#it was quite expected but I'm still happy with the result

[fujieda-ryo]

i got tagged by @amiyade to create my aesthetic mood board so here it is ♡

rules: go to pinterest, search “[your name] core aesthetic” and  create a moodboard from the first nine images. no need to mention your  name!

tagging: @marogarreh, @doomguide, @hawke, @utopianoverlord, @ayrennaranaaldmeri, @akhermans, @schreiberpablo, @theashenphoenix.

[adore-gregor]

Heyy

[noodlesarecheese]

So Watcher is launching a Dropout (it's not called Dropout but they're clearly using the same template format platform thing idk what it's called, and the same pricing structure), and the reaction so far has been wildly different than what I remember from Dropout's launch. I was curious about why that was or if I was just misremembering the Dropout launch, so I went back to the Dropout launch video to compare them and I think I can see where some of the difference is coming from.

If you want to make the comparison yourself: Watcher's Video, Dropout's Video.

I wanna clarify first though that this isn't a knock against Watcher or the fans who are reacting one way or another or anything like that, I genuinely am just fascinated with how different the reactions are to what seems to be the same business decision. This also isn't a 'wow watcher sucks and dropout is so much better' I'm just using them for comparison because they did the same thing with different results. ALSO this isn't about the business decision itself, just the presentation! Disclaimers out of the way, here's the analysis.

Title and Thumbnail So the Watcher.tv announcement video is titled "Goodbye Youtube" and the thumbnail is Ryan, Shane, and Steven sitting on a couch looking serious, with a dark background. That really makes it seem like they're quitting (which, ok, they are quitting youtube but not quitting quitting). Viewers are already primed to be upset, and it's easier to go from upset to angry than upset to excited, curious, or neutral.

Compare to the dropout announcement video: "How the Internet is Ruining Comedy" - inline with other collegehumor video titles, might make you curious. Thumbnail - Big News! with Sam smiling and a bright background. We know its big news, but he looks happy, and the exclamation point let's us know they want us to be excited. Viewers are primed to be curious and excited.

Tone The Watcher announcement has 2 main tones. The first half is very sentimental, almost sad or wistful at times, and while there are parts that veer into pride at achievements, it's mostly bittersweet and sentimental. The second half is a bit more uplifting, but still quite serious. It reminded me of a tech announcement, like when they introduce the new iphone or something like that. Very professional, sleek, and serious, which isn't automatically a bad thing! But I do think that's not the vibe a decently-sized chunk of the audience expected or wanted. Many people watch Watcher for the cast's dynamic with each other, humor, and the more relaxed/conversational/friendly feel that most of the series have.

Compare to dropout - excited and comedic tone. Still professional, but also fits the expectations of the viewers. People watch collegehumor for the humor (it was in the name, after all). They also poke a bit of fun at themselves, which lightens the mood, shows self-awareness, and alleviates some of the bad feelings about paywalling.

Focus The Watcher announcement focuses a lot on the creative journey of the cast and company, as well as how this move will benefit them. Which isn't a bad thing, that's actually quite interesting! The problem here, I think, is actually more about what isn't here - a solid explanation of how this will also benefit the viewers and why the viewers should be excited. There's a brief description of one new show, and the promise that existing shows will get an upgrade, but we weren't given many specific details about how they'll be improved, and there's only one new show to tempt us into subscribing. Some people will be excited for that, some people won't, and some people will be excited but not enough to subscribe. Having 2 or 3 series (even if it's 1 fleshed out plus a few teasers of what's in production or what is being planned) plus some more details about how existing shows will be improved would've helped. Without that, it really does seem like it'll just be the same stuff viewers were getting for free, but now paywalled, rather than new and exciting stuff. That makes a big difference. I think with the fans not getting as much focus, this also led to some (accidental, I hope) hurt feelings. Based on what I've seen from fan reactions, all the talk about hitting the peak of what they can do on youtube and wanting more, translated for many people to 'youtube isn't enough' which became 'you (the current viewers) aren't enough.' Which I don't think was their intent! But I also don't think fans are wrong for feeling hurt by that.

Compare to dropout: They clearly explain how the move will benefit fans, and reassure viewers that existing content will stay where it is, and only new content will be behind the paywall. (Watcher clarified this too, but in a comment. It's not in the video itself, which is a huge problem.) They include clips of several new (at the time) series that would be premiering on dropout, including things that specifically could not be made on youtube (due to weed, violence, and sexual humor), so the reason for the shift is clear to the audience.

Advertisers Both videos contain the sentiment that being monetarily successful on youtube means working to appease the advertisers, and that over time what the advertisers want and what the creators want drifts further and further apart, putting strain on the creators.

However, I think the message gets lost a bit in the Watcher vid. Instead, it leaves viewers with the idea that the main problem is just ads are annoying instead of advertisers putting constraints on content. I'm not even sure what the specific constraints are for watcher, because they didn't give any examples. And the focus on ads being annoying leaves viewers frustrated because people typically either don't mind ads or they already have an ad blocker.

Timing and Size Okay, this isn't exactly about presentation, but it is still a factor that impacts perception so I'm tackling it. And I'm actually going to do dropout first. CollegeHumor launched dropout in September 2018. Pre-pandemic, but also pre-Sam Reich as CEO. The company was still owned by IAC. It was a Company, and while it wasn't huge it wasn't tiny either. So launching dropout was a Company Decision, a Business Strategy. Some people were upset about, but it wasn't a personal betrayal (generally, anyways). If I remember correctly, this was also not a high point for the company. They kinda needed dropout to do well to keep things running smoothly (which is why they shut it down and sold it to Sam just 1 1/2ish years later), so the sudden shift made sense.

Watcher Entertainment is a company, but it doesn't feel like one. Ryan, Shane, and Steven own and operate things, but they're also the faces, and they're youtubers. Which makes every business decision they make feel more personal to viewers, especially those who have been watching for a long time. They've also seemingly been doing well on youtube, which makes it more difficult for viewers to understand why the sudden change is happening now. They do talk a bit about it, about the company expanding and wanting to do things that advertisers don't like (which I've already covered). However, mostly the choice to start a streaming platform is framed as 'the next big step' without much clarification on why it's the next big step. Plus, it's post-pandemic, and a lot of people are still struggling financially with the ripple effects of that. Yes, $6 isn't a wild amount of money, but there have been some months where $5 absolutely meant the difference between paying all my bills or not, and I know I'm not the only one. This, coupled with a lack of clarity about why exactly they're doing this, leads to fans feeling hurt, betrayed, bitter, and frustrated.

Now, presentation and framing isn't everything. No matter how perfect your announcement is, some people are still going to be upset. It's a big change, of course people will be upset! But I do think a more careful presentation would've alleviated some of the hurt and anger that fans are feeling. While I do think a lot of the reaction we're seeing is due to the decision, I think (based on what I've seen) that some of it is also based on the poor communication in the video itself, and that could've been avoided!

So I'm gonna get a little speculative and describe what I would've done. In this hypothetical, they've decided to launch the streaming service and brought me on just for the announcement.

Firstly, switch the title out. If they're married to Goodbye Youtube then add a (and hello...?) after so it's at least obvious they aren't fully quitting. The dark color scheme of the thumbnail fits their regular vibe, but they want everyone to be excited so they should look excited. Next, let's lighten the tone up. Being proud of what they've done so far is great, but we don't need the sentimental music and bittersweetness. Remember, the goal is to get viewers excited about what come's next - so let's focus on what actually comes next! Talk about specific show plans and mention why they wouldn't work on youtube. Then, take some time to reassure the fans. Predict a few likely worries and address them in the video. Acknowledge that it's a big change, that it will take time to get used to, and that not everyone will be onboard, and let the fans know that it's ok if they aren't onboard.

Like I said, this wouldn't fix everything. There are a few differences in between dropout and watcher that don't have anything to do with presentation. Dropout launched with primarily new shows rather than new seasons of existing shows, and they continued uploading to youtube relatively regularly in addition to the content behind the paywall, which I do think went a long way to keeping fans happy. At this point it's unclear if watcher will do either of those or not. But, while I don't think it would fix everything, I do think improved communication in the announcement would've helped.

[prongslvl]

SLEEPYHEAD - marauders trio

PAIRING marauders trio x fem!reader

SUMMARY scenarios of james, remus, and sirius seeing you asleep in interesting places.

a/n: this was such a challenge to write. i did lots of research (fanfic reading lmao) to do the boys' characterization justice. the requester seemed to like sirius so i made his longer and have a bit more plot behind it. happy reading!

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

JAMES + COUCH

it was during james' quidditch practice that he realized you were nowhere to be seen. usually he'd see you chatting with the others as you waited for him, but today you weren't.

the gryffindor team got home pretty late after, resulting in little time for the curly-haired boy to look for you. he supposed you were probably loitering around with the new book you bought up your nose, walking around to immerse yourself, as you always explain to him. 

james' planned to clean himself up before looking for you, but as he enters the gryffindor common room, he sees you laying on the couches near the fireplace. he perks up at the sight of his m.i.a girlfriend, happy to see you there. placing the broom stick down and removing his dirtied gloves, james creeped up behind you.

he was faced with your sleeping one, book in hand, while your head uncomfortably rested on the arm rest. he couldn't help but giggle at how cute you are. it wasn't the first time he saw you knocked out cold during your reading sessions, it became a usual scene for james.

with one knee on the ground, he bends his head down to see you up close.

"replaced me with a book once again, haven't you?" he says it lightheartedly, chuckling to himself when you react to his voice by scrunching your nose. 

just like he always does; james grabs the book from your hand and puts it on a table where you can find it again in the morning before he scoops you up. your arms automatically hug the boy's neck, nuzzling your face against his shoulders. 

he practically melts at your action, trying his best not to get weak in the knees as he walks upstairs to his room. as much as he wants you to wake up in your own bed, it wouldn't be the best idea to enter the girl's dormitory at such late hours. he learned his lesson the hard way, with sirius calling him a 'perv' every chance he gets. 

"oh, the things i do for you." he mumbles, caressing your cheeks. he places you on the mattress and watches how you hug the pillows that surround you. 

he sat on the edge of the bed, though he tried his best not to make any noise, your eyes began to slowly open, or at least one of them.

"james? when did you arrive?" he can tell you were fighting a yawn as you talked.

"about ten minutes ago. go back to sleep, love. you still owe me all your attention tomorrow for leaving me alone during practice." he kisses the top of your forehead, making your delirious self giggle. 

you mumbled an "okay" before sleeping once more. james didn't bother showing that night, his sleepiness and overall desire to be next to you came over him.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

REMUS + FLOOR

"do you need leave, moony? i'm sure she's just in the library— y'know, somewhere. we can all just meet at the great hall!" sirius pleads, dragging the hem of remus' sweater. 

"very reassuring, pads. just go with james, we'll meet you there." he flicks the black haired boy's hand away from him before finally waving goodbye. remus could hear sirius' grumble as he walked away. 

ever since he said he'd pick you up between classes, remus hasn't been available to hang out longer with the rest of his friends, resulting in sirius' little tantrums whenever he leaves. he finds it quite overdramatic since the both of you do spend your time with the rest. 

remus arrived at your classroom and waited for you to come out. as he leans on the wall besides the door, he feels a hand tap his shoulders. what he expected to be you was another gryffindor; if he remembered correctly, she was the friend you made during charms.

"can i help you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. 

"you're here for her, right?" the mention of your name made him curious. "she didn't attend today. i last saw her in the library." remus saw her eyes look around suspiciously, then lean closer to his ears. "specifically the restricted section." 

a light chuckle came from his mouth at the information. he expected no less; you did have a concerning fondness for anything not allowed, perhaps the very reason why you became such a good friend of the marauders and his girlfriend, of course. 

remus thanks the student, bidding her a goodbye before leaving. 

he was able to easily find you asleep on the floor after going through a secret tunnel he and james found about a month ago. there were books surrounding you, remus guessed was an attempt to hide yourself. he recognized the book in your hands; it was the same one he recently finished. 

placing a small piece of parchment paper on the page you were currently on, remus placed the book inside your bag, which was sprawled along with you on the floor. he takes your bag first, swinging it on his shoulder before carrying his sleepy girlfriend. 

"wake up, mon coeur." he whispers in your ear, both for intimacy and for caution in case the librarian sees them. remus sees your eyes slowly open, an enamored smile on his face as you wake up. "as much as i love carrying you around, pads is probably on his last leg looking for us."

"i'm sorry, rem." you yawned, "i wanted to read the book you told me; thought it would be a good conversation starter." you said in a sleepy confession, still half awake, how comfortable you are in his arms. 

he shook his head in slight disbelief, chuckling to himself as he left a peck on your cheeks. "there's always a conversation starter with you. don't worry about finishing it, i'll read it for you later." 

remus still carried you out of the library, but once you were able to stand on your own two feet, remus held your hands as both of you walked down to the great hall.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

SIRIUS + WINDOW

it was a peaceful afternoon with the sun fully out; students were out in the gardens enjoying the rays of sunlight after classes.

at the other side of the garden were the marauders and the rest of the quidditch. a quidditch match was just around the corner, so most members of the team spent their breaks practicing, including sirius and the others accompanying james.

there were times the captain would let the marauders play for fun, just like right now. sirius held a broom stick under him, tossing the quaffle up and down in his hands as his best friend, james, taunted him in the sky. 

"c'mon, pads! you scared?" 

"it takes a lot more than that to make me scared of you, prongs. watch your glasses." sirius said with a smirk, using all his strength to toss the ball at james. the golden snitch was released as soon as the other players went darting for both james and the quaffles, loud chortles erupted in the sky. 

sirius flew towards one of the rings as soon as he was able to catch a quaffle, zooming past the other players trying to snatch the ball. before he could score, his eyes glanced at the window of professor mcgonagall's office, seeing a familiar face. he realized it was you sitting by the glass, distracting him from the game. 

"sirius, watch out!" before he could remove his eyes from you, he was hit with a bludger, making him lose his balance on the broom. 

luckily, james was able to catch him by the collar, inches away from the ground. 

"where's your head at, pads!? you stood there like a statue." remus, who only watched from a distance, ran towards the long haired boy. sirius jumps to the ground on his two feet, his hands held by remus. 

"i didn't mean to!" he defended himself, his eyes set on the professor's tower. "i just got— a little distracted or something; it doesn't matter!" remus followed his friend's gaze in curiosity. despite the distance, he could tell sirius was staring at the person behind a window. 

"don't tell me..." the mention of your name made the black haired boy's head turn toward remus, who had a smirk on his face. 

"absolutely not. yes, i did see her, but i wouldn't let myself be hit because of her." his voice wanes, and his mind immediately corrects him. yes, he'll definitely let himself get beat up just for you, and there's no denying that. sirius sighs, walking towards the hogwarts' building.

he hears james calling for him. "i'll be back! just gotta check on something." he informed his friend before dashing inside. 

the halls were busy with students, either leaving or entering their class. some of them greeted sirius, giving them a small smile, but he was too focused on making his way to the professor's office. he didn't know why he was in such in a rush to see you. he couldn't even think of an excuse to give once he arrived. 

lately, you've been busy with studying for owls, as everyone was too, so you were no where to be found when sirius looked for you. he knew you'd be in the library, but he was too much of a coward to approach in such a crowded place where everyone would see how awkward he'd be conversing with you. 

lily, the double agent, as james likes to call her, is friends with you and the marauders. she'll sometimes talk about you when sirius not-so-subtly changes the topic to you, which opens the topic of your whereabouts. 

"she's usually at the library, our dorm, and..." professor mcgonagall's office was a few stairs away by now, given how fast-paced the boy was walking. 

as soon as he reaches the doors, the said teacher opens the door with several papers in hands. 

"mr. black, what can i help you with?" professor mcgonagall's eyed sirius, who immediately knew he was just out in the sun with how disheveled he looked. 

"i was looking for a friend of mine. lily told me she'd be here." 

he said her name and house, making mcgonagall look back, revealing to sirius that his friend was indeed inside the office. you sat with your back facing towards the door, a book laying on your lap, while your head leaned on the glass. 

"she fell asleep. do wake her up; i promised to, but i have a meeting to attend." sirius nods with a smile, "no funny business, mr. black." mcgonagall points her wand at the boy. 

he smirks, "yes, professor mcgonagall." amused at her words. she couldn't blame her. really, it was a perfect chance to set up a prank— having the office of a teacher to themselves was any troublemaker's wet dream. but he brushed the thought aside, eyes fixated on you as he entered the room. 

sirius carefully walks towards you, not wanting to startle you with his presence. once he got a bit closer, with your face visible to him, he confirmed that you were really asleep. you looked so peaceful that it made him feel guilty for waking you up. 

he can't say you and him were close friends— actually, not even friends. you mostly talked to him during classes when you needed help or he needed help but didn't want to ask for it. he adores how kind you are and how naturally charming and funny you are, just by your witty response to his teasing. 

"i can't believe i'm seated next to a little nerd." he'd say, with you responding back almost immediately, "thanks to that nerd, you actually aced a pop quiz." as if it were the most natural thing to you. sirius also admires your passion for studying; he thinks it's probably his and his friend's nonexistent studying habits. the only thing sirius doesn't like about you is how carelessly you take care of your body. 

he'd be worried sick the whole day when lily would mention you didn't eat or sleep because of homework and tests. you were partially the reason why he trashed one of your professor's class notes, using a spell to translate it into a language he didn't understand, making the test everyone dreaded delayed for a week. 

remus says he finally developed a crush, the type where he didn't only like you because he felt like it was a challenge. james says he's severely whipped for you and how he'd kiss the ground you walk on. not including james' overexaggeration, he didn't deny any of their words. 

sirius was concerningly and overwhelmingly enamored by you, it makes him question if this was even natural. 

he recognized the potion book you were studying. he had the same copy in his little library inside the dorms. he reaches for the book from your lap, holding it. despite sirius' gut telling him not to wake you up so you'd have more sleep, professor mcgonagall would have his head if he didn't. 

"hey, love." the nickname rolled off his tongue like nothing. you hummed at the sound of his voice.

he gently taps your cheeks, making you stir in your half-asleep state before fully opening your eyes. the sight of him surprised you, "black? what are you doing here?" 

he chuckles at your hoarse voice. "long story short, the professor wanted me to wake you up before your next class starts." the mention of class somehow woke you up, your hands searching for the hard object you left on your lap. sirius notices and shows you the book in his hands. 

"you're studying for potions? didn't we just have a text last week?" he asked, giving you back your possession. 

"no, that was two weeks ago. we have a test later—" you stop yourself from speaking, looking at the long haired boy with furrowed eyebrows, and say, "don't tell me you didn't study?" 

this caught sirius off guard, laughing awkwardly at himself and shaking his head. "it seems i'm a bit fucked here, darling. i didn't study an inch." he was too busy recalling the test from two weeks ago to notice the blush on your face at the nickname. 

you went down the window ledge, hugging the book to your chest. "then let's hope professor slughorn will let you sit next to me."

"are you saying you'll let me cheat off of you?" sirius sneakily wraps his arms around your shoulders as he asks. you coughed into your hand before responding, stuttering with your words. "ye-yes. i mean, you did help me with that project in d.a.d.a so it's the least i can do for you." 

he walks out of the office with you in his arms, sirius hoped you weren't too close to hear how hard his chest was beating at the contact. "i don't know... that project was almost half our grades in d.a.d.a." he looks in your direction with a smirk on his face. you were too quick to catch what he was trying to say. 

"what do you want, sirius black?" you asked in faux annoyance, making the boy laugh. 

it was an opportunity for him and he doesn't have any plans to let this go. "go with me to hogsmeade, heard they recently opened a coffee house inspired by the muggle world." his words made you stop. 

your silence alarmed him, "well— only if you want to! it's not like i'm—" 

"i'll go." you finally answered, your voice meak. this took sirius by surprise: "i've been craving to drink something else other than butterbear anyway." 

sirius grinned, holding you even closer to him. "let's drink to our hearts content, shall we?" you nodded with a smile, looking up at him.

"hey, hey, leave some room for merlin in there!" james shouts from across the hallway, making remus and peter beside him cackle.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

[dqrkoholic]

"If you win, you can do whatever you want to me." - Park Sunghoon

WARNING: smut MDNI !!! Jealous biker bf!Sunghoon x fem!reader, cursing, oral (giving and receiving), face-fucking, fingering, scratching, making out. Tell me if there's more!

SUMMARY: Having a racer boyfriend wasn't always sunshine and butterflies, especially when he had enemies. And when one night, attending the nth race of the week, no one expected Sunghoon's enemy to arrive and challenge him to a betting race, you being one of the bet. And when Sunghoon agreed to it all, you couldn't believe him, but it didn't stop you from giving him the best motivation for the race - him doing whatever he wants to you for the night if he does win.

A/N: HELLAUR! i know i haven't posted at all in a very long time, and I'm very sorry, but I'll try and post every time I'm free. With all that said, remember English isn't my first language, and I'm sorry if there are any mistakes or typos! Hope you enjoy <3

WORD COUNT: 3.4k

masterlist!

The sound of loud roaring of motors filled your ears, and the whole street where bikers were all scattered around while more were arriving.

It was some minutes after midnight, and you and your racer boyfriend were attending another race for the 3rd time this week. Your boyfriend was a racer, and he was the well-known Park Sunghoon. Everybody knew his name. It was no secret that everybody was afraid of him and that nobody could've beat him at his own game, and you were lucky enough to date him.

You didn't know how it happened since the two of you were quite the opposite, and a lot of girls were up his ass that matched his style, yet he still chose you. You, because you weren't like them and you were something else, as he says.

You were dragged by Mia to one of these races because she wanted to support her boyfriend Heeseung, who was surprisingly in Sunghoon's team. Her bringing you along resulted in you awkwardly bumping into Sunghoon, who was mesmerized by you the moment his eyes landed on your face and body. You wearing he tightest skirt that day and the way your shy voice let out the most softest 'sorry' really made him feel blood rushing down his dick, making it painfully hard and making it hard for him to forget you.

And now here you were, at his, actually fun bike races. His hand around your bare waist as he leads you through the crowd of people before you both end up in the area where the bikers are with their teams, all of them greeting Sunghoon as he passes by them.

You both approach his team. Your team also, as you are now one of them. Never being left out at any hangouts and always by Sunghoon's side. You got along with every single one of them, which made it even better for you to fit in and make Sunghoon very happy.

"Hey Park!" Jay smiled as he dabbed up Sunghoon. Sunghoon returning the smile as they side hugged. "Hey, pretty girl!" Jay smiled at you as you playfully rolled your eyes. Hoon didn't get mad on the other hand since it's a small joke in the group. It was no secret that Sunghoon was jealous and possessive of you, a lot, but he did not mind this interaction whatsoever.

"Aye, Hoon, watch your girl! Mr. steal yo girl is on the loose." Jake said as he greeted both of you and Sunghoon. You all laughed, and Sunghoon got pulled by the guys on the side as Mia pulled you next to her. Being Heeseung's girlfriend, she was almost always here as you.

"Those punks, I swear to god!" She rolled her eyes at the group as you both laughed. "Is Hee racing today?" You asked her as she handed you an energy drink. "Mhm. He's right after Sunghoon. He's going first, did you know?"  "Who? Hoon? No!" Your eyes widened at her words. "Yes... I thought he told you." She looked at you as you shook your head, looking over to where Sunghoon was standing and almost immediately catching his eyes staring into yours, smirking as he looked at you up and down, eating you up. You felt as if your legs were almost gonna give up on you, like all the time he's looked at you like that.

After a while of talking, the guys approached you and Mia as Heeseung pulled Mia aside, and Sunghoon caged his arms around your waist, pulling you towards him in the process. "Are you trying to kill me in that skirt, hm?" He asked, more like, whispered against your neck, his face nuzzled in it. Maybe wearing a pink checkered skirt and some high knee socks, topping it with an off shoulder white top and Sunghoon's black ass leather jacket wasn't a bad idea.

You giggled as your hands travel to his platinum long locks, softly pushing it back before placing at the nape of his neck. "No, but I'm only wearing it for you, so..." He moved his head from your neck and looked at you with dark, lust-filled eyes.

And before he can open his mouth, both your attention was was in the direction of where a loud motor noise was coming from. 

Shit, shit, shit, SHIT! Just amazing!

It was Sunghoon's biggest rival and his stupid little group full of pussies. They just had to ruin Sunghoon's mood on fun races like it was a daily routine for them. You call it obsession. Who wouldn't be obsessed with your boyfriend?

Sunghoon groans, rolling his eyes and straightening his posture, his hands still around you, holding you close. "Don't pay attention to them!" His voice louder, making sure the group hears him and not cause a scene, minded their own business, but sadly that cut short as Nicholas approached with a shit grin on his face.

Sunghoon lets out a breath of anger and turns to look at him, standing in front of you and pushing you behind him. "Came to get your ass beaten again?" Sunghoon says cockily, mentioning the last time they raced against each other.

Nicholas lost and got the beating of his life from Sunghoon because he side eyed you before even starting the race.

Nicholas chuckles and gives Sunghoon a dirty look before looking over his shoulder and right at you. "Don't be so confident about tonight Park, I'll make sure you get what i got last time." He replies, which only fumes up Sunghoon more. "Your eyes, Nicholas, you want them gone?' Sunghoon asks as he steps closer to him. Nicholas' laugh doesn't make Sunghoon any less mad as it also makes all of the people around want to take turns beating his ass.

"How about this? You win, you get whatever you want from me, and you won't see me again." He says, and Sunghoon doesn't react, just listens to him and waits for him to continue. "Now if I win..." He trails off, and his eyes once again trail back to you. "I get her." And that's when everyone thought Sunghoon would knock him out, but he doesn't react, making you furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "And her too." K says behind Nicholas as he points to Mia, who is standing next to a furious Heeseung. "I'll end you fucker!" Heeseung yells from behind and pulls Mia closer.

"Deal."

"Hoon, what the fu -" Heeseung yells once 6 as Sunghoon raises his hand for him to shut up, he does. You couldn't believe your ears, lowly whispering a 'what'. What is he thinking?

Nicholas smirks and moves back to his bike, leaving you furious. The group and you turn to face Sunghoon, who hasn't moved an inch from where he stood.

"SUNGHOON WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" You turn him around as you start hitting his hard chest before he grabs both of your wrists and stops your movements. "I won't give you away easily, love. Do you think I'll let you in his dirty hands? And my best friend's girlfriend too?" You shake my head, looking into his dark orbs. Suddenly, an idea popped up in your head, and a sudden feeling of boldness washed over you.

"Well then, if you win, you can do whatever you want to me tonight." The sudden boldness vanished as the words leave your mouth. Sunghoon grabs your hips, slamming them against his, grabbing a fist full of your ass, whispering a low "Fuck." And you only smile up at him. "Go." You say and he kisses you deeply before going over to his bike. Heeseung and Mia appear besides you and all of you watch the scene in front unfold.

After a small stare down between Nicholas and Sunghoon, both of them put their helmets on as they start their engines, and the loud place become louder with the sound of their engines roaring and roaring.

"I want her to give us the sign to start." Nicholas points to you, and you've had enough of his bullshit. Grabbing the flag from the girl's hands and stepping in the middle of both of them, you slowly raise your hand. You send a flying kiss to Sunghoon. And finally, you lower the flag. Both of them had sped off behind you before your hand lowered fully, cheers starting to go off. Quickly returning to where you stood before, your eyes were only on Sunghoon and his bike as he speeded off even more, a little far back from Nicholas. You curse under your breath, feeling tears build up in your eyes.

He won't let you go just like that, Y/n, it's okay. - You thought to yourself feeling Mia hugging you, your eyes still on the racers that were now with the same speed and next to each other. Your whole body was shaking as Sunghoon sped up even more than before. The roaring was probably heard through the whole city. You all would be lucky if police won't show up after this.

Cheers were getting louder and louder as they were halfway done with the race, Sunghoon leading, relaxing you and the whole group, knowing nothing could go wrong.

Or could it?

Before you know it, Nicholas played dirty as he hit Sunghoon's bike, and Sunghoon completely lost control. "SUNGHOON!" You scream, looking at your boyfriend struggling to stop his bike from falling and losing control, watching him swerving left and right. Tires were leaving black marks on the street behind him.

"GOD, NO, NO, NO! PLEASE, SUNGHOON!" "SHIT, SOMEBODY, STOP HIM THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES!" Heeseung yells as he rushes to the heads of these races to try and make them realize the situation.

Everything felt as if it was in slow motion. All watching Sunghoon finally lose control, and you closed your eyes to not see your boyfriend fall. Everything you've feared from was literally happening now, and you felt dizzy, ready to lose control over yourself and run to him.

Hearing Mia scream beside you, you knew he fell, but as you hear her starting to cheer right after, it made you open your eyes, seeing your boyfriend back on track and completely fine.

Your soul fell back into place as you started chanting his name. Sure, Nicholas was so close to winning, but you still had hope in your boyfriend. You always did. And before Nicholas could even get to the finish line, Sunghoon grabbed his pocket knife, throwing it perfectly at the back of Nicholas' tire, making him lose control now. And with a small hit of Sunghoon's bike, Nicholas fell as Sunghoon passed the finish line.

The whole crowd burst into cheers as you ran to him while he took his helmet off, jumping into his arms as he spun you around happily.

"I KNEW YOU'D WIN!" You kissed him as he held you tightly against himself, his hand under your plush thighs, squeezing them. "God, i love you so much." He says before setting you on the back of his bike, kissing your forehead before walking to the guys , quickly discussing something with them and returns with a smirk on his face.

You see Heeseung sit Mia at the back of his bike before him and the rest take Nicholas and K in the small forest, and you knew what was gonna happen next. Sunghoon fastly drove to his place, parking the bike, however, in his garage. He picks you up in his arms again, hands under your thighs and his lips on yours. His lips never left yours as he unlocked his door, and you both traveled around his house. You being pushed against every wall he could've pushed you against and soon after, finally, you reached his huge room, and he sets you down on the bed gently. 

"You're mine, only mine." He growls, his lips ghosting over yours, teasing you. You whine and try to bring him back into the kiss by pulling him down by his neck, but he didn't even budge. "Say it, love, come on." He whispers.

You gulp and let out a whine as you feel his finger trail up your leg down your thighs and finally on the wet material of your soaked panties. "Yours, sir, I'm all yours. No one else's,  just yours." And with that, his lips capture yours in a more hungry kiss, his hands finally undressing you aggressively, only leaving your knee high socks on.

Moans leave your mouth and into his as he teases your bud before pinching it, earning a squeal from you. "That's it, let out those sounds, Just for me." His deep voice sent shivers down your spine as your body was squirming under his much bigger and buffer one. "Stop fucking moving before i tie you up, doll." He says with a soft but scary tone, making you even wetter than you already were.

His finger slowly moved from your clit through your slit gathering as much slick before the tips of his fingers started teasing your entrance, driving you absolutely crazy.

Want him even more now. You bucked your hips up and let out the most angelic whimpers and moans. "This pussy is mine. Only I can fuck it, understood?" His other hand travels up to your throat pressing around it, cutting the air ways, arousing you even more.

Letting out a gasp, escape past your lips as his two fingers entered you, moving at a fast pace, not even letting you adjust to it but didn't complain. Who were you to complain about the pleasure he was sending through your whole body? You couldn't even form any kind of words, too lost in the pleasure that was now building up an orgasm, feeling your stomach tighten. "Fucking hell you're dripping baby, shit." His eyes were where his fingers were being swallowed by your pussy. And the more he lowered himself against you, you could feel his bulge grow more and more.

You smirked and brought your knee to rub against it, pressing onto it, earning moans and groans from him. His eyes dart to your face and his hand tightening around your throat. "Oh, you're teasing, huh?" He asks cockily and takes his fingers out, leaving you a whiny mess under him.

"You wanna play? I'll play too." His deep voice could've made you cum right then and there. He sits you up on your knees as he gets off the bed and unbuckles his pants throwing them away before grabbing your hair. His other hand was busy stroking his length, bringing it to your lips after. "Wanna get out of a hard punishment, doll?" You nod your head as you know that there was no staisfaction whatsoever in his punishments.

You don't take your eyes off his length in front of you, and his hold on your hair tightened more, making you look up at him. "Then stay still for me, okay doll?" He asks, and you let out a whiny 'yes' before opening your mouth for him, inviting him in.

He hisses as his length felt the warmness of your mouth and before you could do anything, he started abusing your throat, fucking your face the way he wanted.

You, on the other hand, gaged and had tears dripping down your cheeks together with spit from the sides of your mouth, too.

Sunghoon didn't hold back with being vocal this time. He wanted you to know how much of a good girl you are for him, and so he was letting out the most heavenly sounds, feeling himself getting closer and closer to his high. "F-fuck, doll, you make me feel so good. You're doing so good, my good girl." He moans out before you feel your throat being filled with his warm load. After a few more thrusts from him. He pulls out, and you swallow his load, sticking out your tongue to him. "Atta girl, that's it." He strokes your cheek and wipes the dried tears on it as he leans down and kisses you, tasting nothing but spit and himself. 

Not pulling away from your lips, he lays you down on the bed again, letting his hands pull your knees apart and he starts trailing his kisses lower and lower on your body before finally landing a kiss on your bud.

You moan out as you feel his tongue playing with your hole, letting your hand grab his hair hard. His tongue is doing wonders on you, eating you out like a starved animal. But before you could come, he pulled away with a smirk.

His lips and nose covered with you essence when you looked up at him, making your cheeks heat up at the sight. "Sir, i wanna come, please!" You whimper, and he only chuckles, finding it amusing, bringing you in yet another kiss. You kiss back as a small make-out session starts, his hands roaming your body, your hands now on his back, under his shirt. He shortly pulls away to pull his shirt over his head before throwing it somewhere on the floor and returning to the messy kiss. Your nails softly scratching his now bare back.

You feel the tip of his dick touching your now sensitive pussy, rubbing himself against it, as you whine into his mouth from the friction between the both of you, your hips snapping up to get more friction, which was not enough for you. "So fucking desperate, my desperate doll, you'll get what you want right now." He says and strokes himself before entering you slowly, inch by inch, stretching you out perfectly as both of you let out a moan at the feeling. "Damn baby you're so tight. Don't i fuck you enough, hm?" He laughs as he knows that he always finds a way to fuck not matter what. His laugh was cut short from a groan ripping through his throat as he entered you fully, his whole cock inside your gummy walls, you could practically feel every vein inside of you.

You moan at his words before he speeds up his thrusts, pounding into you. The bed creaks with every harsh thrust of his as you roll your eyes back and tears slowly fall down from how good he was doing you right now. Maybe you should make him more jealous, and this time, you didn't even try. You gotta thank Nicholas for this.

His thrust only sped up, and your moans and his groans increase as both your highs approach. Sunghoon knew you were close once he felt you tighten around him, driving him over the edge and he brought his hands to your belly before pressing down onto it, applying more pressure, doubling the pleasure for the both of you. "Oh, oh, f-fuck sir, please!" You didn't know what you were saying anymore, only focused on the way his cock was hitting your sweet spot perfectly, making you drool. The feeling in your stomach was only building up with every harsh thrust of his.

"Dolly wants to cum? Then do it baby, make a mess on me, c'mon." His lips were marking your neck as his thrust started being sloppy, finding it hard to keep up his pace but he managed so, wanting to breed you as fast as he could.

"Fuck! I'm gonna fucking breed you so good, the only thing you'll feel is my cum oozing out of you, ah~" You only moaned at his words, wanting him to do it. "Say it, doll or i won't fucking continue," He slapped your thigh harshly, bringing you back from your thoughts. "Ngh~, please, sir, come in me, please!" And that's when the both of you came together, moaning and holding each other through the high. You coming around him as Sunghoon came inside of you, painting your walls white. The feeling of his cum filling you up only brought more pleasure to you, realizing you liked the idea of being breed by Sunghoon.

He slowly pulled out and before he laid next to you, he made sure to gather his cum that spilled from inside you and push it in again, saying 'We don't wanna waste it, now do we baby?'

You giggled as he finally laid next to you, scooping you in his arms. You were feeling like you were floating. This was probably one of the best sex you've had.

"You did so good, baby, my good girl." His words brought you back to reality as you smiled up at him and kissed him. You wanted it to be nothing but a small, innocent kiss, but Sunghoon, on the other hand, had other plans as he deepened the kiss, pulling you on top of him, straddling him.

"Ride me?"

[celaenaeiln]

Hello, hello! It's been a while!!! Hope you're well. I had this hc about how Batfam is susceptible to manipulation, but only if it's Dick doing it. Like the blind faith he commands, there will literally get everyone ready to get him what he wants without him actually having to do anything. Like of anyone asks for a reason: "Dick said so". That's enough.

Just wanted your opinion on this

Omg hello!!! It’s been so long!! I’m so happy to hear to hear from you again 😆💕❤️!!

Hc that Bruce being completely susceptible to all of Dick’s manipulations due to the sheer faith he has in him? ABSOLUTELY!!

It’s so friggin true I’m pretty sure this is borderline canon if not canon already!!

Because here’s the thing: from the dawn of Batman comics to now, through all the changes that have occurred, there has only been one thing that remains constant and that is the fact that Bruce trusts Dick unconditionally.

There are MULTIPLE scenarios where Bruce confides solely in Dick and he actually worries heavily when his only companion leaves:

The Brave and Bold (1955) Issue #197

"My only real friends know me as Batman...Dick, Alfred, Kathy Kane...except..what do I do when Dick graduates college...and Alfred retires...and Kathy gives up being Batwoman? What do I do...when I'm finally alone?"

Bruce...that's a whole lot of pressure and expectation to put on a kid a decade younger than you..

But the point still stands because Bruce needs Dick. In the beginning of the Batman comics, there wasn't even Alfred around. It was just Dick and Bruce and they lived in an entire mansion together by themselves and had dual responsibilities of Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne as well as Batman and Robin. It was quite literally only the two of them in their own world. They went on adventures you wouldn't believe and had things happen beyond people's wildest imaginations. The Golden Age was a fever dream that encompassed only the two of them. They didn't have anyone else and they didn't want anyone else.

Dick pulled Bruce out of one of the worst times of his life when he was just Robin and Bruce pulled Dick out of depression during his. This resulted in a unbreakable bond. It's a deep kind of unshakable, irreplaceable love and profound trust that they have in each other that the other will only and always be there for them in the worst of times of their lives and the happiest of ones as well.

It's that kind of devotion and attachment to each other that established their relationship for decades. Every single timeline has consistently kept this - "You're my only one." - kind of relationship between the two of them.

Batman (2011) Issue #2

Bruce knows that of everyone he's ever met, Dick will always be the one to know him and hear him.

There's another comic panel that stuck out to me too-

Titans (2008) Issue #1

"No one knows about them except Bruce, Alfred, Tim. Barbara knows about a few. And ofcourse me."

Bruce only trusts three people - Alfred, his current robin, and Dick.

So consistently and unconditionally, it only comes down to two people at ALL times. For another example, during Death Metal, when the entire Justice League is hunting down Batman and the Batfamily, Bruce would only entrust the deadliest weapon in the world to one person and the entire league knows it.

Dark Nights: Metal Issue #2

Bruce just has pure faith in Dick for everything. He is the one person that Bruce believes will never do any wrong and he's the one person he always believes and believes in. Period.

Titans: Beast World Issue #1

Whatever Dick decides, it's the final word.

So that is why Dick is the only person Bruce is susceptible to. He never questions Dick in the comics ever. He's questioned every single person he's ever worked with about their intentions but never Dick. So Dick tells him the world is ending then the world is ending for Bruce.

If Dick tells him that red is an awful tie color, then it's an awful tie color that Bruce will never wear.

If Dick tells him to slick his hair back, take a break, be more compassionate, have faith - Bruce will do anything and everything. And this has been proven time and time again for the most menial situations to the most serious ones.

While everyone looks up at Bruce for answers and orders, Bruce will look to Dick and what he says, that's what they'll all do.

And here's the thing - the entire superhero community doesn't rely just on Bruce for commands, Dick is shown to have an equal weight. A single person has the equivalent weight of the Justice League. They will do what Dick says regardless of what Bruce says.

But the point is Bruce's utter faith in Dick gives him privileges. Anything and everything Dick decides, that's the answer, logic, and light of very reasoning to Bruce because Dick is the very source of existence for Bruce. In Forever Evil he almost let the world die intentionally because he felt that there was nothing to the world if he couldn't save Dick. At times he's fought Dick over his personal choices but every single time, without fail, he comes back literally two issues later to tell him sorry and you're right and we're going to do it your way.

Dick could let the world burn to fucking ashes and Bruce would stand by and clap and praise him. That time in the Blockbuster arc? Where Dick passively killed a man and started self-harming? Bruce roughly grabbed his face, got real close, and told him in his darkest voice that he doesn't give a flying fuck who dies or who Dick kills. As long as Dick doesn't dare hurt himself.

Dick can tell Bruce anything he ever wants, lie or truth, big or small, and Bruce will believe it with no doubts and no questions asked. That is the weight of his faith in him. Of course if someone does ask why he chose to do something a certain way? He can just say, "Because Dick said so." And as you called it, that answer alone will be enough. For everyone.

Don't be fooled by Dick's submissiveness to Bruce's commands. Bruce is holding him by the neck, but he's holding Bruce's leash just as tightly.

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

Part 3 to the fwb series.

You leave Eddie feeling a little blue after your last encounter... In more ways than one. Wayne visits and Eddie finds out distressing news...

18+ only. Minors shoo!

Angst ahead 🖤

Eddie had spent the weekend after your visit unbelievably cranky, horny and on edge. His argument with Chrissy had resulted in her storming out. "I'm not coming back this time Eddie, I mean it" she warned him.

Was it bad that he was really struggling to care? All Eddie could think of quite frankly, was you. After you left there was a sick feeling in his gut, some weird ache in his chest that he hadn't felt before.

Whatever it was he didn't like it. Not one fucking bit. Even strumming along on his guitar was no comfort and that always helped when he was feeling out of sorts.

He jolts out of his by a knock on the door, it'd probably Chrissy he sighs and signals for her to come in, dreading the argument that's sure to follow.

Turns out that it isn't Chrissy, it's his Uncle Wayne who's holding a casserole dish full of macaroni cheese and sets it on the table.

Eddie greets his uncle with a wave, his uncle merely nods then promptly cuffs him around the head, Eddie yelps and his eyes widen.

"What the fuck old man?" Wayne glares at him, he looks disappointed and Eddie hasn't seen that look in a long time. It makes him feel like he's a kid again, or an unruly teenager.

"Sorry boy, you know I love you but you deserved that. Had a long chat with that lovely girl who's dating Joanthan, Nancy Wheeler'' Wayne pauses to glance at Eddie and make sure he's listening.

'Now you wanna tell me why you're stringing along some poor girl, hurt her real bad Nancy said" Eddie grows flustered, runs his hands through his hair and wilts under Wayne's stern gaze.

"It was just a friends with benefits type thing, I made that clear Uncle Wayne" his uncle cocks an eyebrow and settles at the rickety old table, that Eddie has been meaning to fix for a while.

"Right, and you never gave her false hope I take it?" Eddie opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and shuts up. ''That's what I thought boy" his uncle shakes his head.

"She left. We aren't together anymore" he tries to explain, doesn't dare mention what happened a few days ago. Wayne begins to dish out the macaroni cheese and two beers, sets the meal and the drinks down on the table.

"That's not the point son, the point is I raised you better than to be such an asshole to a lady. Same goes for Chrissy, that shit ain't working Eddie so you need to do the right thing"

Eddie slumps down on the chair and nods feeling suitably chastised. Begins to shove forkfuls of his Uncle's delicious mac and cheese in his mouth but his Uncle's next words stop him in his tracks.

"Suppose you'll be happy to know that you won't be bothered by that ex anymore. Yn is it? Heard she's on a date with some hot shot tonight" Wayne shrugs and looks to Eddie, who's mouth has went suddenly dry.

"She's on a date?" he asks just to make sure he's heard right, Uncle Wayne nods and he suddenly doesn't feel hungry anymore.

"It's not to late to fix things son" Wayne claps him on the shoulder, gives his a sympathetic look. Suddenly, the knee jerk reaction to saying to himself that he doesn't care isn't working so much anymore.

...

He doesn't know why he drives to your house, he's sure he's just being a fucking martyr... Or an idiot.

Still it doesn't take long before he's knocking on your door, shielding himself from the wind and rain.

You answer and don't look happy to see him, his heart sinks and he's beginning to realise how badly he's fucked up.

"Wayne said you had a date" he says to you and you nod, don't give anything else away.

"Why are you here Munson?" Munson not Eddie, he doesn't know what to say, he's scrambling for something, anything to think of.

"I messed up, I'm sorry sweetheart" you pause, clearly you weren't expecting Eddie to outright apologise, show up at your door.

"Apology accepted, but it's too late Eddie. You hurt me so many times, dangled hope in front of me that we could be more, then you swept it away. You didn't care when I left so why should I care that you're here now"

He growls frustrated, wants you to so desperately understand that he's sorry, that he knows he fucked up.

"I'm sorry okay? I don't want to lose you alright. I admit that now" he watches as tears pool in your eyes, you immediately chase them away and steel yourself.

"You already have lost me Eddie" your voice shakes but it doesn't stop you from closing the door on Eddie's face.

[slavghoul]

Interview from Rock Hard [FR] Magazine 5/2023

In which Tobias talks about Spillways, Phantomime, how he chooses what songs to cover, the state of the world, why he loves churches, and some touring technicalities.

--

Rock Hard: Let's go back to the version of "Spillways" that you recorded with Joe Elliott, the singer of Def Leppard. How did this collaboration come about?

Unfortunately, this story is less sexy than it would have been if I could have done exactly what I wanted. Before Impera was released, I regularly mentioned Def Leppard in interviews because some of the experimentation on that album was inspired by that band, their writing style. […] As I often mentioned Def Leppard, people around me eventually told me that Joe Elliott and Phil Collen regularly spoke highly of Ghost in interviews. Since I obviously thought it was cool, someone suggested a collaboration. A good collaboration shouldn't be forced, it should happen naturally. The best ones are often the ones that weren't supposed to happen. Two drunk musicians somewhere accidentally writing a good song... Crosby, Stills & Nash style. People who, by chance, find themselves together in a different context from the one they are used to and do something together, by accident. Something magical! That's how I would ideally have wanted it to happen. So I said I was ready to call Joe Elliott and see if we had a rapport. We started talking on the phone and texting a lot, me living in Sweden and him in Dublin. As we were both on the move almost all the time, and he was on tour, we couldn't meet. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he tells me that he has recorded some vocals for 'Spillways'! Quite frankly, I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it. I was anticipating a possible collaboration, but in a different way. To be honest, I thought we would create something new later on. But when I heard the result, I thought two things. Firstly, I found it very flattering. Secondly, I thought Joe brought something new and cool to "Spillways".

But you would have preferred to have the opportunity to write a new song with him.

Yes, that's the way I saw it, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. And then I said to Joe, "You know how we post those funny little episodes on our social media?" He replied "Yes, I think I saw that!" and kindly agreed to participate in one of them. Nowadays, many artists are over-solicited to record video clips for anything and everything in order to keep their channels updated: "Come and see us in concert in such and such a city!", etc. etc. The aim is obviously to keep the media space occupied.

By creating "content"!

Exactly! And that's exactly what I don't want to do. That's why, instead of all this crap, we started some time ago to create these little humorous episodes. One day, for example, I came up with the idea of an episode set in 1969 featuring a sort of "pre-Ghost" group. To do this, I obviously had to write a new song, which I did with this psychedelic track, 'Kiss The Go-Goat', which I thought was funny. When we recorded it, 'Mary On A Cross', another song of the same type, came along. So we ended up with two sides of a single that became 'Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic.’ Instead of just announcing the release on our networks, we chose to shoot a new video in which we featured Papa Nihil and explained the origins of this so-called 'pre-Ghost' band. I thought it was a much more clever and fun way of presenting the single. We do the same when it comes to announcing an album release or a future tour. Joe Elliott has a great sense of humour and is capable of self-mockery, so he kindly agreed to play this little game.

Ghost have made a habit of releasing an EP between their albums, mostly, if not entirely, made up of covers: If You Have Ghost (2013), Popestar (2016) and now Phantomime. How is it not just about “creating content”?

For me, it's a kind of exercise. I like analogies. Let's imagine that the place we are in is a theatre, and that this theatre, in order to be viable, has to host performances all year round. At least fifty weeks a year. Daytime rehearsals, evening performances... You are the director of the place and you know that the play that is currently being performed there will end at the end of the month. So you look for something else to program in order to make the most of the place and keep your staff busy. Maybe an old classic like Doctor Glass (Hjalmar Söderberg, 1905), an adaptation of John Steinbeck, or a rereading of Shakespeare's Hamlet that you could revisit by inviting this actor or that director, renting out your theatre for three extra months for the occasion. Working on this old material, even if it means not releasing it if it doesn't work. We do that to keep the team active, enthusiastic, focused. That's my way of working. I worked simultaneously on the Impera album and the demos of the covers that are on Phantomime. One day I could record 'Spillways' and two hours before leaving the studio to go home, I could look at any of the covers and decide which ones to keep. So, as soon as Impera was finished, I was able to concentrate on those covers that the album's producer wasn't interested in putting on the record. Which was fine with me. I spent some time sorting out the covers I had recorded as demos. There were ten in total, but I only kept five. Because with those five tracks I thought I could come up with a really strong rock EP. In my albums, there are highs, lows, really metal tracks, ballads, instrumentals, etc. So I thought it was a good idea to make a really strong rock EP. I felt it would be cool if this new EP was viscerally rock’n’roll. The opening track, "See No Evil" by Television, sounds like the Rolling Stones on methamphetamine! (laughs)

You like the songs you cover, that's a prerequisite. But their lyrics also play a very important role in your choice.

Yes, that's what makes me choose a song or not.

Is that the number one criterion?

Erm... (he thinks for a long time) If I hesitate between two songs, yes, absolutely! Let's go back to Leonard Cohen, for example. For the bonus tracks of Prequelle, I chose "Avalanche" because it seemed to me to have a biblical and existential significance. This was not the case with 'Take This Waltz', another Cohen song that I liked as much, if not more. The latter, with its Viennese waltz feel, would have metaphorically taken us to Austria, which would not have been very coherent, unfortunately.

Should these covers speak about God, the Devil, ask questions about religion?

They must speak about evil, about good. Be existential, biblical, philosophical, but seen from a certain perspective. Or at least tick one of those boxes, like 'Hanging Around' (The Stranglers) which is about Christ. Some of the other covers I've recorded are more specific, such as 'Phantom Of The Opera' (Iron Maiden), which is about horror. I also make my choice according to the humour of the songs I want to cover. It should be close to my own sense of humour.

You mentioned the first Phantomime cover, "See No Evil". It takes on a different resonance today because, on January 28, 2023, we sadly learned of the death of Tom Verlaine, the leader of Television.

When I recorded this cover in 2021, just after completing Impera, it was already a tribute. But obviously, with Tom's death, this song takes on another resonance, that of a final posthumous salute. I've been listening to Television for twenty years, and I love them and have always considered them a great band. In indie clubs they always play the same song, 'Marquee Moon', but Television had many other good songs, especially on their first two albums: Marquee Moon (1977) and Adventure (1978). I like those two best. It's a band that had a huge influence on one of my previous bands, Subvision. So much so that at the time, I thought several times of covering Television songs that I loved: "See No Evil", but also "Elevation" and "Foxhole".

The first single from Phantomime is Genesis' 'Jesus He Knows Me', a scathing critique of televangelist stars like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker and Robert Tilton. Ugly people who have made their fortune by 'promising salvation’ to naive believers for big bucks. Can we expect to see you wearing a wig in its video, as singer/drummer Phil Collins did in the original video for this song in 1991? 

(Laughs) We've already shot the video for this cover version (editor’s note: the interview was conducted on 11 March 2023) and I'm not in it, but it's a direct nod to the original video. I've always liked this song - except for the reggae part, which I thought was horrible in the Genesis version and which I reworked - and it's funny to see how this 1991 text is still relevant today. Except, of course, for a few "old-time" words, like "phone book". The televangelists are still there on television promising things to people who take their word for it and shower them with money because they are assured of "salvation", they are promised heaven. I also rearranged Iron Maiden's 'Phantom of The Opera' after taking care to contact Steve Harris for his approval.

Indeed, in your retelling of this song, you are the Phantom and not its victim...

Yes, I wanted to be the Phantom. I submitted the idea to Steve, who gave me the green light. I only made some surgical changes. Similarly, I would have liked to have proposed the same thing to Phil Collins so that the text of "Jesus He Knows Me" would have been more in line with the times. Change, for example, "but she don't know about my girlfriend / or the man I met last night" to "or the dude I screwed last night". Alas, lack of time prevented me from doing so. And then, since this was a slippery slope, I thought: - What if Collins refuses? Or what if he gets pissed off? - We could have made these changes without asking anyone's permission - as long as the artists get their royalties, it's not a problem - but there was no way I was going to do it. Neither I nor my label wanted to alienate anyone, obviously.

In 1977, in "Hanging Around" by The Stranglers, which you also cover on Phantomime, the singer Hugh Cornwell sings about several things, but also about Christ "telling his mother not to worry because he's comfortable in the city where he's high above the ground". Is that why you chose it?

Actually, the key thing that made me choose this song from the band over any other is that I grew up listening to the album it's taken from, Rattus Norvegicus (1977), the Stranglers' first release. There are a lot of songs on that album that I would have loved to play because, as a musician, I really like to play those kinds of songs. ‘Hanging Around' was a good fit for us because of the lyrics, but also because it was more in keeping with our style. Ghost are obviously a metal and hard rock band, but also have a strong punk sensibility. Punk, but well played (smiles). For me, The Stranglers have always done "well played punk": this band knows how to play, how to arrange its music, unlike GBH and Discharge, to name but two. Mind you, I also like the latter, but not for the same reasons. A lot of punk bands from the late 70s/early 80s sounded "sloppy". It wasn't for lack of trying to play better. When The Clash and The Jam went into the studio, they tried to do their best and they sounded great! The same goes for The Adverts. Those guys were doing their best. Nowadays, some people think that being a punk is to play badly on purpose, to be messy. No, no, no ! But I digress...

What is the reason for the nod to Metallica's 'Fade To Black' in the solo on 'Hanging Around'?

Just for fun. When I'm working on a guitar solo, I throw things in here and there, like a messy painter. It's like stretching a canvas on a wall and making big brush strokes... But when I start to feel like I've got something cool, I dig in more surgically, a bit like a collage artist would. I interweave little elements, and when it comes time to insert a solo into a piece, I refine things by continuing to add new elements. Generally, a solo gives you a space of freedom in the middle of an otherwise totally structured song. That's when you can come up with different things in terms of melody. So that's the way I do it, even on the demos of the covers. I ask my sound engineer, Martin Eriksson Sandmark, to play me the draft of the solos I've been working on over and over again, and then I try out different things, whatever comes to mind. It's as if I'm drawing a mental map of what the solo will become. Sometimes, if I'm on a part sometimes, if I'm on a bluesy part, I'll let myself play a few notes of Gary Moore’s "Still Got The Blues", or, if I'm tapping, Van Halen's "Eruption". When I was working on the solo for 'Hanging Around', I felt like playing this part of Metallica's 'Fade To Black', just for fun. And it ended up on the demo. I'm a decent guitar player, but I'm not at the level I could have reached if I'd worked harder. I could just record these solos in the studio, where you can always slow things down when you play them and then speed them up and put them on the album, but Fredrik Akesson can play these parts without tricks and with much more finesse than I can. He recorded the solo for "Hanging Around" as I had presented it on the demo, with this nod to Metallica, and we thought it was so cool that we kept it.

Hugh Cornwell, the ex-singer of The Stranglers, said in an interview that, although he was not a believer, he loved visiting churches. Is this also true for you? Are you also attracted to churches?

Yes, passionately! I believe in them like I believe in Star Wars. I've always thought of churches as stage props. Walking into one of them is a bit like walking onto a film set of the original Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. It's awe-inspiring, even though you know it's just cardboard. Churches have magical powers because they are centuries-old buildings and we know that a lot of things have happened within their walls. Not that I'm trying to throw up on these places of worship, but when I go into a church I don't hear God, but the whispers of time. I am not an atheist, although intellectually I can see that there are many reasons why I should be. I believe in a Force, in an Energy. I also believe that we don't know many things, but that there is a balance between these different energies. The white and the black.

Good and Evil...

Absolutely! Right now the world is in crisis, but we're going to get through it. It's a vicious circle. We do ourselves a disservice if we think that if the world were rid of people like Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Jair Bolsonaro and the ayatollahs of Iran and Iraq, we would be out of the woods. I think all this can happen - and I hope it will, in a way - but Good and Evil will always be there. That balance is necessary. But I am an optimist by nature. I believe that there is a future for Volodymyr Zelensky and the Eastern bloc. That there is perhaps a chance to put into practice what was tried there some thirty years ago. And I believe in a free Iran, in a possible return to what this country was in 1978. What a beautiful day that would be! But that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a new war somewhere else in the world. I'm an eternal optimist, but let's face it: history is always starting over. As I said, it's a question of balance, a permanent coming and going. Because I believe in this Force I was talking about earlier, I truly believe that the West can win, that the way we live and the way we have built our society is a step forward that shows progress and can make a large majority of people happy. Not all, but most. But even if we all lived in love and peace for five years, something else would come along to create chaos! An alien or something! (laughs) That's how it works. Our mistake is to believe in the status quo, in nirvana. It's not going to happen. It's always about balance. The Vatican and organised religion... All that crap is just to pick people's pockets, to control them, to take their energy and scare them into plundering them. The same goes for the GOP (editor’s note: the American "Grand Old Party", suspected of having Christian nationalist leanings), which only deceives people in order to take their money! That's all you need to know. It's simple, so simple to understand. All this does not mean that the energy that emanates from churches is not real. When you walk into one of them, you feel - or so I believe - the energy of all those who have gone before you, for decades, for centuries. Their fears, their hopes, etc. So much so, sometimes, that you can feel oppressed, even upset. So I can walk into a church and feel a sense of awe. I love visiting these places, especially from an aesthetic point of view.

On Phantomime, you also cover "We Don't Need Another Hero" by Tina Turner. Don't you think that, given the state of the world today, we do need "another hero"?

I think Zelensky has shown how much we like heroes, how important they are to us. I think back, for example, to how the world went wild when Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal in the 116th minute to help Spain win the 2010 World Cup against the Netherlands. I believe in human determination and how it can inspire the world to distinguish between what is important... and what is really important. What is important for our daily lives. Yes, it's cool to have a complete collection of Venom's work, but it doesn't matter if I’m missing the most important thing. In the last ten years especially, the western world has been focusing on tons of unimportant things trying to pit people against each other, cancel culture and all that stuff... It proves that we are spoiled children. Our mentality shows it when it comes to security. Seeing Zelensky defend himself as he does appeals to our most primal instincts: it's beautiful and very inspiring. Nothing else is more important than that. It is the only thing that matters... Otherwise we have to be prepared for a lot of people to live in misery.

Next August, you will tour in the USA with Amon Amarth. I noticed that they will not accompany you on the last date, in Los Angeles, on September 11, 2023. There is no opening act, you ask the audience not to use their phones, etc. That sounds like a live DVD!

Yes, we are indeed planning to film this show, but it won't be the end of the Impera era cycle, even if we will not have so many dates left after this concert. There will still be a few shows in South America and Australia.

Nothing in Japan? A country that one might think Ghost was made for.

At the moment, it's not very clear. We had a lot of discussions with the Japanese promoters, as there was talk of us appearing on the bill of a Japanese festival scheduled for this month. Unfortunately, the festival was postponed... and then rescheduled for March! I think they originally had a big headliner, but the headliner didn't show up. So they cancelled, and then considered a smaller edition with Pantera. With all the back and forth, we ended up dropping out because it was too risky for us to play one date there after six months of inactivity. Our team is currently taking a break, but we preferred to use this time to rehearse for our next shows. The first one will be in Rouen on May 21st. We learned a good lesson the last time we played Hellfest. It was so hot that day, the conditions were so extreme, that we almost had a storm. We really had to fight against the elements and it affected me (Editor's note: the last encore of the show was not played, as Tobias was suffering from vocal problems). It was a very tough show. What really pissed me off was not the fact that I lost my voice, but the fact that the festival-goers who were there were not treated to our entire production. It was indeed difficult to foresee these extreme conditions. This summer we have to play festivals again, so we have reworked our production, which will be better adapted to the complicated weather. On this tour we will play in Spain, Finland, Norway, Greece, all within a few days of each other. So we'll be touring with two identical stages, so we can do all these shows without too much downtime. It's not very ecological, I'm sorry to say, because sometimes we'll have to take a plane to get to these cities in time. Not great, but it's the only way...

Will you play any of the Phantomime covers live?

One thing is for sure: we will play 'Jesus He Knows Me' because it's the first single from the new EP. As for the rest, we'll see during the rehearsals how the set evolves - because it's going to evolve a bit from the 2022 set. We're thinking of playing some songs from Impera that we've left out so far.

[uglypastels]

Not Wholly Evil |I| Pirate!Eddie au

a/n: I know a lot of people were awaiting this fic and I am really sorry I could not deliver all the content I promised, but I really hope you enjoy this bit that I'm the proudest of and if you would like to see more of this au, please just send an ask and I'll be happy to share (but it would not be direct continuations. Just blurbs)

summary: as the daughter of the Governor, there is quite a heavy prize set on your safe return home, and the captain will not let anything come between him and his bounty.

Series Masterlist

word count: 5.6k

"semi dark fic" - READ the warnings:. (gun/sword)violence. blood. minor character death. allusions to suicide. kidnapping. imprisonment. alcohol. open and deep sea. pirates are pigs: frequent mentions of non-con and allusions to assault, but it does not actually occur. malnourishment. abuse. manhandling.

There might be a mention of other ST characters, and for plot sake, everyone is an adult here, just coz I don't want fetus pirates running around, but they are not really relevant to the plot.

Chapter 1: The Death of the Red Tail

“I dare say that we are all savages under the cloak that civilization fashions for us." - Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood

You were startled awake, once more, by the sound of the metal scraping over the wooden planks. Again, the harsh noise pricked at your ears. Over the past few days, you had done your best to get used to all the loud noises aboard. Still, they tended to occur at the most random of times, usually when you had finally managed to fall asleep, pulling you right back to reality, which, ironically, was your nightmare. 

‘Didn’t mean to wake you up, Princess,’ the man chuckled, to which you did not respond. You never responded to what he, or any of them, had to say. Instead, you barely acknowledged him as he passed your jug of water between the steel bars. The roughness of his movements made the already meek amount spill out. ‘Breakfast’s served.’ 

It was dark below deck, with the only light coming through the small windows atop the walls, letting sun rays hit the ground at your feet in a circle. It was just enough of a light source for you to see what you were surrounded with. Barrels and crates filled with Gods know what. Next to you was a thin fleece that was supposed to keep you warm through the night but barely ever sufficed at its job. 

After the jug of water, he threw you your breakfast: a piece of stale bread and a severely bruised apple. The bread fell into your lap, but you managed to catch the fruit quite easily, which you then also put down in your lap, looking down at your old dirty dress, not saying a word. Miserably, you toyed with the slice of bread, the lack of appetite weirdly not corresponding to your hunger. The food was far from edible, but it was also the only thing that came close to it, so it would make due. You had taught yourself to fight through the dryness and tastelessness.

‘A thank you would be nice, Princess,’ he snarled, but you didn’t even look up at his comment. Ever since you had been brought down there, you had made it your goal to exchange as few words as possible with these men, even when they started rattling the bars around, trying to catch your attention. Even when they slammed their hands on it, making you jump. But, finally, after a third slam, you snapped.

‘You gone deaf, too, now?’ he spoke louder.

‘I would be more than happy to thank you if there was anything to be thankful for.’ You rolled your eyes. You had grabbed small opportunities to ask for more food and water, begging to be let out of the tiny cell to stretch your legs and get some fresh air and every time you were met with nothing. It was the definition of insanity, wasn’t it? To do the same thing expecting different results? But you weren’t expecting anything. You were hoping. Desperate that something would change one day, and the odds would turn in your favour. Just once. That was all you asked of the universe.

‘We could easily let you starve, so better shut it.’ He pointed at you sternly, but you knew it was a big bluff. And it angered you. A rage slowly cooking inside you rose to a boiling point. You couldn’t keep it in any longer.

‘No, you shut it,’ as swiftly as you could manage on your weak legs, you got up and made your way over to the bars that separated you and the man. He backed away, clearly not having anticipated your sudden move, but he was too slow, and you still managed to snatch at his collar, pulling him back to you. Then, gritting your teeth, you spat your words into his face. ‘I have been stuck here for days, begging for the smallest amounts of decency from you, and so far, I have been laughed at in my face every. Single. Time. 

‘So, you can try and scare me with your empty threats, but I know you need me alive and well for you to get your gold. Dead, I am worth nothing. So, I doubt your captain would enjoy hearing that something happened to me on your watch.’

‘You wouldn’t dare,’ his eyes narrowed into tentative slits, as did yours. 

‘I don’t think you really want to wait and see if I do. Because I don’t know about you, but that rope over there looks like it would make a grand necklace. Do you think that beam up there could hold me up?’ you cocked your head up to a point at the ceiling. His eyes followed your movements and the rope hanging just arm’s length away from the holding cell. Suddenly, his throat tightened as he tried to swallow. 

‘What do you want?’

‘I want to get out of here,’ you said, gritting your teeth. You didn’t dare look away from his eyes, which were just as cold as you felt. You thought you might finally have cracked one of them for a second, but then he managed to pull himself out of your grip.  He kept muttering curse words directed at you as he climbed the stairs up the deck. ‘Remember, I have nothing to lose!’ you shouted out after him, one final attempt, just in time before he slammed the trapdoor behind him.

You sat back down. Heart beating against your ribs and a smile covering your lips for the first time in a long time. The adrenaline from the little stunt quickly deflated out of you, and you folded your legs into your chest.

It was stupid. It would only anger them more, and the last thing a person wants is to be stuck on a ship, in the middle of an ocean, with a crew of scoundrels. For people like them... the smallest of annoyances could cost you your life. No matter how much it was worth to them.

Biting into your apple, ignoring the slight sourness, you tried to keep your breathing steady. Then, with closed eyes, you listened to the sea hitting the ship's side as it sailed on through them. If you sat there long enough, you could almost make yourself believe that you were not locked up in a small cell at the bottom of a rotting ship. That you were, in fact, in your own cabin on the Red Tail. Your father’s ship, sailing home.

You were not meant to be there. You had insisted on coming along, wanting to see something of the world, being exhausted of never going further beyond the outskirts of your city. You had been yearning for that space.

It had been a sunny day, with just enough wind blowing through the sails to progress the journey, only a little longer until you would reach your destination. The crew was happy, relieved to be so close to the end. As much as it was an honour to work under the Governor’s orders, to sail for weeks on end over the open sea was a dangerous and exhausting task. 

Everything suddenly changed when someone yelled it out. You weren’t even sure what they had said, but by the reactions from everyone around you, it was easy to guess. 

Pirates.

Before you could even ask to be sure, you were dragged back inside to the Captain’s quarters and told to hide. So, hide, you did. 

It took the ship a while to make contact. And all this time, you remained seated under the oak desk. It was the calm before the storm. You knew the canons would soon go off, and the ships would be punched with holes. The pirates would jump ship; they would attack and destroy. You could hear it all happening outside. The swords clinking, the guns going off, the wreckage, and the screams. It was all too much. 

The minutes between the canons were the worst. Your ears were still ringing, and all you could do was anticipate the subsequent explosion and the shaking of your whole world. And then they would go off, and you had to do your best to follow the orders you were given. Be still and be quiet. They would take care of it. Your safety was everyone’s priority. 

And yet, you felt shame wash over you at the idea that you were hiding while the men were out there, fighting. You felt useless and small, like a child. Cradling yourself to make your being as small as you could underneath that desk. The canons only seemed to be getting louder and louder. You couldn’t block the thundering and destruction on the other side of the door. 

Perhaps you had screamed. You couldn’t remember. Everything was a blur. But something must have given you away in the end. How could they have known you were aboard? In the captain’s quarters? Nothing else made sense, but they heard your panic. They could sense it, being the predators they were.

It took all of your inner power not to scream when the door to the quarters burst open. At first, you thought a cannonball must have just burst through the wall, but it was much worse. Pairs of boots slowly made their way towards you. You closed your eyes and tried to stay calm; in your mind, the words of your mother’s lullaby swept by. The same old song she used to sing you during dark and stormy nights. That was all this was… a storm… and it would soon pass…

‘Gotcha,’ the voice sounded acidic and vile. You opened your eyes to be met with a pair of stormy grey ones, so cold it made your blood freeze. He smiled at you with a toothy grin, which only made you crawl back under the desk. There was nowhere for you to go, and he knew that. So did his lanky friend as they both reached out for you and pulled you out from beneath the furniture. Your skirt hiked up as it grazed over the floor, and you did your best to keep it down and over your legs. 

‘No, please, no,’ you tried to sound as assertive as possible, ignoring your urges to scream and cry out. With little care, they pulled you up on your feet. Standing face to face with them almost should have taken away some of your fear, for you realised they could not be much older than you, perhaps even younger, but you still felt your legs shake. 

‘You gonna come with us?’ he wouldn’t stop smiling at you, which was unnerving. But, of course, only a truly evil person would find joy in such circumstances, a severely disturbed and corrupt individual. 

You took your shot, trying to wring your arms out of their hold. You thought you might have slipped out of one of their grips for a second, but then he pushed you forward, nearly making you fall as you stumbled over your feet. With each step they made you take, you tried to defy them, thrash around like a freshly caught fish, really, much to your own embarrassment. But it wasn’t doing any good. The net just tightened around you with each attempt at freedom. 

You had imagined what was happening in the rest of the ship, but the reality you were met with was even worse. The vessel was in shambles. The broken mast had fallen, and the sails were ripped to shreds. The clinking of swords was still coming from all angles. Some of the men noticed you, captured by the enemies and tried to reach you. Fighting off the scoundrels with their long swords, to no avail. The fight was not a fair match. The people you travelled with were mostly sailors, never having learned how to fight correctly. They were all going off of survival instincts. 

You heard your name being called to you from the side, and you could see the worried face of admiral Carver as he pushed his way through lines of enemies. You made another attempt to free yourself from the men's grips, pulling yourself toward the admiral, the man appointed to keep you safe throughout your journey… to think that mere days ago, you had both joked he was nearly futile in these endeavours. 

The chaos around you ensued as men fought, bled, and died. 

The blood was everywhere. 

It was all going too fast. The hold the cruel men held on you was too tight to attempt anything, and before you knew what was happening, you were being led across the plank connecting the two ships. 

A gunshot went off. One of the men holding on to you went limp, letting go of you. You didn’t dare to look, but you could tell by the shift of weight on the wooden bridge that there was one person less standing beside you. And indeed, a second later, a splash followed as his body hit the water beneath you. 

Not by choice, you turned around the thin piece of wood as the other man holding you looked over to where the gunshot came from. Carver stood at the foot of the plank. Gun barrel still smoking, pointing right at your aggressor. The admiral had an admirable shot, so you had no worries about his aim. But that shot never came. The two men on the opposite sides of the bridge locked eyes with intimidation coming off both of them in great amounts, but the trigger was never pulled. Before Carver could, you screamed in horror as tears stung your eyes. 

You were pulled the few final steps across the plank, almost pushed down to the ground, for you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the sight of your loyal admiral falling to the deck of his ship. His white shirt was stained red, and the staining only grew larger and larger. He had just enough time to look down at his bleeding chest before he fell to his knees. The sword stuck out from his back. 

‘No!’ your scream pierced through everyone’s ears as you tried to get out of your capturer’s hold and run back to your own ship, to your people, but it was too late. They had removed the wood that connected the vessels. You were stuck, and the Red Tail seemed significantly smaller. 

It was sinking.

It only took a few minutes before everyone and the viscous sea ate everything you knew. Days later, it was still painful to look out at the horizon, seeing the vastness of the waters. 

The seemingly neverending darkness that had swallowed those who fought for you, hoping to keep you safe. And for what… you were now stuck in this prison. Eating the damned apple. For the first few days, you tortured yourself by refusing their offers of food. A form of protest that no one seemed to be much impressed by. The myths of poor Persephone had come to your mind in those moments. Thinking how the goddess had been tricked by the evil Hades, all for a measly pit of a fruit. 

But your body screamed for nutrients, and you could not deprive yourself much more of your own life. To die at sea could be an honour for many, but not in a dark cell captured by the enemy. You had no intentions of dying because of your stubbornness, but you would never give in to what they wanted. If it came to be, you would pass on your own terms.

It was days now since the Red Tail sank. During your first moments on board, you had a naive hope that you had not been the only person taken. That somewhere around, someone else was here with you. A known face, a name you didn’t have to fear. The idea of the possibility brought you a little comfort, but soon you realised the harsh truth. You were entirely on your own here. But worse, even, was that you realised that, perhaps, death in battle and the fierce ocean waves would have been a kinder sentence than the horrors awaiting you aboard this vessel. 

It had all started in the moments the Red Tail was abandoned. You kept your eyes on its crow nest, reaching out from above the water like a desperate hand in need of a saviour. 

But you had no option but to dwell on the wreckage or the lost souls of your friends. Not when you were surrounded by dozens of men looking hungrily at you as if you were nothing but a piece of meat for them to devour. They were closing in on you; there was nowhere to go. Any direction you looked… 

Surrounded by wild men screaming and tugging at you from each side, pulling you from side to side like a rag doll. They all wanted a little fun, but playtime was cut short rather quickly by the simple sounds of boots tapping over the floorboards. Everyone looked up as his voice loomed over everybody:

‘Well, well, well, what do we have here?’ It sounded almost whimsical, bemused. Everyone froze as the captain approached his crew. Even you did, looking up as he walked down the quarterdeck towards the large helm. The floor creaked with each step. The chains and beads hanging around his neck and hair accompanied him in a chorus. Not another word needed to be shared.

He stood there, looking down at what was occurring beneath him. Fingers clad in silver and gold rings tapping away at the handles of the ship’s wheel. When you looked a few inches higher, you recognised that his eyes were directly on you. There was no hiding or denying it. He was staring deep into your eyes. The corner of his mouth tilted up in the slightest smirk. The position in which the two of you stood made you feel like you were some kind of act for him. An entertainment piece for him to enjoy in his own time despite you being surrounded by all his men. It felt perverse. Disgusting. You quickly turned away. 

But the image of those dark brown eyes stuck with you. Days later, and it still haunted you, the day you met Captain Eddie Munson.

The name was not much by itself. The stories that followed it brought fear onto people’s faces. For years now, you had overheard the people back home speaking tales of the notorious ocean bandit. The man who had sailed the seas with sails as dark as his eyes and soul.

You had never expected much from a man with a name like that, but you were quickly proven wrong. 

The respect he had gained over the crew was evident; you could see it just by how everyone had paved the way for their captain and his strides of confidence as he made his way down onto the deck. There was an energy that came from within him, this dangerous confidence. Maybe because of this, you felt like ignoring his eye contact would be a shot worth taking, something to crack that filthy grin on his face as he neared you. The crew had widened their circle to make space for their captain and you, but you took a step back at each he brought forward. Your attempt was quickly stopped by whoever pushed you again right into his chest. The captain grinned at the collision, almost politely, apologetically, but it made you sick to the stomach. 

He looked up from you to look at his men. 'Is anyone going to answer me?' his voice carried, making you flinch from your proximity to it, just like the canons. It was too loud. Your ears had almost stopped ringing from the explosions.

'Was hiding in the officer's quarters, she was.' Someone called out from behind Captain Munson, which must have interested him. To be a woman in the officer's quarters on a ship like yours… meant status. You could tell he looked at you intently but would not give him the satisfaction, and your eyes did not give him the time of day, instead focusing on the highest mast and the sail flickering softly in the wind. Not pitch black like the tales told, but a sunburned copper. Even despite this, you could feel his look on you. He was taking all of you in, grinning over his newest conquest. 

'And what was a pretty thing like her doing up there?' While his question was directed at everyone else but you, he dug his eyes deep into your soul. They were pulling you in, trance-like. A pair of irises darker than amber but just as warm and beautiful. A facade for a lie, as there was only cold and darkness beyond the warm hue, the cursed soul of a criminal. You had heard stories of men like him, but to find yourself in the midst of them, knowing it was more true than any other tale told at sea, to be held captive as if in an inescapable nightmare… 

Being oppressed into looking him in the eyes, you couldn't help but think how he, and his comrades, could have been perfectly fine young men in any other life. Maybe they even had been until the ocean took them, poisoned them with the cursed fruit of the sea. Corruption was so quickly and easily committed.

His hand, filthy, covered in tattoos and heavy rings, reached out for your cheek, which you quickly turned away from him as far as possible. You had hoped it would show him you weren't some fragile little girl, that you weren't just easy prey, but the laughter that erupted around you proved you wrong. He chuckled as his fingers found a new grip on your chin, turning your face back harshly, so you had no other option but to look him in the eye again.

‘Name, my darling,’ he smiled wickedly, squeezing your cheeks until you could feel the tips of his fingers against your teeth before letting your face go, ‘come, speak up, or that tongue will have to find a new use for itself.’ His words came out like a hiss of a snake.

'I am not your darling,' you spat once he had released you, to little effect as more laughter kindled from the men around you. You wondered how much time you would have from the shock value if you went on a rampage and started to kick all of them in their most sensitive parts. How many would you be able to get through before one of the others would grab you, possibly throw you overboard? 

The Captain kept on smiling. 'I must call you something if you do not care to share your name with us, my darling.' His erring grin burned your skin like a hot kettle fresh off the fire. 

'Carver called her something, Captain,' someone had shouted out, and Munson’s reaction was immediate when they repeated your name. His eyes widened, his grin spiked at the corners, showing his teeth, and his brown eyes glistened with enthusiasm. Then, jaggedly, as if remembering something suddenly, he moved his head around, looking around.

'Carver? Our dear friend Carver?' He looked around for whoever it had been that had spoken up a second ago, 'where is that pesky little–'

'Stabbed,' the crewmate responded, 'bled out on the ship,' a chorus of cackling surfaced among the men, but the captain looked a bit disappointed, hiding his amusement. Meanwhile, the mention of what you witnessed moments before stung you deep within.

'Shame. I would have liked to have seen that,' he said, with astonishing indifference covering his face, then he turned to you again, 'so, you were Carver's little toy, huh? I assure you, dear, you'll have much more fun here than with that stale little bilge rat.'

'I am nobody's toy.' You held back on shoving the man away or trying to act out of self-defence against any of his movements, knowing that upsetting him would not end in any better scenario than you were in at that given moment. 

'No, no,' he chuckled, pouting his lips in a manner of mocked sympathy, ‘A princess like you takes what she wants, don't you? We're similar in that way, I feel like— Where did you find her, Henderson, the officer's quarters, was it?' Perhaps the rest of his crew had been too slow to catch onto their captain's thoughts, but you could tell by the glint in his eye that he knew exactly who you were. 

'If you know who I am,' you tried your luck, pushing your voice out as steady and loud as possible to convict some confidence, 'then you must release me at once!' you tried to fight the situation. Still, there was very little you could do to gain a reaction out of this crowd that had not originated in humour. Some men asked around, still trying to catch up on what was happening. 

‘Now, why would I do that?’ The captain spoke directly to you, leaning in closer. So close you could smell the rum wafting off him. But he quickly leaned back to address his crew once more, answering all the inquiries in the crowd. 'This here, gents, is no one less than the Governor's daughter!'

It may have been silly of you to think that if they knew your status and position, they would find some newly gained respect for you. You would even find some small ounce of respect toward them as long as they would release you back to safety. But where would that even be… with your trusty ship now slowly greeting the bottom of the sea.

On the contrary, they had lost any image of you. From that moment on, you had become their most-priced possession. No plea would do good for it. It did not matter that mere minutes ago, you had seen them all make their way back, faces happy and arms full of treasures belonging to your family. What good were these riches when the real treasure stood tall in their centre? You were the one thing that would bring in the motherload they had been searching for for so long.  

The captain looked back at you. 'Do not worry; we shall release you straight back into your father's arms– for a reasonable price, that is,' he looked around at his men, who all once again erupted in a jolly sea of laughter, matching his much softer depiction of humour. 'But for now….' He dramatically removed his hat as his unbrushed locks grazed the floor at his bow. When he rose back up, his grin had spread to the widest corners of his mouth, and his dark eyes were filled with menacing mischief, freezing your core at the thought of what he could possibly be holding back in his mind. 'Welcome aboard the Hellfire.' 

The Hellfire. A crew that rampaged and torched anything that came in their way. Ships, harbours, cities, entire islands even… nothing stood a chance against the devils of the ocean… Devils, that’s what they were. Some truly believed they had all been cursed by something dark. Their lives had been given up to work for Satan as his harbingers of death and chaos. 

But you would only see a little of the ship or experience much more time with these men, as, not long after your introduction, you were dragged down below deck and locked behind the thick steel bars. The captain kept his eyes locked on you until you disappeared into the trapdoor. His smile never faded. And so, it was a dreadful sight to see that days– perhaps even months– later, the smile still persisted. 

How long precisely this nightmare had lasted, you were unsure. Or maybe you knew exactly. Would it have been better to lose count of the days and nights you had spent in this hell and think you might have lost your mind? Or to remember everything exactly how it had been, knowing what was and what would follow? For now, you were somewhere in between and unsure of what direction to go. A grey limbo where your body and mind were fighting themselves. Whether to give up or keep on battling your enemies. To forget would be to ease the pain, but it would also feel like losing the battle. Something you were not ready to do just yet. Though the memories still haunted your dreams. Was any of it worth it? That was the question that kept you up. 

And it was answered, more or less, when the trapdoor opened. Just as you were about to take your last bite of the apple. 

‘Will it be the rope then?’ you shouted as the footsteps came down to your level. Suddenly the apple felt much juicier, sweeter, and better than anything you had tasted in weeks. The odds would be in your favour, and you would get your way… even if it meant a measly ten minutes out in the cold sea air. 

‘Be my guest, princess.’ The voice immediately made your stomach drop. The sweet taste of the fruit turned bitter, the bread even drier. You looked up in horror as Captain Munson appeared out of the shadows. He leaned against the thick bars that imprisoned you. Then, when no response came from you after a long moment, he asked, ‘what? Not so brave anymore, are we?’ The chuckle that followed was deep but genuine. He was enjoying everything about your fear and you; you could not let that stand. 

With shaky legs, you got up and took the two steps to your barricade. Facing the captain should have been terrifying, but you were using your stubbornness to push any fears aside for the time being. As confidently as possible, you clenched your fists around two of the bars, gritted your teeth, and demanded: ‘Let me out.’

‘Have your parents never taught you manners, my darling?’ He did not seem to be phased by your attitude. 

‘You dare speak of manners to me?’ You could not keep yourself composed. Heat was rising to your cheeks with anger. ‘You? The man that has kept me locked in a cage for days?’ Who knew where this confidence came from in front of the notorious pirate captain? If anyone had seen you act out like this as opposed to such a dangerous criminal as he was, they would assume you had a death wish, yet this was your attempt at survival.

He reached his hand out to brush it over your cheek, and unable to react quickly; you let him. It was as if his touch had a numbing power over you, freezing you in place. His skin was hot, assumably from staying out on the deck during the day, steering the ship whichever way you were going. But then his rings, a sobering cold. His voice was as smooth as the rum he burned it with. ‘Do you blame me for wanting to keep my treasure save?’ 

‘You are despicable.’ You hissed out, and suddenly his gentle touch roughened up. His fingers wound their way through your hair, and with a firm tug, he pulled you forward, nearly smashing your face against the bars. His voice was distorted with a growl as he warned you. 

‘You don’t even know the half of it, darling,’ you were so close to each other, only separated by the metal rods, you could feel his breath on you. There was that distinct smell of rum followed by… cinnamon. There was no way you could focus on that, however. Not when he pulled at your hair harder. ´If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have that pretty dress, no more. Let alone even have food to disgust over. Besides–’  He let go of your hair, pushing you back and you let go of the breath you had been holding in. ‘This attitude really does not suit you.’ 

As you let your lungs fill with a fresh breath, you watched the captain inhale slowly. He was composing himself. And when he looked back up at you, from a first glance, it looked as if he had pushed aside the part of him that had just grabbed you. All except for his eyes. They were still dark and filled with the devil’s fury.

‘So,’ he spoke calmly, ‘is there a reason why you threatened your life to my incompetent men for the– what is it– fifth time?’ You had a request, did you?’ Was he really giving you a chance? Trying to mimic his calm stature, you repeated your demand. 

‘Let me out.’ 

To this, he raised an eyebrow. Did you not learn anything from the interactions that just occurred between you?  Why, yes, you did, so you added one last determined word: ‘Now.’ 

Against all expectations, he laughed and reached for a set of keys that hung on the wall next to your jail. It must have been a well-thought-out joke because it had always been just out of your arm’s reach, no matter how you angled or stretched yourself out. Because you naturally had tried to reach for it across your first nights of capture when most of the crew was asleep– you didn’t want to be caught trying to escape. 

The captain took the key, it rattled on its large ring, and turned it in the lock. With a rusty croak, the barred door opened. He extended his arm invitingly, but you stood frozen in place. What was happening? 

‘Isn’t this what you wanted?’ He looked up at you, one arm hooked between the bar, the other nudging you to move with a wave. ‘Well, go on then. Be free.’ He knew exactly what he was doing, and you realised it at the sound of his last word. 

Despite your cage finally being open, unlike a bird, you could not fly away and truly escape this ghost of a ship. You had nowhere to go. For days, you had thought it would be alright if only you could get out of this jail. Reality hit much harder. It was much worse. Out in the middle of the vast sea, there was nowhere for you to go. The ship was your true prison. 

You remained in your spot, frozen. Finally, the captain nodded satisfactorily and removed the key from the lock but kept the door open.

‘I’ll be on my way now if you do not mind, darling’ He chuckled again. It had quickly become one of your most hated sounds in the world, ‘but do join us on deck if you ever feel like putting on another performance such as this. I would suggest something of the likes of Shakespeare, though– much less hysterics.’  

You wanted to scream at him, run up to him and hit him with every ounce of power in your body, but you couldn’t. He could easily overpower you, and God only knew what would happen. Keeping a distance was better. It was safe.

 From that point on, the jail door stayed open. With it, another realisation came to light.

That steel barred door, now swinging and creaky as the ship crossed the waters, had been the one thing that kept you safe. It had been a barrier between you and the wild men of the ship. 

Now, for whatever reason, they kept to themselves. Depending on who had drawn the short stick to bring you a meal, you only came into contact with one or two crewmates a day. There was no eye contact and no more conversation attempts. You had become like an animal they just tried to keep alive until you reached your destination or until boredom hit… and you weren’t sure if it was for the better or worse. 

Chapter 2

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[cherryslyce]

Like Clockwork | Theodore Nott

Synopsis: You meet Theodore as a child, but the promises and laughter of your youth are left to be forgotten as war approaches.

Pairing: Theodore Nott x Ravenclaw!Reader

Notes: A shorter story that is kind of different from the formatting of my usual writing, but I'm quite happy with the finished result. This one will be a little painful.

The first time you meet Theodore Nott, you’re seven, still with a penchant for mischief and a habit for knocking your knees against the soft grass. It’s by pure accident that you stumble upon the stony-eyed boy who carried himself with an air of heavy responsibility.

He is visibly burdened. Because at a young age, he was already drifting helplessly in the sea of expectations and danger irreparably encroached into the veins of every Nott heir. Perfectly pureblooded, intelligent enough to know their role, but obedient enough to never question it.

At a young age, you still have your saccharine smiles and lackadaisical walk. It’s improper, your mother would scold, but unlike the steely-gazed boy’s parents, your parents carried little heat in their words. 

It is during an annual get together among the powerful pureblood families that you are positively certain that Theodore Nott was just the friend for you. 

His serious demeanor and watchful eyes left the other heirs unnerved and uninterested in being around him. So when you bound up to the boy, dandelion in hand, extending the sad little stem with an assuring grin, Theodore is sure you’ll be his little solace.

As the years flicker by, your bond only grows stronger, the shared nights stargazing and reading with the flashlights your house elves supplied causing the both of you to become inseparable. 

By 11, you’re both bouncing off the walls in excitement. Theodore barely has time to step out of your floo network before you’re nearly tackling him in a hug. To the both of you, Hogwarts was a place where you could both hang out without a time limit, and without the watchful eyes of your parents. 

The question of Houses and sortings doesn’t surface until you’re sat in your train compartment with an enthusiastic Blaise and a smug Draco. Your indifference to potentially not getting into Slytherin becomes the central topic of conversation between you four the whole way there. 

Theodore promises that it wouldn’t change your friendship, that house colors and its unity would never surpass your tender years of growing up together. 

He keeps his promise as you’re sorted into Ravenclaw. 

By second year, your parents have a falling out with Theodore’s. Theo’s parents seemed to turn like day and night, no longer comfortable with their heir floundering around with a non-Slytherin. Your parents back you, and as they pull away from the former tight-knit circle of dark pureblood families—they begin to question the ways of the Dark Lord. 

Theodore privately disregards his parents' letters, even making it a point to burn them in front of you. In public, Theodore has to play the role of an obedient heir, so you both stop partnering up in your classes and allow everyone to believe that you’re no longer friends.

You were not deterred by the change, understanding Theo’s precarious position and understanding that as long as in private it stayed all the same, you could keep the front up in public. 

It is only when third year rolls around that you begin to feel a rift settle between the both of you. The summer was spent with no contact with each other, even by letter, and the school year is filled with awkward little pauses in your conversations. 

You make friends with Susan Bones and Gryffindor’s Golden Trio to fill the gap. Theo begins to become a regular presence in Draco’s circle of friends, and he also begins to avoid your pointed glances when they all jeer at Harry. 

The rift grows into a cavernous berth by fourth year. Harry’s unceremonious reaping into the Triwizard Tournament seemed like jet fuel for the bigoted, blabbering engine that was Draco’s mouth. Theodore never steps in, hovering to show his silent support for the Malfoy heir. 

Your disappointment hangs heavy over your heart, yet, you soon force yourself to forget it as the tournament wraps up with the delivery of Cedric Diggory’s body from the maze. Nothing left of the kind, free-spirited boy—only an unseeing, glassy stare that would haunt you for the rest of the summer nights. 

Harry’s cries about Voldemort’s resurrection spurs storms of scrutiny and hatred, venomous words piling on your friend as you watch helplessly. No one was willing to believe him. 

But as the year ends and you see an uncertain Draco stride alongside a pale-faced Theodore, you’re sure many people agree with Harry in the shadows. 

Fifth year wipes away your carefree grins and echoing laughter, replacing the pieces of your old-self with fragments of someone unfamiliar. You’re prone to bouts of anger and episodes of self-withdrawal, unable to shake away the chronic stupor. 

Your stormy tides only grow in power as Umbridge begins to gain gradual power at Hogwarts. This only leads to an outcome that has you bonding with Harry over your shared torture in the woman’s office. 

Fifth year sees Theodore sporting uncharacteristic worry on his face, his cold eyes drawn to follow your every move. 

The strain that ripped your friendship apart at the seams, seems to disappear one night after one of your detentions. As you are walking back to your dorm, clutching your bleeding, irritated hand, a firm grip hauls you into one of the dark alcoves of the castle. 

You draw your wand in surprise, and you only lower it once you see the culprit, your heart bleeding over again. 

Theodore doesn’t speak as he gently applies Murtlap Essence to your wounds, running his thumb around the angry letters. And no words need to be exchanged as he’s pressing a kiss to your forehead and holding you in his arms, a silent reassurance of his presence.

The rest of your fifth year plays out the same way. Your friendship with Theo was mending slowly, but surely, an unspoken understanding seeming to bridge the gap that tore you both apart for years. 

By the end of fifth year, you’re both meeting up often in the shadows of the castle, talking about nonsensical topics and sharing lingering touches. The ache that finds residence in your heart only seems to persist as you long for more. 

The last week of fifth year, an owl you recognize as belonging to Theodore’s father, swoops into the hall along with the other owls, dropping a prim envelope onto the boy’s empty plate. You see Theodore’s eyes turn stormy, his grip going white on the paper, and he only tears his gaze away when Millicent Bulstrode pats his shoulder. Your stomach sinks. 

The last week of fifth year has you in a whirlwind of fury again as Theodore stops showing up in your meeting spots, returning to completely ignoring your existence. 

You’re left heartbroken and confused. 

Your answers arrive after a long summer filled with endless night terrors and heart ache. As you sit in the dining hall at the beginning of your sixth year, you have to fight back the stinging in your eyes as you hear a few girls whispering near you. 

“Didn’t you hear? Nott and Bulstrode are betrothed, my mum says the ceremony is next summer.” 

Sixth year is filled with constant reminders of the couple, loneliness flooding your lungs and threatening to drag you beneath the surface. You’re barely staying afloat when Harry approaches you with the burden of war, something you’re readily jumping into to get your mind away from the Slytherin boy. 

When Dumbledore falls from the astronomy tower and is pronounced dead, you feel your whole world flip. 

You have little time to panic before a familiar pair of hands is guiding you to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Theodore’s words come out rushed and shaky, but you manage to snap back to reality long enough to understand him. 

Theo is running his hands down your cheeks, pressing his face closer to yours as tears collect in his eyes. 

The engagement between him and Millicent was a front, he needed to do it to please his father– to avoid getting marked by Voldemort. Draco is not as fortunate. Theodore admits to helping the Malfoy heir with smuggling in the death eaters, but he rushed away immediately to make sure you were safe.

The news has you staring up at him in confusion and he begins to profusely whisper words of apologies, hugging your shocked body to his.

As you both hold each other in the darkness of the forest, you know that chaos was raining upon the world outside the safety of the towering trees. 

It is at the end of your sixth year in the forest when you and Theo share your first kiss, words of promises and apologies whispered between you two. 

Seventh year has you hunting for horcruxes with your friends, shouldering the burden in order to free the Wizarding World from the hellscape created by Voldemort. When your journey brings you back to the castle, your group splits up to cover more ground. Harry leaves for Voldemort, and you leave in search of your own Slytherin. 

Your reunion is nothing short of tears and relieved touches, hearts drumming loudly at the adrenaline of war and the joy of finding each other. Theodore presses kisses to your face, unbothered by the shocked looks you both receive from other students. 

In that moment, it felt like you were both children again. 

It’s 10 minutes after Voldemort arrives and all hell breaks loose, rubble raining from meters above, bodies dropping just as quickly. 

You can’t find Theodore anywhere, but you promise to look for him once it all ends, no matter who comes out victorious. 

You don’t find him.

It’s 5 months after the Battle of Hogwarts, rebuilding the castle takes a collective effort, and some surviving older students settle for odd jobs, others deciding to finish their last year at the fractured castle. 

It’s 5 months after the battle when Theodore finds you. 

His left ring finger is bare, eyes watering as he walks. The flower in his hand spins around as he nervously fiddles with his fingers. 

He promised that he would find you, and he did. 

The leaves cascade in waves of bright green, spring rolling in and highlighting the era of change to come now that Voldemort is gone.

Theo sits on the grass, his flower extended from his hand, and he lets his tears fall for the first time in the new era. 

A promised change is coming to the Wizarding World, and things will get better for the war-hardened citizens. 

Yet, it doesn’t feel that way, not when Theodore has to kneel down and place the lonesome flower on your polished grave--not when he has no anchor to keep him grounded in the new world. 

And he suddenly remembers when you were both seven and naive, feeling unobstructed by the fears of the real world. 

It is when he’s seven that he vows to protect you, no matter the cost. He vowed he would burn the world down to preserve your joyful smiles and warm eyes. 

But it was the fires that he lit which consumed you in the end. 

So, when he’s 18, Theodore Nott closes himself away from the world, and he swears to himself he would never make the same mistakes again. 

When Theodore Nott is 18, he resumes carrying the weight of his burdens and guilt alone. 

When Theo is 18, he wishes you were 18 with him too.

masterlist

[kitorin]

journal.

in which, itoshi rin's midnight writing exposes what he's kept concealed from you.

contents. itoshi rin x reader, 2.878 k words, fluff, angst (in the past), itoshi backstory spoilers (mixed with a few headcanons), 1st person rin pov for a bit (journal entry), regular highschool au

a/n. is this my best? no. but is it the best i have for today? yes. happy birthday to rin <3 after assignments are done i'll definitely rewrite this (i gave up on proofreading)

10 / 09 / 2023 : SUNDAY, 12:04 am - 3:21 am

Solitude has never been a foreigner.

In fact, he's quite a familiar individual, an old companion that never seems to leave.

Even before Nii chan left for Spain, solitude was still there for me. During class I wouldn't utter a word to anyone else unless necessary, and contrariwise for said classmates. People still spoke to me; just not to the extent that they'd know what my favourite foods were, or what I liked to watch in my free time, not even bothering with it. I've never been invited to hang out with anyone after school, or been to someone else's house (not that I particularly cared, I was just sure that I was the only one).

But I was okay with it. I didn't want, or need anyone else when Nii chan bought me ice blocks, giving me the bigger piece as we'd watch the sun's warm hues bleed into the sky; the saccharine iciness contrasting how warm is was to be swallowed by sunlight together. Dad took us fishing a lot, he's always been well acquainted with the sea, taking us to locations well populated by bream; my favourite. On our way home we'd harvest kelp (Nii chan likes it in rice, salted) and take photos together on our yacht, admiring how the sun greets the world farewell, sinking into the aquamarine. Mum makes amazing food, I'm constantly astonished at how she manages to memorise every preference, from my love for ochazuke to being able to pour the perfect amount of tea; the rice never becomes too soggy (even I can't pour the exact amount I like). Solitude was close to me, but my family were closer.

There's a lot I could say about them, they've done more than remember what I love and ensuring I was happy; I'm thankful they've delivered the right for me to be comforted, to have a shoulder to cry on, to be able to freely ramble on about whatever fascinated me.

I've always been happy, even if I'm alone outside of the walls I call home. Because whether I laughed my heart out or sobbed to the point I couldn't form a coherent sentence, I'd always come home running to my family. Nothing can beat dinner; where we all relish mum's food, ask each other about our days' and offer solace or advice when necessary.

I miss that. Terribly, to the point my heart aches.

I knew that Nii chan's departure to Europe (Spain, to be exact) would change a lot. I'd have to score without his guidance, walk home alone and buy my own popsicles. Dinner time would have one less soul to laugh with, and home would have one less to embrace.

I just never expected it to be painful change. I never predicted that his return would result in losing us entirely. I didn't think his homecoming would cause my immortal resentment towards the snow, or how my eyes prickle a bit at the mere thought of an ice block. I'd say it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me, separation from him following it on the list of my worst experiences.

Solitude avoided me at home, but wasn't enough.

One time on the way home, I was overhearing the team's conversations (nothing particularly new really) and it was a discussion about the future. It was honestly surprising to find out only some of us intended to become soccer players; Nagi would rather stream or compete in professional gaming, Kurona wants to study marine biology in uni, and Yukimiya wants to give acting a go along with his modelling career. Even Isagi has a plan for if professional soccer isn't an option. He said he wanted to help others achieve their dreams if he fails to do so himself.

I remained silent as always, but had a lot more thoughts racing through my mind. Retreating to my room immediately that night, my first thought was to lie in bed, to neglect the clips I planned to analyse, to ignore muscle training for today and to slack off a bit. That's when I realized how sad the life I was living. I was sad because I was reminded of my reality.

I'm a mere myriad of distinguished achievements, though a hideous attempt of replicating genius Itoshi Sae. I'm a collection of formidable accomplishments, basking in the spotlight of glory and honour. The trophies and awards adorning my room prove it, standing tall with pride and flaunting my hard work.

That didn't mean anything. I had remained in a constant cycle of training, eating, and sleeping. My teammates were just as ambitious yet still worked hard on other things; Yukimiya enjoys modelling and Reo has a passion for economics, That must've been where I was lacking.

That's how I ended up writing again. It was an attempt to break out of this cyclical torture of constant training and sports.

I don't know how I remembered it, but I found my notebook from primary, all the stories messily scrawled yet legible. Scarlet adorned narratives birthed from child-like imagination, eulogising the prose, even though I almost flinched out of embarrassment.

Flipping through the pages, I had found the paragraph my teacher left me, insisting that I keep writing. Obviously, I never did. After getting into soccer I ignored everything school related, and would've found words on a page foolish anyways.

Many years later, I finally followed that advice.

The end result wasn't pretty. I paused a lot, struggled a lot, and almost gave up, a lot. It may have been hideous, but it was mine. A piece birthed from curiosity and memories from the past turned into another attempt. Another attempt morphed into extensive reading, I wanted to observe what was considered worthwhile or meaningless.

Writing rewove the early nights into late night reading, fully immersed in the author's thoughts translated into prose. Reading was the push to giving academics a go. Academics pulled me out of the endless cycle of soccer, there was more to life than training and diet regulation.

Books I can read. Words I can write. Exams I can study for and sports I can practice. Weights I can lift and competitions I can train for.

But to be loved, is so difficult.

It's not like an exam that you can study for and simply memorise the answers to. Or a match that has the security of a referee and reinforced rules. It's not something that can be guaranteed with a mentor.

People treat Isagi to his favourite whenever he has a bad day (he likes kintsuba). People advocate their favourite novels to Yukimiya and Chigiri, even going as far as memorising their preferences to curate their recommendations flawlessly. It must be nice, for someone to invest that sort of effort in you, even if it's simply remembering a hobby.

As my peers savoured the allure of love, estrangement and desolation constantly haunted me; a pest habituating the sleepless nights where I try to escape with a cup of coffee that's long gone cold.

It's lukewarm, praying for another's attention, care and love, to be hungry for one's time. I pathetically plead whoever manipulating my fate to provide me some sort of human connection. I shouldn't be so hopeful of others, yet I find myself dying of curiosity; what would it be like for someone to remember my birthday? Or tell me about the horror movie they adored?

I despise solitude's clinginess. But I hate how it makes me sob endlessly when no one watches.

I have myself. I have my thoughts which I've transcribed to oeuvre. I have the pile of books resting on my bedside table which sleep alongside with me. I have the trophies and awards I've won, I'll always appreciate my own talent and diligence, even if playing soccer brought me so much pain.

I think I'm somewhat pretty. I find my prominent eyelashes special to me, it's something unique to both me and Nii chan. My physique isn't too bad, either. I like the way my legs look, and my shoulders as I dry my hair.

I've always been proud of myself. I've always been enough and I always will be. Just not for others.

That's why I never expected my bond with solitude to be severed so easily. Especially because of y/n out of all people.

I still don't get how it happened. The oblivion to their presence became a peculiar first impression. An odd first meeting turned into abrupt yet regular greetings amidst hallways. Soon, I was sitting with them in every class, passing notes during tedious lessons and discussing our favourite media on the bus ride home.

Before I knew it, passionate rambles about books turned into watching movies together in my room. Whenever they greeted me their friendly wave was replaced with a tight hug, passing notes in class were accompanied with subtle kisses on the cheek.

Our relationship as friends was reimagined to lovers.

Something must've possessed me to blurt out the stupid crush I had on them, and I thank whatever drove me to do that. As awkward as I was it doesn't compare to the skip of my heartbeat when they accepted my feelings.

It's been almost a year since I met them, yet I still feel hot whenever they hold my hand, and flush red at every compliment they whisper. I still find myself stuttering sometimes whenever they're showing me a new outfit they've styled.

I love the way they smile, the creases of joy that adorn the outer corner of their eyes, and how they squint with glee and the sweet, melodious laughter that accompanies it; how breathless they sound whilst laughing. The expression they wear when deep in thought fascinates me, even if it's midway through an exam or them simply observing a video Bachira sent them. I adore their late night thoughts they text me at 3 am, the fatigue itching my eyes seem to evaporate when I notice their name on the notification. I treasure the notes we've scrawled on spare sheets of paper, they're still in between the pages of my books.

Even now, they're sleeping soundly in my bed, arms wrapped around the plush I bought them; I keep getting distracted by the sight of them so relaxed, chest rising up and down with each breath.

I would die for them. Because now I don't need to pretend to be invested on my phone to look less lonely. Now, I don't need to put my bag on the seat next to me to make it look like I sit alone by choice. I don't have to persuade the teacher to let me do group projects alone, or have to observe others with jealousy. Someone defends me from disparaging comments.

Because now, I'm not alone.

7:15 am

THE ENTRY COMES TO AN END, AND EMBARASSMENT DUSTS Rin's face a faint tint of pink. His eyes avoid contact with yours— as he waits for your input his latest piece.

"Well? What do you think?"

You're not sure where to start. You've always known about his strained relationship with his older brother, and how his friendship with his teammates wasn't the same in the beginning. But he never explained it in detail; you wouldn't've guessed that he had some sort of chionophobia, or even cried because he felt so secluded from others. The thought of him concealing his tears and pain from the rest of the world made your eyes prickle and sends your heart racing miserably.

"Doesn't matter—" He reaches for the notebook, closing it and tossing it onto his desk. "Forget it, you didn't see anything." He plops backwards again, head hitting the pillow and groaning as he covers his face with his forearm. "It was shit anyways, I'll rip it out and toss it later."

"It wasn't."

Rin stays silent.

You lie down, mimicking his current position and cup his cheeks with your hand. "You'll never be alone again—, I promise you that." Your voice falters ever so slightly, the thought of his pain makes you feel weak in the knees and sick to the stomach. "You're more than enough, you always have and always will be. You don't need anyone's validation to be beautiful, you never did."

Rin sighs, "I'm only like that because of you." Yet something seems to throb in his heart, the small but overpowering part of him that insists he requires another's approval to be important— someone finally proving that wrong.

"That's not true."

"Yes it is, our classmates still loathe me, so do people who barely see or speak to me." There was no lie in that; but it wasn't Rin's fault. "Yoichi and the others only spend time with me because of you."

"I was only the push for them to speak to you, you know they've always cared, they were just too nervous to speak to you. As competitive as he gets, Yoichi really admires you, to the point he gets so heated and ends up rambling about your skills." That's a secret that was supposed to remain in your private messages, but Yoichi doesn't need to know.

Satisfaction momentarily appears on Rin's face at the thought of his rival's great respect, though it doesn't last very long.

"He's my teammate so it's expected... everyone I speak to at school seems to have something against me, even our English teacher." The mistreatment at school is undeniable, it's not exactly bullying but there's no respect or human decency in how people behave towards him.

"Rin, love, you've done nothing wrong, hate isn't always rational. There will always be people who can't stand seeing others more successful, and that's not your fault."

"Really?" His eyes light up; despite having a sophisticated and cold demeanour all the time, he looks like a child again, hope dances in his wide eyes.

"Really." Your fingers take advantage of the opportunity and pinch his cheeks gently. "Don't listen to all those stupid rumours and assumptions, idiot. I'd fight anyone who tries to hurt you and win every time."

When your fingers let go he immediately kisses you, and it leaves you breathless; the way he pulls you in flexes his well toned biceps and his hand supports your head.

"Thank you." Rin whispers, pulling away a bit. "Thank you for appreciating me. Thank you for everything." It's a rare occurrence for him to sound so frail, same goes for the tremble of his bottom lip.

"Of course, I love you more than anything."

"I love you too." It's escorted by a peck on your nose, and a soft expression sculpted on his face.

Before Rin can throw a blanket over the two of you again, you interrupt.

"You shouldn't throw that entry away." You still haven't forgotten his initial intention with it. "I don't get why you think it's shit."

"It's rushed. And it's just me waffling on about my feelings and the past. There's no proofreading, and it's rushed. It's not even complete either."

"That's the whole point of writing, no? It's the expression of our words and thoughts." You reach towards his desk to pick up the notebook. "Not everything has to be written in one sitting, too."

Rin doesn't bother stopping you from looking through the notebook at this point. "It's still stupid. It's just that I had the urge and motivation to write in the dead of night."

"Well. I like it."

Rin's stoic expression crumbles, revealing the bashful side he keeps concealed from the world. "Then that's good enough for me." The red on his cheeks tell you that you've won the argument.

You turn back to the entry page, impressed with his barely legible yet pretty handwriting. "You should've slept instead."

"I don't get tired anyways." He's quickly betrayed by the yawn clawing out of his throat.

"Liar. Why would you stay up writing so late... your sleep is important you know?"

"Because you are love itself. I won't get a wink of sleep if it means I can think and write about you instead." Rin's pulls you in again, tossing his notebook elsewhere as he leans in. "I promise I'll finish that entry, no— I'll write a book about you one day."

"Writing this, writing that, sleep first dumbass." A smile tugs at your lips as you pull Rin back into the position you were cuddling in a few hours ago. Even though you were the one who slept a lot more, fatigue itched your eyes, and a yawn spilled out too.

In response, Rin tosses a blanket over the two of you, whispering good night as you begin to nod off a bit. He should rest too, he has training tomorrow and has to go to the gym as well.

The Itoshi Rin from before would've slept immediately. In fact, he wouldn't've stayed up in the first place, let alone date someone. But the Itoshi Rin now instead stares at you, admiring each and every feature of yours. You're his savior, the luminescent moon irradiating his world, guiding him away from the grasps of solitude and embracing him with love instead.

Tagging: @yuzurins (yumi you inspired this fic btw lol)

© kitorin : do not repost, plagiarize, change, or translate

[eluminium]

SKIZZLEMAN WEEK LETS GOO!!!! May not have actually written and finished something for like two years BUT SKIZZLEMAN WEEK IS MORE POWERFUL THAN PROCRASTINATION!!!!

Thank you @skizzlemanweek for organizing and creating these prompts!

Prompt 1: Silent/Shout

-

It had been a weirdly silent few weeks on Magic Mountain.

Well, kind of. Of course, with seven hermits nearby and many more in horse riding distance, real silence is quite a rare phenomenon. But for the residents around Magic Mountain, an uncomfortable stillness louder than expected had settled into their hearts lately. As she cleans out the bones of her latest catch, Gem remembers mentioning it to Impulse recently.

"I didn't realize how much the man talks until he was gone. And now I'm like: Oh, this is what it's like for there to be silence, actually!"

The man in question? None other than Skizzleman, of course! Who isn't dead, just on some off-server business of some kind. At least that's what he told Gem and the others before leaving.

She rolls her eyes fondly at how Scar started talking about some conspiracy theory of his where Skizz is some heaven-sent spy barely a tick after Skizz took his leave. A rant that resulted in poor Mumbo explaining to a confused Joel that Scar's comic-book hero phase last season had some lasting side effects.

She unceremoniously drops the fish bones into the river outside her new anglerfish-shaped fish shop. They hit the water with a small splash before sinking into the murkiness below. Gotta give back to the river! Otherwise, it'll get mad. That's basic fisherwoman knowledge.

When she turns to head back inside so she can put the fish on the cutting boards away, her eyes catch the faint silhouette of Skizz's pyramid in the distance. The sight of it makes the silence around her somehow more prevalent. A sigh leaves her. She misses him. She never thought that the silence he leaves behind would suck this much.

But as she heads back inside, Gem reminds herself that she won't need to miss him for long. He said he'd only be gone for a few weeks, so he's due to be back pretty soon. Then she can go back to poking him for being old or something. In fact, she can almost hear him shout an overdramatic "HEYYY!" already as she points out that-

Wait.

She quickly drops the floppy boneless salmon in the chilled chest and rushes out the door. She may have a good imagination, but it's not THAT good! She looks around rapidly until her eyes catch something. Two figures in the distance. She squints, but it doesn't really help, so she pulls out a spyglass instead.

She can't help but gasp in surprised happiness when she spots familiar feathery wings and a bright spinning halo. It's Skizz! He's back!

Of course, Impulse stands next to him, his demonic tail flapping wildly in excitement. They seem to already be caught up in a conversation. Typical them, can't leave each other alone for five seconds. Seems like the perfect time for her to come and deliver some made-with-love Gem Punches!

But just as she's about to put the spyglass down and run over, she spots a shocking change in Impulse's facial expression. The happy smile decorating his face melts in a tick into something unreadable. (Fear? Annoyance? Teasing? A mix of that and more?) Confused, Gem stops and pans the spyglass over to Skizz's face. Is he…Is he making kissy faces at Impulse-?

Before she can even process what's going on, Impulse looks in her general direction and RUNS. Full-on sprints at top speed in a manner Gem would be impressed he could do if she wasn't so caught off guard. The spyglass quickly disappears into her inventory as she watches him approach with Skizz hot on his heels.

"GEM!!! HELP!!!" Impulse shouts in a clearly overdramatic tone.

"You can't run forever Dipple Dop!!!" Skizz cackles manically.

"What are you idiots doing?!" She tries to put on a tone of playful annoyance, but her amusement leaks through like water through a hole in a boat.

"He's gonna kiss me on the cheek, Gem!!! You gotta help me!!!" Impulse squeals as he runs around in circles on the shore, skillfully dodging Skizz's attempts to grab him.

Gem can't help it. She bursts out laughing so hard it almost hurts her throat. These dudes, she swears. Obviously, if Impulse was actually uncomfortable with the situation he'd tell Skizz, and they wouldn't have a silly goose chase on her front lawn, so she feels rather justified in cackling at his supposed misfortune. And she only laughs harder when Impulse lets out various desperate noises of desperation, which are comical enough that Skizz has to stop his chase because he's laughing too hard. His hands land on his knees as he completely loses it together with Gem. Impulse giggles and stops in his tracks instead of running further, all but confirming that they're just messing around.

"Wow, Gem! I beg for your help, and you laugh at me? I thought we were friends!" He says in an overly hurt tone while crossing his arms and sniffling dramatically.

Gem opens her mouth to respond, but before a single syllable leaves her, Skizz pounces on Impulse and finally scores his victory by snagging a smooch on the man's cheek. He even manages to catch Impulse in a hug. Gem lets out something between a cheer and an "awwwwwww!" as Impulse wiggles in his best friend's grasp.

"I missed you, Dipple Dop!" Skizz says with happy sincerity as he squeezes said Dipple Dop.

"Missed ya too buddy" Impulse responds, sounding like he's getting all air wrung out of him. He pats Skizz on the back. Skizz, in turn, lets him go and turns his eyes to Gem, still standing in the mouth of her anglerfish. He wastes no time jumping into the river, splashing water everywhere, and then swimming over to her.

"And I missed you too, Gemstone!" He cheers as she helps him up onto the solid (?) ground.

Gem can't help but smile as she tackles him for a hug of her own. As his sturdy and comfy arms wrap around her she feels, more than hears, how the hush around Magic Mountain fades away as one of its seven lively mountaineers has come home once again.

[cryingspiritsofheart]

omg hi hi!! I was the anon who requested the Yandere tighnari hcs and I loved it ahhh!!!! I’ve been rereading it all day!!!

if it’s alright with you, could I request Yandere Lyney hcs with a male fox hybrids reader (again lol)

also can I be referred to as 💌 anon if you do anon stuff

Hi, Welcome back 💌 Anon! Thank you for submitting another request. (I'm so glad you liked it I really thought it wouldn't be what you wanted but I'm glad you enjoyed my writing) And you can request as much as you like I'm happy to write it ^^.

ραɾιɳɠ: 𝐿𝑦𝑛𝑒𝑦 𝑿 𝐹𝑜𝑥 𝐻𝑦𝑏𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑀!𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

ᡶꪗᩏꫀ: 𝓡𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽, 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞, 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟

𝕎𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘: ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀʀ sᴛᴜғғ?, ʟʏɴᴇʏ ᴄᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ʜɪs ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴏʀᴇ, ɴsғᴡ/18+ (ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ sᴏᴍᴇ ɪ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟʏ ғᴏʀɢᴏᴛ (｡•́︿•̀｡))

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who invites you to his acts and when your in that form of yours he makes you apart of it. He does that quite often, Even Lynette thinks your apart of the show now or Lyney's other assistant.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who introduced you to his mother as his new "assistant" when he obviously knows his interests in you.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who told his mother that you were making conversations with others around Fontaine which lead to Arlecchino sending fatui guards to dispose of them.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 that brushes your fur in your form and goes your makeup when your human.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who gifted you a bow for both forms which was inspired by his design and it totally didn't have a tracker in it because he totally trust you (^v^)

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who invites you to the orphanage and "jokes" about having children with you, since y'know your a hybrid and all.. but of course he'd never do it without your consent!

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who has your head resting in his lap while he's entertaining children, especially when people are caught having friendly or love eyes at you making them pull you close and they disappear within seconds!

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who gives you special seats at his shows even when you insist he shouldn't waste his time which he only responds with ❝𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗠𝗶 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿~ 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻`𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲.. "𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲"❞

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who drugged you when he found out that you were having some strong connection with his sister Lynette but turns out you just wanted to learn more about her, Lyney and Freminet.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who trust you to be his lawyer everytime he's put for trails. To everyone's surprise (expect Lyney) you made an fantastic lawyer! Even when sometimes it was his fault..

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who puts vibrators special objects inside your hole the place under your tail so he sees your expression during his show or just in general but he mostly does it on show nights.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 whose invited you to drinks knowing you get drunk easily which lead to him tying you down, and fucking loving you until everyone could hear you but he eventually shuts you up.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who's made you your own version of his outfit just more revealing which explains why he's the only who to see you in it

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who calls you his "Little/Baby fox" which results in you two arguing (playfully) about that nickname,, he usually ends up winning but you still got your chances.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who treats you like a prince, he does things that you insist you can do on your own. Especially when it comes to showering he ends up going inside with you and you two basically start fighting for absolutely no reason leading to Arlecchino showering the both of you and a long lecture.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who gets easily jealous it seems like if your talking to someone he dislikes/hates or someone who isn't his family their being dispose with no hesitation

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who stalks you and bugged your house so whenever it's your birthday or a special day for you he knows what exactly to get to you.

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who tries to teach you easy card tricks but not reveal his actual secrets because he might be obsessed about you but he always says: ❝𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘅 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲❞

𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 who has wet dreams or gets touch starved about you whenever you've been gone for at least a day or going on a travel and he can't come along with

Another request done for my lovely 💌 anon! Hope you enjoy just like you enjoyed the Tighnari one. I am making this quite late (is 9:30 even late?) So sorry if this sense rushed but if you have anymore request please end them through and I'll get to them when I can!

[shiny-kaibernyte]

It's my Birthday!

March 19th and im a year closer to meeting Arceus lucky me! So here is some of my Pokémon simps headcannons as to how they would celebrate your birthday. (I was going to do my top 5 simps but they are all from different things so I'm gonna leave those to myself) There will be no Scarlett and violet characters. They will be in they're own post (There's a lot I like)

Characters: Adaman, Lysander, Raihan, Leon, Cynthia, Volo

💙💎Adaman💎💙

Adaman’s number one rule is that every moment counts. So when it comes to planning your birthday, he makes sure every second he spends planning results in the perfect outcome.

He would make sure to remember all of your favourite things to do and put as many as he can in one day without overdoing it. Adaman was always good at planning. Execution was the problem.

Headstrong and passionate don’t tend to go well together, so no matter how many hours he spends detailing everything. Planning around possible problems; as always something is bound to go wrong.

Surprise bandit attack; Alpha attack; Something happens in the Demand clan; Irida

Will that stop him from making this day all about you? Arceus no! He’s just gonna try harder to make you happy. Even if you're already beaming with the royal treatment he is giving you. Adaman won’t stop until the sun is gone, and he’s carrying you back home.

I would try and pinpoint 1 specific thing he’d do, but Adaman would do basically anything you wanted. Your wish was his command, whatever you wanted to do - he would do. Want to go on a catching spree? Sure. Want to walk along the coastal beach, when do we leave? Want to scale the cobalt mountains to reach the temple of Sinnoh? He’s already racing you up there.

You could drag him to the Alabaster Iceland's and he would follow you like a Fidough. It’s your day and he is going to make damn sure you feel like royalty by the end.

🧡☕Lysandre☕🧡

Lysandre is a busy man. Being the leader of Team flare and running his company and keeping his goal of beauty running smoothly. Time is not something he has! But for his darling's birthday, that's time he is happy to put aside.

He wouldn’t be particularly flashy about what he does for your birthday. He is a gentleman aftercall! Not psychotic at all he's fine i swear. Don’t expect Tengen Uzui to be flashy with him. Lysandre is much more laid back than that. He won’t show you off to the world if you aren't comfortable with it.

His personal life is something he likes to keep behind closed doors, so for your birthday, the most public he would get is taking you out around Lumios, weather that be a shopping spree, a nice conversation at a quiet café. Dinner at a nice restaurant would be a must however. He still wants you to feel special so he will spoil you rotten with gifts. Dudes got the money to burn. 

I can see Lysandre planning something beforehand to keep the paparazzi distracted. Like calling in a favour with a friend high up and having them stage something on the other side of the city so you two can be together in peace.

Once you two get home, he will spend the night with you watching any movie or show you want. Reading with you, just talking with you. Anything you want so long as he can see that beautiful smile of yours. 

Lysandre will go to bed with you but… It's a 50/50 shot if he will still be in bed when you wake up. If he is there, lucky you! If he isn’t there, expect an apology note written quite detailed and a nice breakfast with a simple apology gift next to it.

💗🐉Raihan🐉💗

Battle dates. This man will take you to every single gym tournament and battle he can just to watch your excited face when something awesome happens. Seeing his treasure smile makes him all bubbly and giddy.

But don’t worry, he isn't;’t just going to drag you around Galar showing you fight after fight. He isn’t that stupid. Raihan would definitely take you flying on Flygon so you can see the beauty of Galar from his view. Though his view won’t be on the land below.

For once, he will not mention Leon’s name once! I didn’t know that was possible but here we are. Today is about you, so Leon is flicked temporarily out of Raihans mind and into the naughty corner.

Photo’s everywhere. Anywhere you two go, he will either stop to take a selfie with you or tell you to go pose somewhere so he can capture the moment. Defiantly will ask you before posting the photo though. Sometimes though he will sneak a photo of you when he thinks you like breath-taking. Something to keep to himself. And don't even think about saying you look bad in one of them, because he will then take a million more to prove you wrong. That or smother you in kisses so you won't say it again.

Raihan will be like Lysander when it comes to gifts. This man will SPOIL YOU! Anything you want, you’d have to grab him by the hood to stop him taking the crowd of people down with him. 

He would 1000% be down for a movie marathon as well if you would rather stay inside. He will have a fort built, snacks at the ready and every movie ready.

💜🎮Leon🎮💜

Bless his soul, he has no idea what to do. Leon would want to take you somewhere really nice he found during his travels, if only he could remember which direction it was in. Then he thought about a nice restaurant you had mentioned wanting to try. Which city was that in again? Perhaps he could take you out to the beach, where was that again?

He would leave it at. “I’ll follow you.” So just drag him around with you and he will gladly follow you and do what you wanna do. Just nothing reckless, he won’t do anything that could get you hurt. Unlike Raihan he would avoid battle arenas. 

I feel like Leon would 100% be down for a gaming day, he’d let you take him to any game store and buy every game you wanted and just play all of them. Card, board, video all of them. Single player or multiplayer he will be right there cheering you on or giving you competitive gals with a smile.

If you're up for it, Leon would ask if Hop could join you two for a little while, not long as Leon does want to spend the day with you, but Hop sees you as a family too.

Dude cannot read. So do not ask him to read anything, he can’t tell the difference between Your and You’re. But if you like reading out loud, he will have his head in your lap listening to you read if that will make you happy. 

Leon would try and make you the best cake he can! We know this man can decorate very well, the baking half is a hit or miss, definitely would have gotten help from an unknown alias. His mom.

🖤🌺Cynthia🌺🖤

Forest date. This woman would give you the royal treatment. Lysander got nothing on this Queen! She will take you anywhere you want for the day. But if you ask her to pick what you do or… a surprise!? She takes that as a challenge. You will most likely wind up on a secluded part of a meadow surrounded by nature.

Tranquil and beautiful, a place for just the two of you to spend time with one another. No champion duties, paparazzi, endless questions of your relationship. Just Her and you. 

Cynthia’s Roserade would make it subtly rain rose petals around the area to add to her love for you. If it’s raining, she has a plan for that too. No rain is going to ruin your special day! Hope you like dancing in the rain because she is already dragging you out to the flower meadows to dance with you hand in hand.

You can guarantee she has a picnic somewhere hidden, Where you will never know that. But this woman has come PREPARED! She’s prepared for everything, and your birthday is no exception.  She has everything, from your favourite snacks, drinks, everything. Even the blanket is your favourite colour. Cynthia even bought a pillow with her that you could sit on so you wouldn’t be uncomfortable if you wanted it.

Like Raihan her Pokémon would be involved. But instead of flying, she would use her Pokémon to put on a show for you. The rose petals from Roserade being just an example. Her Garchomp would show you a fireworks show when night arrived, along with the help of Togekiss.

She won’t spoil you with gifts. Instead she will have one thing she made for you herself. It won’t be very big, but it will show you the love she has for you. Whatever she made you, expect it to be incredibly meaningful.

💛✨Volo✨💛

Cynthia had to get her skills somewhere and this is where. Volo does everything Cynthia does but somehow even more extra. 

If Cynthia gives you the royal treatment, he is giving you the Deity treatment. Man has Giratina at his call, he can literally give you anything! And he will use it to his advantage at every chance he gets. He will use his craftsman skills to make you a bracelet with all of the stones on as a mark of your journey together. If you want him to make another so you can match, oh look he already did! What are the chances?

This man will take you EVERYWHERE! Even places you have never been to before on the back of Giratina, he will show you the world most don’t get to see. The world he will build for you. But he won’t spoil that surprise.

He would definitely make you food, he travels alot so cooking is a must know skill. So your birthday with him isn't a day, it's a whole week. And every time he makes you something it is completely different. Volo is taking zero shortcuts on this adventure. He may have a Deity on his team, his Deity is sat infornt of him admiring the stars.

Speaking of Stars. Stargazing is a must on every clear night you two get. He would lay his jacket down for you to lay on and look up at the sky together.

Volo would make sure to stop around different areas and tell you about the history there, watching your expression carefully to see the enthusiasm and curiosity on it which just makes him want to try harder to get that smile to stay there. 

He will also use his trade skills to get you something that caught your eye from wherever he took you. Volo may have money but he will use his skills where he can. Giratina isn’t the only benefit he has. Dude is a travelling merchant after all. He has more knowledge than everyone combined. Expect him to show you off however. He loves you more than anything, and wants the world to know that.

[smellingofpoetry]

Just Thought You Should Know

Characters: Reader, Dean Winchester, Lisa Braeden

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Summary: It was just one of those drunk calls until it wasn't anymore.

Warnings: angst, drunkness, song fic

Word count: 616

A/N: Hi!! I hope you enjoyed the idea of choosing the next fic. It was quite fun for me, even though I have to admit you managed to surprise me. I thought you would have chosen differently, but I'm happy to finally share with you this story. I always write with music, and this time I was listening to Betty Who's song, "Just Thought You Should Know". I love this song, and I'm proud of the result of this story. I hope you'll love it as much as I do. All errors are mine, like always. Enjoy! ❤

Dean watched the clock on his nightstand – 3 AM.

He grabbed his phone, dangerously buzzing towards the end of his nightstand.

Y/N – he read the name flashing on the screen and got up quickly before waking Lisa up. Dean walked out of the room, through the corridor, and down the stairs towards the kitchen, and only when he was in the secure of the four white walls he dared to answer.

“Hello?”

He could hear her breathing on the other side of the phone, so he waited a few seconds for an answer before trying again.

“Y/N, you there?”

“Y-yeah, just –” she paused “– give me a minute,” she said, and Dean could hear her trying to open the door and, a few moments later, the keys falling out of her hands, hitting the floor. “Shit!”

“You good?” he asked, hearing her take a long sigh, followed by the noise of something slipping. She probably had just given up and followed the keys on the floor if he knew her right.

“Maybe I’m too drunk, and I’m not doing this the right way –” Y/N admitted.

“Do you need me to call you someone?” He tried. “Charlie, maybe?”

“No, wait, let me finish.” She slurred a bit, waiting for the corridor of the condo to stop spinning. “I just wanted to tell you I’m so happy that you’re happy with her,” Y/N said seriously before a giggle escaped her lips. “Wait, no, that’s a lie.”

“I think you’re too drunk to have this conversation.”

“I have to tell you someday.”

“Tell me what?”

“The way I’m feeling.”

“Y/N –” Dean warned her, but she ignored him and started talking, too afraid to lose the courage that was flooding her veins.

“I can still feel you, you know. You’re everywhere.” She whispered, not knowing if she was admitting those things to him or finally acknowledging the ugly truth. “I can taste your lips –” she said and mindlessly graced her mouth “– hear your voice in my head, and I know –” her voice wavered. “I know that I should shut my mouth and just hung up the phone –” she furiously brushed away the tears that fell on her cheeks “– but I still want you.”

Dean closed his eyes and tightened his jaw at her words, her muffled cries on the other side not helping his heart.

What was he supposed to answer to that? After everything they went through? Especially after everything they went through.

Y/N wasn’t stupid, and even in her drunken state, she knew him enough not to expect much from Dean, especially when put on the spot like she had just done, but she couldn’t keep it to herself anymore. Not when looking at them together was hurting her that much.

“I just thought you should know.” She whispered, even though she knew he didn’t owe her anything, not anymore.

Dean sighed at her words and, for a split second while standing in the kitchen at 3 AM with her wavering voice in his ear and his heart biting a mile a minute, he had almost caved. He had almost let the words he had pushed away in the deep of his soul slip from his grith until he heard it. Small and dragged steps getting closer and closer, so he did the only reasonable thing to do.

He closed the call.

“Babe, everything okay?” Lisa came into the kitchen with her eyes still puffy from the sleep. Dean forced a smile on his face before walking towards her and kissing her forehead.

“Yeah, I just needed a glass of water.” He answered her, swallowing down the regret.

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Love Looks Like...

Can be read platonically, romantically or like family :) (Orthos is not romantic btw go die if you were hoping for that <3)

Heartslaybul

Riddle- Handwritten notes lightly scented like roses ask you to come for tea, take him up on it. Spending time with you without the expectation of having to keep up with every single rule relaxes him immensely.

Trey- Icing on your nose, a teasing comment or two, and making your incoming complaining stop before it starts with a taste test. You're the one person he'll show off a little for, so long as its just the two of you.

Cater- Comfort, no need for the picture perfect smiles, the concealed, the makeup the filters- sitting in each other's company, holding onto the other as a reminder that reality is not quite as harsh as you remember since the other was a part of it.

Deuce- doting, anxiousness, fingertips brushing as bags are taken from your hands gently. Let him be who you rely on, let him show you he can be there for yoh the way he trusts you are there for him. Phone calls home, excited to tell his mom about you and memories you've made.

Ace- "You're an idiot" "I'm YOUR idiot", for anyone looking in they would think the two of you are enemies, but only at first glance. The silent communication as you lock eyes, his hand on your back to pull you away from things that make you uncomfortable, your hand on his shoulder to remind him when he should keep his mouth shut for his sake- a team. In private he needs to know that all the teasing is just that- so please hold him and play with his hair to remind him thats all it is.

Savanaclaw

Leona- "You look horrible. Come with me." Blunt to a fault, but it results in you in his arms, close and safe. Have you slept enough? Have you been taking care of yourself? He won't ask it out loud, but between his own stubborness and powers of delegation, he'll make sure you are taken care of. Soft purrs when you finally relax with him.

Ruggie- You don't remember packing any snacks, but magically there's one in your bag. He will never admit to it out loud, but he has a stronger stomach anyways. He can eat something else. You won't be going hungry, and that's whats important. You want to split it? Ah, damn maybe his stomach growling gave him away, but its that kind of kindness that made him want to look out for you. You're too soft!!

Jack- It takes a while before he's alright being openly cuddly, but he's always Right There. He always seems to know exactly what you need- the truth is he's been paying very close attention to you and your habits, and will ensure that you're happy as possible. You want to scratch behind his ears? He's not an actual dog- but fine. He'll bend down for you and pretend his tail isn't wagging a mile a minute.

Octavinelle

Azul- Solitude is something he's resigned himself to. He knows the tweels would turn on him on a dime if they so chose, and he's all but botched any other hopes at friendship. But for some reason you still seek him out. And for some reason, sharing his space isn't as bad as he thought it might be. Watching you sleep peacefully on his couch in his office makes him wonder what he did to make you feel so safe- but he's not complaining. Maybe you'd give him the same feeling if he could just get himself to try.

Jade- he's in awe of how little regard you seem to have for your well being. He just has to ask kindly and it seems you would follow him anywhere. As much as it nags in the back of his mind, he can't bring himself to act on any of his impulsive or intrusive thoughts. Especially when you listen to him ramble where others would ask him to stop.

Floyd- Throwing you. He's very physical. Maybe not throwing you or tackling you if its not something you cope well with, but its the novelty of knowing you'll come back. Whether its because of gravity or because he makes you laugh, you'll come back to him.

Scarabia

Kalim - Spontaneity. A blur of lines between what societal norms are for relationships, and just doing what makes you both happy. Life is so so short, so who cares if you hold hands or kiss each others heads and cheeks. Who cares if you fall asleep in each others arms. Let him explore with you, learn new things with you, travel with you. Life is better a minute at a time and he intends to spend as many minutes with you doing the things that excite the both of you as possible.

Jamil- Diligence. He pays attention to every possible detail. If you did the same for him, he may need a moment to process before accepting it.

Pomefiore

Vil- Political Incorrectness. So much hinges on what he says, how he acts, how he looks- with you he can speak freely. His opinions don't need careful wording. His disdain needs not be hidden. He doesn't need to sit like a lady nor eat like a gentleman. His laugh doesn't have to be his practiced melodic arpeggio but his real squawk. He trusts you wholly. Please reciprocate, so he feels like its ok.

Rook - Vulnerability. As much as he compliments other people, as hard as he works, he has never asked for praise. When he's in your arms, its quiet, almost like he didn't want you to hear him ask if you like him or you like what he says. Reassure him, praise him, and let him melt into you.

Epel - Having been raised on a farm he knows how to multitask and balance multiple responsibilities. He enjoys writing compliments on post its and slapping them onto you or around Ramshackle for you to discover- even if some of them are lightheartedly back handed. But his post its are also great to remind you when you have quizzes coming up or when you (mysteriously) need to go on another grocery run (for some items you've literally never had before but you know Vil wouldn't allow them at Pomefiore simply by the name of them).

Ignihyde

Idia- Hyperfixation rambler needs a listener. And its you. He loves the fact that if he doesn't feel up to talking though, you're perfectly happy just spending time in the same room together. But if you bring better snacks than he currently has on his room you Must Share. What do you mean he needs a real lunch first.

Ortho- baby brother!! He is still learning how to express love- or the idea of love to people other than his brother. But let him try!! He likes to "kiss" your forehead by bumping his face against yours, and makes happy little robot trills. Just tell him hes doing a great job. That's all he really needs.

Diasomnia

Malleus - journal entries he knows you'll never read. Beautiful black ink with a tinge of metallic forest green skillfully written in lovely calligraphy, lovingly filling the pages of his personal diary. Habits he has observed, his hopes for your future, and predictions of your past. Maybe one day he will read this to you, but for now he would rather spend his time having conversations to write later on. He will never let himself forget your importance.

Lilia- Silly silly old man. He wants to make every moment light, life is too short to simply dwell on possibilities, regrets and mistakes. Let him be the shoulder you cry on, so he can be the hand that helps you back up.

Silver - Dont lose faith in him. He knows that his narcolepsy can make it difficult to feel like he's genuinely there for you, but he swears to you he is. It's something he's still learning to navigate, please, just hold his hand through it all. He won't let go either.

Sebek - Gentleness. Its different coming from you than his father or Lilia or Silver. It's redirecting his attention from a minor incident to seeing his favourite bird. It's your hand squeezing his shoulder a bit before he yells so he has a moment to collect his thoughts. It's your honesty when he's fallen prey to another one of Lilia's tricks.

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Y'all idk what the fuck this is but I hope you liked it

I'm still on the mend from wisdom teeth removal but I'm alright if anyone was wondering lmao

Masterlist