#in fact i actually don't mind him given that he's an actual maniac on the ice

[crow-the-unknown]

just hear me out...

[heavens-aesthetic-kitchen]

Why the TF2 Defense Trio deserve more recognition

The people have spoken, I have decided to create an essay disguised as a post on this godforsaken website because it's a free country goddammit! (I would have done it either way lmaooo, I have a lot of shit to say about these maniacs) To start this formal essay glorified very serious shitpost, why should you as a tf2 fan care about these 3 men? They're so "boring" and there's not much going on with them. If ya took a second, let's pause with what was being said. YOU MUST BE OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND to think such thoughts, we must shake you out of cuckoo land by giving you an in-depth look into these three so that you understand where I'm coming from. Let's start in order:

Demoman:

After being in the fandom since 2019, there's always one character I always thought wasn't given much anything in the fandom at all. Even taking ships out of the equation, there's barely any fics I've that focus on Tavish Finneagan Degroot specifically that I've seen that isn't a compilation fic (I read a lot of x readers, don't judge me). Believe me, I checked ao3. I went through Demoman's tags and I tried very hard to filter a lot of the crossover and relationship tags, yet there's less of Demoman himself, than there's him just existing as a side character of a story. Which is honestly sad, I honestly think Demo is one of the more kinder mercs compared to a lot of the team. This man made friends with the BLU soldier, despite knowing that they were supposed to be killing each other. Sure, it's unclear whether or not Demo did actually go through with it and it's just a ruse, because the voicelines in WAR! don't have a set timeline. But I do think that Demo would have tried to keep his friendship with BLU soldier. He's very chill. I've never actually seen him get violent against his friends and family, despite being a drunkard. I honestly think he's one of the sweetest people in TF2, he takes good care of his mom and haunted sword lmaoooo. Jokes aside, he seems like a genuinely good man and I barely see anything that suggests he's sadistic. He's a chaotic and loud, but not bad. Not bad at all. The fact he can still do his job well, even after drinking so much that his body created a whole distillery, is even more impressive. He is damn good at what he does and works very hard. He's had multiple jobs, even as wee little lad. Despite what people think of him, the fact he's getting paid 5 million dollars a year, is proof he knows what he's doing. He loves his job and couldn't bear the thought of not working. I feel like his backstory isn't talked about enough in the fandom either. When you think about it, it's kinda fucked up that he was put in an orphanage by his biological parents until he was in the right age to be blowing people up. Not only that, his eye socket was haunted by the Bombinomicon so that every halloween a giant eye would manifest, attacking him and his friends. Even Medic couldn't help him and instead resorting to scooping the part of Demo's brain where he remembered so he would stop asking. He most likely has a lot of stories for you, I see him as the type that has a lot to say. His past is the most fleshed out and complete out of all the mercs, which I really appreciate, you can do a lot more with him. Also another thing, during Unhappy Returns, he took the time to reassure Soldier that he wouldn't think he's a civilian. He didn't brush Soldier's worries aside and instead comforted him. I wish I had a lot more to say about Demo because I am baffled that he isn't being gushed about as a potential partner. He has the excitement and like zero baggage. A thing I also wanna point out is that he seems to be insecure of the fact he's a black scottish man with only one eye during Meet The Demoman. I may be reading into things a bit too much, but it makes me wanna be like "NOOOO don't talk about yourself like that, bro. You're so cute UGHHH" Also also he's handsome. Sure looks can be subjective, but I still think Demo has a face I would kiss hehe. He looks great with his beard and his cheeky ass smile. GOD I could gush about him all day, but I have to move on rip.

Heavy:

Honestly, I'm having a hard time just finding the words to describe this amazing man without giving him the respect he deserves. But I'll sure try. Heavy has had a difficult life and I've always admired how strong he was. Not just of his muscles, but he endured one of the toughest situations and still kept moving forward with his life even though it was traumatizing. You see why I'm even having a hard time talking about him? I can't really get down into the weeds, without getting serious for a min. I feel like the fandom doesn't give him much credit for being able to deal with so much. He's the rock for his family after his father disappeared (atp I think he's dead, which is the cherry on top this depressing sundae) and I wouldn't doubt that he would be the same for his team. He's a man of few words, but that makes him all the more intriguing. Just because this man has a lot of brawn does not mean he's dumb at all. Despite how he acts in the battlefield, Heavy is observant and clever. Although, it's implied that Spy being Scout's dad is an open secret between the mercs and Miss Pauling, the fact he figured it out without saying it directly must mean he has a lot more going on. He's also educated, getting a phD in Russian Literature. It's not a STEM program, but he actually got a doctorate and went to college, that's a lot more than half of what the mercs did lmaooo. Also he has a bit of a softie side, not just for his mom and sisters, but also other creatures as well. I respect him so much for avoiding violence against those dogs during the Showdown comic. Not only shows what an absolute sweetheart he is, but also how much he's able to think quickly on his feet. Heavy is very direct and blunt, I don't see him as the type to lie about his feelings. I appreciate that he doesn't feel the need to sugarcoat anything, he'll get the job done and he ain't playing. There's no fluff, he knows what he wants and that's to rev up Sasha and ram through sons of bitches without any worries.

I feel like I wanna point out, his story seems the most unexplored in the fandom, even though it has a lot of potential for ANGST factor. I already broke down how sad it is, but I just feel like it isn't said enough. Can I just say how cuddly he looks?! GAH, I feel like he would give the warmest hugs! The way he smiled in Unhappy Returns when he finds out his family doesn't need to live in fear anymore, just melts my heart! He's so protective over his family and friends! I wish I had a lot more to say about this guy because I just can't stop finding more things about him that go unappreciated. I had to literally edit this part so many times before moving on, he just has those little details you don't notice until you take a second and have that OH MY GOD moment

Engineer:

I was getting so hyped, when it was finally our resident southern nerd's time to shine. GOD I have so much to say about this man. It's been over 5 fucking years and I have never stopped simping for this man since 2019, I think I'm gonna go insane from how much I've been repressing, I go feral when he's around. Anyways enough stalling. I don't ever think a fictional character has ever made me swoon quite like Engineer, I really mean that. I have ask and pleaded to whatever god was listening to give me a man like Engie. To me, he is everything I ever wanted and more.

First, I wanna talk about what makes him attractive to me. His accent. His southern charm, UGH he's killing me with that smooth voice and chivalry! I swear this man could make me faint just from existing. The way he smiles is so warm, his insults are so corny I love them. That five o clock shadow GAHH! I'm getting butterflies all over again. I swear I love all three of the defense bois, but Dell Conagher has my heart wrapped around his gunslinger metal finger. All those personal reasons aside, I've always thought Dell Conagher was a very interesting character in the world of TF2. He might not have much screen time or goofy shenanigans like the other mercs, but that doesn't mean you can ignore him oh no no no. This man is important within the whole story of Mann Co and TF industries, his grandfather being the catalyst of the game's events and the comics going forward. The Conaghers are the SOLE REASON why Team Fortress 2's story exists. I find it strange that the fandom hasn't done much with this fact because you can do a lot with this idea. Engineer knows a lot of shit and would be the biggest threat to Helen, if not for the fact that his family has been helping her for years.

Like his backstory, he's not seen much in the battlefield, but he has a lot more going on behind the scenes. Imagine the possibilities. He is damn intelligent and he knows it. While Dell is very sweet and has a southern charm, this is a facade to hide his God complex and sadistic tendencies. If you think this man is just your boring gentle engineer, you've got a big storm coming. It's heavily implied that he sawed off his own arm so that he could use the gunslinger. This man works on projects with Medic and doesn't question the moral implications of putting a human brain in a pumpkin. Hell, he threatened his own employer, even if he was an old man (Granted, Blutarch dug up his grandpa's grave, so he probably should have gotten something a lot worse than just Dell telling him to fuck off). Engineer is more than the texan egghead sweetie pie, he is a mercenary for a reason and I would argue that he might be as insane, if not more than, the rest of the team. No sane man would willingly work with a bunch of war criminals if he wasn't also crazy. That's the thing I really like about him. I love playing as him in the game because it represents his character very well. He technically serves a supportive role to the team with his buildings, but he is a killer with a lot of tools in his disposal, With the right amount of training, he can absolutely dominate in the battlefield.

I feel like he's one of the people that underestimate and assume that he's an easy target, but he's a lot more than that. He has a lot of layers that makes me want to learn more about him and what he has to offer.

In Conclusion:

These guys are cool. Lmaooo okay I won't just end it there. I genuinely believe that they're not getting the recognition that they deserve, they've got a lot more going for them if you pay attention. Sure they might not always be the loudest or most prominant character in the story, but what they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality TEN FOLD. They don't have to be your favourite, but you should at least give them a chance. You never know, they may surprise you.

Okay so thats enough of that, I couldn't find a divider above this message, so you're getting this grainy ass gif. Honestly, I put way too much effort on this shitpost lmaooo, but I just wanted to get my thoughts out in a more concise manner. If you want to add more stuff about these three that I didn't mention, feel free to do so. Anyways thanks for reading

[silverbladexyz]

We saw dazai with reader who doesn't like him. What about dazai with reader who does like him, more than a friend

Uhhh please ignore the fact that I haven't written any requests in ages ;w; I hope you enjoy ❤

The image used is not mine. It belongs to it's original owner.

TW: None

Fell first, fell harder

Oh, heavens.

Just when had you fallen prey to this disgustingly nice feeling that accelerated your heartbeat and filled your stomach with so many butterflies that it felt like it would explode from the intensity?

Whenever he was in your presence, or whenever you looked into those beautiful brown hues as he talked to you with his irresistibly smooth voice, you could feel your chest constrict and your knees weaken helplessly as you fell prey to his endlessly charming appeal. It was painfully obvious that you were stuck pining after him, despite all the warning bells ringing in your head about the complexity of this man.

Yes; the man you had fallen for was none other than Dazai Osamu, the suicidal maniac who could outwit demons himself.

You should've seen it coming when you reciprocated his flirting one day.

It was initially to shut him up, as you were already having a stressful day with lots of paperwork and impatient calls to attend to. Despite being able to momentarily silence the man, you soon learned that it was the worst mistake of your life as his flirting had nearly doubled in both it's intensity and amount at the end of the day. Even when you knew he was only teasing, you were determined to get back at him. And you, like the unknowing, competitive fool you were, decided to challenge him to see who could fluster the other person first.

Soon, you found yourself wishing that the ground would split open and swallow you up whenever he dropped another impossibly smooth compliment that you didn't even see coming.

You would've already given up and told him of your feelings were it not for the fact that it was Dazai that you were crushing on.

At first glance, anybody would say that it was reasonable for you to fall for him. He was tall, witty, had a way with words, worked in a respectable company, and attractive; many people had helplessly fallen for his charm. The very same charm that he utilised as a weapon to manipulate others as he pleased.

Throughout the many playful banters and friendly conversations you had with him, you noticed how sometimes, his silly persona seemed slightly forced. How his eyes seemed to see through your very existence, finding out your darkest secrets and laying you bare to his sharp gaze. And how he never showed any genuine emotions, despite being an expert at reading them.

Plus the fact that he was a womaniser who still had countless admirers who were vying to have another chance with him, and he had rejected every single one of their advances. You were a personal witness to them, and each rejection made you rip up your feelings and toss them to the back of your mind, only for them to resurface as soon as he turned his attention towards you. Yet it was obvious that your feelings were in vain.

You gave a small sigh as you typed away on the computer, thinking about this complex dilemma you were in.

You knew that you should only stay friends with Dazai for your sake, but your heart just said otherwise.

"My my, you are sighing quite a lot today. Are you thinking about me and my irresistible charm, perhaps?~"

The butterflies resurfaced in your stomach again as you turned to face the cause of those damn feelings.

"Heh. As if. Instead, I was thinking how good it'll be if you actually did your work for once instead of pushing it all to me and Atsushi-kun to complete. It'll be a great help to all of us, don't you agree?" You gave your best agitated smile, despite wanting so desperately to scream out 'I like you!' at the top of your lungs and unbottle all those feelings you had harboured for Dazai.

"Ah, don't be maddddd! You know I do that because it's my love language! The best type of love language, if I may add!" He grinned cheekily, seemingly unaware of how fast your heart raced at his gorgeous smile. Your faux irritation quickly melted away into attraction and longing for him, already having gone past what friends normally felt for each other.

"Besides, I know you love me too much to actually make me do my dreary paperwork on my own.~"

Dazai's grin grew wider as his brown eyes gazed into yours; those same brown eyes which had drawn you in and made you captive to it's warm, bewitching stare. In fact, everything about him had made you fall, and fall hard.

He really was going to be the death of you someday.

Not too proud of this oneshot, but it really did exercise my rusty writing skills. I'm open to any criticism about my writing ❤

@circinuus @ashthemadwriter @sariel626 @dazaiyohane @xxelfmamaxx @nekokinax @yuugen-benni @i-just-like-goats

[comradekatara]

I don't know if you talked about this before but your last post made me curious, what are your thoughts on prince wu? like as a character in general.

i probably have talked about him before, but i truly do not care for that obnoxious little fop. prince wu rly exemplifies one of the worst phenomena in lok, which is introducing an aggravating, hammy side character and then having them overstay their welcome and crowding out the already bloated ensemble without ever actually endearing us to them in the first place. the presence of these two bit clowns wastes narrative space that could have been afforded to an actually interesting, plot relevant principal player, and every interesting facet of the ostensible main cast is relegated to subtext in favor of allowing these frustrating little nothings to chew the scenery. the fact that prince wu is paired with mako for the entirety of book 4 thus means that i cannot even enjoy seeing one of my favorite characters, because every scene he’s in is dedicated to some guy i have no reason to care about. iirc, mako gets exactly one episode where he isn’t babysitting the little prince, and it’s to follow korra around like a lost puppy (again, i like mako a lot, but his dynamic with korra is just tedious). i don’t understand why this show insisted on focalizing figures of generational importance (like the avatar’s children, or monarchs) and/or wealthy capitalists (ceos and technocrats) instead of allowing the only two normal people in the entire unwieldy ensemble (mako and bolin) to actually be given the depth they deserved as main characters without being paired with some wealthy maniac of political importance. i don’t mind wacky geniuses or well intentioned idiots when utilized correctly, but their presence (wu, varrick, bumi, etc etc) seemed like its only purpose was to make us (characters and audience alike) suffer. the fact that i’m expected to believe that wu abdicates the throne in favor of abolishing the monarchy altogether after a season of watching him do nothing but behave like an entitled, spoiled brat who lives to humiliate mako with his petty demands is laughable. the fact that he is also inexplicably one of the only south asian coded characters in all of avatar is absurd. i can’t even call it outright racist because i fear we’re actually somehow meant to like this guy. (sidenote: why is every single brown guy in this show with the exception of korra’s dad either a mustache twirling villain or a complete idiot? who hurt you bryke… what happened to sokka our best friend sokka…) there’s also of course the fact that since he is such an eminent imbecile, his effeminacy is played for laughs (as is his emasculating dependence on mako), which is an interesting joke for a season of television that broke new ground in the annals of lgbt media history. the connection between spoiled entitlement and femininity isn’t actually as hilarious as the lok writers may think. he’s a homophobic caricature of a guileless dandy who is insufferable to watch. his unfunny theatrics take up precious screentime that could have been given to far more engaging, compelling characters. we’re expected to forgive and redeem him via his out of nowhere eleventh hour turn to anti-monarchist radicalism. well i, for one, do not.

[terabyteturtle]

💜 Kazuya Mishima SFW Alphabet 💜

This is extremely self-indulgent, I'm not gonna lie. This man has been on my mind 24/7 recently, so I just couldn’t help but write a ton (I actually had to shorten it because it came out waaay too long)! Because I’m a fluff maniac, I made sure this was jam-packed with wholesomeness. Hope you like it!

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Kazuya is definitely not the most affectionate, at least not initially. It takes a long time for him to feel comfortable giving or receiving any sort of affection. Gentle physical touch is not something he’s used to, so he’ll tense up whenever you give him a hug or plant a kiss on his cheek. However, the longer you're together and the more you show your love for him, he'll get more comfortable and reciprocate. With Kazuya, all gestures of affection are small, simple, and given in private. He’ll frequently give you hugs or quick pecks on the forehead while you’re at home, but he’ll almost never do any of this in public. Though every so often, if you're talking to a friend or coworker of yours, he'll come up behind you and put an arm around your waist. It's subtle, but really sweet coming from Kazuya.

B = Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Kazuya doesn't really have friends, aside from maybe Bruce or Anna. He intentionally keeps most people away from him, so the fact that you managed to achieve friendship status is a lucky blessing. As a best friend, you and him would be a dynamic duo. The friendship would probably start at G Corporation, with you either being an executive of some sort or one of the lab workers running tests on him. As an executive, you’d probably run into him at business meetings. As a lab worker, you’d get the pleasure of seeing him every day, checking his vitals and making sure everything ran smoothly. Either way, the two of you would end up having many conversations, becoming best friends over time. At work, you two always get straight to the point, being as productive as possible. While he still retains his grumpy nature, he'd be more casual around you, maybe even cracking jokes once in a while with his signature frown still plastered on his face. It's strange seeing him try at humor while still looking very serious, but for you, it makes it funnier. The most important thing about your friendship, however, is that both of you can rely on each other for anything. Kazuya knows that you're the only person he can shoulder his burdens with, the only one who cares deeply for him. He feels comfortable opening up to you and only you, and he wants you to feel the same with him. If you ever need anything, whether it's a cup of coffee or a shoulder to cry on, he's there for you.

C = Comfort (How do they comfort you? Are they good at it, or are they kinda awkward? How do they like to be comforted?)

If he sees you upset, his first instinct is to launch a whole bunch of questions onto you, asking you what happened and why you're upset. Kazuya is only trying to help, but the way he does so can be pretty overwhelming and difficult to handle. But this won't last long, as he'll quickly notice how distressed you are and figure out that you need comfort. He will give you the biggest hug, lay you down next to him, and hold you until you feel better. Kazuya is pretty good at comforting, unless you need some input from him. Giving advice is not his strong suit, but he’ll try his best for you. When it comes to comforting him, it can be kind of difficult. Much like affection, comfort is an alien concept to Kazuya. At first, he’ll shrug off any attempt you make, but over time, he’ll realize that sometimes even he needs a hug every once and a while. Speaking of which, hugs are the best way to comfort him. Holding him is the quickest way to make him feel better after a tough and stressful day. You don't even have to say anything. Your presence alone is comforting enough.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He'd definitely want to settle down with you at some point. After everything he's gone through, a steady, secluded life with you sounds ideal. But beware—this man has never had to cook in his life. Growing up, he's always had servants to do it for him. Even in his later years, G Corporation supplied him with food and shelter in return for his services. When he took over the company, he made enough money to hire personal chefs and dine at fancy restaurants every night. If you give him a cookbook, he might not fare too badly, but don't expect a high-quality meal. In terms of cleaning, your shared living space will be spotless. Kazuya prefers to keep his spaces neat and tidy. In his mind, a clean environment is a healthy one (not to mention Heihachi totally would've beat him for making a mess when he was a kid; he won't admit it, but the trauma is still there).

E = Ending (If they had to break up with you, how would they do it?)

He would only end things if he felt it was too dangerous to continue the relationship. Kazuya would become colder around you than usual. He wouldn't pay much attention to you, he would walk away if you try to give him affection, and whenever you ask him what's wrong, he won't answer you. Eventually, when you feel like you've reached your limit, he'll sit down with you and explain that he thinks it's best that you don't see each other anymore. He'd end it in the most blunt, stoic way possible, but deep down, it hurts him to have to do this. Kazuya loves you deeply, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something were to happen to you because you were with him.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Originally, marriage was something he didn’t want to consider. The thought of committing to someone was something he was averse to. But the more time he spent with you, the more it dawned on him that marriage meant much more than he’d previously imagined. It would take years for Kazuya to even think about getting married. With him, it requires a lot of time to build trust in someone, especially in a partner. But once you've completely earned his trust, he'll be ready to make a commitment.

G = Gentle (How tender are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically, he's as careful with you as possible. Kazuya knows he's strong, and he worries he might somehow hurt you by accident. Sometimes, you have to remind him that you're a human being and not a glass vase. Emotionally, he's hard as a rock. He's very serious and keeps his emotions under a tough, protective shell. With enough time and patience, however, Kazuya will eventually soften up and bring his walls down around you.

H = Hugs n' Cuddles (Do they like hugs/cuddles? What are they like? How often do they happen?)

He won’t like them initially, but that will change the more you expose him to it. With guidance and a whole lot of love, he’ll find that he really enjoys hugging and cuddling you! His hugs are the absolute best! Considering how tall and muscular he is, it's easy for him to engulf you into a heartfelt embrace. Plus, he's always super warm for some reason, so you get the added benefit of having your own personal heater! His cuddles are pretty much the same way. Kazuya loves it when you're lying together, and your head is resting on his chest while his arms are draped over you. One way or another, he will have his arm (or arms) wrapped around you, making you feel safe and protected. Expect hugs and cuddles to happen every evening and every night as you two fall asleep. He's very busy during the day, so when he comes home from work, all he wants to do is indulge in your presence.

I = I Love You (How quickly do they tell you they love you?)

Like with most other things, it takes years for him to tell you this. Even after he puts all of his trust in you, it's still difficult for him to vocalize his feelings. Because of this, Kazuya usually shows his love through acts of service or, later on, gift-giving and physical touch. However, he'll eventually come to the realization that words are just as important. Sometimes people just need to hear that someone cares for them. He knows he sure did. At that point, he makes a mental note to say those three words next time he sees you, and when he does, he'll pour his whole heart into it.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they're jealous?)

Unfortunately, Kazuya can get pretty jealous, but it's not because he thinks someone else will whisk you away with some sweet words and a rose. In fact, it's the exact opposite. He's worried someone will take you and cause you pain or discomfort. He trusts you, but he doesn't trust anyone else. If he's around, he'll stand right next to you and put an arm around your waist, keeping a close eye on both you and the other person. He'll introduce himself as your significant other and will quietly attend whatever conversation you're having. If he notices any signs of discomfort from you, he'll give you a reassuring squeeze and guide you away from them. And if the other person dares to make snide remarks toward you, or even worse, lay a hand on you, they will be facing the wrath of the Mishima. The Iron Fist of Darkness does not mess around when it comes to someone harassing the love of his life. He doesn't care who they are; he will Electric Wind God Fist their heads in, if necessary.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

The nature of his kisses largely depends on his mood. If he's feeling happy, he'll give you a quick little peck. If he's feeling calm or relaxed, the kisses will be slower, longer, and sweeter. When Kazuya is angry or in a more spicy mood, they'll become sloppy and primal, fueled by passion and desire. He likes kissing you on the forehead and on the lips. The forehead is nice and easily accessible, perfect for quick pecks. Meanwhile, the lips are saved for more intimate kisses, since he feels he can show more love with lip kisses than any other type. If both of you are in a pretty spicy mood, however, he'll immediately go for the neck. But no matter what mood he’s in though, Kazuya loves it when you kiss his scars. It reminds him that you love him, even after all he’s been through.

L = Little Ones (How are they around children and what are their thoughts on them?)

Kazuya doesn't really spend time around children, nor does he have any particular thoughts on them. If he interacts with a kid, he's very indifferent and blunt about everything, no matter how the kid may act. Children are children, nothing more. They're tiny, innocent people who have a lot of life left to experience. Sometimes, kids will remind him of a fond time with his mother, or will make himself wish he'd had a regular childhood, but he'll shake all of that off quickly. All in all, he doesn't have much of an opinion on children. In terms of having children with you, that's when he starts getting emotionally conflicted. If you want to have children with him, then he wants to make you happy, but at the same time, he worries that they might end up like the last one. Kazuya hates the idea of two Jins potentially walking the Earth; he's already got his hands full with one, the last thing he needs is another.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Kazuya gets up early, since he needs to be at work for a certain time. That, and sometimes he just goes to work early because he doesn't trust most of the goons working at G Corporation. Since he likes holding you while you sleep, he makes sure you're awake before he has to get up. He'd feel bad about moving you off of him while you were still asleep, especially if that caused you to have a rude awakening. So, to keep you as peaceful as possible, Kazuya will wake you up by giving you a kiss on the forehead, and if that doesn't work, he'll kiss your lips. It wakes you up just enough to shuffle yourself off of him, but not to the point where you couldn't fall back asleep again if you wanted to. For breakfast, he usually just makes a protein shake and leaves, but if you're up and want to cook him something, he'd deeply appreciate it. As much as Kazuya likes protein shakes, it's nice to eat something else every once in a while, especially if it's as special as a homemade meal from his lover. Make sure to feed him a lot of protein, though. Kazuya needs to retain his physique somehow.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Unless there's some sort of work event or party he has to go to, nights with Kazuya are always about unwinding and relaxing from the stress of the day. No matter what, your conversations always start with the day's events and how you two are feeling. From there, you and him will talk about whatever comes to mind, whether it be some crazy thing on the news or something as mundane as work. Once you both have eaten dinner, you'll settle down on the couch, put on the TV, and just indulge in each other's company. It's simple, but it never fails to relax you. When you guys get ready for bed, you'll cuddle up close to him as he wraps both of his arms around you. If either one has any last-minute things they want to talk about, then the other is all ears. If not, or once all has been said, you'll kiss each other goodnight and fall asleep quickly, the soothing presence of one another helping you sleep soundly.

O = Open (At what point would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or take their time with it?)

On the first couple dates, he'll reveal all of the simple stuff. What he likes, what he dislikes, what his hobbies are, all of the basics. Once you've been together for a couple months, Kazuya will start revealing some more details about himself, like his rivalry with Heihachi, experiences from the King of Iron Fist Tournament, and faint, happy memories with his mother and grandfather. These small, ordinary things will be spread periodically throughout the first few months of your relationship. After that point, he’ll stop for a little while. When it’s been a little over a year, Kazuya will randomly sit down with you one night, calmly saying there are some things he’d like to explain. He’d then proceed to spill everything. He'll tell you why he hates his father so much. He'll tell you about his adopted brother and the abuse they underwent together. He'll tell you the truth behind his lineage, about the horrifying trait that is the Devil Gene. As calmly as possible, Kazuya will unveil all of it. Well, almost all of it. There are some secrets he feels he must withhold in order to keep you safe.

P = Patience (How patient are they?)

Kazuya is not the most patient person in the world. When it comes to work, he has very little patience for mistakes, overdue tasks, or incompetence of any sort. He's cutthroat and gets straight to the point. You can't beat around the bush with him. With you, however, he's a little more forbearing. He knows and cares for you a lot more than his subordinates, so it's a little easier for him to tolerate your mistakes. If Kazuya does begin to lose patience with you, he tries his best to keep a level head. Luckily for you, you can't even tell he's impatient half the time because he looks grumpy on a regular basis.

Q = Quizzes (How much do they remember about you? Do they remember every detail or kinda forget everything?)

Kazuya has a remarkable memory. If he was able to remember stuff from before the age of five, he'll definitely remember a lot about you. When it comes to you, he remembers every detail, as well as every moment you've shared together vividly. Before, he used to hate the fact that he had such a good memory, as every traumatic event he's experienced is still crystal clear in his mind. But honestly, meeting you has changed his perspective on it. Nowadays, he couldn't be more grateful.

R = Remember (What is one of the most important moments of your relationship?)

The most important moment of your relationship was definitely when Kazuya opened up to you about the more serious topics of his past. That moment was the most truthful he'd ever been to anyone, and the most vulnerable he'd ever been in his entire life. That night pretty much sealed the deal for him when it came to whether or not he could trust you. On top of that, he gained a whole new admiration for you. Not that he didn’t admire you before, but seeing how determined you were, promising to help him out and fight alongside him, added fuel to his fire.

S = Security (How protective are they and how would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Kazuya is definitely protective, sometimes to the point where it might be a little overbearing. He'll want to be around you as much as he can, and when he can't be, he'll appoint G Corp soldiers to watch over you while he's gone. He'll want to be introduced to your friends so he knows that you hang out with people who are safe and reliable. His number one concern will be your safety, especially as long as Heihachi and Jin are alive. He means no ill intent, but there are times where you have to tell him to dial it down a bit. Once you tell him this, he'll realize that maybe he worries a little too much. Just a little, though. Kazuya doesn't want you to protect him for two reasons. First, he knows that he can protect himself and, although he finds it admirable, doesn't feel it's necessary. Second, he doesn't want you putting yourself in danger. In a dangerous situation, he'd rather you save yourself than risk your life to protect him. Kazuya would rather die knowing you're alive than live having watched you die.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, etc?)

It’s needless to say that this man will pamper you to no end. He knows your likes and dislikes like he knows the back of his hand. Dates, anniversaries, gifts, and the like would all center around things that you enjoy, or that hold significance to you. For a date, he’ll take you out to that one restaurant you loved when you were a kid and gladly let you order everything on the menu. For your anniversary, he’ll whisk you away to your favorite vacation destination. Is there something you've always wanted, but were never able to have? Kazuya will get it for you. And of course, he’d always ask for your input. If there’s somewhere specific you want to go for dinner, he’s already booked a reservation. Want to go out for a scenic drive? Hop in the car, sweetheart, it’s already warmed up for you. Screw it, he doesn’t care if that giant teddy bear in the store display is 300 bucks, he’ll still get it because of the way your eyes lit up when you saw it. There isn’t a thing he wouldn’t do to keep you happy, especially after all you’ve done for him. In his mind, you deserve it.

U = Ugly (What are some bad habits of theirs?)

He has a bad habit of closing himself off. It's difficult to communicate with him because he just can't get himself to open up sometimes. It's like his default setting is to hold everything in and keep others from seeing it. Also, Kazuya has trusted you with a lot of his secrets, but there are times where you can't shake the feeling that there's something else he hasn't told you...

V = Values (What do they value in a partner?)

Kazuya values someone who is kind and patient, but also strong-willed and determined. Someone like this would earn his respect quickly, as very few have a balanced mix of these traits. All of these remind him of his mother, who was a bright spot for him amidst some horrible times. Kindness and patience weren’t shown to him much growing up, so when it was, it was deeply appreciated. Kazuya may seem apathetic, but deep down, forbearance and tenderness are never taken for granted. More often than not, someone with strong will and determination is loyal to whatever or whoever they believe in. It’s reassuring to know that someone has your back, especially when everyone who’s supposed to be close to you is actually out to tear you to pieces.

W = Wedding (How are they on the big day? How do they help plan it out? Are they emotional or stoic?)

On the outside, Kazuya would be his usual stern self. But on the inside, he'd be freaking out. Like holy hell, this is actually happening. He can't believe it. Kazuya will help with everything he can. Every part of a relationship is a team effort, and weddings are no different. He wants to shoulder the responsibility as much as he can and will ask for your input to make it perfect for both of you. Throughout the ceremony, Kazuya looks pretty composed on the outside. But on the inside, he is barely holding himself together. The sight of you alone has him weak in the knees.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them)

If you fall asleep on him, he'll gently scoop you up into his arms and carry you to bed. Sometimes, he’ll secretly hope that you fall asleep on him just so he can carry you. Other times, he’ll just do it regardless of whether you’re awake or not, and he won’t take no for an answer.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they can't stand, both in a partner and in general?)

He can't stand anyone who is oblivious and can't follow simple directions. His patience is not the greatest, so he'd get irritated easily with someone like that. He also can't stand whining. It's like nails on a chalkboard to him.

Z = Zzz (What are some sleep habits of theirs?)

Kazuya does not move at all when he sleeps. If you weren’t lying right next to him, you’d think he was dead. When he lies down, he always stays on his back and keeps his arms around you. Once he falls asleep, he stays exactly like that for the rest of the night. He doesn't snore, he doesn't talk in his sleep, he doesn't do anything. He just lays there until morning comes. He's a moderate sleeper, heavy enough so that he doesn't jolt at the slightest noise but light enough to awaken if you shake him.

Can you tell I love Kazuya? Hopefully, I made it clear enough 💜.

[goddevouringserpent]

c'mon girlies (gender neutral) time for the SLOW YET STEADY CORRUPTION ARC, the DISCOVERY OF THE MOST FUCKED UP PARTS OF OUR SELF WHICH WE EMBRACE LIKE THEY'RE WORTH NURTURING BECAUSE WE ARE TOO AFRAID OF THE ALTERNATIVE, the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF OUR MORALITY FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE OR SOMETHING THAT BURNS LIKE ONLY LOVE COULD, TH

anyway, this is Angel, or yuor devil 😈, my MC for @homecomingvn ! definitely gonna be romancing Henry; still not sure if he's also going to be my MC for Lyra or if I'll make a different one for her, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it

more info about Angel below the cut because I cannot shut up ever. it's my curse and I bear it with dignity.

if you ever try to call Angel out on anything, her go-to reply will be "aw, do you really think I would do that, can't you see I'm an angel?" & a face that's a weird mixture of 😏 and 🥺. don't ask how he pulls that one off, it's a secret between him and god and neither of them's telling (when the Nonbinary hit, she briefly considered changing her name for something that sparked more gender joy, but ultimately decided against it because commitment to the bit is her #1 priority.)



I put 'chemistry' as one of the things he likes, but really she's super into anything science-related, chemistry is just her passion. one of the STEM bitches, basically. maybe a bit light on the TE part, but he would still read a 700-page book about, I don't know, How To Build Some Big Shit Like A Bridge Or Aqueduct and enjoy every bit of it. which doesn't necessarily mean he'd understand every bit of it, mind you, but it's all about the energy I guess



related to the above: WILL infodump about her interests if given the chance. WILL NOT stop unless directly and firmly told to. if you want him to shut up but are too polite to do anything about it? good fucking luck. Angel can keep going for hours and that is a promise.



hates the nickname 'Angie' and will never respond to it. will accept 'Annie' from friends, but really they tend to prefer more personalized nicknames—like Henry's 'Buttercup'—or just plain ol' Angel



extremely ride-or-die. if she considers you one of 'her people' there's next to nothing you could do to make her change her mind or give up on you. (though, to be honest, he probably IS going to be very confused as to how he managed to befriend not one Fucked Up Weirdo but two. didn’t even know there were two Fucked Up Weirdos in town! gotta be something in the water.)



I don't know what his job is going to be yet, but I do know he's already had like 15 jobs minimum; all because she's very thorough about "following your dreams" and it just so happens that her dreams generally last around 10-20 business days before he moves on to another dream. Angel, stop hoarding jobs, you fucking maniac. you're gonna destroy the economy. and yes that's sexy conceptually but you gotta be more careful about it bro (gender neutral)



tends to play wizards in D&D/any TTRPG. she likes the complexity and versatility.



speaking of, it's time for the most nightmarish scary fact about Angel, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED READER BEWARE: she thinks THAC0 makes perfect sense and is intuitive & easy to understand. if you just felt a cold chill run down your spine, it's okay, I did too 😔 (in this house we tolerate AD&D in a "respect your elders" kinda way, but fuck THAC0 what was up with that shit)

Notes:

I don't actually know if school newspapers are a thing or I got tricked by media from the USA and also my ex-girlfriend; it's just that the concept of being some sort of unhinged investigative journalist at the tender age of 14something+ was too fitting for Angel and I had to take the risk of looking like a clown.

the Picrew used is Black Centered Picrew <3 by naylissah. I'd link it but I've been led to believe that This Website makes it so that you can't put external links or the post won't show up in tags/mentions, so uh. it's on the first page of Picrew, if you can't find it send me a DM or something??

[spiralemoji]

this is the reason i am alive today, i was in a similar situation, but the neighbor intervened. he said he was going to call the police, but it was the fact he now had a witness that made him stop. the worst part is im not the first person he nearly killed, he severely injured someone in a fight and rendered them paralyzed before having met me. why i didn't register this as a red flag, i don't know, but seriously reconsider involving yourself with someone who has had any violent history. you are not the exception. and they are likely psycho. i thought the term was sort of out dated, 90s term, "psycho" and used like a joke... but that day was the day i met what psycho actually looks like, and i promise, it's real. it's a look in the eyes that you know they are disconnected, and are about to commit a heinous crime. it is the look of someone who is not in their right mind. it is surprising that these people who appear completely normal can on a dime, completely out of the blue, turn into a homicidal maniac. it sounds unbelievable, but its true. i still can't trust anyone. these videos are cathartic to me, because i had no way to prove attempted murder other than the neighboring witness. i didn't think anyone would believe me. but looking back on it, if he had gotten justice, it would of done me some good. surviving victims should be given free therapy, at the highest standard of care. i wouldn't of made it otherwise, the trauma was so severe, without medication and therapy, i wouldn't be alive. the trauma of surviving it, is worse than the event itself.

[bored-storyteller]

Dear Anon, sorry if I can't do the screen of your request :3 anyway I hope you like it

Warning: mention of violence and blood (nothing too bloody I think)

45- Tokyo Ghoul, Uta x human!Reader

“Natural”

That's your favorite time of the day. When you sit at the table in the hot cafeteria, with the steam of the sweet boiling drink in your nostrils, the warmth of the discreetly attended but not too noisy environment and your faithful sketchbook open on the polished wooden shelf. The first blank page available looks at you, waiting to become your world, your dreams.

You are particularly lucky today; he is there.

When you entered he was already sitting at the bar, sipping a black coffee. He doesn't come every day, nor does he always arrive at the same time, but when you find him you know he will stay a long time.

You don't know his name - or at least you shouldn't know, it's not nice to overhear conversations - you don't know who he is, you just know that the first time something entered him it made you hold your breath. You don't even know what has caused you so much upset at a simple glance; it's not his extravagant style, it's not his piercings or his intricate tattoos. They are not even his strange and sometimes scary eyes. They are not those caressing, sweet and persuasive ways with which he seems to behave as usual, and not even the calm ironic words he occasionally addresses to the one who serves behind the counter. No, it's none of this, or maybe it's all this, but you don't know it, you can't understand it.

Today he smiled at you. The place wasn't too crowded, and his look had turned to you at the chirping of the bell. How bizarre as a face that threatens so much aggression it is capable of such delicacy.

You wonder if he knows how much your eyes touch him every time you meet him. Maybe yes, but he doesn't really care.

His decorated fingers are absent-mindedly tucked into the handle of the cup, his hair today is gathered in a rather messy half-ponytail. You don't know if he did it on purpose or if he just didn't pay much attention to it.

For a second you get lost following his profile line. His lips are slightly parted, he is listening.

You choose to seize the moment, and your freshly sharpened pencil glides over the slightly textured paper, sketching indefinite sketches. You have plenty of time to improve them.

You don't really remember since you started drawing Uta - as the man in the coffee shop calls him, and for you he is the only reference you can rely on - only, suddenly the block that had taken possession of your artistic skills was suddenly loose. Whoever that man was, you wanted to draw him.

From there, his face started to appear more and more often in your drawings, and from there he started to inspire you, he started to make you imagine.

"Beautiful, he is really beautiful." You thought immediately, and at the beginning it was nothing more. Then, slowly, over time that "beautiful" had extended beyond his physical boundary, also touching his attitude, his voice, his expressions.

You never really talked to him - out of shyness, or maybe not to break that magic - but it's not important. That's okay, you've started to get attached to him, you've begun to hope that he can be okay, that he can be happy, and it doesn't matter who he is or who he isn't. His mere presence has given you so much.

Today it is a coincidence that you and he get up at the same time from your respective seats. He surely didn't notice, and neither did you, as you put your sketchbook back in your bag.

It is not rush hour, and even if you are far away you can see him well. He is so calm, while he keeps his balance clinging effortlessly to the steel tube. His eyes look beyond the glass, although there is little to see. But maybe they see much more? You wonder what he is thinking, what can a person like him think? Who knows how he lives, you wouldn't even know how to attribute a precise age to him.

He is quicker than you to get out, and you are still settling your bill. It's not like you want to chase him, you're not a stalker or a maniac, but he's right in front of you. It is a coincidence. It is also a coincidence when he takes the subway with you.

Your stop passes by, and this time it is no coincidence.

Shinjuku is his station, apparently. Yes, it suits him, it's a suitable environment for him, at least you think. The frenetic lights and noises make the neighborhood alive even in the evening dusk. It is not a bad place to pass the time, it is full of attractions, activities and culture.

You feel a bit dirty following him like this, but it's not something you can really command. You just want to know who he is, your muse. You would like to be close to him, you would like to ask him questions, but at the same time you are afraid. You are afraid of seeing him disappear, scared of you. Who will fill your blank pages if he leaves? But how come you could justify your behavior towards him? Would he ever understand the beauty he represents for your artist eyes?

When he disappears among the people it's not that big of a problem. You don't want to interfere in his business, after all you just wanted to have him close a little longer, at least close to your eyes.

But even if you didn't see him anymore, you didn't regret having extended your trip a little. Tokyo could inspire an artist more than people thought, and your sketchbook is back in your hands, to sketch what came to you - and from time to time to look back at that face that is taking shape more and more. below the details you have come to know by now.

There, in that district of the capital, if you take enough alleys and go down enough steps, you can reach hidden areas away from the eyes of tourists. Sure, they might seem insignificant and at times creepy, but for someone like you the small traditional shop on the corner, or the writing on the wall that would be poorly tolerated in the city center, has such a particular charm, so intense that it makes you imagine stories, and eyes that never existed.

And it is while the graphite of your pencil draws more or less regular shadows on a creature that looks so much like that tabby cat looking for food in the alley, that something makes your blood run cold.

A cry, a cry of terror. It was sharp, scratchy, but immediately suffocated, or rather, broken.

And it is then that looking up to the sky you see the night. It is not the case for someone like you to be in those areas with darkness that has fallen.

And that's why you don't bother thinking about that scream, you just think about going back through those alleys, and as quickly as possible.

But for you the world is bigger than for any human being, and your feet stop, your breath freezes in your chest.

There is no light, you are alone, but taking refuge behind the wall like a mouse, your eyes too used to observing see it immediately.

Him. It's him. Him, and his eyes light up hot. In the light glow of the moon and the flickering artificial lights you can see blood-colored veins that like roots mark his nocturnal sclera up to affect the pale skin.

His arms always dyed with black weaves are now covered in red, as are his hungry lips, his face up to his nose.

You know perfectly well what is happening, you know that that mass of flesh at his feet is a man he has just killed, to devour him.

You know what he is, and it scares you. How could it not? Yet it is precisely that fear that inspires you, that makes you take the figure of him in the dim light. As many details as possible are frantically marked on the paper, everything you need to remember.

"Beautiful" is everything your confused and terrified mind can think as you start running unaware of the fact that he saw you - or rather, he smelled you -, but luckily for you too late. . . .

"I don't know anything about it."

You don't know if actually the case those investigators are investigating is actually the killing - or the post-killing - you witnessed, but it doesn't really matter. Your words come out with such an ease that you are amazed too.

You wonder which god is angry with you for letting you cross their path and their eyes, is it your punishment for asking for help?

Maybe wandering around the back streets of Shinjuku makes you suspicious? Probably. But it doesn't matter, you really don't know anything. You are ready to forget everything in order to protect him. You can not miss it. He is your subject, your art.

You hold your sketchbook to your chest, protective.

"I didn't know there were ghouls in the area… is it really that dangerous?" It's not that you like to lie, but the more you can mislead those people, the more you can avoid danger to him, so don't blame yourself. It's the right thing, it's right that he has the chance to live.

"We don't have precise information, but it would be better not to wander alone in such isolated places, especially if the day is ending."

Looking up at the sky you realize that the sky is slowly turning on the evening colors. Who knows what you really expected. Were you seriously hoping to find him? Maybe Shinjuku was just a stop for him that day. Or maybe you are the cause why you don't come across him anymore, not even at the cafeteria.

“Now that I know, I'll try to be careful. I'll finish quickly and go home right away. "

The man in front of you smiles, his eyes scan the surroundings come to make sure you are safe: "Well, if you see something strange, even a suspicious trace, please contact us."

You agree. He gives you the impression of a good-hearted man, that agent, and you silently thank him as he and his companions walk away from you.

The world is cruel. It is cruel, but you don't even know in what respect, because it can be so cruel and so generous at the same time. So kind and so unfair.

And while in solitude your free mind wanders among those thoughts, something makes you quickly return to the ground, rushes you, crushes you.

A stabbing pain takes you to the right side of your body, like a burning fire throbs and quivers in your torn muscles, starting from the hollow between the neck and shoulder.

You would scream, but you are prevented, because a cold hand presses on your lips forcefully.

You don't really think about what's happening, you don't have time to think. All you can do is wriggle desperately, even though the strength holding you back is far superior to yours.

That pain repeats itself, more overwhelming on the open wound, and this time you can at least turn around in the arms of torture. And everything stops.

His beautiful face, the face you searched for so intensely is there, a few inches from yours. His eyes look at you, they scan you. His tongue licks your blood and his arms tighten you against him to keep you from running away.

Have you ever had him so close? Do not you think. You don't think he has ever looked at you as directly as he is doing right now.

But you don't have time, you have no way of thinking. The blood slips away, your eyesight darkens and your body loses sensitivity with every passing second.

The world is so kind to grant you that closeness, and so cruel to give you so little time to enjoy what you have so desired.

"Beautiful ..." You manage to murmur, and maybe that's really all you want to tell him. Your hand rests cold and delicate on his face, touching his pale cheek. His night-colored tuft lightly tickles your numb knuckles, and his confused gaze is the last thing you see. . . .

How long hadn't anyone caressed him like that? Had anyone ever caressed him like that?

Uta hadn't really looked for you, even though he recognized you, for some reason he just avoided meeting you again. It was the riskiest choice for him, yet he had subconsciously decided to give you that chance, to the little artist in the coffee shop.

But you were there, so close to him, in his domain. He had smelled you, so what could he do?

Yet you weren't behaving like everyone else. He didn't believe he could see such warmth in human eyes, ready to give in to forced sleep, and the bite had been held back. He still feels the sweetness and tenderness of your flesh running down his throat, but he has held back from giving you the coup de grace. A sign of respect for an artist like him? Or just too risky curiosity?

And your hand moved away from him too soon, slumping along his arm with a dead weight.

From your chest your black-covered notebook slips to the ground, you had held it tight all the time despite your injured shoulder.

His pupils scrutinize the object with distrust and curiosity. Probably he should kill you before he feels free to browse, yet now he is there, bent over. His long moon fingers and night-colored interlacing turn the pages with a light and quick gesture.

There are drawings of animals, people, objects. You're good, really good, he likes your style.

But that is not all. He could have foreseen it, he could have suspected since your eyes touched him so much, yet it was as if in his vision this was impossible. Despite this impossibility, one's face looks at him, and turning the page it is still there, only from another point of view. There are drawings of him in every perspective, with expressions that not even he realizes he has - probably no one has ever noticed -; some portraits are detailed, some are colored, some are just sketches that, despite everything, reflect him, while still others are started and never finished, deleted and thrown away as errors.

He is really beautiful.

You even wrote it down. You have written a lot, you have taken note of the details of him.

Uta doesn't know how he actually feels. How is he feeling? He feels a shyness on him that is not his own. Is it embarrassment? Maybe, in part. In part it's confusion, and in part ... how long hasn't someone considered him with the tenderness with which you did? You had watched him from afar for so long, and so intensely.

He obviously understood your interest, every time he greeted you cordially it was a confirmation, but he didn't think there was such a stupid sincerity in your feelings.

As he continues to turn the cream-colored pages, he notices that some pages are torn. He doesn't really give weight to them, he also does it when a work of his does not satisfy him, despite your mistakes being present several times in the notebook.

The last page is still him, he is smiling. He wonders if he really smiles like that. He looks really handsome, and he doesn't know if he's real or your eyes have affected that image to make his face so kind and serene.

A soft sigh blows between his lips as he closes your treasure. Yet, before he can complete the action, something blocks him.

On the bottom, on the hard cover, the internal part reproduces the black of the external facade. He probably wouldn't have noticed anything strange if his eye wasn't used to being attentive.

Sticking his fingers into the crack under that black, he manages to retrieve a slightly protruding sheet, one of the sheets you tore.

On paper, the dark traces form his figure again, but this time something is different. He is different.

He is a ghoul in that drawing. He is bent over his victim, his placid face stained with blood, like his arms. He is imposing above the figure you have represented in the shadow.

Yet despite this, he is not ugly or cruel. You made it beautiful anyway, natural. Yes, you simply grasped his nature, you grasped the beauty in his nature and brought it back to paper, as a work of art.

It's not finished yet, his critical eye saw it well. Maybe that's why you hid it? Why were you dying to complete it during your days, to always have it with you, but were you afraid it would be discovered? Did you tear up so many pages for this? To deprive prying eyes of discovering his nature through your drawings?

Honestly, were you really protecting him, in your own way?

He had distractedly heard you talking to the Doves, and hadn't given it any weight - always because it was impossible, in his eyes - but now, in front of himself so sweetly admired by your shy eyes, he can't help admitting that something it moves in his stomach, like agitated butterflies.

Perhaps it is the interest in having been made a work of art by such skilled hands, or a sense of esteem that overwhelms him when he realizes that he is in front of a skilled artist, or perhaps, deep down, it is a simple motion of affection he can't help but feel for amazing human beings like you. Even while he was killing you, you didn't speak out against him. You are stranger than Tsugumi.

Uta may be crazy, but he is not insensitive, on the contrary, it is his sensitivity that makes him so uncomfortable in the world.

He feels you tremble and suddenly remembers he has you in his arms. He hadn't noticed that he had kept you with such care; your lifeless head, resting on his chest, rises and falls to the rhythm of his breaths.

Look at your suffering face, in his lap you are getting colder and colder and the nectarine blood continues to dirty both your clothes and his.

You can die, but the wounds he inflicted on you are not fatal in themselves - luckily -.

Will you forgive him for tasting your body? Probably yes. He doesn't know you, but he has already understood you, and now he wants to understand more. . . .

The warmth envelops you, all you perceive is a warm and placid relief.

Your clouded mind only asks you one question: "Are you dead?"

You don't really know why you should be, you just know that there is that possibility. Yet, slowly, a physicality settles on you, making you return to earth, away from the world of ideas.

Your fingers barely move and your sensitivity feels warmth and softness. The shoulder burns.

Your eyelids vibrate before venturing to lift again wondering if you really are living.

The light is dim, the environment is unfamiliar to you and yet you perceive something you know, even if you don't really know what it is. A sensation? A smell?

"Hey…"

A gentle, light, friendly voice. Maybe it's a bit hypocritical of him, but what does it matter to you? You're probably dreaming, he really killed you and that's your hell. It's not that bad if you can spend your pains admiring him.

His blood-colored and strawberry-colored eyes scan you attentively, there is no threat in his features, only a barely hinted smile, a smile that you adore, and a greeting from him that for some reason makes your rhythm pick up again your heart: "Good morning."

[accursedkaleeshi]

Hypothetical for funsies: Was cyborg Grievous still susceptible in any way to baby??

First of all, what did Grievous consider baby. Anybody that looked like Skywalker or younger was baby.

Would Grievous respond to baby Kaleesh distress peeps? Yeah, his primal hind brain would stop him mid action. Once the rest of his brain caught up & realized that was probably impossible (and/or an auditory hallucination) he would go right back to killing things. You could only use that trick once. But goddamn would it be funny.

Did Grievous have problems trying to kill people that were very obviously children, like Ahsoka & younglings? Obviously not. Because Dooku told him everything about Jedi, he knew padawans would accompany many masters in the field. If they were on the field of battle presenting themselves as warriors then they were treated as warriors & deserved to die as such.

He actually high-key hated that. But HE was not the one sending literal children onto the field of battle against a million droids with guns. The fact that there were a lot of padawan braids in his collection on Vassek (that episode jedi broke into his house lol) meant he caught them in the field directly interfering & he was just like

A few more paragraphs reflecting on Grievous murdering children under the cut lol. With what I think the limits to that would be at the end.

Would he go out of his way to kill younglings? No. Would he kill them in a state of surrender? No. He would only kill them if they were being too much of a liability or they attempted to fight him. That thing in his Dark Horse comic run was super dark (turning the younglings into cyborgs) but that's bc he's a dramatic bitch & liked the idea of jedi suffering as he suffered. Suffering is literally his whole character. I don't think he even cared that it would get Dooku off his back, that was just a bonus. Those younglings became a liability & he was ready to fuckin drop kick them into minecraft lava but the little jedi read his dumb ass like a book & challenged him to a fight.

That arc in the Clone Wars with the younglings building their lightsabers. I don't know if he would have necessarily straight beheaded a baby wookie in order to get his lightsaber but he would not have been above stepping on them to take it lol. Ahsoka was there to save them & Ahsoka was a higher level threat. Tbh I don't remember what Grievous was even doing there besides being a maniac & a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

This got kind of heavy for funsies. So what I think wouldn't be an unreasonable line he would have problems crossing would be that arc where Dooku was stealing babies. Thankfully being a giant robot w tuberculosis gets you out of the shadiest stealth missions. But I think he would have a real problem physically stealing infants from the arms of their mothers. Probably the only thing to even remotely come close to touching his dead emotions would be infants.

Mind you, I'm talking directly. Grievous has killed countless people in attacks, orbital bombardments, orders, & indirectly with zero fucks given. But like, if you tried to fight him with an actual baby in your arms I don't think he would do it. Or he would at least hesitate. The way he sees it, if a child has been put in a situation where he is a direct threat to it that is completely the fault of whomsoever facilitated it & the blood is on their hands.

Imagined Ahsoka hitting Obi-wan up with "Master Kenobi, I think you can use babies as shields against General Grievous." & Kenobi is just like "Ahsoka, what the hell???" & Anakin was immediately all in like, "Okay but do they have to be cute babies?"

[nyerus]

Hi, nyerus.....If you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite MXTX characters (top 5 from each novel)? And why? I'm sorry if you've answered this question before.

Thank you so much for asking! I would love to! (Apologies for the delay, and also for how long this is lol....)

TGCF

1.) Xie Lian: I could write forever about why I love him, but XL is just a really great character who subverted my expectations. He's gentle and compassionate, but also funny and snarky on the inside. His character arc is the classic hero's journey but told out of order. So we meet him when he's already wise and world-weary, then get to see what he was like before, and how he finishes his journey later on. He's extremely inspiring, to show that our choices and our actions are what make us, and ultimately no one can take those from us.

2.) Hua Cheng: This is no surprise! I also just adore HC for being a very intense character! He's completely devoted to XL and that zealotry is very unique in a character. He's 100%, not 50, not 75. While he has a lot of relateable aspects, this part of him is utterly fantastical, on the level only myth and fable can achieve--which tracks. After all, he isnt a Ghost King for nothing. In the story, he is the embodiment of the purest devotion, no strings attached.

3.) He Xuan: I actually like him for the same reasons as HC! He too is a walking fable, only instead of devotion, he represents vengence. (They're actually like foils of each other, which is quite neat.) I really adore his arc, and how murky his whole character is. It tells a cautionary tale of how sometimes, our worst enemy--the one who makes us most miserable--is often ourselves. SWD wronged him greviously, but HX's obsession with vengence ultimately prevented him from getting the peace and recompense he wanted in the end. Absolutely stellar storytelling.

4.) Mei Nianqing: While I often question his motives and methods, he is still a really good character. Caught between wanting to be a mentor and protector to XL, but still loving (platonically or romantically, that's up to you) JW. He's the only father figure in XL's life that actually took him seriously, even if he did have to come around to it. But ultimately, he was proud of who XL became even before he ascended. He was just terrified of XL drawing the attention of the one man he shouldn't--and did. However his belief in superstition and fear of Hong Hong-er also makes sense, even if it's sad. MNQ is also just a quirky and fun dude lol.

5.) Mu Qing: I really like how complicated and murky MQ's is in terms of his inner turmoil. I'm somewhat similar to him in the way he thinks, and it's real work not to make things worse for myself by expecting the worse. His background makes him naturally suspicious of... basically everyone, all the time, and it's honestly understandable. Ultimately, he does understand that you can't make assumptions about people's intentions by projecting your own insecurities onto them--which I think is something everyone can relate to. I really like his subtle journey of self-realization and self-forgiveness, and he ends up far better for it.

MDZS

1.) Lan Wangji: I love the fact that LWJ was just so ready to Night Hunt himself to death upon the loss of his beloved. As you can tell, I really like complicated characters who have extreme traits, haha! That being said, I just also really like his stoicism and reliability.

2.) Wei Wuxian: Naturally, it's hard not to love WWX! He decided "yeah maybe the ends do justify the means" and went for it. To us, he is the hero. To the regular people of the world? Whose ancestors were dug up and disturbed to be used by the Yiling Laozu? His blackened reputation is not without cause! (Like... JGY literally has done more positive and helpful things for regular people than Wangxian, but those metas already exist lol.) Once again, his gray morality is what makes him so damn good, and can be debated at length!

3.) Jiang Cheng: JC gets a bad rep, but oh boy he doesn't make things easy for himself at all. However if I was in his position, I probably would be much worse off. He lost EVERYTHING, and still trudged on because there were people who depended on him. His hatred of the Wens also makes sense in the context that... that's often how humans react to and process extreme trauma. We find something to blame and *waves at literally every major conflict since the dawn of time.* (His rumored torture of innocent people due to that is reprehensible, of course, but given that MDZS is a book about how rumors can make or break someone's life... we should take that line with a grain of skepticism, much like all other hearsay.) He's not typically the type of character I like, but I found him really interesting to read.

4.) Jiang Yanli: I really love JYL, who decided to be the emotional backbone of her family from the time she was a child. It was an undue and extremely heavy burden to bear, but she did all of it without complaint. That's strength. I think many elder siblings can relate to her having to step up and be the third parent, when the actual adults fail at it.

5.) Wen Qing: I really like her arc in the novel, where she makes some of the hardest decisions anyone will ever have to make, over and over and over again. I don't typically love very "rough" characters, but she has ever right to be that way (and it makes sense for her character, and isn't just a tacked-on character trait like hair color or eye color in a CC), and honestly I want to marry her very seriously.

SVSSS

1.) Luo Binghe: Probably the most misunderstood main character of all of MXTX's works. LBH is neither truly a crybaby nor is he a ruthless maniac. He's right in the middle, in the valley of misanthropy. And yet, he knows just how to use his charisma to get his way. Cunning and devious, intelligent and ruthless. Meanwhile, he craves love and intimacy--something he could only ever dream of.

2.) Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan): Extremely refreshing to see an transmigrator know how to handle transmigration almost flawlessly. (Me reading/watching other works with this trope and wanting to tear my hair out at the protags = me sympathizing on a personal level with SQQ.) This also proves to be SQQ's fatal flaw!! His knowledge of the novel is both a boon and a obstacle to him, and prevents him from understanding the other characters as people until he lets go of his pre-conceived notions. And of course, his snarky as heck inner dialogue is amazing.

3.) Liu Qingge: I don't actually even know why I love LQG as much as I do. He's just neat.

4.) Tianlang-Jun: Honestly same goes for TLJ. He's just great though, and I have a blast reading about him. He wanted to see the good in humanity, and ultimately comes around after writing them off.

5.) Yue Qingyuan: He's a fascinating character. Harmless on the outside, but a quagmire on the inside. His love for Shen Jiu was quite... problematic, in that he saught forgiveness from SJ, without actually ever taking the time to understand him or to make amends. Patronizing and judgemental, yet willing to let SJ get away with literally anything because of his own unresolved turmoil, etc etc. Fascinating.

[first-and-last-neocount]

Ask game:

N, P, & Y

Ah, thank you Potato :P

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

Hmm, I wouldn't say that I have any really strong thoughts on this, since I've always tended toward the mindset of "if you want it, write it yourself" even before getting into fandom, so I don't have anything super specific. In very general terms, I'd be over the moon if more people got into Karril/Damien enough to write for that ship, even if it was just little drabbles. What can I say, I've really done myself in with this little rarepair that is now near and dear to my heart. :'D

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an "architect" or a "gardener"? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

GARDENER. I go into most of my stories with more 'vibe' than 'plan', and even when I give the broad strokes of an outline, it's all subject to change as I go. Even in my original work, I tend to use an outline format I call "melody plotting" - I'll map out the big notes the story needs to hit, the pivotal character developments and the hooks for future storylines, and a couple of dramatic 'set pieces'. All the rest, the little ornamentation and flavour? All added in the process. The bulk of my worldbuilding bible for original works will grow alongside the story, with elements that come to me organically during writing getting put into the bible once I've checked them against existing material - and if I like the new idea enough, I'll throw out the old stuff that contradicted it. It sometimes means more work for myself if I decide to change a significant element mid-work, but it's worth it, because it's by far the most fun and natural way for me to work. It's also why my estimated word count/chapter count/series length will change often and rapidly, because it's very easy for me to get swept away with fleshing out a particular section that was only a footnote in the outline, which is what exactly happened with "And Its Dizzying Heights". I got so caught up in the dinner scene that it ended up filling out the whole fic, with the after-dinner scene getting pushed off to the next fic.

Y: A character you want to protect.

I mean, that's a fair thing to ask, since it's very obvious which characters I want to hurt. XD This is actually very well timed, because the first character that comes to mind is Raistlin Majere. He's one of my very oldest blorbos, and the fact that I imprinted on him before getting most of my own trauma means that rather than cathartically projecting worse versions of my own issues onto him as I tend to do with Gerald, I would prefer to just bundle Raistlin up in bubble wrap and make sure nothing bad happens to him ever. Which is... a tall order, given all of canon, but is also why every fic idea I've ever had for Dragonlance diverges from canon in either Soulforge era, Brothers Majere era, or early Dragons of Autumn Twilight at the very latest - I applaud every author who wants to tackle the absolute nightmare that is Raistlin's life post-Spring Dawning, but I prefer to keep my slightly-less-bitter-and-jaded Red Robe from going off the deep end in the first place. (I'm also far more in love with Raistlin's characterization as a Red Robe who prioritizes the magic above all else than after he decides godhood is the answer to all his problems. I love a maniacal villain as much as the next shipper, but that strange limbo between resentment and compassion that Raistlin spent most of his early life tenuously balanced in just resonates on a different level for me.)

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars CXXXVIII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: Meet Mel’s little brother :)

Words: 5,235 

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Book Six

Listen to: ‘Thread’ -by Keane.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Leon Regulus Sultens-Black.

HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS

[...]Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, re-instated member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. 

He has insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile the Boy Who Lived —

"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," Hermione interrupted.

"Of course they would," Erick rolled his eyes, he was sitting on the floor between the two beds, his back against Hermione's bed. 

Now that all his Slytherin friends knew the truth, they had stopped talking to him, so Erick was now spending all his time with Mel.

"He's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he? Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?" Ron grabbed a bunch of chocolate frogs from his bedside table and handed one to each. 

He leaned over and stretched out his hand to Erick, the older boy stared down at the chocolate and then up to him, Ron waved it impatiently in front of his face and Erick grabbed it quickly.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," Hermione agreed. "'A lone voice of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story... forced to bear ridicule and slander...' Hmm... I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering, though... 'You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter and Mel Dumbledore, page nine...' Well, it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry and Mel isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."

"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"...That sounds lovely," Hermione said after a short silence.

"So anyway, what's going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off —"

"Why?" 

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic."

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George, they sent me all these, you know," Ron pointed at the bunch of Frogs. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?" 

 "I'll miss them..." Mel sighed.

"You can always buy a few of their products and set them around the school," Harry offered, "it'll feel as if they were still here."

She chuckled softly, around them the group shared confused and relieved glances. It wasn't exactly like before, but they could sense the friendly tones of their conversations, they had stopped fighting.

Although it didn't mean there wouldn't be fights later, they had pushed the conversation about their lifeline further into the future, right now they didn't have the energy to discuss life-changing matters.

"So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, everything's settled right back down again," Neville nodded.

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" asked Ron.

"Not at all! He's really, really miserable, actually..." Ginny lowered her voice. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts..."

"If any of you feel like pranking Filch next year, let me know so I can look the other way," Erick joked.

All of them turned to see Professor Umbridge on the bed opposite Ron and Hermione's. Dumbledore had rescued her from the centaurs, nobody knew how, and Umbridge was out of it, therefore unable to speak.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," Hermione explained. 

"Sulking, more like," said Ginny.

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking wildly around.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.

"No... no..." said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows, "no, I must have been dreaming..."

Hermione and Ginny muffled their laughter.

"Serves her right," Mel scowled. "She caused a lot of suffering this year..."

She looked down at Harry's hand, and the boy moved it only to hold hers.

"Speaking of centaurs," Hermione spoke, causing Harry to retreat his hand abruptly, "who's Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"He's got to, the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?" Harry shrugged.

"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," said Ginny.

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good. Mind you, the whole subjects useless if you ask me, Firenze isn't a lot better..."

"How can you say that?" Hermione frowned. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies? It is a pity it broke..."

"Yeah, it is. Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either, it was clever of you to break it, Mel. Though you really shouldn't have used your hand to do so..."

"I think it made you look really tough," Erick smiled.

Mel returned his gesture tensely, she wished she could feel as calm as the rest of her friends, she wanted to go back to normal but she couldn't ignore what was about to happen once the school year ended, now her home had as many ghosts as the castle.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ron asked in a hurt voice when Harry stood up to leave.

"Er — Hagrid's. You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are..." 

"Oh all right then," Ron grumbled. "Wish we could come..."

"Say hello to him for us!" said Hermione. "And ask him what's happening about... about his little friend!"

Erick occupied Harry's place, he nudged her arm. 

"You're going to let him go just like that?" 

Mel contemplated the door in silence. She was ready for Harry's grief this time, there would be moments when he would want to be left alone and she had no problem with it. She understood, there were moments in which she wanted to hide away forever and never wake up.

"He doesn't need me right now," The girl shrugged. "And before you give me a lecture, I don't mean it in a bad way. Whatever he's going through... I can't help him go through it faster. I can't even help myself..."

Mel looked out the window to avoid her friend's eyes.

"How about we go for a walk?" Erick suggested.

They stopped once they reached the courtyard. It was deserted, most of the students were out on the school grounds bathing in the sun. Mel sat on the edge of one of the archways while Erick remained standing, she could feel him staring, but she kept her eyes down.

"So you and Harry are okay now," He started, "no more fighting?"

"None at all," She sighed. "We have better things to do than to fight over our love life. Not that it matters, we've stopped liking each other that way."

"How come?"

"It just happened," She replied quietly.

Erick hummed, moving to sit next to her. 

"Maybe you're meant to be just friends. I mean, your relationship is already too complicated with the lifeline..."

Mel couldn't care less about what her relationship with Harry was destined to be. She didn't know what she wanted to do with the connection after hearing Harry's reasons to keep it.  All she could think of was her mother; she'd sacrificed so much to keep them safe, what Sirius had done to help them... She was running out of days to think of a proper way to apologize to her family. Dumbledore had taken the blame but those were just words, in the end, it was Mel and Harry who'd decided to drop every precaution, part of her felt she deserved all the hurt.

"You know," Erick said quietly. "I've been thinking about dropping out of school after this year."

"Why?"

"Well, my intention was to become a Ministry worker, but after these last few months, I realized they're useless. It would change my plans completely... but maybe I could join the Order?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't know what I want," He sighed tiredly. "I know I'm good at duelling and I have nowhere else to go... Did you know Sirius offered to take me in for the summer?"

Mel stared at him. 

"Well, he did," Erick continued. "He said I could live with him, that he didn't mind having me around — said I reminded him of his younger brother... Wish I could've done something to help him..."

"You should hate me," She blurted out. "My mother's going to hate me. She'll hate me for being impulsive and for not listening to my uncle — My brother will hate me..."

"Why would I hate you?" He frowned. 

"It's my fault that your parents kicked you out," She responded. "I made you write those letters to Anne. It was me who dragged you into this mess, you never wanted any of this, you would've lived a quiet, prosperous life —"

"And I would've been miserable," Erick shook his head. "You never forced me to do anything. You asked and I granted every time because I wanted to, I needed you to give me that final push... I made my choice the moment I met you, Mel."

"It's my fault you don't get to live with Sirius — it's because of me that you won't have a nice home —"

"It's because of you that I'm still alive," His voice trembled with incredulity. He moved closer and held her by the shoulders. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, I'm so lucky I found you..."

The girl had been shoving all her worries deep within herself for too long, she hadn't cried properly, refusing to let herself grieve since she felt she had no right to do so. Erick's voice sounded honest and comforting, she cracked under the pressure.

Erick hugged her and Mel wept like she hadn't done in months, not even while making peace with Harry. She sobbed as loud as she wanted, and the knot that had been stopping her from breathing finally loosened a bit, it made her feel as if she was slowly shrinking back into her child self, the girl cornered in the playground, but she wasn't alone anymore, and she was no longer a weak little thing.

Erick ran a hand through her hair gently, there was something about the way he touched her that made her feel safe. 

"You'll feel better. I promise you will..."

He'd lost someone not so long ago, the only adult he'd loved and cared for him. He was probably still grieving, but the fact that he was there, in one piece, was the definite and only proof she needed to hold onto her hopes.

When the last day of school arrived, it also meant having to sit there surrounded by curious eyes all staring at her and Harry, and she knew what Dumbledore would say during his speech. 

Stay together. 

She'd talked about the same thing for three days in a row and she was exhausted, if she could, she would drink a potion to forget everything, maybe even the fact that she was a witch, and she would go live with her uncle Lupin, surrounded by nothing but trees...

However, Mel had to keep fighting. It was far from over.

She decided to skip the feast and asked her friends to bring her food once it ended, she slowly made her way back to the tower. Mel turned right on one of the corridors and stopped abruptly when she saw Harry. 

For a second they stared at each other in mild confusion, they had been careful not to spend too much time alone because they knew they would end up discussing things they weren't ready to address. Mel gathered enough energy to give him a weak smile.

"Trying to find your appetite? Me too."

Harry raised his eyebrows. 

"You're not hungry?" 

"It's been happening all year," She sighed. "I guess I grew out of that too..."

"No way. You'll be eating in a week, I expect."

"I expect the same from you," She replied. "I'll make sure you eat twice as much. Merlin knows you need it."

A faint smile appeared on his face. 

"Care if I join you? I could use a walk."

The silence didn't last long when they found Luna.

"How come you're not at the feast?" asked Harry.

"Well, I've lost most of my possessions. People take them and hide them, you know. But as it's the last night, I really do need them back, so I've been putting up signs."

"That's horrible," Mel frowned.

"How come people hide your stuff?" 

"Oh... well... I think they think I'm a bit odd, you know. Some people call me 'Loony' Lovegood, actually," The girl said casually.

"That's no reason for them to take your things," Harry replied. "They used to call Mel a nutter too, but they didn't hide away her things."

"That's because they thought I was an attractive nutter," Mel rolled her eyes. "Prats. People need new brains, Luna. You're wonderful."

"D'you want help finding them?"

"Oh no," Luna smiled. "They'll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to pack tonight. Anyway... why aren't you at the feast?"

Harry and Mel shared a look and shrugged. 

"We didn't feel like it."

"No," Luna agreed, and for a second, Mel was able to see something more than just the usual vagueness in her eyes. "I don't suppose you do. That man the Death Eaters killed was your godfather, wasn't he? Ginny told me. She also said your mother and him were expecting a baby, Mel."

Harry nodded, Mel barely replied with a broken 'yes'.

"Have you..." The boy started slowly. "I mean, who... has anyone you've known ever died?"

"Yes. My mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was nine."

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.

"Yes, it was rather horrible. I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've still got Dad. And anyway, it's not as though I'll never see Mum again, is it?"

"Er — isn't it?" Harry glanced back at Mel with slight worry.

"Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?"

"You mean..." The boy started, but he didn't dare to finish.

"In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them. I could see you felt them too, Mel. They're always there."

Luna smiled at them carelessly, as if she'd just commented on the weather.

"Are you sure you don't want us to help you look for your stuff?"

"Oh no. No, I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up... It always does in the end... Well, have a nice holiday."

"Yeah... yeah, you too."

"Bye, Luna."

As they watched her go, Harry turned his head slightly without withdrawing his eyes from the Ravenclaw.

"You think she's telling the truth?"

"About what?"

"Everything."

Mel stared at the notice on the wall for a moment, deciding to use her popular card one last time in order to help a friend. 

"I think I would love for it to be true," She responded. "And since I have the liberty to believe in whatever I please... then yes, I think she's right."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting all week for the opportunity to strike without teacher witnesses, attempted to ambush Harry halfway down the train as he made his way back from the toilet.

The attack might have succeeded had it not been for the fact that they unwittingly chose to stage the attack right outside a compartment full of D.A. members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as one to rush to Harry's aid. 

Ron and Harry walked back into their compartment and told them what had just happened outside, Erick put down the book he was reading and scoffed. 

"One would think that having your parents sent to Azkaban would knock some sense into you... I'll have to keep an eye on them next year, then."

Mel turned to look at him in surprise.

"You'll come back?"

"Yes," He said, a little smile playing on his lips. "I got a letter this morning ..."

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. It was her mother's handwriting.

"I'm welcomed to stay with you this summer, and I think I'll take the offer," He grinned. "I don't wish to work at the Ministry, but I could learn a few things before I'm off to become a member of the Order. Besides, I can't think of a better way to thank Sirius than to look after all of you in the meantime..."

"I think that's very sensible of you," Hermione agreed. "It would've been stupid to give up your education now."

"What's stupid is that he's been ignored by his housemates," Ron replied. "The only decent bloke that house got in decades and they hurled him out? That's rubbish!"

Everyone stared at Ron with amusement, the boy turned a bit red.

"What? I can admit when someone's a good person!"

"I don't know what to say," Erick laughed. "Gryffindor's king just gave me his blessing..."

Ron turned redder and threw a jellybean at him.

Harry and Ron whiled away most of the journey playing wizard chess while Hermione read out snippets from the Prophet. It was now full of articles about how to repel dementors, attempts by the Ministry to track down Death Eaters, and hysterical letters claiming that the writer had seen Lord Voldemort walking past their house that very morning...

"It hasn't really started yet," sighed Hermione gloomily, folding up the newspaper again. "But it won't be long now..."

Neville let out a short sigh, absently patting his Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Mel put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, he looked up and smiled tensely.

"Hey, Harry," Ron kicked his leg.

Cho Chang was passing by with Marietta Edgecombe, who made a great deal out of hiding her face. Harry barely reacted, glancing at her before returning his gaze to the game.

"What's — er — going on with you and her anyway?" Ron asked, unsure of whether this was a safe subject to handle with Mel around.

"Nothing," Harry answered.

"I — er — heard she's going out with someone else now," added Hermione, looking at Mel as well.

"You're well out of it, mate. I mean, she's quite good-looking and all that, but you want someone a bit more cheerful."

"Right, because Harry's a ray of sunshine," Erick taunted.

"She's probably cheerful enough with someone else," Harry shrugged.

"Who's she with now anyway?" Ron asked.

"Michael Corner," Ginny responded.

"Michael — but —" Ron stammered. "But you were going out with him!"

"Not anymore. He didn't like Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw at Quidditch and got really sulky, so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho instead," Ginny said distractedly, focused on her Quibbler.

"Well, I always thought he was a bit of an idiot," Ron said happily. "Good for you. Just choose someone... better, next time."

"Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he's better?" Ginny replied. 

"WHAT?" 

Ron knocked over the chess and Crookshanks chased around the pieces. Grey merely opened one eye before going back to sleep. 

Erick laughed again, freedom suited him. The stiffness of his shoulders had vanished and although he kept some old-fashioned attitudes, he was slowly coming out of his shell. Affection settled on Mel's heart.

"What about you?" He asked her, bringing her back from her reverie.

"What about me?"

"Do you have any new prospects in mind? I know Fred's hard to beat, but..."

"I don't think I'm ready to date anyone yet," Mel responded sincerely. "Why?"

"No reason," He replied. 

His eyes lingered on her long after she'd looked away.

The moment came when the train got to the station, and she stayed behind, unsure of whether she wanted to see what was expecting her outside the platform. 

It was time to meet her brother.

"Remember what I told you," Erick offered his arm for her to hold.

Her mouth was dry, but she nodded and held his arm firmly, letting him guide her to the other side of the wall with a firm step.

There was Mad-Eye Moody, looking quite as sinister with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye as he would have done without it, his gnarled hands clutching a long staff, his body wrapped in a voluminous traveling cloak. 

Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend the weird sisters. 

Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair graying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. At the front of the group stood Mr and Mrs Weasley, dressed in their Muggle best, and Fred and George, who were both wearing brand-new jackets in some lurid green, scaly material.

Emily was next to Lupin, she was hugging a bundle of blankets that could only be one thing. She didn't look like Mel was expecting, there were dark circles under her eyes, but she was far from angry. 

Her face filled with relief as soon as she saw her. Mel stumbled back, not knowing what to do. Emily realized that her daughter was afraid and she looked at her in confusion. 

"Mel," She began carefully. "D'you remember what I told Harry last year after the third task?"

Mel remembered, of course. 

"You said no one would blame him for fighting as hard as he could."

"That's right," Emily cupped her daughter's cheek. "I was so scared of losing you... My brave, brave girl."

Mel hugged her mother tightly, around her, she heard the others welcoming the rest of their friends.

"Ron, Ginny! Oh, and Harry dear — how are you?"

"Fine..." 

"What are they supposed to be?" Ron's voice asked.

"Finest dragon skin, little bro," Fred responded, probably talking about his clothes. "Business is booming and we thought we'd treat ourselves."

Mel finally stepped back so Erick could say hi as well. She realized then that she was now as tall as her mother.

"It's time you meet someone," Emily said, drying her face with the back of her sleeve. "Come here... this is Leon Regulus. Reggie, this is your sister."

He was the tiniest person she'd ever seen, didn't have much hair yet, but his eyes were definitely grey. She remembered Luna's words and in a way, she felt that a part of Sirius still remained.

"I have a brother," She whispered in awe.

"Is that your sibling?" Ginny beamed. "Can I see him?"

Quickly, Ron and the girls approached to look at him. 

Harry stayed behind, a bit unsure of whether he was allowed to meet him.

"Hello, kids," Lupin greeted them while the rest of their friends surrounded Emily.

"Hi. I didn't expect... what are you all doing here?" Harry asked.

"Well, Emily can't drive and watch over the baby at the same time, as for the rest, we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."

"I dunno if that's a good idea," Harry said awkwardly.

"Oh, I think it is," Moody growled. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?"

Mel looked over Moody's shoulder and saw the Dursleys, shocked to the core at such scene. She couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it, the first genuine laughter ever since coming back from the Ministry.

She felt someone poking her shoulder and she turned, coming face to face with the twins.

"What, we stop seeing each other for a few weeks and you forget we exist?" Fred smirked. 

She jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

"I would never forget you. Have you met my brother?"

"Yes, ugly little thing," Fred grimaced, George hit the back of his head. "What? It's true! No newborn is pretty..."

"Bold words from someone with the ugliest taste in clothing," Mel laughed again, it was interesting what a bunch of familiar and happy faces could do to her soul.

"We heard Erick's staying with you this summer... Pitty, we were thinking about hiring him as our assistant."

"I would rather choke on my tongue," Erick walked up to them. "You look ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who likes to wear formal shirts on the weekends."

Fred and George trapped him in a bear hug and messed up his hair, Erick tried to fight back but it only made things worse. 

"You missed us!"

"Flimsy little prince like you must bore to death without us around to keep things interesting..."

"Trust me," Erick grunted, looking at her with a smile. "Mel made sure you weren't that sorely missed."

"Ah, kids!" Mr Weasley looked at them. "Boys, let go of him! Ah, look at what you did! He looks like a madman..."

Erick blushed a nice shade of pink, but he laughed it off. 

"It's okay, Mr Weasley..."

"He looks far better like this," Fred teased. 

"Don't listen to them, they're just jealous," Emily replied, followed shortly by the girls and Ron. "Harry, would you like to meet my son?"

Harry wasn't expecting her to address him, but he didn't have the nerve to say no. Emily took it as a yes and did something she hadn't done with the rest of them: She asked him if he wanted to hold him. 

Harry stared at the baby without uttering a word. He took him, and with a few pointers from Emily, soon enough Leon was safely tucked on his arms. 

"He's... he's got his eyes," Harry said quietly. "Reggie, you say? ...He's brilliant."

For a moment he forgot about the rest of the world, Harry could see his godfather reflected on those small, shiny eyes, and with that came a life with no mistakes in it yet, a new opportunity to make things right.

Emily didn't take the baby away, instead, she joined the group of adults.

"Well — shall we do it, then?" Mr Weasley then directed his attention to Moody.

"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur." 

He and Mr Weasley took the lead across the station toward the place where the Dursleys stood, apparently rooted to the floor. Hermione disengaged herself gently from her mother to join the group.

"Good afternoon," said Mr Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."

As Mr Weasley had singlehandedly demolished most of the Dursleys' living room two years previously, Harry would have been very surprised if Uncle Vernon had forgotten him. Sure enough, Uncle Vernon turned a deeper shade of puce and glared at Mr Weasley, but chose not to say anything, partly, perhaps, because the Dursleys were outnumbered two to one. 

Aunt Petunia looked both frightened and embarrassed. She kept glancing around, as though terrified somebody she knew would see her in such company. Dudley, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to look small and insignificant, a feat at which he was failing extravagantly.

"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry." 

"Yeah. About how he's treated when he's at your place," Moody growled. "And trust us, Emily has made sure to tell us all about it."

Her mother smiled brightly.

"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house —" Mr Dursley started, but he was soon interrupted.

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley."

"Anyway, that's not the point," Tonks added. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry —"

"— and make no mistake, we'll hear about it," Lupin added, looking briefly at Mel and winking.

"Yes, even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone —"

"Telephone," Hermione corrected under her breath.

"Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," Moody growled.

"Are you threatening me, sir?" Mr Dursley asked in anger.

"Yes, I am."

"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?"

"Well..." said Moody, pushing back his bowler hat to reveal his sinisterly revolving magical eye. Uncle Vernon leapt backward in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."

He turned from Uncle Vernon to Harry. "So, Potter... give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along..."

"We'll keep an eye on him, Moody," Mel's mother replied, "Erick, Mel and I will. Feel free to have every meal with us from now on, Harry. There's no reason for you to be eating rubbish."

Aunt Petunia gasped loudly at this.

"I..." Harry blinked. "Okay."

Emily stepped forward and seized Regulus, then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Harry's cheek. 

"We'll see you in a while, love."

"'Bye, then, Potter," Moody patted his shoulder.

"Take care, Harry," said Lupin. "Keep in touch."

"You're not coming?" Mel asked. 

"I'm afraid not," The man said, hugging her one last time. "We have work to do."

"I could help if you want," Erick responded quickly.

"You're not going anywhere," Mel argued, holding his arm protectively.

"Maybe later, kid," Lupin answered, staring at them in slight amusement.

"We should move," Emily responded before Erick could argue back.

"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can," Mrs Weasley said. "And of course, Emily dear, all of you are invited."

"We'll see you soon," said Ron shaking Harry and Erick's hands.

"Really soon," Hermione added. "We promise."

Harry then summoned a real, loving smile. He waved at everyone goodbye and then turned to Mel and Erick. 

A strange thought came to her when she watched those two boys standing next to her and her mother: Family.

Difficult times were ahead, but they would go through them. Together.

"Well," Harry scratched the back of his neck. "I'll see you later."

Erick sat in the backseat with restless curiosity, examining every detail.

"First time?" Mel grinned, looking over to the older boy and her little brother, completely asleep on the baby chair. "If you feel like vomiting don't stress, I get carsick too..."

"Ready?" Emily asked.

Mel stroke Grey's head and turned around to face forward. 

Yes, she was ready.

Next Part —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @hamiltonwc @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle

[0606-hyuck]

PUPPY LOVE

Word Count: 2.2K

THUMP THUMP THUMP 

"What the hell is that?" Renjun called from his bedroom in the general direction of his other roommates, who were relaxing in the living room. When he received no reply, and the hammering on their front door continued, Renjun made his way out into the other room. 

Chenle and Jisung had been curled up together on the couch, but when the noise started they had both startled and sat up straight, staring wide-eyed at the other two older boys. Jeno and Jaemin were looking between each other, debating whether or not it was a good idea to let the maniacal door-knocker into their apartment. 

"Is anyone going to answer the door?" Renjun replied irritated, ignoring the apprehension of his friends and walking towards the entrance. Just as Jisung was about to tell Renjun not to open it, he heard his name being called through the wooden door. 

"Jisung, are you home?" Came the frantic voice Jisung recognised as his close friend, Y/N. "Someone please answer, I really need your help."

All the boys turned to face Jisung, as if he had the answer to why you were agitatedly trying to bang down their door. Jisung sat frozen to the couch, unsure what to do, until Chenle sharply nudged him under the ribs with his elbow. "Answer the door, dummy."

Jisung reached the door and opened it quickly, his eyes taking in your dishevelled state only causing his anxiety levels to raise higher than a healthy level. He grabbed your forearm and gently pulled you into the apartment, silently asking you to explain your situation. 

Between shallow, shaky breaths, you managed to explain that you'd lost your dog, and by your unsteady hands and red, tear-stained eyes, the boys realised that this was a situation they had to take seriously. You'd come to them because you genuinely had no idea what else to do, and hoped they would be able to help. 

Shocked into silence by your revelation that you'd lost the dog they'd been looking after just hours earlier, it took Jisung and his friends a few long moments to finally kick themselves into action. Renjun, who was still standing, moved to the entrance and slipped a pair of sandals on hurriedly. He placed a hand on your shoulder and said, "I'll come back with you to your place so you can grab Saja's leash and some treats."

Barely registering your own head nodding, you allowed Renjun to lead you back to your own apartment to prepare for the search and rescue mission of your dog. After the door to their own apartment shut, Chenle, Jeno, and Jaemin headed to their respective rooms to grab sturdy walking shoes and loose sweaters. The fact Jisung's arguably favourite dog had just done a runner seemed to take a longer time to register in Jisung's head, but when it did, he was a mess. 

Following his friend's leads and running to his room, he hastily threw on a pair of mismatched runners and was the first one ready to leave. "Come on!" He cried impatiently as his friends came back from their rooms, moving from foot to foot as he waited in front of the door. 

Jaemin eyed his younger roommate carefully before stating, "getting so worked up isn't going to help us find Saja."

Barely managing to roll his eyes, Jisung distracted himself by opening the door and ushering the others out into the hallway. "If I find Saja for Y/N, then she will like me more."

Both Jeno and Jaemin shared an incredulous look, but before either of them could respond you and Renjun came bursting from your apartment carrying a harness, leash, and bag filled with dog snacks. Without saying a word to the others, you guided them to the stairwell and down the floors as quick as your messily tied shoes could carry you. 

When you made it out onto the street, into the still-warm summer night air, you realised just how unprepared you actually were. It had been about ten minutes since Saja had disappeared on you, and you had no idea which way he had actually gone. He was there one second, and gone the next. 

"I lost him over there," you managed, pointing towards a dumpster by the side of your apartment building. "He could be anywhere by now."

"Okay, so here's what's going to happen," Renjun started, obviously the most clear-headed out of the six of you. "I'll take Y/N and go this way, Jeno and Chenle can go the opposite way, and Jaemin and Jisung can go that way."

Jisung found himself a little miffed that he wasn't able to pair off with you, but it made sense because neither of you were really in the right mind to effectively look for your dog together. At least Jaemin would be able to calm Jisung's worries. Renjun continued, "we will search for half an hour first before we start to regroup and search the pounds. If you see Saja, grab his collar and by god, don't let go. Understand?"

Everyone nodded, and with that silent agreement you all split off into your own directions. 

Jisung and Jaemin were given the task of searching north, and started heading off down a road which would eventually lead them to the river. For the most part, their search was wholly void of conversation as they both called Saja's name and peered behind rubbish bins, bus stops, and down darkened alleyways. After twenty-five minutes of fruitless searching, the road turned into a pedestrian only walkway and there really wasn't anything Jisung and Jaemin could do besides head forwards. 

As they checked behind a shrub way too small to hide the shiba inu they were after, Jaemin decided to finally break the silence. "When you said you wanted to find Saja to get Y/N to like you, what did you mean by that?"

Jisung tried to groan, but because of his nerves it came out more like an awkward voice crack. Managing to contain his nerves for a second, he said "I know how much Y/N loves this dog, and I'm really scared for her. The time I've spent walking him with her and seeing how much she fawns over him...Saja feels like he's my dog too."

Jaemin let out a short, affectionate laugh. "I could tell you liked Saja when he was staying with us, and that explains your nerves. But you completely avoided my question."

This time, Jisung did groan. "If you're trying to get me to admit I like Y/N, then you're wasting your time. You already know the answer to that." A beat of silence passed, and knowing he had Jaemin's full support, Jisung added, "I'm sick of feeling like a boy compared to you and Jeno and Renjun. I want Y/N to see me as a man, and I think that by finding her dog I might be a hero to her."

As Jaemin started cooing at Jisung's curious admission, Jisung shoved the older boy away from him with a huff and finally focused on the mission at hand again. Although it was summer, the light of the day was starting to fade, and the anxiety started to seep back in. In his peripheral vision, Jisung noticed a small movement. He didn't think too much of it, assuming it was just Jaemin, until he realised Jaemin had stopped paces back to tie up his shoe laces. Looking closer, Jisung's chest was filled with childlike hope as he spotted a familiar tan coat of fur. 

-

After searching for so long and finding absolutely nothing, you were just about ready to give up. Renjun, to his credit, had indulged in your worry and had been searching behind every single chair, bush, and object you came around in the hopes of finding your dog there, even though he knew half the things you two were looking behind were not big enough to conceal Saja anyway. 

At some point, you'd walked by the entrance to the subway station closest to your house and found Elodie and Yeonmi wandering around the area, aimlessly searching for your dog. In your fretful state, you'd completely forgotten to introduce your friends to Renjun, but it appeared no one blamed you and they'd been getting on fine so far. 

"Y/N, it's been half an hour," Renjun mentioned quietly, coming up to place a hand on your shoulder while you searched under a parked car. "I'll give Jaemin and Jeno a call and we can start deciding who goes to search which pounds."

Straightening up, you felt your cheeks dampen and you realised you'd started crying again. The thought of your beloved Saja being locked in a cold, dirty cage, terrified and entirely alone, was too much for your heart to handle. Elodie came up to you and quietly wrapped her arms around you, pulling you close to her body and surrounding you in the warmth of her large jacket. 

Yeonmi rubbed small, slow circles on your back as Elodie released you, and reassured, "Saja being in a pound isn't great, but at least he's safe there. We will find him."

"Okay," you sniffled, wiping your nose on the tissue Renjun had kindly handed you earlier. "I guess we should go back." Renjun nodded resignedly, and started walking back the way you had come. Elodie let out a defeated, sad sigh, and you almost didn't hear your phone ringing over how loud she was exhaling. 

"Jisung?" You questioned in disbelief once you'd managed to grab your phone and read the caller ID. Your three friends halted in their steps and turned around to stare at you when they realised who was calling. They couldn't hear what Jisung was saying, but by the absolutely relieved smile that washed over your face they could tell it was good news. "Oh my god, I literally love you, Jisung! Okay, we'll be over as soon as possible."

Elodie and Yeonmi shared a knowing look at your praising of Jisung, and were happy to finally see the anxiety roll off your shoulders and a wide smile on your face. "Him and Jaemin found Saja down by the river, where Jisung and I usually took him on walks. I should have known!"

Putting your metaphorical running shoes on (you were actually wearing slides), you sprinted as fast as you could to where Jisung said he was, Renjun, Elodie, and Yeonmi trailing behind you begging you to slow down. With Saja's leash in one hand, and your phone gripped in your other, the concrete under your feet switched to grass as you approached Jisung and Saja's location. 

You detected two figures crouched down on the grass, stroking the fur of a familiar dog. As you got closer, Jaemin registered your presence and stood up, stepping away from Saja. His friend's sudden movement caused Jisung to also look towards you, and a shy smile graced his face as his hand held onto Saja's collar tightly. Jogging towards them and completely out of breath, you managed an 'oh my god, you found him' before you fell to your knees in front of your excited dog. 

Clearly oblivious to the commotion and panic he'd caused, Saja gave your cheeks a generous amount of slobbery licks, not quite sure why you were burying your face into his fur so tightly but thankful for the attention nonetheless. After a few long seconds, you pulled yourself away from your dog and clipped his leash onto his collar, making it harder for him to bolt away if he so chose to. 

Standing up on trembling legs, you passed the leash over to Jaemin; behind you you could hear that Renjun, Elodie, and Yeonmi had finally arrived. Through heavy, wheezy gasps Renjun panted, "damn, Y/N, who knew you were so speedy?"

Ignoring Renjun, you turned your attention to Jisung, the one who you assumed had found Saja and called you to tell you the great news. He stood over a head taller than you, and was watching you with a twinkle in his eyes - he was simply happy to see you so happy. 

Without thinking, you suddenly threw your arms around his neck in a surprise embrace. Jisung stumbled back slightly, totally unprepared for your affectionate attack, but managed to steady himself and place his hand on your lower back, subtly pulling you closer into him. You couldn't resist burying yourself into the space between his shoulder and neck, and he ran a gentle hand over your hair in an act of reassurance. "Everything is okay now."

"Oh Jisung, I was so so worried," you whispered into his t-shirt, feeling tears brimming in the corner of your eyes again and hoping you wouldn't leave a stain in the fabric. 

"I know," he soothed, "but Saja is safe now."

Regaining your composure after relishing in the warmth of Jisung's hug, you finally pulled away from him, earning yourself a sigh from the tall boy. Looking up at him and finding him slightly flushed, you stood on your tip toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, mere millimetres away from his lips. He let out a startled yelp, but didn't pull away, although his face bloomed a delicious colour of red when he realised all your friends were watching you with affectionate grins on their faces. 

"It's all thanks to you, Jisung!" You asserted happily. "I guess I really do owe you that dinner date now!"

Puppy Love [part eighteen]

Description: When you move into a new apartment, you’re pleasantly surprised to find out your neighbours are all attractive. Really attractive. You find yourself developing a crush on one of your said neighbours when he offers to help you train your dog, Saja, but you quickly realise he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing...

Taglist: @whosyourmama @chubbsdabunny @peachhyun @jising-jisang-jisung @bangpink123 @hiqhkey @chuus-slug @coolhootswtlove @ghjasksdk

Next

[msmarvelwrites]

The Winter Ghost - Part 9

Info: A Devastating car crash causes you to lose your memory and start over. The only thing left in the wreckage was the horrific nightmares which plagued your mind. If you knew what today would entail you would have just stayed in bed. But you didn’t and because of that, everything you knew was about to change.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: swearing, angst if you squint.

W/c: 2.5 k

A/n: Thank you so much to all of you have have given this fic so much love. And thank you to @cutie1365​ for all her help and support! Hope you all are having a great week! Also I promise more Y/n x Bucky interactions are coming soon! 

It had been exactly five days since the three men left on their recon mission to see what Zemo knew. Five days. Besides the occasional report on Natasha’s part, you haven't heard from Bucky again since that night. 

This was a good thing, you thought. Maybe he was respecting your space. Maybe he had come to his senses. Maybe he meant that text for someone else. Ouch, You hurt your own feelings with that one. 

In any case, the time away from the Super Soldier had given you the clarity you needed to think. You and Natasha trained almost every morning and in your spare time you would work out with Sam. He was a good trainer, besides the lingering eyes when he asked you to do squats. You didn't really mind though. You weren't really sure why you were training. It's not like anyone knew where you were, or even cared at that point. The Avengers in New York had their own problems and as far as the rest of the world knew, Y/n L/n didn't exist. 

Everytime you would ask Nat what this was all for she would only shrug and say something about ‘Avengers must be prepared.’ The idea that you could even be compared to the world saving team was insane and frankly terrifying to say the least. You were just Y/n. Sure Hydra had pumped you full of some mystery serum but without your memories you weren't even sure what that meant. 

Speaking of, since that fateful day at the market, you had no sign of anything else coming back to you. You felt like you were letting everyone down. Especially Shuri who had been working tirelessly to help try and regain something, anything that would make you remember. A part of you worried that no matter what she did, you would never truly know. And a small part of you was maybe a little thankful. The idea of your past life terrified and fascinated you all at once. 

 Over the past few days, Wanda helped teach you that little mind trick of yours. Once you got the hang of it, it was hard to say out of people's heads. Though you had more control over your ability than before, sometimes your friends were just too loud; you couldn't help but pick them out of a room. 

“Hey good lookin'! You ready to hit the gym?” Sam's voice echoed through the kitchen while you poured yourself a tall mug of coffee. You signed, still sore from yesterday's workout. 

“Don’t you guys do anything other than workout?” You asked, eyeing him sceptically. 

“What's it look like?” He winked, flexing his bicep. 

Guess that's a no. 

“Okay, okay. Just let me enjoy this small fleeting moment of peace while I drink my coffee. I’ll meet you there in fifteen.” You spoke, exasperated. You weren't getting out of this one. You knew that, and so did he. 

“Fine, but if you're late, we’re sparring. And you know damn well I fight dirty.” He smirked, jogging out of the room. God, he was insufferable. Over the time since Sam had come back you both had spent a lot of time together. He was a flirt and you were awkward as hell, but the two of you became close friends. Plus, he liked to shit talk Bucky as much as you did. 

You brought your mug up to your lips and took a big sip, letting the rich aromatic smell of coffee invade your senses. While the others would lay down their respective lives to save the world, you would do it just for this moment. Were you a junky? The thought made you giggle. 

“What's so funny, dear?” Nat strolled into the kitchen, eyeing you while you only shook your head. 

“Oh, nothing.” You paused as she looked through the fridge for her usual morning orange juice. 

“Top shelf, on the left.” You spoke.

“Got it. Thanks. What are your plans for today?” She questioned, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. 

“I’m heading to the gym in a few, if you care to join me. Besides that, I’m open. Why what’s up?” You asked, bringing the mug back to your mouth and finishing what little coffee you had left. 

“No reason… the boys are coming home today and-” the coffee that once resided in your mouth spewed out in an almost cartoonish spit-take. Your hand flew up to your face, but it was too late. You choked on the fluid over coughs and apologies. 

“Wait- What?” You asked dumbfounded. 

…………..................................................................................................................

“Wait- what?” Steve asked in shock, his eyes almost bulging out of his face. Bucky couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's delayed reaction. 

“I kissed her Steve” He reiterated again, “… Or maybe she kissed me- I don't know, it just kinda’ happened.” Bucky huffed, rubbing the back of his head as his eyebrows knitted together. It didn't matter now anyways, he had ruined it. He knew he had to, but dammit, that didn't mean it hurt any less. Knowing no matter who actually initiated the kiss- it happened, and in turn, completely altered their relationship. Whatever it had been in the first place. 

“How could you let this happen, Barnes?” Steve barked, knocking him out of his train of thought.

“Don't give me that ‘Captain’ bullshit, punk. Not with me. I don’t know, there's something about that girl. She just-”

“She's just nothing. No Buck, absolutely not. Do not go down this road. I’m warning you.” Steve pointed a finger at Bucky's chest, the sheer strength pushing him back a few pases. He held his ground though as to not let on that little Stevie was capable of such strength.

“Well it doesn't matter, I called it off anyways.” Bucky mumbled. Steve only sharply nodded in confirmation. 

“Why do you care, anyways?” Bucky asked, watching his friend carefully.

“I- I don't. I don’t care. I mean- yes! I care, of course I do. You're my best friend… I don't want to see you get hurt…”  Steve stuttered.

After all these years Bucky would have thought he’d get better at lying but, wanting to drop the conversation he nodded, accepting his failed attempt. 

“I’m glad you broke it off with her, Buck. There's so much you-” He coughed, though it sounded like more of a choke, “We. there's so much we don't know.” He finished, obviously staring at Bucky’s forehead, rather than his eyes. 

Damn he was bad at lying. 

“Anyways…” Bucky started, desperate to change the subject from Y/n to something less gut wrenching. “When’s ship out?” He asked, as the two men walked back to their motel. 

They had landed in Berlin five days ago. Five excruciatingly long days. Bucky had called and hung up on Y/n seventeen times since they got there. He prayed to whatever God he believed in the calls never made it to her end.

Meeting with Zemo took a lot out of Bucky. The man knew the deepest parts of himself. The parts that shamed him, and caused him nothing but heartache and pain. T’Challa had helped to sneak Steve and him into the Joint Counter Terroist Center, giving them a little less than thirty minutes to interrogate the man.

Bucky wasn't sure about any of this. Why would Zemo want anything to do with Y/n? Unless he was just a cog. The whole thing made very little sense, but then again, he trusted Y/n. With every fiber of his body he trusted her. Even if Steve wasn't quite as sold. 

That's only because he hasn't kissed her sweet lips. God, if he only knew how you tasted. 

Ouch, he hurt his own feelings with that one. 

The memory for Zemo’s twisted smile knocked him out of his daze. 

“The prodigal son returns, it seems,” He chuckled, sadistically. Even his voice sent a shiver down Bucky's spine. The idea of this man's hands on Y/n in any capacity was enough to send him into a blind rage. But they hadn't come to tear his head clean off his body, though Bucky knew he could do it without even flinching. 

“Here to ask you some questions. And you're going to answer them.” Steve barked in his most authoritative Captain voice. Zemo chuckled, never once taking his eyes off Bucky. 

“The Winter Soldier and his boyfriend. What a pleasure…” Steve only huffed in response causing a sadistic smirk to tug on the prisoners mouth. 

“Twenty minutes.” T’Challa spoke into their coms. 

“What do you know about Y/n L/n?” Bucky spoke this time. He hoped Zemo didn't see his harsh expression falter as the mere mention of her name. 

“Ah, Agent L/n… Quite a specimen, wouldn't you agree, hound?” Zemo practically spit the word. Steve reached his arm out, gripping onto Bucky’s shoulder, holding him back. 

He wouldn't even flinch. It would take seconds.

“Answer the Question.” Steve boomed.

“Yes, Y/n and I go way back. You have her don't you? Found her triggers yet? Does she even remember her own name?” He laughed, almost maniacally, like something out of those old comic books Bucky was so fond of. 

“Steve…” Buck warned, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to hold it together much longer. Steve nodded, turning his gaze back to the small man in the cell.

“What's in the serum, Zemo. What exactly did you give her?” He asked, stepping closer to the glass case he was sitting in. 

“Couldn't tell you if I wanted to. But she knows… And when she remembers, oh. What. A. Day.” He smirked, tapping on the glass with every word. 

“What does that mean? What are her triggers?” Steve questioned. When Zemo only shrugged the Captain’s fist flew against the glass, sending a booming echo through the room. 

“Ten minutes.” T’Challa’s voice ran through their coms again. It was now or never. They probably wouldn't get another chance like this. The men were fugitives. The mere fact they crossed the European border was a god send.

“Why didn't you just kill her? Huh? Why go to all this trouble...Why give her the serum?” Bucky asked, trying, truly trying to keep his voice level. The idea of never meeting Y/n made his heart ache. 

“We tried to clone the serum. She's a smart one, мой ребенок. Made it so that without being mixed with her blood and exposed to radiation, it would be useless. Her fail safe. I don't think she ever thought...” He chuckled, shaking his head from side to side. “Tell me, did her arm heal okay?” 

Bucky gritted his teeth. The smug bastard. The thought of the torture Hydra must have put her though made him feel physically ill. Worse than anything they could have ever done to him. They touched her. He could practically hear her screams ringing through his mind. 

He wouldn't. Even. Flinch. 

“We must leave. Someone's alerted a guard.” T'Challa's panicked voice shook Bucky out of his rage. Zemo seemed to notice. 

“Give my regard to мой ребенок.” He flashed a toothy smile, taking a seat again.

“Get out of there!” The king's voice boomed, but Bucky didn't move. Steve yanked on his arm, pulling him towards the doors. 

“They know where she is.” Zemo spoke so quietly the two men almost didn't hear. But they did. 

“Who?” Bucky snapped. The man only chuckled, and waved as Steve yanked him out of the room. 

…………..................................................................................................................

You met Sam and Nat in the gym, fifteen minutes later.

He was coming home today. You always knew eventually he would, but you were hopeful you'd have a little more time. Time for what, you weren't sure. All you knew is your heart still ached with his final words. 

The idea of seeing Bucky’s face again made a lump appear in your throat. You weren’t ready. I mean, truthfully, you weren’t sure you'd ever be. 

You had dealt with rejection before, sure. Your freshman boyfriend asked Angie Cordillia to the winter formal instead of you. You cried all night. But this- this was different. You knew it. You felt it, and it ripped through your heart like a chainsaw to paper. 

“You're late!” Sam shouted from the treadmill going full speed. Well, not full speed- it was made for Steve and Bucky after all. 

“I am not. Right on-” You looked down at your watch. “Time…” Oh shit. One minute past ten. 

“I’m just warming up, and then I’m coming for you… Ya ready, beautiful?” Sam asked, sending a wink your way. 

You looked to Natasha who only sent you a smirk while she stretched on the gym mat. 

You huffed, tying your hair back into a ponytail. “Listen, Sam, I know what you said but I’m just really not feeling-“ 

“You know why you’re here?” Sam suddenly interrupted. All joking tones had melted out of his words as you approached him. 

“Well, do you?” He repeated. 

You thought about that for a moment. Yeah, you knew why. The team needed to find out whatever serum was in your system before Hydra would clone it. You were a means to an end. You were of course willing to be that cog, if to help right the wrong you had done in your past life, but that’s all it was. 

“You’re here because Y/n, the old Y/n was the best of the best. She was a fighter. And whether you remember or not, she’s in there. Maybe there’s a way to take that serum out of ya, maybe you can just start over. But if you can’t, whatever you believe in has put it in there to make you stronger. So you decide, are you just here to be here, or are you a fucking Avenger?” His words hit you like a ton of bricks. 

Sam was never the sentimental type. Far from it, in fact. You’d never heard him speak with such passion. You wanted to believe he meant it, but a gnawing feeling in the fit of your stomach kept you from fully retaining his worlds. 

“I- I’m not an Avenger.” You signed, wanted nothing more than to be the kind of person to spring into action after his speech, but you weren’t. You knew that was because you were no hero. 

“Maybe not officially. The bands kinda broken up at the moment. But lemme’ just say this,” He placed a hand on your shoulder, “You’re here for a reason. So we’re not going to sit around in Shuri’s lab all day. We’re going to train and maybe, if I kick your ass enough, you’ll realize just how special you are.” He gave you a little shove, knocking you back a little. You tried to speak but your voice betrayed you. 

“Dammit.” You finally spoke. 

“Yeah, I don’t know where that came from either…” Sam chucked. You wanted to protest, to argue that you weren’t the person he thought you were. But you didn’t. 

You weren’t sure if it was the look in his eyes, or the intro to Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC that came blaring out of the gym speakers, but in any case, you believed him.

“Fine, Give me your best shot, Wilson.”

................................................................................................................................

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed please remember to leave a like or reblog <3 Your validation means to much to me lol Hope you all are having an amazing weekend! Remember to take some time for yourself and practice self care! Lord knows we all need it right now.

@kalesrebellion​ 

@projectcampbell​

[smolthealmighty]

Who’s on the Roof?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28640127

Did anyone want to see Mr. Compress give Skeptic an aneurysm by quoting the classic Abbott and Costello routine “Who’s on First?”

No?

Too bad!

Skeptic was not having a good day. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had a good day ever since the moment Re-Destro issued his declaration of war to the League of Villains.

Not only had their plan backfired in almost every way possible, now they all had to work for this group of utter maniacs. He swore that trouble followed these loose cannons wherever they went, as each interaction with them always left him five seconds from having a conniption by the end of it. Toga acted like she was having a perpetual sugar high, Dabi would schedule meetings with him only to blow him off half of the time, and he had no idea how the rest of the league were able to understand Twice's constant contradictions. The only saving grace was that he didn’t have to deal with the full force of the league –yet– as Shigaraki was held back somewhat by his healing injuries, and Spinner usually hovered around him.

But they weren’t the reason why Skeptic wasn’t having a good day. No, the blame for that lay solely on Mr. Compress’s shoulders. He may be the voice of reason for the league, but with the company he kept it was like saying he was the tallest dwarf. The flashy magician always talked as if he was delivering a soliloquy on center stage with all the spotlights fixed on him. Worst of all was how his arrogant tone of voice made it impossible to tell whether or not he was joking at any given moment.

Needless to say, he was not looking forward to their scheduled meeting, which he was on his way towards at the moment. Dabi had once again left in the middle of an earlier conference before Skeptic was able to plan out the fire-wielder’s own meeting with the pro-hero Hawks, and for some reason Mr. Compress volunteered to help. Now they just had to finalize the details and make sure they got to Dabi before he tried to go off on his own again.

Skeptic entered the conference room, barely acknowledging the showman as he walked over to sit across from him. As usual, Mr. Compress was wearing one of his many masks, this one being a version he hadn’t seen before. It was plain white like the others, but the design was of a diamond divided into four smaller ones. He didn’t bother looking at it for long; there were more important matters to get to.

"Alright, this better not be a waste of my time,” Skeptic grumbled as he sat down at the table across from the showman and began pulling out his laptop. “Hawks is going to bring proof of his loyalty tomorrow night, if Dabi’s to be believed, and we need to make sure there’s at least some type of back up in case something goes wrong. So you’d better have come up with a plan for that."

He looked up from his laptop, now displaying a blank document to take notes with, and gave Mr. Compress the most serious look he could muster. This was his last meeting of the day and he was not going to end it with an anger-induced aneurysm.

"Oh Skeptic, there’s no need to look so grim. Of course I have a plan!” exclaimed Mr. Compress, pausing to dramatically unfurl a set of blue prints, which he spread across the table. Upon closer inspection, it was of the warehouse Dabi intended to hold his meeting at.

“When Hawks arrives for his rendezvous Dabi, I believe the best strategy would be to have the least detectable people scattered around the place to listen in, that way they can intervene if need be with Hawks being none the wiser.”

‘Well good,’ thought Skeptic, ‘He actually seems to know what he’s doing for once.’

“With that in mind,” Mr. Compress continued, “I have reviewed your lists of members –goodness it was a lot– and I chose the best candidates for the job based on their quirks. I also went ahead and the most secure positions as follows. So, Who will be on the roof, What is behind the wall, and I Don’t Know is by the window…"

‘Never mind, I jinxed it,’ thought Skeptic, as he quickly interrupted the showman. "Hold on, stop! Excuse me?"

Mr. Compress paused for a moment, raising his head to look at Skeptic instead of the blueprints, before repeating himself, slightly slower this time. "Who is on the roof, What is behind the wall, and I Don’t Know is by the win-"

"No, why are you asking me?"

At that question, Mr. Compress tilted his head to the side before responding condescendingly –the nerve– "I’m not asking anything."

Skeptic looked at him, stunned into silence, then quickly recomposed himself. "Look, you’re the one setting everything up here, right?"

"Right."

"So you should know where everyone is and their names so you can give them their stations."

"Of course," Mr. Compress replied eagerly.

Skeptic sighed in relief, thinking that whatever mix-up had occurred was now resolved, and asked, "So, who’s on the roof?"

"Yes."

Skeptic startled at how matter-of-factly the answer was. "No, I mean his name."

"Who."

"The one on the roof."

"Who."

"The person stationed on the warehouse roof."

"Who."

"The guy-"

"Who is on the roof," Mr. Compress interjected.

“No that’s what I’m asking you!” Skeptic shouted in confusion, “Who’s on the roof?"

Mr. Compress pleasantly replied, "Yes, that’s his name."

"Who’s name?" Skeptic asked perplexed.

"Yes."

"Alright so tell me his name."

Mr. Compress shrugged his shoulders as he responded, "That’s it."

"That’s who?"

"Precisely."

Skeptic growled, "Stop fooling around and give me his name!"

"Who."

"The person that’s going to be on the warehouse roof!"

"Who is on the roof, Skeptic."

"WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME?!" Skeptic bellowed, shaking in utter frustration. Two minutes. Two minutes into this meeting and Skeptic was done with whatever Mr. Compress was doing! After taking a moment to take a deep breath and recompose himself, he tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Look, Mr. Compress, I just want to know. What’s the name of the one on the roof?"

Mr. Compress gasped, "Goodness no Skeptic! What’s behind the wall."

"I’m not asking who’s behind the wall!" Skeptic exclaimed.

"No, Who’s on the roof."

“Stop, one position at a time!” cried Skeptic, hammering the point home by slamming his palm onto the table with a loud bang. “Now, what’s the name of the guy on the roof?"

Mr. Compress interjected, "We went over this, Who is on the roof."

“I don’t know!”

“Oh, he’s by the window,” Mr. Compress responded delightfully, “Are you quite alright? You keep switching topics-"

Skeptic, at this point utterly baffled, cut him off, "Wait, how the hell did we get to talking about the person by the window?"

Mr. Compress paused, and replied in a slightly patronizing tone, "...Because you brought him up, Skeptic."

Ignoring that insulting tone, Skeptic attempted to draw the connection needed to finally make sense of the planned positions. "So, if I mentioned his name, who did I say is by the window?"

"No. Who's on the roof."

"What's on roof?"

"What's behind the wall."

"I don't know!"

"He's by the window."

"OH GREAT, NOW WE’RE BACK AT THE-" Skeptic threw his arms up in the air as he cut himself off, taking another breath to prevent himself from shrieking  again at the quick succession of confusing statements he just went through. ‘That pompous bastard! Calling me inept when he can’t even make his own plan clear! I wonder how he’d take that same implication.’

With his face still visibly red, Skeptic decided to give the magician a taste of his own medicine and shot back, "With all due respect Mr. Compress, do you even know the names of the people you’re using for this plan?"

"Oh my,” muttered Mr. Compress, looking genuinely flabbergasted from what Skeptic could see in his body language, but he also knew that the performer could very well be acting the part. “Skeptic, I think there may be a misunderstanding. You see, there’s a man I want to station on the roof-"

Skeptic was not keen on retreading this particular ground again, so he interrupted, "I know you have someone on the roof! I’m asking you, what’s-"

"No, What’s behind the-"

“Oh no I’m stopping you right there! I am asking you, Mr. Compress,” Skeptic demanded, jabbing his pointer finger on the blueprints, “What is the name of the person stationed on the roof?”

Mr. Compress looked down at where Skeptic was pointing, then back up at Skeptic, and said, just as matter-of-factly as he had several times before, "What is behind the wall."

"I don’t even- Alright, who’s behind the wall?"

"Who’s on the roof."

"WHAT POSITION DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT?!" Skeptic screeched, punctuating his outrage by smashing both of his fists on the desk hard enough to bruise.

Mr. Compress was unfazed by this, choosing to lean his head upon his hand before replying, "Whichever position you want to focus on."

Skeptic hollered, "WHO’S ON THE ROOF?"

"Yes." Mr. Compress happily nodded.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH!!!”

~

Dabi was taking a walk, meandering through the corridors of the mansion at random. Suddenly, one of the double doors in his path slammed open and out tumbled Mr. Compress, with the roaring voice of Skeptic following him.

“Get out of my sight you IDIOTIC ILLUSIONIST!”

By the time the doors slammed closed, said illusionist had gracefully transformed his tumble into a somersault and ended up back on his feet in a victorious pose. He then turned to Dabi and waved, “Why hello Dabi, and how are you this fine day?”

Dabi took in the man’s composure, then observed the newly formed cracks on the door frame, before shrugging, “Nothing much. Just taking a walk around.”

“Ah yes, avoiding your responsibilities as usual. May I join you?”

“Eh, knock yourself out.” Dabi said, rolling his eyes at the showman, as if he was going to leave Dabi alone if he told him to scram. As he continued down the hall, now walking side-by-side with Mr. Compress, Dabi decided to address the elephant in the room. “Alright, I’ll bite. What exactly did you do to piss off I.T. McGee?”

The masked magician visibly lit up, in spite of his concealed expression, and immediately began to answer Dabi’s question. “Well Dabi, in order to tell you about what just happened, I’d have to give you a quite a bit of backstory to get there. You see, when you make your rounds as an entertainer…” Mr. Compress continued as he took off his mask to show Dabi his Cheshire grin, “… you learn a few classic routines.”

[ardenttheories]

Homestuck's always been antagonistic and insensitive, but I don't recall seeing any of you try to dox Hussie? But please, continue to rationalise how cyberbullying lgbt people for not being nice enough and having opinions about a fictional character you disagree with puts you in the right. A story doesn't go the way you'd like and this is how you respond? You COULD have just not bothered reading it instead of CHOOSING to make your online life about something you hate like a toxic weirdo.

Hi, Kate. I’m so glad you could find my blog. (Edit: that was a joke. Apparently, some anons find it impossible to tell that I don’t actually think you’re Kate). It’s clear to me that you didn’t take the time to read through any of the content that’s actually on here, since you’re throwing around rather wild accusations, so let me take this down step by step.

Homestuck has only rarely been antagonistic and insensitive. Things like the Alpha Trolls - which were clear criticisms of fandom culture - were relatively few and far between, and when we complained about them, they actually stopped. Remind me, for instance, how relevant the Alpha Trolls were to the plot? How long they stayed as mockeries towards the fandom? Yeah, not long. I actually have talked about this before on the blog - alongside other things I thought were negative towards the fandom from the original comic - but the difference here is that... in the entirety of Homestuck, these things were outliers and inconsistencies. They stuck out because they were in stark contrast to the otherwise wonderfully handled content Homestuck went over.

For instance, Homesuck is critical of abuse - especially in terms of relationships. We see through a critical lense the shit normalisation of parental abuse can do to a child - with actual talk of triggers and of the mental and emotional scarring left behind, and the complexities of the child’s feelings towards the parent’s death through Dave - and we see how self destructive relationships can be, how harmful they are, and how hard it can be to leave them - such as Terezi’s very toxic blackrom with Gamzee, which was always portrayed as something negative and harmful especially with how worried Karkat was for her and how withdrawn she became during its run, and Dirk’s relationship with Jake, which goes very much over how communication can cause a deterioration in romantic relationships especially when the two participants have conflicting mental illnesses. 

It also goes over how men, though they can be mired in toxic masculinity, can choose to be good. How sometimes we’re not born as good people, but we can become good people through the love we have for the people around us, through frequent attempts to check what we’re doing, through the sheer willpower to be good. Dirk’s entire arc, knowing that he could very easily become Bro but deciding he doesn’t want to be, that it’s something he wants to work on, is so important and incredibly powerful. Mental illness in men is often just given as an excuse to make them violent with no attempts at betterment - so Dirk actually existed as proof that you don’t have to be that stereotype. 

In contrast, Homestuck^2 completely uncritically gave Jade, who was cis, a dog dick, made her, a bisexual woman, a sex maniac and the yaoi “woman who gets in the way of the gays” trope, made her a cheater and someone who forced her partner into the relationship to begin with, and made her a neglectful mother after having cheated with her best lesbian friend in something that has incredible recall to just about every futanari video ever - and they tried to claim that this was good representation of trans women, actually, and that the only reason we didn’t like it is that Jade is “a woman” who “has sex”.

Likewise completely uncritically, they made Gamzee, an anti-black stereotype, enter a relationship with Jane, a fascist, and then made the entire thing into a cuck joke wherein Jake being frequently drunk and sexually assaulted was funny because he wasn’t “man enough”. They then forced him to go back to his abuser after he left her in a scene that read very much like, “ridiculous man thinks woman is abusing him, go back and do your manly job”. 

This, of course, doesn’t even go into the travesty that is any form of trans representation in the comic. Roxy, a trans man, is barely even focused on as trans; they make no attempt to enforce in the fandom that he’s a trans man the way they do that June is a trans woman, and even then, they seem to think that just saying someone is a trans woman is actually good representation. Not, like, bringing it into the comic - just saying that it’s a thing. And of course, that’s not even going into the completely uncritical lense they have of Vriska, wherein her being a trans woman completely frees her of any and all blame for the past abuses she has comitted, and once again she becomes an amazing character to save the day without a single flaw - which in turn inherently associates trans women with abuse apologism, abusers, and the ideology that just because we’re trans we can get away with anything scott free. 

I honestly cannot think of one instance of good and genuine representation in Homesuck^2, nor can I think of any scene where negative content was actually treated as the negative thing it actually is. There’s no critical lense at all, not like we have in Homestuck; there’s just no fucking comparison. And this isn’t a one-off situation, either. Whereas Homestuck does do fuck ups - isn’t perfect - in between the otherwise brilliant content, Homestuck^2 is just founded upon these horrific takes. There’s almost no good content in between, and what is left is a slog to get through when surrounded by the thick slurry of shit that compromises futa Jade, abuse apologism Vriska, and victim blaming Jake. 

Of course, we didn’t “doxx” Hussie. Hussie actually listened to our complaints, for the most part, and worked with us to create something that worked well. The way Homestuck^2 was touted to work. You know, since it was meant to be written with the fandom in mind, influenced by the things we suggest and react to. We went into Homestuck^2 with the explicit idea that we were going to be listened to and taken into consideration when it was being written - the way we were with old Homestuck. I’m very sorry to say that, when you make these expectations, people are going to be a titchy bit upset when you then commandeer the entire thing and exclude the fandom from any of the process that you said they were going to be part of.

Additionally, it’s rather funny, isn’t it, that what you call doxxing is actually just people upset with how triggering content is being handled, and going to the people who actually wrote the content in order to voice their complaints? It’s almost as if social media exists to allow this communication between reader and author, which is a fundamental thing you’ll learn in any creative writing course, such as the one I’m on currently, wherein you’re actually taught how to respond to social media and to build up your image with your fans. 

Homestuck^2 is an ongoing piece of media. We’re well aware that we have a potential to change these uncritical takes and the horrific way they’re being handled if the writers will just listen to genuine criticism. This is, frankly, no different to the people who go to J. K. Rowling’s Twitter to tell her how harmful her transphobic comments are; because if she believes these things, they will work their way into her texts and will perpetuate harmful ideologies. 

The literal same thing is happening in Homestuck^2 - again, such as futa Jade, which normalises the point of view that bisexuals are cheaters and completely trivialises what it means to be trans, or Gamzee, which perpetuates just about every anti-black stereotype possible. Media does have a very powerful impact on what people see in the real world. This is why, for instance, positive black characters are so important in media; if they’re always portrayed as villains, then people will see real world black people as villains as the ideology is perpetuated to the point of fact. This is especially true if the people already believe in the ideology.

Fiction is one of the best ways that we can counteract this cycle. If you make a character that they like, and they happen to be positive representation, and then they watch more media that is likewise positive representation, it’s more likely to stick that these positive representations are the actual experiences of minority groups. Also? It’s important TO those minority groups. A black person, especially right now, doesn’t want to see an anti-black stereotype fuck a fascist, engage in sexual assult, and then enact pedophilia - only to die at the hands of a hero and be laughed at for the death. Surprisingly, shit like this is why we need to tell the writers that what they’re doing is harmful, that they’re perpetuating phobic ideologies, and that we need better representation - especially in a comic that is this widely read, and also has a very large minor fanbase. 

I shouldn’t need to explain why exposing minors to anti-black stereotypes, transphobic, homophobic, biphobic, abuse apologism, victim blaming, and the trivialisation of rape and sexual assault (especially towards men), might be a federal fucking issue. 

So, no, we’re not actually cyberbullying LGBT+ people. We’re trying to hold shitty writers accountable for the incredibly toxic and harmful ideologies they’re forcing into a text that has always been written with critical thought in mind. 

I should also point out how funny it is that you’re focusing on how some of the writers are LGBT+ - as if we’re not? I’m trans, I’m gay, and I’m ace. Yes, I can actually be these things and absolutely furious that a trans women is writing some of the most transphobic shit I’ve seen in a while into characters she then claims to be completely free of blame. We can be furious that people within our own community are enforcing negative stereotypes.

Being LGBT+ does not make them free from blame. We cannot give them a free pass to be racist, to be transphobic, to be homophobic, biphobic, to be abuse apologists, just because they’re LGBT+. Not only because that’s just a terrible fucking idea to begin with, but because it also reflects so, so badly on the community as a whole. As if being part of the community instantly means that you can do no wrong? As if there can be no toxicity within our own community, despite the fact that there very much is and it is still an issue to this day?

That is such an issue, one of the biggest issues even shown just in Vriska and the way Kate handles her as a whole - and, once again, is WHY we need to get them looking at this shit more critically. This view that LGBT+ people can do no wrong and cannot be criticised is shoved into Homestuck^2 and, once again, perpetuates the ideology. This isn’t something to be proud of. This isn’t something that’s actually okay.

Also, your point that the writers aren’t nice enough and that we disagree on fictional characters - well, I’ve already been over the second part. But for the first part, I would like to remind you that they aren’t just random LGBT+ people on the internet that we’re going to because we think their takes are a little shitty. They’re actual writers working on a piece of media. They are official content creators. 

Again, one of the first things you learn on any creative writing course is that when you become a writer, you gain a significant amount of responsibility for your interactions with the fandom. This is something that you genuinely have to expect, and if you don’t, then, unfortunately you just don’t know what it means to write something that thousands of people have a potential to read. As a writer, it is your responsibility to portray your image online; it is your responsibility to engage with the fans in a meaningful way; it is your responsibility to not cause drama and to listen when criticism is brought up, to have genuine discussion and not to perpetuate hatred - especially towards your own fanbase.

Consider, for instance, the way I’m talking to you right now. This is the sort of tone that someone should take when talking to a fan about genuine criticism. When things are brought up, you go over them step by step, you listen, you write back - you don’t go on a flurry of “fuck yous” to a minor who asked you why your team didn’t post anything about the BLM movement on the official Twitter, and you definitely don’t respond to every comment with genuine criticism with the word “pigshit”. You almost definitely don’t tell your trans masculine and masculine-aligned nonbinary fans that their opinions don’t matter.

As a writer, Kate and the rest of the team have a responsibility with their interactions with their fans. They aren’t just normal fandom voices anymore; they’re official fandom voices, voices that have more weight behind them than anyone else. They’re who people are going to turn to when it comes to anything regarding Homestuck^2. Their words now reflect literally everything about Homestuck^2, the future of Homestuck as an expanded universe, and the opinions of the group as a whole. They have to be careful with what they say. They have to be held to the same standards as industry voices because that’s essentially what they are - especially now that Homestuck is something you pay for. 

Also, this isn’t a point of the story not going the way I want. This is a point of many of people in the fandom being upset with how content is being handled, upset that their voices are being shut down, upset that triggering content is being laughed at or used flippantly and without care or respect. This is people being upset that trigger warnings were removed specifically to make the comic unsafe for them as a punishment for daring to say that something was wrong. This is people being upset that a piece of media that used to be so fucking good at portraying sensitive content in a critical light, that used to be so good at normalising LGBT+ identities and healthy representations of those identities, has suddenly turned to this. 

The story can go whatever way it wants - and frankly, that’s fine be my. What isn’t fine is that content is being used specifically to hurt and to incite.

And, of course, that final piece; nothing will improve if we don’t say that it’s wrong to begin with. Someone needs to voice the complaints of the fanbase, othrewise these toxic ideologies are going to go unchecked. One of the biggest things I’ve come to understand while making these posts is that a significant portion of the fandom feels isolated in their hurt; they don’t think other people feel the same way they do, and several people have mentioned feeling like they were going crazy because they were upset with things that the text and writers are normalising. It’s so important to make sure that these people know they’re not alone. It’s so important to make sure that our voices are heard. It’s so important to try and create critical discussion and debate over something that so many people still fucking love. 

The thing is, I don’t hate Homestuck^2. I actually really, desperately wish I could enjoy it. I wish I could read through it and theorise, could go in depth about how amazing the characters are, could write long and extensive posts on how creative and engaging it is - could even just go on about how interesting the Meat-Candy divide is, and all the points they’re trying to make about canonicity. But I genuinely fucking can’t. There is just so, so much wrong in the text that is completely unrelated to plot and to the overarching Point that makes it impossible for me to read, to want to read, to try to encourage other people to read. They’re things that literally don’t need to be in there, either; stereotypes and toxic ideologies and uncritical or badly handled sensitive topics that could be rectified so, so easily. 

Homestuck^2 could be amazing for a lot of the fandom. It could be something that we all rally around the same way we did for the original comic. For for a lot of people, it has ruined their fandom experience, has ruined their desire to want to read anything more to do with Homestuck, and has caused a significant portion of the fandom to just drop out entirely. That in and of itself should be a sign that this isn’t just a little fandom drama. That this is something much bigger and much more serious that, just maybe, needs to be looked into, talked about, understood - and, potentially, changed.