeps falling for being lovebombed because Hank is a bad boyfriend.

And this scene is just a big fuckin' WOOF.

Kid? Is that . . . really how you want to talk to your girlfriend, Hank?

Like . . . in the end, this is not the worst relationship in the world. Hank, when he's around, is charming. He's a good man. He writes good poetry, he'll take you dancing, he's handsome, he's great in bed, and he's a goddamn superhero. He is a fundamentally good man.

But.

He is inconsistent. He is prone to making decisions without consulting you. He is prone to showboating and revelling in attention from his fans because he has self-esteem issues. And, in the end? He's just not that into you, Vera. The base problem is still kind of the same - he's immature. He hasn't grown up yet. He's working on it! He's showing some self-awareness! But it's gonna be a bit before he's really good for anything beyond a fling.

Thankfully, Vera grew up and out of it quickly. Good for her!

The fact that they're still friendly means Hank didn't completely fuck this one up. I think both of them realise they had a lot of growing up to do, and I think that's the kind of sin you forgive people for a lot more when they're actually working on it, which Hank did.

Now, let's compare and contrast . . . with Jennifer Nyles.

I fucking love Jen.

Introduced in 1991's Marvel Presents as a flashback character who was Hank's first proper girlfriend (there's a character called Mindy that appears to have been a less serious relationship before Jen), Jennifer is a clever clogs like Hank, and even more feisty.

Hank remarks multiple times that if it hadn't been for his choice to join the X-Men, he likely would have stayed with Jen for the rest of his life, and I can see it. In a world where Hank didn't go with the X-Men, he lives a quiet, happy life with Jen in Illinois. Maybe he wins a Nobel Prize for biophysics. They have kids. They're good.

But, instead, Xavier wipes her mind of Hank's existence, and it shifts her entire world's axis - she commits her genius to the task of working out what the gap in his mind is, and becomes an expert in the field of techno-organic cybernetics.

As you do.

They find each other again. They have their moments together. And then, because Hank is a superhero, and they live dangerous lives, and Jen is reckless enough to get involved in dangerous endeavours to try and work out what was stolen from her, she nearly dies.

Nearly.

Hank and Jen are incredibly compatible, to be honest. They're a great match, and it's interesting to compare her to Vera, who is identified as a librarian, an 'intelligent' profession, but whom Hank seems disinterested in, whereas Jen, who is explicitly on Hank's level, enraptures him, and in the end, he's forced to let her go for her safety.

In the end, Hank doesn't want someone who'll just hold his hand, he wants someone who can challenge him intellectually, someone who will hold him to account, who can match his wit, and Vera . . . can't.

Not really.

It's partly a foible of when they met, partly a case of Vera being who she is and Hank who he is, but in the end, it all comes down to how Vera reacted when she received those flowers and poetry. She folded. She was charmed. She fell for Hank's charming exterior. And that's. Kinda. Not interesting to him? I don't even think he realises that's what's going on, but it is what happened. She showed him that she would put up with his shenanigans, and that's not what Hank wants. Not really.

You could almost see it as a game that Hank plays, a challenge to see if you can scratch the surface and get at who he really is, under the surface, if you're dedicated to getting at him. Maybe that's unfair of him to do, but again, I don't think it's something he even realises he's doing. He has walls up for a reason, and if you break through them, then you clearly want him - he can believe that, because you just fought him, to get to him. It all comes back to that insecurity . . .

It's also worth noting here that Hank and Jen have another encounter in X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #10, in a way that contradicts Marvel Presents. It's hard to reconcile, since she remembers Hank here when she shouldn't, but I like both stories too much to really fight over which one I have as canon, so I kinda just don't think about it too much.

"What would you think of me if I was to tell you how terrified I am of everything right now?"

"You've never been scared of anything in your life. I think we should both be brave and go take a look at what might be hiding in the cemetery."

That touch, that tenderness . . . ouahhghhhh . . . the timelines are screwy, and these are all written years apart from one another, but I do think it's significant that Hank spends entire issues of Amazing Adventures and Incredible Hulk hiding his beastly appearance from Vera under a mask, and yet, he willingly unwraps his bandages for Jen.

I think that tells you all about how willing he is to be his true self around Jen versus Vera. Hank literally says he doesn't know who he is sometimes around Vera, and she tells him, I'll help you find out if you let me. Helpful, but it doesn't fix the problem. Meanwhile, Hank is in the midst of the worst depression and fear of his life, reeling from his worst ever mistake, and Jen tells him that she'll be brave with him, and they'll confront the unknown together. He finds catharsis that way. Vera is supportive. Jennifer is proactive. Hank appreciates both, of course, but only through one can he achieve growth.

But, that's no real surprise, because . . . she's the one who tells him this, too . . .

Jennifer Nyles, you have, like, 9 appearances in all of Marvel Comics, but I would die for you. Genuinely one of the most influential characters in Hank's life, tbh.

. . . SPEAKING OF INFLUENTIAL CHARACTERS.

So . . . in the interests of a fair analysis, Trish is an interesting character. She believes in transparency, the democratisation of information, she is eminently heroic, she is self-sacrificing, she is intelligent, and she is strong.

You can see why Hank would be attracted to her. She can cut through the flip attitude and get at the Hank underneath. If we're going with the theory that Hank is playing keep away with his real feelings so that the only people who get close to him are the people who work to get there and he can believe that they're there for him, then Trish will succeed, because she'll put in the work.

But, the problem is, the Hank she met was human Hank, and even though she claims not to have a problem with the fur - and maybe, at this point, she doesn't! - we know that Hank's mutation becomes a problem for her.

Man, if I had a penny for every time I posted these panels, I wouldn't have to work.

But. In the interests of fairness. I have to point out that the problem here is not that Trish found it hard to get used to Hank's changing face - I've talked about this before, that it's understandable it would become an issue for her, in a romantic relationship, faces and bodies and the tangible aspects of a person are more important than ever - but that she thought this was in any way an acceptable way to do it.

Trish's insecurity made her lash out and 'fix' the problem in a way that saved her career and severed the tie that would drag her down. That is. An understandable reaction. It's hurtful, but in the end, she's prioritising herself, and that's. Understandable. That being said?

She had no fucking right to even try this.

Like. No??? You don't get to do this??? Fuck off??? You exited from his life in a way that saved your career and your reputation, you do not get to try and dip back in because you feel bad - and, I'm going to be incredibly fucking honest, that's if that's even the reason she's doing it. I suspect, maybe maliciously, but maybe not, that she had ulterior motives, because of past behaviour.

Because do you want to know what the worst thing Trish Tilby ever actually did was?

Meet Dennis Hogan. He is a mutant. His power is to look like a lizard. That's it. He also was infected by the Legacy Virus, making him incapable of controlling those transformations. He is a perfectly harmless, innocent young man, who is trying to find medical help for a disease that he had no way of avoiding contracting.

Trish Tilby is directly responsible for his death in a hate crime.

And Trish's response, when Hank brings this up?

Just throw the whole fucking woman out. She's septic garbage.

How does this reflect on Hank? It reflects badly that he ever took her back after this. After she sold out his fucking race, got an innocent man killed, deflected blame, physically assaulted her partner, and acted as if she, somehow, were the wronged party in this.

"If you were doing your job as well as I'm doing mine, there'd be one less dead mutant to mourn!"

Hank is currently working on a cure for the Legacy Virus, Patricia. Thank you for implying that he's not doing enough, while you sit around, hocking news stories that will tangibly improve your position at your job, that directly lead to hate crimes, because you have decided that people just NEED TO KNOW things that will make them act irresponsibly, hatefully, and cruelly.

Yes, there is such a thing as freedom of the press. There is such a thing as the democratisation of information.

And then there's this asshole, who was storming into Angel's hospital room with a camera, recording him with his ruined wings, chasing a story because it was the right thing to do, and damn the consequences.

Who cares who gets hurt, so long as Patricia Tilby gets her story?

It reflects badly on Hank that he ever went out with her. it reflects badly on Hank that he ever took her back. It reflects badly on everyone involved that they didn't have the heart to tell Hank to just fucking NOT.

This is who she is. It's who she's always been, since her first appearance, and it is stark how awful a woman she is.

The X-Men '97 adaptation of her was kind. Think about that for a moment. Think about the fact that turning this woman into a fucking Prime Sentinel couldn't make her do as much damage as she did with her own free will and bad judgement.

. . . Blech.

So, this is an incomplete history, because I've run out of images? Heh. If you want to hear more about Hank's other relationships, most notably Cecilia Reyes, Abigail Brand, and Simon Williams, feel free to send another ask, and I can link them together. Hope you found this informative and not as rambly as it feels.

Also, if I remember correctly, Cerebrocast is gonna do an episode on Trish Tilby soon? I have no intention of listening/watching to it, but keep all of this stuff in mind and see if it gets mentioned when that episode happens. Because that podcast's hate boner for Hank McCoy means I genuinely think they'll find a way to excuse Trish's poor behaviour just because it's Hank. It honestly wouldn't surprise me.

[jojikawa]

Vash the Stampede x Starfire!reader

Vash the Stampede and a Fem/Fem-bodied reader who is an Alien Princess that ends up in Noman's Land!

dividers

Vash didn’t expect to see many other forms of life apart from Homosapiens. Humans. The standard stuff. Before Meryl, Roberto, and Nicolas, he was mostly on his own. It was hard to separate himself from his brother who would terrorize everyone. They were twins, after all. So, when he came across you, someone who clearly wasn’t human, he was extremely surprised. Just at a glance, he wasn’t able to tell exactly what you were but it didn’t seem good at all. You were humanoid which was identifiable enough, looking similar to a human woman. Vash only learned of you because there was a huge commotion of “some chick” going around and terrorizing a large settlement.

At first, Vash believed it to be Naï before he learned it was a woman. When he finally came in contact with you, he saw how distressed you looked. Your body language showed it all.

Vash was the only person who could restrain you because everyone else wanted to deal with you through violence. Although bullets didn’t have any effect on your diamond skin, they made you much angrier and that would only put more people in danger. He tried over and over to talk to you but you were unable to understand his language, so he communicated the only way he knew that worked.

He pressed his forehead to yours lovingly, hands holding either side of your head. It was an odd gesture but it worked for the plants…and it was the only way to keep you from headbutting him. Lucky enough for him, it worked! You seemed to calm down. Although, it wasn’t because of his thoughtful gesture. You just became extremely confused and eventually docile. Then he removed your cuffs.

“My name is Vash. Can you tell me your name? Where you’re from? I can take you home.”

The only thing Vash received in response was a cute head tilt from you. At first, he believed you to be mute until you actually began speaking. 

“Zu’u krosis nuz Zu’u nis mindoraan hi.”

“Eh!?” Vash sweatdropped with a blush of embarrassment covering his face. He’s never heard a language like that before. You beckoned him to bend down to your height and once he obliged, you pressed your lips to his. The kiss made his cheeks turn red and burn with delight!

When you pulled away, Vash stepped back. You held your fingertips over your lips. “Mmm…V-Va-sh?” You repeated, broken English and all before correctly saying his name. “Vash.”

You smiled kindly. “I am sorry if I’ve startled you with my actions. It was the only way I could learn your language.”

Vash, now astonished at your ability to speak perfectly, could only stare and fumble over his words. “I-I…uh *ahem* No problem!” He rubbed the nap of his neck with his prosthetic arm. “Can you tell me where I am in the solar system?” You asked politely.

Your new escort noticed that your attire was extremely different. It was skimpy but tattered as if you had just escaped from somewhere. 

“You’re on Noman’s land—H-Hey, you should put something on! It gets really cold here at night.” Vash began to remove his jacket. “Why are you giving this to me? Does it not belong to you?” You allowed him to place his cloak around your shoulders, closing it just a bit to hide your body. It was very much clear now that you weren’t human but your body was extremely humanoid with assets similar to a human female. Your appearance could be considered distracting given that your clothes were partially destroyed, leaving yourself for all to see.

“T-Trust me. You need it way more.”

You looked down at yourself, unsure of what he was referring to. You dismissed it, carrying on the conversation. “Can you please inform me of what the ‘land of no men is’?” You looked around for a brief moment. “Just at a glance, I can see that this place is nearly uninhabitable. Is that the origin or ‘no men’ and if so, why are you here?”

Vash laughed awkwardly. “It’s a long story. First, we need to—“

“Hey!”

The two of you were interrupted by a group of people. They had guns, all pointed at you. They surrounded the both of you and the circle grew ever smaller.

“Out of the way, Vash.” An older woman motioned her gun to the side. “It’s best we trade this gal for a new plant.”

The confrontation made you furrow your eyebrows. Your eyes began to glow. “Do not worry, I will handle the hostiles.”

Vash didn’t know at all what you were trying to do but he could tell you would easily kill these people. “N-No! Wait!” He threw out his arms, trying to cease the conflict between you and the citizens of this run-down village.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the people fired their guns, and lasers shot from your eyes. You would have killed the ones in front of you if Vash didn’t tackle you. Neither of you were hit by the bullets

“What are you doing?” You questioned, pushing him off of you. “I’m protecting them! Dot hurt them!” The man begged. 

“Last chance! Give her over.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Vash, why are you protecting these inhabitants? They are using lethal force on me while you are in the crossfire.”

Vash got up from on top of you before quickly turning to your attackers. “Guys, it’s okay! I’ll fix the plant and you’ll never see her again!”

And that’s how your relationship with Vash the Stampede began. He somehow convinced the townsfolk to let you go despite the damage you caused. You began traveling with him on his adventures and met new humans called Meryl, Roberto, and Nicolas.

They all had their different opinions of you. Roberto wanted nothing to do with you, only believing you’d bring more trouble. I mean, why did you show up the way you did? Yeah, no. Anyways. 

Meryl believed you were important somehow. Vash told her how the two of you met. It would make an amazing story! She asked you many things, even about your homeland. Of course,  she was skeptical at first, but who isn’t?

Nicolas thought you were the cutest. He loved teasing you with words and phrases you didn’t know or failed to understand. He nicknamed you “firecracker” because of your temper.

Yet, not all of them knew your story. Your real story. Being a gentleman, Vash didn’t want to pry, even if you were an illegitimate couple. He felt loyal to you somehow because of your circumstances and he was the only person you ever kissed to expand on the human language. That means you two cared about each other, yeah? There seemed to be some kind of boundary. 

The lot of you settled down for the night with a campfire. The humans were tired and didn’t want to spend the night driving. They were hungry as well.

Meryl wanted to know more about the attack that ensued when you first arrived. She claimed that it would make a good story, even telling you that she could possibly be promoted from it so, naturally, you felt obligated to help one of your friends. The small group began to grow on you and made you feel as though you could trust him.

As you told your story, Vash couldn’t help but give you a sad look. You turned out to be such a nice person and he couldn’t believe the situation you were in.

You sighed. “I have learned that my native tongue is nearly impossible for lower life forms to pronounce. That is why I have you call me (y/n) instead.” You ignored Roberto taking a swig of his drink with a big sigh. “I am from a planet that is…light years away. I am considered to be its leader. Like…a princess of sorts.” 

Meryl almost choked on her water. “A princess!? I have to write this down…” 

“You’re a princess?” Your partner tilted his head, his eyebrows raising at your statements. You silently nodded. Your gaze fell into your lap. “We were invaded by hostile life forms who tried to enslave our people. To keep bloodshed to a minimum, I tried to form an agreement with the invaders.” Your gaze shifted to the side, looking at the distant sandy wasteland. You hadn’t properly processed the whole situation. “We didn’t believe the agreement wouldn’t last long so…my twin sister sold me to them to ensure her own freedom once they attacked again.”

“Evil twin?” Roberto raised an eyebrow. “We have enough of those already.”

“There’s…space wars? Do you hear this?” Meryl glanced at Roberto who shook his head in response. “Not the time, newbie.”

Meryl jumped. “S-Sorry…I’m sorry that your sister sold you out like that.” Nicolas tsk’d, pulling out a new cigarette to satisfy his urges. “Your sister sounds like a real bitch.”

Bitch? You’ve never heard that word before.

“Bitch..?” You repeated. You turned to Vash. “May I…?” You pointed to your lips, signaling to him something no one else could understand. “Y-Yeah, sure.” 

The humanoid typhoon felt butterflies in his abdomen and his chest burn whenever you wanted to “learn a new word.”

The trio watched as you and Vash closed the distance between each other, kissing each other deeply. It only lasted for a second. You smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Turning to Nicolas, you nodded your head. “I agree. My sister is a ‘real bitch’.”

Vash laughed awkwardly, not at all expecting you to say the word so well. Meryl was even more confused. “What was that?!”

“What was…what?”

“You kissin’ needle noggin,” Nicolas smirked at you, giving you new and different vibes. It was still hard for you to read someone like him. “Needle noggin…? Oh! You mean Vash! On my planet, we can learn languages through lip contact. Vash is my translator.”

Meryl held a surprised expression for a moment before exhaling loudly. “Phew! I thought he was your boyfriend!”

“Boy…friend!?”

“Kissing or ‘lip contact’ is something that people who are a couple do. We…aren’t a couple.” Vash leaned over and spoke close to your ear. It seems that your customs could be mistaken as romantic.

“What’s wrong with Vash being my boy-friend?”

Meryl shrugged. “I mean, if it’s true that you’re some alien princess then Vash is the most unlikely person to be your lover in my opinion…right?” She laughed, elbowing Roberto who didn’t humor her.

To be honest, Vash felt the same way. You were almost…exotic in a way. Who knew that out of all people in the world, he would get along with you: someone who isn’t even from this world! The plant nicknamed the “Humanoid Typhoon”, cast aside without being given a second thought, knew what it was like to feel wanted by someone! In a way, he didn’t deserve you or your kind nature.

“Hm…” You looked down at your lap again before smiling. You clasped your hands together and gave Meryl a close-eyed smile. “I think Vash would make the perfect boyfriend!”

“Anyway.” Roberto cleared his throat. “This, uh, slave trade thing. What’s supposed to happen with that? They’re not gonna come lookin’ for ya, right?”

“Oh! The invaders should not know where to find me, at least for now. The land of no men can not be detected on most locators since it’s unable to naturally sustain life.”

Nicolas stood up, exhaling a long cloud of smoke before stretching. “That’s good enough for me.” He began to walk off. “I’m gonna hit the hay.” 

“Yeah, me too.” Roberto made his way back over to the truck as well. “Come on, newbie.”

“It’s Meryl!” The young reporter narrowed her eyes at the older man. She sighed before standing. “You gotta tell me more about your customs in the morning! You have no idea how many people would be interested in hearing your side.” Her eyes held an innocent sort of eagerness. One that gave you joy. “Sure! I can not wait to tell you more.”

And then it was just the two of you left.

“Is there something wrong, Vash? You are rather quiet tonight…You have not eaten as well.” You took a portion of the cooked meat and held it to his mouth. “Do you need assistance?”

“No, no.” He gently moved your hand away. He gave you a sad smile, conveying how dejected he was to you so clearly. “I just…wish that there was a way I could protect you.”

“Protect me?” You grabbed Vash’s hands. “You have done such a good job protecting me already! I can also protect myself. You have nothing to worry about because we have each other.” Your face began to heat up. It felt like you were unofficially confessing your feelings to him. The only thing that stopped you from fully committing was the thought of rejection. You’ve been through so much with him already, but would he really want to be with a weak leader? A princess who failed to save her people and was captured?

Vash had a fear of rejection too. He knew for certain that you would probably want nothing to do with him once you’ve encountered Naï. There was just no way. They bled the same blood. Somehow, hearing about your hard past almost confirmed it for him. What would happen once Naï found out about you? He would stop at nothing to obtain you. If only there was a way to send you home.

You began to get worried when your partner didn’t answer you. He seemed to have zoned out, which was very unlike him. “Vash?” You called softly, bringing one of your hands up to his cheek. Your thumb rubbed it tenderly and you gave him a reassuring smile. “Nothing will happen to me.”

You felt like your words weren’t exactly putting him at ease so perhaps, you would need to let him in on more of your anatomy.

“I…I have something to tell you.” 

This made his eyes widen. You didn’t exactly look happy either.

“You can tell me anything.” He grabbed the wrist of the hand that was touching his face. You inhaled softly, preparing yourself internally. “My powers are fueled through…emotions. Anger, sadness, happiness, and love. I have very strong emotions of love that are connected to you. So, I am not worried about the harm that should befall you or me because I am strong enough to handle it.”

Vash’s already-tinted cheeks turned a deep red. His pupils retracted at your confession. He couldn’t believe the things that he was hearing from you. He’s been trying to push down his feelings for you for months!

“And…” you continued, averting your eyes. “I like the idea of lip contact with you—oh! And you being the male friend.”

“Boyfriend or…just friends?”

You blinked. “Well, you are my friend, that's a boy.” You squint your eyes at him. “…or at least I think you are. You seem to be male-identifying.”

Vash sighed, closing his eyes gently. You seemed to be a bit confused but, how could he blame you? He chuckled out loud before muttering “You’re so adorable.”

Your cheeks burned when he leaned in to kiss you one more time. He placed his free hand on your hip, pulling you slightly closer to him. His other hand gently squeezed your wrist. When he pulled away, he left you wanting more.

When you realized what happened, you leaped out of his grasp, covering your mouth with your hands.

“Aw, I didn’t scare you, did I?”

[parvulous-writings]

Aagh thank you so much for taking my Selkie!reader request!! it’s so cute, I absolutely love it!! 💓🦭 I would love a one-shot if you wouldn’t mind 🫶🏻

Warnings: Reading is referred to with she/her pronouns and fem descriptors, vague descriptors of peeling off skin. Somewhat abrupt ending, maybe? Not sure, I've been staring at this for too long

Words: 2.4K

Notes:  My requests are currently open! My request post (found here) contains both a list of characters I write for, and a masterlist!  Original character list - please request for these too! If you’d like to support me more, consider reblogging! I’d appreciate it loads!!

Gale had certainly been one of your more courteous companions, on your group's slow and steady journey up to Baldur's Gate. Whilst a lot of the others - particularly Astarion, and at times, Lae'zel - would often mutter or complain about how often you would need to stop to 'bathe'. The only ones who didn't try and hurry you along were the wizard, and Wyll. Wyll understood why the others were getting so frustrated, and so did Gale, you were all under a tiny bit of a time constraint on the road. "It's only once a day," Wyll would often defend - not that you were usually in earshot of this. "It is rarely even over an hour or two - I am well aware that we have issues to resolve-" He held up a hand to silence Shadowheart, who had just opened her mouth to retort, most likely with some remark about how they would all be in deep trouble if they kept stopping for everyone's habits, bathing or otherwise. "But, she is the one who holds us all together, and for such a feat, I feel we could... Afford her this much." "Perhaps I should start bathing as much." Astarion drawls, examining his long nails idly as he spoke. "I mean... If one of us can 'afford' to do it, then evidently the rest of us can as well, hm?" Wyll gave the vampire a look of mild exasperation, whilst Gale spoke up. "That isn't what Wyll meant - and you are well aware of that fact." He stated, his voice firm. "You know that she has been incredibly kind to us - you in particular - so we are showing her some kindness in turn." He folded his arms across his chest as he practically scolded the Elf, trying to appear intimidating. It didn't work all that well, at least, not from Astarion's perspective. "But, if you are really so intent on being bothered by this, I will go and ask her to hurry along..." He then continued, as Astarion's eyes became dour. If there was something that the wizard didn't want to do, it was irk the paler man's ire.

With that, Gale trotted off down the same path that you had taken merely half an hour prior, muttering to himself about how easily he had caved to the demands and how he should have stood his ground more. If not for his own dignity, then for your sake. Gale was immensely fond of you, perhaps more than he should have been, considering the short amount of time that he had known you for. But for the wizard, the kindness that you had shown him meant the world. It was the same kindness you showed to all the other companions, but he felt it was special, when it came to him. After so long without such affections - if they could even be called such - Gale's mind was going into overdrive in the presence of it, latching onto you in a way that he tried consciously to ignore, but every time the thoughts of staying at arms length from you left his mind, he would slowly drift ever closer to you. You had never shown any aversion to him. Even when he had admitted to you about the perilous situation thanks to the orb embedded in his chest, you had not shied away, nor had you cast him out. It was more - so much more - than he deserved.

The stroll to the riverbank only took him about ten minutes or so. He had been so wrapped up in his internal battle about whether to just turn around and leave you be, to stand his ground, that he almost dipped his boot into the cold water. He blinked for a moment or so, shaking his head to centre himself, before he made his eyes try to focus on the banks. Where had you decided to take your dip? He assumed it wouldn't be right at the end of that small path, where anyone would be able to wander and see you - you liked your privacy. So, he began to wander, sweeping his eyes across the spaces in front of him, looking for any sign of you or your belongings. In bushes, behind the odd tree, but there wasn't anything, for quite a while. He was beginning to grow concerned - what if you had been caught unawares by a bear, or even a stray goblin? No, that makes no sense, the rational voice in his head countered. She has taken on owlbears practically by herself. Why would a goblin pose a threat? He couldn't argue with that voice, he had seen you do marvellous, perhaps even borderline terrible if the circumstances were different, things. Whilst he was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost ended up face-first in the slick grass of the verge after stumbling over one of your boots. Thankfully, he caught himself, saving him from such embarrassment. Gale hummed gently to himself, discovering your discarded blouse and trousers not far from where he had tripped. But you... You were nowhere he could see. He thought about calling out for you, trying to grab your attention - wherever you may be... In the nearby reeds, perhaps? Before he could, however, the splash and ripple of the water beside him diverted his attention from his forming words.

Upon turning his gaze, he locked eyes with something he had not expected to see, so far from the coast of the North. It was a seal. The roundest, darkest eyes just stared back at him, unwavering. Despite the creature being rather adorable, the stare was downright unnerving, and almost... Human. That wasn't entirely something he was expecting - that level of sentience behind it's eyes. Even when he had consumed a potion of animal speaking, there wasn't that look, that shine, to an animal's eye. "Um, forgive me, I-" Gale wasn't entirely sure why his first instinct was to speak. He hadn't taken a potion of animal speaking since their last long rest last night, he would have no way to understand the beast. His eyes trailed back down to the clothes he had discovered as the animal started hauling itself out of the water, and onto the verge. "I was looking for someone, I think she might be somewhere around here..." Why was he still talking? He had no idea. But for some, inexplicable reason, it didn't feel at all weird. Perhaps he had been relying too much on the potions, recently. "These are her clothes, see, and-" He started to turn back, and instead of the seal becoming the focus of his gaze, it was, instead, you. Dripping wet, a mirthful smile dancing across your features. Peeling away from your body, and still partially clutched in your hands, was a seal skin. Gale's mind completely blanked for a moment, and his eyes drifted downward of their own accord, towards your chest as his cheeks began to heat up. As soon as he realised he was beginning to practically ogle your naked form, he averted his eyes. "By Mystra's robe, I-" He started, clearly flustered. His mind felt like it was going blank, over and over, unable to make any clear thoughts.

He tried to focus his eyes anywhere else, anywhere but you, his mouth opening and closing over and over, but little more than stuttering sounds leaving it. "Gale." Your voice breaks him from his thoughts, but he still cannot quite get himself to look at you. He offers a gentle hum, to show he heard you. "May I have my clothes, please?" Without another word, he gathers your garments, holding them out to you, one by one. "Shouldn't you... Dry yourself, first?" He asked, hazarding a glance your way. "It's just a bit of water, Gale... It'll dry." You chuckled, pulling your blouse on over your head. It did stick in a couple of places, but, for someone who had just come out of a river, it wasn't as bad as Gale had anticipated. Perhaps that was the seal skin? "Did you need something, Gale..?" You asked, whilst in the middle of redressing yourself. You glanced over to the wizard as you spoke, noticing he had his back to you, clearly still bashful about seeing you in the nude. It was rather sweet, really, how sweet he could be. "The uh... The others were wondering where you were..." He replied, almost lamely. "So I came to see if you were... Finished bathing..." He was finally able to meet your gaze again, now that you were fully clothed, and he didn't risk catching a glimpse of something more intimate. He wasn't entirely sure what to think, or what even to ask. Why had you been a seal? How had you been a seal? You spotted that look of inquisition in his eye - that twinkle that always seemed to appear when he had a barrage of questions stewing in his mind.

"Something on your mind?" You asked him, your voice almost teasing. You knew there was, it was impossible to miss; and you were well aware of how odd the situation the one he had just seen you in could look, even to someone as well-studied as him. "I just... How?" He asked, vaguely gesturing to you as you gently folded your seal skin, carefully placing it in your pack, right at the bottom, away from prying eyes. "You were you when I saw you this morning, and now you're some sort of seal... Shifting... Creature?" He asked, the cogs audibly turning in his head as he continued waving his hands about, as if this would help him to think. You had to hold in a laugh - this was a seriously confusing moment for him, but you would have thought with all his time spent with his nose stuck in a book before this adventure, that he might have had some sort of idea of what you were... Part of you didn't want to tell him; it took a lot of trust to disclose to anyone what you were, you knew all too well that there were many humans who were all too eager to take advantage of your situation. But, you were almost backed into a corner now. He had seen you, not just in your seal, but physically peeling it off, too. Why had you done that? We trust him, a small voice, nestled in the very back of your head spoke quietly. He has been kind to us... Perhaps he is not like the stories. You considered this for a moment. Before your unforseen adventure, you had always tended to avoid humans; tales from your family and friends had struck the fear of them deep into you. But now that you had been travelling with a few for a while... They didn't seem so bad. Sure, none of them knew that you were a selkie, but they had shown no inclination that they were malicious, for the most part. Wyll was the pinnacle of a knight in shining armour, and Gale was a very considerate man, especially after such a long period of isolation before his abduction.

"It... Is a thing that I keep somewhat... Secret." You said, slowly, and this caught Gale's attention. A secret? Something you had kept from the rest of this group, for all this time? "Is it an... Affliction, of some description? A curse?" He asked, his brows furrowed, clearly concerned for you. "To an extent, I suppose..." You shrugged slightly. "The only real 'curse' of it, is needing to swim, and be in water, as a... Well, a seal, often..." Gale's expression turned contemplative at this. "Your daily habits..." He mused, more to himself than to you. His hand absent-mindedly moved to his chin, slowly stroking at the stubble that littered it. "Shedding skin... Seal.. Must be near to water..." His voice was low as he murmured his thoughts aloud, trying his best to connect the dots. Then his eyes lit up, and his head all but snapped towards you. "A selkie-?" He blurted. Ah, so he did know of your kind. You give a somewhat sheepish smile, telling him all he needed to know. His gaze shifted to one of pure awe. "I... Had no idea - I mean, you had given no true hint, I suppose. You're beautiful, to be sure, but I never realised that it was because-" He stopped himself mid-ramble, his cheeks flushing as he realised what he had just said in his hurry to rationalise himself, and his thought process - or lack thereof in the past couple of months. You give him another smile, "You think I'm beautiful?" You asked the wizard, teasingly. Gale slowly began to nod - he couldn't exactly backtrack his words without insulting you, which was something he did not want to do, at near any cost. "Breathtaking, even... If I may." His voice was low, little more than a murmur.

The two of you share a look, then. A look of what could only be mutuality. And it was - you had eyed Gale for the past two weeks, at least. He had been caring, attentive to your needs, to your likes. It was hard for you to deny the flutter in your chest, that only seemed to be caused by him, or his presence. Without another word, you held out your hand to him, which he took without question, not even a second guess. It was something he had craved for a while, himself. Holding your hand in his, it felt right. Like bliss, even. He was happy to oblige you. So, the two of you began to walk back. You were anticipating a flurry of questions - things both mundane and not, about your life as a selkie. Yet, the wizard was oddly quiet, seemingly basking your presence, now that there were no secrets between the two of you. It felt nice, to him. Freeing, even. It was like, for the briefest of moments, there was nothing and no one outside of the two of you; no illithids, no pressing quest, no monsters lurking on the road ahead. Gale wanted it to last forever, and kept stealing glances your way, finally being able to take in your beauty without shame. Part of him knew he would be teased by some camp members when this came to light, but he didn't care. Perhaps now, the pair of you could bond more. Gale would like that - and he was starting to get the impression, that you would very much like it too.

[insirisarts]

Origins of Olympus - Reimagined

Chapter 1: Welcome to Camp Oasis!

The sun beamed down onto the sand; the sky was clear of any clouds. The heat of the desert would’ve been unbearable for any human unlucky enough to be caught in its never-ending expanses. After all, mortals could not find their way to a place like this, especially not to its oasis. Even if they did, the gods would smite them for trespassing onto the sacred land. A place where the finest of greenery and produce grew; food was abundant, the water was so clean, you could drink it from the source, and filled with fauna so docile, even tigers could have been considered house pets. However, these individuals are by no means ‘mortals’. For these people are children of the gods. Blessed to walk the lands of Gaia with the grand powers of their parents. Striking the earth with powerful volts, bringing the motions of the tides, guiding souls to their final resting place, and even becoming the light of the sun themself.

An echidna stood tall on the entrance platform, backlit by the magic doorway behind her. Orange scales shining in the mid-afternoon sun. Her large wings sat solidly on her back, accentuating her posture. The woman's human upper half was covered with a red-orange dress, which was trimmed and decorated with gold. Gold bracelets were also placed on her upper and lower arms, and on the end of her serpent tail. Each of these bracelets were jeweled with three bright orange stones which matched her fiery irises. Scales traveled up the young woman’s body, spotting her shoulders, ears and face with the same burnt orange as the asymmetrical horns buried in her dark brown hair. Her heavy-lidded eyes surveyed over the slowly building group. Demi-gods to be specific.

“Hello everyone, I am Kaykrea and welcome to the Oasis of Demeter.” Kaykrea introduced, catching the attention of the present demi-gods. She had situated herself on the marble steps leading to the entryway of the camp, which was blocked by a form of powerful magic that none of the others could quite figure out. 

Beside her was a girl who had arrived earlier that day, a harpy named Marshie. She was white winged harpy, in a dark crop top with a long striped light purple shawl that fell past her shoulders. Her laurel was decorated with small golden sunflowers and sat atop her long strawberry blond hair, some of which had been pulled back to make a cute loose ponytail. Her outfit was finished off with some jean shorts that stopped above her more eagle shaped legs and taloned feet. They had taken time to chat during the wait and already found that they got along rather well.

“I will be your designated camp counselor.” Kaykrea's large, scaled wings spread to frame her sculpted body; her lower serpent body raising the human half to stand tall over all of the campers. “Today will just be a simple meet-and-greet with a tour of the campgrounds. Then we will have a short session with The Oracle later this evening.” 

Many already had looks of admiration or excitement on their faces; except for a man with long shaggy white and red hair off to the side, who simply rolled his eyes at her. She figured that this one may eventually become a problem and mentally noted to keep an eye on him. “First will be introductions, we will start with you.” She stated, pointing at a man with black hair and yellow highlights, frizzed by what appeared to be static. 

The man stood a bit straighter now that the attention was on him, his black eyes widening slightly from being singled out, “I am Mario, son of Zeus, God of storms and lightning!” Mario proclaimed. His looks only pushed the idea. His toga was black and yellow with hints of white under the garment and light blue accents. Lightning motifs could be found in his laurel, arm armor and his white sash in the form of a lightning shaped fibula brooch. Throughout his arms and legs, his veins seemed to glow an electric yellow on his sun-tanned skin. He stood with confidence, almost looking like he was about to burst with unstoppable energy.

The Echidna nodded in approval; a child of Zeus was sure to bring some excitement. “Thank you, Mario. Now you, the one in blue.” She moved on, gesturing to a man with a much shyer demeanor, as he sat much more hunched over compared to the rest of the group.

“Uhm… Jakey, one of the sons of Poseidon.” Jakey mumbled, just loud enough for Kaykrea to glean. Besides the small, high collard coverup on his shoulders, he was shirtless, showing off his swimmer's body. The armor over his left pec was layered and traveled over to part of his back, with large light blue inset jewels glittering in the light. At his hips sat a blue 5-layered skirt-like bottom that split at his right hip, the exposed part of which was covered by a cloth tied to the skirt. His arms and legs were protected by silver armor shaped like fish and similarly jeweled like the rest of his armor; his hands were covered in dark blue fingerless gloves. A tasteful crown was planted in his brown and blue hair with the same light blue gem, his hair had been put into a french-styled braid on both sides of his head that then came together into a long skinny braid in the back. On his back, sat a long bident with jewels spotted on the head, and the end had a shark fin shape.

Kaykrea nodded in satisfaction and was about to move on to the next camper when a new voice joined the group.

Distant shuffling sand could be heard from the distance. “I’m sorry, I’m here, hold on-!” Shouted a young man with short white hair. His ears were pierced and accompanied by golden ear clips covered in rose leaves. A cropped himation draped over his right shoulder which was pinned by a sort-of star shaped fibula brooch. His two-layered red skirt with gold trim swayed with the movement of his legs. He had shoulder pads that appeared to have rose designs that matched the rose on his dark gray belt, which matched the leather armor on his arms. Small white wings flared from the shoulder pads and his golden shoes. Two hooked swords were connected at the hilts which gave the shape of an S sat on his back along with a small satchel, assumedly a physical god pocket, likely it had all of his other essentials in its magic confines. He skidded to a stop with the rest of the group; bending over to catch his breath, using his knees as support.

“I, huf, apologize, hrff, I was distracted, hooh…” He rushed between labored breaths; his body lightly shook from overexertion.

“And… who might you be?” The orange serpent inquired, drawing out her sentence. 

With one last deep gasp of air, the white-haired man responded, “I’m Bryan, the son of Aphrodite; the goddess of love, beauty and passion herself!” Bryan flicked his hair back haughtily and stood with his head held high. The motion made him look back and lock his eyes onto Jakey. This made him freeze in the middle of his display; a light pink softy grazed his face, and he awkwardly took a few steps back to get a proper look at the other man, honey brown eyes holding an intense stare.

‘…Poor guy…’ Kaykrea sympathized, even though the boy in blue didn't even seem to notice Bryan. However, she quickly corrected herself and went back to the meet-and-greet. “Thank you, Bryan. Now then, let's move on to… you.” She brought attention to a man with ashy skin.

The man with the sides of his head shaved and a braid going down the back of his scalp, a chunk of which was bronze. Thick sideburns lead to a scruffy but well-trimmed beard. He awkwardly lifted his hand in a wave. 

“Ah, Xylo. Son of Apollo.” Xylo greeted. His laurel also had a bronze color, sporting, strangely enough, pomegranate leaves. Bronze spartan armor on his torso and lower legs, along with a layer of leather pteruges at his waist along with shoulder pads that had sun designs glazed on. Over his protective layer there was a bright multi-colored sash, going from a dark purplish blue to a bright sunny yellow curving around his body to also become his belt and dangling the leftover fabric in the front. The cloth was pinned down by bronze peronai on his right shoulder and where the cloth hung off at the belt, they were in the shape of the sun with four points, inside being bright yellow glaze. He had single point claw gauntlets in a similar sun shape attached to thick fingerless leather gloves. At his hips, an open hip cape hung to his knees, a bright pattern depicting a sun in a wavy sky adorned the garment. Another odd part of his look were his dark purple eyes, it almost looked like they didn’t belong, or that he didn’t belong.

Kaykrea had scrunched her nose in frustration, heavy lidded eyes glaring aggressively, bowing her head to show off her dark orange horns at the ashen man. Apollo… Apollo… Mother…

“Ah… thanks.” She bluntly stated.

Xylo had an expression of mild offense but decided to leave it be for the time being.

As the rest of the meeting went on, more of the godly children introduced themselves. A second son of Poseidon named Mitch. He too, lacked a shirt and wore a coverup on the upper part of his torso and wore a far more gaudy golden crown. Although, his face was half covered in black scales. He was much darker than Jakey, with a more deep sea/ocean look to match with his black and blue clothing, with small bioluminescent adornments. He also held the trident, at this mention, Jakey made his own snide remark about poor choices in part on their father. 

The man KayKrea had taken note of earlier was named Brandeen, who was a son of Ares. His style leaned towards more human than Olympian it appeared, not that it was any concern to her as plenty of gods and demi-gods had spent at least some time around mortals and their ever-expanding culture. His overall appearance was dark, his disheveled black and white striped shirt and ripped black pants made up part of his look. A dark red pleather biker jacket, which was accented with smaller bits of a brighter red, brought it all together. Around his arms were bandages with blades tied at the ends that pulsed with divine energy; those must be his weapons.

Further back was a Satyr woman named Relena, the adopted child of Artemis. Her hair was a subtle mix of light and dark brown. She was dressed in much more casual human clothing, having a halfway split turquoise and light pink short jacket over a plain white crop top, the pink matching her horns. The jacket had its sleeves ripped off, showing her strong arms. Her jeans were intentionally ripped at her knees, keeping it out of the way of her more animalistic legs and hooved feet. An attempt was made to paint her hooves the same pink as her horns. Slung across her hips sat an ornate silver bow with a quiver of arrows.

At the end of the lineup stood a man almost completely clad in black, battle armor being placed over his original clothing. His name was Brick, one of the very few children of Hades. He had a black war helmet with the holes for the face covered by a bright purple energy. His speech was short and abrupt, only giving his name and heritage in a sharply cold manner.

Kaykrea knew there were other campers yet to arrive, but she had to start with the tour before it got too late in the day. So, with a large flap of her orange wings, she instructed the present campers to follow her for the tour of the camp. Entering through the enchanted doors of Camp Oasis, guarded by large spear-wielding statues, they followed a small path. The path led to a sort-of roundabout, which had small sections of path that lead away to other parts of the camp. Surrounding the group was a quaint little garden, and at the roundabout’s center was a marble fountain that poured water as blue as the sky. Many flowers covered the area surrounding the outer rim of the path around the fountain. However, Bryan took particular interest in the Rose bushes.

“Oh, I heard about the nature here!” He exclaimed with adoration and fondness, earning him odd stares from the others. “About how it all seems to live or even thrive! These roses are beautiful, what do you do to make them grow like this?” He would have continued to fawn over the red flowers if he weren't interrupted.

“Bet you sure know a lot about this junk, huh?” Mario taunted. It sounded playful, but that didn’t stop Bryan from shooting the other with a sharp glare.

“Sure do…” The white-haired man mumbled. Mario sucked in his lips, like how one would with something sour, he figured that he shouldn’t have spoken up.

“Alright!” Kaykrea interjected, clapping her hands together to catch the two boys' attention. “Let's get a move on up the path!” She ushered, wanting to avoid a first day conflict.

Up the path was the training area. Fully packed with dummies, targets and even a small sparring ring with a little viewing area. A good handful of campers took potshots at the targets, using either their weapons or godly powers, with varying rates of success and accuracy. Further down was a sports area, consisting of both old Olympic sports and modern human sports. Next to the sports fields were the cabins. They were charming, being made in a rustic style and crafted from the same wood as the surrounding towering trees. She said that cabins would be assigned after the tour, during dinner. Most were able to house two or so people and stood overlooking the surprisingly close gulf that led out into the ocean. Nearby, a dock sat with fishing boats stranded on the shoreline. Fishing equipment had been provided on the dock, along with some outdoor cooking equipment in a small shed nearby. Next was the camp hall, for campers to meet and socialize. A bonfire circle sat just beside the mess hall, it had yet to be lit, although it seemed to have been recently stocked with firewood. 

“This is where we will have our rendezvous after you settle in and have dinner this evening.” She explained, letting everyone gather before continuing. “Then The Oracle will come and give us a free prophecy. Afterwards, you will earn the right to meet with them eventually, but that is a discussion for later throughout your stay.”

Then the mess hall. The Hall was very large, it would have no trouble fitting the entirety of the camp once they were all there. A heavenly smell came from the building, a mixture of sweet and savory that caused the campers mouths to water with anticipation. Finally, was the shower and bathroom area, having both separate and unisex washrooms, and a small bath house.

She pointed to a distant building. It was a small temple, with a securely locked door. So secure in fact that there was no lock, only magic.

“That is where The Oracle resides. You are not to bother them unless you are given passage, or they decide to summon you.” She declared with finality. Asserting that the building was fully off-limits otherwise. 

  With that the campers were released and left to their own devices. Some had gone to chat by the cabins and others went to either look around the camp or to use the training area. Kaykrea herself went to the mess hall to finish preparing for that night's feast.

Soon enough, they were brought back to the mess hall, where an entire buffet was set up. Different tables had different types of food. Fruits and vegetables were set to one side of the buffet. Large fruit bowls held exotic fruits not even native to their part of the world, and the veggies had been grown right on camp property and harvested that day. A range of different meats sat in the middle of the arrangement, from the finest steaks to moist and well-seasoned fowl and poultry, to fish from both fresh and saltwater. At the other end were deserts and drinks. Pies, cakes and pastries alongside juices, nectar and ambrosia. It was now bustling; some others had arrived at the camp over time and joined in on the festive atmosphere.

During this time, Kaykrea went around telling campers to take a card from a small deck. The cards were in pairs of colors and a cabin number, and those with matching pairs would bunk together. On occasion, some did not get a cabin mate, not that any of them seemed to mind, like Mitch. However, most did have two people. Xylo and Jakey, Relena and Brick, even Brandeen had a cabin buddy. Although, she had not learned his roommate's name yet. Glancing around, she could see the Demi-gods socializing, looking for anyone who had a matching card or simply enjoying the food. Bryan approached her to receive his card, fittingly, red. Not that she knew if anyone else had a red card, but she had caught a glimpse at his. She internally chuckled at the irony.

“Did anyone else get red?” He inquired over the crowd, causing a mild awkward silence as everyone else double checked their cards.

“Over here!” A voice replied, a hand darting up over the crowd to display their card.

Bryan made his way over to his roommate for the summer. Only to come face-to-face with Mario. He could hardly hide his disappointment. Obviously still salty about the comment made earlier that day. Mario held a poorly disguised expression of awkwardness, not knowing how to tackle the subject. Kaykrea was about to confront the two about perhaps changing cabins before the man in black and yellow asked if the shorter boy would be willing to meet with him outside. With a stiff nod, Bryan followed the fellow demi-god out the door. Just to be safe, the serpent woman discreetly accompanied the two.

The full moon hung at the edge of the sky, the final dim glow of the setting sun moments from vanishing. Cool night breezes chilled the earth from the heat of the summer day. The pair stood in silence, not sure how to begin the conversation. The tension was thick enough to be sliced by any blade. Which Mario dared to do.

“Listen, I’m sorry about earlier… I thought it sounded joking enough, but I could tell it flumped entirely.” He kept his warm black eyes on the ground, not really wanting to see the look the brown eyed boy was possibly giving him.

“Yeah, I get that.” Bryan spoke blankly, staring off in a random direction. “But it still hit a cord… kinda sounded like my mom…” This came out far more dejected.

“Really? Why would Aphrodite, of all gods, judge flower stuff?” The raven-haired man replied in mild shock.

“Not so much the flower thing, more so just not really understanding or accepting my interests…” The other supplied, “Me not being like my siblings… or her.”

“Oof, I feel you there, my dad doesn’t really give me much thought. Given that he has so many other kids.” Mario chuckled at his little jab at his father, he was right after all. Zeus wasn’t known for his… marital devotion.

“Not to mention that a lot of them have become either legendary heroes or have impacted history in some major way.” Mario ended his sentence with a light huff of amusement and an awkward lean “Those kinds of expectations can make someone pretty awkward huh?” he asked rhetorically, obviously trying to railroad to find common ground. 

Quickly, under his breath the black-eyed man added on, “and dad can’t keep his clothes on so-”. The smug smirk that plastered his face made the other boy snerk a little, a light red came to his cheeks in embarrassment as his lips scrunched to a futile attempt to hide his amusement.

“Gross-“ the boy in red shot back with a humorous sly grin, gently shoving the other. “-but same… only with my mom.” He amended, “Anyways, no one likes to think of the goddess of love and beauty being a violent god, despite her history. I just can’t help but wonder about it.” This came in a more soft-spoken cadence, walls starting to fully drop.

“Yeah?” Mario tentatively eased. “I’m sure it must make things awkward?” He raised an eyebrow. Although drama in the Aphrodite family was not surprising, nor unheard of, seeing that outward facade be shelved for honesty and openness took Kaykrea aback slightly. Maybe she shouldn’t have eavesdropped on this conversation. It was beginning to become a little too personal and raw.

Bryan began to lean in, speaking both softer and with sincerity, the haughty persona being fully abandoned before responding.  “Mhm.” He started with a small nod. “You see, I’m a huge fan of the legendary wars and heroes of the past. That led to me digging, especially since my mother was one of the main causes for the biggest war in our history…” his eyes seemed to shine excitedly, passion bleeding from his slight movements and the small grin on his face.

“I couldn’t help myself.” Bryan continued, “I just wanted to understand why we had to throw that part of our past away. Just because our family represents the many forms of love doesn’t mean we couldn't enjoy combat or sparring. Heck, I even got a gift recently that-”.

All of a sudden, Bryan trailed off, his eyes becoming listless, losing that excited bright shine. The feeling of discomfort filled the still air, and his muscles tensed.

“What?” Mario cocked his head, “Something else on your mind?” He pushed.

Bryan backed off, glancing to the side in embarrassment. “Sorry, shouldn’t have said anything…” he muttered under his breath, shoulders sinking subconsciously.

The black clothed man quickly waved his hands, trying to brush off the others embarrassment. “No, no! I was just… uh.” He took a pause; he was ruining this again.

“It’s ok. Not many people know about my mother’s past with war. Especially after The Iliad was published.” The shorter man chuckled, starting to backtrack “But I want to know… even if she doesn't really like me digging into it.” Bryan was standing normally now, a lot more bashful and uncomfortable talking about his family.

Mario planted his hand on the other in a comforting gesture, rubbing small circles into his back. In return, Bryan leaned into the touch slightly, the muscles near his shoulders flexing oddly. It was like he wasn't used to touch, or at least it had been a while since he's been comforted. Although, from what Kaykrea had observed, and her prior experience with the Olympian gods. The awkward nature of the white-haired man seemed to suggest the former.

Bryan lifted his head to look at Mario, taking a small calming breath before speaking again. “To be honest, I don’t think I know much anyway. A lot of my own memories are fuzzy…” This earned him an odd look from Mario, and Kaykrea couldn’t help but do the same. It is rather strange that he would have a bad memory. Was this what the smaller was trying to talk about before? Well, whatever the case may be, the black-haired man let it be and merely nodded in acknowledgment.

It seemed the two had spoken their peace. Overall, a little more comfort had been built between the two. Mario stuck out his hand, offering an apology and a truce to their minor conflict, which Bryan accepted with a small smile. Kaykrea huffed a small sigh of relief, glad that a fight hadn’t broken out on the first day, nor that any enemies were made. She made a quick escape back into the mess hall, moments before the other two made their reentry. It was felt in the room, everyone could tell that whatever issue was happening between the two, it had been sorted out. They went off to join the others again, starting to take far more enjoyment in each other's company than before. At least that was resolved.

About two hours had passed at this point, Kaykrea taking the time to clean up as the festivities came to a close. Many campers had joined together into small groups or cliques and every once in a while, there would be thunderous laughter that would trail back into a comfortable buzz and light chatter. She was frankly quite surprised; no fights, mild and quickly resolved conflicts, and not a single misunderstanding! It was almost as if they were in a normal human camp and not a camp full of physical embodiments of natural concepts. Although she knew that it all had to come to an end soon, it was almost time to meet with The Oracle and she needed to pick up the mess hall before then.

“Okay, everyone!” Kaykrea called, waiting for the campers' conversations to end before she announced, “It is almost time to meet The Oracle, I would like all of you to go to your cabins and drop off your things, decide who wants what bed and such. We will meet back at the bond fire, I will move on with the night whether you make it or not, so be there if you wish to listen to The Oracles’ predictions.” With that, she went to clean the tables of the leftover dishes and scraps of food.

The campers had left for their cabins to drop off their things and to get sorted before heading to the large bonfire. When it seemed that all had arrived, Kaykrea used her flaming blade to ignite the kindling, and soon enough, a fire was brought to life. The flame was large and danced with the slight breeze of the night. Cracks and pops from the wood soon followed, allowing the meeting to officially begin. Xylo, with hardly any regard for the current evening event, suddenly pulled out a large bag of marshmallows, announcing a query of whether anyone wanted some. Most around the fire whooped at the human treat, receiving their share from the armored man.

Mitch had grabbed two and offered one to Jakey, who had taken it upon himself to grab his own from the son of Apollo rather than accepting one from his brother, Mitch practically looked scandalized. Mario had done the same with Relena, who happily accepted the offer, and Bryan, who simply denied the sugar pillow after giving it a questioning glance of uncertainty. Brandeen seemed all too eager to receive the food from the violet-eyed man. The two had been talking a lot earlier and appeared to have hit it off in some fashion, although Xylo did give him a standoffish look. Kaykrea was far from amused, seeing how all began to disregard what this meeting was about. She simply rolled her eyes and slithered away when Xylo attempted to offer her the bag's contents. In return, he merely shrugged and received a plush confectionary for himself.

The fire in the center of the gathering began fully burning in a bright blend of reds, oranges and yellows. Accenting the woman's appearance and making her look just as bright as the flames. With a faux clearing of her throat, she called to attention all of the present campers for the night's announcements.

“I’m sure some of you all are anticipating the reason as to why we are out so late.” She began, more so wanting to give a reminder to the campers. She continued “First, I do have a few announcements. Starting off, in a few days we will be having the Trial of Ares, which will be a sort of… death match.” This statement brought a few panicked faces and alarmed exclamations to the campers “However, with less… death involved. Close to death, I should say.” Her amendment melted some tension, but the atmosphere still weighed heavy in the group. “It will allow us to see who is at the top, and where others' experiences lie before we get into the real training.” Uncertainty followed the final word of the first announcement, nervous glances were shared between the others.

“Will we get anything?” Was a quick question from Xylo.

“Excuse me?” Came the indigent reply from the camp counselor.

“If one of us wins the trial. Do we get anything?” He clarified.

“That will be discussed at a later time” Was the firm response from the brunette woman.

“Now then. Secondly, as you all know, there is a special guest for you all tonight. They would like to pay a visit to all of you.” Suddenly the meeting area was filled with gasps of awe and excited mermers at Kaykrea’s reveal, some nodding that they did, in fact, remember the prior mention. “There is a message that they would like to give you all, a prophecy.” Her voice suddenly hardened as she followed up with a demand. “I do ask that as a way to show respect to The Oracle, you must stay completely silent, and to not have… snacks, while they are here…” This prompted Xylo to quickly hide the bag of marshmallows and for everyone else to swiftly finish their part of the treat. “Are we clear?” The serpent finished, allowing for any present questions.

Xylo ended up asking another query, the primary one on everyone’s minds. “What if we have questions about what they say?” Soon pipings of agreements followed and Kaykrea was quick to respond.

“There will be no questions for The Oracle at this time.” she asserted. “Although, perhaps in the future, but not today. Am I clear?” She took a pause so the campers could give their affirmation, albeit tentatively. “Alright. Introducing… The Oracle.” The winged woman slithered back as the flames of the bonfire began to grow unnaturally, responding to the approaching powerful presence. The once gentle breeze started to pick up and blow back locks of hair. Even the moon appeared to shine brighter as a soft flapping of wings could be heard just over the cracking and popping of the fire. A small shadow formed in the glowing space above the flames, and as it came closer to the light, The Oracle was revealed.

They were small, looking no bigger than the length of an arm vertically and horizontally if the wings and tail were fully stretched out. Right, they had a tail, covered in small iridescent scales that transitioned from black to a deep blue to a bright green, speckled throughout were small white spots, it’s unclear if those were the scales shining or just part of the pattern. Underneath was a black belly with long smooth scales that came up to the main ‘head’. The bat-like wings shared similar traits to the tail, with the black, blue, green with white speckles, pattern. Their head could hardly be considered a ‘head’, since it was just a single large eyeball. The unnerving sight was only enhanced by the odd shaped iris and pupil, which had the shapes of diamonds. The iris itself shared the previous color pattern of the tail and wings. The eyelashes themselves didn’t help either, being large and thick. The top half was long and had two protruding chunks on either side that enhanced the bat-like look. The bottom came to multiple sharp points. Large openings where the eyelids met showed the connective corners. It all was so disproportionate and unnatural, yet here they were, right in front of the small crowd.

A voice, as soft and smooth as the nearby ocean waves, whispered through the open air. Despite not having a mouth, The Oracle spoke as though projecting their message straight into the minds of the camp's inhabitants. “Ah, and so arrive the children of the gods…” Like a knife through butter, the voice cut through the silence, demanding the attention of all those present. The single eye glanced with a piercing gaze over the group, barely stopping on anyone specific. But still, The Oracle already was seeing the future of the campers. “How interesting… hmh… very interesting.” The eye began to glow in rings, looking like the flaring of the sun when looked at through a window or from a recording. The fire began to build, and the smoke rose in large plumes as the small bat-serpent form took to hovering over the pit. Finally, they spoke of what they were seeing. “Darkness looms over the future for one of you, and with it will come terror and destruction. Greatness follows another, a coming day where you will become a great hero. But, not without great loss of those who you love and believe to be close friends. And one of you will assist to break open the earth, and free The Titans from Tartarus. The Future is filled with bloodshed.”

With the final declaration from The Oracle, the fire suddenly is extinguished, leaving all to be shrouded in the darkness of night. The Prophecy held very few good omens it seemed. An unnerving silence filled the air as the small eyeball-bat disappeared into the star-filled sky, swiftly blending in and vanishing from the scene. Soon hushed whispers filled the area as uncertainty and fright began to grow. Kaykrea was quick to initiate the ending statements for the night and sent the campers back to their designated cabins to rest. Although, it would best be assumed that not many got much rest, whether if it was discussing the words of the Oracle, concerns on the upcoming trial, finishing unpacking, or ponderings on how the summer may be more interesting than at first predicted.

Kay stood at the shoreline straddling the camp, nearby was The Oracle’s abode, where the small creature was resting. She didn’t want the others to see, but the prophecy frightened her. She knew that the lives of gods and demi-gods could get dangerous, but… bloodshed… terror… The Titans. What would this mean? Was everyone here doomed right as they crossed the threshold? Perhaps even before they arrived? Not only that, but nothing said that The Oracle was safe either. It appears that maybe She has bitten more than she could chew. But she would do anything for the camp, anything for The Oracle.

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First chapter

Please watch the original Origins of Olympus series, while this story does make major changes; the series made by the Origins MCRP crew is important to understanding the Reimagining, and it's good to support the original material if you can. It's free on YouTube with multiple perspectives. If you see any way that I can improve my writing, or any grammar/spelling mistakes please let me know!

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Galileo Galilei Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Spoliers ahead. Not proofread.

After Sagredo was mercilessly executed, Galileo was taken away somewhere by the priests.

The hall where the inquisition occurred was eerily silent, as if nothing had happened.

(This is the inquisition he underwent.)

(He wasn't only branded a heretic for advocating heliocentrism, but he also lost his dear friend.)

(This is why he blamed himself so much.)

(.......)

The memory of his cries resurfaced, causing a pain in my chest that was beyond words.

(I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Galileo.)

(I touched your deep wounds insensitively back then.)

At that moment, something dawned on me.

(Wait, he said "they" at that time, but Sagredo was the only one who died in the inquisition.)

(Could it be that there are more victims?)

I never thought I would witness the truth he bore with my own eyes and the rage that made him despise the world.

Galileo, imprisoned in a cold, lonely cell, clenched his fists alone.

Galileo: "Sagredo, I'm sorry."

Galileo: "Why did you have to suffer this fate? Why?"

Though his voice trembled with agony, the strong will that Sagredo had kindled still shone in his eyes.

Galileo: "I won't give up. I'll get out of here and spread the truth to the world for you, Sagredo."

A single tear fell as he muttered.

Galileo: "What?"

He looked up as he heard a commotion outside.

There were sounds of dirt being dug up haphazardly, wheels creaking, and whispers of people.

When he looked outside through the only window in his cell, he saw two men carrying "something" in a wooden cart.

Galileo: "What is that?"

Priest 1: "Dealing with corpses is no easy task."

Priest 2: "Yeah. It would've been better if they had just burned them all."

Priest 2: "Even if they're the family of a heretic, it's sad to see them getting ripped apart by wild dogs."

Priest 1: "Sure, it's a quick fix, but I wish they'd consider those of us who have to clean it up."

Galileo: "Family of a heretic?"

The words he heard made his blood run cold, and his fingers began to tremble.

Even though he knew he shouldn't look, a dreadful premonition flashed through his mind, preventing him from averting his gaze. 

As he watched, something slid out from under the cloth covering the cart.

What Galileo saw was the scarred arm of a young child, with a tattered flower crown caught on it.

Galileo: "----!!"

Galileo: "No, it can't be..."

He began to remember.

------------Flashback-----------

Livia: "Big brother, I can't make the flower crown properly."

Galileo: "Let me see."

Galileo: "Here you go. Happy birthday, Livia."

Livia: "Wow, it's so cute! Thank you, big brother!"

---------Flashback Ends--------

Livia had been so delighted with the flower crown that she stubbornly refused to part with it. Because of this, their mother had to turn it into a dried flower crown.

Livia always carried it with her.

Galileo: "Livia?"

The white ribbon tied to the flower crown was stained with blood.

Priest 1: "Alright, let's get rid of them."

Priest 2: "Yeah."

They carelessly dumped the stuff they were transporting into the hole.

With a dull thud, the bodies piled up, and as the cloth fell away, it revealed the bodies of his sisters, his brother, and his mother.

Galileo: "No. Stop! Wait!!"

Galileo: "Livia, Virginia, Michelangelo! Mother!"

He grabbed the iron bars, shouting.

But his screams were in vain, as the sight of his beloved family was quickly buried under the earth.

Galileo: "Did you kill them? All of them?"

Galileo: "Why? Why, even my family!?"

As his cell filled with sobs and screams, the sound of a padlock being opened echoed from outside.

The priest, who had pronounced him a heretic, appeared.

Priest: "Did you witness the fate of your family, Galileo Galilei?"

Priest: "Consider this your punishment. Or perhaps it’s a mercy, for you saw them one last time."

Galileo: "You!!"

He lunged at the priest, but the priest accompanying him restrained him.

Even as he was forced to the ground, he continued to glare at the priest like a wild beast.

Galileo: "Why did you kill my family!? I'm the only heretic, am I not!?"

Galileo: "You killed Sagredo, and now my family, too. Why go to such lengths!?"

Galileo: "Is the truth of heliocentrism such a grave sin!?"

The priest looked down at Galileo with cold contempt and slowly began to speak.

Priest: "You're a heretical scholar who denies God's teachings. No, a filthy, heretical monster."

Priest: "Do you still not understand? Your true sin isn't heliocentrism."

Priest: "It's the vampire blood that flows within you!"

Galileo: "----!!"

Galileo: "So, that's why...?"

Realizing that his true nature had been discovered, Galileo's eyes widened as he understood the truth.

Galileo: "I see, condemning heliocentrism was just a front."

Galileo: "You used the inquisition to capture me, a dhampir."

Priest: "Exactly. Monsters that drink human blood must not exist in this world."

The priest explained that revealing the existence of vampires and dhampirs to the public would cause mass hysteria. To prevent this, they first captured him under the guise of heresy.

Galileo: "If being a vampire is a sin, then why did you kill Sagredo? Why did you kill my siblings and my mother?"

Galileo: "They're human!"

Priest: "Sagredo was your follower, wasn't he?"

Priest: "If you were to recant heliocentrism during the inquisition, he would've surely tried to stop you, so we used him."

Galileo: "You went that far."

Priest: "Anyone close to a vampire cannot be allowed to live."

Priest: "They might eventually start drinking blood too."

Galileo: "That's absurd!"

Priest: "We protected humanity from the vile vampires!"

His protests fell on deaf ears as the priest remained steadfast in his stance. He blindly believed that even taking lives was justified as a righteous hammer.

Priest: "Let me tell you this again. There should be no sinful monsters like you. You need to burn in God's fire."

Priest: "But before that, I shall investigate if there are others like you among us."

Galileo stopped the priest as he turned to leave the cell.

Galileo: "Wait! What about my father? What happened to him?"

Priest: "Ah, the pureblood. The accursed one said to possess eternal life."

Priest: "He was dealt with immediately. A creature that turns bitten humans into monsters is an extremely dangerous existence."

Priest: "If he doesn't die, he will be subjected to eternal torment. By now, he is likely dismembered and sunk to the bottom of some water."

Galileo: ".........."

Priest: "Remember, this is not persecution. There is no place in this world for creatures like you in the first place."

Priest: "It's all because of the sins you were born with."

When the priests left, the harsh sound of the cell being locked echoed.

Galileo: "Father..."

The mere thought of what his father, the only one possibly still alive, might be enduring filled him with a nauseating hatred that rose from his gut.

The final images of Sagredo and his family were burned into his mind as he covered his mouth.

Galileo: "Ugh."

His father had once said, "This is our dream, as father and son."

His family's smiles, the words he exchanged with his friend, and all those beautiful memories got swallowed up by despair.

Overwhelmed by the thought of being born with sin, he eventually laughed weakly.

Galileo: "Ha...haha..."

Galileo: "Bridge, huh? It was all my fault."

Galileo: "Just because I was a dhampir, just because of that..."

Galileo: "I killed them all."

The light of determination faded from his eyes.

It was as if his brilliant dreams and hopes had all been crushed.

Afterward, the priest publicly announced his death, but in reality, he was kept alive in confinement and subjected to repeated torture.

Galileo's golden hair, which once glimmered in the light, gradually turned silver.

Guard 1: "Hey, it looks like Galileo Galilei has finally gone mad."

Guard 2: "He's like a puppet when you torture him. He's often muttering to himself; it's creepy."

Guard 1: "That living-dead monster is useless now."

Galileo listened vaguely to the voices of the guards outside.

Galileo: "I hate them. I hate them all."

He was lying on the cold stone floor, his body covered in wounds and bruises from the torture.

He muttered curses with empty eyes and a voice filled with resentment.

Galileo: "I won't forgive them. I want to kill those humans."

Galileo: "And myself."

Galileo: "Yeah, I see. This is the truth."

Galileo: "Even I, who wished for coexistence, have come to hate humans so much."

Galileo: "We can never truly understand each other. It's impossible."

With his loved ones killed, he had no way of stopping the hatred that took root in his heart.

He only understood that the hatred stemming from the human heart distorted the world.

Galileo: "Our dream was nothing but a fantasy, Father."

Realizing this truth plunged his heart deeper into despair.

Galileo: "If only I could start over."

Galileo: "If only I could go back and save everyone."

He muttered, and his eyes widened in realization.

Galileo: "Go back in time."

Galileo: "That’s right, why didn't I realize it before?"

Galileo: "The door. If I build that door and go back in time, I can save everyone."

Galileo: "I can get my family, friends, and everything back."

He rose to his feet, and a strong determination returned to Galileo's eyes for the first time in a long while.

It was less hope and more like a budding hint of madness.

Guard 1: "It's time for interrogation. Come out, Galileo Galilei. Hey?"

That day, the guard who entered the cell found Galileo collapsed on the floor.

His abdomen was stained red, and a pool of blood had formed beneath him.

By his side was a piece of sharp debris, suggesting he had stabbed himself with a fragment from the crumbling wall.

Guard 2: "Could he be dead? We need to report this!"

As the guards started to panic一

Guard 1: "Gyaah!!"

Galileo, who had been lying still, sprang up and attacked them.

Enduring the searing pain in his abdomen, he broke free from their restraints and escaped into the darkness.

Galileo spent many months in hiding and worked tirelessly.

Galileo: "Finally, it's finished."

Based on the designs and theories he had memorized, he completed the door.

Galileo: "Livia, Sagredo..."

Galileo: "Virginia, Michelangelo, Father, Mother..."

Galileo: "I'm coming to save you. Please wait for me."

Galileo: "I will change our fate."

Aware of the forbidden nature of interfering with history, he reached out to the door.

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