#it has dark moments and stories AND THEY ARE MADE MORE IMPACTFUL IF THE REST IS REALLY BRIGHT AND FUN

[mondfahrt]

the more (german) youtube bros there are who already HATE the (not yet released) live action pirate anime, the more i will like it, simply out of spite.

[morguecuts]

Running From Vain

five hargreeves x fem!reader synopsis: you confuse anger for love. word count: 1.8k tags: angst, heavy fluff, kissing, touching, etc. technically adopted siblings? lots of character lore lol note: story was written with s4 visuals in mind. this is my first time writing tua fanfic so i hope u enjoy. i apologize in advance for being an extremely detailed writer :)

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the 8th hargreeves child was the one that reginald kept hidden and locked away for decades. her blood regeneration was able to flow through not only herself but others as well, being able to save them from death and retrieve their leaking souls when needed. she lacked the ability to control them from a young age, and her powers were deemed too impactful to society fairly quickly. when a mission goes rather poorly, she is revealed to the world by mistake. since then she’s been known as the outcast to everyone, including her own siblings. the world is coming to an end once again, issues are constantly arising with all connections pointing to the umbrella academy. the family already lost beloved parts of itself in the past, and they bare to lose any more. tension has been brewing for years and one wrong comment leads to a certain couple releasing deep emotions, both good and bad.

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his hands travel from the sides of his face upwards towards the messy black hair that lays upon his head. their strands are falling to perfectly frame the chiseled boy below them. an unpleasant expression is sprawled across five’s face, his tired eyes clenched closed as his eyebrows pinch together. 

“no, you don't understand! we can’t keep wasting time, everything will be gone tomorrow.” he opens his mouth for the time in what feels like hours. his chest begins to rise and fall quickly. his feet start to carry him back and forth, passing you every few moments while his eyes are locked onto you. the hallway where you both reside is tense, heavy, and secluded from the rest of the house. for being in such a mammoth size mansion, with 7 other siblings, a robot mother, and an intelligent monkey, the world seems to be silent. the only noise that can be heard is the faint sound of five breathing, releasing a few deep sighs as he does. 

“i understand perfectly well, but your plan is useless. you are so insufferable to work with, i mean come on five, be realistic for once! if we listen to viktor then we might actually be able to stop the apocalypse.” you make an attempt at replying, but it seems like he’s starting to ignore you. 

the air is intoxicating, you hate him, you hate what he did to the umbrella name, and especially to you. it’s time for someone to stand up and confront his decision making. everything he does is egotistical and arrogant. his words are sharp and impactful in the most negative ways imaginable. the sound of his shuffling feet stop, his dark beaded eyes trace every aspect of your face before opening his mouth in response to you. 

“you know you’re a real piece of work right? calling me insufferable is completely distasteful when all you do is follow diego around like a lost puppy. it’s fucking embarrassing for everyone in this family, and you know it.” he stops to let out a small chuckle before pointing his finger towards your chest. “don't even make me mention the grave mistake you made on our last mission either” his expression is ridden in evil, a small upturned smile resting on his face and he stares into you.

“that was not my fault,” you spit back, angrily stepping towards him. “i am the ONLY person who TRIED to help ben and everyone who was in that chamber could tell you that themselves.” red flashes of anger spread across your skin as you continue to step closer to five. “he died from something completely unrelated to my powers, but I FUCKING TRIED! I DID, NOT ALLISON, NOT DIEGO, ME.” by this time you are meters away from being chest to chest with the boy. 

“you’re a waste of space. you disappoint everyone in this house.” he glares down, his taller figure towers over you menacingly.

"that's really rich coming from you." you take a step back and laugh to yourself. "do you know that nobody in this family likes you anymore? hmm? after all the shit you've constantly put us through, five?”

"i dedicated my entire life to saving your asses, i spent 40 goddamn years in an apocalypse just to come back and save all of you countless times! what do i get in return? impertinence." his demeanor is getting worsened by each remark, hot red anger is spread across his face as he snaps back at you. 

"none of us asked you to! you are always taking charge and forcing us to follow your plans, what if we didn't want to do this anymore? you're such a narcissist everything is always about you!" a near table rattled slightly from the yelling, the flowerpot on top shook before calming back down after a moment. 

"fuck you. fuck all of you. i'm TIRED of trying to save this family. if you all want to die in another apocalypse, then be my guest." he scoffs looking at you one more time and turns to walk away. "god you're so pathetic, always teleporting away when things don't go your way. you’re so childish." you hiss

"what did you say to me?" five spins back around, his feet carrying him back towards you. "you heard me." you raise your head and straighten up, holding his tough gaze. by this time the two of you are practically chest to chest again, his eyes beaming down into you. if he wasn’t human, you'd imagine smoke being blown from his ears and nostrils out of anger.

"say it again." 

"you're. fucking. pathetic." 

in a heartbeat his lips are smashing into you hungrily. one of his hands is gripping your face while the other snakes around your waist. all of the pent up anger between the both of you comes crashing down, blending into lust. he feels warm, his soul is bleeding into yours as his tongue explores your mouth. his hands are running all over your body, stopping to hold onto your mid section, then your behind, and finally dragging their way up to your neck. five pulls back, panting slightly, his eyes searching yours worried and confused.

“do you want this?”  

“more than anything.” you drive your hands into his hair, yanking his lips back into yours. his small smile is felt pressing into your mouth, fingers lingering around the belt loops on the front of your jeans. he’s pulling your body into his as he deepens the kiss, groaning into you when you rub against him slightly. 

he pulls away and leaves trails of hot wet kisses on the front of your throat. you grumble and moan at this touch, causing five to laugh into your skin. he leaves small love bites all over your neck and collarbones while you run your hands through his hair. his eyes glance up at you, a different light beams through them now then moments before. his anger has faded into something similar to love. his little pecks come to a slow rhythm before he returns to your lips. dragging you into him, the two of you slowly begin backing up towards one of the hallway walls. 

he presses his long fingers into the sides of your waist, shoving you into the stone behind you. five’s grip is firm and tight, stopping you from being able to wiggle loose. the way his mouth moves is like a work of art. there’s no doubt that someone had taught him how to kiss like this, but my god, you are thankful for them. you touch him memorizing every piece of his body from his chest, his jawline, to the back of his neck, and up through his hair. the way he leans into your touches with such desperation is absolutely god like.

his slight groans and noises grow in volume when you reach your fingers towards his waist. a sly hand lifting the edge of his shirt and running along the front of his bare body. his small smile returns, pulling back from your lips. 

“your hands are cold.” he leans forward, placing a kiss on your forehead. the invisible bubble draped over the two of you seems to pop. he’s moving hands into the back pocket of your jeans, keeping you pressed into him. you smile at the small actions, glaring up to analyze his face.

“come with me” five reaches for your hand interlocking his fingers between yours. his feet are ready to speed away as he gently pulls you toward whenever he’s leading. 

“five we can’t…” you look at him guilty. 

“no, no… not that.” his head shakes in disbelief as he smiles at you. “please just trust me and come” his hand tugs at yours pleadingly. 

there’s another moment of hesitation before you give him a small nod and move your feet to follow his. the grip he has on your hand tightens as he pulls you forward, a blue smokey powder flashes in front of you before realizing what he was doing. 

there’s a millisecond of discomfort and stinging before you feel the ground beneath your feet again. it hadn’t crossed your mind before how it felt for five to use his powers, but my god it was strange. 

the room is similar to a greenhouse with its large glass windows and open ceiling. it’s covered in vines and greenery with a small white pitched tent in the center. there are boxes and a large wooden table to the side, scattered papers sprawled over its surface. there’s a couple whiteboards on the back wall with calculations and symbols scribbled all over. the messy handwriting looks like five’s, and a photo of his stupid mannequin ex-girlfriend, delores, is hung from one of them confirming this was his doing. 

“where are we?” you glance at him before returning to observe the room.

“the highest level of the house, it’s locked behind one of dads bookshelves but i found it a couple years ago. i used to sneak in here when i needed a quiet place. it’s hard to be bothered when nobody else can get inside except for me” he smiles down at you, tracing small circles with his thumb onto your hand, still intertwined.

you analyze the writings and questions scattered along the room, puzzled about the true purpose of being taken up here. he looks at you confidently while holding a small pale wooden box with the umbrella logo printed on top. 

“i didn't think you were ready before, but i think you are now. i know how we will all survive the apocalypse.” 

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thank you so much for reading!

i hope you’ve enjoyed it, please feel free to make any comments or story requests down below. any support is always appreciated <3

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

can i be honest? im a fan of azul but his dream felt like it lacked impact. there were some very interesting moments and its better than the prediction that he would already be rich and own the world

like really? azul becomes a famous athlete and bullies others, then he takes over night raven? i feel like his struggles with his own identity and food could have been further explored and he is based off of ursula, which should extend to vanessa, right? it was the perfect reason to give him a total makeover and show that he has to be comfortable in his own skin before anything else, even if his other ness was what made him a target of bullying in the first place

your thoughts and worries on book 7 post has affected my perspective and i cant help but feel like something is missing 🥲 maybe all the budget went into Jade and Floyd?

[Referencing this post!]

As I’ve previously expressed, I have a lot of my own complicated feelings about the direction book 7 is taking, specifically with how the OB boys’ dream segments are presented and resolved. Azul’s dream is no different; it felt very contrived due to the formula TWST insists on running with in every new installment. It’s becoming even more apparent with each update, and it is really grating on me.

But!! Before I get to what I believe are shortcomings with Azul’s dream, let’s review what Anon has to say.

I feel like, no matter what, there will always be people claiming that the OB boys’ dreams are “missed opportunities”. This is simply because these characters have much more deep and complex issues than the rest of the cast, so we will naturally scrutinize them more. TWST is basically only able to go with one angle when they tackle the dream, leaving the other threads unexplored. This will surely annoy or disappoint people who wish that TWST would have addressed a different issue instead, or perhaps something closer to their personal interpretation of the events. In Azul’s case, I feel like some people (particularly in the west, not so much in the east) see Azul’s weight concerns or relationship with food as a prominent part of his character, so they wish that book 7 part 10 had looked into that more. However, that was never a big focus in canon, so it follows that TWST would want to dedicate its time and resources to the most pressing thing (which would be more centered on Azul’s general self-confidence, greed, and how those tie into his sense of identity). At the same time, they probably wanted to avoid a lens that is too broad. Having the focus be on Azul’s “otherness” or being an octopus might veer too heavily into something way beyond the scope of the ~10 parts of the story he has to himself.

We also need to consider that these dreams are meant to be shallow interpretations of what the dreamer desires (according to Idia). Only the OB boys get to go more in depth due to bring dragged down into deeper layers of their dreams. Azul wants to be accepted by his peers and is insecure about his lack of athleticism (as one reason why he was bullied was due to not being able to swim as fast as other merchildren). So of course the surface level of his dream makes him a star athlete beloved by all. The whole “his plan succeeds, he steals everyone’s magic, he takes over NRC” thing happens in the second layer of his dream, which, like all previous OB boys, is a dark display of what would have happened had they not been stopped. And finally, Azul being a bully is nothing new—we saw this behavior back in book 3 as well. He became the very thing he despised back when he was a victim, and now he continues to perpetuate that cycle of bullying in an effort to affirm confidence in his “cool” new identity. I think the dream was very intentional in trying to entice him with the promises of power and acceptance. That, in turn, shows us that the desire to be a successful businessman (the thing many of us thought would be his dream) actually hinges on Azul’s longing to be accepted. His struggle with his identity and how it depends on how others perceive him was portrayed. I’m just not sure if the idea was executed in the best way, since it sounds like the message may have gotten muddled along the way and it definitely requires some reading between the lines.

I noticed that you cited my original post where I detailed my concerns about book 7 and how that has influenced your own thoughts 💦 I hope that it just… informed or supplemented your opinions rather than suddenly altered them to be more “in line” with my own. I never want to be the kind of person who claims their interpretations are the “most correct” I’m not Riddle’s mom, okay?? 😭

About Jade and Floyd’s dreams, I feel like those are less heavily critiqued because they, by virtue of not being an OB boy, have fewer stakes and are predominantly there to be silly. It’s like contrasting Epel wanting to be big and buff to Vil literally murdering Neige; there is just no comparison. Even then, I wouldn’t necessarily say Floyd’s and Jade’s parts received “all the budget”… They seemed like pretty basic storylines to me, perhaps dressed up slightly better thanks to the new undersea assets and bioluminescence reveal.

My issues with Azul’s dream segment is how… ham-fisted several elements were. All of it, for the sake of sticking to the pattern already established earlier. It feels so unnatural and stilted because you just KNOW it’s written this way to fit the template 😔 For example:

Why did Jade become SO dumb when they were trying to figure out where Azul had moved the contracts? He’s supposed to be much smarter than how he is presented here. Wouldn’t his immediate thought be to check Azul’s room? But NO, Jade can’t come to that conclusion on his own because we need a contrived reason for each student to use their UM before the ending :/ so Jade has to waste time using his UM to get the truth out of his dream!self.

Jade and Floyd sitting around and going “………….” while they watch Azul make an ass of himself was such a time waster. Clearly you have enough brains to know what would trigger him, so why are you not acting on it???? Oh yeah, because we need to show more cool stuff in this dream like La Grotta!

Azul literally turns to the camera and tells his OB self, “Unlike you, I’ve changed.” It’s way too on the nose with what it’s trying to communicate. It breaks immersion and makes it so obvious the characters are outright stating their character development to make sure we all “get it”.

What was the purpose of Azul using his UM to get the mermobs to sign a contract to give all their power to him???💀 Bro can just say “excuse me, I forgot something back at the Coral Rush field” and they’d probably let him pass. But again, Azul isn’t allowed to do that because he MUST use his UM before the ending. Because Azul’s UM requires that another person willingly agree and sign a contract, his mandatory UM use before the grand finale feels particularly forced.

How many times do I need to listen to Idia/Ortho or other characters warn us about how we can’t have too many people dream hopping or else bugs might happen or Malleus might notice… It’s almost like the devs realize how long this is being dragged out for so they have to remind us every so often.

Not only that, but we get such poorly constructed explanations to keep characters behind while a new character goes with the main group. Why don’t you just leave them all behind once they’re awake then?? Oh yeah, because we NEED to drag along the current student into the next dream so everyone gets a cameo. It’s so inorganic how the characters are chosen to stay behind, Jamil just conveniently volunteers himself while we also listen to another spiel from Silver and Sebek about how their training makes them more stable than the twins to keep dream hopping.

I would actually consider Azul’s dream… serviceable? Like it isn’t fantastic or anything but for what it is, it works. It’s cohesive enough. But god, did I dislike how rigid it was… Nothing happens because it’s natural, it happens because the script demands it happens. To quote another post:

If anyone has played the first Ace Attorney game, this feels a LOT like that part in case 2 where Phoenix is too dumb to check the back of a receipt until Mia literally tells him to. The [characters have] to actively be made stupider because the scenario calls for it, and that really rubs me the wrong way.

[raina-at]

Choices

You cannot make a true commitment unless you accept that it’s a choice you have to make, over and over and over again.

Sherlock takes a deep breath and looks at himself in the mirror.

The suit is dark grey and fits him like a glove. It’s simple, elegant. Understated. 

He’s not nervous. He doesn’t exactly know when the change occurred, but he’s no longer uncertain and disbelieving of his luck. He knows, with a certainty he never thought he’d have, that he wants this, that he deserves this, and, most importantly perhaps, that he has the emotional capacity to keep it.

He’s learned more in the last five years than he did in the 30-odd before. He’s learned how the worst choice he ever made—lying about his death for two years— affected everyone around him. He’s learned, slowly, painfully, to make wiser choices. Better choices.

He’s learned, watching helplessly as John made a series of self-destructive choices that mirrored Sherlock’s own worst moments, that sometimes, all you can control is yourself. But that is nobody’s job but your own.

He’s learned what it means to be a family. What it means to be a parent. To be a partner. How every day, you can choose to show up for the people who love you. And how they can choose to show up for you.

He’s learned the impact of big change, and he’s learned the transformative power of small change. 

Both his and John’s sobriety is a bedrock, a cornerstone on which their family rests. Both his and John’s continued emotional honesty is another one. 

But his most important lesson has been how hugely impactful the small choices are. Choosing to read the bedtime story over finishing the experiment. Choosing to endure Bond night over the toes in the freezer. Choosing date night over crime scenes, choosing nights in over a pint, choosing not to flirt back, to hold hands in public. Understanding, on a fundamental level, that all the small choices make up the big ones. That choosing to be the one to cook dinner today is choosing to stay. That taking a deep breath before reacting is choosing to forgive. 

Today, Sherlock thinks as he adjusts his tie and checks the rings one more time, today is significant. It’s legally important, and it’s symbolically important. But in his heart, it’s just one more day he chooses to stay. To fight. To forgive. To love.

He smiles. Today is a good day.

Today is one more day he gets to say yes to John Watson. 

-----

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[nepentheisms]

You ever find yourself down and out, going through a real dark night of the soul? Well if your name's Vash, then fortunately for you, you've got a Meryl Stryfe on your side.

She came in clutch, and I'm proud of her. Nightow even conveys the moment Meryl's words of resolve reach Vash as a burst of light in the dark. After Vash kills Legato, we see his soul teetering on the brink. He feels truly lost, boxed inside an all-black space, wondering what reason he has to go on living, "What's there left to see?"

And as if in answer to prayer, sparks of light begin to appear around him. As our eyes follow the flow of panels down to the lower left, we're then hit with the impact of the space around Vash brightening dramatically as he hears Meryl's words. Her faith calls him out of the void, and he gets the answer to his question: Here are the people fighting to realize your dream. Here's the woman who declares that she's among those who will share your burden because it doesn't matter if you broke the vow that defined you for so long - you're still worth believing in. And here, right in front of you is a fragment of your sisters' memories - the key to finally bridging the gap between them and humanity. There's so much left to see.

I love how in every version of Trigun, it's the sheer persistence of Meryl's faith that pulls Vash out of his lowest points (I know Stampede hasn't reached this climax in Vash's emotional journey yet, but I think what we've seen with Meryl helping him break Knives' control is a foretaste of bigger things to come). That tenacity and refusal to give up are so central to her character. Once her convictions are set, she's incredibly steadfast in them, and it's this steadfastness that makes the Mary Magdalene comparisons even more fitting.

In Thomas Aquinas' reflection on Mary Magdalene, he calls her devotion "constant," and says "it deserves praise" as a quality that "made her fit to see the angels." Aquinas remarks that while the other disciples left when Jesus was buried, Mary Magdalene stayed because of her "stronger and more burning affection." Thus, she is privileged among the saints as the chosen witness and messenger:

"Notice the three privileges given to Mary Magdalene. First, she had the privilege of being a prophet because she was worthy enough to see the angels, for a prophet is an intermediary between angels and the people. Secondly, she had the dignity or rank of an angel insofar as she looked upon Christ, on whom the angels desire to look. Thirdly, she had the office of an apostle; indeed, she was an apostle to the apostles insofar as it was her task to announce our Lord's resurrection to the disciples."

So how fitting is it that Meryl ends the story as a news reporter and thereby having even more power to tell Vash's story? She has witnessed the most hidden aspects of him (a fact that makes a great point of comparison to the characterization of Mary Magdalene in the extracanonical Gnostic Gospels), and there's so much she could say to help the rest of the world learn to understand him. She now has the resources to share his message on a much greater scale, and in those last few pages we see that the people Vash met in his travels, people like Lina and her grandmother and Badwick's family, are among those watching the broadcast. Meryl gets the word out to others who came to know him directly: He is risen.

"Mary answered and said, What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you. And she began to speak to them these words: I, she said, I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me, Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure." -Gospel of Mary (extracanonical)

[cre8inghavoc]

What are friends for?

PT. 9

Status: ongoing!!

Updates: no set date.

WC: 5462

Pairing: megumi fushiguro x FEM!reader

Genre/Warnings:[18+] Characters are aged up. This story contains toxic boyfriend, cursing, name calling, self-doubt/hate, angst, breaking up, post-breakup, alcohol, drug use, drunk moments, new friends, dating!au, college!au, no curses!au, dark humour, dark jokes. SMAU. Smut.

Recap:

Megumi’s grip on your waist tightens slightly, eliciting yet another moan from you, making him smirk against your lips. “Missed that fucking voice of yours,” he murmurs in a deeper tone, sending a wave of heat coursing through your body once again. His words, dripping with desire, only serve to fuel the flames of passion between you, leaving you both consumed by the intoxicating heat of the moment.

| [18+] CONTENT MINORS DO NOT INTERACT! |

Megumi's hand remains on your waist, as the other is against the wall beside you, offering a sense of grounding as you're pressed against the wall. He breaks the kiss, his gaze capturing your breathless anticipation, and a smirk plays on his lips as he observes your flushed cheeks.

“What are you looking at…” you murmur, feeling a flush of embarrassment as his gaze lingers on you, prompting you to avert your gaze.

"You look so beautiful," he responds, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, which only adds to your embarrassment.

You accidentally glanced down and remembered he wasn't wearing a shirt, which made your face turn even more red as you found yourself staring at his abs. Quickly, you looked away, but he had already noticed. You blurted out, "Put a shirt on," unable to conceal your flustered state.

He teases, "Don't like what you see?"

“What- no! I mean yes…Wait- I mean-” Your response fumbles in a mix of confusion, leaving you feeling even more awkward, a reaction that seems to amuse him.

"Look at me," he softly commands, gently holding your chin and guiding your gaze to meet his.

"Do I make you nervous, angel?" he asks with a touch of cockiness, though his effect on you is undeniable, rendering you momentarily speechless. You part your lips, about to say something, but nothing comes out. His thumb grazes over your bottom lip, intensifying your nervousness.

How cute he thinks to himself, unable to contain a small chuckle.

He leans in, tilting your chin up higher. His lips graze over yours, not fully connecting, but his grin widens at the sight of your increased breathing all because of him. Then, finally, he meets your lips. The kiss starts gently but quickly escalates, fueled by desire and an unspoken connection between you. His touch grows bolder, hands trailing down your body as he effortlessly lifts you, the wall also supporting you. Subconsciously, you wrap your legs around his waist, drawing him closer as the intensity of the kiss deepens, lost in the moment with him.

"Tell me what you want, angel," he prompts, his voice a soft murmur against your lips.

"You... I want you, Gumi," you confess, the nickname slipping out naturally, and the impact it has on him is palpable, a low groan escaping his lips.

Unable to resist any longer, he carries you to his bed, gently laying you down with one hand supporting your head and the other resting firmly on your ass. The passion between you only grows stronger as you continue to explore each other's desires, lost in the heat of the moment.

He leans down towards your neck, and you instinctively tilt your head to the side, granting him better access. Your hands find their way to his undercut, your fingers threading through his locks. As his lips meet your neck, kissing it tenderly, he searches for that sweet spot you adore. With the third kiss, you can't help but let out a soft moan, signaling to him that he's found it. Encouraged, he begins to suck gently on your skin, but then increases the pressure, teasing you with a mix of pain and pleasure, causing your moans to grow louder in response.

And what you were wearing drove him wild — a cute white tennis skirt paired with a black tank top — but it was the sound of your voice when you moaned that truly sent him over the edge. Without realizing it, his hand found its way to rest on your thigh, and he noticed how you subtly opened your legs, silently urging him to continue. He knew exactly what you wanted. As his kisses trailed from your neck down to your collarbone, his hand on your thigh ventured higher and higher. With a gentle graze, his hand brushed over your soaking core, eliciting a gasp from you. He relished in the sound, knowing he was driving you wild. 

"Damn angel... already so wet for me, huh?" he chuckles, his hand tracing over your clothed core.

"Fuckkkk... you drive me insane," he groans softly, his gaze shifting down to your legs.

The way his touch teased your core made you ache with need, your body yearning for more sensation.

"Pl-please..." you whimper out, feeling the desperate desire building within you. 

He chuckles at your response, his smirk igniting a fire within you. "Please what, angel?" he taunts, his voice dripping with anticipation. 

"I need you..." you respond, your voice barely above a whisper, laden with longing. 

"Yeah?" he smirks back at you, his gaze smoldering. 

"Need you so bad... please," you plead, arching your back as you feel his hand gripping the waistband of your skirt, your heart racing with excitement.

He can't resist any longer, the desire for you consuming him completely. The bulge in his pants grows, a physical manifestation of his longing, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to hold back. Both of you know you shouldn't be doing this, but the allure of each other is irresistible, a forbidden temptation that feels so wrong yet so undeniably right. However, amidst the rush of passion, your mind races with worry. What if Toge and Itadori return home any minute now and catch you in the act?

"We shouldn't... they'll be back any minute now..." you say to Megumi, your voice tinged with nervousness, yet your body betrays your words, silently pleading for him not to stop.

He continues to lower your skirt, his movements deliberate and unhurried. With gentle precision, he slides it down your ankle, slipping it off your legs and letting it fall to the floor. "Yeah... we shouldn't..." he says, knowing full well that neither of you truly want to stop.

His hand returns to your thighs, applying gentle pressure as he slowly traces his way back up towards the lace of your panties, his eyes never leaving yours. With a deliberate motion, he places his hand over your clothed clit, his fingers starting a slow, circular movement. The sensation rushes through you, igniting every nerve ending as pleasure courses through the fabric, making you moan louder with each delicate touch.

He's utterly captivated by the sight of you in ecstasy—your eyes squinting low, mouth agape over heavy breaths of pleasure, face and chest flushed red, your chest rising and falling with each gasp. Your sheer enjoyment fuels his own, and he revels in every moment of it. Unable to resist any longer, he crashes his lips onto yours for a fleeting moment before swiftly dropping to his knees off the edge of the bed, a determined gleam in his eyes. As you sit up, confusion etched on your face, he takes hold of your legs and pulls you closer to the edge of the bed.

“Megumi what are youUu~AhHHhH" you start to question Megumi's actions, but your words dissolve into a gasp of pleasure as you feel him move your panties aside and his mouth quickly latches onto your swollen clit, sending waves of sensation coursing through your body.

He dives into you eagerly, his mouth sloppy with the way he devours your pussy, his chin and mouth glistening with your arousal. It feels better than you ever imagined, and you can't help but moan as he picks up the pace.

"Gumi, fuck—!" you moan, and he can't help but throb at the nickname you've given him. He adores the way you say it, relishing in the fact that he's the one bringing you such pleasure. With skillful movements, he continues to lap at your clit, knowing you're getting close from the way your breath hitches and your hips begin to grind against his mouth. The sight of you chasing your high only spurs him on, making him even harder.

As you start to moan more desperately, he inserts two fingers into your tight hole, eliciting another wave of pleasure from you. "Fuck, you're so tight, angel," he murmurs, his fingers curling inside you to hit your sweet spot.

“Shittt, right there! Yes!” 

You're on the edge, feeling the familiar sensation building up, when suddenly you hear the front door of the house open. Panic grips you as you realize Itadori and Toge are back, and you try to push Megumi away, thinking he didn't hear.

But he doesn't budge. "Megumi, Itadori and Toge are back," you say, your voice trembling with fear of being caught.

"Don't care," he replies, undeterred, as he continues to fuck his fingers into you, his movements relentless. Your head falls back, overwhelmed by the sensation, as a surge of adrenaline and excitement courses through you. The thought of your other friends being home while you and Megumi share this intimate moment in his bedroom only adds to the thrill of the encounter.

As the sensation intensifies, you can only manage to gasp out, "Fuck, Gumi... what if they hear?"

"Then you'll just have to be a little quieter, angel," he replies with a smirk, his fingers working faster against your sweet spot as he continues to pleasure you. His other hand moves up to your mouth.

"Open," he demands, and just the way he says it sends a shiver down your spine, making you even wetter than before. You comply, parting your lips as he inserts his thumb into your mouth, applying gentle pressure on your tongue to keep you quiet. In response, you instinctively suck on his thumb, eliciting a groan from him in surprise and arousal. He hadn't expected your eager response, imagining all the other things you could do with your mouth.

The vibration from his groan sends an electric wave through you, causing you to involuntarily clutch around his fingers as you edge closer to your release.

“M’ close," you practically whimper.

"I know, angel," he responds, picking up the pace and sucking on your bud, causing you to instinctively close your mouth around his thumb to muffle your cries of pleasure. But Megumi has other plans, as he gently removes his finger from your mouth and takes your free hand, interlocking your fingers together and guiding your hand to the bed beside you.

"I changed my mind, I want to hear you when you cum all over my face," he instructs, his voice sending shivers down your spine.

And with that, you can't hold back any longer. You succumb to the pleasure, your essence coating his mouth and fingers as you come undone. You moan out his name, and he smirks, loving the sight of your blissed-out expression. You’re absolutely perfect for him.

Megumi withdraws his fingers, allowing you a moment to catch your breath. He then brings his slick-coated fingers to his mouth, sucking on them with a low murmur. "I knew you tasted so fucking good," he whispers, his voice still sending a thrill down your spine. You can't help but respond with a lazy smile, basking in the afterglow of your shared passion.

But your moment of bliss is shattered when you hear Itadori call out your name from downstairs, causing panic to surge within you. With a sense of urgency, you scramble to put on your skirt, but you struggle with the fabric. Then, a knock on Megumi's door interrupts you.

"Megumi, have you seen y/n?" Itadori's voice carries concern, and you exchange a panicked glance with Megumi, whispering urgently, "Fuck, Megumi, what do I do?"

Megumi maintains his composure, gesturing towards his washroom and whispering back, "Go to the bathroom and close the door, okay? Don't panic, angel," he reassures you with a gentle kiss on your forehead. You take his advice, rushing to the bathroom and closing the door quietly.

Meanwhile, Megumi opens the door halfway to face Itadori. "What do you want?" he asks, his tone cool and collected.

"Have you seen y/n? She said she was gonna wait for us to get back from the pizza place, but I can't find her, and she's not answering her phone," Itadori explains, his concern evident.

"Nope, haven't seen her," Megumi responds coldly.

"She didn't ask you what you wanted to eat?" Itadori questions, puzzled by the situation.

"No, haven't talked to her," 

"Oh, alright, thanks! If you do want anything to eat, we brought some extra, so you can have some if you want," Itadori offers, a smile on his face.

"Okay, thanks," Megumi accepts politely before closing the door, leaving you hidden in the bathroom, relieved yet still anxious about being discovered.

As you hear the door close, you step out of the bathroom slowly, a mischievous smile playing on your lips. Walking towards Megumi, you wrap your arm around his neck, pulling him into a sweet kiss while giggling softly against his lips. With a playful tug, you pull him onto the bed, slipping underneath him as he falls on top of you. One of his hands instinctively finds your waist as the other is placed on the bed beside you, his lips meeting yours eagerly as he's caught off guard by your sudden actions.

Your laughter fills the room, and Megumi can't help but smile in response, reveling in the sound of your joy. Your smile, your laughter—every sight of you fills him with a profound sense of affection and admiration. He knows he's lucky to have you, and at this moment, he wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

You both share a moment of silent admiration, both lost in the other's gaze. Finally, you break the silence, “I didn't even get to return the favor yet.” Your hand trails down his chest until you reach his pants, where you teasingly graze the bulge within, prompting a soft groan to escape his lips as his eyes follow your every movement. With a mischievous smirk, he seizes both of your hands, pinning them down onto the bed.

"As much as I'd love that, beautiful, I think it's better if you make your way back to your friends before they worry more," he explains, his tone gentle yet firm. You pout at his response, protesting, "But it's not fair!"

The truth is, he's yearning for your touch, craving the sensation of your hands on him. But deep down, he knows that if he gives in to that desire, he won't be able to hold back from plunging his hard cock into your tight, warm pussy. It's an overwhelming temptation, one he struggles to resist because you have no idea of the profound effect you have on him. How incredibly hot you sound when his name escapes your lips or when you stifle a moan by biting down on your lower lip. The way you become flushed and wet from just a heated kiss, or how the mere sight of you makes his dick hard. It's not just your physical allure, though—the way you walk with confidence, the casual way you run your hands through your hair while studying, or the nervous habit of biting your lips. Even the simplest actions, like sipping from a straw, send his mind spiraling with desire.

He simply smiles before placing a soft kiss on your cheek. "Trust me, making you feel good satisfies me," he reassures you. Rising from the bed, he takes your hand to help you up.

He imagines your small hands wrapping around his length, stroking his hard cock while you kneel before him, your eyes pleading with desperation as you look up at him. He can almost feel the sensation of your mouth around his tip, sucking gently before taking him deeper, your head bobbing back and forth in a rhythm that drives him wild–

"How do I play it off though...? Do we act normal now? Should we act normal?! But then they'll ask what happened, how do we explain to them that this happened... Do we keep acting like we don't like each other?" You cut through his thoughts with your rambling, your confusion palpable as you struggle to figure out how to act in front of your friends now.

"You don't want to make them suspicious now, do you?" Maybe for now, let's just continue acting like we still don't like each other in front of them until we figure this out, okay?" he adds, his cocky grin making an appearance once again as he’s brushing a piece of hair behind your ear and tilting your head up to meet his gaze. 

"Yeah, that's okay with me! Should I go back down now?" you inquire.

He nods, and you open the door to his bedroom slowly, trying not to make too much noise. As you prepare to rejoin your friends, you wonder what to tell them.

“What do I say if they ask where I went.”

"That's where you improvise, angel," he winks at you, and you playfully roll your eyes before making your way downstairs to your friends.

"Y/n! Where the hell were you? We looked everywhere for you, and we even asked Megumi if he'd seen you, but apparently you didn't even ask him about the food?" Itadori questions, his confusion evident as he munches on a slice of pizza.

"Yeah, and your phone was either off or you were just ignoring us," Toge adds, also enjoying a slice.

"Sorry, guys. I went to the bathroom before you two got here, and I left my phone down here," you quickly come up with an excuse.

"But why didn't you answer us when we called out your name?" Itadori presses.

"I'm not gonna lie, I didn't even hear you at all," you giggle softly, trying to deflect the question.

"Oh, well alright! We got the food, you want to eat?" Toge offers.

"Yep! I’m hungryyy," you reply eagerly, taking a seat beside them and grabbing a slice. After a few minutes, you hear someone coming down the stairs but don't look.

"Wait, why didn't you ask Megumi what he wanted? We literally waited there an extra 10 minutes for you to call us," Toge asks, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, uh..." You scramble to come up with an explanation before they catch onto your hesitation. "You know, we aren't really talking right now... You saw how he ignored me earlier when I said hi to him... so I got scared and just couldn't do it." Of course you lie. While you were nervous about asking him, you're not one to back away. The truth is, you did ask him, and it led to him plunging his fingers deep into your pussy while his tongue worked wonders on your clit until you came hard, coating his face with your essence. Just the memory of it makes you get wet again at the mere thought.

"Speak of the devil, Megumi, do you want some?" Itadori asks, and you steal a glance at Megumi. He meets your gaze with his usual expression, and you quickly look away, feeling flustered. Megumi then responds to Itadori, "Sure."

You find yourself sitting in between Itadori and Toge, Megumi seated on the other side of Itadori. As you all sit in the living room, enjoying the food and the show playing on the TV, your thoughts keep drifting back to the earlier encounter with Megumi. It's evident that he's finding it just as difficult to focus on the screen, as you catch him stealing glances at you a few times, his gaze lingering longer than necessary. The intensity of his looks leaves you feeling uneasy, especially with your two friends seated right beside you. You can't shake the nervousness that creeps in, knowing they could glance over at any moment and catch the silent exchange between you and Megumi.

But fuck it’s hard…

It's hard to tear my gaze away when every time I look at him, I'm flooded with happiness and maybe a little wetness in my panties... I mean, how could I not when he's sitting there looking so damn hot in his white tee shirt and black shorts? If Itadori and Toge weren't here right now, I'd probably already be sitting on his lap, kissing his soft lips, my hand trailing down his chest towards the waistband of his pants... Slowly biting his bottom lip as I slip my hand under his waistband and then–

"Y/n!" Itadori's voice cuts through your thoughts, snapping you back to reality. You realize he had called your name twice before, but you were so lost in your fantasies that you didn't even hear him at all. The sudden attention from Megumi and Toge makes your cheeks flush red with embarrassment.

"Huh?" you respond, turning to face Itadori.

"I said, do you want to sleep over tonight since it's Friday and all your friends are gonna be here?" he repeats.

Confused, you turn to Toge for clarification. "Oh, I forgot to mention it to her. Yeah, Yuta, Maki, and I are sleeping here tonight because we're going out to the club. You want to join?"

"Oh... yeah, sure. I have nothing better to do anyway," you reply, turning back to Itadori. Your gaze briefly flickers to Megumi for a split second before returning to Itadori.

Itadori turns to look at Megumi, a hopeful expression on his face. "You want to come too?" he asks, silently urging him to agree.

But Megumi shakes his head. "Nah, it's all good. I'll stay home," he replies, his tone final.

Disappointment washes over you as you had hoped he would agree to come along. Itadori tries to convince him, insisting that it'll be fun, but Megumi remains steadfast in his decision.

"It's not my type of thing, sorry," he explains as he rises from the couch and makes his way back upstairs. "I'll be in my room if you need me," he adds before disappearing into his room, leaving you feeling a bit disheartened by his refusal to join.

As you watch Megumi leave, a pang of disappointment washes over you. Why didn't he want to stay down here with all of you? Or go to the club? But then again, if he did, wouldn't it seem suspicious? After all, he's not one for parties or clubs, preferring solitude or minimal disturbance most of the time. 

Shrugging off the feeling, you decide to maintain the facade of indifference. "What time are we going to the club anyway?" you ask, diverting the conversation.

"11pm," they both reply simultaneously, their voices in perfect unison.

“I don't have anything to wear–”

“Yutas still home, you want me to ask him to bring you something?” Toge asks.

“Yes please! Tell him to bring my black dress, it's all the way on to the left side in my closet.”

“Gotcha, he said he'll be here in 30 so we can leave in an hour once you're ready.” Toge says to you.

“Okay fine with me”

You three continued watching the show until Yuta arrived, prompting you to hurry upstairs to change your clothes. Once you were all ready, you left for the club and met up with Nobara and Maki, who were already waiting for you. As you entered, you found them sitting at a booth, surrounded by shot glasses and other drinks.

"Where's Megumi?" Maki shouted over the loud music.

"He didn't want to come," Itadori shouted back.

"Typical Megumi," Nobara rolled her eyes. "Come sit and take shots with us," she urged.

You all settled into the booth, quickly downing shots of whiskey as the bartender kept bringing more. It was as if you were drinking water, the shots disappearing almost as soon as they were poured. 

As the alcohol flooded your system, thoughts of Megumi began to consume your mind with each shot. Memories of the last time you two were here together, him escorting you back to your place, clouded your mind. But what truly weighed on you was the fact that he wasn't here now. Not here with you, not with all your friends and his, enjoying the pulsating music, the colorful beaming lights, and the lively atmosphere of the club. People danced on the floor, indulged in shots, and revealed in the moment.

Yet, despite the fun atmosphere, you couldn't shake the feeling of his absence. Your friends noticed the change in your demeanor, the sadness and distraction etched on your face as you dwelled on his absence a little too much.

"Not drunk enough yet, huh?" Maki nudged you playfully, and you chuckled in response as she passed you a few more shots.

Downing three shots in quick succession, you felt the effects of the alcohol kicking in, numbing your thoughts, including those of Megumi. In fact, you were getting drunk to the point where thinking wasn't really on the agenda anymore.

As your friends got up to hit the dance floor, you joined in, enjoying the music and the company. Dancing with Maki and Nobara was a blast until they got lost in each other's lips, leaving you with Toge, Itadori, and Yuta. Until Yuta and Toge left to get more shots, leaving you alone with Itadori.

Itadori leaned in close to ask how you were feeling. "I feel good! You?" you replied, giggling a bit.

"Good as well," he answered before his gaze flickered to a spot on your neck as he moved your hair aside. "Is that a hic–" he started to question.

Panic surged through you as you realized what he was referring to—the hickey that Megumi had left on your neck. Thinking quickly, you blurted out, "I burned myself when I was curling my hair this morning."

Thankfully, you had actually curled your hair, a stroke of luck that saved you from further scrutiny. Itadori, oblivious as ever, didn't press further, and you breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for his lack of curiosity in this particular moment.

You both laugh and continue to dance, the night passing by in a blur of music and movement. It feels like hours have gone by, with no sign of anyone wanting to call it a night. The others keep shuttling between the bar and the dance floor, their energy seemingly boundless.

However, you decide to pace yourself, opting not to drink anymore for the rest of the night. You're wary of the possibility of embarrassing yourself or accidentally revealing something about you and Megumi if questioned. You know that if you continue drinking, you might lose control over your words and actions, and that's a risk you're not willing to take.

As the night wears on, the crowded club starts to feel suffocating. The pulsing music and throngs of people dancing only add to your discomfort, so you decide to take a break and head to the bathroom. After splashing some water on your face, you step outside, hoping for a moment of respite.

However, in your haste, you accidentally bump into someone in front of you. "Ow, fuck, sorry! I didn't see you," you apologize, looking up to meet their gaze, only to be met with familiar dark blue eyes and a voice that sends shivers through you. 

"It's alright, angel," he replies, that smirk you know so well playing on his lips. 

"Megumi?! What are you doing here?" you ask, confusion evident in your voice, but he simply smirks more and pulls you back into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

"Megs... What are you doing?" you inquire, your confusion evident in your tone as you try to make sense of his sudden behavior.

“Do you have any idea how damn hard it is to keep you out of my mind?” He growls, his voice low and intense as he closes the distance between you, causing you to instinctively take a step back, startled by his sudden actions.

“What's going on?” 

"Fuck Y/n…You have no idea what you do to me," he admits, his voice rough with need, his eyes dark with longing as he leans in closer, pinning you against the wall again as his breath hot against your skin.

“Megumi…” 

"No. Don't call me that..." His voice drips with desire as he speaks in a low, commanding tone. 

"What?" you respond, puzzled by his sudden shift in demeanor. 

"You know exactly what. Say it," he demands.

You pause, uncertain of what he's asking for. 

"Say it," he repeats, his tone growing more forceful as he moves one hand to your waist, exerting pressure, while the other grabs both of your wrists and pins them above your head. Caught off guard by his sudden aggression, you feel a rush of arousal flooding through you.

"Gumi..." you mutter out, feeling yourself get more wet at the possessive tone in his voice.

"That's my fucking girl," he declares, his words sending a thrill through you. Before you can react, he leans in hastily, capturing your lips with a hunger that leaves you breathless. The realization that he's claiming you as his own sends a wave of weakness through you, weakening your knees as you succumb to the intensity of his desire.

Before you realize it, his hand that was on your waist moves away, and he brings it to your mouth. "Open, baby," he urges, his voice urgent, and you comply without hesitation. As you open your mouth, he inserts his ring and middle finger. "Suck it," he commands again, his tone aggressive, but you obey willingly, sucking on them eagerly, coating his fingers with your saliva while meeting his gaze with a mixture of desire and submission.

His demanding demeanor only heightens your arousal, causing you to rub your legs together in an attempt to ease the growing ache between your thighs. As his fingers become coated with your saliva, he withdraws them from your mouth and swiftly moves his hand under your dress. With a sense of urgency, he pushes your panties to the side and plunges his fingers into your tight hole, eliciting a loud moan from you.

Quickly, he crashes his lips onto yours again, muffling your sounds of pleasure as he continues to finger you with fervor, his actions driven by a primal need to satisfy both of your desires.

"F-Fuck, Gumiii," you moan out, breaking the kiss as your head leans into the crook of his neck, your breath hot against his skin.

"You're clutching hard on my fingers, baby," he groans from the sensation. “Fuckkk, I love how wet you get for me, angel.”

Your moans echo through the room, a symphony of pleasure as his fingers expertly stroke your most sensitive spots. The way he curves his fingers hits your g-spot just right, sending shockwaves of ecstasy through your body. Your breath grows heavier, each exhale a testament to the building tension within you.

"Oh God! Gumi, right there, please don't stop," you plead, feeling the waves of pleasure crashing over you with each movement of his hand. He responds with a guttural groan, his desire evident in the way he continues to drive you towards the edge.

"You want to cum all over my fingers, don't you?" he teases, his voice laced with arousal. All you can manage is a breathless affirmation as he picks up the pace, pushing you closer and closer to the brink of release.

"Come on, baby, tell me how much you want it," he teases, his fingers slowing their pace, drawing out your anticipation. 

"Fuck!" you exclaim, frustration evident in your voice as he toys with you. "Gumi, please don't tease! I need it."

He smirks, his gaze dark and hungry. "Need what, baby?" 

"I need it! I need you, please continue!" you beg, the urgency in your voice palpable.

"Yeah?" he teases, his fingers picking up speed once again. "How bad?"

"So bad!" you cry out, your body tensing around his fingers in anticipation of the release you crave.

"Fuck, you're so close, angel," he growls, his own desire matching yours as he continues to drive you towards ecstasy.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" you moan, your voice filled with urgency as you near the edge of climax. The sensation is so intense that you instinctively bite down on Megumi's shoulder, seeking some anchor amidst the overwhelming pleasure.

"M’ gonna cum!" you announce, your breath ragged with need.

"Just let go for me, baby," he urges, his voice husky with desire.

In response, your head flies back, your eyes rolling back in bliss as the intense orgasm washes over you, leaving you trembling in its wake. Megumi continues to move his fingers inside you, prolonging the sensation until you can't take it anymore. He smirks at your euphoric expression, relishing in the power he holds over you.

But before you can fully come down from your high, someone starts knocking on the bathroom door, jolting you back to reality. Your eyes widen in alarm, realizing the precarious situation you're in.

Okay hear me out... I originally wasn't going to make this series include any smuts but as I continued to write the story I just couldn't stop thinking about it... so here we are...

I will be including more smut scenes in the next following parts when I want to... so do what you will with that information.

But I hope you enjoyed :)

TAGLIST <3

@lavender-hvze @xbarrjallenx @atinymonbebestay @1l-ynn @chilichopsticks @dr-fluff-meow @lost-resonance @maya-maya-56 @ichorstainedskin @luciiferslover @madaqueue @vanitywoo

[glitteringaglarond]

Hope is a theme that runs throughout the story of The Lord of the Rings. You can no more remove Tolkien's themes and ideas about Hope than you could remove the Ring itself. It is always there, echoing silently at the edge of words, shimmering faintly in the darkness; and when it is absent a point is made to emphasize that very fact.

In the two "sections" of the book - one that focuses on Frodo and Sam and one that focuses on everybody else - we see the different ways that Hope is addressed. The story of Frodo and Sam shows what happens when Hope slowly ebbs away, leaving nothing but sheer, raw, heartbreaking determination behind - or in the case of Frodo, a person so broken that nothing can heal him.

But in the other section - the one that focuses on the rest of the Company and on Rohan and Gondor - Hope takes a slightly different form. Instead of being a story of the loss of Hope, it is the story of the restoration of Hope. Or more specifically, the Hope that certain characters can and do bring to the story, and to the people around them. And tragically, what will happen when certain characters cannot and will not Hope, and instead give way to Despair. And that's the Hope that I want to talk about.

In Sindarin there are two words for Hope: Estel, which is Hope based on Faith, and Amdir, which is Hope based on Proof. Aragorn, the heir of Kings, is undoubtedly the personification of Estel in the story. That is literally one of his many, many, many names. And I argue that Faramir, the heir of Stewards, is the personification of Amdir. Yes there are other characters that also embody Estel and Amdir - Gandalf and Imrahil spring to mind, but I mainly want to focus on Aragorn and Faramir. And I want to focus on how Estel vs Amdir has a profound impact on Despair.

Almost from the moment that Gandalf falls, Aragorn steps into his role as Estel. It is explicitly stated time and time again in the text that Aragorn brings hope with him wherever he goes. But the Hope of Aragorn is the one that you must have faith in, which means that it is a Hope that cannot always be physically there. To all appearances, Hope must abandon the people who need it most in order to shine out bright and triumphantly when most needed. And so Estel departs, and the people must have faith that Hope will return or give in to Despair.

Faramir, on the other hand, is a different kind of Hope. Gondor has been at war with Sauron for centuries. There is no single man, woman, or child in Gondor who has ever known peace without the threat of war and violence looming within sight of their very city. They are a people who can no longer afford to have faith in Hope. Their Hope must be based on Proof, and that is exactly what they have in Faramir, and is likely a role shared by Boromir before he departed and fell. So Faramir proves himself, day in and day out. He proves himself a man of wisdom, a man of courage, a man who all his people can depend on. He proves himself to be willing to ride against a flying Nazgul on the off chance he can help his men - and the Hope he inspires is so great that even his horse will not turn aside when that is his purpose. And yet, when the situation is at its most dire, Amdir falls. And now the People have nothing.

And Despair, as the antithesis of Hope, is an important element in a discussion about Hope. So first let's talk about the antithesis of Estel: Denethor.

Denethor, who in a sense is the personification of his people, has been leading a steadily weakening people for years, fighting a war that has been going on for centuries. He does not have the luxury to Hope, and he certainly doesn't have the luxury for a Hope that you have to have faith in. Faith died long ago, and all that is left is what meager Hope can be pulled from the daily grind, from the blood and sweat and tears of the men who fight in this war. All that is left is Amdir - and Denethor's relationship with Amdir is famously strained.

But Denethor struggles on. He continues on when Boromir falls, despair beginning to cloud his judgement as he is overwhelmed by grief. But it is only when Faramir falls in battle - when Amdir is seemingly lost, that he has no Hope left. And so in Despair he turns to the Palantir and is literally given a glimpse of Estel. But Faith died long ago, so he doesn't see the Hope that he must have Faith to see. And thus his Despair gives way to madness.

And in his madness, he nearly destroys what remains of Amdir.

But Estel has come, even if Denethor did not have the necessary Faith to see it. And what it is that can restore Hope when there is no longer any proof for it? What can restore Amdir? Who can restore Faramir? Estel can - the healing hands of the King.

Estel and Amdir, the King and his Steward - the two go hand in hand. The people of Gondor want to believe in their King, but they do believe in the Stewards that have ruled them for centuries. So is it a wonder that the people's ability to have faith in Hope is only restored when Estel restores Amdir?

But there is one other character, intrinsically linked with Faramir and Aragorn, to whom the themes Hope and Despair are poignantly evident: Eowyn.

Like Denethor, Estel is what pushes her over the edge and into a desire for death. When Estel cannot manage to give her any hope for a future and leaves her behind to a bleak present, she loses all hope. But unlike Denethor, Estel was the only hope she had. So when she lost her faith in Hope she had nothing to fall back on to. When she lost her faith in Hope, she did not have years and years of Hope based on proof to depend on. Instead she is pushed to the same level of desperation that led to Denethor's despair and madness.

Like Denethor, Eowyn sought to die - possibly with those she loved beside her, although that is not made explicit. Like Denethor, the intervention of Hobbits saved her life. Unlike Denethor, she did not get the chance to try again. And now, after failing even at her own death, with Estel saying that he cannot restore her from her Despair, (literally saying that he can recall her from the dark valley, but if she awakes to despair she will die unless some other healing comes that he cannot bring), Eowyn finally meets Amdir. She finally meets the kind of Hope that her bitter, depressed, desperate soul can depend on. And Faramir, with the Hope of Amdir, is able to heal her the way Estel could not.

And once Estel restores Amdir, Amdir can bring about the kind of healing that Estel cannot. After all, Hope that you must have faith in is only powerful when people have Faith. And sometimes that is not possible. Sometimes Hope needs to prove itself to a person before they can accept the nebulousness of Faith.

When Estel restores Amdir and Amdir, in turn, restores Faith - the people now have the faith needed for Estel's true return.

[idv-sunsxin3]

can i request a scenario with pavia, horropedia, and diggers saying i love you to them for the first time 👀👉👈

Horropedia, Pavia, Diggers // "I Love You."

Note// Yes, I finished writing this on April Fool's. And no, I don't feel like getting pranked, but I don't mind being booped by moots/ih😇✨️

___

"Y/N, come check this out!"

He was just about to talk to you more about the twin dolls he had on his gun at the moment he saw you enter the room. Noting the little details of their design, and even how he managed to make these mechanisms behave in such a complex manner of mischief to make them seem as unpredictable and intimidating to enemies.

He didn't expect you to suddenly say something much more intimate during one of these casual conversations you both usually share.

You were silently admiring the sight of his focused, intelligent eyes, the way his head tilts once in a while to inspect his work, and his incoherent mumbling to himself as if having some occasional internal debates. Until you blurted these words out.

"I love you."

His fingers halted for a bit once he heard you. His eyes stopped being fixed on his firearm to look at you. His features were notably shocked for a moment, yet it wasn't for long that they returned back to grinning once again. It isn't unsure whether it is because he's playing his cards again or not.

Nonetheless, his cheeks are lightly flustered with a soft hue. It could have been more noticeable if the lamp on his desk wasn't the only source of light in the dark room.

"I know." he replies calmly while throwing a sneaky look, "That’s very dangerous of you to say, though."

His observant eyes stare through yours as his face creeps closer to yours to the point your noses nearly touch. The statement indirectly reminds you of the several times he told you about how love stories tend to get disturbed by certain means of phenomenons, tragedies, and terrors caused by ruthless antagonists.

It is not often that lovers would end up happy together at the end of a horror movie. Sometimes, Horropedia would adapt these kinds of survival principles to real-life situations.

Yet even so, his hands find itself resting on yours. A strange sense of comfort sneaks through your skin by contact.

"It's bad for me... but I don't mind testing the waters with how long we can keep this up."

He interwines your fingers with his, as if they're meant to be that way... Just as the way your lips collide with his, the second he moved the last inch towards you.

______

"I love you."

You softly said it as you played with your lover's hands. You were talking about a sad day that happened to you with him. In the end, Diggers managed to cheer you up a bit with his words of affirmation.

"I fancy you more, darling."

He wasn't hesitant on replying sweetly, his eyes half-lidded and droopy, but his smile warmth as the sunrise. He rubs your cheekbone gently with his thumbs while gazing at you lovingly, as if his hands were holding the world itself.

Once noticing you finish drinking from your cup, he unspeakably pulls away from your hold to fetch the jug of juice for a refill. Knowing you well, a single cup of juice won't quench your thirst in a sunny day at a van.

...

"... it's quite new to hear that from you."

Diggers realizes that you finally say the magic words for the very first time. The thought of hearing these words from you crosses his mind, noting how he hasn't heard them from somewhere at all until now.

He had this dumbfounded look for a moment until he made a tiny "o" shape on his mouth. Before not wasting a second to turn around and face back at you.

He was wearing that same glance as if he fell in love with you all over again. Seemingly, they rather looked happier than shock.

"Oh, my muse... my love, my sunshine, my moon, and all my stars."

He gushes delightfully in a low whisper, clearly impacted in the most wonderful way he has never thought of himself. He has this urge to embrace you and flutter you with smooches until he can't feel his lips -

Yet having this tiny fear of scaring you away with any sudden advances, he only surrounded you slowly in his arms before he planted a lingering kiss on your forehead. Connecting your foreheads once he closes his eyes and hums with a soft smile.

"You're the loveliest gift god has sent to me..." He whispers as he cradles your head with his hand in an adoring manner.

______

You said it without thinking twice. Seeing him eat gelato with a spoon while still holding your hand with his unoccupied one was something special.

You slowly learn that he never had the plans to pull away at all. Not even whenever you take the initiative to hold hands, embrace one another, and start sneaking these whispers of affection in dark alleyways.

So after finishing the cold dessert, he walks you through the dark streets wanderlessly before turning to a corner. You pull him by the arm close to you so you can lean on him, but this gesture made Pavia pull you back and swing you towards the wall- pinning you against it.

"Now what, bella? Do you really want to stick around here?"

He sounds a bit annoyed by the tone on his question, yet the way he gently brushes his jewelry from his knuckles on your cheek says otherwise.

"Aren't you quite a crazy one?"

"Mm.." You hum as you lean on his touch, "I get that a lot."

"What are you trying to say to me now then, mm..?"

"...I love you."

You now sounded quiet but clear enough to the other. Your lips were close enough to his ear that he could feel you breathing softly against him.

"...?"

The mercenary finds himself dropping his hands from the sides of your head to wrap his deadly arms around you. They rest firmly on your hip and lower back while his back is now leaning on the brick wall once he swing your back around.

"..."

Pavia acts like it was nothing serious at first when he heard you, his eyes unreadable through his shades as he scrutinizes your face like a predator does to a prey for a few silent seconds. However, the tone of his voice remains inexpicable and probably a malicious mischief.

"Oh, you're dancing with fire, little daredevil..."

That's when he grabs you by the collar before smashing your lips with his, swiftly bringing you deeper into the alleyway...

"Two can play this game~"

.

.

.

Several days later, you find yourself being led by him to your house that is now piled up with a lot of boxes that are filled with gifts. Most of them bring a variety of different jewelries.

"I got them as souvenirs, but it turns out none of them are my style... Keep them. whether you like it or not, I'm looking forward to seeing you trying one of them~"

Obviously hinting that these gifts were bought for you;;

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

[Spoilers for episode 5&6 of Happy of the End] Since last week I've been thinking about the way Happy of the End has been telling its story. More precisely how it's been telling Haoren's story. Because episode 4 was a hard one for me, and because of the remarks that @lurkingshan made here, I was wondering how the show would balance its themes, in a way that it wouldn't feel manipulative or exploitative and still have at its core the main love story. In its own way.

I think the biggest advantage in showing us the dark, be it necessary to go that hard with it or not, is the impact of the light when it appears. When Haoren goes soft and smiles, it hits particularly hard as well. And there's a relief that immediately hits me. Just like him, it's like I can breathe again, I can smile again. I think if I'd watch episode 5 right after episode 4 I would've felt elated. That whole scene on the boat was beautiful.

The tunnel scene was a stand out for me. That's where Haoren is at the moment. The liminal space he occupies. He's in between all the darkness behind him, and the light that he's trying to get too. But he's still not completely free of the past, so he can't walk himself into the light yet. So he lays there, in the between. And what gets him to move is Chihiro. Because he represents the light. Because he sees him as his last chance to find happiness.

When he escaped the first time, he said that he hadn't yet lived. And I think he's been waiting for something, something that makes him believe that he's alive. And Chihiro was the spark. I said at the beginning, once again agreeing with Shan, that I don't believe this was a love conquering all story. They will not heal each other and they aren't going to get fixed when it's all over. That isn't the point. I think for them, it's just about finding a place to rest, to be at peace and a place where they feel like they can start living again.

Episode 5 (Haoren) "I feel alive again" (Chihiro)"It's only when we're together that I feel like I can live"

[soulessjourney]

We Fallen Gods Chapter 1

Paring: Astarion x fem!DurgTavReader

Word count: 2.7k

Summary: Three years after the fall of the Elderbrain you and Astarion had finally settled down and made a life for yourselves. After about a year you made it your goal to venture out with Gale to locate the Daylight Ring to allow Astarion to finally have his life in the sun back. Now as you two live in the city, you working along Wyll as a politician and Astarion as a Tailor, your lives make a drastic change as an unexpected surprise flip your worlds upside down. 

Warnings: Language, Humor, Violence, Pregnancy, Angst, Hurt and Comfort, Hurt no Comfort, OOC Astarion, Talk of Conceving

Three years have passed since the city fell, and you devoted your days to tirelessly rebuilding it, only to return home to Astarion in the evening. It's been two years since you embarked on a journey with Gale, drawn by a story about the Daylight Ring granting vampires the ability to walk in daylight and be protected from the sun’s rays. Your life together has evolved into a comfortable routine. Astarion manages a tailor shop, bringing the city the finest wears, while you delve deeper into politics, working alongside Wyll to govern Baldur’s Gate and aid in its recovery post-battle. Shadowheart resides just outside the city in a small cabin with Owlbear, whom she adopted at your reunion celebration. She works to assist those who strayed from Shar and face exile.

Lae’zel has had minimal conflict with you and Astarion, particularly after abruptly leaving your group following the battle. All you are aware of is her travels, dealing with politics. Gale rejected the idea of becoming a god after your persuasion, and he now runs a school in Waterdeep, training wizards to excel. Halsin and Jaheira returned to Emerald Grove, contributing to the rebuilding efforts and the restoration of the Blighted Village. You frequently hear from them as Wyll sends you to check on their progress and discuss potential partnerships once the area is rebuilt.

There is one person you dearly miss, a sister figure – Karlach. The memory of her being pulled back to Avernus haunts your dreams, often leading to Astarion holding you tightly to calm your sobs upon waking. You vividly remember him standing behind you as you pleaded with Withers to bring her back. Since that day, you haven't been entirely the same, as that moment left a gaping hole in your chest. Karlach supported you in ways you couldn't explain, understanding the struggle of being seen as a monster. She held your hand, looked you in the eye, and promised to save you. Karlach made a significant impact on your life, and Astarion, being well aware, never pressed the situation – something for which you are thankful.

After much persuasion, you and Astarion finally adopted Scratch. Now, the furry companion lay curled up on the ground beside you while you leaned against Astarion. He read a passage from his book, absentmindedly running his fingers through your hair, brushing against your scalp. Your hands, in turn, found solace in Scratch's white fur. The day had been exhausting with back-to-back meetings and paperwork, leaving you feeling as if you were drowning. It wasn't Wyll's fault; the city had crumbled during your battle with the Elderbrain, necessitating the establishment of order once more. Despite life seemingly returning to normal, there lingered a dark corner within you, itching to claw its way out. Sometimes, during meetings, the Urge would beckon you, urging harm, and the taste of blood in your mouth served as a stark reminder that the darkness from your father never truly vanished. A part of you would always belong to him, and your body would perpetually yearn to witness life leaving someone's eyes.

Your reverie was interrupted when Astarion pulled his hand away from your head, looking down at you. "What's troubling you, Darling?" he asked, his hand gently resting against the side of your face, his thumb tracing the curve of your cheek. His eyes held an abundance of love, causing you to melt in his embrace. Astarion was acutely aware of your fears related to your father and the recurring urges. He sensed them returning, as if your past was attempting to pull you back. "Are you thinking about the urges again?" he inquired, hitting the mark, though that wasn't the sole concern on your mind. The topic of children was another matter, a discussion reserved for the moments before bedtime when you both nestled on the couch. You harbored a deep-seated fear of what you might pass on to your offspring, hence your insistence on delaying such plans.

Nodding, you tucked your legs under you, meeting his gaze. "I was, but I'm okay now. Don't worry; I don't feel like standing over you, planning to kill you, while you're in your trance," you teased, leaning up to press your lips against his.

He chuckled against your lips, leaning back to study you. "Tell me about your day, my love. You've been so busy; we haven't had time to discuss our days like usual," he hummed, grabbing your hand to lead you towards the bed. Scratch followed closely as you both settled into your usual spots, with you curled into Astarion and his arm wrapped around you. At the foot of the bed, Scratch settled into his spot, contentedly chewing on the bone Astarion had gifted him earlier that evening.

Humming, you reflect on your day before your eyes light up slightly. "I spoke to Halsin today; it was really nice to see him after some time. The village is starting to gain residents again. They just had a family of Tieflings move into one of the buildings; they're tailors, so they'll bring more business to the village. The Grove is back under his command too, so he's trying to find a way for us to send some military healers to train under him," you say, playing with Astarion's fingers gently. "Oh, and Owlbear is doing great," you continue, catching Scratch's attention. Since Owlbear no longer lived with both of you, he had been a bit lonely, but you have yet to convince Astarion to get him a friend. "Shadowheart stopped by to discuss matters with Wyll pertaining to the followers of Shar. You should've seen how massive she is." Astarion nods along with your words, a large smile on his face as you continue to fill him in about your day.

Astarion adores just how peaceful you look when you talk about your day. You have been working nonstop since you returned to the city with the ring to gift him the freedom to venture outside during the day. There were times when he worried you would work yourself to death, but the worry always tends to melt away when he sees how content and accomplished you look when you manage to form an alliance. This, in his opinion, is the perfect life. Having you in his arms, and the dog taking up any sort of foot space on the bed. Although he has brought up the idea of kids with you on multiple occasions, he would be just as content in this life that he has with you now.

His eyes lock with yours once more, and your sentences begin to trail off just before you reach up, pressing your lips against his. The air shifts between the both of you, the need for one another, the need to feel each other's touch filling your very being. Just as Astarion flips you over onto your back, Scratch lets out an annoyed growl before jumping off the bed and moving out of the room. A giggle sounds from you as he trails his fingers over your sides, causing you both to roll off the bed and onto the ground with a thud. Cradling your head, Astarion presses his lips to yours, pulling you into a night of bliss and passion.

----

As the sunlight filters through the crack in the curtains and bathes your face, you squint before opening your eyes. You find yourself face to face with a fluffy white presence on the floor. Smiling, you glance over your shoulder, noticing the vacant space in your bed. Astarion typically rose before you, but he usually waited for you in bed. Sitting up, the blankets slip from your exposed body and pool beside you. Standing, you walk toward the wardrobe, grabbing the robe hanging on the inside of the door. Gazing at yourself in the mirror, you twist your hair into a bun before leaving the room.

The city-provided home you shared with Astarion was more extensive than initially necessary. Despite your efforts to fill the space, it often felt insufficient. This led to occasional thoughts about having children, though fear always quelled such considerations. Approaching the stairs, muffled voices fill the air. Astarion occasionally invited clients over to address clothing issues, but as you neared, you recognized the speaker: Wyll. What was he doing here so early in the morning?

"I won't let her go and do your bidding, Wyll. I don't care if it's her job, but what you're asking is for her to embark on a suicide mission. We're finally enjoying a comfortable life together where I don't have to worry incessantly about losing her to a tadpole or the urge. Well, that's a lie; it's clawing at her, and I refuse to have her away from me. If, for whatever reason, she gives in and reverts to the state she was in when we were all together. Besides, does she even know our friend here is alive and well?" Fear tinged Astarion's voice as he spoke. Although some interpreted his tone as anger, you knew him better. Whatever Wyll wished of you had him terrified.

Your hand on the door, you freeze at the sound of a voice speaking up—one you've been praying to hear since that fateful day. "No, she doesn't know yet, fangs. I've been trying to figure out how to just reappear in her life. I just didn't expect it to take a year." Hearing those words, your eyes well up with tears. You throw the door open to Astarion's private study, causing it to slam against the wall. The three occupants in the room turn their attention to you, and only one person stands the moment they catch sight of you: Karlach.

"You're alive?" Those were the only words that came to your mind. In that moment, it felt like a surreal vision or an unsettling manifestation of the Urge. She was supposed to be gone, taken back to Avernus, and while you knew she wasn't technically dead, you understood the grim reality of her existence there. It was as if you had forgotten how to breathe or move. A whole year had passed, and only now did you have the chance to see her. Part of you was enraged that she hadn't appeared sooner, but another part acknowledged her fear of your reaction.

Frozen in place, you watched as she moved toward you, finally enveloping you in a tight hug. "Hey there, soldier, I missed you," she whispered, wrapping her arms securely around your trembling form. It was only then that you realized tears were streaming down your face. "Hey now, no crying. Remember what I said about tears," she murmured, wiping them away with a gentle smile. Now you understood why Wyll had insisted on staying in certain wings at the fortress; he was waiting until Karlach felt ready to see you again.

Pulling away from the embrace, tension lingered in the room. Glancing over her shoulder, you noticed Astarion and Wyll glaring at each other, engaged in a silent battle. Wiping your cheeks, you looked around and sniffled, catching Astarion's attention. "Excuse me. If I had known we were going to have guests, I would have dressed appropriately. Give me a second to change, and then we can discuss what matter has you both on edge," you said, glancing between the two men. Turning on your heel to make your way back to the room to change, you added, "And Karlach, it's good to have you back."

---

It didn't take long for you to change into more appropriate attire. Sitting next to Karlach, you faced the two tense men in front of you. "So, care to tell me what caused the argument between you two? It must be something significant, considering Astarion looked like he was about to blow a fuse when I walked in earlier." Astarion shifted slightly, turning away from Wyll, his body radiating anger. His tense demeanor confirmed his suspicions: Wyll was indeed about to present you with a suicide mission.

Wyll glanced at Karlach, who nodded reassuringly before gently taking your hand. "There have been sightings of Gortash and Orin in the Underdark. Some claim to have spotted them at one of the temples, but that's not why I'm here. It's more about their followers," he explained, searching your face for any reaction. The mention of Orin made sense, as her return would explain the resurgence of the urges clawing at you. But Gortash... he was supposed to be dead. You had witnessed the Elderbrain kill him before your very eyes.

Rubbing your hands on your knees, you cleared your throat. "But Gortash was dead. We all saw it happen," you said, locking eyes with him. "Forget Orin; I know I can take care of her again. I mean, I beat her in a duel. But how in the nine hells is Gortash still alive?" Astarion sensed the urgency in your question, the desperation rather than hope. Quickly standing, he moved to sit on the other side of you, rubbing small circles on your back, a gesture he knew brought you comfort.

Wyll nods along with your words, understanding your confusion. “I know, but considering Orin is back, I would have to say something else is at play here. Now, in terms of what angered Astarion, I need you and a few others to travel back to the Shadow-cursed lands. I’ve had scouts report something happening at Moonrise Towers. I know you prefer not to step foot in there again, especially after everything that happened, but you’re the only person I trust to get the job done,” he says, keeping his eyes locked on yours.

“You’re right. I don’t want to go back there, not after what I went through, especially when it came to the urges,” you start, keeping your eyes focused on the ground in front of you. Astarion lets out a sigh of relief just as you lift your head. “But I need to make sure Orin or Gortash can’t climb back up from whatever circle of hell they were in. If going back to Moonrise is how I can do that, then so be it,” you say, jumping slightly as Astarion quickly stands, throwing his hands in the air.

“It’s a suicide mission, Tav. How are you even supposed to get back into Moonrise? You know they’re going to be on the lookout for you, especially if Orin is back. She’s going to be out for blood, and I refuse to get word that I lost you simply because Wyll wanted to send you on that mission,” he growls, placing his hands on his hips as he paces the room.

Your eyes follow him before you let out a sigh. “Wyll knows the urges are back, meaning Bhaal is trying to claim me as his champion again. I went against Orin, and now that she’s back, I’m sure he was unable to find another champion and he’s desperate. They’re going to let me in because of who I was. Her followers fear me more than ever now, especially since I killed her in a duel. I killed her Star, I killed her without the Slayer form, and I can do it again,” you say, watching as Astarion’s shoulders drop in defeat.

“I’m sure Wyll is going to want me to infiltrate, meaning I’m just gathering information. That’s my job besides just going to meetings and doing paperwork. We have ways I can disguise myself, and I promise I’ll be careful, Star. The moment things seem like they’re going to go south, I’ll come back, and I’ll refuse any further missions having to do with Moonrise. If Gortash and Orin are truly back, it means we need to prep the city in case they decide to attack,” you murmur, grabbing his hands gently. “I promise.”

Astarion hesitates before nodding. Turning towards Wyll, you watch as he stands taller. “If anything happens to her, and I mean anything, I will drain you dry,” he spits, before turning on his heel to leave the room. Falling back onto the couch, you look toward the wall before turning your gaze back to Wyll.

“When do I leave, and who’s all coming?”

[bornnraisedinsilenthill]

I understand people who are disappointed in Dragon Age’s lack of darkness in the newer games.

Yes, it was funny, quirky and stupid. Always was and hopefully always will be.

But what I see most people missing, is how dark Origins could be and how little impact the dark stuff in Inquisition had. Example:

When you meet Hespith in Origins and learn about broodmother’s, it rightfully freaks you out. The gore lying on the floor, the poem being recited in the background and the realisation of what had happened, what has to happen to create a broodmother, all perfectly made to present the twisted shape of the enemy to you and add a vitality to your rise against the blight. It adds together almost beautifully to create the most horrifying quest in the entire game.

(I will not add a picture of the scene here, because Hespith’s haunted face genuinely unsettles me. Her face alone manages to encapsulate the horror of this scene.)

In Inquisition you fall into the fade and into the lair of an overpowered fear demon. Fear demon, whose purpose is to torture you with your nightmares. It is the perfect quest to go wild with the horror aspects, that built the Dragon Age games. To build up an unsettling atmosphere, so that the enemy and the setting could pay off on the idea. To have the demon torment you, perhaps isolate you, and haunt every player who replays the game. Instead the demon kind of roasts your companions.

This was merely the example that bothered me the most, as I played the quest, hoped for a lot and was left a little underwhelmed. It hurts especially after the quest, wherein you’re sent forth in time. That one used its’ darkness to give your Inquisitor a taste of the future, should the enemy succeed.

Similar games, like the Witcher or Baldurs Gate, are able to balance the light and darkness in equal measure. Sure, you get drunk with your Witcher buddies, but you will always rethink your choice to free or not to free the demon under the tree, to save or not to safe the children from the bog. It makes you understand Geralt’s decision to stay away from most choices. Sure, the sexy vampire is sexy, but also suffers from how he was used as a sexual object by his former master and how you can do the same. It makes you rethink your own actions and understand Astarion better.

When Solas tells you, that he is Fen’Harel, it was given all the buildup it needed and will forever be, in my opinion, one of the best plot twists in history. It makes you replay the game, analyse his dialogue and analyse him. I merely wish the rest of the game and its’ quests be treated with the same amount of importance and care. Because yes, Dragon Age is goofy, but that is not all it is. And we’re right to worry, that it may have lost its’ dark moments and with it its’ depth, as honestly tell me, how much did you find the side quest, especially the ones in the Hinterlands, in Inquisition interesting?

I want the Evanuris to make the impact they deserve to make in the world, story and the player. I want the story to not only give me a fun time, but to leave a certain darkness and sadness in it, to make the fun moments shine so much more. I do not want to play the game and find, that it lost its’ charm, because it was too afraid to tell a deep story and too interested in making money. I do not want to play a game of a beloved franchise, to find it hurting the name of the others, that came before.

[osamusriceballs]

The Accident - Part VI

Atsumu x fem Reader

Warnings: None

Words: ~ 1,1 k

About: The flashback ends- but what will you do next?

Part I II -> Next Part

"You're not getting married."

Osamu's sharp remark did not have the intended effect. Both of you were still clinging to each other, acting all lovey-dovey.

"Samuu, you don't understand. She's my soulmate. I love her." Osamu's eyes almost popped out of their sockets while he kept watching how you two clung to each other and smiled like idiots, your hand on his cheek after he had said these words.

"You don't even know her. And stop touching her like that in public."

Atsumu's hands started wandering on your back, his fingertips teasing the bare skin on your back much to your delight - but to Osamu's horror.

"I don't mind - but who are you?" You turned towards him, and he paused for a second. You were beautiful, that much was certain. Shiny eyes, glossy lips, and a dress that looked like it had been made for you - but he quickly discarded every thought about your looks when he knew that he needed to stop this nonsense.

"I'm Osamu Miya. His brother."

"Oh." Your eyes widened as you took in his appearance, probably only then realizing how similar he looked to the man whose lap you were currently sitting on.

"Samu, we gotta go. The barkeeper told us that there's a priest next to this club."

"You're not getting married."

No matter how many times he repeated the sentence, it seemed like Atsumu was unable to understand.

xxxxxx

"And then you convinced me to get your car to drive us home. Wouldn't stop bickerin' about how it's expensive and designer and about how it costs more than Onigiri Miya will ever make. I'll definitely kick your ass for that."

A muscle under Osamu's eye twitches when he mentions the comment, and you have to hold back a snort at this. He's kind of cute when he's angry.

"And then?"

"You were gone. Found ya at the church, but it was too late. You idiots already signed the contract."

You slowly step back until your knees reach the bed, and you heavily sink down on it. It feels like he's telling you a story right out of a movie, not something that has happened just a few hours ago, the whole thing still too absurd and unreal.

"Can we redeem it?" You look at Osamu, like he's the only one that can save you now, and he somehow actually is. You still have hope that you can get out of this without negatively impacting the rest of your life.

"I've talked to our lawyer. It's a waterproof contract. Very surprising because the church was more than just a bit shady. You're both bound for a year until ya can file for divorce." His words feel like a death sentence, and you find yourself at a loss for words. You gulp at his words, blinking a few times to suppress your tears. You're an idiot—an idiot for getting in a situation like this.

It's silent.

You don't dare to look at either of them, your gaze only focused on the phone in your hands, and every passing second makes you feel even more uncomfortable, until you can't stand the silence anymore.

"I'll get going."

You stiffly get on your feet, your movements robotic and lifeless while you make an attempt to leave, but you're quick to get stopped by Atsumu before you can even make more than getting up. "Wait- I- I don't even have yer number!"

"Oh." You pause, standing there for a few moments while you watch Atsumu getting closer to you, until there is not much space left between the two of you when he stands right in front of you. "Hey- are you okay?" Concern laces his voice while he looks down at you, and you manage to nod with a forced smile. "Peachy."

Osamu snorts at your comment and shakes his head, a movement that you barely see in the corner of your eyes. He probably feels guilty for the whole situation too, the dark cicles under his eyes similar to Atsumu's, certainly because he tried to find a solution for this and did not sleep at all during the night. "People who say 'peachy' are anything but fine."

"Hey, look at me." Atsumu ignores his brother's comment and brings his hand to your cheek. You're startled but allow him to turn your face upwards until your eyes lock. "I'm not letting ya go when ya can't even walk properly. You'll eat something, then you'll take a nice hot shower and get in some clean clothes and then I'll bring ya home. That alright with you?" There is something about the way he softly states the words that sends a comforting wave of warmth through your body, and you find yourself nodding and trusting him.

"Hmm. Good girl. Now just eat the rest of the fries while Samu gets ya some clothes. Right, Samu?" Atsumu breaks the eye contact with you to look sharply at Osamu, who only sighs and nods. "I saw a souvenir shop at the lobby. Better than nothin'." You now look at Atsumu's side-profile, admiring his sharp jaw line, unable to do something else but wondering if there is even one bad angle on this perfect man, while Osamu leaves the room with another deep sigh.

"Shouldn't I have given him some money?" You take a deep breath and wipe your hands on your dress, noticing how clammy they got. Probably a side-effect of the nervousness.

Atsumu snorts and returns his gaze to you, an amused smile on his lips. "That serves him right. He always brags about how much he makes with his stupid restaurant." Atsumu looks so similar to Osamu when he rolls his eyes; it's almost comical. "Don't tell him I said that, but he really makes the best food ever. I'll take ya there and show you."

You hum approvingly, feeling somewhat a tingle run down your spine at the prospect of him taking you out for dinner but try to ignore it. "C'mon. Eat the rest of the fries. I saw how ya inhaled them. You can have mine too." He grins, something that makes him seem absolutely adorable, and you find yourself smiling back at him, a warm feeling running through your body.

"I'm not hungry anymore. I'll take a shower then?" You questioningly raise your brows, and he nods. "Yeah, of course. When Samu comes back, I'll put the clothes in front of the bathroom."

Thank you," you raise your hand as if to pat his shoulder, but you halt the movement just before reaching him. You shouldn't touch him. Technically, you don't even know him. His gaze flickers to your hand, and he appears to consider taking it. However, he quickly steps to the side, giving you some space to move to the bathroom.

Without looking back at him, you close the bathroom door, take a deep breath, and glance at the phone in your hand. You scroll until you find the picture of a bright-haired person—

and decide to finally make a call.

[book--brackets]

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson (2022-present)

Hidden among us is a secret coven of witches. They are Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. They protect crown and country from magical forces and otherworldly evil. But their greatest enemy will come from within.

There are whisperings of a prophecy that will bring the coven to its knees, and five best friends are about to be caught at the centre. Life as a modern witch was never simple … but now it’s about to get apocalyptic.

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake (1946-1959)

Starts with the birth and ends with the first birthday celebrations of the heir to the grand, tradition-bound castle of Gormenghast. A grand miasma of doom and foreboding weaves over the sterile rituals of the castle. Villainous Steerpike seeks to exploit the gaps between the formal rituals and the emotional needs of the ruling family for his own profit.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson (2021)

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who trade whispers about her scarred hands and troubled past.

When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being that threatens to possess her the moment she drops her guard. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself.

As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, her bond with the revenant grows. And when a hidden evil begins to surface, she discovers that facing this enemy might require her to betray everything she has been taught to believe—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

The Unwritten by Mike Carey (2010-2015)

Tom Taylor's life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor fantasy series, boy-wizard novels with popularity on par with Harry Potter. The problem is Dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom's real life that fans are constantly comparing him to his counterpart, turning him into the lamest variety of Z-level celebrity. In the final novel, it's even implied that the fictional Tommy will crossover into the real world, giving delusional fans more excuses to harass Tom.

When an enormous scandal reveals that Tom might really be a boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a very mysterious, very deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his own life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, eventually finding himself at locations all featured on a very special map -- one kept by the deadly group that charts places throughout world history where fictions have impacted and tangibly shaped reality, those stories ranging from famous literary works to folktales to pop culture. And in the process of figuring out what it all means, Tom will find himself having to figure out a huge conspiracy mystery that spans the entirety of the history of fiction.

Leven Thumps by Obert Skye (2005-2009)

Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps (a.k.a. Lev) lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds -- the real world and Foo, a place created at the at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, aspire and imagine. But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Lev, who alone has the power to save Foo.Enter Clover, a wisecracking, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a special power of her own; and Geth, the rightful heir to Foo. Their mission: to convince Lev that he has the power to save Foo. Can this unique band of travelers help Lev overcome his doubt? Will Lev find the gateway in time? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first and destroy mankind?

By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey (1991)

Granddaughter of the sorceress Kethry, daughter of a noble house, Kerowyn had been forced to run the family keep since her mother's untimely death. Yet now at last her brother was preparing to wed, and when his bride became the lady of the keep, Kerowyn could return to her true enjoyments - training horses and hunting.

But all Kerowyn's hopes and plans were shattered when her anscestral home was attacked, her father slain, her brother wounded, and his fiancee kidnapped. Drive by desperation and the knowledge that a scorcerer had led the journey which would prove but he first step on the road to the fulfillment of her destiny.

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (2020-present)

It's the most-watched game show in the galaxy!

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth--from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds to all the trucks and cars--collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground. 

The buildings and all the people inside, they've all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.

Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your views and your followers. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style.

You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big.

You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game, with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy. 

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (2016)

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most outstanding men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts, knowledge, and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek a new power through demonic cultivation, the world’s respect for his skills turned to fear, and his eventual death was celebrated throughout the land.

Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he’ll face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.

The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville (1994-2010)

As each chime sounds, Cara climbs faster up the steep bell tower. Eleven! She must be on the roof when the next bell tolls. Twelve! With a deep breath, and only half believing she will survive, Cara jumps off the church roof and into Luster, land of the unicorns.

In Luster, Cara meets many wonderful creatures, but the most magnificent of all is Lightfoot, a rebellious young unicorn. Cara's band of friends comes to include a hairy creature named the Dimblethum and the monekey-like Squijim. Together, they set out to reach the Unicorn Queen before the mysterious man who is following them does - to prevent the destruction of all unicorns forever.

The Saint of Steel by T. Kingfisher (2020-2023)

Stephen's god died on the longest day of the year...Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind...

[justakidicarus]

A little ficlet based on the recent Zelda reveal

I was suddenly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom game trailer. While this probably can't be considered spoilers on accounts of the game and its story not actually being out, viewer discretion is advised. This is likely not canon to the actual events of the game and is just my initial lore prediction. I was heavily inspired by the trailer and it got words flowing.

Assumptions:

Set in the Downfall timeline post Link's Awakening due to similar art styles and the presence of Deku scrubs.

Characterisations are unique

Also, I know nothing about the Downfall timeline besides vague hints from Linked Universe content as I haven't played any of their games. Creative liberties have been taken.

Fic under the break. Tags of ficlet contain spoilers. Also additional notes for the fic are under the fic itself, including explanations of concepts and background for the scene not included in the Assumptions.

---///---

Zelda threw herself to the ground as the Void Rift finally stopped eating at her steps, the halls of Ganon's new lair shrouded in shadows that Tri could barely pierce with their gleam. She groaned, hand still gripping the Tri-staff with a white-knuckled grip, as she refused to let go of her one saving grace in her journey for her kingdom. She didn't know how Link made each of his quests look so effortless. If the kingdom itself wasn't resting on her shoulders she didn't think she could have made it half as far as she has.

"Well, well, well. I didn't expect to see you in the Lord's Lair so soon. Quite far from the light aren't you, Princess?"

Zelda scrambled to her feet, Tri flying to her side to steady her hasty rise as she brandished her staff before her, summoning an echo torch before her to light the room.

The torch lasted mere moments before it was snuffed out, seemingly consumed by the ravenous Darkness surrounding her. If it wasn't for Tri and her staff, the wayward Princess wouldn't have been able to see the ground at all.

Tri zipped beside her ear to whisper advice, likely wary of whatever was in the room. The sheer fact that Tri didn't already know was worrying in and of itself. "Zelda this isn't normal Darkness, whatever is in here is dangerous, maybe even Ganon's most dangerous creation yet! This Darkness feels relentless." her companion murmured, their button-like eyes creased with barely concealed fear. Zelda felt her own heart jump. Tri couldn't even tell what was hidden in the shadows?

Zelda lifted a hand for her fairy to rest on as she replied with an equally as quiet "We can't turn back, not with the rift in the way. We'll make it through together," Before looking back into the Darkness for even a hint of movement. "Show yourself, servant of the Demon King!" She shouted, swinging her staff forward as an entire swath of torches was lit, fans behind them pushing the fire forward to clear out a path through the Darkness.

With a loud snarl more befitting of its master, the Darkness surged forward and attacked the fans directly, shattering the echoes before consuming the flames in turn. The hidden monster's voice had a loud echo as it spoke. Whatever room they were in must be big. "Do you think you can beat my Master? Your oh-so-pathetic knight couldn't, what makes you think you stand a chance?" it taunted, voice moving lazily across the room, uncaring of the impact of its words.

"Where is he? Answer me you monster!" Zelda cried out into the moving shadows surrounding her, twisting as she tried to track the monster, refusing to let it get behind her.

"Oh Princess, didn't you see those cursed souls outside?" it seemed to whisper, voice dripping with mocking pity as her heart clenched. The cursed souls, the Hylians that Ganon had kidnapped through the Dark Rifts doomed to serve their captor as slaves to the monsters. Only the Tri-staff's power could free them from Ganon's thrall, and return them home. Link would never succumb to the Darkness; he was too strong for that, but even the thought of him befalling such a fate sent a spike of fear through her bones.

"He would never have succumbed to your Master and his powers. Link is far too strong to ever fall," she hissed at the voice's general direction.

"I'll admit, he put up a fight. Not even a thousand monsters could weaken his resolve and put out that fool's damned faith." Despite the way the voice spat insults at her hero as if the words were poisoned, she almost felt relief at its words. Of course, Link would fight an entire army of monsters to reach her again, it was such a Link thing to do.

"but there's more than one way to snuff out a light," it chuckled, the voice whispering into her ear as her heart lept to her throat. She swung around and summoned an echoed lizalfos in front of her, but it barely lasted a second before the Darkness surrounded it and she could hear its death throes. Tri hovered over her shoulder, shaking with the weight of Zelda's fear for her knight. What are these monsters doing to him?!

"What have you done to my knight!" She screamed out, equal parts fury, mania, and fear giving her power enough of a boost that the Tri-staff glowed brighter, reacting to her will. The voice only laughed at her, its horrid amusement staining the air as the shadows pooled lazily at the edges of her light, unconcerned with her strengthened power.

"Where there is light, there must always be Darkness. Darkness is the natural state of the world, a state my Master will return it to once he rips that little triangle from your hand. From Darkness everything has come from-" it spoke with a madness that outshone its master's own, the monster's manic tone betraying barely a depth of its own insanity. Zelda's foot almost slipped into the Void Rift before she pulled herself back from the edge. Whatever creature Ganon had in this room, it was unlike anything she had ever faced before. It terrified her.

"-and to Darkness I have returned," it purred as torches of Dark fire lit upon the walls, bringing vision through the room while the space remained covered in its darkness. The ceiling was high and decorated with Ganon propaganda, images of the boar-faced brute staring down from all angles. The walls were leaking more of that Darkness, pooling down into grooves on the floor as they made their way to the circle of the cylindrical room. At its centre were multiple sets of shackles, prepared as if to contain a single person despite the sheer number of chains. Standing in the centre of the room was the source of the voice, the servant of Ganon whose darkness was so absolute that it didn't care at all for the power of the Tri-staff.

Distantly, Zelda could feel Tri slam into her chest, trembling so violently with both horror and fear that the little fairy could barely breathe. She could hear blood roaring in her ears as silently, desperately, she begged her eyes to be lying. This couldn't be real. Yet even as her free hand's nails dug hard enough into her palm to leave red marks on her skin, nothing in the room changed. The Hylian in front of her didn't morph into something else, or disappear as a trick of the shadows. This was real. This was real and she didn't know how to handle it as her world was shattered and laid to rest at the feet of the one she had journeyed so far to save.

"You've been searching my Master's kingdom for your hero? Well, here I am Princess." Link grinned at her, not an ounce of kindness in his eyes as he stared at her as if she were nothing but a Bokoblin he needed to kill.

---///---

Notes!

So to start there are two kinds of Rifts. Dark rifts lead to Ganon's evil Realm and Void Rifts, lead from Ganon's Realm into the Void. Nothing survives a Void rift.

Darkness is the main evil force in this. It's sort of an omnipresent force as a vapour in Ganon's realm but also exists as both a liquid and a solid. it is essentially evil given tangible form.

And to get to the meat of the concept Link has been corrupted by Darkness!

Dark Link's appearance isn't brought up, but you can assume it's evil-looking and menacing, perhaps even the classic Dark Link fit (Black skin, Red eyes, Silver hair, Black hero outfit). Just make his eyes red.

The room is indeed a boss room, but Zelda will escape due to Tri-staff BS without finishing the fight with Link because I need to get at least two encounters out of this guy.

Ganon also stole Link's part of the Triforce when he captured him the first time. Yes, Link has escaped Ganon, but the only way in and out of the realm without Ganon's power is the Tri-staff. Link does not have the Tri-staff

The chains in the room + Ganon's Propaganda might not have been entirely obvious but this is also where Ganon imprisoned Link to corrupt him. I could write another ficlet for it but he was essentially chained down and smothered with darkness completely, with nothing but pure evil and propaganda for company. This would have been going on for at least two weeks to a month before Link was fully corrupted.

Zelda will eventually purge him of the Darkness don't worry, but first, the Tri-staff and her own power will need a serious upgrade. The Darkness infesting Link is supercharged, coming directly and purposefully from Ganon himself and is also attracted to him as the past holder of the Triforce of Courage. At her current strength, Zelda would be hard-pressed to beat him in combat, let alone purge hm of his Darkness.

I have a few ideas on how to build off of this idea, including the aforementioned Link's corruption ficlet, but also one where Zelda seeks aid, a Dark Link POV ficlet, and even Link's Purging. Feel free to suggest more ideas if you've got them, I wanna see where this idea could go!

[iunartear]

Genshin Impact x Baldur's gate 3 headcanons

[1][2]

...or what if Genshin characters were put into the world of Faerûn and you were the Tav~~

Ladies only edition!

NINGGUANG

ੈ✩‧₊˚ STATS Race: High Elf Class: Rogue (Thief) x Sorcerer (Wild magic) Background: Urchin

Her childhood being a constant run for money and trying to make the most out of nothing forced Ningguang to learn her way around the streets of the lower city. She evolved into a Rogue, or more accurately, a Thief, whose abilities of becoming invisible when necessary or stealing in need, carried her around the first stage of her life easily. She grew into a smart woman, who knew her way around idiots. 

All that made her into what she is today, a charismatic Duchess of Baldur’s Gate. Once granted the opportunity to rise from the lowest, she didn’t hesitate and worked her way up to become the most known and influential persona of the upper city. That was also the moment she became a sorcerer, being finally granted to thoroughly discover the power within herself and her heritage. 

Meeting her was an amazing opportunity, her knowledge about the city proved to be a great resource for you and your group. You knew the moment you first exchanged glances, that she wasn't your usual nobility. A fine ally indeed, who seemed to also bring even more allies for your journey. But wait, who is that brunette Tiefling that is always by her side?

BEIDOU

ੈ✩‧₊˚ STATS Race: Zariel Tiefling Class: Fighter (Battle Master) Background: Soldier

Oh so this is the one that’s always beside her grace? Beidou, the feared fighter of Baldur’s Gate and a martial legend. Her name seems to be spread everywhere, yet time and again people spell it out in fear, rather than in admiration. They say she’s the devil's emissary, and the one that will bring doom to this world. Are they’re right, or is it just some senseless rumor? Who knows…

From a fisher family, Beidou always struggled with money. Only throughout her hard work did she make her name be heard by others, and after some workaround she joined the army. That laid the basis for her abilities that she slowly improved, and made her into the Fighter she is today.  

And regardless of what people are saying, no one is able to break Beidous spirit. She doesn't feel the need to be acknowledged by anyone, her own pride is the only thing she needs to be successful. And maybe someone else's pride too… but that’s another story.

You meet her through Ningguang, as she herself explained that the Tiefling is one of her only trustworthy allies, who she trusts with her life. And by the look of it, the rumors are really just rumors, because such high spirit and her approachable way cannot be faked. She treated you like her own the moment you introduced yourself, calling you her comrade. Without any questions she joined your party, making herself comfortable in your camp. And as it seems, one of her major qualities is bringing a big amount of alcohol every long rest.

NILOU

ੈ✩‧₊˚ STATS Race: Seldarine Drow Class: Bard (College of Swords) Background: Entertainer

A bard known to everyone around Faerûn, whose swords are the only thing sharper than her tongue. Considering her drow ancestry, it’s quite surprising seeing her so famous and loved, yet here we are. 

Raised in the underdark, Nilou has been on Lolth influence for most of her life. Even if her childhood wasn’t very exceptional, she still wasn’t truly convinced by the Lolth-Sworn practices. After convincing her parents to let her go for the upper world, that was the moment she saw the true nature of this world. 

Now converted, she learnt the ways of the daughter of Lolth – the Dark Maiden Eilistraee. She practised sword dancing, and for the turn became a bard, whose mission was to spread the message of her Dark Maiden. Freedom and equality between Drows and the world, she travelled to make her words be heard. 

And heard they were, because you meeting her wasn’t arranged per se. A quick trip to the bar to end the day on a good note, you quickly acquainted yourself with the bard lady. Your intoxicated state made you put your prejudice away for this night, and tune in for her songs. Hearing her notes, you were quickly convinced by her, and asked her to join your troop. Outside of combat and your adventure, Nilou is a great entertainer that loves to put you to sleep with her ballads. 

SANGONOMIYA KOKOMI

ੈ✩‧₊˚ STATS Race: Drow Half-Elf Class: Cleric (Life Domain) Background: Folk Hero

The all-knowing priestess, who also turned out to be a tactician, seems to be working hard for her people. Coming from a holy clan whose goal is to care and protect its people, Kokomi is a natural “Folk Hero”. Everyone seems to respect her and her authority as a leader, but it wasn’t always like that. Kokomi had to prove herself as a capable commander, who is able to go any length to ensure everyone's safety. 

Her Cleric abilities stem from her faith in the goddess Umberlee, but she does not agree with her practices. She merely follows her out of respect as the founder of the sea, and to ensure that she does not try any of her evils on common people. Her Domain being the Life ones is also not a coincidence. She always wanted to help people, and if throughout her power, then so be it. Her abilities made her into a renowned healer, who brings people from far Faerûn to seek her help. 

Well, Kokomi doesn’t really look like someone who you would meet, like, ever. But it did happen, and you met thanks to Beidou, who was an old friend of hers as she once seeked her blessing for a calm ocean for her family business. Hearing your troubles concerning your health, she suggested Kokomi in an instant. 

And that’s how you met the priestess, who sadly was unable to heal your ailment. Yet she was happy to help out in seeking others help, and giving you her full book of different associates she made in her life. A valuable ally, who in the end joined your forces out of curiosity… and maybe also because of your lack of any tactic in combat. 

[antianakin]

Maybe it's my personal bias, but a dark Ahsoka trying to get back in to the WBW because the whole mess from Anakin and then never actually processing her feelings, grief, anger etc leading her to thinking she can "fix" everything by "saving" Anakin. Not really thinking of the repercussions.

And have it be that she isn't trying to change the timeline for selfless reasons, but because she wants Anakin back. That misplaced sort of blame that comes when you over idolize someone. It was only Palpatine's fault, she tries to believe, Anakin wouldn't have done this all unprompted.

In trying to get back to the WBW having her actually process her emotions and the events and realize she's putting herself and her former master on pedestals to cope. Gradually working on herself.

Or not. Idk having Ahsoka unhealthily cope with grief in a way almost paralleling Anakin (trying to cheat death for Padme and failing anyway) sounds cool to me. Or maybe I'm just exhausted.

This would certainly make a real cool AU! The one thing making me hesitate is that she explicitly says while in the WBW in Rebels that Ezra can't save his master just like she can't save hers and never shows any real inclination towards trying to use it to save Anakin. So if you went with this concept, you'd have to figure out why she changed her mind on it or you'd just have to pretend like that moment didn't happen.

But in general I think that the idea really works! Like, I wouldn't want her to actually MAKE IT to the WBW or anything, I don't want any weird time travel shenanigans for her to mess with, but I think the idea of her TRYING to get back to it so she can fix Anakin, or fix what she did wrong or something could be a really interesting goal for her to have throughout a season where she's dealing with her Anakin feelings. Especially if we assume she's slightly fucked up from Malachor and its Sith bullshit in addition to her regular emotional struggles.

And in the she has to give it up. Like maybe she finds a way to do it, a way to open one of those doors, but doing so would have some sort of consequence and she has to choose between her selfish desire to "save" Anakin and fix what she believes are her own mistakes, or keeping that particular consequence from happening. Maybe people she's grown close to over the course of the story will be killed or put at risk if she opens the door, and she has to let it go, let ANAKIN go, in order to protect them.

That version of Anakin is gone, he's dead, and the version of him that exists now is clearly unwilling to be saved, at least by her, and all she can do is accept that and move on. Let go of her guilt, let go of her fears, just... let go. MAYBE her choice to leave the Order spurred him down that path, but maybe it didn't. Maybe Anakin made his own choices based on things entirely unrelated to her. Maybe if she'd been there she could've helped him, but maybe she'd have just been killed with all the rest. She'll never know and she has to come to terms with that before she can move forward with her life. She might've left first, but Anakin left her, too, and he took everything else she loved with him when he did.

In an ideal world, this would lead Ahsoka to do a lot of reflecting on her past with Anakin as she tries to figure out how far back she'd have to go to "save" him and she realizes just how dark he already was when she knew him and ultimately realizes that HE WAS DARK WHEN SHE MET HIM. There were things that happened to him, things he'd probably already chosen to DO, long before she'd met him that were already taking him down the path to darkness, things she'll likely never know or understand. But it allows her to see Anakin so much more truthfully than she'd ever done before. No longer does she view Anakin through the rosy lens of childhood hero worship, she can see how often he struggled with his own darkness and the ways it impacted their relationship, the way it's continuing to impact her NOW.

There were good moments, and she'd loved him, but he was dark long before she knew him and that's something she HAS to accept about him if she's ever going to let him go. There were things Anakin did to her that weren't okay, there were things Anakin taught her that were wrong and caused her to start down her own darker path, and until she can recognize that Anakin FAILED HER, she'll never be able to find her way BACK. She'll never be a Jedi until she acknowledges this very important and vital truth about Anakin and her apprenticeship under him. He WASN'T a good master and he WASN'T a good Jedi. He was sometimes a good PERSON, but he'd ultimately decided to leave that behind, too. He wasn't the person she'd thought he was and unless she wants to become him, she has to acknowledge where he made mistakes so she can keep from making the same ones herself.

So yeah, I think this idea has a LOT of merit and could definitely be a very interesting path to take Ahsoka on!