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sunasilhouette · 7 months ago

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「your intentions」 - s.rintarou x f!reader

✧summary:

what happens when a notorious manwhore, stoner, and player, encounters someone who doesn't seem all too interested. or: you piss suna off so much that he wants you

✧wc: 5.2k

✧au: college!au, freshman!suna, freshman!reader, miya twins side characters

✧ tags + warnings under the cut | ao3 link (sentence case) |

♪♬ intentions - starfall

✧warnings: explicit smut, minors dni, bratty!reader, experienced!reader, sadist!suna, dom!suna, fuckboy!suna, stoner!suna, sexual tension, alcohol consumption, fwb, suna is an asshole with standards,

✧tags: fingering (f.), oral (m.f.), teasing, degradation, pet name (kitten/ princess), unprotected sex, rough, edging, mirror sex, dubcon, creampie, face-fucking, cum swallowing

frat parties themselves were frustrating—loud, crowded, sweaty. but on the bright side, they always accompanied themselves with free booze and weed. a lot of the guys here played for various sports teams on campus, most of them on the volleyball team.

one in particular, suna rintarou. the guy you so happened to sit next to in the blunt rotation and the very guy your friend warned you about yet also praised. rumour has it suna rintarou only calls up girls when he's high but he was an insane fuck. you didn't take much notice until it was your turn in the rotation. with a tap on your shoulder, you turned to the tall, foxy-featured volleyball player.

“hey. you want some or not?" rintarou suna said lazily, expression blank. his sharp, foxy features complement the entire vibe he was exuding. plus, you were surprised that you could smell a sexy, earthy cologne on him and not just the weed.

you turned around, meeting his eyes with a similar blank expression, not really vibing with his tone. you might have had a resting bitch face... but, you didn’t say anything as you took the offered blunt, taking a big puff and blowing it at his face, saying, “thanks," clipped with a fake smile and then turned back to your friend, dismissing the surprise on her face.

what you didn't notice was how suna raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by your boldness yet intrigued. as you blew smoke in his face, he had taken a slow, deliberate breath, his eyes never leaving yours. even when you turned away, he kept his gaze drifting lazily over your body in a way that was both assessing and appreciative.

leaning back casually against the couch, he pulled out his phone but continued to sneak glances at you from the corner of his eye. a slow, sly smile spread across his lips.

meanwhile, your friend yui was erratically sputtering about your passive-aggressive interaction with the known ‘manwhore’. honestly, you didn’t get the big deal and continued sipping at your drink and making conversation with the other sports guys, purposely ignoring suna.

sure, you'd be lying if you said you didn’t find him attractive but he was surprisingly not the kind of guy you usually go for. suna’s and your mutual friend osamu was more up your alley since you shared an elective with him and he seemed way more of a green flag than a notorious womaniser.

yui was in the middle of not-so-quietly warning you about him, no doubt painting him as some kind of villain suna thought. with that, you felt as though a certain someone was staring a hole into the back of your head causing you to shift your gaze briefly—mr hotshot himself already looking with that same lazy, blank yet sharp expression of his. he quirked the side of his lip. you rolled your eyes at him, something suna definitely wanted to see again.

you were alerted to a ringing and a name that pissed you off reading. “shit… sorry, I gotta take this call.” you told yui, putting your drink down and leaving the group, trying to find your way through the crowded living room and up the stairs into a hopefully unoccupied room.

you waltzed upstairs and managed to find an empty room where people weren't fucking in to take the phone call. it wasn't a very fun one.

"christ, anzai, I told you not to call me again. do I really have to block you?" the conversation was pointless and getting on your nerves. you sat down on the bed, rubbing your temples out of frustration. sighing and about to cuss out your ex-fwb over the phone, the door opened, letting a bit of light into the dark room.

suna rintarou. your eyes grew at the coincidence but you needed to end the phone call. suna was just quiet, watching you with a blank expression and that stare of his.

"you're blocked. don't call me."

the invader leaned casually against the doorframe, watching you with keen interest as you hung up. you sighed as you rubbed your temples which probably struck a chord in him—you're sure he knew this feeling all too well. the room fell silent except for the muffled noise and shit music from downstairs. wordlessly, he pushed off the doorframe and moved further into the room, closing the door softly behind him. suna came to sit beside you on the bed, close but not quite touching. reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a joint and lighter.

"trouble in paradise?" he asked quietly, sparking the lighter. his tone was devoid of its usual sarcasm, surprisingly gentle. he took a long hit before offering it to you, exhaling smoke slowly through barely parted lips. his eyes, usually sharp and mocking, had softened as he regarded you in the shadows. for now, the game was on hold - it seemed he was simply offering a moment of quiet understanding.

this was the infamous manwhore on campus people were dying to get in bed with? you glanced at the joint that he offered. you didn’t take it, saying, "can't a girl get a little bit of privacy? I prefer escaping the party alone, actually."

"this is my room, actually," he replied calmly, taking another drag from the joint.

“shit- sorry.” you started, about to stand up and leave but he didn’t seem bothered or react as if he was so... you slowly sat back down.

suna exhaled slowly and shrugged. "don't worry, I'm not gonna try anything. just thought you could use someone to vent to, if you want." his tone was casual, non-threatening. holding the joint out to you again, he added, "or... we could just get high and forget about our problems for a while."

his expression gave nothing away as usual, but his eyes were open and attentive, implicitly letting you know he was genuinely offering an ear. the ball was in your court now - you could take the outstretched joint as a peace offering and relax in comfortable silence, or tell him to fuck off.

“well, guess I'll take you up on that,” you said in reply, the faintest hint of a smile on your glossy lips.

a ghost of a smirk tugged at suna's lips as you accepted said peace offering, brushing against his fingers slightly (intentionally or not), clearly pleased with himself. he leaned back on one arm, mirroring you, close but not quite touching and watched the end of the joint glow orange as you took a hit.

"so, what's with the aggressive call?" he asked casually, your brief contact sent a subtle spark through him, though his expression remained as bored as ever. "ex giving you trouble?"

he took another long drag, holding the smoke for a moment before releasing it. his hooded gaze remained fixed on you, waiting patiently. there was a comfortable silence as the weed started to take effect, blurring the edges of discomfort.

during the brief silence, you took him in, only now realising how long his legs were and how huge he actually was without that oversized jacket- arms, hands, fingers; everything.

averting your eyes, you instead noticed a few things about his bedroom. one - a massive wall-to-ceiling mirror on his built-in wardrobe, a volleyball and some trophies on display on the shelves. some of his clothes were thrown about, as you would expect in a first-year guy's room. not to mention his impressive PC set-up.

suna had followed your gaze around the room, catching the subtle once-overs of his physique and belongings.

you finally indulged him by replying to his question, “not that big of a deal. just an asshole that begged to tap again despite being a one-minute wonder," you smirked through the confession - subtlety not being one of your strongest suits.

"really? wouldn't know what that's like." you could practically hear the smirk in his voice too, confidence oozing through.

you rolled your eyes at his comment, "though, seems like you're the same in that you don't know how to take the hint. heard all about you." you continued before you could really think over what you had just implied.

he hid a smirk by taking another drag.

"hmm, really?" he replied lazily, "and what exactly have you heard?"

of course, suna knew the rumours that circulated about him - manwhore, player, only calls girls when he's high and or drunk. but he was curious what impression you in particular had gotten. his hooded gaze watched your expression closely.

the joint was starting to take effect now, softening the edges of his usual sharp demeanour. a pleasant buzz hummed through your veins.

letting out a soft chuckle, closing your eyes and replying with shrug, "you only call girls when you're high or drunk. and… you're an 'insane fuck'. a friend's words - not mine."

as you spoke, suna reached his arm past you, leaning over your thighs to stub out his joint on an ashtray atop the bedside table. your eyes grew wide at the sudden proximity.

"hmm, your friend isn't entirely wrong," suna hummed, his breath ghosting over your ear. he took his sweet time stubbing out the joint, not missing and clearly enjoying the subtle tension of your body.

when he sat back, he turned his head to meet your eyes, mere inches away. his gaze, usually sharp and mocking, had softened into something molten under the haze.

"but, what do you think?" he asked quietly, a hint of challenge in his tone. one of his long fingers came up to brush a lock of hair from your cheek, lingering there for a moment as his eyes dropped to your lips. the game was still afoot, but the rules had changed - this was no longer just casual banter.

this was an invitation.

and, your own gaze failed you too. for a split second, your eyes flicked down to his lips and then back up to his greyish-yellow eyes. you decide not to swat his hand away.

“well, shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and so on...” you whispered low and sultry, “as for ‘insane fuck’… let’s just say I don’t have the experience to give my own opinion.”

"wise words," his thumb tracing soft circles on her cheek. your admission both surprised and intrigued him. he liked the way you talked.

leaning in slowly, giving you ample time to pull away, he brushed his lips against the shell of your ear once more. "what do you say we change that?" he breathed, letting the question hang tantalizingly in the air.

his free hand came up to tangle gently in your hair, tilting you enough to expose the long, column of your neck. suna pressed a lingering kiss there, feeling that pulse quicken under his lips and forced a breathy sigh out of you, the pressure feeling so good.

"or d'you wanna continue our little game of cat and mouse?" he whispered, hot breath ghosting over sensitive skin. his eyes, when they meet yours again, gleam with promise and challenge.

"that depends,” you whispered out, “who’s the cat and who’s the mouse?” contrary to conflicting words, your own hands moved to slide up his shirt—to the back of his neck, fingers tangling into his brown locks. hands on his bare skin sent sparks through his veins, sharpening his focus.

"good question," suna murmured just above your lips, eyes half-lidded with intent.

in one smooth motion, he pushed you down, caging you against the plush mattress. his knee parted your thighs, making that tight mini skirt ride up just enough, pressing against your core, eliciting a gasp.

"for now, I think it's safe to say the mouse has been caught. but, I have a feeling you're more kitten than mouse," he gazed down at you with hooded eyes, taking in your flushed cheeks and sweet curves. "so you gonna let me kiss you, or...?

that shit-eating grin on his face made the idea of denying him so much more tempting. alas, suna rintarou was stupidly good with his words. but, so were you.

"I'll let you do more if you hurry up."

you could hear suna curse under his breath right before capturing your lips in a searing kiss. he rolled his hips against yours, grinding his hard length through the thin layers of fabric. a low groan rumbled in his throat at the exquisite friction.

breaking the kiss, he trailed his mouth down your jaw and neck, nipping and sucking marks into the tender skin. “so you’re the impatient type, huh?” he teased, hands making quick work of that skirt. "alright, I’ll give you what you want.”

not a second later and you’re stripped bare. he’s settled between your thighs. no more teasing—he delved right in, lapping eagerly at those dripping folds. his reputation precedes him, ministrations focused and skilled, clearly well-practised in the art of reducing his flings to a quivering mess.

you didn’t know what to expect but suna going full-throttle was definitely not on the list. either suna really was a god with his hands and tongue or the weed in your system was making you feel pleasure tenfold. you hoped it was just the latter.

you couldn’t even stop to think about trying to avoid the mounting orgasm. suna didn’t help with the way his tongue perfectly circled your clit. or how his fingers curled and prodded that sweet spot in your tight, soaking wet cunt.

it wasn’t your fault how your thighs quivered and threatened to close around him—but suna kept you spread, happily lapping up the slick and wetness from your cum.

you cursed and could feel his fucking grin, taking his time kissing and nipping down your inner thighs. only when you stilled did he crawl back up your body, grabbing at the flesh of your curves.

his lips and chin glistened with your essence, kissing you once more and letting you get a taste of yourself on his hot tongue.

suna nipped at your swollen lips, erection straining painfully against his jeans. “your turn,” he said, taking your hand and guiding it to the tent in his pants.

your brows frowned and you smirked, somewhat irritably. that nonchalant, confident arrogance of his really did a good job at pissing you off (and turning you on). two could play at that game.

recovered from that mind-blowing orgasm, you pushed against his chest, making him sit up and lean on one arm. “you really are full of yourself, aren’t you?”

you claimed his lips once more, undoing the belt and unzipping his pants with practised ease as he helped by kicking them off.

his grunt out of surprise was delightful to hear as you gripped him by the base, cock twitching eagerly in your grasp.

“guilty as charged,” he breathed when you parted, watching with that lazy grin and hooded eyes. “but you seem to be holding your own just fine,” he reached down to stroke your cheek. suna’s expression softening from his usual mocking edge into something almost tender. almost.

now that you were quite literally face-to-face with his cock, you couldn’t think anything else other than, ‘fuck, he’s big’. stupid volleyball players and their stupid big hands, big build and big dick apparently.

“you’re not the only one who’s been around,” you confessed, teasing the tip, flicking salty pre all around, all while looking at him doe-eyed through your lashes.

suna sucked in a sharp breath, hips twitching slightly from the teasing touches. “mm, I’m learning that,” he replied, voice roughening with barely restrained desire. what he would give to shove his cock down that diabolical mouth of yours. the mental image of your full, pouty lips stretched wide around him might have been enough to send him over the edge on its own.

his fingers tangle into your hair, not pushing but definitely encouraging, giving it a light tug. you took that as the go signal, licking up a stripe from the base of his cock. your spare hand, already coated with the juices from your cunt came up to pump once and then twice.

and, just as you finished licking up that stripe, you closed your mouth around the tip, bobbing your head and experimentally hollowing out your cheeks.

the throaty groan suna let out was more than satisfactory, head falling back as you sucked harder. “fuck, just like that…” he growled encouragingly, hips wanting to jerk up into that perfect mouth but he held back, letting you set the pace.

furrowing your brows at him, you swallowed him deeper until the tip of his cock hit the back of your throat, moaning, sending waves through his cock. he was in so deep. you could feel it twitch inside your throat and taste what was uniquely suna rintarou.

"f-fuck," he stammered, hips bucking up helplessly at the sensation of your throat fluttering around the head of his cock. oh, you were taking him so well, like you were made for swallowing his length. "so fucking good," he praised roughly, stroking your cheek. his release was coiling hot and tight already.

just before sending him over the edge, what could a little more teasing do? with a lick of your lips, you gazed up at him from below and with a smirk saying, “you holdin’ back or somethin’? I’m not a stranger to being face fucked," and licked another swipe down his cock.

suna scoffed. his eyes flashed dangerously.

in a flash he flipped you backwards, pinning your wrists above your head with one large hand. his cock jutted heavy and eager between you, glistening with his pre and your saliva.

"you asked for it, kitten," he warned, a wicked gleam in his eyes. without further preamble, he plunged back into your mouth, setting a punishing pace as he fucked that perfect throat.

suna's hips snapped forward relentlessly as he took what he wanted. one hand tangled roughly in your hair to hold you in place for his merciless punishment.

"such a naughty little slut, begging to be face fucked," he growled, feeling his release coiling tighter with each slick thrust. "swallow it all when I come, got that?"

his groans and grunts were honestly music to your ears. a few more hard thrusts and he was spilling down your throat with a guttural groan, pounding into your mouth through the entirety of his climax.

you weren't immune to having tears well up in your eyes as white hot cum spurted down your throat, closing your eyes to focus on the feeling and to not choke around him.

when suna ‘generously’ (not) pulled out of your mouth, you puffed your cheeks and swallowed hard, turning to cough. you faced suna after, licking your lips and swallowing all while looking at him dead in the eye almost defiantly, “people usually stop fucking moving when they blow,” you complained, voice slightly hoarse but that just made suna even more prideful.

he just chuckled at your complaint—that same evil laugh accompanying that shit-eating smirk. "dunno who you're tryna convince since..." he shifted, fingers tracing your hips and tapped your sopping wet cunt, wetness practically dripping down your thighs. "you're ruining my sheets."

you detested that suna rintarou face-fucking you made you wet to the point where you dripped all over his bed. it was now clear to him exactly how he should continue treating you.

rolling smoothly atop you, he caged you in with strong arms and settled between welcoming thighs. "I’ll clean that up for you," he purred, dipping his head to sample the sweet flavour lingering on his tongue.

suna let his fingers do most of the work stretching you out, making you mewl, moan, and arch your back. “s'that what you say to all the girls you fuck?”

suna chuckled darkly against her slick flesh, tongue delving deeper in response. "not always," he replied, lips and chin glistening when he pulled back to meet your eyes. two fingers scissored inside you, curling to stroke that sweet spot, while his thumb circled your aching clit in lazy eights.

"now quit your yapping and enjoy the ride." he resumed his oral devotion with renewed vigour, determined to reduce you to a quivering mess once more before claiming you fully. only when you were sobbing his name and gripping the sheets in abandon would he deem you ready for his cock.

fuck— his fingers really were magic. you were questioning why he was so adamant on stretching you out. though, after taking his cock in your mouth, you were actually wondering how it’d fucking fit inside. you were so, so close to coming for the second time that night. but, you oh-so badly wanted to cum on his cock. you’d rather die than admit it though, stubbornly biting your lip, muffling cries so as to not give him satisfaction.

suna hummed, smirking around the mouthful of flesh his lips and tongue were lavishing. he could feel your inner walls fluttering, body coiled as tight as a bowstring on the edge of release.

pulling back with an obscene pop, he withdrew his fingers to your disappointed mewl. "tsk, so impatient," he chided, nipping at your inner thighs. "don't you want the real thing?" he purred, rubbing the thick head of his cock through your slick folds in slow, teasing circles. he was fully hard again, ready to plunge deep.

"beg for it like a good girl and I'll consider it," he challenged, grey-golden eyes glittering with mischief. his thumb returned to rub tight, fast circles around your clit, keeping you right on the razor's edge.

your brows furrowed, eyes closing tight in hopes to stop yourself from coming. you swallowed hard and managed a smirk despite your hazed eyes, closing your legs around his torso, pulling him in, playfully nipping at his bottom lip. "not until you ask me for my name, asshole."

suna growled low in his throat. little minx was going to be the death of him. his cockhead nudged insistently at your entrance, aching to breach that tight heat.

his voice was low and smooth, lacking its usual teasing edge. for once, his full attention was focused solely on you, "alright then, kitten. what's your name?" you waited on his question, and then you'd give your answer, along with the fucking of a lifetime.

whispering your name into his ear, you continued, "but, you can call me your slut if you let me cum on your cock this time. and, if you’re good I might even let you have my number."

the way your voice stayed low and sultry almost lulled him into some sort of spell. it didn't help suna's patience when your legs tightened around his waist, making his cock kiss the entrance of your cunt.

suna's eyes darkened at the sinful proposition, cock twitching eagerly. oh, he was going to make you beg for release before the night was through.

he purred your name, tasting it on his tongue as he rolled his hips, "such a pretty name for a dirty slut." he chuckled, nipping your lobe.

in one swift thrust, he finally sank home, burying to the hilt in one smooth stroke. your velvety heat clenched so tight around him. it was exquisite torture. the moan you both shared together was downright diabolical and the proceeding muffled cries that you let out in your mess of a kiss felt delicious on suna’s tongue.

bracing himself on muscular arms, he set a punishing pace, hips snapping forward to grind against your clit on every pass. "you'll probably be begging for mine once I'm done," he mumbled against your lips, grey eyes alight with primal hunger.

with the way your pussy clenched down on him, the way your nails dug into his shoulders and the way you moaned his name: how could he not feel like he was running on pure ecstasy.

suna gripped your hips and flipped you over, leaning over your arched body. he nipped the shell of your ear with a smirk. his free hand gripped your chin, pulling your head up, making you look up at that full-length mirror on his wardrobe, "remind me how you want it, again?"

you wanted to curse him out so bad with how badly your walls fluttered achingly around nothing. biting your lips, you let out a shaky sigh as your cheeks flushed an even deeper red. finding the strength to lift a hand to turn his head and whisper devilishly into his ear, "rough."

with a breathy chuckle, he replied, "sure thing, princess." without further warning, he gripped your hips once more and slammed back in. you cried out, whether in pain or pleasure or a sick mixture of both, you neither knew nor cared. all that mattered was the feeling of suna wrecking your insides.

suna's hand tangled in your hair, yanking your head back, forcing you to look at the debaucherous reflection in the mirror. the muted sounds of the frat party downstairs faded, replaced with the noises of sex and slapping skin.

your skin flushed pink and red from the marks he left on your body. looking up for a brief second, you met his blown-out pupils in the mirror, managing to get out, "a little fucked in the head, aren’t you-"

suna's lips curled into a feral smirk at your words, meeting your gaze unflinchingly in the mirror. "takes one to know one, princess," he growled, angling his hips to drive even deeper. his thrusts were relentless, pounding into you so hard the force shifted you forward.

leaning over you and reaching around, he splayed his large hand over your lower belly, feeling the bulge of his cock. "feel that?"

of course you fucking felt it—he was practically splitting you open. and you'd hate to admit it but you felt high and it was definitely not the weed.

he caught your mouth in a bruising kiss, all teeth and tongue. his eyes bored into yours in the mirror, a feral challenge gleaming in their depths.

you couldn’t stay up. you lowered your head, body high on firey pleasure as suna pounded a second orgasm into you. you cursed and sputtered out, "f-fuck...! I'm gonna..."

his own face twisted in ecstasy. fuck, he needed to fill you up. your cries raised an octave and walls began to spasm around him, making him groan deeply into the crook of your neck. as much of an asshole he was, he found a slither of control inside him to care enough to ask.

he cursed, his control hanging by a thread, "you on anything?"

his cock pistoned in and out of your walls, hitting that spongy sweet spot every single time. the slap of skin filled the room along with your mingled moans. suna's orgasm was coiling tight, ready to explode.

somehow summoning the last shreds of willpower, he panted against your skin, "hurry, tell me before I lose it…" the decision was yours, but he wasn't sure he could stop even if you said to. not when you felt this fucking good.

part of him wanted nothing more than to spill deep inside, and claim you as only his. a few more erratic thrusts were all he could manage, hanging on the razor's edge for your reply before the dam broke.

“f-fuck... just— fill me up…!” you couldn’t even think straight as you peaked. your back arched like a pretty moon with a death grip on the sheets, trying to at least hold on to a bit of your sanity.

a guttural groan tore from suna's throat at your permission, the last of his restraint shattering. he slammed home one final time, spilling hot white cum deep inside your clenching walls with a full-body shudder.

wave after wave of pleasure crashed over him as he pulsed into you, your climax dragging his out for an agonizing eternity. your velvety heat milked him for all he was worth, and he swore he saw stars behind his lids.

coming back to himself, he collapsed heavily over you, panting for breath. suna buried his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling your intoxicating scent as you both floated down together.

"fuck…" was all he could manage in a gravelly rasp, still nestled inside.

the previously faded noise of the party had now become slightly audible and matched with the beating of your heartbeats and panting breaths. holy fuck. suna rintarou really was an insane fuck.

pulling out slowly, he watched his seed leak from your abused cunt with a satisfied smirk. rollling onto his side, he tugged your limp, well-fucked body towards him, tucking you under his arm.

was he still high? cus the way he was looking at you was kinda dangerous… you didn’t say anything else and pressed your lips against his again, wanting to forget about everything else and enjoy the ‘insane fuck’ that was suna rintarou.

suna readily returned your kiss, losing himself in the feel of your pretty soft lips. for once, his mind had gone blissfully blank - all he knew was the girl in his arms and the taste of you on his tongue.

reluctantly breaking the kiss, he pressed his forehead to yours, noses brushing almost intimately as you both caught your breaths. his fingers traced idle patterns along your flushed skin, committing every curve and plane to memory.

his eyes cracked open to meet your gaze, and for a heartbeat, something almost tender flickered in his usual sardonic depths. "stay the night?" he murmured, voice uncharacteristically soft. fingers tracing the bow of your lips, he awaited your answer.

“what, can’t get enough of the girl that accidentally walked into your room?” you teased, biting the finger that traced your lips.

suna huffed out a soft laugh at your retort. he replied, "can you blame me? think I hit the jackpot with you." his fingers combed idly through your tousled locks, gaze roaming your well-fucked form with unabashed hunger and appreciation.

"besides," he purred, nosing along your jawline to nip at the spot below your ear that made you gasp, "you still need to answer my question."

his voice had dropped to a low, gravelly rasp that went straight to your core. he smirked against your flushed skin. "do I live up to my reputation as an 'insane fuck'?"

yes, you answered mentally—but you weren't about to feed his ego even more.

trailing his fingers down your spine, he purred, "and I believe someone promised me her number? for being 'good' and filling her up.”

despite the way you shivered at his touch once more, you huffed and pushed against his chest. “your volleyball friends not gonna miss you?” you said sarcastically, rolling your eyes at him.

"probably too busy getting shitfaced to notice I'm gone," he replied with a lazy shrug. "I'd much rather stay right here and wreck you a few more times before calling it a night." his hand slid down your stomach to tease that oversensitive clit, smirking at your involuntary gasp.

“you’re impossible.”

unfortunately for you, you did surrender your number to suna in the end. and, you even stayed the night, surprising a few of suna’s house mates from the sight of the smoking hot girl he managed to somehow get into his bed. you paid them no mind as you left his place. well- apart from giving your classmate, osamu miya, an awkward greeting before leaving.

it wasn’t long before you and suna would meet again, and again, and again…

#suna rintarou #suna rintarou smut #suna rintarou x reader #suna rintarou x reader smut #suna x reader #suna x reader smut #suna smut #haikyuu smut #hq!! smut #hq x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x reader smut #potentially doing more with this au #what happens when suna begins to fall in love with his favourite fwb?#honestly he's probably already started falling #follow for next instalment o/#sunasilhouette

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starcurtain · 3 months ago

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Some Notes on Mydei's Characterization (Part 1)

I'm already tired of seeing Mydei slander (if I have to read "He's a brawn over brains berserker who just cares about fighting" one more time, I might actually die), so I thought I'd put together some quick notes on what canon has to say about Mydei's character. Please note this post contains only my own interpretations of canon material; not everyone will interpret scenes in the same manner.

Starting with some of the most off-base stuff I've seen first:

1. Being Capable of Violence is Not the Same as Being Violent

Mydei's trailer and his role in the story both confirm that he is capable of extreme acts of violence. When it comes to battle, multiple people--Eurypon and Phainon, for example--refer to Mydei specifically as a "beast," rather than a person. In his character stories, we're told that he was such a ferocious predator in the Sea of Souls that even monsters stopped coming near him, and in another of his character stories, he's described as tearing the throat out of an opposing enemy who had an army a thousand men strong. It is a basic and unavoidable fact of Mydei's character that he is capable not only of killing but of killing in egregiously brutal ways, literally tearing his enemies apart with his bare hands.

Mydei will fight, he will cause harm, and he will kill--whenever it is necessary to do so.

But there is an extreme world of difference between being capable of violence and actually being a violent person, and Mydei has shown, in both word and deed, that he is an inherently gentle character who, if given the option, would prefer to choose the path of least harm.

Over and over, the devs hit us players with the idea that Mydei's actual nature is one that abhors needless violence. We see this from his first character story, where Mydei--despite being thrown into the Sea of Souls as an infant, despite fighting every single day of his childhood just to survive--is described as saving drowning fishermen with no reward. Even the author of the legend points out the incongruity of this choice, saying "Why would a Kremnoan ever bother to save others?"

Remember that this is a Mydei who has had literally no human contact. He has no frame of reference for even the concept of generosity. If we take his story seriously, then despite being effectively feral at this point in time, his innate reaction to seeing others in danger was simply to provide aid. Even when his own survival was the only thing he had experience with, he still chose to selflessly save others, with no motivation other than the fact that benevolence appears to be his core nature.

Reinforcing this idea that Mydei is an inherently gentle person, there's the memory in Castrum Kremnos where an unknown someone asks Mydei what his dream is, with the only acceptable options being different combat roles. But Mydei's answers are charmingly abstract instead--young Mydei doesn't want to be a soldier and bring harm to others, he wants to be a wanderer or even a "beam of light."

(Saw some interesting talk linking this "beam of light" with Kephale recently too. I'm very interested to see whether the upcoming patches will tie these connections together or if we're all just reading too much into things lolol.)

3.0's plot hammered this home as well, with Mydei continually disputing Aglaea's mission requests; Aglaea says that sending too many Chrysos Heirs to fight Nikador would be a waste (in case they end up dying), to which Mydei responds that there's no point in needlessly risking people's lives.

Even the 3.0 side quests repeat this message, with one Kremnoan NPC, Aelius, noting that an assassin tried to murder him on his first day in Okhema. Instead of responding with force, as might be justified by the severity of the crime, Mydei--brand-new to Okhema and their ways himself!--still chose diplomacy, and went to the Council of Okhema to legally ensure the Kremnoan people's safety, instead of directly seeking vengeance.

Even a small scene in Kremnos's ruins gives the devs an opportunity to show that Mydei prefers to exhibit aggression only when threatened first: As the Trailblazer and Co. wander through the Soul-Forging Zone, the group meets a half-crazed titankin. Obviously it poses a danger and could become a more serious threat in an instant, but Mydei doesn't offer it any resistance. It isn't violent with him, so he has no reason or motivation to be violent with it... as opposed to Phainon, whose first reaction is immediately to attack.

(If you choose to kill it, by the way, Mydei scolds Phainon and the Trailblazer, effectively calling them bloodthirsty executioners...)

When Krateros attempts to manipulate Mydei using Mydei's mother's wishes, urging him to continue the cycle of domination in Kremnos, Mydei stops him cold by pointing out that (like Mydei who inherited her beliefs) he knows Gorgo was opposed to violence for violence's sake:

Then, of course, there's the entire deal about refusing the crown of Kremnos, breaking his people's endless cycle of violent lives and even more violent deaths and repeatedly refusing Nikador's power because Mydei had no desire to become Strife. Despite revering his people's god for what Nikador was supposed to be--the guardian who sacrificed everything to protect Amphoreus--the game repeatedly tells us that Mydei sees Kremnos's cultural tradition of conquest as a meaningless waste of life, glorifying cruelty for no reason and bringing nothing but harm to the Kremnoans and Amphoreus as a whole.

Mydei fought hard to not become the demigod of Strife. At every turn, he was pressured and manipulated by others against his expressly stated wishes, and ultimately was left with no choice but to accept the destiny forced upon him despite clearly longing for a different, gentler life. Although I'll talk more about this later, the fact that Mydei even went so far as to change his name among the Chrysos Heirs shows us just how intensely he was trying to separate himself from his own past and from Kremnos's bloody history. Mydei wanted to be a person, yet in the end, he was forced back into being a beast, into becoming the symbol of violence, the very thing that took everything good from his life.

(This isn't a shipping post, but Phainon's efforts to take on Nikador's coreflame can be read to at least some extent as a rescue attempt--despite himself believing that Mydei was the better fit for Strife, Phainon saw how sincerely Mydei did not want to take the coreflame trial, and at least in small part, Phainon did take on the trial to spare Mydei from that inevitability. Personally, I think this failure will eventually be one of the linchpins that brings Amphoreus crumbling down, because Phainon was supposed to be everyone's hero, but just like Cyrene, he failed to save Mydei.)

I've seen some people debating this idea that Mydei is not a violent person by pointing out that Phainon calls him "reckless when he gets the urge to kill." In 3.0, Phainon implies that Mydei could even hurt other people with his recklessness in battle. But... we have never seen Mydei ever bring any harm in battle to someone he didn't intend to hurt. No one innocent ever gets injured in-game by Mydei (at least so far...), and we have no indications at any point that Mydei would intentionally endanger others out of recklessness. In fact, even in their first scene, it's Mydei who scolds Phainon for being careless during battle.

For example, Mydei's first reaction to confronting Nikador was to immediately remove Phainon and the Trailblazer from the fight so that they wouldn't come to harm. Even inside the coreflame trial, while the power of Strife was driving Phainon mad, Mydei was still level-headed enough to rally the Trailblazer and Dan Heng and get Phainon out safe. Mydei was still rational enough to even recognize the Okhemans inside the illusion and say "This isn't who these people really are; they're being twisted by Nikador."

Is this really the behavior of a reckless person who loses his sense of reason in battle?

To be honest, players should take most of what Phainon actually says about Mydei with a grain of salt. Phainon, especially during 3.0, doesn't actually know Mydei's whole story (for one, he has a foot in mouth moment in 3.0 where he tells Mydei to make more friends, only to then find out in 3.1 that Mydei had more friends; they just all died), and we know that Phainon often exaggerates Mydei in many ways when talking to others. Mydei may be reckless in battle--but his recklessness almost certainly centers on himself, being willing to risk his own life, rather than others'. This is echoed again in his "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video, where Phainon comments on Mydei's complete lack of self-defense once he enters battle. While Phainon might think Mydei's lack of attention to his own pain is worth calling out, it isn't a sign that Mydei is genuinely a mindless berserker.

I've also seen people debating this point by saying that Mydei appears to go "crazy" in battle and starts grinning when he gets a battle high. But as for Mydei's smiling in battle, we really only see it three times: 1) When Phainon first returns to Okhema, 2) When Mydei finally engages in solo combat with Nikador, and 3) When engaged in solo combat after all his allies in the coreflame trial already "died."

Again, this isn't a shipping post, so write the first smile for Phainon off as you choose--maybe Mydei's just excited to have the opportunity to flex in front of his "rival." The other two smiles are admittedly a bit unhinged, but I'd argue that neither of these moments represents actual enjoyment of battle. Instead, both of these smiles occur only inside the overwhelming pall of Nikador's power, which we're told canonically infects the mind with a desire for bloodshed. More importantly, both of these instances also take place when Mydei is only fighting titankin, not human opponents, and only after Mydei has been left entirely alone, when he is certain that the only person at risk in the fight is himself. When Mydei can confirm that there's no one left to defend (or left for him to lose!), then and only then does he give in to Nikador's violence for violence's sake and engage in battle whole-heartedly.

tl;dr: Mydei was the crowned leader of a culture that glorified cruelty, death, and mindless brutality. He was forced into a life of violence where he had to fight tooth and nail for survival from virtually the moment of his birth. Everyone he ever loved died worshiping a god that used their souls as nothing but fodder for further meaningless destruction. Yet Mydei was doing everything he could to rise above that life, and to help others also rise above that life. Of course he fights when he must, but reveling in it? I don't really see the evidence.

My man did not tear down a dynasty, breaking a thousand years' cycle of pointless strife, to get hit with the "He's a battle junkie" allegations. I swear to god I will bite the next person who says it--

2. His Reputation as Quick-Tempered is a Front

While it's typically not Mydei's fans going around saying Mydei's just another "battle-obsessed manly man," there is a different stereotype I actually do see being perpetrated by self-proclaimed Mydei fans: It seems to be a common trend in fanfics and fanarts to write Mydei with a strong temper, showing him becoming very aggressive when annoyed and suggesting that his first resort in difficult situations is brute force.

To be fair, I think this is influenced by a number of factors, not the least of which is the game itself playing with this idea as a joke. In Mydei's "Keeping Up With Star Rail" video, Phainon playfully reduces Mydei to the quick-tempered brute stereotype, saying things like:

Phainon also brings this up at other points, such as suggesting that Mydei would only need one try to solve the puzzle in Janusopolis because his method of solving it would be... to just punch his way through.

But again, please take the things Phainon says about Mydei with a grain of salt. Roasting your friends for fun is simply a given, and I think that Phainon's comments about Mydei are meant to be understood as playful banter about his "rival," not serious analysis of Mydei's temperament (which really doesn't align with the stereotype of a hot-head at all).

Complicating this whole situation is the English voiceover, where it is clear the voice director encouraged Mydei's English VA to portray Mydei as particularly gruff and worked up in many of his lines. I have nothing against the English VA at all, but the voice direction of the English version clearly missed the mark on Mydei's character and went for a more aggressive vibe than any of the game's other languages. (The whole thing reminds of me Ray Chase not being given proper direction on Neuvillette's character at first and dramatically changing his voice acting over the course of Fontaine's patches.) I don't mean that English Mydei is never gentle, but that many of the lines are delivered with a level of vitriol that is not suited to the scene at all nor present in other languages. (Compare this line delivery in English with the same line in Chinese, for just one example.) The English interpretation of the character is strongly colored by this strange directing decision ("Mydei should be actively angry in many of his scenes"), unfortunately.

Complicating the whole situation even further is fandom's habit of reducing characters to flat caricatures because making funny meme art and exaggerating character traits for comedic effect is so common. (And enjoyable, don't get me wrong lol.) There is a well-loved relationship dynamic of "the grumpy one with the sunshine one," and I think unfortunately Mydei and Phainon are getting this treatment in fandom quite a bit: Phainon is depicted as the exuberant, happy puppy, while Mydei is the angry, bristling cat. It just makes sense when we consider cliches, right? The muscle-bound warrior dude will obviously be a cranky, easily angered hot-head, no? To a certain extent, I understand why fans jump to that conclusion and take that route in their fanworks; it's definitely easier to depict the characters with these kinds of shorthand tropes than to encompass their complicated personalities in every art or fic.

But the problem is... in-game Mydei is really not much like fanon Mydei, at least where tempers are concerned.

Repeatedly, the game tells us that Mydei keeps a level head even in situations of extreme pressure, and that he prefers to use communication, rather than force, to try to resolve the conflicts he encounters. Going back to some examples I've already mentioned: In the ruins of Kremnos, he's the first to suggest communicating with the titankin and the first to suggest that there's no reason to use violence against them. In 3.0, a scene lots of people say shows Mydei's "bloodlust," where he confronts Nikador and claims he has an intent to kill, actually starts with the line: "All that anger and regret I feel right now, I've learned to control them".

In Okhema, when the Kremnoans were facing assassination attempts, Mydei handled the situation legally, within the confines of Okhema's clearly ridiculous bureaucracy, to ensure that the Kremnoan people would be able to live within the city. In 3.1, when Krateros wants to lose the Okheman guards that are trailing them, Mydei defers to Krateros's lead, asking him if they should use force on the guards and only complying when he says yes.

In fanarts, it's common to draw Phainon doing something silly, with a 💢grumpy Mydei💢 barely tolerating it. But... in game, Mydei actually tends to weather Phainon's teasing without that much issue, often playing along readily and teasing back or simply not rising to the bait at all, sometimes giving him a flat response that actually irritates Phainon instead.

Even when Phainon lobbies some of his snappiest jests (the line about Mydei not being able to write comes to mind), Mydei's strongest reaction is usually "Why are you stupid?" and then he moves on. He's not out here roaring like an angry lion or flipping a table every time someone is a bit obnoxious in his general vicinity. Mydei's mostly chill with the silliness, guys. He's sometimes silly back.

And even in the moments where he should be his angriest, such as the day he avenged his mother by killing his father, Mydei tends to respond to pressure and even cruel provocation with level-headed answers, coldly telling Eurypon just how pointless the entire crown of Kremnos was. Krateros insults Mydei specifically for choosing communication as his conflict resolution strategy. Like, how did people decide Mydei would be an easily provoked hot-head when his own mentor insults him for trying to solve Kremnos's problems using words instead of action?

Perhaps one of the only occasions in the game where we actually see Mydei genuinely lash out in anger is the moment with Tribbie, where she tells him not to worry for Phainon. Mydei responds harshly--but then immediately walks his words back, explicitly notes that his single sharp answer was rude, and apologizes.

But what I haven't seen anyone discuss is that fact that Mydei had every right to be angry at Tribbie here. In the prior scene, Aglaea literally belittled and pressured him into taking on the Strife coreflame following Phainon's failure, and Mydei knew in this scene that Tribbie was fully aware of Aglaea's plan to manipulate Mydei using Phainon.

Again, not a shipping post, but Tribbie daring to go "Aw, don't be worried" rightttt after that concern for his friend was weaponized against Mydei to deny him his agency? A direct slap in the face. Aglaea--with Tribbie as her willing accomplice--knowingly put Phainon's very life at risk to entrap Mydei and force him to take on a role he was rejecting with every fiber of his being. After deliberately using Phainon--and Mydei's concern for Phainon!--as a tool, for Tribbie to have the audacity to say "You shouldn't worry about him" was actually pretty vile.

And yet it's Mydei who apologizes. It's Mydei who reins in any hint of frustration and tries to approach the situation politely, as if the person he is talking to hadn't literally just doomed him to an entire future of misery by using the safety of one of his only remaining friends as leverage. The achievement you get just before this moment, "Sing, O Goddess, of His Rage," suggests that Mydei truly is rightfully furious about this situation--but in the end, Mydei still forgives both Tribbie and Aglaea without hesitation, because he knows the importance of the Flame-Chase Journey and of following the prophecy at all cost.

Does this really strike us as someone who flies off the handle at minor annoyances, someone who is brash or easily riled up, someone who resorts to punching his way through all his problems?

Despite appearances, I think it would be more accurate to say that Mydei's temper runs pretty even and that he is actually difficult to provoke to genuine anger. There are times where we see him truly furious (when he confronts Nikador about the honorless scheme to attack Okhema, when he confronts his father, etc.), but in every situation where Mydei is angry, it's because the anger is absolutely justified, because something truly unforgivable is happening to him or those he's sworn to protect.

Mydei's suffered just about every manner of injustice it is possible for a person to suffer, and yet he soldiers on without making his suffering other people's concern. He apologizes for even minor outbursts, despite his feelings of outrage clearly being righteous. In some cases, we might even read him as a little passive aggressive instead--the fact that Phainon's food is nasty whenever he really annoys Mydei and yet he has no idea why the food is bad is a hilarious hint that Mydei's definitely more of a "revenge is a dish best served cold" kind of person than a hot-head.

So what about that moment early on, where Mydei uses the threat of violence to silence Verax Leo?

Well, no Verax Leos were harmed, so? Ha, being serious, I actually think this moment should be better understood as the player's first real insight into Mydei's character, separate from Phainon's colorful commentary.

This moment tells us one thing really clearly about Mydei: He's self-aware. Mydei knows the Verax Leos are literally cowardly lions, and he knows they think he's scary. He's aware of his own reputation as a "beast," and he isn't above utilizing that reputation to achieve a goal if doing so will produce a greater good for others. Without even needing to resort to any actual attack, Mydei is able to silence the Verax Leo's rumor-mongering using just the threat of his capacity for violence.

This suggests to the player that Mydei is actually discerning, straight to the point but intelligent enough to tailor his actions to the level of response that is appropriate for a given situation. He's not a "go in fists blazing right from the start" kind of guy when that's not what's needed. He could easily just punch the lion off the wall--but he doesn't. He lets his words doing the threatening, instead of his fists. (The fact that this particular Verax Leo was apparently helping to slander Kremnoans the week before and still lived to spread rumors about March tells us how disinclined Mydei is to solve his daily problems with actual violence.)

The takeaway is that Mydei's angry reputation among Okhemans, but hell, also among players(!), is largely fueled by stereotypes more than by any real actions on Mydei's part. People expect him to a quick-tempered brute, so that's what they see, even when Mydei's real actions don't lend themselves to that cliche much.

Yet Mydei is also self-aware enough to know that same crude reputation is a powerful tool. It benefits him for certain groups to be very afraid of him, and this leads to an interesting conflict in the character: On the one hand, Mydei wants to distance himself from Kremnos's violence. He renames himself, swears allegiance to Aglaea's cause of hope, and spends his free time in Okhema doing gentle things like taking part in cooking competitions, playing house with kids, and judging drama festivals. More on this in a bit, but I think it's very interesting that not a single one of his marketing or promotional materials--nor any of his scenes in the game itself--show him willingly spending his free time on martial pursuits. (The animation they gave us was Mydei playing with children, not sparring with Phainon or even training with his dedicated warrior brothers-in-arms.) Mydei clearly wants to be seen and relate to others as a person separate from his bloodstained past.

On the other hand, his reputation as a terrifying warrior is one of the only things allowing him to live his current life. It's only as the to-be "blood-crowned" king of Kremnos that the Kremnoans willingly follow him and respect what he has to say. His ability to decide their futures hinges on them continuing to perceive him as Mydeimos, their undying lion of conquest. His only use to Aglaea and the Flame-Chase Journey is as the future manifestation of Strife or as an expendable resource that can be thrown single-handedly at enemies because he's the only one that can take their punishment and keep kicking. His place in Okhema is only secure so long as the Okhemans continue to fear his might, their discrimination kept at bay only by the knowledge that none of them can come close to defeating the Kremnoans if it came to blows. His reputation in Okhema is secure only so long as he can continue to cow the Verax Leos into silence with threats of retaliation.

Mydei doesn't have any attachment to his image as a monster--and yet his situation will not allow him to let it go. As much as he would like to live a different life, the view that others have of him--that he is an angry, savage person who is barely restraining an innate violent nature--is a shield locked in his hand, protecting him and making it possible to keep going--even when all he really wants to do is stop.

So, long story longer: I don't think Mydei has an especially hot temper at all; he's lived an incredibly hard life and had every one of his hopes and dreams systemically stripped away from him. He's under constant and immense pressure and feels entirely alone in bearing his burdens. His frustration occasionally bubbling to the surface--for which he apologizes--is not only justified but honestly still shockingly under-stated. If I was in his situation, a whole lot more heads would have rolled.

And now, a few less important notes to round this post out because I can already tell I'm going to hit tumblr's image limit before I run out of things to say about Mydei, so:

3. He's Not a Dumb Jock or Actually that Fitness Obsessed

This one is kind of annoying because Mydei's marketing materials like to play with the "dumb jock" trope as a joke. As mentioned before, we have Phainon's humorous "If you want wisdom, he's got might" line, Mydei being terrible at math (to the point even the Trailblazer assumes they'd be better at math than Mydei), the implication that Mydei is so straightforward he would miss deceptions from those speaking in ill faith (like during the Verax Leo's riddles), and of course, the overwhelmingly common stereotype of gym bros caring more about their muscles than their brains...

But the game also goes out of its way, repeatedly, to emphasize that just as Mydei doesn't fit the stereotype of the savage warrior, he also doesn't fit the stereotype of brawn over brains, of focusing more on physical prowess than thought.

Mydei being bad at math is played for laughs, sure, but in the same breath we're also told that he's a better student of history than Phainon is (which loops back into ironic when you remember that Phainon loves history and clearly wants to be good at it).

Mydei is one of the game's only confirmed bilingual characters outside of the Genius Society, despite the fact that, if his backstory is to be believed, he would have spent the most formative years of his childhood entirely language-less, and even after leaving the Sea of Souls, would likely not have attended any form of formal schooling until he went to the Grove as an adult. He's capable not only of speaking and reading in multiple languages, but also of translating even archaic variations of his native tongue, enough so that (according to his marketing), being an archaic Kremnoan language mentor is one of his official titles.

He's also one of the characters most strongly associated with reading in the entire game, via the library, his canonically stated ability to interpret poetry, his character stories all being texts... All the other characters associated as strongly with reading as Mydei in the game are regarded as "nerds": Ratio, Dan Heng, Pela... Somehow critical portions of Mydei's character can be oriented around literature and he still gets hit with the dumb jock label???

He's also an accomplished military strategist capable of commanding the respect of seasoned veterans as well as waging effective war campaigns against enemy nations with a marginal, aging army and virtually no resources... He's capable of playing Aglaea's and Okhema's political games, despite having obvious disdain for such things... In fact, in Mydei's goodbye to Aglaea, he speaks to her as one nation's leader to another, remarking on how he's learned valuable lessons in managing his people from her, and specifically highlighting that her trait he most admires--what is missing from his own people's history--is her ability to instill genuine hope in others.

But yeah, Mydei is dumb muscle because it's funny, I guess.

What makes the whole "jock" thing loop around into doubly ironic (and also sad) is that although Mydei's character does involve a strong emphasis on health and fitness, the way it's framed in his marketing versus his actual in-game character is extremely different. Mydei's marketing is all about combat, how he's a "fitness ambassador," and "performance enhancers aren't in the Kremnoan language."

But in game Mydei...?

He doesn't have anything particularly unique to teach Phainon. There isn't any special "extreme Mydei training regimen" above what the other Kremnoan soldiers do, a fact we can confirm with the bath NPC Peleus, who tells us that Mydei has taught him his training regimen, and it's just the "Kremnoan traditional exercises" (the high-altitude shuttle run, firewalking, etc.). This idea that Mydei isn't devoting himself to constantly improving his ~super special combat capability~ is also reiterated in Mydei's marketing when someone tries to scam Okhemans by selling a secret "Mydei combat move" and Mydei is just like "There's no such thing..."

Yes, this is me telling you that the fanon thing where Mydei is all about hitting the arena to beat the crap out of challengers every single day is probably not that lore accurate. Yes, of course Mydei spars and keeps up with his strict exercise routine, but combat training doesn't actually seem to be his favorite hobby. In the game, Phainon is definitely worked up about wanting to spar and practice together, but Mydei's attitude to the idea of training with Phainon seems closer to "Please... be more chill..."

Just as an example, at possibly the most plot relevant time ever to suggest a spirit-raising spar with his "bro," the ideas that instead come to Mydei's mind for working out Phainon's disappointment are...

All gentle socializing.

In fact, although Mydei's marketing hyper-emphasized the "fitness" shtick, we never actually see Mydei sparring or training with anyone in any of his mainstream marketing materials or in game. (I'd say we don't even see him fitness training at all, but hey, they did add one chat sticker where he has a weight lol.)

Although we're informed repeatedly that Mydei's a fitness junkie, what his marketing and in-game free time scenes actually show us are, uhhhh *checks notes* sleeping in, taking long baths, eating pancakes, singing around the campfire with his band of bros, people watching, and babysitting? It's the life he truly deserves.

Again, this isn't to say Mydei doesn't train (obviously you don't look like that without putting in massive effort!), but both promotional materials and the scenes chosen for characters in game are deliberately designed to highlight the most integral aspects of characters' personalities. Mydei surely is exercising hard to keep up his health off-screen--but by de-emphasizing that in what the game actually visually shows us players, the only obvious conclusion is that other things (food, playing with children, spending time with comrades) are much more important to Mydei than just getting swole. Out of the "warrior" type characters we have in Star Rail, Mydei is one of the least pumped up about sparring that we've seen. From what we're actually given in game, Yanqing is infinitely more gung-ho about combat training than Mydei is.

In fact, rather than exercise itself, I'd say more of Mydei's "fitness" focus in game comes from his connection to food, and--perhaps this is me reading into things a bit too much (but that's my job, you know)--I'd argue that Mydei's repeated emphasis on eating healthy is actually a thinly-veiled trauma response to his childhood experiences with starvation.

We're told that, in the Sea of Souls, he fed on the raw flesh and bone of the abyssal monsters he fought--literally eat or be eaten--and could really only hold off the feeling of starving on the rare times that the tides were low and he could catch live shrimp instead. He also closely associates the Kremnoan Detachment, his only refuge, with the notion of comfort food.

And every time food is discussed, he's quick to tell others, even the Trailblazer, exactly what to add in order to make sure they're not only full but also eating a balanced meal that will keep them hale and whole. More than a gym bro, I think Mydei missed his calling as a nutritionist.

Long story longer, Mydei has never had a time where he could go without fighting. For virtually all of his life, at least until he reached Okhema, fighting was all he ever knew. Would he even really need much extra fitness training when his entire existence is a constant stream of battles, of pushing his body to its limits over and over again? He's been "working out" since he was literally an infant, with no down time, and even in relatively peaceful Okhema, a Chrysos Heir's duty to battle never ends.

This is just my personal take on it, but I'm inclined to think that when he finds rare moments of peace, Mydei would probably prefer to do things other than fight, especially if it's something that allows him to provide for himself and others, helping his friends stay well, such as through cooking.

I think the in-game material does a great job of emphasizing that Mydei's definition of "fitness" doesn't necessarily focus foremost on being a gym bro/jock who hits the training field every five minutes--his definition of "health" and "wellness" have a lot to do with nourishing the spirit at the same time.

4. Mydei is Significantly Less Impulsive than Phainon

Okay, I can hear you--if Mydei's not a brute, and he's not a fiery temper, and he's not much of an actual gym bro, what is he?

Well, unfortunately I'm just here to tell you another thing he's not: He's not actually that proactive of a rival either.

Aglaea is quick to call Mydei and Phainon "impulsive youths," putting them on the same level in terms of childishness, but actuallyyy...

Despite the fact that Phainon likes to claim Mydei "taunts him every time they meet", every single actual competition we've ever seen between Mydei and Phainon was initiated 100% by Phainon, with Mydei just sort of getting swept up in Phainon's antics.

In their joint lightcone, it's Phainon who calls for the contest of speed. In Kremnos, it's Phainon who proposes the titankin killing competition. After the coreflame trial, it's Phainon who demands the hot bath challenge (and then lies and blames Mydei lol), and it's even Phainon who turns taking home the other affected bath patrons into a competition too, one in which Mydei flat out claims he wasn't even competing:

We're given several hints, particularly throughout 3.0, that Mydei and Phainon's prior missions were largely characterized by Phainon coming up with ridiculous plans, and Mydei mostly going "Welp, that sounds like it's going to get us killed, but okay I guess."

While Phainon is ready to go "Fuck it, we ball" and fight a titan to the death all by himself, Mydei spends the entire first part of 3.0 going "Hey, so, like, fighting Nikador without an army is a really dumbass decision, and we should probably not be attempting this."

(This moment is kind of less funny in retrospect when you rewatch it with the knowledge that Mydei knew they couldn't handle the fight, but Phainon was like "No, we totally got this, trust me bro!" Spoiler Alert: They did not have it. Literally all of Mydei's deaths in 3.0 happened because of his crippling inability to say no to Phainon. But this is not a shipping post. I promise.)

Anyway, in one of the only examples we have of Mydei possibly being impulsive on his own, the note from the bath manager that reports someone charging into the baths to ask who the strongest warrior in Okhema is, the actual implication is that Mydei had no idea how poorly the Okhemans would take that (nor their obsession with debate which would be sparked), and his faux pas comes less from being immature and more from the cultural discrepancy between Okhema and Kremnos, as the Kremnoan in the note finds Mydei's behavior perfectly normal.

In fact, instead of being an unruly youth, Mydei is criticized by other characters several times in the story specifically for choosing to hold back and think things through before committing himself to a decision. If anything, he's closer to indecisive (or at least slow to decide) than he is to impulsive.

Now, don't get me wrong. The game tells us repeatedly that Mydei does get competitive as hell once Phainon actually manages to convince him to join in on the shenanigans. Of course Mydei likes to win. But the notion that Mydei is Phainon's equally impulsive rival, actively issuing his own challenges, goading his frenemy into new contests, and particularly motivated to keep one-upping Phainon? It's really more of an informed trait and a fandom cliche (red and blue rivals, the people cannot resist) than anything actually shown in the game.

At the risk of perhaps inserting too much of my own interpretation here, I'm inclined to say that Mydei's willingness to engage in Phainon's dumb competitions is less brash rivalry and much closer to "Guy who never had the chance to be an impulsive youth cautiously allowing himself the privilege of feeling carefree for ten minutes or so."

It's not that Mydei is actually that driven to assert his dominance or is particularly impetuous when left to his own devices--it's that he never before had a long enough period of peace where he was safe enough to act childish. If he ever had competitions in his past, they almost certainly would have been like "Who can murder the most enemy soldiers with their bare hands today?" In Okhema, Mydei can participate in sauna-offs.

Mydei isn't as (deliberately performatively) silly as Phainon. He's nowhere near as impulsive as Phainon is. He's not really that fixated on being a rival. But he is a pretty great partner in crime. He does allow himself to be drawn into Phainon's schemes over and over, because well... they're obviously fun for him. He gets into the competitions once they're motion, even if he complains about them at the start. Mydei's life has been criminally devoid of light-hearted joys and normalcy, and being led into trouble that doesn't result in people literally dying on him--harmless trouble--is probably an extreme novelty for Mydei. Basically what I'm saying is, he isn't going to propose the Jackass competition, but he is going to fold like paper the moment said competition is suggested.

Case in point: In 3.0, there's a second where you can actually hear him regretting his life choices, trying so hard to convince himself that he is above Phainon's weird antics, but... in the end, he can't help himself. When Phainon starts LARPing with the Trailblazer during the titankin competition, Mydei's first reaction is essentially "Oh my god, this is so cringe," but just two lines later... look who joins the LARPing.

This nerddddd.

When left alone, Mydei withdraws from the world. Trailblazer typically finds him locked in silent contemplation, rejecting visitors, up on his own private corner of the rooftops. On his own, Mydei is significantly less likely to seek out trouble, cause public disturbances, or become a (usually accidental) nuisance compared to half the other Chrysos Heirs.

But when the company around him makes him feel comfortable, he is willing to engage with life in the childish ways he was never free to before. His "rivalry" with Phainon is better understood not as a macho dude-bro need to assert superiority, but as just one of the most obvious manifestations of Mydei's desire to experience the life he never got to live, to let himself be the kind of person who can just do silly things and cause dumb messes.

Mydei isn't a particularly impulsive person--but sometimes he lets himself try it out. As a treat.

Okay, last note for now:

5. Mind Your Manners

While it might be tempting to see Phainon and Mydei's competitions as the peak of Mydei's comedic contribution in the story, I think the actual funniest aspect of Mydei's character is the game's running gag about his manners.

Yes, Castrum Kremnos is a savage nation that revels in death and is rumored to drink the blood of their enemies--but they still keep it classy, damn it! Sure Mydei might have grown up as a half-feral sea beast and then a homeless, wandering exile subsisting off the land, but sometimes he literally can't help it--the aristocracy just jumps right out of him.

No, I'm not joking. Mydei really does have the prim and proper manners of a blue-blooded royal.

We see this from his first appearance in the game. A character's first scene is generally their establishing moment, the devs' chance to give players a strong starting impression--which makes it so telling that one of the first things out of Mydei's mouth is a insult to Phainon's manners.

This is a direct and pointed critique, suggesting Phainon has neglected his duties as a host by relying on his "guests" as back up in the battle. In the context of Amphoreus's historical inspirations, this is actually a very serious scolding: hospitality was a big, big deal in ancient Greece, and the idea of forcing foreign guests into serving you before affording them proper welcome and rest, let alone actively endangering them, would literally be considered an affront to the gods.

With this one short line, the devs are impressing the extreme difference in social status between Mydei and Phainon: Phainon is effectively a "country bumpkin," a member of a lower class who doesn't know how to (or perhaps just doesn't care to?) properly practice the civil gestures of the upper rungs of Amphorean society. Mydei, on the other hand, not only knows the proper rituals of etiquette but expects those rituals to be upheld by others. He's basically calling Phainon a mannerless peasant in one of his first lines of dialogue, which is why Phainon gets so grumpy for the rest of the conversation lol.

We see Mydei's inclination towards proper decorum in several other places as well. As a prince, he's entitled to respect and deference, and while we might be inclined to say "Mydei isn't the type to enforce his royal status over others," the game itself shows us that... Mydei kind of does expect people to treat him differently.

Just as one small starting example, I know it's somewhat popular to have Mydei deny his royal status in fanfics, such as telling people not to call him by his titles or acting as if he has no connection to the upper class, but this doesn't actually happen in the game. Mydei introduces himself to the Trailblazer from the start as Castrum Kremnos's crown prince, consistently thinks of himself (such as in mission journal text) as a prince, and is largely referred to as "the crown prince" or "your highness" by everyone outside the Chrysos Heirs, including all of the Okhemans:

In fact, I'd go so far as to argue that Mydei takes his role as a prince very seriously and does not remotely deny the responsibility he bears toward his people. It's important to him to fulfill his duty to the Kremnoans, so rather than downplaying his role as their prince, he seems to acknowledge it freely, working to serve as a principled leader as best he can.

In short, Mydei is aware of his status--and he expects everyone else will be aware of it too.

I don't mean this in a bad way at all; he's not rude or pompous about it--rather, I think this is a subconscious aspect of his character. Mydei has spent many of his formative years with his people putting him on a ridiculously tall pedestal. He's spent at least a decade as the leader of a group that basically worships the ground he walks on; the Kremnoans obviously aggressively follow the social protocols of their very traditional culture, which seems to include somewhat blind adoration of their kings. Even if Mydei wanted the Kremnoans to treat him as "just another one of the people," there's almost zero chance they would do so. It would likely go against their nature to even ask that of them. Ergo, Mydei's almost certainly spent his entire adult life as the recipient of his people's extreme respect--and their strict adherence to proper social protocols around their prince.

Because of this, Mydei does have specific (if likely subconscious) expectations for "how people will behave around me," and we players get to see several humorous moments where other characters in the story violate Mydei's understanding of how princes should be treated:

In a particularly infamous memory crystal, we see one of Phainon and Mydei's early interactions, with Phainon inserting himself in Mydei's presence and starting up a conversation Mydei obviously did not expect. This is such a faux pas that only someone like Phainon could have had the audacity to thoughtlessly do it; he basically hop-skip-jumped about twelve rungs on the social ladder to waylay a royal without seeking an audience--and Mydei is clearly taken aback to be approached so casually and without preamble. Although Mydei doesn't actually say it (because doing so would be rude, of course), Phainon himself awkwardly ends up acknowledging that Mydei is trying hard to end their conversation:

It's not because Mydei dislikes Phainon already, but because the act of walking up on a stranger--especially a stranger who is a prince!--and assuming such a degree of familiarity as to comment on his body of all things would be so beyond the pale of appropriate social behavior that even Mydei hardly seems to know how to respond at first.

We see this same completely (or perhaps willfully) oblivious to social protocol behavior from Phainon numerous times throughout the 3.0 and 3.1 quests, and Mydei's affronted reactions are always pretty priceless. You can almost hear him thinking "The audacity!"

The exact same face my conservative grandma makes when I accidentally drop an F bomb in front of her.

Blatantly asking a prince to praise you? Scandalous.

But Phainon isn't the only person who can provoke these offended responses from Mydei while pushing the prince's boundaries with bad manners. Trailblazer hilariously earns themself a few critiques about their lack of courtesy too:

And even Aglaea triggers a haughty response???

(Sure, we could give Mydei the benefit of the doubt here and say he's talking about himself and Phainon, but honestly? I think this English translation at least could lend itself to a different take as well: Bro got so embarrassed over being caught acting a fool that THE ROYAL "WE" just burst straight out of him lmaoooo.)

In another humorous example, in the animation where Mydei plays with children, the "princess" in the play criticizes Mydei for not being very good at princely behaviors like Okheman waltzing, which immediately results in... Mydei seeking dance lessons from Tribbie so he can improve himself. Princes can't be caught slacking!

(But hilariously enough, as a sidenote, Mydei's dance ability seems to be another case of culture gap: One of the other children in Okhema, the one who was taught about Kremnoan traditions by Mydei, is actually quick to inform us that Mydei may not be familiar with Okheman dances--but he does know all about Anastenaria dancing!)

(Mydei might not fit the standards for an Okheman prince, but he's killing it as a Kremnoan one!)

Anyway, being serious again: Although it's quite funny the dev team insists so much that Mydei, despite being prince of a nation of savage warriors, is nonetheless a prince, with all the trappings of prim and proper etiquette, I think it also says a lot about Mydei's character that he does try to follow social protocols so closely. He apologizes for rudeness. He minds how he speaks to others. He is precise and forthright and always honors his word. Hell, he even politely makes prior arrangements if he knows he's going to be late to an event.

Mydei is self-aware enough to know his status. He knows the weight of that status, and he knows what his status means to his people. He takes the responsibility seriously and bears the role to the best of his ability, striving to meet the Kremnoans' expectations of a "crown prince" even as he can't bring himself to truly align with their core beliefs. He is trying his best to carry himself as a leader should, complete with his commitment to honor the traditional expectations and social class systems of both Kremnos and Okhema.

Despite his rough start in life, Mydei has accepted his people's intense respect and adapted himself to become someone worthy of commanding that respect. Social graces may not have come naturally to him after a childhood completely outside of humanity's reach, but Mydei nevertheless has worked hard to become a cultured person who embodies the demeanor and decorum of a sole surviving prince.

Although it's played for laughs, it's also played quite straight throughout Amphoreus's story: Manners matter to Mydei--both in himself and in others.

Anyway, since I still have more notes I jotted down about Mydei's characterization, here is some other stuff:

Part 2, over here ->

#honkai star rail #mydei #mydeimos #hsr meta #character analysis #this post is kinda still #phaidei #coded even though I tried to tone it down #tagging ship mostly so people who have phaidei blocked won't have to see it #I will eat the next person who tells me Mydei is an aggressive battle junkie #it's been a long time since I've seen a character whose actual story is so overt #like the game could not hit you harder over the head with the idea #that Mydei longs for a gentler kinder world where violence isn't necessary #but who still somehow gets slapped with so many obvious stereotypes #apparently if you take a male character's shirt off #he becomes contractually obligated to be a tempermental dude bro #I also think Mydei is a fantastic case in point #for fandoms (or readers/players/viewers in general) having extreme difficulty #with grasping characters who have contradictory personality traits #on the one hand we have Mydei's blood-soaked SUPER MANLY trailer #on the other hand... we have his animation playing pretend with elementary schoolers #rather than being able to accept that Mydei embodies both of those extreme poles #fandom just sort of picks one side and runs with it #he can rip Nikador's head off AND want to never fight again in his life #I PROMISE #Mydei is really a refreshing example of a character that DOESN'T fit common tropes/character cliches #but alas #I'm not sure all his fans have actually embraced that #I'm proud of this one so I'm gonna pin it!

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dreamsteddie · 8 months ago

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There is an AITA out there that I can't find but it's been haunting me for weeks with visions of semi-angsty Steddie that I need to release onto the world. (If anyone happens to know what I'm talking about hit me up and I'll link it)

Edit: @jazzathebunny found the original AITA from Reddit linked Here for anyone who wants to read it. I'm definitely not doing exactly the same premise but this was my jumping off point 😊

Part Two! ------

Modern AU, Eddie and the guys are a moderately successful local band in the Chicago area playing gigs on the weekends and doing small tours whenever they all have the time. Gareth and Jeff are both in college while Eddie and Freak are both working part-time at a game store. Eddie managed to lock down that assistant manager position that lets him work 30 hours a week with weekends off for gigs. All in all, it's a pretty sweet deal and they can't complain.

Eddie had sworn off dating after a small handful of disastrous relationship attempts in their first year in the city. He dismisses any advances from people who attend their shows and tries not to think about how much he wants to make a genuine connection with someone and have something real. He's been burned one too many times to try and make something with someone he met in a bar or at work.

He knows the guys talk about it behind his back sometimes, he catches Jeff and Gareth fervently whispering to each other and stopping when they catch him entering the room one time too many to not suspect they're talking about him and he can't think of anything else going on in his life that they would feel the need to whisper about.

The fervent conversations take a slight uptick one day and about a week and a half after they do, Gareth hits him up and tells him he wants to set Eddie up with a guy from one of his classes. At first, Eddie is skeptical and cites all the reasons why he doesn't want to try with anyone right now but eventually, Jeff jumps in to plea the case and Freak jumps in on top of that and under the combined weight of his best friends he agrees to meet up with this Steve guy.

The guys set up the whole thing and before Eddie knows it it's Saturday night and he's wearing his best black jeans and a gray button-down, untucked, to go on an honest to God blind date like his life is some low-budget romcom.

Steve is not at all what Eddie thought he would be. Not the kind of guy he thought his friends would pick out for him given they know he usually goes for other alternatives like himself. Steve, who is shyly waving him over and getting out of his seat to great him, is the very epitome of prep. Well-fitted polo, light blue chinos, and what Eddie assumes this guy thinks are casual loafers. He's handsome to be sure, a 12/10 at least with perfect hair and defined biceps but Eddie is fairly sure he's being punked.

But, Eddie doesn't want to be rude so he goes to meet Steve at the table, confirming just in case that he's actually here to meet with a guy named Eddie. Steve gives him a bit of a confused look, saying that Gareth showed him a couple pictures of Eddie before he agreed to meet and figured he'd done the same for Eddie off Steve's Instagram. Gareth had, in fact, not done anything of the sort but they both dismiss it and get on with their date.

In all honesty, Eddie is expecting it to be a complete wash, but it turns out that even if Steve is not at all what Eddie would have previously said what his type, Steve is damn near perfect. He's funny, kind, a little bitchy, and even though he proves himself to be every bit the sports nerd he looks like he doesn't turn his nose up at Eddie's own much more classically nerdy interests. By the end of the date, Eddie has a new type and that type is Steve Harrington. He's quick to lock down a second date for the next weekend which Steve happily agrees to. They exchange numbers and Steve gives Eddie a chaste kiss on the cheek that has him floating all the way home.

Steve texted him that next morning letting him now he had a great time and is really looking forward to their next date and Eddie thinks this might be the start of something big for him. When he gets to practice he's clearly still floating on cloud nine and in his own little world designing their marriage invitations and matching tombstones so he doesn't notice the sly grins on his bandmates' faces.

"So...how'd it go last night? Everything you dreamed it would be?" Gareth asks, a strange glint in his eyes that Eddie doesn't clock.

Eddie goes on and on about how nice Steve was and how he might be The One, thanking Gareth profusely. Freak looks pleased for him, giving him a hard pat on the shoulder in congratulations but when Eddie finally tunes back into the real world he's greeted by Gareth's livid expression and Jeff's overly concerned one.

He asks the guys what the fuck is up and it turns out that Gareth and Jeff set this whole thing up as a prank of sorts. Eddie was never supposed to hit it off with Steve who Gareth selected specifically because he's a "totally brain-dead prep" and as far away as someone could get from Eddie's previous relationships. He was supposed to be someone Eddie could go on a date with and not form a connection with without getting completely burned at the end like all his previous relationships in the hopes of getting him out of his slump.

Jeff was in on it as well. He wanted to get Eddie back out there, so when Gareth presented the plan he sat in on a couple of Gareth's general credit business class sessions to help pick the guy out.

After Jeff and Gareth finish explaining he does a complete 180 and just...leaves. In any other situation, he would be raging and verbally tearing his friends a new asshole but instead, he completely disengages and walks out the garage door, ignoring his friends' shouts to come back.

He goes back home, socked and hurt and so very confused about how the hell he found himself in this position when his phone lights up.

New Message: Steve H.

Fuck.

-------

Part two coming soon??? Maybe???? We'll see.

#is this something?#idk #It's so clear in my head but it hasn't been flowing correctly #so here's this instead #steddie #fanfiction #steve harrington #corroded coffic #eddie munson #stranger things #dreamer speaks

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orcelito · 2 years ago

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I think I'm going to edit my pinned post. To put a link to my vashwood server on there

I don't feel like continuously reblogging a post anymore but I want ppl to be able to join if they're interested

#speculation nation #we've got uh. 18 people i think? last i looked #which is a pretty good number for a small server #tho a good amount are lurkers. which isnt bad! just means we dont have as much convo as i may prefer #so. ykno. keeping the doors open in case ppl end up wanting to join. seems reasonable to me #still dont wanna post a link in main tag :p tho ive contemplated adding a link to the itnl end notes #pppprobably wont though. at least not rn. dont wanna risk it getting Too big #or too skewed towards my readers. i mean inevitably it is a little bit by virtue of primarily coming from ppl who follow me #but ive got a good amount of followers that arent actually readers. i think. & so there r a good few in the server who hadnt read my stuff #which is good! it'd feel a little weird if it was a server Just About Me or w/e. if that makes sense.#hmmmm. need to get a link. i think i will add that to my pinned post. yes

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astrolook · 3 months ago

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⏳The ‘Unluckiest’ Aspects: Why Some People Always Struggle (And How to Break the Cycle) ⏳

Note: These are my personal observations over the years. The patterns I’ve seen show up again and again in real life, not just in textbooks. If it resonates, cool. If not, toss it to the stars.

Saturn in 1st - Born serious. Life said “smile later.” Grew up faster than everyone else and now wonders why joy feels like a scam. Inner child needs a hug. Might have been bullied as a kid.

Moon in 12th - You may have grown up suppressing feelings to survive. Emotional isolation follows you, even in crowds. No one knows how you're feeling because you don’t either. Emotional GPS is foggy. Cries alone and doesn’t know why. Dreams are emotional landfills.

Mars square Neptune - You swing between chasing visions and total burnout. Also, your anger either leaks out or vanishes when you need it. You’re passionate but disoriented, craving purpose without a map. Motivation disappears like socks in the dryer.

Saturn in 5th - Creativity feels like pressure instead of pleasure. You might fear being seen as silly, vulnerable, or untalented. Tough dating life or non-existent.

Chiron in 2nd - You link value to productivity, money, or external approval. Financial instability = emotional instability. Feels personally attacked by every bill. Buys love or denies pleasure. Abundance feels suspicious.

Moon square Saturn - Emotional constipation. You learned early to suppress emotional needs for safety. You love was likely earned, rationed, or absent. You judge yourself for feeling “too much” or “too little.”

Pluto in 4th - Your family may have had secrets, trauma, or control issues or felt like a pressure cooker. You are on survival mode. You might fear vulnerability because you equate it with danger.

Neptune in 6th - You could get exploited in your work place or it drained you to the core. Your body responds more to emotions than logic. Reality glitches. Could romanticize suffering as devotion to duty, in some cases.

Mars in 12th - You are your own enemy. Anger goes underground. Blows up once a year, spectacularly. You sabotage your own drive before others can judge it. Your anger turns inward, manifesting in anxiety or illness.

Sun opposite Pluto - You’re constantly torn between control and surrender. Power struggles follow you in both relationships and identity. Transformation comes after a meltdown.

Mercury square Saturn - You words buffer in real life. Your thoughts feel like they need a permission slip. You might struggle to communicate because of early invalidation. You second-guess even your clearest ideas.

Mercury rx in 3rd - You overthink your overthinking, then rewrite it three times. Early school years felt like decoding a foreign language. Words often fail you mid-sentence, especially when they matter.

Mars rx in 1st - You feel guilty for wanting things, even basic ones. Anger simmers silently or explodes after repression. You don’t fight until your identity feels erased. Initiative feels hard when self-worth is in question.

Jupiter rx in 5th/9th - Your beliefs come from within, not institutions. You’ve always questioned the rules, even spiritual ones. Teachers disappointed you, so you became your own. Faith is personal, earned, and ever-shifting.

Uranus rx in 5th/11th - You want to fit in just not like them. Seriously, friendships feel like freedom tests or social experiments. You fear conformity but crave belonging.

Mercury rx square Neptune - Communication feels like trying to text through fog. You say one thing, feel another, and mean a third. Imagination is wild but so is your confusion. People misunderstand you and you misunderstand yourself.

🌌✨Wanna know how your own retrogrades or unlucky placements play out in your chart? Or decode why certain patterns keep showing up in your life like cosmic reruns?

DM me for a complete astrology reading and check out my pinned post for pricing 🌌✨

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 9 months ago

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Since you've mentioned Scarlet Lady in one of your posts, what's your opinion on it?

I've mentioned before that I'm a big Scarlet Lady fan, which is the only reason that I'm comfortable answering asks like this one. I don't publicly criticize the content of hobby creators. That's wildly inappropriate! Punch up, not down.

The linked post was a general discussion of the adaptation process and how @zoe-oneesama did a fantastic job, so for this one, I'm just going to do some general gushing because I do actually like praising and enjoying things!

Scarlet Lady's chosen format (comic) allows it to have this wonderful conversation with canon where it can rely on the framework of canon to tell it's own story while also using canon for jokes and meta commentary. This means that Scarlet Lady is about as close as fan content can get to a direct reboot because it's able to have moments like this one from the comic's first post:

[Image description: Adrien standing in his room after transforming into Chat Noir for the first time. He is beaming and his eyes are shining with excitement as he exclaims, "This is gonna be awesome!"]

A single picture that communicates everything we need to know about Adrien getting his miraculous. When I've done this same thing in fanfic, I had to write out the full scene because that's how novels work. You have to give the full picture. With a comic, you can just quickly acknowledge this thing that we all already know and then move on to the new stuff. A picture really is worth a thousand words! (Or, in my case, more like two thousand...)

This allows Zoe to keep the same akumas that we get in canon without her story feeling like a boring rehash because she can focus on what's different in her version. A novelization of the same content would have to show both the stuff that stays the same and the stuff that changes for it to be coherent. That's a lot less fun to read and write. It's why I basically never revisit canon akumas in my own stuff. It's just too derivative for the written word.

This is one of the big reasons that I loved Scarlet Lady. Because it was able to have that more directly conversation with canon, it was able to take canon and say, "hey, why don't we embrace the tone that you established in season one and retell the story with that vibe?" That's something that I desperately wanted to see, but that is totally unsuited to my chosen artistic form. It couldn't be a novel. It had to be a comic.

If you want to know what a true formula show version of Miraculous would look like, Scarlet Lady is it. It does everything that Miraculous should have done:

Sticks to a lighthearted tone where nothing is ever super serious

Keeps Gabriel entirely unsympathetic

Has slow character development and background hints at a bigger plot as the only serial elements, allowing the individual episodes to be their own story while never feeling incomplete or rushed

Allows characters other than Marinette to shine while keeping Marinette as the clear main character

Makes Adrien narratively important

MAKES THE LOVE SQUARE CUTE SO I CAN ACTUALLY SHIP IT

Understands that Lila and Chloe can't coexist as antagonists

Reverses the love square, which is the best way to tell their story. Yes, I will die on my "love diamond" hill. It's a good hill. Come join me. I'll bring cookies.

I could keep going, but you hopefully get my point. While Scarlet Lady is certainly not the only way to do a formula version of canon, it's proof that a formula version does work! You don't have to go the serious route for Miraculous to be successful.

I want to take some time to gush about the ending, but I don't want to spoil it, so I'll put that gushing under a "read more" in case anyone hasn't seen it. I'll finish out this less spoilerish section with this:

I feel like some people are surprised when they learn that I love Scarlet Lady because - as some of you have probably picked up - it is quite different from my ideal version of canon. I'm not sure why that would stop me from enjoying a thing, though. It's important to remember that our personal ideals are not the only way to tell a good story. There are lots of ways to take what canon gave us and make something wonderful! It's part of the reason that I enjoy being in a fandom.

If I only wanted to see my ideal take on canon, then I'd stick to writing/imagining my own stories. But I don't want that! I like seeing alternate takes, too. Scarlet Lady is one of my personal favorites. It's completely different from anything that I'd ever think to write and that's why I'm so glad that it exists! I like being entertained just as much as I like creating my own entertainment and I don't want to only read stories that look like something I'd write. That's boring!

Spoilers below:

I've mentioned before that there are many, many ways to properly handle Chloe's character and Zoe did such a good job with her take on that! Chloe isn't absolved of all the things she did wrong, but she's also treated as a young woman with the ability to change.

While the comic bares the name of Chloe's alter ego, she was the never the main character. She never went on a journey. The story kept her to her shallow season-one self: a petty brat who just wanted attention. It did this because that's who Chloe was in canon and who Chloe needed to be for the comic to work.

The first time we see any complexity from Chloe is in the comic's final few episodes, which was absolutely the right call for Zoe to make! In a recent post, I talked about how the end of a formula show is the only time when you can break the formula in catastrophic ways and that's what Zoe did. She kept Chloe static until it was time to end the story and that's when the formula breaks. That's when Chloe gets depth because, once she has depth, the formula doesn't work.

That depth is not used to redeem Chloe, but to show us that there's hope for Chloe. That this petty brat who we've been dealing with has some serious issues and needs help. Help that she's going to get far away from the people that she's hurt because her issues aren't an excuse for what she's done. They don't erase the harm that she caused. At the same time, understanding her issues makes us hope that she can be better now and Scarlet Lady took a moment to give us that hope. To show us the START of Chloe's true story.

That is the kind of ending that I have wanted to see in so many properties!!! It was so wonderful to finally get one that did this right. A story that understood that full redemption to the team and damnation to death/suffering are extremes on a scale of possibilities. You don't have to go to extremes! You can fall in the middle and the middle is a perfect, natural place for Chloe to land in this kind of story. Fully redeeming or even fully damning Chloe simply doesn't work in lighthearted formula content. It's too big a lift as canon has already demonstrated.

I also loved Zoe's take on Emilie. I've mentioned that I don't like evil Emilie in part because it makes her revival feel like the start of a new story. She's back and she'd bad, so we have to take her down now! But I don't want that. I want the story to end when Gabriel is stopped. Zoe does this by giving us an Emilie that is another perfect middle ground. She matches canon's uncomfortable implications without feeling like a true villain who is a threat to society.

#blackmonarque #scarlet lady praise #scarlet lady comic

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paxaz535 · 27 days ago

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DOUBLE (DATE) TROUBLE

nika x reader + pazzi

nika and paige somehow makes it a competition in the cabin

(i’m not sure if this type of stuff makes people uncomfortable so if it does, please don’t read it nor comment negative things about it)

w: nsfw , smut , squirting , competitive sex , fingering (sorry if i missed any)

ꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬꙬ

Nika:

You:

you’re literally sitting next to me.

Paige:

girl hush and read the texts

you disliked this message

Azzi:

don’t worry gorgeous

paige is right next to me too unfortunately

but what is happening rn

Paige:

so me & nika cooked up a little surprise…

Nika:

we’re going on a double date

pack for the weekend pls

You:

you couldn’t just say this out loud?

Nika:

no cause azzi still needed to know

Azzi:

paige could’ve just told me too??

Paige:

okay but like

where’s the drama in that

we booked a cabin btw. for the weekend.

you’re welcome.

Nika:

we’re also going out tonight

so dress hot

pls & thanks

Paige:

especially you, [ ]

You:

why am i catching strays???

Paige:

girl… you stay dressing like it’s laundry day

You:

you cannot be talking paige

Nika:

enough. both of you.

Azzi:

yeah hush 🙄

Nika:

just be ready.

You:

fine i guess

Azzi:

what she said 👆🏽

⸻

You and Azzi had the same idea: get ready together, pre-game, and unpack a little chaos of your own before the real trouble started.

You were packing your overnight bag while Azzi sat on your bed zipping up her makeup case, already dressed in something tight and black and unfair.

“Why do you think they planned all this?” you asked, holding up two swimsuits and deciding to pack both.

Azzi shrugged, sliding a small bottle into her bag. “No idea. But they’re definitely up to something. Paige’s been smiling like a Bond villain all day.”

You raised an eyebrow when you noticed something peeking out of her duffel. “Wait. Is that what I think it is?”

Azzi froze. “Girl,” she said slowly, “you know we don’t do secrets.”

You pulled your bag open. “Then look what Nika wanted me to bring.”

You revealed the wand and Azzi’s jaw dropped.

“That’s literally the perfect one,” she whispered, reaching out instinctively. “Where’d she even find that?”

“She sent me the link like three days ago,” you said, laughing. “Didn’t even ask. Just, ‘buy this.’”

Azzi was still inspecting it when she suddenly smirked. “Since we’re doing show and tell…”

She unzipped a side pocket and revealed hers—smaller, sleeker, pink.

You blinked. “That’s adorable. Is it even real?”

Azzi laughed. “Don’t let the size fool you. Paige used it on me last week and I literally couldn’t walk after.”

You choked. “Oh, you freaks.”

“She’s always horny,” Azzi muttered with a blush, zipping her bag shut again. “Like, I’ll just be trying to eat cereal and she’s over here licking syrup off her thumb.”

You cracked up. “Can’t blame her. She did bag a baddie.”

Azzi smacked your arm, laughing too. “Shut up.”

Just then, your phones lit up at the same time.

⸻

Fantastic Fags (4/4)

Nika:

come outside

like now

Paige:

for real. don’t take forever.

You:

shut the hell up

Azzi:

here we come dumbasses

⸻

You both grabbed your bags and headed downstairs, wheeling them across the lot. You could hear Drake playing from the car even with the windows rolled up.

You knocked on the trunk. It popped open.

You tossed both bags inside, already spotting Paige’s duffel and Nika’s battered gym bag. You and Azzi split, each circling opposite sides of the car.

You climbed in behind Nika. She had on a loose black button-up, baggy jeans, clean Air Forces. Her jaw was tight. Hands steady on the wheel.

Paige was in the passenger seat, one leg up, white jeans and black New Balances. The grin on her face was criminal.

“Finally,” Paige said, turning just enough to check you both out. “Damn. Took y’all long enough.”

“We didn’t even take ten minutes,” Azzi said, closing her door. “Relax.”

“You two look good,” Paige added innocently.

Nika glanced at you through the rearview. “That dress…” she hummed.

You smirked. “You got something to say?”

She didn’t even blink. “You’re something else.”

You smiled, pulling out your phone. “Azzi—get in this selfie.”

She leaned in close, her cheek warm against yours. You snapped a few shots—one soft smile, one sticking out your tongues, one where Paige flipped off the camera from the front seat.

You looked too damn good not to document this.

The restaurant was almost too nice.

Dark oak floors. Dim lighting. A private corner booth tucked away behind a partition of sheer curtains. You clocked the vibe the moment you stepped in: they picked this place on purpose.

You slid in beside Nika without question, her hand immediately resting on your thigh. Azzi settled in beside Paige, who was already leaning back like she owned the place.

“You two act like you run this restaurant,” you murmured, scanning the gold-embossed menu.

“We do,” Paige said.

“Basically,” Nika echoed, her thumb tracing slow, thoughtless circles on your skin.

A server dropped off water, menus, and bread. You hadn’t even picked a drink yet and Nika’s hand was sliding higher beneath the table.

“Really?” you whispered, shifting in your seat.

“You wore the dress,” she replied without looking at you. “You knew what this was.”

Across the booth, Azzi shifted a little too quickly in her seat. Paige’s hand was under the table too, resting comfortably on her girl’s bare thigh, from the look of it.

“So… what’s the occasion?” you asked, trying for nonchalance.

“Celebrating us,” Paige said, reaching for a breadstick. “And because y’all been good lately.”

Nika leaned in, her voice low. “Mostly.”

You gave her a side eye, then flicked your gaze to the tablecloth as her fingers dragged higher. “You’re gonna get us kicked out.”

She smirked. “Only if you’re loud.”

Azzi slightly choked on her water, the words catching her off guard. The server returned for orders. You picked salmon. Azzi went with scallops. Nika ordered short ribs, and Paige chose rare steak with zero hesitation. Before they even left, Nika added, “We’ll also take the molten lava cake for dessert.”

“Bold of you,” you said, arching a brow.

“I know what I want early,” she said, her voice smooth as her fingers slid between your legs.

You nearly choked on your water.

Azzi made a sudden sound across the booth, a soft gasp that she barely swallowed down. You glanced at her—her cheeks were flushed, her hand now gripping Paige’s under the table.

Paige tilted her head. “Everything okay over there, baby?”

Azzi nodded quickly, breathing through her nose. “You’re such an asshole,” she whispered, almost fond.

“You’re welcome.”

Nika’s fingers finally found what they were looking for, pushing your panties aside with slow, teasing ease. You clenched your jaw, heart hammering in your chest.

“You’re soaked already,” she murmured. “Damn.”

“You’re crazy for doing this here.”

“You didn’t say stop.”

You didn’t. Couldn’t. Across from you, Azzi’s mouth fell open again, head tipping back for half a second before she caught herself.

You reached under the table and squeezed her knee. You good?

She mouthed, no, bitch, and tried not to laugh.

Nika slid one finger inside you, and you tensed. The pressure, the heat of her touch—it made your head spin. You grabbed the edge of the table to steady yourself, praying your voice didn’t crack if you had to say anything aloud.

“You alright, love?” Paige asked, looking right at Azzi.

Azzi nodded. Her voice was breathy. “Mmhmm. Just… great.”

“I bet.”

The server returned with your food. Nika’s hand vanished like it had never been there. You had to sit back like you weren’t seconds from collapsing. Your salmon looked perfect. You didn’t taste a single bite.

Paige fed Azzi a piece of steak with her fingers, slow and deliberate. “Open.”

Azzi rolled her eyes, but obeyed. Her lips closed over Paige’s fingers, eyes fluttering just for a moment.

“Good girl,” Paige whispered.

Nika watched them, then leaned toward you with that smug grin she wore too well. “Think we’ll be louder than them tonight?”

You stared her down. “You’re gonna have to prove it.”

—-

The car ride was quieter now.

Not silent, but charged—like everyone was conserving energy for later. The city lights had faded behind you. Trees took over the view, a blur of shadows in the headlights as the road twisted deeper into nowhere.

Azzi was curled up against the window, legs tucked under her, eyes closed but not asleep. Paige’s hand was resting on her thigh again—innocent if you didn’t know better. If you hadn’t seen what she was capable of with just two fingers and a dare.

You shifted in your seat, trying not to think about how warm your skin still felt under your dress. Nika’s hand was back on the wheel, one arm draped loosely across the top of her seat. You could feel the weight of her glance without even looking.

“You alright over there?” she murmured, low enough that only you could hear.

“Yeah,” you said, staring out the window. “Just thinking.”

“About dinner?”

You gave her a look. “About what’s next.”

Her smile was slow. “Good.”

Paige cut through the quiet, glancing over her shoulder. “There’s a liquor store up here—y’all wanna stop?”

Azzi made a sleepy noise. “Do we need to?”

Nika shrugged. “We brought wine.”

“But do we have tequila?” Paige asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I feel like you just want to watch us suffer,” you muttered.

Paige grinned. “Is it working?”

You leaned forward between the seats. “Fine. Get your stupid tequila. But I’m not doing shots.”

“Liar,” Paige said, already signaling to turn off the road.

—

The cabin came into view half an hour later—three stories tall, tucked back in the woods, windows glowing warm against the dark. You blinked as the driveway curved upward, revealing a full wraparound porch, twinkle lights strung across the railings.

“Okay,” Azzi whispered. “That’s sexy.”

“You’re welcome,” Paige said again.

“You keep saying that like we didn’t agree to this,” you shot back, climbing out as the car came to a stop.

Nika was already grabbing bags. “Just say thank you.”

You rolled your eyes but followed her up the steps, your overnight bag slung over your shoulder. The air smelled like pine and smoke and something a little colder than it had any right to in late spring.

Inside, the cabin was even nicer. High ceilings. Leather couches. Stone fireplace. One long hallway that branched off into bedrooms. You dropped your bag near the entry and turned slowly in place, taking it in.

“Dibs on the room with the balcony,” Azzi said immediately.

“You don’t even know which one that is—” you started.

“She does now,” Paige interrupted, already hauling their bags down the hall. “C’mon, baby.”

Azzi blew you a kiss as she disappeared after her.

Nika was behind you again, close enough that you could feel the heat of her body against your back. “Let them have it,” she murmured. “Ours is downstairs.”

You turned, brows raised. “There’s a downstairs?”

She gestured toward the far corner. A narrow staircase led down into the dark.

You followed her without a word.

—

The basement suite was ridiculous. A king-sized bed, low lighting, even a fireplace in the corner. There was a private bathroom and a walk-in shower you could probably fit all four of you in—though that was not happening.

Nika dropped her bag by the door. You stood in the center of the room, suddenly unsure what to do with your hands.

“So… this is where you planned to murder me?” you teased.

She stepped up close. “Murder’s not the plan.”

“Mm. Just death by orgasm?”

“Something like that.”

You didn’t get a chance to laugh—her mouth was already on yours.

The kiss was deep, steady, demanding. Her hands found your hips, pulled you in. Your fingers curled in the front of her shirt. The fabric was soft, but her chest was solid beneath it, and she kissed you like she knew exactly how this night would end.

“I want you naked,” she muttered against your mouth.

“You’re so romantic,” you breathed.

“You’re gonna be loud,” she whispered.

Before you could answer, there was a distant knock—light, fast, unmistakable. Then Azzi’s voice, muffled through the floorboards:

“Shot time, sluts!”

You groaned, pressing your forehead to Nika’s shoulder.

She sighed. “Cockblocked by friendship.”

You grinned. “Story of our lives.”

Nika let you go with one last squeeze. “Come on. Let’s go prove we can hold our liquor better than Paige.”

“Oh, I can,” you said, flipping your hair. “Question is—can you still finger me under the table after three shots?”

Nika just smiled. “Try me.”

Upstairs, the girls had already claimed the kitchen.

Paige was behind the counter lining up shot glasses with the precision of a bartender and the chaos of a demon. Azzi was on the barstool closest to her, legs crossed, phone out, taking pictures of the bottles and making a playlist on the fly.

“Where the hell were y’all?” Paige asked, not looking up.

You slipped onto the stool next to Azzi. “We were bonding.”

Azzi snorted. “You were definitely sucking face.”

Nika opened a cabinet, found a bag of chips, and tossed it on the counter. “You jealous?”

“Maybe,” Azzi said, stealing one and crunching loudly. “Depends how long it lasted.”

“Thirty seconds, tops,” you muttered, reaching for a glass. “Y’all are good at timing.”

Paige poured the first round—clear and menacing. “This one’s for arriving. And surviving the restaurant.”

“Barely,” Azzi added, glancing at you with a little shiver.

You raised your glass. “To being the hottest people in the state.”

“Cheers to that,” Paige said, clinking against everyone else’s.

The first shot hit hot and immediate. You grimaced, licked your lip, and grabbed the chips.

Azzi tilted her head toward the living room. “Y’all wanna play something?”

“Truth or dare,” Paige said immediately.

You groaned. “You’re so predictable.”

“I’m so fun,” Paige corrected, already walking toward the couch. “Get your hot asses over here.”

—

Fifteen minutes in, the vibe had shifted.

You were buzzed, warm, draped sideways across the arm of the couch with your legs in Nika’s lap. Azzi was on the floor between Paige’s knees, her head tilted back onto her girlfriend’s thigh. Every dare got a little bolder. Every truth cut a little deeper.

“Alright, alright,” Paige said, pointing at Nika. “Truth or dare.”

Nika cracked her neck. “Dare.”

Paige smirked. “Make her moan.”

You blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”

“She didn’t say how,” Azzi added quickly, already smiling like a menace.

Nika met your eyes, slow and steady. “C’mere.”

Your stomach flipped. You sat up, your whole body on high alert. Nika pulled you gently into her lap, one hand resting on your outer thigh, the other trailing up your spine.

“You don’t have to do anything,” she said quietly, voice for your ears only. “Just trust me.”

You nodded, heart racing.

Her lips brushed your neck—barely there. Then her tongue flicked just under your jaw, and your body lit up.

She didn’t say anything else. Just mapped out every soft spot behind your ear with her mouth, slow and devastating, while her fingers danced higher up your thigh. You exhaled hard—just once—but it came out embarrassingly close to a moan.

“Shit,” you whispered.

“Say it,” Nika breathed, teeth grazing your pulse.

You bit your lip. But it was no use.

“Fuck,” you moaned softly, hand tightening in her shirt.

Across from you, Paige held up both hands. “There it is.”

Azzi clapped like it was a game show. “We have a winner!”

You rolled off Nika with a laugh and a flushed face, flopping back onto the couch.

“Payback’s coming,” you warned.

Paige leaned down to whisper something in Azzi’s ear. Whatever it was, her girlfriend’s face went red instantly.

“I hate you,” Azzi muttered.

“You love me,” Paige corrected. “Now—truth or dare?”

Azzi sighed. “Dare.”

Paige held out her hand. “Panties. Now.”

Azzi blinked. “You’re so annoying.”

“You’re so slow.”

You and Nika exchanged a look as Azzi shifted on the floor, clearly debating. Then, with a frustrated sigh, she reached under her dress, hips tilting up just enough, and slid them down.

Lace. Pale pink.

She smacked them into Paige’s hand. “Happy?”

“Ecstatic,” Paige said, tucking them into her back pocket like a trophy.

You were halfway to calling her a menace when Nika leaned close again. “You wanna tap out?”

You shook your head. “I’m so locked in.”

—

It didn’t last much longer.

Someone—Azzi—yawned. Someone else— Nika suggested you all wrapped it up.

You dragged your bag to the basement, drunk and sore from laughing, adrenaline still buzzing beneath your skin. Nika followed close behind, slower this time, just watching you move.

“I haven’t forgotten that moan,” she teased, locking the door behind you.

You smirked. “You wanna hear the loud version?”

Her eyes darkened. “Bet.”

You didn’t even make it to the bed.

She had you against the wall before your shoes were off—hot mouth, stronger hands, the scent of cedar and wine and want all around you. You were already soaked. She already knew.

And right around the moment she dropped to her knees—right when her tongue slid over you for the first time—

you heard it.

A sound through the ceiling. Faint. Distant. But unmistakable.

A whimper.

Then: Azzi’s voice, high and pleading.

You froze.

Nika pulled back just enough to glance up, then back at you. Her lips were shiny. Her grin was pure evil.

“Round one,” she whispered.

You bit your lip, legs shaking already. “Oh, it’s on.”

Azzi. High-pitched. Fragile. “Please, Paige—”

Nika’s mouth pulled back from between your thighs, her breath warm, tongue glistening. “You hear that?”

You nodded slowly, heart hammering. “She sounds…”

“Destroyed. my twin is putting in work,” Nika finished, a cruel little grin tugging at her lips. “Think I can top it?”

You barely managed to speak. “You can try.”

She reached up, gripped your waist, and flipped you onto your stomach like you weighed nothing.

“On your knees,” she murmured, voice low and warm in your ear. “Ass up. Head down. Let them hear you.”

You moved without thinking—body already aching, slick between your thighs, your hips rising toward her like you were on strings. You felt her behind you, lining up, the fat tip of her strap pressing slow and deep between your folds.

She filled you in one stroke.

You gasped—loudly—gripping the sheets like they could save you from being split in half. She didn’t stop. Her hand slid up your back, palm flat between your shoulder blades, pinning you down as she began to thrust.

Slow at first. Measured. Like she was trying to make you feel every inch.

“God—Nika,” you choked.

She groaned behind you. “Fuck, baby. Listen to yourself.”

You didn’t need to. You could feel yourself. Dripping. Clenching. Squirming.

And she picked up the pace.

Fast. Deep. Merciless.

Her hips slapped yours with every thrust, filthy and rhythmic, the kind of sound that made it obvious to anyone listening what was happening. You heard another cry from upstairs—Azzi again, breathless and high-pitched, like Paige had her on the edge and wasn’t letting go.

Nika leaned over your back, dragging her teeth down your shoulder. “She’s not gonna last much longer.”

You whimpered.

“Will you?” she whispered.

Then her hand moved between your thighs, fingers stroking your clit in tight, practiced circles while she pounded into you from behind. You screamed, biting into the sheets to muffle it, but Nika just laughed.

“No, no, baby. Let them hear how messy you are.”

She shifted her angle and found that spot—deep, devastating, relentless.

Your whole body started to tremble.

“Nika, I—fuck—I can’t—”

“Yes you can,” she hissed. “Let go. Give it to me.”

Her fingers pressed harder. Her thrusts turned brutal. The sound of her hips slamming against your ass echoed off the walls. And right when you thought your body might snap from the tension—

It happened.

Your orgasm tore through you like a wave, violent and sudden, and you screamed into the mattress as your whole body gushed—wet, messy, unrestrained.

Nika stilled.

“Oh my god,” she whispered.

You collapsed forward, shaking uncontrollably, your thighs soaked, the sheets underneath you darkening fast.

“Holy shit,” Nika said again, almost laughing. “Did you just—?”

You turned your face enough to look at her, still breathless, dazed. “Don’t. Say it.”

She leaned over, kissed your spine, grinning like the devil himself. “I win.”

From upstairs came a long, keening moan.

Then silence.

You and Nika stared at the ceiling, both breathless.

Then you laughed—hard.

“Okay,” you wheezed. “You might’ve won.”

She kissed your temple. “We’ll see about tomorrow.”

You walked into the kitchen on shaky legs, Nika’s oversized t-shirt barely covering the curve of your thighs, your hair an unapologetic mess.

Azzi was already at the table, hunched over a cup of coffee like it owed her money. Her hoodie was on backwards, her bun was crooked, and she looked like she had seen God.

“Morning,” you said casually, voice just a little hoarse.

Azzi glanced up. Froze. “Oh my god,” she muttered. “Don’t even start.”

You tried to hide your grin. Failed. “Start what?”

She pointed at you accusingly. “You’re walking like someone who squirted on cotton sheets.”

You choked on air. “Azzi—”

“I heard it. The moment it happened. It was like—” she made a dramatic gesture with her hands “—Niagara Falls. Above. My. Fucking. Head.”

Your face burned. “Bitch.”

Paige strolled in then, shirtless, smug, and holding a cold water bottle to the side of her neck. “Sounds like somebody lost the bet.”

Azzi groaned. “I did not lose—”

“You begged like you lost,” Paige said sweetly, leaning down to kiss the top of her girlfriend’s head. “And then you said ‘thank you.’ Like four times.”

Azzi slid lower in her seat, hoodie now practically swallowing her face.

Nika stepped in behind you, fully dressed, smug in a clean black tee and gym shorts like she didn’t absolutely wreck you eight hours ago. She kissed your temple and headed straight for the coffeemaker, completely unfazed.

“You alright, babe?” she asked, pouring you a cup.

“Define alright,” you muttered.

“You sounded amazing,” she said, like she was talking about a podcast episode.

Paige was frying eggs now, flipping them with one hand like she owned the place. “You sounded like you were dying.”

“I was,” you said, rubbing your eyes. “I think I transcended.”

Azzi made a wounded sound. “Same.”

“But we won,” Nika said, sliding a mug in front of you.

“Oh my god, she’s still talking about it,” Paige muttered.

“I made her squirt,” Nika replied, sitting across from her. “She flooded the sheets. We had to sleep with a towel.”

“Nika!” you slapped her thigh under the table.

“Don’t be shy now,” she whispered with a smirk.

Paige rolled her eyes. “That’s cute. But Azzi was sobbing.”

“I was not sobbing,” Azzi said into her mug.

“You begged like someone in a CW season finale,” Paige said said.

Azzi gave her the finger without looking up.

Nika just leaned back in her chair, sipped her coffee, and nodded at the plate Paige was loading. “Extra eggs for the losers?”

“Funny,” Paige said. “I was gonna offer you hashbrowns out of pity.”

The tension was light, teasing, crackling under every movement. Smirks. Side-eyes. Paige licking syrup off her thumb. Nika casually resting her hand on your thigh again under the table.

You glanced at Azzi.

Azzi glanced at you.

Both of you knew: the score wasn’t settled.

You sipped your coffee. “So… what’s on the agenda today?”

Nika tilted her head. “Swim. Hike. Destroy each other again later.”

Paige nodded. “I’m down.”

Azzi sighed. “God help us all.”

You smiled into your mug.

Let the games continue.

#paige bueckers #azzi fudd #uconn wbb #pazzi #nika mühl #nika muhl smut #nikamuhl x reader

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devilish-cherry · 1 month ago

Text

ᨳ♡₊➳ how they help during your period

ᨳ♡₊➳ feat. gojo, geto, nanami, choso, toji, higuruma, shiu

ᨳ♡₊➳ crack, fluff, slight nsfw but nothing serious

ᨳ♡₊➳ a/n: request from this ask! currently being held hostage by my own period so this felt like the perfect time to tackle this request. tried to keep the symptoms general bc we all suffer in our own special ways. hope you all enjoy 🙂‍↕️

₊⊹. Satoru Gojo

₊⊹. Gojo will buy you the dumbest heating pads on the internet: one's shaped like Gudetama, another is a buff Jigglypuff. You're exasperated. But also using them.

₊⊹. He googled "how to help partner on period" and then mansplained it to you like a TED Talk. "So apparently prostaglandins are to blame for your cramps. Isn't that such a loser name for a hormone?"

₊⊹. Gojo, after seeing you curled up and wincing from cramps, throws himself face-first on the bed next to you and goes, "I think I can feel them too. Empathic link. It's the Six Eyes. I'm basically menstruating." You slap him with a pillow and he dramatically yells, "DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?! WHILE I BLEED IN SPIRIT?!"

₊⊹. You groan and double over. He instantly teleports behind you and drops to his knees. "Get on. Backpack mode." He piggybacks you around the apartment while muttering dramatic anime OST lyrics. He stops at the fridge. "Want strawberries?" You tell him yes. He proceeds to spoon-feed them to you while making airplane noises.

₊⊹. He will 100% insist on period sex 'for science.' He genuinely looks curious. "So, like. If I activate Infinity... does that mean I technically never touch the blood?" He is forcibly removed from the bedroom.

₊⊹. When you sigh heavily from discomfort, he'll dramatically fall onto the bed beside you, matching your sigh with exaggerated flair and groaning, "The burdens we hot people bear, huh?"

₊⊹. When you can't sleep from pain, he lies awake beside you, rambling about obscure Digimon trivia from his youth as he draws little hearts on your back with his fingertip until you drift off. He's proud his niche knowledge is finally useful.

₊⊹. Suguru Geto

₊⊹. Geto somehow knows your cycle better than you. Not because he tracks it obsessively but because he's that terrifyingly observant, "You're due in three days. I've already stocked the soba, heat packs, and I have chamomile ready." You look at him like he's some sort of mystic. He just smirks and continues slicing green onions.

₊⊹. He's unfazed by blood. You bled through your pants once and panicked. He just looked down calmly. "Blood is natural. You are sacred. I've killed 112 villagers in one night, this is fine."

₊⊹. If you want affection, he’s all over it. If you want to be left alone, he disappears like mist. Only to reappear 20 minutes later with a warm drink, just in case you changed your mind.

₊⊹. If you get clingy, like full-on emotional barnacle, he lets you. Doesn't even blink when you insist on lying directly on top of him like a heated blanket burrito. He'll just mutter, "Guess I'm immobilized now," and carry on reading with one hand resting lightly on your back like it's the most natural thing.

₊⊹. Geto keeps a hidden stash of menstrual supplies in the bathroom, meticulously organized. When you discover his stockpile, he smirks, "Preparation level: Dad of Teenage Girls. Amateur hour ended a decade ago."

₊⊹. If you're out at work or something and he knows you're in pain, you start receiving cryptic but oddly soothing texts like, "Drink something warm. Don't argue. I'm watching." You have no idea how. But he is watching.

₊⊹. When you fall asleep from exhaustion, he adjusts your limbs so you won't cramp further and he stays beside you. Occasionally brushing hair from your face with a faint smile like you're a fleeting dream he doesn't want to wake.

₊⊹. Kento Nanami

₊⊹. "You're not dying. It just feels like you are." Delivers this line in a deadpan tone with tea and a heat pack because he genuinely wants to help. But he refuses to sugarcoat it.

₊⊹. He noticed you wincing once and now tracks your cycle better than you do like a sentient calendar. "Your period should start tomorrow. You want me to stop for anything on the way home?"

₊⊹. Nanami is your domestic god. He doesn't joke, he just executes. Heating pad? Done. Soup? Simmering. Ibuprofen? Already in your hand. You're curled up on the couch and he just tucks you in like a burrito, sits beside you, opens a book, and radiates quiet husband energy.

₊⊹. He always carries extra pads in his bag. When asked about them, he replies, "Emergency preparedness is a fundamental adult skill."

₊⊹. He refuses to let you do chores while you're cramping. Once you tried to clean and he stared at you so long in silence you actually got scared. "Stop." he said, simply. "You are not allowed to suffer and vacuum."

₊⊹. You once mentioned your back hurt. He cracked his knuckles like a shonen protagonist and said, "I read a Swedish study on pressure point relief." then gave you the most life-altering massage of your existence. You almost cried. He muttered, "It's basic muscle care."

₊⊹. Nanami holds your hand during the worst moments. Always gently. Always like it’s the easiest thing in the world to make you feel safer. Sometimes he just rubs his thumb across your knuckles and says nothing. Like he’s anchoring you in place.

₊⊹. Choso Kamo

₊⊹. Choso learned about periods in great detail via one of those god-awful health class pamphlets left on a table at Jujutsu High. He read it cover to cover. When you complain about cramps, he nods gravely and says, "Yes. I have read about the uterine lining." You genuinely don't know whether to laugh or cry.

₊⊹. When you mention mood swings, he nods solemnly and places a comforting hand on your shoulder, quietly stating, "We will defeat them together." utterly serious, making you laugh despite yourself.

₊⊹. He's very careful not to overstep, because despite having his vessel's memories, he's still constantly second-guessing human behavior. So you'll catch him hovering awkwardly outside the bathroom door like, "... Should I get you a clean pair of pants? Is that considered offensive?"

₊⊹. Choso cries with you when you cry from hormonal swings. You're sobbing and he's sobbing and now you're crying because he's crying and it's just a puddle of emotions on the couch.

₊⊹. He doesn't flinch when you bleed through your sheets. Zero ick factor. If anything, he's kind of like, "I thought the iron scent was familiar. It's very... cozy." You're horrified. He's content.

₊⊹. He tried to cook you miso soup once to help soothe your cramps but forgot to turn off the burner. You both ended up with slightly burnt soup and an open window to get the smoke out. "I failed." he muttered. You told him it was still good. He looked at you like you'd just declared everlasting love. He's been trying new recipes every cycle since.

₊⊹. When you're sore and sluggish, he doesn't push you to do anything. He just follows you around the apartment quietly doing everything before you have the chance to. You reach for a mug? It's already full of hot tea. You try to stand up? He's already placed a fuzzy blanket on your lap. "Rest," he says, softly. "You're leaking." Thank you, boyfriend of the year.

₊⊹. Toji Fushiguro

₊⊹. The second he notices you curled up like a dying shrimp on the bed, face down, blanket over your head like you're trying to cease existing, he doesn't ask, he just knows. The man's been through two marriages and several long-term flings. Your monthly suffering isn't new territory for him. His first reaction? A sharp, "You good?" but it's Toji-speak for "Do I need to go kill someone or is this just cramps?"

₊⊹. Toji will 100% eat all of your snacks. But then he buys you twice as much to make up for it and drops the bags in front of you saying, "Eat. Or don't. I dunno. Up to you."

₊⊹. He does not understand hot water bottle covers. "Why the hell does it have a face?" he mutters while staring down your Sanrio-themed cover like it insulted his bloodline. Still warms it up for you every night.

₊⊹. Toji somehow acquires random knowledge about menstrual products, casually mentioning, "They have organic ones now, whatever the hell that means. Do you care or is that bullshit?"

₊⊹. He brings home food for you even when you said "I'm not hungry." Because he knows. He knows you'll sniff it and change your mind in 3.2 seconds.

₊⊹. He insists on carrying you bridal-style up the stairs when your cramps are peak awful. "Romantic, huh?" he smirks. Then slams his knee into the doorframe and nearly drops you. "Fuck—romance canceled."

₊⊹. He starts stockpiling comfort items a week in advance. Not because he's sentimental. Just because "it's easier than dealing with you on edge and empty-handed."

₊⊹. Hiromi Higuruma

₊⊹. Higuruma doesn't flinch when you groan and dramatically announce, "I am perishing. This is the end." He glances up from his book, deadpan. "We should draft your will. I assume I inherit the heated blanket?" No smile. Just pure monotone. But he's already tucking the blanket around you like a human burrito.

₊⊹. One particularly bad day, you tell him you feel gross. He immediately pauses whatever he's doing, cups your face like you're the last honest witness in a corrupt trial, and says very seriously, "Don't do that. You're experiencing a biological function. You wouldn't call someone disgusting for sneezing."

₊⊹. When your cramps hit so hard you start walking like a villain with a backstory, he matches your pace down the hallway like it's totally normal to be power-walking with someone who looks like they're about to start monologuing about vengeance. He doesn't say a word, just keeps pace.

₊⊹. He never says a thing about your oversized pajamas or the nest of snacks around you. In fact, he once brought you more Pocky and placed it on the bed with reverence. "Your altar of comfort appears understocked."

₊⊹. He sends you detailed texts updating the progression of menstrual leave legislation in Japan. "See? Soon, your uterus's tyranny will be punishable by paid leave."

₊⊹. You once fell asleep half-sobbing and woke up with him spooning you from behind, hand on your stomach like he's attempting to telepathically cancel the uterus subscription. He murmured, "I'd take your pain if I could." He meant it. No theatrics. Just quiet, intense sincerity because when Hiromi Higuruma commits to caring about someone, he doesn't do it halfway.

₊⊹. During your period, your appetite gets weird. Sometimes it's one grape and you're full. Sometimes it's 8,000 calories of pure evil. You texted him once, "I want fries. And mochi. And pickles. Also maybe… curry?" 35 minutes later he showed up with all of it. Didn't say a word. Just set the bags down and kissed your forehead.

₊⊹. Shiu Kong

₊⊹. When you lie dramatically across the bed claiming your death is imminent, he responds with, "Should I call the morgue or just put on that one drama you pretend not to cry at?" You throw a pillow.

₊⊹. He never complains about you turning the air conditioner to "Arctic Tundra" because your internal body temperature is currently set to Satan's front porch. He just silently adds another blanket onto himself like a polite boyfriend-turned-snowman.

₊⊹. You once bled through your pants in public. Shiu wordlessly shrugged off his coat and tied it around your waist, his face unreadable. "Happens. Don't let it ruin your evening. I've seen worse. Like Toji's parenting skills."

₊⊹. You ask for a massage offhandedly, not expecting anything, but Shiu responds with alarming seriousness. "I've studied torture—I mean pressure points, professionally. Let's see how transferable these skills are." You have the best massage of your existence.

₊⊹. When you finally fall asleep during a painwave, he goes full ghost mode. Doesn't talk. Stays in place. He opens a bag of chips slower than a bomb diffusal expert and chews like he's being held hostage.

₊⊹. You've learned not to hide your discomfort from him because Shiu notices anyway. He'll raise an eyebrow and announce dramatically, "We've reached crisis levels. You're walking like an elderly penguin. Come here."

₊⊹. He subtly adjusts his smoking habits around you during menstruation, stepping outside to light up without a word. When questioned, he deflects smoothly, "Trying to avoid becoming collateral damage to your heightened sense of smell."

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