#i have never expected her to be buff like she deserves

[apolunatic]

new hoshiguma skin

[deathshallbethelastenemy]

where you go, i go (2)

TEEN!gojo x FEM!reader (soulmate AU)

TW⚠️: angst, toji being toji, reader thinks about killing someone, gojo is in his tweaked out enlightenment era soooooo gojo a little creepy and eerie

Part 2 of what you see, i see

She had been going through the motions for the rest of the day, she hadn't even bothered to stop by her school clubs, until she arrived home. A sickly sweet scent of pastries attacked her senses the second she entered. Her house doubled as a bakery for the first floor. It was a popular hang out place for people her age especially for couples. There was a parade of them this time - cheerful couples were already sharing their coffees and sugary pastries.

The universe was laughing at her. It had to be. Why else would there be so many happy couples in the store right now? It was pointing and laughing hysterically on the ground saying: "That's what you get for ignoring me! That's what you get for resenting my gift to you!" Because that's what a soulmate was, a gift. A rare and wonderful gift that no one believed in, except for those who have experienced it themselves, and she had lost it; lost him.

She almost cried on the spot.

Her mother waved gleefully from behind the register, her daughter seldom returned it as she went up the stairs. She dropped her school bag in her room besides her desk and, face first, flopped on her bed.

She closed her eyes. Nothing, there was nothing.

Her lip quivered as tears began to sting her eyes, but she couldn't cry. Not when her mother was expecting her to change and put on an apron and help as she always did after school. She could silently mourn him tonight.

She let out a shaky breath. Did she even have the right to mourn him? She had never met him or talked to him. Everytime she thought of him recently was only to insult him or dismiss him entirely. No, she did not have the right to mourn him and she deserved to feel empty on the inside.

She put on a clean apron and slugged her way down stairs with a smile as she took over her mother's place at the register. Her mom kissed the top of her head and beamed at her with a thumbs up.

She never understood why so many people hated working retail, but now, she did. She had to force a smile and treat every customer kindly, all the while, she was dying on the inside.

A man had come in. Tall and insanely buff, a scar on his mouth. He ordered the cheapest pastry on the menu and handed her a wadded up yen. Her blood turned cold when their fingers brushed.

Her mother quickly took the money away from her as she gave her a quick command to check on the oven in the back.

She swallowed and listened to her mom. Her steps were quick as she pushed the double doors that led to the kitchen, she hugged herself.

It was him. It had to be him. That was the man who killed Gojo Satoru. She reached for a knife and gripped it tight. She should kill him. Her soulmate was dead and he was the reason why. She should try and avenge him.

Sheshouldsheshouldsheshouldsheshould-

The oven blared next to her. Her head snapped to it as the knife clattered on the ground, and with shaky mitted hands she opened the oven, and took out the fresh pastries.

Those were dangerous thoughts; thoughts she never thought she would ever have against anyone. She took off the oven mitts and looked outside the circle window of the kitchen - he was leaving and her mother was watching him like a hawk, even when the bell rang sharply with a muffin in his mouth as he walked outside with the rest of the crowd. She didn't know what possessed her to run after him, but she did. Maybe, all she wanted to know was why he had killed Gojo Satoru. Maybe, she wanted this man to kill her too, so she wouldn't feel empty inside anymore.

A blur of a conversation as the words tumbled out of her mouth: "Why? Why did you kill Satoru?"

She didn't register anything other than his gruff voice, "Ah, he had a soulmate. If I were you I'd keep that information to yourself from now on." Uninterestedly, he continued, "You wouldn't want the Gojo clan to know about you. No doubt, they'll try to marry you off to another member of the clan." and then, kept walking.

She didn't hear the interest in his voice when he said to himself, "But she would be worth a lot of money if I did take her to them." He would negotiate a price first to see if he was right about her being worth any money. He would worry about that later, right now, he had a star plasma vessel to turn in.

A sharp tug on her arm is all that stopped her from running after him again.

"______! What were you thinking?" her mother gritted out as she led her back into the bakery. Her mother's voice is strict and unwavering, "Go to your room."

And she did.

She tossed the apron on her desk and kicked her school bag. How was she supposed to live like this with the rest of her entire life half-full?

A sob violently escaped her.

This was how everyone else in the world lived, she realized.

Aching and alone.

Desperate and searching.

Wanted and unwanted.

Now, she was just like everyone else like she had always wanted. She supposed, she couldn't complain.

She laid in bed, wrapped herself in a blanket - trying to keep warm, but she doubted, she'd ever feel warm again as she cried herself to sleep.

She dreamt about Satoru. Flashes of a long chain, of red, of purple, of blood, of a crowd clapping, of someone wrapped in a white sheet, of a long dark hallway.

The universe was laughing at her again. Why else would it give her dreams about him?

An uneasiness settled into her bones. Someone was watching her. The grim reaper, no doubt wearing the face of her soulmate's assassin. If death wanted her, so be it.

She kept her eyes closed.

She saw herself sleeping soundly in death's gaze. She saw the time pass through her window changing from sundown to night as death continued to watch her intently.

Hours had passed.

00:57:39

She wondered at what specific time the grim reaper would take her.

1:13:01

Did it want her to open her eyes?

1:13:10

Probably.

1:13:15

The grim reaper has been patiently waiting for her.

1:13:17

Why keep death waiting then?

1:13:20

Her eyes fluttered open.

Beautiful, vibrant cerulean blue.

It was not death. It was -

"Satoru," she whispered.

"______," he whispered back.

Satoru was sitting down on the floor extremely close to her bed with his legs crossed while his hands rested neatly on his ankles. There was dry blood on his face and on his white dress shirt.

Her mouth moved but no sound came.

"You were crying," he said as he caressed her cheek soothing his thumb along the trail of stained lines that her dried tears had left, "alot."

So, he had seen everything.

She put her hand over his and gently rubbed circles.

Satoru scooted closer to her bed, "I didn't like seeing you cry," his hand trailed up to her scalp, "or frown," and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

He laid his head down on her bed and stared at her with those vibrant, sparkling eyes; eyes that could see everything she could never see.

She touched his cheek gently, "I didn't like not feeling you."

Her whole body shivered. Satoru was here, in front of her, and she was still cold.

"Are you still cold?"

She nodded.

Never letting go of her, he kicked off his shoes and climbed under the blanket with her. He wrapped his legs around hers as her arms wrapped under his uniform jacket.

With his hand still tangled in her hair, he said, "Better?"

His heartbeat had returned to her. They were beating in unison again.

"Better," she hummed. "You?" She asked.

His lips pressed softly on her forehead, "Much better." He tugged her in closer into his chest.

She smiled.

She was warm again.

@whatamidoing89 @mr-underhills-things

Part 1: what you see, i see

Part 3: you know i adore you

Part 4: i'm crazier for you

Part 5: baby, you're the life of the party

Part 6: something's made your eyes go cold

[prodigal-explorer]

okay i hate it more than anything but i also find it so hilarious when white people try super hard to seem like they’re the most diverse creators of all time but they end up just being super racist/sexist/homophobic because all they know about oppressed groups are the stereotypes about them 😭

like in a “watching a dumpster fire” kind of way.

and the thing is as a disabled queer woc, it’s SO OBVIOUS to me whenever it happens like it’s so clear when somebody only makes inclusive headcanons or characters to get brownie points and not because they actually care about diversity.

“hey guys uhhhh see this black man? surprise! she’s actually a transfemme! i’ll bet you guys never expected that! aren’t i such a good person for acknowledging that transfemmes can be buff? or that woc can be queer? or that black people exist?”

“guys you’re never gonna believe this, that super mean girl bully character is actually a lesbian! she’s only mean because she’s terrified of getting close to a woman because she can’t control her predatory urges! aren’t i so inclusive and thoughtful?”

“omg look! it’s a lesbian couple! queer women deserve more of a spotlight in the media! okay now that that’s out of the way, back to the little gay white men, the lesbians had half a chapter, that’s enough to fill out the quota, right?”

“i have some good angst for this asian character…let’s make him a super academic perfectionist who has a really strict mom who makes him do hours of homework every day! oh oh and let’s give her a thick and exaggerated asian accent! just so i can show that i know that asian people have asian accents sometimes. aren’t i so culturally sensitive?”

“yes! genius! i made my super whitewashed hispanic character call his lover “mi amor” a few times. wow. i’m such a good and racially knowledgeable person. i can’t wait to get lots of attention for this!”

that’s just the energy i get when i read some of these fanfics LMAO and i wish i could call ppl out on it but i also don’t care and i know it’ll get me clowned on.

[shuttershocky]

as arknights CN approaches its 4.5 anni, what are your theories for what the big event will be? predictions on operators? hopes and copes?

I never have any theories or expectations for Arknights events, it's a surprise every time.

That being said the announcement banner had musical notes in it so a return to Leithanien is a shoe-in. I'm expecting this to be the event where Altria lol Arturia becomes playable.

Ill tell you what I do hope and cope for though, modules.

Ebenholz has opened the path for a third module and his third module has proved to be absurdly powerful while unlocking a completely new playstyle for him (seriously just look at this fucked up total damage graph)

This means a new hope burns for Phantom and his fans, hopefully one that makes his clone take 0 deployment limit (and lets him recast his skills upon their duration ending, fuck it 4x S3 bomb time).

Other units I'm hoping to get a module for

Ho'olheyak - Poor Ho'ol is Release Passenger levels of bad. Qanipalaat does her crowd control levitation job but better, since he actually does a controllable burst of 7s levitation rather than the RNG fest of her S2 or her incredibly slow and inefficient S3. She needs big number buffs the way Passenger had or a new mechanic added that she can use, as right now her damage sucks, her crowd control is meh (her tornadoes should be AOE instead of single target since it takes her 3 fucking seconds to attack), and almost nobody else synergizes with her. She's awful. I will of course be maxing her out at once.

Carnelian - Giving Lin a module with literally everything she wants to make her invincible while Carnelian got +80% max HP was a personal affront to me and to Carnelian fans everywhere. If Carnelian has Mlynar levels of restrictions (except even more because highground units have more restrictions than ground units), then she deserves nothing less than Mlynar level damage. Remove the 5 stack restriction on her S3 charge, make that shit 10 stacks (+200% damage) or unlimited even, fuck it. Make her ASPD scale with skill duration too so that her S2 becomes a permabind while her S3 builds the stacks faster and also goes with her ATK scaling up over skill duration. Are you telling me Carnelian has to wait 40 seconds to attack like Mlynar, but only has a total S3 damage of 44kish? Ebenholz can hit for 30kish on one fully charged Mod X shot with S3, this is some bullshit. Carnelian deserves more and better.

Vigil - Please. Please HG. Look at what you've done to him. At least makes his wolves tankier. Do you know how sad he looks when you compare him to the other free 6 stars? Silence the Paradigmatic, Lumen, fucking Gladiia?? How could he be released in this state. Penance has never punched a man in her life and she's out here soloing the top lane at max risk CC12 while her best friend Leon was poised to take over a mafia family and his best weapons are a couple of peashooters and pathetic shikigami. He's not as bad as the memes make him out to be but good lord he's still really bad and needs help.

Thorns - He's still really good I just want a module that buffs his much more interesting S2 over his S3 for the memes. The look on their faces will be hilarious.

[hubristicassholefight]

Swordswoman Showdown 3rd place

Camilla Hect (The Locked Tomb) vs Brienne of Tarth (A Song Of Ice and Fire)

(Better here in a "preferred character" sense, not "who would win in a fight")

Camilla art by @friendamedes, used with permission

Propaganda below cut

Cam

trained w a rapier & knives. practical. handsome. extremely efficient and capable.; she’s my boyfriend and I love her. Please vote for cam she is my life

Gideon Nav uses one very large sword in defiance of the expectation that a cavalier should use a rapier, but Camilla Hect instead uses two. Just as much defiance of social expectation, twice as many blades. The reveal of her specific brand of swordiness is the heart of one of the book's most iconic lines: "Cam? Go loud."; In the spirit of the laconic charm of the Warden's Hand I will simply say "Camilla's competent."

She prefers two short swords but has been know to wield a rapier and other such bladder instruments; She also loves to organize spreadsheets

Go loud.

Brienne

gets gifted a sword made with the rarest metal ever because she’s THAT good; she’s simply the best

Brienne is one of the top sword users alive in her day. She's descended from a man who's catchphrase was "I'm better with a sword." Better than what? You. Jaime Lannister. Loras Tyrell. Any five given guys at once. She has a fantastic sword that might be magic or cursed and is named Oathkeeper because that's what she does; I love her

Beat like 20 guys in a tournament when she was 19. Was given a magic sword. Won a sword fight against the premier swordsman in the realm. Very swordly; Very tall and strong. Holds her sword in high esteem. Accomplished with other weapons as well!

She's defeated multiple of the top knights in the series in duels. One such knight gifts her the fabergé egg of swords and she uses it to defend orphans and stuff. Got out of a bad betrothal by dueling him and beating his ass so bad she broke multiple bones. Honestly there's so much more she is the swordswoman of all time. to me; She's buff and ugly and 6' 5" and so honorable and kind that she inspires the guy who fucks his sister to yknow. stop doing that. literally gets mauled for the sake of protecting a bunch of orphans (with her sword). also she's 20 she should be at the club ‼️

One of the best sword wielders in Westeros, the author says he would pick her to defend him. Has a cool sword called Oathkeeper. Manages to go up against 7 fighters and take out most of them,. The only true knight; First off, talking about book brienne, they massacred show brienne, the show runners simply didn’t understand what she’s about.“ She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice” brienne had plenty of choice but she couldn’t leave people to die. The chivalric paradigm is rotten and corrupted, but here is Brienne, the one true knight, who isn’t even a actual knight! “knights are for killing”, but here is a knight who risks her life again and again to protect innocents! Bri IS hope, she is the light in the dark that shows that things can be better, things must be better. Fundamentally an idealist: “Winter will never come for the likes of us. Should we die in battle, they will surely sing of us, and it's always summer in the songs. In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining”

#BRIENNE WON A MELEE WHEN SHE WAS 19 !!!!!#DONT LET HER LOSE

#MORE LOVE FOR BRIENNE#SHE FOUGHT A DAMN BEAR WITH A WOODEN SWORD#SHE AVENGED A MAN UNJUSTLY MAIMED#SHE PROTECTED CHILDREN AGAINST SEVEN MEN#NO CHANCE AND NO CHOICE

I'm going to put some propaganda for Brienne, because she deserves the world.

Some people have been quoting the "no chance, no choice" in the tags, but for those that don't know it comes from this scene:

...she could hear the faint clink of swords and mail from beneath their ragged cloaks. She counted them as they came. Two, four, six, seven. (...) Brienne sucked in her breath and drew Oathkeeper. Too many, she thought, with a start of fear, they are too many.(...) Brienne tried to keep the fear from her voice, but her mouth was dry as dust. The children, she thought. The door to the inn banged open. Willow stepped out into the rain, a crossbow in her hands. The girl was shouting at the riders, but a clap of thunder rolled across the yard, drowning out her words. As it faded, Brienne heard the man in the Hound’s helm say, “Loose a quarrel at me and I’ll shove that crossbow up your cunt and fuck you with it. Then I’ll pop your fucking eyes out and make you eat them.” The fury in the man’s voice drove Willow back a step, trembling. Seven, Brienne thought again, despairing. She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice. She stepped out into the rain, Oathkeeper in hand. “Leave her be. If you want to rape someone, try me.”

This is basically one of the most badass and awesome moments of the series... because here, Brienne is not guarding a King, vanquishing a great Evil Lord, or fighting a big glorious battle... this is an inn full of orphans being attacked by raiders, children whose lives really don't matter in the great scheme of things. If they were all to be killed, nobody powerful would really care, no history book would write their names.

The logical thing is to run away from there as fast as she could. And yet, Brienne decides to enter an unwinnable nightmarish battle (one where she gets her arm broken and her face eaten) because is the right thing to do. She is a true knight.

Because, in the dark pseudo-medieval world of Westeros, where the patriarchal martial system reigns supreme, there is no space for someone like Brienne, she herself said it best:

"You have a noble father who must surely love you. (...) I know he would tell you that he would sooner have a living daughter than a shattered shield." "A daughter." Brienne's eyes filled with tears. "He deserves that. A daughter who could sing to him and grace his hall and bear him grandsons. He deserves a son too, a strong and gallant son to bring honor to his name. (...) I am the only child the gods let him keep. The freakish one, not fit to be a son or daughter."

And yet, despite being on the fringe of this society that doesn't accept nonconforming gender expression, despite not being able to be named knight, Brienne is still the embodiment of the ideal of knighthood. She is a true hero, who over and over decides to defend the innocents and do the right thing.

So yeah, my conclusion here is... I think she and kiku should kiss <3

[stxrlitmxxnlight]

Broken, Yet Yearning

Chapter 1: A Tough Decision, But One With No Regrets

A soft, relieved sigh is let out; At the same time, Rosmarie looks out the plane window, thinking about the good memories and people she's leaving back home in Australia; a decision that was made long ago when she started to plan out attending college and just general plans for the future. 

But as for currently, Rosmarie was on the plane headed to London, to finally be able to attend the college of her dreams and to also start a life of her own, a nice but well-deserved fresh start for herself. 

Leaving her Grandparents and friends hurt, yes, but she had desperately wanted to leave Australia and try to find something better elsewhere in the world.  

 Rose had always been an art, literature, and history buff ever since she was a child, she always found peace and happiness in being able to read and draw and be in her little world; on the other hand, all her hard work had paid off finally, being able to bring her passions to a whole new level, wanting to travel the world and visit all the museums and art galleries to her heart’s content, as well as going to places to see the history that had been left behind.

As a few hours passed, her plane finally landed at its destination. Having sat in the front of the plane, luckily, she was able to make a quick exit from the plane and to baggage claim, waiting for her things before eventually getting them.

After getting outside and waiting for a cab to come in view to be flagged down and take her to her residence, Rosmarie waited a bit before calling a cab and giving her driver her new address. 

“I’m excited but I’m also so tired at the same time.” She murmurs to herself, she got her luggage situated in the cab trunk, then seated herself in the backseat and thanked the cab driver sweetly before they made their way to her apartment. While the cab drove through the many streets to London, Rosmarie smiled and admired the new views and change in scenery.

After around a decent 45 minutes of driving, the cab driver finally arrived at the apartment complex, eagerly exiting the cab, she would then carefully remove her luggage, then thanked the driver before paying them and watching them drive off for a second before making her way to her apartment.

When she had made her way to the elevator, after checking in at the front desk of the apartment complex, she got her apartment key before thanking the staff with a soft grin and then making her way to the elevator.

Now that she was standing in front of the door to her new home, Rose had gently placed her hand on the knob; after unlocking the door, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as if she were expecting something to happen when she opened the door. Slowly entering her new home, she takes in the view of it while the thoughts of “This is it, I’ve finally made my dream a reality.” all go through her head as if she were dreaming this had all happened.

As much as she would have liked to keep dreaming, she needed to start unpacking what she had brought with her on the flight and do her best to get comfortable before being able to relax a bit. With a reluctant sigh, Rosmarie makes a move to find the bedroom, then makes haste to unpack. 

“I should call and let Oma and Opa know I landed and made it home.” Rosmarie reminded herself in a soft huff of exhaustion, after having stressed over the flight and the way to her apartment would go, along with aching at the thought of how lonely her grandparents were now, especially with how Rosmarie had been the only one to see and stay with them, especially with how most the family is back in Germany; meanwhile, her father never bothered to see how his parents were at all.

3 hours had passed, and now finally relaxed and comfortable and cozy on her bed, the warmth of the few blankets that were brought with were much welcomed. Rosmarie pulled out her phone, and started a video call with her grandparents, hoping they’d pick up if not busy.

beep beep beep

Is all she heard before smiling at the sound of her Grandma’s voice greeting her and not short after, her grandfather greeting her as well, both of them having a bright smile on their faces.

“Hallo liebes! Wie war Ihr Flug? Gefällt Ihnen Ihr neues Zuhause bisher?” Was what she heard almost instantly when the call connected finally, making her heart throb at the fact she couldn’t bring them with her.

( “Hello Love! How was your flight? Like your new home so far?”)

“Hallo Oma, mein Flug verlief gut, ich konnte nicht anders, als traurig zu sein, dass du nicht mitkommen konntest.” Rosmarie was quick to admit to them both, it almost made her ill when she had to depart with them at the airport if she were to be honest. 

“Aber ich liebe meine neue Wohnung, sie ist schön und gemütlich, wie auf der Website angekündigt!” She quickly adds before they could dwell on what she said about not being able to come with.

(“Hello grandma, my flight went well, I couldn't help but feel sad that you couldn't come with me.”)

(“But I do love my new apartment, it's nice and cozy like it was advertised on the website!”) “Wir wissen, dass es schwer ist, nicht bei Ihnen zu sein, aber wir sind stolz auf Sie, dass Sie diesen großen Schritt in Ihrem Leben gemacht haben. Vor allem, weil Sie so hart gearbeitet haben, um dorthin zu gelangen, wo Sie jetzt sind.” Her grandfather had told her, smiling and conveying how proud he and his wife were of her, their oldest grandchild striving and doing anything she could to make her dream come true.

(“We know it's hard not being there with you, but we're proud of you for taking this big step in your life. Especially since you've worked so hard to get where you are now.”)

When she heard her grandfather praise her, she couldn’t help but start tearing up and sniffling at his words.

 Rose had honestly thought this big move would be a little easier, but so far it's proven to be hard but worth it. 

Rosmarie was having a hard time being away from the only people who were the biggest supporters in her life after pretty much being abandoned as a child by her parents after her sister was born, but that was a whole other story in itself.

Rose was having a hard time responding when she heard her Grandmother’s voice this time, now listening carefully.

“Weine nicht, mein liebes Mädchen, kein Grund zu weinen, es wird immer Zeiten geben, in denen wir anrufen oder per Videoanruf telefonieren und vielleicht einen längeren Besuch planen können, wenn du in der Pause bist.” The second her grandma finished speaking, Rose had just finally let the dam of tears she’d been holding back so desperately flow freely, soft sniffles and hiccups being heard from the poor girl.

(“Don't cry my dear girl, no need to cry, there will always be times when we can call, video call, and maybe plan a long visit when you're on break.”)

“Ich weiß, aber es ist nicht dasselbe wie mit dir zusammen zu sein.” Would Rosmarie respond, having been able to finally say something after calming herself down? 

The only thoughts that were running through her head currently, were the ones of worry for her grandparents, worried about who would be there to help them when she couldn’t be.

“Aber das ist nicht der einzige Grund. Ich mache mir mehr Sorgen, dass du Hilfe brauchst und sie nicht bekommen kannst und dass etwas Schlimmes passiert, wenn ich nicht da bin, um dich zu beschützen.” Rose added with a sigh, now seeing her grandparents give her a look of empathy but also one of understanding of her worries.

(“I know, but it's not the same as being with you.”) (“But that's not the only reason, I'm more worried about you needing help and not being able to get it, and something bad happening when I'm not there to protect you.”)

After a bit more conversing had been made, Rosmarie started to feel a bit worn out, seemingly now that she had cried out her stress and worries to her grandparents, along with that long flight from Australia to England plus the car ride, she was definitely in need of a nap, a well deserved one at that.

” Du solltest dich etwas ausruhen, Schatz, du hattest einen langen Flug und einen langen Tag vor dir. Warum nicht ein Nickerchen machen und uns später vor dem Schlafengehen noch einmal anrufen?” Her Grandfather suggests to her once he notices how drained she looks, and Rose gives a simple but tired nod and a few slow blinks when doing so as if trying to stay awake.

(“You should get some rest dear, you've had a long flight and a long day ahead of you. why not take a nap and call us again later before bed?”)

When soft ‘I love yous’ and ‘miss you already/miss you more’ were said a few times, the call eventually ended and Rosmarie plugged her phone in before laying down again, now just looking up at the ceiling, thinking away all while her eyes slowly closed. 

The need for sleep having taken over her body and mind finally, gave her a moment of peace and no worries to be thought about.

4 hours later

With a soft but long yawn, and some well-needed stretching of the muscles, Rosmarie awakes from her nap feeling a bit more refreshed and energized than she was earlier when she first arrived.

“I need to go grocery shopping…and just get basic needs too, and maybe I should drop by the campus if I have time..” Rosmarie had pondered to herself as she got up, stretching a little more before moving on and getting into something more cozy and comfortable. 

Having decided on a baggy sweater and some sweatpants just to stay casual and comfortable at the same time.

By the time she finally left the apartment, a list of what she needed in hand while following the GPS app on her phone to find the nearest market she could walk to and from home with no issues. 

While she was strolling along the streets of London, she was just lost in her thoughts and worries about her new big step forth in life. 

 Her thoughts were not concerned about how college would go, but rather if she’d be able to make friends and get along with people since she had always been on the more timid side when it came to befriending new people.

With the way she had grown up back in Australia, yes she spent most of her time with her grandparents as much as she could, but she was still sadly made to live with her parents, mostly having to face the reality of them acting like she never existed. 

It hurt a lot, yes, but it hurt more to see and deal with her little sister always going out of her way to make Rosmarie’s day or overall mood horrible. Didn’t help that Rose was also just naturally a soft and sensitive person due to her home life.

Now that she had made a big step, Rose was a bit more confident in socializing now her sister was no longer a risk of bullying her in front of others, along with her parents too as they did pitch in when they felt like it. 

When reality decided to suddenly hit her, she came back to the world from her thoughts, she noticed she had made her way to the market, honestly surprised by the time it had taken her to get there. 

It had only been about a ten-minute walk. Shrugging off her reality check, she makes her way into the Tescos, quickly grabbing a cart and making her way through the aisles, checking off her list of needs/wants slowly, keeping to herself as much as she possibly can so she can just what she needed to be done dealt with before any sort of socializing.

1 hour of shopping later

Standing in the detergent aisle, trying to locate the brand she usually uses due to having a slight allergy to an ingredient in most detergents. 

Fortunately for her, the store sold it, but unlucky for her it was way above her reach. But she does attempt to tiptoe the best she can with being only 5'9(175.2cm) and with the shelves being what feels like 10ft tall(304.8cm), but when it was only maybe 7ft(213.3cm)tall.

When making her final attempt at tiptoeing for the needed shelf that was far out of her reach, she lost balance, fully expecting to come crashing down onto the cold hard floor of the store; but much to her surprise, she was met with what felt like a broad chest as well with a strong arm holding her close.

Looking up at the person who had saved her from the fall, she couldn’t help with how quickly her heart started to flutter, amazed and awed at what masterpiece of a being was in front of her. Was like he was created by the gods in Olympus for how beautiful and handsome he was. 

But before she continued to ogle at the tall blonde man whom still had her in his arm, she would quickly fix herself, then again look up at the older man.

“I’m so sorry!” Rose apologized quickly while her face flushed a shade of red amongst the soft skin of her cheeks, her eyes had darted from one direction to another before shyly meeting the tall man’s gaze once more. “ Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you at all?’” she inquired, worried she may have accidentally stepped on him or something.

“No need to apologize.” The stranger tells her in one of the deepest, but also somehow heavenly and pleasant to the ears. “I’m fine.” He states as he looks up to see what she had tried to grab.

 Before she even knew it, the gentleman carefully grabbed the detergent she was trying to reach before and carefully placed it in her cart. 

“Seems like you like that brand.” He notes in a slightly softer tone but also tries to be semi-playful, since noticing her all flustered.

“Oh-uh it is one of few brands I can use due to having a slight allergy to a couple of ingredients in most detergents.” She explained to the man, and he hummed softly in response, showing he understood. 

“Noticed your accent, take it not from here?” The gentleman inquired, having his interest been piqued.

“Ah yes, I just moved to London as of today, I came from Australia. ” Rosmarie informs him, now almost beaming a bit as they conversate, having shaken off her embarrassment a bit.

“An Aussie I see.” The blonde giant, but gorgeous man says with a slight chuckle, having found her attitude change cute when more comfortable. 

Humming softly to confirm his answer she smiled softly before looking at the time on her phone with a pout. “Wish today wasn’t moving by so quickly already, I have so much to do,” Rosmarie stated with a slight pout before looking at the man once more.

“Unfortunately I have to get going, I’ve to finish what errands I can today.” with a sigh she smiled at him. “ It was a pleasure meeting you, as well as talking with you!” The young girl exclaimed softly. 

“ Hope to see you around sometime, I’m Rosmarie by the way,” she informed him before smiling and giving him her thanks for the help, making her way to the checkout with her things.

Rosmarie couldn’t help but giggle to herself after having a nice conversation, but also glad her first interaction with someone local had gone so well. 

“Maybe doing this was worth it in the end.” She told herself, having more confidence in the new move, seeing that it was going well so far on the first day. 

Too bad she had to continue with her plans for the day, otherwise she’d probably stand there and keep talking with Simon.

???’s Pov

Once the young girl, Rosmarie, had gone along with her day, it wasn’t long after her departure, he heard two fairly familiar voices laughing and fussing and laughing around with one another. 

“ Oi! Who were you blethering ‘bout with?” Questioned with a thick Scottish accent from behind, just being able to tell by the tone that was used, that a smirk was on one or both the men’s faces. 

“No one Johnny,” He replied, with a roll of his eyes as he turned to look at the two men. “ Need something?” he questions only for the two to give a mischievous grin.

“Wipe the grins off ye dafty faces.” he groaned slightly looking at the two men.

“Oh come off it, tell us who that bonnie of a lass ye were talkin to is.” The man named Johnny tells him, grinning ear to ear.” Ye never just talk, let alone help just anyone; if anything you do your best to stay away from interacting wit’ others.`` 

Johnny teased the older man, finding delight in his friend’s sour attitude.” If I heard correctly, Rosmarie was the bonnie lass’s name.” Johnny added with a smirk, looking to the side at his other friend.

“Seems like someone is smitten already, aye, Kyle?” He asked his friend, who also looked back at Johny before looking at their friend. 

“Bloody hell seems like it mate,” Kyle replied with the same shit-eating grin his friend shared. “ Fuckin’ hell..” is all the poor guy can mutter to himself, seeing that his friends did seem to have heard everything.

He just didn’t know what it was about her, but he just couldn’t tell what it was that attracted him to her. 

“Let us go before Price gets pissed we haven’t come back with more tea, I’m not lookin’ forward to being torn at for ye two twats, especially since I had to go looking for the two of ye.” is all he responds with, before starting to walk out the aisle, leaving the two younger lads behind as they celebrate about how they were right.

“Let’s just get back to Price already.” he lectured the two grown men, more like children, before reaching to check out and being quick to pay, and heading back to the car with the numbskulls following behind.

As they all got in the car, he couldn’t help but wonder to himself if he really would be seeing this Rosmarie girl again. Nor would he deny that he was looking forward to hopefully running into her again soon.

[vilandel]

Silver Cats & Black Roses

Chapter 1 – And so, it began...

A/N Time for me to also post one of my longer fics here (and probably also my start of FINALLY doing some masterlists here). Silver Cats & Black Roses is a story I love in particular, as it also allowed me the shape my Black Clover fics more in detail. I wrote it last year, all 35 chapters and while I didn't expect it to become this long, I'm actually pretty happy with how it ended up. So, here the first chapter 💜💙

Ao3 link

♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣

Was it weird to look at an empty glass and hoping it would answer all your questions, even the ones you don’t even ask or think about?

Yes. Yes, it was totally weird.

And still, Vanessa couldn’t help but looking at her glass and hoping for answers.

They had just won over the Dark Triad and the devils, saved captain Yami and captain William, as well as the freed the Spade kingdom from years of a dark reign.

Right now, everyone was either healing, being looked after or looking after others, got some whole deserved rest or just, trying to calm down after all those fights.

Vanessa managed to gather a glass and a bottle of Spade wine somewhere, she didn’t pay attention what place it was and found a nice spot under a tree. A bit away from the tents that were build up in haste, but still near enough to be there in a moment, if she needed to.

Vanessa would have liked to celebrate the victory with the Bulls and some others, but that would probably be for another time. They were all exhausted from the battle, some were probably asleep and others went to look after other people – she saw Finral helping Langris lie down on a bed not too long ago.

And maybe, just maybe, Vanessa needed some time alone for once, to get her thoughts in order.

Although, she didn’t really know what those thoughts had to be about. While she drank her glass empty to refill it, she kept thinking kinda unbothered about the war within Spade, the fact the Black Bulls do have a vice-captain, the Dark Triad, the devils, the abduction and later the rescue of captain Yami and captain William, all those fights… and so many other things, basically everything that happened in a bunch of a bit more than a week.

But now that both glass and bottle were empty, Vanessa realized that in this very moment, her mind actually got a grip on only one specific moment.

Captain Charlottes’ confession to captain Yami.

And more importantly… the fact that Vanessa neither felt jealous or betrayed or sad or angry or any similar feeling about it. None of these emotions have pierced Vanessas heart when she heard Charlottes teary and heartbreaking love confession.

In fact, nothing pierced her heart at all. Vanessa only felt her obvious worries for her captain, but also compassion, sadness for the captain of the Blue Rose Squad. Maybe also a bit of hope, but not for herself… Vanessa couldn’t explain why.

And Vanessa was also unable to explain why she wasn’t even surprised that she didn’t even felt any jealousy. Wasn’t it weird to be surprised about not being surprised? To not be jealous for something…

It was really stupid and probably also selfish that she was focusing on that right now, instead of other more important things. After all, a fiery raid against powerful enemies just ended and even though it ended in a victory for Clover, Heart, the Spade rebels and every one of their allies, how was everybody’s physical state? And more importantly, how was everybody’s mental state?

And still, all alone as she was right now, Vanessa couldn’t help but think about how surprisingly different she felt about that confession than she would have thought.

She had a huge crush on Yami, right after he freed her from her cage and made a Black Bull out of her. Only to get heartbroken just a few days later, a very specific day Vanessa never liked to remember…

She never really thought to be over it, given that the few guys she shortly dated over the years were all buff men, like Yami. Now that Vanessa thought about it, was that almost like she tried to replace him in her heart?

Finral had said something like that to her, one day. Finral, her best friend, who always had disastrous flirting attempts with no success and who was so shy and respectable around the only woman he truly loves. He actually had such good romance advice for others, but those others, herself included, barely listened to him.

Which was probably stupid.

“There’s a lot of buff men, Vanessa, but not everyone is like captain Yami. Heck, given how he is, no one is like captain Yami.”

“Oh, I know that, Fin.”

“I believe you, but do you also realized it?”

No, she didn’t. Or maybe she did realized that fact, but she ignored it instead. Why? Vanessa couldn’t really tell.

Maybe she couldn’t accept that what she felt for her captain was more gratitude and the affection of a sibling than anything. Maybe she couldn’t get over her first heartbreak and since Yami was out of reach on a romantic level, she tried to find a replacement, despite knowing that there wouldn’t be a second Yami Sukehiro.

“I was really stupid,” Vanessa muttered. Even more so that her crush on Yami was more like a lost sad puppy imprinting on the first nice person who cared about her and with her previous flings, she felt mostly excitement and attraction, which never really lasted long. And she flirted and teased left and right, because she find it fun.

But she never had been in love.

Which honestly sucks in her eyes. Vanessa was a romantic, she supported Finral in his quest – her words, not his – to become the man Finesse deserved. She tried to play the matchmaker for her squadmates. Without much success, granted. Asta was just as dense as Yami, Noelle too stubborn to even admit her own feelings to herself, Gray and Gauche were such a case on their very own and the rest of her squadmates were also such disasters when romance was involved. Also not very cooperative. And still, not always but pretty often, Vanessa continued to try. After all, she loved each one of her squadmates and wanted them to be happy.

There were only two Black Bulls she never tried to pair up with someone. First Nacht, but Vanessa only met him like three days ago and so never got the opportunity to play a matchmaker for him.

The other, was of course Yami. There were many reasons why Vanessa never tried. First, he was scary when someone put their nose in his privacy. Second, he was so horribly dense, he was so unable to realize when a anybody, man or woman, was interested in him.

And third… Charlotte Roselei, captain of the Blue Rose squad.

Did she actually never tried to pair up captain Yami with anyone because she still had that foolish, stubborn and stupid hope that he would choose her? Or because she knew that there was someone who actually loved him already?

But then, why did Vanessa never tried to help captain Charlotte to make her move on Yami?

Was it because Charlotte criticized Yami and didn’t looked like she admired him every day? But Noelle also criticized Asta for many things and it was mostly to hide her own feelings, Charlotte had obviously a similar approach. Even though that unlike Noelle, Charlotte actually never seemed like she denied her feelings to herself.

As for the admiration part, what had Finral told her once?

“Vanessa, as much as admiring your loved one is always nice and most often sweet, it becomes problematic when you put your partner on a pedestal. This makes a gap in your relationship and it’s worse if you’re blind to your partner’s flaws, even considering that person flawless.”

Finral was right, of course he was right.

Now that Vanessa thought about it, it was actually pretty obvious that captain Charlotte didn’t put captain Yami on a pedestal. No, by not being blind by his flaws and still loving him despite them, Charlotte embraced all of Yami, who he was. She didn’t saw a strong, flawless hero, she saw Yami Sukehiro.

Vanessa actually admired that about captain Charlotte. Love must be strong if you embrace about the person you love, even the rather bad sides, but without denying them. Vanessa knew that back then, when she had that crush on Yami, she’d put him on a pedestal. Well, he saved her and took her in, she had been innocent and overwhelmed by her saviour, by the world outside the Witches Forest. But a relationship wouldn’t have work, she knew that today.

“I should have helped captain Charlotte,” Vanessa whispered, still looking at her empty glass.

She felt a bit empty as well, right now. The realization she made might have opened her eyes, but it also made her feel somehow lonely.

Vanessa hadn’t felt lonely since the cage and she didn’t like that this horrible feeling was back. But it was back… and it was strange. How could she ever felt lonely with the Black Bulls, when you weren’t pulling a Nacht? How was it possible to feel lonely with Black Bulls, when everyone was there for each other, having fun together?

Vanessa wasn’t against change, as long as it wasn’t drastic. But she didn’t want her current life to change, the Black Bulls current life to change. She lived in the present, her horrible past behind her, not caring for the future.

But would it change? Their lives already changed when Asta joined the Black Bulls. They were misfits with a home, but no perspective and Asta gave them hope, to become better, to become real Magic Knights. But their lives haven’t changed that much due to that.

But wouldn’t it have more drastic changes if Yami will go out with captain Charlotte? When Finral would finally marry lady Finesse and be on better terms with his brother? When Grey and Gauche would finally get together or Asta and Noelle? Or Noelle starting to be on better terms with her siblings, at least with her oldest brother? And Gordon visiting his family more to learn and to improve his skills? And Magna, and Charmy, and Luck, and Zora, and Henry? Even Nacht?

Vanessa was certain that her squadmates wouldn’t disappear from her life like that, but their lives didn’t always turned only around the Black Bulls. Changes are bound to happen, whether she liked or not.

All she hoped was that it wouldn’t be fast changes, but she had no power over it. And changes could take many forms, could happen in so many different ways. She couldn’t stop it and honestly, given how most of her squadmates wanted to change some situations in their lives, she didn’t even wanted to.

Maybe it was time she tried something new, once they came back from Spade.

Vanessa didn’t know if changes would come to her or if she needed to provoke it. But it wouldn’t be today. She was still overwhelmed from the aftermath of the whole raid and exhausted. Not to mention consider all the topics she just thought about.

The noise of footsteps over the cold grass interrupted her thought. Which meant that she wasn’t alone anymore. Vanessa didn’t really mind. She surely wasn’t the only one who had some thinking to do after everything that happened.

Looking up, Vanessa was actually surprised to see Nozel Silva, captain of the Silver Eagles, just stopping a few meters in front of her. Looking over the horizon, but not really seeing what was in front of him.

Was he in thoughts too? He always had that cold, emotionless glance whenever she saw him, but today, there was a crack in the mask, something that made him look more human, more vulnerable.

It suited him.

Vanessa had to admit that she had mixed feelings about him. On one hand, there was the whole situation with Noelle, but at the same time, Vanessa couldn’t help but think that there was more about him than anyone would think.

Yami didn’t liked him and made fun of his appearance, but Vanessa couldn’t help but like the looks of captain Nozel actually appealing, even though he wasn’t her type. She just wasn’t blind and even though the frontal braid might be ridiculous, but somehow it wasn’t on him. Captain Nozel wasn’t buff, but he wasn’t a string bean like captain Jack either. Vanessa had no idea if he had a muscular body or not, given the clothes he wear made it difficult to see that instantly.

He always looked so cold, so unbothered, you say arrogant, but not like the usual annoying nobles or royals Vanessa knew. And lately, he had tried to mend his relationship with Noelle and her squadmate was actually very happy about it. Unsure, yes, but nothing could hide the fact that despite everything, she still loved her brother and wanted to be on better terms with him.

And who was Vanessa to go against someone who was genuinely trying to make amends. It wasn’t obvious, but saying that captain Nozel wasn’t trying would be stupid. Vanessa still find it too slow, but given how Noelle was, it might be a Silva thing.

Noelle also told her that her new pink ribbons she was wearing now had been a gift from her brother and Vanessa actually find that gesture cute. Especially how Noelle was wearing them apparently every day now, she clearly loved those ribbons.

Nozel Silva didn’t seem to realize that he wasn’t alone. Last time Vanessa saw him, Noelle had been hugging him, awkwardly so, but still it was a hug. Why was he alone now? And how was her squadmate?

“How is Noelle? Last time I saw her, she was with you.”

There was a flinch. Just half a second long and just a tiny one. Not everyone would have noticed it. But Vanessa did. It was nice to know that he had normal reactions, just like everyone else.

“Pardon me, I wasn’t aware of your presence.”

It didn’t sound insulting. Not even prideful, just stating a fact.

“Don’t worry, you couldn’t. Usually I’m more the chipper type, but today is a bit a special case, for obvious reasons. So, what about Noelle?”

“She fell asleep not so long ago. Probably due to all the exhaustion from the battle. I brought her in one of the tents and staid a while. Until one of your squadmates came to take over. The one who can turn herself into a bird, Nero, I think? I left Noelle in her capable hands for a while. I… needed some time for myself.”

“Sorry to have taken the spot then.”

“Don’t be, you were here first. I’ll go somewhere else.”

“Don’t go, handsome. Just because I’m here alone doesn’t mean I want to be lonely. You can keep me company, if you want.”

Captain Nozel just looked blankly at her, before nodding and going back to his contemplation of the Spade horizon. Vanessa had to admit that he had a very nice profile and that jawline was worth to be noticed. His skin was pale, just like Noelle. But like his sister, it was a sick kind of pale, it was more like glowing, a bit like moonlight. Just like herself, he had purple eyes, in a more cold, winterlike and metallic shade. Considering what type of magic he had, it was probably normal that it looked metallic. Those were some gorgeous eyes, Vanessa had to admit.

His hair looked straight and rather spiky, but Vanessa wondered if the texture was more soft and silky, like Noelles. She wondered how he would like with a ponytail, a low one or how it would be if it was completely free, even without the braid. A braid that still looked pretty good on him.

“Noelle told me that you gave her those pink ribbons. She wears it all the time, apparently, she clearly loves them.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

A slight smile appeared on his lips. Just a second, but it was there.

“You can show how much it makes you happy. It clearly means a lot to Noelle and honestly, she deserved that.”

“Yes… she does.”

It was all he said and Vanessa had a feeling that captain Nozel was talking more to himself than to her.

How deep was this man? How many emotions did he hide?

Vanessas curiosity was a bit awaken, but she didn’t know if she should push. Nozel was such a distant man and he didn’t seemed like the type of person who would open up if you teased and pushed him enough, he might even distance himself even more.

“What are you thinking about?”

“It is none of your concern.”

“If it’s about Noelle, then it does concern me, she is my squadmate.”

Vanessa hoped she didn’t sound too hard, even though that man might have deserved it.

“It’s not only about her. I was also thinking about my mother.”

His voice sounded sad, especially when he said mother. Now, Vanessa really hoped that her last sentence hadn’t been too hard.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re… right. Noelle also concerns you. But my mother… it’s a heavy… topic for me.”

His voice was so soft all of a sudden. It was actually pretty clear how difficult it was for Nozel to talk about this topic.

Vanessa knew that Noelle still missed her mother, despite having no memories of her. She had been just a baby when Acier Silva died. But what about her siblings, what about captain Nozel?

They had memories about their mother, so maybe, just maybe, they suffered too from this loss? Vanessa couldn’t tell for Nebra and Solid Silva, but captain Nozel… those few words, his soft and sad voice, it proved that like Noelle, he missed their mother too, he was certainly still grieving.

How old was Nozel when Acier Silva died? Vanessa did a quick math. Thirteen, fourteen, something like that… too young to even have his grimoire yet. Losing his mother at that age, it must have break something in him.

Vanessa looked at him, while he was staring at the horizon. The cold mask was still there, but Nozel didn’t tried to hide the cracks. Why? She didn’t know, but Vanessa tried to look a bit farther.

There was some kind of loneliness in his eyes. Resignation too. It looked somehow… like he was in a cage. Just like she was in the past. Vanessa almost gasped, because the familiarity with what she saw in his eyes was pretty scary.

And sad too. In what kind of cage was he locked in?

Vanessa sighed, compassionate. Who would have thought that she would feeling kinship for Nozel Silva of all people?

“I’ve been thinking a lot too, just now.”

Vanessa didn’t know why she said that out loud, why even she would tell him of all people. But somehow it needed to get out. Just a bit.

“What about?”

It’s none of your concern, she almost said, just to tease him. But she didn’t feel like it right now. Even though she probably wouldn’t tell him everything.

“Probably some stupid stuff. I had a crush a long time ago, but that guy break my heart.”

“Then… he probably don’t deserve you.”

“Well, I never ever told him and he’s so dense, he probably never realized it. Well, he never realized when anyone, man or woman, is interested in him.”

“My point still stands. If that man never realized what you feel for him, then he probably doesn’t deserve you.”

“Maybe I also don’t deserve him. It was more like a lost puppy crush than love, if you understand what I mean. Actually, I felt more like friendship and sibling affection towards him. Also gratitude, probably. I just… never wanted to admit it. I kinda searched for a replacement, but I never felt something deep, just excitement and attraction.”

“Oh.”

Vanessa looked up to him. Captain Nozel just stared at her, his expression unreadable, but his glance wasn’t unkind.

“And then… Let’s say not so long ago, I heard another person confess to him. And I didn’t feel anything. No jealousy, nothing that felt like dagger in your heart. Just… compassion for this person, because that guy is so dense. And hope, not for me, but for that person.”

“That would mean that you have a good heart in my books.”

“Not sure about that, but thanks still. But for me, it also meant that I was trying to reach something I didn’t want anymore. Well, something like that. I’ve already gave up on him, I just never realized it. Maybe I ignored it? I just felt stupid, especially since I can’t stop thinking about it. Love can make you really stupid.”

“This is true.”

“Oh, speaking from experience, handsome?”

“It isn’t about me, but about someone I knew a long time ago. She… she had an arranged marriage, but fell in love with her betrothed.”

“She was lucky, then.”

“I wouldn’t say so, because he didn’t loved her back. In fact, that marriage was just a step to reach his own selfish ambitions. He married more the house, it’s wealth and powers than the woman herself.”

“Ouch. And did she knew it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she did, but didn’t want to realized it. She spent years to claim that she loved him.”

A bit just like herself.

Vanessa had no idea who this woman was, but like with Nozel before, she felt some kind of kinship for that person. Okay, Yami wasn’t a scumbag like that husband, but still.

“Did she realized it one day?”

“Not for long, I’m afraid. I think the signs were there, but not clear enough, so I don’t blame her. She wanted a bunch of children, but he just wanted one, to assure his position, I suppose. He never liked fatherhood.”

“Then why wanting children in the first place? How would that have assured his position?”

“He married into his wife’s house, not the other way around. Having heirs is often important concerning arranged marriages. The husband actually hoped that the child would inherit a magic similar to his type.”

“Let me guess, that child didn’t got the dad’s magic.”

“Exactly. Instead, the child got a magic type similar to his mother. Of course, the father wasn’t happy about it and wanted more children. His wife was happy about it, so it took her some time to open her eyes. I believe she started to have some suspicions after they got their third child. And when she was pregnant with the fourth… it was a difficult pregnancy and I think she didn’t had the strength anymore to uphold her delusion.”

Nozels voice was sad, a little far away. As if he wasn’t talking to Vanessa anymore…

Vanessa had no idea who that woman was to him. An unrequited love? A best friend he cared about? Whoever she was, she must have been important to him.

“I’m sorry for her. That awakening must have been tough on her. But she loved her children, right?”

“Yes… she did love them deeply. It helped her to live with that realization.”

Vanessa hummed. Nozel talked about that woman in the past and she didn’t know how she should feel about it. She decided to not push more, despite her curiosity. That story clearly weighed on the captain of the Silver Eagles.

“Well, that’s life, I guess. Time to move on for me, I suppose.”

“Will you try to search for someone else?”

“Don’t know. Maybe this time I will just let it come to me. I won’t search, that’s for sure, you can find something without searching sometimes, you know.”

“If you say so.”

“What about you, handsome? Do you wanna find your better half as well.”

“No.”

“Ugh, why not? Not interested?”

“It has nothing to do with my own preferences. I just don’t have that luxury to find someone. It is my duty, so that my siblings can have that freedom.”

The tone was almost harsh, but not quite. Vanessa didn’t liked how it sounded like he would sacrifice himself into a loveless marriage, so that his siblings could choose who and what they wanted.

At least, it meant that captain Nozel would not marry Noelle off against her will and that she could choose Asta – if she just finally stopped denying her feelings towards him. But Vanessa couldn’t help but feel that the sacrifice of her brother’s happiness would make it worth to Noelle.

After all, she loved her brother and she had a good heart.

But maybe Vanessa understood it wrong? Maybe the royal side of Nozel Silva didn’t allow to spill any unroyal wishes in front of someone he barely knew? He already let his mask down a bit telling that sad story.

Vanessa hoped she understood his sentence wrong. It was never nice to know that people would sacrifice their lives and happiness for someone else. Even though she would do that too, like when the whole drama with Astas arms happened…

Okay, she better won’t go that road again, because she really felt too exhausted for that. She already had her bunch of thoughts and she even got a kinda deep conversation with someone she barely knew, just after a life threatening raid.

“Sorry I pushed you.”

“Don’t be. You couldn’t know.”

Vanessa just hummed, before trying to get up. Sadly, she felt rather wobbly once she stood, to a point that Nozel looked at her with concern.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m maybe a bit tipsy. Probably due to the Spade wine I just drank. I don’t even know why, Spade wine is worse than the cheap wine we have in Clover.”

“Shall I accompany you somewhere?”

“Oh, so you are a gentleman, nice to know. Well… I would say no and that I’m fine, but… it’s obviously not true. So, I better take the offer.”

Nozel just nodded and walked over to her, putting an arm respectfully around her waist. Vanessa never knew that this gesture could ever be respectful and kinda distant in general. But it didn’t bothered her right now. Actually, it felt nice.

As they walked slowly back to the camp, Vanessa couldn’t help but take a side-glance at captain Nozel. The mask was back, but the cracks of it weren’t invisible anymore. Vanessa found herself hoping that it won’t be the last time she saw them.

“Captain Nozel?”

“What is it?”

“What you told me just a moment ago… Don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans.”

“I… thank you. I also won’t tell anyone about what you told me.”

“I’m not forcing you to keep the secret. But still, thanks, cap’.”

She really wanted take some more glances behind his cold mask…

♣♣♣

Charlotte found herself stupid. So, so stupid.

What was she thinking? Why did she spur her love for Yami out loud like that, in the middle of a battlefield, for anyone to hear it?

Anyone, except the very person her love confession was meant to. Oh, the irony.

Okay, Charlotte knew why she said it out loud. Yami was on the brink of death and she had been so terribly scared to lose him. In the end, she didn’t regret it to have screamed those words. After ten years, they had needed to finally get out.

Too bad that Yami haven’t heard them. Even worse that Charlotte haven’t found the courage to say them again. Instead, she just passed out. It was so embarassing. Well, only for herself, most people seemed to blame the whole battle and exhaustion for that.

She quickly came back to her senses and to distract herself, Charlotte helped to take care of others, to organize the camp, to rest from the battle… To do anything that would keep her from thinking about Yami.

She went to see queen Lolopechka and sir Gadjah, who actually looked like they wanted to try a romantic relationship. They were so lucky…

Charlotte also went to see Rill, who first ate some of this wonderful food cooked by Charmy Pappitson and then went straight to sleep, she also looked a bit after William, who was deeply asleep, with Mimosa Vermillion, Yuno and Langris Vaude watching over him.

But now, she was in front of the tent where Yami was and instead of going in, she just stood in front of the tent, completely frozen.

She couldn’t just go away without seeing him, after what he’d been through, after everyone came to save him and William, after she just blurted out his feelings for him out loud.

But that last part was the very reason why Charlotte couldn’t find herself moving. Really, how pathetic was she? Charlotte finally found herself the courage to yell her feelings out loud and just because Yami didn’t heard her confession, she felt like she went three steps back instead of one step forward.

Not to mention that she had no idea who had heard her confession and Charlotte hated uncertainty on many, many levels. But on the other hand, after everything that just happened, who would give some deeper thoughts about her confession?

Charlotte find it very selfish of herself to even think that anyone would care enough of her confession to give it more importance than it had right now. And still, Charlotte wished that there would be someone she could talk about it, maybe to try lighten to heavy burden on her heart. But no knight of her squad was here right now and Charlotte didn’t know with who else she could have a heart to heart. Maybe Dorothy, but the captain of the Coral Peacock went back to sleep just after the final battle was over and Charlotte knew better than to wake her up.

And it was better to focus on more important things than her feelings, after all.

Was Yami awake, even? Would he ask her again what she said?

Or was he asleep, getting some whole deserved rest? And would Charlotte just be back where she was before her confession?

Right now, none of those possibilities seemed appealing to the captain of the Blue Roses, but she wouldn’t get any answer if she just stood in front of the tent.

“It’s alright, Charlotte, take a deep breath. Don’t overthink this, you just going to check on him,” she whispered to herself.

But of course, her own pep talk wasn’t enough to make her move.

“You can come in, captain Charlotte.”

Charlotte flinched and let out a small yelp. Deep in thoughts as she was, she hadn’t realized that Asta came out of the tent and stood now in front of her.

The young magicless knight frowned a bit and took a closer look on the blonde woman. “Are you alright, captain? Your Ki is kinda weird.”

“What… Oh, no, no. I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m just fine. Well, as fine as one could be under those circumstances. A lot happened.”

“That make sense. You came to see captain Yami, right?”

“Yes, well… not too long, I just wanted to check on him.”

“Come in. He’s asleep, but he would surely be happy to know that you came to see him.”

Asta took nonchalantly her arm and guide her into the tent. Yami was resting on a bed, looking deeply asleep and even snoring a bit.

Why did she find his snoring so adorable? Was it what love made to her? Well, at least she didn’t mind it at all.

Another Black Bull was also there, sitting on a chair. With sunglasses and bicoloured hair, it could only be Magna Swing. Charlotte remembered that he first also came in the Heart Kingdom to train, but left pretty quickly. She also heard that he defeated Dante Zogratis and that was actually very impressive.

Magna didn’t turned his head when Asta and Charlotte came in. “If it’s vice-captain Nacht again, tell him that if he’s came again to say negative things about captain Yami, he better leave right now.”

“It’s not our vice-captain. And Magna, please be nice, Nacht isn’t that bad. He’s just… unique, like captain Yami.”

“You’re just nice on him because you’re obviously his fav- Oh, captain Charlotte! I haven’t seen you, sorry!”

“It’s alright.”

“Apparently, Magna had an argument with our vice-captain just like half an hour ago. I don’t know about what, we only known vice-captain Nacht since a few days and still barely, but well…”

“It’s alright, Asta. I understand.”

Charlotte just smiled at the two Black Bull knights. She could understand their somehow mixed feeling about their vice-captain. Charlotte herself didn’t know what she should feel about Nacht Faust, but she barely knew him and it would take some long time to see more deeply into him.

And right now, it wasn’t the vice-captain of the Black Bulls that she wanted to focus on, but on their captain.

Magna offered his chair and Charlotte gave him a small, grateful smile before looking at Yami.

He looked so peaceful while he was asleep, almost like a child. Which was quite the paradox, since he already looked older than his 29 years.

Charlotte hoped with all her heart that Yami will have all the rest he deserved, after everything that happened in not even a week. She wanted him to rest, to come back just as strong and brutish and still caring as he always, just like before.

But would everything come back to normal afterwards? Charlotte doubted it. If she knew one thing, it was that changes were inevitable and that it would hardly ever be like before. A lot changed after the attack of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, a lot would change too after the raid of Spade.

Charlotte continued to stare at Yami. She wanted to caress his hair, to slick it back, to take his hands and intertwine their fingers. But they weren’t alone. Heck, they weren’t even a couple, she had no right to do those such simple things.

She sighed. Where does she exactly stand after her desperate confession?

“Hm, captain Charlotte?”

“What is it, Asta?”

“About what you said to captain Yami before he was healed.”

Charlotte forced herself to not flinch, doing her best to stay calm. Of course Asta and Magna knew. Of course the Black Bulls knew. Basically all of them were there, they heard her blurting out that she loved Yami.

Now, Charlotte feared what they would say. She had no reason to be afraid. And yet she was. Would they be upset at her for it? Did they hoped that the witch would be the one Yami chooses? Or would they be understanding? Or something else entirely?

“We love him too, you know.”

Wait, what?

“Yeah, just like Asta said. He’s like a father to us, he gave us a home, he took us in when almost no one else would. Of course we love him. But it’s nice to know that people outside of our squad appreciate him too. We make sure he knows that you love him too.”

Hold on a minute? Didn’t Asta and Magna took her love confession as one?

“I knew from your Ki that you didn’t dislike captain Yami, but that you trust him. You just had some difficulties to say what you feel. It’s nice that you finally said out loud that you appreciate captain Yami.”

“Yeah, it sucks that he didn’t hear you. We’ll tell him what you said. Well, he probably won’t believe us that easily, but who cares? We’re actually happy to know that captain William isn’t the only captain to like him the way he should be.”

Charlotte looked from Asta to Magna and back, trying to recognize if they knew about her love for Yami and where either making some fun of her or just didn’t use the most direct words. Or if they were clueless and just dense as Yami, genuinely thinking that she like Yami as a friend and colleague, nothing else.

Looking at those two, Charlotte quickly conclude that it was the latter. She didn’t if she should be upset that she got the two Black Bulls that didn’t get her love confession despite having heard it first-hand. Or if she should be relieved that Asta and Magna were just as dense as Yami, that she fell on them and not a Black Bull who actually got her confession right and who maybe would have tried to talk with her about it.

Charlotte decided to have mixed feelings about it, but she still thanked Asta and Magna. They were dense, yes, but goodhearted and that was more important for her.

The three went silent, watching over Yami, every one of them focusing on their own thoughts and listening to Yamis snoring. It was really adorable.

After a while, Charlotte heard soft footsteps outside and turned her head towards the entrance of the tent.

She was quite surprised to see Nozel Silva together with the Black Bull witch, Vanessa Enoteca, holding her a bit like she needed help to walk. The witch was probably exhausted too. Maybe she also came to see Yami. It hurt Charlotte just a little, but Vanessa Enoteca was a Black Bull and had surely more right to check on Yami than the captain of the Blue Roses.

But just when Charlotte was about to stand up from the chair, she saw Nozel and Vanessa pass the tent without stopping. That wasn’t what she expected and Charlotte just looked at them until they disappeared, before she focused her eyes back on Yami.

Somehow, Charlotte couldn’t help but think that she just witnessed the beginning of something.

And so, it began…

[ecargmura]

Wonderful Precure Episode 33 Review - Full Smile Voice

I never expected Iroha’s dad Tsuyoshi to be the focus of this episode. It’s nice to see more of Iroha’s parents as they are good parents that deserve more screen time. It’s nice to know why he became a groomer and why people come to him for grooming.

It’s nice to see that a buff man like Tsuyoshi being absolutely sweet and gentle towards small animals. He normally has a deep voice, but raises it so animals can be friendly towards him. This actually does apply in real life as animals are sensitive to noise. Dogs in particular have sensitive ears, so they don’t like loud noises. I always raise my voice and talk cutely to my dogs because it makes them happy. The way he got Moca to like him was super cute. Heck, her owner was even surprised by it too as this was the first time she took her dog to get groomed. He’s super knowledgable towards other animals too. Heck, he even checked Yuki’s claws and filed them for her so she wouldn’t get them caught in odd strings and stuff; Yuki’s normally timid around strangers.

I guess my only gripe is that Yuko only told about her story about Tsuyoshi, but we never see any flashbacks or what not. I’d love to see a flashback of their youth. If this was a story about Iroha’s parents, we should’ve seen them in their younger days. I’d love to see what they looked like back then and how they met.

So, I was right in my theory that Torame creates GaoGaons from the Niko Animal Eggs while Zakuro possesses animals. I wonder just how many animals are left to rescue. 

Also, I want to talk about how Daifuku’s voice actor got revealed for the movie. Apparently, he’s voiced by Yuichi Nakamura, who’s known for being the voice actor of Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen and has been on a lot of shows as a handsome older guy like Sein from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End or cool older senpais like Kuroo from Haikyuu and Umemiya from Wind Breaker. For him to voice a cute bunny like Daifuku is probably the most hilarious thing ever and Twitter is having a field day with it right now. I heard a snippet of his voice and the ikemen voice is killing me. Well, it was hinted that Daifuku had a deep voice back in Episode 7 where Komugi was translating what he was saying to his owner. Since he also has a human form revealed in that movie, I wonder if it’ll transition over to the anime. It’d be a waste to use Yuichi Nakamura once and then never use the talking Daifuku voice again, right?

It seems that Mayu’s dad will return in next week’s episode. It’s nice that the Precures are getting focus with their parents. I hope to learn more about Mayu’s dad now that we learned a lot about Iroha’s dad in this episode. Also, the fact that Yuki turned into a cat toy via Kirarin Fox is gonna be stuff for memes like Tire Komugi. What are your thoughts on this episode?

[spuffybot]

Walk Me to the Graveyard Ch 2

Summary: a late night phone call wakes Buffy and sends her spiraling. Will she be able to confront the demons of her past? Characters: Buffy, Willow, Kennedy, Spike Word Count: 2764 Author’s Note: I’m retconning some things because I refuse to play in a sandbox where Cordelia was treated the way she was in seasons 4 and 5. So in this world Cordy is alive and well, she’s being the voice of reason and she’s broken off from the Fang Gang because she knows that Wolfram and Hart is not the path Angel is meant to be on. Gunn went with her because he also deserves better than the show gave him. I think it’s in character for Wesley and Fred to stick by Angel’s side.

Buffy woke to the sound of a phone ringing. She looked at the clock and tried to make out the blurry numbers as her eyes refused to adjust in the dark. She grabbed it and pulled it close to confirm. 3 am.  Whatever this was it better be important.

She fumbled around for the receiver, pulling it close to her ear and burrowing back under the blankets.

“Mmmphhhh,” she mumbled.

“I’d expect our fearless leader to be a little more intimidating than that,” came the voice on the other end.

Buffy shot up, suddenly alert.

“Kennedy.”

“You said to call as soon as I had word, so I’m calling Boss.” This last part said with a heavy dose of irony. Buffy rolled her eyes. She could care less about Kennedy’s ego problems.

Buffy rolled out of bed, careful the keep the phone pressed between her shoulder and ear while she switched on the lights and grabbed a robe. This called for coffee, regardless of the hour.

“You said something about word and the having of it?” Buffy prompted, trying not to get irritated that Kennedy was drawing this out.

“Are you sitting down? Because I gotta say…this is gonna get weird.”

At that Buffy sat down, thoughts of coffee far behind her. She pulled her robe around her tight, bracing herself for the worst. Maybe Spike wasn’t alive after all. Maybe it had been some kind of sick joke. Or maybe The First was back somehow and taunting her. Ok wait, that was crazy. How would The First even pick up a phone to call her? And honestly if The First was capable of that wouldn’t last year have been a whole lot harder?

“Ahem, Buff? Are you there? Please tell me you didn’t fall back to sleep…”

Kennedy’s voice snapped her out of her anxiety spiral. She needed to chill. Maybe coffee was a bad idea after all.

“Sorry, just…it’s a lot…” she trailed off lamely.

“Hmm.”

Buffy could hear Kennedy rolling her eyes. She counted to ten in her head, willing herself to remain calm. As much as she and Kennedy were incapable of agreeing on just about anything, the other Slayer was smart, resourceful, and relentless. Even if she’d wanted to, she’d be unable to find a better candidate for this particular job.

“Well, you said you had news?”

“Yea…like I said, I hope you’re sitting down. Have you ever heard of a place called Wolfram and Hart?”

—————————————————————

Buffy turned the shower temperature up as high as it would go. Stepping into the steaming mist she leaned her head back, the water pulsing into her face, easing some of the tension in her jaw and neck. Say what you will about The Watcher’s Council, but they didn’t skimp on luxuries. She supposed when you had generational wealth dating back centuries it wasn’t hard to do. Too bad they never felt compelled to share any of that luxury with their Slayers. Whatever. It didn’t matter anymore. That was then and this was now, and in the now she held the purse strings. Or at least Giles did. And he wasn’t letting her down in that department. No called Slayer was left to fend for themselves. If nothing else, that would be her legacy.

She reached for the body wash and a washcloth and began scrubbing. Her skin turning red beneath her hands. She’d tried to go back to sleep after Kennedy called but it’d been impossible. She’d gone down to the training room instead, running laps around the track and hitting things, hoping she could make some sense out of the girl’s story. She’d worked up a sweat but hadn’t managed to work out any of her thoughts or feelings.

Nothing she’d said made sense, Angel was running an evil law firm? And Spike was helping? She needed more info. There had to be a reasonable explanation. Angel was a lot of things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. She hoped. He could be really stubborn, especially when he thinks he’s right. She just prayed this wasn’t one of those times.

Buffy stepped out of the shower and into a fluffy pink robe. She put on some slippers and made her way down the hall to Willow’s room. It was time to check in with the troops.

She knocked on the door gently, feeling slightly guilty for waking the witch. It was still barely light out, but Buffy was feeling restless, and she knew it wouldn’t subside until she had some answers.

Willow opened the door a crack and despite the early hour, smiled ear to ear when she saw Buffy standing there, dripping water onto the hallway floors from her still wet hair.

“Buff! Come in, come in,” she ushered her into the room, crawling back into bed and patting a spot on the mattress for Buffy to sit down.

“I’m assuming this is about Spike. Did Kennedy call? I sent her the location of the payphone he called from. I knew she’d be able to track him down from there. She’s kind of amazing at that sort of stuff. Maybe she should go work for Angel what with the whole P.I thing he’s got going on over there…” Willow trailed off when she saw the troubled look on Buffy’s face.

“How’s your hacking skills these days Will?”

Willow’s face was thoughtful as she considered Buffy’s question.

“To be honest, a little rusty, but if you tell me what you need, I can take it to the coven and with our powers combined I’m sure we can crack it!”

Buffy looked relieved.

“Good. Because something weird is going on at Angel Investigations and I want all the information I can get before we make our move.”

“Move? There’s moves?” Willow asked, before adding gently, “are you sure you wanna go poking around in Angel’s backyard? I know you’re not on the bestest of terms these days but…couldn’t you just call him and ask? Or…we could call Cordelia?”

Buffy sighed. On some level she agreed with Willow. She should give her ex a little credit, one soulless escapade aside, he’d never betrayed her trust when it came to the fight against evil. It was the one thing she’d always known and respected about him, he was on the side of the good. But something Kennedy said was sticking in the back of her mind and making her cautious. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was really wrong here.

“Cordelia isn’t working for him anymore.”

Willow’s eyes widened at that.

Cordelia had been with Angel since the very beginning and she was fiercely loyal to him. Hell, Angel was loyal to her too. She’d made the mistake of insulting Cordy in front of Angel once and he’d gone completely apocalyptic. She didn’t get it, but for whatever reason, Angel and Cordy were a team. If they’d split up that meant something really bad had to have happened.

“I can rationalize everything else Kennedy told me but if Cordy isn’t on board? Something isn’t right.”

Willow nodded. “Ok, I’ll do what I can Buff, promise.” Buffy reached out to squeeze Willow’s hand. “I know you will.” She got up to leave but Willow stopped her. “How’re you doing? Really? I mean…I know dead vampire boyfriends coming back from the big unknown isn’t exactly uncharted territory here but…Buffy…are you ok?”

For the first time since Kennedy woke her, Buffy felt tired. The nervous energy that had been fueling her evaporated and she crumpled down onto Willow’s bed. The witch pulled her close and stroked her hair. “Hey, hey, it’s gonna be ok! We’re gonna figure this out. I pinky promise.” Buffy chuckled at that, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling. “Ugh. I know. It’s just…as soon as I think my life is settling down, things have to go all Avril on me and get complicated. I’m just tired.” Willow made a small sound in the back of her throat causing Buffy to jump up. “What is with the judgy noises?” Willow laughed at that. “No offense, but you haven’t exactly been making nice with the whole sit back and relax and smell the roses thing.” Buffy rolled her eyes, “yea ok point to you.” She smiled, this was nice. If Xander was here it would feel like old times again. “Alright,” Buffy said, extracting herself from Willow’s excessively comfy bed. “I’ve been up since Kennedy called, I either need to embrace the pain and inject java juice straight into my veins or take a nap.” Willow nodded and pulled her laptop out from underneath her nightstand. “I’ll get to research, it’s what we do best!”

  —————————————————————

Back in her own room Buffy’s body felt tired but her mind still raced. She burrowed deep down under the covers, willing her mind to slow. Slow it would not. Frustrated, she slammed her head into her pillow, trying in vain to find a comfortable position. As she lay there, trying to relax, she found herself remembering another night, in another lifetime when she’d been faced with a similar dilemma. The basement at 1630 Revello Drive, May 2003, the night before the biggest battle with the biggest bad. Buffy laughed as the tension she’d been holding left her body. “Oh, thank god.” Spike smiled, relief evident on his face, “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d gone up those stairs.” Buffy looked him in the eyes and knew he was serious, knew he wanted her there. Whatever connection she’d seen him have with Faith, they were beyond that. Besides, she’d had her own moment with Angel earlier. The world was about to end, again. It seemed silly to care about what might have been when she had this, him, standing here in front of her now. “You gonna spend all night gawking at me Slayer or do you want to try and get some kip?” Buffy started, and realized that yea, she had totally just been gazing dreamily into his eyes for who knows how long. Spike chuckled at her embarrassment and took her hand, pulling her gently to the cot he had pushed up against the basement wall. It was wild to think this basement had once been her biggest nightmare. Full copper re-pipe. Guess what Buffy from the past? It gets worse. She laid down on the cot gingerly, her body all too aware of Spike’s. She could feel him trying to keep his distance, a challenging feat given the size of the cot. She tried to slow her breathing, fully aware his keen vampire senses were picking up every rapid breath, every fast heartbeat.

Her ponytail was digging into the base of her skull but she couldn’t bring herself to pull out her hair tie. Instead, she tried shifting around, her leg rubbing up against Spike’s as she tried in vain to dislodge the knot of her hair from the base of her skull. Spike grunted beside her and wedged himself further against the wall. She laughed, this was ridiculous. What were they doing? Hadn’t she just been snoozing away in his arms after he confessed his undying love for her? Why did things have to be so complicated. They could be so close one moment and so far away the next. “Something amusing pet?” Buffy sat up and pulled her hair down. Spike’s fingers were suddenly there, massaging her skull and brushing her hair down her back. She sighed. “When did we get so skittish with each other?” “Did you just say skittish?” She gave him a little shove. “Hey! What’s wrong with skittish? I’ve heard you use that word like 5,000 bajillion times,” she looked down at him to find him gazing at her with a soft, distant look on his face.

“Yea, you have.”

Suddenly, she realized where his head was at. Likely thinking of all the times she had been skittish, running away from him, from his intensity, from their connection. She sighed and laid back down, hesitating for a moment before grabbing his hand and pulling it up to rest with hers on her chest.

She studied his hand for a moment, the long, unblemished lines of his pale fingers and wondered, not for the first time, if vampires could get calluses. She bet if they could Spike would soak and buff them away.

“You know, I kinda miss the black nailpolish.”

Spike chuckled, “yea? Tell you what, we survive this thing I’ll paint the lof of em, just for you.”

She squeezed his hand hard, the reality of what they faced in a few short hours settling deep in her gut.

She hated this. Hated the uncertainty and the insecurity. Why was the thought of facing down an army less daunting than a few hours alone with Spike? He used to be the easiest person in her life to be around. The one person she could count on to give her what she needed and accept how little she could give in return. Deep down she knew that wasn’t fair, but what part of her life had ever been fair? Every day she gave and gave and gave, was it so bad that she relished the moments when Spike refused to take? Sure, she knew he wanted her to love him, but it didn’t change how he felt when she couldn’t. He didn’t run away because she couldn’t be exactly what he needed. He understood how little of herself she had to give at times. He understood and he never left…at least, that was, until he did.

She looked up at him, his blue eyes as clear as ever. He untangled their fingers and brushed her bangs away from her face. The tenderness made her heart ache. It also made her want to run.

She’d let her guard down once before, accepted him as one of the team. No, more than that. She’d trusted him with her family, with her life. And he’d hurt her and then he’d left. Just like her dad, just like Angel, just like Riley. She knew it wasn’t the same, knew it was so much more complicated than that, but a part of her didn’t care. It felt like a betrayal and it stung. And then, just when she’d started the get used to the idea of him not being there, to get used to the idea of doing this whole thing on her own, he shows up. And she can’t even be mad at him because he needs her. In a way Spike had never needed her. It made her resentful. So, she kept him at a distance, just like she did with everyone else. And then of course he went and stood by her when no one else would, because no matter how horrible she is, he’s Spike. He’s still the guy who’s gonna stand by her side while the world burns down.

She rolls her body closer to his, breathing in the cigarette and grave dirt smell of him. That smell used to fill her with guilt but now it makes her feel warm, and safe. She wants to badly to lean into that safety. To let him shoulder the weight of her heart. She’s just not ready.

“You still with me Slayer?” Spike searched her face, concern etched between his brows.

She looked up at him and realized time would have to wait. Dawn was coming and with it, an army of berserker undead creepazoids. Maybe one day she could sort out whether there was enough of her left to love Spike, but for now, this would have to be enough.

“Will you kiss me?” her voice came out smaller than she anticipated and for a moment, she feared he’d shake his head, and tell her it was a bad idea. Her body tensed on the cot in anticipation.

But he looked at her, his face serious, and said “always.”

-------------

As Buffy finally drifted to sleep, she realized that this time, she wasn't mad at him for leaving. She wasn't even mad at him for coming back and not coming to her, not really. She hadn't been mad in a long time, and with Spike, she didn't know if she ever would, or could be mad again. More than anything, she just wanted to see him. See him and see if always was still in the cards. Until then, she'd have this pit in her stomach, this "what if". If she wanted to truly rest, she needed to know, once and for all. Read Chapter 1 here

[smoosnoom]

MOON

what the actual fuck 😭😭😭😭😭 i was shaking for the entire day i was so so excited that i almost took a day off. i wasn’t expecting this for sure 😭😭😭 (im fine btw. don’t worry about me)

im so excited every time u post And this one is for me 🥺🥺🥺? and u said the nicest words about me in the notes? how did i deserve u?

“insists he wake up earlier than anyone should during summer” ok ok ok Listen. we established that we have different opinions on mornings but Listen. wake up early Especially in the summer (especially if u don’t have to clean up) is it’s own kind of magic. everything around is quite and nobody’s disturbing u cause they’re asleep and if u turn on cartoons it feels like ur child again. mornings r for chilling and evenings r for walks. but it’s not for ur sleeping schedule

“He shows El new songs and she likes most of them” byers-hoppers all being classic rock fans is so special for me ♥️

“Not in a – weird way.” and “His hands get tingly, and it’s weird” being separated by two sentences is my fave thing Ever 😭

“wearing a floral Hawaiian shirt.” hopper’s s3 fit was the best i agree!

“Okay. Well. He didn’t mean to think that, at all. He doesn’t know where that came from.” 😭😭😭😭😭 OMG mike avoided his queer thoughts for so long and they hit him the second he saw broad mans chest 😭😭😭

“and he sits up a little straighter” did he correct his posture? 😭 cause if he did when i have a chance!!

“Make goo-goo eyes at Jonathan, probably. Yikes” like he didn’t do the same thing with will like a second ago

“Nancy is the most sensible of your family” i mean el is not wrong!!

“with El discreetly levitating cucumber slices into her mouth” idk i think that would be funny if ted was steel clueless about supernatural things and just didn’t even notice flying vegetables

can’t believe im siding with dustin again 😭 i mean there’s nothing wrong with tan but every time i tried to get one i got weird spots instead of smooth texture. so sunscreen is my best friend (plus it’s cancer protection)

“Shoulders” SHOULDERS 😭😭😭😭😭😭 one if my favorite parts if the fic actually. mike is so so h-word (can i say horny or we’re not accepting that teens feel sexual attraction yet?) And BUFF BYERS 🥳🥳🥳🥳

“He’s trying not to think too hard about him being shirtless, sitting next to Will, who is also shirtless” omg 😭😭😭😭

“The okayest” THE OKAYEST 😭😭😭 my favorite loser

“wet hair and sun haloed behind him” u always make will looks angelic in mikes eyes. as u should

“and this is probably just those few, childish urges that he’s been having and trying to ignore since forever coming back to haunt him again.” of course mike. u just miss ur childhood and nothing more

“They stare at each other. A bird chirps outside” it’s so funny. like. cartoonish type of humor

“even in the midst of an empty, empty street” AS HE SHOULD!! mike who follow all the driving rules but still sucks is so real for me!

“Mike glues his eyes to the sky, and ignores the bubbling temptation to look over and gauge in Will’s reaction” he’s really The definition of “but ur prettier” hes so gone 😭😭

“Do you know any constellations?” i know just one and it’s ursa major (great bear??? which one do u use?)

THEY ARE SUCH DORKS!! Gunther!! i love them so much 🥹♥️

“shoving a large stuffed platypus between them” i hope the platypus was teal and had a brown fedora (and the fact that perry the platypus’ giving name is bartholomew LMAO)

“Mike fists a hand into the grass.” he could just pretend that grass is will’s hair 😭😭

“A poorly dressed clown appears, and they both jump.” clown! i see what u did!!

“Mike feels like one of the moths that keep flurrying into his home and bumping into the light bulbs” the way this one is perfectly describing That feeling. moon Are U Sure u’ve never been in love? 🤨

“he’s always been indifferent to slushie flavors, but never Will” the sweetest boy 🥺 i bet even if he wasn’t indifferent he’d still swap cause it’s will!

“Mike spends a very, very, very – small amount of time staring at his mouth.” “got my mind on ur body and ur body on my mind”. im sorry. im actually not. mentally added this song to fic playlist (of which we’ll talk later!!)

“everyone is unbearable at thirteen” yeah but not everyone is canoodle at thirteen 😭

“until they’re standing under a downpour of rain and dramatically confessing their love” cause u know that something is starting than it’s raining in byler fics 😭😭😭 ilyyy

“brushing the hair out of his eyes, too, maybe even –“ maybe even What mike?? i wanna hear u 🎤🎤🎤

“Are you high?” THE WAY I LAUGHED. is it… real life situation? it feels like the one 😭

“Mike wouldn’t be surprised if he had a radar for people thinking about making the moves on his younger brother.” he probably is considering how often jon interrupted them in s4 😭

“definitely not thinking incredibly hard about Will and beaches and water and shorts” and tight-fitting surfing swimsuits. definitely

“Mike couldn’t bring himself to disturb Will out of his slumber” oh to fall asleep on someone’s shoulder </3 will’s neck and back must be hurt so bad but it’s worth it

“think, if it makes coming out here together more intentional than it already is” u mean like a date?

“Will lets out a hum. “Anything in particular?”” i loove when will senses something becomes i little bold and makes mike uses his mouth (to talk of course)

“and Will – isn’t like that, not about Mike at least, or he’s pretty sure, except –“ will just got used to his feeling 😭 hes been into mike for so long that butterflies aren’t surprise anymore

and then they kissed under brian and margaret and helga and earl and bartholomew and gunther 🥺🥺🥺i love them so much. and i love u so much ♥️🤍

so playlist. the fact that every song is fitting perfectly into the narrative. u have wonderful musical ear and sense. and i was so happy when i remembered from which playlists those songs come (yeah i listen to ur playlists. especially “brainrot”. this one is one of my favorites).

i’ll be endlessly honored that u gifted this fic to me omg. i still can’t believe it. i love u so much ♥️♥️♥️♥️

can u believe how long its been since u first sent this ask oh my god alya i am so sorry . but ! at least u got an almost 14k fic out !!!!!! im hoping u liked it . by the length of this ask i am thinking Yes

YAYYYY im glad i could surprise u !!!! and i did really . give no heads up idk i wrote half the fic and it was all so summery and nice i was like . alya lovees summer . so this would be perfect for her . so here we r !!!!!

u know what . ill agree with u on this . my favorite summer days were when i was able to wake up beforee the rest of the house and it was all calm and nice <3 and i loveeee cartoons, i always watch atla or adventure time

u get the vision . willel classic rock lovers my beloved

i loveeee hoppers hawaiian shirt i need to see him in that again . so glad u get me

what if i told u i also just straightened my posture after reading that quote . my back is achingo h my god . also he definitely did not mike is doomed to stay in the shape of a pringle for the rest of his life .

mike is nothingi f not a hypocrite <3

i love the idea of clueless ted because that is so real . but inversely i love the idea of him knowing and just . not caring even a little . like that is so funny to me

true it is cancer protection ! also it seems liek U always agree with dustin (insert emoji with raised skeptical eyebrows . i am on my laptop ok there r no emojis here) . anyway i thankfully have never gotten sunburnt so i have no idea what thats like but i wish u luck on any future tanning endeavors !

alya for the sake of my reputation and dignity U are not allowed to say the h-word . also this is unrelated to any discourse but why is the h-word so ugly actually like it just Sounds and Looks weird

will is an angel this is unrelated to mike really thi s is just canon

yes cartoonish type humor !!!! its my favorite type of humor and i loveee using it in fics and stuff :D i hope u also like it

yes we also use ursa major ! i have a bunch of constellations up on my ceiling with glow in the dark stars too <3 the big dipper, hercules, orion, and a few more !!!!!

u better believe i was thinking of perry the entire time i wrote about that playtpus <3 i love love loveeee phineas and ferb

"the way this one is perfectly describing That feeling" u have no idea what this means to me . im adding this to every resume and hanging it up on my wall and tattooing it onot my hands . also no i have never been in love </3 still . i can imagine !

"yeah but not everyone is canoodle at thirteen" HONESTLY it was my least favorite aspect of s3 ohhh my god .

"is it… real life situation? it feels like the one" MAYBE .....

"is it… real life situation? it feels like the one" LITERALLY oh my god . oh my god if i had a nickel for every time he interrupted them istg

they kissed under all the most unconventional and conventional names in the galaxy <3 peak of romance is kissing under margaret and brian and gunther and bartholomew

i hope u know ever since i read this ask the first time and saw u said "brainrot" was ur favorite that has struck me every time i listen to the playlist . i forgot other people can see my playlists oh my god . speaking of I TRIED TO STALK UR SPOTIFY ACC BUT ITS ALL EMPTY <//3 so so sad . but i am so happy u also liked the music !!!! maybe iwas a little nervous whatever .

i love u alya bludnik-a i am very very glad u liked the fic :D summer reincarnate !

[lilyblackdrawside]

undefined

EX Stages were nice. I'd like to say that they were a bit underwhelming difficulty-wise, but I used a bunch of 6-star operators who happen to be really good against these enemies. Gnosis can permanently freeze anything that isn't status-resistant. (Only the Swarmcallers are) His arts damage and frailty-debuff are also quite good, since I didn't bring any other arts damage at all. Just his massive area-cc would be enough though. He could be doing actual 0 damage in this and I'd bring him.

Fartooth ignores dodge, so she just wrecks the Predators, but honestly that's not what I brought her for. I had enough options for stuns, binds and freezes to reliably deal with those. The stages just tended to line up really well for her to do her thing and with her extremely high per-shot damage she could even damage the Brandguiders when they go below half hp. I'm not making her sound too outstanding, but she just worked.

Rosmontis is someone I only really discovered for this event in the EX Stages. Most of these enemies have very lopsided defenses (they're usually very weak to either arts or physical damage), so she could do excellent damage. My usual Snipers could do that too, of course, but I found her extended range to be very good. The stuns and aoe too.

Of course there's the ever-present Skalter and Gladiia, now joined by Laurentina (she deserves it, even if sometimes her Specter form would've been advantageous). My overall gameplan was to not rely on melee units and ignore the Nethersea Brand, which never let me down. This also made several of the treasure conditions very easy for me. Another thing I only realized in EX was that the Endspeaker doesn't retain its Directed Evolution buffs through the phases. I just expected that to work that way, but it only has what it consumed before each phase. I’ve heard that a lot of people seemed to be struggling with this event’s stages. It’s probably just a matter of different playstyles. I don’t think relying on blocking and tanking enemies is all that viable here. Between the unblockables and getting stunned from Nerve Damage there’s just too many uncertainties.

Looking forward to hopefully some suffering in the next set of stages.

[crystalelemental]

Unit Viability Speculation - February 2023

Palentine’s month came in with some high expectations I never really expected to go anywhere, but I figured I’d hit at least one.  Little did I know I hit two.  The most obvious two, but still, two.  The bad news is, literally every other aspect played out terribly.  I will not front.  I’m not satisfied with this month’s outcomes at all.  Like, at all.

SS Lysandre and Volcanion I’ll say it: Volcanion’s lame.  It looks dumb, it’s wholly irrelevant as a Pokemon with no interesting traits, and it’s set as either Fire or Water type, which we have too many of in the game already.  I don’t love this alt, which is a damned shame because holy shit my man looks good.

Volcanion got Water, and what’s endlessly comical to me is that they didn’t even make Steam Eruption important.  It’s just for utility, and has bad DPS for a 4-bar move.  No, his DPS is his Buddy move, which is also hilarious, in Hydro Pump, which is an AoE move that has the base power of a sync move.  The problem?  It only works if a foe is burned.  While he has Heat Wave for AoE burn, it’s a bad burn rate and his natural multipliers can’t make it work.  So he’s purely on Steam Eruption, then spam Hydro Pump.  Which works okay in CS where you can just keep the no status conditions effect off.  But in Gauntlet?  This man lives and dies entirely by whether the foe can be burned.  And I’m not going to front.  I don’t like Burn, so I have no idea who’s immune to it.  Uxie and Cobalion can become immune.  Lysandre has to use Steam Eruption alone on Bar 2 Uxie, and if he can’t take out Cobalion, the second half of that entire fight is a wash.  He can’t address Tornadus well.  If Moltres or Entei are immune to burn, they’re potential problems too, despite his advantage.  He’s weak to Rock so Regirock is a no-go.  I just...don’t know how I feel about the guy.

Grid gives him Furious Brain and a 50% chance to burn off Heat Wave to save some CS needs, but the rest is once again reliant on Burn.  I think my misgivings come from not knowing how much is Burn immune.  It could be fine.  But I don’t love that entire fights are outside his ability because of that.  Also, just putting it out there: the only interesting thing he does, debuffing Atk/Sp Def, is a 5/5 node.  No thanks, bro.

Anabel and Snorlax First, I need to know: does Anabel use Snorlax?  I don’t remember her using Snorlax, but also I don’t like Gen 7 so it’s been a while.  Either way, I hate the partner choice, it’s bad and should feel bad.  Second, why PokeFair?  I mean, it’s what Anabel deserves, but also I don’t think this unit’s that great, and I’m kinda stunned given that Looker is just a regular pool unit.

Headbutt with Aggravation is good.  Protect...exists.  Reflect...exists.  Trainer move buffs +2 attack, but also gives crit shield, status shield, and Light Screen.  ...okay.  She can GMax, so Max Replenish turns these 1MP moves into 2MP if nothing else.  She’s able to buff special defense by 1 every time an MP move is used, heals 50% HP when using her Max Move, and gains +20% to all stats when any field condition is active.  Note: absolutely nothing in her kit extends the duration of these effects.  PokeFair.  Melony.  Just saying.

Her grid hurts me physically.  Move Gauge Acceleration when a field effect is present and Synchro Healing 1 would be great tools, if they weren’t 5/5 locked.  But they are, so...  Healthy Healing is fine.  Quick Cure is nice.  Charging Infliction 2 is something I guess.  Durable on Trainer Move is fantastic.  Crit Squad 1 on Trainer Move is nice but insufficient to cap crit.  Shielded and Shielding Strikes are okay.  No built-in Vigilance, no gauge control, slow-ramping and potentially insignificant defense buffing, can’t cap any offensive stat, no extension of her myriad field effects.  I legitimately struggle to see Anabel’s status as a PokeFair.  This does not seem...particularly mind-blowing.  And I’m betting good money that grid will have energy issues regardless just trying to fix what she needs.  But hey, maybe the other one is good.

Emma and Crobat Hey kids, you like PokeFairs?!  Oh, and it’s Crobat!  Not Espurr.  For no reason.  Also Crobat is the first Pokemon to three major trainer appearances.  Gengar and Charizard could do it, but only because of MU’s eggmons.  Crobat has Koga, Janine, and now Emma for Triple Bat.  So it’s gonna be good, right?

Poison Fang!  No Hostile Environment!  Lucy!  Just.  Saying.  Potion!  On a Striker!  That’ll help!  Buddy move operates similarly to Lysandre, only working if the foe is Poisoned.  Now that one I know is bad.  Tornadus and Cobalion are right out, Uxie poses problems as well, and because she can’t even guaranteed Toxic by herself as a FUCKING POKEFAIR, teambuilding considerations exist.  Her Trainer Move is the only legitimately good thing about her, giving +4 speed to the entire team.  That, legitimately, helps.  Her passives also attempt to remove gauge considerations with Toxic Freebie...4.  Head Start 2 is an attempt at Fast Ramping, which some will love.  And her final gives guaranteed crit to her sync, which is nice, considering her buddy move also guaranteed crits.  She’s pretty free from setup costs, being 1MP for +4 attack and guaranteed to crit on every attack that matters.

Emma’s 5/5 grid is...really nice.  +1 evasion to the whole team per attack is great.  Ruthless Toxin is really good.  Toxic after sync is something, not too convinced it matters though.  Super Toxic is fun given her buddy move, being a great source of DPS in CS, but utterly worthless in Gauntlet where nothing is Poison weak.  Inertia and Ramming Speed are nice and synergistic.  There’s not too much of overwhelming value, but there’s good stuff.  She’s not too shabby, I just...really wish her DPS weren’t locked behind the foe being poisoned.  That’s going to really hinder her.  Like, severely.

Palentine’s Mallow Now that Mallow has an outfit I can respect, I can safely say I just don’t like Mallow.  I took one look at this and felt nothing but disappointment.  Shame she’s the support with Appletun.  Should’ve been Cheryl.

Mallow seems weird.  Dire Hit All+ is good, but her trainer move is +3 defense to the team and then move gauge recovery.  You know, like Lance and Rosa did.  I don’t know why that’s a thing.  Her Grass-type move is great, hitting -1 special defense per attack, but she doesn’t double up like Brendan, and her main designation is Dragon despite Dragon Pulse being terrible for a support.  Her passives are a buttload of healing, but all super conditional on her attacking, one pop heal of 50% when she’s under half HP, and Initial Synchro Healing 2, which is atrocious for a support, because your allies aren’t going to be significantly hurt by the time you bust that out for double damage.  She gets Hype Up 9 and Staggering 4 for Dragon Pulse, but (1) that’s the wrong attack move, and (2) that’s way too slow to build up special attack boosts.  She does get Vigilance and Revenge Boost 9, alongside Triage Tank 4 (not Team), but if it seems like I’m kinda glossing over Mallow it’s because I am.  I don’t like the partnership, this feels like Palentine’s Marnie and Bea all over again, but more in the Bea camp where the unit’s kinda bad.

Palentine’s Elesa Welcome to five alts, girl.  Togetic is an odd choice, but I guess it pairs with Winter Skyla’s Togekiss.  Metronome, Fly, Dire Hit+, and a trainer move that gives +3 to both offenses.  Not the best look.  Super Powered 5 is neat for her sync, but otherwise you’re rolling the dice on Metronome.  She does get +1 stack of both physical and special moves with each status move’s use, and guess what Metronome is.  Her grid even offers the boosted rate to all secondary effects, so the inclusion of moves like Rock Slide and Blizzard in its arsenal is wildly interesting.  It’s super luck reliant, don’t count on it, but random luck can sometimes pull through.  I don’t have a ton to say.  She’s a fairly standard Striker that lives for their sync nuke, but has a really interesting approach with Metronome shenanigans.

Lodge Morty Okay.  F2P support.  Boosts Special Attack and Crit.  Separately, but still.  This is unique.  Trainer move also boosts evasion and team speed, which is really useful.  Full Heal is situational, but can be clutch.  My misgiving is that Morty...has some issues because of his F2P designation.  Bad stats, mostly, but also he didn’t get Endurance.  Given low stats, this is a potential death sentence, given that others with much stronger and faster buffing kits have desperately needed that skill.  Morty takes 6 turns to fully cap all offenses, and I can pretty much promise he won’t survive that long.  You pick one buff or the other, and you ideally stick to it.  After that, you hope on some evasion, and aim for your 30% boosts to all stats per attack, with Healthy Healing and Ridicure as backup.  I won’t lie, I really like the buffing potential, but I can’t help but feel a little wary about the stats and lack of Endurance.  This won’t pan out so well in CS, but Gauntlet...maybe he’ll shine?

Common Grid War Act 14 I’m start Roark because I’m scared.  Standfast 3, 5, and 7.  Glad to know my fears were founded.  Pinpoint Entry, First Aid 4, and Sharp Entry aren’t bad, though.  Trainer Move getting gradual healing is great, and giving Follow-Through for potential sync is nice too.  Haymaker as a sync multiplier is divine.  He gets +1 physical moves up next on trainer move as well.  And Double Down 5 for good measure.  150% bonus sync damage, and his trainer move gives a lot of really nice effects now.  I can’t lie.  That’s...actually kinda good.  I’ll have to see how he plays, but he might just be the best Rock-type in the F2P pool now.

Maylene time.  Rock Smash On a Roll 1.  Natural Remedy.  Precision Pals on trainer move.  Pep Rally on trainer move, holy shit.  Quick Cure.  Superduper Effective 5 on Drain Punch for better healing?  Sterner Stuff, Safety Tether, and Unbending?  Those...are not bad at all.  Maylene realistically just wanted her MPRs to cap attack and crit, but she got some decent tools beyond that too.  Her trainer move giving speed is wildly helpful, as gauges were one of her biggest issues.  This is...pretty great.  I can’t lie.  I just wish she had a bit more healing potential as a support.  No Master Healer...hurts a bit.

Shauntal...please.  Please do neat stuff.  “Gritty 5 and Lessen Burn 9!”  Baller.  Endurance.  Ramming Speed, radical.  On a Roll 2, beautiful 60%.  Critical Eye 1 on trainer move, nice.  30% chance to burn foes when they hit her, nice.  Brain Sync 5, we take those.  I like it.  This seems like a metric ton of fun.

Grid Expansions Base Elesa gets Brawn Sync 5, Critical Eye 1 broadly, Standfast 9, and Fleet Feet 2 on her trainer move.  These are pretty reasonable effects.  I do think her overall power leaves a lot to be desired, since her sync was pretty awful and 50% isn’t fully salvaging that, but the remaining self-sufficiency and huge improvement to damage reduction in a single half-cost node is great.

Alder got Pinpoint Entry 1 and Brain Sync...2.  Wow.  Wow, okay, yeah, I’m gonna...I guess I’ll shut up about Anni Lillie now (lies).  Dismay is faster Devastation setup.  BOGO on Struggle Bug is...not worth it, but okay.  Impervious to block his own trainer move downside is okay.  Furious Brain for a move multiplier is hilarious.  It’s fine.  It’s all just fine.

Sycamore gets Quick Cure, Team Sharp Entry, Team Beef Up, and Freevenge 4.  Just...get it, man.  Team Sharp Entry was all I wanted to see, but even better gauge control and immunity to first trap to fuck over Entei?  Beautiful.

Miscellaneous Leon is bad with Gigantamax, and now we have Fire Damage Field, which means that much like Stealth Rock, this will be utterly useless and he would’ve been better off with just Sun.  Why the fuck doesn’t it inflict Trap on all foes?  That would’ve been something.

Oh and apparently there’s a Champion Select Scout at the end of the month, and Steven’s there.  Okay.

Oh, and we get regional Meowth in the eggs this month.  Galarian has Iron Head Aggravation which is nice, while Alolan has Bite Aggravation so not as good, and is probably better off taking the support for max speed.

Final Thoughts I’m crabby about this.  Volcanion is lame, no Looker alt, Emma and Anabel are PokeFair but legitimately don’t feel that great to me (though Emma’s DPS will likely change my tune), the Palentine’s alts aren’t all that exciting to me, and even the grid expansions feels decent but not all that exciting.  I dunno.  I know I set my expectations way too high, almost as a defense mechanism, but this...isn’t quite what I wanted.  At all.  Like I got the CS, but not Drasna, how did that happen?

But.  Anabel is here.  Which means she won’t be taking a spot in Alola.  Lusamine and Nihilego is back on the table.  Please, game.  Do not fail me there too.  Not like this.

[kiruuuuu]

Kiru's Advent Calendar, Day 18💔

More of the Smoke/Mute uni AU! We're getting close to a point where the two of them actually talk to each other - I wasn't kidding about the slow burn 😁 (Rating G/T, slice of life/fluff, ~1.7k words)

.

James spots him mid-sentence. It’s likely not the most appropriate choice to interrupt himself just to yell a cheerful ‘hi Mark!’ across the public space yet instead of sparking irritation, Morowa merely chuckles in amusement. The ground is still wet from a downpour earlier, street lights and the bright pub sign reflecting on the glistening asphalt, refracting into glittering spots awarding the night a more glamorous flair than it deserves. Up until recently, his day could’ve gone better, his sleeping place not yet secured as Seamus is out of town and James is too proud to ask anybody else, plus the presentation due for tomorrow isn’t even half done.

He can wing it, but his contribution to the seminar so far has been shaky enough that he’d prefer to earn a good mark on it.

But Jordan invited him to their little hangout and there’s no refusing where Jordan is concerned, that man knows how to have a good time – so James tagged along and tried his best to enjoy himself, downing a few pints during this endeavour, and then he ran across Morowa. Finally. The woman can be more elusive than the Yeti if she’s busy, and no doubt she’s been keeping her schedule full following their break-up.

“- I guess what I ultimately want to say”, James continues after Mark has acknowledged his presence with a nod from a distance away, “is that I’m fine. And I’d still like to live with you.”

His ex-girlfriend’s smile is blinding, reminding him of why he developed a crush on her in the first place. She takes his hand, squeezes it, deems it as not enough and pulls him into a tight embrace: physical contact is important to her, be it with friends, family or her lovers, and it’s reassuring to witness there’s no hesitation in her affectionate gestures towards him. “I’m so glad to hear that”, she replies, voice laden with emotion. “It might sound odd, but I missed you this last week. Still… are you sure?”

Her question is warranted and he’s fully aware of the implications: she’s always expressed her desire for a more active, more varied love life, in dating other people. And though her admittance that she didn’t even kiss anybody else while the two of them were together filled him with gratitude, guilt overshadowed his relief. Because she’s been nothing but open and communicative with him, from the start, whereas he selfishly assumed it’d somehow work out regardless. So now, what he has to decide is whether he accepts her moving on and possibly bringing other people home while the two of them remain friends and roommates.

After some more deliberation which is just for show, really, he’s spent the last seven days pouring over this exact dilemma, he nods with confidence. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“Then you best take your key back.” And another problem solved.

They spend a few more minutes detailing the specifics, exchanging heartfelt messages of support and being generally sappy until he notices the other woman waiting a few feet away, shifting from foot to foot. “Sorry, didn’t mean to keep you. You off to somewhere?”

Morowa confirms and introduces her friend as Emmanuelle. “We’re helping someone else move out. Difficult situation.”

“If anyone needs a slogging, call me.”

“Will do.” A last grin, a last hug, and off they trot.

James imagined the conversation to go worse somehow, to involve more emotional suffering, yet both of them saw the end coming from miles away. It hurts less than he expected. Doesn’t make the void in his chest feel any better, though. To take his mind off it all, he saunters over to the only two other people in the street, one of them a tall, reasonably buff bloke with a pretty face and wild hair and the other one a bubbly fountain of neverending commentary. He’s never seen them together yet it’s obvious the shorter lad is a close acquaintance of Mark’s.

“- no more panel discussions, please. If you ever go see improv again, I’m with you all the way, but if I have to listen to another hour of pseudoscientific shite from old, white men, I’ll throw up in my mouth”, he chatters away as James joins them. “Hi! I’m Julien. Honestly, I don’t know who sets up those talks but they really need to -”

It takes another minute until James can introduce himself, sparking recognition in the young man’s face. “Aren’t you the dude who set the lab on fire two years ago?”

He smirks, offers a casual shrug. “Maybe.”

“You’re a fucking legend! I think the profs still use you as a bad example.”

Mark opens his mouth for the first time since James caught sight of him tonight: “Don’t you need to leave?”

“Ah fuck.” Julien checks his phone, frantically types out a reply while almost vibrating in place with suppressed energy, then gives a little wave. “Gotta run, bye James. Bye babes, don’t stay out too long!” He stretches to place a kiss on Mark’s cheek despite the lad trying to lean away from him, and hurries off in the same direction as Morowa earlier. James wonders whether it counts as stereotyping or something similar to assume that Julien and Emmanuelle know each other, them both obviously being French. Morowa would know what to call it.

Being left alone with Mark is always a little like being dropped into cold water, his presence starts out as suffocating, robbing James of any words he might know, of the ability to string them together to form a sentence. It’s not unpleasant yet he’s filled with the irrational urge to impress him, the pressure of which building until he either comes up with a topic to save himself or blurts out the first fully-formed sentence taking shape in his mind. Not that they’ve spent much time together, James simply has started making a point out of striking up a conversation with Mark whenever he sees him. Constant dripping wears the stone – he will befriend him, no matter what.

“Who’s he, then?”, he asks, motioning in the direction of the young Frenchman jogging along. Out of habit, he pulls out a cigarette, offers one to his companion who takes it with a nod before it’s lit up and welcomed by his lips.

“An idiot”, is the curt reply. There’s fondness in his voice and it suddenly clicks in James’ head.

While Julien gave him significant gay vibes, the kiss on the cheek could’ve been one-sided, something done between friends. But there’s the bracelet again, peeking out of Mark’s sleeve, three beads on it representing a very real flag James has encountered a few times before. It’s the toothpaste flag, as Morowa calls it, and either Mark is an overly specific supporter of just one group in the community – or he is, in fact, gay. And for some reason, this changes something about him in James’ mind, though he’s utterly unable to put it into words. He eyes him with a new kind of interest and tells himself it’s the same as if he recently found out one of his relatives was working in chemistry research – it’s a common ground of some sort. He’s now more determined than ever to get to know more about him.

“What?”, says Mark and James realises he’s been staring at him.

“You’ve been working out”, he states. Apparently it’s a day where he cracks under pressure and loses all control over what comes out of his mouth. The nod he receives encourages him, so he adds: “I remember your goal was to look good. You’re almost there.”

A brow rises, a silent question. Mark’s cigarette lights up as he sucks on it, brightens his face and contours his cheekbones, the sharp jaw.

“Now you just gotta do something about your hair.”

Mark scoffs, features softening (which is almost the same as a smile) and he runs a hand through the bird’s nest on his head. It looks soft. James wonders whether he had one or two drinks too many. “You do chem, right?”

“Yeah. And you’re in engineering?”

Superfluous information: Mark apparently deems it as irrelevant and ignores his question outright. “Think you can settle a debate?”

Gosh, is this genius actually asking for his help? James curses himself for not crossing his path earlier in the library so he could show off there – he should ensure there are witnesses at all times. “Sure, about what?”, he offers easily, trying not to let his giddiness show, but it seems it’s not the prodigy himself who requires his expertise. Mark indicates the pub with his chin, prompting James to stub out his fag and follow him inside to the loudest corner in the whole room.

Jordan is there, of course, a few of his friends and others James has never seen before, and it becomes clear very quickly they’re arguing about explosions. And oh boy, they better strap in, because this, this is right up his alley. Mark grabs a chair and James slides onto the bench, waiting for the perfect moment to cut in. And when he does, when all eyes are suddenly on him, everyone soaking up his vast knowledge with greedy curiosity, the day is saved.

The longer he talks, the more he indulges various ‘what if’-scenarios, the more anecdotes he drops… the more alive he feels. Someone takes copious notes for her pen-and-paper campaign, someone else really explores the edges of what can be proven scientifically, someone else offers supplementary knowledge that complements James’ own. They end up devising explosives for a variety of use cases, ignoring the odd glance from the tables around them, and James drinks too much.

When some of them exchange numbers at the end of the evening, he discovers Mark has left them half an hour ago. And though he thoroughly enjoyed himself, is left buzzing and beaming, full of enthusiasm, having made several new friends, it still feels a little like he missed out on something.

He’s just not sure what it was.

[1d1195]

Protection… omg 😭 I don’t even know where to begin honestly! I’m going to be mixing the final chapter “feedback” with the series overall. But I don’t even like calling it feedback bc I feel like it’s just me GUSHING and fan-girling(do ppl still say that? lol) over your writting kinda like super supportive friend vibes!

ANWAYS omg I was so sad at the beginning when at first you were only introducing Harry interacting with his family, my heart was slowly shattering into pieces bc I THOUGHT WE LOST MISS WILDFLOWER😭 but she popped up and the smile and gasped that I let out omg and you brought it up in such cute casual way as if we weren’t left on a cliffhanger!?! And then she casually dropped the “baby” nickname 😭 MY HEARTTTTT! And the fact that his mom THANKED HER FOR KEEPING HIM ALIVE 💔💔💔 that hurt in such a good way lol

I’m so sad that Harry has developed of having nightmares and just over so emotionally drained and bruised from this :( but honestly I really love how you gave him this ONLY bc it shows how distraught he feels over everything. Before he was her bodyguard he basically lived a relatively normal life like he was just a cute little buff smart guy lol So it makes so much sense that he would respond like this after basically having so much fear installed in him by having her kidnapped and striped away from him and he was lowkey seeing first hand the love of his life almost DYING TWICE!(maybe three if the unfortunate bar incident was worse)and the fact he has to relive that in his dream is just so heartbreaking! But i would be more concerned if he wasn’t affected! And the fact he just wants to keep knowing she alive and just physically near him :( Also he TOLD HER HE LOVES HER 😭 a very private moment between them when he’s so vulnerable around her was so sweet😭

And I’m not surprised on how Miss Wildflowers is reacting only bc I feel like she deep down knew something like this would have happened to her. It’s super sad and dark that she may have though of this but she always knew something was off abt her moms death and her dad’s behavior didn’t help either:( I hope she’ll be okay too!

Also as much as I loved the tiny taste of what their smut /sex dynamic may be I’m glad we didn’t get their first time together fully in the main story. I feel like it would have taken away the shine of the overall plot of the story! There was so much going on, in a good way, that their complexity as both individuals and as a couple needed to have their own shine! It’s def going to so fun how they are going to progress and overcome this new life that is being presented for them! I need so many more Check-ins with them already!!! This is such a beautiful and exciting story that I love it to pieces!!! You did so amazing and I love your work so much you truly never disappoint !! -💜

Omg you are the absolute sweetest 💕 I still say fangirling so I totally know what you mean 😭

I def intended to make it a little “where is she?!” While you were reading so I’m sorry to cause the panic but it was kind of intentional after the cliffhanger. I def thought she deserved credit for keeping Harry alive (I was hoping by her being alive you would all infer that’s what kept Harry alive 🙈 but I’ll take what I can get 💕)

I love making Harry an absolute whiny baby 😭 I do feel like maybe he is a little too distraught. One of my extras he will be less self-deprecating (and another he will not hehehe) I def needed them to say they loved each other 😏 I’m glad you weren’t expecting smut. I agree. Not sure if I’ll get them there either tbh. I might just allude to it kinda thing.

She’s (me) is very good at compartmentalizing when bad things happen. She’ll be fine. She just needs a minute. Daddy issues make her stronger hahaha

I adore you 💕 thank you so much for all the feedback. I love it 💕

Xoxo

[infernalodie]

Could you like possibly do a fluffy/minor smut with maddy and male reader and maddy being protective. The male reader is a tall buff guy who seems tough on the outside but is soft to maddy. They both share a liking of lana del rey (I had to add that since we love lana here) y/n takes maddy on drives and appreciates her in a way nate never did. And it'd be funny if cassie tried flirting with him and maddy was having none of it.

𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 || 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐳

"𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 "𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶" 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 "𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺" 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦?"

Inspo: Phora - To The Moon

Pairing: Maddy Perez x Male!reader

Summary: Maddy could find herself frequently mistaken you for a teddy bear. So soft for her and so fragile from the criticism of others. But that’s what made her love you so much.

(gif used is not mine)

Warnings: Fluff and very minor smut

Words 1150

The one thing Maddy could compare you to was a teddy bear.

Your body is strong, sturdy, warm, but all so comforting to be wrapped up in. Dangerous from a distance because of your towering height that could form shadows over others, but so delicate to the ones you loved and cared for. Which were the biggest catfish that she’s ever seen. How the hell was someone so fucking hulking in size so damn soft with girls like her or any of her friends? For god sake, you were on the Defensive Line on the football team. You shouldn’t be this fucking nice!

Out of all of the boys she dated and hooked up with, you were the best of the best. She knew she could never do any better than you. From the relatability that the two of you had to the unconditional love, you held for one another. It hadn’t even been the first month of dating and you had walked up to her out of nowhere and told her, “If you ever break up with me, I hope you know that I would love you even after death.” That may have been where she realized that your softness and affection were heavily underestimated. And she liked knowing that she was the only person in Highland to ever get to have it.

And here she was, sitting in the lounge with the rest of the girls and then you. You were laid between her legs and your face buried in her stomach and arms wrapped firmly around her waist. Your legs sprawled out on the floor to the point that people had to pay attention to where they were walking or they would trip over you. Soft snores left you as you muttered incoherent words sleepy. If you weren’t a teddy bear, you sure as hell acted like a toddler seeking her attention and love.

And as they were talking, you rested the side of your head on her stomach and muttered out, “I love you.”

Maddy looked down at you with a soft grin, swearing she could cry from how precious you looked in such a position. “How the hell is he that fucking adorable?” Jules asked, trying her hardest to contain the giggles at the lovable actions. Such as saying I love you in your sleep.

But she didn’t know how to answer Jules’ question. You were unpredictable with the way you showcased the love you held for her. It could come at such random moments, such as when she would decide to try and be the big spoon and you would willingly fall into her arms. With someone so masculine and jock-like, you held a softer side than most people expected.

“He just looks like a child and it's fucking cute,” Kat gushed as Maddy smiled warmly at her friends. During the time of you two being together, you had gotten along with all of them. Creating this older brother type of relationship, to the point that they would go to you if they ever needed someone to talk to or need help with something. And they all were just as surprised as Maddy when you turned out to be the most charmingly cute guy they had ever met.

No explanation could be given as to how Maddy had ever deserved such a loving guy. But she never would take you for granted.

“You’re so beautiful.” Your husky words and warm breath fanned her neck as she gasped and moaned with each delicate pound of your hips. Allowing her to flourish in the pleasure of your cock filling her to the brim.

With her arms pinned above her head, your fingers interlocked with hers, your body was situated between her legs that were wrapped around your waist. Your warm body pressed against hers with your hips rocking ever-so softly until you would pick up pace occasionally. She knew you loved staying in this moment for as long as you could. And she loved it when you wanted your time to be filled with only her.

Your lips ghosted along her jaw, placing delicate kisses with your hips suddenly pounding against hers. She could never truly grasp how you could maintain such a comforting nature with a ruthless and tortuous system of denying her release. But she loved you for it.

Kissing her cheek, smiling softly at the breathless pleas falling shamelessly from Maddy’s lips. It was all music to your ears. It was an out-of-body experience when she clamped around your cock in a vice when you hit her most sensitive spots. She was a drug and safe haven you would continue to fall into until your last breath. “I love you, Maddy.”

Hearing that was enough for her to bite her bottom lip. Finding a second wind of strength and freeing her hands from yours. Somehow spinning you around so the roles were reversed with you now laying on your back and her on top. Your momentary shock was replaced with a hum of Maddy’s hands cupping your cheeks and kissing you.

It wasn’t heavy. It wasn’t one of lust. Just passion. Nothing more and nothing less. It was enough for you to understand that every single thought and unspoken word she’s ever held from telling you was in this one simple and loving kiss.

She parted with her straddling your hips, moaning as she sank further down onto you. All the while her hands dragged down to your hands and interlocked your fingers with hers. Rocking her hips enough to create stimulation that left her moaning softly with your head falling back against the bed.

Leaning forward, she pinned your hands above your head with her placing a kiss on your nose. Smiling fondly at you as she said, “And I love you too.”

The A/C was on low, blasting enough warmth in the vehicle that you could be comfortable. Sipping from the straw of your A&W cup filled with sprite. Your other hand interlocked with Maddy’s as the two of you sat in your car listening to music. Not saying anything, just listening.

This was a ritual after sex, as weird as that sounded. It just gave the two of you time to wind down and allow yourself to be engulfed in the comfortable silence. Usually, you would be driving, but after the work Maddy put you through an hour ago, you decided to just find a peaceful spot in Highland and chill.

Brooklyn Baby played through the speakers as Maddy laid on your chest with your arms encompassing her figure perfectly. Like she was meant to be held by you. And she was confident in the fact that she believed she was always destined to find someone as loving as you. She would be willing to give you everything in the world.

Everything on earth and to the moon.

[sandbees]

A few about the Great Seven interacting with Twisted Wonderland characters VIA Yuu. 👀 I only have one word summary; Chaos.

Who would meet the Great Seven first? Obviously the first years (along with Ortho and Grim). They’re Yuu’s best friends after all.

Actually, it was Friday, the last day of the week. And coincidentally, that night would be a special night at the House of Mouse. Ariel and her sisters would be performing that night.

Mickey told Yuu that that they could invite anyone to watch the performance. So Yuu went to get special permission to take their friends along with them.

After kidnapping Ortho After Yuu gathers everyone, they explain that they’re going out to see a special performance at their workplace.

Keep in mind that no one knows exactly what Yuu’s new job was except Grim and Crowley. So naturally everyone was in on it and curious. (Only Grim knows about Yuu meeting the Great Seven though)

Ace: So where do you work at?

Yuu: I work at a club.

Epel: ...As in a strip club or a book club?

Yuu: Wtf Epel? It’s like a club but no alcohol. It’s technically a restaurant but they have live shows and put on a lot of performances so-

Deuce: Oh! That’s cool, we get to see it together!

Yuu: Actually I’m not going to be with you guys. I’m on duty that day so I’ll be waiting tables. But I’ll join during break.

Ace: Really? Bummer.

Ortho: Aw, I wanted to hang out with you too! But it will be fun nonetheless. :D

Yuu tells them to wait downstairs as they go upstairs to get everything ready.

They are low-key nervous, because the House of Mouse isn’t...exactly normal by Twisted Wonderland standards.

Meanwhile, Grim was telling the first years about Yuu’s experiences there.

Grim: You know, the House of Mouse is really popular, I’ve heard about a lot of customers Yuu has met.

Deuce: This job must have been hard...I’m glad Yuu got it though!

Grim: Yeah, they pay them 5,000 madol! Isn’t that great?!

Sebek: 5,000 madol?! That’s a lot more than being a waiter.

Ace: In a week? I mean having a salary of 5,000 is pretty impressive.

Grim: Hehe, it’s actually 5,000 a day.

First Years: WHAT?!

Jack: To be able to pay that much...the owner must be wealthy.

Epel: Yuu lucked out!

When Yuu comes down, the first years are asking a billion questions.

How did you find a job with such a high pay??? Is the work good?? Is your boss nice to you?? Explain everything-

Yuu assured them that their job is just waiting a bunch of tables, and that they’re payed well because the place is very popular.

Anyways, Yuu tells them that they’re going now and leads them upstairs.

“Shouldn’t we be going to the hall of mirrors-?” “It won’t work.”

The group kind of loses their mind as Yuu casually pushes Ace into their mirror, Grim follows behind.

“Come on, or do I have to push you through the mirror like I did with Ace?”

Safe to say is that they go through the mirror and are greeted with a very lavish dressing room.

“Wait woah this isn’t Mickey’s dressing room.”

Yuu finds a note and read it out loud. Apparently Mickey moved the mirror to a new room so they could have privacy. Anything in the room is for their use.

“I’m going to cry. He’s so nICE I DON’T DESERVE THIS-“

Yuu is pretty happy with this arrangement, actually. They also begin to explain the club’s shtick to their friends.

“So this is basically a club for entertainment with live shows and also cartoons on the screen. Oh, and sometimes a cat named Pete tries to sabotage the show so he can kick everyone out and make this his club.” “Isn’t that illegal-“ “Not if there’s no police.”

So anyways Yuu leads them outside and they run into Goofy.

Sebek: Is that-?

Yuu: Hi Goofy, I’m bringing my friends to a table for the show-

Goofy: Yuu! There you are! You’re needed at table 14.

Yuu: What? But my shift hasn’t started-

Goofy: Reservations from Hades himself.

Yuu: Oh shit, ok yeah I’ll be there as soon as possible-

Ortho: Hades? As in the God of the Underworld?

Yuu: Yes, I’ll explain later, more importantly let’s go find you a table.

Ace: I think not telling us you actually met one of the GREAT SEVEN!

Yuu: I did tell you; and you didn’t believe me.

Everyone is vibrating in nervousness and excitement. Especially Ortho. I mean, this is the GREAT SEVEN we’re talking about!

Yuu decides to introduce them to Hades. But surprise surprise, it’s all of the Great Seven!

Yuu’s first year friends are going to pass out from shock. Oof.

With some inquiry, Yuu explains to the Great Seven that the friends they brought were from Twisted Wonderland.

Let’s just say that the First Years got invited to sit at their table. (Sebek is quaking at the idea of sitting with the Witch of Thorns)

So while Yuu leaves to start work (not after taking all of their orders first, of course), the Great Seven begin asking the first years + Grim questions.

The first years are expectantly tense, but they loosen up.

Ursula and Jafar are a little disappointed that no one from their dorm is present, but they seem to easily forget that after Yuu tells them that they know people from their respective dorms anyways.

Yuu also gives them a little more information they found about their respective dorms, so that they don’t feel...left out? (Satisfied is a better word for it)

Ursula pets Grim and Jafar feeds him crackers. Grim does not complain, he’s fine. He becomes more compliant as his tuna arrives.

And some of the other’s thoughts? Well...

The Queen of Hearts almost blew up in anger at Ace and Deuce. They are idiots that do nOT KNOW THE PROPER WAY TO SPEAK TO THEIR SUPERIORS AND THEY HAVE BROKEN AT LEAST 359 RULES ALREADY-

But somehow, the Queen of Hearts warms up to the idiotic duo. She sees them as...annoying children she has to babysit but they’re also really adorable that she can’t stay mad at them forever. Plus, Deuce is trying and Ace has these wonderful card tricks that would make her Jester cry.

So at first, she does not approve, but as the night progresses she does. 8/10 would meet the ADeuce combo again.

Scar and Jack...hm. Well, I don’t think they’d get along of Scar’s sense of morality and justice of the past was brought up. However, the villains all agreed to not bring up their villainous past because they didn’t want to scare away Yuu/make them wary and distrustful of them. Same goes for the first years.

Anyways, Scar is impressed at how buff Jack is. He isn’t surprised though - he expected residents of his dorm to be powerful. Scar lays down some well deserved praise and Jack eats it up with a tail wag. Jack also talks about his dorm and what the dorm represents. Scar’s ego rises 100x and Scar becomes somewhat...egotistical. Well, maybe not like in a “I’m shoving my ego in your face” type of ego but in a “This pleases me and I will treat you kinder” ego.

Basically, Scar opens up a little more to Jack as the night progresses. Like a mentor/student bond.

The Evil Queen and Epel...well, the Evil Queen was quite picky with how Epel was acting. Yes, he had the proper posture but really, he was using the wrong forks to eat that particular kind of food. She expected better from someone who came from her dorm. So she ended up chastising him and scolding him for being “improper”. Like Vil.

She was shocked to say when Epel accidentally snapped back at her, before returning to his more “princely” persona. Ah, so the child had more than meets the eye. She tried a different approach, as in trying to ease Epel into talking to her. Certainly, Epel was much more headstrong and willful than that naive Snow White.

So, the Evil Queen and Epel have a rocky start, but by the end of the show.

Hades and Ortho...well, that’s a combo you never see everyday. But I think Hades would basically adopt Ortho. As in suddenly he gets father vibes from the kid. He’s also particularly interested in his own dorm, and asks Ortho about it. Ortho’s pretty chatty with Hades, and is happy to tell Hades about his dorm! He also asks a few questions himself; which Hades happily obliged to.

...and then it turns into Ortho talking about Idia and how wonderful he is. And Hades is like, “damn, this kid has a wonderful big brother. How come my younger siblings act like shit to me-“

So Hades silently swore to the River of Styx to keep this child safe, and Ortho had a fun time interacting with Hades!

Sebek and Maleficent...well, it could have been worse.

Poor Sebek was tense and tight lipped for most of the night. He really wanted to make a good impression on Malleus’ grandmother. (I don’t think Sebek has met Maleficent yet so-)

Maleficent was patient, however. She knew Fae kind were raised to think of Maleficent as a high authority figure that should be treated with upmost respect. Unlike the other kingdoms; the Valley of Thorns praised Maleficent like a goddess. She didn’t blame Sebek for acting like he was.

So she started with baby steps. Talking about how wonderful it was to meet her grandson’s bodyguard, how Malleus must have grown to be a strong magician, how she wished she had stayed to know more about her grandson.

Actually, the breaking point between the tense atmosphere between the two was Malleus. Sebek opens up a little more as he continues to talk to Maleficent.

At the end of the night, they’ve only talked about Malleus, but Maleficent was content with that. After all, keeping up with what her grandson was doing was more than enough.

By the end of the night, the First Years enjoyed the special performance and their time with the Great Seven. Things went well especially when Yuu came to join during their break.

So when it was time to go, everyone had happily said their goodbyes as they were ready to return.

“Oh, before I forget...Yuu, I have almost completed the portals for the others so do expect one of us to pop in soon.” “Oh, ok!” “...THEY MIGHT VISIT US?!”

Everyone is low key excited to meet again though.

So, the first years go through the mirror and stay at Ramshackle, chatting away at their time at the House of Mouse.

_=_

Yeah, this was a looonngg write, I’m actually going to do the rest of the TW cast in another post. I hope you enjoyed this one! :)