#i need to buy some nice ones i use em often enough

[ashfdhfgdsfk]

chopsticks <333

[amphitriteswife]

Do more of ror school au hcs please 🙏🏻 💓 💕 💗

📝✂️Ror/ Snv characters as Students📝✂️

Also am I spotting a fellow Alien stage fan??? @miserable-homo-momo

Hades:

☠️He’s a top student. On top of most of his classes, and he’s a senior.

☠️ Mostly hangs out with Qin or his brothers. He doesn’t necessarily have friends but a lot of ppl want to be tho, only he focuses on being a big brother.

☠️ Listens to a lot of music tastes. Like his play list is full of mood swings. It contains: Classic music, Pop Music, HipHop, Heavy metal ect. It kinda depends on what he feels tbh. A few of his faves would be: Tupac, Beyonce, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Mozart.

☠️Drives a nice car which made him very popular. He used it to take his brothers everywhere but he ended up sharing it between his brothers and bought a motorbike of his own🤭

☠️ He had a lot of piercings: Ears, lip, Eyebrow…nipple…But he looks good and knows how to pull it off. Like just Imagine it. Gah dayum

☠️ He actually skipped class?? You wouldn’t expect it from him but he did skip class. It’s not often but once in a blue moon. Most of the times it’s cause he wants to hang out with his brothers.

☠️ goes to all the house parties. As good of a student he is, he also likes going out. So most of the time he gets invited to parties or hang outs.

☠️ most ppl thought he was a player but ended up being one of the ppl that married their high school sweetheart. He might have dated some ppl but they weren’t flings but actually legit relationships

☠️ probably the one person that brings snacks or drinks for the class if they have a field trip or just a hot school day y’know. Like just imagine it being a hot sunny day and you still have a lot of lessons to follow and boom, hades brings ice cream for the class?? Life safer fr🙏

☠️ He probably likes History, astronomy and psychology. He kind of has random subject but he just chose what he deems as interesting. He only likes the 🪐⭐️🌠🌌 and not the math in astronomy.

☠️ He cooks on field trips that last more days. Only if its’s necessary tho. Mainly because he’s rich enough to afford going to restaurants or the school handles it.

☠️ he’s the therapist friend fr. Genuinely knows when there’s something wrong and asks, not in public tho. He doesn’t judge but actually listens to you. He also offers comfort if you need it. What a goat

☠️ class president. Even though he didn’t want to be. Most ppl voted for him for the above stated reasons. And because he’s kind of a big brother type.

☠️ man could do anything and he wouldn’t get into trouble. Mostly because all the teachers love him as a student so shawty has a good reputation.

☠️ He’s bad at art yet has very nice cursive handwriting. Probably because he takes extra poetry lessons. Or he practiced it till he was satisfied.

☠️ Is in the chess club with Beelzebub and the birb. They often play and even have participate in Tournaments.

☠️ He’s the type that also chose languages as subjects, so like German, French, Italian, Chinese, Latin and ofc Greek. Probably because his ass has a photographic memory

☠️ doesn’t eat cafeteria food and actually goed off campus to buy food. If some of his lessons are canceled he just goes to restaurants or shopping streets to kill time

☠️ Actually doesn’t rly do his homework. He only does it in classes that check homework or give bonuses for it, otherwise he usually doesn’t do it. Besides he only studies like 2 weeks before the week where all the tests are. Unless he knows he needs more time for a certain subject. Then he catches up

☠️ Went to Spain, Germany and France because he choose those subjects and teased his younger brothers for it. He did buy them a requested item for each of em. Not Zeus cause he requested a Latina babe.

☠️ He has a place in school where he always sits when he aint off campus. So if ya eveer try to find him he’s probably there.

☠️ graduated w honors fr. Mosy of the teacher wrote nice things about them and held wonderful speeches for him since he was a good student. His quote in the year book was sum like ‘👍’.

☠️ He probably went on luxurious vacations and posted the pictures on his insta. He dont do snap or any other form of social media.

Buddha

🪷 the student that doesn’t really care about grades but does get good ones.

🪷 He’s usually eats in class. But for some reason the teachers allow it cause he ain’t causing a mess. Or because he’s actually a prince and could buy the school in a second.

🪷 Definitely choose a language as a subject and geography cause man knows a lot about different cultures. My goat

🪷 Definitely a music lover. You can always catch him with one AirPod in his ear. Probably has the latest phone too cause he richy rich.

🪷 Goes to on lot of vacations. Like every break he’s somewhere. Japan, Greece, Italy, Singapore, Canada, Brazil, he goes to many places. Brodie might start doing them travel vlogs atp

🪷 He has lots of Social Media’s. Tiktok, Tenten, insta, snap, Discord??🤨 , Be real ect. His tiktok is just goofy ahh videos while his insta is usually pics of his vacations. Like you know them influencers who have them nice ahh pics? He has that, but he just aint a influencer

🪷 Never takes notes in class. So you might wanne share em w him if you have em. In return he’ll let you munch on his snacks.

🪷 BIG supporter of Cultural day. Like he already sighed a petition and complained that every school should have one. He even offered to host them and buy stuff for it.

🪷 biggest class skipper together with Qin. He’s either off campus buying stuff, at home cause brodie didn’t wanne come or he just bailed mid way with the ‘can i use the restroom?’ Tactic. His ass almost got into trouble w the school cause of the many times he was absent.

🪷 If you have a presentation with him. Yall will score perfectly. Especially if it’s a subject he knows a lot about, brodie will carry you like how Eren carried that stone in Shiganshina (aot reference 🤨)

🪷 Deals candy in school. Like you know how some schools have the policy that their cafeteria doesn’t sell unhealthy stuff? And the stuff is overpriced asf. Yeah he broke that by buying a lot of different candies and letting ppl buy em for €1 no matter what the OG price was. He may or may not have gotten into trouble but man did not care

🪷 LOVESS LOVES LOVES school trips. He always buys snacks for em. He usually researches the place where yall is going so that he can divide the time and go see the whole place instead of just only doing the assignment.

🪷 He is friends w actually almost everyone. Almost. Except Loki. But it’s difficult. Loki HATES him. While Buddha is kinda like 😒. It got so bad that Loki had to switch classes fr. Now one may ask why? Buddha worked together Sigyn that’s why

🪷 house parties, pool parties, after school parties, just any party tbh. If he catches one he is going. And Believe me it makes it so much better. He has the music, the vibe, the photo’s everything. Man is so chill fr

🪷 lowkey good friends w Hades. Mainly because they both chose languages. They usually practice together if they have like a verbal test. They got each other’s back. And yeah Buddha’s a senior cause he skipped some grades

🪷 Ppl expected him to actually be single cause of how care free he is but they were wrong cause man was SMITTEN by Yasodharā. They were literally THE couple.

🪷 Got into a class fight with Loki. Imma leave room for yall to think how that went. Man CLEARED him. But he didn’t hit tho. He didn’t square up. He just dodged and threw chips in his face.

🪷 watched anime, reads manhwa and hd merch. But he the cool ones that keep it lowkey and dont rly act upon it

🪷 Man saved the ppl who graduated w him. He arranged that the ppl in the last year could have a week long vacation to Italy. Mainly to see art or just enjoy being free from school.

🪷 As much as he hated school. He’s the type that goes for a good time. He likes being w his friends or his glorious gf Yasodharā.

Shiva:

🧿 Laid back student that barely passes but doesn’t really mind.

🧿 member of the party club! He hosts all the dances, plays, school events, parties, gala’s. Anything to do with the sort!

🧿 Also a big fan of house parties. Good music, good vibe, lots of ppl, drinks n a good home? He’s all in.

🧿 He 100% had music, art and religion as a subject. Dancing is included with art and he gives extra lessons to the youngsters. He might even have his own dance club on campus.

🧿 He’s also a fan of p.e. He 100% has a one sided rivalry with Hercules and Ares. But if it’s Ares and Hercules against each other he’s on Hercules’ side.

🧿 He hosted a Gala for the seniors and it was so goated, he even had a department for ppl who didn’t want to dance and put on game consoles on the big ahh boards.

🧿 He and Poseidon were playing Mario Kart and SSBU against each other. Half of the ppl there spectated on how the two were so focused and at each other’s throat. But after that Shiva went back to dancing.

🧿 A lot of ppl think that he’s poly but he’d monogamous and has a girlfriend. Aka Parvati. Who was his partner to homecoming. Which he hosted ofcourse.

🧿 Skips school so much that he once had to have a conversation with the school therapist to make sure there was nothing going on at home. (There isn’t) but he played it off cause he a smooth talker and got away with it.

🧿 He’s besties w Rudra. They’re the duo that everyone knows cause they’ve been going to the same school and usually have most classes together. Even if they don’t like the subject. Like you can see Shiva in some classes they don’t have together cause he just asks the teacher it its cool and most of the time it’s cool. Most.

🧿 They the duo that they meet each other in the halls cause they both got sent out of the classroom. Or they both have detention and never do any work in it there.

🧿 you can usually spot them outside going for a run or at the gym. They also share a playlist for of they go to the gym and its very intense. Or they’re goofing around and end up doing something else.

🧿 He’s also in Hades class as a senior but they aint rly close, no bad blood but they just have their own friends. Though If they were to be paired up they’d make a very good duo.

🧿 Also a big fan of Culture day. But the best part is that Parvati is in a beautiful sari, her make up done, mehendi on her hands and feet, churias on her arms, a veil on her head. Hmm perfect.

🧿 He lowkey beefs with Loki but does it in a goofy way y’know. Like he seems very intimidating cause of his physique and height but he’s lowkey chill and doesn’t bother ppl.

🧿 is lowkey a model together with Poseidon. He posts a lot of pictures on his insta, Indian weddings (they’re the best) pics of himself or if he went somewhere. Some of them are lowkey so aestheticly pleasing.

Yuh that’s it. Might make a part 3 tho

Tagging: @mizz-sea-nymph @vilereign @tinyy-tea-cup @das-jaim3 @monstertreden @rukia-writes @snowmantita @brokensenseofhumor @itz-hel @nicasdreamer @imperfectbloodmoon @swallowtail-lotus @m3l-moony @riseofamoonycake @bumblebees-knees-threes @praisethesuuun @telvess @salmonpoki @aresarmyblog

[trivialbob]

My week of ambition

There is PTO to use before year end. I took off this entire week despite no travel plans for Thanksgiving. I never can sleep late, my body doesn't do that, so I am up at at 'em long before the 7:15 AM sunrise.

It actually feels nice to get dressed first thing in the morning. Too often, because I work at home, I neglect clothing until the afternoon. This week I'm all about warm socks, jeans, and sweaters instead of a slippers, a robe, and sweats.

Sheila still has to work. Today she has a very early shift. Her vampire genes prevent her from enjoying sunrises like I do.

"But honey, it's not that bad. It's still very dark out as you get ready for work!"

"Shut up, Bob."

For the rest of this week I'm wearing a garlic clove to bed.

Rather than sit around in my robe, surfing the Internet or binging TV shows, I have been cleaning and organizing--while fully dressed.

The clutter of a hallway closet bothered me. I took out everything. When I put it all back in an organized fashion I saw we have enough shampoo, sunscreen, and bug spray to last the next twelve years.

That situation is a byproduct of a messy closet: Don't see what you need? Buy more. That happened in one of the kitchen cabinets I cleaned. We have enough tinfoil to protect us from a fleet of black helicopters.

Outside the Christmas light are installed. My motorcycle got re-winterized after the past weekend's jaunt. Some late falling leaves are now mulch. And that was just Monday.

I have been reading books too. Recently I finished David Sedaris' most recent one and really liked it. Yesterday I started one of his others, a "best of me" collection. Didn't care for it one bit. I read a few pages from different chapters, but nothing caught my interest. Today that book goes back to the library. Someone on a podcast read a piece by the author Patrick McManus the other day, about the difference between a creek and a crick. It was beautiful and funny. I'm going to get some of McManus' books today.

And finally, during weeks like this I don't treat myself to nice restaurant meals. The fridge and freezer should be devoid of leftovers by the weekend (barring any turkey we bring home from hosts on Thanksgiving). I'm trying to use up even non-perishable foods in the cabinets. That helps my cleaning and organizing too.

Should a zombie apocalypse occur this Sunday, I won't even have a day's worth of food on hand. That is my goal.

[icey--stars]

Stories To Be Told: PART 24

Series Index

A shadowsinger, a warrior, an Illyrian, that's what she was. Trained by one of the most formidable female warriors. Escaped the Illyrian camps and her clipping when she was barely sixteen and is now the holder of 6 siphons. What happens when she tries to sneak into the City of Starlight? And starts down a whole new road of chaos?

a/n: this story is slowly coming to an end... not yet though lMAO

WARNINGS: alcohol and creepy asf guy, non consensual touching

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

This place was an absolute party. Rita’s was some sort of club that apparently the Inner Circle of the Night Court enjoyed going to, at least somewhat often. Mor had offered to bring me, along with the other girls, with Cassian and Azriel following in case someone got wasted and had to go home. But I suspected it was because Cassian wanted to be possessive, and Azriel–probably something along the same lines.

“Come on, let’s get a drink,” Mor suggested. “I need to be at least tipsy to be flirting right now.”

Emerie scoffed. “Alright, beautiful. Can I buy you it?” I had to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor. Damn, I thought. Maybe Emerie and Mor would become something from Starfall. I was all the way for it. They looked fucking adorable together.

Mor’s face went red and she coughed out an answer quickly, “Yes, thank you Em.”

Cassian and Nesta were already at the bar, flagging down the bartender to get drinks. Azriel lingered beside me, even as Gwyn went launching toward Emerie, a huge grin on her face. I couldn’t hear her words as she walked away. The music was just a tad too loud for that. But it looked something along the lines of and when did the little blushing thing get some claws? I rolled my eyes and began to follow after them.

“What do you plan on doing here?” Azriel asked me as we paused behind Cassian and Nesta, who were ordering.

I turned to look at him, lifting a brow. “Drinking, of course. Maybe dancing. Who knows.”

“Let me buy you your drink then,” Azriel suggested. “Can’t let you buy everything yourself. Not with me around.”

I rolled my eyes. “Why are you around?” I asked, looking at the list of drinks. That oatmeal stout looked intriguing enough.

Azriel chuckled, a little low sound coming from the back of his throat. “Because, baby, Rhys pays me a shit ton, and I plan to dote on you a little.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “Fine, but I’m still paying for something,” I said. “Some gift or something. I don’t know, but you aren’t doting on me without me doing the exact same thing.”

“Sure angel,” he said teasingly. “Now, what do you want?”

“Let me try that stout,” I said after a moment of thinking. “The oatmeal one.”

“Mmm, that one is good,” Az agreed. Cassian moved, and finally, it was our turn to get something. Azriel ordered for us both quickly, telling the bartender to put everything on his tab for the night.

Once given our drinks, I sat down on a stool at a high-level table, beside the one that had Cassian and the others. Azriel took the seat right beside me, our wings brushing against each other mildly when I turned to look at him. I tried not to shiver.

“How long has it been since you’ve come here?” I asked him, taking a nice long sip of my drink, reveling in the taste. That was the exact kind of thing I was looking for right now. Just a little nutty, and an even sweetness to it. Perfect.

Azriel hummed, looking out across the bar before turning his head to face me. Our wings brushed again. Gods, I’d have to find a way to subtly move my chair to stop that. How was he not noticing? Or was he, and just doing it on purpose? I wouldn’t put it past the sly spymaster.

“I went a few days before you arrived, haven’t been since. This place usually isn’t my kind of place. Mor loves it, obviously. Cassian comes often enough, and I hear Rhys comes here every once in a while. Mostly on a night out away from Nyx for a few moments,” Azriel explained, sipping on his own drink. Some sort of ale I think.

“Hmm,” I hummed in acknowledgement. I’d been to a club in the past. Wasn’t really to my taste, but I was fully intending on enjoying tonight. I’d heard from Mor this palace was great and quite accepting of winged individuals. I’d worn just a tight-fitting t-shirt, with the leathers that went on my lower half to match. It did wonders to show off my physique. I think Azriel noticed too, his eyes kept wandering.

“You look good,” he complimented. Ah, so he did notice.

I smirked against the rim of my glass. “Thank you.”

“My lady,” A new deep voice said from my left. I turned, looking at him. He was a classically beautiful High Fae male. High cheekbones, straight teeth, pointed ears. He had long black hair that went just past his shoulders. He was wearing a damn suit. Like a full on suit. Why the hell-? “Would you care for a dance?”

Azriel tensed considerably beside me. I lifted a brow, turning in my seat to face him slightly. I looked back at Az, unsure. Would it be wrong to do that? After everything? Oh, but I wanted to try and have some sort of experience here.

“Go have fun,” Azriel said, breaking my train of thoughts. “Then we’ll see if he can hold up to my dancing.” Oh. He wanted to set himself against this male? That- honestly… sounds fun. I distantly remembered dancing with Azriel on Starfall. It’d been fun, despite not being anywhere near as skilled or practiced.

I turned back to the male with a little smile. “Forgive me, if I step on your toes then. What’s your name?” I stood, brushing against Azriel’s damned wings again.

“Aaron,” he said, voice like silk. “And yours, pretty thing?”

The shadows began swirling faster, going up to my ears. Their voices were panicked. Don’t. The only word I could make out. But don’t what?

“Y/N,” I replied, letting him take my hand to kiss the knuckles.

“A fighter, aren’t you?” He hummed. “Your knuckles are quite rough.”

I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly. “I am a Valkyrie, Aaron. We know how to punch.” There was a cloud over my thoughts. Or it felt like a cloud. It clouded my judgment slightly.

“I’ve heard of that group,” Aaron hummed. “A bunch of females learning to fight. It sounded like fun. I almost wished I could join just to watch them in all their sweaty training clothes.” I felt a little spark of displeasure from that, feeling protective of the people I trained with. That comment rubbed me the wrong way. But that fog… it urged me to let go of that. I obeyed. My shadows started their don’t chant again.

“There’s only a few males given that opportunity,” I replied. “Our trainers.”

“The General and Spymaster–the ones you were sitting by?” He asked.

“Yes, that’s them,” I answered. He started to lead me to the dance floor, dodging a couple lost in each other’s eyes cleaning, dragging me with him.

“Your wings…” he hummed. “So beautiful.”

He went to drag a finger down them, but I moved out of the way. “Let’s dance,” I suggested quickly, lungs constricting slightly at the thought of this random ass male touching my wings. No. Hell no.

He smiled easily and we settled into a position and then whisked off into dancing. I ended up downing my drink, and Aaron bought a wine for me, insisting I needed it. Then another. And another.

A familiar song turned on, a remix of a ballroom dance Nesta had trained me in. The twirls are easy to deal with, opening my wings more so that his arm could go over them. However, I heard a fast approaching dip in the music. Aaron moved me forward a step and then I felt his arm curve over my wings as I dipped back. I froze, waiting for him to lift me up. The fabric on my wings was all wrong. The hands on my wings were all wrong. They weren’t rough with burn scars, they were smooth as a cat’s pelt.

Aaron was grinning as he brought me back up, crushing my wings to my back. “You’re good at dancing darling,” he purred. He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I wonder if you’d be any good at riding.” The shadows screamed in unison. I couldn’t pick out their words anymore.

I caught the hidden meaning immediately and immediately prayed for the Mother to come down and save me. His hand lingered on my wing, settling on the curve instead of my hip. I glanced desperately in the direction of the table, hoping someone was watching. My shadows weren’t dancing anymore either. They were stiff, sitting around my wings and avoiding the male’s hand at all costs. Before, despite their panic, they’d been playing along. Now they didn’t even try.

He curled his fingers in, the nails dragging on the membrane as he leaned in close, pulling me close to his chest so that my jaw was on his shoulder as he whispered in my ear. “I’ve heard many things about Illyrian wings. Are any true?”

He dragged his hand up. I swore under my breath. Not from pleasure.

“Some,” I replied. “But I’ll have you know, I don’t let just anyone touch my wings. You’ll have to do more to earn it.”

“Oh… darling, I think I can earn it,” he chuckled. We turned just right so I could see Azriel. I felt for that bond in my chest, gritting my teeth behind my lips. I finally grasped the damned thread, and yanked twice.

The male dragged his hand up my wing again and I pushed against his chest, settling us into a dancing position again, but his damned hand was still on my wing. I was going to kill him, I decided, if he didn’t fucking let go. I felt the killing power begin to flow into my siphons in my rage.

“Ooo, what pretty powers do you have?” He purred, noting the glowing from the dark blue stones. “So pretty. So powerful… what would you look like under me?”

I was killing him.

A shadow came skittering to me. A familiar voice filling my ears. Only for me and another to hear. The only who could understand the hushed, garbled language of the shadows in the darkest of rooms. The only ones to listen and sing to the darkness. Don’t kill him. I’m coming.

I tried not to sigh in relief.

“What are these… darkness bits around you, darling?” He asked, curving his other palm to pick one up. It immediately leaped off and into my hair. His hand followed.

I pushed at his chest. “A secret,” I replied. Finally, his hand slipped off my wing. The one on my head remained, grabbing onto the short hair. It’d been growing to the point someone could fist it in their hand enough to get a grip. 

Finally, I snarled. “Let me fucking go,” I ordered.

A voice of venom spoke from behind me. “Let her go. Now,” Azriel seconded.

The male smirked, looking past my shoulder at Azriel. He didn’t let go of my hair. If he didn’t let go in the next fifteen seconds, I was slicing his arm off.

One.

“Spymaster, what a wonderful sight. Is she one of your Valkyries?”

Two.

“Let her go.”

Three.

“Why? I think she likes it. Look at her little smile.” That smile was a damn grimace and relief for Azriel being near.

Four.

“You are hurting her.”

Five.

“She’s into that. Didn’t you notice?” Not this sort of pain-

Six.

“And how did you learn that?”

Seven.

“I asked, of course.” I wanted to scream at him, but for some reason my stupid brain remained silent. The fog was stopping me from moving. What was that fog? I didn’t know what to do. I was running off of bare instincts. Nobody touched my wings. Nobody–except Az.

Eight.

“She looks uncomfortable. How about we switch off?”

Nine.

“Then where is my new dance partner, spymaster?”

Ten.

“Go find someone.”

Eleven.

“Well, that seems like an unfair trade.”

Twelve.

“Good. Let her go.”

Thirteen.

“Go away, you’re bugging us,” Aaron dismissed.

Fourteen-

“Let my mate go or I will rip your head off your shoulders.”

Aaron dropped me. On the brisk millisecond before I hit fifteen. His arm was lucky. “You have a mate Y/N?!” He shouted.

I took a deep breathy sigh of relief, walking into Azriel’s chest. He immediately wrapped a protective arm around me. The hand went over my shoulders, carefully avoiding my wings. A good male. A respectful male. My male. My mate. Relief coursed through me so strongly I knew Azriel could feel it through that bond. I could feel a simmering anger through it. Or it might’ve been raging, but alas, the bond wasn’t that strong yet. I’d only been able to feel him when he walked over here. The shadows stopped screaming and chanting.

“Yes, now leave,” Azriel snarled. “You don’t touch my mate’s wings without fucking permission, or grab her hair prick.��

I saw Cassian and Nesta coming up behind him as I turned to face the scene again. I swallowed, jaw clenching.

“What’s the problem here?” Cassian asked, spreading his wings slightly to keep Aaron trapped and provide a slightly clear talking space. Nesta, on the inside, glared at the male with a fire in her eyes.

Aaron rose to his full height again. “Your friend is threatening me,” he accused. “Unprovoked.”

“Looked pretty damn provoked from here,” Nesta snarled. “You don’t touch my fucking sister.”

They’d seen. Azriel’s rage grew. Nesta shouldered past Aaron and took me from Azriel. Az immediately stepped forward to Aaron.

Nesta held me steady, avoiding my wings. My sister.

“You didn’t ask for permission to touch her wings,” Azriel snarled at Aaron. “By all rights, I could have Rhysand down here and have you arrested. Or just do it myself.”

Cassian chuckled. “I vote to do it yourself. I’d rather like to see what this little scrawny thing has against a trained Illyrian warrior.”

I felt a pain of guilt. I was trained. Why didn’t I escape? Why had my body just fucking frozen?! Normally I could react so well…

Cassian’s face fell suddenly. So suddenly I was concerned. One moment it was the epitome of rage, and the next it was blank.

“Move aside General,” Aaron ordered. Cassian, in his blank state, folded a wing. Azriel launched himself forward then, bowling the High Fae to the ground. Cassian shook free of his… state, and his face turned rageful once again.

“A little fucker who can use suggestion,” The general crooned. “Oh what fun. Rhys is on his way to deal with your stupid ass.”

Azriel pinned Aaron, siphons that he had on glowing brightly.

“Let me go fucker!” Aaron screamed.

“You will pay for the crimes you committed,” Azriel crooned. “Now free my mate of your spell.”

I was under a spell? That worked? Even with my shadows?

“I can’t,” Aaron chuckled, grinning victoriously.

“Explain,” Azriel yanked on one arm to a painful angle, causing Aaron to let out a yelp.

“She’ll be in that suggestive state for another few hours, especially with the alcohol,” Aaron gritted out. “It’ll wear–OW YOU FUCKER!” Azriel had yanked his arms painfully.

The people on the dance floor had moved, I noticed. A dark power rumbled through the area. I heard a few whimpers of fear. Rhysand walked in, clad in his normal clothes, but they were more ruffled than usual, as if he’d put them on quickly. No wings.

“So, Azriel, care to tell me what’s happening?” The High Lord crooned, sparing a glance at me.

“Aaron, here,” Azriel grunted briefly as Aaron jerked in his grip. “Decided to put a suggestion spell on my mate.”

“Show me,” Rhysand ordered.

The two males’ eyes glazed over for a moment before Rhys’s face curved into a wicked grin. It didn’t look to be used to convey cockiness, happiness or anything in between. It looked to be used to tell someone they’d fucked up.

“Touching someone without permission, Aaron, is illegal. Azriel, put him in a cage for the night.”

Azriel disappeared in the shadows. The mask Rhys had on fell and he looked at me. “Y/N,” he said, walking forward toward me. “How do you feel?”

“I’m fine,” I replied. “Just a little foggy.”

Rhys sighed in relief. “What did he do?”

I swallowed. “He was touching my wings.”

Cassian hissed, face scrunching up in displeasure.

Rhys looked angry. His gaze hardened, brows dipping toward his nose. “I’ll make sure he’s dealt with.” Then the High Lord winnowed away.

Nesta held me steady as I let out a sigh that almost sent me tumbling to my knees. “What the fuck,” I growled, shaking my head.

Azriel winnowed back, immediately running to support me. Nesta took a step back. I almost whimpered with relief as I felt him hold me to his chest.

“I’ve got you baby. Are you hurt?”

I shook my head.

“You wanna go home?”

“Yes, please,” I pleaded.

“I’ll get Mor,” Cassian said. “See you at home.”

Azriel pulled back. “You can’t fly, can you?”

I shook my head, leaning my head back into him. “Too fuckin’ drunk. Too much, too fast.”

“I’ve got you baby,” he promised. He scooped me up from under my legs, holding me carefully and then we winnowed into the air outside the House of Wind. He glided down, the wind doing absolutely nothing to stop the fog in my mind. It felt sort of like alcohol, but had a bit more of a different feel to it.

He carried me through the house, heading for my room. He settled me on the bed, looking at me as if he was questioning something.

“Take off your leathers,” he said gently. “Then you can drink water and go to bed.”

I scoffed. The drunk part of my brain decided to do dumb shit. “Trying to get me undressed, are you?”

Azriel choked on his next words, a surprised noise escaping his jaw as he stared at me in shock. “Fucking hell,” he sighed, shaking his head. Was that a slight bulge in his pants? Maybe, I was drunk. I unbuckled my leathers, setting them beside my others. “You’re impulsive when you’re drunk,” he noted aloud.

I chuckled. “No I’m not~”

“Drink,” Azriel shoved a glass of water into my hands, and didn’t stop glaring at me before I’d downed it, and another.

“Sleep,” he ordered, hovering on the side of the bed.

“Sleep,” I yawned. “No. I’m not tired.”

He scoffed. “What if I laid down with you?”

“Will you scratch my head?” I asked.

He tensed slightly. “Are you alright with that?”

I nodded, throwing the covers back and laying on the far side of the bed from him, facing the middle of the bed. Carefully, he slipped out of his boots and put his feet under the bed with mine, moving to hold me to his chest. He moved the arm he was laying on up to scratch at my head. It was more hesitant than before.

I hummed happily, leaning into the touch. “That asshole doesn’t know how to scratch my hair right. You do. I like you.”

“Sleep, Y/N,” Azriel ordered, but I saw a little smile.

“No-” I yawned. “You.”

“When you wake, you’ll feel better.”

“I don’t want toooooo~” I leaned forward so my face was more in his space. “I wanna do this.”

Then I kissed him.

↢ 『 ☾ 』 ↣

TAGLIST (see post for getting added)

@mis-lil-red, @bunnymallowo, @judig92, @biblophilefox82, @azzydaddy, @thegirlintheshadows101, @whatupmydudes01, @feyres-fireheart, @elizarikaallen, @xenlynn, @panzees-bizarre-adventures, @starswholistenanddreamsanswered, @baebeepeach, @nyctophiliiiiaaa, @brekkershadowsinger, @officiallyunofficialperson, @bookslut420, @margssstuff, @bluephoenix908, @goldentournesol, @rebloggiest-reblogger, @inpraizeof, @ladylokilaufeyson5, @graciereads, @chanaaaannel,

[actualaster]

Playing HZD and HFW back to back now for my series replay, I’ve got a few Mechanics Wishlist items for if we do get a 3rd game in Aloy’s story.

Currently 8 12 of them.

The climbing system was refined massively in HFW, like amazing job there to the devs!  I'd like to see them continue to improve on it, tighten some things up a bit, etc.  There's still some oddities once in a while and all, getting stuck, etc.

Hybridize the fishing mechanics.  I like being able to just grab a fish in the water, but it's a huge annoyance to keep swimming after a fish that keeps dodging you XD  If possible, it'd be nice to have the option to both catch them by hand or snipe 'em.

Return the datapoint indicator to the HUD at the up alongside the waypoints, machine sites, campfires, etc.  In HFW I found that I was missing them a lot more often because the overworld indicator was just not as notable.  I'd like to see it return and expand the range.

Extend the time machine weak points remain highlighted!  Or maybe have a "remain highlighted indefinitely within X range" option?  They never seem to remain highlighted long enough for me, I have a hard time making them out sometimes...

Return the "discovered campfire" icon to green, especially on the HUD navigation at the top.  Or another color.  Anything but "brighter white vs slightly darker grayed out for undiscovered one".  Maybe settings to change the colors of icons?

Amazing job on the accessibility options, by the way, did great work on those!  Be nice to see those continue to expand!  Maybe the above 3 points (3-5) could be folded in under customizable options in the future?

Retain some form of the gliding mechanic--if Aloy has to lose all her gear again or something, I get it but it'd be nice to have something to replace it return early on because that was invaluable to navigation once you unlock it.

Hybridize the crafting systems, maybe?  I liked the ability to craft upgrades on the fly from HZD rather than needing a workbench...  Maybe some sort of portable workbench you can craft or buy for a decent cost, or for limited uses?

Keep the "people will tell you about stuff at shelters and camps in the wild allowing you to get sidequest and other location markers before you get close to them yourself" feature! Especially if they expand the number of extra missions and quests and errands you can pick up.

PLEASE do not bring back "tie some of the skill points to fully max the tree to a board game" feature. By all means, keep that as a way to get skill points, but also let there be ways to obtain them all through other means such as leveling and the other sorts of quests. It's a huge pain if you just suck at it no matter how hard you try. (Yes yes, NG+ but it'd be nice to get them all first play lol)

Maybe less underwater stealth segments. They are. Hard and also so very different from tbe rest of the game because you CANNOT fight anything. Or at least offer some limited underwater combat options? Special weapons for underwater combat?

A way to mark custom locations on the map besides our single waypoint! It would be great to be able to put a stamp on the map to mark favored hunting locations for certain machines so its easy to tell at a glance (for those of us Bad at maps and remembering where we were)

[hakkais-hoe]

Love your aggressive s/o x Bonten headcanons lol

If possible can we get a version where they find out the only freaking reason she's so aggressive is because she's literally hungry and sleepy... Like all the time? Like she'd need food in her hand 24/7 and constantly eating something (or napping) in order to not go off on someone for breathing wrong for more than an hour lol (you can ignore this if you'd like idc I just think it's hilarious to see them with what's essentially the equivalent to a pissed and grouchy cat lol)

Bonten x reader with hanger issues n a food complex.

'm glad ya liked em :)

love this idea too

Warnings: swearing, blood, fighting, gun references, drug reference (sanzu ofc).

Bonten: Mikey, Sanzu, Koko, Ran, Rindo, Kaku.

Mikey-

finds you rummaging through your bag after a fight

after you come back with nothing from it and a sour look on your face he cant help but ask

"What's up with you now?"

notices your similar to him after he hasn't had a snack for a while

if you ignore he'll leave you to your little tantrum as usual

after a long bonten meeting you're sat drifting off in your chair when someone bursts through the door

you do one of those freaky slow look ups a glare as cold as ice on your face

"You're really gonna come shouting in here n wake me up you fucker?! I'm fucking tired and hungry af n you have the balls to do this shit. I'm gonna cave ya head in dickhead."

'oh' Mikey knows exactly what the problem is now

he grabs a dorayaki out of his stash n throws it to you

you grumble a bit before going silent and munching on the treat

promptly moving to a couch and taking a nap

from then on Mikey keeps extra snacks for the both of you and you take regular naps in his office, sometimes with him.

your aggressive little attitude seems to get a lot better which keeps the rest of the executives calm.

Sanzu-

tbh i don't think he'll realise, he likes it when you're a bit psycho n that

takes Takeomi or Mochi telling him that you seem calmer when you have snacks for him to realise

straight up asks you

"Soooo you got like a food complex or something babe? Cos I get it I get antsy when I don't have a pill for a while, I can get those food supplement drugs if ya want love."

like boy no who tf wants ur shitty drugs

"I want snacks motherfucker not some boring ass supplements, actual food n several naps a day."

our boy only gets it when you spell it out n will buy you all the snacks n food you want

also keeps a blanket n pillow in his office so you can take a nap with him

watches you sleep like a creep can't lie

whips random snacks out when you get n attitude during meetings

loves it when you have a little anger tantrum cos you wanna nap n lets you drag him down onto the couch to use him as a pillow

probably can't sleep cos of the drugs but good effort

"Think you should take a chill pill on the drugs, love."

"Which one's that is it in my bottle? Is it a downer? They're boring baby."

sir you have a problem >_>

Kakucho-

chances are he already clocked it after the first few times he saw you beat a bitch then walk straight into a shop n buy snacks

wont actually mention it he just makes you take scheduled naps under the pretence that he needs one

will gently massage your kneecaps during meetings when you start to get grumpy

pulls random snacks and drinks out of his pockets

tries to keep you calm all the time

practically throws a blanket at you when you get ratty

will bundle you up even in meetings n make you take a nap on his lap

human burrito

very devoted to looking after you

will let you fight when you're really angry but prefers to keep you as docile as he can

"Love, enough. C'mon come sit down wit me and have a snack leave that piece of shit there."

ur surprisingly obedient when he's waving your favourite snack at you

Kokonoi

honestly he just thinks you're a bit nuts plus you spend too much time with sanzu according to him

most of the time he just lets you do your thing n he doesn't get involved

only realises that there's something odd when the Bonten executives plus the boss go out for a meal after a meeting

you're silent for once n you even seem calm as you practically bounce in your seat with all the food in front of you

once he realises that you're a lot calmer with food he offers you his

will send someone to buy snacks as soon as he sees a hit of aggression coming from you

you fall asleep on his shoulder later in the evening

Koko adjusts you slightly to keep you comfortable

hears your light muttering about nonsense

he ignores the conversation that all the executives are having in favour of listening to you sleep talk

he can make out your quiet words at some points which cause him to chuckle

until you mutter about how much you love him

an unusually soft smile on the both of your faces is there until late into the night

tries to make you take naps often after that just so he can listen to you sleep talk

feeds your grumpy self often he orders some expensive snacks just to see your reaction.

Rindo-

if you think this cocky shit would ever question your angry self you have another thing coming

he enjoys watching you beat the living daylight out of anyone

coincidentally brings you some snacks during a meeting one day

usually you'd be snapping and threatening to fight sanzu by now but you're silent for once

he stops listening to Kaku's report to observe you n notices that you're only silent cos ur stuffing snacks in you mouth

"Uh babe? Did you actually just calm down cos I brought you food? If I'd known it was that easy I woulda brought you a whole ass shop."

"Mhm buy me a whole convenience shop n I'll marry you."

the boy definitely does a Koko n buys you way too much to keep in his office and your apartment

please let him pamper you

he realises that he enjoys your happy food enjoying self more than the little psycho you usually are

comes into every meeting with food

when you sleep on his office couch n wake up even calmer than with food he encourages you to sleep more

buys an expensive ass weighted blanket for his office

bless him he heard that they keep people calm from Ran

sometimes sits at the couch reading paperwork with your head on his lap

strokes your hair to help you sleep better

"Love ya Rin..."

your sleep talk is his favourite thing

Ran-

already knew

this man is very aware of everything you do

he may seem lackadaisical but he knows everything that you like and everything that keeps you calm

he plays it off as a coincidence that he started bringing snacks 3 weeks after you started

when he figures out your favourite he keeps them in his office 24/7

also like Rin he has a giant weighted blanket in a cabinet for you

has it out as soon as you come into his office

leaves it so that you can wrap yourself up in it when you're both going through paperwork

you ofc inevitably fall asleep in it

your boyfriend gets you all comfy and lays down with you for a quick nap

he wakes up wot you gently brushing his now messed up hair away from his face

you seem gentle and calm for once as you smile down at him

"Hi handsome. Did you have a nice nap?"

he's shocked ngl

falls in love with you all over again

"You look like an angel my love."

pampers you and makes you sleep a lot in his office just so you can wake up and be calm with him

he wants all your calm attention

will still cheer you on when you have a "tantrum" as Rin calls them

[erimeows]

Yellow Roses

The first time was a learning experience.

Bumblebee had been innocent to the ways of human gift-giving back then, unsure of what to get or where to get it, but after using the internet and looking up where to buy gifts for humans, he found that there was a gift shop down the street from where the Autobot base was, and he begged and pleaded with Sari for some of her allowance money “for something important”.

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to get. What he was sure of, though, was that he was completely enamored with you and had been since day one- and he couldn’t bring himself to confess yet, but if he didn’t channel his feelings somehow, they were going to burst.

But as he approached the gift shop on that sunny day in Detroit, no other than Optimus Prime walked out and bumped into him. Thankfully, before he could fall back at the impact, Optimus reached out and caught him, placing him back on his feet with one strong servo. 

“P-Prime, hey!” Bumblebee grinned and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. He knew he wasn’t guilty of anything nefarious, per say, but he had no idea how Optimus would feel about him being in love with a human and wanting to buy gifts for said human with money that wasn’t his. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, nothing much...” The other Autobot blatantly lied and hid a bouquet of blue and gold flowers that Bee didn’t know the name of behind his back, face burning the brightest shade of red the smaller bot had ever seen it. “Are you looking for something in particular?”

“I don’t know, I mean, what do humans even like?” Bumblebee muttered without thinking, and upon seeing Optimus’s optics widen, he raised his servos defensively and shook his head. “I mean, uh-! Never mind! What’s up with the flowers?”

“Ah,” Optimus gave an awkward grin and held the flowers in front of him instead of continuing to hide them, probably realizing that it was too late and Bumblebee had already seen them. The younger bot wondered if they were for Optimus or for someone else, but he didn’t dare ask, only listening to his leader talk. “I learned that unlike some other organic planets, on earth, it’s considered rude to pick plants if they’re in close proximity to someone’s home or in front of a public building or park unless they’re a specific type called weeds, which flowers aren’t, but I wanted to buy some for someone, so I came here to pick them up after asking Sari about it. Are you gift buying, too?”

“Well, yeah, I guess you could say that,” Bumblebee looked away and held his forearm in one servo, anxiously shifting his weight between his stabilizing servos. It felt like him and Optimus Prime had reached into the cookie jar and caught each other. 

Bumblebee didn’t dare ask who the flowers were for even though he was dying to know in fear that Optimus would ask who he was at the gift shop for in return. An uncomfortable silence fell onto them momentarily, both of them quiet and staring at each other with the noise of traffic and the bustling Detroit citizens walking on the pavement who kept passing by to keep them company.

“I’ve been doing some reading since Sari’s birthday is in a few months,” Optimus tried to continue the conversation and cleared his throat. “The customs for gift giving can involve about anything when it comes to human girls, but the most common are flowers, books, chocolates, jewelry, clothing, video games, or gifts of practicality, which just seem to be hygiene products and things they can use in their daily lives. Gift cards and vouchers with money on them are also common, but considered less personable, so I wouldn’t go that route if you’re close with the one you’re buying for unless they specifically ask for it.”

“Oh... I gotcha. Good ideas, bossbot!” Bumblebee smiled again, the corners of his lip-plates sore from how forced it was due to his nerves.

What if Optimus had figured it out? That would defeat the whole point of his plan; buy you nice things and leave them at your door in the middle of the night without his name attached. It was simple and easy, but if Optimus knew before he even got to try it?

Well. That made it a lot harder.

Thankfully, though, Optimus gave him a nod and bid him a good afternoon, then walked away.

Bumblebee found himself letting out a sigh of relief.

Thank Primus...

...Hours later, Bumblebee regretted all of his life decisions. He was sitting, holed up in his room with one audial pressed up against your wall. It was a terrible habit of his, but he eavesdropped on you pretty frequently when he heard bits and pieces of you talking through the wall, and he was doing it right now.

He wasn’t sure how he had expected it to go, but when he dropped the bouquet of yellow roses at your bedroom doorstep when you were out for lunch and no one was in the halls, he had hoped that you would simply take the flowers, appreciate them, and never say another word. However, you were currently telling Sari about it, which made sense considering that the young girl dropped by your room often and asked you to do her hair or makeup as an excuse to spend time with you- you were an adult, a lot older than Sari, but the two of you got along very well considering that you were the only one who actually knew how to take care of her properly when Isaac Sumdac wasn’t around.

“I have no idea!” You exclaimed, no doubt in reference to the flowers. Bumblebee cringed. What if Sari made the connection that the money he had borrowed from her was for that? What if she told everyone, or what if you told everyone, and Prime realized why he was at that gift shop and let his secret slip? “I can only assume it was you or one of the guys, but like... I don’t know who.”

“Yeah, I have no idea! It wasn’t me, I would’ve just given ‘em to you. We should dig deeper, (y/n)!”

Oh. Oh, Primus, no. 

“I’m not sure, Sari, whoever it was probably dropped it off like that for a reason,” Bumblebee heard you sigh, and at the same time, he let out a sigh of relief. Maybe you would just forget about it and-

“Wait! Do you have a secret admirer!?”

Dammit. Maybe not.

“I... Highly doubt that, the only one I’d be interested in anyways is-” You started, and then cut yourself off in a way that made Bumblebee’s spark shatter and crumble into little pieces inside his chassis. You were single, but you were already into someone? What if it wasn’t him? He’d understand, of course- Prime was stronger, Prowl was smooth, Bulkhead was talented, and Ratchet was intelligent. Compared to them, he felt like he didn’t have much to offer you. Everyone around him was amazing, and he was just there, but... He loved you, and he wanted you to know how loved you were. So, whether you’d love him back or not, he’d keep giving everything he had to you; even if the way in which he went about it was indirect. “Actually, never mind, but your braids are done-”

“No, wait, you can’t just gloss past that!” Sari whined. Bee almost didn’t want to hear the rest of your discussion, but he couldn’t keep himself from listening. “Who is it, who is it!?

“Let’s just go play Animal Crossing in the living room, we can talk about all of that at a later date, yeah?” You offered, voice laced with both your amusement and confusion. 

“Fine, fine, but you have to tell me soon! Pinky promise.”

“Fine, pinky promise. Now let’s go.”

Bumblebee heard your door open and close, followed by what he presumed to be you and Sari’s footsteps in the hallway. The sound eventually dissipated.

The Autobot was left to lay back on his berth and stare at the ceiling with a huff.

You were telling others about the gift he left, trying to get to the bottom of it, and you were into someone or somebot he didn’t even know about.

What had he gotten himself into?

-

The second time, he felt a little better about it. It was a week later and he hadn’t heard any discussion of the subject amongst the other Autobots, so he assumed nothing had come from it.

But, as he lounged on the living room couch, he jumped upon you sitting down on the couch’s arm- right by where his head was laid.

It made sense that he had been jumpier around you over the past few days. Part of it was the usual I’m-in-love-with-you-and-super-tense-about-it jumpiness that he had become accustomed to, but it was made worse by the fact that he was guilty; guilty of keeping a secret from you, of indirectly lying to you. He could’ve done it the one time with the roses and let it die down after, but when you’d talked about your old game controller breaking the night before at the dinner table, he hadn’t been able to help himself- he went and got it along with a new bouquet of yellow roses, left it in front of your room later that night, knocked, and ran away.

It was the next day, and understandably, he’d been anxious about it. It was better than the first time, but he was just hoping you wouldn’t talk about it.

Of course, he was never that lucky, and you looked at him with the controller literally in your hands. 

“Hey, Bee, do you know anything about this?” You asked.

Had he been caught? Did you know? Or were you just trying to get information from him in case he knew something? Unsure, he decided to play it safe and act oblivious. 

“Huh? What’s that?”

“I’m taking that as a no, but someone left this new controller on my doorstep with a bouquet of roses? I needed a new one, but I only mentioned it to you and the others, so I think it’s one of you guys... But this is the second time I’ve received a gift without any name on it and I’m really confused. I’ve done some asking around, but the only one who seems to know anything is Optimus, and he won’t give me any hints and insists that he has no idea what I’m talking about.”

Great. So, Optimus probably realized why Bumblebee had been at the gift shop last week. Well... From what you said, it sounded like Optimus was at least decent enough to stay out of his business and keep the secret for him- or try to, at least. 

“Yeah? That’s weird, I don’t really know why he’d be like that about it... Wanna play Streetfighter?”

“Sure, but I’m just super confused, man,” You muttered, turning on the playstation and giving a frustrated huff. The game quickly turned on, and while Bee took the old controller, you connected your brand new one and chose your stage, your character being Akuma. Bee chose Ken to fight with and listened to you continue as the game started. “I thought the first time might’ve just been a one-off thing, but it’s happened again, and the flowers were one thing, but now it’s flowers and a new controller. Anyone else would be creeped out, and I’m not creeped out- more flattered than anything since I know it’s from you or one of the other Autobots- but this is really expensive... I’d at least like to be able to say thank you!”

“That makes sense, I think I’d feel the same way,” The black and yellow bot mumbled. The game had hardly started and he was already losing due to his inability to focus- it was so bad that he couldn’t even combat you when you crowded his character into the corner and kicked him over and over and over again. His health bar dropped to zero, signaling that you’d won round one.

Round two started, and he did a little better; actually jumping away from your cornering attempts and offering some blasts and punches, but by the time it ended, he’d only gotten you down to half health, and you were delivering your final blow. Ken fell to the ground, Akuma still standing. 

You didn’t even press replay despite being player one. No, instead, you let out a huff and stared at the ceiling. Bumblebee found himself resting his helm against your thigh without thinking, enjoying the warmth against his faceplates. You two were best friends, very comfortable with each other and with physical affection, so you didn’t mind it, only running a gentle hand over one of his audials in return. 

Both of you set your controllers down. It was obvious that both of you were so focused on the subject of your anonymous gifts that the game didn’t catch either of your interests like it usually would. 

“I might try to ask Optimus about it again tomorrow... Information extraction,” You joked, but Bumblebee quickly sat up and objected. 

“Wait, I don’t think that’s such a good idea!”

“Huh? Why not? He’s the only one who’s given me so much as a reaction,” You argued and stood up to turn the game system off, then started pacing around the room. “And I guess his eyes getting all wide ‘n stuff may have just been something else, but like... It’s all I’ve got to go on.”

“Yeah, but you know how the bossbot is,” Bee stood as well, trying his hardest not to look like he was in the midst of blowing a circuit from the panic that was currently taking over his processor. “He shuts down when you push him too hard. If he knows anything about it, you gotta wait for him to come to you with that sweet info.”

“You’re probably right, Bee, thanks for the advice,” You smiled, and then walked to him to put a hand on his shoulder plate. “I’m gonna go to bed, ‘kay? Goodnight.”

You looked into his optics, and oh Primus, he was gone; your eyes were such a beautiful shade of (e/c), and your smile was so beautiful, and you were so beautiful, and he was so in love-

Quickly, he realized that he was taking too long to respond, so he quickly stammered something out.

“G-Goodnight...” 

And then, you left, swiftly turning and walking out of the living room.

Bumblebee found himself letting out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he missed you desperately.

He wished he’d given you a hug goodnight.

And, as he stood alone in the dark living room, he thought back to how exactly he’d ended up in his current predicament; painfully in love with a human, giving them things without having the courage to do it face-to-face, life feeling like it was falling apart with every hour that passed without him being able to kiss you and tell you how much he loved you like he so desperately wanted to. 

He’d loved you from the very start, and as bold as he was, he couldn’t bring himself to tell you- he was just too scared, but...

What if this was what finally gave it away...?

-

The third time was what ended up blowing his cover. He should’ve left it alone, and he had told himself that after the last time- it was far too close of a call when you talked about Optimus knowing something, and he was so obvious with his own emotions during that, too... He wouldn’t do it again.

But then, he was shopping with Sari that day and saw a (f/c) hoodie that was just your size and style, and he decided you had to had it. So, when Sari was distracted at a different store, he got the hoodie, along with a new notebook, some pens, and a stuffed bee. He bought the gifts for you and put them in a nice gift bag with some paper, then left them by your door and disappeared before anyone could see him. 

He was sitting in the living room yet again. It was late at night, and though him and his team had spent most of that night playing board games and catching up with a movie playing in the background, they’d all went to bed hours ago, leaving him to think by himself.

He’d lost at every game; Uno, Monopoly, Candyland, Sorry, Cards Against Humanity, and Scrabble, all because he was staring at you the entire time. 

Why couldn’t he just get over himself and confess already? It was selfish to keep hiding from you, because what if the one you’d mentioned being interested in was actually him? And even if it wasn’t him, was it fair for you to think that he saw you as a friend when he was secretly in love with you? Was it fair for you to keep receiving gifts and never knowing who they were from? 

Speak of the devil, though- the second Bumblebee looked up from where he was standing in the middle of the room, you were leaning against the doorway, wearing the hoodie he’d bought you and a pair of pajama shorts. You looked sleepy with your (h/l) (h/c) hair a mess and your soft hands rubbing the bleariness out of your (e/c) eyes. 

“Bee?” You mumbled.

“(y/n), where’d you just come from? You look tired! You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m tired, but I’m fine. I was in the hallway, kinda waiting for everyone else to go to bed so I could talk to you, but... It took me a minute to come in here.” Bumblebee walked towards you and raised his optical ridge. His spark sank to the floor because oh Primus, was this it? Was it finally happening?

“Oh, uh... Why do you need to talk to me alone? What’s up?”

You averted your gaze and gently grabbed one of his servos with your hand, holding it tightly. Bumblebee took a sharp intake. You were about to start talking, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for it. 

“I know it’s you,” You confessed with a guilty smile. Bumblebee froze in place and cringed. “I feel bad, but my curiosity was killing me, so I asked around some more and did a lot of prying- Optimus seemed like he was hiding something when I talked to him about it, so I pried until he gave up and told me that he suspected it was you; that he’d seen you at a gift shop the day I got the first bouquet, that he’d seen you lingering in the hallways the past few times I’ve gotten something, etcetera. He gave me enough details that I pieced it together, so... Yeah.”

“Well, at least it’s out of the way,” Bumblebee laughed out loud, and surprisingly, you smiled back at him. This wasn’t how he wanted it to come out, but he wasn’t sure it would have come out at all if not for this. “Getting human money without a real job is hard! Glad I could at least confess without having to do it so much that I went bankrupt.”

“Bee...” You started again, peering up at him, but he felt like he wasn’t ready for what was going to happen next. Were you about to reject him? He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. 

“Well, now that that’s done, I’m gonna go ahead and go to bed! I could use a really good recharge right about now-”

“Bee-” You cut him off with a pout and gripped his servo, obviously not done, but he only continued in hopes that you would give it up and let him escape the situation. 

“Goodnight, (y/n)-”

“Bee!” You yelled and pulled him towards you by his wrist so you could get in his face. “For God’s sake, man, stop and listen to me talk for a second!”

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry! I just-” He tossed his hands up defensively, ready to spill his circuits out, only for you to cut him off.

“You don’t think I love you back, right? You’re such a dolt!” You exclaimed. 

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Bumblebee yelled back at you, processor only catching the insult before he thought back on ‘I love you back’ and froze. “...Oh. Sorry.”

“I mean I’ve loved you for months now! Even before I realized it, I think I would’ve been more than open to dating you at any point in time, I mean... You’re pretty great. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Well, uh-” Bumblebee stopped and took in a deep intake, then sighed and linked your fingers with his digits so he could hold your hand properly. The anxiety that had been building up over you for so long now was finally leaving his body and being replaced by relief.“I don’t know. I feel kinda stupid now.”

“C’mere,” You mumbled and wrapped an arm around him. He hugged you back, taking you into his arms and resting his chin on top of your head... He could get used to that. You were warm and soft as you relaxed your body against his and allowed yourself to be held. You let go of his servo in favor of curling your hands and arms up by his chest. “Thank you for the gifts. They were really sweet and I loved them all, so... I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

“Return the favor? This is more than enough to return the favor!” He grinned, only hugging you tighter. “I’ve always wanted to just, like, hug you like this-”

“You can kiss me, too, if you want,” You offered, which had him pulling back to look down at you, spark lit aflame. 

“Really?” Bumblebee asked, just to be sure.

“Of course.”

There was a moment of silence; hesitance from both ends. It was true that, while both of you had been physically affectionate as friends, you’d never kissed, and Bumblebee had certainly never kissed a human. He’d been waiting for this moment for so long, but he had no idea what to do now that it was actually happening. 

Thankfully, you took the initiative and wrapped your arms over his shoulders, hands on the back of his neck. You looked up at him one more time before standing on your tip-toes so you could gently press your lips against his. Bumblebee was frozen still for a moment as he processed your warm, soft lips against his cool metal plating, but after the tension faded, he found himself resting his servos on your hips and melted into it. 

One kiss turned into many; again, again, and again, you moved your lips against his in a manner so intoxicating that he couldn’t get enough of it.

Eventually, though, you pulled away and smiled up at him, but now that he had gotten to kiss you like that, he couldn’t help but want more. 

“I, uh... I’m not sure the favor has been returned yet,” Bumblebee averted his optics from your eyes, able to feel his spark beating faster. “I might need one more kiss just to be sure-”

You chuckled, cutting him off by leaning up again and sloppily pushing your lips against his- and, with that, he was gone.

[kamotoshi]

reminders [fushiguro tōji x reader]

pairing: fushiguro tōji x fem reader

genre: fluff

warnings: a bit of swearing; brief mentions of past trauma, manipulation, and financial instability/struggles

word count: 2.3k

overview: a sunset picnic reminds him to stop for a moment and remind his wife how he truly feels about her

note: just another fic to serve as evidence for my obsession with making big, beefy 2d men with tough exteriors completely soft for their significant others (wives especially)

“Aren’t we just the cutest couple ever?”

Tōji’s eyes move from the spread of food laid out across the patterned blanket beneath the two of you over to either side of him, where a few other couples and families have set up their picnic spots for the evening, then, to your phone. A glance at the screen displaying the timed photo you’d just spent the past five to ten minutes setting the scene for and perfecting brings a smirk to his face.

“Just the right amount of nauseating.”

“Like, to the point where people are a little envious, but they don’t think we’re being too over the top, right?”

“Right.”

You hum in understanding as you pop a piece of fruit into your mouth.

“But, I would say err on the side of caution and don’t post the super lovey-dovey ones. Actually, please don’t. That’s a request now.”

Your hand flies to your chest to match the look of feigned shock on your face at his words. He doesn’t miss how the diamond on your finger sparkles in the amber glow of the setting sun. The thought crosses his mind that he wants to buy you a bigger one when he has enough money to set aside—something that would shine just a bit brighter. Almost as brightly as that beautiful smile of yours he had the pleasure of seeing each day, if he was lucky.

“You mean… I can actually post a picture that I took with my notoriously elusive husband?”

With a nod, he shifts his gaze to the horizon—or whatever he can see of it peeking around the sides of each building—for a moment. “Just know it’ll probably end my job,” is his response given with a sigh, “Nobody’ll fear me after they see that I enjoy sunset picnics with my adorable wife, now, will they?”

“Or,” you offer with a grin, scooting closer to him so his arm can snake around your waist, “it could give you an advantage, people thinking you’re kinda sweet. Like, oh, he’s a cold-blooded killer who takes care of business, but he’s got a soft side, too. And then, bam! You swoop in and they’ll never even know what hit ‘em.” Sweeping a hand dramatically across the landscape in front of you, as if you want him to picture the scene in your head, you add, “Suddenly, you’re the talk of the town. Women want you. Men want to be you. Hell, they’d probably want you too.”

“And that’s the story of how I end up on the front covers of magazines, right?”

“Exactly. This is just the start of your success story, baby.” Tenderly, you place a hand on the side of his face to bring it closer to your lips. After pecking him on the cheek, you whisper, “Just try not to forget about me when you’re famous, okay?”

He turns to look directly at you, his eyebrow raised with incredulousness in an expression you’ve seen many times before. “You kidding me? I would never. Be famous, I mean.”

The teasing smack you land on his chest doesn’t deter him from leaning down towards you to press a kiss against your lips that you readily return in spite of your complaints at his devious comment. He relishes in the sweet taste lingering on his tongue when he pulls away, and the affection present in your half-lidded gaze brings a comforting warmth over him akin to the feeling of finally crawling into bed after a long day. In his moment of distraction, you’re able to sneak in another meeting of your lips before grabbing one of the snack boxes you’d meticulously crafted and dropping it into his lap.

“Since I’m nice, unlike you, I’ll still let you eat the food lovingly prepared by your loving wife.”

“C’mon, baby,” he murmurs, giving your thigh an appreciative squeeze, “You know I love you.”

“I mean, I hope you do. You did marry me, and stick with me all these years, after all, you weirdo.”

He chuckles and pats your leg before shifting his attention to the delicious food you’d put together for the two of you, and you settle down beside him after collecting your own. His free hand plants on the ground beside your opposite hip, closing the gap between you.

Each day that he gets to spend with you he’s thankful for. But there’s something different about those where the sight of the sun slowly descending toward the horizon is beautiful enough to draw both of you out of the house to sit and watch it. He can’t quite explain it, but everything about these days feels different. The harshness of the city seems to fade away for a bit. The air smells sweeter. His breaths come a bit more deeply. The absence of your body against his in some way is felt more intensely.

In between gazing ahead at the sunset—allowing his eyes to flicker to his meal, the kids zipping past every now and then on their bikes, or other passersby—he finds his attention being drawn back to you. Each feature of your face bathed in the golden light of the sun’s last rays brings an unexpected flutter to his heart. He’s never surprised by how gorgeous you are, but, still finds himself in awe of just how lucky he is each time he stops to take it all in.

Lucky that he gets to wake up next to you and see you in those quiet moments of the morning when your eyes are still struggling to focus and your cheek is stamped with each wrinkle of your pillowcase, but you look beautiful all the same. Lucky that the arms and legs he has draped around him until you both wake up sweaty in the middle of the night are yours. Lucky to be offered a refuge wherever you are. Lucky you’re one he promised to love for the rest of his life.

In the busyness of your days, sometimes things are assumed rather than said. He assumes the parting kiss he presses to your lips each time he leaves the house translates into a small, “I love you, I’ll be back soon.” Just like he assumes the way he pulls you onto his lap while you’re sitting together, watching a movie, sends a small message of, “I need you here, close to me.” Or the pause he takes to gaze into your eyes after your more passionate displays of affection means, “I love you more than I know how to say.”

He realizes, given the risky nature of his work, that thought alone isn’t enough, though. Maybe he’s too afraid of saying something that’ll curse you for his lips to form the words he’s thinking as often as they should, but if he was one to let his life be ruled by fear, he wouldn’t be sitting with you in the first place. He would’ve let his family wreak havoc on him for the entirety of his life, weighing it down with constant reminders of his failures. He would’ve let his fear of being vulnerable keep him from getting close enough to you to fall in love with you.

Yet, here he is, making relaxed conversation with you—his wife—as the two of you sit together beneath a sea of brilliant oranges, candied pinks, and the gentlest hues of lavender. With the way you use your steadily built and strongly maintained trust in him to speak so freely and be so vulnerable without fear of judgment, he feels it’s only fair that he shows his trust in you by doing the same. That he reminds you of his feelings rather than lets the implications behind his actions speak for him.

When he decides to mention it, most of the sky has lost its fire and quite a few of the other picknickers have packed up and returned home. But the two of you choose to remain out just a bit longer in the warmth of the summer night, bathed in the sound of cicadas chirping incessantly. “Hey babe?” he calls, giving your hand resting in his a gentle squeeze as his cheek drops to the blanket so he can look at you.

“Mm?” You shift onto your side and scoot closer to him, moving your interlaced hands to your chest, holding the back of his against your gently beating heart. On instinct, your other set of fingers find his face to brush a few strands of dark hair away from his eyes, and he presses feathery kisses to your palm.

Sighing against your skin, he asks, “Do I tell you I love you enough?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, you assure him, “I know you do.”

“Because I say it?”

You hum with uncertainty, fingers gliding from the scar at the side of his mouth down his neck, and to one of his broad shoulders. “More because I can see it in the way you look at me. But, then again, I also see you look at a really good meal the same way. Makes me kinda jealous sometimes,” is your answer given with a small, teasing smile, “Besides, I feel like I can safely assume that you’ve stayed with me all these years because you love me, right?”

“Of course,” he says, the strength in his voice contrasting the subtle, pained look behind his eyes, “But I don’t say it enough, do I?”

There’s a short pause before you murmur, “Not usually unless I say it first. But it tends to be more of a reflex for both of us, anyway. Like, ‘I’m heading out now, love you!’ or, ‘Goodnight, I love you,’ y’know?”

A gentle tug on your wrist pulls you towards him, until you’re propped up on both elbows, body leaning over his. Wrapping an arm around your waist brings your chests flush against one another and your faces mere centimeters apart. The way he’s regarding you as nothing else is as important as you are to him in this moment has you melting into the kiss he plants on your lips.

“You’re the love of my life.” Heat radiates from your chest all the way up to your face at his tenderly spoken words accompanied by his thumb skimming along your cheekbone. “And you deserve to hear me tell you how much I care about you more often because you’re the only person who’s made me feel deserving of love.”

The hand on your back slowly moves up and down, his fingers tracing along your spine. It was once deemed as a mindless behavior in your eyes, but after many years with him, you’ve come to learn that sometimes it’s a means of comforting himself or finding the courage to speak about something that’s been on his mind. To reassure him, you place a soft peck against the corner of his mouth and run your fingertips across his jaw.

He seems to find the strength he needs to speak the rest of his truth, since he continues, “I remember being terrified when I first realized how much I loved you. Because here I was, thinking I was only gonna marry someone as a way of erasing my connections to my family, and that falling in love would weaken me—make me easier to be manipulated—but you changed my mind. And I don’t think there’s a damn thing that could ever happen to make me wish I did things differently, even though we got married young, when we barely had enough money to our names to get ourselves through the week.”

A pang of somewhat bittersweet nostalgia ripples through you at the memories of sleeping on the floor, clinging to one another to keep warm during the cold, winter nights. Of how you’d both worked so tirelessly to make a living that sometimes all you’d do was cry into his shoulder when you got home. But soon, there was a couch. A bed. A table. A lamp that didn’t flicker. Then, a new place in a safer part of the city, filled with all the furniture and appliances you could need. Jobs that paid enough for the tears to subside.

The impulsiveness the two of you had displayed in your early twenties had gotten you into a lot of sometimes unbearable situations, but you wouldn’t have changed a thing had you somehow been granted the power to alter the past. While unpleasant, those events had helped the two of you get to where you are today, happier and more in love than ever.

“After all we’ve been through, and that you’ve stuck with me through, I at least owe it to you to remind you how much you mean to me instead of just assuming you know. Because you really do mean the world to me. So, this is me telling you that I love and appreciate you a lot more than I might feel capable of saying sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try.”

With that same, bright smile of yours that he adores, you take your weight off your elbows to wrap your arms around him while he gives your body a tight squeeze in return. “I love you so much, Tōji,” you hum, heart swelling with joy.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

There’s a few moments of peaceful silence while the two of you remain wrapped up in a tight and much-needed embrace. Eventually, a deep exhale fans across your neck before he mentions, “That was pretty cheesy, huh?”

“Just a bit. But I promise not to tell anyone you’re secretly a bit of a sap, okay?” you comment, sending the two of you into a small fit of snickers. Your tone is more serious, however, when you mention, “It made me really happy to hear, though.”

“Good,” is his response as he moves his head so he can press his mouth to your temple. His next words are spoken quietly, as if just to himself, and nearly lost beneath the layers of environmental noise surrounding you, but you’re glad you hear them.

“That’s all that matters to me.”

[the-cult-of-russo]

Hues of Gold

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader 

Request : do a billy russo x reader with the reader having an art job and them meeting due to that somehow

Warnings: none 

A/N: Here it is, my first Billy x Reader. I'll be getting to the prompts in my inbox too but still feel free to send me more requests. You don't need to pick from the prompt lists, if you have an idea then just send it on over. Nothing is off limits and I write for every type of Billy. S1 Billy, S2 Billy, pre-show Billy, all the AU Billy's you can think of lmao Gimme them all.

You tilted your head a little, eyes sweeping across the paint on the easel in front of you. The piece was coming together nicely. You'd started at humble beginnings with your artwork as a street artist. You hadn't been able to afford art school and you didn't feel like people needed to if they just felt it. And you did. You'd been a hit with your expressionist art and before you knew it, you were getting wealthy clients and more money. Now you had your own little studio with an apartment on top. It wasn't flashy but it was yours and you loved it. The work you thought was good enough for your new clients would go up on your website, they'd buy them and then you'd send them off to their new home. It was simple and you got to spend every day painting to your heart's content. 

You bit your lip as you mixed two golds together to get the perfect shade you were after. Some of your pieces were weirder than others, others being more realistic or using average colors. Some of them were darker in theme or used more vibrant colors with looser shapes. It was all dependent on how you felt when making it. The one currently being worked on wasn't finished by any means. Oil paint often required many layers and getting it to dry in between time. But if someone was to gauge your mood by this one, well… they'd say you were most likely sexually frustrated. It was a naked woman laying on her back on rumpled sheets, just her torso and a bit of her leg to leave the rest to the imagination. Her male counterpart was pressed up against her as the bodies melded together, his hand gripping her thigh. The colors you'd picked for this were hues of red, orange, yellow and gold, making it look like the couple were set ablaze. The epitome of passion. It was coming along nicely. 

Your work cell rang breaking you from your thoughts. You gave your hand a quick wipe on the ratty towel next to you as you picked it up, answering with your full name. 

"Hi, I'm lookin' for some art and I've heard you're the girl to go to," a smooth voice came through the phone. The fact that someone recommended this guy to you made you smile. It always did. It meant people were pleased with your work. 

"I am. Have you checked the website? That's where my current pieces are," you murmured softly.

"I did but… I haven't really found the one yet. And a friend of mine tells me you've got a bunch of exclusive stuff at your studio," he replied.

You glanced around your studio. He wasn't wrong entirely although you wouldn't call them exclusives. You'd call them rejects if you were honest. Your new clientele were more demanding and it made you second guess your pieces more often than you'd like to admit. This led to many of them finding a home in your studio instead. You were unsure who the man's friend was as typically you didn't have people come to the studio. It was a very rare occurrence and you couldn't imagine him being interested in any of these pieces. But a customer was a customer.

"You're more than welcome to come down and look at them. I'm not sure you'll find what you're looking for though, I've kept them offline because they're in the reject pile," you snorted wryly. His smooth chuckle was soothing as it hit your ears and you nibbled on your lower lip.

"Well I'll be the judge of that," you didn't know what he looked like but you could hear the smirk in his voice. You told him the address before hanging up.

You were a little nervous of someone coming into your space and judging the art you'd already deemed not worth putting up for sale, but you decided to roll with it. It was too late now and it wouldn't be a good look for your business to tell the guy he couldn't come. You decided to continue the piece you were working on to keep your mind occupied, having no idea just when the man would decide to show, or if he would at all. 

It was an hour later when the large wooden door knocked and you called out that it was open. You stood up and wiped your hands on the towel again, not that it helped much. You were sure you had paint on every part of you, it was half the fun of making art. The man walked in and you were a little surprised by just how handsome he was. He was dressed to the nines in a suit with his hair slicked back, the sides shorter than the top. He certainly looked like your usual clients but you couldn't remember any of your fancier clients ever bothering to call you, never mind actually coming to see your other pieces. 

The smile he shot you was disarming and you replied in kind as you walked over to him. You reached out your hand to shake with his before retracting it rapidly when you noticed just how much of a poor job the towel had done. He seemed amused if his chuckle was anything to go by and you snorted.

"Uh… welcome. Feel free to look around. I haven't really got prices for these since I wasn't gonna sell them so I'll settle for whatever," you shrugged with a smile. Anything was better than nothing that you were getting by keeping them here. Besides, you were pretty sure he wouldn't even like any of them. 

You didn't want to crowd him as he looked around so you went right back to your easel and sat on the stool. He walked around leisurely, stopping at each piece and looking at them. Your eyes kept flitting to him without meaning to, you weren't sure if it was how attractive he was or the nerves of having someone assessing your work this way. Maybe both. He didn't strike you as an art kind of guy honestly. Most of the rich clients weren't, they just wanted a statement piece for their walls for people to talk about. There wasn't anything wrong with that of course, but you'd be a liar if you said you didn't miss it back as a street artist when people bought a piece simply because it spoke to them and they loved it. Onwards and upwards though, right? 

"So… who's the friend? That told you I had stuff here?" You asked after a moment, unable not to because your curiosity was getting the better of you. He glanced over at you from where he stood and smiled. 

"Curtis," he replied. Your eyebrows raised a little with that information. You'd met Curtis back when you were a street artist and he bought something for the group he was running. He was a nice guy and he checked in every so often with you. You wouldn't say you were friends but you really liked him and you had some good conversations. You couldn't imagine Curtis being friends with this man though.

Noticing the shock on your face, the man chuckled.

"We served together when I was in the marines. He's a good guy, one of my closest friends," he supplied. 

"You were a marine?" You hadn't meant to ask like it was such an absurd notion but it came out anyway. You just hadn't expected it He looked amused though and he nodded.

"Yeah. When I got out I set up my own private military firm, ex military people with no purpose. I give 'em somethin' to fight for. A brotherhood. We're doin' pretty well," he had a bright smile on his face, gesturing to his suit when he said they were doing well and you found yourself smiling back. 

"You must be really proud. It's amazing that you're doing that for them. I mean… I never served or anything but Curtis tells me about some of the guys from his group sometimes. I bet you really help them," you said sincerely. You had no clue what it must be like to serve and you knew you didn't have the stomach for it. But some of the things Curtis had told you had made you sad and you were impressed that the man had set up something like this on his own. Something to help others just like him. He shot you another smile before going back to looking at the artwork and you couldn't take your eyes off him. 

Figuring he'd catch you looking at him, you forced yourself to focus on adding more gold to the art you were working on. You weren't sure how long had passed until he spoke again and it startled you. You'd almost forgotten he was there.

"This one is… interesting. I like this one," he mused, eyes on the work on your easel as he stood beside you. Your cheeks tinged a little pink at the phrasing he used but you recovered quickly. 

"Thanks. I like this one too but… it won't end up on the website. The last erotic piece I put on there apparently offended people," you said with a wry grin. He laughed, the sound low and short but his eyes went to you then. Holy shit, his eyes are… wow. 

"Well it definitely doesn't offend me. How long will it take to finish?" He asked as his obsidian orbs went back to the painting.

"A couple of days at most. It's almost done and then it needs to dry and be sealed," it was nice talking about your work with someone, even as mundane as when it would be complete. You missed that interaction since you got the studio.

"I'll take it. How much?" he flashed you a smile that made your stomach flip around on you and you bit your lip with a smile back. 

"That's up to you," you shrugged. You never bothered putting prices on pieces you knew you wouldn't sell and you hadn't expected to sell this piece. Even the prices on the website felt too much for you but it was born from the first wealthy clients and what they thought your pieces were worth. You just rolled with it, it wasn't like they'd miss it, right? 

He hummed, the sound deep in his throat as he got out his wallet. You mused he must want it mailed to him when it was done for him to pay now rather than later but you were happy it was cash and not card. He handed you some bills and you counted it quickly, eyes widening as you blinked up at him.

"I can't take this. This is more than the pieces online," you frowned, holding out the money back to him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, shrugging his shoulders.

"You said it was up to me," he replied with an easy smirk. Would you really sit there and argue with him about getting more money for it? No. But you were shocked he thought it was worth that much. 

"I… thank you, sir," you smiled, stuffing the money into your pocket. 

"Billy," he clarified, smirk still in place. 

"Billy," you corrected with a shy smile. Something glittered in his dark eyes as you tested the sound of his name and he raked his teeth over his lower lip. Despite the fact you'd already given him your full name on the phone, you gave him your first name again  and he mimicked you as he tested it out. Why did it sound so good coming from his mouth? 

You cleared your throat, his intense stare was getting a little too much and you stood, walking over to the big table against the wall, grabbing a pen and pad. 

"You can leave your details, I can mail it to you when it's done," you handed them to him and he twirled the pen around in his long fingers with ease.

"I'll leave my number. I'd like to come pick it up when it's done, if that's okay?" He asked as he scribbled his name and digits down. 

"Are you sure? It's not an issue shipping it out," you replied as he passed you back the pen and pad. 

"I'm sure. It gives me an excuse to see you again," he smirked, dark eyes boring into yours as your cheeks turned pink. He chuckled and with that he was out the door and you were left stood there gaping where he went. Did he really just…? 

You stood there a moment longer, a smile working its way onto your face before you shook your head and sat back down at your easel. You glanced at the painting before setting to work and getting it finished. You couldn't wait for it to be done so Billy would come back. He was intriguing and you found yourself thinking of him as you continued your work. 

[vrisrezis]

Aot crush and relationship hcs

Tw as I talk about suicide for reiners bit

- liking you makes him guilty (if you’re a soldier that is) and he doesn’t completely know what to even do about the situation

- as stares at you quite a bit and is self aware it’s obvious and tries not to too much

- you’re special to him

- probably tries to bring you along home with him and bertholdt before he even confesses he likes you but it probably works in his favor

- he honestly wants to marry you, a thought in his head before he even confesses his feelings

- not a blushy boy all the time but whos to say he can’t? You can totally make him blush

- when he finally decides to confess, he’s quite nervous about it but hey.. he’s lost a lot that was important you guys don’t have much time left

- a part of him wished he never became the armored titan so he’d have a longer time with you but at the same time if it weren’t for that he wouldn’t have met you (again if you’re a soldier but ok)

- if not hey it’s fine, he got to know you growing up and had a bigass crush on you that was so obvious that porco would purposelessly flirt with you to piss him off

- in a relationship, hugs and cuddles are quite often from Reiner you make him all soft and he’s such a cuddly man look at them big arms

- he’s the best hugger and cuddler tbh

- even if it looks weird, he likes to be the small spoon sometimes, just to be held and feel safe and protected for once

- he’s just so used to protecting you, which he loves and insists on doing but sometimes just wants to feel safe and protected by you

- likes patting your head

- gabi adores you so much, you guys are besties at this point

- gabis just really happy Reiner could find somebody to care and love for, it’s about damn time

- does not like you fighting, but if you have to then you have to

- will spoil you and buy you whatever you want, he does it cause he wants to spoil you though...

- when gabi finds this out you know she’s coming along for your dates more often to just get something

- dates are as often as you and Reiner can have them, which is more than most of the characters I’ve written for already

- you being with Reiner comes with a lot of emotional baggage that he doesn’t wanna put on you, he’s put it on a lot of people and he’s gotten a lot of people killed (who died in order to protect him such as bertholdt and ymir and etc)

- just be there for him, he doesn’t need you to understand he just needs somebody to not see him as a complete piece of shit so he can feel less guilty about it

- he has so much guilt :(

- so much to the point he doesn’t wanna live in this life anymore, but you being there makes it easier for him to have a will to live, for you

- at this point in his life he goes along with whatever you want

- he hates the idea of being separated from you at all

- yeah he’s a clingy boy in his adult years because he knows his time is coming up

- when he dies he says he wants you to look after gabi

- while the idea of dying sooner makes him feel better, can’t say he likes the idea of leaving you though he is constantly at a conflict between whether he’s happy to be the armored titan because he gets to protect you, die sooner etc or if he hates it cuz he can’t live longer to be with you and actually grow old with you

- even with his short life span, he wants to marry you

- it’s his final wish

- deep down Reiner wishes you could’ve started a family ;(

- he tells you to forget about him when he dies and start a family though tbh

- he loves you so much

(S4 eren does not exist, the reason for that is the whole reason he became a shit head, I won’t spoil for the non manga readers or those that aren’t caught up with the manga, but yeah)

- this blushy boy can’t help the nervousness he feels around you and doesn’t always know what to say around you

- you make him at a loss for words honestly which isn’t like him

- he thinks about approaching you often, but he gets so tongue tied

- mikasa usually has to do the talking and we all know she isn’t the most talkative gal ever

- he might try to impress you, even in his titan form he tries to impress you

- especially if it’s early on and it’s a new development he’s gonna wanna show it off

- doesn’t like being babied (as shown with mikasa) so he might wanna be the one to protect you and do things for you

- would die at being complimented or touched in anyway by you

- people don’t give him enough credit, he’s lost his mother, he has lost other people he grew to care for, he’s a protective boy and is scared to lose you or fail you

- he is oblivious to any feelings that might be returned

- he is usually one to cling around often as well

- he feels comfortable being vulnerable and crying in front of you

- but he still wants to seem like he at least knows what to do and he can protect you and whatnot but truth is he’s really scared he’ll fail you like he did with his mother and hannes

- this will be a slowburn for a longtime unless you say something eren is a loser with this shit

- even with armin and mikasas encouragements he is scared to tell you

- so he simply asks you questions to see if he can get any indication that you love him back, or at the very least like him

- it takes awhile since he’s dumb but when he gets an answer he wants, he asks you out

- being in a relationship with eren means him constantly being at your side and attached to you at the hip

- if not soulmates why always together ??

- FR though

- he likes having an arm around you if you’re shorter, let’s not forget as an adult he’s 6’0

- kisses your cheek often

- jealousy is also often, he has a lack of confidence compared to others sometimes but it’s nothing that’s an issue or anything

- you teach him what freedom really is, the freedom to love somebody in full, unconditionally, the freedom to have that feeling and it being the most amazing feeling

- play with his hair, he loves it

- not so much when it starts to get really long just cuz it gets knots sometimes but brushing his hair and putting it up it always nice and he appreciates it

- can we all agree he looks better with his hair up

- forehead kisses if he’s taller, it’s likely to be a newer development since he was quite shorter/average height back then

- while he hates being babied, he will let you take care of him if he really needed it

- but mainly likes taking care of you

- neck kisses don’t have to be a sexual giving hickeys thing and eren is living proof since he loves giving cute neck kisses

- likes to grab your hands and just kiss em

- first of all, keep in mind this man is like in his early/mid 30s and now like almost 40

- he’s not gonna have this schoolboy crush, he thinks it’s childish

- at least that’s what he says

- he can be caught staring at you often, very often

- like he’s so obvious damn, but it looks like he’s glaring at you

- only hange and Erwin can tell that he likes you with his stares gonna be real!

- finds excuses for you to be around him, maybe that’s having you in his squad now, maybe it’s helping him clean, whatever it is he’s getting you

- so maybe in his own way clingy

- he often talks to you in a similar fashion that he does with Erwin and hange, somewhat more “casual” in Levi’s terms, or kinda “teasing” as teasing as a levi can be and it not sounding like teasing

- deep down worries for you often and is protective, eren is already protective enough because of who he has lost just think about Levi he literally loses everyone

- tries not to be overwhelmingly protective, it can be annoying and would make him obvious

- also if you think it’s impossible to make him blush think again all you gotta do is hug him, he doesn’t even hug back but still!

- eventually decides you could die at any moment, life is short, especially in this world

- so he just asks you out and gets it over with

- so now you date!

- it’s hard not to worry for Levi with the constant bullshit he goes through, but it does feel nice to have somebody worry about him so he takes it

- he just doesn’t like the idea of you worrying about him too much since he’s supposed to be humanity’s strongest, he wants you to have some hope/faith

- likes patting your head, doesn’t matter how tall you are compared to him

- nobody would have the balls to call him short except for you

- we all know he isn’t good at his emotions but he will allow himself to be soft and vulnerable when y’all are alone

- doesn’t tolerate pda

- he also keeps the relationship mainly secretive because you could become a target, he doesn’t care if eren and the others know though

- likes kissing your hand a lot, or your neck/collarbone

- totally into pressing your foreheads together he finds it nice

- he at least can hug back now but that takes a long time lol

- Yes. you can squish his cheeks. Will he be extremely annoyed? Yes. Will he do anything about it? No.

- he’s so soft for you? God

- has nightmares about losing you often, so you share the same room so he feels better knowing you’re alive next to him

- or you comforting him back to sleep works

- will buy you things if he can, likes spoiling you when he can but not toooo much

- if you suggest turning into a titan he says no

- while a part of him is like yeah a guaranteed 13 yrs he also is like no he wanna spend the rest of his days with you he cannot allow it

- yeahhhh so maybe he’s got some naive hopes, but this time he thinks he can achieve them and finish this shit ... he can only hope

- not enough people write for my best boy, sad day ;(

- him with a crush though? Let’s be real he blushes quite a bit it annoys him though especially if you ever comment on it

- you just make him all mushy and god he loves you so much

- hand on his smushed cheek with a goofy smile and just stares at you, this happens all the time

- Sasha loves to remind him of that like everytime he does it

- very defensive of you, if anyone disrespects you they are catching these hands

- so it is likely fights with Jean bc he disrespected you (even if he was joking) are often

- he always tries to make you laugh, especially when you’re going through a rough time. He wants to see you smile and laugh and hates seeing you sad at all

- probably flirts with you, but he makes it sound like a joke so it’s hard to take him seriously

- he’s protective if he has to be, he’s not as strong as others but he can hold his own very well. (He’s canonly the fastest or at least one of the fastest, so he can get you out of situations fast)

- is overall even more goofy around you than he normally is because he just wants you laughing

- he can be clingy even while just being friends, often finds excuses to hang around you

- gets teased a lot by Sasha and Jean about his rather obvious crush

- sometimes he just daydreams about you so if anyone hears him sigh dreamily or zone out they know it’s cuz he’s thinking about you

- like seriously daydreams about you so much, the only time he isn’t is when he’s around you (which even then it still happens sometimes) or during like fights where he could die at any moment

- would die at being touched physically, or being complimented

- he will be like “yeah ofc I am haha ;D” in a joking way, but he is dying on the inside

- gonna be real confessing takes a longer time than anyone on this list like even eren and Reiner because he is so scared of rejection and losing the friendship you have he holds it so close to him

- it’s extremely important since it’s not often he ever likes somebody? Plus you make him feel the happiest he’s ever felt like? Honestly he cannot do without you man

- when he finally does (thanks to Jean and Sasha pushing him to do so) he’s a blushing mess

- dating him though is wonderful, he’s attached to you at the hip, you guys are always together he hates being separated

- it’s annoying for everyone else though

- if you’re not around for some reason he doesn’t stfu about you

- he gets sad when you guys are apart ;(

- cheek kisses are often since they’re easy to give (it’s likely he’s shorter than you so just... easy cheek kiss... or because of the huge burst of height he gets as he ages he’s extremely taller and again cheek kisses are easy)

- loves hugging you, or just having his arms engulfed around you in some way

- terrible pickup lines? Absolutely. He’s mainly joking but sometimes he’s being serious

- before he’d do anything to make you laugh it’s even moreso now that you’re dating

- hand holding is often

- he is good at comforting you if need it

- would like to just be held after a tough day

- likes to hug you from behind

- loves kissing your hands <3

- my god if anyone is blushy it is Jean but I think we know this based off his interaction with mikasa

- cannot stop staring at you, at least Connie has some control and is just not aware of it. Jean is aware of his staring but has no self control.

- unlike Connie who has the confidence to jokingly flirt Jean doesn’t have that confidence. Acts like a cocky bastard but actually isn’t.

- probably says he made a move, or that he’s going to but hasnt and everyone knows it

- gets extremely nervous around you, palms sweaty, knees weak (arms are heavy)

- if you ever got hurt, protective mode (especially if it was to protect him cuz Christ he will lose it)

- scared to lose you, he lost Marco he doesn’t wanna lose you too

- he loves you so much, its come to the point where he can’t live without you. If you died he wouldn’t know what to do and he would probably go crazy without you around

- he’s always worried about you and watching out for you

- probably really jealous even before dating you, he’s constantly worried other people will have a better chance with you (if he noticed somebody else likes you he is all on that, he knows)

- he will try to impress you, also because of his jealousy but still. He wants to prove he can be good for you romantically

- so he’s constantly playing up how strong he is until you kick his ass in a fight

- however despite how nervous he gets around you, after some time he eventually is kinda himself. He doesn’t wanna seem like a dick around you so he acts overly nice but eventually you get close enough to where he can be himself

- likes to tease you sometimes

- probably calls you an idiot, especially if you are one or act like one at all. He don’t mean it but you know that.

- eventually will confess, because he’s sick of Sasha and connies teasing and lame attempts to be wingmen

- they’re so obvious abt it btw Sasha will just be there like “hey Jean y/n looks very cute today don’t you think so?” And Connie just nudges him, “yeah tell them how cute they are today, I think they look adoraaable” and he’s like “yes you’re very cute today” and then they just leave and make it awkward for you both

- when he tells you how he feels he’s stuttering so much, it’s painful

- dating Jean is still awkward, he’s still nervous but moreso that he might fuck up somehow and you’ll break it off with him

- eventually yeah, cuddlebug

- loves hugs

- clingy af

- mans can cook, you already know he cooking you something as much as he can

- loves giving you forehead kisses if you’re shorter, if not then cheek kisses are cool too

- before you dated he’d probably try to nervously compliment you and just stutter and die inside, in fact there was a time he didn’t talk to you at all because he never knew what to say

- he tries not to impress you as much but still does and is a jealous boy but less jealous cuz you’re dating him

- he needs constant reassurance

- he’s such a sweetheart deep down he is willing to do so much for you

- still calls you an idiot or any other nickname but more comfortable with it now that you’re dating and likes teasing you

- also eventually tells you how much he loves and cares for you, and tells you the extents of his love

- he loves always being around you and gets annoyed when Sasha and Connie tag along but you probably don’t mind

- he loves you though so he’s like . Ok

- he’ll follow you wherever you go tbh

- he’s also a blushy boy at times, especially if you’re in close proximity in some way

- complimenting him? Do you want him to pass out?

- I feel like people act like he’s overly mean to his crush but I don’t think he’d be mean. He’d try really hard to get along with them to the point where he might act like he likes the same stuff they do

- he’s clingy in general w/ you. Honestly not being around you for even a little feels like forever. Sometimes it’s just months before he can see you again, that hurts him ;(

- he’s such a softie deep down I can’t

- super protective as well (again I think everyone in aot is but mannn porco is so protective)

- he has seen some shit he knows what happens to people and he doesn’t want it happening to you

- very loyal to you tbh

- will find any excuse to touch you physically even if it puts a blush on his face, the first time he did he died but still... he liked the feeling and doesn’t ever wanna miss that feeling

- wraps an arm around you “casually” and “friendly” like all the time

- since him and pieck are pretty much always together, now it’s the three of you that are always together

- pieck finds it sweet though, and loves that he has somebody he could care for as much as he does

- ofc she tries to wingman, whenever he’s not around she asks you what you think of him. If you think of him as something more or what

- it’s because of one of your talks with pieck about porco does she finally encourage porco to tell you how he feels

- it takes awhile, he’s mainly worried of rejection or that he’ll lose you while you’re dating

- when you’re dating though, an arm around you at all times. If not holding your hand. (Ofc if you’re not currently discussing important matters)

- but yeah doesn’t mind pda, just not too much

- holds your hand if he is not having an arm around you

- kisses you like a lot, ofc when nobody else is around (or just pieck is around) but yknow

- he’s clingy, likes spending alone time w/ you but again wouldn’t mind if pieck was there

- gabi loves aww’ing at you guys and tbh so does pieck

- it does embarrass him sometimes but he loves you so he deals with it

- speaking of love he loves to remind you how much you mean to him and how much he loves you, he is not making the mistake of not letting you know how much he adores you

- teases tf outta you, like Jean would call you nicknames like idiot or something but he adores you too much for mean nicknames

- to make up for it he has pet names

- he’s also pretty jealous too btw

- make him feel better with lots of smooches

- he likes squishing your cheeks, surprisingly doesn’t mind if you do the same to him =)

- when cuddling he puts his face in either your chest or neck and peppers little kisses there

- pickup lines .. yeah they’re so bad he doesn’t care as long as they make you either blush or laugh

- low key just ... gently holds you, he loves u so much he’s so soft

[itadorisgf]

AAAAAAAA! CONGRATS ON THE MILESTONE I’M SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOU DESERVE EVERY BIT BECAUSE YOUR WRITING IS WONDERFUL! ✨💛 for a tulip/date night(?) I was thinking about a road trip date with Gojo Satoru? Like, it might be unrealistic since 1. He’s probably really busy, huh? 2. I don’t know if he can even swap places to drive because blindfold, and even his sunglasses were wack (Gege said something about ‘em somewhere). But the of dorking out during sightseeing and blasting tunes in the car with the fun-loving teacher is just very appealing to me. Also congrats again!! qwq

— gojo satoru + road trip

⤷ anonymous asked: AAAAAAAA! CONGRATS ON THE MILESTONE I’M SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOU DESERVE EVERY BIT BECAUSE YOUR WRITING IS WONDERFUL! ✨💛 for a tulip/date night(?) I was thinking about a road trip date with Gojo Satoru? Like, it might be unrealistic since 1. He’s probably really busy, huh? 2. I don’t know if he can even swap places to drive because blindfold, and even his sunglasses were wack (Gege said something about ‘em somewhere). But the of dorking out during sightseeing and blasting tunes in the car with the fun-loving teacher is just very appealing to me. Also congrats again!! qwq

note: thank you so so much for the kind words!

ft. gojo satoru

warning: gn!reader, fluff, gojo being gojo (aka an insufferable but loveable menace)

⤷ the flower shop

It’s incredibly rare for Gojo to get any time off from work. He’s always needed here or there —for “difficult” missions, which really aren’t all that difficult, or boring obligatory clan meetings — that he doesn’t have much free time. But Gojo somehow manages to weasel his way out of some commitments, which might earn him a lecture from some higher-ups later, and proudly proclaims that you’re going on a road trip together.

It’s not that you’re not excited at the prospect of spending time with Gojo, but a little heads up would have been appreciated. But Gojo is Gojo and he exits your shared bedroom with a grin and informs you that you have an hour to gather all the stuff you need before closing the door shut behind him. The dumbass barely gives you any details of where you are going so you tear through your room, searching for whatever you think you’ll need for a day trip.

It actually doesn’t take you too much time to pack everything you think you’ll need, but you still scowl at Gojo when you exit your shared bedroom to see him lounging with his legs spread out across the couch. He jumps up the moment he sees you with the complaint of you taking too long on his tongue. You just elbow him in the chest and roll your eyes when it doesn’t connect since Gojo turned on his infinity before you could actually hit him.

Gojo takes the bag you’ve packed from your hand and you’re quick to snatch the car keys off the counter before the two of you exit your home. You may love Gojo immensely, but you’d be damned if you let him drive. You’re not even sure if he has a proper license. With the way he drives, speeding and swerving, you wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t.

Gojo pouts when he realizes you’re going to be the one driving, but gets in the passenger seat regardless. Once you’re all buckled up, you flip your palm up for Gojo to entwine your fingers together. Sometimes he likes to fiddle with your fingers or to compare your hand sizes instead of actually holding your hand.

He always pretends to be astonished that his hand is bigger than yours despite doing the same thing every single time he rides in the passenger seat. You just roll your eyes in fond amusement.

You let Gojo control the music you listen to. He queues up a lot of upbeat pop songs and throwbacks that the two of you can belt out together. He’ll turn up the volume obnoxiously loud and sing as loudly as he can, so his voice won’t be drowned out by the music. His voice is actually not bad, so sometimes you’ll stop singing along to the lyrics just so you can devote your attention to listening to him, eyes darting to the side every so often to get a glimpse of him from the corner of your eyes. When he feels your eyes on him, Gojo makes a whole performance out of his singing, going so far as to use your hand as a pretend microphone before littering kisses all over the back of it.

Although Gojo didn’t give you any details of where you’re going before getting in the car, he takes charge and directs you when to switch lanes and when to turn as you drive. Sometimes, though you believe he’s doing it purposefully, he’ll give you a direction a second too late, forcing you to find your way back to where you were before so you can resume the path Gojo has laid out in his mind.

You haven’t been driving for too long when Gojo tells you to exit the freeway and park in a lot that he points out to you. Looking around when you exit the vehicle, you’re unfamiliar with your surroundings. When your eyes land on Gojo, it takes all of your restraint to not facepalm.

“Ta-da!” His aggressive jazz hands would be much more embarrassing if there were more people around to witness it. He gives you a dazzling smile, tilting his head down slightly to look at you over his sunglasses. “Let’s go explore!”

With that comment, Gojo grabs your hand, barely giving you enough time to make sure your car is locked and drags you off in the direction he’s chosen. You guys aimlessly wander around, pulling one another into random shops that catch your interest. Of course, Gojo is pulling you into bakeries and shops that are selling sweets, insistent that he needs to try them. He has you taste-test them with him, buying all the treats that you both enjoy.

You pull him in the direction of some shops that sell cute touristy things, thinking that it would be nice to bring something back for his students. Gojo beams when you suggest that, swooping down to plant a kiss on your lips, and agrees that as a great sensei, it was his duty to get his cute little students something. So you guys peruse around until you find something that you both think his students would appreciate.

After walking around for so long, you’ve worked up an appetite. Gojo too, since right when you’re about to open your mouth to suggest that you find someplace to eat, he complains out loud that he’s hungry. You guys choose to eat at a cafe you spotted a while back. Once seated, you’re both quick to order your meal. While waiting, Gojo passes the time by playing footsie with you, despite the fact you’re full-grown adults. Thanks to his stupidly long limbs, he wins, much to his glee and much to your disappointment.

When your order arrives, you both dig in. Gojo swipes some food off of your plate when he thinks you’re not paying attention. You’re not that unaware so when you catch him red-handed, he lets you taste some of his food as well. Gojo pays for the bill and throws his arm around your frame when you exit the cafe.

You’re much more subdued than you were previously, stuffed full of delicious food. A little sleepy now, you give in and hand the keys over to Gojo so he can drive. You curl up in the passenger seat, leaning over the console to get closer to Gojo. He lowers the volume of the music and entwines your fingers together as you doze off for a bit.

The ride is much more smooth than it normally is. Gojo tries his best to be extra cautious when driving since he doesn’t want to jostle you around too much when you’re resting.

When you open your eyes again, the sun is much lower in the sky and when you look out the window, you realize you’re far out from the city.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” You snuggle back into the seat, squeezing Gojo’s hand that’s in yours.

“Where are we going, Satoru?” You’re still blinking the grogginess away as you turn your head to look at Gojo. He’s always been unfairly gorgeous, but in this light, Gojo looks positively ethereal. You don’t say it out loud, though. You’re not trying to give the man a bigger head than he already has. But by the grin he shoots your way, you have a feeling he already has an idea of what you’re thinking about.

“Somewhere.” You roll your eyes at your boyfriend’s purposeful vagueness.

“Mhm, okay. Wake me up when we get there.” You close your eyes once more, a faint smile on your lips when you feel Gojo press his lips to the back of your hand.

You’re roused from your nap by Gojo gently shaking your shoulder. The car is parked now, your car door ajar with Gojo standing over your still seated body. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty.” He laughs much too loud when you sleepily pout at him.

“Aw, does my baby want me to carry them?” Gojo teases. He’s surprised when you actually nod your head and lift your arms up. You must have been sleepier than he thought. His grin widens as he swoops down to scoop you up in his arms, openly cooing when you snuggle your head against his chest.

You don’t know how long Gojo’s been walking for when he pretends to drop you, causing you to yelp. “Lost my grip,” he explains with a disingenuous smile when you crane your head to look up at him. Before you can huff and complain that he’s such a shithead sometimes, he happily exclaims: “We’re here now!”

He helps you ease down onto your feet, wrapping his arms around you from behind and tucking his head into your neck as you look around to figure out where exactly “here” is. You quietly gasp, eyes widening in awe, as you soak in your surroundings. You’re far away from the city in someplace along the coast. The sunset beautifully illuminates the waves crashing below you, setting the sky ablaze with a melody of warm and vibrant colors.

When you tilt your head to look at Gojo, he’s already observing your profile. His sunglasses rest low on the bridge of his nose, granting you a clear view of his crystal blue eyes. His smile is not as wide as it usually is, it’s a bit softer, a bit more genuine.

“You like it?” He squeezes his arms tighter around your middle, nuzzling his cheek against yours.

“I love it, Satoru. It’s beautiful,” you assure him, awkwardly tilting your head so you can press a kiss to his skin. You place your hands over his own, tangling your fingers together. You stand like that for a while, enjoying the view until the sun inevitably dips below the horizon.

As you’re driving home, you sneak a glance at your boyfriend. His long limbs are bent at awkward angles as it’s now his turn to rest his eyes as you drive the two of you home. Your lip curves up into a fond smile. You won’t lie and say that it isn’t difficult dating a man like Gojo Satoru, but moments like these make it all worth it.

[wri0thesley]

sparring practise - sorbet x reader x gelato

you realise how helpless you are after an attempted burglary, and sorbet and gelato attempt to help you defend yourself. things do not go as planned. 

warnings: not sfw. reader is gender neutral and neutral of body. mentions of fighting, guns, knives, blood, home invasion, choking, cannibalism, serial killing, violence, general sorbet and gelato type warnings. 

yes this is self indulgent no i do not care

The home you share with Sorbet and Gelato is cloaked in civility. It’s in a nice neighbourhood that has a low rate for crime, and Sorbet dutifully tends to the flower beds – Gelato paints your front door in a shade of yellow that makes the neighbours whisper under their breaths even more than the nature of the relationship the three of you share, but nobody comes out and says it because as a whole, you seem like three perfectly well-adjusted and functional members of society who keep to yourselves.

They figure that Sorbet and Gelato work nights, perhaps as a security guards or some kind of manual labour – in the dark, bloodstains can look like all kinds of different things. They greet you when you go to the supermarket and gather your shopping, not blinking when you buy another new sharpening steel with the laugh that all three of you are foodies, and you seem to have an unfortunate habit of breaking them--

The house is your domain. The careful windows, the flower boxes, the neatly vacuumed carpets and the sigh as you stare at Gelato’s muddy boot prints in the entrance hall. They do their best – but sometimes, it is half past one in the morning, and they are weary and simply want to come to bed and embrace you.

The basement, though . . .

That is Sorbet and Gelato’s domain, and you are very rarely in it.

Not because you disapprove of what they do – but because they worry about you, you think. You are smaller than they are, not as scarred, not quite hardened by the years of their past.

“It’s better if you don’t get involved in Passione shit,” Gelato has said, a hundred times. “We need you here, amore! Who fuckin’ knows what we’d do without you?”

“He’s right,” Sorbet has intoned, wrapping his arms around both of your waists. “Bad enough we’re involved.”

“You love it!” Gelato accuses, leaning into Sorbet’s shoulder despite it. Sorbet’s mouth tilts at the corners, a small smile on his face. You know that a hundred men or perhaps more have had that smile be the last thing they see, Sorbet’s eyes dark, his face streaked with blood. It should strike fear into your heart – but all it ever does is make you want to poke his cheek, kiss him until you can feel the curve of his lips echoing all over you.

“Yes,” he says simply. “I do.”

Sorbet and Gelato keep their weapons down here, mounted on the wall. There’s an iron-topped table like the kind one would find in a butcher’s shop beneath the knives, shining brightly despite how often you’ve poked your head down there to tell them dinner is ready and seen it practically bathed in blood. The training mats to one side of the room, a table and chairs and fridge on the other side. Opposite the side of the room with the table and chairs are four iron manacles set into the brickwork, for times when hits have to be taken home and interrogated before being brought to an end – and for some of Sorbet and Gelato’s other outside of work activities, though they don’t talk to you much about those.

And tonight, you are here too.

“You leave me a gun in the bureau,” you’d said to Gelato, a night after a would-be attacker had attempted to burgle you, seeing that your house was neat and pretty and hearing on the grapevine that one homeowner was often alone. “But if someone overpowers me, I’m useless--”

(Sorbet and Gelato had not treated the man kindly. The basement is soundproofed, but you had still heard rhythmic thumping, and the next morning Sorbet had come into the kitchen with several unusual cuts of meat.

“They won’t fit in the fridge down there,” he’d said. Sorbet does most of the cooking. His meals are always delicious.)

It had been Sorbet’s idea to try sparring with you.

“We could leave you some knives too,” Gelato had suggested. “Maybe some other guns? A chainsaw?” and Sorbet had had to point out that none of those things would actually assuage your fears – in fact, if the perpetrator managed to wrangle them off you, you were left much worse off facing a chainsaw than you would be if you had never had one in the first place.

Gelato is closer to your height, so Sorbet makes him wrap his fists and take off his shirt. You do your best not to stare at his torso too much, though he is all lean, wiry muscle dotted with scars and starbursts that you have kissed a thousand times over. He sees you looking and gives you one of his most manic grins, his teeth all sharp – you repress the shiver that runs through you at that, trying to remind yourself you are here to learn and not merely to ogle your boyfriend. Though he does look very good, with his gold hair all tousled and a rush in his eyes that you always see when he feels like he has the dominant position.

Sorbet had taken a seat at first and told you to approach Gelato as if he were hostile, to see if you could get a punch in and so they could work on that – you had made a valiant attempt, despite every bit of common sense you had immediately whispering that Gelato was a predator and you were a prey animal.

You had not been surprised when he had flipped you easily, and you had landed on your back on the training mats with a great thump of air, all of the breath knocked out of you. One of Gelato’s heavy military grade boots had landed, gently, on your abdomen, as he’d bent over you with his eyes glinting in the fluorescent lighting of the basement.

“You look cute like that!” He’d laughed. “Come on! You can do better than this, tesoro!”

He’d been delighted as you’d dragged yourself back up, and as you had made attempt after attempt to get ahead of him. All of them had inevitably ended with you on your knees, or on your back – or once against a wall with a knife far too close to your back for comfort, Gelato’s hand easily around your throat.

That one had almost pushed you to the brink, your breath coming in little pants, a hot jolt of arousal coursing through you at just how Gelato was looking down on you. Gelato had obviously felt it too, because his grin had widened just a little, pressing closer to you so you’d felt the stiff, hot heat of something in his fatigues pressing heavily against your thigh--

“Come here,” Sorbet says. He’s stood up from the chair now, his hands coming to unbutton his own shirt. He is not quite as covered in scars as Gelato is – the blond is more reckless, and you have gathered his previous military experience was more dangerous than . . . whatever Sorbet did, after leaving his church school. That does not make any difference to the fact he is broad and muscled, sculpted from training and years of violence. “You’re not starting right. Your stance is all wrong.”

“I started that last one sittin’ on the floor to give ‘em a chance,” Gelato says, breathlessly, as he peels himself away from you and your hand flies to your throat, recalling the echo of Gelato’s calloused fingers. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve had one of their hands about their necks, but . . . well. It never gets old, does it? “’N I’m doing fine.”

“You have experience behind you, caro,” Sorbet’s tone is patient. “Of course you do.”

Gelato grins as he gets back into position opposite you, clenching his fist.

“Sorbetto,” his tone is sing-song, wheedling. “You’re not gonna tell me what a good job I’m doin’? C’mooooon--”

Sorbet chuckles, crossing the room to wrap an arm around Gelato’s smaller form, using one hand to tip up his face and place a chaste kiss on the tilt of his crooked nose. Gelato’s had two broken noses in the past six months.

“You know you’re doing wonderfully,” he coos at his boyfriend, who dutifully reddens despite asking for the praise. “But that’s not what we’re here for, is it?”

“No,” Gelato admits, with a sigh – he looks at you, and he gives you a nod. “You’re not doing too badly! Look, Sorbet could knock me down without blinking, if you’re gonna learn from him, some low-life fuckin’ thief is gonna be a piece of cake.”

Sorbet kisses him on the sweaty mass of his pale curls and comes to you.

“Here,” Sorbet murmurs, getting in very close to you. “Your feet are too far apart.” One of his feet kicks gently at your own, forcing you to widen your hips. He grabs a hold of those next, rearranging the tilt, his body so close that you can feel the heat radiating from his chest. Your breath catches as he takes your wrist, helping you curl your fingers into a fist. “Not too tight, don’t put your thumb inside or you’ll break it--”

He’s bent over you, his dark gaze on your hand – and you feel the puff of air he dispels in a breath, warming your neck and shoulder. You can barely breathe. Your heart is beating ten to the dozen.

You know Gelato is turned on – you’d felt that when you were pinned against the wall. You hadn’t realised until Sorbet had come up behind you that watching you was doing the exact same thing to him.

“Alright,” Sorbet says. “When you throw the punch, aim to get it through him, you’ll need the follow through.” You nod, but your throat is dry and your head is spinning.

“Yeah,” you say, “I will.”

Sorbet gives you a pat on the shoulder, before pausing and leaning in to whisper against your ear;

“Aim for his ribs. He’s got a weak spot, left side. You should be able to kick him and sweep him off-balance too.” A hand on your hip drags down, squeezing your ass. “If you manage it, he’ll fuck you into next week.”

“Don’t give ‘em too much of an advantage,” Gelato says. “Can I rush on them now?”

Sorbet gives a small smile again.

“Be my guest,” he says, but he does not go back to his chair – instead, he steps to one side so he can observe. Gelato bounces on the balls of his feet, all buzzing and unrestrained energy. You keep your fists as Sorbet told you to, re-running everything you’ve been told about punching today--

And Gelato moves like a wild animal, chaotic and quick. You dodge one of his blows by inches, sliding your foot forward towards him to alter your balance slightly, your dominant hand coming out with as much force as you can muster, everything you can remember about how to hold your fists running through your mind as it connects hard with Gelato’s left rib and the blond sputters.

Kick. Sweep. Under the ankle, despite his heavy boots--

Gelato stumbles to one side, balance lost, coughing – and then Sorbet is in the fray too, pushing you down in between the two of them so that you’re trapped between two of his legs and topple onto Gelato. The blond snarls hungrily, grabbing a handful of Sorbet’s hair and dragging him into a hungry kiss.

Sorbet’s stiff erection digs into the meat of your ass whilst Gelato’s digs into your front, stuck between the two of them, your glory at getting Gelato off of his feet seeming much less important than the frantic beating of your heart.

“You told them about my ribs,” Gelato grumbles. “Asshole.”

“Your asshole,” Sorbet reminds him, and kisses him again, before pulling away to wrap his arms about your middle instead. “Besides.” Sorbet’s voice turns low and smug. “You can’t tell me you didn’t notice . . .?”

Gelato snickers. He lets go of Sorbet’s hair to cup your face roughly.

“Cucciolo mia,” he says. “How long have you wanted to be fucked?”

Your face grows hot, but that just makes him grin harder, sparks fly from his dark eyes. He grinds his crotch into your thigh and you swallow the thickness that rises in there.

“M’sorry,” you say, after a moment, as Sorbet joins in with the bullying, grinding his hips against your ass. “I--”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Gelato says, with a laugh like a rusty iron grate. That’s one of those laughs that his victims hear – one you should be scared of, but that makes nothing rise in you except want. “As you can probably feel--” Sorbet’s lips brush your ear, teeth worrying at the earlobe so you moan aloud. “We’ve got the same kinda problem ourselves. Y’know.” His teeth flash, sharp, bright, and you imagine them coated in blood. “If y’wanna help out some.”

You don’t respond to him in words. Instead, you press your lips against his hard, and when he bites hard enough to draw forth blood you moan.

---

When everything is over and done with, you lay sweaty and panting in between both of your boyfriends – Sorbet’s front pressed protectively against your back, Gelato clinging to your waist as he tucks his head beneath your chin.

“Next time,” Gelato breathes, already looking ahead, as if you three did not just spend several hours tangled hot and heavy within each other, biting and moaning and groaning and making the entire basement smell like sex. “We should teach ‘em to fire a rifle. I think they’ve got potential.”

“Mm,” Sorbet says, very low, making his chest reverberate against your spine in a way that has you shivering. “I think you’re right.”

[obae-me]

“Can you write the brothers with an MC who has a big scary looking dog but is actually really friendly, and a small adorable cuddly cat but actually hates new people?”

So Tumblr screwed me over a small bit by deleting a draft of an ask someone gave me, even though it still says I have a draft, when I go back to my drafts they’re gone, so I had to rewrite it. I have learned my lesson for not keeping it saved on something else. So I hope the quality didn’t suffer for it.

Thank you to the person who sent me this request, I’m sorry I can’t remember your blog name! You were really very friendly so thank you, stay hydrated and take care of yourself! 💜

Lucifer

When MC came to the devildom with two animals in tow, he wasn’t ready for the new year of having to look after three new additions to the household. Especially after many many Henry incidents, and that one Satan fiasco with the cats. It took them months to clean up all that cat hair. However, much to Lucifer’s surprise, MC took care of them really well. He gained a new respect for MC’s ability to follow through with responsibilities.

He did find it amusing that MC had a huge dog following them around. Of course they weren’t as big as Cerberus or nearly as terrifying, but MC’s pet was fairly intimidating for a normal creature.

He’s a dog person for sure. He’ll bond with MC’s dog faster than anyone would expect. Some of it having to do with the fact that Lucifer was the only brother willing to approach them at first.

He wasn’t surprised that the pet was lovable. He could tell that there was no malice in their eyes even when they barked at him. If he felt the pet needed some behavioral lessons, he’d gladly help MC with it. He trained Cerberus with his own two hands after all. 

He’d give the dog many secret treats and pets while no one was looking.

The cat though, he’d stay away from that one. One attempt to pet it as a show good spirits and one pair of his favorite gloves were ruined.

Mammon

MC had pets? He was excited for em, especially since Lucifer had never let him have a pet, and since they were MC’s he could have all the benefits of a pet without having to take care of them!

He tried bonding with the cat first since the small thing looked nothing like their dog. They were so tiny it was hard to believe it wasn’t a kitten. They had the biggest eyes, eyes that just begged for love! But when Mammon tried to pick the cat up, they hissed, leaving a large scratch mark on his face as they dashed under MC’s bed. He found it best to leave the cat alone from now on.

MC’s dog scared him for a while, though he’d never admit it, he’d just avoid the pet whenever he saw them. One day in particular, when the dog spotted him, it ran after him at full speed, causing Mammon to shriek and sprint away with colorful language. He’s the fastest demon so he got away just fine, but he could still hear them clawing at the door.

On the search to find their dog, just to find them sulking at Mammon’s door, MC went inside to find him curled up in the backseat of one of his cars. They dragged him out and sat him on his bed and slowly introduced the two to each other. MC’s dog had just been chasing him because they wanted to play. Mammon knew that, for sure, totally.

He’ll make sure to give both pets plenty of toys to make sure he doesn’t become their next one. 

Levi

Pets that had fur instead of scales? And they weren’t named Henry? MC was a typical Normie. 

He’d appreciate both of them from a distance, the last thing he wants is hair on his figures and in his equipment. He shudders to remember when he cleaned out his keyboard after the Cat Incident.

He does love that MC has pets though, don’t get him wrong. He’ll reminisce about all the fond memories he had about all his Henrys. He and MC will share fun pet stories and gush over photos.

He’ll eventually allow MC to try to acquaint him with their pets, but he’s not sure how well it will go since he has too many bad memories of Cerberus chasing him, snarling at him, ruining an entire manga collection. And cats love fish, what if they get their claws on his precious Henry?! 

It surprisingly went okay, he enjoys now trying to get MC’s dog to do cool tricks that he’s seen in anime. As for the cat, Levi often finds them in his room, tail flicking as they closely watch and gently swat at the fish that swim by. He also tends to find them curled up on his warm consoles. There’s something comforting about having a little companion while he plays his games, something his fish can’t always give him. 

Satan

Cat?? MC has a cat?? Lucifer banned him from bringing cats into the house, so the fact that MC had one meant that he could pay attention to them all he wanted, and Lucifer couldn’t prevent him from doing so.

His brothers were idiots to try and immediately lay hands on the cat. He had read about feline behavior and knew that you let the cat decide to initiate contact if they’re particularly scared of people.

So he’d get the kitty used to him first, by going into MC’s room and making sure it was obvious he was friendly with the owner. And then he’d just sit there in silence and read for hours, making sure they were now used to his presence.

It took a few days of patience but then he finally watched in glee as the small cat padded over to him warily, smelling him and making sure he wasn’t dangerous. Satan slowly held his hand out, making sure that the cute thing nuzzled against his fingers first before he would gently scratch under their chin.

His other brothers now looked at him in awe as Satan now often had the cat in his lap while he read, while most of them couldn’t even get close.

He didn’t quite bond with the dog, but he did occasionally give the pup a pat on the head. 

Asmo

He’s not really a pet person, like, at all. Hair all over his clothes? Constantly smelling like an animal, and not in the way he’s usually used to? No thank you! He could’ve understood if it was a cute dog you could keep in a purse or an elegant cat that made the owner look like royalty, but they were neither.

But, much to even his own surprise, he came around to them. Enthusiastically so, even, much to the shock of the House of Lamentation. It started with just pictures of them. Cats and dogs do great on Devilgram and this could be a good opportunity to show people he has a secret side.

His profile skyrocketed, which was impressive since he’s already immensely popular. His beautiful face night near these cute creatures gets him even more likes than before.

Before MC knows it, somehow he has their dog trained to sit and pose for the camera. He’ll even buy special collars and cute little accessories for the pets, making sure they look super cute for all of their photo-shoots, not as much as he is but close enough.

If the cat ever scratches him he’ll ensure MC makes up for it by giving his wound a kiss.

Beel

Beel is a puppy himself, let’s be honest. MC finds it incredibly cute how alike they are. They’re both big, strong, and intimidating, but when you get to know both of them, they’re loyal, lovable, and precious. 

He gets along great with both of the animals. The cat would scratch him to heaven and back, but he didn’t budge, and sooner than later the kitty warmed up to him. They would oftentimes treat him like a climbing post, clawing their way up his body just to stand on his shoulders, but he didn’t mind. 

As for the dog, it started off by stalking Beel, playfully of course. It didn’t stop any of the brothers from having a mini heart attack, though, as they watched MC’s huge intimidating dog slowly making their way across the hall, haunches ready to strike. The dog could play-bite him, tug at his clothes, and jump on him all they wanted to, he was unbothered. He’d even share some of his food with them.

Beel and the dog would even play-wrestle, it was great for both of them as they would expel their energy and spend more time together. And of course MC would bring both of them plenty of treats for being good. 

Belphie

He doesn’t like dogs, they’re too loud and rambunctious. Not to mention high maintenance. He prefers cats given the chance, but even sometimes they’re still too much work. 

He did make an attempt to pet the cat, only for it to attack as soon as it got the chance. It left a big hole in his favorite pillowcase. He was offended. It was supposed to be friendly, cute, and cuddly, and yet it struck back and attacked him immediately. The irony was lost on him.

MC decided that they wanted the two to get along since they were sure they would be best buds given the chance. 

When Belphie went to go take a nice nap, MC brought their tiny kitty over to his slumbering body, placing them on top of him over his blanket. The cat was tense at first, but he was so warm and comfortable, they stretched out and curled up on him. When Belphie opened his eyes and saw the wide, irresistibly cute eyes staring back at him, he couldn’t move. He just went back to bed.

Now it’s a rare sight when the two aren’t together, taking naps near the fireplace, outside under the stars. He’ll never tell anyone how he now loves to fall asleep to the sound of the cat’s purring.   

[costellos]

a/n: I’ve been reminiscing on a lot of cheesy romcoms and one of my favorite tropes are “dates that aren’t officially dates but basically are dates.” we love a good yearning. that said, here are some #unofficialofficialdates that the boys use to spend time with you!

tw: mentions of drugs

❥ ┋ ❝ bucci gang & what excuses they use to get closer to you!

bruno bucciarati.

Bucciarati gets closer to you by having you assist him at “fundraisers.” 

Passione holds a handful of events throughout the year. elaborate parties with expensive champagne, mindless chatter, and some very high-profile attendees. people will join to officialize deals, buy drugs, and of course, donate to keep Passione thriving.

Bucciarati usually goes alone, acting as a representative for his escort team. this isn’t the type of scene you’d see the others at. but up until your joining, you’ve found yourself as his sole companion.

it began as a way to familiarize yourself with mobster life. his idea, of course. although he didn’t push the idea, he’d be lying if he said he hoped you would accept. ↳ “it’s not required, but the company would be nice.”

it’s an odd affair. celebrities and politicians join and no one blinks an eye. it’s not where you’d usually find yourself on a Saturday night, with you and your partner dressed to the nines (okay, maybe not a usual scene for you; Bucciarati always had something beautiful draped onto his figure).

the hors d'oeuvres and cocktails are nice, at least. but you find yourself drawn to your conversations with Bucciarati the most.

he makes you feel welcome at every event, that you deserve to be here as much as the starlet making her grand appearance. you’re unsure that you can handle business with new clients, but the way he talks to you is so reassuring and supportive that you quickly help the gang obtain new patrons.

you can’t help but notice that his speech became more casual after the first outing. he’s a fan of crude jokes and local gossip, you find. but you also notice the hand at your hip as he guides you to every following fundraiser. if you look at him while he he does so, he’d send a the kindest grin. ↳ “see? you’re a natural. we need to work on your eye contact, though. clients respond better when they see those pretty eyes look back at them.”

that shameless flirtation came out after your fifth fundraiser. by that point, Bucciarati made less of an effort to hide his attraction toward you. all the other patrons thought you to be a couple. why not play the part? besides, he finds your embarrassment endearing. cute, even. he’s already planning ways to make this night last longer.

leone abbacchio.

Abbacchio gets closer to you by helping you get ready for your missions.

you’re typically the first choice for espionage missions. the way you slip into parties, meetings, anything without anyone noticing is impressive, to say the least. but only part of that is thanks to your own abilities. Abbacchio does a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

it started when he noticed your god awful attempt at masquerade makeup. your contouring left much to be desired. ↳ “...please don’t tell me you’re actually going out like that.”

and so began a tradition of sorts. you usually meet him at his apartment, considering that’s where all his tools are. it was awkward at first; Abbacchio isn’t the best conversationalist, but he did try to seem somewhat engaged in whatever you had to say.

with time, however, it became easier. less awkward. Abbacchio shares whatever wine (and gossip) he has at his disposal that week. you find that his humor can be quite dry once you melt through that icy exterior. and with more time, you start to notice the tiniest smiles when you pop by.

he’s also less fussy when you ask him to do your makeup. before he would roll his eyes and ask when you were next available, but now... he just says to come by that Friday night. not without some minor teasing, though you found that to be a part of his charm. (plus, the fact you were breaking through to him was exciting in itself.)

he’s incredibly gentle when he does your makeup. he always holds your chin as he dabs liquid foundation onto your face, his hand moving your head for those hard-to-reach areas. when he does your eyeshadow, you can feel that same hand cup your cheek to keep you steady. though intimate, it’s not uncomfortable.

whenever he caught you staring at him, Abbacchio would ask what you were looking at. recently, however, you’ve noticed he merely purses his lips, swallows, and looks away. ↳ “huh. would’ve never known you could look so stunning. you’re welcome.”

his rude teasing made its appearance after eight visits. it’s an awful attempt to deny his feelings. maybe you’ll back off if he’s mean enough. but the way you smile at him after every session, how you shamelessly compliment him... he can’t help himself. he has to get closer to you in any way that he can.

giorno giovanna.

Giorno gets closer to you by asking you to help him with his hair.

you’d often watch girls fawn over Giorno whenever you went on patrols with him. and it’s warranted: his chiseled cheekbones, long lashes, and defined physique had him rival the Roman statues that lined Naples. everything about him is a piece of art. including his hair. 

you caught him struggling to braid his hair shortly before your next patrol. strands would be thicker than others, and in one case, you watched as his hair tie snapped between his fingers. he obviously needed help. ↳ “well, if you’re offering. be my guest.”

so you got to work. it wasn’t a big deal; part of the issue was that Giorno couldn’t see the back of his head. you separated his hair into three strands, weaved them between each other, and tied the ends of his hair into a loop. just as you’d always seen him do it.

but once you finished, Giorno was hooked. the way your fingernails dragged along his scalp, how you were so careful to not pull his hair... it was wonderful. such a small action that felt so personal to him.

he asks you to help him with his hair whenever he can. not too frequently that you’d catch on, though. and he knows you well enough to know you wouldn’t deny his request. you’re far too kind. it’s a little manipulative on his end, but he’s also aware that you wouldn’t mind.

it never feels awkward. he asks you about your day while you work. sometimes he gives you a briefing about what’s on the agenda. though it seems casual on your end, as mentioned, Giorno finds the experience quite intimate. ↳ “I don’t know what it is, but something about your touch is enough to make me feel so relaxed. ...ah, excuse me. was that too forward?”

that statement comes out after you’ve braided Giorno’s hair ten times. by that point, you’ve started to think that he doesn’t really need help with his hair. the fact that he’s started producing flowers to put in your own hair was a dead giveaway. but can you blame him? he loves seeing you blush as he tucks daisies behind your ear.

guido mista.

Mista gets closer to you by showing you his favorite quick eats.

as a long-standing resident of Naples, the gunslinger is aware of all the best restaurants in the city. from hole-in-the walls to elegant restaurants, he knows ‘em all. he has a particular soft spot for the former.

you’re the opposite of him: new to Naples and unaware of what foods await you. Mista takes it upon himself to change that. ↳ “you’ve never heard of Sorbillo and you’ve been living here for how long? ...alright, well. we’re gonna change that. you and me, Sorbillo, this Saturday.”

and thus a new tradition began. whenever you and Mista had a free Saturday night, you’d meet at whatever restaurant he recommended that week. sometimes it was seafood, other nights it was pizza, but it was always something extremely delicious (and extremely unforgettable).

he caters his choices to what you’re in the mood for. Mista’s not a picky eater by any means (so long as it’s not in fours), so he’s down for whatever you want. plus, it lets him get to know your tastes a little better.

he’s a great conversationalist. he can keep you distracted from long lines and longer food prep times. you never get the impression that he’s just making small talk, because honestly, he’s not. he genuinely wants to get to know you better. he usually asks about your life before Passione. 

your weekly outings originally started as a fun hangout between two friends. but during one chilly night, Mista was quick to notice your shivering. he wasted no time in giving you his coat and hat. ↳ “hey, you don’t ever get... I dunno... bored of this, do you? I know we’ve been doing this for a while and... if you ever wanna stop, you can let me know.”

that question came up after your seventh outing. you’d never seen the gunslinger get embarrassed like this. it only comes up because Mista’s realizing how much he loves being around you. he loves when your eyes widen as you take that first bite, he loves when muse how good the food is. he needs to know where you stand before he gets too invested because honestly, he’s starting to love you as well.

narancia ghirga.

Narancia gets closer to you by asking you to help him read. 

Fugo’s not the best tutor. bless him, he tries, but Narancia isn’t the best student either. the latter often spaces out while working. and when he doesn’t, he tries to distract Fugo with some meaningless chatter to end the session sooner. Fugo was quick to catch onto this.

as a result, he turned to you to tutor Narancia. it started as a joke. “if [Name] can’t do it, no one can,” he laughed. the pupil, however, was more than happy to switch tutors. ↳ “fine! [Name]’ll be a better teacher than you ever were!!”

and like that, you were Narancia’s new tutor. not that you minded. it would benefit the whole team if he could read above a primary school level. every Tuesday and Thursday, an hour before the gang’s meetings at Libeccio, you and Narancia would grab a table and go over his reading material. sometimes Fugo joins to watch Narancia’s progress, sometimes Mista to hang out and enjoy a slice of cake, but it’s normally a one-on-one lesson.

Narancia quickly realizes that he likes those lessons best. it’s much easier when the others aren’t teasing him for his inability to read words like “signorile.” plus, he likes his time alone with you. you don’t laugh. you never judge him. if he has a question, he doesn’t feel stupid to come to you about it, even outside of tutoring sessions.

he’s still distracted when he’s with you, but half the time it’s intentional, half the time it’s not. he just wants to learn more about you. he’ll take breaks between questions to ask you about yourself. Narancia usually sticks to questions regarding your hobbies and interests. lord help you if you share the same music taste because he’ll want to share all his favorite tunes with you.

lately he’s been quite diligent with his work. he’ll go a chapter ahead of what you’ve scheduled and... oh my, are those annotations? you’d never seen him smile brighter than when you praised him for his hard work. ↳ “what are we gonna do once my reading is like... really good? we’re not just gonna stop, are we?”

he asks you this after your fourth session. the question came up rather early, honestly. but Narancia was already having a lot of fun after working with you. he knew that this was going to be something worth his time. and when he saw your own smile, he knew that you were worth everything, too. 

pannacotta fugo.

Fugo gets closer to you by requesting your help planning missions.

most of the gang’s missions are planned by Fugo himself. while he is a college dropout, he still spent hundreds of hours studying Italian history and law. he can be trusted to help the escort team avoid law enforcement.

but there was one job he couldn’t wrap his head around. it was a breaking-and-entering mission meant for Bucciarati and Narancia. they were supposed to cross through an Armani outlet, yet... the security was fool proof. there was no way to cleanly get through it, even with Bucciarati’s Sticky Fingers. that was when you came in and proved him wrong. ↳ “[Name], would you mind helping me with this next mission? it’s a reconnaissance job for Abbacchio.”

he started coming to you whenever he felt stuck. you’re one of the few people he trusts with a task as important as this one. besides, you’d already proved that you were more than capable to untangle tough situations.

working with you is a mixed bag, though. sure, you help Fugo resolve his questions, but you make him feel so... small. it’s not that you do it on purpose. it’s just that being smart is all that he has. it’s all he’s ever known. and here you come, making these problems seem like they were nothing.

yet he can’t get enough of you. you don’t make it seem like these things are a big deal. he loves when you place your hand on his arm and praise him when he figures it out himself. god, he hates that he can’t look you in the eye; he can only imagine how lovely you look when you’re glowing.

there’s one moment that will stick with you forever. it was an infiltration mission meant for the whole team, the eleventh job you’d worked on with him. it took hours of back-and-forth bantering, Fugo having to leave the room to go scream outside, and one of Narancia’s awful energy drinks until Fugo figured it out. and when he did, you’ll never forget how he was beaming, his fingers laced with yours as he thanked you for your help. it’s too bad it didn’t last that long, for he quickly became embarrassed and turned away. ↳ “[Name]! I have another mission to work on with you! when are you free?”

Fugo saw you as his planning partner after that occurrence. he came to you with every mission he received; after all, he needs you to make sure that there aren’t any holes. he wants to chase every high he can with you. hell, every low if you’ll let him. he wants to do everything and more with you.

[leonstamatis]

oh hey. domesticity meme grandecho

big spoon/little spoon: grand little spoon. obviously.

favorite non-sexual activity: grand building something and philosophizing. echo not listening all that much, but present, perhaps doing some light workouts in the background and humming affirmatively when the monologue lulls

who uses all the hot water: grand but he claims it "wasn't him"

most trivial thing they fight over: i think they're also a couple who bickers. like sitting in the grocery aisle arguing over the difference between prosecco and moscato. does it matter? to them it does!

who does most of the cleaning: echo is messier than grand just generally speaking but echo also has like one or two days a month that are "okay time to Clean It All" whereas grand is more of a regularly cleaning things kind of person even if his version of cleaning is like, "put the thing where i need it to be next instead of where it belongs"

who controls the netflix queue: grand insists on controlling the netflix queue. echo allows it and just reads when they don't care about the show/movie.

who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: grand insists, again, on fixing it. he says he can. he usually can, which is nice, but when he fucks up he fucks up bad and they lose power for a week until someone CAN come fix it.

who steals the blankets: echo. burrows into em like a little burrito.

who remembers to buy the milk: neither of them. they have to make so many additional stops on the way home for shit they forgot to pick up.

who remembers anniversaries: i think honestly neither of them does like it passes them by and then later echo will be like "hey didn't we start dating sometime around now" and grand goes "oh huh probably" and that's that.

who cooks normally? echo is the better cook. this does not stop grand from trying very hard.

how often do they fight? often enough lmao like it's not Easy but they do get through it they manage to weather the disagreements.

what do they do when they’re away from each other? grand has Obligations now he's a fancy man with a job and contracts and

nicknames for each other? i think echo takes to calling grand by his full excerpt name EXCLUSIVELY when it is an inconvenience to do so. grand does not use nicknames, he is "above that." echo does call him babe and it does get him flustered.

who is more likely to pay for dinner? grand insists. sometimes echo will take care of the bill discreetly in advance to get one over on him.

what would they get each other for gifts? grand is much better at gifts than people generally expect, so he will get echo things that are helpful/useful/wanted. the problem is that echo gives the best fucking gifts at all time, literally exactly what grand wanted even if he never said, and he cannot beat that! no one could!

who made the first move? god i mean grand made moves over and over and over it's just that it didn't work until echo made a move back yknow

who cusses more? echo. full stop.

what would they do if the other was hurt? echo saves grand! it's what they do!!!!! (grand cries if echo gets hurt. it's not helpful but it's endearing.)

[a-shrieking-cloud-of-bats]

so earlier this year I attempted to stop buying so many video games because I thought I needed to finish the ones I have and while I still believe that, that attempt has absolutely imploded and I’ve given up for the rest of the year

which means it’s time to go over steam summer sale games that I bought, click the names for steam pages.

listed in no particular order

this is not an extremely in depth review set and I haven’t finished most of them (but I have played most of them long enough to get a handle on them)

so yeah

Steam Summer Sale Roundup 2022

The Last Spell - this was a game I was sort’ve nervous about getting and god damn I am so happy I got it; easily my number one

turn based strategy game (think fire emblem, isometric though), the hook is the in depth character creation, loads of stats to pick from, and while it’s a fairly difficult game and there are some clear winners, but I’d say none of the stats are useless, which is nice

additionally, weapon type determines your moveset, for instance...

one handed swords have a lot of mobility based moves, the attacks move you, you get more damage on one of their attacks depending on how many tiles you moved prior to using it

one handed axes are “cleave” focused, with a lot of skills that hit a small area (its basic attack equivelent hits 3 tiles, which is nuts), in exchange they are inaccurate

one handed hammers are big on single target damage and stuns

and so on; you can see how this variation would encourage you to build characters differently based on the weapon they’re using, I’m sure

with this said most weapon types must be unlocked, but the game is hard enough that I think having an introductory period where you’re racking up currency/getting achievements that unlock stuff is reasonable enough

unit death is permenant and in fact, damage is semi permenant; you go through multiple nights on stages and damage carries over between the nights, along with spent MP. This does two things, it puts a lot of focus on HP regen/MP regen when picking stat ups (not my favorite thing but I accept it as a quirk of the system they put in place), and makes you think about how often you’re using those big fancy skills that stun and do huge damage, a big part of the game’s difficulty is resource management, which leads into the next (and final) mechanic, town building

you’re defending a town in this game and it starts out mostly fucked up, every day (as opposed to night) you pick upgrades, build new buildings, and tell workers what to do for the day, there’s stuff that generates gold (needed to build buildings), materials (needed to build walls), stuff that gives free armor and weapons, stuff that restores HP/MP for gold cost (there are upgrades for freebies)

overall the game offers a load of depth and replayability and even as much as it’s twisting my balls I’m enjoying it quite a bit, it’s giving me darkest dungeon vibes

the plot is nothing to write home about but it works, basically wizards made a spell that fucks up towns, it’s used in military action, the spell creates purple mist that zombifies the dead, the rest is history, medieval zombie apocalypse plot take it or leave it; also as a result of this event mages have been spurned and are now forced to end the concept of magic, hence the title, you’re protecting a mage that’s working on a segment of the spell

there’s also some weird stuff going down with the upgrade vendors and how the MC seems to be resetting time but I dunno nothin about that yet

at any rate if you love difficult turn based strategies and character customization, you could hardly do worse!

Earth’s Dawn - Japanese Indie side scrolling beat-em-up, basically aliens invade earth and humans get beaten back but there’s a secret project that you’re a part of that makes you into a robo human that can kill the aliens and like I said with the last spell, take it or leave it; this shit ain’t shakespeare. what it is though is a surprisingly simple beatemup with some heavy focus on upgrades, you can upgrade your weapons, you can upgrade your armors, you can unlock new skills, and this is overall sort’ve a grindy beat-em-up where you’re doing a lot of little random stuff to get Points to Get More Upgrades to Do More Stuff, etc

that’s the draw of it anyway, I personally love this shit

the progression is a little funky in places (there’s an early game mission that puts you up against an extremely tanky basic enemy that you are basically guarenteed to die to) and I think the bosses are too tanky overall but death does nothing significant

not a bad beat-em-up, nothing groundbreaking, a lot of where it is on this list is due to my personal affinity for a good grind and beat-em-ups

Mind Scanners - this is a game a pal recommended to me because it looked like papers please (and it does! It was clearly inspired by the game), however it plays significantly differently. Less paperwork, more warioware. We’ll touch on the plot first though.

The game starts with the local oppressive government taking away your daughter because she’s got a rare form of infectious mental illness. You become something called a Mind Scanner, which is a sort’ve futuristic kinda campy form of psychologist where you determine if people are mentally ill and then administer treatment if so through various tools at your disposal (these are the warioware microgame things). As the plot progresses you learn about a revolutionary group that’s attempting to free the city from the reign of an oppressive government.

The second half of that paragraph obviously sounds familiar, it’s a fairly common concept for a game these days. But mind scanners works with it remarkably well. When you’re treating individuals, failures will build stress, where max stress makes the patient freak out and run away from you (and probably get you taxed the next day), and there’s a sanity bar, as there’s a subplot about how the tools can erase people’s minds or something, it honestly never gets explored particularly well. Regardless this sets up a few potential outcomes for various patients.

either you think the patient is sane, and let them go, this gives you a few bucks, you find them insane and treat them, this gives you a larger paycheck, or you find someone insane, think they’re not worth letting exist (or you erase them on request from someone), and erase their brain on purpose. This gives you a paycheck for treatment but if done on the wrong person can have consequences. Money is used on rent and buying new tools. The game tends to make you feel bad for erasing minds, obviously, and the revolutionary group doesn’t like it when you do it either.

All this lines up to make an interesting game that’s attempting to tell a story that’s way too long for it to sustain. The story isn’t bad; I especially appreciate that this is a game plot like this that doesn’t beat me over the head with how the fucking government is evil; I hate that; but ultimately 6 minigames with some side ones you can do to get minor auxilary benefits is not a lot of content. Additionally I think the game tries a little bit too hard to be “difficult”, because some of the later patients can take like 2 days to treat entirely, and it’s kind’ve hard to optimize the minigames you use. The game ends up dragging on for a plot that’s heading towards a pretty obvious direction by the time it starts dragging on.

It’s not bad and it’s pretty cheap; worth picking up if you’re looking for a decent plot and a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously mechanically. There was definitely interest in getting new tools and seeing how they worked, but the game ran a bit too long for me. Will definitely finish it eventually, but the repetition does make it hard to push through.

Full Bore - I am not a puzzle game player. Full Bore is a block based puzzle game. Full bore is Extremely Good. Full bore is also abandoned by its dev and has some bugs. They don’t seem to be game breaking, and I’ve never heard of them halting progress in the game, but it’s also not exactly a super popular game. They are Definitely Noticible, and Definitely Stress Me Out. Take note. Game would probably be higher then mind scanners if I wasn’t so concerned about the bugs.

Full Bore is a game about a boar that stumbles into a minefield that explodes, tossing him underground, which leads to him getting into a rocket that takes him to a Place, where the dominant species is boars. He’s also framed for a gem heist. There’s some time/location ambiguity going on with the plot, and while the plot is obviously not the main focus, is interesting.

Game is quite simple, you can dig blocks, blocks react in certain ways depending on where they are, what they are, and what they are surrounded by, in some cases. Rock falls slowly and digs slowly, sand and silt fall quickly and dig quickly (and can be broken from a distance by a stomp), that sort’ve thing.

Your goal is to get gems to pay off your debt. On the tin, anyway. The real goal is to dig down, find terminals explaining the plot, and eventually reach a culmination of said plot. Saying more would be too much. If you like block based puzzle games, check it out, I really think it stands out from what I’ve heard of the genre. If you like weird sci fi, consider it. It’s not a primary focus, but the plot might hook you. I’m certainly interested. The game doesn’t let the fact that it’s a puzzle game keep it from doing interesting narrative stuff, which I appreciate, I feel like a lot of puzzle games resign themselves to being a quirky vector for Weird Tetris. Or whatever. Anyway.

Skul: The Hero Slayer - Skul is another roguelite in a long line of roguelites. I keep buying them and I’m not sure why, but I’m not letting that effect my opinion of Skul. I initially thought it was pretty bad, but ultimately it’s a platforming action roguelite that has some excellent pixel art, a solid difficulty curve, and.. not as much variety as I’d like.

The game revolves around a little skeleton by the name of Skul, who works for the demon king. The First Hero captures the demon king in the intro and your job is to rescue him. Along the way, you and a witch that also works for the demon king learn the heros are using something called dark quartz which warps creatures into abominations and removes their will. Moral Ambiguity Plot

the plot is not incredible. Not a big deal, most roguelite plots aren’t. It’s a cute concept, but it’s mostly a surface level thing, beyond the primary gimmick. As a skeleton you can swap skulls. This gives you new movesets and gimmicks. This was part of the reason I didn’t like it initially; these skulls have A Lot of work put into them. They are all upgradable, which unlock additional mechanics in the skull, and you can generally think of a skull as a class moreso then a piece of gear. You can carry two skulls, somehow, and swap between them, with a cooldown preventing you from spamming it (many skulls do something unique on swap).

There are also passive items, and if you’ve played a roguelite you already know what they do. Increased attack speed, increased attack power, chance to stun, yadda yadda.

This overall makes skul a roguelite more about good execution rather then getting a series of items that makes something insane happen that wins you the game. To compare it to its contemporary, Dead Cells, Skull is more about precision platforming and dead cells is more about getting through stages as fast as possible, while killing as many enemies as possible. At the end of the day Skul feels like an odd combo of slow, careful platforming and replayable, six runs an hour roguelite stuff. I frequently feel more hampered by my ability to platform, which is weird. When the platforming and combat are put in the same place, enemies are frequently put in places specifically to make you approach things slowly and carefully, which is also weird, because the game is very fast when it doesn’t do that. It’s not a bad game. But it is a weird game. I suppose it’s to be expected from a genre as populated as this one.

Ultimately my beef with skul is that the platforming is Very Finnicky. The number of times I’ve bopped my head into a spike ceiling and lost a tenth of my very important health pool is absurd given I’ve never gotten past the first world. This frequently happens even when enemies are not present, and while I might just be bad, I also think that “be careful don’t jump too high ha ha” is a messy design concept to begin with. I’ll probably play it more but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s more because it’s designed to tug on my endorphin glands rather then a legitimate desire to play that game specifically.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate - Look I could keep you for like 4 paragraphs but Shiren the Wanderer is the grandaddy of mystery dungeon games. If you’ve ever played Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, they’re similar, though it’s not pokemon so it has to get the Pokemon Variety from somewhere else, namely gear and items. You have usable items that cause effects, equipment that applies passive effects/has super effective hits on certain enemy types, and the game is tough as nails and more of a long burn thing. If you’re looking for a roguelike that doesn’t have a page of DnD stats on every item and does have a graphical interface, you could do much much worse.

Hellsinker - Hellsinker is an extremely fast top down shmup that will probably blow you apart if you’re not used to shmups. It probably will even if you are. It is also a historic game within the genre, and lead to a load of innovations in other games within the genre.

The game starts with 3 selectable characters and more unlock as it goes along. There’s a surprisingly in depth plot that’s mostly kept in the manual, and I don’t understand any of it because I’m still working on stage 2.

Mechanically it varies by having two meters on the left, sol and luna, which determine how much damage your primary shot does and how fast it fires, respectively. Luna depletes when you shoot, sol depletes when you bomb (which can only be done at 3 or more sol, both meters cap at 5).

So, yeah. Shmup! You either know how they work or you don’t. If you don’t I highly reccomend another shmup. I’ll reccomend Zero Ranger. Nice, easy going, and not too esoteric, but also won’t just give you the win.

Video James; the sale is still going on as of now so most of these games should still be on sale! Check em out. Or don’t. It’s not like I spent an hour and a half typing this up. (seriously though don’t feel obligated)