#it's impossible to love claude as much as i love him

[magical-happiness]

because scrolling through pictures of claude is totally doing my health homework.

[umitsy]

Yandere college nerd pt. 3 | pt. 2 | pt. 1

warnings: kidnapped reader, love obsession, threatening, food and water deprivement, mentions of murdering, accuse falsely

reader's g/n

A day with Claude, could go on many types of ways—here I'll list some of them.

➻ He would firstly feed you breakfast, sometimes letting you by yourself 'cause he has to attend some urgent matters as soon as possible if he hadn't get rid of those the night before already.

➻ When he returns to the house those days though, expect him to get really clingy. He sometimes gives you space if you really do not like physical contact, but more often than not, he'll hug you while he feeds you whatever food he's brought for the afternoon.

➻ However, once his lessons have started, he'll get particularly strict and serious with you. It really reminds you of when he'd answer a complicated problem at the class and the teacher would ask him to explain it to everyone.

➻ He ends up mixing almost all topics into one class of his. Starting off with Maths—he'd go on about the scientific behind those equations to their importance in History, and so on. Don't even think about asking him when is it going to end because he'll add more time as punishment.

➻ When he can stay with you in the mornings though, he'll first ask what you want to eat, anything really, he'll even learn right on the spot if it's something he doesn't even know the name about.

➻ When you struggle to eat, wether on the morning, evening, or nights—he'll definitely not be pleased. He knows you know how important it is for your body to it, so he might ask you nicely two or three times to eat, but if you still refuse, he'll start eating in front of you. Not necesarilly making exaggerated noises but the way he cooks each plate so deliciously looking it makes it impossible for you to resist too much.

➻ Does not let you have any devices at all-anything that needs internet connection goes out of your life right then and there. You'll only need a lamp, a projector (that only he is allowed to use) and a clock—that's it. He does not like all the lies internet spreads nor the facility people has gained of believing them. He does not want you to fall for any of it.

➻ When he unties you, he thinks you'll know better than to leave him, so the thought of chaining you back on the bed never crosses his mind ever again. However, if you do start trying to escape, he'll remorsefully lock you in your room for sometime. No food, no water—nothing but silence. Maybe after a couple of times suffering the lonely time you'll finally learn the most important lesson he wants to teach you—there's no one else for you than him, you'll only need him.

➻ If you get bored you'll always have a shelf full of educational books in his room. Yes, his. He has a rule of those books never leaving his room and has made very clear he can and watches you at all times, so you really didn't have much option. He likes when he arrives and sees you comfortably reading through a classic piece of Literature—or History, Human Body, Maths, whatever had caught your eye that day-sitting on the rocking chair he set up for you or on the bed.

➻ He gets that you might still be afraid of him, having read lots of sources about how a human may react to kidnapping—but with all this little actions of his, he tries to redeem and show his soft side. Just don't push it that much 'cause it's easier to break than to fix.

➻ What those urgent matters are about? Of course he didn't like that teacher to begin with and the school can surely get someone better, so who's gonna end with all his crap? He could easily kill him as he's studied the human body perfectly or—his least favorite—creating a huge rumour about him. Whatever that'll make him suffer the most without missing his daily lesson with you.

➹ "My favorite natural phenomenon? It’s the sparkle in your eyes."

I was thinking next chapter could be a scenario of reader trying to escape from him?

All writings' rights reserved © 2024 umitsy. (Credit to the respective owners of the pictures.)

[distance-does-not-matter]

in the garden

Dedicated to the lovely @imissthembutitwasntadisaster, who always reminds me how much I love this couple and has inspired me to develop their story!

He came calling three days after their engagement. Her mother was reluctant to leave them alone, but Bhavana insisted on speaking with him. At last, after much hovering and muttering, two cups of tea, and a few hasty promises extracted, she left them to stroll in the garden. She rested her fingertips in his elbow only until they were out of sight of her mother; when they turned the corner, she stepped away, and he stopped. 

She looked back at him. “General?”

He flinched. 

“Please, don’t call me that,” he said, the first words he’d spoken since they stepped outdoors.

“What should I call you then?” “Just my name.”

The great and rising general of the land, in her garden, next to her overgrown amaryllis, asking her to call him by just his name. Her friend, looking nervous in her garden.

“Claude.”

He smiled at her, a smaller smile than normal.

“Bhavana.”

She kept walking, trying to be absorbed in noting changes she wanted to make, but was soon stopped by his voice.

“I came to break the engagement, if that is what you want.”

When she looked back at him, he was standing straight and proud, but she recognized the clenching of his hand that betrayed his nerves. He looked every bit the decorated General Vallot she had heard spoken about; but that small action, the clenched hand, brought him back to simply being her friend Claude. 

“Why?”

“I know you don’t love me, and I don’t love you.”

The breath left her lungs. These days, she had been turning over every interaction of theirs, examining his behavior, wondering what could have provoked the proposal. Romantic love had been the most likely explanation, and yet that explanation had just been taken from her. She almost wanted to laugh: in confusion, in relief, in heaven only knew what.

“Then why–?” “Because Dane was insulting your honor, and as your friend, I couldn’t let that stand. I apologize if I’ve confused you. I came here to explain myself, and to let you leave the engagement if you want. I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”

Stunned, she stepped closer. “Leave the engagement?”

He nodded. “I would handle it all; you wouldn’t have to worry. I don’t want to saddle you with anything you don’t want.”

When she didn’t respond, he hesitated. “You don’t… you don’t have to answer immediately.” 

She blinked and tried to formulate a response, but words failed her. Instead, she took his elbow and led him to a bench. He sat tall and straight on the edge of the bench, just as he always did. His scar flexed as he clenched his jaw. There had been a time when she hadn’t seen the scar; but once seen, it was impossible to miss, even as it hid itself. 

“Give me some time to think it over. I….”

At that, he smiled at her, shockingly gentle. It was hard to believe that smile belonged to the man who had earned such acclaim in the court. It looked better suited to a scholar or someone else gentle and removed from the world. 

“How long would you like?”

“A week. Please. I’ll write to you.”

He nodded, eyes softening with another smile. Slowly, he stood, and began to stroll further in the garden. From her seat, she was able to take him in. His clothes were simple, but of high quality and cut well. His shirt was muted blue, and his pants were black. It all looked new, except his shoes. They had clearly seen years of hard use. He bent to look at a flower, using his left hand to bring it closer. Left. That was strange.

“Did you hurt your arm?”

He turned, a whisper of shock on his face. “What?” “Aren’t you right-handed?”

He turned back to the flower. “Yes. It was simply a training accident.”

She nodded.

Turning, he straighted. “I should leave now. Thank you for your time.”

She nodded again, but when he began to walk away, she bolted to her feet. “Let me walk you out. My mother will never let me hear the end of it otherwise.” With the reminder of her mother, she began to search around the garden till her eyes landed on the forget-me-nots at her feet. “Here.” She plucked a bunch and tucked them behind his ear, all attention focused on situating them just so. When she was satisfied, she stepped back with a smile. “So my mother doesn’t suspect.”

He blinked, then smiled down at her. “Thank you, Bhavana. Send me word whenever you make up your mind.”

She nodded and settled her hand into his elbow, her heart and head much quieter than it had been a quarter of an hour ago.

[yellowocaballero]

⭐️ for either of the fe3h fics <3

ROSETTA HEADSTONE!!!! A fic that was very messy and all over the place but one that I am actually very fond of and that was slightly slept on.

“You’re the other half of me.” Byleth spoke slowly, but for the very first time there was a hint of emotion in her voice. It was wonder. What an amazing first emotion to feel. How lucky! How magnificent! “I’m the other half of you.” Claude smiled. She was so wondrous. So beautiful and special. She’d need a lot of help. Dimitri would provide what he could, but Claude would have to pick up the rest. “You’re the other half of me. And I’m the other half of you. I’m you, and you’re me. Wonderful, isn’t it?” [...] “Is that a friend?” Byleth asked seriously.  “If you want. It’s anything you want.” Her hand was still on his chest, and Claude reached up to softly grasp her hand, pressing it softly against his chest. “Tell you what, Byleth. I’ll trust you completely if you trust me completely. Give me anything you want, and I’ll give you all of my own. Is that fair?”

There's a few different relationships that were very influential for this scene. SSS Class Suicide Hunter's Gongja/Raviel was a big one, but Full Metal Alchemist's Ed/Winry were too: when Ed tells Winry that he'll give her half of his life if she give her half of hers, and she tells him that she'll give him all of her life. Khalid and Byleth are platonic, but there's still something so Relationship about it that makes me go crazy.

I got fond of the character I had created over the course of this story. He started out a lonely, isolated, self-centered person. He was a chronic liar who was fundamentally impossible to understand. He used his separation from others as a microscope, a way of studying and trying to dissect them down into pieces that he can understand. He's the kind of person to brag about this, and a significant percentage of it is self-inflicted, but I felt bad for him. He and Byleth's disconnect, their inability to work together, inadvertently resulted in her death. His first time investing whole-heartedly in somebody was in a dying woman, who had been dead to begin with.

It was what made this moment special to me. He's not psychoanalyzing or dissecting her in this scene - he's just caught in the beauty of this imperfect and banal moment. He sees how amazing it is to have somebody to truly understand. Giving away all of himself is an act of intense vulnerability, the kind he once never would have tolerated, but he does it willingly here - because you can't get if you don't give, and if you give somebody all of you then you can have all of them, and what is shared is doubled.

I wrote Byleth very 'Dead Anime Mom' - everything she said had to be incredibly significant and meaningful. She was perfect and untouchable. It's only in the epilogue that we see her humanity and vulnerability, that she feels remotely on the same level as Khalid. She doesn't understand him and he doesn't truly know her - how fantastic, that there's so much to discover about each other! How miraculous, that this person is about to take her first steps into becoming a human being, and that you're lucky enough to guide her on that path! That you get to become a human being with her!

It's a unique set of emotions that I hope the reader was able to feel alongside Khalid. Both Weekenders and RH were stories about the protagonist joining humanity, and both of them had to do it through confronting the twin calamities of death and love, but I'm a bit more fond of how it happened in RH. I think it may have been the strong The World Ends With You influence, which is a game that splits open the mind of the depressed misanthropic fifteen year old. I remember the first time I felt lucky to exist in the world. It felt like an important part of growing up - and maybe a pre-requisite of survival. It's hard to survive never feeling that sense of wonder. It was great to write somebody experiencing it for the first time.

[sarnai4]

Misunderstanding

This honestly isn't even so much of a headcanon as it is a small idea I might use one day in a fic. What if Oswald had histrionic personality disorder and Dagur has general personality disorder (he probably also has several other disorders, but let's focus on this one)? This could have caused so many issues in communication for them. Oswald is extra dramatic and loves being the center of attention, all the more helped by his agreeable image. Turns out that it's not just his journal which is hard to understand. He regularly speaks in the most impressionistic way possible. Claude Monet would be jealous of his impressionism. And then we have Dagur who naturally draws attention, so it's already putting him at odds with his dad who wants that for himself. With GPD, it would make his perception of people, events, etc. really affected. So, Oswald speaking vaguely isn't just frustrating, it's darn near impossible for him to know what his dad means. He's also got this version of himself that he perceives as really reasonable despite what everyone else says, so when Oswald gets annoyed, it just makes no sense to him. More and more, the two grow apart until the day Oswald can't take it anymore and leaves. No one even thinks twice about this, assuming the hothead must have been the one to kill him. Dagur finally interprets something correctly - that the other Berserkers fear him. It's between embracing that and risking them thinking he's just some weirdo. He goes for the former and doesn't look back for years.

[khaleesiofalicante]

Then I will fix it for you,” Papa said. “Now. What’s the rule?”

You go fix your brain and your personality and the fact that you exist asshole

He was studying a lot lately – with Claude and by himself. 

I'm sorry, with Claude? How is Claude not in prison by now?? Oh my god, is the guy David yelled at in front of Max Claude?? Please tell me it's not?? Please tell me Claude died a painful death?

“I think you are ill,” Marcel whispered. “I think you know it too.”

HOW MANY ASSHOLE CAN EXIST IN A SINGLE CHAPTER??I'm so so glad we only get Albert in one fic. I'm so glad that in all the other ones he's already dead or not a part of David's life. Because the "he got away, he survived" always makes reading this part, learning what David has been through slightly easier. But here he hasn't and that hurts even worse. And we've never seen it in such detail. It makes me truly sick.

“Good,” Papa nodded before leaving the room. “Remember that’s how I feel every time I look at you.”

SOMEBODY PUSH HIM OFF A BALCONY

David was thirteen when he had his first kiss.

Okay I really liked how you separated Madeleine kissing him and being kissed by a boy. Because the first one didn't mean anything and the second one did. That is a very important distinction

Henry was in the choir too. Henry could sing really well. Although Henry wanted to be an actor – just like his dad.

Henry being the first male character introduced in this chapter I didn't want to throttle, we stan Henry. Thank you for existing Henry. When we first saw him in the Star Wars premiere I didn't think much of him, but he is one of the few people that made David's life a little brighter and we thank him for that, this bouquet is for him💐

When David returned to his own quarters, wiping away tears that weren’t there, his dairy was gone too.

What happened to his dairy? I'm scared, what happened to his diary??

David turned the copy of Paradise Lost in his hands, slow and careful, and smiled at the man. “Thank you, Uncle Lucien

BE GONE SATAN

Lucifer rebelling against God?” David asked.

“I wouldn’t call that disobedience,” Uncle Lucien tutted. “Justice perhaps. Retribution?”

Of course you wouldn't you psychopath. Can we even call Lucifer a psychopath? The actual devil doesn't seem as gratifying

Uncle Lucien smiled and touched his face. “I want you to come to Oxford

See Lucifer says he wants David in Oxford and suddenly I want David as far from Oxford as he can get. Honestly I miss TLND, the only world where David has healthy male role models/ father figures in his life (and LBAF but his memories were tampered and he is very different there plus in LBAF 5/6 we didn't get a lot of David/Jace and I feel like they are distant? Hope that never happens in TLND)

Please note that every Lucifer/David interaction kinda made my skin crawl, you've described as super creepy and his gaze kinda prickling at your skin? Amd that has been conveyed beautifully to us, I get goosebumps every time he is mentioned

I don’t need to know,” Jackson shook his head. “No reason could ever justify abuse.”

I'm so happy David always gets to have Jackson. That he is a canon event. He is to David what Malec/Rafe are to Max. Family, the person who is always there, the home you turn to when you've lost your way. It's really beautiful

He wrote the things he wanted to tell some man in the future. A man he’d probably never meet.He wrote about how he wanted to be loved. Even though he might never know what any of it might actually feel like.

I want Max to read that notebook and know he loved David in ways David himself never thought existed. He will be so proud of himself. And David will be so happy to know what he once thought was impossible is now his reality

Claude is indeed there and David is forced to spend time/share a space with him. A lot of children who are abused by people they know (which is more likely to happen than by a stranger) continue to share a space (or even a home) with their abusers, and I didn't see it being any different in David's case.

Fun fact: Marcel is mentioned in LBAF. Points if you know who he is.

I'm glad you caught the 'first kiss' bit. I was hoping someone would.

Henry was neat. Also, I named him after the rwrb character hehe.

I think a couple of people inquired about David's diary. One of the students stole it/read it. We see Albert asking Jackson to spy on David in uni. He does the same during David's school years too.

GET DAVID HEALTHY MALE ROLE MODELS 2KFOREVER.

Lucifer's obsession with David reminds me (in a very different way) of Mallory's obsession with Max. I KNOW THEY ARE PERFECT. LEAVE THEM ALONE.

David and Jackson 💜

The beautiful thing is Max never has to read that poem David wrote. He loves David without being asked. He cares for David without being prompted. And that is everything to David too.

[kumeko]

Prompt: I like the war phase of 3 Houses so much for these 2. Something filled with yearning (or the crescendo of the yearning). I like the idea of them liking each other so much but not pursuing until "things are settled", or whatnot. Being scared of losing them. Best friends who pine. Anything like that.

A/N: For LucyGringe for the @claudelethgifts.  I love pining and ahh, these two just spending the war phase yearning is chef’s kiss, I can only hope I wrote it well. I feel like Claude would know it’s mutual, while Byleth would be a bit more in the dark (even to her own feelings). Does that make it harder? Easier?

It was a bit hard to figure out how to connect this until I went for a “five times he grabbed her hand and the one time she grabbed his” format.

…

…

…

…

0

The ring weighed heavily in his pocket.

1

They were in the middle of a war, a simple fact that Claude had to remind himself of over and over again. He’d spent five years in this war, had fought and bled and killed as the months and years passed.

Despite that, it was all too easy to forget the calluses on his fingers as he walked in the forest. Around him, his former classmates chattered, dappled in shadow and light, and if he squinted, he could almost see their teenage selves. They could be returning from a class mission instead of a bloody battle.

It was all Byleth’s fault.

Claude peeked at the woman by his side. She didn’t look a day older than when she’d disappeared. Maybe he’d slipped back in time, turning back the clock to when the worst opponents he’d faced were bandits instead of former allies. When he could justify the blood that had stained his hands.

He wasn’t the only one feeling this way. A jovial mood filled the air as his friends reunited for the first time in years. Leoni led the pack, smirking as she taunted Hilda and Lorenz. “Your attacks were sloppy.”

“As though yours were refined.” Lorenz scrunched his nose. Despite the mud and blood streaking his robes, he still held a dignified aura about him.

“Ugh, you’re making me agree with him,” Hilda bit out, grumpy. She snapped at Leonie, “That’s really the first thing you say to me in months?”

Behind them, Ignatz rubbed his neck shyly as he glanced at Marianne. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Marianne flushed and gave a soft smile. “M-me too. I think so too.”

“I missed you guys!” Raphael shouted as he wrapped his arms around Ignatz and Lysithea, dragging them into his embrace. Somehow, he’d grown bigger, more muscular, a feat that Claude hadn’t thought possible.

And on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, Lysithea hadn’t even gained an inch. She hissed, “Get off me, you big oaf!”

Though he’d never admit it aloud, Claude had missed this banter. There wasn’t really any room for it when all of Fódlan was in flames. And he wasn’t the only one to think so—from the corner of his eye, Claude watched as Byleth’s lips twitched, her expression softening as she studied her former students. A far cry from the old days, when she’d been hard to read.

Or maybe he’d just gotten better at it.

“Whatcha thinking, Teach?” Claude asked, the old moniker slipping off his tongue out of habit. He hadn’t said her nickname in ages and yet, it was impossible to think of her without it.

“It’s really been five years,” Byleth replied, finally turning away from the group to him. Her eyes widened slightly, as though realizing something.

She’d left an easy opening, and he couldn’t resist. “I couldn’t tell looking at you.”

Byleth didn’t seem to hear him. “You’re taller.”

“That’s old news now, Teach,” Claude teased. Their growth spurts had come and gone, and he’d almost forgotten how short he’d used to be, how they’d used to be on the same eye level. “Is that all you noticed?”

“No…” Byleth studied him, overly serious for a throwaway comment. Whatever she saw, she frowned. “You know battle now.”

“You’ve seen me fight before.” Claude raised a brow, not quite following.

She pursed her lips, considering her words before replying, “You know of war.”

He wondered if it was that obvious. He wondered what signs he’d shown, that they’d all shown.

He wondered when she’d first learned the lessons he kept learning every day.

“In ways I wish I hadn’t,” Claude replied wryly. He glanced at his friends in front of him. Even the way they walked was different, their steps quieter, their bodies tense. They were always ready for a fight these days. “Maybe we can keep up with you now.”

“I liked it better when you couldn’t,” Byleth replied honestly, clenching her fist.

“Me too.” But if Claude had wanted easy and comfortable, he would have gone home to Almyra, leaving Fódlan to clean up its own messes. Or maybe he’d have never crossed those mountains in the first place. “But it’s our choice.”

Byleth’s frown deepened as she clenched her fists tighter. Despite her feelings, she didn’t say anything, just walking quietly next to him. Rocks and twigs crunched underfoot, the rest of his old classmates’ bickering fading into a soft murmur.

This wasn’t how he wanted Byleth’s first day back to go. There was plenty of bad to deal with as it was. If only for now, if only for this moment, he wanted her to be happy.

Reaching down, he wrapped his hand around her balled fist, squeezing lightly. “Glad you’re back, Teach.”

Byleth glanced down, then at him. Her eyes were as green as the forest and she offered a rare smile. “Me too.”

Something in him tightened at her expression.

Before he could say anything, he heard shouts in the distance.

“Another fight?” Hilda complained, readying her axe.

“That’s what war is,” Claude quipped as he reluctantly let go of Byleth’s hand. “You survive one fight just to get into another one.”

2

If the rest of Fódlan was still in the middle of a war, the monastery was stuck in the aftermath of one. Even now, years later, it was still a mess of rubble and scorched bricks, the academy no longer the same as it had been in his youth. The rebuilding had been slow, with only key structures needed to house their soldiers rebuilt. Wild flowers and grasses grew along familiar paths, nature reclaiming what had been abandoned.

If it was this hard for him to see, he could only imagine how much harder it was for her. Dismayed, Byleth trailed after him as he guided her to where the dorms used to be.

“We haven’t had time to clear this up,” Claude explained, a paltry excuse. Broken glass crunched underfoot and he winced. “Nor the resources.”

Byleth’s jaw tightened. “That’s war.”

“That’s war,” he agreed with a sigh.

As they passed by the pond, Byleth stopped by the dock. Kneeling, she reached over the side and skimmed her fingertips on the cold water. “It’s shallower.”

“It is?” Claude stared at the murky waters. He could just see their reflections. It had never been this quiet here before—even outside of the big fishing tournament, there had always been a few students hoping for a big catch. Flayn had almost drowned once, trying to use her hands instead of her rod, and Seteth had almost banned everyone from getting within a meter of the shoreline. “Good eye, Teach.”

“It’s not my eye.” Byleth stood, wiping her hands on her pants. “It was just yesterday for me.”

“Yesterday…” Part of Claude still couldn’t believe she’d slept through the past five years. Despite all he’d seen, it still felt too fantastical, too magical. But there had been nothing logical about how she’d disappeared and returned, about how her hair turned green or even how she always seemed to already know when an attack was coming.

More importantly, he couldn’t deny the truth in front of him. Byleth really hadn’t aged a day since he’d last seen her. Her knowledge of the present was abysmal and even hermits knew of the current state of affairs.

“Then maybe you can help with the rebuilding,” Claude suggested, keeping his voice carefully upbeat. He nodded in the direction of the main hall. “Lysithea hasn’t found the blueprints and it’s a little harder for the rest of us to remember where everything was.”

“I thought there weren’t enough resources?” she asked.

“This is headquarters now.” Claude gestured at the academy behind him. “And you’re Rhea’s heir apparent, or so the true believers say, so…might as well. It’ll help raise morale.”

“…Rhea.” Byleth bit her lip, glancing at the direction of the church. Despite Edelgard’s best efforts, it still stood strong, the towering walls peeking over the rest of the academy. “Is…my father…”

Claude knew what she meant. “He’s still there,” he answered gently.

“Ah.” Claude could guess what she meant. “He’s still there.”

“Good.” While she didn’t run, Byleth’s pace picked up as she headed toward the academy’s graveyard. Luckily, the battle had managed to avoid most of it, leaving Jeralt’s marker untouched by the forces of war or the tides of time.

Well, not entirely. Weeds grew around the gravestone. He’d have to make sure to clear this out later.

Not minding the overgrown grass or mud, Byleth knelt in front of the marker, her fingers gently brushing her father’s name. “It all happened so fast,” she murmured, her fingers tracing the a. Her eyes were dry. “Too fast.”

In more ways than one. Claude remembered losing Byleth once, remembered her returning, remembered the earth disappearing underneath his feet as she vanished once more. There had been little time when it had all gone down. Jeralt had died. Edelgard had betrayed them. Dimitri had gone mad.

He’d spent five years with regrets, his chest heavy with all the things he’d never said.

And now Byleth had survived and he still couldn’t say them.

“Now’s the time to go slow,” he said instead, kneeling next to her. Had he always been this much of a coward? He covered her hand with his. “I’m here, if you need me.”

3

Claude grinned as he sat down in his old seat in the Golden Deer classroom. The layout was different, but there were still tables and chairs, still a blackboard and a desk, and that was more than enough to feel like he was back in class. Out of all the repairs, he had looked forward to this one the most.

For almost a year, this classroom had been a home of sorts.

“It’s been ages since I sat here,” he said, sprawling across the table. It was still an uncomfortable spot for a nap, but if he turned his head just so, he could discretely watch Byleth as she examined the room.

She ran her fingers along the desks before approaching the blackboard. “What will this be used for now?”

“Nothing much,” Claude admitted. If he closed his eyes, he could smell chalk in the air, hear the chatter of his classmates. “Strategy meetings, I guess. Leonie and Raphael just couldn’t stand seeing it destroyed so they fixed it up whenever they had the free time.”

Byleth pressed her hand to the blackboard. She didn’t look at him as she asked, “And the other rooms?”

He had never spent too much time in the other classrooms, but he could still picture them now. The crimson red of the eagles, the vibrant blue of the lions—Dimitri’s flustered smile when he was teased, Edelgard’s sharp smirk whenever she had a comeback.

A better memory than Byleth’s sword, red from Edelgard’s blood, the tatters of Dimitri’s blue cape as he fought like a man possessed.

Regrets that he couldn’t think, let alone voice.

“They’re still in disrepair,” Claude finally replied, sitting up.

Byleth didn’t say anything but her shoulders slumped slightly. With a quiet sigh, she tapped the blackboard. “I never knew what to write when I was up here.”

Claude chuckled. “I could tell.” With how awkward her first few weeks as teacher, it was easy to tell how unprepared she was for it. “Why’d you accept the position?”

“I don’t know.” She turned around, her eyes meeting his. “I just felt…I had to. That something might change if I did. Why’d you ask me to come to your house?”

“Because I knew something might change if I did,” Claude echoed. Though, he had expected Fódlan or his house to change, not himself. Feeling mischievous, he grinned. “You know, we never finished our classes, Teach.”

“That…” She pondered, crossing her arms as she leaned against the board. “No, we didn’t.”

“And we didn’t really graduate,” Claude continued, walking over to her slowly.

She squinted at him, sensing a trap. “That’s true.”

“Then…” Claude smiled innocently. “Maybe you should give your last class. Just to wrap things up.”

Byleth shot him a dubious look. “…no one else is here.”

“It’s a private lesson,” he cajoled, ready to counter any objection. He grabbed her hand. “You wouldn’t leave a student in need, would you?”

“You don’t actually need it,” Byleth pointed out, but she couldn’t hide her own smile as she figured out his game. “You’re leading the army just fine.”

“For how long?” Claude wiped an imaginary tear. “What would my grandfather think about his uneducated heir? What about our men?”

“Fine.” It was faint, but he heard a laugh as she nodded. “Just one.”

4

It was strange to study again. Claude sat in the monastery’s library, a stack of books around him, the musty smell tickling his nose. Most of the library had survived the fire after the Adestrian Empire had attacked, from the books down to the literature, and he spotted more than a few doodles on the table from bored students decades past.

And in the book he was reading too. History made a good teacher for tactics, though someone hadn’t told the kid who’d drawn a stickman running on the bottom of the book. Repressing a sigh, he peeked over his book at his companion.

Next to him, Byleth hunched over the table, her brow furrowing as she examined the continent’s map. As a student, he’d never imagined learning with her. War and time had a funny way of making everyone equals. For all of her fighting expertise, Byleth had five years of geopolitical changes to catch up on before she could help spearhead any attacks.

Her knees knocked into his as she sat back to compare the map with an open book.

Claude grinned and tapped her shoulder. When she turned to him, blinking owlishly, he poked her forehead. “Don’t scowl too much. It’ll freeze like that.”

Her lips pursed as she considered his words. “How?”

Half a decade of sleep hadn’t made her any better with jokes. Claude shrugged and laughed. “I’m not sure, actually. It’s just something my mother used to say.”

“Oh.” She turned slightly, considering him. Her arm brushed his. Propping her chin on her hand, she asked idly, “Is that why you’re always smiling?”

“I wouldn’t say always,” he answered, mirroring her posture. It felt childish but when her lips quirked, he knew he’d made the right move. “But smiles work better than frowns. You can get more done.”

Byleth’s expression softened. “…Jeralt said something similar before.”

Claude winced. He hadn’t expected that landmine. “He did?”

“Yes.” Despite his fears, she didn’t appear down. Fondly, she recounted, “He used to say, ‘It’s easier to get clients and a bonus if you’re approachable.’”

Now that sounded like a mercenary’s advice. Claude laughed. “He wasn’t wrong.”

“He rarely was.” Byleth nodded. “I wasn’t very good at it.”

“You’re still not good at it,” he teased. “That’s what you have me for.”

She smiled. “Yeah, I do.”

He could only watch as she straightened and reached for her book once more. Byleth had always been blunt and straight to the point, but…this was something else. Something different. She smiled more. Talked longer. Sat closer. Even now, as she pulled her book closer, he could feel her proximity, the way her arms grazed his whenever she adjusted her position, the way her hand lingered when she handed him her map.

“Who has the Ordelia territory now?” she asked, looking at him with her bright green eyes. Even the way she looked at him had shifted to unfamiliar territory.

Claude had never thought of himself as a scholar, not in the way Lindhardt had been, but he knew Byleth well enough to write a paper.

And he knew this truth: She liked him.

Unfortunately, that led him to his second conclusion: he couldn’t push this any further. Not now, not with the weight of Rhea’s position on her shoulders, not with the fate of the war riding on their efforts.

“The empire, but it’s a little more tricky than that,” Claude replied, resisting the urge to grab her hand when she pulled back. “Never thought I’d be the one teaching you, Teach.”

He’d swallowed his words five years ago. He could do it again.

5

War killed; a fact that was all too real as Claude stared at the very injured Byleth. Lying on her cot in her tent, blood matting her hair to her face and staining her armour, she was barely conscious as Manuela took care of her. The older woman huffed as she chanted under her breath, her hands glowing as she healed the worst of Byleth’s wounds.

“You shouldn’t be in the vanguard like that,” Manuela barked, irritated as she inspected Byleth for further injuries. Despite her sharp tone, her hands were gentle as she poked and prodded.

“Someone has to be,” Byleth replied tiredly, raising a hand to cover her eyes. She groaned softly as Manuela touched a particularly tender spot.

“That someone isn’t you!” Manuela snapped, her touch turning rough from irritation as she finished checking Byleth. Claude had a feeling their wine inventory was about to miss a few bottles. “You’re too important to fight every mercenary that we cross. You’re our leader!”

“Claude is,” Byleth argued feebly.

Manuela snorted. “Please. Don’t try to wiggle your way out of this.”

Claude released a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Manuela straightened and stepped back. “All’s good?” he asked, somehow managing to keep his voice from cracking.

“For now.” Manuela crossed her arms and glared at Byleth. “If not for yourself, think of me! It’s tiring patching you up!”

Byleth gave her a flat stare before nodding. “I will.”

“Just do it. Why are all of my patients masochists?” Manuela groaned, running a hand through her hair. “Make sure you don’t overexert yourself—I fixed most of the injuries but there’s a few that need to heal naturally.”

“… yes.” Byleth agreed.

“Are you just saying that? I heard the hesitation!” Manuela whirled to Claude, fire in her eyes. He took a step back defensively as she jabbed his chest. “You. Make sure she gets her rest.”

He’d have done it even if she hadn’t asked. Claude forced a grin. “Aww, you trust me now?”

“Not a bit, but you’re better than her.” Manuela picked up her staff and stalked past Claude. “I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Claude winced as she stomped out, no doubt heading toward the supply tent. Well, just this once, he’d overlook it. It had been a bad fight. Their healers had worked overtime to the point even Lysithea had admitted she was tired.

And Byleth hadn’t so much as lifted her head since they’d brought her to her tent.

Despite the healing, she was still covered in blood, her minor scratches and injuries left untended. Manuela claimed that it promoted natural healing. He’d long suspected she was just too tired to do it all. Quietly, he perched on the cot next to her, trying and failing to put words to his feelings.

His heart was heavy. Heavier than his unsaid words, heavier than the ring that had sat in his pocket for the last few weeks.

Byleth lowered her hand, staring back at him. Her mouth opened, as though to say something, before she closed it once more.

Those eyes had almost closed forever. “That was dangerous.”

“War is dangerous,” she stated.

He tightened his jaw. She was alive and she was here and part of him had feared that this might be their last time together, that he’d just be left with his regrets. “You don’t have to make it more dangerous. The idea is to come home alive.”

Byleth’s brow furrowed. “I did.”

“This was close.” His voice caught in his throat. Keeping his hands from shaking, he squeezed her hand. She always fought close combat, sword in hand. As accurate as his arrows were, he could only pick off so many enemies before they approached her. All it took was one wrong move, one slip up, and she’d be too far for any aid.

And even Byleth couldn’t come back from death.

But he could tell from how her jaw set that there was no use in telling her that. Byleth was stubborn, ever her father’s daughter, and it would take more than a few words to change that. “Just…be careful,” he pleaded.

Her expression softened and she forced herself to sit up with a groan. Before he could move, she covered his hand with her own, sandwiching it between her palms. “I am, always.”

Her hands were still cold. Claude smiled wryly, not quite believing. “You better be.”

6

Tomorrow, the war would be over.

It was a strange thought. The nightmare of half a decade would soon be over. No, it had been longer than that—their enemy had existed centuries, making their mark in the annals of history. And now, a final one.

Win or lose, the world as they knew it would change after tomorrow.

Maybe that was why he’d convinced Byleth to take one last walk with him through the monastery’s grounds. She’d kept quiet for most of the walk, as they passed by familiar haunts. The repairs had patched up most of the school’s grounds; even the greenhouse’s panes were all replaced.

Byleth stopped in front of the Goddess tower. In the late evening, most of it was hidden in shadow, the upper floors almost impossible to see. Her expression was distant, hard to read. “Do you still not believe in the Goddess?”

“Does it matter?” he asked, standing next to her.

“No…just…” Byleth closed her eyes. “I suppose she wasn’t entirely a Goddess.”

She. Byleth spoke as though she’d known the Goddess. Perhaps she had. Even now, even after all this time, Claude only had question after question for Byleth. There was so much he didn’t know, so much he wanted to know.

But for now, he’d just start with this: “Do you have one now?”

“One what?” Byleth asked, perplexed.

“An ambition.” Claude grinned. “You said you didn’t really have one, back then.”

“Oh…” Byleth turned back to the tower, staring up. The wind blew softly through her hair, making her already messy hair messier. She turned back to him and nodded. “I do.”

“And you’re not going to tell me.” He sighed, faking a pout. “Well, I guess I do believe in her a little then.” When Byleth raised a brow, he covered his mouth in mock-horror. “Teach, don’t tell me you forgot our wish?”

“Oh.” Byleth rubbed her chin thoughtfully before realization crossed her eyes. “Right.”

Now he actually felt a little hurt. “Seriously?”

“Do you want to make another wish?” she asked as a way of apology.

Well, he couldn’t say no to that. Claude sighed. “What to wish for…to win the battle?”

“No,” Byleth said decisively. “We’re going to do that anyways.”

How was he supposed to disagree with that? Claude laughed. “Well, if you’re that confident…”

“For a brighter dawn,” Byleth said, her eyes locked on his.

“That’s poetic.”

“You told me that once.” She stared at the tower. “We’re going to make a better Fódlan.”

Her hand was close and if he wanted to, he could reach across and intertwine their fingers. No, not want, that wasn’t the right word—there was nothing more that he wanted. The ring was still in his pocket, the words stuck in his throat.

But to a fault, Claude had always been pragmatic.  As was Byleth.

And now was not the time.

“To a brighter dawn,” Claude said instead. “And this time, it won’t take five years.”

“It won’t.” To his surprise, Byleth turned and took his hand. “We still have that other promise.”

For once, she’d struck him speechless. “Promise?”

“You told me to save you a dance,” she said, gently chiding him. “Now who’s forgetting?”

He burst into laughter. “That’s fair.” Still clasping her hand, Claude bowed deeply. “Will you honour me with a dance, milady?”

If there was one thing Claude had learned, it was that now wasn’t forever. The ring weighed heavily in his pocket, but only for now. His words were stuck in his throat, but only for now.

Tomorrow, come hell or high water, he’d finally take that last step to her side.

[writingafterdusk]

claude von riegan fluff alphabet

prompt list found here

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

between trying to keep the alliance together and later ruling over almyra, to say that claude is busy would be a vast understatement. there’s always something that needs his attention, and because of that, he sneaks in time with you whenever he can. he likes taking you on wyvern flights the most - there’s something about sweeping you away from your duties and his responsibilities and flying high that makes him feel… free. otherwise, sparring is always fun. be careful, though - when the winner gets a kiss, claude can’t help but resort to his usual tricks.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

he wants to say everything, but you’d say he’s exaggerating. if he had to choose one thing, though, it’d be your wit. watching you shoot a snarky comment at a noble at the round table makes him struggle to hold back his laughter, and the fire in your eyes… well, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel like he was falling in love with you all over again.

well, claude is pretty fond of his beard. is it because you like it? maybe so. there’s something about the way you stroke his cheek, your thumb brushing against the soft fuzz, that drives him crazy.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

claude is, sadly, no stranger to such things. between feeling like he didn’t fit in whether in almyra or fodlan, and assassins coming for him in the night, feeling down or having a panic attack is as familiar to him as his weapon of choice. but for you to go through that… claude can’t stand it.

he’s there for you in an instant the moment he senses something is off - gently calling your name, reaching out to you, hugging you if you want someone to hold onto to ground yourself. if you don’t then he’ll just sit with you, keeping you company. he won’t leave you alone - that’s a promise.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

promise that you’ll be there with him no matter where life takes him and he might just propose to you on the spot. claude knows his future will take him far away, whether to almyra or beyond, but he wants you there at his side. that’s the one thing he’s certain of, and if you want to be with him then that’s all he needs.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

claude is dominant in that he won’t let a day go by without doing some sort of gesture for you. whether it be leaving you a flower where he’s sure you’ll find it, or getting some of your work done before you can think to tackle it, claude will admit that he hopes you can spend some of this newfound free time with him.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

claude’s not the type to hold onto grudges. He apologizes quickly, once things have cooled down. if it festered and developed into resentment, that could fuck up future plans and he can’t have that. he’s very much a ‘forgive and forget’ kind of person.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

he’s absolutely aware - as observant and perceptive as he is, it’d be impossible for him not to notice. he’s very grateful - he has a lot on his plate, and just sticking by his side is enough to warrant his gratitude as far as he’s concerned.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

claude has secrets because that’s just the kind of man he is. however, with you… he’s slowly getting used to the fact that he can tell you everything. give him time, he’s used to holding all his cards close to his chest. when he feels ready he’ll share everything with you, the person who he knows he can trust no matter what.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that you broke down claude’s walls. he was so used to being the only one he could rely on, hence his need for schemes. but then you walked in - you showed him that it was okay to trust others. his friends may have paved the way, but you truly broke down that barrier and he will always be grateful.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

claude? jealous? yeeeeah, it definitely happens. he tries not to let it because his first instinct is a nice dose of a mild poison for the person in question, but the heart wants what it wants. and right now, it wants that nobleman’s hand off your shoulder right this second. lorenz quietly but sharply reminds him not to lose his head, while hilda takes the initiative to get you away from the noble in question (claude already knows he owes her).

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

claude’s a pretty damn good kisser, if he says so himself. something about the way he kisses you takes your breath away every time, and the first kiss was no exception. it was after a battle, you were exhausted but waiting for him. when you saw his wyvern in the sky, you ran to meet him but he was faster, landing his mount and jumping down to the ground before picking you up in a hug so enthusiastic that he wound up spinning you around. when claude finally set you down it was only to take your breath another way by kissing you suddenly. it was short but full of passion, both of you fueled by adrenaline.

“sorry…” he murmured when he pulled away just enough to speak, your foreheads still touching. “i didn’t really think…”

your answer of pulling claude by his shirt for another kiss told him everything he needed to know.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

claude confesses during a high stakes moment because that’s when it truly hits him - how he can’t lose you. he fires a shot at an enemy before they can attack you, then yells to you:

“hey! you know i love you, right?!”

this really isn’t the time to be confessing because it seriously distracts you, but you know he has the best of intentions. you give your answer once the battle is over and claude feels like he’s flying even on the ground.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

i imagine he’d always considered it but it was more of a future potential than anything else. i doubt he had plans to get married for a while, but then you came along. he isn’t complaining, of course - the idea of spending the rest of your lives together makes him happy just thinking about it.

i think he’d ask during a quiet moment when the two of you finally get some time to yourselves. he picked out a ring during a recent rare day in a major city that wasn’t ravaged by war, and now he presents it to you.

“when all this is over, and the war is won… will you marry me?”

married life with claude depends on where you two are. In almyra, he’s khalid and the two of you live in the palace. he’s busy as king but don’t think for a moment that he doesn’t have time for you. he’ll take days off (thankfully his parents are happy to cover) and just spend them flying with you, showing you the country of his birth and all it has to offer. in fodlan, he’s usually found checking in with the deer and the church. he may no longer lead the alliance but the responsibility never quite leaves his shoulders. still, time with you there is well-spent. in general, being married to claude is fun - you never know where his travels will take him, and you, next. you knew when you fell for him that he’s the human equivalent of a whirlwind so just hang on tight to him and enjoy the ride.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

he’s got a ton of nicknames. “dear” and “sweetheart” are his most common but you’ll hear “love” thrown in fairly regularly. his nicknames tend to come from almyra since that’s what he heard most growing up so get to ready to pick up on those.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

when he’s in love, claude’s focused. but for once, not on his strategies or schemes. instead, he’s focused on you. he wants to take in every detail, to memorize you - what you like, how you do things, little things like that.

he’s usually pretty good about not wearing his heart on his sleeve. most people wouldn’t know he’s in love just by looking at him. take a look at his strategies, though, and one thing becomes clear - all of his plans put you in the least amount of danger possible. riskier maneuvers that he might normally try are avoided if they mean risking you.

he’s protective, in a word - he keeps you out of the thick of battles and when he can help it, out of the reach of the nobility, who might try to snatch you up. he couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

if he could (and technically he could but it would be in poor taste), he’d shout it from the rooftops. still, claude knows better. he’ll brag to the golden deer but that’s about it. nothing more than a kiss on the cheek in public whether in almyra or fodlan due to social standing. he really wishes sometimes that he could kiss you with others around without a care in the world.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship.

since claude’s pretty good at reading people, it’s easy for him to tell if you’re upset about something even when you haven’t mentioned it to him yet. sometimes you swear he can read your mind when he comes up to you, flower in hand or some small gift in hand just to make your day a bit brighter.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

claude’s a really romantic guy - he grew up with a mother who ran away to another country to be with the man she loved, after all. whether he’s cliche or creative depends on his mood. sometimes, he’ll sweep you off your feet with a bouquet of red roses; other times, he’ll leave you a note in a book or whisk you away for a flight where he tells you that he loves you with only the clouds as your witnesses.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

absolutely, 100%. you’ve supported him with his dream for so long - to not support in return would be unthinkable to him. it doesn’t matter how big or small, or how long your dream might take. it’s yours, and that’s what important to him. he believes in you wholeheartedly, always taking the time to remind you and encourage you. claude’s left you so many little notes with affirmations on them that you joke that you could practically make a book out of them.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

claude’s had enough thrill for a lifetime, i think. with everything he’s been through, i imagine he values a calm, steady routine more than most people realize. when all’s said and done, he wants a quiet, peaceful life with you. the path you take to get there might be chaotic, but that dream of a sleepy, quiet life together fuels him. besides, he’s got almyra to look after - that’s enough thrill for a lifetime.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

if he wasn’t empathetic before, he strives to be now. it’s part of his dream to reach out to other people, after all. to not extend that courtesy to his own partner would be unlike him. claude can read your moods, he knows your habits, and he can pretty well guess what might be bothering you based on your expressions.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

having you by his side means the world to him. claude isn’t sure he’d be able to do most of what he does without you there. it’s more than that - you’ve become a part of his dream, now. comparing you to the rest of the world just doesn’t make sense because to him, you are his world.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

considering how he loves feasts, it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s a pretty decent cook! there’s more to it, though, he admits to you one morning when he brings you your breakfast. he made it himself - and he always has. in truth, it’s not just a romantic gesture. he’s protecting you, by ensuring that nobody else can tamper with the food by making it himself. if you let him, he’ll even start to dose the food with a small amount of poison, to help you start building up immunity. it means a lot to him that you’d trust him with that - and he’ll only do it if you’re okay with it.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

claude. loves. cuddling. you swear, this man would wrap you up in his arms and never let you go if he thought he could get away with it. he’s so affectionate in private due to the contrast of how he has to be in public. it’s like he can’t get enough of showering you in affection now that he has the chance!

Y earning - How will they cope when they're missing their partner?

claude tends to try and distract himself with scheming when you’re gone but it… doesn’t always work. he tries his best, he swears! he just can’t help but get pouty when you’re not around. hilda teases him a little but she knows it’s just because he loves you so much.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lenghts for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

it’s not exaggerating to say that claude would go to any length for you. you’ve been here with him through thick and thin - no matter what, he’s got your back. as your friend, your partner, as your everything. he’s with you through it all.

[negative-ease]

ooooo nothing better than an edelclaude projecting a divided front while secretly working together.

this would be fun for them. this is foreplay.

I was thinking about it and realized I've played around with the idea here and there, once as unexpected team-up...

The thought occurred to her that he might sense their division and seek to use it to his own advantage. In response she felt a brief wave of weariness, and then nothing at all. She ate the vegetable puree in front of her, tasting little.  

Arundel smiled thinly. “The Church is patient. It’s no accident they held the position and influence they’ve had for so long.”

“Yes,” Claude agreed. “They gravitate toward power. Striking Garreg Mach was a massive blow.”

“It better have been,” Arundel sniffed. “It was our only surprise attack.” 

Claude grinned widely. “Good thing Edelgard made it count.” 

Edelgard looked up, the quickness of it maybe betraying her surprise.

[link - from ch. 7]

... and once as fantasy... the indulgence of which makes Edelgard feel weird so naturally she projects onto Claude...

Standing [in the Cardinal's Room at Garreg Mach] across the table from him it’s impossible not to imagine how the negotiation might have gone, with him occupying one of those chairs. Speaking on her behalf, adding a playful sharpness to her points and setting rhetorical traps for her opponents. 

Or against her, watching and waiting for his moment, setting the traps around her and leading her sweetly into them.

[...]

For once, he’s not watching her. It’s worse. What alternate histories is he seeing, she wonders? Is he the one leading the discussion in them? Where is she?

“Do I have a seat? In your imagination. Am I there?”

He looks up, surprised by the question. Not what he was thinking, then, but he’ll still answer, to protect his privacy. It only takes him a moment.

“There’s no escaping you.”

[link]

... but I would love to do something with it that is more straightforward -- meaning they are, to each other, unambiguously on the same side. It is rotating in my mind. I feel like I need something fun and light to offset my two major (and majorly languishing but anyway) WIPs which have different but equally messy-beyond-repair relationship dynamics. (and when I say "beyond repair" I mean it. The whole point in one of them is that some things can't be repaired no matter how unfair it is and how much you want it...)

[howdoyousleep3]

hi don't mind me, i've had a very overwhelming and sad last few days and wanted to do something brazenly self-indulgent. welcome to my brain for the past week or so, maybe you can find joy in this too, maybe you won't, but i’d like to get this out. 💘

you feel impossibly small around your Daddy

in mind, in body, in spirit

and it would be scary if he didn't take complete and perfect care of you, but of course he does

so you are at peace with your existence and way of life

"You know...kitten, you know I'd take care of you. Daddy makes a lot of money and there's nothing more he wants than to spend every bit of it on you, providing for you. I hate seein' my baby cry, hate seein' you stressed, when we can fix it, when you can let Daddy take care of you. I know, mhmm. You're a determined little thing, but when you're ready to let Daddy do his job, you let him know..."

your pride keeps you at your job long after you’ve made up your mind to let Daddy take care of you

you’ve never let someone have so much control over you and it’s hard to wrap your head around, takes time to accept

someone controlling your finances? providing for you in every way? having to rely on someone for money and food and a home?

the red flags are overwhelming

it doesn’t feel like red flags with your Daddy though— it feels like safety, like protection, like love

according to him, your job now is to let Daddy make the decisions, is to be as carefree and sweet as possible

of course there are times when your mouth is stretched obscenely around his girth or his long strokes in your bitty pussy leave you squealing and squirting and crying where he tells you this is your job—

“This is it, sweet girl— this right here. This is why you left that fuckin’ job. Daddy’s big cock was hurtin’, was achin’, not havin' total access to this tight little pussy. A pussy like this deserves to be fucked on the regular, deserves to be filled up by her Daddy every single goddamn day, shit...this is how you repay your Daddy, baby. With this pretty fuckin’ pussy…

you spend most of your days going to work with your Daddy

Daddy sets your clothes out in the morning, makes you breakfast, wakes you up with gentle kisses and rumbly whispers and the occasional wandering hand

sometimes you require a firm hand though, a stern voice to get you out of bed on time

you not so secretly like his firm hand though

there's a small part of his office, near the window overlooking the city, that is dedicated to you

a cute table with a lamp and your computer, a vase for the flowers you never fail to pick up each week, your art supplies and your favorite coloring book Daddy bought you two weeks ago, your journal and favorite pens, your current read and your stack of future reads

he knows how you’re feeling always, anticipates your every need

your outfits, your meals, the coffee he orders you on the way to work, how you spend your days in his office

“Your clothes are on the bed, sweetheart”, “…and she’ll have the salmon with an additional side of french fries, thank you”, “Here baby, just how you like it— oat milk with an extra shot”, “You’re almost done with your book, why don’t you read that?”

your Daddy knows you down to your core, your soul, knows you inside and out

if your brain is sad, he chooses clothes that are loose and soft on your body, maybe something of his, chooses foods that can be broken into small bites so he can feed them to you, doesn’t allow for you to make s single decision and you’re forever grateful

he’ll let you crawl right into his lap while he’s in a meeting, on Zoom, taking a call, won’t hesitate or stop what he’s doing, will just wrap you up in his arms and rearrange you how he wants you while he continues to talk or take diligent notes

if you wake up feeling as sweet as can be he chooses something flirty and confident for you to wear, gives you tasks that allow you to interact with more people at the office, maybe letting you do a bit of shopping, still not letting you make many decisions but always giving you what you need

sometimes he’ll ask you to complete tasks if you’re in a better, more playful mood

he rarely gets things done on these days, watching you as you move around his office and work at his desk, sometimes pulling out his cock and shamelessly jerking off to the sight of you working through his to-do list like a good girl

if he's in a mood, he'll tell you to take your clothes off as you prance around his office, and he'll strokes himself off to your cute little behind, the sway of your hips, the bounce of your tits

"Look at you remindin' Daddy that he's the luckiest sonofabitch there ever was. Goddamn, you're a pretty little thing, aren't you? Daddy can't help it; even here at work he's gotta get his hand on his cock. Gimme a twirl, there you go, that's my girl. No no, you keep workin' on that to-do list, baby. Don't mind Daddy...

no matter what, it’s heady watching Daddy be the boss at work, commanding others with confident ease, which makes it easy for you to want him on you, in you, near you as each and every work day comes to a close

more often than not, no matter your mood, you end up with a mouthful of Daddy's cock on the drive home, whether it be stress relief for him of comfort or need for you

your nights are reliably cozy, meals (ordered from your favorite places or made at home since Daddy is a great cook) eaten together after a shower or bath, watching television or a movie or reading together under a cozy blanket to round the day out

and as you fall asleep each night, Daddy's big, warm body pressed tightly against your own in your big, cloud-like bed, you never fail to remind yourself how lucky you are to have your Daddy in your life, to have someone who dotes on you, protects you, provides for you, gives you everything you could ever want, who loves you

“I'm the lucky one, sweet girl. Rest your pretty head now and have the sweetest of dreams...”

[ultramarine-spirit]

Of all the parts of the novel that never appeared in the manhwa, which one would you have liked to see?

Well, the lucathy kiss scene is a given. Not only it is super romantic and cute, but we get to see Athy reach 18 years old and achieve her original goal of surviving until then.

Other than that, in no particular order:

- Lucas and Athy walking on air à la Howl's Moving Castle at their market date. One of the vendors calling Athy Lucas' girlfriend, Lucas wanting to deny it but Athy shutting him up so they got free food.

- Athy asking Lily if she wanted to get married and have a child, but Lily answering she loved Athy as a daughter and that she just wanted to stay by her side forever. Athy then replying Lily was like her mom to her.

- Lucas gifting Athy Nox. It's cute, but it also addresses how Athy felt incredibly lonely without Lucas and after Blackie's death (she didn't get over it as easily as in the manhwa), and having something truly of her own, not of the "character Athanasia". She also called Nox "the child you gave me" in front of Lucas which is so funny.

- Felix freaking out about getting old and offending Claude in the process because he is older than Felix. Claude forcing Felix to drink gross soup to "stay healthy" (torturing him) but Felix not catching on and being moved because Claude "worried so much for him".

- Athy inviting Lucas to see the stars while laying in bed.

- Every Single Cabel Scene. His duel with Lucas was especially hilarious. Him gifting Athy flowers from her own garden and Athy being offended parallels manhwa! Athy being charmed when Lucas did the same. Double standards much, Athy?

- Lucathy's second market date when Lucas doesn't deny being Athy's boyfriend.

- Lucathy's tea party over the lake. It wasn't anything special from a narrative point of view, but it was super sweet and fun.

- Athy insulting the men that harassed her and Jennette when they visited the market (using very colorful slang) and kicking them in the nuts with a candy powered by her mana.

- All of LP!Lucas' scenes. This was always impossible because Spoon wouldn't (and didn't) include the LP extras in the manhwa (I understand, it would make the fandom hate like 75% of the characters), but LP!Lucas was so great OTL.

- Athy defending Lucas in front of Claude and Claude saying he must have cursed/bewitched Athy lmfao.

- Athy shutting Roger and the foreign nobles up (who called her a weak and fragile princess and tried to choose a husband for her) by bending a silver spoon in two.

- Ijekiel rejecting Jennette. It was much more compelling in the novel, expanding on their relationship in a way the manhwa didn't at all, making it a lot less interesting. I wish the manhwa would have kept it as it was, I think both of their characters changed for the worse without that added depth.

- Jennette actually getting upset over literally everyone lying to her. Her reaction in the manhwa is just so unrealistic. Jennette showing her ugly emotions in general, Spoon really didn't let her and it made her character flatter.

- Duchess Alpheus making a small appearance. Ijekiel, are you an orphan in the manhwa?

- Aety being his own character separated from Ana. He was way funnier like that and his motives made more sense, even if he was a clown. Everyone recognizing he was just a fucked up dude.

- CHIEF GRANDPA ASKING FOR ATHY'S HAIR AND BLOOD. Claude exploding half of the tower in retaliation, and then Lucas exploding the other half when he found out.

- Lucas' whole relationship with the royal wizards (who were all ikemen, including Chief Grandpa, by the way). Lucas torturing them, the wizards hating his guts, them not believing Lucas could be in love, Chief Grandpa trying to sell Lucas as a groom to Athy.

-Lucas stabbing Claude AND Athy with the World Tree's branch. Yeah, I know it would have clashed with the more dramatic tone of the manhwa, but it was so good. Athy calling him a murderer was hilarious.

- Athy hiding Claude's identity with magic when they visited the city making him look super ugly and the local men making fun of him. Claude then teaching Athy how to gamble and crushing said men at their own game. Poor Athy thought he was trying to teach her a moral lesson lmao.

- Athy's 18th birthday party, her dance with Lucas and Helena's POV of the whole thing. Yes, it was as hysterical as it sounds.

[indigowallbreaker]

Can we get Yuri and Claude with #65 from the kiss prompts for MerMay 🥺🥺🥺

I cannot conceive of their ship name for some reason so here's hoping I've tagged it in a way that makes this findable to the right people! Don't want someone missing their Claude/Yuri fix <3

[other mermay prompts]

65. One Small Kiss, Pulling Away For An Instant, Then Devouring Each Other

--

Yuri heard Claude long before he spoke.

He could always tell when Claude was approaching. Balthus tended to swim like he was fighting the water itself. Constance swam more delicately, hiding from the sun's rays as best she could. Yuri could never hear Hapi approaching and had come to accept that, if it was too quiet, she was probably swimming up behind him.

Claude, though, had a distinctive way of moving through the ocean that Yuri couldn't explain. It used to soothe Yuri to hear the tiny changes in the environment that meant Claude was near. This time, Yuri had to stop himself tensing as that peculiar swish of Claude's tail grew louder.

"There you are," Claude greeted.

"Claude," Yuri returned.

A hand brushed the middle of Yuri's back, just underneath his long hair. "My guess is you had a rough week?"

"Something like that."

"Sorry I wasn't around. Anything I can do to help?"

Yuri looked over his shoulder at Claude, taking in his earnest expression and not letting it fool him for a second. "Perhaps there is."

Spinning around, Yuri shoved Claude against a boulder, one hand holding Claude in place and the other pressing his abalone dagger to Claude's neck. Claude pushed on Yuri's chest in a halfhearted way-- but froze under Yuri's intense glare.

"How long were you going to deceive me?" Yuri growled.

Claude had the nerve to furrow his brows. "Deceive you?"

"You lead me to believe you were just some innocent merman from the northeast seas. Just a humble traveler exploring the Fódlan oceans." Yuri gave a low, humorless chuckle. "I was fine playing along, you know. Despite my best efforts, I'd come to see you as one of my people."

"I am, Yuri." Claude reached up for Yuri's wrist, but Yuri elbowed him away. "What did I do to--"

"I followed you the other day."

That single declaration changed Claude's entire demeanor. He stiffened, puzzled expression dropping into a resolute grimace, and he stopped all feeble attempts of getting away. His gold tail edged in brown pressed against the rock in subservience as he came to the correct conclusion that there was no hiding from Yuri anymore.

"That wasn't how I wanted you to find out." Claude's voice was more measured now. No longer was he talking to his lover, but to his attacker.

Yuri sneered. "Did you intend for me to find out at all?" He leaned in closer, forcing himself to glare into those kelp green eyes. "You're a monster. Half merfolk, half human." He spat the last word.

"I prefer half Fódlani, half Almyran."

"Same thing."

"It's not."

"Monster," Yuri repeated. "What was your plan? Spy on us for the humans? Embed yourself in the community until we were ripe for the taking?"

"Would you believe me if I said my plan was peace?"

Yuri barked empty laughter, letting the tip of his dagger mark a dot of blood on Claude's neck. "Impossible. They are them, and we are us." His eyes narrowed. "And you are neither. Much as you pretend you could be both."

Instead of flinching away from the dagger, Claude leaned forward, causing the dot to become a line across his dark skin. It was Yuri who flinched and pulled it back. "I transform into a human around the time of the new moon," Claude stated. "I've lived as a human. I've lived as a merman. I could tell you everything each side hates about the other-- but I can also tell you how alike we are." A sudden smile took his face. "My teacher, Nader, loves a drink and a good arm wrestling match almost as much as Balthus."

Damn Claude and his infectious smiles. Yuri had to consciously hold his own back. "Why should I believe a word you say?"

"I thought..." Trailing off, Claude leaned forward again, swallowed, tried again, "I thought, if anyone would, it would be you."

Yuri let the dagger fall as Claude finally surged out of his loose hold. At first their lips brushed together so lightly that Yuri thought that would be it. That this truly was a ruse and Claude would snatch up his dagger while Yuri was distracted.

Then Claude pressed against Yuri again, and Yuri opened for him. He let Claude-- a half human, a mostly monster, one of his people-- guide the slow drag of their mouths. Claude's tail-- a tail that didn't exist for a few nights every month-- bumped against Yuri's and Yuri found himself wanting to ask a hundred more questions.

But first there was this kiss. All the rest could come after. Yuri wound his arms around Claude's neck and tried not to think about the gills there closing up, tried not to think about that tongue speaking the human language-- and tried only to think of Claude and his crazy, foolhardy, plausible peace.

[theia-eos]

Reasons Why I want to nominate Claude's parents as the worst parents of the Fódlan characters

I know, I know, it's a pretty high bar (low bar?), considering the other contenders, especially since only one has a name and neither are seen in either Three Houses or Three Hopes.

However, I would not jump into this discussion without evidence.

Spoilers beyond the cut.

In Three Houses, during his B Support with Hilda, he talks about his parents, particularly how they would raise/punish him.

In case you missed it, he discusses being dragged along behind a horse by his father.

His mother would laugh as it happened.

I know he rationalizes it as having been a brat as a kid, but there is absolutely nothing he could have done that would have justified BEING DRAWN, which was part of one of the most inhumane execution methods of the medieval ages and is only associated with torture historically.

Edit to add: Claude states that there is a trick to make the horse punishment less severe than it sounds. He doesn't state if he learned the trick himself after being drawn a few times, if he was taught the trick by an older sibling who went through the same thing, or another person. We also are given no context for how the punishment was carried out, whether it was on a soft grassy surface with no rocks, or a hard, rocky surface, or the duration of the dragging. Claude's first statement does imply that it happened multiple times ("He used to" instead of "one time he"). We do not know if Claude sustained serious injuries, but any combination of scrapes/bruises/rope burn are pretty much guaranteed simply by the nature of the action, and that alone is worse physical injury intentionally inflicted on a child in the game by any parent on more than one occasion, that I am aware of.

And as if that were not bad enough, we get this little gem in Three Hopes:

Where Nader says that Khalid (aka Claude) was the favorite son of the king.

The favorite.

Let that sink in.

Favorites are generally given preferential treatment by the parents. Look at how Claude was treated again, and now look to his other siblings, like Shahid, who fights and dies trying to earn recognition from his father and to be acknowledged as a good heir to the throne. And Claude has more siblings.

I rest my case.

I will grant Count Varley and Margrave Gautier second and third place in the #1 Worst Father category, but King of Almyra tops the scale in a way that is almost impossible to imagine.

Patricia (Edelgard's mother and Dimitri's Step-Mother) may or may not beat Tiana (Claude's mother) for #1 Worst Mother, and Patricia may take overall #1 Worst Parent from King Almyra, depending on her ambiguous and not yet completely disclosed involvement with TWSiTD, the Tragedy, and what happened to Edelgard/Edelgard's siblings, but otherwise, I feel pretty safe with my nomination.

Edit for clarification: I would have loved to have actually met Tiana or the King of Almyra in either game. Most of the parents in the game are presented as good, but flawed, people. They just also happen to be terrible parents. Claude's parents could be great people, beloved rulers, and well-respected in Almyra. Despite my feelings on the matter, Claude seems to like his parents. That doesn’t mean they were good parents. In fact, I still believe they are the worst parents outside of actual villainous parents. Also, because this entry is a game with more fan engagement than what I usually discuss, I feel the need note that I'm not commenting on their parenting in relation to Almyra or Almyra's culture. I'm just commenting on how objectively terrible it is to drag a child along the ground behind a horse, and to laugh at that child in the process. I'll stand by that opinion.

[beantothemax]

Trousseau fic‼️‼️‼️‼️ accidentally became more of a Harvey fic while I wrote it but oh well‼️‼️ also this one is super long, I write all these inbox fics in my notes app and they're usually 2-5 pages but this one was 7 full pages‼️‼️ that's so much‼️‼️

Claude half pushed, half threw Trousseau out of the room. The apothecary fell to the floor, staying there for several seconds as he lacked the strength to stand.

When he finally stood, the world spun and his vision blurred. Bruises littering his arms made it impossible to even hold onto something for support.

Petrichor happened to pass him in the hallway, rushing to his side to help him. She always said she would remain neutral in the internal conflicts of the Moonshade order, but it was clear she favored Trousseau.

She lead him to Harvey's office, knocking on the door.

"Your pet project got hurt pretty bad, he-" she didn't get to finish her (hurtful) sentence before Harvey tore the door open.

His eyes fell on the apothecary, quickly scooping him into his arms, "thanks for the help, Petri."

She merely nodded before walking off.

Harvey shut the door behind him, setting Trousseau down on his armchair before searching the cabinets for anything that could help. One cabinet had a bottle of water and cloths. They weren't perfect, but they'd work.

He knelt beside Trousseau and dabbed the damp cloth on his wounds. The apothecary hissed at the stinging sensation, thought it clear he was in more than a bit of pain.

"He hit my head so many times. It hurts so much," Trousseau muttered.

Bruises littered his face and temple. One eye was so swollen that it was difficult to see out of it.

Claude had harmed Trousseau countless times before, but not like this. He was cruel, but he understood the severity of a concussion and refused to touch Trousseau's head. But now...

"I'll take care of him," Harvey said coldly.

"Don't kill him, Arcanette would be upset," Trousseau replied.

"I don't care what she thinks, you're more important than Vide."

Trousseau wanted to tell him not to, to remember to keep himself safe, but he was in far too much pain to argue.

With his limited knowledge of healing magic, Harvey cast a numbing spell on him, before picking him up.

"I'll hide you from Claude, so you can recover. I have a lot of work to do so if I can't check on you, then Ori or Petri will," he said.

The Moonshade order had a handful of bases around Solistia, though Lostseed was their main one. Trousseau couldn't stay in any of them, lest they wanted Claude to find him again.

There was no base in Montwise, but it wasn't safe either. Claude knew Harvey lived there, and Oboro's unhealthy habits made him frequent the arena. It was far too risky.

The last place he could think of was Conning Creek. Only him and Petrichor visited regularly, and even those visits were infrequent. Petrichor only visited to see Cateracta, and a dear friend of Harvey lived there.

Over the few days it took them to get there, Trousseau had recovered enough to stand. He tightly held Harvey's arm and leaned on him.

Harvey hesitated, but knocked on the door. There was no one else in the world who would be as willing to help him.

"Ah Harvey, it's nice to see you," Rita smiled, "and you brought a friend, is he a scholar from your conferences?"

"I suppose you could say that. Is Osvald home? I need to see him," Harvey asked hurriedly.

"Of course, he's in his study," she smiled.

Harvey thanked her as she shut the door. Him and Trousseau walked the last few meters to the decorated cave Osvald loved so dearly.

"Osvald? It's me, Harvey," the scholar said as he entered.

Osvald looked up from his paper just in time to see Harvey descend the final few steps, with the exhausted and injured Trousseau in tow.

"Who's this?" he asked.

Harvey sat Trousseau down on the stairs before approaching Osvald.

"His name is Trousseau," Harvey started, "I've gotten myself mixed up in a horrible mess, I just need you to help my friend recover for a week or two while I get some stuff sorted out."

Naturally, that explanation wasn't enough for Osvald's chronically curious mind. Harvey groaned internally at the idea of answering all of Osvald's, sometimes scarily specific, questions.

"What kind of mess? Is it anything I can help with?" he asked.

"I- it's a long explanation," Harvey said.

Osvald thought a while, but sighed.

"We have space in the attic and spare bedding, so he can stay there. Rita can help him settle in, then you're telling me everything about this mess."

Harvey nearly hugged him and cried with relief, but he'd learned how to keep his composure.

"Thanks, Osvald. I-I really can't explain how much this means to me," he said.

Osvald smiled, "of course, anything for a dear friend."

gonna need Claude to stand in this large X I’ve painted onto the ground here. don’t mind the rope I’m holding.

SERIOUSLY WHAT TBE FUCK. WHAT RHE FUCK. HATE HIM. HATE HIM SO MUCH. god Harvey better ‘take care’ of claude and it better involve at least one gun

osvald asking no questions (at first at least) about taking trousseau in is very sweet though. yet another parental figure to add to the list (two, including rita!)

also let harvey and osvald hug. they both need one I think.

you never fail to deliver the Emotions pie this certianly hurt…

[wherefore-whinnies]

nobody asked but this is my performance tier list for my current engage maddening run (it is pretty radically different from my last run now that I am actually playing somewhat optimally). units are ranked within tiers btw although maybe I should swap Fogado and Hortensia

Citrinne kind of deserves her own S+ tier tbh I love her so much.

some comments!

Citrinne - I use her with the Olwen S ring and a forged + engraved (Roy or something?) Thunder tome and she just obliterates sooo many things. I thought she would start falling off eventually but she really hasn't yet. once she does I am excited to switch her to a meme bow knight build with radiant bow and Lyn emblem for the world's most devastating Astra Storm

Chloé - she was absolute garbage in my last run so I was pretty shocked in this run when she was actually good? idk what happened. she's currently a Wyvern Knight to help with strength growths but I'll switch her to Griffin Knight after

Zelkov - when did this guy become so good??? I was planning to replace him with Merrin but I can't drop him now especially because he's my only covert. I used to use him with Lyn until I got Corrin

Fogado - I use him with the Claude S ring and a forged radiant bow and he is p strong! but tends to miss kills by a bit. maybe I should give him some spirit dust lol

Hortensia - self-explanatory

Kagetsu - man he's been so disappointing this run. probably because everyone else is so good I no longer use him so much for him to get enough xp. I was using him with Navarre's S ring and he kept not getting crits even with like 60% crit rate and doubling and he kept getting hit by low accuracy attacks my poor guy. I gave him Eirika's ring now in hopes of helping him actually damage enemies since his damage output is falling off hard but for some reason lunar brace is really not helping much ?_? idk.

Panette - I just finished Ike's paralogue so I can finally give her Wrath and then we'll see if she's as good as people say 💪 she's all right rn when she manages to crit but she keeps missing crits or missing entirely. I threw Seliph's S ring on her to help with crit but I might switch to Ryoma when her level is higher if I don't have Roy back by then.

Alear - man this guy sucks wtf. he was my best unit a few chapters ago and now he can barely do damage, can't double, and can't dodge. at least his personal is extremely useful especially for Citrinne. I've been convinced to switch him to Griffin Knight and have him fly around using bonded shield on Chloé for the lulz but I need to finish the next chapter first to get Leif back.

Anna - I've been using her with Olwen S ring and forged Thunder + canto but her magic is pretty low still and I don't have much room for guys so I kind of want to get rid of her... but she's supposed to end up with a better mag stat soon >:(

Merrin - she was pretty decent when I got her but I have no room for her sorry.

Louis - damn this guy was extremely disappointing this time for a unit that I thought it was completely impossible to beat maddening without. he cannot really take a lot of hits... I think it is similar to Kagetsu where my other units are so good now that I'm playing properly that I'm not just turtling through every chapter so he's missing out on a lot of xp compared to last time. I just did Ike's paralogue and Louis was sooo useless because he could not at all hold the chokepoint that he was supposed to. I had to use Zelkov + fog running back and forth between two chokepoints basically being two guys instead.

saline - 😭😭😭 I'm still going to insist on using her for the gimmick build I was planning with divine pulse+, Micaiah, and freeze/entrap staves but man has she fallen off hard for being my highest level and most invested unit in the early game

[waru-chan8]

undefined

Roberto: it’s the moment for, who is also literally fighting for his life, Jorge Lorenzo, who can be or not, we will see, one of tonight's (10.03.2023) finalist. He is is tied (on points) with Ana Guerra and only 5 points away from Rosa. Watch out, he has to dance tonight, but not in a pachanga plan, o reggaeton, that is what he goes with him/he enjoys, he has to dance in front, or backwards? How it was? Go. How it was? (Roberto makes a words jokes that I can’t translate to English. He says ‘por derecho’ which translates as by law, ut he means it in front as he later says or it’s backwards?  Basically he is just trying to introduce the challenge).

Jorge: Noe, who is he?

Noe: hi!

Jorge: The younger brother of Jean-Claude Van Damme? I have to do that?

Noe: yes

Jorge: bloody hell! We need to train (Jorge says it in a way that implies they need LOTS of training)

Noe: we are going to dance

Jorge: Dance in here?

Noe: yes. And on top of that against/backwards

Jorge: Backwards I know it’s going to be very difficult Backwards. Such a bastard of a trick they play on me. But we need to practise and practise. I love to dance reggaeton 

Noe:raise your legs

Jorge: simple, simple, double, double. Fuck. The most difficult is everything. Everything is exit/end one and enter the next mess and everything is difficult

Noe: out, do not grab/hold. Do not grab/hold. Stop. Okay? If you dance in there and you neglect/are careless, bye-bye (meaning you are expelled from the treadmill)

Jorge: I felt many times and no more

Noe: and you shouldn’t

Jorge: without a suit/leathers and helmet is even worse

Noe: and we hurt ourselves for real because the fall in there you don’t control your body

Jorge: I’m a competitive machine (he means it in a way that he i always thinking about pushing himself, cornering the rivals and winning). I always show my best version in the key moments. Let this be clear to the jury, that this is one of the most complicated challenges. And if not, when I finish it, they can try it

Roberto: Noe, good night.

Noe: good night

Roberto: a classic to have you here with us every night, but this is going to be different.

Noe: yes

Roberto: you where telling me on the practice “I think we have complicated too much, maybe”

Noe: yes, we gone an extra mile too much (what she means in Spanish is that they keep adding and adding and this might bee a bit too much). Last time we did treadmill, it was on a 4 velocity, the treadmill was a bit longer and we also were in favour. There was a few moments that we rotated, but we were in favour.

Roberto: in favour of the treadmill (meaning like we normally would use it).

Noe: exactly

Roberto: and we are going to do it against (backwards)

Noe: in here we are backwards and it goes at a 5 velocity, that later it’s true that is not so noticeable. when you are up in the treadmill, for them it’s pretty complicated. And...

Roberto:no, no it’s impossible.

Noe: it was

Roberto: I don’t know it you can see, but come on.

Noe: it was (shitty, I’m not really sure because I think she says ‘putada’

Roberto: I don’t go in because I want to hold on until the final, you know? (again, he uses a words play. He uses ‘aguantar’ that can be interpreted as hold my will until the final or my physic, implying that if he goes into that treadmill he will fall). But whoa, it goes fast and it was difficult

Noe: in fact, it’s the first time that in the practise and that stuff, all the team, I asked to the dancers if they were okay, if something happened to them

Roberto: um

Noe: because they where very serious, very focussed

Roberto: that’s true

Noe: the challenge is for him a lot, and for all

Roberto: how are you?

Jorge: very nervous. I’m shaking on my boots because I went to seep at 3:30 am practising I was...

Roberto: a-wh- ¿3:30? (They are actually surprised because the program takes them a whole day to record. Apnea, the last challenge of the nigh was actually recorded at 2p.m in one episode. So basically Jorge is there with very little sleep)

Jorge: at night. I was 2 hours to try to memorize everything

Noe: wuau

Jorge: and that my memory doesn’t fail me. It’s really a very physical challenge. You don’t stop at any moment and my pulse goes up to 200

Roberto: if we close the classification like it is now, you’d be at the final. but you need to do the challenge. You are the 4rt

Jorge: I have Mariló..

Roberto: you have to do the challenge and add it too

Jorge she is hot on my heels

Roberto: and the others too. Jorge, I know that you dance well reggaeton, and is not a joke, no?

Jorge: at a night club,

Roberto: at a night club, of course,

Jorge: relaxed and so. But is a complete different thing to do like this

Roberto: in here, the night club is when people is going home and lights are on that you can see everything

Jorge: exactly

Roberto: so, good luck. Let’s go for it.

Ana: come one, Jorge

Roberto: to you and all the dancing crew too, good luck to all of you

*applause noise and other contestant cheering Jorge*

Roberto: I know it’s difficult, so... Go and take your marks. When you say it, Jorge. Jorge Lorenzo and the dancing crew, welcome boys and girls. They are going to give everything because he has to dance a choreography on top of those treadmills. Like we said, coordination, and good vibes are fundamentals. Are you ready? Yes? Then let’s go, the challenge stats.

---

Roberto: how wonderful. A big round of applause for the dancers crew and Jorge Lorenzo. Thank you boy and girls. Marvellous  ...