#is just an idea so far I might change it but there. heh

[making-my-wey-down-town]

November prompt list challenge 2022, Day 10 - Fantasy

Here your Brave Knight Sun ⚔️ ☀️ and your Charming Prince Moon 👑 🌙 💞💗💖💘

I had so much fun (and a lot of daydreaming) while making this one asdfghasdfgh

Bruh they are just 🤌✨ (yes I’m falling for my own creations, leave me alone kkk)

[cryingat300kph]

Pretty Thing

Pairing: Sebastian Vettel x Boytoy!Mechanic!Reader

(Bad) Summary: When Ferrari gets a new pretty boy for a mechanic a certain 4x world champion takes notice.

Rating: M Warning(s): Mentions of sex, but no actual sex. Cursing. Use of Y/N. Allusion to homophobia in sports. F slur (but in a self-descriptive and reclaimed way) -Not Proofread-

Length: 1.4K Words

A/N: This is Seb in his chaotic flirt Ferrari era, like 1st/2nd year at Ferrari vibes. Also the ending is kinda cut off because I lost steam, but wanted to put something out. Let me know if ya’ll want this continued, I have ideas ;) <3

“Lewis look, that’s who I was talking about.” Seb says poking Lewis’s arm gesturing towards the bar. “Him?!” Lewis asks turning back to Seb. “Yeah.” Seb suppresses the urge to add Isn’t he pretty? “Damn I'm surprised they would hire a mechanic so-“ “so gay?” Sebastian supplies. “Heh-Yeah.” “Well he usually doesn’t look like that.” Seb says again gesturing towards the man.

The “that” Seb is referring to is the absolute twink uniform you are wearing. You might as well be wearing a flashing sign reading “I like dick! ;)” And Sebastian thinks you look completely and utterly delectable; more than usual.

He’d had his eyes on you since you joined the team at the top of the year. At first he noticed you because were young for someone not on the PR team, and far too handsome to not be in a more front-facing role. He was glad he was known to make sure to get to know all new members of the Ferrari family, because it meant he could satisfy this curiosity; finding out you had climbed the ladder at the factory quickly and had always wanted nothing more than to be in the garage track-side.

His interest in you only grew as he got to know you better. He knew obviously that as a mechanic you weren’t just a pretty face, but he soon found out you weren’t just either of those things. But someone who was extremely funny, kind and just as much of a nerd about racing as he was.

And so, a friendship slightly-beyond coworkers started to form. Now, at halfway through the season you two could be called proper friends, but your friendship is still very tied to work. Either way, you feel comfortable around Seb, comfortable enough to speak freely of your interests and life outside of racing. However, one thing he doesn’t know about you was that you don’t mind sharing a bed with a man.

Its hard being queer in formula one. It’s 2015 and huge strides have been made, but motorsports lags behind. Especially as someone who is involved in a more “masculine” job at Ferrari you keeps your more flamboyant tendencies under wraps. European ideas of masculinity help a lot, but it’s still a bit lonely, stressful and draining, to be closeted.

Hence why you’re here.

It had been a stressful race weekend, but Seb ultimately got podium and everyone was rightfully really happy and the team planned to go for drinks with the winning Mercedes team.

Seb had protested a bit when you said you thought you’d sit this one out. “I would, trust me, but I’ve had this headache all day and I doubt a hangover will make it any better.” You lied. He had seemed to come back to himself, like his earlier protest was a slip. Laughing it off. “You’re right, go, rest. We need your brain intact!”

You had chuckled at that saying bye to him and driving back to the hotel to get changed before heading out for your real plans. You felt bad lying to Seb but after this weekend a guy needed some attention damn it! But most importantly you wanted to dress how you want and exist how you want for once even just for a couple of hours.

---

Without you at the party Sebastian is more melancholy than usual. He's cursing himself for crushing like a teenager, but without you there he’s lost interest. “Dude is this about the guy you told me about.” Lewis asks seeing Seb is obviously down about something. “what? no- it” “Where is he? Go talk to him!" “He’s not here, had a headache so he stayed back.” “Well you don’t seem to be having fun so go after him, just ask to hang out.” “But the team, i should-.” “Kimi is enough of a party for the team, he’d probably enjoy the company.” Lewis nudges him. “You know why I can’t Lewis.” Seb says seriously. “Yeah.” Lewis agrees and they’re silent for a bit before he speaks up again, mischief in his voice. “But maybe we could find some other entertainment for the night. To quell the ache?” “What are you suggesting?” Seb asks suspicious. “There’s a bar a couple blocks from here. Heard its a discreet spot, good for cruising.” He says like he’s stating the weather and not suggesting the two biggest F1 drivers at the moment go cruising for gay sex.“What if someone sees us.” “we’re in America, no one knows who we are.” And Seb is just tipsy enough, and yearning to fuck a stranger and imagine it’s you, so he agrees.

“Let’s do it!”

---

And so, Sebastian now finds himself at a loss for words, staring at you. At you, sipping a cocktail, half sitting on a bar stool, your back slightly arched. Honestly the picture is so inviting. Lewis is just looking at him with a smirk.

Sebastian sees that a couple men obviously have their eyes on you too. He watches as the bartender hands you a drink gesturing to one of the said men. You look over and the man starts to get up. Seb feels his fists tighten, but he relaxes when you hand the drink back to the bartender looking at the man apologetically. He’s glad the man gets the idea and sits back down, Seb doesn’t want to think what he would have done if the man had persisted.

Wait, so maybe you’re just out for a nice night alone, he doesn’t want to disturb that. But dressed like that? He’s having a hard time resisting.

“Lewis what do I do?” He asks. “The flirt is asking me?“ Lewis scoffs, but when Seb just looks at him annoyed, he Chuckles; he’s never seen the confident man so nervous before. “Just, go get him tiger.”

He knows it’s now or never, so Sebastian goes to the opposite end of the bar and tells the bartender to get you a drink.

-- The bartender hands you another drink. It’s top shelf which catches your eye. A couple men have bought you shots and stuff throughout the night but so far when the bartender pointed to who they all weren’t your type. Or they quickly stopped being your type the moment they opened their mouths.

When you ask who, this time, the bartender cocks his head to the end of the bar. You look over and it’s Sebastian! Your eyes go wide, unsure of what to do. What is he doing here?! Here, where you are looking like a complete faggot and nothing like you do at work. But he’s your friend right, he would’ve found out eventually and he just bought you a drink?

You tamp down the flicker of hope that tries to spark. So you just smile and raise the drink to him raising your eyebrows. It’s friendly coworker shit right? He’s just being nice. Your brain is forced to stop working overtime when he approaches you and starts speaking.

“I could barely recognize you y/n!” He says smiling and friendly, but with a hint of something? And he is blatantly looking you up and down. Tongue between his teeth. Oh. You can’t help lighting up despite being nervous. “Well let’s just say the Ferrari uniform is not my personal style.” You joke. “This definitely suits you much better.” He blatantly flirts, which catches you bit off guard, but you try not to show it, excitement now replacing your nerves. “You think the boss will let me wear a crop top to work?” “Maybe I could ask him nicely.” Sebastian says and then leans closer.

“Having something so pretty in my garage can only bring me good luck right?” “Oh, I don’t think you need luck, Seb.” You laugh because now you are definitely blushing.

“Every driver needs luck.” He says low.

The way he's looking at you. It’s almost too much. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted. In the span of a few minutes you’ve basically come out to a coworker turned friend, but also discovered that apparently Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari driver, four time world champion also likes men. And now said Ferrari driver and friend is flirting with you.

You can't wait to see where the night goes.

[icryaboutit]

UNO!

SUMMARY: The first years playing Uno, what could go wrong? or Me, my sister and cousin played Uno, I kept winning so I'll make it the Twst casts problem!

TAGS: Fluff, Male Yuu, GenZ!Yuu WORD COUNT: 697 words

A normal Friday in Twisted Wonderland would soon become the most heated day, as the Ramshackle prefect had the brightest idea on recreating Uno. Why one may ask? Well...

"*Sigh* The day is so long, yet so short~!"

Yuu yawned, Grim right by his side. Yuu had long since gotten bored from the mildly interesting games Twisted Wonderland has to offer. Yes, in a span of a few months, Yuu had successfully finished every single game known to Twisted Wonderland, with flying colors, and even Idia was shocked and impressed by the blinding speed Yuu had finished them.

"If only the world at least have something more excit-"

At that sentence, Yuu had a thought. A very dangerous thought.

"Wait. What if it doesn't have to in this world?"

Yuu questioned himself, as Grim was far to deep in dreamland to hear (nor stop) Yuu from committing to his idea.

"What if I recreate a game from our world! Yuu! You're a genius!"

Yuu exclaimed before grabbing a startled Grim as he headed to Sam's shop. Oh the hell Twisted Wonderland would have.

"So you want us to play a game of cards from your world?" "Exactly! I have already played every possible game in Twisted Wonderland out of boredom, and I'm Ninety-nine percent sure I haven't seen this kind yet!"

The first years who were all cramped in Ramshackle as per Yuu's request, looked at the deck of cards in a box with interest. Unsurprisingly, Yuu had already received the cards from Sam.

"Can't say I'm not intrigued and all, but what's in it for us?"

Ace asked, Yuu smirked at this.

"Well, you might as well be one of the first-ever players of a soon-to-be-famous game in Twisted Wonderland. Sam said that I didn't even have to pay the cost for this set of cards, he said he saw potential in it and asked me to create a video demonstrating the use of them instead."

Yuu stated this made the first years eyes widen in surprise.

"Really? Sam said that?" "Must be pretty impressive then. I'm in!" "I want in too!" "Heh~ if I'm joining, I'd like everyone to know how great I am with cards~ so better prepare those tissues of yours!" "Don't get so cocky Ace!" "HUMAN! I'LL PROVE YOU WRONG AND RAISE WAKA-SAMA'S REPUTATION BY BEATING YOU!" "I want to play too! It's not very common to encounter to test a game from another world!" "I might as well join in if everyone is playing." "Great! Deuce can you set up a recording before I explain the rules?"

At that, the start of damnation had commenced.

***

"Stop that!" "You're the one who kept on putting the pluses!" "Me?! You're the one who kept preventing me from placing down cards!" "Don't just blame it on me! Epel was the one who kept reversing the flow of who'll strike next!" "Oh great! I'm the villain now!" "HUMANS! STOP CHANGING THE COLORS OF THE CARDS!!"

***

The first years' arguments got louder as the game went on. The list of those who were nearing the end goes something like this.

Jack: 3 cards left Ortho: 5 cards left Deuce: 11 cards left Epel: 16 cards left Ace: 17 cards left Sebek: 24 cards left

Where Yuu's place is at, you may wonder? Well... Yuu had already won once they hit the 10-minute mark.

"Woho~ They're pretty loud. I guess that's to be expected in new players, all hot-blooded. Especially when the game itself tests a group's bond."

Yuu, now merely eating some chips, watched as the rage-filled arguments filled the area. He felt a sense of enjoyment seeing the chaos before him.

***

"STOP!!" "Ortho how could you!?" "I have no choice Ace-san, I'll be on the receiving end if I don't!" "Oh my god!!" "Stop it with the pluses!!" "Indoor voices everyone!" "Ya' aren't one to talk Jack! You and Yuu have already won!"

***

"UNO!!!" "I said it first!" "Nu-uh! We said it first, draw two cards!" "I ain't drawing two more cards! I said it first ya' cheaters!" "Actually Epel-san-" "NOPE! LALALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING!!" "HUMAN!! DON'T BE A CHEATER AND TAKE 2 CARDS!!" "OVER MY DEAD BODY!!"

[wayfayrr]

I can't quite believe this was first in my drafts in feb and I've only gotten to actually writing it these last two weeks.

This fic was based off of five songs from spotify shuffling one of my playlists which was an idea inspired by @trulytiredhermit and then it kinda just went from there

the songs that I based it on were: To my enemies - Saint motel, stalker’s tango - Autoheart, meet me in the woods - Lord Huron, The red means I love you - Madds Buckley and Bitter water by the oh hellos

You know they say you're nobody until someone wants you dead, and I can't help but feel like it's morbidly accurate for everything that's happened to me recently.

That weird shadow brought me here for whatever, most likely because it wants my head for some reason. and then all of a sudden?

I'm one of the most important people to the heroes of Hyrule, brought here by fate for whatever reason and they all love me… although love might not be the best way to describe it. If you were to ask any of them they'd say "It feels so wrong it's right" Heh how ridiculous to be that obsessed, so I ran as far as I could, lost in a world that isn't my own and one that shouldn’t exist out of fiction. Those boys that I once cared for; who promised me they'd find me someway home, but talk is cheap after all and it's oh so effortless to lie when it brings you so many benefits.

The situation was so incredibly strange, I don't think there's any amount of time where I could've gotten used to it despite what they would say. it started, well I can't say normally as nothing about this is normal, but it started well. they were themselves, they were still sane. but then they started to slip letting me out of their sight, less and less and less until it was like I had to be in at least one of their line of sight at all times, they wouldn't let me talk about my home, wouldn't let me focus on things that weren't them always trying to justify it whether it was to me or themselves I could never tell. Perhaps it was both?

This little journey I’ve taken into the unknown?

Oh, I’ll go back changed, I wonder if those I cared about would even recognise me at this point. How long have I been away at this point, it feels like ages yet my phone says it’s only days. Well in the games back home the games always ran on a much faster time scale, it wouldn’t be impossible that I’m still running off of real-world time; if anything it makes more sense with how I’ve not needed to eat or sleep for days on end. I’ve never been away from the links for this long, not since I started travelling with them that is. They’re probably worried sick at this point; it’s probably only a matter of hours until they do manage to find me. Until Wolfie sniffs me out, Sky uses Fi to dowse for my signal, or even Wild traces me with his slate.

“[name]?”

And with that last thought it’s as if I’ve jinxed myself and my hiding spot. The one thing I can be glad for is that it’s Sky who found me, while his anger is terrifying it’s not on the same level as Time, Warrior or Light forbid if Legend was the one to find me. Sky is oh-so-nice compared to them, even if he is a yandere with a strange fascination, a near-obsessive infatuation.

he still treats me like I'm a person though, so there's that. He, I think if I were to end up with any of them it would be him. 

"oh by Hylia, [name] are you alright? you've been missing for so long, we thought you were kidnapped, but by the looks of it, you've managed to escape them! even, even if it did leave you hurt"

his smile doesn't look right. he's lying, lying straight to my face... 

but it's not like he's lying to me. No, it's like he's trying to convince himself that's what happened. His concern is sweet despite how misplaced it may be; I can't bring myself to break it to him that it's not what happened. Unless...

I couldn't, could I?

oh, but I could.

"link, I- I wasn't kidnapped. I was scared of how the others are acting, I didn't feel safe so- so I ran as far as I could"

This affected me more than I thought, seeing as I could barely finish the sentence without stuttering or coming close to bursting into tears, I hope he reacts the way I want him to and by the look of it, he will.

His face instantly fell when I said that, filled with pity and something else I can't quite put my finger on, the closest thing I can think of is pride but even that doesn't seem right, is, is he smug? Why would he be smug that I’m scared of the others when I…

“Oh my dove, you don't need to be worried now, I'm here. I'm the only one you trust after all; the only one of us you need. you're my betrothed, my one true love until the end of time"

his"betrothed", when did he- how would he- how didn't I realise? Is Skyloftian culture so different to my own? oh, what am I saying of course it's that different. why is he reaching for - the feather? he proposed when he gave me that earring, didn't he?

"I knew I made the right choice when I chose you as mine, we’re perfect for each other can’t you see? And I know I shouldn't love you, I know I shouldn't love you but I do and nothing will separate me from you again as long as I draw breath.”

And isn’t that the truth, that look in his eyes, that stupid lovesick look. I’m not a fool entire for I know exactly what it means. The idea that even if I somehow made it home…

He would find me.

And he would never let go.

How are you even supposed to respond to something like this? This declaration of ownership, that no matter what I do I’m his. To think how I idolised him when he was nothing more than a game character, how naive was I?

Even still I can’t bring myself to hate him, even if he’s a walking red flag. Even if he’s someone I should run from in fear - It’s still Sky, still the only one to welcome me with open arms, the only one to treat me ever so kindly when I was petrified of everything.

Part of me is telling me to leave, to do what's smart and practical. But another part is pulling me towards staying, following my heart even if it means taking a risk. I know I’d have regrets either way for I would be losing something I care for no matter my choice and I’ll need to say something soon to him, even if it’s a lie. I can’t bear to see him so worried, even knowing where that worry is from.

I don't know what the right choice is, but I know that I have to make a decision. And no matter what I choose, I'll have to live with the consequences.

[hamliet]

Beauty and the Beast, But Make It BL

Or, about a year after the hype Hamliet finally watches KinnPorsche properly instead of just clips.

My overall thoughts are that I really, really enjoyed it. The characters were likable and interesting, and plenty flawed. The story also had some really fascinating ideas and nice fire, water, and air symbolism, as well as a really beautiful retelling of Beauty & the Beast. The main couples all foiled one another in interesting, thought-provoking ways. VegasPete? Is one of my favorite love stories in any media ever.

The side characters were also really well done, for the most part. I loved Kinn's friends, and Yok was a standout in terms of her mentorly role. And, the other bodyguards each got their own personality. Arm and Big were particular standouts to me, and I appreciated how Big's story arc (his unrequited love for Kinn) was handled: with subtlety, but thematic impact. His sacrifice showed Porsche that love sometimes involves sacrificing for the person you love.

The series also used symbolism fairly well. The lighting always changed to colored/rainbow lighting when it was a romantic scene, and stayed natural when it was not. The use of mirrors and windows, and phoenix/fire with Kinnporsche and water with Vegaspete, was intelligently woven into the story. I do think some of the symbolism was too heavy-handed at points, though.

Of course, because I'm me, I do have quite a few critiques as well, which mostly has to do with what I saw as potential that went untapped. The story never did anything "wrong" exactly, but it just never dug into how much potential it had. The foiling was strongly set up, but it could have been far more powerful than it was.

The plot was basically *vibes* which I'm okay with because I'm not super into plot in general, but unfortunately, as can happen when plot is weak, the themes suffered for it. If plot is a tour guide through a story's themes and characters, this was somewhat of a bumbling one... with an occasional stroke of brilliance that reinforced how satisfying the potential was.

Kinn + Porsche

Let's start with the main couple. I really enjoyed their characters, but I wasn't as invested in them as I was in the other characters I'll be covering. They seemed more like ideas rather than human beings, even though they had more complexity than some of the other, more human characters. While that might sound contradictory, what I mean by that is that the other characters always had drive and purpose for the narrative, while Kinn and Porsche sometimes felt more like vehicles (heh, get it, because--) to get to something that never quite arrived.

Kinn and Porsche also started off the series really strong, but weakened after they got together. After they were together, the writers kept bringing up the issue of "trust" between them, but I wasn't quite sure what they were trying to say about trust. And maybe they were just trying to explore the different sides of trust rather than give any particular message, but I thought it was a bit messily handled.

Still. Still. Porsche's line in the final episode, where he pointed out to Kinn that he was there not because he was on the minor family's side, nor because he was on the major family's side, but because he was on Kinn's side, was beautiful.

Kinn also starts off as a dark foil of Vegas... which is interesting because Vegas is so intensely jealous of Kinn and wants to be like him, and is set up as the antagonist. But we'll get there. Vegas kidnaps Porsche and attempts to make it look like he was assaulted, but Kinn saves him... only to assault Porsche himself. (I did appreciate the way the narrative did frame it well, which I wasn't expecting in a boy's love story.) Kinn then compounded it by punishing Porsche for his mistake--essentially, doing to Porsche what Vegas was doing to Kinn and would later do to Pete.

The irony, of course, is that the narrative still frames Kinn as a protagonist, but without giving him a halo. We're allowed to see that he is, intrinsically, no better of a human being than Vegas. Maybe even worse, depending on how you judge.

Porsche outright telling Kinn that he had hurt him, while Vegas hadn't (even if, kinda) and Kinn actually having to work to earn his forgiveness and trust--all of this was well handled.

Kinn's final realization in the wilderness that he could not keep Porsche and his act of selflessly setting him free , followed by a literal sacrifice, mimics what Vegas would have to do in later episodes with Pete, as well.

When they consensually have sex for the first time, it starts because Vegas again makes a move on Porsche... right in front of a mirror. Then, Kinn bursts in and Vegas leaves, and Kinn takes his place in the mirror with Porsche.

The symbolism is clever here and poignant: Kinn, you are Vegas. I just wish he had been asked to do more with that realization, particularly after the Tawan incident (later).

Again, my main issue is that I wish the show had more an idea of what it wanted to say concerning the theme of "trust" between these two. Especially after they got together, it all seemed a bit hazy.

The theme that was best explored with them was the idea of being a human being. Porsche continually insists that he's a person who decides his future for himself, while Kinn is like "I control your life; your life is mine, I can kill you at any time because you're just a bodyguard" early on. However, towards the end of the series, when they exchange quasi-wedding vows in one of the final scenes on a ship on the same river where Kinn first offered Porsche a job and Porsche told him he'd rather drown, there's a really beautiful moment where Kinn tells Porsche that they are making a new family together, and Porsche tells him again that he's not on any family's side--just Kinn's side. And then he tells him:

Porsche: All my life... is yours Kinn: I promise you, I'll treasure it.

It's almost fairy tale esque in this scene, showing how far they've come. It also emphasizes that the point is that Kinn recognizes Porsche's humanity, and Porsche still affirms his own. Humanity is not a drawback but a benefit, because Porsche chooses Kinn, and choice is the realm of human beings.

Vegas + Pete

*screams* VEGASPETE ARE EVERYTHING

But honestly. I've talked how Vegas (who is, undoubtedly, the best written character) foils Kinn and will talk about Tawan, Kim, and Tankhun later on. Firstly, though, we have Vegas and Pete, asking the main thematic question of this series:

(As a human, of course. Except that's not easy.)

Vegas was so clearly my favorite type of character (Lee Yut-Lung from Banana Fish, Akutagawa Ryunosuke from Bungo Stray Dogs, Illumi Zoldyck from Hunter x Hunter, etc.) Someone who just so, so desperately wants to be loved, especially by his father, and cannot fathom why he does not have it. So he lashes out at everyone around him, especially those he's jealous of. He might claim that he's jealous of Kinn's power, but he's really jealous that Kinn is loved not just by Porsche, but by his brothers, by his bodyguards, even by his father (for all Korn's faults--and we're gonna get there--I do think Korn loves his sons).

This is so profoundly seen when Vegas initially kidnaps Pete and forces him to call his Grandma. Vegas leans in, groping Pete to make him terrified, but as soon as Pete tells his grandma he loves her, Vegas jerks back and rips the phone out of his hand. It's another reminder to Vegas that love exists, but he can't have it.

The only thing that truly shows Vegas love is his hedgehog... which of course is a symbol for Vegas himself (here's where I think the symbolism was too heavy-handed--not that he had a hedgehog nor what happened with it, but in that Pete actually bluntly tells him that he is the hedgehog. Leave it to your viewers, we're smart enough to get that.) The hedgehog, of course, is prickly and spiky but soft inside, just like Vegas.

The hedgehog is also specifically Vegas's inner child, in Jungian terms. It's always sick and dying, and he's afraid of it dying, but also afraid to actually recognize it. He doesn't name the hedgehogs because they always die. This is symbolizing how Vegas never really had a childhood, or the chance to develop normally. His father always beat it out of him and let him think that it was his fault, just like Vegas blames himself for the hedgehogs' deaths.

Vegas's father is the biggest obstacle in his growth. He can't ever truly grow up and overcome the father figure until his father's gone. Again, the symbolism is pretty blatant (but well done): Vegas is literally reading the novel Childhood's End, but his father slaps it out of his hand.

The message is clear: Vegas can't ever grow up until he lets go of his father. Fittingly, he's then seen reading the book again after making a meal for Pete.

Vegas and Pete are actually quite similar, not just in their terrible dads, but in that both of them, at their core, truly don't believe they are human beings. They don't believe they deserve love, or life, or anything. They're animals. Hence, Pete actually being called a pet is actually also Vegas pointing out how he sees himself.

But what they really want is to be human, which means to be free and to live.

Consequently, both Vegas and Pete are suicidal. Vegas drops about a million hints that he wants to die before he actually attempts it, even telling Pete he's feeding him so "you'll have energy to kill me."

Vegas self-harms too, and Pete tells him not to. Yet, after they have sex, Pete hits himself when Vegas can't see, telling himself that he didn't like it, even though he initiated. The reason they are both lost after they have sex is that neither of them are free physically or emotionally.

We see Vegas trying to do the right thing and making a fancy meal for Pete, even standing up to his father for a moment, only to have his father tell him he wishes he wasn't his son. At that added cruelty, Vegas smashes the meal he made, proving that even though he thought he was free of his father because he was in love with Pete, he wasn't. Not yet.

And Pete thought he was going to be free because of sex with Vegas, but Vegas still left him chained. Hence, he attempts suicide in front of Vegas. He also then calls Vegas out on everything in a well-done way, pointing out that Vegas is projecting his feelings of inhumanity onto him:

Need me? Like a pet with no feelings for emotional projection? I'm a human, Vegas... I have nothing left, not even my humanity.

Pete is then pointing out to us that after Vegas's childhood is grieved (shown in how Pete helps Vegas bury and put flowers at the hedgehog's grave), Pete embodies Vegas's humanity. If the hedgehog and his childhood should be grieved, because he'll never get them back, he can still have a human future in Pete. But to do that he has to embrace his inner humanity, and he cannot chain it up and take it out when he wants it, because that's just not how human beings work.

Even through making Pete realize and admit just how miserable he was--that he has no use and should just die, thereby showing Vegas that Pete truly does understand how Vegas feels--Vegas doesn't find what he thought he'd find. It's not comforting to be empathized with when it means someone you love is suffering so.

Vegas's apology to Pete is genuine, like Kinn's earlier, and heartfelt. Once his dad is dead, you'd really think he'd be free, but he's very much not. All his self-loathing, all his worst fears, have finally come true. Freedom isn't really found through death, but through embracing life and love. The hedgehog didn't have to die for Vegas to live, because death isn't freeing really. But choosing to live, even when you're in pain, for someone you love--that can be freeing.

Pete's "there is no legacy so rich as honesty" tattoo is somewhat amusing to me, because the quote comes from Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, a play that is considered a "problem play," in that no one can quite decide what genre it is. Also, "honesty" in the play's context is actually "virginity," which also seems to fit, but anyways. The genre/problem play thing is interesting because Kinnporsche itself, as a show, seems to zig-zag between whether it's a comedy, romance, or serious crime drama. I think the reference is somewhat meta, but should have been delved into more.

The play is also relevant in that All's Well That Ends Well is about families, too--particularly how sons struggle to define themselves when it comes to being compared to their fathers, and how they react when they feel like they have limited choices in life. Hrm, hrm, Vegas.

Anyways, Vegas and Pete totally deserved their beautiful ending. When Vegas wakes up post being shot and tells Pete:

You're not my pet. You're the most important person in my life.

It's a great way to tie the themes of their arcs together. Firstly, it is a fairy tale ending. Secondly, it's an affirmation of Pete's humanity, the thing they both doubted they had. Lastly, it's affirmation that Vegas chooses Pete, and in choosing, affirms his own humanity. That Macau then bursts in calling Pete his brother-in-law and welcoming him to the family is adorable and shows Vegas just how much he has.

Kim + Chay

So now that we've talked about two self-destructive emotionally constipated men, let's talk about the other one in the other major relationship: Kim.

Kim's actor does a great job of showing how Kim maintains a veneer of cool aloofness when Chay confronts him, but is internally panicking. Kim is reckless, running into battle to save Chay in literally nothing but a tank top. When Chay calls him on who he is, Kim doesn't even try to defend himself. When he saves Chay again at Yok's bar, he makes sure Chay doesn't even notice.

Unlike Kinn and Vegas, who are too active and possessive, Kim is too passive and cowardly. He cuts himself off from people not because he doesn't love them--he clearly does--but because he feels like he's bad luck. Essentially, the same issue Chay has--that he feels like he brings bad luck.

But, that's not how life works. Human beings don't bring good or bad luck. It depends on choices, another theme from Vegaspete and Kinnporsche that wasn't delved into as deeply as it should have been. Still, choice is an integral part of being human, and the show does depict this.

Still, it was a nice touch to literally have Kim wear a shirt with the word "human" on the front the same episode Pete insists "I'm a human, Vegas." Pete, of course, tells Vegas he has choices to make, and Vegas then tells Porsche that same thing in the final episode: that it's time to make a choice.

Anyways. The unfortunate thing is that the series didn't fully explore Kimchay in the same way they did Vegaspete. That's especially clear in the cliffhanger ending, though I think it was fairly clear that they were heading towards something positive. After all, Kim finally does something he needed to do: saying outright that he is singing for Porchay. Keep working, boy.

On a production level instead of narrative, I'm guessing the actor's ages may have played a role in them not fully exploring their story. Idk. I think the implications--the fade out with a way-too-dramatic kiss on the cheek that the fade obscured and them waking up together--were that they were sleeping together, but because of the actors' ages they clearly cannot and should not show that. But I wish the writers hadn't let that limit them--there are other ways to show growth and explore issues even if you can't directly use sex to do so. See, the sex scenes between Vegas and Pete and Kinn and Porsche were well done, and always had interesting meaning and commentary to them, which is great. I just wonder if they let the fact that they couldn't use this motif stifle their creativity when it came to exploring Kim and Chay's issues.

Tawan

Tawan's story was heartbreaking. He was a fairly well done, pathetic antagonist. When Vegas proposed to him, knowing tha the didn't love Tawan... that broke my heart. He was suicidal and his death ultimately foreshadowed what Vegas would later attempt to do.

But Tawan was desperate for love--truly desperate. He would do anything to be loved by Kinn, by Vegas, by anyone. But it wasn't really love for a specific person (as shown in how he switches from Kinn to Vegas) so much as that he wanted to feel safe in that love. Because denying love means denying safety, which sets him up as a good foil for Kim (who clearly thinks it's safer for your loved ones not to act like you love them)... but it wasn't ever explored.

Tawan's desperate love also foiled Chay. Yet unlike Tawan, and unlike Kim, Chay is able to express what he wants... and to assert himself when he's been disrespected and not seen as a full human being (Kim seeing him as just Porsche's brother is what breaks him).

Tankhun

Tankhun was everything. I love him. I think they could have done more with him, especially around his relationships with his brothers. Like. We only see the three brothers--Kinn, Tankhun, and Kim--in the same room ONCE in the final episode. Once! A crime, a crime, I tell you! I know next to nothing about how all three of them feel about each other and interact with one another and I WANT IT!

Ahem.

Tankhun is still, in many ways, the beating heart of the series. He wears love and his feelings on his fabulous, colorful, patterned, and often feathered sleeves. He chooses to live how he wishes, but will do things for those he loves.

He's also always right, if you pay attention--he knows Gun is bad news, and he knows Pete is in danger while Kinn and Porsche are inexplicably dumb as hell for not suspecting Pete was in danger. When Pete reappears and Tankhun literally thinks he's a zombie, he still rushes to embrace him even so, just because he loves him.

Also, Tankhun is, much like Pete and Chay, fairly pure of heart. I don't mean that in a naive way, but it's clear Tankhun is somewhat childlike because of his trauma... yet, he's still the one who adopts fish and gives them names like Elizabeth and Sebastian and mourns them. He loves his siblings, and he welcomes Chay like a new brother.

The Little Mermaid reenactment with Porsche was A Lot, but also hilarious and fitting. See, he's childish, so of course he's going to like fairy tales. He knows the world isn't one, but he still enjoys ones and wants stories where the good ones don't die, and he does his best to live a fairy tale despite everything. I really think the series should have dug into this more, especially since Kinn and Porsche and especially Vegas and Pete are very clearly modeled after Beauty and the Beast. Sigh. The potential.

Not gonna lie, I think the brother relationships were somewhat failed all throughout. Macau and Vegas's bond wasn't fully explored either, and neither was Porsche and Chay's. Like, Porsche doesn't even know about Kim and Chay, and Chay had told him about being tutored by Wik, so... wouldn't he at least ask? Sigh.

Korn

So, ironically, the brotherly relationship best fleshed out is... Korn and Gun's.

Theirs is highly tragic, and the relationship they have with their foster sister is also clearly a warning to Kim, Kinn, and Tankhun about what they could become if they prioritize the power of the mafia family over each other and their own rights to make their choices and live and love. It seems like that won't happen, given Kim and Chay and Porsche as the minor family head and Kinn, fortunately, but again I think this could have been more clearly explored.

Like, if love, both romantic and platonic and familial, offers a way forward, a potential answer (though no guarantee, see Tawan), which I think the show suggested, it should have been more heavy-handed in showing us. This also actually ties into the fairy tale motif, and the human being theme, and choice, and it just could have been so much more neatly braided together than it was. And also it works with the trust motif, because you can't control someone you trust.

I do really appreciate the ambiguity about Korn, and the uneasy lack of answers about what really happened between Korn, Gun, and Namphueng. On the one hand, Gun's utter cruelty to Vegas and Macau makes it seem more than plausible that he's the worst and he did assault Namphueng and kill her husband. On the other hand, seeing Korn murder Namphueng's husband would surely explain the vitriol he has towards Korn that seems unusually intense even for someone consumed with envy and jealousy.

I think it's clever that the series doesn't answer it for us. Even when Korn kills Gun in the end but chooses to tell his guards not to harm Vegas, despite the fact that Vegas just killed a bunch of his most loyal men, and promises to protect Vegas and Macau, we're left wondering. Is this proof that Korn is indeed the merciful man who would never have harmed Namphueng and her husband? Or is it the actions of a cruel man who killed his own brother and then told his kids not to worry because he'd provide for them, just like he did with Posrche and Chay?

Alas, what would have made this even more powerful would be an emphasis on what trust is supposed to mean... sigh.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I really enjoyed the show. I loved the characters and the three main ships. It had great ideas that could have been better explored.

Also of note: from its lighting to staging of certain scenes, it also clearly took inspiration from Queer as Folk, which is one of my favorite stories ever, and there were some potential Crime and Punishment references in Pete talking to Vegas in a scene that mimicked Sonia and Raskolnikov.

Basically, it was designed for me to fall for it, and fall for it I did. I just wish it had been refined, because it could have also been a masterpiece in addition to being entertaining (yes, really), but alas, didn't quite get there. Still, I'd definitely recommend it.

[birdmitosis]

A question: do you think the Voices would, given time, change to be a calmer version of themselves in a A New Dawn situation? Like, even as the ending is playing, Voices like Paranoid and Hunted clearly cherish the The Long Quiet's decision (Paranoid going as far as saying that everything that made existing so horrible to him is finally over :/), showing they are already starting to calm down from their perpetual state of fear and over-vigilance, which are kinda important traits for them to still be what they are. Maybe as this new world without bloodshed sets in and there's nothing to justify them being so exaggerated, they would eventually mollify into, I dunno... Voice of the Anxious (Paranoid), Voice of the Attentive (Hunted), Voice of the Placid (Cold), Voice of the Meek (Broken), Voice of the Sly (Opportunist), etc etc..

I'M SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG TO ANSWER, my brain has been picking at it and trying to put together words because all I've been able to come up with since I saw it is:

aaaaaaaa yes I love everything about this

So, yes!! Yes, I love this concept. I made a post about things I found on the Reddit AMA a little over four months ago, and one of the things I went a little nuts over there was that an early concept for the voices was that, instead of getting more voices the more chapters you went through, the voice you got would change -- first for the worse, then for the better.

So I definitely love the idea of the voices shifting and becoming new versions of themselves once they leave the Construct, no matter what the circumstances are! Usually for clarity I write them with the same names, but I think especially in the New and Unending Dawn endings, they might completely update. In the "positive" one, becoming better versions of themselves... in the Everyone Hates You ending, becoming worse. (Though I can't stand unhappy endings personally so I like them improving after that bout of being worse, heh!) (Also I feel like even in the "positive" one, Smitten would get worse before he got better. :< Poor guy's deep in mourning again!)

I love your idea of them mollifying, but I also love the idea of them becoming more positive iterations of themselves. Paranoid could be Voice of the Anxious or Voice of the Cautious; Cold could be Voice of the Placid or, as Tony Howard-Arias floated, Voice of the Determined.

(Which, apropos of nothing, makes me realize just how much Cold and Stubborn might have in common...)

[oraorahoe]

The main three being jealous over reader? :3

Hi hi!! Love this req! Lol you always send in great ones :))

*JJBA (Part 3 Jotaro, Josuke, Okuyasu) Jealous Over Reader!;*

(wrote this with GN! Reader because why not…)

****************************************************

Jotaro (3)♡:

Jotaro’s more of the silent aggressive type but when Polnareff got a bit “too flirty” as he does with everyone- towards you…? Oh it was not very pretty.

You were playing cards with Pol, Kakyoin and Jotaro in your hotel room on your trip to Egypt to fight some sparkly vampire man. “HAH! Beat that Y/n!” Kakyoin shouted slamming down a “straight” (if you don’t play poker- it’s a pretty good hand lololl) you guys had been playing for what felt like hours- but there was nothing really else to do at the place, “Oh hey- why don’t we all go to the pool?!” Pol bleated out with a huge grin.

Not such a bad idea! You all decided it might be nice to check out. You went to get changed into your swimsuit and ran downstairs to the pool jumping in and making a huge splash. “CANNONBALL!!!!”… As you get out to jump again, you see Polnareff looking you up and down- and grinning from ear to ear. “Heh…”

Jotaro looks over and sees this interaction. And he tips his sunglasses down like some badass action movie character. “Polnareff…” he says gruffly, “If you ever look at Y/n like that again I’ll make sure you have no teeth left to smile at them with…” Polnareff backed off shuddering…

((Woa Joot O_O…))

Josuke♡:

Josuke was never the type to get very jealous; he’s naturally just more of a “go with the flow kinda guy.” But he began to get fed up when one of your casual “friends” from school kept being touchy and frankly a bit annoying towards you-

it started to get on his nerves like you wouldn’t believe >:(, this dude was all over you! Even when you asked him to stop. Hugging you, asking to walk you to class, just always trying something, even when you would politely decline.

“Oh y/n I’ll carry your books for you…”

“Uhh… that’s fine thank you- I can carry them myself…”

Then he’d just grab them from you… and try to put his arm around you possessively.

This was the final straw for Josuke. He decided to step in because this guy clearly wasn’t getting it. “Hey- would ya leave Y/n alone?! They clearly don’t want you bothering them, so stop being a freakin’ dick…”

“Huh-“ the guy turned around, “They don’t seem to have a problem with it….” He said looking over at you half glaring. “Are you kidding asshole?! Just leave them alone…”

“What- no! Just take your weirdo hairdo somewhere else kid….” the other boy said rolling his eyes.

Oh no…

(*insert DORA! x1000*)

Josuke managed to land a suspension but you ended up thanking him for getting that kid to stop being annoying towards you- it was sweet of him… you just wish he hadn’t gone that far overboard with it heh… (;-;”)

Okuyasu♡ :

It was Koichi’s birthday! Oku, You, Yukako and Josuke, planned to throw him a celebration at Tonio’s Italian restaurant… Okuyasu never thought he’d end up punching someone in the stomach midway through the party though…

Half the town was invited- I mean everyone loved Koichi- he’s such a reliable guy! There were games, and laughs radiating throughout the whole restaurant, Okuyasu was over gobbling up all the delicious Italian food at the buffet.

“Truth or Dare Okuyasu?” Koichi asked,turning around and smiling cheerfully. “DARE!!” He replied…enthusiastically… no way Koichi would come up with some crazy dare… 🙄 “DRINK A SHOTGLASS OF HOTSAUCE!” Koichi shouted, giggling- “Wh-What?!?!”… “No way!! I hate spicy foods!!!!” He blurted back at him…

“Alright alright… I got one!” Hazamada exclaimed, snickering and interrupting their game. “Rohan sensei- truth or dare?”… “Huh-! I’m not playing this childish game…” Rohan sneered, rolling his eyes. “Ugh… come on…” Hazamada pestered. “Fine whatever- truth…” Rohan answered begrudgingly.

“OOOH I was hoping you’d say that…” Hazamada paused… thinking for a moment. “If you could kiss Y/n would you?” WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!?!

You nearly spit out your drink right in Koichi’s face… “Oi You smarmy little dick where do you get off asking questions like that…” Okuyasu chimed in- glaring at him. “Chill out it’s just a game…” Hazamada chuckled. “CHILL OUT- Quit asking questions like that making Y/n uncomfortable, you ASSHOLE!” Oku shouted- grabbing Hazamada by the collar and swiftly punching him in the stomach. “Woa woa Okuyasu-!” Josuke and you ran over to calm him down.

Oh gosh- well it was sweet of him to stick up for you,, even if his temper is a bit out of whack… his heart is in the right place 💜

****************************************************

hi hi :) I’ve been inactive for quite a bit so sorry I’m replying back so late! Hope you like it!!! <3

[danco110]

“So you, what, rewrite the world?”

“That’s right!”

Amalia gave her newfound friend Kellan a bright smile that clearly displayed her razor-sharp fangs. Rather than recoil, however, the half-fae hero shrugged, and matched the enthusiasm with a grin of his own. He leaned in close, eagerly watching the web of light floating in the air before the pair.

“See here, this map shows the trail we took to get here. This brighter circle is us, where we are right now.”

Amalia pointed to the circle in question. Kellan gave an excited nod, prompting the cartographer to continue her explanation.

“If I take my quill and just…ah…redraw part of the light - just for an example I’ll pick something small like this ridge here - and, voila, the-”

“WOW! That’s incredible!”

Amalia jerked in surprise at Kellan’s shout. Her quill stroke went wide, streaking up and at an angle, far off the map, into the empty air above it. The vampire stared sullenly at the stray line of light, while Kellan chuckled awkwardly, and scratched at the back of his neck.

“Ah-heh, sorry about that.”

“It’s…no trouble,” Amalia lied, through politely-gritted fangs. “And, I’m fairly certain I’ve still changed something in the world. Though I have no earthly idea what that might be.”

Kellan pointed to the wayward line. “Well, wouldn’t it just be whatever’s…uh…”

“Northwest.”

“Yeah, that! That of here!”

Amalia rolled her eyes. “Well, if my cartography magic weren’t extremely complex, and deceptively easy to mess up…that would be the case.”

“Oh. So…what changed, then?”

“As I was saying…”

—

In space, far above Ixalan, the moon loomed large above the world. There came a great rumbling from the great rock, and suddenly a chunk of it broke free from its cranny. The newborn meteor immediately began to fall, seemingly eager to explore its surroundings.

—

“…I have no idea- Hey, is it just me or is the sky getting red?”

[Inspiration: 20/20. Yeah, just the numbers being the same.]

[giggly-squiggily]

The ¥1,000,000 Question (Demon Slayer)

(Was gonna use a gif but they were all pretty heavy with flashing lights)

Okay so- I searched high and low in my inbox, checked both my phone and my desktop, and checked the drafts to see if somehow it ended up there, and yet...I can't find the ask for this request. To whomever requested Lee!Kokushibou, Ler!Akaza- I hope you like it! :D

CW: Swearing

Cloud 9 (Taglist):

@myreygn @thatbigbisexual29 @duckymcdoorknob @wolfyeatstacos @gladdygirl18 @baby-tickles2022 @cupcake-spice13 @backy-san @t-wordiiish @sarahmaystock5578

“Ahehehehaha! Noohoohohohoho!”

“Yeeeeeees~” Akaza mocked playfully, fingers tapping gently across Rui’s belly and sides. “This is what you get for being such a sneaky brat- did you really think I wouldn’t see all those threads you’ve been leaving around?”

Rui couldn’t respond, far too giggly. Akaza chuckled as he let the spider roll away, catching his hands when he jumped up and tried to tickle him back. “Whohohoa there.”

“Heh, gotcha!!” Rui giggled, hands making grabby motions at Akaza’s belly while he struggled to break out of his grip. “Are all the Upper Moons ticklish?”

“All of them? No idea.” Akaza pulled him into his chest once more, tapping his fingers along his belly. “I know the brats are- as is Douma. If you pinch his neck he’ll scream like this.” He pressed into Rui’s belly, earning a squeal. “I don’t know about the Gyokko and Hantengu- they don’t like playing the way we do.”

Rui giggled helplessly as the tickles came to an end once more, slumped against Akaza’s chest. “Whahaht about Lord Kokushibou? Is he ticklish?”

“No idea. I never tried.”

“You never tried?” Rui turned so he was looking at him properly now, tilting his head curiously. “How come?”

“He’s not really the touchy-feely type. I don’t think he’d appreciate me just going up and tasering his ribs.” Akaza laughed softly, the idea so absurd it was hilarious. “I’d probably get scolded or worse doing that.”

“Hm…” Rui hummed, tapping his hands on his lap in thought. “Well…why not ask him if he’s ticklish? Worst thing that can happen is him choosing not to answer.”

Akaza went to respond, but…nothing came out. Rui wasn’t wrong- in fact; he was fairly dead on. Kokushibou wasn’t the type to react violently to a question- he had the patience of a saint and answered most if not all of Douma’s own inquiries. Would it be so different for him? “Who told you you could be so smart?” Akaza reached out, ruffling Rui’s hair.

~~~

In theory it worked flawlessly- the whole asking thing.

In execution though…

“Akaza.” Kokushibou’’s voice rumbled in his bones, shaking him to the core. “You’ve been staring at me for the past half hour. Is something the matter?”

Shit- he’d been caught. Akaza straightened, searching for words. “I eh..hey.”

“Hello to you too.” Kokushibou turned to look at him, six eyes breaking down his walls. “Yes?”

“I…” Might as well just get it out of the way. “Hey, Kokushibou, are you ticklish?”

Silence. Akaza regretted it the second it came out of his mouth, feeling those six eyes burn holes through him. He went to take it back-

“Yes.”

Akaza’s jaw hit the floor. His gaze snapped to Kokushibou, finding no anger or lie in his expression. If anything, the older demon seemed amused. “You are?”

“Last I’ve recalled.” His lips turned then, eyes clouding in thought. “Of course- that was back when I was human. Many things change when you’re turned.”

“Yeah, but Rui and I are-” Akaza began, slapping a hand over his mouth at the confession. Kokushibou’s mouth twitched, amusement returning. “Forget I said that. Well…you’re ticklish. Never would have known.”

“So it seems.”

“Great. Thanks Koku.” Akaza stood, stretching out. There; he accomplished his mission. Now he could report to Rui. “I appreciate it-”

“You don’t wish to try?” Kokushibou asked, nearly taking Akaza out when the stripped demon whirled around, shocked once more. “I assumed since you were asking you’d want to try it.”

“You….you’re serious?” He gaped, not trusting his hearing. Did Kokushibou just give him permission to tickle him? In response, Kokushibou turned so he was properly facing him, hands folded neatly in his lap and body relaxed- inviting even. It was clear as day; he was serious. “You’re not gonna chop my head off?”

“I have no intention of tricking you, Akaza.” The older demon almost sounded hurt. Akaza shook himself free of his thoughts before nodding, taking a seat before the other.

“Okay…wow. Never thought I’d do this before. Alright…is there anywhere you don’t want touched?” Akaza asked, waving his hands around. “Besides the obvious?”

“Anywhere is fine. You have my consent-I’ll let you know when I’ve had enough.” Kokushibou nodded, waiting. Akaza nodded again before raising his hands, willing them to stop shaking.

“Okay…here we go!” He snapped forward, going right for the ribs. That usually got a reaction from Rui. 

At first- nothing happened. Kokushibou was like stone. Akaza almost gave up.

But then…

“Hmm! Hmhmhmhmhmmhmhhmm!” The older demon puffed out what sounded like deep chuckles, lips firmly closed but twitching in the corners. Akaza was amazed- holy crap it was WORKING. Feeling bold, he pressed in more, skittering his fingers up and down the other’s sides. “Mmmmmphehehehehehe!”

“Seems like you’re still ticklish, Kokushibou!” Akaza could feel himself grinning, delighted in the reaction. His hands stopped shaking so much as he let them wonder, seeking out new tickle spots. “What about here? Or here? Perhaps here?”

Turns out- Kokushibou had quite a few tickle spots. The sides of his stomach proved to be quite sensitive to prods, and the center of his armpits made him double over with a snort. His neck- oh man his neck! Very light scribbles against the base where his neck met his shoulders made him giggle like a child!

Granted- Akaza noticed, that spot made almost every demon in the moons react like that.

Perhaps it was Lord Muzan’s own tickle spot?

Scary. Back to Kokushibou.

“Ahehahahha! Ahehahhahhahahahha! A-Ahahhahakhahahahhahzahahhahha!” The six eyed demon called out for the first time, fist balled up against his Hakamas. His smile was small but genuine, and his laugh was rich and deep. “Thahahhat’s enohhoohohough!”

And thus, the tickling had come to an end. Akaza retracted his hands and scooted back, giving the older demon space. Kokushibou was still doubled over, hair falling and shadowing his expression as he tittered out a few more residue giggles. “Seems like we answered the Million Yen Question.”

“Y-yehhes…I suppose we hahave…” Kokushibou huffed, smiling through his bangs. “I have a question of my own for you, Akaza.”

Every nerve in the striped demon’s body tensed for an entirely new reason. “Oh?”

“Yes. It seems rather unfair that you get to tickle me…but I don’t get to tickle you.” Those six eyes bore into him again, but Akaza didn’t feel dread of fear this time. Instead, he twitched with anticipation. “So, I must ask…are you ticklish?”

“.....I think we both know the answer to that one.” Akaza laughed, starting to back away. “But I assure you- I’m not nearly as fun to tickle as Spidey-squirt, or even that rainbow idiot! They scream like little babies, you know-” He booked it, running for the door.

“So I’ve heard.” How’d Koku appear so quickly and silently? Akaza had no idea. All he knew is a hand was grasping the back of his vest and he just let out a sound he wasn’t proud of. “Humor me- let’s see if you do the same.”

Thanks for reading!

[tabitha42]

The Wizard's Apprentice - Chapter 21

Saffron is just a lowly apprentice with barely a successful firebolt to her name. So what chance does she have with the arch mage she's slowly falling in love with?

Gale x Tav, slow burn, eventual smut

Chapter 1 Previous chapter Next chapter

Gale had never been a morning person, and he was especially not a morning person when nursing the world’s worst hangover. 

By the time he finally emerged from his tent the camp was a buzz of activity. The tieflings were helping clear up after the party and Wyll was cooking breakfast at the campfire. 

“Ah, there you are,” Wyll greeted him, taking some cooked meat and putting it on a plate. “Thought you’d never wake up.” 

Gale blearily walked over and sat next to him, rubbing his eyes. Gradually his mind started to piece itself back together as he ate. 

“Where are the others?” he asked, finally realising he couldn’t see any of their other companions around. 

“The ladies decided to go bathe in the spring just down river, which I thought might be a good idea for us, too. Might even help wake you up.” 

Gale nodded slowly. 

“And Astarion?”

“I have no idea. Off doing… Astarion things.” 

Astarion still hadn’t returned from his Astarion things by the time they’d finished breakfast, so they headed to the spring without him. They bought a towel each, a fresh change of clothes as well as a handful of dirty clothes to wash while they were there. They found a spot far from where they knew the girls likely were and got undressed. 

Wyll had been absolutely right - the water certainly did wake him up. 

“Gods, nothing like a shock of cold water to really stimulate one’s senses,” Gale commented with a wince as he stepped into the brisk water. Wyll was already waist deep, much more used to this sort of living than Gale was. 

“Feeling a bit better?” he asked with a chuckle as Gale waded in to join him. 

“Better is… not the word I’d use,” he admitted. “I swear this was warmer last time I bathed.” “It’s that morning air. Crisp and fresh.” 

“Mmm…” Gale murmured, unable to have quite the same enthusiasm for it that Wyll did. Still, he decided to try to focus on the one positive of all this. “You seem to be in better spirits than yesterday.” 

“Ah, yes. Well. I’ll admit, for most of the party, I felt rather… out of place. As much as Karlach was right and the tieflings did accept me, I still didn’t feel myself. When she went to dance I took the opportunity to excuse myself. But I should have known Karlach wouldn’t leave it at that. She came and found me. When I refused to return to the party, she refused to leave me. We spent a long time just talking. About all sorts - our adventures, our childhoods, our hopes for the future. Then we heard Alfira playing her new song. It was distant and muffled, but we could hear it. She knew I love to dance, so she offered to dance with me. Not a full dance, of course, but as much as we could without touching. I’ll admit - it worked. By the end of it I finally found myself smiling. And I daresay, had I been able to touch her, the night might have ended up in more than just a dance.” 

Gale chuckled softly, glad to see Wyll starting to feel like himself again. He could relate. 

“Amazing what having the right person around can do for you, isn’t it?” he mused, taking some soap out of his bag and starting to wash himself. 

“It truly is. I used to curse the name Karlach, now I could sing it from the rooftops. The only thing I curse now is Zariel and what she did to her. That damnable infernal engine… I am honestly amazed at how she keeps so positive all the time. But she is sure Dammon will be able to cure her. And, well, she has made it quite clear what she wants when that time finally comes.” 

Gale chuckled, amused by the smirk on Wyll’s lips. 

“I won’t ask for details,” he joked. 

“Heh, if I’m honest, I’m not sure I’m ready for all she’s got planned. But still… I wish we could do something. A hug, a stolen kiss under the stars… but it will make it all the sweeter when our time finally comes.” 

Gale had to admit, that was a nice way to think about it. He hoped they would all find the cures they needed, and all have their time finally come. 

“Anyway, enough about me,” Wyll decided after a moment. “What about you? Did Saff finally convince you to dance?” 

“Ah… yes, she did. To the same song as you, in fact,” he said, a smile playing on his lips from the memories of the night. “Oh? And how’d it go?” he asked with an excited smirk. He clearly was expecting more than what actually happened between them. 

“Well… we were dancing, and it was lovely, and then… I was a lot more drunk than I thought I was, and fell over.” 

Wyll burst out laughing. 

“Oh gods, Gale. Don’t tell me you let that be the end of it, though? I’m sure she didn’t hold it against you.” 

“You’re right, she didn’t. But…” he trailed off and looked away slightly. Wyll looked at him, at first in curiosity, then in concern when he saw the pained look on Gale’s face.

“Gale? Are you alright?” he asked, growing worried for his friend. Gale had been hesitant to tell anyone just yet… but he knew he could trust Wyll with this. 

“I… haven’t told her this yet. But the truth is… you and I are in much the same boat.” Wyll frowned, deeply confused. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to figure it out. Gale sighed deeply. 

“This,” he said, tapping the circle on his chest. “It isn’t just magic it reacts to. It reacts to me. To… my emotions.” 

Gradually Wyll’s eyes started to widen in realisation. 

“I hadn’t been sure about it at first,” Gale continued. “But I’m sure of it now. Whenever the two of us are close… it flares up. Everyone thought I fell last night because of alcohol. It wasn’t. It was this.” 

There was a moment of quiet as Wyll looked at him sadly, realising how much his condition truly affects him.

“Well well, look at you two. Cockblocked by the universe.” 

The two of them nearly jumped out of their skins as Astarion seemed to appear out of nowhere next to them. 

“A truly tragic tale,” he continued casually. 

“Where did you come from??” Gale gasped, equal parts surprised and annoyed. 

“Oh, I had been getting some food earlier. After how busy last night was I didn’t get a chance to get a proper meal. Then when I got back I heard you two had come down here, so I thought I’d join you.” 

Gale and Wyll glanced at each other, then back at Astarion, who was now looking at them with a smirk on his lips. 

“I had a wonderful night by the way, if anyone’s interested.” 

“Did you?” Wyll asked, curious now. “Who with?” 

“Oh…” Astarion started, looking at them playfully. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Further downstream, the girls were enjoying a much warmer bath, courtesy of Karlach. 

“Ahh, this is the life!” Karlach declared happily, stretching her arms and leaning back against a rock. While the others were busy washing or cleaning their clothes, she was relaxing as if on a spa day. 

“You really enjoy bathing in rivers that much?” Shadowheart asked. She couldn’t say she shared the same love for it. 

“Yes! Never got the chance in the Hells. The rivers there were all boiling and stank of sulphur. But this… cool, clean water… I’d forgotten how good it felt!” 

Saff smiled to herself. It was so nice to see Karlach enjoying herself so much. Shadowheart shrugged slightly and went back to what she was doing, til she spoke again shortly later. 

“So, did you find Wyll last night after you went off looking for him?” 

“Yes! He didn’t want to come back to the party, but we still had a good time together,” she said with a big smile, reminiscing. Shadowheart narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at Karlach. 

“Had anyone else said that I would assume you’d slept together, but with you I know that can’t be the case…” 

“Ugh, don’t remind me! I can’t wait til I can get this thing fixed. Then I have so many plans.” 

Now Shadowheart’s interest was really piqued. 

“Oh? Do we get to hear them?” she asked curiously, but Karlach only laughed. 

“No, those are for Wyll’s ears only. I’ll only tell you the first one - I want to share a dance with him.” 

Shadowheart looked marginally disappointed, while Saff looked more interested now.

“That’s so romantic,” she said softly, finding it sweet that that was one of the first things Karlach wanted to do. 

“Well, I hope he’s a better dancer than a certain other male companion of ours,” Shadowheart teased. Karlach lifted her head now and looked curiously at Saff, who looked slightly annoyed at Shadowheart. 

“Gale’s a perfectly good dancer!” she said defensively. 

“He fell over.” 

“He... was drunk,” she tried to argue in Gale’s defence, though didn’t do very well. Karlach started laughing, and finally even Lae’zel, who had previously been ignoring the conversation, joined in. 

“He fell over??” she asked, looking a bit disgusted. “Ch’k, any man who fell over while trying to court me would quickly learn of his failure.” 

“He wasn’t-... it wasn’t like that…” Saff stuttered, though all three of them gave her a disbelieving look. 

“Wasn’t it?” Shadowheart challenged. Saff didn’t answer, and just looked down to focus on the clothes she was washing. “You know, I’m surprised it’s taken you two this long. You’re both clearly interested in each other. So act on it.” 

Saff sighed, realising there was no point trying to pretend there wasn’t anything between them anymore.

“We are acting on it,” she insisted, trying to hide the slight blush on her cheeks. Shadowheart raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Half a dance is acting on it?” She said, a criticism more than a question. “Yes! It’s only been a few days!” Saff said defensively. “Plenty of time,” Lae’zel declared. Saff was beginning to feel a bit ganged up on. 

“Well, I want to take things slow, ok?” she said, hoping that would be explanation enough.

“Why?” Lae’zel asked. Saff might have got annoyed, but it didn’t sound like a tease like it would have done from Shadowheart - it was a genuine question.

“Well… sometimes if you take things too fast, that can ruin the relationship. I don’t want that.” 

“Why would it ruin the relationship?” she pressed. Her genuinely questioning tone reminded the others just how alien she really was to their world. 

“Because… you might end up in a relationship with someone you don’t really know yet. And they could turn out to not be the person you thought they were.” 

“Not the person you thought they were? Like someone in disguise?”

“No- no…” Saff said quickly, to the amusement of Shadowheart and Karlach. “I don’t mean literally, I mean, you might have this idea of them in your mind, of what they’re like. But then the more you get to know them, you realise they’re not like that at all, and that you’ve not actually fallen for them, but you’ve fallen for this idea you had of them that isn’t actually real.”

Lae’zel nodded slowly, beginning to understand. 

“Do you fear this is the case with Gale?” 

“Well, no… but I want to be sure,” she explained. It looked like Lae’zel was finally getting it, until she spoke again. 

“I still don’t see why this has to delay sex.” 

Saff despaired and buried her head in her hands. The other two laughed and Karlach finally sat up to give her input. 

“Some people don’t like having sex with someone unless they love them,” she said simply. Lae’zel looked almost disgusted by the suggestion.

“How ridiculous. You would miss out on so much of one of life’s greatest pleasures.” 

“I never thought I’d say this, but I agree with Lae’zel,” Shadowheart said, to Lae’zel’s surprise. “Short-term amusements are much better.” 

“Well, you guys can stick with your short-term amusements, I know what I want,” Saff said firmly. 

“Good for you, Saff,” Karlach said proudly. “You take as much time as you need, and don’t let these two tell you otherwise,” she said, gesturing to Lae’zel and Shadowheart. 

Lae’zel rolled her eyes. 

“How can you be sure you’re not wasting your time? You do not even know if he’s interested if you don’t make your desires clear,” she questioned. 

“Well… that’s all part of taking your time about it, to be sure you know they feel the same way. But I’m sure he’s interested. There’s been lots of times when we’ve been really close, way closer than just friends would.” 

“And those times have never led to anything?” 

“No. Usually either we get interrupted, or… he changes the subject or something, cause like I said, we’re taking it slow.” 

Lae’zel gave her a look. 

“How do you know he’s not changing the subject because he’s not interested?” she challenged. 

“Wha- I… I’m sure that’s not the case,” Saff said, though sounding rather more uncertain than before. It never took much to sow the seed of doubt in her mind. 

“You should strike while the iron is hot,” Lae’zel insisted. “Make sure he knows your desires, before he loses interest!” 

“I don’t think he’s going to lose interest,” Karlach started, “but I guess there’s no harm in making sure he knows how you feel.” 

“Karlach’s right. Plus, a small gesture to keep him on his toes can always be fun,” Shadowheart agreed. 

“You think? Like… what?” Saff asked, a bit unsure what she could do. 

“Pin him down and ravish him until he is so overcome by arousal he cannot refuse you your desires!” Lae’zel declared.

The others went silent, looking at her in shock. 

“...I was going to suggest a picnic,” Karlach said after a long moment. “But… I suppose that works, too.” 

“I’ll bear the picnic idea in mind,” Saff decided.

[lxke02]

𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗬𝗟𝗘

—Hoshina Soshiro x Fem! Iguro Obanai! Reader

CHAPTER TWO

PR. | CH. 1 EX. | CH. 3 | MASTERLIST

“I am glad that the final exam is back to subjugating kaijus.” [Name] mutters, standing beside Soshiro as they wait for the examinees to arrive for their last entrance exam.

Behind them is a large and thick metal gate, securely closed to prevent any kaijus from escaping. The sound of inhumane roars and screams can be heard from the other side.

“Heh, we should thank Commander Ashiro for that, after we took our own exams, the following years after that the final exams changed into cleaning up Kaiju remains.” Soshiro says with a hum, his hands behind his back.

[Name] hums to herself, voice still muffled by the bandages around her mouth. She slowly turns to look at the vice captain with a small deadpan, “Also, why am I here? As far as I remember the Commander didn't assign me to proctor this exam.” She grumbles as she holds out her right arm to let Kaburamaru roam around her arm and Soshiro laughs.

“We have a good line up of newbies today and thought ya might be interested so I asked the Commander to make ya proctor to the exam too.” Soshiro says with a grin, his fangs as usual poking out of his lips.

[Name] deadpans at him, “Ah, so you're the reason I can't enjoy my day off today.” She says with a glare and Soshiro raises his hands in defeat, “Whaaat...? Nooo, think of it as hanging out.” He says with a playful tone, drawing out the last syllable of his words in a teasing manner.

[Name] just blankly stared at him, placing her hands on to the pockets of her standard defense force uniform as Kaburamaru returned to slither back around her neck.

“Please, the only proper hangout idea you have is the training sessions we do at four in the morning.” She deadpans at him, recalling the time the vice captain barges into her room to wake her up to help him train.

Soshiro snorted beside her, eyes slowly opening to look at her, “Based on how ya acted during those training sessions, ya enjoyed it.” he says with a smirk as he too placed his hands in the pockets of the large jacket of his defense force standard uniform.

[Name] just hums beside him, not bothering to look at him and he just grins as the sounds of multiple footsteps can be heard approaching the training grounds.

“They're here.” [Name] mutters, feeling excited to see her little sister in action today. Kikoru told her (through chat) that she'll be taking the entrance exam today.

Which is the reason she accepted the Commander's order to also proctor the exam.

Only Commander Ashiro knows her ties to the Shinomiya family. [Name] didn't exactly announce it to the others—she'd rather people actually see her effort and hard work than assume her strength came from the Shinomiya family—even if she's merely adopted into that said family.

“Man, they sure did take their sweet time.” Soshiro says with a slight whistle.

Both the Vice Captain and Third in Command turned to look at the group of people who just arrived, Soshiro grins at them.

[Name's] heterochromatic eyes landed on Kikoru, which the girl seems to notice. Green eyes widened when seeing her older sister.

[Name] gave the younger girl a subtle wave of her hand as Hoshina began to introduce himself.

“I am Hoshina Soshiro, the Vice Captain of the Third Division Unit,” He says with a grin before pointing a finger at the woman beside him, “—and this is [Name] Obanai, the Third in Command for the Third Division Unit.”

In which [Name] just gave a closed eyed nod to the examinees.

Kikoru's eyes widened, she knows that her older sister is part of the third division but she didn't know the older girl is the third in command.

The woman often came home to spend time with her, occasionally helping her improve her hand to hand combat and during those times, the two sisters usually catch up on what's happening with their lives.

Kikoru looked at [Name]—who seemed to turn away to avoid the younger girl's gaze. An irked mark appeared on the younger girl's forehead, she could already hear her reasoning—“I didn't feel like telling you.” or “I forgot.” Something along the lines of that.

Soshiro raised an eyebrow at the blonde girl who seems to be staring intensely at his Third in Command.

He shrugged it off, [Name] is just like that—always having the ability to turn heads to look in her direction wherever she goes.

[Name] is shrouded in mystery, despite knowing her for a few years now, fighting by her side during all those years—he still doesn't know much about the woman.

He still doesn't know why the woman has incredible speed, incredible skill with the blade. She told him she didn't know as she just trained as much as she could.

He still doesn't know why she wore bandages around her mouth, he remembered their first mission and the group was celebrating afterwards but she excused herself and told their platoon leader she was not feeling well and she was exhausted after the mission.

The same exact reason she always used whenever their unit went out to celebrate.

But whenever she left, Soshiro never stayed long too with the group and always follows her back to the base where they often spend time on the roof or the training room.

And Soshiro never once asked her. He's curious but he could tell she's uncomfortable in talking about it.

So to distract her from the lingering questions their platoon asks her whenever she leaves—he trains with her to get her distracted.

Despite her harsh personality towards the new recruits, he knows her well enough it's just her way of being caring. Nobody wants to see their comrades die in battle after all.

Comrades. Even though he often asked the girl if they were friends—which often to her not answering him and often just gives him a raised eyebrow.

They're somewhat friends in a way, just not the typical friendship people are used to.

But as the years slowly progressed, [Name] started to not immediately leave the celebration and often stayed for a few minutes before eventually leaving once someone offered or asked her if she would drink.

It is still clear the woman is uncomfortable in showing the lower half of her face but Soshiro is proud that she's slowly starting to trust them.

Progress is progress, despite how slow it is.

[Name] looked beside her to see the Vice Captain to be in deep thought, she raises an eyebrow. It seems something distracted the man as the other examinees waited for what he was supposed to say next.

She clears her throat in hopes of catching the male's attention, “Vice, they're waiting for your next orders.” She grumbles beside him.

Soshiro was still lost in his thoughts, that is something that doesn't happen often. In fact, this never really happens as the man always has his guard up.

[Name] deadpans as the examinees just looked at them with blinking dotted eyes.

Feeling slight embarrassment creeping up to her, [Name] sharply elbows the male's side.

Which worked as the vice captain let out a sharp yelp, slightly jumping from the pain.

“Ow! What was that for?!” He asked with a wince—wincing slightly as electrifying pain remained to throb on his side. He uses his left hand to rub soothing circles on the right side of his waist. A small pout on his lips, fangs as usual poking out of his lips.

“Had to bring you back to earth as your mind seems to be having fun dancing amongst the clouds.” She deadpans, heterochromatic eyes looking at him with judgement.

“Mean Obanai-san, yer mean.” He says with a pout, “Don't make me let ya do 100 pushups.” He says playfully.

In which [Name] just rolls her eyes at him, “I am beginning to regret rejecting the offer by how you're acting towards me.” She deadpans at him before shrugging, “Anyways, it was either elbowing you or letting Kaburamaru bite your face.”

Soshiro deadpans at her, lips pressed into a thin line yet his fangs are poking out before eventually clearing his throat and looks at the examinees in front of them, “Anyways, the both of us have been assigned to proctor this final exam.” He says with a grin.

“Here at this exercise ground, the second phase of your exam will be...”

[Name] walked towards the side of the gate, a keypad on the side of the gate. She began typing out a password.

And the gates began to open. She then returned back to Soshiro's side, arms behind her back. The Vice Captain and Third in Command stood by each other's side, standing with confidence.

Loud monstrous roars could be heard, slowly increasing in volumes.

“Disposing of Kaijus!” A man yelled excitedly amongst the examinees and [Name] fought back a laugh.

“—Is to neutralize Kaijus.” Soshiro says with a smirk and in that moment a yonju was about to jump towards the Vice Captain and Third in Command.

The examinees flinched in fear as they watched the Yonju being held back with thick bars of iron—preventing it from reaching the Vice Captain and Third in Command—who stood side by side, unfazed by the monster behind them.

“You will have to defeat this monster.” [Name] says, pointing her thumb behind her as the Kaiju desperately tries to claw through the thick metal bars holding it inside the training grounds.

“Wasn't it supposed to be a Kaiju clean up, Ichikawa?!” A man yelled from the crowd, shaking a light blue haired man aggressively.

“I was only referring to the last two years, senpai!” The light blue haired man says in defense.

An irked mark appeared on [Name's] forehead, clearly annoyed how the two are disrupting them from speaking.

She knelt down and picked a tiny—very tiny rock from the ground, one of the debris surrounding the training grounds. She raises her body and holds the tiny piece of rocks in between her thumb and pointer finger.

And flicked it, hitting the man straight to the forehead.

It wasn't big enough to cause serious harm nor the strength she exerted to flick it enough to fracture his skull.

But it was surely painful.

“Yeooow! What the fuck was that?!” The man exclaimed, now that [Name] has thought about it, she remembered his file back when she was helping Soshiro and Mina sort through the applications.

Hibino Kafka, age 32.

Certainly an old timer. This is certainly the old man's last attempt at this examination.

And the light blue haired man beside him of Reno Ichikawa if she remembered correctly.

With a glare she looked at the pair (Hibino and Ichikawa), “You are disrupting the people around you, mind your voices if you don't want to suffer the consequences.” She says coldly, watching as the pair flinched in fear.

Not only that, the snake around her neck seems to be also glaring at them.

Soshiro smirked beside her, patting her on the back, “Mah,mah... Yer being too harsh on them, Obanai-san.” He says with a teasing tone and the woman beside him just huffs in annoyance.

Soshiro turns to look back at the crowd once more, opening his left eye slightly to reveal his wine-red eyes filled with mischief.

“Back to the matters at hand, follow me. You will not be doing this unarmed.”

“Come, we have prepared something for you all.” [Name] added, following Soshiro as they walked away.

They moved to a new room, filled with multiple combat suits—each suit modified to fit an applicant.

“This is the defense force's combat suit, specially made using the muscle fibers of Kaijus. This will help aid you in fighting kaijus.” Soshiro says, his voice heard from the speakers.

[Name] looked up as a screen on the wall lit up, showing Soshiro Hoshina's cheeky face. Soshiro went to the control room to check the release force with the help of Okonogi while [Name] decided to join the examinees, in case someone has trouble putting it on.

“Reno Ichikawa, combat release force is 8 percent!” Okonogi says, her voice is heard clearly from the speakers.

[Name] watched as Ichikawa tilted his head in confusion before looking at her, [Name] raised an eyebrow at him.

“Excuse me, what does the release force mean?” He asked, although he is clearly nervous from asking the woman who just just looked at him with her usual cold eyes and the albino snake seems to be looking at him with judgemental beady red eyes.

“It indicates how much power you are drawing out from the suit.” [Name] says, crossing her arms.

Ichikawa closes and opens his fist, trying to get used to the feeling of the suit clinging to his skin—it almost feels like it is merging with him.

“So, that means that I'm only able to draw out 8% of this suit's strength?” He asked, looking at the woman who was also proctoring the exam.

“Troop members are usually average around 20 percent.” Soshiro says, speaking through the speakers and then letting Okonogi continue listing out the examinees released forces.

“Haruichi Izumo, combat release force is 18 percent!”

“Aoi Kaguragi, combat release force is 15 percent!”

“Iharu Furuhashi, combat release force is 14 percent!”

[Name] just hums as she listens to Okonagi through the speaker, quite curious how her sister would do when it comes to release forces, although, she can already tell that her younger sister would do better than her when she took the examination.

“Kikoru Shinomiya, combat release force is... 46 percent?!” Okonogi exclaimed as she read Kikoru's vitals.

A bunch of gasps can be heard after Okonogi announced the younger girl's release force.

Soshiro whistles, “Hey now, that's already a platoon leader level.” He thought to himself, also shocked that [Name's] record has been broken.

He grins, “My, my, it looks like someone beat your record [Name]-san, how do you feel about it? ” He teasingly asked the girl through the speakers and [Name] just looked at the camera that was watching the room, “Surprised but not disappointed, in fact, I am very proud of her.” She says and turns to look at Kikoru, giving the younger girl a thumbs up.

Kikoru almost teared up when she heard her older sister say she was proud of her.

“Ohoh...? Care to elaborate on that?” Soshiro asked, his voice still held the usual playfulness to them. [Name] hums.

“Because she's my little sister, after all.” She says in a matter of fact tone, placing her right hand on her hip.

And silence falls into both the room she was in and the control room where Soshiro was.

“Eh?” Is all Soshiro can mutter, eyes still closed yet mouth hang open almost forming a triangle.

^▽^

Like that, gotta pull the ultimate visualization for you guys.

“Eh?!” Everyone yelled, [Name] shrugs.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

• I will be going on a trip tomorrow and won't be back until Wednesday or Thursday so I probably can't update during those days I'm away but I'll try to find time to write:>

•Anyways, see you next update!

Comments and votes are highly appreciated~!

[pinkandpurple360]

if I can 'devil's advocate' (heh) for ParanoidDJ for a sec, I just wanna put the song in context

so it originally dropped shortly after s1e6 came out, & you can probably still see some of that by the comments where fans joke that he 'saw the future' or 'was ahead of the curve' because a good number of fans didn't think Stolas had any romantic feelings for Blitzo at all before ep7 & that it was just lust (in hindsight that was another soft retcon that Stolas was suddenly in love w/Blitzo - that 'development' really ought to have been onscreen and then the audience might have bought into his sudden change of heart).

he mentions in the description that Stolas 'realizes his own actions have caused the problem' and I think that's what PDJ was trying to do - his songs tend to try and flesh out characters or fill in bits the canon hadn't yet. I can definitely see why people say it seems like Stolas apologia but it did come out back when the show was in s1 and it hadn't started playing the Stolas Did Nothing Wrong card as hard as it did in s2 (plus Loo Loo Land Stolas at least seemed aware that the divorce was affecting Via, even if he totally failed to articulate what was going on with him when she was upset), so it feels more like an attempt at a potential direction Stolas could have gone with the setup ep1-6 had provided.

I can't say for sure of course, but I think PDJ was aware that Stolas is the problem (or at least part of the problem, idk if he's ever spoken about stol/tz publically) and was just following what arc the show seemed to be setting up with him (and then it promptly didn't in s2, since nothing is ever Stolas' fault now apparently)

it's why it's so annoying to see the lyrics changed - PDJ's Stolas actually gave a darn about Via and seemed to realize at least part of what he'd done wrong, while keeping him mostly in character by preserving his classist attitudes that he needs to work through (the repeat of the impish plaything line)

official video Stolas is whitewashed and whiny. personally I think it's a small miracle Viv even kept the line 'I will try to make amends/for making you means to an end' since it directly refers to what actually happened - Stolas used Blitzo for sex.

but I assume Viv left that line in because she wants it to mean 'Blitzo seduced Stolas so Stolas used him right back' instead of what actually happened: 'Stolas used the threat of losing his job and the pressure of being shot at to coerce Blitzo into monthly sex'

this is all how I remember it from back when the song came out, though - I could be totally wrong, but as far as I know Paranoid has never said he likes stol/tz or thinks it's 'mututally toxic' or anything like what stans usually say

Oof I guess I was too hard on him. I do appreciate you typing this out and adding some context. But then again before episode seven…stolas was an absolute monster towards Blitzø and the rest of imp. He was only kind to Octavia, the same species as him. But to everyone else he was and honestly still is, just purely awful.

I definitely feel like him and all of us, if we are honest, saw a lot more kindness and good traits in stolas than are actually there. I still hold that stolas at the end of ep 6 and the stolas at the start of episode 7 are not the same character at all. Plus, having us see Blitz be enslaved by him, and then tongue kiss him after, all that said to me was that he’s allowing himself to be sexually objectified because he thinks it’s all he deserves. I was actually really shocked that he kissed him, it was such a bizarre contradiction to the intimidation, abuse, and a mutual hatred, we had just seen. Then he asked for a reward…? So strange.

And season 2 stolas is yet again another character. When he wears his hat he’s his usual gross self then the hat comes off and he’s a wimp. If what I’ve heard is true he gets even more soft and pathetic and sopping wet cat-like. I just have no idea what he adds to the story other than taking us on a self pitying emotional detour we didn’t ask for. With none of the introspection paranoid DJ thought he would show. I’m sorry but Stella was kindve right, it is annoying.

Taking out the Octavia lyrics is unbelievable!!! It makes him look so so bad but this is supposed to be his woobie arc, so what gives?

Also I wont stop reiterating that stolas led Blitzø to his bedroom by force and locked him in there. Blitzø thought he was going to kill him, he was scared, creeped out, and actually did try to negotiate out of it but was told not to bother with excuses. I honestly don’t care that he tried to survive by faking seduction. Don’t forget he said “ew” at the idea, and then “alright fine” which is just so gross…

This is all speculation because I’ve heard nothing about what happens in Full Moon—but-I don’t really believe he’ll try and make “amends” the next episode is going to be stolas emotionally manipulating him into “choosing” the book (him, having free sex and a fan to praise and coddle him) or the crystal (a life on his own) it’s going to be really hard to watch. And Viv despite what she’s written of him being creeped out terrified and grossed out by stolas will try sell us that the sex with stolas was great. Even though everything he says and does points to the opposite.

I mean it is pretty clearly a pro stolitz song and that’s what it was used for

[tazlov]

Viridian Mercy: Chapter 5

“Hey, Sam?”

I approached my crewmate carefully, squeezing my shirt. Sam was busy trying to fix our shower in the little cubby we call our bathroom. She seemed visibly frustrated, so maybe this was a bad time… but she paused anyway, wrench in hand and some part of a pipe in the other.

“What's up?” She wiped grease from her face. Gosh, the way she looked right now… filthy. But…

I got distracted. I refocused. “Um… I wanted to talk about the other day.”

Sam hesitated visibly, but then cleared her throat. “Sure.”

“I just… I wanted to apologize for scaring you. Something in the air was messing with me… I was so convinced that I just wanted to stay on Phasorium forever.”

“It's fine.” She refocused on undoing a different pipe. “You said you lost your helmet?”

“Something in the water unbuckled my helmet, yeah. Some creature got its fins all over me.”

“Probably kinda scary…” She checked me for a reaction.

“It was…” I itched my arm. “But as soon as the helmet came off, it was like… a wave of calm washed over me.”

“Poetic.”

“I'm serious! Shut up.” I scoffed, glancing away. “But… that's not what I wanted to talk about.”

“Getting hijacked by a lake monster is somehow the thing you don't want to talk about?” Sam said at first, but then thought about her statement. “Actually, that's fair.”

“...I wanted to talk about what you said to me,” I refocused the conversation. “When I was under the influence.”

She stopped working, biting her lip. This was apparently a touchy subject for her.

“...Did you mean what you said?”

She paused for a moment, but eventually nodded. “...Yeah. I did.”

“All of it?”

“Yeah.”

I smiled at her. “That was nice of you, then. Thank you.”

“Yeah, you're welcome.” She tried her best to keep unscrewing a pipe, but her movements were less steady… her heart was racing. I could feel it. 

“Are you nervous?” I shoved at her arm. “About showing emotion?”

“No!” She took great offense to this. “I-I can show emotion! See?”

She threw her arms out beside her, making a face of annoyance. But annoyance wasn't the only emotion she could express, and I knew that.

“...Yes, I see.” I let it go, but still smiled to myself. Sam was struggling with this conversation, I could tell, so I changed the subject. “So what's wrong with the shower?”

“Ugh… dude, I don't even fucking know.” Sam dropped her shoulders with an eye roll, and dropped a plastic pipe on the floor. “I'm checking for a blockage or something, but I'm not seeing shit. I think we might have to go to a station to get it fixed.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah. It's gonna come out of our paychecks for sure.” She rested her hands behind her neck with a sigh. “But I just can't get any water to come out. Whatever. No showers for a few more days, I guess.”

“Hmm…” I thought to myself for a moment. Certainly, the shower was broken, and would need repairs from another Viridian team. An engineer team, for sure. But perhaps there was another way to keep clean at least until then…

Then I got an idea. “Do we have any stable planets nearby?”

“What, Goldilocks planets?” Sam stood back up, itching her hair. She needed to get her mohawk redyed.

“What?”

“You ever hear of Goldilocks? Or is that just a purely human thing?”

“Um…”

“I guess it is. Heh…” She shook her head, and started piecing the pipes back together. “Go check the starmaps. See what you can find.”

“Okay. Because I'm thinking if we can find a stable planet with a good atmosphere…” I trailed off as I jogged to the cockpit, swishing the hologram map around to find a decent planet. 

“Then what?” Sam called from the back of the ship.

“Then maybe we could use a substitute!” I called back, finding a good planet not close, but not too far either.

“What do you mean by that?” Once she was done, Sam followed me to the co-pilot's seat. She was cleaning her hands with a rag.

“I mean, if we can find a good body of water or something…” I kept searching, but Edenwise was the only mapped planet worth searching. “...We can just bathe there.”

“Oh. You think so?” Sam looked uncertain as I pinpointed Edenwise.

“Yeah! I mean, we have our supplies. We just need a body of fresh water. And it looks like Edenwise is our best bet.”

“Hm.” 

“Strap in, Sam.” I got our ship ready to fly, dismantling the gravity anchor that held our ship still in space. With a low rumble, the ZZ Striker started moving.

Sam begrudgingly strapped in, still wiping her hands. “Maybe we're just out of water.”

“Don't we recycle it?”

“Yeah, but if there's a leak somewhere… eh, whatever. We can let the engineers figure it out.”

“Alright.”

We flew silently for a little while, the ship moving as smoothly as ever through the cosmos, before jittering and shaking as we hit the thick atmosphere of Edenwise.

“That one looks good.” Sam had a good eye—she found a local lake much faster than I could. I nodded and started descending the ship into a nearby clearing, and Sam stood up from her seat to go collect some supplies.

“Atmosphere's oxygen, right?”

“Yes ma'am!” I double-checked to confirm, and it was indeed primarily oxygen. Very similar biological makeup to Earth, so Sam should feel right at home. It was gorgeous here… overgrown trees and flora decorated this planet. Not nearly as enchanting as Phasorium was, but perhaps that was on purpose.

We collected some soap and shower things, and headed out. The airlock did not need to change the air pressure, so we could just walk out and explore without helmets or suits. Sam slung her small duffel bag over her shoulder, and I carried my drawstring bag to the edge of the lake.

“It's very nice here…” I smiled at Sam. 

She shrugged. “Yeah, it's pretty nice.” 

“You don't think so?”

“No, I said it was nice!” She scoffed at me, looking at me like I was crazy. “What'chu mean?”

“I'm just pulling your leg! Sorry.”

She only sighed as she started stripping her shirt, then pointed at me to turn around. I suppose there wasn't too much privacy in an open area like this, so we silently agreed to not look at each other at this time.

I nodded and turned around, collecting my clothes into a bundle to throw on the shore, then waded in and kept my shampoo bottle with me. It was bubbly… I liked bubbles a lot. They must have drifted over to Sam with the current, because I heard her chuckle after a few minutes.

I was clean much sooner than Sam was. I suppose she liked to take her time… I found my shirt on shore, drying myself with a shake, then peered over my shoulder for just a moment.

She was still turned away from me, so I didn't see anything in particular… except… 

I glanced back, feeling my face become hot. She had back muscles. And she looked good.

I tried to forget what I had seen, and more importantly, how I felt about it… but I was having a hard time. I just kept getting dressed up, then sat on the shore away from Sam as I tried hiding my face.

Eventually she finished up, and walked over to me. She laughed a little. “You good, Veth?”

“Yes!” I was a little overly enthusiastic with my answer. It was too late to correct it, though. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. I've never seen you curl up into a ball like that.” She gave me a gentle kick. I curled up tighter.

My voice was muffled in my arms. “I'm sorry.”

“About what?”

“I… I looked.” I'm sure my face was a lovely shade of purple at this point.

“Oh. That's it?” Sam laughed, shrugging. “Hey, I mean… that's on you.”

“I know! I'm sorry!” I threw my hands out. 

“Don't apologize! It's fine!” Sam kept laughing, and I just kept hiding. She could not see my face right now. “Veth, it's fine. I'm serious. I'm not mad.”

I couldn't answer.

She thought of something even worse. “...Did you like what you saw, at least?”

“By the gods, Samantha, shut up!” I exploded out of my ball, and ran towards the ship. I could hear her doubling over laughing as I escaped.

Oh, gods forgive me. This was all extremely unprofessional. What was I supposed to put in my daily log now? That I thought my coworker looked good? That we bathed in the same lake? How was I supposed to…

I paced around, hiding my face with my hands, until I heard the airlock open behind me. “Hey, I'm sorry. I was just making a joke.”

“I-I know…” I huddled onto my bunk bed.

“Listen. Relax. It's fine.” Sam gave me a little slap on the arm, then she settled in to the pilot's seat. “You didn't forget anything, right?”

“...No…”

“Cool. Let's hit it.”

The ship fought gravity as it lifted off, and I fought feelings as my coworker flew the ship. 

What was I supposed to do? I had no clue… we were supposed to stay strictly professional. Now it just felt awkward… and I didn't know how to handle the things I was feeling.

Sam just flew silently, casual as ever, as I peered out of the protective fortress of my arms. 

Gods… I needed a drink.

[baddieladdie]

FO4 Companions react to Sole's chem addiction

@falloutchicken Alright! Finished it~ Sorry it's a little long, I had an idea for a different format style and I ran with it - but I love how it turned out <3

tw: addiction, drugs, trauma, chem-use as an addiction

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

While trading at the Diamond City market, the Sole Survivor of vault 111 overheard folks whispering over their steaming noodle bowls about an abandoned shopping center filled with valuable loot. The only barrier between them and the score of a lifetime were the supermutants inside. The gossiping locals didn’t have the fire power for such an altercation, but the sole survivor did. And they certainly would not be going alone.

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

Selecting your companion:

Cait: I’ll come, but just don’t make me wear anything stupid

Curie: “Oh! Shopping!” She mused delightfully, her voice ringing with pleasure.

Codsworth: How delightful, mum! I do so miss shopping expeditions and, please pardon my saying, but your jumpsuit is looking rather drab. Off we go, miss!

Deacon: Sounds like my kind of dig! I could always use some new disguises.

McCready (sarcastically): Oh, we better hurry. I hear clothes practically fly off the shelves with their discounts.

Piper: Jesus, Blue. Sounds dangerous. Something wrong with the clothes you already have?

Preston: Absolutely, General. I wouldn’t want you facing this on your own.

Hancock: *heh* Thought you’d never ask. Let’s get the fuck out of Diamond city.*grumbles, muttering under his breath* Never understood how these bigots can sleep at night…

Danse: I advise against putting yourself in unnecessary danger. The gossip of strangers isn’t worth risking your life, but I’ll be damned if I let you face this alone.

Nick Valentine: Well, if it’s worth your time kid, than it’s worth mine *grabs his hat and coat before locking the detective agency door behind them* Lead the way

X6-88: I agree. We might find something useful. A large shopping center may have valuable pre-war goods. Right behind you, ma’am.

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

The Sole Survivor walks out of Diamond City with their companion, combat shotgun in hand. Though well armored and stocked with plenty of ammunition, they carefully made their way south through the ruins of Boston. Sole and their companion had not walked far from the Boston Police Rationing Site when they heard the unmistakable sounds of feral ghouls, clumsily kicking tin rubbish and bones left on the broken streets. Sole and their companion crouched behind the remains of a building’s wall. Daring a look, sole peaked above the wall, only to notice the dirty, ruined faces but unmistakable faces of her pre-war neighbors, Mr. Donoghue and Mrs. Donoghue. Sole immediately felt sick and dizzy watching the two ghouls stumble down the street aimlessly, eyes white and staring at nothing. Mr. Donoghue and Mrs. Donoghue were expecting a child as well. Sole had spent hours in their kitchen, chatting about the excitement of parenthood. They swapped ideas over coffee and pie. 200 years after the bombs dropped, while sole was safe in a vault, her neighbors had been turned into radiation monsters, void of the humanity they used to possess. Alive in a physical sense, but her neighbors were lost. Sole had no choice but to put them down and out of their miserable experience. It’s what they would have wanted…

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

Your companion reacts:

Cait: Jesus Christ, not a way to go. At least you had the ‘ol Vault-Tec treatment, eh? *Cait notices tears filling in sole’s eyes, rapidly decides to change her approach* I - er - um…..I know this must be difficult for you…I…I am here if you need to talk, or something.

Curie: One must wonder, what causes the deterioration of this ghoul condition? Some "ghouls" are in possession of their mental faculties. Others are not. I wonder why Mr. Donoghue and Mrs. Donoghue became feral while many other ghouls have maintained their mental capacities [Sole - Those were my neighbors, Curie. Not a science experiment] My apologies, sir/madam, I didn't mean to offend you. Grief can be managed with a well balanced diet, exercise, and spending time with loved ones!

Codsworth: Oh dear *emotional processors cracking through his speakers* Is that…the Donoghues? Mum, I’m…I’m so sorry *offers a hankie*

Deacon: Well, that was terrible *sigh* radiation, you unbelievable bastard.[notices how upset sole is] Ah..Look, I’m sorry. This…I mean, what you’re going through, I can’t even imagine. If you wanna talk or something…[trails off]

McCready: Oh man…*He pauses, letting the information sink in regarding sole’s neighbors* I’m really sorry. We can turn around if you want. That department store isn’t going anywhere. 

Piper: You okay, [sole]? You seem pretty shaken up. Why don’t we rest for a bit.

Preston: Oh, I’m really sorry, General. *he removes his hat, holding to his chest, tired eyes looking away in respect* Take all the time you need. I can help you bury the bodies if you would like to give them a proper burial.

Hancock: Ah shit. Old neighbors, huh? Hey, let's just get outta here. I hate seein’ you so broken up like this.

Danse: You’re awfully quiet. Want to tell me what’s on your mind? [listens intently to what Sole says about the feral ghouls they had recognized and killed] I see. Take as long as you need, soldier. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now.

Nick Valentine: “You seemed to recognize those two, who were they?” [response from sole] “Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss,” he spoke softly, placing a supportive synth hand on sole’s arm.

X6-88: Those were your neighbors? My condolences.

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

The sole survivor heaves in grief, but is eventually able to continue on, intrigued by the elaborate wooden welcome sign to Fairline Hill Estates. They had toured the gated community long ago when looking for a house. Sanctuary Hills, the houses of tomorrow, had captured their attention more, with all their technologically advanced features the estates lacked. But all that remained now were the corpses of friends turned into monsters from nuclear radiation and two lazy yao guai, chewing on the bloody bones of rotting brahmin.

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

Your companion reacts:

Cait: Oh! Such fascinating creatures! Shall we get a closer look? I wish to study the effects of radiation on these beasts

Curie: You’ve got be fucking kiddin’ me. yao guai? That’s the last thing we need right now.

Codsworth: Oh dear. You don’t think they can see us, right mom?

Deacon: That is disgusting *he giggles* How do you want to play this, boss?

McCready: *Chuckles gleefully, silently pulling out his well polished rifle* This is where the fun begins.

Piper: Well that’s just great. Breaking news: Diamond City reporter torn to ribbons by a giant, stupid, irritated bear.

Preston: Dammit, I think we're in trouble here *pulls out his musket, at the ready* I’m with you, general.

Hancock: We ain’t alone *drops shotgun ammunition into the barrels of his gun* Those yao guai are mean bastards, they hit hard. Just lemme know when you’re ready and I got your back.

Danse: Yao guai..Not to worry, we’ll send those monsters right back to hell [Charges, heavily clad in power armor, laser weapons firing away, breaking the silence of a sleepy afternoon] Die, you godless heathen! Die!

Nick Valentine: There’s no getting out of this without a fight *loads his 10mm with a satisfying click* You ready, kid?

X6-88: Good, I was starting to feel a little bored. You ready to engage, [sole]? This shouldn’t take long

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

The Sole Survivor and their trusted companion gawk at the yao guai corpses, bleeding from their many fatal bullet holes. Sole sighs in exhaustion, dropping to squat and holding their face in hands.Their companion rubs their back sympathetically and suggests the tempting idea of spending the night at Fairline Hills Estates. The area was relatively safe now, with Mr. Donoghue & Mrs. Donoghue and the yao guais dead. Keenly aware of the mental torment they both witnessed and given Sole’s fragile state, their trusted companion led the way to the southeast house. Sole collapses weakly on the sunken couch and watches as their companion wanders into the brokedown kitchen to prepare dinner for the night. They ate the meal peacefully without many words to be said about the days’ events. The sole survivor turned down every request to talk about the killing of her neighbors and the close call they had with the yao guai in what used to be a highly sought after gated community. Their companion accepted that sole just wasn’t ready to talk about. They offer to take the first watch to let the sole survivor get some much needed rest.

Once their trusted companion shuts the door to the house to begin their watch, the sole survivor slinks away to the attached garage. They had noticed the chemistry station earlier and knew exactly how to use it. There were piles of dead leaves everywhere, a natural fertilizer. Using the leaves along with the plastic from some junk lying around the house, sole knew they could craft jet - lots of jet. Sole gets to work, tinkering feverishly at the chemistry station, sweating from the withdrawal and desperate for relief. The Sole Survivor sighed in contented satisfaction, admiring their own craftsmanship. Not even bothering to step from the chemistry station, they begin taking hit after hit of jet. Sighing happily as the pain of memories and her broken heart eased into comfortable numbness. Sole wanted to take jet until they couldn’t remember who they were, much less what had happened to them. Sole stumbled back slightly, the room a spiraling blur. No matter, they take another hit and watch the world slowly rise until they felt their back hit the floor. The stared blankly at the ceiling, surrounded by empty jet cartridges. Hearing the loud THUD sole’s companion rushed into the room, fearing the worst (an intruder, a kind of murderous threat) only to find in their horror, a close friend in indescribable pain.

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

Your companion reacts:

Cait: “*tsk* Havin’ a good time now, are we?” Cait teased, pointing on the jet in sole’s hand as they slouched against the chemistry station. Cait’s eyes scanned the scene further, noticing the familiar signs of a serious addiction problem.Given the amount of empty jet canisters scattered on the floor around sole, it was a miracle they were even still alive.] I think you’ve got a wee bit of a drug problem, [sole]. Which ain’t right, especially after everythin’ you watched me go through. Why would you let yourself get hooked on the stuff? Can’t believe you’re doin’ this to yourself?!” She shouted, breathing deepling like sole had taught her to calm down. “You’re an idiot, [sole]. But I’ll help ya, just like how you helped me. Let’s go, we’re getting you cleaned up”

Curie: She stares curiously, “I have more than enough data on the physiological effects of chems, there is no need to provide me with more data, sir/madam.” She notices the dilated pupils, racing heart beat, the sweating… “Are you alright, sir/madam? I believe you should see a doctor, we cannot treat your condition here.”

Codsworth: “Are you well, mum?!” Codsworth panicked, desperately trying to assess the situation. A Mister Handy bot was designed for household duties, not crises.

Deacon: Wow, looks like you’ve been partying pretty hard with out me. Miiiight want to lay off cause I think you’ve enough.

McCready: *Slaps the empty get out of sole’s hand, they glare at him angrily, demanding an explanation* That crap is gonna rot your mind. This stops right now (Dad-mode activated)

Piper: Ooooookay (nabs all the empty jet cartridges) I think you’ve had enough, Blue. (Stares at the insane amount of jet in the room). I think we better get you to a doctor. I just hope it’s not too late (she sighs heavily, emotion tightening around her neck hotly) This is why I wanted to talk, Blue! So you - you wouldn’t do anything stupid! Arg! What a mess. Come on, (she lifts sole up) let’s get you to a doctor.

Preston: This is how it ends, [sole]. You keep this up and I’ll have to bury a friend. The Minutemen need you. I need you. And you don’t need those chems. You have people who love and care about you.

Hancock: “Woah!” Hancock froze, staring at the used jet scattered about the room. 2..4..6..three over there, that makes 9…pile of 5 in the corner makes…14? 14! How are they alive? Hancock glanced at the sole survivor, slumped pitifully against the chemistry station, empty jet still in hand. They just kept staring at his boots, completely unresponsive, but he could see the steady rise and fall of their chest with each shallow breath. Hancock began to sweat, panic sweeping in, staring at sole’s chest. What if it they stop…what if they breathing stops - he’s mayor, not fucking doctor.”H-hey, stay with me, now! Look,” He turn’s sole’s face to look at him only to be greeted with dull and empty eyes. “Hey, sunshine. It’s me, remember? Hancock. D-don’t go, you can’t do this to me. I need you, please. Don’t leave me alone.” Tears welled in the crevices of Hancok’s face as he sat beside the sole survivor, holding their hand. He gasped as a familiar smooth hand rested on his. “I could never forget you, Hancock.” The mayor choked back sobs, gripping sole’s hand like it could fade away any moment. “Don’t you ever do this again. Never trip alone. We’re getting you help. Like, now now.” He takes sole’s arm and wraps it around his shoulder’s, pulling them to their feet.

Danse: [Stares in stunned silence mixed with disgust and concern] He crouches beside sole, pushing the drugs away, and whispered angrily, “How can you fight when your brain’s clouded with those drugs? You’re going to get yourself killed. And I’m not just gonna stand here and watch brotherhood’s best, my friend, die unnecessarily. We’re getting you clean and that’s an order.”

Nick Valentine: “SHIT!” Nick hissed under his breath. He'd see a lot of folks at their worst in his line of work. He’d seen this scene too many times before. A case closed in an overdose. There were even some rare occasions where he found Mayor Hancock after a few too many chems. But usually, there were warning signs. How could he call himself a detective when he couldn’t even save his friend from themselves. Nick crouches beside the body, holding their limp wrist in his. A pulse, weak but still there. “Alright, now you’ve done it, kid” He scooped up the sole survivor into his arms. “We need to get you to a doc.”

X6-88: Oh god…[composes himself] You don’t look so good sir/ma’am, Might want to lay off the chems for a while. I’ll be throwing these away (disposes of all the chems the Sole Survivor made and had on their person)

The Sole Survivor wakes up in a familiar bed at the Castle, a stack of addictol was left on the nightstand. This was certainly a more permanent detour to Fallon’s Department store than they planned for. Sole’s companion apologizes for moving them and delaying their trip to the department store. But sole’s close friend promises profusely that it was and always will be for the sole survivor’s own good. They promise again and again that they do not feel any different about them and still deeply appreciate the relationship that they share. So much so, they couldn’t bare to lose their friend to addiction. After some time and regular check-ins with the Minutemen Surgeon General, The Sole Survivor will finally leaves thre Castle and continuing their journey.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Carla Dark [08]

ー The scene starts in the Ghouls’ manor

Kino: You guys can make yourselves at home in this manor for a while. 

Also, leave the Ghouls up to me, okay? See you.

ー Kino leaves

Shin: ...I’m going to take a quick look around the house.

I’ll choose my own room, is that okay, Nii-san?

Carla: I do not mind. Be my guest.

Shin: Thanks, Nii-san.

ー Shin leaves

Yui: ...I’ll go have a look around as well.

Like it wouldn’t be bad to know what we have to work with in the kitchen and such.

Carla: Yes. 

ー Yui goes to the kitchen

Yui: ...Seems like we’ve got the basic cooking tools covered. There’s ingredients as well. 

I suppose we should be fine for a while with this much to our disposal...

( I don’t know for how long, but we’re going to live here. )

( I honestly did not even fathom we’d end up leaving Banmaden to live at a completely unfamiliar place. )

( Carla-san makes some incredibly rash decisions every now and then... )

( However, that might be characteristic of a King. )

???: Huh? So this is where you’ve been.

Yui: Shin-kun. I thought you were in your room.

Shin: I figured I’d have a drink. ...I mean, I guess I won’t really be able to enjoy it in a place as smelly as this.

Yui: But I believe the stench is much more manageable inside the house.

Shin: Don’t you think you’ve just grown used to it already?

Yui: ...You think so...?

Shin: To be honest, I don’t want to live at this place at all. I can’t wait to return to the Castle. 

But Nii-san’s thinking of taking those Ghouls along with us, right? 

I think he went too far by claiming that he’d protect them. I can’t imagine having to live under the same roof as those Ghouls.

ー Somebody approaches them

???: That is a statement unbefitting of a Founder.

Shin: Nii-san...

Carla: It is a King’s duty to protect his people. 

Shin: Haah!? You’re calling Ghouls our people...For real!?

Why would you go that far for people who don’t even have any magic...!? 

Carla: We are First Bloods. We should stand at the very top of the Demon World. 

All other individuals living in the Demon World aside from us Founders would be considered our people. 

Shin: ...I’m not saying you’re wrong, but...

Carla: Would you not agree that a King should not reign by installing fear in his subjects, but instead gain their trust and be respected instead? 

Shin: ...I feel like that’s a bit of an utopia.

I mean...I get the gist of how you feel about it.

Carla: So you are okay with it? 

Shin: Yeah, sure. As you wish. I can’t exactly go against the King’s orders.

ーー I’ll be going back to my room then. 

Yui: Eh? Um, Shin-kun, I thought you were thirsty...?

Shin: Changed my mind. See you.

ー Shin leaves

Yui: ...

Carla: ...Yui.

Yui: Yes? 

Carla: Do you also believe that I am tackling this the wrong way?

Yui: I mean, Shin-kun’s not really saying you’re wrong or anything...

Carla: His attitude says exactly that though. 

Yui: ...

I’m in no position to judge whether your decision is right or wrong.

However, I do believe that the conditions you are offering are very appealing to the opposing party. 

Now it is up to what they decide, since I have no idea what their actual response will be...

If the other party sees it as something positive, wouldn’t it make it a good deal...?

Carla: ...I see.

It would appear that Shin cannot even allow the idea of letting the Ghouls live alongside us at Banmaden, but how do you feel about that?

Yui: I wouldn’t mind.

Carla: It doesn’t concern you?

Yui: Not particularly.

Carla: ...Heh. You have a very big heart.

Yui: No, I don’t think that’s it.

Carla: Hm?

Yui: I’m not a Demon myself, and this is my first learning about the Ghouls.

Therefore, I have no assumptions or prejudices towards them. That’s all. 

Carla: ...I see. I suppose you could say that you provide a very objective perspective on the matter.

Yui: Fufu, I suppose so.

Carla: To have someone like that by my side. Heh. ...Not bad. 

Yui: ...

( I feel as if his expression softened a little... )

( I’m glad I was able to help him ease up a little. )

Hey...Carla-san.

Carla: Yes? 

Selection

→ Worry about his health

Yui: Please take good care of your health, okay?

Carla: Hmph. Why bring that up all of a sudden?

Yui: No...I can imagine it must not have been easy for you...

Carla: ...You are worried about that? 

Yui: ...Are you upset?

Carla: No. I am not unaware that this is simply part of your personality.

However, worrying too much will have the opposite effect. Understand?

Yui: Y-Yes...

( I suppose he’s trying to tell me to mind my own business... II’ll try to be careful. )

→ Thank him (❦)

Yui: ...Thank you very much.

Carla: Hah. Why are you thaking me all of a sudden? I do not remember doing anything to warrant your gratitude. 

Yui: No, you asked for my opinion. That alone made me very happy.

Carla: ...

Yui: Because I initially assumed that my opinion did not matter.

But you’re taking me into consideration as well...

Carla: ...Hmph. I do believe you are an odd one for getting happy over such a trivial thing. 

I believe I made myself clear from the very start, that I would protect you. 

I would never disregard your opinion. Rest assured.

Yui: ...Okay.

( His words seem even warmer than usual... )

Monologue

From what I’ve heard, Ghouls are the victim of discrimination (差別) in the Demon World,

because they do not possess any magic. 

In which case, Shin-kun’s reaction to the situation,

might only make sense. 

Even though we’ve come here to Rotigenberg,

I have yet to have any proper conversations with the Ghouls. 

That’s why I know close to nothing about them. 

If they were to come to Banmaden,

I hope I can get along with them,

and I simply hope that Carla-san’s wish (望み) can come to fruition. 

Please may this deal go smoothlyーー 

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[n0brainjustvibes]

Greetings fair mutual!

I beseech thee with a question:

How do you think the Worm universe would handle somebody with the power to transfer their consciousness to a corpse, reanimating it. Also he has wings and the people skills Jack Slash wishes he had?

I'm considering some crossover story ideas

Hmm! I think how he was treated would depend a lot on his personality/motives. Heroic? Villainous? The power, of course, lends itself more easily to villainy.

Reminds me of Pretender. As such, the power would be useful for (heh) identity theft, at the most obvious level. If they decided to go hero, I don't think they'd use reanimation in the public eye. Either disguise their power as the wings alone, or rely heavily on subtlety, like Vegas capes or Indian 'dark' capes - or for an independent example, Eraserhead from BNHA.

Reminds me - do the wings appear on the reanimated corpses? Or on his 'true body'?

If any corpse he reanimates has wings, he could probably start a religious cult if he wanted to. Scratch that, he could start a cult regardless. Would be interesting to see his interactions with some of the religious groups - Haven, was it? That hero group? I give it 70:30 odds they find him blasphemous, lol. Wonder if he could subsume a Fallen (or other cult) sub-group, if he so desired, to kick-start his own cult.

As a cult leader, the ability to wear any face (including yours) is pretty strong fuel for fear tactics. Especially if he regularly changes bodies - double especially if the wings don't transfer. Anyone you pass in the street could be the leader; any of your family members could be replaced; you could be killed and replaced, if you transgress, and the man in your body could do anything in your name... and it's hard for the PRT to catch him, too. Alternatively, he hides that it's his own consciousness and pulls some Victorian spiritualist schtick. "I've brought your loved one back and they tell you they love you and you should totally join my group to get to heaven and also pay me 1000 monies. totally".

Reanimation would get him clocked as a parahuman easily, wing usage even quicker. In this case, I expect PRT (and/or other hero team) response - not very high-caliber response, though, since as far as Worm cults go this is fairly innocuous. As such, solid shot at killing + impersonating one of the responders and infiltrating the PRT, if he so desires. Just realised I've been saying PRT when I meant Protectorate, lol, but that actually works nicely - I've never seen a story focusing on a solely PRT-squad raid. And if he can't use the powers of the reanimated, this is a safer route.

Can he use their powers?

If he relied on personality for the cult, with the Changer-esque applications of reanimation kept under wraps similarly to Mama Mathers' power, he could glide under the radar, though. In that case, I'd expect his opponents to be people with closer personal ties to the cult. Close enough to notice what's going on, and object even without knowing it was a parahuman affair. Indie heroes or vigilantes who protect his particular territory; villains, rogues, or non-parahumans whose families (or income) got tied up in the cult... Non-parahumans could be fun here, too, especially since it gives you the chance to integrate a trigger event at some point and shift the playing field. That said, it really depends on the story you want to tell. He might also face parahuman opposition from inside the cult, if someone triggers, or a recruited parahuman starts being deprogrammed.

Whew! Okay, enough cults. I saw 'Jack Slash' and went bonkers. Other options, other options... Something that comes to mind is being used as a political scarecrow like Canary (greater crackdown on villains/regulation for heroes/fearmongering around Changers/Masters/death-related powers) and the fallout. Though with his charisma he's well equipped to handle that.

Maybe Pretender gets mad at him for stepping on toes if he goes hero, lol.

That's all I got. Good luck with the crossover, and I'd love to hear more about it!